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  • Ely – The Minster Tavern

    Ely – The Minster Tavern

    [I originally posted this in July 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links]

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    This Stonegate pub is located near to Ely Cathedral and the building looks interesting and well presented. It seems that the pub was formerly known as the Greyhound in the nineteenth century, but it hasn’t retained any of its historic interior.

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    I didn’t sense any ghosts or hauntings during my visit…

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    There was nothing particularly interesting in terms of real ale, but there was a choice of four different ales, which is a reasonable number. The Hobgoblin was the darkest they had during my visit and it tasted well-kept and was at the appropriate temperature.

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    The bar was organised, the staff were serving customers in turn and it all looked clean and tidy.

    I had intended to get food, but there were signs for their Friday special offer of a meal and a drink, but few menus actually available to explain what was on that offer. Indeed, I found the menu too late, otherwise I’d have ordered from it.

    The main menu was quite reliant on their two meals for £9.49 or £10.49 and all their desserts were two for one. This inspired thinking makes the menu mostly useless for one person, so I abandoned my plans to eat there which was a little frustrating. The entire menu, especially the breakfast selection, does though seem rather dated and tired, similar to what Wetherspoons were doing fifteen years ago. Having said that, I didn’t notice anyone seeming to be unhappy with their food, so it seemed to be meeting expectations.

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    The pub was advertising its music quiz.

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    There was a quieter area to the rear of the pub, which was extremely hot during my visit, but this was during the summer heatwave and so wasn’t really the pub’s fault.

    Overall, the location was pleasant and the prices were towards the lower end of the scale for pints. They also offer a discount for CAMRA members which makes the pricing even more acceptable. The staff were also friendly and helpful, so there was a welcoming feel to the whole pub.

  • Ely – Drayman’s Son

    Ely – Drayman’s Son

    [I originally posted this in July 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links. I didn’t note at the time, likely as I didn’t know, that this is the taproom of the rather wonderful Three Blind Mice brewery]

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    I had intended to visit Ely museum and some other historic sites today, but it’s too hot, so I decided to visit some pubs instead. This wasn’t a difficult decision if I’m being honest.

    The Drayman’s Son was the pub that came recommended, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed with my visit. It was on-trend, friendly, innovative and interesting. Ely isn’t perhaps overwhelmed by pubs like that, so I hope that this one does well.

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    The barman was helpful and engaging, and actually responded to my question of “do you have any dark beers?” in an enthusiastic manner. Sometimes the response in summer to that question is more like I’ve stabbed their kitten to death on the bar. He was conversational and engaging as well, it was an excellent first impression. There’s an interesting beer selection as well, there were numerous options on there that were tempting.

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    They had Prasto’s Porter from Boudicca Brewery, so I didn’t feel I couldn’t order that (I’ve rather overdone the negatives there…). Emma should be pleased with me! The porter was excellent, served at the appropriate slightly chilled temperature and having a rich and pleasant taste.

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    A map of where customers to the pub had come from. It’s a nice idea that works well in a pub like this. And, given the ridiculous heat when I visited, that fan was really appreciated.

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    Quirky and interesting, it’s a well thought out use of this former shop.

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    I like the railway memorabilia, it’s appropriate to Ely and it adds extra character to the pub. The pub also offers a discount to CAMRA members who show their card.

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    It’s only a small pub and there are just individual toilets, but they’re clean and functional.

    I liked this pub, it’s contemporary without feeling forced or staged, and the service was friendly and engaging. The beer selection had been thought through and the pint I had was well-kept. In a town where pubs can fall into the trap of being just too generic, this was perfect.

  • Gorleston – Dr. Kenneth Hamilton-Deane

    Gorleston – Dr. Kenneth Hamilton-Deane

    [I originally posted this in July 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image link]

    Gorleston is one of those towns which seems to be quite enthusiastic about the number of blue plaques which it puts up. That seems a marvellous idea to me, it’s far better to have too much history than not enough. Great Yarmouth Local History and Archaeological Society are the organisation responsible for these plaques, and there are many others located around Gorleston and Great Yarmouth. He lived at 225 High Street, Gorleston, which was also known as Surbiton Lodge but it’s been demolished and replaced by flats now. He died in 1993 and is buried at Gorleston Cemetery and Crematorium. The plaque indicates that Hamilton-Deane practised medicine here from 1923 until 1985, which makes him one of the longest serving GPs in the country.

