We've done all the touristy stuff in Part One, so let's check out the pubs! But first we've got to...
Beer
I've been struggling with my mental health of late. I'm going back to basics and trying to occupy my mind...
I’m often asked for pub recommendations by visitors to Blackpool (and Fleetwood) so I thought it was high time I...
It has now been established (I think) that Martin is ticking the pubs in Matt’s book (Manchester’s Best Beer Pubs...
I was inspired to visit Stirchley on my recent visit to Newcastle. As I was down in the West Midlands...
Midweek Manchester Missions are a new thing I’ve started doing with fellow bloggers Martin and Christine. I had thought Martin...
A beer festival? In Wigan? With rave reviews and recommendations? Well I wasn't going to miss that! The late kick...
On football-free Saturdays, I tend to find myself finding some football to go to; it's simply what I do on...
As I’d had such a fab time on my train awayday watching Chase at Kidsgrove recently, I took the opportunity...
I’d been holding off my trip to Cleveleys for months, pending the opening of an exciting new pub. I’d heard...
I'm loving having the freedom to travel to places I actually want to go to these days. Looking for a...
Tonight was the launch of Matt Curtis’s new book, Manchester’s Best Beer Pubs & Bars, which sounded like a fine...
Dear reader, I’ve found a new beer friend, Kerry. Today was to be our first day out together and we...
I’m not doing many away games this season but I wasn’t going to miss out on the trip to my...
Saturday nights are all right for pubbing. Now the new football season is upon us - and I can face...
In a previous blog, I toyed with the idea of going to watch the rugby for a giggle. I was...
Through following the adventures of fellow beer bloggers Martin and Simon, I have learned that the quest for completion of...
There’s a new drinkery on the block in Blackpool. I’d been eagerly awaiting the reopening of Abingdon Street Market following...
Time for a relegation vacation! Norwich is a long way away from Blackpool so it made sense to break up...
I’d been promising myself a trip to Chorley for years, having heard anecdotally how good it was for pubs. Rightly...
If you missed #1 you can find it here. This mission was once again strategically planned to forget about the...
I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to go to Luton or not. Well obviously I didn't want...
I am often asked for local pub recommendations so I'm starting this new series of blogs to showcase the best...
No football this weekend yippee! I wasn’t wrong in my assumption that this would be my best weekend for ages....
I ought to know by now that a Good Beer Guide ticker’s work is never done. It’s like that cathedral...
Day One: Thursday Earlier this week I received a message from Sandy, the organiser of Wigan Beer Festival, enquiring if...
If you missed Part One you can find it here. Now before I begin I must apologise to The Kopper...
It was back-to-back Football Tourist Guides, with Middlesbrough coming the weekend after Southampton. We were hoping for a warmer welcome...
I woke up at 0800, still physically exhausted from yesterday’s adventures and near-death experience. Little did I know that Southampton...
Watford away. Usually meh. Not today. Today was Joshy Day: the return of the Messiah! I was singing from the...
Josh Bowler is back at Blackpool! Dear reader, I’d take a bullet for Joshy, I love him that much. Consequently...
It was off to Hull on Boxing Day. Nice local fixture there. Thanks EFL. Hull got the full Tourist Guide...
Saturdays without football are precious. Today was the third and final one during the World Cup break and I was...
I don't need much of an excuse to go back to Wigan. Despite only having been two weeks earlier for...
At the end of part one, Karen and I had just escaped the post-match kettling and were heading into Wigan...
After my epic night out in Walsall, I wasn't up in time for breakfast. And besides, I was still pretty...
I lived in the West Midlands for 20 years so I like to use local fixtures to catch up with...
Back on the road this weekend to Cov. As we did the Football Tourist's Guide To Coventry last season, it...
I spent Friday in Sheffield surrounded by feeders and being thrown completely off my healthy eating plan with sandwiches, sausage...
Meet The New Signings - Beer & Burger Night Ahead of the home game against Norwich was a new event...
A few months back I received an email from Tony from Halifax & Calderdale CAMRA inviting me to speak at...
But First…Rotherham I couldn’t face attempting the Football Tourist’s Guide To Rotherham midweek. The touristy stuff looked decent but the...
I've been a bit lax booking my hotels for this season. Partly because we've remarkably had a couple of games...
Football really is a rollercoaster of emotions at times. This week was to bring highs and lows - and would...
It was back to Bloomfield Road today - hoping for more of the same (sans the red card) after last...
What do you think about when you're cleaning your teeth? On Friday morning I was pondering whether BBC Radio Lancashire...
Tonight I intended to complete the Good Beer Guide (GBG) pubs of Manchester. This was to involve a favourite little...
Right. You demanded pubs: you got 'em! Ahead of the Barrow match (well ahead, actually - on Sunday) I went...
The big kick off was finally here - pitting one former Blackpool manager against another. Michael Appleton has returned to...
The superfans amongst you (that’s you, Martin) will have noticed the lack of midweek Salford action. Frankly, I don’t like...
