3in7 Heart of England rover - 03/07/26 - 06/07/26

My 2nd rover of the year , azuma arrived 15 late into donny , so i missed connection onto 82 301 (my last required hull trains).  Nice consolation was the next train to Grantham was 91 106  !   Then a quick change onto winner 170 to Nottingham 

Check in at hotel was 3pm. So ticked spoons 270 enroute,  joesph else 

After a quick freshen up , went back to the station for the 15.41 to brum , which was a winner 170 

There 

Cricket grounds 2026

20/06 - ground 80 - Ashington cc 2nd XI v Tynemouth cc 2nd XI 

Finally got to my 1st cricket game of the season . Also finally did the Northumberland line up to Ashington,  where i did some required shopping,  a relaxing pint in spoons , then off to cricket. The ground is actually next to the station which was nice.  

Spoons Pubs Visited !!

Pre-match or Post-match, or just a day out, quite alot of people tick off Spoons pubs aswell as sports grounds and I'm one of them ! 

The main rule I follow, is that an alcoholic drink must be consumed, which I think is very fair due to it being a PUB tick :)

I compiled this list in this order thanks to the excellent page put together by John Adams, Cheers :)

270

Berkshire (6)

Maidenhead: the bear 

Newbury : hatchet inn 

Reading; back of beyond 

Reading: hope tap 

Slough: Moon and spoon 

Windsor: king and castle 

Bostonshire: (13)

Boston  - moon under water

 Brigg : White Horse 

  Cleethorpes: coliseum picture house 

  Gainsborough: Sweyn Forkbeard 

  Grantham: Tollemache Inn

  Grimsby : Yarborough Hotel 

  Lincoln: Forum

  Lincoln: Ritz

  Lincoln : Square Sail 

  Scunthorpe: Blue Bell 

Skegness -  red lion 

 Sleaford  - packhorse Inn 

 Stamford  -  Stamford post 

Cambridgeshire  (2)

Peterborough  -  college arms 

Peterborough  -  drapers arms 

Cheshire: (7)
 Chester : Bull & Stirrup Hotel

 Chester: Forest House  

 Chester: Square Bottle,

 Northwich: Penny Black
  Warrington: Friar Penketh
 Warrington: Looking Glass,
Winsford: Queens Arms

Cleveland: (11) Completed

   Billingham: Half Moon
   Guisborough: Ironstone Miner

    Hartlepool: King Johns Tavern

    Hartlepool: Ward Jackson

    Middlesbrough: Isaac Wilson

    Middlesbrough: Resolution

    Middlesbrough: Swatters Carr

    Norton: Highland Laddie

    Preston-on-tees: Red anchor 

    Redcar: Plimsoll Line

    Stockton-on-Tees: Thomas Sheraton

Cumbria: (7)
    Barrow in Furness: Furness Railway

    Carlisle: William Rufus

    Carlisle: Woodrow Wilson
    Kendal: Miles Thompson
    Penrith: Dog Beck

   Whitehaven: Bransty Arch
   Workington: Henry Bessemer

Derbyshire: (4)
  Buxton : Wye Bridge House
  Chesterfield : Spa Lane Vaults

  Chesterfield: Portland Hotel

  Matlock: Crown

Dorset: (1)

  Bournemouth: Moon in the Square

Durham: (11) Completed

    Bishop Auckland: Stanley Jefferson

    Chester-le-Street: Wicket Gate

    Consett: Company Row

    Crook: Horse Shoe Inn

    Darlington: Tanners Hall

    Darlington: William Stead

    Durham: Bishops Mill

    Durham: Water House

    Peterlee: Five Quarter

    Seaham: Hat & Feathers

    Spennymoor: Grand Electric Hall

Essex: (7)

Billericay: Blue boar 

Braintree: Picture House Palace 

Brentwood: the dairyman 

Chelmsford: ivory peg 

Rayliegh: the roebuck 

  Southend on Sea: Last Post

Witham: Battesford court 

  Leicestershire: (2)

