A couple of pints of Banks Original yesterday in the Bulls Head in Manchester and a pint of Acorn Barnsley Bitter in the Sheffield Tap made up for some of the poor fare presented elsewhere during the day.

Had an excellent night on Saturday in Hull:

Hop & Vine - Doctor Morton's Dead Heat (4.1%)

Wellington Inn - Rudgate 867 (4.1%)
Wellington Inn 1st Duke (3.7%)

The New Clarence - Timothy Taylor (4.3%)

Was then on Boddingtons Cream Flow in Spiders Nightclub for the rest of the evening, superb.

Attended York CAMRA Beer and Cider Festival at the Knavesmire on 19th. Sampled quite a number of ales, all of which ( bar one ) I would've repeated the experiment had I had the constitution



Bridestones Chocolate Stout and Vanilla Porter
Brass Castle Bad Kitty ( would have had the Burnout but it pretty much described my state

)
Rudgate York Chocolate Stout
Kelburn Cart Noir
Fernandes Nelson IPA
Knaresborough Chocolate Cherry Stout and American Style Milk Stout ( Beer of the Festival and I agree entirely, 7% and extremely moreish )
Brodies Ginger
Downton Chocolate Orange Delight - another great tasting beer
North Riding Sitrius Black IPA
Pheasantry Pale Ale and Best Bitter
Saltaire Blackberry Cascade

Avoid ( unless you're drinking it at their gaffe ):-

The Nook Cherry Stout - gorgeous at their place but doesn't travel ( should have listened to my contact who warned me ). Smelt funny and didn't taste as it should.

All in all, perhaps the best festival I've been to for beer quality - Rotherham included.

Going to try to persuade my local to get the Knaresborough Milk Stout in!!!!!!

Has anyone tried the new local breweries beers yet: Axeholme Brewery and Doncaster Brewery?

The Drum at Bentley currently has as it's second cask ale Ringwood Best Bitter 3.8%.


(in addition to Black Sheep Best Bitter)

Visited the Ferry at Cawood twice recently and have sampled Everards' Sunchaser, Caledonian Deuchars and Taylor's Landlord, all of exceptional quality. Food looks good too.

Have tried Doncaster's Gold Cup, which despite being billed as a Golden Ale, looks and tastes like a bitter - a very good one mind ( pretty sure that the brewer himself was at the bar, as a customer, when I bought it ) and previously at Cask Corner, the Axholme IPA, which tasted a little bit like cough medicine ( the tasting notes mention herbal flavours ), but I had been drinking porter so my taste buds may have been a bit overwhelmed! Luddington Lager at the Bluecoat in Rotherham was pleasant although not outstanding.

A trip round Doncasters three Wetherspoons last night ...

Red Lion ...
Great Newsome Frothingham Best & Thornbridge Sequoia

Olde Angel ...
Pinnacle Porter

Gatehouse ...
Ossett Ambler Gambler & Jennings Snecklifter

I do like the Snecklifter.

Narrowly missed being flooded this week.

The tables and parasols were so much driftwood against the swing-bridge though

Glad to hear that the pub itself survived. Building has a long history.

Went to the Beer Festival at The New Clarence in Hull last night, tried the following:

Great Heck Dave 3.8% (a dark ale)
Moonshine Abbey Dale Brewery 4.3% (a light one)


Then had a Rudgate On Target 3.6% in Hop & Vine, followed by a Wellington Inn 1st Duke 3.7% in The Wellington Inn (obviously, lol).



Have realised that I definitely prefer light ales (e.g. Pale Ale) to dark ones.

Had a short list of 5 or 6 pubs lined up for last night in Warrington. However, due to a combination of poor weather and a rock juke box ended up only visiting 2 of them.

However on the plus side, both the Ring O' Bells & the Marquis of Granby had the wonderful Courage Directors available

which went some way to making up for the Lord Rodney having no Cask Ale available after the match.

Very enjoyable evening including bumping into a Northern Soul fan who is into Motorhead (interesting discussion

)

That's a coincidence, we were on about Directors only hours earlier at the Rodney.
You were right about the beer in the Red Lion ........shoite!

... and again today

Robinson's Unicorn Premium Ale at the Prince William Inn at Dalton (between Wigan and Skelmersdale) went down very well with Red Snapper & Rice followed by a Cheeseboard yesterday evening.

I had a bottle of Hobgoblin and a chicken kiev...I'm easily pleased

I reckon

Had Muirhouse Foundaries (sic) IPA ( which was rather underwhelming but I think may have been bottom of the barrel ) and the rather splendid Raw Anubis Porter, very chocolatey and lovely coffee flavour, to take the taste away, at the Arkwright Arms, Sutton-cum-Duckmanton.

Lovely pint of Doombar at Harvey Arms & Havercake Ale at the Eagle&Child

Bury last night after a trip to the Reebok ...

Greenfield The Full Malty 4.5% at the Trackside (Bolton Street Station, East Lancs Railway)
Phoenix Black Bee 4.5% at the Art Picture House (Lloyds)
Irwell Works Brewery Steam Plate Bitter 4.3% and Brightside The Beast 3.8% at the Malt Real Ale (& Whisky) Bar
Moorhouse Black Cat 3.4% at the Robert Peel (Wetherspoons)
Thwaites Original 3.6% at the Two Tubs

Every one a winner (including the Wanderers)

Spent yesterday afternoon in Barristers Bar in Bolton watching the RL International prior to venturing to the Reebok for the evening Kick Off ...

Moorhouse Barristers Brief 4.2%
Holts Maplemoon 4.3%
Thwaites Wainwright 4.1%
JW Lees Bitter 4.0%

£2 per pint, except for the Barristers Brief £1.85


(even the lager was £2 per pint)

went on a trip to warwickshire to do beer guide pubs yesterday,
henley in arden-the black swan,"batemans"xb,
stratford-upon-avon - bear at the swans nest hotel,"hook norton" bitter+old hooky,
the west end-"timmy taylors" golden best,
warwick-wild boar,"slaugterhouse"saddleback best bitter,pacific pale ale and hog goblin,
birmingham-the post office,"salopian"oracle,"hobsons"mild.

A night out in Bolton yesterday after the Wanderers disappointing draw with Barnsley centred around just 2 pubs ...

The Alma - Ringwood Fortyniner

Barristers Bar - Moorhouse Barristers Brief, Coniston Bluebird, Thwaites Wainwright, Wadworth 6X and both Spitfire and Bishops Finger from Shepherd Neame.

Yep, I like it in Barristers

Yesterday afternoon ...

Final Whistle, Southwell - Oldershaw Best Bitter 4.3% & Saltaire Pride 3.9%
(preference for the former)

Red Hart, Blyth - Ossett Movember 3.9%

Adnams Broadside 4.7% now on along with the Ringwood BB