Greetings! This 'cat' might be playing a late lament for 2024, but cheer up mate, here at BRAPA Towers we are in jubilant mood after a healthy 70 pub haul has pushed me closer to a record breaking year.
I end November on 2854 current Good Beer Guide pubs, that is 63.4% completion. Only 150 from clawing myself back into credit after September's #CruelChurn
Just 13 pubs away from a yearly record, and 18 off 600 for the year. Even though December is a notoriously tough ticking month (BRAPA average is 29), it shouldn't take long to reach those targets, and I'm all the more chuffed considering November was a month of some crazy cold weather, mystery bank accounts, Blue Sky beginnings, dental fillings, Hull City desperation and a bout of man-flu.
Icelandic woollen hat deployed for most days out
I made progress in 11 counties, so let's take a quick look at the maps, progress updates and a Staedtler sponsored highlight of the month for the main six.
Oxfordshire (31 ticks, 55.07% complete, 31 ticks left to do)
Focussing mainly on the Oxford area where I was staying, the crux of my good month came in this dining heavy, carpetless, beermatless county, which throws in the odd cracker just when you are in danger of losing all hope and sanity.
A mystery man (hopefully not a serial killer) has offered to drive me around those Thamey ones on the Bucks border, and I'm hoping to get a few days in the Banbury / Bicester area in 2025 when the days lengthen - perhaps Easter? I also think some of those nearer Reading / Berks might be doable on any given south eastern Saturday. Well, once my London & Kent look a bit rosier.
For a highlight, we'll go for Colin making friends at the magical North Star, Steventon.
Greater London (11 ticks, 87% complete, 37 pubs left to do)
A fully green London is still the dream in 2025, and I'm keeping the pressure on. North & East are still in need of a little bit of TLC, but a kind chap has sent me some Grand Central freebies, another nice chap wants to meet me when I do the Woodford's, so plenty of reasons to keep attacking this all encompassing vast bugger. Millwall away moved to 12:30 kick off? Perfecto!
Highlight / Lowlight - For all the glitz of brilliant Prince Alfred in Warwick Ave, E17 brought me back down to earth with a massive bump as Beerblefish at Blackhorse Road showcased one of the most horrific atmosphere's in BRAPA history as twilds, mummies & daddies ran amok during a brewery tap birthday party horror show.
Cheshire (7 ticks, 88.73% done, 8 pubs still to do)
My London of the north in late 2024, I can almost smell the Cheshire finish line, and it is Chester which holds the key with two ticks and buses / trains to most of those others which remain. Gotta keep the momentum up on #ThirstyThursdays & #SozzledSaturdays where possible, like I did this week in Warrington & Congleton.
Highlight - Albion, Warrington
West Midlands (7 ticks, 69.5% complete, 36 left)
Plenty of work still to do in the all-time best beer & pub county in the UK (not been to Borders, Northern Ireland and Somerset yet, so I can't really say), but I'll keep chipping away, casually like, bab.
One weird discovery for early 2025 at least, is that it is both cheaper and easier to book York to Birmingham than York to London King's Cross, something that has never been the case since I started this ridiculous hobby back in 2014.
A bit annoyed that the Stourbridge - Wolverhampton corridor has chucked so much new stuff in the 2025 GBG, but I have no doubt it'll be quality experiences all round and my TwXtter / B.S. timelines full of folk saying "corrr Si, how've ya not been to THAT one before?"
Cov away moved to 12:30 kick off? Perfecto! Thanks evil Sky Sports, more of this please.
Highlight - King Edward VII, Halesowen
North Yorkshire (7 ticks, 92.31% done, 11 left)
Apart from a Church Houses winter opening hours faux-pas on my part, it has been good to get a few more gaps plugged in my awkward home county.
Progress might be a bit sporadic, leaves me wondering if a few random one/two pub ad-hoc trips might be worthwhile. Guisborough opening hours are crazily mean, Kirkby Malham looks easier on a bus Sunday rather than any other day of the week, which is just plain wrong, definitely a county which keeps me awake at night!
Highlight - Lion Inn, Blakey Ridge
Durham (2 ticks, 97.5% complete, 2 left)
My Darlo double brings me to within two in County Durham, and I was just about to swoop down on that remaining duo on this Thursday just gone, when a quick double check of opening hours reveals Sedgefield's club only opens at 7:30pm. Every single weekday, and weekends not at all! And here was me thinking Castle Eden would be the problem child.
Happily, there is a bus between the two, but these cold dark days are not the time of year to be stuck in the home of Britain's Blair Witch Project late at night. I'm picturing a 19th June style date for this one now. West Yorkshire remains my only completed county for now.
Highlight - Traveller's Rest, Darlington
I also managed one tick in Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Buckinghamshire, Surrey and Staffordshire, but I won't show you the maps cos these things are painful enough.
Highlight of those five undoubtedly the Commercial Hotel, Rainhill.
So in conclusion, I'm very happy with how it has gone ever since the 2025 GBG came out.
December is never easy. My record is 40 ticks in 2022 so I'm going to aim for 41. No holidays, and I don't even like ticking around Christmas time, so I'll have to keep on with the Thursday trips to give myself any kinda chance.
Strange to think, a month from now, it'll be 2025, I'll be watching us losing at home to Middlesbrough, and I'll have published my Year End Review approx 00:30.
That photo asks so many questions,the toddler obviously didn’t climb onto the pool table by himself so was placed there by a parent? In what world would you think an open sided pool table is a safe location for a small child? Never mind that it’s a pool table where people play pool and a child befouling it would seriously impair your game!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again but if you can’t be bothered to look after/interact with your children then maybe either don’t take them to the pub or don’t bother having children to begin with!
Or maybe I’m just missing something?.
Like
Martin Taylor
12 hours ago
If you die before me I will put that Beerblefish pic on your grave. It's what you would have wanted.
That photo asks so many questions,the toddler obviously didn’t climb onto the pool table by himself so was placed there by a parent? In what world would you think an open sided pool table is a safe location for a small child? Never mind that it’s a pool table where people play pool and a child befouling it would seriously impair your game!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again but if you can’t be bothered to look after/interact with your children then maybe either don’t take them to the pub or don’t bother having children to begin with!
Or maybe I’m just missing something?.
If you die before me I will put that Beerblefish pic on your grave. It's what you would have wanted.