30/07/20 - How I learned to Puzzle Cache

Geocaches - 70.  66 Found.  4 DNF

First Cache

Distance - 12 miles walks.  Similar Driven.

Yo Jigidi... with the exception of Jigsaws, I have never really taken to Puzzle Caching. On first glance, they are like Earthcaches - utterley incomprehensible.

I mean, what the hell are you meant to do with that?

At the start of the July, I started to get the geocache publication notification messages. I could see an evergrowing list of mystery caches placed for the West Midlands Mega. I imagine this to be like Glastonbury for tupperware hunters. With less coverage on the BBC.

So a bit of a google and I found a few resources on-line that help with about 80% of solving. I'm recording them here for my own benefit in the future.

CACHESLEUTH - has a number of tools, the best being the multi-decoder - copy the offending text into a window and let it do a brute force attack.  I also used it identify any character alphabets - by putting the word North into the text box.  A great timesaver, when there are 200+ such alphabets that can be used.

BOXENTRIQ - is a bit more subtle and attempts to identify a cipher.

GCCODEBOOK - a downloadable PDF file.  Useful for browsing.

If these didn't provide an answer, there is a facebook page that you can ask for help... providing the FTF has gone. I also exchanged messages with other hunters. Thanks TwoOfNine for your help.

And if all else failed, my own brainpower got me a few answers.  

Four that caused me most grief (in case it helps me in the future)

• random ABCDEFG - 7 Segment digital display
• Phone keypads
• adding letters together with no key - could be a popular game that Mrs M spends all day on her phone playing against strangers.  At least that's what she says she is doing
• Can numbers be converted?  Think temperatures.

I dread to think how much time I invested solving all 70. I spent 1hr 40 minutes on one jigsaw alone.  Apparently there is a hack for those but what else am I going to do with my time? Not learn how to debug HTML, for sure.

Plotting the route - it looked like the CO planned for these to be completed as Drive Bys. Or maybe Cycle Bys. I was tempted to buy a bike, as solo caching and driving did not sound too safe an endeavour. With a bit of planning, I could see that I could start at Bramshall, catch a bus to Stowe-by-Chartley to pick up number one and walk a linear route getting me the first 56 caches.  

The last 14 completed as the CO intended.

At around Cache 9, I realised the Bisons were branded

Nice looking pub at Church Leigh - Alas, I was too early

So I had a packed lunch after getting the Church Micro

Paying for Parking at the Butchers Arms, Bramshall

The effort was worth it. I broke my most caches found in a day. A record that has stood for 9 long years.

But my effort was nothing in comparison to the people who set them up. Many thanks to Puzzle_Mega_Crew_22.

I hope your have a great event!

23/07/22 Chorlton Pub Crawl

Pubs - 5

Good Beer Guide Ticks - #699 to #702

A rich seam of Good Beer Guide Ticking in Chorlton - with 4 entries all a short stagger from each other.

Naturally, the best pint was in a non-GBG entry. I don't write this blog to be contrary. Just to record how I find things. Honest.

Chorlton Tap, Wilbraham Road, Saunter by Wander Beyond Brewing

Directly opposite the tram stop but still an adventure to get to. Four lanes of stationary traffic and safety barriers forcing you to cross where the council dictate.

Its a couple of shops knocked together and a tap room for the Wander Beyond Brewery. A chalk board with many exotic keg lines but I confirm to a sterotype both fitting of age and appearance and go for a cask bitter.

You are here

Cask bitter and the promise of food

More staff than punters on a Saturday afternoon, but they still manage to cock up service dramatically.

The menu more or less sums up in large text what is available to eat. Although for me, for a Full English Breakfast to be re-labbeld "Brunch" it needs to come with chips. These are the rules, founded in Sainsbury's cafes, where the small print for brunch listed all ingredients, along with "discreetly served on one plate".

You cannot order at the bar and have to scan a QR code, pay on-line - including a variety of suggested service charges - and sit back and wait. And wait. And Wait.

I'll spare you a lengthy story and summarise.  The Internet is down in the kitchen.

I had a refund.  Including service change.

And the cask bitter was far too cold.

Dulcimers, Wilbraham Road, Mosaic, Simcoe, Idaho 7 by Red Willow Brewery

A micro pub of some vintage.... since 2007. Were micros a thing then? Maybe in Kent.

I'd noticed it when plotting my route and it had been mentioned in a couple of on-line Chorlton pub crawl guides.

Micro before Micros

And it was here that I received pint of the day.  Red Willow brewery are continuing to impress and this lengthy to pronounce session IPA was in fantastic form.

