Beer Moose

 What a year it has been! I finally decided/ had the time to start writing and I’ve loved every minute of it. I would like to say thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and comment on one of my blogs.  I’ve decided to do some end of year awards! There’s no prizes, only pride! I’m going to group the categories together and the categories are Coasters, Cambridge United and Beer. No surprises there! Let’s get to it! Coasters:  In 2023 I rode 48 coasters in five different countries. Not as many as I’d like to have ridden, my course got in the way.  Coaster Of The Year: F.L.Y. - Phantasialand. 2023 was the year I made my way back to my favourite place on earth, Phantasialand. Flying coasters aren’t usually my thing, but I thought F.L.Y was incredible. I can’t wait to return and ride it some more.  Coaster Trip Of The Year - Finland & Estonia.  A brilliant trip! 23 coasters, lots of laughs and beers!  My friends and I visited Power Park, Särkänniemi and Linnanmäki in Finlan

When I think about Stevenage (thankfully this is rare) I think about trouble makers, touchy stewards and that Scott Rendell goal. It had been a while since I’d made the short journey to Hertfordshire for football. With Cambridge playing a team that we rarely beat, managed by a manager who nearly always beats us and having no fit strikers available, what could go wrong? It turns out, a lot could and did go wrong. Parked up  I worked an early shift, picked the lads up and got to Stevenage early. Partially because I wanted a good parking space for easy exit and partially because we needed to get food for the New Years Eve party! Happily, Stevenage is home to the newest M&S in the country. It was lush, modern and spacious. There was even a button that when pressed made the noise of a “happy cow”.  Shopping done, we headed for a pre match Nando’s. My extra hot 1/2 chicken was just the job. Walking in Stevenage is a bit of a nightmare. They love an underpass and complicated lanes on path

“Any fool knows a dog needs a home, a shelter from pigs on the wing.” Thankfully I don’t have any good pubs in my blind spot, I always find them.  We arrived at The Falcon, soaked. I could get over that, because The Falcon is probably my favourite York pub. There’s a great range of beers from Turning Point, amongst others, which are always on top form. There’s even a dog of the year competition, who doesn’t love some enforced fun?  The Half Moon stout made me very happy:  From The Falcon, we headed to The Market Cat.  Taken on a non rainy day Another of my favourite pubs, The Market Cat is must visit when I’m in York. Tasty Thornbridge beers and a great view of York from the top floor!    Once we finished in The Market Cat, we headed to get a pub cred!  Taken the following morning  The Swan was brilliant. I had a pint of Kirkstall Bitter, followed by a SALT Suede stout.  Cheese and pickle cheddars are a top tier pub snack. A great little supper to end the evening.  The next day, after

 I love York. It’s a city I’ve visited most years of my life. When I decided that I needed to take my revision somewhere else, York was my first pick. I spent my mornings walking around my second favourite UK city, my afternoons revising and my evenings in the pub. Now I doubt you’re interested in convection, inotropic drugs or cytokines; so I’d better just focus on the pubs. Most of these pubs I’ve been to before, a few are some of my all time favourites. Welcome to the first part of Moose On The Loose: York. I love this view The Rose & Crown: A strong contender for best pie I’ve ever had, The Rose & Crown was a pub cred for me! Pints of Ainsty Ales and Theakston slid down a treat. I had to watch in horror as a women ate fish (chip shop fish) but with mash and no chips! Immediately, I took to twitter to see if this is a northern thing:   Pretty unanimous then.  The Waggon & Horses:  A proper pub, built for conversation. Plenty of beer options and weirdly a lot of Plymouth