Week 21 - The Nelson Inn - Ludlow

We're in Ludlow again, as we visit The Nelson Inn, one of our favourite pubs to date!

Week 20 - The Blue Note - Ludlowish

We've travelled to Ludlow for the weekend and end up in this lovely little jazz bar.  Which isn't quite in Ludlow.  We're joined by our friend Glyn.

Week 19 - The Millhouse - Manchester

We've been to Manchester, and we've been massive geeks.  We even went to Forbidden Planet.  Prepare for another podcast which features toilet graffiti, life, and - of course - us arguing.

This is a lovely little old coaching inn in Manchester center that the Lonely Planet guide describes as "chintz and busy".

Week 18 - The Red Lion - Moore

This week we headed to The Red Lion - yes, another one - in Moore.  Moore is on the outskirts of Runcorn.

This is a podcast with a slight difference - we're outside in the beer garden, overlooking some fields, and we're joined by some horses that locals have left whilst they were inside eating lunch.

Great pub.  Very relaxing.  I think this is the first podcast me and Kirsty don't argue on.

Week 17 - Moon Under Water - Milton Keynes

Ah-ha!  It was the weekend of Collectormania in Milton Keynes, which is where geeks and nerds around the country descend to False-London to buy autographs of random pretty, and not so pretty, people.  We camped outside in a pub, spotting drug dealing ladies and admiring cars.

Week 16 - The Waterloo - Runcorn

Well, we're back, and this time it's at The Waterloo in Runcorn.  This pub doubles as the pub Gaz and Johnny hang around in on that classic British comedy show 'Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps'.  Which we slag off.

Week 15 - The Swan - Liverpool

Kirsty's brother Paul joins us in Liverpool at The Swan Inn in Liverpool, which is at 86 Wood Street.  This is a follow up to week 11, which featured Kirsty's dad, Keith Walker.

Week 14 - The Golden Lion - Frodsham

Yep, we're at The Golden Lion in Frodsham, which is on Main Street.  They might only have two streets in Frodsham, I'm not sure.

We travel to meet a friend so they can tell us stories about badgers, however they don't turn up.  So, instead - since we recorded this on Grand National weekend - you get to hear how much money Kirsty wins on the National.

Weeks 12 and 13 - The Mersey Ferry - Liverpool

This is a live recording of The Worst Idea of Kirsty Walker's life. Fortunately, nobody died in the recording of this podcast - but it came close. Jack Bauer almost had to save us.

To recap - Kirsty said there was a bar on board the Mersey ferry, with pumps and stuff. We could get on board and do a leisurely podcast going across the water documenting this great occasion.

What actually happened unfolds live. Long story short - it was a disaster. The audio was barely usable, and it was a bit of a farce. The bar resembled the tuck shop from Grange Hill. There was an audio narration along the journey providing facts about the boat which made recording near impossible - and the bits we did get sound like we're being assaulted by a Dalek. So the only way to make it even stupider, I thought, would be to contact some friends at the BBC and ask them what to do. They suggested we get a song from Joe Cornish, which the BBC duly provided licensing rights for, and interlace it with the journey.

Once we got to the other side of the water, we do week 13's podcast from a pub the Other Side.

Week 11 - The Lion - Runcorn

This week - recorded, yes, at least a month ago but held back due to Kevin's incompetence at life - we return to Runcorn and meet Mr Keith Walker - Kirsty's dad! The pub is The Lion.

This is an extended podcast full of stories about... well, I won't spoil it. But a few keywords: the IRA, mountains of food, Jonathan Davies, pots and pans and beer mat outrage.

The Lion is around the corner from Runcorn train station - postcode WA7 5AG - on Greenway Road.

Week 10 - The Coachman Pub - Hartford

Yes travelers, we're back! For this pubcast, on a dull weekend we got on the train and got off at the very first stop. Yes, Kirsty has absolutely no patience - in fact, I'm not sure she understands what the word means.

To be honest, this isn't the best episode we've recorded. In fact, it's pretty rubbish. Don't say I didn't warn you.

The pub is The Coachman, which is just outside the train station entrance in Hartford. We're not sure what Hartford is like - we didn't stray far from the essential life juice of alcoholic beverage.

• Download the MP3 directly
• Listen! To! Our! Podcast! On! The! Freaking! Internet!

Week 9 - Ye Hole In Ye Wall

"Hiya Juliet, Fancy a shag?" screeches Kirsty in Liverpool's oldest pub, setting the tone for the latest high point in British culture. Yes, it's week 9, and we've come to Ye Hole In Ye Wall, which is just off Dale Street in Liverpool.

