retiredmartin

December 2023. Walkley. Sheffield.

The first day of December, in fact. Our plumber (Pro Property of Hillsborough) had been in the loft all morning so I took the opportunity to bring the Christmas decorations down, because I know how much Mrs RM loves putting them up each year because “tradition”. See here to remind yourselves how we keep 25 December special in our house,

Not a lot of food in the house after a month dashing between Sheffield and Waterbeach; I presented an option.

“Fancy pizza in the Blind Monkey ?”.

Two minutes later we were at the door. It would have been one, but some people take longer than others to find their house keys,

Inconceivably, this was our visit to our local for two months. We’d been a bit worried about an autumn refurbishment (above) but for once it’s left the Monkey sparkling, inside and out.

Mrs RM took her favourite table in the front bar, under the telly.

I tried to remember what I’d had last time, and recalled a thin, carbonated keg Pale Rider with some horror. In truth, the cask had dipped a little this year; the Monkey’s replacement with the Raven up the hill seeming to mirror that decline from the peaks of NBSS 4 last year.

But Bradfield’s Belgian Blue and Craven’s Black Angus Porter called strongly,

the Blue the first sign of Christmas in these parts as surely as the first hearing of Feliz Navidad*.

Well, no Christmas music, the barman who’s walked in from Stannington gets to pick “Girl from Mars” (at ideal volume) and good for him.

He also makes us those wonderful pizzas that Mrs RM and I would live on if we didn’t hope to live to 60.

And best of all, the cask was sparkling. Cool, chewy, satisfying (NBSS 3.5, 4). We shared a gorgeous pint of Don Valley’s 6.5% Green & Grain and welcomed the Blind Monkey back, properly back. A great local pub with decent beer is one thing, but when the beer reaches these heights you know you’ve chosen your home well.

*This, of course, is the soundtrack for Retired Martin’s birthday.