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Thread: The Guinness and Gold Cup Blog

  1. #31
    Former Pubs Galore Coder
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    Hi Lons,

    Welcome to Pubs Galore. Myself and Dave M are the admins, so if you ever have any problems, queries or suggestions for the site do let us know.

    Hope you enjoy your stay

    Conrad

    PS, Millay - thanks for the ongoing blog, I am enjoying it, just can't think of anything to add other than to tease you about your choice of shaving gel, real men use swarfega (preferably the one with added sand)

  2. #32
    Spritzer Swallower
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    Cheers Conrad

    I've known Millay for more years than I care to remember and it's the first time he's talked cosmetics - hopefully it's not a sign of things to come or we could be spending more time in Boots than we do in Boozers.

    Keep up the good work.

    Regards

    Lons

  3. #33
    In Search of Ebriety Millay's Avatar
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    Default Wednesday afternoon - somewhere in Edinburgh

    At somewhere called the Meadows Bar & Kitchen - well we have to eat. Been to the Guildford, Leslies Bar and the Dagda bar all GBG entries.

    Now sitting with pints of Caledonian Flying Dutchman waiting for 3/4lb burgers with brie and jalapenos and taking advantage of this free internet connection.

    Until later

  4. #34
    Real Ale Drinker
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    Well, have just left Millay at the Park and Ride waiting for a No.35. Hope he gets back to the Hilton ok. Of course, had he stayed at the 'bleeding Travelodge' the bus would have delivered him to the front door with no need to change and wait in a deserted windy car park !
    We had a good day with more beers than I have fingers, although a couple were of questionable quality. But then that's par for the course anywhere I suppose. Millay made the notes so I'm sure he'll post details shortly but, I would just say at this point that my best beer of the day was the first. A lovely pint of Bitter and Twisted in the Guildford Arms.
    Am off to Glasgow for the day tomorrow. A first ever visit there for me and as long as I make it to the Horseshoe bar at least (CAMRA national inventory pub) then I'll be happy. Millay is forming an advance party to Manchester and we'll be linking up again on saturday when FP will be joining our fun and games.
    Must try and avoid spicy food tomorrow. Chicken Madras yesterday and a burger with jalapeno peppers today are taking their toll. Think a cheese sandwich is called for.

  5. #35
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    Default Horseshoe Bar

    Grailhunter
    I can recommend the Horseshoe - I believe it once had the longest continual bar in Scotland although I guess they may have lost that title given the number of cinema's being converted in to bars with 'so called long bars'.
    Sadly I wasn't buying the drinks when I had the experience of the Horseshoe and therefore I've only sampled fizzy lager - that being said I understand that it's the alround experience you're buying in to - not too sure that even I believe that!
    All the best Lons.

  6. #36
    In Search of Ebriety Millay's Avatar
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    My Internet connection is less reliable than Rio Ferdinand's fitness this evening. I'll try to post about today's activities but you might have to wait for some of it until tomorrow.

  7. #37
    In Search of Ebriety Millay's Avatar
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    Red face Wednesday - a travel cock-up

    I have to admit to having been let down badly this morning. Before going out I thought I should check the time of tomorrow's train to Manchester. 12:08 said the ticket, fine I thought, then I did a double take on the date, 19th March. Well today is St Paddys day so it must be the 17th, so why have I got a train ticket for Friday instead of Thursday. I regretted trusting my travel arrangements to Thompsons Travel Services, frankly I expect more from an outfit with a proud history of arranging trips on the piss. So the first stop today in the City Centre was at Waverley Station to change tickets from Friday to Thursday at a cost of some £20, I wonder if I can claim on the travel policy I took out with Thompsons Insurance Services.

  8. #38
    In Search of Ebriety Millay's Avatar
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    Default Wednesday Review - Good Beer

    After sorting out my train tickets we headed for Waverley Bridge to catch a No. 42 bus to find Leslies Bar. On arrival at the bus stop we noted that buses were every half hour and the next was at 12:02. It was now 11:45 and an unspoken agreement seemed to pass between Grailhunter and I, we couldn't possibly wait here for 15 minutes, we'd go for a beer and get the 12:32 . And so it was that two bitter and twisted blokes had the first beer of the new day in the Guildford Arms which coincidentally was Harvieston's Bitter & Twisted. The 12:32 bus then transported us back to an era when pubs were proper pubs and to the wonderfully decorative Leslies Bar, loads of wood panelling, etched glass and brass inlaid tables. There are also the interesting serving hatches in the left hand side of the bar that look a bit like ticket office windows. We both had the Golden Amber Ale from Atlas here.