The Sedge Lynn, Manchester Road, Leffe

An Grade II listed, architecturally stunning JDW that was a former billiard hall for the temperance movement.  

I took advantage of their meal deal - even if there was no chicken in a basket available.  We'll blame the French.  

They also do brunch.  And their app works.

A beaut of a JDW

Inside and Out

The Beer House, Manchester Road, Yarn by Salt Brewery

Another micro, with outdoor seating to watch the world go by.  When the same father, pushing a pram with a screaming child, walked past me for the third time I had to comment.  I think he appreciated my toast and wave of a deliciously thick and gloopy pint, recommended by a knowledgeable bar man.

Salt by Yarn - You've seen micro pubs before

The Font, Manchester Road, Oude Gueze Vieille

The man with the screaming child should have come here.  This is more creche than pub - with kids running free all over the shop.  I'm starting to get curmudgeonly.  I've been listening to the Moon under Water Podcast, where celebrities have to talk for an hour about their dream pub through standard questions.  I may as well give my answers;

Two Draughts........   Bathams and Lowenbrau

Two Bottles............  St Bernardus 12 and Kwak

Two Spirits............. Lagavulin 12 and Hendricks 

Music..................... Now that's what I call music, 1983

One Wildcard......... Black Country Scratchings

One thing banned... Kids

After confirmation that the price didn't run into double digits, I took my exotic Oude Gueze to the tranquility of a Manchurian main road and awaited Lucy's arrival.

A corked bottle

23/07/22 - Greater Manchester Ringway - Stage 4 - Bramhall to Middlewood

Start - Bramhall Railway Station

Finish -  Middlewood Railway Station

Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3

Distance - 7.5 Miles

Geocaches - 4 and an Adventure Lab Cache 

Walk Inspiration

Familiar ground on Stage 4 of the Greater Manchester Ringway.  Finishing off the town centre Adventure Lab Cache and heading out on the same path to Bramhall Hall.  This time, however, I am provided with a good view.

Bramhall in view

Last time, I headed west to Didsbury - for the pubs. This time, I am heading east and doing the walk as the designer intended. Its familiar terrain along Lady Brook and into a nature reserve called the Happy Valley.  I hear series 3 is set for release in 2023.

The terrain is woodland and stream

It's pleasant walking - along with the dogs of a leafy Stockport suburb. Little to bring you in way of photos. Even a circuit of Poynton Lake proves unphotogenic. I maybe should have brought shots of houses with bigger garages than other peoples houses.

I do determine that I am in East Cheshire.  Which was unexpected.

Middlwood station is the end of the walk - with trains every two hours (Sat afternoon) to Piccadilly.  It's that wild, I think it may be a request stop. No signs to tell you which platform is for Manchester but fortunately, a signal to consult Google.

No pubs - but my Rover Ticket will get me to Chorlton for an afternoon of Good Beer Guide Ticking.

22/07/22 - The Good Beer Guide Pubs of Salford

Pubs - 3

Good Beer Guide Pubs - #697-#698

My walk drops me off in Salford.  A whole new city to explore. The Good Beer Guide has just two entries, but the rules state that a crawl requires at least three pubs.  My alternative source of recommendations has pulled out some gems that are off the beaten track. Again, this resource delivers but not necessarily in the way I expected.

New Oxford, Bexley Square, Kelburn Brewing Jaguar

A new favourite

A pub since the 1850s, its traded under various names. One former name would make it a nailed on favourite for those once a year Xmas boozers who get everything wrong. Going to the bar without establishing what's in the order. Ordering Guinness last. You know the type.  

They would be most welcome at the Amateurs Arms.

It's in a great position on a quiet cobbled, pedestrianised square. Outdoor seating and big umbrellas. If I wasn't wearing my rain coat, I could be in Madrid.

This pub is a real find and one I will be coming back to. 20 lines to work through and of course, once I had perused both sides of the bar and the chalk board, I noticed the fridges full of Belgian bottles.

A really comfortable area to people watch. And when you are bored with the people, the nearby architecture is impressive.

The Black Friar, Blackfriars Road, Birra Moretti

Old meets new in Salford

It was the yellow Boddington's sign on the right hand side of the pub that lured me in.  That and its Lazarus like second coming.

15 years ago, the pub burned down. In the following years it was neglected, repeatedly vandalised and did not get back on its feet until 2021. Following a £2m investment. I should have thought to myself "that is a lot of money to invest into a pub".

Opening the door to be met by both a bouncer and a Maitre d' led me to blurt out "I didn't know you were this posh..... can I have a drink?".

