Author: Dominic Nelson

Saturday 10 June sees the return of the Annual Beer Census for 2017. As many of you will be aware, Sheffield & District CAMRA organises this city-wide survey to collect information on which beers are available in the city on a particular day. We have been doing this for a few years now, and we are pleased to say that despite various claims from other cities such as Norwich, Derby and Nottingham, the information on the number of beers on sale usually shows that Sheffield can rightly claim to be Beer Capital of the UK. This claim was given further weight after the findings of the recent Beer Report, commissioned by Sheffield University and written by well-known author Pete Brown. It is now time to undertake the census again, and we are looking to enlist more volunteers to help collect the information. There are several daytime crawls, starting in various suburbs and working into the centre, followed by a number of city centre crawls in the evening. Each crawl will be led by a designated leader who will have the survey forms and a planned route through the various pubs. Daytime crawls will start at 12 noon, and eventually arrive at the Red Deer on Pitt street by early evening to hand in the completed forms. Evening crawls then start from the Red Deer moving out through the center and regrouping in the Kelham Island area. The crawls are a sociable way to try different pubs and clubs from your usuals, as well as helping to further the beer scene in Sheffield. Most of the routes will involve public transport at some point, but your route leader will have details and can advise on costs etc. If you would like to join on one of the crawls simply be at the start point for midday and look out for someone carrying survey forms, and a copy of Beer Matters. If you can’t make the start, simply email us at social@sheffieldcamra.org.uk and we will pass on the mobile number of the appropriate leader so you can arrange directly with them where you can join on the crawl. If you are unable to join on a crawl, but would still like to help with collecting information, we will have an interactive survey section on the Sheffield CAMRA website where you will be able to enter details on the day. It will be updated in real time so you will be able to see which pubs still need surveying. We will need the name of the pub, and then for each cask ale on sale that day we need the name of the beer; the brewery; % strength; and price of a pint. There will be a Notes section where you can add if the pub serves real cider and keg beer. It would be great to see a few more faces on the crawls, and even better if we can prove yet again that Sheffield is unrivalled in it’s range and quality of beer on sale. The routes this year (and how to get to the starting points) are as follows: Route A – Dore, Totley, Abbeydale Rd. Starting at Devonshire Arms, Dore. Route Leader: Mick Saxton. Buses 81, 82, 181, 272 and M17. Route B – Norton Lees, Woodseats, Heeley, London Rd. Starting at The Abbey, Woodseats. Route Leader: Dom Nelson. Buses 18a, 24, 25, 43, 43a, 44, 44a, 75 and 76. Route C – Ecclesall Rd. Starting at Hammer & Pincers. Route Leader: Alan Gibbons. Buses 4 and 88. Route D – Deepcar, Bradfield, Stocksbridge. Starting at Rawson Spring, Hillsborough. Route Leader: Dave Pickersgill. Buses 31, 52, 57, 61, 62, 81, 82, 85, 97, 98 and the Blue tram. Route E – Attercliffe, Meadowhall, Chapeltown. Starting at The Wagon & Horses, Chapeltown. Route Leader: Patrick Johnson. Buses 1, 1a, 29, 86, 265 or train to Chapeltown station. Route F – Walkley, Commonside, Crookes, Broomhill. Starting at Walkley Cottage. Route Leader: Paul Crofts. Buses 31, 52 and 95. Route G – Lodge Moor, Nether Green, Ranmoor. Starting at The Three Merry Lads. Route Leader: John Beardshaw. Bus 51. Routes H, I, J – City Centre (afternoon). Starting at Sheffield Tap, Sheffield Station. Route Leader: John Bratley and others. Buses 1, 1a, 4, 4a, 6, 7, 8, 8a, 18, 43, 43a, 44, 53, 56, 65, 71, 85, 95, 181, 215, 218, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, X1, X17 or Tram or Train. Routes K, L, M will be done in the evening after all volunteers meet at the Red Deer around 7pm.