    On leaving the pub we noticed a bus coming up the hill and decided to run for it, well I say run it was more of a slow jog really, OK maybe a quick walk but it was uphill. As the bus came nearer I spotted the 'Private Hire' sign, all our efforts had been in vain, Grailhunter and I both agreed that we would never again put our lives in danger with such a frivolous endeavour, right where's the next pub.

    The next pub was the Dagda Bar, I'd been here before bt it was full of whining-voiced American students, one of whom shrilled her way through every word in a way that would only be audible to dogs three streets away. Different this time though, we found a welcoming laid back bar with four handpumps and a few Czech, German and Belgian bottles. We pumped a few quid into the quiz machine with only fleeting sucess until our last 50p was lost on the question "Who was the Greek Godess of Wisdom?" neither of us believed that it was Aphrodite but the quiz machine thought otherwise. What could we expect though from a quiz machine so loaded in favour of the Scottish community that it asked questions about the year that an ex-Celtic manager was born and who won the first Scottish championship (we actually got that one right with Hibs). the jukebox provided a little entertainment but was nowhere near as good at the one at the Lifeboat in Folkestone - no Russ Abbot and no Zig & Zag.

    After three pints at the Dagda Bar our thoughts turn to food, whilst I may have feasted on a Hilton breafast Grailhunter had only managed a cup of tea and a couple of chocolate biscuits. Near to the Dagda was the Meadow bar which advertised food so we had a couple of Caledonian Flying Dutchmen and a couple of big burgers. Bit of a student feel to this place, not surprising given its proximity to the university. Free Internet.

    A couple of buses now and we get to the Malt & Hops on the Shore at Leith, a first visit to this great real ale pub for Grailhunter. We had a couple of Scapa Specials from the Highland Brewing Co. and entertained ourselves by looking through an old 1993 edition of the Good Beer Guide. Had a call from AT from Manchester who informed me that midday was far too late to start the drinking on Friday and that my presence was required at 11:00am at the latest. No peace for the wicked as they say.
    Last edited by Millay; 18-03-2010 at 07:44.

  9. #39
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    Thumbs down Wednesday Review - Bad Beer

    Grailhunter wanted to go to the Foot of the walk (JDW) to see the queuing system in action and to revisit the Central Bar, so off we set. As we got to the Foot of the Walk we prepared to queue up at the right hand side of the bar as is local tradition only to be told by some self-appointed queuing steward to line up behind a bloke in the centre of the bar. Maybe the rules have changed we though but later on things were back to normal as a queue formed at the right hand side whilst the entire bar was empty. A magnificent spectacle that vies with the migration of wilderbeest in the realms of behavioural conditioning. Being St Paddys Day we plumped for something called Gael Rua (?) from the Hilden Brewery, it was bloody awful and we both left half and headed for the Central Bar.

    Just one handpump in here, the ubiquitous Deuchars. Give me a minute to pull it through he said, which seemed positive. What he meant was that he needed to pull the cleaning fluid through, at 7PM !! We finally got a couple of pints and I sent mine back, Grailhunter said that it was OKish but clearly irt wasn't and neither was my replacement. So once again we left without having a full pint. Bit of a shame as this is a really nice looking pub but not the sort of place where you take a pint back - twice.

    Sanity was restored with a visit to the Cafe Royal which, whilst being very busy, served up a couple of good pints of Kelburn Pivo Estivo. Buses then back to our respective hotels and we resisted the temptation to stop off again at the St John's Curry club, which was probably just as well in view of Grailhunters current fragile constitution and my three hour train journey tomorrow.

    See you Thursday

  10. #40
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    Default Thursday Morning - Wet & Windy

    Not sure what the weather's like.

    Didn't get around to having a bet yesterday and looking at the Cheltenham results that's probably a good thing. I may have backed Kalahari King each-way but that wouldn't have returned much. Bit of a shock that Master Minded got beaten so badly. It's difficult to see beyond Big Buck's in today's big race but I'll probably have an each-way bet on Sentry Duty as Geraghty seems to be in good form (Please note there is a subscription only 0845 number should you wish to take full advantage of the lucky pin used by Thompsons Tipping Services).

    I intend having a lazy morning today in preparation for the secong leg of this tour, particularly tomorrow which I suspect will get a little messy. I think a late breakfast is on the cards then a bus down to the centre to get my hastily re-booked train . I'm definitely not going to get that bleeding no 35 bus this time, there an Airport Express that goes right to Waverley so I'll be on that.

    As Grailhunter has mentioned he's off to Glasgow today, so that week acclimatising in Tashkent should stand him in good stead. I believe he got a £1 eack way coach deal so I hope for the sake of his fellow passengers he lays off the black pudding and kedgeree for breakfast this morning.

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