BRAPA MONTH END REVIEW JUNE '23

Good evening all,

'Tis the end of June, where does the time go? Less than three months until the 2024 Good Beer Guide arrives, in all its Iron Maiden themed glory. I do like the new front cover, I wonder if I'd like the band? Not sure I've ever heard them properly. Did they have a punk era? I'll give them a try once I've had my hash (corned beef, night 2).

I'm up to 57.1% GBG completion after 48 new ticks in June has taken me up to 2,556 net total.

If I can get myself up to somewhere around 2,700 by the end of September, then I think I'll be able to call it a decent year. And considering I lost 315 pubs from the 22/23 'churn' which I don't like to talk about any more than a dodgy knee, it won't be a bad outcome.

I'm pleased to report that my own copy of the GBG is faring better than it did a year ago, no front cover droppage offage as yet! Looking a bit crinkly, feeling a bit juicy when I open it, but that's to be expected.

In mascot news, Colin the Cauliflower is fatigued after recent travels, so my failure to secure the signing of Chris the Crab or Ozan the Octopus from Southwold F.C. last week means that Oscar the Owl and Brekkie the Sheep may be required to do some heavy lifting in July, unless I can make a late deadline day purchase if the fax comes through before 11pm.

No ticks in either of my two main 'focus' counties for 2023, Kent and Leicestershire, but in a slight change to my usual format, we'll look at the six counties I have made progress in, choose a favourite in each, and show you the current map. Hope it isn't too dry and sciencey, that's my only concern!

Cambridgeshire (4 ticks)

Considering I've not given two hoots about Cambs since I fully greened it is Feb 2019, to be back up to 72.9% completion after just four recent ticks is quite pleasing.

Getting Ely re-highlighted was particularly pleasing as I was able to Stabilo that long phallic section which prods BSE in the bum.

It'd be nice to think Chatteris would disappear from the face of earth. Is Godmanchester really pronounced 'Gumster'. Is Dullingham really dull? I can't imagine I'll be back there any time soon unless future Norfolk/Suffolk trips suck me back in.

Pub of the Month - Wonky Donkey, Fletton, Peterborough

Essex (5 ticks)

Having fully completed Essex as recently as 2021, I have no real appetite to fully green it again any time soon, but when you've got willing local chauffeurs like Simon & Daddy Dewhurst volunteering to get you out to rural stuff, well you can't look a gift horse in the mouth. What a lovely duo too.

I'm sitting on 88.2% completion, and a lot of pubs I've got left are accessible by train which leaves me feeling reassured! Helions Bumpstead can get stuffed though. Essex is a notoriously low churn county too, friendly, great beer, and Saffron Walden is one of the best places on earth. I love Essex. Even Southend.

Pub of the Month - Leather Bottle, Pleshey (blog coming soon, where I'll reveal how absolutely lucky I was just to find it open).

East Sussex (6 ticks)

Look closely at that map ..... it only looks as good as it does because I've cheated and coloured in all the breweries! And Falmer. I have done most of Hastings, Eastbourne, Lewes, a bit of Brighton and St Leonards on Sea though, I'm sitting at 33.3% - my maths expertise tell me that is a third done, without really trying.

With Kent winding down over the next couple of months, East Sussex looks the next logical move. It doesn't look TOO hard. So watch this space over the coming weeks.

Pub of the Month - Hurst Arms, Eastbourne

Norfolk (8 ticks)

Considering I based myself in beautiful Thetford for my recent five day BRAPA jaunt, you might well think 8 ticks is a bit lame. And it is. But after much head scratching during the planning process, I eventually made a conscious effort to make Suffolk the main focus of this trip.

Norfolk is terrifying. In so many ways. Those villages north of Thetford are proper rock hard. I'd have been spending a small fortune, wasting time, and doing 3 ticks a day had I taken them on, so for once in my ticking life, I decided to keep it simple. I could afford to. And even then, Wortwell and California were both shut when I got there so it should've been better!

I've got a few thoughts in mind as to how I can improve my Norfolk in the coming months, cos at 56.9% completion, I'm still not too impressed with my progress.

Pub of the Month - Red Herring, Great Yarmouth (but they were almost all great)

Lincolnshire (10 ticks)

It ain't quite Norfolk, but it isn't far off, both geographically and in terms of GBG completion difficulty.

I think I've developed a bit of Stockholm Syndrome with regards Lincs, I'm loving it despite knowing I'm in a abusive relationship with it, the A15, Doom Bar, ropey local brews, 6pm Saturday openers in the middle of nowhere, six fingered yella bellies .... and yet the lure of making progress on it has been super enticing!

The 'discovery' of the branch line from Grantham to Skegness opens up new Thirsty Thursday possibilities. And the football close season mean that BRAPA legend, the eponymous Daddy BRAPA's generous chauffeuring has allowed me to make great progress. He's so great.

I'm currently sitting at 53.1%, which isn't good enough as far as I'm concerned. I want to be over 70% by the time the new GBG comes around. More likely I'll be over 70 years old when I fully green Lincolnshire.

Pub of the Month - Royal Oak, Snitterby

Suffolk (15 ticks)

Ah yes, county of the month. Suffolk is somewhere I'd only strayed into very occasionally before, and now I'm up to 38%, and this is without any BSE ticks to date, making a 2024 return quite appealing.

Special thanks to Steve Gray off of Twitter, not only for living in the middle of nowhere but also for offering to drive me to four tricky pubs. And that then inspired me to give Beccles ago, and before I know it, I'm in Southwold and the not quite so beautiful Lowestoft, amongst others.

Quality of ale and pub was generally great save for a couple of turkeys, but you get that everywhere, brilliant stuff.

Pub of the Month - Star, Wenhaston

So there we have it.

Oh yes, let us not forget 'Guest Mascot of the Month', Bunny the bunny who originates from 1970's Venice, an inspiration to Colin with regards mascot longevity. Her brain might be popping out but that doesn't stop her sinking six Moon Gazers in one cheeky sesh.

See you tomorrow for a tick or five (six?) hopefully, I'm waiting on a WhatsApp message from a potential chauffeur!

Thanks for reading, Si