08/10/21 - Back on the Hoe - More Good Beer Guide Ticking in Plymouth

Distance - 4 Miles

Geocaches - 15 Adventure Lab Caches

Pubs - 4 in total, New Good Beer Guide Ticks #594 and #595

Plymouth is an awful long way to go to scratch a 3 year live comedy itch.  Might as well make a weekend of it, after seeing if Frank Skinner has still got it.

Work up a thirst by completing Adventure Lab Caches that take me on a tour of street art, the culture and history of the "City by the Ocean".  The art is vaguely rude.  The culture is the Beatles having a sit down on the Hoe.  The history is mainly celebrations of people leaving or returning.  The Mayflower.  The Tolpuddle Martyrs.

It's called hope.  I'm hoping its not in the Camra Sutre (ha!)

Loving the two tag ons

The views from the Hoe

A check on Whatpub..... the Pub on the Hoe is a 10 O'clock opener.  Thank you, thirsty sailors.

Pub on the Hoe, Citadel Road, Bays Brewery Top Sail

Doing what it says on the Tin

Of course it's not open at 10am.  For the 2nd weekend in a row, I find myself waiting outside a closed pub for the scrape of the bolt.  

External photos taken and I decide that I will make my way to the best seat in the house - that little terrace above the extension.  Except, that is the out of bounds to the midday drinker - attached to the room they let out for B&B.

Not much happening early on a Thursday Lunch time, so I have a mooch, admire the expected nautical theme and rather enjoy a good classic English Bitter.

Ahoy there

Like old friends, I cannot pass by with a revisit to the Dolphin and the Minerva.

The Dolphin, packed again with a proper drinkers crowd.  This stops external and (most) internal photos but I take my gravity poured Bass to a little corner and try and capture some of the wall mounted art work.

For lovers of the Red Triangle

Billy

Don't think this one is a Beryl Cook

The Minerva, a disaster.  First off, you have to prove you are double jabbed to come in.  Although I fail to see what security this will provide, it is a good test for the first gig I have next week, where Anna B Savage is demanding the same passport access.  

Getting a signal in a low beamed C16th pub proved tricky but an eyeball scan of a QR code proved enough to be served with one of the worst pints of cask I've had since last week in Southwark's Ring.

Battle of the (lack of) lacings.  Hanlons Brewers Blend

I'm beginning to wonder what the point of the GBG is.

But maybe the Vessel holds the key to the future.

The Vessel, Exeter Street, Bamberger Schwärzla and Deya

Micro shop conversions are the future

The landlord is super knowledgeable and last week's Oktoberfest has been replaced by a Deya Takeover.  How amusing, I travel all this way for a brewery almost on my doorstep.

The landlord is my first new friend of the day - explaining how he is one of only 8 venues in the GBG that do not have cask.  I know someone who may be able to fact check that.

Certainly, no-one would argue with their inclusion after the Minerva 

Home from Home - Sunny Spells later

But first, a Bamburg Smoked Beer

In venues so small, I cannot help but make my 2nd friend of the day.  I get on famously with another solo drinker, partaking in rounds.  Then he shows me an inventory of his street legal weapons secreted around his person.  A number of evil looking, yet less than 3" bladed knives.  A 1000 lumen mini-torch for blinding his quarry.

Fortunately, the death inducing gadgets remind me, I have people to meet and seats booked for James Bond.  I can legitimately make my excuses.

But not until I finish my crisps.

The only thing is, will those last couple of 8% Deya's cause me to fall asleep on a comfy seat in a darkened room? 

I'd have a had a chance if the new Bond had any sort of discernible plot. 

I dream of what I have learned during the day. 

James Bond consumed more units than me in as similar time frame.  Cask is dead.  Don't get into rounds with strangers.  At least until you've frisked them.