You Fill Up My Senses,
Like A Gallon Of Magnet,
Like A Packet Of Woodbines,
Like A Good Pinch Of Snuff,
Like A Night Out In Sheffield,
Like A Greasy Chip Butty,
Like Sheffield United,
Come Fill Me Again,
Na Na Na Na Na…OOOOHH!
SOURCE: Sean Bean, probably
Up to Sheffield on Thursday night to deliver food parcels from my mum to my son, because University students can’t cook, of course.
I had a more cultural version of the South Yorkshire night out, though I did leave my car overnight outside Bramall Lane (it wasn’t nicked, which says more about my car than Sheffield).
No sign of life in the closest pub to the Lane, but there are others.
Under close review the Greasy Chip Butty Song allows no appreciation of the varied delights of the street art scene,
or the industrial heritage near The Moor, an area that has excaped the gentrification of Kelham Island so far.
I had an hour or so to kill before meeting my son James, fresh from one of his eight hours of lectures.
Sheffield hasn’t changed much since the dawn of the millennium. Either of them.
But I like that. The fountains and flowers are free and wonderful.
In the absence of a gallon of Magnet, I would have had a pint of another Tadcaster classic, but the Brown Bear had bad news for me, and for Sheffield folk who want a gallon of beer for £16.
But if the Sam Smiths is closed, the obvious substitute is surely the Devonshire Cat, the exemplar café bar.
Well, not really, but the Devy (?) is actually attracting a better mix of custom than you’d expect.
Suits, students and soppies (couples) all in at 5pm. And loads of beer being served. A group of crafties said “Oooooh, ABC” when they saw the keg fonts, a level of beardie excitement not seen since the Belle & Sebastian soundcheck at End of the Road.
It still feels like a canteen, but sometimes you can let that feeling go.
When the Devy opened in the 2000s I enjoyed superb Abbeydale cask, but I couldn’t resist the bargain Voyager on keg with it’s Boddington impression.
I know I’m supposed to tell you cask is the pinnacle of the brewers craft, but this Voyager was the best thing I’ve drunk all year, accompanied by “Dirty Old Town” by the Pogues.
My son has yet to discover the joys of the Sheffield pub scene, but after six months knows his way around town. I’d let James choose a restaurant, and was impressed he avoided the usual chains in favour of somewhere that focused on large portions of meat.
Smoke Barbecue has Meantime on tap for a fiver, but I was done with keg, and invested my energies in the brisket plate. Nick would be impressed.
The night continued in City Hall is a proper neo-classical gem, let down only by the lack of Magnet (or Bass). Compare this;
with the grim functionality of Cambridge Corn Exchange or Maidenhead Municipal Hall.
An evening of political with Jonathan Pie, perhaps as good as political comedy gets. Just a shame the warm-up track was Kylie’s “Confide in me”, as bad as music gets.
retiredmartin 
Quiz question – Why is the pub outside Bramall Lane Football ground called the Cricketer’s Arms?
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Bramall Lane was originally a cricket ground (not the only football ground shared with cricket). Bet Duncan knows more.
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Correct. The football ground only had three stands, the (appx.) eastern side was open and the pitch just continued onto the cricket ground. The football pitch also being part of the outfield. I can’t recall when the cricket ground was closed, but I do remember it, the last time being Sheffs Utd v Derby, Div 1, I’m guessing ’73, ’74? I went with my Dad and martin & Joe Oliver. For a long time Bramall Lane was a test match and more importantly Yorkshire ground.
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Thanks expert.
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Northampton used to be the same. The pub outside the Widnes rugby league stadium at Naughton Park also is (or was) called the Cricketrs’ Arms.
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Ironically there used to be mass fights in the Peace gardens every Saturday afternoon in the warmer months, mainly between the more trendy, smarter youths (new wave, mods, alternative) and the filthy grebo heavy metal types that used to frequent the Wop, aka the Wapentake. Oh happy days, circa late seventies. Obviously I was amongst the smarter, trendier cohort.