  Leicester: Last Plantagenet

  Hinckley: Baron of Hinckley

Gloucestershire: (1)

  Cheltenham: Bank House

Greater London: (20)

Chadwell heath: Eva Hart 
  Colindale: Moon under Water
  Cricklewood: Beaten Docket

 Farringdon: the Sir John oldcastle 

  Harrow: Moon On The Hil

Ilford: the Great Ilford spoon 
 Islington: Glass Works
  Islington: White Swan

Kings Cross: barrel Vaults 
 Kingsbury: JJ Moons

 Liverpool st : Hamilton Hall 
 Marylebone: Metropolitan Bar
 New Barnet: Railway Bell

Romford: Moon and stars 
 Stanmore: Man in the Moon

Stratford: goldengrove 

 Sutton : Moon On The hill 
 Tower Hill: Liberty Bounds

  Wembley: JJ Moons

Wimbledon: wibba down Inn 

Greater Manchester: (11)
   Ashton-Under-Lyne - Ash Tree 
   Bolton: Spinning Mule

   Manchester: Moon under Water

   Manchester:Manchester & County
   Manchester: Paramount 
   Manchester: Seven Stars
   Manchester: Waterhouse

   Stalybridge: Society Rooms

   Stockport: Calverts Court
  Wigan: Brocket Arm
  Wigan: Moon under Water

Merseyside (6)
   Liverpool: Captain Alexander
   Liverpool: Fall Well
   Liverpool: Lime Kiln
   Liverpool: North Western 
   Liverpool: Richard John Blackler
   Liverpool: Welkin

Hertfordshire: (3)

    Borehamwood: Hart & Spool

    Stevenage: Standard Bearer

    Stevenage: Standing Order

Lancashire:  (18) 

 Accrington: Commercial hotel 

  Blackburn: postal order 
Blackpool: Albert & Lion
 Blackpool: Layton Rakes
  Blackpool: Velvet Coaster

  Burnley: boot inn 

  Chorley: Sir Henry tate 
 Cleveleys: Jolly Tars

  Colne: Wallace Hartley 

  Darwen:  old chapel 
 Fleetwood: Thomas Drummond
  Lancaster: Sir Richard Owen

  Leyland: Leyland lion 

 Morecambe: Eric Bartholomew

 Ormskirk: court leet 
Poulton-le-Fylde: Poulton Elk
Preston: Greyfriar
Preston: Twelve Tellers

 Northumberland: (8) Completed

    Ashington: Rohan Kanhai

    Bedlington: Red Lion,

    Berwick-upon-Tweed: Leaping Salmon    

    Blyth: Wallaw, 14 Union Street

    Cramlington: John the Clark of Cramlington

Haggerstone Castle: Sir Thomas Haggerstone 

    Hexham: Forum

   Morpeth: Electrical Wizard

Nottinghamshire (4)

 Bingham - Butter Cross 

  Nottingham: joesph else 

Retford : dominie Cross 

Worksop : liquorice Gardens 

Oxfordshire (1)

Henley-on-Thames  :  Catherine Wheel 

Scotland: (34)
 Airdrie: Robert Hamilton

  Anniesland: Esquire House

  Arbroath: Corn exchange 

   Broughty Ferry: Jollys hotel 

  Cumbernauld: Carrick Stone

 Dumfries: Robert the Bruce 

    Dundee: Capitol

    Dundee: Counting House

 Dunfermline: guildhall and linen exchange 

  East Kilbride: Hay Stook 

    Edinburgh: Alexander Graham Bell

    Edinburgh: booking office 

    Edinburgh: Caley picture house 

    Edinburgh: Playfair

    Edinburgh: Standing Order

    Falkirk: Carron Works

    Glasgow: Camperdown Place

    Glasgow: Counting House

    Glasgow: Crystal Palace

    Glasgow: Edward G. Wylie

    Glasgow: Henglers Circus

    Glasgow: Society Room

    Grangemouth: Earl of Zetland

   Greenock: James Watt 

    Inverness: Kings Highway

  Kirkcaldy: Robert Nairn 

    Kilmarnock: Wheatsheaf Inn

    Livingston: the new year field 

    Motherwell: Brandon Works

    Musselburgh: David Macbeth Moir

    Paisley: Last Post

   Perth: Capital Asset
   Rutherglen: An Ruadh Ghlean
   Shawlands: Sir John Stirling Maxwell