They insisted that they were not posh and yes, indeed, I could have a drink at the bar if I so required. 

Readjusting my composure - and taking the motto "in for a penny, in for many pounds" to its logical conclusion, I asked if there was a table free. A long ago lunch was a chicken wrap and family pack of monster munch and I always take advantage of what the trail throws at me.

I was led to a delightful garden, complete with my own working heater and presented with a menu.

What have I done

After wondering how much cheese I could get at Swinton Asda for £18, I decided to go all in for a steak.  I won't say how much it was but the five sauteed potatoes that had to be ordered extra were a fiver.

I was well looked after by friendly, liveried staff.  I think they could tell I was the only person that had got here through a combination of shanks pony and Diamond Bus North West.

The food was that delicious, I was after something else to eat about 30 minutes after completing my meal.

The Eagle Inn, Collier Street, Holts Bitter

The Good Beer Guide brings me back down to earth with a major bang but in the most delightful way.  Another gem of a pub that has fought off being swallowed by the high rise new builds.  

My sort of place

A Grade II listed building with multiple rooms to explore and an area out the front for over spill.

I settled in a quiet piano room to reflect on another fine evening of urban exploring. 

Holts and a Piano

22/07/22 - From Mark E Smith to Karl Marx - A Prestwich to Salford Pub Walk

Distance - 5.5 Miles

Walk Inspiration - Best Pub Walks in and around Manchester - Walk 2

It was an excellent blog that brought the Foresters - an ugly looking community pub in a non-descript Manchester suburb - to my attention. A lovely read about the disappearing breed of pub men that goes on to mention that this pub has some famous former patrons. No surprises that one is Mark E Smith but could you imagine bumping into the Velvet Underground's Nico in such a place?

I marked the Foresters as a "must visit" and a decent looking route from Heaton Park to Salford could easily be adapted. The 66 bus dropping me off at the back door.

A pint before the walking starts.

If I can work out how to get served. The rear entrance leads to a corridor of doors.  Should I pick the one labelled "the vault" or "lounge". Going safe with the lounge, leads to a central bar where the staff are engaged on their social media. I don't want to bring attention to myself by shouting, so over to the Vault I go. At least I have had a good look around the pub.

Spot the Bar Staff

The Vault is the more likely place to be offered contraband, so I head back to the lounge to sit amongst the safety of the old boys.  A gentle atmosphere, where every one is acknowledged on entry by name.

Jospeh Holts and the bitter was good enough for Indie pop stars of much repute, so good enough for me.

Where do you go sightseeing on Friday Evenings?

One day, all chippies will have a mural

I contemplated a first ramble munching on chips but look carefully and you will see the queue is out the door. An urban walk along the Bury New Road before the Golf Club leads to the housing estates of Kersal.

The aim is to pick up the River Irwell at the cliff.  An extraordinarily empty landscape, where the river meanders in a series of horseshoe bends before it turns into a ship canal.  You wouldn't believe how close to the cities you are.

The River Irwell from a footbridge

The empty space of "The Cliff"

Getting closer to the River..... Manchester ahead.

The walk terminates at another pub famous for its former patrons.  The Crescent closed down in 2017.  It's Grade II listed and despite looking like its been left to rot, could be making a comeback.

Got half hour to spare and want a look inside - Youtube has a video

Originally, it was named the Red Dragon - and used by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the 1860s.  Rumour has it, and its always rumour, that their Communist manifesto were honed over drinks.

And all I do in pubs is try and think of one-liners for Untappd check ins.  

And the future?  A 2021 Manchester Evening News article suggests that it has been brought, aptly by Chinese investors, and will come back to life as the a live music/real ale venue. Reverting to the Red Dragon name.  

I don't necessarily hold out much hope.  The Baggies have Chinese investors and so far, they have borrowed £10m from the club and are investigating how to sell the ground. 

Lets hope these pass the "Fit and Proper" test of pub ownership. 

17/07/22 - The Harborne Run

Distance - c3 miles

Geocaches - 1

Pubs - 10.  You don't necessarily need to visit any of them.  But you should.

Good Beer Guide Pubs - #694 and #695

Sometimes your hobbies combine.  I have had my eye on this Multi-Cache for some time.  To provide the non-cacher with an idea of what this involves, the seeker needs to collect information from a number of sources.  Apply the information to a formula to work out the final co-ordinates.  Go and find the cache to sign your name.

I've possibly lost 30% of my readership but I'll quickly re-ignite their interest.  The information is found on pubs.  10 of them.  10 that make up a version of the "Harborne Run".... one of those legendary pub crawls that have gone down in booze-hound folklore.

