September 2025. Bramley, Rotherham.
Last year was the most exciting in the history of Rotherham, since the Chuckle Brothers met me at their Harperbury TV show set in 1998.
Four (4) new GBG entries, all worthy, but only the posh golf club survives the churn.
But the Autumn of GBG26 brings me back to Bramley, a village just west of the St George flag strewn bridge at Junction 1 of the M18.
East lies Hellaby Truck Stop, once home to another of Rotherham’s improbable Guide entries
Bramley is prime suburb, pleasant but inessential. Just like me.
My micro opens at 4pm, so I nip in the King Henry.
Last year the Homestead put a Sizzling pub in the UK’s real ale guide for the first time, and the only thing stopping the King Henry following suit is a lack of real ale.
But it’s got great coffee, burgers that help you lose weight as part of a calorie controlled diet,
a triumvirate of Hi-Vis,
and Old Boys who want to know if I’m a contractor from the South.
“Nah mate, I’m from Sheffield !”.
“Ooh, a dee-dar“.
I feign offence at this racial slur, but it’s apparently no worse than “Woollyback”. Not that there’s anything worse than a woollyback.
The Yellow Broom is a rather different experience, one of those female friendly small bars (see also : Mosborough, Dodworth) that have dominated South Yorkshire of late.
Comfortable seating, “Doggy water” at the door, Sloop John B on the stereo,
a gorgeously smooth Chantry (3.5) on the pumps.
It’s a shame you can’t take your pint in the King Henry to accompany your dirty burger. Or vice versa.
But you can’t.
retiredmartin 
Nah.
It’s because Sheffield folk enjoy playing at ambulances until a ripe old age.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“…the only thing stopping the King Henry following suit is a lack of real ale.”
Brilliant!
LikeLike
I’ll be calling in at the Cutlers Arms in Rotherham tomorrow. One of two Chantry pubs on Westgate, almost opposite each other. Still in the GBG I see. Has it dropped out at all in recent years? The beer is nearly always very well looked after, if not actually terribly exciting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Been in many years. I scored a 4.5 last time. Wonderful pub.
Which beers ARE exciting, Will ?
LikeLike
My reply somehow shifted itself to the bottom of the thread. 🤔🙄
LikeLike
And deservedly so. Like Luton Town, your strength is shown in holding up the rest of the league (or are you top?).
LikeLike
(looks up at the dee – dar explanation)
And here’s me thinking it was because everyone up there was all posh like and saying ‘la-dee-dar’ quite often.
“but only the posh golf club survives the churn.”
See! 😊
“just west of the St George flag strewn bridge at Junction 1 of the M18.”
I thought you weren’t allowed to fly the St George flag unless you were in your designated protest area. 😉
“pleasant but inessential. Just like me.”
I’m not touching that with a ten foot pole.
“and the only thing stopping the King Henry following suit is a lack of real ale.”
Not sure if that’s a dig or a compliment.
“burgers that help you lose weight as part of a calorie controlled diet,”
Your idea of a diet intrigues me.
“a triumvirate of Hi-Vis,”
I think the Hi-Vis lad in the middle is wearing long pants as he’s embarrassed to show his tattoo-free leg.
“Not that there’s anything worse than a woollyback.”
(slow golf clap)
“Comfortable seating, “Doggy water” at the door, Sloop John B on the stereo,”
And board games!
“It’s a shame you can’t take your pint in the King Henry to accompany your dirty burger. Or vice versa.”
Si can give you some tips on that. At least with sausage rolls and brown sauce, I think. 😎
Cheers
LikeLiked by 1 person
My most memorable trips with Si were where he sneaked his lunch into pubs. And he always got away with it !
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think his nickname should be Sly Si. 😊
LikeLike
Not having a tattoo 😔 used to be shameful a decade ago, particularly for footballers.
LikeLike
My darling wife has one; but I’m not saying what or where. 😉
LikeLike
“A Dee Dar then”
The most salient example of Yorkshire parochialism that I remember was when I was enduring a pint of TT Golden “Best”* in the Standard Of Freedom, Halifax (I lived about a half a mile away at the time). A regular asked me where I lived, and I told him. “Big Six for you, then” he replied.
*Autovac – won’t happen again.
LikeLike
I was really thrilled to have a great Old Peculier at the Station House in Durham a few weeks back, and thanked the owner of that pub and shook his hand when I left.
And at the St Albans beer festival last week I had a superb Tring Side Pocket for a Toad, which I enthused about to everyone I spoke to, much to their amusement as it’s thought of as a fairly ubiquitous beer by people in Herts and Beds, so nothing to get excited about, but I later found out it had been judged to be the best beer of the festival.
Those beers can both be pretty ordinary, but being in tremendous condition brought out the best features of them and I was able to appreciate their complexity.
LikeLike
Yes indeed Will, and I remember my Old Peculier in Buxton two months ago drinking peculiarly well, not that there was anything wrong with my other two pints this year – in Tideswell and Skipton.
“Last year was the most exciting in the history of Rotherham” as it hosted the last ever GBBF Winter, or National Winter Ales Festival as it was better known ?
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, I think we can safely say that a national beer festival in a hangar, or even a steelworks, is NOT exciting Paul.
If you do come to Sheffield (and you’re very welcome) I’m sure we would show you the Cutlers Arms in Rotherham.
LikeLike
No, the excitement isn’t really that it was the LAST EVER national beer festival in a hangar !
Thanks, Rotherham is one of all too many towns I don’t know.
LikeLike
So does my wife, Russ. But as with you, I’m not saying where!
LikeLike