With Woodman's Stroke, Rothley and Tyne Bar, Byker both safely through to the quarter finals, we have two more ties tonight to see who will join them.
First off, a sell out crowd of nine billion (great support in the North East) for an all Newcastle City Centre derby clash.
Wobbly Duck v Crow's Nest
Down some dangerous steps into this dimly lit underground bar, Wobbly Duck was another example of Newcastle's inexhaustible GBG pub churn on this, my 5,000th (approx) visit to the famous city living in the shadow of Sunderland. I'm having an unlucky beer day so far, and because I initially thought it was called NOFX, I go for a pint of Nox - a Cherry Sour Milk Stout, with no sweetness. A grower like a cherry fungus. We sit at one of those awkward barrel seats in the main bar (why do they never cut out holes for your legs?) You are 2cm from every other customer, so it is just as well folk are super friendly. Ben gets chatting with some fellow Tigers from Sandy, Beds. This perks me up, for Bedfordshire was where BRAPA really cut his (my) teeth - I thought Greene King dining pubs and pints of Charles Wells Eagle tasting like rusty pennies was as good as pub ticking was going to get back in 2014. Nice chaps. Ben marvels at my 'discipline' with regards wanting to move on swiftly and keep the ticking pressure going, as he could easily settle here all afternoon. There may have been no Oscar the Owl or Colin the Cauliflower mascot present today, but our crossword was becoming vaguely sentient itself, as Daddy B demonstrates.
Is that a tiny bit of face in the doorway? Spooky. Anyway, I spoke last time about the benefits of entering any new GBG pub with low expectations, and that really helped me out here at the Crow's Nest. After all, a large Greene King house I'd never needed to visit before despite this being my 5,000th (approx) visit to the city that wishes it was more Sunderland, I mean you can understand my skepticism can't you? But look at the green tiling, the handsome sweeping bar, pillars, and look at the beers .... not a GK IPA or Speckled Hen in sight, now that's what you want to see in a GK pub, apart from that lovely Mild they sell in Cambridge's best weird pubs obviously, I love that stuff. After the Wobbly Duck, good as it was, such a tonic to be able to stretch out, breathe, stick out your chin and your lungs, flex your calves, raise your arms. Not sure if I was doing the Time Warp or YMCA by this stage, but it felt good. Even had time for a bonus half of some Brew York nonsense before the Metro to Sunderland. Daddy BRAPA completes his challenge, getting a crossword clue in each pub before he is allowed to move on.
Well, I can't separate these two. I said Crow's Nest at the time, but I think that was the 'expectations factor'. Wobbly Duck very good looking back. We'll let the dice decide ......
4-2. Wobbly Duck through. What drama here at BRAPA Towers.
Onto tonight's other fixture, so we'll fast forward a day to North Leicestershire, and rewind a day to West Yorkshire.
Navigation Inn, Barrow on Soar v Doghouse, Castleford
My bus hadn't arrived in Walton on the Wolds earlier on, no explanation, but then again, there never is in these situations is there? I calculated I lost close to two hours, the roadwalk wasn't terrifying but not nice either, I wouldn't recommend it. The sun was beating down throughout, rare for 2023 so far. And the Navigation Inn, as the name suggests, was tucked at the arse-end of Barrow on the canal. I was a crotchety blotchy aching sweaty mess when I arrived. So the beaming welcoming smile of the barman, especially when he realises I'm not here for food, J20's or a bowl of water for my dog/cauliflower, was a morale boost. I like being the lowest maintenance customer on the premises. A splash of cold water on my face in the gents, a spruce up of my fluffy hair, a swig of the decent Woodforde's Wherry, and I was back in the game. After some strategic deliberation, I sit on a bench where an open door allowed a delightful cool breeze in - I had no appetite to join the masses in the sun overlooking the canal ('like flies around a corpse' as Sister BRAPA famously once said, observing the King's Arms on the river in York). A couple of Grandad/Granddaughter combos make comedic cameos, passing through looking for ice cream, sausage and mash, hopefully not in that order. The buses/trains were terribly timed for my escape back to Loughborough for evening ticking, but this wasn't a bad place to nurse a pint.
I'd had this one final West Yorkshire GBG tick hanging over me for months now, an angry albatross around my neck, and you could argue I really picked my moment to visit! Castleford Tigers were at home to local rivals Wakefield in the superior form of rugby, televised, the only game on this Thursday night before Easter. It says a lot for Cas that it took me ages to twig when arriving in the town that there was an 'event' on. Honest town is Cas, the sort of place where people look at you directly in the face when they speak to you, a bit like they're going to crawl inside you and lay an egg. Huge gaggles of tattooed blokes are spilling out of every pub, all wearing Cas Tigers tops. Well, I thought that was just normal behaviour until I reached the heaving Glass Blower 'Spoons and extended families were all having a bit of scran. The Doghouse only opened at 5pm, and despite their Facebook encouraging the rugby crowd to pop in, it was just myself, Colin and an old bloke for the most part. I'd been to their Selby vehicle of the same name during those Coviddy times, and this was less like a botanical bordello. I'd been surprised how long it had taken this one to make its GBG debut. Little Black Dog local ales dominate, I have this 5.6% Foreign Stout - everything's a bit foreign in Cas. Takes me ages to drink the stuff, meaning I don't even need another half before my train home. Big day in Newc/Sunderland the following day, so didn't want to overdo it! The rugby gang finally caught me up just as I'm having my farewell widdle, the mood changes within seconds, and as I leave, I received a very cheery / drunken goodbye from everyone.
Another difficult outcome to call. Both very different types of pubs, sitting alone in a corner, perfectly content, yet with not much 'material' to work with, means I'm going to leave this one to the dice again as I don't have strong feelings either way .....
1-6. DOGHOUSE triumphs. The dice was pretty conclusive there!
See you all tomorrow evening for our two Friday night fixtures involving three Leics pubs and one Newcastle one.
See you then, Si
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