The Bus Pass Bandit is taking to the tracks for his latest piece of pub espionage, whereby he'll be dabbling in Derbyshire whilst armed with a Rail Rover ticket...
Matlock will be the day's main attraction but - after a Birmingham New Street rendezvous - there's certainly time for a sneaky stop at the Brunswick near Derby Midland station.
Railway Porter in the Brunswick, the beer is brewed on the premises.
The Cromford Canal offers a very pleasant walk from Whatstandwell via High Peak Junction into Cromford. The picture above shows Aqueduct Cottage guarding the Nightingale Arm.
A couple of swans emerge from Gregory Tunnel on the Cromford Canal.
A refreshment stop at the Boat Inn in Cromford, just up the hill from the Market Place.
Here the Bandit comes over all Old Peculier again, as is his natural disposition!
The poster on the wall is a reminder of another sort of Bandit from times gone by.
Next is a bus ride into Matlock and a good choice of pubs, starting with the bod.
Iceberg is the choice from their range of Titanic beers, the glass lending itself to a still life composition!
Nearby is the unusually named Remarkable Hare.
A good place to contemplate 'The Importance of Being', courtesy of Thornbridge Brewery.
Not to be missed is Twenty Ten on the way back to the station.
A comfortable place to enjoy a beer named after King George.
A bonus stop at Belper on the way back means time for another couple of pubs. Arkwright's Real Ale Bar is named after the 18th century mill owner.
The Chocolate and Fudge Porter (North Riding Brewery) is a memorable experience!
And finally to the Railway, which as the name suggests is very handy for the station...
...and a closing half of Lincoln Green's Tuck Porter (their ales have a Robin Hood theme).
