Author: Malcolm Dixon

Malcolm is a longtime CAMRA member. Following retirement after a lengthy railway career, latterly in York, he and his wife, Jenny, moved back to Sheffield. Since then they have enjoyed various branch activities and currently help devise and lead the RambAles along with Dave Pickersgill. In recent years, Malcolm has become the Staffing Manager at our Steel City Beer & Cider Festivals, a role he's also taken on for the upcoming 2021 National AGM in Sheffield.

Volunteer at Steel City 48

Posted on by Malcolm Dixon

Between Wednesday October 16th and Saturday 19th later this year, Sheffield CAMRA will be holding its 48th annual Beer and Cider Festival down at the famous Kelham Island Museum.
We hope you can join us for some or all of it.

Over those 4 days we’ll be bringing you a choice of over 200 different cask beers, a further 50
keykeg beers, 30 ciders and food stalls, along with talks, tastings and music most nights, but like all beer festivals it is completely organised and staffed by volunteers, who gather together from Sheffield and beyond to set it up, staff and otherwise make it happen.

Set up starts on the Sunday beforehand (13th) with getting the floors protected and the stillage erected. The casks start arriving on the Monday and need to be put in place so the beer is allowed to settle. The bars are then erected and stalls set out. Glasses arrive and need to be washed and made ready, banners erected, tables and chairs set out, etc, etc, etc.

Lots of jobs which need lots of people. Could you help us out and help by doing a shift?

You don’t have to be a member of CAMRA or have a background in hospitality or bar work or
worked at a previous beer festival but obviously such experiences all would be helpful. There’s also lots of other jobs which will need doing and are just as important.

Training will be given for anything you’re not sure of or have never done before.

We have shifts starting at 09:00 right through to after 23:00 when we close and need to clear up. We especially need people who can arrive and stay late to cover all our shifts. Food tokens are available to everyone who does two or more shifts and drink tokens are available for everyone who helps. You should also get a specially designed T-Shirt to keep as a souvenir.

After the festival we also arrange a volunteers reunion social trip, this year it is on 9 November with our coach taking us to Nottingham for the day to enjoy a number of good pubs and tap rooms there!

An online volunteer form, along with all other information, is available at our Festival Website at sheffield.camra.org.uk/festival – just click on the ‘volunteers’ tab or get in touch on 0792-341-6865 and we’ll post out a printed version for you to fill in & return.

Please get your form filled in asap as we have already started allocating jobs. We need everyone to be as flexible as possible as we won’t necessarily be able to give you the job you most want to do but we’ll try and find a suitable alternative if we can.

Do help us make this 48th Sheffield Beer & Cider Festival yet another successful one whether you join us as either as a visitor or as a volunteer. Whichever you come as – we can promise you an enjoyable time.

Malcolm Dixon, SCBF48 Staffing Officer: (festivalstaffing@sheffield.camra.org.uk or 0792-361-6865

Join us for a RambAle

Posted on by Malcolm Dixon

By the time you read this we’ll have already done three out of the five RambAles planned for this year. Back in April we had a walk around Redmires Reservoirs. The 51 bus took us to Shiny Sheff which only had one beer (Jaipur) on draft. Having done our walk round the reservoirs we called in Three Merry Lads on what was its last day of operating. Luckily it still had a choice of beers and food available. Our final stop was at the newly reopened Sportsman Inn where a new couple had taken over this well established and popular pub.

May saw us taking a 65 bus out to Eyam, with a field path walk to Bulls Head at Foolow. A drink there set us up for the walk up the hill to Barrel Inn at Bretton (pictured) for a drink and spot of lunch. Then a steepish walk down to Miners Arms in Eyam for our final drink to celebrate John’s 80th birthday before our bus back to Sheffield.

In June we used the annual One Valley Beer Festival as an excuse to visit Dronfield and some of the surrounding villages. Starting at Drone Valley Brewery, we sampled some of their excellent range of beers before walking up to Miner’s Arms at Hundall which was getting quite busy by now. A shortish road walk took us up to Traveller’s Rest at Apperknowle for another choice of beers and to wish Glyn a happy 78th birthday. We then walked down to Dronfield where the festival was really taking over the town. Dronfield Arms was busy inside and equally crowded out in their back yard where they had another bar. But queueing for 40 minutes for a pint soon had us heading for the exits and our buses home. We’ll choose a different route (or day) next year.

