Andy has been actively involved in CAMRA since the early 2000s after being recruited to sit on a National Younger Members Task Group.
Since then he has held roles on the branch committee including Secretary, Membership Secretary, Magazine Editor, Chair and now Social Secretary.
Andy has also been involved with the Steel City Beer & Cider Festival almost every year since becoming active in the branch.
he leadership of one of Europe’s most successful consumer organisations is considering refocusing its future purpose after being presented with a wide-ranging review into its aims and activities – but is clear campaigning for real ale, pubs, clubs, cider and perry will remain core.
The volunteers heading up the Campaign for Real Ale were presented with a report and proposals by the Revitalisation Project at a meeting in early December.
The Revitalisation Project has proposed that the Campaign remains committed to its core aims of promoting real ale, real cider, perry and campaigning for pubs and clubs – but has suggested CAMRA needs to widen its vision and mission to reflect changing consumer needs and developments in the drinks industry.
In summary the Revitalisation Project has recommended that:
Campaigning for real ale, cider and perry and protecting community pubs and clubs will remain core to CAMRA activities.
CAMRA widens its mission and purpose to reflect changing consumer needs and developments that have taken place across the sector since CAMRA’s foundation in 1971. The Revitalisation Project found that there is much CAMRA does well, so its proposals principally relate to opportunities for the organisation to remain relevant and effective in the future.
CAMRA broadens its focus to play a “leading role in informing and representing all those with an interest in good beer of any type”.
CAMRA promotes the “virtues of well-produced, well-kept cask-conditioned beers as the pinnacle of the brewer’s craft” while also promoting greater awareness and understanding to help drinkers judge for themselves what “quality” beer is.
Celebrating and protecting well-run community pubs and clubs should also remain core to CAMRA’s purpose, but the Campaign should do more to improve the range and quality of beer, cider and perry in “communal drinking” venues across the on-trade.
In response to the attacks on responsible drinkers by health campaigners, the organisation plays a leading role in speaking on behalf of all UK beer, cider and perry drinkers, and pub and club-goers.
The Revitalisation Project was officially launched in April 2016, to carry out a review of CAMRA’s purpose and activities and to ensure it was positioned to reflect changes in the pub and brewing industry.
The Revitalisation Project considered the views of tens of thousands of CAMRA members who responded to three surveys and the opinions of thousands who attended consultation meetings across the country. Its findings also take into account feedback from numerous industry stakeholders including politicians, brewers, cider producers, publicans and journalists.
The Revitalisation Project has now agreed a series of proposals which it presented to CAMRA’s National Executive – the most senior elected volunteers in the organisation – at a meeting in early December. The National Executive will now take ownership of the report and will be responsible for deciding whether, how and when, to implement the Revitalisation Project’s proposals.
CAMRA members will continue to be fully involved in the process and will be invited to discuss the Revitalisation Project proposals at the CAMRA Members’ Weekend and AGM to be held in Bournemouth in April 2017. A final decision on adopting the proposals will be taken at the Members’ Weekend and AGM in Coventry 2018.
Michael Hardman MBE, one of CAMRA’s founders and Chairman of the Revitalisation Project said:“Our proposals were agreed after eight months of hard work and include strengthening some of CAMRA’s best campaigns and practices as well as confirming our 45-year-long commitment to real ale and our long-standing support for pubs and clubs.
“We have recommended that we should explore some kinds of beer that have previously been outside our scope, but this is hardly a controversial proposal since our latest survey of members showed that there was a clear majority in favour of doing so.
“We now look forward to the National Executive accepting our proposals, depending on the results of an impact study they will be carrying out, and then to our 185,000 members voting on the proposals.”
