Hullabalall,
luckily the title does not represent an avoidable non drinking pub destruction plan for the madness of this month, instead it rather aptly describes my drinking and related agendas for the same period. I was inspired to write this after a lunchtime wander to the pharmacy where I observed an alarming epitome of excessive methylated misuse in such a small space. I did not set out to espouse my dissatisfaction, instead to dress you with some of the related baubles of nonsense encountered on one of only a small number of sober days thus far in December, and to also highlight some of the hugely enjoyable crapulence therein.
Arriving at Wicker Chemists after 13.00 I immediately spotted two outdoor Spice enthusiasts, maudlin and emaciated, raging at every evolving happenstance with delirious (on his part at least) mumbled rage, as if every aspect of mans existence was sent to try them. Luckily I was served quite quickly as this internal inferno of garbage prevailed but having escaped, I walked down Stanley lane out onto Nursery street. I used to work on nearby Joiner street and despite the excess of litter and unreadable graffiti I thought about popping my phone out to snap the sun reflecting off the Waverley windows - until I spotted two further outdoor mentalists pressing themselves against some otherwise forbidden garage doors and "enjoying" the partaking of some subcutaneous matter. Wanting to avoid a listenation, or worse still, losing my legal meds or phone, I did not remove the same from my pocket, and walked by thinking "Christmas, ambling aimlessly through our streets with your disparate and exacerbated cousin, what have you brought upon us?"
In my own case the answer is simple - luffly bose. And although I admit to an occasional nodding, and indeed three separate incidences of falling, I would like to point out that at the very least, my unwise enjoyments do not make their way into my blood stream via syringe. And to somehow support this fact, here are a few recent examples.....
On pay weekend I collected my take away cans and a bottle from Beer Central. What with a direct request from the dark lord himself I have to admit that I have already finished these, but a number stuck in my memory. Wylam Greenbutt Skunk was a September or so brewed green hopped masterpiece at about 8.3% and blew me away - I had a can in Bar Stewards and then one at home with Matty and we both loved its complex but unrestrained mix of flavours.
Matty himself bought me a 9% Cloudwater New Zealand DIPA with, strangely I thought, Southern Cross and Amarillo as its hops. Luckily this likewise blew my mind, and finished off a whole evening of other classics including the Triangle referenced 8.3% Garage speciality with fabulous malt and other flavours, and the Pressure Drop Domino Topple IPA at 7.1%. I have to say that I have loved almost every Pressure Drop can I have had recently and this was no exception.
A trip to Bar Stewards not only provided a range of bottled wines for the first time in...ever? but also some excellent Loca Polly - their Rosa at 8.5% was fantastic, as was the Deya and another False coloured eyes (this, along with all my memories, maybe mildly inaccurate) but as well as this joy there were three fabulous pints at my second home Shakespeares - I had over three pints of Wylam Jakehead on cask from the past, a pint of 6.5% Cloudwater pale on keg from the future and a few nights ago my last visit of the year provided three pints of the excellent Pentrich IPA at 5. something% which was cloudy as a small bag of soup and as well as being on cask from the past, tasted amazing!
Final highlights included a catch up with chums at the St Mars of the Dessert Tap where I had a pint of their excellent Levy Greve which I am certain I have mis-spelled, as well as other classics, before catching a bus into town and up to Walkley to meet WK in the Walkley Beer Co for their fifth birthday. I then finished in the Raven on Palm Street, now a much improved version of the Palm!
As I return to the unending horse gin of despair tomorrow to lug sacks of garbage up out of the depths of the earth to pleasure the otherwise disaffected, I can safely say that my every libational undertaking in this fine month has ended up making me a very happy chap indeed.
Cheers!
And a very happy new year
Wee Beefy
Monday, 30 December 2019
Saturday, 28 December 2019
Christmas wander
Good afternooo
apologies for the slightly lame title -I was going to make it even more icky with "Family Christmas Meal Pub Crawl" until I saw sense. This is still a bit weak I admit but its a good reflection of the event that am about to describe....
We were meeting early this year - at noon. Initially this was to allow WF to drive back before 16.00 in the light but in the end WK picked him up in his car before dropping Dad at the pub, driving back to Crookes and walking back to the Sportsman at Crosspool. WF got a taxi later. Admittedly its an Ember Inns pub but they sell a few decent beers and the meal was. in comparison with town based offerings, a bit of a winner for twelve pounds. As always myself Matty and Tash were ever so slightly late - I walked down to Darnall to get twenty pound out and to buy a weekly pass but there was a problem with the cash machine. Although I knew I had sufficient funds in my account I got just two pounds out at the Post office and headed into town after a lengthy wait for 11.50. Luckily Tash and Matt picked me up at 11.58 on West Street in a taxi they had got and we were there by just gone ten past.
Ale wise there was a Black Sheep IPA, Moonshine, Thornbridge Jaipur and the excellent Fyne Ales Jarl. Always a favourite drop I had two pints of this as well as a a pint of Jaipur. all of which were delicious. WF complained about his Jarl to WK who asked me to come and try it - it tasted exactly the same as mine. It was when I told him this that he admitted it was too cold and that he didn't like cold beer. Am sure when he was drinking off Sam Smiths at the Abbey pub outside Derby the temperature hadn't been considered and I have to admit that pale hoppy beers do taste far better with a light chill. Mine was ace! Meanwhile the meal was OK and we were there nearly three and a half hours before M+M dove off and took the two Wees to WK's house for Dad to wait for a taxi. Me Tash and Matty walked back through the cemetery to Crookes where we popped in the Punch Bowl.
I have been reasonably impressed with its turn around since True North took it over but alas we found that they were trying to sell some rank and off Blue Bee Stout - Matty asked for a taste and pulled a deep grimace as he smelled it and tasted it - he pre-warned me but that didn't prepare me for the vile smell never mind the taste. When I pointed out to the girl behind the bar that the stout was off she didn't taste it instead claiming that "they always taste weird to me". An amazing response, which I would like to think is especially disrespectful to Josh and the others involved with the brewery. I did not check that they had taken it off when I left but am guessing that the person I pointed out the issue to neither cared about her clients or understood beer sufficiently to bother.
Nipping across the road to Two Sheds we bought Tash a couple of glasses of mulled Wine and I had an excellent pint of North Brewing Sputnik Pale, whilst Keet and Matty had the Janet Street Porter. I had two excellent pints of the Sputnik which was on fine form and the others enjoyed their drinks too. Matty and WK nipped back to his next whilst me and Tash headed into Town to pop in Cavells to use the loo, and to get Tash a large white wine and myself a pint of something about 5.5% After a quick catch up Tash got the tram home and I wandered down to Bar Stewards to have another pint of the 5.7% Blue Bee IPA on cask, and kept perfectly, along with a few halves on keg. As always I bumped into a few mates and caught the bus back at about 23.00. I may even have treated myself to a can of Pressure Drop when I got in, although, as with a number of happenstances, my memories remain unclear....
Overall though this was a great day out and despite the grimness of the Punch Bowl all the pubs involved kept excellent beers. Am out in Crookes again tonight for a couple to catch up with fab folk from the past as well as Wee Keefy and am really looking forward to a return trip to the Hallamshire House.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
apologies for the slightly lame title -I was going to make it even more icky with "Family Christmas Meal Pub Crawl" until I saw sense. This is still a bit weak I admit but its a good reflection of the event that am about to describe....
We were meeting early this year - at noon. Initially this was to allow WF to drive back before 16.00 in the light but in the end WK picked him up in his car before dropping Dad at the pub, driving back to Crookes and walking back to the Sportsman at Crosspool. WF got a taxi later. Admittedly its an Ember Inns pub but they sell a few decent beers and the meal was. in comparison with town based offerings, a bit of a winner for twelve pounds. As always myself Matty and Tash were ever so slightly late - I walked down to Darnall to get twenty pound out and to buy a weekly pass but there was a problem with the cash machine. Although I knew I had sufficient funds in my account I got just two pounds out at the Post office and headed into town after a lengthy wait for 11.50. Luckily Tash and Matt picked me up at 11.58 on West Street in a taxi they had got and we were there by just gone ten past.
Ale wise there was a Black Sheep IPA, Moonshine, Thornbridge Jaipur and the excellent Fyne Ales Jarl. Always a favourite drop I had two pints of this as well as a a pint of Jaipur. all of which were delicious. WF complained about his Jarl to WK who asked me to come and try it - it tasted exactly the same as mine. It was when I told him this that he admitted it was too cold and that he didn't like cold beer. Am sure when he was drinking off Sam Smiths at the Abbey pub outside Derby the temperature hadn't been considered and I have to admit that pale hoppy beers do taste far better with a light chill. Mine was ace! Meanwhile the meal was OK and we were there nearly three and a half hours before M+M dove off and took the two Wees to WK's house for Dad to wait for a taxi. Me Tash and Matty walked back through the cemetery to Crookes where we popped in the Punch Bowl.
