RJ Fan club

1st lockdown and beyond it got outta hand. Drinking everyday pretty much, hardly ever pissed but strong craft ales too often. This carried on till 2nd lockdown when I went dry for 28 days. Felt fantastic. Slept better, lost weight, loads of energy etc Had a few beers soon after and was quickly back drinking a few strong ales per day 5/6 days a week. Had a moderate Christmas and have downloaded a tracking app. Since Boxing Day I’ve had 11/12 drink free days. I’m aiming for 6 drink free days a week till summer. then when I’ve had a vaccine al bets are off.

Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, Taos, New Mexico, USA. Crossed it 2006, I was travelling west to east, didn’t even give thought that I’d be crossing the Rio Grande. It’s fooking massive

Dial that up to the Vasari Corridor, alone. A 1km private corridor built for the Medici from their Palace on one side of the Arno into the Uffizi. I've walked the parts in the Uffizi at the end of the day when it was quiet (as quiet as it ever gets) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasari_Corridor

I think it’s something like Europe’s longest timber bridge. Cracking curry house on the Fairbourne side. Genuinely one of the best curries I’ve ever had. Not sure it’s there anymore

There’s defo a hotel overlooking it. My brother had his wedding reception in there

A picture of the bridge does not do the view from it justice, so an extra shot from it. It was on my old and first working patch

Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy

Festina Lente, Sarajevo. Bosnia Herzegovina

Stari Most, Mostar. Bosnia Herzegovina

It’s also the correct answer. I actually quite liked The Cranberries back in the 90’s and have a few albums, but Sigor Ros are miles out in front

I find this almost an impossibility. The prime recreational activity of my life has been pubs. Writing that seems almost pathetic,but it’s probably true. I suspected for many lads in the UK, going the pub was the staple activity you did between teenage years and when ever you grew up, if you ever did grow up. I did and have grown up and at about 35 when I had kids, before that I traveled around pubs, the breadth of the country on shite away days, weekends, socials or just weekend at home. There were times when the breath of pubs didn’t particularly change much, sure may have made it tens or even hundred per year, but quite often sometimes I centred them activity on no more than a handful of pubs over a year to 2. I have perhaps 4 or 5 seminal boozers I spent too much time and fucked about with mates, great times, great boozers, but not a great pubs. Only one of those is on this list So my list is just memorable pubs, not regular haunts, just pubs that are good for a visit and while I compile the list made the cut. Tomorrow any of them could disappear In favour of another choice. I wanted to put a boozer in town then, but I’ve really struggled to do so without thinking of some of the obvious, some of which have already been mentioned or because I didn’t actually spend that much time in before I moved away at the age of 18 or visited fleetingly since. Ye Cracke - Town. Had to do one city centre pub. Always have always will enjoy it. Love that end of town now, not so much in the mid 90’s when I was going to town. It’s not everyone’s favourite pub but seems to make lists, there’s better pubs, better buildings, but it’s always been authentic to me. The Montpellier - Brighton/Hove border. Spent a lot of time here, darts, good beers, welcoming in those days, no knobheads and loads of mates. Loads of good times Gallaghers - Birkenhead. Old school pub, camra boozer, once with a barbers, proper decent pub Turf Locks - Exeter - out of town, next to the canal, perfect for all day drinking with none of the hassle of town The Old Hill Inn - Chaple-le-dale - mid way/2 thirds through the Yorkshire Three Peaks. Remote, walkable on the Settle to Carlisle railway. Quite, roaring fire, pure escapism The Grenadier- Belgravia. Felt like I needed a small London boozer, could substitute it with a handful of others. Small pub, ‘haunted’, 2 mins and hidden from Hyde Park in a mews. Hidden gem in a busy city York Tap - York. Could have went to loads of different pubs in York. But the York tap and the breath of the ales is fucking brilliant and many a time I’ve changed trains at York going to various shite football games all over the country and York Tap is a brilliant stop Snowdrop Inn - Lewes - Dunno why. Lewes has dozens of good pubs you could choose from, Snowdrop has ace food, beer and is at the foot of a cliff face. Supposedly it’s called the snowdrop, because the largest avalanche ever in the UK, occurred on the cliffs above it and killed a couple of people. Kings Head Islington - back in the day it was a real haunt. Before it got popular. You would see and mix with interesting/ went on to be serious artists/people and if you were in with the right people proper good stay backs with that crowd The Heart and Hand - Brighton - by no means the best pub in Brighton, not one I go to with friends, or when I have friends down in the city for a visit or when I’m meeting up with the gang. But if I just want a quiet pint of my own, listen to the jukebox, read a paper and particularly on a bank holiday Monday in summer in Brighton when it’s warm and I walk theough the North Laine on my own and escape for a pint or two this is where you’ll find me.

My village Facebook group had a big falling out between local dickheads, so the main protagonist started his own new page. Despite being an ex copper he seems to own up to breaking the law fairly often, having posted about speeding etc. I have met him through my work and he’s now a land agent and flogs land to developers, but uses his page to moan about opportunistic developers and oppose new housing near the village. The new page is unmoderated, I.e. casually racist, NIMBY, full of passive aggressive posts about parking, covid non-compliance and a plethora of useless services and dodgy builders adverts. Still at least you can go on there and complain about the local mental healthcare cases posing a threat to your kids and their state of dress

As others have said, essential with beef, but would have with any roast dinner. But I don’t make them for Christmas dinner. Non essential, but would eat if served up. I usually make a batch for the bubble and squeak on Boxing Day

Lad I know thinks Ray Finkle blew the super bowl for the Dolphins with a wayward kick. He’s never been corrected He is sometimes referred to as ‘Laces Out’