    There’s more about him and his life at http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/exceptional-gorleston-doctor-william-hamilton-deane-honoured-with-plaque-1-1068846.

  • Seville – Seville Cathedral

    Seville – Seville Cathedral

    [This is one of a series of posts about a group trip in 2018, which was rather designed for a specific audience at the time. However, I’ve reposted it to fix the broken image links and to ensure that the trip is preserved for posterity….]

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    Seville Cathedral is the largest cathedral in the world and is also one of the most visited attractions in Spain. We avoided the queues by buying a joint ticket with the Church of El Salvador, as this allowed us to jump the queues at the cathedral. Above is the Door of Assumption, or the Main Door, although this isn’t in general use for visitors.

    The building was constructed for use as a mosque in the late twelfth century. When Seville became a Christian city in the thirteenth century the mosque was transformed into a cathedral, although some traces of its original use are still visible, primarily what is now the bell tower.

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    There has been an on-going effort to clean the stonework, which is visible at the gate which is located near to the exit. Anyone wanting to visit the cathedral who hadn’t bought a joint ticket, or some other form of advance ticket, had to wait in a queue and that would have taken perhaps half an hour or more.

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    The nave is 42 metres high and light floods into the cathedral, making it feel open and spacious. There are eighty chapels located within the building and a proper investigation of the cathedral would take many hours.

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    The roof of the nave is beautifully decorated.

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    The interior of the chapter house which was completed in the late sixteenth century.

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    The tomb of Christopher Columbus, who although was an Italian was also an explorer paid by the Spanish Monarchy. The Spanish wanted to take a lead on trade with the Indies and after Portugal had turned down Columbus’s idea, their Monarchy agreed to fund his expeditions.

    When Columbus died he was buried in Valladolid, a Spanish town, and then were moved on numerous occasions, including by the French who moved his remains to Havana, in Cuba. It was decided in 1898 to bring his remains back to Seville, although there is still some uncertainty about whether the remains are those of Columbus.

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    The side of Christopher Columbus’s tomb.

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    The rear of Christopher Columbus’s tomb.

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    There are many items of historic interest on display throughout the cathedral, including books, vestments, furniture and other pieces of religious history.

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    One of the cathedral’s courtyards.

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    The Giralda, or the Cathedral’s Bell Tower, which I wrote more about here.

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    Outside is the Orange Tree Courtyard, which was once an ablutions courtyard when the building was used as a mosque.

  • Seville – Craft Beer Pubs

    Seville – Craft Beer Pubs

    [This is one of a series of posts about a group trip in 2018, which was rather designed for a specific audience at the time. However, I’ve reposted it to fix the broken image links and to ensure that the trip is preserved for posterity….]

    I can’t take the credit for locating these craft beer pubs in Seville as there is a map which is distributed in the city which has the names on them. It’s an excellent idea, and in the time we had left, we tried to visit as many as possible.

    We managed to visit:

    Bierkraft

    Gigante Bar

    Hops and Dreams

    La Barrica de Debla

    La Jeronima

    Maquila Bar

    Other bars listed on the craft beer map include:

    Abaceria Antipodas

    Cerveceria Europa Centro

    Centro Europa

    La Linterna Ciega

    Mano de Santo

    No-Lugar

    Rio Azul Brewing

    Viriato

    If I do go back to Seville, I will do my very best to visit all of the remaining locations. I was surprised how quiet a few of the bars were though, I hope that the number of customers looking for craft beer is on the up so that these businesses can thrive.

  • Seville – Gigante Bar

    Seville – Gigante Bar

    [This is one of a series of posts about a group trip in 2018, which was rather designed for a specific audience at the time. However, I’ve reposted it to fix the broken image links and to ensure that the trip is preserved for posterity….]

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    This rather pleasant bar is large in size, with an extensive terrace and also plenty of seating inside. We couldn’t see any menus outside and so we headed inside, and found some chairs overlooking the rear of the bar. The service in the bar was well above average, with the staff member speaking good English and he really made an effort to build up a rapport.