Topics covered includes my death threat emails I have been receiving, my week spent without food, stupid pubs and stupid people (yes, that's me and Kirsty).

Download the MP3 directly
Listen on the old Interweb!

Week 8 - The Pilgrim - Liverpool

We return to Liverpool to celebrate it being the european capital of culture in 2008. Or something. This is a strange podcast from The Pilgrim where pretty much every topic in the world (well, various things) get debated. From politics to universe physics to fleas, join us and find out the truth about Kev's tie.

• Download the MP3 directly
• Listen on the old Interweb!

Week 7 - The Royal Oak Branch - Warrington

In our best episode yet, we visit The Royal Oak Branch in Warrington. We were actually trying to visit The Golden Lion, which is a rival to The Royal Oak Branch - however The Golden Lion is closed, it turns out.

Cue a surreal trip down memory lane between Kirsty and Kev. Rival pubs, beer gardens, bingo, Euro Pool, birthing identical twins and much more essential life topics are debated.

• Download the MP3 directly
• Listen on the old Interweb!

Week 6 - The Picture House - Liverpool

We actually recorded this episode on week 6, but due to me being useless, it's only just arrived on the Interwebsters.

We're in Liverpool at The Picture House on London Road, a pub with many personal memories. This is the pub which started it all; in this pub, during a drunken conversation, we decided it would be a good idea to travel across different pubs and record our drinking sessions. We recount the memories of this fine drinking establishment, talk to strangers, consider buying Rambo on DVD and do other things our parents surely don't approve of.

• Download the MP3 directly
• Listen on the old Interweb!

Week 5 - The Norton Arms - Runcorn

This week we come from The Norton Arms in Runcorn, which is on Main Street - WA7 2AD.

In this lovely little drinker we talk about Cheers, being a regular, and dissect the unwritten rules of buying rounds for mates.

Your presenters are the entirely too large, awesome and egotistical Kevin, and Kirsty. Who will one day get her own introduction wordage here, if she's very kind to everybody in the world for the next 47 weeks.

• Download the MP3 directly
• Listen on the old Interweb!

Week 4 - The British Lion - Crewe

Kirsty and Kevin travel to Crewe, on a dark and dreary day, to a pub nicknamed "The Pig". We're greeted by some lovely people, and uncover the secrets behind the history of this fine pub. Unless they told us a load of lies.

The pub is The British Lion on 58 Nantwich Road, Crewe, Cheshire, CW2 6AL.

Prepare for a vision of the future filled with pig rulers, football and Bitter.

• Download the MP3 directly
• Listen from Da Webster

Miles traveled: 500. We're one twelfth of the way through this fancy little project of ours.

Week 3 - The Bullshead - Manchester

We're back! This week we come from Manchester, from The Bullshead, which is at 84 London Road - M1 2PN. It's across the road from Piccadilly Train station.

There's lots going on this episode - find out about our crazy dressing, Doreen's surprise, Kev's first steps into football and we take on listener feedback. Badgers, varnish and beer a'plenty.

Is The Bullshead a quality drinking establishment or a terrible waste of time? There's one way to find out.

And since we mentioned it on the podcast... Yes, we did somehow end up going dressed in the same clothes. Stop sniggering.

• Download the MP3 directly
• Listen from Da Webster

Week 2 - FACT - Liverpool

Join us on week 2 of The Great Barred!

This week, we travel to FACT, which is on Wood Street in Liverpool. It's a fancy arts centre - us working class goons looked totally out of place.

We take Merv's film quiz, which happens in the bar on the first Tuesday of every month, at 8pm.

You get to hear us before the quiz, during the quiz and after we finish. You get to hear our score. Your life will change for sure after listening to this podcastular entertainment*. We also drink alcohol, rate the bar and get outraged about... well... everything, really.

The presenters are the usual - Kevin and Kirsty, and we're joined by our friend Mark and quiz master Merv towards the end.

Miles traveled so far: 430.

Next week: Crewe!

(* Subject to you winning the lottery during the podcast).

• Download the MP3 directly
• Listen on the old Interweb!

Week 1 - The Olde Cheshire Cheese - London

Hello travelers,

Welcome to week 1 of The Great Barred.

This week we consumer beery alcohol in The Olde Cheshire Cheese, which is on Fleet Street in central London. It's a pub featured in a famous novel, as you will soon learn.

The presenters are Kirsty Walker and Kevin Beaumont, and we're joined by special guests Pasha and Luke.

Miles traveled so far: 400.

• Direct MP3 linkage.
• Listen from the web.

Things you should be knowing

It's begun.  The good news - we think we're getting better since the pilot episode.

We want to know a few things right now:

- What weird things have people tried to sell/give you in a pub?

