retiredmartin

November 2023. Sheffield.

The last day of November, in fact. We had to be back in Sheffield as the plumber man was coming to fix our boiler, whatever that is.

Equally, we didn’t fancy sleeping in an igloo, so I extravagantly booked a luxury hotel in the middle of our city, barely a mile from home.

Yes, it’s the Stelios Easy Hotel, as frequented by several great Pub Men on their trips north.

I got the windowless version for £40 on a Thursday night. Clean, functional and most importantly warm. And yes, I did bring Baa Baa and Alfie with us.

So we had a night on the town, and saved £5.60 on trams back (assuming Mrs RM actually walked home in the morning).

Nope, not the bingo, even with those flashy lights.

“Let’s do a pub I rarely visit even though it’s one of the best pubs in the world” I thought.

Well, it’s a favourite of those pub greats Blackpool Jane and BRAPA Si, and Mrs RM loved the grub in the Rutland Arms, but I always forget it’s there, tucked away behind Hallam Uni’s building works.

I thought we were chancing it, arriving just after 6, and sure enough it was standing room only.

Obviously, nothing deters Mrs RM in her quest for a seat, and I left her to scowl at people sipping a glass of wine while taking up a table for four while I admired the tip jar,

and the Tellytubby.

If you didn’t know that’s Po you need to get out more; or stay in. One of the two.

I picked a Kernel Table Beer and a strong Kirkstall, and quickly decided that we wouldn’t be eating in the beer garden under the stars.

Blimey, that Kernel, presumably about 3%, was stunning.

“Blimey this is strong” said Mrs RM of her Kirkstall. Two NBSS 4.5s already, what a night.

Unfortunately I’m no fan of standing and scowling at folk in an attempt to get them to drink up. That’s not how pubs work, not in England anyway.

So I admired the Rutland’s excellent music policy (Shane was MUCH more than Fairytale, Guardian),

and pestered Mrs RM into looking at the week’s album charts, packed with, er, youthful talent,

and then quickly came up with a fallback which might, just MIGHT, feed us.