1 September sees changes to some Sheffield bus routes following the public consultation last month previously featured in this column. There have been some tweaks following the consultation such as the 6 continuing to serve Greystones and the Walkley buses retaining the traditional 95 number. Some further changes are coming up in October which will be the Chesterfield based buses and at the time of writing this was still at consultation, the only proposals affecting Sheffield is a change to the X17 route near Meadowhall and a renumbering of the 43a to 42.
The biggest changes are in North and East Sheffield, all the details can be found at travelsouthyorkshire.com.
The summer rail replacement works on Supertram conclude on 1 September, however there will be some weekend engineering works in September and October, check their website for details.
So, what are the headlines in terms of going to the pub? Well, the Greystones pub becomes easier to get to with bus 82 (Stannington to Millhouses) changing its route to run via Greystones and this bus has an evening service! The buses serving the Harlequin near Kelham Island are changing, with the 95/95a replaced by the 75/75a (Jordanthorpe to Chapeltown/Fox Hill) – the 7/8 and 83 continue to serve the area with a revised timetable. Those travelling in an evening wanting to get to/from Worrall, Oughtibridge, Deepcar and Stocksbridge will be pleased to see an evening service introduced to route 57a. Travel to the Wisewood Inn on a Sunday becomes possible on the new timetables too with the 52a extended up beyond Hillsborough to Loxley 7 days a week although evening service remains limited to the rural bus 61/62.
There are still frustrations with the bus network and the mayor’s priorities with a lack of funding available for evening and Sunday tendered services, for example Bradway doesn’t have any buses in an evening whilst Nether Edge gets a bus once every 2 hours!
Arriving in town a little before the train departing at 11:44, I decided to see what The Bankers Draft had to offer. As it happened they had a rather nice Salamander Golden on, a nice blonde /Golden of 4.5%.
Nearing departure, I walked down to Midland Station. The queue is always a little long, as they only have 2 ticket staff on a Saturday. However, they got through people quickly and this gave me time for a half in The Sheffield Tap. As always, there is a good choice of 6-7 wickets. I went for one I had not drank before, a Mad Ape – Twistin’ My Melon Man, a delightful wheat beer coming in at 4.8%.
So, off to platform 4a for the train that was travelling to Leeds via Barnsley. I saw Malcolm and Graham before boarding and we began the journey, only stopping at Meadowhall. On alighting we met Malc Anderson, who had boarded, but due to being sardined in, he couldn’t move to find us.
Setting off at midday for our first destination, Spiral City in The Arcade. We were met by nice surroundings, including a vinyl record shop, but only 2 ales. We all plumped for the Stancill -Sweet Caroline, a pale at 4.1%.
Bang across at the Jolly Tap, we were glad to see around 6-7 beers from the Jolly Boys’ Brewery. This is where Andy C and Rob caught up. I had a nice APA called Supa-Citra, packing a decent punch of 4.2%. If that wasn’t your thing though, they had bitter, a stout and pales to suit.
Up to the top of The Arcade and round the corner sits one of Barnsley’s institutions, the Old #7. Recently under new management, but still with 6 wickets to choose from, mainly local beers from Acorn, Thornbridge etc. I always like to try one I haven’t had before, so Little Critters – Luna Peach Pale Ale fitted the bill. A very nice refreshing pint for a summers day.
Now, this is where the fun started. 3 of us were a little peckish and needed sustenance. I remember there used to be a chip shop near The Kestral, so using Google Maps on my phone, we set off for there. Big mistake, as my phone took us all the way round to where we started. We actually gave up and got a snack from Pound Bakery to fill the gap. Then, setting off to meet the rest of the group at The Nailmaker Tap #2, Malcolm’s phone took us the wrong way round, when we could have cut a fair bit off. A few phone calls, and a mile later, we arrived, but at least Graham had a good moan about getting his steps in.
We were joined there by Malc’s partner, Ally. Again, a decent little range, and choosing the Craven Brew Co – Beyond the Pale we sat out in the sun. Next on the list was the George and Dragon, a more traditional establishment, albeit with a nice beer garden to bake in. A smaller selection, but the Stancill – Dr Rudi, an EPA of 4% was a good choice for the warm day.
We then had the short walk to another nice bar, The Tarn End Tap. Modern, but quirky with a musical theme. The beers were solid with my tipple being a Durham Brewery – Pina Colada, an IPA Milkshake of 4.5%, fruity as hell and delicious. An ideal beer to sing the Rupert Holmes song to ( You have to be of a certain age).
We were still on the periphery of town, so we made the effort to call at Heaven & Ale, again a quirky pub that Barnsley seem to have a knack of creating. The North Riding – Single Hop APA Comet, at 4.2%, then a Brew61 – Spring Meadow 4.7% IPA, kept things relatively sensible. Here we bid farewell to Malcolm and Graham who wished to depart a little earlier.
Time was ticking, and we had a couple more visits ro complete. Andy C, Rob and myself popped in the Garrison, no real ale, but Brewdog Hazy Jane as good as it got. Not a bad bar though, busy and live music present. The last bar was Bar Ruelle on Regent Street South, bang opposite the Interchange. I forgot to log my beer, but they had a nice selection of Pale, Porter and bitter.