Colin Valentine, Chairman of the Campaign for Real Ale, said: “I’d like to thank Michael and the Revitalisation Project for the work they have put in over the summer to survey tens of thousands of CAMRA members and meet thousands in person to ask them what they think.“The Revitalisation Project has helped us to understand what our members want for the organisation in the future and the direction they believe we should take to respond to the changes in the pub and beer world.“My fellow National Directors and I will now take the time to fully understand the Revitalisation Project report and the proposals which have been made to us. It’s now our job to decide what we will recommend to our members and seek their approval to changes, if appropriate, to our purpose and strategies and the activities we carry out to achieve them.“While the work of the Revitalisation Project is now finished, this is really only the start of the process for the National Executive and CAMRA members. We need to make sure that members continue to be at the heart of the decisions we take and we will ensure they get a full opportunity to discuss the proposals at our Conference in April and then have the final vote on any changes to CAMRA’s purpose at the Members’ Weekend and AGM in 2018.”
As well as presenting its proposals to the National Executive, the Revitalisation Project published the findings of the third and final survey into the views of CAMRA members. The survey findings are available at: https://revitalisation.camra.org.uk/blog/revitalisation-project-survey-three-results
A full copy of the Revitalisation Project Proposal document is available here: https://revitalisation.camra.org.uk/blog/revitalisation-project-report-published
Fuggle is looking forward to celebrating its third birthday shortly and will be launching another new chapter, so keep watching for Chapter 9. The Bunny is going from strength to strength and has some exciting news to tell you all shortly. In the meantime apart from selling to local, Tied & Free houses, wholesalers and JD Wetherspoon we are now selling our award winning ales nationally.
What has become a very popular event is our Fuggletastic Friday Club when we are open to the public. Our opening times are 9.00am until 11.00pm on Fridays which allows anyone to call in for tasters and take outs, purchase of merchandise eg: Hoodies, T-shirts, Glasses, Growlers stainless and PET jugs, our own chutneys and sauces made with our beers created by OME Made which can be bought individually or as a hamper, there is free pool and darts, snacks, bread & dripping, what moor could one wish for on a relaxing Friday Fuggle Day.
Cheers, Wendy.
You can find Fuggle Bunny Brewhouse at Holbrook near Halfway, just off the main road towards Killamarsh. Bus 70/71 will drop you off close or its a short walk from Halfway tram terminus.
All members are entitled to attend the national AGM to listen to the annual reports from the Chief Executive and national Directors on the National Executive Committee, debate and vote on motions, participate in policy discussion groups and attend volunteer support workshops. The AGM is also part of a wider members weekend which includes a private beer festival, coach trips to breweries and the opportunity to visit some of the pubs in the area. This year the Members Weekend & AGM is being held in Bournemouth from the 7th to 9th April.
Conference business takes place Saturday and Sunday daytime with the Members Bar and registration desk open from Friday evening, coach trips depart on Friday and Saturday evening. You can register in advance online and simply collect your conference pack on arrival, alternatively sign up at the registration desk at the venue on the day.
For more on the members weekend visit camra.org.uk.
Direct Cross Country trains run from Sheffield to Bournemouth and it is usually cheaper to book in advance. Check crosscountrytrains.co.uk for times and fares.
The Fat Cat is a little-altered and typically detailed example of a mid-C19th. pub and former hotel in, what was, an industrial quarter close to central Sheffield. It has an excellent original layout: two downstairs rooms, a small central bar, mosaic in the doorway and a terrazzo floor passageway.
Opened in 1850 and originally known as ‘The Kelham Tavern,’ the pub was renamed ‘The Alma,’ in 1856, after the Battle of the Alma River (SW Crimea) in 1854. It was taken over by Sheffield brewer, William Stones in 1912. A small entrance lobby with mosaic floor bearing the legend “CANNON ALES” leads into a corridor with terrazzo floor leading to a rooms on the left and a doorway to the servery on right. The entrance lobby also leads to a room on the right.
The bar was up-graded in 1981 from a formica-topped surface. The three-sided servery has a canopy including coloured glass over, and a clock under, a rounded pediment. The latter is believed to be a payment settling kiosk obtained from a Co-op butchers in Rotherham.
The left hand-room has bench seating on most of the walls. The Victorian style fireplace with tiled base was installed in 1981. The right-hand room has a Victorian green tiled, cast iron and wood surround fireplace at the rear and has bench seating on the outside walls.