I have been reasonably impressed with its turn around since True North took it over but alas we found that they were trying to sell some rank and off Blue Bee Stout - Matty asked for a taste and pulled a deep grimace as he smelled it and tasted it - he pre-warned me but that didn't prepare me for the vile smell never mind the taste. When I pointed out to the girl behind the bar that the stout was off she didn't taste it instead claiming that "they always taste weird to me". An amazing response, which I would like to think is especially disrespectful to Josh and the others involved with the brewery. I did not check that they had taken it off when I left but am guessing that the person I pointed out the issue to neither cared about her clients or understood beer sufficiently to bother.
Nipping across the road to Two Sheds we bought Tash a couple of glasses of mulled Wine and I had an excellent pint of North Brewing Sputnik Pale, whilst Keet and Matty had the Janet Street Porter. I had two excellent pints of the Sputnik which was on fine form and the others enjoyed their drinks too. Matty and WK nipped back to his next whilst me and Tash headed into Town to pop in Cavells to use the loo, and to get Tash a large white wine and myself a pint of something about 5.5% After a quick catch up Tash got the tram home and I wandered down to Bar Stewards to have another pint of the 5.7% Blue Bee IPA on cask, and kept perfectly, along with a few halves on keg. As always I bumped into a few mates and caught the bus back at about 23.00. I may even have treated myself to a can of Pressure Drop when I got in, although, as with a number of happenstances, my memories remain unclear....
Overall though this was a great day out and despite the grimness of the Punch Bowl all the pubs involved kept excellent beers. Am out in Crookes again tonight for a couple to catch up with fab folk from the past as well as Wee Keefy and am really looking forward to a return trip to the Hallamshire House.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Thursday, 26 December 2019
Remembering pub names....and other things......
Hello folks.
regular and more astute readers may be aware that since my stroke and more so since my recent brain injury, memories, whatever they are, have not been very high up on my agenda. Longer term readers may also note that throughout the nearly ten year history of my blog, accurate memories of liquids consumed and other aspects of crapulence have thus far regularly escaped me, or at the very least, presented themselves in my memory through a dizzying, contorted haze. So last night, when it took me an hour to find and recall the name of Yorkshiremen the grumbleweeds (not a pub), I was prompted to write.
Although, I can't remember what about....
Am kidding, obvs, but the main inspiration for this guesswork stemmed from a chat I was having with the lovely Vikkie and Matthew the other night. We talked at length about the downfall of pubs near where I used to work, starting with the Crinoline Bridge, now a cafe, and then on to a now demolished pub in Rotherham near the station. I was certain it wasn't called the station, and I remembered the awful seventies sun lounge decor that befell it prior to its closure and then demolition, but I couldn't remember its name. It was, of course, the Phoenix. It was on the bridge facing the steps down to the station. Vikkie occasionally used to pop in very briefly for a lager (in the absence of anything else) prior to meeting Matthew to catch a train. I only went in once, under the ownership of what may have been Turkish folk, finding that they sold absolutely nothing that I wanted It is alleged that if I had wanted to buy drugs or partake of prostitutional services the venue would have suited me more, but I realise, these are only allegations. No doubt unrelated to its soon to follow closure.....
We also discussed the demise of the nearby Kingfisher Old Mill pub which I used to enjoy popping into at dinnertime or sometimes after work when I worked nearby. Although I did not know it had also closed down, and I seemed to have removed a whole slab of memory, including its notorious period as a bikers pub, knowledge which, like with so many things, appeared to have escaped me.
Then there was my discussion with WK today about National Inventory pubs, an area which I usually do very well in, but which lead to confusion about the definition of parlour pubs and the number of times I have successfully visited the Sun Inn at Leintwardine - it was only once, on the same weekend the landlady died, and we got chatting to a man obsessed with such excellent pubs in the living room. I recall we liked the beer - very much. Not enough to recall its name however......(although it may have been Hobsons Bitter)
The main example of pub name tomfoolery came at the Bath Hotel about twelve years ago - it was probably in 2007 as I was working at Milton House at the time, although in the flooding in June my company that night had already moved to work next to the river so it could have been 2006....
We had already discussed, and failed to name all, of the Wentworth monuments. I can still recall Hoober Stand and the Needles Eye but as well as the small building which we managed, I can't remember now, and neither if us then, the name of the other high tower. This inspired us into a chat about local pubs and we wandered into a self filled sump of knowledge free flailing by wanting to know the name of the pub in Midshopestones outside Sheffield. With neither of our memories obviously working, between us we decided the pub "obviously" had an agricultural themed name.
And so followed, amongst many many others: The Cow and Tractor, The Horse and Groom, the Fox and Chickens, the Hay Bail, The Swan and Ducklings, The Farmstead, The Wheat Arms, The Plough and Farrow...and so our guesswork went on. Indeed, this borderline mesmerising lack of knowledge went on for a horrific fifty minutes until, replacement pints in, a colleague from work wandered in. Quick as a flash I asked "hey man, what is the name of that pub in Midhopestones outside Stocksbridge?"
After a quick thought he said "its the Midhopestones Arms".
And it was. I mean, I know it changed to the Old Mustard Pot and I admit I have no idea of its current status, but in effect myself and Mr P had spent an hour of our valuable drinking time trying to imagine the nomenclature of a pub in Midhopestones whose identity was given away by that fact alone.
And then there is the amount of time it still takes me to remember crayfish......
I have, I feel I ought to point out, been receiving and engaging in substantial support from SCBIRT (The Sheffield Community Brain Injury Team, or similar) in Upperthorpe, and although I thought I struggled in the tests carried out they confirmed that my performance was of a high quality, and suggested I could regain almost all of my background memories in the next four years. I would very much like to still be writing in that time, as well of course, of subsisting on the abject malfeasance of alcohol.
In the meantime I would ask you to perhaps afford me a modicum of misrememberance. And mispelling. And indeed other grammatical missuses......
Your very best of health
Wee Beefy
regular and more astute readers may be aware that since my stroke and more so since my recent brain injury, memories, whatever they are, have not been very high up on my agenda. Longer term readers may also note that throughout the nearly ten year history of my blog, accurate memories of liquids consumed and other aspects of crapulence have thus far regularly escaped me, or at the very least, presented themselves in my memory through a dizzying, contorted haze. So last night, when it took me an hour to find and recall the name of Yorkshiremen the grumbleweeds (not a pub), I was prompted to write.
Although, I can't remember what about....
Am kidding, obvs, but the main inspiration for this guesswork stemmed from a chat I was having with the lovely Vikkie and Matthew the other night. We talked at length about the downfall of pubs near where I used to work, starting with the Crinoline Bridge, now a cafe, and then on to a now demolished pub in Rotherham near the station. I was certain it wasn't called the station, and I remembered the awful seventies sun lounge decor that befell it prior to its closure and then demolition, but I couldn't remember its name. It was, of course, the Phoenix. It was on the bridge facing the steps down to the station. Vikkie occasionally used to pop in very briefly for a lager (in the absence of anything else) prior to meeting Matthew to catch a train. I only went in once, under the ownership of what may have been Turkish folk, finding that they sold absolutely nothing that I wanted It is alleged that if I had wanted to buy drugs or partake of prostitutional services the venue would have suited me more, but I realise, these are only allegations. No doubt unrelated to its soon to follow closure.....
We also discussed the demise of the nearby Kingfisher Old Mill pub which I used to enjoy popping into at dinnertime or sometimes after work when I worked nearby. Although I did not know it had also closed down, and I seemed to have removed a whole slab of memory, including its notorious period as a bikers pub, knowledge which, like with so many things, appeared to have escaped me.
Then there was my discussion with WK today about National Inventory pubs, an area which I usually do very well in, but which lead to confusion about the definition of parlour pubs and the number of times I have successfully visited the Sun Inn at Leintwardine - it was only once, on the same weekend the landlady died, and we got chatting to a man obsessed with such excellent pubs in the living room. I recall we liked the beer - very much. Not enough to recall its name however......(although it may have been Hobsons Bitter)
The main example of pub name tomfoolery came at the Bath Hotel about twelve years ago - it was probably in 2007 as I was working at Milton House at the time, although in the flooding in June my company that night had already moved to work next to the river so it could have been 2006....
We had already discussed, and failed to name all, of the Wentworth monuments. I can still recall Hoober Stand and the Needles Eye but as well as the small building which we managed, I can't remember now, and neither if us then, the name of the other high tower. This inspired us into a chat about local pubs and we wandered into a self filled sump of knowledge free flailing by wanting to know the name of the pub in Midshopestones outside Sheffield. With neither of our memories obviously working, between us we decided the pub "obviously" had an agricultural themed name.
