A break from strict chronology (that London, Bristol, and the Malverns to come) to bring you news of Mrs RM’s trauma as she lets eldest son James fly off to Sheffield University, fuelled by a gallon of Magnet. James seems unperturbed.
Younger brother Matt came along for the skateboard comp in the Valley of Beer, which also turns out to be the Valley of Graffiti.
So we spent yesterday in Sheffield being confused by bank accounts, confusing staff in Maplins, and trying on shoes. Yes, I tagged along diligently, no I didn’t wander off to tick the paltry two new GBG entries in the suburbs.
I did follow Erlanger Nick and BRAPA Si’s pub days with a tinge of jealousy, and the confusion at the Morris dancing (top) nearly gave me an opportunity to nip into the Sam Smiths.
But I resisted, lest Mrs RM collapse in a flood of tears in Schuh.
Instead, it was she who succumbed to the need for a pint, handily at a Beer Guide regular over the road from the skate park.
When I visited this a decade or so ago, the Gardener’s Rest was a cheery local with lots of lovely Tim Taylors.
Yesterday it was a cheery local with lovely Sheffield Brewery pale beers. And a Salopian 5% er that was much to Mrs RM’s liking NBSS 4).
2 pints, orange juice, Pipers and Snyders for £9. All-time bargain.
Pub entertainment from victorious Norwich fans, who know their beer, if not their cruciate ligament injuries. And they speak funny.
No doubt many more Sheffield pub reviews to come in the next 3 years.
retiredmartin 
Time flies by. Nothing make me feel older than seeing a group of college age students laughing together. Mixed with a twinge of jealousy. What a great age. One of the only ages I would choose to go back to if I could.
Does this adventure include picking out housing or do most first year students live in school owned housing?
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First years stay in an accommodation village 20 mins from Uni. Find your own place for year 2. Think that’s norm.
I missed out on Uni. Looks great.
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While Mrs RM sorts out his room, I’m drinking Portland Black in the Portland house, listening to Dylan sung “Shelter from the storm” as light floods thru the giant window. Idyllic.
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Yes it is. On many levels. Great song. Great location…
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Very nice setting.
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Sheffield has great pubs. On occasion, as with Norwich, they have too similar a clientele for my liking, but that’s often seen as a bonus by local CAMRA members !
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Tranquility itself.
Cheers
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It does not seem that long ago when we went to Birmingham with our Son for his first year at Birmingham University,he was in Uni flats for the first year then went in to digs in Harbourne for years two and three.
He graduated on 12th July 2010 and met his wife to be there
I love both Sheffield and especially Norwich, i do not tend to take much notice of customers in pubs,but the pubs are so different in each city.
You should go up to Crookes and Walkley lots of nice pubs,not sure if any in the GBG though.
I could quite happily live in those areas of Sheffield and would love to live in Norwich.
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I agree with nearly all of that, Alan, but Norwich is flat. Less pubs out west in Sheffield than a decade ago, but still plenty of good ones.
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I went to Birmingham University many years ago, although I was keener on drinking in the Black Country than in the city itself. You must be very proud of your son, Alan 😀
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Yes Peter,
We are very proud of him,he had got a job before he had graduated and now as a house in Worcester, also payed all of his student loan off.
I was also keener on drinking in the Black Country,done loads of pubs there in the mid to late 80s.
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You state that the round is a bargain. On my ball park prices on South Yorkshire estimates, I got it to £6, so £9 is clearly 50% overpriced.
I was in Sheffield last week and surprised at how bust it was with youngsters. It took a while to work out it was incoming and returning students with the presumed intention of making me feel old. All the best to your young laddy.
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Readers should be aware that Tom lives in Grimsby. In 1997. A place I’d quite like to be.
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I would quite like to be in 1997 too 😀
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Presumably not on 2 May 97 though 😱
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Ah the Gardener’s Rest, last time I was in there it seduced me into staying far too long drinking TT’s much missed Porter.
If I turned up for a first day of Uni to be greeted by Morris Dancers I’d be seriously considering running straight back home. Were they on a cultural exchange trip from the West Country?
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It was most odd, much more than Morris. A bit like the big Whittlesey Straw Bear event with singing and other “entertainment” round town.
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Morris Dancers that’s nothing. The last time I was in the Ship at Kelham Island there was a group of Latvian (?) sword dancers doing somersaults. Your lad will have a wonderful time in Sheffield.
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Can’t beat that ! Walked past the Ship several times on Saturday, it really is gorgeous.
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Have university terms got longer? I remember when I started it must have been two weeks later in the year than this.
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Some Universities start October (Oxbridge for example); presume it corrects itself later.
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Freshers start a couple of weeks earlier. Oxbridge and Russell group tend to start much later than other Unis. Leeds Freshers week is usually 3rd or 4th week in Sept. Son went to Bristol and they didn’t start until late October!
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Skiving students
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When daughter was in 1st year at Sheffield Hallam she lived right on top of the Devonshire Cat, which was very handy when visiting! No doubt your lad will then move somewhere up Eccy Rd in his second year – seems the area of choice for independent student living.
Make sure you go to Simmonite’s on Division St, very good, but very cheap meat and fish and del. It’s a stock up for freezer encounter, so take a cool bag and ice packs. The more, in their own mind, discerning customer may look down their noses at it, but they would be so wrong!
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So many great pubs here. Be sure to check out the Bath Hotel, Rutland Arms, Beer Engine, Devonshire Cat & Shakespeares on your visits.
If your lad follows the usual uni path of 2nd year housing in the Broomhill or Crookes area, then you’ve got the York & Hallamshire House.
And if you can manage a bit of a trip to the suburbs, The Beer House, Broadfield, Sheaf View and Brother’s Arms are all very good.
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All excellent tips, David. Have visited all those over the years “doing” the Beer Guide, all good and may revisit. Took our lad to the York or Sunday lunch last week, he’s not a drinker though, which I’m rather glad about for now.
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Nice one.
Was amazed (and pleasantly surprised) to see on Twitter the other week that Abbeydale had been doing a meet the brewer event at the Residencies bars in Freshers Week! They didn’t have that in my day there, which was only 10 years ago.
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