We still have two more RambAles planned for later this year which you can join us on. In July we shall be going to Stanton in Peak, Birchover, Darley Bridge and Bakewell. In August a trip out the Hope Valley Beer Festival via calls at Bradwell and Brough. Details in the diary and below.

Although we have a fairly regular group of people coming out on our walks, they are open to all CAMRA members and everyone is welcome to join us on any of these fairly leisurely short walks.

However you are advised to come suitably equipped for the day’s walking, which may be rough, wet and muddy in places (even in summer). You come prepared for the possibility of changeable and inclement weather and will also need to bring (or be able to buy) sufficient food and drink for yourself for the day. We hope you can join us on one or more of our RambAles!

Cheers, Malcolm and Jenny 😀🤓

Stanton in Peak
Sat 13 Jul

Catch the 10:40 218 bus from Sheff Interchange to Bakewell to connect with 12:21 172 bus to Stanton in Peak for the Flying Childers Inn. We’ll then walk back to Birchover for the Red Lion. From there we’ll walk to the Square & Compass in Darley Bridge. Then a bus back to Bakewell for Joiners Arms and/or buses back to Sheffield.

Bradwell, Brough & Hope
Sat 24 Aug

Catch the 12:36 272 Castleton bus from Sheffield Interchange as far as Bradwell where we’ll visit the Bowling Green. We’ll walk to Brough for a visit to Intrepid Brewery (if open) before making our way to the Old Hall Hotel at Hope for their Bank Holiday Beer & Cider Festival. Buses or trains back from Hope.

RambAles 2024

Posted on by Malcolm Dixon

Our RambAles combine a gently paced walk in the countryside with a real ale pub or two and CAMRA members are invited to join us. All the walks have start and finish points that are possible to reach from Sheffield by public transport.

The 2024 RambAle programme kicks off in April, our co-ordinator Malcolm is still working on the finer details but the calendar is currently planned as:

  • 13 April: Lodge Moor & Redmires. Meet at the Shiny Sheff at 12:15 (51 bus from Sheffield City Centre, Arundel Gate stop AG11 at 11:46).
  • 11 May (TBC): Eyam, Foolow, Bretton and Grindleford. Catch 65 bus from Sheffield Interchange at 11:30 to Eyam and meet at the Miners Arms.
  • 8 June: Dronfield, Apperknowle and Hundall. Coincides with One Valley Festival. Get 44 bus from Sheffield Arundel Gate stop AG12 at 11:11, meet at Drone Valley Brewery.
  • 13 July (TBC): Stanton in Peak, Birchover, Darley Bridge and Bakewell. Get 218 bus from Sheffield Interchange at 10:40, connecting onto bus 172 to Stanton in Peak, meet at the Flying Childers Inn.
  • 24 August: Bradwell, Brough and Hope. Coincides with Hope Valley Beer festival at the Old Hall Hotel. Get 272 bus from Sheffield Interchange at 12:36, meet at the Bowling Green pub in Bradwell.

Pub of the Year (District)

Posted on by Malcolm Dixon

There has been a pub in the village of Litton since three cottages were knocked together in 1787. In more recent times, a late 1970’s Sheffield CAMRA “Real Beer” guide  described the Red Lion in Litton as a “stone built free house in an idyllic setting overlooking the village green, upon which stand the stocks and an ancient stone cross of unknown origin. Its cosy interior has open fires and ‘olde-worlde’ charm. The only beer mentioned was Theakston’s ‘Best Bitter’ and the pub was closed weekday lunchtimes.

Although the pub retains its olde-worlde comfort and charm to this day, it’s now open weekday lunchtimes through to the early evenings and serves excellent meals and beers. It can get very busy especially at weekends when, according to its website ‘it pays to book’ and offers a very fulsome range of excellent homemade food using quality produce from local suppliers .

It now offers anything up to five hand pulled real ales on the bar, mostly local sourced – Peak Ales from Bakewell, Eyam brewed beers and Abbeydale Beers from Sheffield, with occasional beers from further away such as a Porter from Bolton.

It regularly and deservedly features in CAMRA’s annual ‘Good Beer Guide’ and recently achieved top marks in the Cask Marque assessment scheme. It also hosts a beer festival in June as part of the local Wakes Week.

And if you need a base to explore the beautiful surrounding countryside it also offers accommodation either in its own rooms or in a nearby cottage for longer stays. Its also on the 65 (Sheffield-Buxton) and 173 (Bakewell-Castleton) bus routes.