The Instructions

A photo-blog of a great afternoon out. 

Green Man - Ember Inn - Info collection, unvisited

The Plough - Packed at 11:30am on a Sunday.....

... Where half a Blue Moon (compulsory orange slice) is £3.75.  Can I afford to cache?

Good Beer Guide Tick - Lovely Garden - Forced to await the scrape of the bolt

Inside at midday - Not too shabby (chic)

2nd Good Beer Guide Tick of the Day - the White Horse

Positives: Aircon.  Cask Jaipur.  Negatives: Stuffed in an Abbot Glass

Cheapest pint in Harborne - unvisited this time - I have complex maths to do later

One my favourites in the land - The Junction.  In my excitement to get there, I failed to photograph the Slug and Lettuce.  Oh well, it wasn't for me, anyway.

Chesterfield Wing Backs, TT Landlord and a home made Scotch Egg on order

The Vine - I don't do pubs that sizzle

I'll wait for the adjacent building to open as a JDW

Unvisited New Inn - Don't remember this being a Marstons - but a fine pint was had on my previous visit

The Bell - Final Pub - A beauty, with views overlooking a bowling green and onto a church.  Bucolic. 

To work out the Maths with a posh lager

And the co-ords looked good - despite the Hop Garden changing their windows and a slightly ambiguous count of doors at the Junction. 

I would publish a photo of the find with name signed on the log but I don't want to provide any clues.

Future cachers will have to work just as hard as I did.

Thanks so much for the TheSharksmiths setting me up with a fine afternoon's entertainment!

16/07/22 - Centenary Way - Stage 11 - Ryton-on-Dunsmore

Distance - 7.8 Miles

Geocaches - 2

Pub - Blacksmiths Arms, Ryton-on-Dunsmore

Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 7, Stage 8, Stage 9, Stage 10

Funny little place, Ryton-on-Dunsmore. Seems to sit snugly in a triangle of major roads, with the church cut off from the rest of the village by a busy dual carriageway.   It was famous for a car plant, closed down in the first decade of the C21st. Replaced by new business parks.

My walk is more or less as expected from the previous legs - although the route to Bubbenhall and along the edge of Ryton Pools Country Park are perhaps a little prettier. Certainly nothing to get excited about and one to file under "functional", rather than "must do".

Centenary Way Paths

Centenary Way Beasts

The pub is in fitting with the walk. A village local, that the locals seem to be shunning. Two real ales on, Tribute and something else that I didn't trust in the heat - so I went for a Birra Moretti.  In a ceremonial chalice. 

Village Local.  Just add punters.

Food proved slightly trickier to source. No sandwiches or snacks on a freshly printed menu. I thought I would try a Chicken Parmo Schnitzel. When the bar man says "I'll have to ask the Chef if he is cooking" it does make you wonder why they have menus. Or employ a chef.

It came.  I have since found a Twitter feed that compares the quality of parmos. Would have been interesting to see the reaction a photo of my lunch would have elicited.

It was quite a slab of cheese.

12/07/22 - The White Eagle, Rhoscolyn

Distance 3.5 Miles

Walk Inspiration - Pub Walks in North Wales, Walk 28

Good Beer Guide Pub - #692

Geocaches - 2

A change in weather.  Yesterday's glorious sunshine gives way to a sea haar, low mist, rain and the walk is accompanied by the incessant bellowing of the Fog Horn. Most fitting for this rugged, dramatic section of coastline.

We start from the pub car park and head up past the church and onto the headland.

Rhoscolyn Church in the Dreich

Onto the Headland

A couple of things of interest along the coast - the Medieval St Gwenfaen's Well, where casting two quartz pebbles into the water is a cure for mental illness - and the coast guard lookout tower. With two coast guards on full lookout - peering through the binoculars towards the ocean.

St Gwenfaen's Well

A drop down to a tiny harbour and lanes back to the pub.

Midday on a Tuesday and the car park is filling up with people waiting for the 12pm opening. This is a good sigh - you are never sure whether such isolated pubs will be open midweek. But as our waitress confirmed on entry, we are heading into "silly season".

In a bad day for Photos, this was probably the worst of the lot!

This is a Good Beer Guide Pub - and it did have three handpulls from the Conwy Brewery on. The reason for the queues, however, is the food.  This is a gastro pub. You know.... most tables set out with cutlery.  Fish and chips for £17.50. That kind of thing.

The Clogwyn gold hit the spot.  The fish finger sandwich made from the cut off bits of the £17.50 fish and chips, less so.  Great chunks of batter.  Little fish.