I returned to a favourite part of the country recently for the first time for several years. In and amongst my wanders I visited one or two pubs I had been to before, plus a few for the first time. And here is what I found.... I love Northumberland. I had not been though since before lockdown, whilst back in the 1990's it was a regular place to go for family holidays. So the other week I returned, stopping at the Victoria Hotel in Bamburgh where I had stayed previously and which makes a good base for a day or two of wandering around this still largely unspoilt county. And I was hoping to visit a few old favourites and try a few new places in terms of pubs during my visit. I made good time on my journey north. I turned off the A1 at Alnwick, and picked up the B1340, but almost immediately questioned my decision when I got stuck behind a caravan for virtually the full distance as we weaved through the pleasant undulating countryside on narrow lanes which made it impossible to overta...
There has been a real buzz around the North West and beyond over the past few days as news has broken that a former iconic Manchester cask beer will soon be making a welcome return to some of the area's pubs and bars.... In recent years, especially in the wake of the 2017 Arena tragedy in 2017, there has been a revival of the use of Manchester's traditional worker bee logo on products, signage, and advertising, culminating in the roll-out of the Bee Network as the city and surrounding area's increasingly integrated bus service. In the days that followed that horrendous event which shook the city to its core and still reverberates today, the city rallied round its traditional logo like a collective comfort blanket. It became a unifying symbol for all that was good and positive about this proud city, the spirit of which has continued to be embraced by locals and visitors alike, such these past two weekends when the hordes descended on Heaton Park to see those noisy lads from...