February 2026. Gleadless Townend. Sheffield. I suppose it’s best to accept the inevitable…in 2026 we’re just not going to get any new Victoria/Edwardian multi-room heritage pubs. But there’s an infinite number of one room shop conversion micros to be developed in otherwise underpubbed suburbs. No more so than in South Yorkshire, where recent years have… Continue reading MORE SHEFFIELD MICROS BY TRAM. THE PIG & WHISTLE, GLEADLESS
Tag: writing
A HOLT IN WEST DIDSBURY
February 2026. West Didsbury. I left Matt back at Piccadilly, no doubt to attend to housework, and added a rare Greater Manchester GBG newbie before City v Fulham. This year’s Manc ticking has been a bit of a slog, with brewery taps in Wigan and Timperley only opening weekends, craft bars not opening at all,… Continue reading A HOLT IN WEST DIDSBURY
JOINING THE DOTS IN TURIN
February 2026. Turin. And finally from Turin, a redemptive afternoon exploring the western half of the city, a half almost entirely ignored by the internet. ChatGPT had summarised the internet and listed ten (10) highlights, somehow omitting the indoor markets, both the historic fresh food hall visited by Pope John Paul, and a modern food… Continue reading JOINING THE DOTS IN TURIN
“McDonalds finally found us, and we’re folklore in Turin”
February 2026. Turin. We woke up on that first morning in Turin feeling a bit like this; I felt sorry (not sorry) for Mrs RM, who had gone pint, pint, half litre of white wine, pint of Leffe. Luckily I Reali Bed & (sort of) Breakfast had a coffee machine, but even after five espressos… Continue reading “McDonalds finally found us, and we’re folklore in Turin”
TURIN – SHROUDED IN MYSTERY
February 2026. Turin. In 1985 the New Musical Express gave a legendary review of The Jesus & Mary Chain, berating them for no longer having the energy to play the twenty minute sets, slipping into the “rockism” of hour long shows with encores. Similarly with blogging, it’s harder (for me, anyway) to write concise posts… Continue reading TURIN – SHROUDED IN MYSTERY
MAGICAL MERSEYSIDE MURK IN MOSSLEY HILL
January 2026. Liverpool. I thought I’d have a night in Liverpool before Peter the Pub Curmudgeon’s funeral 2 stops away in Widnes on Friday. Normally one hour thirty-six to get to the edge of the Pool, say Google Maps. But this was far from a normal rail journey, as I first had to push the… Continue reading MAGICAL MERSEYSIDE MURK IN MOSSLEY HILL
YOUR FRIEND IN DIFFICULT TIMES
An excellent read, as always, from Boak and Bailey about the state of the pub this week. I recommend reading this BlueSky thread; The comments reflect on the vital role of the pub as a social space, something very much on my mind this morning. I didn’t really talk about “life” in my 2025 reviews,… Continue reading YOUR FRIEND IN DIFFICULT TIMES
MRS RM SETTLES IN FOR THE BIG HASTINGS N/A BEER CRAWL
January 2026. Hastings. The end of Dryanuary for me as we hit Day 3 of 2026, but Mrs RM has ambitions to “go low” and seek out all these exciting non-alcoholic alternatives we keep reading about. Let’s focus on one street, All Saints in Hastings, historic and affluent and a good bet for folk abstaining… Continue reading MRS RM SETTLES IN FOR THE BIG HASTINGS N/A BEER CRAWL
RETIRED MARTIN’S MARVELLOUS MUSICAL MELODIES FOR 2025
Dave mentioning the brilliant Lola Young reminds me I’ve still to delight you with my Top 10 albums for 2025, so you can start playing them and get your “Spotify age” down from 64 to 24 next year. Goodness know what my actual 24 year old son’s Spotify age is, Matthew having watched Springsteen, Neil… Continue reading RETIRED MARTIN’S MARVELLOUS MUSICAL MELODIES FOR 2025
TOP 100 PUBS – NAN MOOR’S, TODMORDEN
December 2025. Todmorden. “Look after yourself” says the Old Boy in the Fox with whom I’ve bonded over 5 minutes of dissing trad media, which says a lot about the joy of pubs. My state of mind will depend largely on whether Nan Moor’s is open. Unexpectedly closed half an hour ago, I search Instagram… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – NAN MOOR’S, TODMORDEN
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