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Matthew Hirtes

@matthewhirtes.bsky.social
136 followers 63 following 935 posts

👨‍🔧AI aftercare specialist, comms pro, and Personal Licence Holder. Does your prompt-generated content lack character and colour? I can fix. Plus I’m adept at filling gaps in geopolitical, sports, and travel coverage. I'm licensed to run a pub too.

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Reposted by Matthew Hirtes
Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Veganuary may seem a long way off. But I know there are potential first-timers who are already oohing and aahing about whether to commit or not. Rest assured that you can have your Sunday roast and eat it.
Mushroom and walnut Wellington at The Old Kings Head in Stock, Essex
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 58m
Real ale is all the rage in Chelmsford. There are some excellent pubs, many of them Gray & Sons establishments. Including Moulsham's The Cricketers where you can sup on beers from the likes of Leigh on Sea Brewery. #beer #essex #realale
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Veganuary may seem a long way off. But I know there are potential first-timers who are already oohing and aahing about whether to commit or not. Rest assured that you can have your Sunday roast and eat it.
Mushroom and walnut Wellington at The Old Kings Head in Stock, Essex
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Do you tend to swipe left or right?
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
I've found the quintessential English village. It's not where you think. I didn't discover it in the Cotswolds, Devon, or the Lake District. Oh no. Instead I stumbled across it in Essex. And Stock's a stone's throw from, Ian Dury reference alert, Dickie's Billericay. #england #essex #villages
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Reposted by Matthew Hirtes
Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
How to make your weekends count? Get out and about. Whilst the lure of lazy days binging on your favourite series is an obvious pull, you can catch up on them episode by episode rather than en masse.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Life's a lot like Tinder. The easy decision is to swipe left. Say no, move on, shun the opportunity. Isn't it time you swiped right for a change? Say yes. Step into the unknown. Take a chance. #life #tinder #tuesdaythoughts
Mathis franckel, CC BY-SA 4.0 httpscreativecommons.orglicensesby-sa4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I don't really have a @bsky.app strategy. Other than living my own life and sharing its stories unfiltered by AI.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
How to make your weekends count? Get out and about. Whilst the lure of lazy days binging on your favourite series is an obvious pull, you can catch up on them episode by episode rather than en masse.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
@camraofficial.bsky.social depict The Hutton Junction as a "comfortable, beamed, suburban pub with an extensive heated patio area." I shall have to go back for the "good Indian-themed food offered as a bar menu or in the restaurant."
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Words I never thought I'd be typing on @bsky.app in 2026? Well, how about the following: Yesterday was the third time I've watched Dagenham and Redbridge play live this season? It proved unlucky for the Daggers.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
What's not to love about pub grub?
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
The railway tavern is a much-cherished UK institution. What better way to start or end train travel than with a glass of your fave tipple? While it's a little bit of a stretch to label The Hutton Junction as a railway pub, it's located just around the corner from the station in Essex's Shenfield.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
What will you see on your next Tube trip?
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Prepare to acclimatize. Although you might not think it right now, the cold snap is coming and you'll soon crave some warm comfort food. You can satisfy that urge at The Endeavour in Chelmsford with, for example, a jacket potato filled with vegan chilli.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Raising a glass to a British institution: the beer garden.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Having lived in or near London for much of my adult life, and as a non-driver, I've used the London Underground. A lot. While I'm not taken by the pumped-up A/C on the Elizabeth Line and am always glad that I've travelled with an extra layer, there's more to love than hate about Tube journeys.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
So looking forward to returning to Margate.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Maximize beer-garden weather while you can. I did recently at The Victoria Park in Bristol. Toasting this Indian summer with a pint locally sourced, but of course @camraofficial.bsky.social, from Arbor Ales. #beer #bristol #camra
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Contrary to what you may have heard, Abba Voyage is not closing. The show goes on until the end of June 2027. Taking in the 5th anniversary in May.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Margate rocks. As soon as you step off the train at the station, you know you've arrived at an iconic destination. Where does your favourite British rail journey take you? #kent #margate #travel
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Support your local!
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Abba weren't in my top 100 favourite bands. Let alone my top 10. All that changed with a trip to Abba Voyage last weekend.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Let @camraofficial.bsky.social guide your adventures in beer.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
