NEW MILLS, HANDY FOR THE PILs (PARENTS-IN-LAW)

May 2023.

I’d made curated a beautiful list of Things To Do In And Around Sheffield That Aren’t The Blind Monkey for the in-laws ten (10) day visit, and a trip to New Mills was Number 1 on the schedule, if only to allow me to raid the Half Man Half Biscuit video store again;

One of the UK’s best rail journeys through the Peak, a meeting with their grandson, and a full range of Torrside‘s high ABV keg beers.

I will never tire of the view you get of the mills as you walk down from New Mills Central towards the Millennium Walkway, and it impressed our Kentish visitors too.

Far too early to be drinking 6.8% IPAs in Shrub Club, so that’s what we did.

Matt turned up with Emma, which was as lovely as his haircut.

Our visitors were taken with the views inside and outside Shrub Club; we could have had lunch there.

But Mrs RM had made us all artisanal sandwiches (brie, ham, crisps) to enjoy under the viaducts.

Viaducts ? Yes, New Mills is Stockport on the cheap, and we would have moved here in 2020 if, er, it hadn’t been in New Mills.

There’s not a lot to actually DO in New Mills apart from admire the views, eat sandwiches and drink craft beer, and the main activity on the High Street is admiring window displays.

But with an hour to kill before respective trains and the risk of awkward silences incoming I suggested a pint in the Masons Arms, a rather underrated boozer up the hill.

It really delivered, again.

Pints of Stockport IPA for the codgers, artisan lager for Matt, a rhubarb cider for Emma, a decision to leave the bar for the benches by all of us.

For a third time, the Masons delivered on welcome and beer quality (NBSS 3.5), but Emma definitely had the best choice on a typically hot and sunny Manchester (ish) day, and I was slighlty miffed to find the rhubarb pump turned round when I went to replenish our pints.

But the perry & cider mix (no idea) was stunning. Glad we shared a pint though, slips down too easily.

But is it “REAL” cider as defined by the official arbiter of these things ?

Who cares.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

12 thoughts on “NEW MILLS, HANDY FOR THE PILs (PARENTS-IN-LAW)”

      1. I think you know me well enough to realise that in my case arcane arguments are generally the result of drinking in pubs.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. You don’t know what you’re missing out on, Andy. Well, obviously you do, or you wouldn’t have left.

        It’s interesting that among the ten folk I’ve met on Proper Day Out over the last 5 years there’s some who only drink cask, some who won’t touch the Boring Brown Bitters, and some who will drink anything at all. You can guess where I sit.

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  2. “Who cares”?

    I hope you are going to take a leaf out of de Pfeffel’s book and tear up your Camra membership card before they can boot you out.

    I’ll be reading Discourse avidly for the outcome.

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  3. “One of the UK’s best rail journeys through the Peak”, and three lines to choose from for over a mile westwards of the railway stations.

    “There’s not a lot to actually DO in New Mills” if you’ve not won a tour of the Swizzels factory.
    talkingretail.com/products-news/confectionery/swizzels-launch-competition-to-find-its-super-fan-12-06-2023/

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  4. “It’s interesting that among the ten folk I’ve met on Proper Day Out over the last 5 years there’s some who only drink cask, some who won’t touch the Boring Brown Bitters, and some who will drink anything at all.”
    That suggests we represent all pub goers better that a well known consumer group.

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