retiredmartin

Yes, those ARE Christmas decorations up in Ye Olde Dolphin. What is wrong with the world, can’t we celebrate Halloween a bit longer. Or my birthday (22 December) a bit earlier ?

Yes, I gave in to the Dolphin on the way back to the station.

There are other famous options round here, of course, but I’ve plenty of time to revisit the Flowerpot and the Smithfield and the Babington etc etc with Derby only half an hour away now.

But who could walk past the Dolphin, with its “Ye Olde” and “Inne”. Not an American, that’s for sure.

Wow, what a statement of intent that is;

And what a line-up.

And what a soundtrack;

Yes, I only have eyes for the Bass, and although the Dolphin is quieter than the Five Lamps it seems that’s the beer of choice for punters young and old here (blimey, it’s cliché central today, isn’t it ?).

I sit under the Bass triangle, and wait for my pint to clear.

It’s wonderful, and got better and better, something I will call “The Art Garfunkel Effect”.

Cool, rich, distinctive, almost sulphorous (NBSS 4). Pour it into a jug and then back into a glass and you might be approaching Bath Star standards. Honestly.

The next bloke in said “Carling please” and I knew we had a great pub, with the barman vigorously cleaning the pumps, pausing only to pour another Bass for a young beardie.

I stayed long enough to listen to a forgotten gem of Two Tone,

and left via the back door,

given myself insufficient time (according to Google) to catch the train back to Sheffield. But insufficient time is no barrier toi= a man with an NBSS 4 pint of Bass inside him, is it ?