Whinge over, no sympathy forthcoming, so forward to the past and a great pub in a place you don’t expect one.
On my days off from the hard grind of blogging I drive gentlefolk around town for our voluntary car scheme. Most people seem to have moved to Waterbeach from more interesting places, and occasionally I get to compare notes on pubs in obscure parts of Kent or Norfolk.
One lady had moved from Warsop in North Notts, a town I’d never stopped in, though at least I knew it wasn’t as posh as Mansfield Woodhouse.
So imagine my delight when the Black Market Venue made the Guide, certainly the first Warsop entry in my GBG ticking life.
The minimal Wikipedia entry for Warsop is a delight. Half the history section is taken up with the following revelation;
“Street Sweeper Barry Snowdon, a Mansfield District Council employee who works in Warsop, won the Bravery category of the Local Government Council Worker of the Year Awards in 2009“.
Barry is one of 11,999 residents, which I guess made me the honorary 12,000th during my hour there. I’m guessing it doesn’t get a huge influx of tourists from CenterParcs.
I’m still not sure if you need to add Market to the name.
It’s quite well pubbed, but the shops stand out.
Yes, HedKandi, Fashion Flair and Grandma’s fruit pies on the same road. Take that, Cambridge Grand Arcade. They also have Euronics and Boyes, which Cambridge lacks.
Northerners (and this IS the North, despite what Alan and Mudgie will say) get proper shops selling proper cake. I had four of the Eccles cakes. Magnificent.
Folk like me who like staring at Old Folk and shops will find Warsop all they need.
Activities for normal people can be found on this Facebook page. How can you not fall for a place whose Fire Station (5*) is its top attraction. My son Matt would have enjoyed the video games at Retro Play, had it been open.
Good job the pub (looking more like a double glazing shop to be honest) was open, just for a change.
The Black Market is described as a Venue, which means you get live music and FUN. Live music from acts as diverse as Rob Tognoni and Sean Webster. Rock on !!!
Pubmeister caught this place on a quiet day (here). On a Friday with a big group of lads clocked off for the weekend, I thought it was a wonderful pubby experience.
“Margaret !” boomed a voice as three of us stood at the bar awaiting service. The bloke who served us didn’t look like a Margaret, but that’s Notts folk for you.
“Yes, me Ducks” was music to my ears.
A beer at £1.75 a pint sold itself and our host was honest enough to tell us he wanted shot of “In the Dark” quick before it went sour.
It was a tiny bit homebrew but several days from sour, and silky enough for me to score an NBSS 3.5.
More than that, this was a little treasure of a place to enjoy a pint. A variety of areas to hide or chat, proper seating, beer mats, tat and some great (and relatively polite) banter. More of the feel of a northern social club than a brewery bar, in fact.
The lads on the next table were on the Carling and Guinness, which may account for them mistaking Orbison for Elvis on the music channel. Easy mistake to make, it was “Only the Lonely“.
Beer, bants, bourbon soaked gypsy blues. A terrific pub.
“You alright then, me duck” one chap asked, as I headed for the ladies loo.
Not having the guts to tell him the truth*, I acted lost. Great loos.
*I was photographing the John Smiths beer mats on the wall.
retiredmartin 
Don’t underestimate the prestige of those LGC awards 😉😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Easy mistake to make, it was “Only the Lonely“.”
Good Lord. 😯😝
However, aside from that; £1.75 a pint, lots of areas to hide or chat… a terrific pub indeed. 👍
Cheers
PS – just exactly where is the north/south divide in the UK? 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beer under £3 a pint is the North 😉.
LikeLike
This is really the North/Midlands divide. Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire are generally considered to be Midlands counties, but all of them become distinctly Northern in character at their top end. Glossop and Scunthorpe are definitely Northern. I wouldn’t say the former Nottinghamshire coalfield was Northern, but YMMV.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think we can agree on that at least, Mudgie. I still contend there are stranded places that belong higher/lower up. Corby and Knutsford, for instance.
LikeLike
A delightful read as always. Martin I wonder if you (or any of your readers) would have any interest in this BBC Radio 4 feature about the supposed dividing line between the North and the South: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03g937k
I quite enjoyed it; the subject is given the amount of seriousness it deserves, which is to say not very much!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry got the wrong URL!! Should be this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01dht1z
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. The other one was about France 😱
LikeLike
Everybody knows the dividing line is through Clermont-Ferrand.
LikeLiked by 1 person
👏
LikeLike
Thanks Mark.
I shall take a look/listen this weekend.
Cheers
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll listen in the car to Burton tonight. I guess I’m going to have to concede THAT as the Midlands.
It’s a very important topic, by the way 😉
LikeLike
I always think of the Trent/Humber estuary as the divide, although admittedly there are bits of the North and East Midlands which are north of it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
North is sparkler and thick head on a pint, South is flat. Greene King know something.
LikeLike
Matthew, you should get some form of prize for correctness. Everything south of the Humber is so southern it’s practically French.
Stagecoach consider Kingston upon Hull to be in the East Midlands. They are wrong. Souter Out. Allam Out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re quite right – it does very much look like a double-glazing showroom from the outside, especially the very unpubby front door.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The history of that pub is probably interesting. Used to be called Workmens, oddly plain name.
LikeLike
Was it perhaps originally a working men’s club?
LikeLiked by 1 person
WMC/Social Club certainly. The lack of information on pubs in Warsop (and the Dukeries in.fact) on the web is startling.
LikeLike
That’s because it used to be Warsop Workingmen’s Club. It was built around 1919/20 and closed down as a Club early 21st century after Warsop lost its coal, textile and other employers. As a club it was mostly used by retired folk who went for the bingo although younger folk went to see the band’s between the bingo.
The building was bought a few years back by former miner Dave and a small group of other people although Dave owns it now. He brews the beer in the cellar, Black Market Brewery, and many music festivals are held in the former ” concert” room at the back although artists appear sometimes in the front ” tap” room. My wife and myself are pleased to live only a few minutes walk from the venue/bar and it’s friendly atmosphere.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was’nt a pub when i went there on the 28th September 1990,yet again me being a dickhead,i forgot to take my camera,it was a quick visit doing four pubs close to each other.
I have always called it Warsop.
Hare & Hounds Kimberley
Dog & Rabbit Shipstones
Talbot Whitbread
The Gate John Smiths
I have gave up arguing about the North South divide,but i know Nottingham and suburbs are in the East Midlands,Leicester is also an East Midlands city,Derby can be where ever it wants as it is the beer capitol of the universe and if there are any black holes with hidden universe’s then it will be the capitol of them,in fact it is the capitol of anything beer related.
LikeLike
Definitely the East Midlands. No one, no one says ‘Mi Duck’ in the North, sorry.
Definitely not a pub neither.
LikeLike