No international break, no domestic football? The pyramid provides. I visited sixth-tier @chelmsfordcityfc.bsky.social to see them in action against Horsham FC in a National League South league fixture yesterday.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Which restaurant that you last went to failed to deliver on its promise?
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
No need to travel far when arriving via the station to Essex's Brentford to find a drinkery highly rated by @camraofficial.bsky.social. Indeed, the high street is further away than the Peasants' Revolt Micropub. Where there's a fine selection of bottled, canned, and draught craft beer and cider.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
V for #Veganuary! #plantbased #vegan
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
When was the last time a restaurant left you feeling underwhelmed? To be fair, Yulli's in Sydney's Surry Hills had too much to live up to. I'd done my research and it was the place that I was most looking forward to eating at in the city.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Love @bsky.app, the AI-slopless alternative to X.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
If it's not too early to start planning for Christmas; it's soon enough to talk about Veganuary. And, if you're a VV (Veganuary Virgin), popping your proverbial cherry is easier than you think. Why?
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
What are your favourite carbs? Mine are pasta and chips.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Looking for things to do in Dagenham? Tripadvisor rates a visit to Dagenham & Redbridge FC's Victoria Road ground as the third best attraction.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Essex makes for a great escape.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
What has immigration ever done for us? How about introducing what has become a British national dish: fish and chips? This culinary tradition was brought over by Jews (many with Portuguese and Spanish descent) emigrating from the Netherlands.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Love football? On international break, go and support your local team.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
There's not much to Essex's Colne Engaine. When I visited, there was a wedding going on at the local church. And not a lot else. #camra #essex #realale
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
@brentfordfc.com's Gtech Community Stadium? It's not the Emirates; it's better.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Premiership fans are entitled. And I don't just mean Gooners. For us, the FA Cup begins in January but yesterday there was magic in the air during the competition's second qualifying round.
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Reposted by Matthew Hirtes
Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Football aside, I'm not one for clubs. I side with Groucho Marx who famously said: "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." This explains the appeal of Singapore's Tanjong Beach Club, an establishment you can visit as easily as a non-member than as a member. #asia #singapore
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Many new football stadia are located out of town. Thankfully, Brentford FC's Gtech Community Stadium is anything but. Here are three telltale signs why it's not like the rest:
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Where will your next cycle ride transport you to? This one took me all the way to China.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Football aside, I'm not one for clubs. I side with Groucho Marx who famously said: "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." This explains the appeal of Singapore's Tanjong Beach Club, an establishment you can visit as easily as a non-member than as a member. #asia #singapore
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Reposted by Matthew Hirtes
Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The a/c in Hong Kong is so strong, you feel it walking past the shops in the centre of town. If you prefer a more pleasant cooling-down experience than being pushed towards the road, I recommend visiting one of the many soft drink stores.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Palm Trees in Essex's Rayne looked vaguely familiar. That was because I had already passed this Chinese restaurant on my cycle ride due to a combination of a chronic lack of a sense of direction, confusing Google Map instructions, and a lost GPS signal.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Something different to see and do when you next @visitlondon.bsky.social.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The a/c in Hong Kong is so strong, you feel it walking past the shops in the centre of town. If you prefer a more pleasant cooling-down experience than being pushed towards the road, I recommend visiting one of the many soft drink stores.
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I will retain this info for a future pub quiz!
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Remember when industrial estates started housing clubs? It turns out that they can also accommodate pubs. As I found out on a recent trip to Blackhorse Beer Mile. #blackhorsebeermile #london #realale
Exale Tap Room, Blackhorse Beer MileHackney Church, Blackhorse Beer Mile
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Matthew Hirtes @matthewhirtes.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Hoping it's not an Attack of the Killer Bees when @chelseafcn.bsky.social face @brentfordfc.com on Friday!
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