A 1914 plan (James R.Wigfull for Messr’s.Wm.Stones Ltd.) shows a pub layout which is similar to the current layout with three exceptions. 1914 has two entrances to the building: the current position and a second corner entrance. The current corner room is split into two rooms: a ‘public bar’ which is only accessible from the corner entrance and a ‘Smoke Room’ which is accessible from the central corridor. The bar has a rounded corner in the Public Bar. In addition, ‘Cottages’ are indicated at the rear of the pub. 1914 has these changing into ‘Scullery,’ ‘Pantry’ and ‘Coals.’ There is also an upstairs ‘Club Room’ in the same position as to-days upstairs room.
Plans approved in 1941 (Wigfull, Inott and Ridgeway, Sheffield) indicate that, with the removal of an internal wall, the corner ‘Public Bar’ has extended into the ‘Smoke Room’ and that the bar is squared off into the current layout. The corner entrance has also been removed.
The pub became the Fat Cat on 29th.July 1981 when the building was bought, at auction, for £33,750 by Solicitor, Bruce Bentley and his business partner, Sheffield Polytechnic Economics Lecturer, Dave Wickett (1947-2012), becoming one of the first ‘Real Ale Freehouses’ in the UK. In 1989, Dave bought out the share owned by Bruce. Opening day (21st.August) saw queues down the street and the debut behind the bar of Diane Johnston. Diane has worked at the pub since and is currently Assistant Manager.
A 1982 plan shows that the ‘Scullery,’ ‘Pantry’ and ‘Coals’ have changed into an extended ‘Gents,’ and a new ‘Ladies W.C.’ and ‘Stores.’ The ‘Tap Room’ is now named ‘No-smoking room,’ the first such facility to be available in Sheffield – this fact was mentioned in the House of Commons by Bassetlaw MP Joe Ashton and therefore recorded in Hansard. In addition, the ‘Club Room’ is now ‘Function Room.’ In the 1980’s, an internal door in the right-hand room which led directly to the urinals was removed; customers were thus compelled to visit, via the corridor. This door had been installed at some point post-WW2.
The Fat Cat has recently achieved SRI (‘Some Regional Importance’)on the CAMRA registry of Pub Interiors. There is a possibility of RI (‘Regional Inventory’). Hence, we would be interested in internal photos from earlier than 1981. If you have any, please contact myself: dpickersgill1@googlemail.com
Dave Pickersgill
Since the copy deadline for the December issue of Beer Matters, there have been a number of local developments:
On 21st.November, the Chair of Sheffield CAMRA and myself met with Ccl.Jack Scott in order to discuss ACV applications to Sheffield City Council (SCC). At that meeting, he promised a further meeting, ‘early in 2017,’ in order to discuss the establishment of a city-wide pub promotion/protection and beer destination/tourism strategy. Since then, despite a number of email reminders, there has been no suggestion of a date/venue for such a meeting from SCC.
The Plough – on 10th.January, SCC Planning committee unanimously rejected an application by Sainsburys to turn the Plough into a ‘convenience store’ – the next step is up to Enterprise Inns. Ideally, they will sell the pub (at a sensible price) to a local pub, brewery or community group.
The Cherry Tree – An ACV application was submitted by a local group on 21st.October. The Co-op have since put in a planning application to demolish the building and replace it by a shop. A forthcoming Planning Committee (14th.February) will make the planning decision. We understand that the ACV decision will be made before that date (the decision was due on 2nd.December).
The White Lion achieved ACV status on 21st.November. Congratulations to all concerned.
Sheffield CAMRA submitted an ACV application for The University Arms on 23rd.December. A decision from SCC is due by 17th.February. An acknowledgement letter from SCC confirms this date.
Paul Ainsworth, the Chair of the National CAMRA Pub Campaigns Group has written to SCC expressing disquiet regarding their procedures and practices
To summarise, we:
have little confidence in the way SCC are managing the ACV process. The process is non-uniform and deadlines are not met
feel that SCC are expecting Sheffield Citizens to jump higher than Parliament requires (regarding ACV applications). It is over-reaching itself by demanding higher tests than those required by Parliament.
have a serious concern that in applying higher hurdles than those required by the Localism Act 2011, SCC is acting Ultra Vires.
