Another day, another celebration

Evenin

    well its not quite as dishearteningly familiar as the title may imply, but after a 5th day of Jubilee fever I am craving a more temperate physiology. Today, despite my grand plans for travelling afar and sampling delights from Derbyshire, we have been out on a nearer to home pilgrimage to the Jubilee festivities here in Sheffield.

Except, its noticable that apart from pubs making an effort, and a free music event in Western Park, absolutely nothing civic was going on at all. Not even a flag, not bunting, not a union jack painted or hoisted or even showing in any municipal space or capacity across the whole of the centre. Excuse my text parlance here, but WTF?

Those who know me well know I am not a monarchist. Never have been, never intend to jump onto the hereditary privilege boat and never cared a jot about how the Royals might continue to stamp or smear their marks on society. However, this is the diamond Jubilee. I assure you this isn't likely to happen again (and I mean any 60th year of reign, obviously not W-Liz, as the kids probably call her) in our lifetimes. So irrespective of your views, you'd surely want to have something to declare that you did on the weekend of the Jubilee? If you are pro monarchy you'd surely want something to attend, if you are anti Royal, surely your protest by absence needs an event or happening to be absent from?

Who knows what the council's reasoning is, maybe our Chartist past in Sheffield means we are eternally dissident (I realise that dissident is usually political not monarchical opposition), or maybe our socialist republic past confirms us universally anti inherited rule and suspectly acquired wealth so we have to abstain from all celebration? Either way, its a shame that the only people making an effort are individuals and pubs.

Forum

Still, that means I could shoehorn a trip to a pub or three into the legitimate celebrations of the last day of the Jubilee Holiday.  We started by taking a trip to Western Park, and having a look around the museum and the free music event, then walked towards town. A required loo stop meant a trip to the Forum (please note, we don't have to go to the Forum everytime we need to visit the lavatory. That would be silly).

Here there were two True North brewery real ales on, First Summer (I think, not tried) and First Porter, which was a really very nice drink. I had a pint of that, Chala a Peroni, then we stopped for dinner, with which I had a pint of refreshing Franziskaner wheat. There was flags and other red white and blue theming on beams inside but it was understated. Probably looked better for it.

Fat Cat

After getting to town I pointed out to Chala that we needed a further walk after dinner and sold her on the idea of a vintage red bus ride from the Cat. We walked down past Bower Spring furnace remains and arrived at a busless pub. We enquired about there being another trip (based on a lack of info on their website) and were told it would return soon and would probably go out again.

Whilst we waited I had two halves, the Spire Queen of Diamonds, a fruity and refreshing ale, and a half of the excellent Salamander Black Eyed Boy stout, whilst Chala had a half of Erdinger Dunkel.

The bus duly arrived and we went to chat to the driver and found out it would be a bit before our tour began, so I had another half, this time the Derby Brewing Co Diamond Jubilee (unless they wrote it on the board wrong, that wins a prize for the most unimaginative Jubilee beer name) which was a pleasant enough drink.

Eventually departure time arrived and we set off on a half hour tour of the city, which, if nothing else, starkly highlighted the astounding lack of any outward recognition that it was an important day. Thank God when we returned to the Fat Cat there was a nice line in mini flags strung up and a barbecue, where we filled up on beer soaking snacks. Well done to the Cat for putting on a celebration.

Shakespeares

Our last point of call, and with rather a lot less celebratory paraphanalia than the Cat, was Shakespeares, although they did have a Jubilee beer or two on. Here I had an excellent pint of the Arbor Brigstow Bitter at 4.3% and £2.60 a pint, and Chala had a half of the Fernandes Jackdaw mild, a jet black slightly strong mild at 5.0%.  I also had time for a quick half of the Cotswold Spring Ambler, which was a pleasant malty bitter but paled in comparison to the dry fruity bitterness of the Arbor.

