I'm amazed at how many of my favourite pubs are mentioned here. When I lived in London in the 60s and 70s I regularly went to The Spaniards and The Prospect of Whitby, but The Brewery Tap in Brentford was my local when I lived near Kew Bridge, opposite the old Brentford Fruit Market. In those days it was a bargee's pub with wonderful Fuller's beer and a cockney singaround on a Friday and Saturday night, accompanied by an old chap on a banjo. Can't believe it's 40 years since I was last there.

Back in Yorkshire, I stayed at The Buck Inn in Malham on one of my honeymoons and Whitelock's was a regular lunchtime haunt when I worked in Leeds.

Now, the best pub in Yorkshire (and, therefore, the world) is the Goodmanham Arms in the village of that name near Market Weighton. We often call in after a long walk on the Wolds. It's an unassuming exterior but inside it's dark and heavily beamed and filled with eclectic curios, with wooden floors, big open fires and tatty but comfortable chairs, settles and wooden tables. It's owned by an Italian and the food is superb with, in winter, a spit roast or a black iron pot of game stew cooking on the fire. They serve a range of excellent real ales including some from their own micro-brewery on the premises. Also a good selection of wines. They even have their own local weekend folk festival every year. What else could you ask for in a pub?