And so followed, amongst many many others: The Cow and Tractor, The Horse and Groom, the Fox and Chickens, the Hay Bail, The Swan and Ducklings, The Farmstead, The Wheat Arms, The Plough and Farrow...and so our guesswork went on. Indeed, this borderline mesmerising lack of knowledge went on for a horrific fifty minutes until, replacement pints in, a colleague from work wandered in. Quick as a flash I asked "hey man, what is the name of that pub in Midhopestones outside Stocksbridge?"
After a quick thought he said "its the Midhopestones Arms".
And it was. I mean, I know it changed to the Old Mustard Pot and I admit I have no idea of its current status, but in effect myself and Mr P had spent an hour of our valuable drinking time trying to imagine the nomenclature of a pub in Midhopestones whose identity was given away by that fact alone.
And then there is the amount of time it still takes me to remember crayfish......
I have, I feel I ought to point out, been receiving and engaging in substantial support from SCBIRT (The Sheffield Community Brain Injury Team, or similar) in Upperthorpe, and although I thought I struggled in the tests carried out they confirmed that my performance was of a high quality, and suggested I could regain almost all of my background memories in the next four years. I would very much like to still be writing in that time, as well of course, of subsisting on the abject malfeasance of alcohol.
In the meantime I would ask you to perhaps afford me a modicum of misrememberance. And mispelling. And indeed other grammatical missuses......
Your very best of health
Wee Beefy
Saturday, 21 December 2019
Shakespeares beer festival 2019
Hello chums,
about three weeks ago I thought to myself "why don't I quickly write up details of that fantastic beer festival that I have just left at my second home?" Mind you - they were just thoughts. And after all what are thoughts? What are they, and what do they mean? Like birds, we'll never know. We will now, however, know what it was that I got round to trying at said event. It went very much like this.....
Arriving on Thursday I jokingly said how surprised I was that everything was available, including, as I picked it up, the lengthy list of cellar and upstairs bar beers. Suffice to say that Chris was keen to point out that he dd not have time to joke as he was incredibly busy. He was right. The whole pub was absolutely rammed with tickers and other festival goers. I caught up in the back room with Rich and chatted to him, enjoying a pint of the excellent number one, an Abbeydale Brewery Shakespeares special at 6.5%. This was incredibly bitter and zesty, and I soon moved on to the wonderful cloudy Beatnikz Republic I love Simcoe, a 5% Simcoe triple hopped pale ale which was on top form on cask. I finished on the slightly expensive but still wonderfully drinkable Turning Point Demon's Eye a 7.1% ale marked as a DIPA but although too week for such a description it still packed a heck of a lot of punch.
From here onwards my knowledge of exactly when I had everything becomes distorted. So as I may have done previously I am going to make a list based on my excellent print out which I have been keeping safely ever since. Hence:
Cask from the past:
Anthology Azacca Dry hopped pale at 5% (downstairs)
Chapter Shadows 6% saison (downstairs and then upstairs)
Neepsend and Walkley Beer Co Ancillary On Sales 5.2% (downstairs)
Red Willow Guilless 4.2% one off cask (upstairs)
Steel City and Shakespeares - To BBQ or not to BBQ 7.4% (upstairs)
Steel City & Lost Industry & Boutilliers Burn the Kirsch 6.66% Raucbier (Upstairs)
Beer Ink & Boutilliers 10/6 polish grodzizkie (Upstairs)
Abbeydale Shakespeares Special #2 Thai Green Pale at 5.5% (downstairs)
Keg:
St Mars of the Desert El Cameo 6.9% NEIPA
St Mars of the desert Winter on Mars 9.3% mixed fermentation Foeder
Omnipollo & Dugges Anagram Barrel Aged 15% - I only had a third!!
Although I visited about five times during and just after its worth pointing out that I had numerous pints of the Beatnikz, the Chapter and the excellent turning point. I was fairly refreshed by the time I left as were a lot of other visitors!
Overall I think the range was incredible - a few beers stayed on longer than the whole weekend but that is not to criticise their wares. This was a festival of weird rarities, super strong ones and excellent hoppy outings which I enjoyed considerably!
The only minor down side is that having it in December does regrettably entice the more grumpy drunkard, one of whom I spotted on the Saturday refusing to move his chair a few inches for my friends to get out easier than the clambering over the end of the settee which they ended up doing. But on the other side of the coin I bumped into many people I know very well and spotted many fine suppers of excellent beers along the way.
Well done to Shakespeares and its staff for organising a truly excellent event!
Cheers!!
Wee Beefy
about three weeks ago I thought to myself "why don't I quickly write up details of that fantastic beer festival that I have just left at my second home?" Mind you - they were just thoughts. And after all what are thoughts? What are they, and what do they mean? Like birds, we'll never know. We will now, however, know what it was that I got round to trying at said event. It went very much like this.....
Arriving on Thursday I jokingly said how surprised I was that everything was available, including, as I picked it up, the lengthy list of cellar and upstairs bar beers. Suffice to say that Chris was keen to point out that he dd not have time to joke as he was incredibly busy. He was right. The whole pub was absolutely rammed with tickers and other festival goers. I caught up in the back room with Rich and chatted to him, enjoying a pint of the excellent number one, an Abbeydale Brewery Shakespeares special at 6.5%. This was incredibly bitter and zesty, and I soon moved on to the wonderful cloudy Beatnikz Republic I love Simcoe, a 5% Simcoe triple hopped pale ale which was on top form on cask. I finished on the slightly expensive but still wonderfully drinkable Turning Point Demon's Eye a 7.1% ale marked as a DIPA but although too week for such a description it still packed a heck of a lot of punch.
From here onwards my knowledge of exactly when I had everything becomes distorted. So as I may have done previously I am going to make a list based on my excellent print out which I have been keeping safely ever since. Hence:
Cask from the past:
Anthology Azacca Dry hopped pale at 5% (downstairs)
Chapter Shadows 6% saison (downstairs and then upstairs)
Neepsend and Walkley Beer Co Ancillary On Sales 5.2% (downstairs)
Red Willow Guilless 4.2% one off cask (upstairs)
Steel City and Shakespeares - To BBQ or not to BBQ 7.4% (upstairs)
Steel City & Lost Industry & Boutilliers Burn the Kirsch 6.66% Raucbier (Upstairs)
Beer Ink & Boutilliers 10/6 polish grodzizkie (Upstairs)
Abbeydale Shakespeares Special #2 Thai Green Pale at 5.5% (downstairs)
Keg:
St Mars of the Desert El Cameo 6.9% NEIPA
St Mars of the desert Winter on Mars 9.3% mixed fermentation Foeder
Omnipollo & Dugges Anagram Barrel Aged 15% - I only had a third!!
Although I visited about five times during and just after its worth pointing out that I had numerous pints of the Beatnikz, the Chapter and the excellent turning point. I was fairly refreshed by the time I left as were a lot of other visitors!
Overall I think the range was incredible - a few beers stayed on longer than the whole weekend but that is not to criticise their wares. This was a festival of weird rarities, super strong ones and excellent hoppy outings which I enjoyed considerably!
The only minor down side is that having it in December does regrettably entice the more grumpy drunkard, one of whom I spotted on the Saturday refusing to move his chair a few inches for my friends to get out easier than the clambering over the end of the settee which they ended up doing. But on the other side of the coin I bumped into many people I know very well and spotted many fine suppers of excellent beers along the way.
Well done to Shakespeares and its staff for organising a truly excellent event!
Cheers!!
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 8 December 2019
Monday night crackers
Good afternoon all,
firstly I should confirm that this post title is not an admittance of some dreadful dreary dietary masterplan - indeed, since the subject has arisen, I can happily admit to not being in possession of any crackers at all.....instead this is merely details of three different venues visited on Monday night either side of a trip out towards Hillsborough to buy scran, as I understand people do......
Meeting Tash on High Street we decided to nip quickly into Cavells, formerly the Blue Ball, if memory serves, for a quick drink and a catch up before heading to the supermarket. They sell a couple of real ales, and on my last visit this included a 5.7% Sheffield Brewed IPA which I had two pints of. Tonight, most likely as Monday is not a busy night, there was just Ossett Yorkshire Gold, so I had a pint and a half of this, whilst Tash had a large Sauvignon Blanc. Alas they close quite early on Monday so we only had time for that whilst listening to some interesting choices of Eighties pop - possibly chosen to remind thirsty customers like me and Tash that they would be locking up in twenty minutes. The Ossett was well kept and tasted fine, and am certain Tash enjoyed her wine.
