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retiredmartin

On permanent exploration of places, pubs, people and new music.

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I AM A CIDER DRINKER. THE LAMB AND FOUNTAIN, FROME

August 2026. Frome. Pub 6, or 7 (seven) for those on our Frome Roam who had popped off to Palmers Bottle Shop after Just Ales. I can tell you nothing about Palmers, which means it is guaranteed to make the next GBG. The pace was relentless, and some of our group went MIA, or possibly… Continue reading I AM A CIDER DRINKER. THE LAMB AND FOUNTAIN, FROME

UP THE HILL AND DOWN THE ALE

August 2026. Frome. Pub 5 on the Frome Frolic, and having retrieved Kentish Paul from the chaos of the rail system it was time to do a rapid tour of the town, and head for the GBG micro up the hill. Oddly, we lost Stafford Paul at this stage, opting for a well earned breather… Continue reading UP THE HILL AND DOWN THE ALE

THE THREE SWANS, FROME. “No marine will be left behind”.

August 2026. Frome. The pub blogging community is very tight knit and supportive. Oxford Nick aka Prop Up The Bar has been receiving our counselling support since posting this photo on Tuesday; I shall be stealing that Olivia Rodrigo reference for future blog titles (see also : Bad Idea, Right). Kentish Paul had encountered some… Continue reading THE THREE SWANS, FROME. “No marine will be left…

ARCHANGEL, FROME – THE AI ASSISTED POST

August 2026. Frome. It’s 12:13 last Saturday and we’re already on Pub 3 on the Great Frome Pub Survey, or whatever we’re calling it. It’s something called Archangel, without the “The“, like Architects without the definitive article. And that’s where the notes stop, at least until the pub where the cider was £2.80 a pint.… Continue reading ARCHANGEL, FROME – THE AI ASSISTED POST

WHO ARE FOLLY ROAD ?

August 2026. Frome. Oh look, spoiler, a map showing our pub crawl route in Frome last Saturday. The best is yet to come, but every pub deserves a Retired Martin post, even the George, the most stately looking place in the market place. I just looked up room rates this weekend; minimum 3 night stay… Continue reading WHO ARE FOLLY ROAD ?

3 1980 BLONDIE HITS IN A ROW. THE BLUE BOAR, FROME

August 2026. Frome. I can’t remember why we started our Proper Pub Crawl/Curated Survey of Licensed Premises* at the Blue Boar. Oh yes, it opened at 10am. We live in a world where many pubs don’t open till 4pm (if at all) during the week, noon if you’re lucky, so the value operators like Wetherspoons… Continue reading 3 1980 BLONDIE HITS IN A ROW. THE BLUE BOAR, FROME

DON’T BE LATE FOR THE LEAT ! FROME AWAITS

August 2026. Frome. Somerset. A weekend in student digs in Bath, with the centrepiece a Saturday pubbing in Frome, guided by local celebrities Jon and Tracey. “Froooom. Throwm. ANiceTotnes. However you pronounce it, Frome is a gem”, I wrote on my last visit in March 2020, just before something cataclysmic happened. I’m veering towards “A Nicer Totnes” to… Continue reading DON’T BE LATE FOR THE…

DOOM BAR IN TWERTON

August 2026. Bath. I’d opted for a couple of nights down in Bath, a little luxurious but the student residences on the edge of town were cheaper than a Doncaster Travelodge, Twerton Mill’s riverside rooms near Bath City FC spotless and (most importantly) with high-speed Wi-Fi. OK, they’re also half an hour’s walk from actual… Continue reading DOOM BAR IN TWERTON

THE TRADITIONAL SHARING OF A JUG OF BASS IN THE BATH STAR

August 2026. Bath. I arrived back at Isambard’s (quite good) statue with 5 minutes to spare, and half an hour later was clambering the Paragon steps on the edge of central Bath. You must know this one. A symphony in brown dark red, where Stafford Paul awaited with the sacred jug of flat Bass. I’d… Continue reading THE TRADITIONAL SHARING OF A JUG OF BASS IN THE BATH STAR

ONE OF THESE DAYS I’LL ACTUALLY GO IN THE HIGHBURY VAULTS AGAIN

August 2026. Bristol. My train to Bath left in 50 minutes time; Google reckoned 54 minutes walk from the Port of Call to Temple Meads, which gave little time for dawdling on the descent through Cotham Hill. And so, once more, I could only pause at the Highbury Vaults, and marvel that they still have… Continue reading ONE OF THESE DAYS I’LL ACTUALLY GO IN THE HIGHBURY VAULTS AGAIN

ALI G, OTTER, AND A RAPID DESCENT FROM CLIFTON

August 2026. Bristol. I’ll show my deep ignorance of suburban Bristol now and admit I don’t really know the difference between Clifton Village and Clifton proper, about 50p on a pint I guessed. Yes, there are buses I could have taken, but then I’d have missed the closed zoo, Clifton Down looking like a scorched… Continue reading ALI G, OTTER, AND A RAPID DESCENT FROM CLIFTON