Wee Beefy's Tuesday tipples

Salutations

    in the last week there has been a payday and many reasons to celebrate. So, I am afraid I have to admit, I have spent quite a few occasions in the last 7 days partaking of a fine and tasty beverage in a good pub. Here are some details of my excursion into Tuesday temulency.

Gardeners Rest

Myself and Mr P started our evening in the Gardeners Rest. The river level had mercifully dropped by now, and I wondered whether the extensive work done towards Lady's Bridge which included dredging the river bed had kept the pub dry in the last fortnight of horrific inundation. Luckily all was fine.

There were quite a few people in for a Tuesday, and a good selection of beers to choose from. I started with a pint of the Reedley Hallows Old Laund Bitter, 3.6% and Mr P the Scarborough Moody's Mild at 4.1. Reedley Hallows is perhaps the best name of any of the current crop of Microbreweries, so I was drawn to it right away, but also because it was quite a low gravity beer to start on. Its based in Burnley and has some link to Moorhouses. The beer was very much of its locale, but still had quite a bit of flavour, if not a tremendous amount of hops.

For our second pint we swapped beers and I got to taste the Moody's Mild, which was a dry and bitter drink, perfectly black and likewise very drinkable. I also had time to have a half of the Sheffield Brewing Co Chocolate Cascade, perhaps suffering slightly from being named after a euphemism, but tasting very nice despite its sweet dairy ingredient. Overall a very good quota of ales.

Ship

Off next to Shalesmoor and the Ship where there were 3 real ales on as usual. Mr P had a pint of the Abbeydale Daily Bread and me the excellent Spire Coal Porter.

We had a goodly time in here sat down trying to decipher how Mr P had managed to change his smart new phone's language setting to Greek, and supping the beer. All too quickly I had finished the Porter but unfortunately so had it - luckily I was able to fit in a half of the excellent Dark Side of the Moon from Spire which replaced it. Another excellent session in the Ship.

Wellington

Myself and Mr P parted ways here as I headed off West Street way under the flimsy premise of seeing if the Bath was yet reopened. I missed a tram so decided that the only solution, rather than wait for my next one, was to go in the Cask and Welly for a half.

This time I triumphed in having one of their beers, only to not chuffing write down what it was - it was about 4.2 to 4.5% and was stronger than, erm , another of theirs (and was a very enjoyable tipple). Whilst in here I was pleased to bump into a few people I have known for years, such as Dave S and Mark and Wendy. It was great to catch up, albeit briefly. 

The Old 54

I jumped off the tram at the University stop and headed down to the Bath to see if it was open, but as we all now know it wasn't, though teasingly the lights were on. So I popped in Betty's for a fishcake butty (my evening meal) before heading up to Harrisons 1854.  Here the Deception was back on form so I had  a pint or two of that and caught up with Barraharri before I made the rash decision to go and get some late tipples at Dada.

Dada

The pub was quite empty but there were a couple of blokes at the bar enjoying a pint and a discussion with James who runs the place. I had a pint of the Thornbridge Pica Pica and soon got into discussing, quite pertinently, Thornbridge Brewery (a popular recent subject of mine) and beers. Seeing that last orders had passed and that we were in the mood for further "ale hard talk(?!) and beer we headed up to The Wick at Both Ends for a late one. In here I am certain that I had a Thornbridge beer but I didn't note it down and also made sure I made it last so as to reduce the impact on me for the next day, before escaping home in a taxi.

This was a good Tuesday crawl featuring some great beers, and was the ideal warm up to a week of reckless excess and rejoicing, the details of which will be coming over the next couple of days.

Wee Beefy

Rutland Arms mini wall of cider 2012.

Hello again,

     Starting on Friday 4th May and running until today (assuming they have some left) the Rutland Arms mini wall of cider was the chance to try a range of ciders from a number of UK producers, including some oop ere in the North, some with fruit infused in them, and a range of perries.