Soon we were on the tram and got off at Primrose View before heading down the side of the Double H. Shopping took about half an hour and as always at Aldi it didn't cost us much to walk out with four large bags of essentials. As we have done the last four times, we nipped in the Hillsborough Hotel for a few, with more Sauvignon Blanc for Tash and I had two pints of Helmsley Brewing bitter Pale possibly called Howardian Gold which was very nice, along with a dark ale from Abbeydale which was also well kept, tasty and well priced. Although, it may well have also been their excellent Heathen on glorious keg - the same description still applies. Before leaving we got chatting to Tom for a while and found out quite a lot about their role in the community at this time of year and the food they offer. I think its fair to point out that they won't be opening on Mondays in the new year because not only is January a very quiet month but also the pub is too far from other similar types of boozer to attract sufficient trade to be open 7 days a week.
Some of you may know that I used to work at the Hillsborough Hotel when Del first had it back in the nineties. I used to love going in it then and despite one or two previous declines I have to point out that it has improved and continued in that same manner over the years since Tom took over it's running. With the improvement of the Gardeners and the continued excellence of the Blake, its a shame that more folk don't walk past and into the three on weeknights and weekends more often. I wouldn't want to see the temporary loss of any of those venues in the months ahead.
After finishing and nipping back onto the Tram we got off at the Cathedral and walked round to the Museum for a last one. As I may have mentioned before they now sell Red Willow Wreckless pale ale on a regular basis which has improved their beer range considerably. Although we were close to last orders we still had time for a large drink each and a chat before I went out at 11.20 to catch the bus home.
I think what this shows is that despite its sometimes rubbishness many of Sheffield's pubs continue to try and strive on Mondays and all offer a selection of well kept pints to wash the palate out. If you are a drinker in our fine sunny city, or even if you live nearby or far away, I would recommend popping out on a Monday to breathe a bit of life back into Sheffield boozers and to help maintain Sheffield#s excellent range of ales at all times thereafter.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
firstly I should confirm that this post title is not an admittance of some dreadful dreary dietary masterplan - indeed, since the subject has arisen, I can happily admit to not being in possession of any crackers at all.....instead this is merely details of three different venues visited on Monday night either side of a trip out towards Hillsborough to buy scran, as I understand people do......
Meeting Tash on High Street we decided to nip quickly into Cavells, formerly the Blue Ball, if memory serves, for a quick drink and a catch up before heading to the supermarket. They sell a couple of real ales, and on my last visit this included a 5.7% Sheffield Brewed IPA which I had two pints of. Tonight, most likely as Monday is not a busy night, there was just Ossett Yorkshire Gold, so I had a pint and a half of this, whilst Tash had a large Sauvignon Blanc. Alas they close quite early on Monday so we only had time for that whilst listening to some interesting choices of Eighties pop - possibly chosen to remind thirsty customers like me and Tash that they would be locking up in twenty minutes. The Ossett was well kept and tasted fine, and am certain Tash enjoyed her wine.
Soon we were on the tram and got off at Primrose View before heading down the side of the Double H. Shopping took about half an hour and as always at Aldi it didn't cost us much to walk out with four large bags of essentials. As we have done the last four times, we nipped in the Hillsborough Hotel for a few, with more Sauvignon Blanc for Tash and I had two pints of Helmsley Brewing bitter Pale possibly called Howardian Gold which was very nice, along with a dark ale from Abbeydale which was also well kept, tasty and well priced. Although, it may well have also been their excellent Heathen on glorious keg - the same description still applies. Before leaving we got chatting to Tom for a while and found out quite a lot about their role in the community at this time of year and the food they offer. I think its fair to point out that they won't be opening on Mondays in the new year because not only is January a very quiet month but also the pub is too far from other similar types of boozer to attract sufficient trade to be open 7 days a week.
Some of you may know that I used to work at the Hillsborough Hotel when Del first had it back in the nineties. I used to love going in it then and despite one or two previous declines I have to point out that it has improved and continued in that same manner over the years since Tom took over it's running. With the improvement of the Gardeners and the continued excellence of the Blake, its a shame that more folk don't walk past and into the three on weeknights and weekends more often. I wouldn't want to see the temporary loss of any of those venues in the months ahead.
After finishing and nipping back onto the Tram we got off at the Cathedral and walked round to the Museum for a last one. As I may have mentioned before they now sell Red Willow Wreckless pale ale on a regular basis which has improved their beer range considerably. Although we were close to last orders we still had time for a large drink each and a chat before I went out at 11.20 to catch the bus home.
I think what this shows is that despite its sometimes rubbishness many of Sheffield's pubs continue to try and strive on Mondays and all offer a selection of well kept pints to wash the palate out. If you are a drinker in our fine sunny city, or even if you live nearby or far away, I would recommend popping out on a Monday to breathe a bit of life back into Sheffield boozers and to help maintain Sheffield#s excellent range of ales at all times thereafter.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Wednesday, 13 November 2019
Old Queens Head wins November pub of the month
Arrfter-nooo,
last night I was unexpectedly out bowszin with Tash and Matty. Having met them for a quick pint of Little Critters bounty bar resemblant coconut porter, Matty nipped to the Washington and the shops and myself and Tash walked down to the Old Queens Head for her to treat me to a pint. Having already spoken to Andy Cullen on transport matters I was surprised to then see him, as well as Trevor and the gent who's name I have forgotten, from the ownership of the Kelham Island Tavern. A quick trip to the bar by Matty when he joined us indicated that the pub had won Sheffield Camra's pub of the month for November.
I wrote about the transformation and improvement of the Old Queens Head a couple of years ago - I had been going in for a drink since 1993 or 94 and had seen some pretty underwhelming versions of it - an opinion reflected in this link here . I am not sure if the pub has ever won this award previously under its current management but I have to say it was wholly deserved. Praise should specifically go to managers Michael and Suzanna, who do a fantastic job of running the pub. And the food they serve is excellent - a point highlighted by the fabulous free sandwiches they made especially for the event - the cheese and garlic slices were supremely garlicky, which I love.
Beers wise the choice was excellent - 4 Thwaites cask, Mild, Amber, Gold and IPA, Thornbridge Market Porter, and the excellent Abbeydale Forge. I have tried and loved this beer previously, both in can and probably on cask at the Itchy Pig in Broomhill, and once again this fantastic cloudy pale ale was made with local bakers at Forge Bakehouse. It featured Amarillo, Citra and Simcoe Hops along with ancient grain, rice, oats and rye. When we came in Tash bought us a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc with two glasses and it was whilst paying for that I noticed that they had Forge on - after a refreshing glass of wine I had three pints of the excellent beer and enjoyed it entirely. A gorgeously cloudy, bitter and hoppy soup of joy.
After eating some free samples from Michael of the snacks, and after watching Doctor Johnson award them the pub of the month, I got chatting to some CAMRA folk, including a man I used to see at Archer Road when I worked there called Andy. Well, I say that - this is what I think he is called - unfortunately I am now unable to remember his response to/agreement with/rejection of, said guess....
As he said when I returned to sit with the Nodvogs, "see you again soon, maybe not in fifteen years this time!" which when I thought about it is very likely when I last saw him in 2004, certainly no later than 2008 or 2009, whichever year it was I stopped working at the shop. It was great to catch up with him again, and to see other memorable, along with unknown, CAMRA people. Not that this in anyway persuades me to rejoin I should point out. It was good to catch up though.
The three of us were quite late leaving after a fantastic night, and one which we thoroughly enjoyed. Well done and congratulations to Michael and Suzanna and all their staff on receiving this recognition for their work, and I hope to be back in their pub next month for more excellent beer and hopefully some garlic soup.....
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
last night I was unexpectedly out bowszin with Tash and Matty. Having met them for a quick pint of Little Critters bounty bar resemblant coconut porter, Matty nipped to the Washington and the shops and myself and Tash walked down to the Old Queens Head for her to treat me to a pint. Having already spoken to Andy Cullen on transport matters I was surprised to then see him, as well as Trevor and the gent who's name I have forgotten, from the ownership of the Kelham Island Tavern. A quick trip to the bar by Matty when he joined us indicated that the pub had won Sheffield Camra's pub of the month for November.
I wrote about the transformation and improvement of the Old Queens Head a couple of years ago - I had been going in for a drink since 1993 or 94 and had seen some pretty underwhelming versions of it - an opinion reflected in this link here . I am not sure if the pub has ever won this award previously under its current management but I have to say it was wholly deserved. Praise should specifically go to managers Michael and Suzanna, who do a fantastic job of running the pub. And the food they serve is excellent - a point highlighted by the fabulous free sandwiches they made especially for the event - the cheese and garlic slices were supremely garlicky, which I love.
