Make Mine a Half: Family Holiday Gone Wrong

Well this year has been a strange year, It clearly wasn't going to be my best Beer year. Early on it was clear that i wasn't going to make the Copenhagen Beer festivals, and that GBBF may not quite work out. Im still a little worried over transport to that. So i resigned myself to less of a beer year and decided that the time should be put to good use with lots of Family holidays.

Well that didn't quite work out, yeah i managed lots of family holiday, I've had some great times with the wife and kids, but almost every one of the holidays have turned into a beer event.

First my London trip, turned into Egham and Brodies festivals of fun, then the family visit to my sisters, ended up with a day trip to the Reading festival, and now this.

This weekend we went to visit friends in Manchester, and when your away you need to eat or so my theory goes, and if your going to have to eat, you might as well eat in a brewpub, so the plan was the "Horse and Jockey" in Manchester, on the way to my friends house, Then a side trip to Huddersfield for lunch at the "Sportsman" on Sunday followed by a very quick half in the "Rat and Ratchet" just to see what it was like. Then on Monday on the way home, a stop at the "Croglin Castle hotel brewpub" for lunch.

Seemed a good mix, and then it all went wrong. I spoke to Richard from MagicRock, to discover that on Sunday they were holding a Meet the Brewer event for the European Beer Blogger Conference, and i was welcome to come along. Oh that was just TOO tempting, but really this was a family holiday, "Sorry did you just say you were serving Bourbon Bearded Lady". Ahhh i was mistaken its not a family holiday after all.

Then in the final planning stages i discovered a Brepub just up the road from Hawkshead. Oh wait, thats a great idea i can stop by the "Watermill" for lunch and Nip into Hawkshead. (not that the Hawkshead food isnt great. It sure is,but like all things in my life i love to try the new), and that on the way to "Watermill" we pass by the "Brown Horse Inn" which just happens to offer a few of their beers in bottles.

And so once again my family holiday involved. 1 Brewery, and 6 brewpubs

Best of all my Kids had a great time and my wife is still talking to me.

This is a great BEER year.

(ps More to follow on some of the actual events in my next exciting blog post)

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