The Robins Nest Forum

...amongst claims they are killing off businesses in the town.

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Anti-car and anti-business, as long as it's not a cafe, restaurant or something else that fits in with the festivals criteria.

I sometimes wonder if the planning officers actually live in Cheltenham and see the consequences of their poor decision making.

More coffee shops than over. That ruins the town for me. Also the pubs in the Strand are very rowdy and rough, The Spectre one of the culprits, horrible place.

Malabus wrote:More coffee shops than over. That ruins the town for me. Also the pubs in the Strand are very rowdy and rough, The Spectre one of the culprits, horrible place.

Swan, Vine, SPA, Strand. All decent.

What's The Restoration like now? Used to virtually live in there for a few years in the mid naughties but haven't been in there for a good few years now. Stopped when they refurb'd it somewhere around 08 and turned it into The Varsity for a while.

Shade wrote:What's The Restoration like now? Used to virtually live in there for a few years in the mid naughties but haven't been in there for a good few years now. Stopped when they refurb'd it somewhere around 08 and turned it into The Varsity for a while.

The Old Restoration replaced Varsity. Still empty and food not great, but tremendous range of real ales and easy to get nice comfy seats and tucked away tables. Worth a visit on the High Street <> Bath Road tour.

SPA, Swan, Vine, Old Resty, Bath Tav, Beehive, Suffolk Arms, Exmouth, Somerset.

Option of course to miss out the last three go from Beehive straight to Jolly Brew then the Royal Union, the latter of which I regard as the best in town. If time, Rotunda for a night cap before the taxi.

I thought they'd changed it back to just "The Restoration" again since it was The Old Restoration. It's had a couple more refurbs. Probably last went in there about 4 or 5 years ago when it was The Old Restoration.

We usually do a version of that "tour" on our Christmas work do, but starting at the Exmouth (or sometimes The Queens), to include the Beehive, Jolly Brew, Sup & Chow, and finishing at the Somerset Arms.

Shade wrote:I thought they'd changed it back to just "The Restoration" again since it was The Old Restoration. It's had a couple more refurbs. Probably last went in there about 4 or 5 years ago when it was The Old Restoration.

We usually do a version of that "tour" on our Christmas work do, but starting at the Exmouth (or sometimes The Queens), to include the Beehive, Jolly Brew, Sup & Chow, and finishing at the Somerset Arms.

It has been taken over by Butcombes, who did spend a bit of money on a revamp. It is my standard pre races watering hole. Food is not bad and as RCS says, good drinks options. Especially now Butcombes are owners

Used to love the Rocky Road Chicken (basically Hunters Chicken) in there around 2006/08 period. Mouth watering just thinking about it.

Ihearye wrote:

Shade wrote:I thought they'd changed it back to just "The Restoration" again since it was The Old Restoration. It's had a couple more refurbs. Probably last went in there about 4 or 5 years ago when it was The Old Restoration.

We usually do a version of that "tour" on our Christmas work do, but starting at the Exmouth (or sometimes The Queens), to include the Beehive, Jolly Brew, Sup & Chow, and finishing at the Somerset Arms.

It has been taken over by Butcombes, who did spend a bit of money on a revamp. It is my standard pre races watering hole. Food is not bad and as RCS says, good drinks options. Especially now Butcombes are owners

Pint of Butcombe is always a humourous order.

Decent session beer is Butcombe. It's one of my local's three stock ales (out of nine pumps.) Three more are taken by it's own ales; the remaining three are guest ales. I like my local...

Swindon Beer Festival this weekend, too!

asl wrote:Decent session beer is Butcombe. It's one of my local's three stock ales (out of nine pumps.) Three more are taken by it's own ales; the remaining three are guest ales. I like my local...

Swindon Beer Festival this weekend, too!

Which ale house is that?

The Red Lion, Cricklade. First town on the Thames.

asl wrote:The Red Lion, Cricklade. First town on the Thames.

Not letting you claim the Thames for Wiltshire. Kemble is the first settlement.

Gloucestershire the only county to be home to both of the two longest rivers in the UK. And the 5th longest as well (Wye).

The source is a muddy patch in a field... First town on the Thames, first navigable bridge, too. Besides, I like to think of Cricklade as being South Cotswolds, near Cirencester.

I have walked the whole length of the Thames, well from the Thames Barrier to Thames Head. Having been in most pubs on what was a social rather than an athletic walk, I have probably been in the Red Lion. I certainly remember Cricklade.

SHANDY VOR wrote:I have walked the whole length of the Thames, well from the Thames Barrier to Thames Head. Having been in most pubs on what was a social rather than an athletic walk, I have probably been in the Red Lion. I certainly remember Cricklade.

Sounds pretty epic.

Tempted by a return leg to Cricklade then back up river on the alternative Thames branch to Severn Springs? (Which if you class as the true source makes the Thames longer than the Severn). Shame the Severn Springs is a Hungry Horse these days with stacks of onion rings and TVs on almost every table.

Ah, being the source of the Thames and mouth of the Severn is a geographical triumph for Glos - no wonder it is such a green and pleasant land!

A Thames walk to Ebbsfleet is on the cards for Robins fans...maybe Malabus could cycle it.

So no one thinks that the actual source of the Thames is Seven Springs then? Has been questioned

ctfc-fan wrote:So no one thinks that the actual source of the Thames is Seven Springs then? Has been questioned

Too disputed for my liking.

Having also walked the Cotswold Way (passing Severn Springs), and part of the Wysis way connecting Thames Head to the Cotswold Way at Painswick, I have technically walked the length from both the claimed origins. Interesting walk, especially west of London.

Also done Gloucestershire Way, Severn Bridge to Worcester along Severn, and then the canal to Birmingham, and from there I am currently walking the Grand Union to London (not actually at this moment) to complete the circle. And thousands of miles besides. When you hate people as much as I do then the Countryside is like Disneyland is to a kid.

The next walk I am going to do is to the fridge to get a beer, because I ruddy well deserve one, but I might go via the toilet

SHANDY VOR wrote:Having also walked the Cotswold Way (passing Severn Springs), and part of the Wysis way connecting Thames Head to the Cotswold Way at Painswick, I have technically walked the length from both the claimed origins. Interesting walk, especially west of London.

Also done Gloucestershire Way, Severn Bridge to Worcester along Severn, and then the canal to Birmingham, and from there I am currently walking the Grand Union to London (not actually at this moment) to complete the circle. And thousands of miles besides. When you hate people as much as I do then the Countryside is like Disneyland is to a kid.

The next walk I am going to do is to the fridge to get a beer, because I ruddy well deserve one, but I might go via the toilet

Great walks. You will have to do Hadrian’s Wall. Northumberland even more devoid of people than rural Glos.

Shandy...get yer sen a car, mate... Much easier.