retiredmartin

August 2023. Rotherham.

“No more pub this week” said Mrs RM when we got back from Lancaster.

So I took her to see some butterflies in Rotherham, and didn’t make a third trip to the Little Mester up the road.

Well, I’m calling it Rotherham anyway, even if the Butterfly House is determined to tell you it’s Sheffield. These things matter.

Blackpool Jane had this on her (massive) To Do list on a 2021 visit to Sheffield but got distracted by Chocolate Pumpkin Sours in Heist from memory, so I was keen to see what Jane and Lee missed.

Well, a chance to find your pirate name, for starters;

Buccaneer Giant Coin ? No ta.

As we went in a family of four were leaving, the mum saying “Wasn’t worth fifty quid, was it ?“, and although they’ve added lots of child-friendly exhibits and a play area it’s no Alton Towers, but the actual worthy bit, where they make actual butterflies, was well worth the £16.99 each, even if you’ve had your fill of meerkats, barn owls and chipmunks.

You can even see the little fellas hatching here.

You enter a hot house and are immediately bombarded by the things, clinging to your T-shirt and jeans.

Not for the squeamish, but they are rather beautiful up close,

particularly at feeding time.

“They only live a couple of days” said Mrs RM, which seemed a lot of wasted effort to get born and would really put a dampener on any efforts to complete the Beer Guide like I did.

In the other hot(ter) house there are ducks and parrots. The one in the middle when I tried to steal some food for the duck, which is confirmation that you should NEVER GET INVOLVED IN ANIMAL DISPUTES.

You could probably “do” the butterflies and aggressive parrots in an hour, but then you’d miss the talking tree, and no-one should miss a talking tree (PRESS PLAY),

or a chance to discover your mermaid name.

Isla Shiny Gem. Now that’s more like it.