SALVAGING A BIRTHDAY IN 2020

I know you’re desperate to read about my birthday (22/12, listed in all good 2021 diaries).

2020 was always going to struggle against recent birthdays in Morocco, Havana, Barrow and New Brighton.

But the sun rose, marking 56 years on earth. I always say if I reach 62 I’ll finish the GBG and emulate Duncan.

Having reached 94% in March I actually thought I might beat that timescale, but events, dear boy, events.

No ticks this 22/12, no travel outside Sheffield.

But I did manage a walk with Mrs RM on the edge of the Peak this morning, just 3 miles from home.

A crisp, bright morning, ideal to explore Dungworth. It’s as picturesque as it sounds.

“The village pub has long been a centre of village life, games of Knurr and Spell were played in the 1920s and there were clubs for fishing, running, football and cricket. At Christmas time people have sung local songs in the pub for over 200 years“. Wiki.

Knurr and Spell were, of course, renowned craft brewers in Kelham Island in the 1780s.

The Royal Hotel resists such nonsense, offering (checks notes) Bradfield. Is that craft ?

I’d picked an easy circular walk that Mrs RM couldn’t complain about and ended with ice cream.

AND I’d never been to Storrs before. If Dungworth is a hamlet, Storrs is barely that.

It’s all happening at Our Cow Mollie farm, provider of Sheffield’s best milk and most curious cows.

I went for the double scoop; Cora’s Chaos (jelly !) and the vanilla. THAT’S craft.

652 calories there, and another 3,048 in the 5 litre keg we then picked up from Bradfield. Is it all brewed in Stockport now ?

The Belgian Blue had just sold out, good for them. So Mrs RM chose the Blonde.

I made a HUGE mess of releasing the pressure from the top of the barrel, but I thing the carpet will dry.

Home drinking, retiredmartin ? Are you going soft ?

Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

23 thoughts on “SALVAGING A BIRTHDAY IN 2020”

    2. T’other Mudgie,
      “it must be Wolverhampton” – well they can brew anything or everything there, and precious few breweries can boast that.

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  7. Many happy returns, RM! Enjoy your Bradfield – never been a great fan of their beers myself, but I don’t like D**m B&r either so what do I know?

    With apologies for infiltrating your blog with logic, I would think that the Robbie’s tanker is there to take beer to Bredbury for packaging? They do a lot of that sort of stuff under contract in the industry.

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      1. Bradfield Farmers Blonde is the only permanentish beer on at Stafford’s Greyhound whose owner originates from Sheffield, so probably not a coincidence.

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  9. All the best people have a lockdown birthday Martin, although when I celebrated mine, back in April, I didn’t expect the restrictions to have lasted as long as they have,

    Have a good one though, enjoy your keg of Bradfield and fingers crossed we can meet up next year ad celebrate properly. Kentish Paul

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  10. “2020 was always going to struggle against recent birthdays in Morocco, Havana, Barrow and New Brighton.”

    Pfft. This one’s in a new place… Sheffield! 🙂

    “I always say if I reach 62 I’ll finish the GBG and emulate Duncan.”

    Start wearing striped shirts and weird shorts?

    “just 3 miles from home.”

    I’d be leery of the southeast; they’re overrun with moors.

    “At Christmas time people have sung local songs in the pub for over 200 years”

    And, as another song writer has noted… ‘the times, they are a changing’. 😉

    “If Dungworth is a hamlet, Storrs is barely that.”

    If that’s a photo of Storrs below… agreed!

    “provider of Sheffield’s best milk and most curious cows.”

    She’s just trying to milk it for all it’s worth. 🙂

    “THAT’S craft.”

    Pfft. My friend has opened an ice cream shop in northern Georgia:

    https://www.dasicecreamcafe.com

    That’s craft! (or at least freshly churned).

    “and another 3,048 in the 5 litre keg we then picked up from Bradfield. Is it all brewed in Stockport now ?”

    Was that your take home vehicle? 😉

    “I made a HUGE mess of releasing the pressure from the top of the barrel, but I thing the carpet will dry.”

    Hopefully not the NEW carpet. 🙂

    “Home drinking, retiredmartin ? Are you going soft ?

    Not unless you were in your underpants. (LOL)

    Cheers!

    PS – Happy Birthday!

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  12. Belated happy birthday to you Martin. Reading your Blog and viewing the photographs has been a rare bright spot in an otherwise grim pub/beer year.

    If you ever find yourself in Ilkley and we are out of tier three then do look me up. I can show you round the Flying Duck and Wharfedale brewery.

    Cheers.

    Robin (aka madprof)

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