Draught Bass has the best trademark, but John Smiths has the best pub signs. Shame half the Johns pubs in Yorkshire are long closed.
From the Westbourn Hotel (oddly marked as Lynn’s cafe on the map) I headed randomly north-eastward in the direction of Darnall. Whatever that is.
The voyage of discovery takes you past the Athletics Stadium and towards the bodyshops and gulab jamun of the B6200.
“And did those feet, in pre-emptive days, walk upon Sheffield’s parkland green,
and did the mighty hand of BRAP, drop Wotsits bags in roads unseen ? “
There was a closed pub on Staniforth Road, but Mirpuri Dhera retains no Bass or John Smiths livery. It does, however, offer curried deer. Just saying.
What Pub flags up two more closed pubs 8 minutes away through the ancient mosaics of Darnall Park.
This one shows BRAPA leaping over the Rising Sun in Sheffield to escape his admirers.
I sense Darnall receives few visitors, certainly since Will’s raid a decade ago, and my snapping attracts a bit of attention.
But both the Albert and next door neighbour the Sportsman are vacant, waiting the offer from Fierce or Deya to convert them into craft bars. Actually, the Albert might well become a nursery, limiting the real ale offer.
The Albert (see Will’s review here) is actually the pick of the two,
“None of your fancy real ale malarkey here ! ” wrote a brave Mr. Larter back in August 2012, no doubt enjoying a keg Stones while the rest of us were watching the London Olympics Opening Ceremony.
“If you fancy a step back through the time portal to 1976, give it a go“. Pick me, pick me !
It’s possible the Sportsman (why not The Boxer, its’s full of boxing* memorabilia ?) is going to re-open,
although their Facebook has been dormant since 2011, when it was selling Belgian Blue for £2.20 a pint.
Oddly, the Concertina was only £1.10 a pint when Will made it there a year later, but then that’s Mexborough for you.
*And boxing’s not a sport, it’s just hitting people.
retiredmartin 
Was it ever named after an actual boxer, I wonder?
It’s not usually wise.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The pub, or the Simon and Garfunkel song?
LikeLiked by 1 person
T’other Paul,
Yes I know that one, an unfinished song with “lie-la-lie” where the remaining words should be.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I can’t remember if you get off the train at Darnall or Woodhouse to head to the enticingly named Swallownest FC but I must pay them a visit one Saturday afternoon
LikeLike
Definitely Woodhouse. I thought “Swallownest is miles from there” but it isn’t, near the famous Orgreave, Must explore that bit next. Darnall isn’t astonishing but the sheet volume of closed pubs is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Martin, I agree 100% that there’s nothing “sporting” about boxing – an activity that involves deliberately aiming blows at another person’s head, with the aim of debilitating them; temporarily or otherwise.
If people knew how amazing the human brain actually is, they wouldn’t be countenancing this barbaric activity.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agree, Paul. Just think how we’re now worried about just heading a football.
I’m no fan of boxing or fighting, unless it stops a certain goal against Manchester City of course.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agree, t’other Paul, and there’s no other sport I’ve ever had any interest in.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Going by some folk, I think you’re a bit of describing the human brain as amazing, unbelievable might be closer to the truth.
LikeLike
Yes, £1.10 for a pint was cheap even for Sheffield in 2012. And I’m pretty sure I watched the opening ceremony for the Olympics, too. Staying to drink the rest of the barrel and missing the Olympics might have been a better option.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“THE BOXER”
Is this where we meet Si (and his pal Garfunkel)?
“I headed randomly north-eastward in the direction of Darnall. Whatever that is.”
That would be wherever you arrive and there’s darn all there. 😉
“And did those feet, in pre-emptive days, walk upon Sheffield’s parkland green,
and did the mighty hand of BRAP, drop Wotsits bags in roads unseen ? “
Told you we’d meet Si! 🙂
“It does, however, offer curried deer. Just saying.”
Blimey. That won’t *cough* ‘curry’ favour with some. 😉
“This one shows BRAPA leaping over the Rising Sun in Sheffield to escape his admirers.”
Or maybe slipping in his own wee and falling down.
“Actually, the Albert might well become a nursery, limiting the real ale offer.”
I was thinking Madeline, French girls’ school. 🙂
““None of your fancy real ale malarkey here ! ””
Is he Alan’s protégé? 😉
“(why not The Boxer, its’s full of boxing* memorabilia ?)”
Couldn’t agree more.
“*And boxing’s not a sport, it’s just hitting people.”
That’s not very ‘sporting’ of you! 🙂
Cheers
LikeLiked by 1 person