I trust that the glass being held by the "Cheers" smiley you used is a Belgian beer glass and not red wine.

Can't find the one with the pint glass (lined of course to ensure a full pint).

Managed a couple of pints of Abbot Ale in the Gatehouse last night plus a pint of Draymans Special from Naylors Brewery (Crosshills, nr Keighley). Very nice.

Just finished watching. Dark Horse Brewery (Hetton nr Skipton) and Kelham Island Brewery (Sheffield) both featured.

I could almost taste the Hetton Pale Ale from the description. Made me drool.

Couple of pints of Abbot in the Tut plus a pint of each of the following in the Gatehouse before the game yesterday. Wentworth Best, Elland First Light and Acorn Gorlovka. Obviously there's a need to have some decent Ale before arriving at the Keepmoat.

Enjoyed a pint of Bomber County, this lunchtime at the White Swan at Dunham on Trent (Nottinghamshire). A dark bitter with malt, coffee and caramel flavours from the Tom Wood (Highwood) Brewery in Grimsby - a 'real' winner.

Chuff me. I drove past there twice on Friday night en route to and from Lincoln ( I've passed that pub so often, I've lost count ). Only just realised it's a real ale boozer in the past couple of months and was just thinking I'd better check it out. Following on from our "close encounter" at the Chequers, Whiston, I'm beginning to wonder if we are telepathic!

Did you try the Bridge?

Incidentally, as we're near the Trent, have you tried the Eight Jolly Brewers in Gainsborough? Another quality real ale establishment. All microbrewed ales.

Today, have visited the Arkwright Arms again at Sutton-cum-Duckmanton, sampling the very worthy Whim's Flower Power, Spire Twist and Stout and Adnam's East Side.

Also, had an insipid pint of Jenning's Cumberland Ale at the Hollingwood in Chesterfield, which frankly gives real ale a bad name. Rather they didn't sell it at all than make such a pig's ear out of it.

It has a sign outside saying that it's back under original management and having checked the 2009 Good Beer Guide, it's not in but it was in the 2008 version. Perhap's its had some problems in the past 12 months or so? Talking of the Chequers, that has also missed out in the new Guide.




No, after the White Swan, we headed up to South Leverton to visit the Plough.


I'm sure that you have recommended it before but as yet, we haven't made it.


We visited The Arkwright earlier this year on a summers evening - one of the few!


They have Cumberland Ale on in the Sun Inn (York Road) quite regularly. I have to say it is a very disappointing drink.

Has anyone tried the Strugglers Inn on Westgate, Lincoln? I only ask as my grandparents owned it in the 60's & we would drive over from Donny most weekends. As a kid in shorts it seemed massive, overshadowed by the castle walls. I called in for a half in the 80's to check it was still there & was stunned just how tiny it really is. Google indicates it's still around with a decent reputation.

Not been in, but I walked past it on the evening of the 4th. Judging by the pump clips in the window, the Cask Marque sign and the awards on the walls, it looks well worth a visit. Going there, coupled with a visit to the Victoria just up the road, would make for a decent mini pub-crawl, I feel

I must admit that I've only ever visited a couple of pubs in Lincoln and the Strugglers Inn isn't one of them. It gets a decent write-up in the 2008 GBG so may well be worth a visit next time I'm out that way.

There were two in the Guide in Whiston in 2008. One remains and the Chequers has been replaced by another.

I enquired of the Chairman of Rotherham CAMRA at lunch as to why it had been excluded and he said "there's been a change of landlord". That would have been in the Spring then, since when I have been in on several occasions and the beer has always been spot on!

Please don't tell me it's the Golden Ball and the Sitwell

2008 guide - The Chequers and The Hind.

2009 guide - The Golden Ball and The Hind.

We visited The Hind the same night that we were sat outside The Chequers but were disappointed with it. It took ages to get served and they seemed more interested in food orders!

....and deplorably expensive, no doubt!



I was talking to one of the other bar-flies at my local and he alleged that the reason for one of the above's entry is that it is used on a regular basis for branch meetings.

Hmm. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

This is why I am often sceptical of the GBG as the real ale bible.

Too much self -interest

I've always regarded the GBG as a useful starting point when I'm exploring an unfamiliar area, but not as a definitive document. In areas I know well I am often surprised at the choices made, both omissions and inclusions. This sometimes reflects the prejudices of the local branch, but more often than not is due to chance - they happened to visit a pub on one of the rare days in the year when everything was perfect (or the only day the beer was dodgy). Still, I am in no position to criticise as I don't play an active role in my local CAMRA branch (I tried at one time, but found it too cliquey). The GBG is not perfect, but it is still the best guide around.

I absolutely concur. In unfamiliar areas it can be a godsend. However, once I'm up to speed with an area, I'll just choose the pubs that suit me best. There are pubs in the guide that I've visited that I would never return to, just as I'm sure that I may have missed some decent boozers because they aren't in there. On the positive side I have definitely found some 'real' gems as a result of the guide.

On balance, I wouldn't be without it, as stated it remains the best guide around.

I have to say , were it not for the fact that the pub is festooned with CAMRA banners, I would not have stopped off at the Arkwright Arms. I guess "Derbyshire Pub of the Year 2008" was the ringing endorsement I needed.



I don't tend to use the GBG, preferring to surf the net for my inspiration if I'm going further afield.

While the GBG might not be perfect, a lot of the net merely proves that it was a big mistake to give those keyboards to a million monkeys.

I tend to go on the say-so of the majority rather than the minority, in most cases. There are some trustworthy sites out there believe it or not, but, I admit, there are also some shysters.

I don't take their opinion as sacrosanct, I would rather find out for myself.
I don't see these sites as any less worthy a pointer than the GBG.

Well, it's always a good idea to get your information from a variety of sources, but at least you can guarantee that contributors to the GBG do know what Real Ale actually is. This is certainly not the case for a lot of contributors to beer-rating sites on the net. I think we can agree that whatever its source a recommendation is merely a good reason to visit an unfamiliar pub and make up our own minds whether to drink there.

Enjoyed a pint of Batemans XXXB in the Salutation last night before venturing to the Dons Race Night.

The second part of Yorkshire TV's Yorkshire's Perfect Pint due to be screened tonight at 10.40pm has been postponed until Monday 20.10.08, also at 10.40pm.

Hope I remember!