Much praise for making and keeping it this way must go to Jeanne Mason, who has been in charge since 2014, and her excellent bar and kitchen staff. Every day they offer what every village pub should be offering in the choice and quality of the beer and food and surroundings, making the Red Lion a very worthy winner of this year’s District Pub of the Year award from the Sheffield & District CAMRA Members.

As our district winner the pub went forward into the North Derbyshire round of the national competition and achieved runner up.

The team at the Red Lion with their certificates. Photo by John Beardshaw.

The award was made at the end of our 5 mile July RambAle walk which had started earlier at Eyam, calling in at the Bulls Head in Foolow and the Three Stags Heads in Wardlow Mires on the way. Not letting the high number of stiles and gates and the inclement weather encountered on the way preventing us from delivering the certificates to the Red Lion intact (if slightly late).

Pub of the Year 2023 (City Centre)

Posted on by Malcolm Dixon

Situated conveniently on Platform 1b of Sheffield Station, the Sheffield Tap has become a destination in its own right. – popular with locals as well as those travelling to or through Sheffield. And it is a very deserved winner (again) of our Sheffield (Central) Pub of the Year as voted by our local CAMRA Members.

The station refreshment rooms were refurbished and restored by Jamie Hawksworth and Jon Holdsworth, following years of them being closed and disused. Ever since it was re-opened in 2009 it has proved a popular pub and a worthy star in their chain of ‘Taps’ at York, Harrogate, Leeds and Newcastle.

It has always had a good choice and variety of well kept cask beers many originally from Thornbridge and other regional breweries, though since January 2013 many more produced in the on-site Tapped Brewery to be found in what was the First Class Dining Room. They have always had a good selection of foreign and keg beers – possibly due to their relationship with the Pivovar specialist beer importing business

Sheffield Tap and Tapped Brewery

The Tapped Brewer, Ben Tysoe, got his grounding in brewing and running pubs both locally and with spells abroad including in Belgium and he continues to produce a range of beers including various Pale Ales, Stouts and an excellent Porter. He continues to experiment with using different hops as they become available producing one-off specials He also has done some collaborations with other brewers.

The pub has come through being closed for long periods during Covid and having intermittent interruptions to business due to rail strikes but has survived and remains busy most sessions most days and is always worth a visit whether you are passing through or just want somewhere to have a good quality drink in delightful surroundings. It was an ideal and popular location for our ‘Meet and Greet’ sessions for CAMRA Members attending the recent Members Weekend.

Full credit to Manager Craig and his bar team and brewer Ben and their hard work. They will be presented with their ‘City Centre Pub of the Year’ award during our July Branch Meeting on Tuesday July 4th. Do join us.

Malcolm Dixon
(Additional Notes & photos Dave Pickersgill)

RambAles 2023

Posted on by Malcolm Dixon

Join us again for a RambAle in 2023!

Sheffield has many great pubs and green spaces within, and around, its boundaries. Now they are open again it’s time for us to get our boots on and go for our drinks further afield – do join us!

Once again we invite you to join us on visits to some of our local pubs and villages in the countryside in and surrounding Sheffield using public transport.

Sheffield CAMRA RambAles are walks and a few drinks with friends. We hope you can join us for one, or more, of them.

Sat 8 Apr – Woodseats Wander

Meet at Guzzle Micropub, Chesterfield Road, Woodseats at 14:00 (24, 25, 43, 75, 76, X17 buses)
Then via Graves Park up to the Mount Pleasant and Cross Scythes on Derbyshire Lane and then down to the Heeley Triangle pubs: Brothers Arms, Sheaf View and White Lion.

Sat 20 May – Birchover & Stanton

09:40 218 from Sheffield Interchange to Bakewell, to connect with 11:00 172 bus to Birchover for the Druid; then via Stanton Stone Circles to the Flying Childers at Stanton in Peak; followed by the Grouse & Claret at Rowsley. Bus back to Bakewell for Joiners Arms and/or bus back to Sheffield.

Sat 17 Jun – Coal Aston to Dronfield

11:56 44 bus from Flat Street to Coal Aston for c12:30 arrival. Royal Oak will be our first call, then SCW to the Gate at Troway; Then onto the Traveller’s Rest at Apperknowle and the Miners Arms at Hundall; and onwards to the pubs of Dronfield.

Jul (TBA) – Wortley Beer Festival (probably)

Bus to Deepcar, King & Miller, for 12:15; walk up to Wortley. Bus back to Sheffield.

