Monthly Archives: April 2018

Bathgate no more

I’ve been to Bathgate today. I’ve been there for work lots of times over the years, but rarely of late.

I don’t think I’ll ever need to return.

That thought doesn’t make me happy. Or sad.

Retirement

I fear it may be time to retire from my post as webmaster (you don’t hear that term a lot nowadays, do you?) For my local.

After partaking a little too much of their wares yesterday, I neglected to update the band details for tonight. So, on remembering while on a bus early this evening, I hastily added a post.

And later, when arriving for a nightcap, realised I’d written about the wrong band.

Rather than delete it, I probably should have copied it for re-use when this band actually plays.

I’ve realised that, to run a pub website, one needs to be on the ball. And I seem not to be.

ADDENDUM: It transpires that I made no error. The gig list does indeed say that this band would be playing. I need to establish a method for having late changes to me.

Customs House

Just had my first visit to the Customs House in South Shields, for the monthly comedy night.

It was a great night, despite a scuffle in the audience (a woman had too much to drink).

Think we might have to return next month.

LUFC

Apparently, my mate Ian (and a few other gentlemen) interrupted an interview on Norwegian TV last night.

Something to do with football. He’s the one jumping around looking drunk.

I don’t really understand football, but my second in command would probably have killed to be there.

Dead men’s spectacles

While I always buy one or two regular pairs of glasses whenever I have an eye test, I tend to wear these only for work or around the house.

For my preferred glasses, though, I also buy frames from Dead Men’s Spex, a great site with lots of amazing frames. I tend to by rolled gold, small frames; mostly by Algha.

My current pair, from the late 1800s, are probably the best I’ve ever managed to find. They were ‘new old stock’, so unused despite being around 120 years old.

Sadly, they’re now getting a little creaky, so it was time to think about a new pair. There are a few pairs on the Dead Men’s Spex site, but none are unused.

So I’ve had to resort to a new pair of glasses. Fortunately, Algha are still in business, making glasses by hand in London. Ok, so they’re not quite the age I’d have liked, and they’re somewhat more expensive, but they do look very similar.

The Ostrich and the Bumble Inn

The Bumble Inn, in Peterborough, opened a couple of years ago, but it has unusual and short opening hours. As a result, it’s taken me ages to catch the place open.

It was mostly populated by middle aged, real ale types. But there was a nice feel about the place and a choice of unfined beer.

And, over a year since our last visit, we called in to the Ostrich. It was already one of the best pubs in the city, it’s now made the full switch to craft beer.

Most impressive was the guest ale board, with a Buxton tap takeover.

Almost every one’s fish free too.