May 2026. Leeds. A night in Bradford, then a descent through the ornate passageway in the Midland Hotel to Forster Square station, from which you take the Kirkstall route back to Leeds, not the most scenic. But Leeds is scrubbing up well, and that endless renovation of the station entrance may well be a cracker,...

May 2026. Bradford. Time flies. Five years ago I was sitting outside the Jacobs Well (aka Beer House aka Jacobs etc etc), waiting for BRAPA to be vaccinated. Afternoon all! Pre vaccine fun at Jacobs Beer House, Bradford. The Abbeydale Deception is drinking well, the locals and staff seem perky, it is raining and...

May 2026. Bradford. You can always trust a person who likes Bradford, or Blackpool, or is torn on the virtues of Maidenhead. The Southworths always seem impressed by Bradford’s centenary square; the city hall, the fountains, the Wetherspoons, the view across to the Alhambra and the wonderfully revitalised Science...

May 2026. Bradford. We’ve been stalking the Southworths on their 2026 UK (well, mainly Yorkshire) Tour, which inevitably reached Bradford last Sunday. I’m sure Dave really comes for the marvellous street art, recently enhanced by the addition of Greggs wrappers, but in truth it’s the curry that brings the boys to...

May 2026. Sheffield. I’m no glory-hunter. Not for me the trip to Crewe Alex to see Cambridge United promoted. I couldn’t get a ticket. I chose the last Saturday of the grass roots season to watch “Proper Football”. Bramall Lane, home of legends like, er, Eddie Colquhoun, where the modern day stars drive normal cars....

May 2026. Sheffield. A rare Saturday in Sheffield, and a designated “dry” day, which is quite an effort in my hometown. On a whim, I thought “about time I went to Bramall Lane“, and was a bit miffed to see the Cricketers Arms opposite the ground closed on match day. I took an aimless stroll round semi-industrial...

April 2026. Cannon Street. London. I’m always interested in The Honest View on Beer Quality. Chris Dyson and Paul Bailey always give their beers scores; folk on the “We love Bass, us” Facebook page seem reluctant to admit Bass can sometimes be less than perfect (though it always seems to photograph well). Our...

April 2026. Spitalfields. London. I had a sneaking suspicion that Dave had picked the King’s Arms for his post-museum pint as it provided a direct route to the Pride of Spitalfields, one of the London classics on his Pub Bucket List. The walk down Brick Lane is as exhilarating as ever, with the old Truman’s brewery...

April 2026. Bethnal Green. London. An afternoon in east London with Joan and Dave, barely mentioning the T***p at all; just culture and cask and the Columbia Road. It helps as a tourist, UK or American, if you like a bit of scruff with your charm, which is why Bethnal Green is such a joy. The original “cultural...

April 2026. London. I’d never been to the Museum of the Home at Hoxton Station (blue M at the red dot), not sure I’d ever heard of it. Standing proud in old almshouses on the A10 next to the famous Vietmamese cafés, close to the cultural melting pot of Hoxton Street. Worth coming just for the smell from the...

April 2026. London. Staying overnight in Tunbridge Wells meant an easy rail journey the next morning; half-full Southeastern train to London Bridge, Northern Line to Old Street, 20 minute walk to the Museum of the Home next to Hoxton Station. We’re meeting the lovely Joan and Dave “US Dave” Southworth, who are...

April 2026. Royal Tunbridge Wells. An evening in a sunny Pantiles, mainly spent in the subterranean bar of the Mad Dog, and again we’d forgot to eat. I’m sure the Pantiles has many dining options, most outside our budget, so we headed back up the hill for a minute before Mrs RM dived into the Youngs dining pub. Five...