With help and assistance from Big Andy the list was pretty good, and I managed to get in Saturday day during my football result ignoring project, and tried a goodly selection. Producers included Westons, Tutts Clump, Udders, Orchard Pig, Hewitts, Springherne, to name but a few. There was also a selection of cask aged ciders, which I was wary of based on them all being a little stronger.

Bolstered by a lovely pint of Springhead Bit O Black and one of the FINEST bacon sandwiches I have ever had, I was ready to take on the task at hand.....

As a former Sheffield beer festival cider bar volunteer I have a penchant for a mix. Not of cider and beer, that would be mental (erm, in the same glass, since i started on beer), but of two or three ciders in a glass. Alas the Rutland had not prepared a range of pre-mixed ciders to best represent the myriad of sweet, tangy, sour, ultra dry, cheesy, fruity, sweaty, bitter and pastry (I kid ye not) flavours, so I opted to attempt this myself.

Ably assisted by Paurltous and Stuart I was able to taste a few of those on offer and come up with a decent mix or two along the way. The Rutland actually deserve a lot of credit, firstly for putting em all on at the same price, and also, for putting up with me.

The three best combinations I discovered were Tutts Clump and Springherne medium, Malvern Magic and Millwhites Vintage, and Newtons Draught cider with Orchard Pig Philosopher. There was no real science involved, this was just a mix of sweet to medium with the drier and ultimately more frighteningg ciders. And also, so as not to take the piss, I couldn't very well have tried all of them, so you had or indeed may still have, the opportunity to think of a better combo (please note, I hope that nice gentleman who runs the Rutland is OK with this, I haven't asked his permission to promote my cider mixing plan, so if you decided to try it, you didn't hear it from me....)

I would love to have had the opportunity to get back and try some more but this has been a packed week of celebrations so the above was my only visit. I'll just have to make a date for visiting next year.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy

Wee Beefy's May Bank Holiday trip out

Afternoon,

 alas the above title makes this seem like I am 9 years old, and have been to the beach with a bucket and spade and a worry free unembittered cloud of relentless optimism bubbling above my brow. Alas its not like or about that. This is Britain. Its cold.  I am middle aged. I am not in the least bit optimistic about any attractions I visit. I am woefully unexcited about almost everything i undertake. Except going to the pub of course which is usually tremendously rewarding...

So it was we set off, Wee Fatha at the wheel, Chala in the front, me discarded in the back like a pile of coats or other underutilised ephemera, heading out through the Peak District to the magical land of the Cheshire Plain and to our first stop at Lindow Common for lunch. It had seemed recklessly optimistic to head out through the peak District on a Bank holiday weekend but despite the sunny weather it was quiet. Perhaps everyone knew something we didn't? Perhaps it would be suddenly cold and wet at dinner?

Well luckily, sat on the common overlooking Black Lake, it wasn't that cold, although we were instantly besieged by swarms of tiny confused insects, with whom alas I have an unrivalled reputation as a great tasting snack. In fact, by the time we reached our first pub I was still feeling the aftereffects of my being nibbled, so was looking forward to a beer to distract me.

The Railway, Mobberley

This was my first trip to one of the Mobberley pubs all three or four of which I understand sell real ale. The railway is, appropriately, situated near the station, and is a rather interesting building that seem to have its back to the road and its side is where you enter. There are lots of very small windows at different levels, and a set of steps up to a back entrance, helping to reinforce the impression that its back to front. Am sure if you head left from the entrance you'd find the front.

Inside is evidence of many small rooms, not completely retained as such but divided up similarly to carriages to create separate cosy areas. The bar is on the far left as you enter and the loos at the end. The bar is quite low and sports four handpumps, on this occasion selling Black Sheep Bitter, Wincle Waller and Dunham Massey Big Tree bitter. I had a pint of the excellent Wincle Waller (a brewery that only missed my 2012 top ten because I hadn't bought any this year) and WF a half of the Big Tree.

One rather disappointing anomaly in what is quite a traditional pub is the sighting and volume of the TV. It is right next to the bar, stood at which with a trailer for terrifyingly important sport on, neither myself or the person serving could hear each other.