Surrey  (1)

Staines: the George 

Wear & tyne: (20) Completed

    Byker: High Main

    Concord: Sir William de Wessyngton

    Gateshead: Tilley Stone

    Gateshead: Wetherspoons

    Gosforth: Job Bulman

   Holystone: Blue Bell 

    Houghton-le-Spring: Wild Boar

    Newcastle upon Tyne: Five Swans

    Newcastle upon Tyne: Keel

   Newcastle upon Tyne; Luthers bar 

    Newcastle upon Tyne: Mile Castle

    Newcastle upon Tyne: Quayside

    Newcastle upon Tyne: Union Rooms

    South Shields: Wouldhave

    Sunderland: Cooper Rose

    Sunderland: Lambton Worm

    Sunderland: William Jameson
    wallsend : The Ritz

   Whickham: Harry Clasper

    Whitley Bay: Fire Station

Wales: (8)

  Bangor : Black Bull Inn

  Colwyn Bay: Picture House

  Holywell: Market Cross

  Llandudno: Palladium

   Newport: Queens Hotel

   Newport: Tom Toya Lewis

   Rhyl: Sussex

   Shotton: Central Hotel

  

West Midlands: (3)

  Acocks Green: Spread Eagle

  Birmingham: Figure Of Eight

  Birmingham: Square Peg

Yorkshire (East): (8)

   Beverley: Cross Keys
   Bridlington: Prior John
    Great Driffield: Benjamin Fawcett

    Goole: City & County

    Kingston-upon-Hull: Admiral of the Humber

  Kingston-upon-Hull: sanctuary bar  

    Kingston-upon-Hull: Three John Scotts

    Kingston-upon-Hull: William Wilberforce

Yorkshire (North): (13)  Completed

Filey: The five stones 

    Harrogate: Winter Gardens

    Knaresborough: Crown Inn,

 Northallerton: The Buck Inn 

    Richmond: Ralph Fitz

   Ripon:  The Unicorn Hotel 

    Selby: Giant Bellflower

    Scarborough: Lord Rosebery

    Skipton: Devonshire Inn

    Thirsk: Three Tuns

    Whitby: New Angel Hotel

    York: Postern Gate   

    York: Punchbowl

Yorkshire (South): (8)

   Doncaster: Gate House
   Rotherham: Blue Coat 
   Rotherham: Corn Law Rhymer 
   Rotherham: Rhinoceros
   Sheffield: Bankers Draft
   Sheffield: Benjamin Huntsman
   Sheffield: Sheffield Waterworks Company 
   Sheffield: Swim Inn

 Yorkshire (West): (31)

    Bingley: Myrtle Grove   

   Bradford: Sir Titus Salt

    Bradford: Turls Green
   Brighouse: Richard Oastler

  Castleford: Glass blower 
   Chapel Allerton: Three Hulats

  Cleckheaton: obediah Brooke 

  Cross Gates :  Charles Henry Roe 
   Dewsbury: Time Piece

 Garforth:  Briggate 

  Glasshoughton: Winter Seam 
    Hemsworth: Blue Bell
   Halifax: Barum Top Inn
    Halifax: Percy Shaw 

