Challenge Accepted !

Bit of a sneaky one this, as I wasn't planning on starting til Monday. However, an unexpected trip into Leeds coupled with some rubbish shopping meant that I had time on my hands. So, to start off the challenge, I chose a pub that most people walk past without even noticing it is there. Tucked away down a small alley opposite HMV is The Ship Inn (http://www.theshipleeds.co.uk/), a tiny yet welcoming pub that caters for harassed shoppers & bored men. Once you go inside, there's some token effort to keep up with a maritime theme, and the menu looks like they offer some standard 'pub grub', yet the real selling point is the amount of ales & local brews on tap. Excellent selection for beer drinkers (although sadly only one cider....), with a good range of darks & light ales. I went for a pint of Golden Pippin (by Copper Dragon - 3.9%) which i'd never tried before, but definitely goes on my 'must revisit' list....

Overall, not a wasted journey, but I doubt I would make the effort to go back to The Ship - there just wasn't enough to warrant a repeat visit. Still - not a bad start to the challenge.

A new challenge....

Ok - i'm the first to admit that I have new ideas, get fully involved with them for a few weeks, and then forget about them totally. However, a blog is something that I really want to keep up - it's a good way for me to keep track of what i've done in the year, and also it might be useful for others to read. So, i've been looking for ways in which I can relaunch the blog and make it more interesting.

For a while now, I've been looking for a challenge - something along the lines of the Dave Gorman / Danny Wallace books I read years ago. I started thinking about the things I enjoy as hobbies - football would be the obvious choice, as it lends itself to challenges (the '92 club' are a good example of this). However, it's expensive to do, and it would mean I miss Brighton games, so that's not an option.

Then, after a chat with some people in a pub the other night, the ideal challenge came to me. Why not visit every pub in Leeds and try to find out which are the best ones? For years, i've been going to mediocre pubs, drinking standard lager, just because they are the well known ones. There's nothing better than finding some 'hidden gems', and introducing other people to a genuinely nice drinking experience. Also, it means I might be able to find some different drink choices.....

I've got no idea how many pubs there are in Leeds City Centre, but i've got time and a will to succeed, so nothing can stop me !

Quick note at this point - the definition of a pub is tricky. It can't just be anywhere that serves alcohol, or i'd end up in bloody Pizza Express again. Also out for now are swanky bars - just because they serve Becks and have a few seats, it doesn't make them a pub. So, for starters, pubs are traditional drinking establishments - anyone that focuses on the drink rather than dancing.

So, the challenge starts here.... Check back later for the first entry.....