Just a reminder by the way that the Shakespeares beer festival starts Thursday, and a quick neb at the brewery list (posted on the wall and door) shows ales from Locale breweries including two new from Blue Bee and Steel City, along with the likes of Ironbridge, Revelations, Tynebank, Llangorse, Black Hill, Arbor and many others that I didn't write down (pushed for time, sorry, indeed these are all remembered, i.e mostly, but not entirely factual!).

Make sure you go along for a pint or 6.

So, that concludes my details of a rather unusual Jubilee weekend celebration for myself, with not as many pubs as I would have preferred, but plenty of beer and celebrations to help me along.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy

Jubilee pubs

Hello,

    the Diamond Jubilee has meant bunting and flags on pubs, plus festivals and other events in pubs this weekend. Its interesting because with the unfortunate associations that people make between patriotism and bigotry, more so with the Ingurrlish flag of the Israeli Saint George, the site of bunting and Union Jacks can sometimes be a bit off putting.

Add to this the rather vexatious issue of sovereignty and the monarchy and you have quite a few weighty issues attached to the way pubs are done out during the jubilee, but personally, irrespective of my feelings about Royalty, Jubilee flags on pubs means only one thing to me - the Vine Inn, Tunstall, Stoke On Trent.

Back in 2002 Wee Fatha was collecting firkins of real ale for Del at the Hillsborough Hotel. I was accompanying him on a jaunt round Cheshire picking up some Weetwood ales or similar, and I twisted his arm to drive us to the pub in Tunstall. I didn't have Internet at home or at work back then so information was very limited, and a good part of the visit comprised of trying to find the place. Once there it was quickly apparent why I'd wanted to go, and the effort had been worth it.

With only the address to go on, we stopped somewhere near Pitts Hill to ask directions, got some to Pitts Hill, and then stopped on Pitts Hill itself to find someone who knew where Naylor Street was. Luckily they did, because its off a little side street, and you can't see the pub from the road. We inched up the street in the van and pulled up just past the tiny back street gem which is the Vine, resplendent in flags and bunting for the Silver Jubilee.

I had rang earlier in the week and had one of those conversations that you only seem to have with the owners of redoubtable old boozers. Having taken a few goes to ascertain that it was the pub, I then enquired if it would be open at the time we would be in Tunstall. "Why do you want to know" came the puzzled response. I explained that the pub was on the National Inventory and I wanted to visit but needed to know ir would be open. Further questions followed about where I was coming from, and who I worked for, before I stated that in fact, I was a customer. Silence followed, then reiteration of opening times, and the lengthy process was finished.

Arriving at the pub it was busy and we just managed to grab a seat in the tiny bar room on the right. The interior of the pub is its draw, and it still retains three separate rooms. A long corridor led to the private kitchen, where I understand, one of the old ladies who owned the pub were sat.  Down the corridor on the left was the games room, with a hatch for service opposite. On the left as you entered was the lounge.



A not very good picture of the hatch and corridor.

This was the most unspoilt room in the pub. The lounge really was just that. Tables with tablecloths and mats, net curtains, period furnishings and a lot of older ladies sat nursing delicate drams of the spirit bars finest. Its a phrase you hear a lot about unspoilt pubs, that its like walking into someones house, but this room really was. It wouldn't have looked out of place if someone had brought in a pot of tea, popped on the radio and opened a pack of biscuits.

Back in the bar there was no real ale (still is) but there was keg Double Diamond on the bar, a novelty if not entirely enjoyable beer if nothing else. Unfortunately, our stay was short, as we had to get the beer back to Hillsborough, and this coupled with how busy the pub was prevented me from taking any photo's whilst I was there. I did get one or two when I visited in 2009 though.

The Vine is an amazing example of an unchanged back street pub, and I highly recommend a visit - bunting or no bunting. And no matter whether I get to go again or not, I'll still remember how it looked decked out red white and blue in 2002.

There is a link to the CAMRA heritage pubs website page for the pub here . The photo's are far better.....

Cheers!

Wee Beefy