I’d been waiting for BRAPA to do his April Review before I staked my own claim for the lucrative monthly reminiscence market.
But Simon has been distracted by cowboys and aliens, which you’ll remember was an underrated track on George Michael’s Listen Without Prejudice album.
April was the first month since December where I even had a pub to report on, but with mandatory substantial meals (remember them) they were a bit rubbish, and it was six months ago I last had the joy of an actual new tick.
It all started on The Glorious 12th, with me transporting your hero (Si or Mrs RM, as you wish) to hip new craft bar RLND (ReaLaleNoDemand) in rural Rotherham.
That was our first experience of John Smiths Smooth, but within 2 weeks we’d ALL grown to love it.
By the end of the month I’d managed thirty-six (36) pub visits, 35 of them different, and managed 13 GBG ticks.
At that rate I’ll be nowhere near completing the Guide by October, but I guess the next GBG won’t exactly be packed full of new entries anyway !
New Pub of the Month – Shakespeare, Barnsley
Beer of the Month – Unicorn, Arden Arms, Stockport. It was what real ale is all about.
The food at the Arden was great too, though perhaps even better at the Three Horseshoes in Clay Cross;
You may have read reports on how cask is booming as young people return to pub wine gardens in their droves.
Part of that is true; outside match days and holidays I’ve rarely seen pubs as busy as in Sheffield and Manchester these last 3 weeks, with brides interrupting their wedding to drink flat Bass in trendy Kelham venues.
But I didn’t see that much cask delivered to tables, and I went to more pubs than the bloke who just went to the specialist beer houses. Several pubs had one beer on, which is plenty, often more than enough.
It’s quite hard to “Choose cask” when you can’t see the pumps and the staff just ask “What can I get you ?” or don’t know what real ale or beer is.
Don’t get me wrong; pubs have done a wonderful job in impossible conditions and I applaud them all.
But it’ll be good to get back inside after 17 May (unless that scouse rave derails the Road Map), even with table service for a while longer.
Hopefully we can keep getting use of the campervan in May, allowing Baa Baa Toure to explore foreign climes like Heanor, Nuneaton and Wigan.
But sadly Baa Baa will have to stay home when we tick one off the bucket list by walking part of Hadrian’s Wall (west to east). No cuddly sheep should EVER be subjected to a Monday night in Carlisle.
retiredmartin 
A thoroughly well deserved welcome back RM!!
Few people reacted to a global pandemic by leaving their sunny lit southern lowlands and sallying forth with a migratory plan to live up north! It all looks like it’s going swimmingly well… A heartfelt thank you for saving pubs and reporting thus 🙂 keep up the music puns, neither fish nor fowl, some of ‘em!
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Thank you raymondo, I’m saving pubs (not necessarily yours) for YOU, and so is Mrs RM.
It’s frequently sunny up here by the way ! It always seemed to rain in the Midlands.
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Given the restrictions this is a pretty good run for the month.
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I’m quite happy. There’s a dozen or so pubs within easy reach that aren’t opening till May, which is when it should get easier. Also, you really don’t feel like only having a quick half when you’ve spent 15 minutes getting settled in, and the cask has been pretty good so far.
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“But Simon has been distracted by cowboys and aliens, which you’ll remember was an underrated track on George Michael’s Listen Without Prejudice album.”
It was also a movie, with James Bond! 😉
(and Indiana Jones)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409847/
“It all started on The Glorious 12th, with me transporting your hero (Si or Mrs RM, as you wish) ”
(slow golf clap)
“That was our first experience of John Smiths Smooth, but within 2 weeks we’d ALL grown to love it.”
Shock of the year!
“By the end of the month I’d managed thirty-six (36) pub visits, 35 of them different”
So… no ‘local’ yet in Sheffield?
“New Pub of the Month – Shakespeare, Barnsley”
I swear that rabbit is named Harvey; and that you can only see it if you’re a CAMRA member.
“Beer of the Month – Unicorn, Arden Arms, Stockport. It was what real ale is all about.”
Which explains why you nicked some of it.
“with brides interrupting their wedding to drink flat Bass in trendy Kelham venues.”
Going by what she’s ‘wearing’, I would have thought a flat white instead of Bass. 😉
“Several pubs had one beer on, which is plenty, often more than enough.”
You’ve so informed us many times. 🙂
“It’s quite hard to “Choose cask” when you can’t see the pumps and the staff just ask “What can I get you ?” or don’t know what real ale or beer is.”
Sigh.
“Don’t get me wrong; pubs have done a wonderful job in impossible conditions and I applaud them all.”
(looks at photo) Sigh, again.
“But it’ll be good to get back inside after 17 April”
17… April? 😉
“Hopefully we can keep getting use of the campervan in May, allowing Baa Baa Toure to explore foreign climes like Heanor, Nuneaton and Wigan.”
I thought the UK was one big (wet) clime?
“No cuddly sheep should EVER be subjected to a Monday night in Carlisle.”
No comment!
Cheers
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Well spotted that 17 April blooper.
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Never quite understood the idea of plonking a pile of green stuff on a fry up, unless it’s hiding some mouldy bits.
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Keep saving those Midlands pubs for me RM!
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