Sat 26 Aug – Hope Valley Beer Festival

Taking in the festival at the Old Hall Hotel in Hope.

Sep (TBA) – Cordwell Valley

Including visiting Tickled Trout in Barlow, Royal Oak in Millthorpe and Angel at Holmesfield returning via Totley.

Oct (TBA)

We may have a late RambAle in October, but we’re waiting for the football fixture lists and dates of local beer festivals to come out so we can fit our walks around them and some of these walks may have to be amended to suit the situation.

PLEASE NOTE: All bus, tram and train times are subject to change and last minute cancellation. Please check before setting off

We aim to provide a series of walks which we hope people won’t find either too long or too strenuous
and most will feature a number of pubs and drop-out points where people can leave and make their own way back, by bus or train, to Sheffield if they don’t fancy doing the whole walk or want to stay for another drink in a particular pub. These will also provide joining points for any latecomers.

Most timings and fares will be given in the walk’s listing. Any additions or amendments will also be published in new leaflets, future editions of Beer Matters or on the branch website, or by contacting the RambAles coordinator on 07842 530128 or rambale@sheffield.camra.org.uk who can also be contacted if you need any more information on any of these walks.

Everyone is welcome to join us on any of these walks but they are advised to come suitably equipped for the day’s walking, which may be rough, wet and muddy in places. You should also come prepared for the possibility of changeable and inclement weather. In most cases you will also need to bring (or be able to buy) sufficient food and drink for yourself for the day.

Malcolm & Jenny

RambAle reports

Posted on by Malcolm Dixon
Enjoying a beer at the Three Merry Lads

We were finally able to do our Redmires RambAle at our third attempt back in March. However, our first pub, the Shiny Sheff, had no cask ales on following a recent reopening under new management. (Hopefully that is no longer the case.) We left and carried on with our walk up to the dams and then down to the Three Merry Lads, followed by a visit to the Sportsman Inn.

Deer at the picnic spot

April saw us out in the Peak District, although our first intended pub the Fox House, was then closed for refurbishment. However, a short walk through the Longshaw estate soon brought us to the Grouse for some refreshment. From there we dropped down through Hay Wood to Grindleford Station, passing the busy café there and having our sandwiches outside the Padley Chapel. We were surprised to see a couple of deer calmly grazing in the field next to us. We then followed the Derwent riverside path to Hathersage finishing with a drink at the Little John Inn.

Queen Anne

For our May walk we took the 65 bus out to Great Hucklow, starting with a drink at the Queen Anne pub there. One of the few to have draught Bass on the bar, along with another beer on rotation. A short walk from there took us to the Blind Bull in Little Hucklow. A good choice of draught ales in this Inn which dates back to the 12th Century but which had a recent renovation following some years of closure. It was certainly proving popular with locals when we were there.

Blind Bull

From there we traversed a number of fields (and stiles) to get to Bradwell. We went in the Bowling Green there, although we also found some friends had gone to the Shoulder of Mutton. We all found our way back home via the 272 bus service.

Drone Valley Brewery festival bar

Our most recent outing has been to join the Dronfield One Valley Extra Beer Festival starting with a 43 bus ride to the Drone Valley Brewery in Unstone. They had extended their bar to have a full range of their beers on (see pic). Not everyone was happy with having to drink them from squashy plastic ‘glasses’, nor the pricing (an across the range £4 a pint) but there were no complaints about the quality. Food was also available and entertainment was promised later in the day.

We decided to make our way up the hill to the Miners Arms at Hundall, which was its usual busy self, both inside and out in the garden where a second bar had been set up, along with a stage and another food stall.

Travellers Rest, Apperknowle

Our third call was to the Travellers Rest at Apperknowle, where beer in glass glasses was available and taken with our sandwiches. We possibly spent too long there as by the time we got to Troway for a visit to the Gate Inn there we found it closed. We followed field paths from there towards Coal Aston, ending our walk there when a 44 bus appeared.

So an eventful year so far with some new faces joining the regulars.

We’ll be having another walk in June when we shall go from Malin Bridge up to the Wisewood Inn for their Loxley Beer festival. In July we shall be walking from Deepcar to the Wortley Beer Festival and in August a shortish walk from Castleton to Hope for the Bank Holiday Beer Festival at the Old Hall Hotel.

More details in the diary section in Beer Matters or on the website

Pub of the Month May 2022

Posted on by Malcolm Dixon

As I nominated Bar Stewards as a Pub of the Month I think  I should, at least, write an article about this outstanding micro-pub.

