Originally Posted by
sheffield hatter
I see where you're coming from, John. I'm lucky in Sheffield that I have a choice of pubs that always have the same beers on (Fat Cat=Kelham Island Brewery, Old Grindstone=Stancill Brewery), pubs that have a varied cask beer selection (Wellington, Blake Hotel) and pubs with some innovative keg beers (Shakespeares, Crow Inn). So I can chop and change.
On the other hand, if I'm away I'm looking for either pubs I've been in before, that I know and like (Lake District: Britannia at Elterwater, Golden Rule in Ambleside, Brook House and Woolpack in Eskdale) - this can come unstuck if they can't get their usual beers, or only have "safe" beers like Loweswater Gold - or pubs that I've never been in at all, like (in Scotland last week) the Auld Cross Keys in Denholm or the Ken Bridge in Galloway, where I count myself lucky if there's any beer on at all (in Denholm I couldn't even get to the bar - it was table service in the dining room!). I had far more disappointments in my week away than I would normally expect, including not getting into a pub at all last Saturday.
I agree about it being a problem not being able to suss a pub out before doing all the data sharing and blood samples. And of course, that bit when they put you in handcuffs and chain you to the radiator so that you can't see the pump clips, that can be a real bummer. Still, like they say, it's either use it or lose it.