- What lies have your parents told you over the years?

Drop us an email to drunks@thegreatbarred.com

Week 1 will be from Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street in London.  Week 2 will be from FACT, which is on Wood Street in Liverpool where we'll also be doing the Film Quiz - see how we get on.  For week 3 we think we're going to be in Manchester for a pub quiz.  I've never done one before.  I dread it as my knowledge of the world is limited to things which make no real sense - like Karl Pilkington, really.

We're also now on Facebook, Myspace and Twitter - links to the left of the website.  Also, you can listen to the show straight from the website now - look to the left.  It's good if you don't know what the word podcast means, like most sensible people.

And we're on iTunes!  Please write us reviews.

Week 0 - Clarendon - Runcorn, Cheshire

We're pleased, and slightly terrified, to present Week 0 of The Great Barred! This translates as our 'pilot' episode, where we recorded ourselves yabbering on to place pleasure in your ear drums.

The episode takes place in the Clarendon pub in Runcorn.

You can find the pub at 101 Church St, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 1LG.

The episode is presented by Kirsty Walker and Kevin Beaumont. We had no special guests, although there is a man (unheard) who provided us with valuable discussion about The Cribs. Thanks, dude!

Subscribe to our podcasty on iTunes!

Our first episode goes live the first week of January in 2008, where we start our 52 week trek around England, Scotland, probably Wales -- and yes, probably the world, too.

As for why we're doing this - I live in the moment; nothing is everything.

Kev

Download the old MP3 directly!

Oh my God, it's happening!

Greetings to you the lucky finder of this Golden Website. Well, we've recorded a second pilot, one which comes in under 2 hours and won't lead to any of us being taken for a nice holiday in Guantanamo Bay. One day we may make this first 'lost' pilot public. Maybe fifty years after everyone involved is dead.

The second pilot took place at the ever wonderful Clarendon pub in Runcorn, make sure you listen to it, and then email it to ten of your friends, and then ten of their friends, or something terrible will happen!

I also think it would be of great use to tell you loyal followers of the 'piss and wind' ideas which surface somewhere between pints one and five whenever pod and cast meet. Do tell us your thoughts on these ideas - for anyone who isn't aware of the concept of 'piss and wind', allow me to define it for you;

piss and wind (n) : /pis an 'wind/

Ideas and or plans which originate after the imbibement of alcohol which are usually unworkable and the execution of which is unlikely.

Idea no. 1 : We will do a live Great Barred stage show during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Idea no.2 : We will create a luxury limited edition end of year boxed set comprising all shows on CD and an accompanying photo book.

So do please destroy our piss and wind ideas by pointing out their infeasability, it's really the only way we'll learn.

Kirsty

The White Horse recording

The White Horse 2
Originally uploaded by Kay Boo

Well, we headed to the White Horse pub in Longsford, near Heathrow this weekend, and recorded our pilot episode. 1 hour and 30 minutes in the can. Now the editing process begins to reduce this to about 30 minutes of quality podcastular entertainment...

Podcast recording calendar

Want to know where we're going to be recording next, or near you? Consult below!

Ziggy arrives!

Our audio recording equipment has arrived. I've no idea how it works, but the chosen nickname for this hunk of beast is Ziggy. Yes, if you smash the buttons on it, it will tell you the likelihood of anything. We will use the power wisely.

And so it begins!

Kirsty writes
Originally uploaded by Kay Boo

We're back from Podcamp. There were free pens, and paper, and fake degrees. Say goodbye to 2008!

Listen via the web

If you don't want to faff around with iTunes, you can listen here! Just select an episode to the right!.

This one time, at Podcamp....

....cower in terror as we unleash the awesome power of our collective experience (of pubs). We would like to thank Papa Christian for his guidance at Podcamp. We have tshirts, and we just don't give a fuck.

What is The Great Barred?

The Great Barred is a project where Kirsty and Kev decided it would be a good idea to travel across the UK and record short podcasts -- audio recordings -- from pubs each week. It is due to run from January 1st 2008 until the end of 2008. 52 pubs, 52 weeks, 2 people.

We view this as a challenge; it presents many technical and logistical issues, and there's a good chance people will have absolutely no idea why we're doing it.

This website will represent a year of our lives in audio, visual and webular form, recording likely thousands of miles of travel, pain and personal musing. There will be a fair amount of beer, we will reveal the secret of happiness by the end, along with talking about each pub, each location, people we meet along the way and anything else we can think of. We'll also be inviting celebrity guests on each week. Really.

Welcome to The Great Barred. Please bookmark us and return to see what happens. (We don't know what will happen either).