I am breaking off from my 'terrifying' festivities to bring you the results for October, a great month with 65 Good Beer Guide ticks plus 9 pre & post-emptives, all of which could easily make the 2027 GBG.
I have passed the 69% mark once again, and I'm on course for a record-breaking BRAPA year. November is all about passing the landmark 70% by next month end - 45 (1% of the Guide) is the bare minimum I'd hope to achieve.
September's #CruelChurn is already but a distant bad dream.
So without any further ado, let's get stuck into the counties which I've made progress in ......
It has been a Scotland heavy month (wee heavy?), and the highlight was undoubtedly a clean sweep of the Glasgow region, which I achieved in the cosy but pricy Inverkip Hotel a week ago today.
A holiday that exceeded all expectations, even the Air B & B was top hole and the rarely happens. I'd say pints 7/10, pubs 8/10, people 9/10.
Pubs of the month - Lismore, Partick / Weavers, Strathaven / Scotia Bar, Glasgow / Brown Bull, Lochwinnoch / Fox & Hounds, Houston.
Back in 2016, I was close to being an Ayrshire completist but having left it alone for 9 years, I dropped back to only 5 done. Such is the #CruelChurn. So it was nice during my Glasgow trip to get a couple of trips out west.
And had I been here an extra day, I'd have definitely got out to Killie. 'Twas on my radar all week, but I ran out of time. Arran was a more strategic leave, only two pubs on the island this year, there's normally more, plus Ardrossan's opening hours were quite mean.
Pub of the month - Paddle Steamer, Largs
West Midlands (5 ticks, 17 left, 85.59% complete)
An especially #CruelChurn in the West Mids for a second successive year forced my hand, I missed our away game at Brum to catch up on some ticking. Depriving myself of a fantastic 3-2 win. Tsk. But I'm pleased Daddy BRAPA got to witness it. Not bad for a team expected to finish 23rd against a side many thought would go straight up to the Prem.
I didn't stray west enough for it to be 'classic WM pubbing' , but all good progress. Last GBG, I was 4 off completion here. This time, there's no escape West Midlands, I'm coming for ya in a 100% completion kinda way. Lock up your porters. Be warned!
Pub of the month - British Oak, Stirchley
Oxfordshire (5 ticks, 19 left, 72.46%)
A more expected #CruelChurn here because last year was my first time getting stuck into this fascinating county, which can be brilliant but sometimes chooses not to be by shunning beermats, carpets and a welcoming smile.
But it was certainly on top form this month, huge thanks to Dave / David / Sladey / Komakino for driving me around the eastern bit bordering Bucks. Ox is another county where I'm desperate to grab the mettle in 2025/26 and hammer home the momentum I've built, but I'm wondering if a long weekend is a better idea than a series of day trips.
Pub of the month - Cross Keys, Thame
Greater Manchester (7 ticks, 3 left, 98.11% completion)
And I might've completed it too if it wasn't for that pesky Wigan bucking the trend of the 2026 GBG by sticking in two random brewery taps with naughty hours ..... one doesn't open at all on a Thursday which means I'd have to 'waste' a Saturday on it, tsk.
Look, I've deliberately left Tyldesley alone to encourage me to do Wigan (same bus route). I guess I might get a random Friday off work, that'd maybe work. Oh, and loads of pre-emptive 'Spoons I require out that way too so I could make a decent day of it!
Pub of the Month - Our Gracie's, Rochdale
Borders (4 ticks, 1 left, 94.44% complete)
The most ambitious Daddy BRAPA chauffeur day yet (putting him back in the 'driving seat' for BRAPA person of the year) helped me mop up that tricky bit north of Berwick.
I KNEW that swerving Hawick Queen's Head when I was walking between their two 2025 GBG pubs was a mistake. It has a heritage star, was open, and had been in a GBG very recently. I'd only have needed to drink a half too. I'm so silly. No plans to do it this GBG, but we'll see what the 2027 edition looks like.
Pub of the month - Allanton Inn, Allanton
Northumberland (3 ticks, 8 left, 80% done)
Despite not including many pubs in the GBG, Northumberland always manages to eff me over. But on outer Berwick day with Daddy B., I made a decent start to clawing it back. Now I wonder if he'd take me to Holy Island? It isn't as far (north).
I'll definitely be chipping away at it in 2025/26 anyway, I think there might even be a new Wetherspoons in a weird location which will almost certainly make it in 2027.
Pub of the month - Black Swan, Belford (and pint of the month, Motorhead Porter by Metalhead).
Argyll & Isles (3 ticks, 14 left, 17.65% done)
Apologies for the Knob of Kintyre, I was feeling immature on the Wemyss Bay ferry.
Always nice to get my 'debut' ticks in a county, if you can call this strange assortment of Scottish islands a county. I guess Bute is entry level A&I, but I'd not even woken up that morning expecting to go, so to get there after 3:30pm, do all 3 thanks to great buses, and make the last ferry back at 7pm felt a grand achievement.
Oban looks a sensible base, but whether that'll be this season I'm not sure. All achievable, providing you're willing to do 1 or 2 pubs per day! Nah, I think at this stage of my ticking career, better I make a dent in Somerset, West Wales and the Channel Islands first.
Pub of the month - Mac's Bar, Rothesay, Isle of Bute
I also managed two ticks in the following counties but I've wittered on long enough so I won't show you maps or write a paragraph:
Cheshire (10 left, 85.71% done)
Buckinghamshire (16 left, 69.81% done)
West Yorkshire (1 left, 99.25% done).
Lions of Bledlow, Bucks
'Spoons Mindfulness
Feel free to give me an ironic slow hand clap for this final section, but having once again noticed a mass of as yet un-ticked Wetherspoons whilst cross-ticking the 2026 GBG, I've decided to commit to any pre-emptive 'Spoons. I think it will be the easiest way to limit my churn next year.
I've waded through their App, where you can actually electronically tick them off to say you've been, and at the time of writing, the stats show I have done 374 out of 801. So let's get that up past the 50% mark in the coming months.
I won't go too far out of my way to tick them, but if I'm in a town or city where there is one, or I'm on a train / bus route, then I'll definitely pop in. Four of my October pre-emptives were 'Spoons and with the possible exception of Pump House in Shirley, all were GBG quality in my eyes.
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