retiredmartin

October 2026. Derby.

Rushing out of the Tiny Tap to avoid the strains of the debut Duran Duran single I find myself at the Darley bus stop with a (late) bus called either 9.1 the nines, 6X the sixes or the comet approaching.

I try to pay on my phone. It fails, the driver taps their fingers in a display of irritation, I fumble for my plastic card, which works first time. And you wonder why I walk rather than take buses.

£3 for a six minute trip back to Corporation Street,

and a decision about a second pub before the slog back to the station.

I really should have stayed in Darley, crossed the footbridge to the Abbey and brought you an outside shot of the Sam Smiths pub. Perhaps I’ll go back when Sam’s let me use my phone again.

Central Derby looked bright and busy,

with some folk about to abseil down the cathedral.

You’ll be able to abseil down from the roof of the Etihad soon, possibly during a National League game.

I mentioned the Spoons is now the only truly central Beer Guide pub, but in fairness GBG perennial the Flowerpot is pretty close,

literally where the ring road and the centre join.

An overdue revisit, first in 20 years I reckon, and for folk who care about this sort of thing it has a classic cask line-up.

Oakham, Whim, Lenton Lane, Bass…

It’s not the cosiest of pubs if I’m honest,

a lot of the trade comes for a famed live music programme that looks a bit cover-heavy on the posters,

but a lot of the original legends have played here.

It’s a cool, tasty, pint of Bass, though in truth more 3.5 than 4, and I struggle to remember the last time Bass really impressed in Derby.

But it’s a characterful pub, the Rams memorabilia a highlight,

though it’s the political discourse on the next table that’s the winner. They don’t like ANY of them.

“If you own a labrador and drink real ale you’re a racist”

etc etc etc etc etc