Catching the train home, we made the executive decision to get off at Chapletown to have beer and food. Graham, the sly old devil had the same idea and we saw him outside after getting our Neepsend – Blonde, 4%. With their Loaded Chip butty calling to us, we ordered the bacon, cheese and black pudding versions. They are huge and cooked beautifully, not bad for around £7.
Getting into early evening, I chose to catch the 83 to Southey Library and walk down the hill, rather than the train into town which Andy and Rob did.
All in all, Barnsley is emerging as a great little real ale stomping ground with its reasonably compact layout. Well worth the £5-7 train ticket for a day out. The service is frequent and fairly fast too. The 7 of us enjoyed it massively.
Trains are operated by Northern and run from Sheffield to Barnsley up to 4 times an hour, taking around 20-30 minutes depending on the number of stops. An off peak return costs £7 or an anytime return costs £8.30 with discounts sometimes available if specific times are booked in advance. A “South Yorkshire Connect Plus” ticket is also available offering a day of unlimited bus, train and tram travel in the county for £10.70.
I have friends who live in Nether Edge, in Catcliffe and in Hillsbrough. My wife and I live in Dagenham and visit Sheffield a few times a year, we visited last month for the Tramlines music festival.
We felt the line up on Saturday was not to our liking so my friend John decided it was time for a pub crawl around an area of Sheffield that I hadn’t visited before, around Chesterfield Road and Abbeydale Road.
We took the bus easily from the city centre and met at The Sheaf View at lunchtime. The landlord was very chipper commenting on my Sheafs t shirt from the now disbanded band (hello lads if you’re reading this). He said it was the best pub with Sheafs in the name, that the left hand corner pump was the most popular and that the bagels he sells are the best in the city. Bold claims for sure!! I chose a pint of Bessemer Blonde from local Blue Bee brewery and sat in their garden. It was a clean crisp pint which I scored 3.5 out of 5 on a well known beer app.
We’d soon all met and finished our first drinks so we took the short walk up the hill to what is now called The Brothers Arms but from the outside used to be known as Ye Olde Shakespeare Inn. Again we sat in the garden which had a fantastic view. I chose a pint of Nectaron by Pictish Brewing Company, another solid pale ale that I also scored at 3.5.
Down the hill next to the White Lion. It had had started raining as we got to the pub so we sat in one of their snugs. I do like a pub with a snug. As I was on the quest for new beers I chose Park Life from the Tiny Rebel brewery in Newport, South Wales rather than the always fantastic Titanic Plum Porter. A bad mistake!! The beer was fresh but just not to my taste. I scored it 2.5 the lowest score of the day.
We tried to go into The Crown Inn but one of our 11 is only 9 and they only had a license for adults so they missed out on some good income especially as we were all ready for a bit of food.
Instead we walked across the River Sheaf and on to The Broadfield Ale House on Abbeydale Road where I had a pint of Twin Coast by Sharps Brewery in Cornwall. Again well kept. Again fresh and tasty. Again scored 3.5. At least I’m consistent!! It was a busier pub and had a younger crowd shown by all the check in’s on the app. I have to give a shout out to the sausage rolls which are to die for with each having a couple of pork scratchings on the top!!
The next stop was almost next door, to Two Thirds Beer Co, another venue for the young uns, where I enjoyed a pint of Sundancer from another local Sheffield brewery Triple Point, a hazy IPA that I scored yet another 3.5. On first sip I thought I should have ordered two thirds of a pint instead given the name of this bar!!
We then visited the basement bar Picture House Social a real games venue where we all played the weirdest game of Shuffle Board I’ve ever seen. Played with big sticks and down a lane around the length of a bowling alley. In London it’s more of a long table top game. Who was the best player? 9 year old Evie of course!! As we were so close to the brewery and as they were on, I had two from Abbeydale Brewery, a pint of Daily Bread scored at just 3 and a half of the ever popular Deception scored at a high so far of 3.75 brought down a little as served in a plastic due to us playing the game.
Next we decided it was time for some music as The Fringe festival was on. We headed for the city centre but stopped for a quick half in Jabbarwocky where we saw the end of a set by a 2 piece band, a guitarist and a trumpet player where I enjoyed Ribbons of Distinction Nelson Pale Ale by Carnival Brewing Company over in Liverpool which also scored 3.75.
A taxi was called over to Dorothy Pax, a very pleasant pub by the canal where we sat outside and heard sets by 2 bands. Here we were also served in plastics and I had a pint of Black Sheep Respire which I thought was very good and should be as mainstream as Black Sheep Bitter. I scored it 3.75. I also had a pint of IPA by Peak Ales a flavoursome beer at the day’s strongest 6%. I only scored this 3.25 of 5 probably because my taste buds were used to weaker beers.
We then decided to go for a curry but had time for one last beer in one of our favourite pubs The Crow Inn where I enjoyed a pint of Small Town by MBH Beer from Knutsford, Cheshire which I scored 3.5. We then walked back down the hill to 7 Spices Tandoori for what was a fantastic and very well needed curry.
