Math teacher, 28, has visited 112 Wetherspoons
Maths teacher, 28, has enjoyed a pint in 112 Wetherspoons in a year as part of a quest to conquer all 900 across the UK (and it only cost him £500)
- Milton Cropper, a 28-year-old maths teacher from Manchester is on a quest
- He wants to visit every one of the 900 Wetherspoons across the country
- On Sunday he reached his 100th pub – at the biggest Wetherspoons of all
Wetherspoons is a behemoth, boasting 37,000 employees and a whopping 900 pubs in Britain – and one man is trying to conquer them all.
Milton Cropper, a 28-year-old maths teacher from Manchester, has been documenting his journey on Instagram from day one when he visited The King Johns Tavern in Hartlepool, Durham on August 1st last year.
Although the boozy project might sounds expensive, Milton said it’s only cost him £500 for drinks and travel – but why does he do it?
‘It gives me a reason to explore the country,’ he told Femail.
In his own attempt to define what it is that makes the brand so popular, Milton said: ‘There’s something quintessentially English about it. You could arrive at any town in the UK and go to the local ‘Spoons and feel at home.’
Milton Cropper, a 28-year-old maths teacher from Manchester posing proudly outside his 100th Wetherspoons – The Royal Victoria Pavilion in Ramsgate. Milton has 12 more pubs since Sunday
It seems like there’s a ‘Spoons’ – as it is affectionately known – on every high street.
Since its humble beginnings in 1979 it has grown to be an institution in Britain with people enveloped by its unique carpets and cheap booze.
Esquire wrote last year that Wetherspoon’s ‘has taken on a cultural significance like no other pub company. It is favoured by students, pensioners, office workers, labourers, stag parties and hen dos.’
While Milton adds: ‘There’s something strangely familiar about them.’
The King Johns Tavern in Hartlepool, Durham on August 1, 2018, the very start of Milton’s journey which has so far seen him walk into 112 pubs and drink a pint in every single one
‘My favorite one was the Barrel Vault in London. Spectacular building,’ said Milton, 28, who started his journey last summer, inspired by the English World Cup ‘feel good’ factor
Milton, who has a pint of Kronenbourg in each pub, works in an international school abroad and said that whenever he’s home: ‘I try to see as many different ones as I can.’
Talking about his favourite he said: ‘They’re all good. My favourite one was the Barrel Vault in London, though. Spectacular building.
‘I’ve got a lot of respect for the locations that spoons invests in,’ he said.
Milton started his journey last summer after Wetherspoons introduced table service through their app as England’s national footballers stormed to the semi final of the World Cup in Russia.
The 28-year-old maths teacher is pictured outside The Railway Hotel in Lytham St Annes Lancashire, the latest branch in his epic journey that he visited today
‘For me it was the best place to watch games. They also sold really cheap beer. What a time to be alive.
‘Unfortunately they don’t play football during the regular season but last year the country had a massive ‘feel good’ atmosphere. Everyone was singing Three Lions and soaking up the sun.’
On Sunday, Milton reached a milestone. He visited his 100th Wetherspoons, The Royal Victoria Pavilion in Ramsgate, Kent.
Milton has been as far north as Durham and as far south as Cornwall, he is pictured here outside The Towan Blystra in Newquay, Cornwall. This was pub number 21 on his journey
Milton, pictured at The Mechanical Elephant in Margate, works in an international school abroad and said that whenever he’s home: ‘I try to see as many different ones as I can’
Milton was pictured proudly posing outside the branch – the biggest of them all, with space to fit 1,500 thirsty souls.
‘It was hugely satisfying to reach one hundred but I’m enjoying the journey as much as the accomplishment. Obviously the aim is to reach all of them but I have to work it around the rest of my life’, he said.
The 28-year-old said that the most Wetherspoons he has visited in one day is 11, meaning a pint of Kronenbourg in each one.
The 28-year-old is pictured outside The Punch Bowl in York, North Yorkshire. He said that the most Wetherspoons he has visited in one day is 11, meaning a pint of Kronenbourg in each one
In London alone, Milton has visited 20 Wetherspoons pubs, including The Knights Templar
He said that ‘It takes some planning to be able to hit them all economically,’ after revealing that he’s only spent in the region of £500 on his endeavour.
Milton has even won admirers on his journey. With one person commenting on a picture of him posing outside The Mechanical Elephant in Margate saying: ‘The hero we didn’t ask for, but the hero we needed.’
He’s also had numerous offers to meet up with followers. ‘Send a DM when you get to Wick and I’ll have a meal and a pint waiting for you,’ wrote Chris Henderson.
‘Send a message when you get around to the Hope tap in Reading. Drink on me mate,’ said another person.
‘I’ve got a couple more trips planned this summer,’ said Milton who is heading to the north east on Thursday and Liverpool next week.
Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: ‘ We salute Milton in his quest to visit each and every Wetherspoon pub.
‘Wetherspoon has a large number of very dedicated fans and Milton falls into this category.
‘We wish him well with his visits and trust he has an enjoyable time in each of our pubs.’
Milton has a long way to go to match the efforts of Mags Thomson who has visited over 1000 Wetherpoons pubs over a 23-year period.
Every one of the Wetherspoons Milton has visited on his journey so far
There are around 900 JD Wetherspoon establishments currently in operation, below is a list of the 112 that Milton Cropper has visited.