2017 sees Sheffield Beer Week celebrate its third year as a city-wide beer festival and umbrella beer-focused event occurring in multiple venues throughout the second week in March.
It is with great excitement that the first few breweries have been announced for 2017 #SheffBeerWeek events. Follow updates as they are released via our Twitter. Not only do we have great local breweries such as Neepsend, Thornbridge and Abbeydale all getting involved but a list of national and international breweries including Beavertown and Belgian family brewer Brouwerij De Brabandere, so far. Can’t wait to share more with you all in the next few weeks!
With around 5,000 people visiting the city for Beer Alive (formerly Beer X festival), organiser Jules Gray sees Sheffield Beer Week (13-19 March) as a real opportunity to show off the very best of our beer scene. In addition to forming networks, collaborations (locally, nationally and globally) and encouraging additional visitors to Sheffield. In addition to the Society of Independent Brewers’ national conference and beer festival, a new beer-focused conference is launching called – Beer Now. This inaugural conference will look to attract additional beer industry professionals to Sheffield and is focused on marketing, communications and tourism. After 2016’s University of Sheffield commissioned Beer Report written by broadcaster Pete Brown, it is great to see traction building in Sheffield’s beer scene.
Jules Gray, joint proprietor of Hop Hideout award-winning beer shop and tasting room, on Abbeydale Road, said:
“I’m really pleased to see the year on year interest grow throughout Sheffield and beyond in its appetite for celebrating beer. Beer tourism is a growing area and I see this as a crucial cog to Sheffield’s continued beer success and positive economic growth city-wide. It’s really exciting to be part of developing this expanding annual event. I want to give a big thanks to all those who have been involved in previous years and look forward 2017’s plans as they gather apace.”
Sheffield Beer Week runs from 13 to 19th March. Head to http://sheffieldbeerweek.co.uk.
If you’re interested in holding an event, contact Sheffield Beer Week at sheffieldbeerweek@gmail.com for more information.
The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) and Zephyr Conferences announced in 2016 the first-ever Beer Now Conference to take place in March 17-19 in Sheffield, England in 2017. The conference is focused on “marketing, tourism, and communications” in the modern beer industry.
The conference will take place at ICESheffield, the same venue as and coinciding with Beer Alive, SIBA’s national beer and brewing event. Because Beer Alive primarily focuses on issues related to brewing, having Beer Now co-located in Sheffield will broaden the scope of the events to also cover the marketing side of today’s beer industry, which has changed dramatically in recent decades.
“We are extremely pleased to be hosting the Beer Now Conference at Beer Alive in 2017”, stated SIBA Director of Operations Nick Stafford, “the addition of the Beer Now conference widens the scope even further and brings its own audience of beer bloggers and writers who are so influential to our industry.”
The beer bloggers and beer writers referred to come from the European Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference (EBBC), which operated the last six years in various European cities including London, Dublin, Brussels, and Amsterdam. Zephyr Conferences, the organizer of the EBBC, elected to broaden the scope of the conference to include industry representatives and change the name to Beer Now.
“Beer Now, with its focus on marketing, tourism, and communications, will still be extremely applicable to beer bloggers and writers,” said Zephyr Conferences president Allan Wright. “We are not losing our focus on this audience. At the same time, the expanded content and the opportunity to interact with these beer writers should be of great interest to marketing and communications professionals in the beer industry.”
For complete information on Beer Now, please visit www.BeerNow.org. For further information on the Beer Alive trade show and festival of beer visit www.beerx.org.
The Portland House, Welbeck Abbey Brewery’s micropub on Ecclesall Road, now offers a discount to CAMRA members of 10% off a pint of real ale if you show your membership card when you order.
Following the sad news of the passing away of Stuart Burrows, the landlord of the Mount Pleasant on Derbyshire Lane, the tenancy is being taken over from 31st January by Gillian Nugent who has worked with Stuart both behind the bar and looking after the cellar for the last 8 years. No major changes are planned, however the pub will be closed for a short spell for the decorators to come in and give the place a little TLC.
