My Quiz question for Castle Donington was, of course, Nikita Khrushchev, who opened the power station at short notice when “H” from Steps became unavailable. Just over the border in Derbyshire is the large canalside village of Sawley, where no doubt Nikita stopped for a cob and pint of Pedigree back in 1956, though those records have… Continue reading PEDIGREE & A COB IN SAWLEY
Tag: Derbyshire
MANIFOLD CONTRASTS
Nowadays children at Cottenham Village College get to go to China, Berlin and Peterborough for their expensive research trips into modern beer production. Back in ’78 it was Ilam Hall or nothing. I remember the highlight was being allowed to stay up to watch the Home International highlights with teachers well beyond 10pm. I presume it’s… Continue reading MANIFOLD CONTRASTS
BUXTON ALE STOP
You’ve probably deduced by now that I don’t jump for joy at the prospect of even more micropubs in the Beer Guide. Despite decent beer quality, keen pricing and plenty of banter, they rarely produce the variety of custom, and atmosphere, of a great English pub. And many of them look exactly the same. Buxton’s Ale Stop is… Continue reading BUXTON ALE STOP
DONINGTON AFTER OZZY
I knew I should have sneeked out of Download Festival in June to try a bit more of Castle Donington, but our nanny-state authorities take a dim view on child abandonment in muddy fields. The main employment in the town remains the reclamation of bodies from the Download mud, of course, which is a useful… Continue reading DONINGTON AFTER OZZY
MORE GBG ADDRESS FUN IN SMISBY
A pleasing number of new entries in industrial Derbyshire this year, and a rare visit to Ashby-de-la-Zouch, one of the great town names. Ashby hasn’t had a Beer Guide entry in my beery lifetime, so I’m amazed they’ve allowed Smisby to claim the Smisby Tap. Despite the name, it’s closer to Ashby (if you walk… Continue reading MORE GBG ADDRESS FUN IN SMISBY
SUBURBAN CHESTERFIELD
Unlike Ilkeston, Chesterfield does have a decently placed railway station. The new Guide pubs, Chesterfield Ale House apart, are on the edge of town though. In fact, they’re now listed under the suburbs of Brampton and Whittington Moor, the sort of movement which tends to confuse GBG completists like me. That’s my big issue for the Revitalisation… Continue reading SUBURBAN CHESTERFIELD
BELPER STICKS TO THE KNITTING
On to Belper, where I was devastated to have just missed the knitting festival, as a tree’s right to wear clothes is one of my main concerns. I found out from the cheerful barista in Costa that every week in Belper has some sort of weird activity most weeks these days. It’s almost as if… Continue reading BELPER STICKS TO THE KNITTING
ON ILKESTON’S MORES, M’DUCK
The mining towns of east Derbyshire have had a hard time, but the reclaimed countryside makes great walking, and a relatively high demand for real ale helps maintain some excellent pubs. Ilkeston, despite it’s proximity to the M1, has always felt particularly cut-off from the world, and being the largest town in Britain without a… Continue reading ON ILKESTON’S MORES, M’DUCK
ANOTHER CHESTERFIELD CLASSIC
They may have a different view in Mansfield, of course, but Chesterfield really is one of the great small towns. Quirky, compact, cheap, great walks and (occasional) county cricket. Sadly, despite the sterling efforts of local CAMRA, it will never compete with Sheffield for pub tourists, but pound for pound it’s even better. And of course… Continue reading ANOTHER CHESTERFIELD CLASSIC
BUXTON’S TAP
Perhaps strangely, I prefer driving Mrs RM to drink rather than the other way round. Since she reads this, I’ll stop there. We had lunch at Buxton Brewery’s Tap, a place I’d wanted to visit for some time. Their apparent lack of commitment to cask has upset some, but they’ve produced some of my favourite bottled… Continue reading BUXTON’S TAP
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