retiredmartin

November 2024 – Little Eaton. Derbyshire.

NOT to be confused with Long Eaton, though you probably will, with disastrous consequences.

Little Eaton is your first village north of Derby, and I could have walked it, except I knew that I’d then end up in the re-opened Sam Smiths (ANOTHER one !) at Darley Abbey 3 pints of OBB down/up.

So I took “The Comet”, 12 minutes on a comfortable bus for £2 (up 50% soon), dropping you yards from your Shiny Tap.

“My readers will want the tourist stuff” I thought, realising it was an hour till the bus back and no-one can spend an hour on an industrial estate brewery.

2,430 souls, four pubs, disused railway line (soon to be consolidated into Sheffield trams, possibly),

mystery “Old Brewery” (Stafford Paul will know) if handprints indicating someone behind that door,

and an attractive grassroots match between the locals and Gresley Reserves,

I missed the goal.

In other matters, ain’t Halloween tat dreadful ? (also : Christmas, Thanksgiving and all birthdays except 22/12).

Shiny’s Tap isn’t dreadful, like that Linton place it’s a village amenity visited by young and old, ticker and toper.

So let’s ignore the less than heritage interior,

and just note how good Shiny’s beer is.

I’ll have a Number 2 from the keg and a 3 (NBSS 3.5) from the cask please. Oh, and a cob.

A great little soundtrack going on, particular when the girl comes on shift and plays Weyes Blood and then the boy nips in to stick on Beach House. As always, the kids make the pub.

And with that, Derbyshire had fallen.

Just play the song already.