retiredmartin

July 2026. Chesterfield.

One more trip to write up and then I’ll do that July highlights post you’re all clamouring for.

Mrs RM’s ongoing rehabilitation had meant a postponement of our Big (but largely sober) Trip to Chesterfield with Blackpool Jane, so I popped there myself last Thursday to explore the no/low scene, and to test the hypothesis that the crooked spire isn’t really crooked, it’s an optical solution.

£3.95 return and only 15 minutes from Sheff, it’s perhaps surprising I don’t visit more. It’s certainly a well-pubbed town,

even if most of those pubs are along a 2 mile route from the station to Brampton.

First things first, the approach into town along Corporation has been splendidly “tarted up” (technical term), rather like Sheffield’s Fargate.

This is an attractive town, though once you’ve done the pub crawl, gazed at the spire and bought Bakewell tarts on the cobbled market you might find you’ve exhaused the sights quite quickly*.

A surprising number of clubs for a town of 76,402, places like the Waikiki Beach Bar drawing youngsters to Chesvegas from the neighbouring mining towns.

I’ve been to Waikiki Beach and it didn’t look like that.

I had no plan, bar finding evidence of the non-alcoholic scene, so went in the first open pub I saw.

The Rutland Arms was the first pub we’d visited on the legendary “Inaugural Pub Tickers AGM“, and back then it was a pub on its downers, out of the GBG though cheap and welcoming.

Well, it was back to its best today, a minor symphony in brown attracting a decent mid-afternoon custom, mostly drawn by a solid cask range.

with some low ABV options for Blackpool Jane when she makes that trip.

The chap in front orders Ossett “Excelcius”, I say “What ‘ee had, please“, he says “Good choice” etc.

“Cool and soft and lovely” say my notes, which I think means “4 – VERY GOOD” for the Ossett though I guess it could be code.

Pub Curmudeon would appreciate the quiet charm of the Rutland, the baneter at the bar, and the ’70s rock soundtrack. “I Surrender“, “Werewolves of London” and this one;

Doesn’t “Werewolves of London” sound like “Sweet Home Alabama” ?

No ? Suit yourself.

*_{New museum and theatre “1435” opening later this year}