The strategy that I have employed to prepare myself for this endeavour is to have a shed load of beer on Thursday so that I won’t even want to go near a beer on Fridayand I’ll be fresh for the Saturday. So yesterday included,
Four Fortyniners
Three Pale Riders
Two London Prides
And a Partridge with a Biryani(well actually it was a Kingfisher).
So the first part of the plan was executed perfectly
[QUOTE=Millay;7769]The strategy that I have employed to prepare myself for this endeavour is to have a shed load of beer on Thursday so that I won’t even want to go near a beer on Friday
Hang on a minute. I seem to remember you saying you were going to the Luton beer festival today.
I hope you're not going to be tempted !
That was the plan Grailhunter and I was still considering it this morning. However the bus journey is over an hour and I just know I'd stop off at Harpenden or St Albans on the way back and arrive home in a drunken mess. So I'm being sensible, for a change.Originally Posted by Grailhunter
Classic!
I fully understand the tactic, but sceptics less committed to the cause may argue that abstinence on Thurs AND Fri would produce an even fresher start on Sat!
Back-to-back days of abstinence, now that's a novel idea
Makes no odds to me, I may or may not do pub crawls but I sure as hell don't do abstinence...Back-to-back days of abstinence, now that's a novel ideapeculiar rules today, but that will change..........
Ps Acherley, I'm jealous
Last edited by runningdog; 19-02-2010 at 10:52. Reason: Me fingers can't spell abstinence and me brain don't want to.....
Pubs are a hobby, real ale is a passion. Oh, and like me dogs, fear no evil..........
Well it’s a bit later than four in the morning but still bleeding early for a non-school day. The weather is not looking too good so I may just do Worcester, Birmingham and maybe Northampton.
I think I’m all set, I’ve just set up my fantasy football teams for the weekend, hoping Rooney gets a hatful against his old club and Ivanovic keeps the Wolves from the door for Chelsea.
I’ve got a plethora of timetables, notebook, pen, camera and a copy of What’s Brewing for the train. Hopefully I’ll have time to pick up a McDonalds breakfast on the way to the station for the 06:41 train.
If you get another post from me today I doubt you’ll be able to understand it
See you at the other end of the tunnel
NB - just heard some story on the radio about a skeleton from Bath winning an Olympic gold, weird
Last edited by Millay; 20-02-2010 at 04:58. Reason: That weird skeleton thing
Well I survived The Great Escape and successfully appeared at the end of the tunnel, looking somewhat bedraggled I suspect. Now comes the time to put the day’s events into print before I forget. I did keep a fairly good set of notes as I went along but it’s amazing how indecipherable these become as the day wears on. I’ll split the report up into different posts for ease of reading.
06:00 - I leave home and pop into McDonalds for one of those sausage & egg things before the walk to Watford Junction station. As I neared the station I found myself whistling the theme tune to The Great Escape and marching in time with it
06:41 and the first journey of the day begins with a trip of around an hour to Northampton. This gave me time to check maps, timetables etc. and formulate a plan of attack. There were still various ideas regarding routes and pubs going around in my mind but there was one certainty, the day would involve beer. It was quite a frosty morning which made for a pleasant journey seeing the fields with a light dusting of frost and waving to Milton Keynes’ concrete cows, to go with their concrete town. It was noticeable that as we neared Northampton the frost had turned to snow, it’s true what they say, It’s Grim up North
07:56 and after a 15 minute stopover I’m on a train making it’s way through the snow covered countryside into the heart of the Midlands…..then on to Birmingham, infinity and beyond. We arrive Birmingham bang on time at 09:01.
Last edited by Millay; 21-02-2010 at 12:28.
09:10 at the Briar Rose with the first beer of the dayShardlow had brewed (or probably re-badged) four beers for the Six Nations, called imaginatively England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Of course I had the England, it was 4.9% which was a bit heavy for that time of the morning but I felt it was my patriotic duty. Quite liked the pub, think it’s had a bit of a refurb recently, plenty of plasma TV’s on mute, as is the JDW way, free newspapers and comfortable furnishings. I think it may be an old bank building as there is a large F Whitfield & Sons safe on the way down to the toilets. Supplemented my pint with a breakfast bloomer and felt set up for the day.
10:05 a little further up the hill and I got to The Wellington. They’d only just opened but there were already about half a dozen devotees in. You really are spoilt for choice in this pub, I was tempted by the Dorothy Goodbody’s Wholesome Stout but then I spotted a beer that could have been brewed especially for this trip. Something called Teck’t T’ Ride. The DG stout would have to wait for the return leg (which didn’t actually happen as you’ll read later). I’m happy to report that Welly the pub cat still roams throughout in that superior indifferent way that cats do. Picked up a copy of the Derby Drinker for the next journey. Back to New Street for the 10:49
Last edited by Millay; 21-02-2010 at 12:34. Reason: Sodding around with those smiley thingys
thanks for a good write up of what seems to have been a memorable crawl, reassuring that after seven o'clock pm seems to be a bit of an alcoholic blur, hope for us all
Did the train rides in between aid your stamina? I've found this in the past - as long as you don't stop drinking for too long, doing that's deadly and can stop you in your tracks (no pun intended).
Did you have the half chinky for breakfast?
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