Unfortunately this blog doesn’t yet come in a Scratch ‘n’ Sniff version that tells you the temperature, so as the rain returns today you might not believe how hot it’s been ‘oop north this month.
After declaring our totals for the Bear Hunt,
and deciding to save the rest of those ticks for a cooler day we set off from the Old Queen’s Head.
Rather like Manchester (or Hamburg) I could take you on a half hour tour of Sheffield and convince you it’s one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, or take a completely different turn and have you scared for your life (wimp).
Just across from the Tudor beauty of the Queen’s Head sits the rather more challenging Penny Black,
which nearly tempts me in with its’s Senior’s Deal. “You’re a Senior now, right ?” smirks Mrs RM.
But I’ll save those treats for later. For now, we take the urine soaked steps back towards the tram.
And tick one last bear in Castle Square.
Perhaps it’s the subliminal advertising,
or perhaps the fact the trams are static with fire engines screeching towards West Street, but I fancied delaying the 40 minute trek home for a few minutes.
As we passed the Banker’s Draft I was hoping Mrs RM would say “Shall we ?“. And she did.
The flagship Sheffield Spoons was packed, and we were escorted to the last table left.
Let me be honest; the Banker’s Draft is NOT a great advert for Tim Martin. Outdated, smelly, often filthy.
But the beer is cheap, and on this occasion they had some of those Fuggle Bunny beers, one of the few sightings of local beers in a Spoons this year.
So we shared a 660ml bottle of Hazy Jane, Brew Dog’s finest, the way you’d share a bottle of organic Italian red.
And the world felt pretty good.
retiredmartin 
did you ask whether the nihilistic advertising works to bring the punters in?
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I can’t remember whose advertising it was; probably not Spoons ?
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Not sure about that sign, I have to say. Surely if your parents intentionally conceived you, you do exist “on purpose”? Whether you exist “for a purpose” is a different matter.
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Yes, I disagree with all of that apart from the last line.
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It would only have been nihilistic if it had said “so don’t waste your time with a beer either”
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Mudgie may perceive that sign as inviting.
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On a slightly different tack, I am always amazed that BrewDog were able to use Hazy Jane as a name for a beer. Ilkley brewery have been peddling beers with Mary and Jane in their names for over 10 years. Hazy Jane is only two letters different to Mary Jane, Ilkley’s number one seller. If the boot was on the other foot I am sure a “cease and desist notice” would have been served on Ilkley Brewery.
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Yeah, but one of them’s craft and the other is homebrew made in a garage, yeah ?
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No one is mentioning the bears, so I will .They are delightful -much more fun than our elephants & I don’t think we have an App to record them -am guessing Mrs RM is the same as you with a collecting habit !
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Christine has a competitive streak !
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Correction -we do have an App for our elephant spotting -sadly I am a bit late to the party
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I have actually had a pint in the Penny Black. The steps opposite are one of my favourite bits of old Sheffield (strange, I know, but then again, some people rate Websters Yorkshire Bitter….)
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Oddly, I don’t think I’ve actually ever had Websters, unless Green Label is the same thing. Just like the pump clip.
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Isn’t “Outdated, smelly, often filthy” an actual description of Tim Martin?
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