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Pub Guide

Opening Times

Issue 132 Autumn 2007

Download a copy of Opening Times 132 as a PDF file - 1.2 MB

FORTY SIX OVER SIXTY
TO MARS & BACK IN FOURTEEN HOURS

Last summer John Nunn walked the Pathfinder route in Cambridgeshire plus 14 miles to round off a 60 miles walk, all within 24 hours, raising £3,430 for Teenage Cancer Trust’s new unit in Cambridge. Not content with this serious milestone he continued the celebrations of his sixtieth year by organising a tour of his favourite watering holes around Bedfordshire, which took place last November 11th.

When originally conceived as a summer event John was keen to at least walk a part of the route. But Stagecoach buses served our purpose with their X5 route connecting St Neots and Bedford, plus their Mars buses out from Bedford. Thus the gnarled boots were hung up to face another day.

Seven devoted sufferers of their art met on a feisty Saturday morning for a nine o’clock breakfast at the Lord John Russell, St. Neots. The hard-core group expanded to eight, when Chas, the landlord of the Lord John Russell, declared his vested interest in accompanying us on our expedition.

We began the proceedings with aperitifs of Bateman’s Porter and Mordue Workie Ticket - a good start to the day together with the substantial cooked breakfast. John ended up with seven black puddings, by virtue of most of us not wishing to ruin our taste buds.

We boarded the X5 in St Neots Market Square. In Bedford we crossed town to the Wellington Arms - full of character with bottled beers displayed around the walls and around ten pumps. They had opened at 11 especially for us. John was keen to be there to commemorate the 11th minute of the 11th hour of the 11th month the day. Sampled here were Cantillon Rose – a bitter raspberry lambic, B&T’s Prince Henry, Two Breweries Bitter and Autumn Porter, Tom Wood’s Shepherd’s Delight and Wolf’s Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing.

After a half a Thwaites Liberation Ale at the Cricketers we boarded the Mars bus at Bedford bus station. In the late afternoon we strolled gently through the village of Shefford to the Brewery Tap - very much a locals’ pub. The Shefford Dark Mild cleared my palate ready for pastures new, whilst Dave partook of Hadrian’s Centurion.

We left to catch the Mars transportation. The bus deposited us at Henlow, just a few yards from the Engineers Arms. This was the end of the road for a few of the gang but only after being well fed and watered.

Pizzas were devoured as soon as they hit the table. As ever, there was a selection of least 10 beers, including Nobby’s Wetspell, Northumberland Emotion Ale, Leyden Honky-Tonk, Naylor’s Bradford Lad and Everards Pitch Black.

John and Clive left for Sandy for the last pub on the trail, in time for Clive to return on the X5 to Cambridge. Ian, Chas and I stayed until the next bus to enjoy our ales and put the world to rights. We caught Clive at the Sir William Peel in Sandy, after negotiating our final Mars flight. Clive soon left as the four of us tasted the brews at hand awaiting Ian’s damsel, Carol, with the carriage to take us to the ball in St. Neots.

Carol kindly deposited the three waifs and stray in the High Street and we ambled back to Chas’s pub and rounded off the day with tea and toast at John’s house.