Yet it’s a pub I’ve only visited once – on a damp, cold Saturday afternoon last December as, despite the weather, we continued on a city centre pub crawl and called in. The overwhelming feeling for all of us, as we stumbled through the door, was of being made very welcome.

There was a great choice of cask ales on the bar, along with a choice of keg beers for those who prefer them and some more in cans in the nearby fridge, all served by friendly and knowledgable staff.

As well as a few tables inside, there is a large yard at the rear with outdoor seating, some of which is under cover.

Bar Stewards was set up by a couple of beer enthusiasts, Alan and Charlie, initially as a pop-up for a couple nights a week and their project has progressed to being open every day of the week, mostly in the evenings but longer at the weekend. The venue is available for private hire and even offers a mobile bar service.

It’s our Pub of the Month award winner for May 2022. Give it a try. Join us for the certificate presentation (and a beer or two) on Tuesday 10 May from 8pm.

Bar Stewards can be found at 163 Gibraltar Street, Sheffield S3 8UA, between West Bar and Kelham Island. Buses 57, 81, 82 and 86 pass the front door or it is walkable from the City Centre.

RambAles return for 2022

Posted on by Malcolm Dixon

Join us for rambling and ale!

Due to lockdowns and ongoing Covid restrictions we were only able to do four RambAles last year, but that was still four more than we expected and the previous year. We’re pleased to say that all of them proved enjoyable and it was great to get out and enjoy visiting many of our local pubs again for a drink whilst enjoying a not too strenuous walk with friends.

We shall be visiting more of them through the next few months and also going further afield to some of the many local villages in the easily reached surrounding countryside which have great pubs in them too – all worth visiting. Many of them are within walking distance and we shall have the back up of the city’s public transport system to help get us there and back.

Sheffield has many great pubs and green spaces within, and around, its boundaries. Now they are open again it’s time for us to get our boots on and make the most of them – do join us!

Redmires Circuit

Sat 12 Mar

Third time lucky! Catch 11:18 51 bus at stop from Arundel Gate (AG11) behind the library as far as the Shiny Sheff at Lodge Moor for a walk to Three Merry Lads and Sportsman.

Bluebells & Beer

Sat 30 Apr

Meet at Fox House by 12:10 (11:20 272 or 11:35 65 buses) for walk via Hay Wood to Hathersage (bus or train back).

Great Hucklow-Bradwell

Sat 21 May

11:35 65 bus to Great Hucklow (12:30) for linear walk via Little Hucklow to Bradwell (return on 272 bus).

One Valley Beer Festival

Sat 4 Jun

11:21 43 bus (AG12) to Unstone. 12:10 at Drone Valley Brewery stop. Then Miners Arms at Hundall; Traveller’s Rest at Apperknowle; Gate Inn at Troway; SCW (Sheffield Country Walk) to Coal Aston; Green Lane (B6158) to Dronfield pubs or Holmley Lane (B6056) to Coach & Horses and buses back to Sheffield.

Penistone-Thurlstone Circular

Sat 25 Jun

11:35 train from Sheffield to Penistone 12:19 Walk to Crystal Palace brew pub in Thurlstone and then the Huntsman. Back to Whitefaced Brewery Tap & Brewhouse and other pubs in Penistone (return trains at 15:43, 17:43, 18:26, 18:46, and 21:43).

Wortley Beer Festival

Sat 16 Jul

11:35 Yellow tram from Castle Square to Middlewood, then bus to King & Miller at Deepcar for 12:15. Walk up to Wortley (bus back to Sheffield).

Castleton-Hope

Sat 27 Aug

For beer festival at Old Hall Hotel, Hope.

We already have a number of ideas for more RambAles in September and October but we’re waiting for the football fixture lists and dates of local beer festivals to come out so we can fit our walks around them.

We aim to provide a series of walks which we hope people won’t find either too long or too strenuous and most will feature a number of pubs and drop-out points where people can leave and make their own way back by bus or train to Sheffield if they don’t fancy doing the whole walk or want to stay for another drink in a particular pub. These will also provide joining points for any latecomers. Most timings and fares will be given in the walks listing. Any additions or amendments will also be published in new leaflets, future editions of Beer Matters and the branch website. Contact the RambAle coordinator on 07842 530 128 or rambale@sheffield.camra.org.uk if you need more information on any of these walks.

