Alstonefield to Bargate crawl

Afternoon there,

      as is a regular occurrence, have been out with Mr G for an evening drive in Derbyshire and Staffordshire again - sadly Mr G got stuck in traffic travelling from Manchester so  did not pick me up until about 1800 but using his ever reliable sat nav we trailed through the peaks to our first stop at the George, Alstonfield.

I have to admit that I only glanced at the Whatpub page of the same so knew it would be open when we arrived - sadly, not as a pub, instead a restaurant. Stumbling in through the darkness we went through the door to the bar to be asked if we had booked a table - whilst viewing the cloth covered handpumps I explained we had come for a pint - and was told they hadn't been a pub for two years! We were told to head for the Watts Russel at the top of Hopedale which is where we were headed anyway. By now Mr G was ready for a drink....

Soon we pulled up at the Watts Russel - for only my second visit. They had Thornbridge Jaipur and Lord Marples on cftp along with a guest, so Mr G had a half of the Lord Marples and myself two pints of Jaipur - I was thirsty by that stage too! The pub was filled mainly with diners but we got a seat each and enjoyed our refreshments.

Next we used the Sat Nav to take us to the nearby Old Dog at Thorpe - a pub I have tried to go in twice previously, both times finding it closed. Sadly, nothing has changed it seems - the sign stated "temporarily closed". We carried on it to Ilam and headed out to Ashbourne to refuel. We didn't find a petrol station but we did make it to the Queens Vaults.

Two pints on cask (from the past ) and a few national keg brands and I had a pint of each with Mr G on soft drinks. King George's bitter at 4% from littleover Brewery and a pint of Peakstones Rock Wayman's Milk Stout at 5.4% were enjoyed whilst observing the quiter Thursday city centre shenanigans in Ashbourne!

Into Belper next to refuel, and a first ever visit to Angels Micropub off the market square. In here Mr G was back onto soft drinks and I had a pint of Nice Weather from Dancing Duck, whilst we enjoyed a pork pie each and fussed a lovely dog sat next to us.

Our final stop was not far away - the White Hart at Bargate. Only my second visit here and I had one pint - in two halves - of Shiny DIPA, - perhaps called Praise the Sun? Delicious at 8% on keg from the future, although am a little disappointed to have to have it it two halves!

Once more Mr G was very efficient at reaching all the pubs - including those closed - and even though it took him so long to drive to pick me up am glad to say that he got home in good time and a good state! Its grim new about the George, I have to admit, but sadly a kot changed in the loackdowns and this is another example. The Old Dog appeared to sell a good range but hopefully that will reopen again soon - and I may make my first ever visit!

The very best of health

Wee Beefy  

Three Stags Heads Wardlow Mires

Hello,

       a couple of Sundays ago I was out with Tash, and Wee Fatha for post birthday celebrations. We met him at the Abbey after 12.00 and drove over to Ashford in the Water for a snack and hot drinks in a Tea room. From here we drove up to Monsal Head, through Wardlow and the long closed Bulls Head, and into the Car Park opposite the Three Stags.

I first went to the Three Stags Heads with Wee Fatha in 1994. We did a tour of GBG pubs in Derbyshire and finished there for a pint of Hoskins and Oldfield, this being before Abbeydale Brewery started. The pub was, as far as I can remember, exactly as it is now. Except there is a young bloke behind the bar,  whose name I can never remember(Robbie?), and his Missus, along with Geoff and Pat, and the dogs are all new in the intervening 22 years....

My next visit was with CAMRA when I was a member so still last century and they opened the room on the left for a massive spread - am guessing a pub of the month award. It was incredibly rammed, something that also hasn't changed, and I remember having a pint of Black Lurcher, the Abbeydale strong blend dark ale, which used to, and may stil be, 7.2%. Since then I have been in numerous times, most notably four or five with Tash. We had a proper good Saturday session in there on our first ever weekend away. Its fair to say I have been a trifle refreshed on more than one occasion. We have also eaten there, and the food is exceptional.

Don't go to the Three Sags Head if you don't like dogs. There are and always have been, numerous of them sat on chairs, sometimes venturing onto the tables, and sitting on the floor in front of the fire. Customers bring their own, and the lurchers or maybe whippets or others in the pub are well trained, even if they do, understandably bark, at strange hounds. The pub used to have two or three huge black lurchers who often took up the seat on the left by the bar, and when we were in earlier this month one of the snaller dogs got on the table and started drinking Tash's beer. She didn't mind, the dog seemed to like it (only a little bit was had) and the beer was replaced.

On my last four or five visits i have always drunk Abbeydale Absolution. A gloriously easy drinking 5.3% Sheffield brewed pale, in case you have been living in a cave for the last 20 years. Its not session strength but is always well kept and is very good (and easy) to have several pints of. That was true on this occasion, as I finished my third pint as the lights came on, after it had become almost dark except for the fire.

