Fake News In Lichfield

This is one of these posts that the Wickingman will need to hide from his better half. I like to blog about earthy boozers but, after being busted as a prosecco loving gastropubber following my recent house move, then I’ve got to keep up appearances. The final straw for Ian AKA The Wickingman came after…

Destination Pubs in Repton

Is the sort of title to entice in Martin as I know how much he loves the Brunning & Price model and this pub is straight out of that identikit. It’s a pity Russ isn’t about at the minute as I’m sure he’d have something to day about the painting on the side of this…

Derby Pubs – Spoilt For Choice

  I often wax lyrical about Derby and its seemingly unlimited supply of excellent boozers so here is another hat-trick of boozers to put on your bucket list for 2018. All of these were visited on a Thursday afternoon and early evening as part of a stag do so, whilst none of these were packed…

Survival Of The Fittest 2018

You remember those halcyon days of three terrestrial television channels and the only live sport on was Wimbledon, the FA Cup and the Grand National? People went to watch their local community football team and pubs only opened for a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon and often shut in the afternoon in the…

A Tribute To Tollgate

(nice bit of artwork in Tap At No. 76) Now the good news for Martin is that whilst I’m not posting a picture of Woodville’s finest piece of architecture, this post does have a link to the Tollgate Island in Woodville. Tollgate Brewery have been going for it in a big way in the last…

‘Premiumisation’ In Ticknall

There’s a new phrase emerging from the blue sky thinkers in the pub industry known as ‘premiumisation.’   Whether it will become accepted into the Oxford English as bona fide English say, like bouncebackability was, is another matter but it is definitely the buzz word right now for the bean counters and strategic planners at Greene…

Sexy Seventies Memories In Castle Donington

Anybody over the age of 45 must remember Barry Sheene overtaking Kenny Roberts and flicking the ‘V’ sign to his American rival in the British Grand Prix of 1979.  This was an era when there were ‘characters’ in sport i.e. people who liked a pint!   With Sheene being world champion in 1976 and James Hunt…