My legs were nackered and I was developing a blister on my big toe where a callous on the next toe was rubbing it.  I felt in dire need of lubrication and was glad to spot the Horse and Jockey down a side road in Ashton Keynes.  Relief soon became dismay as I realised the [...]

From the Wild Duck, the Thames Path was indistinguishable from how it appears closer to Oxford except that wading across would take all of one step and you might get your ankle wet (rather than being compelled to swim a few yards, map here: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5379808).  Veering into the village of Somerford Keynes, I was able [...]

The run progressed from the Greyhound in Siddington along this path at the end of which lay the Wild Duck in Ewen, a very authentic hunting lodge at the Thames headwaters and on the edge of an archipelago of large, shallow ponds known as the Cotswold Water Park.  Eventually I made my way to the [...]

I rang for the first stop in Siddington and the driver said to me, “you actually want the pub, don’t you.”  I laughed and looked in his mirror, “yeah, does it show THAT much?” He continued on and dropped me at the planned start of my run, the Greyhound.  It was warm, dark, cozy and [...]

I chose a mild from the vast selection of ales at the Black Horse, another massive Cotswold stone pediment, and moved off to the lounge on the right side of the bar to put together a panorama shot without bothering the one other drinker in the bar to the left. Wrapped up in what I [...]

The Arkell’s site calls the Brewer’s Arms a thriving young people’s pub, but it seemed to be inhabited by aging and/or decrepit and quite drunk homosexuals when I visited. It is mildly shabby but quite comfortable and you probably would think you wandered into a gay bar (which it might not be). Nice place, though, [...]

Finally returning to the pub crawl aspects of this site, I found myself wandering the streets of Cirencester too late for lunch but absolutely starving. Finally entering the massive Wheatsheaf I ordered a bag of crisps and a Hooky Dark and retired to the sunshine with my feast and the appropriately gigantic pub dog. The [...]

After the racing was done and I was taking my gambled out ass back to Swindon, I arrived at the station with a half hour to kill and the Midland Hotel just across the street.  Result! However, the bartender suffered the effects of inertia (quite the massive body at rest, here), and ten minutes were [...]

I don’t think it was the 26th Anniversary celebrations that knocked Jackie on her ass, but she was quite too sick to travel to the races the morning after…I felt fine, but, as it is, I didn’t sleep very long either.  So, with her bailing on the trip it was down to me to pour [...]

Walking toward the Racecourse for the New Year Day steeplechases I got diverted into the town centre and would-ya-believe-it found a pub.  This turned out to be another one of the Wetherspoons in a historic building, The Bank House. It was packed with race fans, so I didn’t get any breakfast other than the obligatory [...]