retiredmartin

Homeward now, with only a 23 minute connection at Derby for the train back to Sheffield.

Oh, plenty of time for a pint in the Alex.

Jeff was less certain of my sanity timings, no doubt calculating that as the Alex was a good 6 minutes walk once you’d negotiated the steps, barriers and inevitable photo stop it meant less than 9 minutes in the pub.

But I’d walked past it the day before, thought “Gosh“, and having already done the other famous Derby station pub that lunchtime thought it very rude not to.

To be honest, if I’d seen a gleaming Bass Doom Bar pump in the Merry Widows or Waterfall across from the gates then I’d have been sorely tempted,

but they looked bare, and frankly the Alex was heaving.

It nearly always looks busy. Last time here in 2008 I actually did the B & B (£30, bargain, killer of a fry up), and it was so busy I nearly didn’t get a pint before closing.

What a choice they had.

A 2008 of a beer range, and it must be 2008 I last had that malty wonder that is Castle Rock’s Preservation (in the Bread & Bitter in Notts, obvs).

It was wonderful, cool and rich (NBSS 4), enjoyed at the little table near the jigsaws.

I contemplated starting the 1500 piece jigsaw of Belper Market Place, oblivious to the clock showing 12 minutes till my train left.

The Beastie Boys came on the stereo; an Old Boy tapped his fingers on the table to “You Gotta Fight (pause) For Your Right (pause) To Parrrrrrrrrty“.

I saw 17:02 tick round, finished my pint, promised to come back, and made sure I didn’t try to hurdle the post like I did with disastrous consequences in Macclesfield and Whitehaven.

Back at the station, with a minute to spare, someone braver than me was playing a tune. It wasn’t the Beastie Boys, that’s as much as I can tell you.