About time for a new walk, I think. Since that burst of sun on Sunday it’s been a bit dour here in Sheffield, enlived only by the discovery of that Han Solo spoiler (top) down by the Premier Store. In truth, any news about Star Trek would be a spoiler as I haven’t watched any… Continue reading I NEED BINOCULARS, ON TOP OF FOX HILL
D & G – DEAD GOOD
Never look back, always forward. Unless, of course, you’re looking back a year to see where RetiredMartin was, just before the pandemic ruined our ticking plans. Russ was taking a sabbatical from reading my blog so he may enjoy this one. My last big unencumbered tickathon took me to Dumfries & Galloway, 10 miles and… Continue reading D & G – DEAD GOOD
GUESS THE BASS PUB
Back to Guess the Pub, and a real Bass classic, with some of the biggest sales of the amber nectar anywhere. Where am I ? Well, there’s a lot of weird stuff, and a lot of lil ol’ England in a city known for utopian ideas. They take their substantial meals seriously here; And show… Continue reading GUESS THE BASS PUB
TOTTING UP TORRIDGE
A major news day as Wetherspoons announce the re-opening of half of their pubs on the Glorious 12th. No, I didn’t know there were that many Spoons beer gardens, either. Closer to home, I’m counting down the seconds to a 4pm announcement about the plans at The Blind Monkey, 57 seconds walk away. March seems… Continue reading TOTTING UP TORRIDGE
DREAMING OF DUNDEE
I’ve been tentatively planning some travels by rail after May. Despite moving north, a non-stop journey to Dundee is still 5:09 hours (and £143.30 off-peak*, which would buy you a month in Southport Pontins). I need to go back to visit this keg classic, normally home to University of Stirling researchers camped out awaiting boisterous… Continue reading DREAMING OF DUNDEE
SHE’S GONE
Had you worried for a second, didn’t I ? Actually Mrs RM would probably have entered the divorce mode normally reserved for an argument in IKEA if I’d forced her to pop in Sheffield’s Queens Hotel for a pint of Wards. Closed for 24 years before being demolished, without fanfare, this year. Why did no-one… Continue reading SHE’S GONE
GUESS THE ESTATE PUB
Today’s much-anticipated Guess the Pub comes from a table-topping town where you’ll see a lot of this; Two Wetherspoons, one of them a hotel so you can bideawhile amidst its many charms. If you’re bored of stylish clocks (and an award-winning) skate park, just up the road is this haunted church, visited nightly by the… Continue reading GUESS THE ESTATE PUB
HERE COMES THE SUMMER
“Stop depressing us with pictures of burnt-out pubs on Sheffield industrial estates” writes A. Reader from Tonbridge (not Wells), at a stroke limiting my blogging blogging material by half. I’m tempted to bring you daily updates from our garden, which will at least please the cat-lovers amongst you (c. 99.2% of you). Sunday saw temperatures… Continue reading HERE COMES THE SUMMER
CHELTENHAM, BUT NOT AT THE RACES
It’s like deja vu all over again. Scare stories about Brazilians in South Gloucestershire putting my return to pubs at risk, a year after a lot of fuss about Cheltenham Festival taking place just as Covid cases started to spike. I was in the area a year ago, listening to some over confident Yorkies celebrating… Continue reading CHELTENHAM, BUT NOT AT THE RACES
FEBRUARY ’21 STOCKTAKE. TOWARDS THE FINISHING LINE.
I was going to do a post called “A Sceptical Rat”*, describing our futile attempts to rid our garden of an alleged infestation reported by our neighbour, the small concern noted the other day. James laid the trap, I complained about cruelty to God’s creatures, we set foot in our garden for the very first… Continue reading FEBRUARY ’21 STOCKTAKE. TOWARDS THE FINISHING LINE.
