retiredmartin

July 2025. Hundall. Drone Valley.

Mrs RM called to say “Old Shoe at 5 ?”, which meant I’d have to get a shift on to walk the 20 minutes down the valley from the Travellers to the second GBG regular, and Top 100 debutant.

Yes, yes, I know that the Retired Martin Top 100 Pubs is a sacred institution and must never exceed a century. Just like in the ’70s when a committee of suited officials voted Cambridge United into the League, they had to vote out Bradford Park Avenue.

So to allow the Miners Arms to join I’ll kick out the Olde Dolphin in Derby as it wasn’t great when I revisited on the legendary Life After Football crawl in May. Perhaps, next time, it will be.

It’s well over a decade since I ticked Hundall, and I see it still warrants 3 CAMRA pint pots,

which means NBSS scores averaging over 3.5+, a top rank score.

Apperknowle’s pub was 80% women when I left; Hundall was 100% bloke, bar another quite wonderful lady behind the bar.

How do you not pick the Plum Porter, you ask ?

Simply, the Ashover (again) is local has a sign saying “Premium” on it. It’s like resisting a meal called “Staff Pick”, I guess.

I think the pic above tells you all you need about the Miners.

Blokes reading, blokes playing pool, blokes discussing joinery and artex and timber ceilings,

a bloke just enjoying a cool, crisp pint of strong Pale (NBSS 3.5+, CAMRA pots right) and a huge bowl of nuts for about a quid.

“Ducks are laying a lot more eggs, m’duck” says someone as I leave.

The descent back to Dronfield takes me close to the famous fixed bollards sign of Unstone,

and those ducks that were the hot topic of conversation up the hill.

Or are they chickens. All the same, really.