JD Wetherspoons hold one of their regular real ale festivals across the chain of pubs from 22nd March to 2nd April. Their pubs in Sheffield include the Bankers Draft, Waterworks and Benjamin Huntsman in the City Centre, Sheaf Island on Ecclesall Road, Woodseats Palace at Woodseats, Rawson Spring at Hillsborough, Wagon & Horses at Chapeltown, Steel Foundry at the Meadowhall Oasis and Francis Newton by the Hallamshire Hospital.
Another new micropub has opened, this time in the City Centre next to Ponds Forge Sports Centre and Fitzalan Square tram stop. The Drink Inn opens at midday every day and has a choice of three real ales along with a choice of spirits and bottled craft beers. Their opening hours don’t seem finalised yet, check their Facebook page for the latest.
The Swim Inn on Glossop Road, a former Wetherspoons pub, closed for refurbishment in January and is to reopen as part of the ‘Stone & Tap’ chain offering beer, burgers and pizza.
The Washington on Fitwilliam Street in Sheffield City Centre is due to close for refurbishment on 22nd January, reopening with a ‘rebirth weekend’ celebration on 2nd and 3rd February, featuring a number of DJ sets including an appearance from Jarvis Cocker on the Saturday. The refurbishment will see the interior get something of a spruce up along with a new stage and dance floor area along with an upgrade to the outdoor drinking space. There will also be an extended range of products on the bar. See their Facebook page for more details.
Sentinel Brewery & bar has been running a Tryanuary promotion during January with a different beer discounted by 20% each day.
The Malt House on Monteney Crescent near Ecclesfield has reopened as a freehouse. The pub was previously known as the Fighting Cock and we are told the locals still know it as that, however in a little bit of humour about the north Sheffield accent reflecting that the landlady isn’t local, the pub has been renamed ‘The Feightin Cock Less‘. There are six handpumps on the bar, all the beers are reasonably priced and mostly from local breweries.
Another new opening in Dronfield, hot on the heels of the relaunch of the Blue Stoops by True North Brewery is the opening of Smiffy’s Craft Ale & Wine bar, in the premises previously occupied by a cafe next to the Dronfield Arms and opposite the White Swan on Chesterfield Road. 4 real ales feature on the bar.
The Norton at Meadowhead has had a refurbishment and is part of Mitchell & Butlers’ Sizzling Pub Company chain.
The White Lion at Heeley has been featuring Hopjacker Brewery as a guest including some collaborative brews.
The Beer Engine on Cemetery Road has extended its opening hours, opening at midday every day. The Tapas style food is now served Monday to Thursday 12-3 and 5-9pm, Friday and Saturday 12-8pm. At the time of writing Mondays continued to feature a two-for-one promotion on food. On Sundays the food offer changes with a choice of roast dinners (a meat option, a veggie option and a vegan option) served from 12-5pm. The bar is open until midnight Friday and Saturday, 11pm the rest of the week.
The Wagon and Horses at Millhouses Park has been taken over by True North Brewery, who are reopening the pub in February. It is expected to be run along similar lines to the Broadfield, British Oak, York and Blue Stoops with a dining room and separate bar. The changes should see better quality food and a more interesting beer range than previously.
The BBQ Collective has now left the Hop bar in Sheffield Centre which at the time of writing was no longer doing food. Real ale and a programme of live music continues to feature.
The former Hearty Oak pub at Dronfield Woodhouse has another revised planning application for demolishing the pub and building houses on the site with six dwellings proposed.
The George and Dragon in Holmesfield is under new ownership and still open as a pub unchanged, meanwhile the rear car park has been auctioned off with a view of house building on it.
Hagglers Corner coffee shop & bar on Queens Roas at Heeley has a number of special evening events planned including live music gigs in addition to their normal daytime opening with real ale sometimes available. See www.hagglerscorner.co.uk.
Organisers of the Three Valleys Festival, which takes place in the Dronfield area on Saturday 3rd June, have announced the first few confirmed venue out of an expected 15. These are the Barrack at Apperknowle, the Green Dragon in Dronfield, Hill Top Sports & Social Club, Hyde Park Inn at Hill Top, the Manor House Hotel in Dronfield, the Miners Arms at Hundall, the Jolly Farmer in Dronfield Woodhouse and the Pioneer Club in Dronfield.