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Dev Cat is an excellent pub, well kept beers, cask, keg and bottle/can and (dare I say it on here), a phenomenal range. I used to have an flat above it – well I paid for it and my daughter lived in it (does that count).
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Yes it’s definitely yours. I agree on range, I would have compared it to North Bar if that hadn’t been too lazy, and Dev Cat attracts a bit more middle-aged dining trade I guess.
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It’s more main stream than North Bar, like you say. My Mum would say North Bar is alright, if you like that sort of thing, but she is very happy sat in Dev Cat – proper tables and comfy chairs, light and airy, you can get a meal and the music isn’t over-loud. To be fair, Dev Cat almost has the feel of an hotel bar & lobby, prob due to it’s size.
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Hotel bar, I can see that.
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Forgive the serial posting, it looks better than the long rants Russ does. Not for posting in detail on here but I can relate a sorry tale of free drinks, Hepworth iron Company Christmas ‘do’ and three 17 year olds in Sheffield City Hall. Passing out in the bogs, crawling on hands & knees under those arches to get to mate in bogs, and puking out of the rear window of one of the company directors Daimler (just outside Wortley Mens Club/Wortey Arms actually) whilst the dozen plus coaches full of the workforce and partners streamed by cheering. Oh happy days. Guess which one was me?
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All comments welcome on this blog, mate 😁
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Is mating in the bogs after crawling on your hands and knees a Sheffield tradition?
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It was until banned by CAMRA Discourse in 2018.
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So only in craft bars then? (unitl April).
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“Forgive the serial posting, it looks better than the long rants Russ does. ”
No argument here. 🙂
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I have to put Richard’s posts through a Yorkshire-English converter before they appear on this site s,o it’s a good job they’re short.
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Re the poem. Did you see all the Sean bean memorabilia in Malta? Mostly in the older English pub type bars, he seems to have left signed photos of him and the staff everywhere he drinks (Salisbury & Sun in Splendour spring to mind). Obviously it was while they were filming Game of Thrones.
Love
The Warden of the North.
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I did see a photo in Sliema somewhere, but obviously Sean is a hero everywhere for his work in the Human League.
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Bad timing arriving during one of the 8 hours of lectures for your son’s course.
Other Sams may be available in Sheffield.
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A handful of crackers in the outer suburbs (Grenoside, Ulley stand out), but nowt else central. Same as Manchester and, er, Oxford.
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There used to be a modern Sam’s pub towards the north end of the city centre, can’t remember the name of the top of my head.
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Humprey is struggling to get managers for his pubs at the minute and there are loads available (go on Gum Tree). Unfortunately a closed Sam’s pub may be the norm these days. Sadly, Humphrey’s peanuts aren’t even attracting Monkey’s these days. Personally, I wouldn’t work for them even if they paid footballers wages.
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Is there an objective article out there that would explain this view: ” I wouldn’t work for them”? I am genuinely curious, and I have never seen what I think is a good article on the man which would explain this attitude. I am not, my blog posting disclaimer, claiming a personal issue regarding him. Just curious.
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Have a look at this video
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I could do an entire article about Humphrey and Sams (Humphrey then) but can’t be arsed to go through the consequences, he is very litigious. I live near to the brewery & HQ and know many people who have worked for him in the brewery and in his managed and tied (when they still had them) houses. Eccentric, awkward, stubborn, illogical spring to mind. I would definitely not want to be treated like his managers are treated and for little recompense. On the other hand he may one day be seen as a philanthropist; providing cheap ale for pensioners and the less well off and keeping pubs open where they would otherwise have gone to the wall. Run down urban and rural village pubs especially. I’m sorry but I will not be drawn into specifics, even though I have much information. I only write as a bit of a sideline and the canute isn’t getting the opportunity to sue me. Suffice to say he is generally reviled in his home town; not just for the bridge saga neither.
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Are there not rumours he may be on the way out at last?
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There’s a court ruling apparently, Sam Smith’s v Humphrey Smith, but he is still there despite this; the company (read family) rules state he should have stood down some time ago by virtue of age – his brother gracefully stood down on reaching said age.