I understand the pub opens three days a week only - Friday from 18.00, and all day Saturday and Sunday. Its rumoured that he sells more real ale in those three sessions than most of the local pubs do in a week - I have never had less then two pints when I have gone in and most other drinkers follow suit so I imagine this could be true. There is cider, and there are some bottled beers as well, which may include a fruit beer and a lager - but I might have dreampt that. And please be aware that mobile phones that go off or make noise are very much frowned upon, so please respect the opinions of regulars and staff alike and turn yours off before entering....

It was good to see Geoff and Pat and the others and once again become immersed in an beautiful  traditional pub atmosphere with real fires, real ale, real opinions and great atmosphere. Very much a no nonsense boozer. And despite and because of his recent ill health, I wish Geoff, Pat, possibly Robbie and Mrs possibly Robbie, the very best for the future. Lets hope they spend many more years at the helm of this wonderful pub.

Cheers

Wee Beefy  

A new Sheffield pub, and old favourites

Hullurr

          I am. as usual, about a month late with this announcement, but I would like to tell you about a new venue that has opened on West Street. Despite their Facebook page map showing Chesterfield or elsewhere in Derbyshire, the West Street Ale House is based on West Street. In Sheffield. Right at the bottom near the corner of Holly Street, round the corner from the horror of Maggie Mays.

It inhabits the remnants of the Icons nightclub, which I am willing to admit I visited - I only noticed on my way out that they had a handpump at the end of the bar. Now there are four or five handpumps (these are just numbers) and six or seven or so keg lines, four of which, or less, or more, are guest lines. Rigorous research there.

They have some of their cask lines tied to Coors so are restricted to what guests they can sell on those, but I think this may be looked into. They also sell a wonderful range of bottles including many from Hitachino Nest the Japanese brewery. The last few times I have visited I have had a bottle of their Red Rice Ale, a glorious red rye amber ale with bags of flavour.

Other regular features are guests from Adnams, so I had Ghost Ship which is a very pleasant hoppy ale, and the superb Torpedo strong pale from Sierra Nevada on keg. This is my go to pint, at somewhere around 7%. Guest cask and kegs change regularly, with the excellent Brew Foundation Hops and Dreams being a very refreshing, and well balanced ale. The bar is owned by the American guy called Adrian, or indeed,one of thousands of other potential male human names. who is involved with the  Cremorne and the former Hermitage on London Road.

The other pubs I wanted to mention are two I visited last week, so ths is much more up to date. The Cow and Calf on Skew Hill Lane in Grenoside is a traditional Sam Smiths pub selling their single real ale, a range of kegs and their bottles - as we said last time, alas not the excellent Yorkshire Stingo which I had at Christmas. On this visit to Mumrah's nearby I only visited once, but enjoyed a pint and a half sat on a tiny chair with a table next to the fireplace in the bar. Its interesting to see the sort of people who come in to drink in an afternoon, and enjoyable to sup a beer at £1.80 a pint. Long may their success continue.

Finally, I must mention the Railway at Wadsley bridge. A fine, largely unspoilt but extended boozer on Halifax road where it stops being Penistone Road. We were in there late afternoon and the pub was quiet, with sun streaming in through the windows and comfy seating in the room to the right as you enter, with a lovely old fireplace. There was a group of older gents in when we arrived but when we went to sit down they had left, as it took us a while to get our beers. The Bradfield Blonde ran out whilst the guy was pouring our second pint. He went down to the cellar but announced what we had was all ere was, so I had a pint of that and a free third, and Tash had a pint of the Brown Cow.

We sat in the same spot for over an hour, identifying the sightly eclectic mix of tracks playing in the background, warmed by the sunshine, and happy, relaxed and calm, watching people come and go. We had enough funds for a further pint, and shared this and thoroughly enjoyed our visit.  Am guessing the pub is still run by Jean, and am sure I know Ian the barman from somewhere, but I haven't seen Jean on my last two visits. Whether it is or it isn't, well doe to the owners for saving and revitalising this pub.

So, there you have it - for every new pub that opens in Sheffield there are still two old unspoilt boozers to also visit. Maybe, Sheffield really is the real ale (and excellent pub) capital of the UK.

Your very good health

Wee Beefy  

The Cobden View and the White Lion

Hello readers,

        firstly, I would like to say that I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas, and to wish you a very merry new year, and a prosperous 2016. I was lucky enough to wake up on Christmas Day in the arms of Tash for the first time, and spent the day with her, then the Wee men at Wee Fatha's. Before all that however, blogging was temporarily suspended due to imbibing. Over the next few days, I hope to recall some of that.