Beers wise the choice was excellent - 4 Thwaites cask, Mild, Amber, Gold and IPA, Thornbridge Market Porter, and the excellent Abbeydale Forge. I have tried and loved this beer previously, both in can and probably on cask at the Itchy Pig in Broomhill, and once again this fantastic cloudy pale ale was made with local bakers at Forge Bakehouse. It featured Amarillo, Citra and Simcoe Hops along with ancient grain, rice, oats and rye. When we came in Tash bought us a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc with two glasses and it was whilst paying for that I noticed that they had Forge on - after a refreshing glass of wine I had three pints of the excellent beer and enjoyed it entirely. A gorgeously cloudy, bitter and hoppy soup of joy.
After eating some free samples from Michael of the snacks, and after watching Doctor Johnson award them the pub of the month, I got chatting to some CAMRA folk, including a man I used to see at Archer Road when I worked there called Andy. Well, I say that - this is what I think he is called - unfortunately I am now unable to remember his response to/agreement with/rejection of, said guess....
As he said when I returned to sit with the Nodvogs, "see you again soon, maybe not in fifteen years this time!" which when I thought about it is very likely when I last saw him in 2004, certainly no later than 2008 or 2009, whichever year it was I stopped working at the shop. It was great to catch up with him again, and to see other memorable, along with unknown, CAMRA people. Not that this in anyway persuades me to rejoin I should point out. It was good to catch up though.
The three of us were quite late leaving after a fantastic night, and one which we thoroughly enjoyed. Well done and congratulations to Michael and Suzanna and all their staff on receiving this recognition for their work, and I hope to be back in their pub next month for more excellent beer and hopefully some garlic soup.....
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Wednesday, 30 October 2019
The 45th Sheffield Beer festival.....
Hellall,
I must apologise for my lateness in providing info regarding this excellent event - I can assure you that it in no way reflects the quality of the venue or the happenstance, instead its simply that I have been wondering whether I was really sufficiently qualified to write up about this fest - the principal reason for which, instead of my brain injury, simply being that this year despite its earlier-ness I only visited once. And that was a monetary decision.
And so here is what I found.....
Arriving at 18.00 I was queuing before Wee Keefy joined me. I have to say it seemed busier than previous years - attendance on a Wednesday night used to be quiet, but I waited ten minutes to get in. Not a long time I accept, just a surprise if nothing else. Once I had paid the fee - which as well as getting you in also got you a glass and a fiver's worth of tokens, I headed straight into the downstairs tent and bumped into S.o.J and Jack. The kind fella even gave me a free programme which I had for some weird reason avoided buying - at just 50 pence. The info would have perhaps made my initial choice better - having asked for a pale hoppy beer I was sold a half of Peak Ales IPA, which was a decent sup, but a tad disappointing. S.o.J was on the excellent Williams Brothers Tin Man Tropical IPA at 5.5% and this was my second sample, and regardless of my being a Williams Brothers fan this was much better and well balanced. Joined now by WK we headed upstairs to find a 4Ts beer, and bumped into Josh, Bob, Marv White and his mate, along with Vikki and Matt. And the search for beers continued.....
I wanted to try a 4T's Papa Mangoes, a 7.0% ale described as a Mango fruit Double IPA. I was a little worried by the strength - not that it was too high, instead that for a double IPA it should be 8% minimum. The smell was very nice but the taste had an awful background - described as a children's cough syrup by Vikki, and as I went further down I had to agree - perhaps hoppy Calpol?
Things desperately improved next with a half of the Blue Bee Mosaic Brut IPA at 7.4% - always a fan of their stronger strongly hoppy beers this was a worryingly easy to drink IPA which ticked all the right boxes. After a wander and a very slow purchase of more tokens I dropped down to a Born in the Borders Flower of Scotland, a pale ale with some good flavours and a decent amount of Scottish malt to blend it. Things then got better still.
There were two cask ales from Almasty , Cashmere and Amarillo Cyro Pale was an excellent blend at 5% and their Mosaic and Azzaca IPA at 6% was phenomenal. I am led to believe by a mixture of memories and scribbles that I also tried a half of the Arbor Yakima Valley at 7.0%, but am not certain whether or not I may have simply imagined this what with said beer being a big favourite. And now it was time to head down to the Keg room to sample some truly excellent ales.
I started on a third of the Abbeydale and Box Social Voyager IPA 19. All of a sudden the ale was soupy and tasted of excellent hops. The night was thereafter good. Not that it didn't get better, as next was one of my two halves of frankly excellent Cloudwater DIPA at a robust 9% - I finished my visit on the second. Am also sure I tried a third of St Mars of the Desert's excellent Clamp, a fab 5.4% IPA, and possibly a Track You Do You 7.0% IPA. Its fair to say I may have been a trifle relaxed by this stage, and that may also explain my lack of information regarding the taste of the latter.
I left about 22.00 having had a fab night, with some fab people, including Johnny and Declan from Bar Stewards, and also Nate and Lucy, whom I bumped into in the Keg bar. It was interesting to hear of a complaint that a nearby barman received, where a punter said "thi sell that Keg beer un are dornt lark it, nevah goin again" an automatically infuriating comment, not because of the rejection of keg as a style, instead the fact that they sold over two hundred cask beers as well! They must have walked straight in the keg bar and without a word walked straight out......
Despite not being able to attend another night I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and with just one exception all the beer tasted was on excellent form. Big thanks to all the volunteers, and specifically to Mr Morton for his excellent role in ordering the beers for this fab festival.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
I must apologise for my lateness in providing info regarding this excellent event - I can assure you that it in no way reflects the quality of the venue or the happenstance, instead its simply that I have been wondering whether I was really sufficiently qualified to write up about this fest - the principal reason for which, instead of my brain injury, simply being that this year despite its earlier-ness I only visited once. And that was a monetary decision.
And so here is what I found.....
Arriving at 18.00 I was queuing before Wee Keefy joined me. I have to say it seemed busier than previous years - attendance on a Wednesday night used to be quiet, but I waited ten minutes to get in. Not a long time I accept, just a surprise if nothing else. Once I had paid the fee - which as well as getting you in also got you a glass and a fiver's worth of tokens, I headed straight into the downstairs tent and bumped into S.o.J and Jack. The kind fella even gave me a free programme which I had for some weird reason avoided buying - at just 50 pence. The info would have perhaps made my initial choice better - having asked for a pale hoppy beer I was sold a half of Peak Ales IPA, which was a decent sup, but a tad disappointing. S.o.J was on the excellent Williams Brothers Tin Man Tropical IPA at 5.5% and this was my second sample, and regardless of my being a Williams Brothers fan this was much better and well balanced. Joined now by WK we headed upstairs to find a 4Ts beer, and bumped into Josh, Bob, Marv White and his mate, along with Vikki and Matt. And the search for beers continued.....
I wanted to try a 4T's Papa Mangoes, a 7.0% ale described as a Mango fruit Double IPA. I was a little worried by the strength - not that it was too high, instead that for a double IPA it should be 8% minimum. The smell was very nice but the taste had an awful background - described as a children's cough syrup by Vikki, and as I went further down I had to agree - perhaps hoppy Calpol?
Things desperately improved next with a half of the Blue Bee Mosaic Brut IPA at 7.4% - always a fan of their stronger strongly hoppy beers this was a worryingly easy to drink IPA which ticked all the right boxes. After a wander and a very slow purchase of more tokens I dropped down to a Born in the Borders Flower of Scotland, a pale ale with some good flavours and a decent amount of Scottish malt to blend it. Things then got better still.
There were two cask ales from Almasty , Cashmere and Amarillo Cyro Pale was an excellent blend at 5% and their Mosaic and Azzaca IPA at 6% was phenomenal. I am led to believe by a mixture of memories and scribbles that I also tried a half of the Arbor Yakima Valley at 7.0%, but am not certain whether or not I may have simply imagined this what with said beer being a big favourite. And now it was time to head down to the Keg room to sample some truly excellent ales.
I started on a third of the Abbeydale and Box Social Voyager IPA 19. All of a sudden the ale was soupy and tasted of excellent hops. The night was thereafter good. Not that it didn't get better, as next was one of my two halves of frankly excellent Cloudwater DIPA at a robust 9% - I finished my visit on the second. Am also sure I tried a third of St Mars of the Desert's excellent Clamp, a fab 5.4% IPA, and possibly a Track You Do You 7.0% IPA. Its fair to say I may have been a trifle relaxed by this stage, and that may also explain my lack of information regarding the taste of the latter.
I left about 22.00 having had a fab night, with some fab people, including Johnny and Declan from Bar Stewards, and also Nate and Lucy, whom I bumped into in the Keg bar. It was interesting to hear of a complaint that a nearby barman received, where a punter said "thi sell that Keg beer un are dornt lark it, nevah goin again" an automatically infuriating comment, not because of the rejection of keg as a style, instead the fact that they sold over two hundred cask beers as well! They must have walked straight in the keg bar and without a word walked straight out......