I don't mind a screen taking up a specific area of a pub if there is something important on (and there was I admit) but the screen is situated in the middle of the pub. As soon as the coverage started the whole pub became a sea of gawping and gasping and groaning - the pub practically became the fixture. I don't get that at all.

Anyhoo, on the bright side, the food seemed popular, and there were many people eating in the areas free of screen, and the Wincle Waller was truly excellent as I had expected - I could easily have had another had we not been off to our main destination next.

Not as reliable even as pubs...

That place was Arley Hall near Northwich. We had checked the website for details of opening hours to check which dates it was open, our visit fell withing those dates and we had postponed our visit by a week to avoid last Sunday's deluge. However, being a predictably calamitous Beefy clan day out, the hall was, naturally, shut.

Seemingly, this was all over the website, and besides, the gardens were open.  I checked the website in mid April (as late as the 18th). There was no mention of the hall being closed, and it was a wedding - did they book  last minute (on potentially the busiest Sunday of the year?). Either way, its on there now, but announcing the closure surely long after knowing it was to be shut and expecting everyone to check the website the day before they travel in case you have taken a decision to close on one of the weekends people are most likely to visit, is a bit backwards. Am over it now though....

So after our brief but comparatively expensive visit we headed off to the village of Great Budworth. Much like some of the gems of the Cornish coastline, Great Budworth is one of those quintessentially English villages that attracts visitors in their droves, and crucially, it has a pub.

The George and Dragon, Great Budworth

The George, appropriately named in terms of perceived English patronage at least, is an odd shaped pub sitting near the top of the village at a junction diagonal to the church. It has a distinctive wrought iron sign, a half brick half plaster exterior and a large tall porch with a peaked roof. I am going to naively described this as Flemish in style, but its not really. Its more likely an amalgam of styles.

Inside the porch are inscriptions above the door and into the main bar there is lots of dark wood and unfortunately dark paint. To the back left is a more comfortable room with sofas and a dining area beyond. The bar screams brewery chain, all new wood and chrome and spotlights, and this is indeed a Lees House - I understand that a few years back it was a free house selling local beers. On this occasion the beer choice was the Governor, which I misread as 3.5, but in bottles is 4.1 and rate beer reckons is 3.8, their standard Bitter, and the Great Budworth Bitter.

I had a pint of the Governor, which was quite a pleasant and refreshing pint, a bit reliant on malt over hops but Lees don't exactly buy lots of Simcoe and Sorachi Ace I suspect. Wee Fatha had half of the Budworth, obviously a rebadge, but its slightly higher strength gave it more flavour, but it suffered a little with being sweeter.

The food and wine looked nice but we weren't here for more than a quick pint, and besides, the air was full of the peircing shrieks of mewling kids so I wouldn't have been able to relax had we stayed. Not a bad pub overall though, for a branded brewery chain house.

Swan with Two Nicks, Little Bollington

We had been hoping to squeeze a quick half in at the Tunnel End, Dutton, but it was Chala's day out and she was getting hungry, so we took a rather bizarre route (what WF rather incongruously described as "the old roads", meaning a bewildering series of back lanes, endless direction changes and needless detours that would look like a childs scribble if plotted on a map) to Little Bollington next to the entrance to Dunham Massey Country Park.

What I like about the Swan is that it sells Dunham Massey beers on draught - usually two or three, and also, that it sells good food. Not too expensive, nothing needlessly pretentious, in sensible sized portions, and even though last night it was heaving and packed full, we didn't have to wait too long for our food. Meals average out at about £10.50, alas am unsure of the beer prices as they went on the tab.

Better still, last night they had two brilliant Dunham Massey ales on, including one of my favourites. I had a pint of the Dunham Dark and WF a half of the the same. The beer is even better on draught than I expected, bearing in mind its excellence in bottle conditioned form. Also, they had on the 7.5% Dunham Gold, which I tried a half of - this was a little more rounded than in bottle and all the more enjoyable for it.

