Greetings from an uncommonly clean and fresh smelling York Tap. The stout is drinking well, I'm wired for sound like Cliff and we are officially past the halfway point in the 2025/26 Good Beer Guide ticking year.
59ticks (+ 10 pre-emptives) make March my most productive month since November.
I've reached 3348 ticks, that is roughly 74.4% of the current GBG.
Two 'exciting' landmarks are approaching:
12 more pubs will mean I'm finally in credit, having been forced to declare on 3359 when the new Guide came out last September.
3375 will represent 75% of the Good Beer Guide. Not far away. A better mathematician than me will tell you that this represents three quarters of the book. Which pub will be the landmark? I have no idea but it should happen in April. And more pertinently, will I be able to remain ahead of that figure come September's inevitable churn?
I'm not becoming too self-satisified just yet however. As you can imagine that final 25% is gonna contain some really tough stuff!
Me when I look at what's left in West Wales, Norfolk, Suffolk, Devon and Somerset
'Spoons Watch
Nine Wetherspoons this month (three GBG, six losers) takes me onto 426/816 visited. If we ignore a pretty limp fizzy beer, which we probably shouldn't, I'm giving the Peter Cushing, Whitstable my monthly award.
Horror art deco chic
I've now booked 20 trips on Booking.com , here are the 18 I've stayed in so far if you believe Rye and Thetford are actually the same town. All top tier destinations I'm sure you'll agree, but which is your favourite of all?
Now for the main event, where we take a look at the counties where I've made the gains, show you the map, give you a bit of commentary, and name check a few quality boozers.
Shropshire : 24 ticks. 15 left. 70.59% complete
The first BRAPA holiday of 2026 took me from almost-zero to sorta-hero in sheepy Shrops where pints, pubs and people all ranked above the national average.
And I've managed to hold onto some fairly low hanging fruit between Whitchurch-Ludlow on that Manchester Piccadilly - Wales trainline. I'm looking at an August Saturday when Daddy BRAPA is safely tucked up back at the MKM Stadium. And there might be the odd tick I can sneak in alongside Worcs / from a Wolverhamptonly direction in the meantime.
If you read my countdown, you'll know the George & Dragon Much Wenlock was my overall favourite, but I'd like the recognise pre-emptive of the month, the Abbey Shrewsbury. In last year's GBG, binned this year, but it was like a 'Spoons with softer edges and ramped up by 10% in each category. And the best pint I had in Shrewsbury.
Kent : 7 ticks. 15 left. 89.66% complete
My 'Man of Kent' mate Paul G. dropped me a message a couple of months back with some great BRAPA fighting talk ..... "we'll get Kent finished for you this year!" Legend.
Sadly, he was unavailable for this month's trip, so I made life easier for myself by hugging the coastline towards Thanet, and then down around as far as Folkestone.
I swerved Canterbury for student meningitis reasons, Ashford is closing down anyway (not the whole town sadly), but with Paul back in the fray, I'm hoping to knock off the majority of the others & owt else new by December.
Joint Pub of the Month - Staggered Inn, Dover / Conqueror Alehouse, Ramsgate
North East Wales : 6 ticks. 27 left. 35.71% complete
If Hull City remain in the same division as Wrexham next season, which I predict will be the case, I'll be booking a week in either NE, NW or W Wales around the away game, and get stuck into some tricky ticks, because outside of Gwent and Glamorgan, my Wales is weak like a leek (but not Leek which is complete).
But I've been told my pronunciations are getting better, and who knows, you might just be able to ask for a 'day rover' to some of these places anyway, or is that cheating?
The pubs were poor, Llangollen particularly sucking unprecedented levels of balls, but the highlight was crossing the wonderful aqueduct at Froncysyllte on foot (NOT pronounced Fronky-silly-ite) and meeting up with the daytripping Daddy BRAPA.
Challenging Cheese Pie which I don't like to talk about (Golden Lion, Rossett)
Warwickshire : 5 ticks. 8 left. 83.33% complete
YES! More progress in the favourite county of the year so far. How fresh is that air compared with central Birmingham? Even in the armpit of darkest Rugby.
It gets tricky now. But I refuse to swerve it, so look out for a couple more ticks in April
I've ranked the final 8 into three categories : 3 awkward but doable, 2 rare bussy pains in the arse, 3 total tricky bastards. I'll let you decide which are which.
Pub of the Month - Three Tuns, Henley-in-Arden
Derbyshire : 4 ticks. 11 left. 88.3% complete
It was when I was cross-ticking the Derbyshire section last September when I was forced to admit I'm quite a shit pub-ticker in many respects. It's not like any of these are brand new pubs I'm unaware of, they've been in and out for decades. Only myself to blame.
Take the Rutland Arms at Holmesfield. How many times have we driven past? Had to actually check my spreadsheet thrice that I haven't been in. Joiners in Bakewell. Hovered outside it last year, shall I shan't I? Didn't. Only needed a half too. Utter stupidity. House of Beer Ashbourne. Knew when I did Smith's Tavern a few years back I should've done this at same time. Milford King William, EVERYONE has been there. Swadlincote 'Spoons has been on a (weirdly patterned blue and white) plate for me for years. Dire. Ticknall, actually has 'tick' in the name. Dickhead behaviour. Castleton. Just need a day where I do all 58 pubs in town cos they rotate them to buggery. And Millers Dale? Ugh, just don't. Yes I know you've all been, And yes, I am embarrassed.
Oh well, I must thank Daddy BRAPA for some gentle car-day related behaviour last Saturday to put a dent in it, and I'm not going to Sheff Utd away game so when I've finished S. Yorks, I'll come down here for a bit more.
Pub of the Month - Cross Daggers, Coal Aston
Best of the Rest (cos I'm too embarrassed to show you my maps for these counties)
Pubs deserving of a mention : Ship & Castle, Aberystwyth / Railway Tavern, Newtown / Prince of Wales, Ledbury / Black Lion, Butterton / Greyhound, Warslow / Ale Hub, Worcester.
Overall Pub of the Month Winner!
Daddy Bassy - Black Lion, Butterton
Easter coincides with BRAPA's 12th birthday this year (April 5th). I've booked a few nights away for that, so you'll have to wait and see where I end up but I'm looking to get ticks in 4 or 5 different counties. It won't be six a day, but I'll concentrate on long-standing entries where possible,
I've rather geekily put a little red dot next to every pub that has been in past five editions! So if you see me referring to a 'red-dotter' on X/BlueSky and ask anyway, I know you've not read this.
Right , thank you. That's it. Slightly self-indulgent as always but good therapy!
Comments