Despite not being able to attend another night I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and with just one exception all the beer tasted was on excellent form. Big thanks to all the volunteers, and specifically to Mr Morton for his excellent role in ordering the beers for this fab festival.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Saturday, 12 October 2019
Ayr, Portpatrick, Isle of Whithorn, South West Scotland
Hello again,
waking up in Ayr we were downstairs on time with WF and all had a fantastic breakfast before going out of the Chestnuts Hotel full up and refreshed. We headed for Maidens but nipped up a road on the left up into the hills and took a lengthy wander before ending up back in Maidens and parked on the further beachside car park. We left WF with the car and a wander to the cafe and post office before myself and WK headed through the bushes and out onto the beach before walking all the way along to steps up the cliffs and onto the headland where we scattered grandad's ashes over twenty years ago.
The spot is still accessible, and also very quiet, and as the sun came out we had a brilliant view over the beach and out to Ailsa Craig. If memory serves it was January 1996 when we scattered the ashes and it is somewhere we have been back to number of times. Following a path through the woods and back down a stream side path to the beach we walked further down this time before heading back to the car park to find that WF was likely in the shop and so walked down he road to find him. WF had nipped for a quick cuppa and to use their loo and was just on his way out when we arrived and soon we were heading back to Maybole and then through the hills to Martins stones and church before heading into Barr. Alas the pub there is now closed, possibly permamantly, depending on which source you get your info from, but there is a small cafe in the village shop and they do sell some decent bottled beers including March of the penguins from Williams brothers in Alloa which I got a bottle of.
From here we spent a long time in, and getting to Glen Trool before heading to Minigaffe and then through Newton Stewart before rejoining the A75 and heading into Stranraer. Here we parked outside a fantastic pub called The Grapes. This unspoilt low level pub, on Bridge Street and with a fabulous white sign with a rising red horse on it, describing it as the home of Stranraer Tukker Clan, is wonderful. Built in 1862 and unchanged in fifty years or more the pub sells two real ales - on this occasion Orkney Brewery Corncrake and Man of Hoy, and whilst Keith took WF down a corridor to the facilities I must have had about three excellent pints before we left. On the national inventory (alas I can no longer access that page as my computer says it is unsecure....) it is a fabulous community boozer selling excellent drinks, and with a fabulous unspoilt interior.
Heading out of the town we followed the old military road all the way down to Portpatrick, and as WK went to find somewhere to park the car, I waited outside our destination. We were soon inside the Crown Hotel, and took our seats to order food, and having all got pints of Sulwath Criffel in cask we settled down to tuck in. The food was excellent, and the beer also. After eating, myself and WK fetched the bags and got the room keys. Despite an initial problem, with them telling us the wrong room for me and Keet, we soon got in and having left WF for a short period we headed up to another pub up the hill. It was OK, but their strangely named Portree IPA was definitely Greedy King and although I suggested we visit the Harbour House Hotel, instead we popped into check on WF. After making sure he was in bed, and arriving back at 10.20, we found them closed, and the lass we spoke to allowed us to take a look in the bar - online searches suggest it has recently changed hands and in a change to info on Whatpub they sold two Portpatrick Brewery beers on cask.Bback at the Crown we had another two or three pints of the Criffel before heading to bed.
In the morning WK left just before me to check if WF had got downstairs OK and a member of staff knocked on the door. She said she had been asked by someone to remind me to come down for breakfast. She didn't seem to know who Fatha was which seemed strange, but not as odd as the idea that either of two others would ask me to be reminded. On reaching the bottom of the stairs I was apologised to by another member of staff who had said they had been expecting to see two ladies, both of whom presumably stayed in our original room, and whom hopefully both remembered to sample, and enjoyed, the food in the breakfast, as much as we did!
After a lengthy wander around the sunny harbour we headed on a lengthy trip down to the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse where me and WK went for a walk and spotted some excellent wildlife, before joining WF again at the RSPB office and taking him up back towards Portpatrick and into a pub next to a caravan park in a place called Clashwannon, near the village of Dunnure. Opening at four this pub sold two real ales - Osset Yorkshire Blonde and one from Portpatrick. Explaining how much I appreciated this chance to finally try some sadly I was informed it was off, and although I did buy three bottles of the same breweries products, as well as my two pints, I ended up leaving them in a bag in our last hotel. It seems I shall never taste Portpatrick beers....
That place was the fabulous Steam Packet Inn in the Isle of Whithorn. A place I have been twice in the last twenty years and never managed to visit the pub. By now for the first time it was raining and after we got inside and sorted our rooms I started on a pint from Stewart Brewing in Edinburgh before having pints of every one of the pubs own brewery Five Kingdoms beers, along with two of their IPAs on keg. Food was in a room on the right and it was fantastic, although there seemed to be some confusion about who was having which sauce with their steak.Mine was rare and beautifully cooked, and WK enjoyed his too, but these days WF is such a slow eater that by the time he had finished he was mardily asking them why they served food on cold plates. The main issue is that in the amount of time it took him to sloth his way through his scran it is inevitable that it would cool down.
WF went off to bed early whilst me and WK sat in the bar by ourselves whilst chatting at some points to the brewer and the bar staff and finishing in my case (with WK on ginger beer) on a fabulous whisky. Alas I missed breakfast as I woke up early on with problems with my hernia, and whilst WK admitted the room was cold, today WF moaned that the tea was cold - two hours after he had arrived for breakfast. I really enjoyed the Steampacket - I just hope that as that is where I left my bottled beers (I found the Five Kingdoms ones!!), they enjoyed them!
Due to hernia issues we didn't stop for another boohar en route home and WK carefully drove me back to mine for about 19.30. I have now had two of the three Five Kingdoms brewery beers and they were both ace, I can highly recommend them! I am now invited to return to some parts of the holiday again next year, so who knows, perhaps I will one day try some Portpatrick brewery beers....
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
waking up in Ayr we were downstairs on time with WF and all had a fantastic breakfast before going out of the Chestnuts Hotel full up and refreshed. We headed for Maidens but nipped up a road on the left up into the hills and took a lengthy wander before ending up back in Maidens and parked on the further beachside car park. We left WF with the car and a wander to the cafe and post office before myself and WK headed through the bushes and out onto the beach before walking all the way along to steps up the cliffs and onto the headland where we scattered grandad's ashes over twenty years ago.
The spot is still accessible, and also very quiet, and as the sun came out we had a brilliant view over the beach and out to Ailsa Craig. If memory serves it was January 1996 when we scattered the ashes and it is somewhere we have been back to number of times. Following a path through the woods and back down a stream side path to the beach we walked further down this time before heading back to the car park to find that WF was likely in the shop and so walked down he road to find him. WF had nipped for a quick cuppa and to use their loo and was just on his way out when we arrived and soon we were heading back to Maybole and then through the hills to Martins stones and church before heading into Barr. Alas the pub there is now closed, possibly permamantly, depending on which source you get your info from, but there is a small cafe in the village shop and they do sell some decent bottled beers including March of the penguins from Williams brothers in Alloa which I got a bottle of.
From here we spent a long time in, and getting to Glen Trool before heading to Minigaffe and then through Newton Stewart before rejoining the A75 and heading into Stranraer. Here we parked outside a fantastic pub called The Grapes. This unspoilt low level pub, on Bridge Street and with a fabulous white sign with a rising red horse on it, describing it as the home of Stranraer Tukker Clan, is wonderful. Built in 1862 and unchanged in fifty years or more the pub sells two real ales - on this occasion Orkney Brewery Corncrake and Man of Hoy, and whilst Keith took WF down a corridor to the facilities I must have had about three excellent pints before we left. On the national inventory (alas I can no longer access that page as my computer says it is unsecure....) it is a fabulous community boozer selling excellent drinks, and with a fabulous unspoilt interior.
Heading out of the town we followed the old military road all the way down to Portpatrick, and as WK went to find somewhere to park the car, I waited outside our destination. We were soon inside the Crown Hotel, and took our seats to order food, and having all got pints of Sulwath Criffel in cask we settled down to tuck in. The food was excellent, and the beer also. After eating, myself and WK fetched the bags and got the room keys. Despite an initial problem, with them telling us the wrong room for me and Keet, we soon got in and having left WF for a short period we headed up to another pub up the hill. It was OK, but their strangely named Portree IPA was definitely Greedy King and although I suggested we visit the Harbour House Hotel, instead we popped into check on WF. After making sure he was in bed, and arriving back at 10.20, we found them closed, and the lass we spoke to allowed us to take a look in the bar - online searches suggest it has recently changed hands and in a change to info on Whatpub they sold two Portpatrick Brewery beers on cask.Bback at the Crown we had another two or three pints of the Criffel before heading to bed.
