The big news in Sheffield tonight is the announcement of the closure of the John Lewis store. I’m heartbroken; In 1982 I bought a Technics midi-system from John Lewis (aka Robert Sayle,Cambridge) for £295 and obviously NO shop you remember from your youth should EVER be allowed to close (see also : Woolworths, Parrot Records,… Continue reading A DARING DASH FROM DARNALL
TO THE MANOR BORN
Back to the local Sheffield walks (no further than 5 miles, honest Guv), with a walk round the ill-defined area known as Manor, which may or may not be a similar estate to Manor in Newcastle. Someone will know. My objective is to visit ALL the Sheffield pubs externally before the 12th and compile a… Continue reading TO THE MANOR BORN
HOI POLLOI
Mrs RM is getting a bit nervous about the 12th April. You might assume that’s because of her impending root canal treatment, but actually she’s worried I’m not going to get my pint of Doom Bar on the glorious return to pub gardens. Her phone keeps pinging as her Facebook group reveals the latest conspiracy… Continue reading HOI POLLOI
STAY AT HOME
No, not THAT home. No, NOT Ireland. Or the Isle of Man. But the rest of our wonderful (dis)United Kingdom will soon be yours. But that’s not good enough for the readers of Blue Moon, who are desperate to leave these shores, and aghast at the thought of a foreign travel ban. As I often… Continue reading STAY AT HOME
GUESS THE PUB GOES FOR A BASS TASTER
Yes, a lovely looking pub, but tasters ? For Bass ? Perhaps the most obscure clue ever to the location of our mystery pub; My second Superman clue in a week, fact fans. It’s twinned with a French coal mining town whose Wiki entries claims “an extremely old tree” as a place of interest. At… Continue reading GUESS THE PUB GOES FOR A BASS TASTER
MY ROLE IN THE B & Q BOOM
The first rule of blogging; if you can’t be interesting be topical. Before this year I thought B & Q were an ’80s post-soul (?) group whose Number 40 single from July of 1985* cost me 10p a few months later in Parrot Records of Cambridge. I was wrong. They’re a money-making machine that have… Continue reading MY ROLE IN THE B & Q BOOM
THE CIRCUS AND THE “BEAR”
Only THREE MORE WEEKS, folks ! Where will you be on the Glorious 12th ? I’m still planning, but my best bet of an actual tick (new GBG pub) appears to be in Clay Cross. It may be 75 minutes seems a long way for a half of Jaipur under an umbrella in the Derbyshire… Continue reading THE CIRCUS AND THE “BEAR”
ON A DEEPCAR TIP
I just had a chat to Matthew about the important things in life, like barbering and blogging. Matt has 3 weeks before he can start clipping again (join the queue), and is filling time in a clothing warehouse near the Etihad. I’m oddly proud. “What are you finding to blog about ?” he asked. “Oh,… Continue reading ON A DEEPCAR TIP
GUESS THE PUB GOES UNCONVENTIONAL
Welcome to the nerve centre of RetiredMartin.com, where I’ve given in to that exciting bottle of Belgian “Fruitage” tonight while I give you a late night Guess the Unconventional Pub. Etu or Lorenzo will have it already, JRC will identify it from the drone pictures, Not much to tell you about the location; there’s no… Continue reading GUESS THE PUB GOES UNCONVENTIONAL
WEEPING AT THE BEAUTY OF IT ALL…
It’s a year since the pubs closed, as Mudgie reminded us this morning. I’d already called it a day by then, though some made hay on that final Friday before the table service and barbed wire at the bar ruined pub going for ever. Those first days of Lockdown were scary and unsettling, and not… Continue reading WEEPING AT THE BEAUTY OF IT ALL…
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