James is about to have a fifth (5th) go at his driving test. Five attempts is a respectable number if you ask me. When I took my 5th test all you had to do was change the Dire Straits CD for Chris Rea while going round corners.
I look forward to the time when my sons can drive me to the pub. 2 months ago I drove James and Mrs RM out for tea at the Blue Ball at Worrall, where Sheffield becomes Peak District.
It’s a lovely all-rounder. Unfussy pub food, cheery staff, big outdoor area to view the hills, stained glass.
Mrs RM wanted cool keg. James is never fussed.
“Have you tried Madri? ” I asked. “It’s a premium Spanish artisanal lager that’s taken over from Peroni as the upmarket lout of choice“.
“oh“.
Well, actually it’s made in Tadcaster, home of another UK craft beer, of course.
“It’s alright” they said, and I guess it was, but I could tell Mrs RM would have preferred one of those craft keg things.
Instead, I bought her a Boltmaker for comparison.
A win for cask.
Decent burgers, not for the slimmer, and Proper Chips.
The Blue Bell has a great library, with everything from Denise Welch to the underrated 2007 GBG on display.
Not much has changed in 15 years, bar the loss of “proper” Tetley.
retiredmartin 
Yorkshire Oddities – S Baring-Gould. A comprehensive gazetteer of contract brewed beers from the legendary Tadcaster beer factory.
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But was it autovac Boltmaker?
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Went out last weekend with friends who live in London (all under 40) who claimed never to have heard of Madri.
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I find that astonishing. What is their continental lager of choice then?
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Like you, I was shocked. Probably Moretti (or Camden Hells)
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You’re right, probably Camden.
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The pubs in Lerwick don’t have Madri yet but I got a bottle from the offy to try at home and it wasn’t half bad.
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No Madri !
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What is the average number of attempts at the driving test? Sounds much more difficult than our test in the US.
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Years ago two was average but I guess now it’s three or more. Covid made it harder to get lessons, and tests.
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He just passed. Phew.
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Denise Welch once played the landlady of the Rovers Return in Coronation Street so there’s a tenuous pub connection there.
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I met Denise Welch and Tim Healy on s Caribbean cruise, completing the cycle.
Sadly Matty Healy of The 1975 was in Cheshire or I would have had real cred points. I remember Denise telling Mrs RM their son was also called Matthew.
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And Tim Healy appeared in one of the classic TV pub scenes, knocking back glasses of Alt with Michael Elphick in the back room of Zum Uerige in Düsseldorf in the first series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.
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I almost didn’t recognise that copy of the Good Beer Guide. Of course, in 2007 you didn’t get a free highlighter with every copy like you do these days.
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Only the privilege club, Will.
Did you read that Prince Charles is writing the introduction to GBG23 ? He’ll no doubt be calling for tasters and jam jars to be made illegal.
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“Have you tried Madri? ”
Molson Coors’s latest offering to get more than the £3-something from their Doom Dar.
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