On Saturday 19th December I met Wee's Fatha and Keefy, Mumrah and Martin and Matty and Tash at Crosspool for our Christmas meal out. Afterwards we went to the Punch Bowl and then were heading off to the Closed Shop and Hallamshire House to finish. More details of the first two pubs will follow. En route to School Road we were on Cobden View Road and Tash had a pressing need. Since it wasn't too late I agreed we popped in the Cobden View for a half and an obviate. In the end, we stayed all night.

The Cobden View, or the Cobden as its usually known, to me at least, is a back street boozer. Its on Cobden View Road, with houses or flats on either side and the back of Western Road houses overlooking it - there is even a jennel from the beer garden to Western Road. I first went in when I was seventeen - I used to drink Newcastle Brown in bottles, and bought and poured one hastily, causing it to be half head. Being so young, I mistakenly thought this was a Southern head, and went to see some such folks from Church (I know...) and loudly laughed at them and it. I made myself look like a tit to be honest. That never, luckily, stopped me going in.

Matty had never been in the Cobden. I told him, in a casual but believable sounding Beefy lie, that it was named after the industrialist Richard Cobden, as opposed to the guy who had a short-lived brewery and Nightclub in Stockport in the nineties. To my surprise, I found a poster in the loos confirming this was (virtually) the case. Richard Cobden was a commercial traveler then businessman, setting up near Clitheroe and then in Manchester a Calico printing factory. He later became a member of the Anti Corn Law league and a peace campaigner and campaigned for Free Trade, described as the "greatest classical-liberal thinker of International affairs". He wasn't just an industrialist, in fact his views meant he wasn't at all. Its nice to make up something which is virtually true however...!

We had halves of Belgian Blue for Tash, Hobgoblin for Matty and Copper Dragon Best for me. We sat in the room on the left and noticed a huge jug of mulled wine was nearby with mince pies. When I returned from the loo Matty and Tash were tucking into roast chestnuts. I've never had them, so joined in. The occasion? The 150th anniversary of the licensing of the Cobden View in 1865 (originally as the Cobden Tavern). There were carol singers, who sing only in pubs on request (and the woman singer leading had an incredible voice), a huge pot of stew, and regulars and newcomers alike.

We talked to the managers Andrew and Laura (am not sure, sorry!) who was a university student from Stoke. They were keen on promoting the pub and making it an inclusive part of the community - in my opinion this has been pulled off perfectly. There is an excellent mix of local students and local born residents, a former boxer who is unsteady on his feet who collects the glasses, friendly bar staff and a proper community spirit. We had stew and mulled wine and mince pies (we were encouraged to!) and carried on drinking pints of Farmers Belgian Blue and Blonde, and chatted to other punters.

One of the most amazing things about the night was that I went to the bar to ask if I could pay on card, telling the man serving me, who may have been called Chris (sorry!) that I needed the change for the taxi. "Where you going to?" he asked. "Handsworth via Arbourthorne " I replied. He said it would be fine to take us - even though, when I asked him where he lived he said it was just round the corner. When we pressed him for an explanation later he said " well, just think of it as a Christmas present". What a lovely kind gesture that was. His generosity nicely summed up the spirit of the pub and the friendliness we had been shown. For more information and news, here is a link to their Facebook page .

A short mention next about the White Lion on London Road Heeley bottom. Its short because I was only in shortly the other day. It is no lesser a pub!

Earlier this year the pub was taken over by my friends Jon and Mandy. I was surprised to say the least, because even though they were long time regulars in there, I didn't think either of them had any experience of running a pub. Going in soon after they opened, I found out this was the case. Despite that, more than 6 months on they are still there, making money, showcasing live music and have put their own individual stamp on a pub which had become a little predictable in its beer range prior to them taking over.

Initially Jon told me that he wanted to introduce his own prices as he felt the current were too high, and to make changes to the beer range. The first few times we came in that hadn't been possible, and it took a fortnight to get a card machine, but one thing that shone though was the quality of the beer - I understand the cellar is immaculately clean. However, other than seeing him run a bar at Tramlines (selling excellent Wild and Siren beer) I don't think I've been in the pub since.

On Wednesday I was up at Manhattan's Motorcycles buying a present and popped in the Sheaf View for a half of Geeves fully laden IPA - on my way to Davefromtshop's shop, I decided to pop in - and found that as promised, the prices were much reduced, and the beer range was incredible. As I was pushed for time I only tried a half - of Waen Snowball, a 7.0% chocolate, coconut and vanilla porter - a bargain, given its strength, at £3.50 a pint. Other beers on offer included Dancing Duck Hoppy Christmas, a beer from Coastal, one from XT and many more. For more info, see their Facebook page here.

Its great to see the changes that Jon and Mandy have introduced, and I wish them all the very best. I will have to start adding this to my Brothers and Sheaf View crawl from now on. Once again, Sheffield presents two excellent community pubs hosting live music, and selling excellent real ale at sensible prices. God bless the Steel City!

Cheers


Wee Beefy