So this was an enjoyable bank holiday weekend trip out, and it didn't rain (just looking at a showery scene outside my window now...) and despite predictions wasn't especially cold either. We also got to try some good pubs and some excellent local ales on the way round. Time and money well spent

Wee Beefy

The Bath Hotel revealed

Hello,

  well, it was later than I hoped, since I was busy on opening night, but I finally got in the Bath Hotel tonight. Red of face and short of breath after an arduous trundle up from work via nobheads at the bank and idiots running the buses I was hopeful of a visit to an unchanged, unruined, even, dare we suggest an improved Bath Hotel experience.

DBH had already texted his rather more succinct review ("very little change to the innards") so I was mildly optimistic, and on entering I noticed only one change, that being a Thornbridge advert/branding on the sign outside.

Inside there were 3 Thornbridge offerings, Brock, Kipling and Wild Swan, and 3 guests, Phoenix Arizona, Allgates Napoleon's Retreat, and Dark Star American Pale Ale. I opted for the latter, given my love of Dark Star beers, and though the lively brew took a few goes to reach a full pint, I was richly rewarded. So, no reasons to cry yet, no need to engage in battle; lets look at the positives.

Principally, the positive is that nowt much has changed. A lick of paint, it seemed lighter but that's hardly factual, and it wasn't an orgy of Thornbridge ego wank on the bar. The Dark Star was, in fact, absolutely stunning - I was gutted to learn that they'd had Revelations on the opening night, as I still want to try that.

The bar has been revarnished, and you can now see all the woodwork, the stools appear to have been reupholstered, but thats because I think they were red not blue, but I am not going to claim this is a fact. The bar was busy, with a mix of after work crowds enjoying the beer and people starting a night out.

So the downsides? The horror and plague suggested, interpreted (by me, I confess) and the decline envisaged?

Well there are some downsides.

Firstly, dark grey paint. The same despairing shit they have coated the Hallamshire in. Why? What does it do? What does it say about the pub, or instill in the visitor? Gloom, is, I suspect, the answer. Also, there is no price list. Interestingly, I don't recall one before, but you are starting anew, so given recent emphasis on consumer rights and pub responsibilities am surprised this has been overlooked.

I also didn't get in the back room (but assume its not purple, baronial, pastel grey/green or light wood), and I didn't find out how much the lower gravity beer cost ( the 4.7% Dark Star was £3.10 a pint, more expensive than Shakespeares, but not exactly absurd).

There are minor changes to the outside, and it seems lighter somehow, but there appears to be nothing from my point of view to indicate that this is now suddenly a no go venue.

One thing stood out for me though. About 20 minutes into my hour long visit four blokes came in. They asked if there were any normal lagers, and on hearing the recommendations advised that they'd had them at the Sheffield Tap - the choice was Versa, and the Kolsch, Tzara. Choice discourse included far reaching assessments such as "theres two lagers and they both taste fucking shit" and "I could piss better than that". No-one is expected to be impressed or indeed pleased with such analysis, but the problem is this.

The Bath wasn't always a haven of guest beers. It has sold Tetleys for as long as I can remember and despite being a regular outlet for Tetleys Mild it wasn't exactly somewhere you'd flock for choice. During that time, and into Brian's tenure, Tetley has always been available, along with the standard, mass market brand lagers.

Now I can't see the point of moaning endlessly about the choice and staying for forty minutes "enlightening" customers with a new range of swear words and choice remarks such as (the Kolsch) "it doesn't even taste like lager" but if you don't usually drink Kolsch, and maybe favour Carlsberg as a regular (probably cheaper) tipple, Tzara and Versa are probably comparatively quite shit.

That they have removed two of the stalwart brands from the bar in the pursuit of proving how great Thornbridge is attracts rightful derision and engenders resentment. This lets the pub down following what is a surprisingly smooth and pain free transition.

Otherwise, this visit and the outlook for future trips serves as a rewarding demonstration of Thornbridge's desire to at least entertain the concerns of punters, mixed with a rather wearying lack of appreciation of context re colour scheme, and a blase approach to the mass market regular.

