I'm not looking forward to getting up at 6:30am tomorrow, to be on a 7:30am train I'm not really booked on, and it is a strike day. What can possibly go wrong? Early night needed, hence me banging this blog out an hour earlier than usual! The unglamorous side of pub ticking(!)
49 pubs ticked off in the month of November, not to mention six pre or post emptives, which pushes me up to 56.6% completion at 2551 net pubs. Solid if not spectacular.
Let's break it down into the counties I made progress in, with a map, percentage and favourite pub for each one.
Northamptonshire (25 ticked, 71.1% complete)
25 ticked here, easily my county of the month after a little five day jaunt down here. Always nice to get stuck into a 'new' county. Most of the stuff I left pairs better with other counties, whether it be Cambs (Oundle et al), Bucks (Cosgrove), Oxon (Greatworth), Warwicks (Lilbourne) or Leics (the others!)
I thought Northampton was a good pub town, maybe not top 10, but reckon 11-20, NOT that I have a BRAPA league table for that sort of thing.
I think my top 3 pub experiences would probably be Alexandra Arms Kettering, New Inn Abthorpe and the George at Tiffield.
Alexandra Arms, Kettering
Abthorpe village green, waiting patiently for 12 noon!
Skittled out for 25! Amazing people made the difference at the George Tiffield
Durham (8 ticks, 91.7% completed)
Just 7 left if County Durham which has taken over from the various Yorkshire bits as my main #ThirstyThursday focus in November.
And with Middlesbrough and Sunderland away coming up in Dec/Jan respectively, I'm hoping to be down to just Edmundbyers by late January. That might need to be a Daddy BRAPA summer chauffeur beg, combine it with some Northumberland maybe?
Highlight was the Red Lion at North Bitchburn. Hung around in the cold and dark til meanie 6:30pm opening happened, but worth it when it did with cracking fire, great ale, 'twas a very peaceful traditional village inn.
West Midlands (8 ticks, 67.3% complete)
A brilliant outer Stourbridge and a woeful Kings Heath attempt were the sum of my West Midlands efforts, building on my epic October holiday.
If I was fully in control of my BRAPA Saturdays and money was no object, I'd be down in West Mids to get it 100% ticked week after week, I love it so much, but sadly it isn't that simple! It should be. Still, I'm looking to book a trip in early Spring. Sedgley sounds appealing. But Bearwood is next alphabetically. One of the two!
Oh, I think I've worked out my 'mystery 2004 Walsall' pub. White Lion on Sandwell Street. A GBG regular back then, 30 mins from the Bescot, sounds backstreety with more than one room. Sadly it is closed down at the moment so I can't prove it!
Pub of the month for November down here was the epic best Scotch Egg ever pub, Bird in Hand at Wordsley.
Lincolnshire (6 ticks, 85.7%)
It wouldn't be a classic BRAPA month without a Daddy B. chauffeuring rural Lincs opportunity, and with the 2024 GBG sticking in a bunch of never before seen obscure dining villages in the Grantham area just for banter, it was the perfect opportunity to bolster my impressive figure further.
In fact, two more Daddy BRAPA car journeys and an epic on my own where I get lucky with Surfleet being open to the public, and I can see my completing Lincs in three more stabs.
Pub of the month was the Green Man at Ropsley, accidentally walked through the family quarters and everyone was still impeccably friendly, and beer 100%, and probably most pubby just about.
Ready to walk through the wrong door!
East Yorkshire (2 ticks, 100% completion)
And this Tuesday gone, I completed East Yorkshire in the Bear Inn at South Cave. Promised little early doors, but a super interested landlord, carpet, fire and some of the best quality ale I've had all year turned it into a real winner.
I'm not so fussed about getting the 100% completions as I was a few years back, at my 'fragile stage of development' (56%) it is more about progress in as many areas as I can. But still, always a satisfying morale booster.
A couple of extra curricular bits. Colin got his first mascot, Dudley the Duck, rescued from Birmingham New Street station last week. He's had a disinfectant bath cos you can't trust anyone who lurks in New St.
And Apple Music revealed the shocking truth about my listening habits in 2023.
Even though Billy Joel made my top 15.
December is going to be slim pickings on the tickings I'm afraid, I'd settle for 31 ticks right now!
I'm going to really have to maximise my #ThirstyThursdays (which might start taking me to Greater Manchester and Lancs once I've done a little bit more North East).
That's because one Saturday is out altogether (work Christmas do in L**ds on 16th, what even is a bottomless brunch?), tomorrow as mentioned above could be tough due to strikes / weather, 9th I might get something out of if I shun QPR which are easily shunnable, let's face it. 23rd is in my calendar as 'gentle North Yorkshire day' and I've stupidly booked Melton Mowbray for 30th which I can see being a painful slog.
But all in all, very pleased to be where I am at this stage. 'Only' 130 pubs needed to recoup my 2022/23 end total of (2681), so I think I'll get there sooner than the usual mid-late April time.
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