In the morning WK left just before me to check if WF had got downstairs OK and a member of staff knocked on the door. She said she had been asked by someone to remind me to come down for breakfast. She didn't seem to know who Fatha was which seemed strange, but not as odd as the idea that either of two others would ask me to be reminded. On reaching the bottom of the stairs I was apologised to by another member of staff who had said they had been expecting to see two ladies, both of whom presumably stayed in our original room, and whom hopefully both remembered to sample, and enjoyed, the food in the breakfast, as much as we did!
After a lengthy wander around the sunny harbour we headed on a lengthy trip down to the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse where me and WK went for a walk and spotted some excellent wildlife, before joining WF again at the RSPB office and taking him up back towards Portpatrick and into a pub next to a caravan park in a place called Clashwannon, near the village of Dunnure. Opening at four this pub sold two real ales - Osset Yorkshire Blonde and one from Portpatrick. Explaining how much I appreciated this chance to finally try some sadly I was informed it was off, and although I did buy three bottles of the same breweries products, as well as my two pints, I ended up leaving them in a bag in our last hotel. It seems I shall never taste Portpatrick beers....
That place was the fabulous Steam Packet Inn in the Isle of Whithorn. A place I have been twice in the last twenty years and never managed to visit the pub. By now for the first time it was raining and after we got inside and sorted our rooms I started on a pint from Stewart Brewing in Edinburgh before having pints of every one of the pubs own brewery Five Kingdoms beers, along with two of their IPAs on keg. Food was in a room on the right and it was fantastic, although there seemed to be some confusion about who was having which sauce with their steak.Mine was rare and beautifully cooked, and WK enjoyed his too, but these days WF is such a slow eater that by the time he had finished he was mardily asking them why they served food on cold plates. The main issue is that in the amount of time it took him to sloth his way through his scran it is inevitable that it would cool down.
WF went off to bed early whilst me and WK sat in the bar by ourselves whilst chatting at some points to the brewer and the bar staff and finishing in my case (with WK on ginger beer) on a fabulous whisky. Alas I missed breakfast as I woke up early on with problems with my hernia, and whilst WK admitted the room was cold, today WF moaned that the tea was cold - two hours after he had arrived for breakfast. I really enjoyed the Steampacket - I just hope that as that is where I left my bottled beers (I found the Five Kingdoms ones!!), they enjoyed them!
Due to hernia issues we didn't stop for another boohar en route home and WK carefully drove me back to mine for about 19.30. I have now had two of the three Five Kingdoms brewery beers and they were both ace, I can highly recommend them! I am now invited to return to some parts of the holiday again next year, so who knows, perhaps I will one day try some Portpatrick brewery beers....
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 6 October 2019
The Wee Men visit South West Scotland
Hello,
back in 2018 myself and Wee Keefy and Fatha discussed his plans to embark on a final trip to Scotland. Although this in some small way accepted the decrease in Fatha's mobility in recent years it certainly seemed optimistic at best. Being a last big tour WF would drive his and myself up to Oban and then on the third day we would catch the ferry to the Isle of Barra and stay there for three nights, joined by WK. We would then make a two day trek up to Lewis and stay for two nights on Uig peninsula before heading back to Ullapool and spending two nights or three heading back down. WK was reticent, and after he and Fatha went away to Chepstow in February he was certain that WF couldn't do the driving, and following a tenuous trip to Coventry in July we changed the plans dramatically to four nights with no ferries. And here is what happened.
WF was to pick me up at 09.30 and we would drive over to Wee Keefy's. In the end he was 45 minutes late, but suggested as WK took over driving that he sat in the back and myself and Keith in the front. Alas on reaching our first stop he was completely unable to get out of the back of the car and that is where I sat for the remainder of the trip thereafter. Following a trip to Morrisons in Penrith for lunch we popped into the Agricultural Hotel, or Arms nearby, parked outside and tried there some of the four local ales available. I was on a couple of pints of Hawkshead Session IPA, WK was on a half of something else local as was WF. Despite a few problems fitting WF in his wheelchair down the thin alley to the loos, and having to register the incredably centrally parked car, I think this was a cracking pub serving excellent beers in a very busy town.
Following a quick trip t Loch Maben we headed into Moffat and booked into the Old Black Bull Inn. We had not been to this pub for 15 years or so and it had previously closed down. Now selling two Lowland Brewery Beers, I had three pints of their Twa Dugs pale ale and Keith and WF a pint each of the Luce Moose or a similarly titled dark with our meal. Although we did make a trip to the Stag Inn , where we both had pints of their Inveralmond Lia Fail on cask, the only available, we then returned for a couple more of the Lowland. An excellent start to the escapade.
The next day WF was strangely on time and although we waited a long time we thoroughly enjoyed our very large breakfast, which, despite the wait, was perhaps the finest of the holiday. After letting WF drive once more we drove down a B road out of Moffat into the nearby hills where we walked almost all the way up to the fantastic waterfall which is the Grey Mare's Tail. With his permission we left him sat on the viewing platform in his chair, before scrambling up as far as we could manage but to get to the top would have taken far longer. One point was that it was a pay as you stay car park - not expensive, as it was about three pounds for up to four hours, but a family drove up in a large and likely expensive to run car, spotted the price, and presumably, not the explanation of how much of the funds go to maintaining the paths and viewing platform, and left straightaway, moaning "Ahm not payin free quid to park, have never paid to park anywhere". Not only does this sound very unlikely, but its a small, well maintained car park in the middle of nowhere where numerous people park up and visit each day, given the location and the cost of management I don't know why anyone would storm off in a huff!
From here we headed back into Moffat before heading up through the hills toward Leadhills and Wanlockhead. Known as one of the highest and coldest villages in the UK I was pleased when WK told me that his friend Kev had been there recently and discovered a pub. A quick search showed the Wanlockhead Inn in the village and the supliers of beer from Lola Rose brewery based nearby. On entering WF was very slow to the bar, and, alas, when we got in there was one handpump with the clip turned round - we were told they weren't selling real ale at the moment. Whilst WF wandered to the loss we got drinks and a seat in the room next door where the band were playing folk songs, and very well. WK was on Tennants dark, I think, where as I had a pint of Maltsmiths IPA on keg. Although am sure its a major brewery maker and supplier it as a beer in a style which I liked and this went down very well.
Next we headed along miles of road via somewhere called Dalmellington, for dinner, before heading to the lovely Ayrshire Village of Kirkmichael. Here we parked outside and visited the excellent Kirkmichael Arms. Memory tells me I first visited this pub for bose when I was nineteen, which means it was last century. I had a pint of Maclays on cask with a blue label, which may have been brewed in Alloa. Or it may not. This time there was still one real ale on and it was a cloudy Ayr Brewing Co beer called Otto and Griselda, a 4.6% pale ale. As WF was once again on one of his lengthy visits I had two pints of this, whilst enjoying the football results on the TV screen above us. This pub does not seem to have changed in the numerous years since my last visit and is definitely somewhere I would like to go to again.
Soon, with WK now driving, we had driven over the hills to the coast above Dunure and from there into Ayr, arriving at the Chestnuts Hotel around 17.30. Parked up outside, we were quickly in our rooms having taken WF's stuff up into his, and after a quick change and an attempt to recharge my phone we went for tea at 19.00 in the restaurant, whilst I bought us all pints of the Kelburn Brewing Co Pivo Estivo, a 3.9% lager like pale ale available on cask along with two Greedy King. The food and beer were excellent, although they did change the barrel after our first pints as they did taste a little old. Later we ordered a taxi to take us to Wellingtons Bar down below Wellington Square.
My last visit here was possibly ten or twenty years ago as well and I remember drinking the possibly then independent Caledonian Brewery Deuchars IPA. Now, there were three real ales on including two from Loch Lomond. U had several pints of their Lost in Mosaic session IPA and the other Wee's had other ales, the identity of which has since escaped me. After a couple of hours the staff very kindly bought WF a chair to sit on outside and ordered us a taxi back to the hotel. With WF, and after he went to bed, I had a further two pints of the Kelburn as well as a double Whisky, before heading up to bed around midnight. An excellent evening of great food and beers once again.
More details of the remaining days to follow
Your very best of health!
Wee Beefy
back in 2018 myself and Wee Keefy and Fatha discussed his plans to embark on a final trip to Scotland. Although this in some small way accepted the decrease in Fatha's mobility in recent years it certainly seemed optimistic at best. Being a last big tour WF would drive his and myself up to Oban and then on the third day we would catch the ferry to the Isle of Barra and stay there for three nights, joined by WK. We would then make a two day trek up to Lewis and stay for two nights on Uig peninsula before heading back to Ullapool and spending two nights or three heading back down. WK was reticent, and after he and Fatha went away to Chepstow in February he was certain that WF couldn't do the driving, and following a tenuous trip to Coventry in July we changed the plans dramatically to four nights with no ferries. And here is what happened.
