A new plus for the new area: I get a great view of the fireworks from the Riverside. It sounds like Beirut.
The indie band with the ukuleles and accordions?
Yes. They've changed their whole sound.
Mate and his missus had a plague wedding last October, I was originally a groomsman but didn't make the cut for the covid-restricted numbers. They decided to do it then but then basically do it again properly with everyone this year. I had the sense they were gonna do the fun party bit this time and fuck off the church, but nah, had to do my limited groomsman duties.
I was shitting it a bit cus they'd bought us groomsmen matching suits, slim fit, and mine was 40R /34R which, when i tried to wear it for another wedding 6 months ago...jesus. Months of eating crisps and drinking took its toll. Thankfully yesterday I managed to just about squeeze it on, but it was a day of very consciously not making any kind of big, sudden movements, and trying to avoid sitting down.
I wasn't really looking forward to it, cus it seemed like a long fucking day and I was a bit salty about them doing it on my 30th birthday weekend, but obviously it was actually class. Covid probably helped the couple in a way cus it meant as well as catching up with randos from years back like all weddings, it also meant plenty of people got to see actual friends for the first time since covid. Lots of free booze and we got a massive roast with 4 different meats. Cool.
Let’s see you in your small suit?
I'm a twit
fucking hell
He looks like both of these.
Lockdown hasn't been kind to Ross Noble either.
Went to B&Q before. What a place.
I'm a twit
Full of loads of different things and therefore full of dirt.
I am pricing kitchens up at the minute, and the B&Q woman was showing me mock-ups on the screen and saying things like 'It won't line up perfectly but...' while I'm sitting there twitching.
You want a kitchen then go to a kitchen shop, you want tools then go to a tool shop, you want plants go to a gardening shop, etc. B&Q, Homebase, etc are for butcher DIY dads.
I wanted to know the price scale across different retailers.
I needed 2 screwdrivers and some HG mould spray.
I'm a twit
I spend all weekend in Dublin, which was a first for me. Great city, had a cracking time. I didn't do a lot else other than drink, to be fair. But it's about as good a city for that as I've ever visited.
I was absolutely convinced the "Guinness is better in Ireland" thing would turn out to just be a load of shit. But it was noticeably (sometimes quite a lot) better. I suppose there's every chance it could just be the psychological effect of being in Dublin making my brain think that though.
Yesterday's landing back at Manchester airport was dicey though. Fucking hell. I'm not a nervous flyer either, but I didn't enjoy that at all.
I always assumed the it being better thing [which is a thing] was down to volume consumed/pipe condition/back alley rumours as to the pasteurised state of the product/proper pouring etc.
That is definitely a shout. Particularly the speed they go through it. There's absolutely no chance of it sat around going rancid is there. There definitely did seem to be a much more concerted effort going into the correct pouring of it, too.
I'm off to Madrid for the day tomorrow. Climate hypocrite!
With Guinness I always thought Guinness in Irish pubs is brewed in Ireland whereas Guinness everywhere else is from Liverpool.
99% sure I was told that pissed up so it’s no doubt bollocks.
Edit: it was London not Liverpool. And they closed it so indeed us uncultured swines drink the proper Irish stuff. Kind of staggering really considering some of the shocking pints I’ve had over the years.
Last edited by Ben; 22-02-2022 at 06:48 PM.
It probably depends on the person pouring it, too.
It definitely is dependant on the bar in question and their pride in the pint, usually I have found there is one pub in a town that does a far better Guinness than anywhere else.
I’ve never had a bad Guinness.
I'm a twit
The two part pour is just marketing to reinforce the legend. Clean pipes, proper temperature, and the frequency a tap is used are the biggest factors. I’m not sure if there are as many reps making sure things are up to scratch in other places as there are here.
Also, Dublin is a kip.
I thought about going to Dublin before the kung flu struck, but, seeing as I wouldn't be arsed about spending all day drinking Guinness in one of the tourist traps, it looked like I could do it all in a day, so I never bothered. Another plan was to go to Dublin, get the train to Belfast, and then fly back from there; but then that misses the rest of the country. Is it worth seeing somewhere like Cork or driving around the place a bit?
I’d definitely fly into Cork and see west county Cork and Kerry. Could even head up to Limerick then and fly back out of Shannon.
Dingle is nice.
Have some tiki cocktails (mocktails) with Blindboy in Limerick.
I'm a twit
Dublin is fine, but it really doesn't feel like a city. Which is no bad thing. It's alot better than London.
Aye, it didn't feel like a particularly big place while I was there. Although I didn't particularly go out of my way to explore every nook and cranny. But I agree that played in its favour. And it's absolutely a lot better than London.
Although as a card carrying Yorkshireman I appreciate I am probably not best placed to impartially judge the merits of our nations capital.
I'm down there twice in a fucking week very soon.
Last edited by Alex; 22-02-2022 at 11:09 PM.
I thought it was pretty bleak, but I would imagine it is a lot shinier now.
'London' is basically a country so the comparison is entirely pointless.
I love London. Probably because I've pretty much only ever been there for the purpose of seeing mates or for nights out.
London is at least five cities, maybe more, each of them larger and with more to them than any other UK city.
All cities are the exact fucking same anyway these days.
Alright grandad.
Agree with Jimmy's assessment though. My time living in Islington will be nothing like some of my mates living in Clapham or Brixton.
To be honest, if you’re doing a city here and it’s not for the socialising aspect of it (the sesh) then Dublin probably is best as there’s the most to see. I’d still rather do the scenery in the west myself but it involves a lot of travelling around.
If going on the batter then Cork or Limerick (or some of the smaller towns like Athlone or Kilkenny) are miles ahead of Dublin because of the people.
Aye, my primary reason for traveling is to look at things rather than a social experience. Ireland was on my pandemic list along with London which, obviously, went south from laziness.
Got engaged today, which means I’ll probably transform into a miserable married man very soon.
5 figures on the ring?
I got tickets to a craft beer festival before I remembered most craft beer drinkers here are fucking wankers (a different kind of fucking wanker than I am).
That’s good.