July 2026. Sandbeds. Keighley. Two hours into Day 6 of the Cask Camino; time for a posh pub break on the very edge of Riddlesden, technically in Sandbeds though I can’t see that on the canal walk map. In fact, ChatGPT told me it was the best pub in Keighley, and you’ll know that ChatGPT… Continue reading HOLY COW ! THE AIREDALE HEIFER, nr KEIGHLEY
CASK CAMINO DAY 6 – BINGLEY TO RIDDLESDEN
July 2026. Bingley, Bradford. Yes, Day 6. Some folk would have finished the Leeds to Liverpool Canal walk by now, especially with a tailwind. Like me, Mrs RM knows it’s about the journey, not the destination (even if that is the Azvex Taproom at Stanley Dock), so we booked two (2) nights at the rundown… Continue reading CASK CAMINO DAY 6 – BINGLEY TO RIDDLESDEN
GOING LOW IN NEEPSEND SOCIAL CLUB
July 2026. Kelham. Sheffield. I know jealousy is a terrible thing, but I really am jealous of Simon’s frenetic progress towards completion of the Beer Guide. It’s not always fun, and BRAPA has the really scary stuff still to come (probably in a boat in a storm near Sark), but nothing gives you that adrenaline… Continue reading GOING LOW IN NEEPSEND SOCIAL CLUB
YE OLDE MUSTARD POT, MIDHOPESTONES
July 2026. Midhopestones. Sheffield. The Number 57 from the bottom of our hill (doesn’t really narrow it down) terminates at Unsliven Bridge 49 minutes later. I had no idea what Unsliven Bridge was, apart from a sense it was beyond the darkest recesses of Stocksbridge, a Sheffield suburb I’ve barely touched and for good reason.… Continue reading YE OLDE MUSTARD POT, MIDHOPESTONES
THAT 18 MINUTES IN GRANTHAM SPOONS IN FULL
July 2026. Grantham. From Sheffield to Waterbeach to see Dad and back in the same day isn’t ideal. But I don’t really want to be hanging around in Cambridge when I could be back with Mrs RM, planning the next leg of our epic Cask Camino (which hit a slight big snag this afternoon). Life… Continue reading THAT 18 MINUTES IN GRANTHAM SPOONS IN FULL
A ROTHERHAM DAY
July 2026. Rotherham. Visiting Dad yesterday a long-term aquaintance said to me “You must enjoy sitting around relaxing at home“. I was speechless. I’m aware some folk do like spending time at home, but 4 years after completing the Beer Guide I’m still not one of them. More than a day in Sheffield and I… Continue reading A ROTHERHAM DAY
THE GARDENERS REST – BEST PUB GARDEN IN SHEFFIELD ?
July 2026. Sheffield. The only problem with keg beer is that you immediately wish you’d had cask, but I wouldn’t admit that on the cesspit that is CAMRA’s Discourse at the moment. Anyway, I found I couldn’t walk past the Gardeners Rest without seeing what Tribune newspaper just declared the Best Pub Garden In Sheffield.… Continue reading THE GARDENERS REST – BEST PUB GARDEN IN SHEFFIELD ?
A SHEFFIELD MURK AND BRISKET INTERLUDE
July 2026. Sheffield. When we moved to Sheffield during the second lockdown I thought there might be a protracted period of stabilisastion in the pub scene (ugh), but 2021-23 saw plenty of new openings to distract us from the Kelham Island usual suspects. Heist came first, 30 keg taps, a shuffle board and an unusual… Continue reading A SHEFFIELD MURK AND BRISKET INTERLUDE
TOO HOT FOR PUB GARDENS, TOO HOT FOR CASK ?
July 2026. Sheffield. It’s that time of year again, when local newspapers, even the subscription ones without clickbait, send reporters out to find your city’s top beer gardens, and invite comments from folk who like to reminisce about “The Good Old Days“. I subscribe to Sheffield’s Tribune, which has good if often grim journalism, and… Continue reading TOO HOT FOR PUB GARDENS, TOO HOT FOR CASK ?
I (STILL) MISS THE JOLLY ANGLER
July 2026. Manchester. I drove into Manchester on the hottest day of the year to help him clear his Piccadilly flat (mainly a guitar and early editions of Kerrang!), a month after his move to the Promised Land of Stockport. I could have parked opposite the flat at CitiPark, but saved £7 by stopping on… Continue reading I (STILL) MISS THE JOLLY ANGLER
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