The Old Crown on London Road is now Cask Mark accredited and are also now able to source beer from local breweries as well as the main Punch Taverns list, this has seen Blue Bee make their first appearance on the bar!
Heinekin, whose pub operating division Star Pubs UK own a number of leased out venues in our area such as the Church House in Sheffield Centre and the Old Hall Hotel in Hope, are in the process of buying Punch Taverns, who own 3,500 pubs across the UK including a significant number in our area. Heinekin are proposing that under their ownership, Punch pubs must have at least 85% of their beer range from Heinekin, who own Caledonian brewery (of Deuchars IPA fame). This will reduce beer choice in Punch pubs somewhat and potentially damage the business of the licencees that lease those pubs.
The Nags Head at Loxley continues to run pie day on Fridays with a choice of home made pies served with chips and peas along with a pint of Bradfield Farmers Ale included in the price – £5.75 for a small portion or £7.75 for a large portion.
Owner John Mitchell writes about the history of his family business
You could say beer runs through my veins and a drop of wine! I have been retailing and wholesaling in Sheffield for over 50 years. It all started when my dad Dennis opened his Butchers shop at Meadowhead in 1935, in 1963 we became licensed which saw me leave Jordanthorpe school in 1967 to join the Off-Licence / Beer-off.
My dad was born at the Wagon & Horses in Millhouses in 1917 which was part of The Sheffield Free Brewery. My Grandfather Harry Mitchell went on to run the George IV on Infirmary Road after the Wagon & Horses. In the 1920’s this was a very busy public house selling over 60 hogsheads a week, these quenched the thirst of all the Kelvin & St Phillips hard working steel workers. He was also there during the infamous Sheffield gang wars between the Mooney and Park Hill gangs. The family also ran The Rising Sun on Nethergreen, The Peacock at Baslow which is now the Cavedish Hotel and the Middlewood Tavern which is now sadly derelict.
Other members of the family were also in the trade, notably Henry Sampson who not only played cricket for England but also ran the Adelphi which was knocked down in 1970 to build the Crucible Theatre. The Adelphi was a stones house and he was landlord when Sheffield Wednesday were founded there in 1867 and Yorkshire Cricket in 1863
William Brightmore Mitchell married Louise Hodgson in 1834, her father John Hodgson built the Bell Hag on Manchester Road, this used to be known as the Hodgsons Folly. Going back as far as 1695 Joseph Mitchell my 5th Great Grandfather had the Yorkshire Bridge at Calver.
Last but not least another Joseph Mitchell 1727-1788 married Mary Bolsover in 1760, her father was the inventor of the Sheffield Plate.
Well me I kept the Old Sidings with my Brother in law Phil and my late wife Diana in the 80’s, it is now the Dronfield Arms. I also had Trippets Wine & Champagne Bar on Trippet Lane in Sheffield 2007-2011 which was formally The Red Lion and was used a mortuary in the great Sheffield flood.
So when the restaurant we rented out vacated last December, we saw opportunity and decided to open a Micro-brewery. The brewery is a 5 barrel plant which give scope to brew enough bottles for our shop Mitchells and sell the rest in cask to some of the great Sheffield pubs I have come to know and enjoy a pint in.
Cheers, John
Sheffield & District CAMRA members at the Three Stags Heads, Wardlow Mires.
On Saturday 12th November a minibus full of local CAMRA members visited a number of Peak District pubs in our branch area. The final destination was our District Pub of the Season award winner, the Three Stags Heads at Wardlow Mires, before then we stopped off at the Anglers Rest community pub in Bamford; the Queen Anne at Great Hucklow; the Barrel at Bretton (which included a fantastic view!) and the Miners Arms in Eyam.