About twenty years ago my father, Michael Liversidge, produced a book entitled The A-Z of Sheffield Public Houses. The book was well received by the people of Sheffield and sold reasonably well for a small print run, local interest, book. This book is now a collectors item. Albeit disinterested at the time, I have come to notice that the book which included over 600 images and small profiles or simple addresses has seen closures of around 400 of the hostelries that were still serving when my father was a frequent pub-goer.

Using over 100 of his original colour images (the A-Z book was printed in black and white only, so some of these images will be seen in colour for the first time) I have tried to find the exact locations of some of these now demolished drinking establishments to produce a then-and-now format book. Places like the Broughton Inn which was sited where the corner of the Sheffield Motorpoint Arena car park now stands, The Hole in the Wall now literally, itself, a hole in the wall just before the Wicker, The Hare and Hounds Nursery Street where, at the time just before going to press, I took an image of the rubble of the demolished pub with just the letter H of the pub sign still on view. The Beehive in Wadsley is now a Tesco supermarket which the last landlady stated was the very reason for the closure, cheap alcohol. Other now defunct old pubs are being used as businesses, turned into apartments, flats and houses. A prime example is the Haychatter Inn in Bradfield which is now a private dwelling known as Haychatter House. The Furnival on Verdon Street has been re-launched as a religious establishment The Methodist Church of Sheffield.

I hope you are reminded of some of the good times you had in these old Sheffield public houses and hopefully go out and take some photographs yourself of the places that are there one minute and gone the next. Go on, get your cameras out.

The list within the book is in alphabetical order A to L of Sheffield public houses. List M to Y will be in volume two.