WF was to pick me up at 09.30 and we would drive over to Wee Keefy's. In the end he was 45 minutes late, but suggested as WK took over driving that he sat in the back and myself and Keith in the front. Alas on reaching our first stop he was completely unable to get out of the back of the car and that is where I sat for the remainder of the trip thereafter. Following a trip to Morrisons in Penrith for lunch we popped into the Agricultural Hotel, or Arms nearby, parked outside and tried there some of the four local ales available. I was on a couple of pints of Hawkshead Session IPA, WK was on a half of something else local as was WF. Despite a few problems fitting WF in his wheelchair down the thin alley to the loos, and having to register the incredably centrally parked car, I think this was a cracking pub serving excellent beers in a very busy town.
Following a quick trip t Loch Maben we headed into Moffat and booked into the Old Black Bull Inn. We had not been to this pub for 15 years or so and it had previously closed down. Now selling two Lowland Brewery Beers, I had three pints of their Twa Dugs pale ale and Keith and WF a pint each of the Luce Moose or a similarly titled dark with our meal. Although we did make a trip to the Stag Inn , where we both had pints of their Inveralmond Lia Fail on cask, the only available, we then returned for a couple more of the Lowland. An excellent start to the escapade.
The next day WF was strangely on time and although we waited a long time we thoroughly enjoyed our very large breakfast, which, despite the wait, was perhaps the finest of the holiday. After letting WF drive once more we drove down a B road out of Moffat into the nearby hills where we walked almost all the way up to the fantastic waterfall which is the Grey Mare's Tail. With his permission we left him sat on the viewing platform in his chair, before scrambling up as far as we could manage but to get to the top would have taken far longer. One point was that it was a pay as you stay car park - not expensive, as it was about three pounds for up to four hours, but a family drove up in a large and likely expensive to run car, spotted the price, and presumably, not the explanation of how much of the funds go to maintaining the paths and viewing platform, and left straightaway, moaning "Ahm not payin free quid to park, have never paid to park anywhere". Not only does this sound very unlikely, but its a small, well maintained car park in the middle of nowhere where numerous people park up and visit each day, given the location and the cost of management I don't know why anyone would storm off in a huff!
From here we headed back into Moffat before heading up through the hills toward Leadhills and Wanlockhead. Known as one of the highest and coldest villages in the UK I was pleased when WK told me that his friend Kev had been there recently and discovered a pub. A quick search showed the Wanlockhead Inn in the village and the supliers of beer from Lola Rose brewery based nearby. On entering WF was very slow to the bar, and, alas, when we got in there was one handpump with the clip turned round - we were told they weren't selling real ale at the moment. Whilst WF wandered to the loss we got drinks and a seat in the room next door where the band were playing folk songs, and very well. WK was on Tennants dark, I think, where as I had a pint of Maltsmiths IPA on keg. Although am sure its a major brewery maker and supplier it as a beer in a style which I liked and this went down very well.
Next we headed along miles of road via somewhere called Dalmellington, for dinner, before heading to the lovely Ayrshire Village of Kirkmichael. Here we parked outside and visited the excellent Kirkmichael Arms. Memory tells me I first visited this pub for bose when I was nineteen, which means it was last century. I had a pint of Maclays on cask with a blue label, which may have been brewed in Alloa. Or it may not. This time there was still one real ale on and it was a cloudy Ayr Brewing Co beer called Otto and Griselda, a 4.6% pale ale. As WF was once again on one of his lengthy visits I had two pints of this, whilst enjoying the football results on the TV screen above us. This pub does not seem to have changed in the numerous years since my last visit and is definitely somewhere I would like to go to again.
Soon, with WK now driving, we had driven over the hills to the coast above Dunure and from there into Ayr, arriving at the Chestnuts Hotel around 17.30. Parked up outside, we were quickly in our rooms having taken WF's stuff up into his, and after a quick change and an attempt to recharge my phone we went for tea at 19.00 in the restaurant, whilst I bought us all pints of the Kelburn Brewing Co Pivo Estivo, a 3.9% lager like pale ale available on cask along with two Greedy King. The food and beer were excellent, although they did change the barrel after our first pints as they did taste a little old. Later we ordered a taxi to take us to Wellingtons Bar down below Wellington Square.
My last visit here was possibly ten or twenty years ago as well and I remember drinking the possibly then independent Caledonian Brewery Deuchars IPA. Now, there were three real ales on including two from Loch Lomond. U had several pints of their Lost in Mosaic session IPA and the other Wee's had other ales, the identity of which has since escaped me. After a couple of hours the staff very kindly bought WF a chair to sit on outside and ordered us a taxi back to the hotel. With WF, and after he went to bed, I had a further two pints of the Kelburn as well as a double Whisky, before heading up to bed around midnight. An excellent evening of great food and beers once again.
More details of the remaining days to follow
Your very best of health!
Wee Beefy
Thursday, 26 September 2019
Three down....
Hullur,
I realise its literally hours before my trip away with the Wee's to Scotland, but I wanted to write this pre trip last post.....Details, it turns out, of three different closed boozers that we wished to attend....
The first I admit, is somewhere that I have known has ceased trading for some time. I admit we had formerly found it closed and thus never re-bothered but the tinterweb suggested that this happened in reality in 2015 or 16. Next to St Mary's Loch in southern Scotland is a place called Tibbie Shiels. I say this demonstrating my acknowledgeable lack of info or knowledge about the words - old photos on a Google search suggest equally that this was both the name of a former landlady and the area its in. Either way it has long ago left us. I went to and Enjoyed the Tibbie Shiels Inn in the 1990's. It has since become a hotel and masters lair of a lochside camping site. However, the building has since stopped trading as a real ale pub, or business, and has recently remained empty.
Prior to our mooch across the border we intend stopping in Penrith, a town with a rather less impressive local coloquialism for a name. Recently, before my stroke, myself and WF ventured into the same ancient Dockray Arms Hotel in the same, to find six real ales and a number of keg beers in a venue owned, am fairly sure, by Loweswater brewery.....or not. Alas a tinterweb search today lists this Cumbrian alehouse as permanently closed, so it seems we will miss out entirely on it's admittedly car unhelpful delights. A massive shame.
Finally, despite Wee Fatha's early 2017 behaviour and, potential self barring, of the previously wonderful Geordies Byre in Newtown, in Ayr, I noticed today on a tinterweb search that the same pub, irrespective of WF's overreactions, is currently closed. He Tinterweb, whom is a person, cites recent bereavement. Having been there and enjoyed it immensely over the last 15 years, am hoping its not the landlord, or any of his staff, that this event has befallen. The Whatpub websites implies that it may reopen - I sincerely hope it does.....
I will write up my upcoming Scottish trundle upon my return, and, in the meantime, I wish you all the very best of your health...
Cheers!!
Wee Beefy
I realise its literally hours before my trip away with the Wee's to Scotland, but I wanted to write this pre trip last post.....Details, it turns out, of three different closed boozers that we wished to attend....
The first I admit, is somewhere that I have known has ceased trading for some time. I admit we had formerly found it closed and thus never re-bothered but the tinterweb suggested that this happened in reality in 2015 or 16. Next to St Mary's Loch in southern Scotland is a place called Tibbie Shiels. I say this demonstrating my acknowledgeable lack of info or knowledge about the words - old photos on a Google search suggest equally that this was both the name of a former landlady and the area its in. Either way it has long ago left us. I went to and Enjoyed the Tibbie Shiels Inn in the 1990's. It has since become a hotel and masters lair of a lochside camping site. However, the building has since stopped trading as a real ale pub, or business, and has recently remained empty.
Prior to our mooch across the border we intend stopping in Penrith, a town with a rather less impressive local coloquialism for a name. Recently, before my stroke, myself and WF ventured into the same ancient Dockray Arms Hotel in the same, to find six real ales and a number of keg beers in a venue owned, am fairly sure, by Loweswater brewery.....or not. Alas a tinterweb search today lists this Cumbrian alehouse as permanently closed, so it seems we will miss out entirely on it's admittedly car unhelpful delights. A massive shame.
Finally, despite Wee Fatha's early 2017 behaviour and, potential self barring, of the previously wonderful Geordies Byre in Newtown, in Ayr, I noticed today on a tinterweb search that the same pub, irrespective of WF's overreactions, is currently closed. He Tinterweb, whom is a person, cites recent bereavement. Having been there and enjoyed it immensely over the last 15 years, am hoping its not the landlord, or any of his staff, that this event has befallen. The Whatpub websites implies that it may reopen - I sincerely hope it does.....
I will write up my upcoming Scottish trundle upon my return, and, in the meantime, I wish you all the very best of your health...
Cheers!!
Wee Beefy
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