BRAPA .... WILL BE TICKING IN THE STREETS OF RAITH (Part 2/2)

Saturday 5th August, and just to re-cap, Kirkcaldy had wowed me in an incomprehensible open-mouthed jaw-to-the-floor kinda way with it's 2 GBG entries, both pints had been good too.

The same couldn't be said of Kinghorn's Auld Hoose, but could it turn it around with our next tick, the 4th today?

Crown Tavern, Kinghorn (2610 / 4505) was nowhere near as bad, it had a dimly lit rumbustiousness, a dark brown wooden snob screened feel of yore, yet it somehow didn't convince. It had the same bar blockers, and they had the same lack of spatial awareness, and that slight Kinghorn grot pervaded. Peering over the old boys to spot the hidden real ales (a fun Scottish pub game) was equally challenging, at least there was more than one, and in all the confusion, I mistakenly order Daddy BRAPA a pint, he snaps back quickly that he wants a whisky (having lost faith in the ale last time out), and I'm like 'why are you snapping at me Mr Snappy?' so we have a full blown domestic which at least gets us noticed by the staff and blockers! Footballs roll around the upper walls like toby jugs normally do, a decoartive rouge ceiling is sort of stylish and the carpet is a plushy 7/10. My ale tastes of fresh bread, not awful but not convinced it was quite right. The most exciting aspect after this was spent speculating where the gents loos might be. How had Kinghorn managed to make Kirkcaldy feel like Barcelona? It hadn't seemed possible when we'd got off the train an hour ago.

No wonder he's gone to Metz

Quality mid argument 'check rucksack in disgust' photo of the day contender

Next up, I 'strategically left' Burntisland as the tick there was a 15 minute walk from the station and I didn't want to leave us panicking later on for the Edinburgh train back to York

Instead we went through to Aberdour - a great one for my alphabetical ticking OCD, being the first listed in Fife .....

And it was a Bluetones-esque slight return to form at the Foresters Arms, Aberdour (2611 / 4506) , and after a wee in the chunky quality 'urinal of the month', it was a bit of a struggle to find the main entrance, or at least the bar at which we were supposed to be served at. Then, a wander to the back loungey club-like room where we were supposed to sit! A perky wooden sweetheart of a room, and with the second quality Jarl of the day taken less for granted after our Kinghorn horror show, we were smiling again. It was the opening day of the football season, and Hull City were away at Norwich. A deeply frustrating fixture for BRAPA having completed the place of marginally better ale than Kinghorn back in Feb - and you just know there'll be about 15 new ticks for me in the 2024 GBG! Grrr. But Dad's phone pings us an alert. We are winning courtesy of the Winchester Pele! YESSSS ..... we're only going up as flippin' champions!! Then a funny bloke next to me announces he's leaving now (no one asked) but not before giving himself a full Lynx Africa body spray. Standard.

'Daddy, Daddy, what's the score?'

One more pub then, the train station was Dalgety Bay, but the pub itself was in Hillend, which can't have been more than a five minute walk.

Had someone been putting a tot of whisky in my jars of Jarls? Because the above photo is the only 'evidence' I have that I visited the Hillend Tavern, Hillend (2612 / 4507). I remember it having a lively jolly atmosphere. My beer being more than decent, quite a lot on I think. Guess it makes sense based on those 'Pub of the Year' banners above. I had to have a sip of Dad's whisky to dislodge a bit of stuck quiche in my throat! Second time I've done this in a week, learn to chew idiot. But I took no indoor photos, didn't do a Twitter/X check in, didn't make any notes, so sorry, maybe I need to come back when I finally do Burntisland for my penance! But I think it would be pleasant penance.

Train back to Edinburgh then, and Norwich have equalised. Boo! Mid-table finish I reckon. Knew I'd spoken too soon.

Edinburgh at evil street level is its usual chaotic self, but I'm feeling a bit more 'with it' now, and we have time to pop in an auld favourite of mine I did all the way back in September 2013, before BRAPA even begun, was on my way to Inverness at the time Nessie spotting ......

Well, it lacked the magic of my weekday sleepy lunchtime visit all those years back because it was just a busy mass of sticky empty glasses and transient tourists. The Orkney Boulder Beach was lemony, punchy and herbal, a funny man chatted to me briefly, but I don't think I did enough to convince Abbotsford debutant Daddy B. that this was a true great. Midweek lunchtime next time I go I think! With the news coming through that Hull City have lost in the 90+6 minute (we're going down aren't we?), it was time to catch the train home to York, 23% of the Kingdom of Fife ticked! Woop.

I was going to tell you about Slingsby too tonight but I had a bad night's sleep last night so I'll do that one tomorrow or Wednesday with a couple I did in Leicestershire. Trying to get semi-caught up before my epic late summer / early Autumn holiday.

Keep it pub, Si