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    The beer selection, which was wider than we’d experienced in many previous bars. In those bars the option was sometimes Cruzocampo or Cruzcampo….

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    Some interesting artwork.

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    We visited this bar rather accidentally, although I’m pleased that we did. Not just for the crisps which were given out with the drinks, but also because they have a map of craft beer pubs. Over the next day we were to visit several of them on the map, and all of them were excellent locations.

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    Clive enjoying his sangria and they didn’t hold back on the fruit.

  • Seville – Giralda

    Seville – Giralda

    [This is one of a series of posts about a group trip in 2018, which was rather designed for a specific audience at the time. However, I’ve reposted it to fix the broken image links and to ensure that the trip is preserved for posterity….]

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    The Giralda is the bell tower of Seville Cathedral, and it’s necessary to get entrance to the cathedral to be able to access it. The bottom sections of the tower date from when it was a minaret for the mosque, dating to around the late twelfth century.

    In 1248, the Christians took the city of Seville and the mosque started to be transformed into a Christian place of worship. The interior of the Giralda wasn’t much changed and it retains its wide sloping ramps to the top, which meant that “beasts of burden” could transport materials up there if required.

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    The start of the climb to the top, which wasn’t difficult as it was just walking up a gentle slope, although the temperature was rather warm. There aren’t obviously distinct floors as it’s a constant ramp up, but there are effectively 35 different floors and these are numbered.

    On the way up there are some museum exhibits placed in the central section of the tower, which visitors can stop and look at to have a rest. Towards the top there are some viewpoints which also attract a rather pleasant breeze, ideal when Seville is hot (which seems to be nearly always).

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    Above are the views of the city which can be had from the top of the tower.

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    The bells at the top of the tower.

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    A view of the tower at night with the lighting making it stand out in the local area.

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    When I visited St. Louis in Kansas City in January 2017, I saw this half-size replica of the Giralda. The developer of the complex visited Seville in the 1920s and was inspired by the building so much that he wanted to recreate it.

  • Seville – La Barrica de Debla

    Seville – La Barrica de Debla

    [This is one of a series of posts about a group trip in 2018, which was rather designed for a specific audience at the time. However, I’ve reposted it to fix the broken image links and to ensure that the trip is preserved for posterity….]

    This was another pub which was on our craft beer trail, and this was the one with some of the longest opening hours. The available beers weren’t as clearly displayed as in the other pubs, so I found the ordering process just a little more complex. However, the staff member was keen to explain the options and offer samples.

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    The bottled selection in the fridges. I opted for the IPA which was on tap, and it had a pleasant taste, although it wasn’t exceptional in flavour.

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    The bar was a little busy, so taking photos wasn’t easy, but I liked the beer barrels which are located behind the counter. There was quite a pile-up of empty glasses on the bar though for most of our visit, which didn’t give an ideal first impression.

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    The decoration on the walls, all rather quirky.

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    Our free snacks, and I was pleased to see the pickled onions and gherkin. An American came in when we were eating these and he mentioned to the bar staff where he was from and he also apologised for Donald Trump. I felt the need to thank him for that as we left, and he said to me that he assumed that I didn’t approve of Brexit. That was about as political as I decided to get, as this was the last pub we were visiting in Seville and I was ready to get back to the hotel.

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    Overall, I didn’t find this pub quite as exciting as the others on the trail and I’d personally like them to just chalk up on boards the options that they had and also the prices. They were also the only pub on our trail which didn’t accept credit cards, even though they served food. However, I felt that the pub was still worth visiting as the service was friendly and the beer was of a good quality and seemed well kept.

  • Seville – Update on Policeofficergate

    Seville – Update on Policeofficergate

    [This is one of a series of posts about a group trip in 2018, which was rather designed for a specific audience at the time. However, I’ve reposted it to fix the broken image links and to ensure that the trip is preserved for posterity….]

    Just a quick update on Andrew’s interaction with airport police officers at Stansted yesterday. It has transpired that not only did he go up to a member of the police to tell them he had been drinking in Seville, he also told them about the Whopper burger that he had at the Burger King in Seville Airport.

    Unbelievable….