1. The King Johns Tavern, Hartlepool, Durham
2. The Ward Jackson, Hartlepool, Durham
3. The Mardi Gras, Manchester
4. The Sedge Lynn, Manchester
5. The Waterhouse, Manchester
6. Wetherspoons, Manchester
7. The J.P. Joule, Sale, Cheshire
8. The Eccles Cross, Eccles, Greater Manchester
9. Castle In The Air, Stretford, Greater Manchester
10. The Tim Bobbin, Urmston, Lancashire
11. The Paramount, Manchester
12. The Moon Under Water, Manchester
13. The Bulls Head Hotel, Walkden, Greater Manchester
14. The Robert Shaw, Westhoughton, Greater Manchester
15. The Thomas Burke, Wigan, Greater Manchester
16. The Brocket, Wigan, Greater Manchester
17. The Moon Under Water, Wigan, Greater Manchester (Wetherspoons have 14 pubs with this name)
18. The Gateway, Didsbury, Manchester
19. The Fallowfield, Manchester
20. The Ford Maddox Brown, Manchester
21. The Towan Blystra, Newquay, Cornwall
22. The Spinning Mule, Bolton, Greater Manchester
23. The Robert Peel, Bury, Greater Manchester
24. The Art Picutre House, Bury
25. The Edwin Waugh, Rochdale, Greater Manchester
26. The Regal Moon, Rochdale
27. The Harbord Harbord, Oldham, Greater Manchester
28. The Punch Bowl, York, North Yorkshire
29. The Postern Gate, York
30. The Seven Stars, Manchester
31. The Bishop Blaize, Manchester
32. The Shay Wake, Oldham, Greater Manchester
33. The Up Steps Inn, Oldham
34. The Ash Tree, Ahston-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester
35. The Society Rooms, Stalybridge, Greater Manchester
36. The Calverts Court, Stockport, Greater Manchester
37. The Glass House, St Helens, Merseyside
38. The Running Horses, St Helens
39. The Watch Maker, Prescot, Merseyside
40. The Barkers Brewers, Huyton, Merseyside
41. The Nine Arches, Earlstown, Merseyside
42. Wetherspoons, Leeds, West Yorkshire
43. Beckett’s Bank, Leeds
44. The Cuthbert Brodrick, Leeds
45. The Hedley Verity, Leeds
46. The Three Hulats, Leeds
47. The Briar Rose, Birmingham
48. The Square Peg, Birmingham
49. The Dragon Inn, Birmingham
50. The Figure of Eight, Birmingham
51. The Soloman Cutler, Birmingham
52. The Elizabeth of York, Birmingham
53. The Pear Tree, Birmingham
54. Hamilton Hall, London
55. The Crosse Keys, London
56. The Liberty Bounds, London
57. The Goodman’s Field, London
58. The Pomellers Rest, London
59. The Sir John Hawkshaw, London
60. Penderel’s Oak, London
61. Shakespeare’s Head, London
62. The Capitol, London
63. The Surrey Docks, London
64. Wetherspoons Bar and Cafe, London
65. The Willow Walk, London
66. The Lord Moon of the Mall, London
67. The Moon Under Water, London
68. The Montagu Pyke, London
69. The Sir John Oldcastle, London
70. The Masque Haunt, London
71. The Angel, London
72. The Knights Templar, London
73. The Barrel Vault, London
74. The Looking Glass, Warrington, Cheshire
75. The Friar Penketh, Warrington
76. The Premier, Widnes, Cheshire
77. The Ferry Boat, Runcorn, Cheshire
78. The Sir Henry Tate, Chorley, Lancashire
79. The Leyland Lion, Leyland, Lancashire
80. The Grey Friar, Preston, Lancashire
81. The Twelve Tellers, Preston
82. The Old Chapel, Darwen, Lancashire
83. The Postal Order, Blackburn, Lancashire
84. The Commercial Hotel, Accrington, Lancashire
85. The Brun Lea, Burnley, Lancashire
86. The Boot Inn, Burnely
87. The White Hart, Todmorden, West Yorkshire
88. The Unicorn, Altrincham, Greater Manchester
89. The Bankers Draft, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
90. The Benjamin Hunstman, Sheffield
91. Sheffield Water Works Company, Sheffield
92. The Sheaf Island, Sheffield
93. The Francis Newton, Sheffield
94. The Rawson Spring, Sheffield
95. The Rockingham Arms, London
96. The Golden Hope, Sittingbourne, Kent
97. The Leading Light, Faversham, Kent
98. The Peter Cushing, Whitstable, Kent
99. The Saxon Shore, Herne Bay, Kent
100. Royal Victoria Pavilion, Ramsgate, Kent
101. The Mechanical Elephant, Margate, Kent
102. The Beehive, London
103. The Eric Bartholomew, Morcambe, Lancashire
104. Sir Richard Owen, Lancaster, Lancashire
105. The Poulton Elk, Poulton-le-Flyde, Lancashire
106. The Thomas Drummond, Fleetwood, Lancashire
107. The Jolly Tars, Clevelys, Lancashire
108. The Albert and The Lion, Blackpool, Lancashire
109. The Layton Rakes, Blackpool
110. The Velvet Coaster, Blackpool
111. The Trawl Boat Inn, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire
112. The Railway Hotel, Lytham St Annes
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