retiredmartin
retiredmartin
Martin
Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.
Latest Posts
November 2025. Lydd. Kent. What’s that bit of land a few miles east of Romney Marsh ? “Boulogne” something something ? A small Channel Island presumably. Probably sells Butcombe, must investigate. Just as I got to investigate Lydd (pop....
November 2025. Sheffield. In an era where folk spend £500 watching old Mancunians knocking out meat and potato pub rock in a park in Prestwich, £15 for a night of modern music in a club in Sheffield seems a bargain, though I’m sure one...
November 2025. Sheffield. A night in Sheffield between the statutory two in Waterbeach, just time for laundry, a read of the mail, a gig and a catch-up with James. He’d phoned to ask to catch-up, possibly to make sure I’m not investing...
November 2025. Rye. Waterbeach. Sheffield. While Mrs RM stays down in Rye Harbour till Christmas I’m doing the Rye-Waterbeach-Sheffield trudge (all by rail thankfully), checking on parents and children and cottages. Might even get the...
November 2025. St. Leonards. Sussex. There’s lots of unexpected things you learn about east Sussex after 30 years of ticking pubs and 3 staying in a caravan down there. Rye isn’t as genteel as Mermaid Street suggests, Hastings has an old...
November 2025. Eastbourne. Not a great pub town, bar the Lamb, but Eastbourne has Beachy Head up the road, 2 good Spoons, and a gem of an art gallery. Mind, the exterior of the Towner is better than the interior. Only the exceptional...
November 2025. Eastbourne. Mrs RM is spending a season down in Sussex by the Sea, attending to elderly parents (sound familiar?). Arranging Lasting Powers of Attorney never seemed so urgent. I’m hoping to spend a while down there too,...
November 2025. Tonbridge. Having spent the extravagant sum of £3.20 to park next to Tonbridge Castle (it was 6.43pm, they charge 8am till 8pm but kindly gave me a credit of those 43 minutes in the morning) we were going to get full value...
November 2025. Tonbridge. There’s five (5) Tonbridge entries in the Good Beer Guide this year. Southwold has none (0), Stafford only has three. One of those is the very beery Nelson Arms, one’s a Spoons, one is the upmarket...
November 2025. Tonbridge. A day attending to the in-laws of Royal Tunbridge Wells, where it transpires all Michael wants is a front row seat at the Assembly Hall, listening to a sombre piece about Anne Frank performed by his own choral...
November 2025. Rye. I’d almost overdone it on that first visit to the Ypres on my return to Rye (not the only one, apparently), and it was unfortunate that I had exactly 32 minutes till the bus back to our caravan park, which is exactly...
November 2025. Rye. First time at our caravan down in Rye Harbour for a year; it’s been on let almost continuously in an attempt to recoup the site fees. It all feels worth it as you take the A2070 from Ashford past Snargate and Romney...
November 2025. Thurnham. Maidstone. Into posh Kent and the North Downs we go, for a night in Rye before opera with the in-laws. There may be something in that last sentence to make you a tad jealous. I’m betting it’s not opera. A...
November 2025. Antifascist Walkley. Sheffield. Back from London to Cambridge (eventually, someone pulled the emergency cord at Stevenage), then a slight return to Sheffield for a couple of nights before bringing Mrs RM down to Kent and...
November 2025. Highbury. London. A big (for RM) gig in London, a new venue for me just outside Highbury Station and just below the Arsenal ground, and I find myself with 2 hours to kill before doors. I know it’s imperative I get the...