Mark Liversidge

As we mentioned in our last issue, there were several changes to the committee following the recent AGM, with a existing members changing roles and a few new faces entering the fray. Together, we are hoping to continue working hard for the real ale drinkers of Sheffield and the surrounding areas. We thought we would introduce ourselves, so here goes… Chair, Mick Saxton: Beer has been an important part of my life for over forty years and, although I brew beer at home, I love the life and atmosphere of a good British pub. In many respects I am a traditionalist, and I have strong views on the directions in which the British beer brewing and drinking scenes are being pulled. I also believe in encouraging as many CAMRA members as possible to get involved in branch activities and decision-making, so that we can say with confidence that we are a representative campaigning body. Therefore, I feel very privileged to have the chair of CAMRA’s Sheffield & District branch at this interesting time, to help promote and support cask conditioned beers, real ciders and perries, and British pubs. Vice Chair and Beer Festival Organiser, Louise Singleton: I became involved with Sheffield CAMRA when I volunteered to help at the 2011 AGM. Following that I volunteered at the festival at Ponds Forge, and was soon given the task of Staffing Officer. I became Chair of the Festival Organising Committee for the 41st festival, and again this year. I am not from a Beer Industry background as I work in Pensions Administration, and although working 60+ hours on the festival week I really enjoy it, though at times through the tiredness it doesn’t seem that way! It is a long 11 months organising the festival with many obstacles to overcome, but I do enjoy working with the other volunteers and am very proud of what we achieve together. Secretary, Press Officer and Deputy Festival Organiser, Paul Crofts: I joined the committee 2 years ago, after many years of appreciating CAMRA’s work in promoting good beer and pubs. I work in the furniture industry for a local manufacturer and am a big music fan, particularly live music. As a born and bred Sheffielder, I’m keen to help promote Sheffield’s breweries and pubs and I believe that is something the committee will build on in the coming year. I am involved with the Steel City Beer & Cider Festival, which is something I really enjoy and have taken on the role of Deputy Organiser for this year. (Spare time is so last year!) If you see me out and about, feel free to stop me for a chat and we can lower a couple for the tonsils (one of my favourite phrases, courtesy of P. G. Wodehouse). Treasurer, Andy Cullen: Andy has been actively involved in CAMRA for over 15 years after being recruited to sit on a national younger members task group, since holding roles locally including secretary, membership secretary and Chairman; also editing Beer Matters magazine for many years up until last month – this is the first issue with new editors Dom and Poppy! Andy has also been staffing officer at the Steel City Beer & Cider Festival for almost every one held since becoming active in the branch, except from 2012 to 2015 when responsible for the beer order! Pub Heritage Officer, Dave Pickersgill: CAMRA member since the late 1970’s: SCBF43 will be the 36th. Sheffield CAMRA festival at which he’s worked. Leads on Pub Heritage and associated issues within the branch. His e-book on Worksop and Retford Brewery has now sold over 100 copies! Social Secretary, Patrick Johnson: I moved to Sheffield from Newcastle 5.5 years ago and straight into the Kelham Island area to partake of its many glorious pubs and myriad pale ales. While I’ve been a member for almost 11 years, I was ‘activated’ only last year and am continuing in the same committee position again this year; it must have been good! Beer Matters Editor, Dominic Nelson: I first came to Sheffield as a student seven years ago, and the beer is one of the things I really like about this city. I’ve been drinking real ale and going to beer festivals for a few years now although I only joined CAMRA in December last year. I enjoy writing, so this is a perfect role for me really! I’m looking forward to getting the news out there about the great breweries and beers that Sheffield has to offer. I’ll be working closely with our Social Media Coordinator, Poppy, to try and reach as many people as possible. If there’s anything you would like to see in the magazine, you could just send me an email, but why not try and find me in the pub? Social Media Coordinator, Poppy Hayhurst: I didn’t really think I was into real ale, but I downloaded a beer scoring app a couple of years ago and have checked in over 500 different beers since then (not all full pints, don’t worry!) so I guess I’m a convert. I spent a year exploring all the microbreweries and beer festivals in South London, and having moved to Sheffield earlier this year joined CAMRA as a way of meeting people with similar beery interests. My background is in marketing so I’m looking forward to growing Sheffield & District CAMRA’s social media presence and I’m sure you’ll be hearing a lot more from me in the run-up to the Steel City Beer & Cider festival. Committee Member, Glyn Mansell: After a number of years as a draught Guinness drinker (I still enjoy one occasionally) Graham my brother cajoled me to start drinking real ale. I remember many years ago going with friends to a new pub called the Fat Cat (originally called The Alma?), apparently a “Real Ale Pub”. That was the start of my idea of a really good pub, now supported with many others in Sheffield and elsewhere. Graham and I are to be found most Thursday evenings exploring other pubs in Sheffield. I joined CAMRA a few years ago having an interest in real ale issues and started attending Sheffield and District Branch Meetings just over a year ago. So far I’ve really enjoyed the Peak District Pub Trips and a RambAle walk. Currently my position is a Committee Member and at branch/committee meetings I raise issues and ask questions. My interest is supporting all Sheffield real ale pubs and how to encourage more CAMRA members to vote for their local pub. My other interests are walking in the countryside (staggering if on a pub crawl), travelling, cycling, conservation work and having fun with our grandchildren. Real Cider Champion, Sarah Mills:  Hi, my name is Sarah Mills. I have been a member of CAMRA for about seven years. I was encouraged to join because I wanted to get involved with the beer festival. I joined at the time when cider was a small sideline and since I have been joint cider bar manager I have seen it go from strength to strength. I enjoy talking about the ciders we sell and like to encourage customers to try the new things we have on offer. Also on the committee: Pub of the Year and Good Beer Guide Coordinator, Alan Gibbons; Pubs Campaign Coordinator, Mark Boardley.

Thornbridge Brewery have once again teamed up with Waitrose and Brew UK for the 2017 edition of the Great British Home Brew Challenge. If you are a dedicated homebrewer, or you would like to try your hand at making a good beer from the comfort of your own home, then this is the competition for you! All you have to do is create your own brew and submit it so that it can be judged by some of the most discerning palates in the world of beer. If you’re successful, your beer will be brewed at the Thornbridge brewery and sold across the country in Waitrose supermarkets. Past winners of the challenge include 2014’s Vienna IPA, 2015’s Rhubarbe de Saison and last year’s Raindrops on Roses. Entry is free and more details can be found at www.gbhomebrew.co.uk. Good luck and happy (or should that be hoppy?) brewing!