Latest Posts

Giving caged hens get a new home

Published on 22 September 2023 in House, Life, chickens

Two chickens exploring the garden for the first time.

In 2021 we got some chickens. This year we got some more as we rehomed three chickens who had lived all their lives in cages.

Historical Cloned Beer Reviews: Boddingtons Bitter (Tony’s pre-1970s clone)

Published on 8 July 2023 in Beer, Homebrew, Cloned Beer Reviews

A can of Boddingtons, next to a stemmed half pint glass containing some of the beer. A second, paler beer is in the backgound.

After recently brewing Boddingtons Bitter using a recipe from 1945, I decided to have another go using a recipe that recreates the beer from the 1970s,

Why did Barley Wines become known as “Old Tom”?

Published on 9 May 2023 in Beer

A Robinsons Old Tom Strong Ale pump clip

Robinsons Brewery have an excellent beer called Old Tom. But it's not the only Old Tom beer in history. Why did this name become synonymous with strong ale? (tl:dr - I don't know.)

Cloned Beer Reviews: Titanic Plum Porter

Published on 28 April 2023 in Beer, Homebrew, Cloned Beer Reviews

Two bottles of beer with a stemmed glass next to each beer bottle. Each glass contains beer.

Pitting Titantic Brewery's Plum Porter against my own concoction. But how does it compare?

3 long redundant pieces of COVID messaging

Published on 15 March 2023 in Life, covid-19

Photogragh of the inside of the clock face at the Post Office building in Deseronto, Ontario.

Covid restrictions are long gone. But how long it will take for their one time existence to still be felt, is a whole other question.

All the Swimming Pools REVIEWED! – Forest Hills, Frodsham

Published on 13 March 2023 in Life, All The Swimming Pools, Cheshire, swimming

The entrance canopy at Best Western Forest Hills hotel

A 20m hotel swimming pool on a hill outside of Frodsham in Cheshire? But is it any good?

All the Swimming Pools REVIEWED! Life Leisure Romiley (revisited)

Published on 19 December 2022 in Life, All The Swimming Pools, Life Leisure, Stockport, swimming

The exterior building of Life Leisure Romiley

Since I last reviewed it, Life Leisure Romiley's had a revamp. So long cubicles separated by shower curtains then?

Is Tony Dibbin the most voice tracked radio presenter around?

Published on 12 December 2022 in Radio

Radio presenter on Radio Commonwealth in Austrlia

Voicetracking allows one presenter to do an incredibly large amount of content all from their own home.

Historical Cloned Beer Reviews: Boddingtons Bitter (1945 edition)

Published on 5 December 2022 in Beer, Homebrew, Cloned Beer Reviews

A can of Boddington's Draught Bitter next o a stemmed glass containing some of the beer.

I've never been a fan of Boddingtons Bitter. But if I went back to a recipe from 1945, would it be any good? And how would it compare to the Boddingtons you can buy today?

Cloned Beer Reviews: Guinness Original

Published on 28 November 2022 in Beer, Homebrew, Cloned Beer Reviews

A can of Guinness Original next to a plain, unbranded brown glass bottle

There was a time where, if I was in a pub and there was no real ale, or if there was and it was absolutely terrible (gone off, poorly looked after, or whatever), I'd go for a pint of stout. And that usually meant Guinness. Recently I tried to brew my own version of the black stuff, because why not?

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