If you've been before, then you know the drill.
And if you haven't, then you soon will.
The idea is to visit every pub and bar in town (except those snoots at The Old Course) in one day, having a drink (usually a half pint) in every destination. If you take part in the whole crawl that makes you a veteran. If you take part and have a drink in every place, that makes you a legend.
Tradition degrees that participants wear smart clothes, its always good to have all the chaps out wearing their job interview shirts and ties but we won't look down on you for being a scruff.
For those of you who have never ventured out into the badlands, or just don't know where The Stables is, it's next to the Spar on Tom Morris Drive, at the top end of Pipeland Road. Fortuitously, The Sinner has a map too:
http://www.thesinner.net/index.php?opti ... &Itemid=17
In case you don't want to trape all that way on your own on a chill Saturday morning, a society rep will be meeting up with those of you with no sense of direction, or eager first-timers at The Union and will set of with you all in tow to get to you to the Stables in time for the doors to open.
This year, the date being the 14th of March, the Monster Pub Crawl falls on the Saturday closest to St. Patricks day, which is of course another great boozing occassion. What better excuse for massive mash up than celebrating both of these fine traditions!
The Scotland vs. Ireland Six Nations Ruby match kicks off at 5pm on the day as well. The atmosphere in pubs should be pretty electric if they're showing the match. These additional factors will surely make for an even more epic atmosphere around the 2009 Crawl!
On a less elated note, we have, tragically, another year where we have lost another pub. This year, The Castle Tavern is closed, dead, gone, lost. We are saddened I am sure. It goes to the pub heaven in the sky and meets up with it's old friend The Red Reiver. This means that there is now a third "leap" distance at the start of the crawl betrween the Byre and McKays. Given that there was always a bit of need for hasty drinking for those at the back of the line at The Stables and The New Inn, we can use the missing Castle Tavern to put a bit of a breathing room around the timing at the start of the crawl as everyone gets into the pattern of progress. So don't feel you need to stick to the letter of the law as far as timing is concerned. Everyone tends to shuffle back and forward a little during the day
Here is the timetable. I confess that I may be out of date on pub names. Please do correct me. I do not budget time for those occassional, daring few who enter the Old Course Hotel for a £147.99 gin and tonic during the Jigger hike.
Lunch time is set for Ma Bells at 14:00, Dinner time is set for The Central at 19:30. You don't have to eat at these places, but experience seems to show they work best.
11:00 - The Stables
11:30 - The New Inn
12:00 - The Byre Theatre
12:30 - McKays Bar
13:00 - The Lizard/The Oak Rooms/Ogstons (Whatever it's called now)
13:30 - Greyfriars
14:00 - Ma Bells (Lunch Time)
15:00 - Russel Hotel Bar
15:30 - Chariots
16:00 - Russacks Hotel Bar
16:30 - The Jigger Inn
17:00 - One Golf Place
17:20 - The Dunvegan Hotel Bar
17:40 - The Clubhouse Bar
18:00 - Playfairs
18:30 - The Raisin
18:50 - The Vic
19:10 - The Cross Keys Bar
19:30 - The Central Bar (Dinner Time)
20:30 - The Criterion
21:00 - The Rule
21:30 - The West Port
22:00 - The Whey Pat Tavern
22:30 - Drouthy Neebors
23:00 - Aikmans/The Cellar Bar
23:30 - The Union