The Barrel at Bretton
A 1914 plan (James R.Wigfull for Messr’s.Wm.Stones Ltd.) shows a pub layout which is similar to the current layout with three exceptions. 1914 has two entrances to the building: the current position and a second corner entrance. The current corner room is split into two rooms: a ‘public bar’ which is only accessible from the corner entrance and a ‘Smoke Room’ which is accessible from the central corridor. The bar has a rounded corner in the Public Bar. In addition, ‘Cottages’ are indicated at the rear of the pub. 1914 has these changing into ‘Scullery,’ ‘Pantry’ and ‘Coals.’ There is also an upstairs ‘Club Room’ in the same position as to-days upstairs room.
Plans approved in 1941 (Wigfull, Inott and Ridgeway, Sheffield) indicate that, with the removal of an internal wall, the corner ‘Public Bar’ has extended into the ‘Smoke Room’ and that the bar is squared off into the current layout. The corner entrance has also been removed.
The pub became the Fat Cat on 29th.July 1981 when the building was bought, at auction, for £33,750 by Solicitor, Bruce Bentley and his business partner, Sheffield Polytechnic Economics Lecturer, Dave Wickett (1947-2012), becoming one of the first ‘Real Ale Freehouses’ in the UK. In 1989, Dave bought out the share owned by Bruce. Opening day (21st.August) saw queues down the street and the debut behind the bar of Diane Johnston. Diane has worked at the pub since and is currently Assistant Manager.
A 1982 plan shows that the ‘Scullery,’ ‘Pantry’ and ‘Coals’ have changed into an extended ‘Gents,’ and a new ‘Ladies W.C.’ and ‘Stores.’ The ‘Tap Room’ is now named ‘No-smoking room,’ the first such facility to be available in Sheffield – this fact was mentioned in the House of Commons by Bassetlaw MP Joe Ashton and therefore recorded in Hansard. In addition, the ‘Club Room’ is now ‘Function Room.’ In the 1980’s, an internal door in the right-hand room which led directly to the urinals was removed; customers were thus compelled to visit, via the corridor. This door had been installed at some point post-WW2.
The Fat Cat has recently achieved SRI (‘Some Regional Importance’)on the CAMRA registry of Pub Interiors. There is a possibility of RI (‘Regional Inventory’). Hence, we would be interested in internal photos from earlier than 1981. If you have any, please contact myself: dpickersgill1@googlemail.com
Dave Pickersgill 
The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) and Zephyr Conferences announced in 2016 the first-ever 
My dad was born at the Wagon & Horses in Millhouses in 1917 which was part of The Sheffield Free Brewery. My Grandfather Harry Mitchell went on to run the George IV on Infirmary Road after the Wagon & Horses. In the 1920’s this was a very busy public house selling over 60 hogsheads a week, these quenched the thirst of all the Kelvin & St Phillips hard working steel workers. He was also there during the infamous Sheffield gang wars between the Mooney and Park Hill gangs. The family also ran The Rising Sun on Nethergreen, The Peacock at Baslow which is now the Cavedish Hotel and the Middlewood Tavern which is now sadly derelict.
Other members of the family were also in the trade, notably Henry Sampson who not only played cricket for England but also ran the Adelphi which was knocked down in 1970 to build the Crucible Theatre. The Adelphi was a stones house and he was landlord when Sheffield Wednesday were founded there in 1867 and Yorkshire Cricket in 1863
William Brightmore Mitchell married Louise Hodgson in 1834, her father John Hodgson built the Bell Hag on Manchester Road, this used to be known as the Hodgsons Folly. Going back as far as 1695 Joseph Mitchell my 5th Great Grandfather had the Yorkshire Bridge at Calver.
Last but not least another Joseph Mitchell 1727-1788 married Mary Bolsover in 1760, her father was the inventor of the Sheffield Plate.
Well me I kept the Old Sidings with my Brother in law Phil and my late wife Diana in the 80’s, it is now the Dronfield Arms. I also had Trippets Wine & Champagne Bar on Trippet Lane in Sheffield 2007-2011 which was formally The Red Lion and was used a mortuary in the great Sheffield flood.
So when the restaurant we rented out vacated last December, we saw opportunity and decided to open a Micro-brewery. The brewery is a 5 barrel plant which give scope to brew enough bottles for our shop Mitchells and sell the rest in cask to some of the great Sheffield pubs I have come to know and enjoy a pint in.
Cheers, John 