Everyone is welcome to join us but please come suitably equipped for changeable and inclement weather and walking conditions which may be rough, wet and muddy in places. In most cases you will also need to bring (or be able to buy) sufficient food and drink.

PLEASE NOTE: bus, tram and train times are subject to change and last minute cancellation. Please check before setting off.

Malcolm & Jenny

RambAle Report

Posted on by Malcolm Dixon

We were only able to do a four RambAles this year, but at least we were able to do some this year unlike 2020, and enjoyed pleasingly good weather for all of them.

We started on a lovely sunny afternoon at the end of July when we met for a lunchtime drink at the Hammer & Pincers pub at Bents Green. Following a pint of Moonshine five of us set off up Ringinglow Road to a much busier Norfolk Arms and a very pleasant Titanic Plum Porter amongst other available waiter served drinks. We were joined by two more colleagues for the walk along the Houndkirk packhorse route to Fox House. There our party split with the majority staying for a drink there prior to catching a bus back to Sheffield. I carried on along the Moss Road route over Totley Moor towards Thornbridge’s Cricket Inn at Totley, who were indeed hosting a cricket match, before going home.

Anglers Rest, Bamford

Our small group of regulars assembled again at the end of August at the Anglers Rest in Bamford for a varied choice of drinks, before making our way to the Cheshire Cheese at Hope which had local Intrepid beers on. A short walk from there found us at the Old Hall Hotel for the Bank Holiday Hope Valley Beer Festival with a larger marquee and choice of beers and ciders and entertainment from our old Harlequin friends ‘Rocket 88’ who were doing only their second gig in 18 months.

Rocket 88 playing at the Hope Valley Beer & Cider Festival

We were amongst many who enjoyed beers from Blue Monkey, Little Critters and Intrepid amongst others.

Hope Valley Beer & Cider Festival at the Old Hall Hotel, Hope

Our September RambAle started at the Shepley Spitfire in Bradway but as it had no cask ales on, we made our way through the woods and field paths to the Royal Oak at Millthorpe which was serving refreshing pints of Tim Taylor’s Landlord. A slow walk back via Cartledge took us to the Angel Inn at Holmesfield who had beers from Hambleton Stud brewery. This pub is well known for offering gluten free food and drink. We were going to head back to Totley for a final drink but ended up going a different way for some chips instead.

Guzzle Micropub, Woodseats

We had intended to start our October RambAle at the Guzzle micropub in Woodseats but had heard it wasn’t opening early enough, so switched the start across the road to the Big Tree who had a couple of cask ales on. Whilst we were gathering there, we noticed the shutters going up at the Guzzle so made our way back across to find they were experimenting with opening at 12 rather than 2pm. There was already a party in, so opening early obviously works. As does having a good range of well looked after cask and keg ales on and friendly and knowledgeable bar staff.

Mount Pleasant, Norton Woodseats

We then headed up through Graves Park where we found a regional Running Race taking place – so we took advantage of their catering facilities (a burger van) as we passed through. We found the Mount Pleasant pub down on Derbyshire Lane open and welcoming, although we initially went into the lounge which had been set out for an afternoon of gin tasting. Luckily next door’s bar had a choice of six cask ales from Abbeydale, Tetley, Stancill, Titanic and Whymer.

Cross Scythes, Norton Lees

A short walk from there took us down the road to Thornbridge’s Cross Scythes pub which had a choice of four of their excellent cask ales plus others on keg. A longer walk via Heeley Green took us past the Victoria and onto the Brothers Arms who must have had a dozen ales for us to try. Then a short walk across the road then took us to the equally busy Sheaf View and a choice of Neepsend and other beers. Our final stop on this RambAle was the White Lion on London Road for a final choice of drinks.

Brothers Arms, Heeley

It had only been a 3.5 mile walk but we’d fitted in seven pubs and (mostly) halves but the clocks had progressed through seven hours by the time we left for our buses home. An enjoyable day out for all.

We’re already discussing ideas for next year – we might finally get to the Redmire Dams and out to Great and Little Hucklows. Bakewell and Birchover have also been mentioned but may need an earlier start. A new route to the Wortley Beer Festival, if that is taking place, has also been suggested. More visits to pubs to the north of Sheffield or further into South Yorkshire and its surrounding countryside. Its also been suggested we start a second group who fancy doing longer/faster walks than the ones our current group are happy doing.

Please let us know if you are interested and any possible ideas for routes and pubs we could visit you may have and we’ll see what we can do in 2022.