Wee Beefy

Bath news

Morning,

   just time for a very quick update.

It seems my suggestion that the Bath would open Tuesday was incorrect. Still, my caveat of ringing them first might have been helpful. As widely reported elsewhere on the forums and other tinterweb sites, it in fact officially reopens on Thursday (erm, actually, that's today) at 20.00. And I won't be there, which is most annoying.

In stirring up anger and over-reaction news, I can report that decorators gave been spotted, and a man was seen outside PAINTING A RADIATOR. IN BROAD DAYLIGHT.

Christ only knows what these sicko's will do next... there was the forlorn corpse of a fridge laid heartlessly on the pavement as I went past.

Now I know how survivors of/those that lived through the (insert name of humanitarian atrocity of incredible magnitude here to over-exaggerate the terror of what is happening) felt.

I hope to be able to provide an update on Friday, after you've all been in (sigh)...

Wee Beefy.

A surprise Friday pub crawl

Evening,

   owing to a sudden surprise discovery in my bank account I decided to take my mate Mr H out for a pint after work. Here are the details of how that and the rest of a refreshing night panned out. Please accept my apologies for further photo free posts - stupid arse B.T download limit is putting paid to any such ideas until Tuesday am afarid....

Shakespeares

We got to the pub about 18.30 and both had delicious halves of Cotswold Spring Brewery Old Sodbury Mild, a luscious malty not overly sweet creamy mild which went down a treat. After this though we wanted hops.

Next we had a pint each of the excellent Summer Wine Brewery Gambit Golden Ale. A bit of a misnomer this, its only very slightly less pale than other 4 or 5% SWB beers and for all its claimed colour differences tastes very similar to their Zenith Pale ale. Not that this is a bad thing - lots of hops to quench the thirst plus some extra ones to tingle the tastebuds and the tongue, a very enjoyable pale beer.

In between having an important "evening meal" (a pork pie and a pack of crisps) we ended up having 3 of the Gambit each. All the time the pub was filling up with punters, and before we knew it, not only was it 21.00 but Wee Keefy was in with his work colleagues. Mr H had to escape home but I stayed for another half, this time the Revolutions Overkill Rhubarb Wheat beer. I had eyed this up with caution even though I rate Revolutions, but I needn't have worried - this was a fantastic quenching not too chewy not too sweet fruit beer which I wished I'd had enough "real money" to have a pint of.

Wee Keefy departed for fuel and I headed into town and caught the bus up to West Street (very lazy of me) to pop in the Bath Hotel

The Bath

Here as you know I was interested in quizzing Brian about recent news and also had chance to chat to one or two regulars, neither of whom seemed impressed by the revelation (that the Bath was to be run by Thornbridge, not that I intended to talk to them...). Beer wise, crucially, I had a pint of the ever reliable Deception. Given that one of my lasting concerns about Thornbridge is how much their beer will cost, it was imperative that I remembered how much my pint cost. I didn't.

Red Deer

I was headed Harrisons way but they had a private function on so I went for a quick half in the Red Deer. I remember that I fancied a half of the Wharfebank Tether but I went for something else instead. As was a feature of the night, I didn't think to record what this tipple was - it was one of the last 3 pumps on the right looking at the bar. I never stay long in the Deer when am on my own so hotfooted it off to Dada.

Dada

Here, irony took over to an extent, given that I had halves of two Thornbridge beers - now, I know its my fault, but I didn't make a note of the new Thornbridge offering because I knew I could find out what it was (it was dark and called something with three words in!) on their website. Except I can't - it won't load (perhaps flooded with enquiries about the Bath).

Anyhoo, it was very enjoyable, possibly smoked, and I had 3 halves of it altogether. I also met a group of  ladies from a Sheffield office who were out enjoying themselves, and let me join them for an hour or so. Much chat was had, little remembered, but I do now have a new blog to follow out of it.  Alas all too soon they were all off somewhere else and a quick trip to the loo meant I lost the whole party! This was a little disconcerting since the barstaff took my bag and coat away thinking it had been left by them, so I was temporarily bag, wallet, companion and coatless. I was soon reunited with m,y possessions however.

