retiredmartin

February 2024. Rotherham.

The snow came to Sheffield on Thursday,

but it was already clearing by the time I got round to spreading sand on the path that afternoon. English snow is always a disappointment, except to folk like me who have things to do, places to see.

Still a bit too slippy on the roads to travel anywhere far on the Friday, and the trains sounded a bit “unpredictable” (shock, horror), so we took the tram.

Until we get the network extended south and west the options are looking a bit familiar now, so we waited for the tram train the 5 miles east to Rotherham.

Yes, we are Rotherham’s only tourists, certainly on this dreich Sunday lunchtime.

Over two years since my last visit, and it’s a town still struggling for even modest gentrification in 2024.

Oddly, Mrs Rm warmed to it immediately. “Oooh, I want to go in there !” (the Bridge Inn). That lone meant we’d have to stay 3 hours; what could we possibly do in that time ?

Well, a spot of “slow tourism”, I guess.

Here’s Mrs RM doing “slow tourism” at the Chapel on the Bridge.

She’s the one in the blue bobble hat, but you knew that,

as she’s the only one on the bridge, in fact nearly the only person in Rotherham.

I showed her the remains of the Rhinoceros, the, ahem, livelier of the Spoons.

but in fairness the centre itself has a nice collection of timber,

even if it feels woefully underpubbed.

Meadowhall, 33 years old last year, killed Rotherham’s shops, and the indoor market is a shadow of what it was when I first ticked the town,

though at least common courtesies are encouraged.

But I need to tell you about the town museum, hidden away 10 minutes to the east in Clifton Park.

The most unsung of UK towns (Doncaster, Desborough, London) have the best social history museums, and the Clifton tells the story of coal and dole, conjoined twins from Biddenden,

wars and rhinoceros vases,

and beers and tears,

over a dozen well-laid out rooms.

You can still see Bentley’s fascia on a few pubs round town, but NOT on the one we headed to now…