Another solo Sheffield suburb saunter for you, as I explore the villages that Mrs RM won’t (till she’s finished constructing IKEA wardobes).
Wadsley is a couple of miles north-west of me, an ideal place to park when visiting Hillsborough if fans are ever allowed back in games to revive half-and-half scarf sales.
As you see from WhatPub, the boozers come hard and fast in clusters round here; in Kelham Island, in Walkley (that’s us !) and around the football ground.
Two questions;
Does The Shakey really commemorate the Welsh rocker triumphant Greatest Hits Live stadium tour of 1996 ?
Are Heron Foods the rich man’s Fulton Foods or is it vice-versa ?
Hillsborough itself revolves around Middlewood Road, a stretch of discount stores, nail bars, cafes and bakeries that would be publess without a Northern Monkey outlet that promises Mrs RM artisan gin.
Simpkins confectioners of Hunters Road offer a range of travel sweets and this medicinal offer, which I always thought had been banned in the UK in about 1672.
As always, look up. But watch out for pigeons if you do.
On the uphill walk to Wadsley you get street after street of solid stonework and no parking.
Admit it, you love a corner pub like the Castle.
At the top of Dyke’s Hall you get 4 solid looking pubs in 10 minutes.
They all look worthy, but the Sportsman was up for sale so I’ve no idea if I’ll be able to get John Smiths Cask there when pubs re-open.
The Wadsley Jack has Grade 2 listed stocks, where BRAPA was incarcerated before a Wednesday v Hull Tigers Cup tie in 2011 for sneaking in cheesey Wotsits. I missed those.
But at the foot of long (and frankly dull) Wisewood Lane you reach Malin Bridge and the highlight of the trip.
“My daughter loves big Si’s buttery toast. Winner for all.”
And the 300 calories you’ll exercise off up Walkley Bank Road mean you can have a second slice of Si’s buttery toast too.
retiredmartin 
Ah, not too worried about snooker, but the Castle’s combination of live music and cask ale sounds like a winning one to me, even if only as a long forgotten dream at present. If you promote Kangaroo Airforce Ventilator there, I promise to pop down. It’s also comforting to see a bus stop outside a suburban pub.
Does big Si’s buttery toast come with the option of a greasy sausage?
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Kangaroo Airforce Ventilator have a NYE gig on the Isles of Scilly tonight. If you can get me there I’ll get you on the guest list.
Greasy sausage AND stewed tomato – ugh.
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Don’t forget the cauliflower mash.
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The Horse & Jockey is another Stancill pub. I went there when Luton Town played at Hillsborough in the FA Youth Cup (9 December 2016 – we lost 4-0, had a player sent off and missed a penalty; none of the players are in the current first team squad – though one of them plays for Bristol City and gave the ball away for our winning goal last Saturday!). The pub wasn’t open before the game (midweek 1pm kick-off) but was after, and was pretty busy as I recall.
The Castle was a Stones pub when I went in in 1997 (I lived in Hillsborough for my first year in Sheffield). A photo on their facebook page shows Bradfield Farmers Blonde, Moorhouses Blonde Witch and Adnams Ghost Ship. I guess they like their blondes, then.
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I like Stancil. Their Barnsley Bitter in the Shakespeare was great.
Few too many on in the Closed Shop but I know SOME folk like that in a pub.
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When they took over from the previous licensees, the Closed Shop had a reputation (chiefly with me, it’s got to be said) for not looking after their beers as carefully as they deserved. On occasional visits since Stancill have been in charge, I did continue look askance at the burgeoning line of hand pumps. However, in all the Stancill pubs I have been in, I have never yet had anything approaching a moderately tired pint, never mind one that has gone off. Which is more than I could vouch for the previous tenants.
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That’s fair. The 2 we had in August were good enough.
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Sheffield Hatter,
“burgeoning line of hand pumps …… never yet had anything approaching a moderately tired pint, never mind one that has gone off” is why I’ve never objected to cask breathers.
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A frog in the throat is better than a toad in the hole…
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I won’t dwell on that 🤔
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