It does feel like along time ago but I have great memories of being a student in Leicester in the early nineties.

This was still the time before student loans, getting a grant from the local government instead. It wasn’t a lot, but as soon as it was in the account it was straight to the pub! In my first year I topped up my income by painting a few pubs and also did some illustrations for a restaurant menu or two.

I remember this one pub where I convinced the landlord he would like a painting to hang in the pub, and I said I didn’t want any money, but could he pay me in beer instead. That was Thursday. On Sunday I finished the painting and handed it over. I was far from sober. I had been there for three days, drinking and eating some lovely food on the house. Perfect student survival tactics.

This is a tricky one to answer. Most people would pick their local I guess. I live in Claverham which is very limited when it comes to pubs. There aren’t any! Well that is a bit untrue. We have a local bar called The Tannery which is part of the community hall in Claverham. Whilst it isn’t a pub as such, they do have a strong community of regular locals and there is a lot of fun to be had, especially at the annual beer and cider festival. The prices are good too, thanks in part to the lower running costs I guess. The volunteer staff do a great job.

If I am looking a bit further afield then I would possibly put the Blue Flame on my list. This is a cracking pub, located between Nailsea and Clevedon, serving great beer and some wonderful food. They have a big garden at the back and the rooms inside are very atmospheric.

But is it my favourite? What about the Black Horse in Clapton? This pub is oozing atmosphere. It has has some family history as it was where my Mum and Dad used to do their ‘courting’ along with the Curzon in Clevedon. It hasn’t changed.

I’m not doing a very good job of answering my own question. The trouble is I fall in love all too easily. My favourite pub is the one I find myself in after a really good walk, with beer in hand and food ordered, sat with good friends and chatting to the locals. There you go, that’s my answer!

I just want to thank Ovation for their support with my calendar project. Ovation are Chartered Financial Planners with over 20 years of experience on helping to use their wealth to accumulate life, not the other way around. So if you are hoarding your money or a bit lost with your plans, then do get in touch with them as they are lovely people and very down to earth. They do financial planning , pensions, investments and tax advice.

You can reach them at www.ovationfinance.co.uk

If you like pubs but also like to work up a thirst and a hunger , then I’ve hopefully solved all your problems in one. When I was creating my twelve pubs of the Mendip Hills, I thought it would make a good calendar and then thought why not give everyone some ideas for walks from each of the pubs. Everyone who buys a calendar can scan the code and download my guide. There are a range of pub walks, from really simple and quick, to more exhausting and rewarding. All twelve start and end at a pub.

The downloadable guide presents twelve suggested circular walks from each of the twelve pubs that feature in the calendar. Each walk is a single page with a sketched map and directions.

Each of the walks have been ‘tested’ and the descriptions and routes are correct at the time the original document was created in 2023.

Do please treat the guides as a suggestion only and we advise you to make your own plans based from the descriptions given.

Some walks are longer or harder than others, but I try to highlight this in the descriptions.

If you have feedback on any of the walks then please contact us and we can then update the document to help others make the most of these suggestions.

I had some help from my good friend Pete Henley who checked the walks out with me. I certainly found some new places I’d not been to before, all in the name of pub research!

I’ve posted some sample pub walk text below to give you an idea of what they are like, but you’ll need to purchase a calendar to get the full experience.

The Swan Inn, Rowberrow

A roughly 6 mile walk from The Swan, taking you up to Beacon Batch, the highest point of the Mendips. Amazing views await you as you ascend to the top, weather dependent of course! Allow 3 hours at a leisurely pace. Going is easy to moderate at times with a short mild climb / ascent in a couple of places (depending on which way round you go). Can be muddy in the valley but also good fun in the small stream for kids in wellies.

Park at the Pub, remembering to register your car at the pub (and book a table for when you get back).

From the pub head around the corner on School Lane, with the pub on your left. The Lane will descend into the valley. When you reach the bottom of the valley you’ll see a stream. Don’t cross the stream, instead head up the path with the stream by your side.

Keep walking for about ½ a mile and you should see signs marked West Mendip Way. This is where you cross the stream and follow the West Mendip Way path. You’ll begin to ascend and come out of the woods. Ahead of you is Tyning’s Farm.

Walk through Tyning’s Farm and then take a left when you are at the road. You will see a stone path ahead of you. Take that path up the side of the hill. When you reach the wall and fence line you’ll note that that the paths ahead are covered with bracken. At this point you have several path options, but you should be heading to your right and slowly gaining height.

The Beacon is directly ahead, not more than 1 mile from the wall.

Once you’ve taken a selfie or two at the trig point, you can then head due west and take the main path to the tree line. You’re heading for Rowberrow Warren.

Once you’re in the woods you’ll note it’s all very managed ( lots of mountain bike tracks too) and the main path is a slow decent down. It can be confusing as there are lots of paths, but try to keep to a straight line as much as you can. You are basically heading towards Warren House. The path will begin the descend much more and you’ll then follow the path down to the valley, turning left on a couple of occasions.  You’ll come out at the stream crossing you saw at the start of the walk.

Retrace your steps up School Lane and back to the pub.