Ilson

Herror,

     when I told a work colleague that I was going to Ilkeston for the day on Saturday he looked at me for a moment and then said "what for?" Imagining that he thought I would be attending an Ikea or carpet roll end warehouse, I quickly reassured him that I was going on a pub crawl. This did not help assuage his concerns. I explained I had last been there about 7 years ago and it had been quite good. And now someone had told me that things had got very much better.....

I got on the train of madness to Nottingham, surprisingly getting a seat, and 45 minutes later I was on the platform bridge espying the Dewdrop. Regrettably this fine old pub doesn't open until 14 or even 16.00 so I carried out the long trek up the hill, hoping, incorrectly, to spot the Needlermakers, until I reached the roundabout and joined the hill which may be called Market street. After a quick check of a street map I came to my first pub, The Crafty One. A small pub selling cask and keg beers. The first difference I noticed between my usual haunts and this Derbyshire town was the justification of cloudy beer. I had ordered a pint of Beatnix Republic I Smash Citra and was warned it was unfined. Good! It also tasted bloody lovely. A fab hoppy start to my escapade....

Just down the road is the comparatively long established Spanish Bar. I think they used to sell beers from Maypole or Mallard brewery - can anyone recall? The bar is a relaxed mix of coffee shop and boozer selling a number of real ales of which I had one. It had a name, using letters, and was brewed by a UK brewer. Obvs.... I asked two fellow suppers how to get to the Burnt Pig Micropub and found it was just round the corner from the Crafty One. My mate Pat had described it in great terms, and to be fair, he wasn't wrong. Although a micropub, likely based in an old shop,  the Burnt Pig does have three rooms - and the understandable level of business in this venue meant that this was fully justified.

The small bar is on the right as you enter and serves a range of five or six real ales. Avoiding the Skinners I went for a pint of a six percent beer from a local brewery. Or not. I sat in the middle room and bought myself a huge Bury black pudding pork pie which I ate at the table with a pot of mustard. The pub does not take cards but luckily, being so close to payday, I had sufficient funds to afford a pie and a pint. The pork pie was delicious, and I stowed half of it away in my coat pocket to eat later.

I got chatting to a local gent from a village nearby who my have been called Alan. To be fair, his name could have consisted of any of the 26 letters of the alphabet in any number of orders, so I would take this with a pinch of salt. He very kindly bought me a pint of a beer, the identity of which temporarily alludes me. We chatted for a further half hour before I headed off for my next venue.

Someway down the hill I popped into the New Inn, as it was advertising Butcombe Bitter at £2.80 a pint. It was quite bare inside with a throng of customers at the bar, but the beer tasted fine and I sat by myself checking the location of my next stop.

Following nipping into a Chinese chippy en route I soon arrived at the Ilson Tap. This is the brewery tap for Aurora brewery, I think, and was serving a range of their beers, of which I only had two halves - by this stage the 5 pints I had already had were playing on my senses a little. The Ilson Tap is a friendly and comfortable place with a good mix of regulars, and which is also dog friendly.

After a good rest and a natter I headed for my last stop, the Dewdrop Inn on Station Road. Always a favourite stop this featured a range of real ales including one of my favourites, Oakham Green Devil at £3.60 a pint  for a 6% pale. Needles to say (that is deliberate) I had two pints....I then headed to the station to catch the train and have a snooze, before rejoining some Sheffield pals in my second and third homes to share details of my trip.

In the time since my previous trip Ilkeston has improved greatly in its range of pubs and bars and the styles of ales available. As its only a short train journey from Sheffield I heartily recommend you go there and try the town for yourselves.

Your very good health!

Wee Beefy