On reflection it was probably best that this was the end of the night's entertainment as I had become a trifle tired, so I headed off home on the night bus in a relaxed state.

All in all a great unexpected night out with excellent beer and company.

Wee Beefy

Bath Hotel update

Afternoon all,

    I thought it might be helpful to provide further clarification on the situation at the Bath, and a bit more thought on the upcoming arrangement for Thornbridge to run it.

I spoke to Brian last night, which was quite a job because he was very busy, receiving congratulations on what he had done with the pub, best wishes, and fielding questions. He was happy to take time to chat and keen on providing me with reassurances about the future of the pub, and most importantly its interior. Here's what I know...

1.Thornbridge are going to run the pub. They are already doing work in the cellar and will be putting their beers on the bar.

2. Brian will continue to own the pub. He has the say on what they do with the interior.

3. Which of course, as previously discussed, is Grade II listed, so there's very little Thornbridge can do.

4. They will be adding a lick of paint.

5. They will take over the running on Monday - but I have a feeling it might not be open until Tuesday - best ring to check.

6. Brian is off to pastures new (couldn't pin down any specifics on this, but I think its highly unlikely we'll see him in the pub again, but that's just a feeling I get).

In terms of what I think, I don't mind admitting that I love the interior of the Bath Hotel so much that I don't even want the colours to change! I know this seems a little weird, but its important to appreciate just how rare a survival the pub is in South Yorkshire. Sheffield, in particular, has always seemed to have had had ignorant, ill-informed, blinkered and disinterested future fanboys for councillors, so almost no old buildings of significance have escaped the wrecking ball. Maybe this skews my outlook, but it adds weight to the gravity of any threat to the Bath's design and architectural integrity.

Also, it would appear that Tetley will no longer be sold at the Bath Hotel. I will have a look at the link on Gettothepub.com later to see if Thornbridge have mentioned any specifics. Am not a Tetley fan, but I think you'd have to go back many decades to find an era when Tetley hasn't been sold. This seems a shame, and if it turns out that's what happens, then it suggests a lack of knowledge about the job of running the Bath by its new incumbents.

Finally, why are Thornbridge doing this?

I still don't know. Its not like they are short of bar coverage in Sheffield. You can get their beers in the Bee Hive 5 minutes away as well as the Wick at Both Ends, The Great Gatsby and the Devonshire Cat. We're not in a Thornbridge drought in that part of the City, nor indeed in any part of Sheffield. I know of one long standing regular who is intending to make Sunday his last visit. Admittedly I don't know if this is a problem he has with their beers, prices, or the company themselves.

Which makes you wonder if therein lies the only plausible answer. Maybe they want to shake off their (admittedly not widespread) bad image, by running the Bath as an even better pub (which I seriously doubt) and showing that they can be considerate, sensitive careful wards of this fine building.

Lets face it, we'll know by next week.

Wee Beefy

Heritage pub under threat?

Good evening all,

      the above headline is perhaps a journalistic own goal, as it is based on fear and supposition and negative expectation. A bit like a shabby tabloid headline penned by an sad, heavy drinking, chain smoking tabloid journalist grubbing around for the latest Daily Mail scare story about nothing of interest to the rational minded.

However, it does have its roots in a serious subject. As many of you will have noticed and probably if you live in Yorkshire already posted about, the Victorian gem which is the Bath Hotel in Sheffield is to be taken over by Thornbridge Brewery  (I bet it hasn't or won't be bought by Thornbridge, they don't own pubs lest we forget). Discussion at a high level beer meeting in Harrisons 1854 last night seemed to lean towards dismay, anger, surprise and worry. I have yet to meet (only two days after I heard the news albeit!) anyone with anything positive to say about this latest change of, erm, well, again ownership may be misleading, stewardship... (?)

