FATHER TO SON, HEART TO HEART

November 2025. Sheffield.

A night in Sheffield between the statutory two in Waterbeach, just time for laundry, a read of the mail, a gig and a catch-up with James.

He’d phoned to ask to catch-up, possibly to make sure I’m not investing his inheritance in Crypto, and it pays to keep in touch with your children, as you’ll want them to take you to the pub in later years.

It’s already dark when I pick him up from near the Blake,

and we decide to walk back aimlessly around town to find somewhere new that isn’t a pub, as I really ought to have a dry day.

Ah, Malaysian food, yards from the Irish pubs of Trippet Lane. Incidentally, both lads were pubbing in Sheff the other week and (impressively) they used the Rutland, Grapes and Dog & Partridge, whose own Spice Bag is on my To Do list.

But Noodle Doodles (Fosters on draught) looked great,

and though Sheffield lacks the big arch that defines Chinatown in Manchester or Liverpool, its Asian restaurants north of West Street are crackers.

£12.50 your Nasi Lemak, a bargain in 2025.

So what did father and son talk about for an hour or two ?

Oh, upcoming trips to Lucca and the state of Sheffield hospitality, I guess. And Christmas, which despite Mrs RM and my best efforts seems to dominate the thoughts of in-laws (actual or prospective). You’ll know I’m a stickler for tradition; Wetherspoons on Christmas morning, the Blake for crisps in the afternoon.

Who knows which Spoons we’ll be in this 25th December.

I think the Crow, which James was living yards from during that COVID affected final term at Sheffield Uni, would be a good place for the festive season, particularly with the Imperial Stouts on.

With James heading home via the hill from Hell, and finding myself in a damp Sheffield with an hour before doors at my gig, I stumbled into the Crow as much for a warm and comfy seat as the 10% TIPA (TIPA ?),

and somehow found myself drinking a cask Beak of modest strength (4.5%). It’s Beak Bampa Bitter, which is a proper BBB, I guess.

The Crow is a great beer pub, a decent cask pub, but the perfect pub for heart to heart chats with mates,

and so it is I overhear a startling but unrepeatable conversation that gives the lie to the assertion on Mumsnet that men are afraid to discuss their feelings.

Perhaps they just need a pint of Torrside’s appropriately named Ragged Soul (NBSS 3.5) to loosen up.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

16 thoughts on “FATHER TO SON, HEART TO HEART”

  1. “He’d phoned to ask to catch-up, possibly to make sure I’m not investing his inheritance in Crypto,”

    (slow golf clap)

    “and it pays to keep in touch with your children, as you’ll want them to take you to the pub in later years.”

    And they pay! (since we’re retired and on a fixed income)

    “It’s already dark when I pick him up from near the Blake,”

    (looks down at pic)
    You sure you’re not where American Werewolf in London was filmed?

    “and we decide to walk back aimlessly around town to find somewhere new that isn’t a pub, as I really ought to have a dry day.”

    Oof. You definitely need to find that cottage. 🫤

    “Incidentally, both lads were pubbing in Sheff the other week and (impressively) they used the Rutland, Grapes and Dog & Partridge, whose own Spice Bag is on my To Do list.”

    Hey, if your sons go out on the town together once in a while, you and Mrs RM can take a bow.

    “But Noodle Doodles (Fosters on draught) looked great,”

    Um….

    “and though Sheffield lacks the big arch that defines Chinatown in Manchester or Liverpool”

    I thought that was a given! I’ve seen them over here in Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver, New York (natch), and even in Barkerville, BC, a town preserved from its inception in 1862:

    https://www.therebeghosts.com/barkerville-a-ghost-town-full-of-ghosts/

    (4th pic down, not including the map)

    “£12.50 your Nasi Lemak, a bargain in 2025.”

    How the word ‘bargain’ has changed over the years. 😉

    “So what did father and son talk about for an hour or two ?”

    Go on….”

    “You’ll know I’m a stickler for tradition; Wetherspoons on Christmas morning, the Blake for crisps in the afternoon.”

    You old softy you!

    “I think the Crow, which James was living yards from during that COVID affected final term at Sheffield Uni, would be a good place for the festive season, particularly with the Imperial Stouts on.”

    Imperial Stouts on Christmas Day. I could cotton on to that as a ‘tradition’.

    “and finding myself in a damp Sheffield with an hour before doors at my gig,”

    Should there be an ‘open’ between ‘doors’ and ‘at’?

    “I stumbled into the Crow as much for a warm and comfy seat as the 10% TIPA (TIPA ?),”

    I think TIPA is the ‘one up’ from DIPA.
    (i.e. triple instead of double – but does that work on an Imperial Stout?)

    “It’s Beak Bampa Bitter, which is a proper BBB, I guess.”

    Sheesh. BBB (the acronym) has its own page on Wiki by now!

    “but the perfect pub for heart to heart chats with mates,”

    So… you and James didn’t go there, because?

    “and so it is I overhear a startling but unrepeatable conversation that gives the lie to the assertion on Mumsnet that men are afraid to discuss their feelings.”

    Ah. There’s that classic RM ‘misdirection’.😉

    “Perhaps they just need a pint of Torrside’s appropriately named Ragged Soul (NBSS 3.5) to loosen up.”

    And the follow up; (slow golf clap).

    Cheers

    PS – About that ‘dry day’ you needed. 😎

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      1. It’s different indeed. We have jokes over here about ‘knock me up in the morning’, as ‘knock (someone) up’ over here means getting someone pregnant.

        I had the hell of a time ordering a popsicle over there back in the 80’s. I finally had to say frozen ice on a stick and they said the proper term was lolly.

        And don’t get me going on when I came down for breakfast one morning staying with relatives, looking haggard, and when they asked I said that I’d tossed all night (meaning tossed and turned). No one spoke to me for two hours!

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    2. You’re right, the concept of bargain has changed over the last decade, and more appreciably since COVID.

      £12.50 for a Malaysian plate is a bargain, mind.

      £15 seems minimum for comparable pub dishes like burgers, fish and chips etc. Personally I reckon quality has gone up a bit though.

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      1. “£15 seems minimum for comparable pub dishes like burgers, fish and chips etc.” but change out of a tenner in the Great Western or Codsall Station.

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      3. That £15 over here seems about right for burger and ‘fries’**, or fish and chips*** or a pizza.

        ** over here ‘crisps’ are chips and ‘chips’ are fries. 😎

        *** But for some reason ‘chips’ with fish is still ‘chips’ not ‘fries’. Go figure.

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      5. “What’s your preference, Russ, fries or chips or potato tots?”

        Tater tots if it’s breakfast; chips if it’s fish; fries for everything else.

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      7. “The Blind Monkey (my local) serves tater tots with its chicken wings on Wednesday.”

        (checks notes)
        That’s… acceptable. 😎

        Liked by 1 person

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