  Headingley:  Golden Beam 

   Huddersfield: Cherry Tree
   Huddersfield: Lord Wilson

    Ilkley: Listers Arms

    Keighley: Livery Rooms,

    Leeds: Becketts Bank

    Leeds: Cuthbert Brodrick

    Leeds: Hedley Verity

    Leeds: Stick or Twist,

   Leeds: Wetherspoons (railway station) 

   Otley: Bowling Green

  Pontefract: Broken Bridge 

  Pudsey: crossed shuttle 

   Shipley: Sir Norman Rae
   Sowerby Bridge: Commercial Inn 
    Todmorden: White Hart Hotel

   Wakefield: Six Chimneys

  Wetherby: angel inn  
   Yeadon: Clothiers Arms

North Country 4in8 rover , 30/05/26 - 06/06/26

Finally out on a rover again !  Did the 8.02 TPE down to Leeds, then a quick shopping trip in the station and did a pair of 331s to Skipton.  There i got the train hellifield

 for a 20 minute wait for the train to Darwen, which goes along the Clitheroe line , which only has a limited Saturday service. There were quite a few enthusiasts on it, with the same intention as me. :) 

At Darwen , I ticked spoons 260 - the old chapel 

Then train back to Blackburn , 1 of which was a winner 

Then train to Accrington to tick spoons 261 , commercial hotel 

Then train to york 

Then noting of note on journey home 

02/06/26 

Day 2 of rover. Headed over to Carlisle for a change. Headed down to preston on winner 390 

Then train to Blackburn 

Did some shopping in morrisons then spoons 262 the postal order 

Then train to colne 

To tick spoons 263 Wallace Hartley 

Then train to burnley Central , driver said 150/2 are rarely used on this line .

Then eventually found spoons 264 boot inn 

Then walked down to burnley Manchester Road Station for train to york 

A farcical end to a great day out occurred at york and near Durham on way back. Culminating in a double vodka opposite Central station then finally heading home on the 21.46 train!  

Roll on Thursday for more trains and spoons capers! 

04/06/26

Day 3 of rover . Decided on west Yorkshire for today's entertainment.  After a winner 555 from sol , I got a winner azuma down to york. 

Then a winner 195 to Leeds 

Grabbed a mcds then scoffed on winner 195 to bramley,  where a 10 minutes bus ride was required to pudsey for spoons 265 crossed shuttle 

Just missed the bramley bus , so caught the next bus which stopped near new pudsey station, which went along the lineside 

Then did winner 195 to.low moor 

Where I caught the 268 bus up to Cleckheaton to tick spoons 266 obediah Brooke 

Then 268  us again , this time to Bradford,  a quick dodge to Sainsbury's then back to the interchange for the 15.08 to york 

Which meant I had plenty time before the 91 was due :) 

Unfortunately was terminated at darlo due to more ecml farce  ! 

looking forward to Saturday,  back on the wcml again :) 

06/06/26 

The 4th and final day of my rover. 

Back to Lancashire again.  Had a winner 555 from sol , then a 158 to Carlisle.  For my first 397 to penrith 

Then winner 390 to preston 

Where I did a pair of 331s to Leyland 

Where I ticked spoons 267 Leyland lion 

Then train to Chorley 

For spoons 268. Sir Henry tate 

Then train to preston 

Paid a visit to Tesco at preston then train Ormskirk 

Where I ticked spoons 269 court leet 

Then train back to preston which was a winner 150.  Which was nice  :) 

Then winner 195 Lancaster 

Then winner 390 to Carlisle and train back over hone . A very enjoyable rover :) 

Scotland day trips 23/05/26 &

I did plan on heading to Yorkshire but as loads of engineering work and rail replacement buses were in play south of Northallerton,  I decided to head up to Edinburgh.  Did Lumo up for a cheap change. Went to livingston to tick the spoons i didnt do back in the day when I ticked the footy ground via livingston south. Spoons 258 the new year field 

Then headed back to haymarket to tick spoons 259 the caley picture house 

Took this aswell on way back to station 

Then went back to waverley spoons for a few before Lumo back home.