December 2025. Sheffield.
Back in Sheffield on Black Eye Friday with just enough time to put the laundry on, open the Christmas cards that will never be reciprocated, and make the sort of arrangements that on Mumsnet would take 3 months.
“Fancy a pint Will“.
“OK. Bath at 2:30 ish.”
“See you there“.
As Joe Jackson famously observed, it’s different for girls.
I hadn’t been to the Bath, a GBG perennial and pretty much Will’s local, for at least a year.
An architectural classic, with the best welcome from Brian and quality Barnsley Bitter.
“But what’s this, Brian, gone gastro ?”.
Not quite, though table reservations to enjoy the Black Eye Friday festivities are a divisive topic.
It’s the modern curse of the popular pub in a university town to see tables booked for quizzes and the like.
OK, you’re free to sit at a table until the reservation kicks in, but it’s a slippery slope that leads to tasters.
But that’s a quibble, the seating and calm of the Bath is a delight,
and Will and I discuss the glut of NBSS 4.5s and the meaning of viscosity, which is a word I will attempt to use at every opportunity.
retiredmartin 
OK, we’ll start a whip round for your birthday present for next year.
https://hydramotion.com/en/products/viscolite
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That’s more expensive than a pint of Bass, Scott. At least as of now.
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OK then, we can get him a couple of Spoons vouchers instead.
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Will is a very lucky man to have that as his local. Really beautiful. We missed it on our quick Sheffield visit. Too much time on Kelham Island which really can’t count as a mistake.
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No, don’t regret that !
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I enjoyed my visit Dave, back in May 2022. It was busier that day, than in Martin’s recent photo, but time of year, and all that.
From memory, Will and I arrived by tram, having left Martin temporarily, at the Wellington – another fine pub. https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/some-classic-pubs-in-steel-city.html
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Those were the fabulous spots we spent our time. What a pub town.
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I like the look of the hotel. I had to look as was curious how many guest rooms due to the look of the exterior – none. Confusing name. And yes, love the male approach to an event, just go out, no faffing.
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Lana, but Hotel suggested being more respectable than just a public house. For this reason the Sedgley pub on page 174 of your new book was built around 1851 with one or two letting tooms hence it being known as the the Beacon Hotel although its really always been a pub. My wife lived very nearby from 1964 and I proposed to her in the pub 34 years ago this Christmas. The 8% Snowflake brewed behind the pub each December was drinking well last Saturday.
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Viscosity? Thickness. (There’s plenty of it about.)
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Yes Etu, thick heads from too many tight sparklers.
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Quite, Paul.
It seems that many pubs don’t offer the option to customers for a looser one, nor the scope to their staff to offer it either, no matter what the customer says…
…and in spite of the fact that it would save on beer wastage too.
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As would an autovac. Mmmm.
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As would gathering up the slops and tipping them into the Autovac trough too, though of course no one would be so reprehensible, would they?
As I say, having seen bar staff come straight from fussing over and hand feeding treats to several several dogs only to plunge their hands into the beer in the Autovac tray to remove a “blockage” (“something” had fallen in) I personally wouldn’t count on that.
But hey, Health And Safety’s gone mad, hasn’t it?
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You’re spot on there, Etu.
Bit of a spoiler, but coming soon will be Mrs RM dropping a freshly baked sausage roll on Rye platform, recovering it as I count 10 seconds, and eating it.
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