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Interesting information. Thanks for the replies and the video. Sounds like a wise article to not write Richard:)
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Just seeing Stockport CAMRA give the Blue Bell in Levenshulme their Pub of the Year (2 years after Boars Head in Stocky), so Sam Smiths clearly have some landlord and landladies who get on with Sam Smiths (Selby also great atmosphere).
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Of course whether Richard has ever had any input into this website is unknown.
https://samsmiths.info/forum/index.php
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I am a member of said forum and generally observe from the sidelines.
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Re Pubcurmudgeon,
The other Samuel Smiths pub in the middle of Sheffield was the Compleat Angler.
I did a Samuel Smiths pub in the middle of Oxford with the wife The Three Goats Head.
The other Samuel Smiths pubs i have done in South Yorkshire are
Corporation Brewery Taps Doncaster
Old Mother Redcap Sheffield /Bradway
Travellers Rest Oughtibridge
Cow & Calf Grenoside
I hope that helps.
PS: Sinclairs is in the middle of Manchester,though not the original one that i did and took a photo of.
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Compleat Angler must be gone a while, Alan.
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The Compleat Angler ended its days being called The Boardwalk,a live music venue,it is listed on What Pub under that name.
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My lad spent his first year in Halls opposite the Dev cat & it was where we had final drinks with him, at the start of term -he abruptly said “well I’ll get off then “drained his pint & left the old folk,gibbering messes (well me anyway ) My lad had left home -soon got to enjoy the empty nest though.We also went on graduation day -an epic pub crawl .He was up there last week & managed 15 pubs in 2 days -don’t know wether to be proud or disgusted !
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Best to be both, Pauline !
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Right answer !
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Is that 8 hours of lectures a month ?
My eldest is doing his final year and it’s fair to say his degree has been less than arduous.Between holidays,mid-term breaks and lecturers’ industrial action he could easily have done the course in 18 months.
Obviously you’ve got to build in the drinking and shagging that are the traditional student recreations but a 27 grand student loan for tuition fees at the end of those three years does take the piss a bit.
But the worst thing of all was him being told on the quiet by a sympathetic lecturer not to broadcast his pro-Brexit views too loudly.
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“Under close review the Greasy Chip Butty Song ”
Ah. Now I understand the opening bit. 🙂
“since the dawn of the millennium. Either of them.”
Heh.
“Anyone stayed in the Athol ?”
Athol? Sounds like someone with a lisp being rude. 😉
“Winter Gardens”
Sigh. My crocuses should have bloomed by now. Instead I’ve still got bloody snow on the ground. 😦
“It’s close, but not close enough”
Beat me to it. 🙂
Sounds like a great night out with your son.
Cheers
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Is Heh a question or a laugh ?Genuine question.
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Heh (when used by me anyway) can be considered a chuckle. Had no idea it other connotations.
(learn something new every day)
Cheers
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Probably eh ? is the question.
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Your meal looks great Martin.
I really like Brisket when cooked slow and the chips also look good,it would take me an age to eat that type of meal now,how i envy you tucking into that.
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I’m sorry Alan, really feel for you. How is treatment going ?
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I have been told that the 10 hour operation to get rid of my throat cancer was a success and it saved my life,i am now a week and a half into six and a half weeks of radiotherepy which is five days a week Monday to Friday.
I can now eat soft foods and drink,so back on the home brew,i have been to my local Wetherspoons once with the wife,i found it hard as people did not know what to say to me with me not being able to talk anymore.
My wife is such an help and keeps my hopes up,after radiotherepy i have a secondary cancer to get rid of as it was spreading before my operation.
I can not fault the NHS through this ordeal and Mcmillon have also been a great help.
My hope is to do a pub crawl with the wife in July or August if i feel up to it.
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Keep going, Alan. We’re all with you mate.
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One of the many reasons I like your blog is your refusal to follow the crowd and voyager looks a mighty fine beer on the picture evidence…I went to Sheffield for a day with pals and we stopped at sheaf something close to Brammall Lane as opposed to sheaf view! Sheaf view was classic boozer with ales sheaf something else had lager only but was infinitely more entertaining if slightly edgy!
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