Aside from obvious concerns about price, inherent pretentiousness, the idea that they might buy in cheap as dishwater Italian lager and sell it as a premium product (my personal worry, difficult to explain am afraid, but for legal reasons I must make clear this hasn't happened!) ) and the lack of guest beers to grace the bar, my specific and justifiable worry is that they will ruin the interior.

To those of you who don't know or appreciate the Bath's interior, it is an intact 1930's refit complete with beautiful tiled and glazed bar and a glorious back room snug with original seating. It won the CAMRA/English Heritage pub design award in 2003 for the sensitive restoration of its original features and refurbishment (which may not be the right term) of the paintwork and upholstery to give a level of reassuring,  plain finesse which the pub retains and presents admirably.

The live music is free, the food is simple and inexpensive, the bar staff are helpful, the fixed seating is elegant simplicity, and the beautiful brown tiles and dark wood frame of the bar, with the eye catching black and white diamond tiled floor, sets off the scene perfectly. There is, quite frankly, nothing to be gained by change, even of the colour scheme. There is certainly, nothing worthy of loss or removal by an incoming manager, tenant or partnership.



The magnificent bar at the Bath Hotel



Lets not forget of course, this is a Grade II listed building. Its listed on the merits of its architecture, and presumably because of its intact unspoilt interior. Only a fool would want to change the set up to stamp their "mark" on the building, only arrogance could sanction any watering down, bastardisation or ruination through modernising of such pristine pub stock.

So would anyone really be so ill-advised?

Well, having been in a number of Thornbridge run pubs I note a rather unsavoury love of pastel greys and light browns. A more cynical chap might muse over the prevalence of the shades watered down despair and troubling "movements". Light wood is great, in a restaurant, especially one searching a modern look. Its also great in newer pubs, or one with tired and sorry interiors requiring a revamp, or a touch of lighting up, to make it less dark and depressing. But spend one minute in the Bath Hotel and you know that's not required. Or warranted. Or wanted.

As usual I am behind everyone else covering this - Gettothepub.com have rightly (but infuriatingly!) beat me to a post on the subject, the link for which is here , and I'd encourage you to have a look. It seems Thornbridge have made assurances about the surfeit of other brewers beers, but I think the crucial point, and the biggest threat here, is the way they treat the interior.

A wildly unjustified, unsympathetic alteration to its character would be a travesty. No amount of expensive but usually good draught real ale and slightly more expensive bottles is going to soften the impact of a cack handed meddle with the layout or fittings. Lets hope Thornbridge prove themselves to be responsible sensitive stewards by retaining what sets this pub apart from most others in Sheffield and indeed South Yorkshire - its place on CAMRA and English Heritage's National Inventory of Unspoilt Pub Interiors.

I have never been a regular in a pub taken over by Thornbridge - although I went from time to time into Trippets, which was to be fair, far better decorated prior to being Dada. I don't like many aspects of the dour grey branding of the Hallamshire House, nor do I really appreciate the (initial at least) food  prevalance at the Coach and Horses in Dronfield and the Cricketers (albeit a food venue already), but I haven't been a regular in any pub subject to Thornbridgefication. Except now.

Thornbridge have form, and that's why lovers of this unspoilt interior should be concerned.

And finally, I should point out that, ironically, my first taste of Jaipur, when it was really good instead of OK (perhaps credit to it being slightly hazy), was in the Bath Hotel.  The very best pint I had of it was at Archer Road Beer Stop. Lets hope that I will be able to eclipse even that magical cask in the place I tried it first, and leave the Thornbridge owned Bath Hotel with a positive bitter taste in my mouth.

Wee Beefy

P.S - here is the link to the Heritage Pubs National Inventory entry for the Bath Hotel

North East beer on TV

Hello,

       welcome to (what was to be) my first post on the new fangled fanny about fairground that is the "new look" blogger. I assume that, not only will you the reader see precisely no difference, but that the latest incarnation of the site will share precisely none of the ideals and business outlook of the popular high street clothing chain of the same name. We can but hope.

And on with the words...

So, Boak and Bailey, homing in now on their 100,000th post this month, have made some very astute points about beer branding and advertising (as is their forte) here. In doing so they have posted a link to the latest set of ads for Newcastle Brown Ale. This was also reported on by Darren at Beer Today earlier in the month.

A proper beer advertisment

Personally, I've never seen any of these ads on TV or indeed anywhere outside of the Internet, but its interesting that even the better ads linked by Boak and Bailey, i.e the last two, are eclipsed by one from probably twenty years ago - but not for Newky Brown.....

Because in my humble opinion, if you want to see a good, knowingly self deprecating North East beer ad you need the Castle Eden one from the nineties (admittedly it may have been penned by Whitbread's London marketing chaps).

It may even be ironic....

I have found a clip, the link for which is below. The only problem is, it being the only clip I could find after, erm, a good minute of searching, is that its a whole roll of ads. So you need to play the clip at 00:45 to get to see the important bit (not at quarter to one in the morning I hasten to add....when you watch the clip from 40 odd seconds in is entirely up to you.)

Apologies for the crap presentation and fannying about required.

Castle Eden Brewery advert


Wee Beefy

Wee Beefy's Derbyshire Pubs

Now then,

     I promise this is the last retrospective/regressive look at pubs of my youth (for now at least, until I age ten years or more beyond my last period of pub and beer writing, which started in about 2005...). And can I also apologise for the lack of photo's of any of the pubs listed below.

In 1995, for it was then, I was asked by a friend to produce a guide to my favourite pubs in Derbyshire. I insisted that this would be a mammoth task unless I concentrated on one area, and designated a random swathe of the county "South Derbyshire". Of course, this was entirely erroneous. Its more like mid to South West Derbyshire. Sort of ten miles either side of the River Dove. Ish....

Anyhoo, I listed nine pubs that I liked, probably half of which I got from the GBG, some of which may have been introduced to me by Wee Fatha. I confess that am unsure why I stopped at nine, unless I wanted the list to be printed on one side of A4 only?

A copy of the handwritten list, missing my rather obtuse descriptions, is reproduced below (not in preference order I admit) :

1. Winster : Old Bowling Green, 
2. Kirk Ireton : Barley Mow
3. Parwich : Sycamore
4. Hartington : Joseph Cotton (I know, I know, its the Charles Cotton...)
5. Alstonefield : The George
6. Fenny Bentley : Bentley Brook Inn
7. Fenny Bentley : Coach and Horses
8. Earl Sterndale : The Quiet Woman
9. Chelmorton : Church Inn

What I find interesting about this snap shot is that I was 21 when I compiled it, and it features a lot of very traditional pubs (so seems my tastes haven't changed), and a few that are, quite frankly, still classic pubs. The Barley Mow and Quiet Woman are still firm favourites, remaining unaltered in nearly two decades, and I have been to all of them in the last couple of years, except for those in Fenny Bentley.

Also, as if anticpating the future of village pubs (the good future that is, where they remain open...) I notice that some of the featured pubs have received plaudits for taking a central role in their communities. The Sycamore at Parwich particularly, in having received TV coverage, has made the pub the hub with a shop inside the premises, and the Barley Mow at Kirk Ireton opened a shop in an adjacent building a few years ago. In 1995 I am certain there was at least one shop in each village (in my day, etc). See more info about the Sycamore here from the excellent Gettothepub.com.

Finally, I note that all but the Hartington, Alstonefield and Fenny Bentley pubs were still featured in the 2011 Good Beer Guide (I don't buy GBG's, I inherit them, so will have to wait til September 2012 for Wee Fatha to receive his new 2013 edition), many having been featured for many years now.

Which begs the question, given the ongoing success of most of the above pubs, who's assessment of the best pubs in the area in 1995 was most prescient - mine or the respective CAMRA branches?

Well, I had considerably less resources and pub going experience, so....

Wee Beefy