We visited 9 pubs 7 of which were new to me. I enjoyed 10 pints and managed 11 new beers on the day which was very good for my quest for new beers. None of them were spectacular but I would have had a second pint of 10 of them.
I had a fantastic day. Each pub was different to the next, each had their quirks and each is worth a visit. Most importantly each knew how to keep and serve their beer. A visit to this part of the city is equally as rewarding as a visit to the popular Kelham Island. Maybe next time we’ll visit some of the hostelry’s we missed out this time.
We recently visited Castleford: an interesting mix of new bars and long-established outlets. The Ninth opened the day before our visit and provided, among others, Horsforth House Trousers (4.4%). Other recently established outlets, Doghouse and Yorkshire Craft Beers, have a range of cask/craft beers. Among others, Doghouse provided Amber (4.5%) from Selby-based, Jolly Sailor and Theakston Peculiar IPA (5.1%). The latter is hopped with UK-grown Harlequin, Jester and Olicana.
Yorkshire Craft is located in an old riverside mill, close to the 2008 Millennium Bridge with its striking curved design. This compliments the nearby railway underpass, Tickle Cock Bridge.
Wetherspoons outlet, the Glass Blower, the ex-main post and sorting office, provided an excellent 6% pale, Hoptropolis, brewed at Hook Norton, with assistance from Mitch Steele (New Realm Brewing, Atlanta). Voted the Champion Beer in the Autumn 2023 Wetherspoons Beer Festival, this IPA utilises American Azacca, Citra and Mosaic hops. Locally, glass-making began in the 17th century. 200 years later, it was Castleford’s main industry, disappearing with the 1983 closure of United Glass.
Our last beer was in the Junction, a GBG pub which, for several years, has prided itself on providing ‘beer from the wood,’ the Old Mill Styrian Wolf (4.2%) hitting the spot before the train home.
Dave & Simon Pickersgill
Castleford can easily be reached from Sheffield by train – the Sheffield to Leeds all stations stopping service operated by Northern calls there.
During July bus operators have been holding a consultation on proposed changes to bus timetables and routes from 1 September to reflect demand building back up differently post covid.
Bus route 8 from Ecclesfield to Birley will be split with some journeys running to Dyke Vale Road instead of Birley Lane tram stop, replacing route 41 which will be withdrawn. The 8/8a from Crystal Peaks is withdrawn and replaced by new local minibus services M44/M45.
The 1a and 11 Herdings to Chapeltown will be withdrawn with the 47/48 Herdings-Shiregreen making a comeback with changes to the 75 replacing the 1a to Chapeltown.
The 95/95a is also to be withdrawn with the Meadowhall end of the route replaced by changes to the 75 whilst Walkley will be served by new routes 54/55/55a which will run from Walkley to Handsworth via Sheffield Parkway then continuing to either Rotherham via Treeton (replacing withdrawn route 73) or to Crystal Peaks via either Aston or Woodhouse.
Greystones gets a better service with route 82 diverted that way with the 6 changed to run more directly on Ecclesall Road instead of via Greystones.
On route 52 buses will be extended beyond Crookes to Hillsborough all day whilst on the 52a there will be an improved Loxley/Wisewood service including the introduction of a Sunday service.
There are changes to the 88 Ecclesfield to Bents Green with increased frequencies and a different route in the Firth Park area.
Stocksbridge and Worrall see some improvement too with the 57a running later into the evening.
The 41, 42, X54 and X74 are both withdrawn and replaced by a new network of routes numbered 70/70a/71/71a.
South Pennine Community Transport will be running a series of one day a week buses from Holmfirth – Monday to Meadowhall, Wednesday to Castleton and Thursday to Hillsborough
Meanwhile Supertram has a programme of rail replacement works over the summer holidays as follows:
20 July to 2 August: Blue route closed between Gleadless Townend and Halfway with trams running to Herdings Park instead of Halfway. Replacement buses to connect Gleadless to Halfway.
3 August to 11 August: Blue and Purple route closed between Sheffield Station and Herdings Park. The Blue route to operate in two parts with replacement buses running Sheffield City Centre to Gleadless to connect.
12 August to 1 September: Yellow route closed between Hillsborough and Middlewood with trams running to Malin Bridge instead of Middlewood.
There is also expected to be some disruption to Tram Train services to Rotherham at weekends from September onwards as work begins to build a new station at Magna, which the joint SYMCA/Network Rail project team are aiming to have ready for the summer 2025 National Rail timetable commencing next May.
Meanwhile on the Derbyshire buses there is some disruption caused by long term roadworks affecting bus 272 in Bradwell and bus 65 in Grindleford until September, altered timetables at derbysbus.info.
Funny month for the weather, June. As 5/6ths of us met at Midland Station platform 5a on a warm, cloudy day for our trip out into Derbyshire. Andy C joined the packed train at Dore & Totley Station for the journey to New Mills.
Unfortunately due to a landslide, the train would only reach Chinley Station with a replacement bus completing the journey. However, there was a 10 minute walk back up the hill, to where we had just passed. Annoying when Newtown Station is virtually across the road – which Andy C had travelled to on the train via Hazel Grove reaching the brewery quarter of an hour before everyone else – he was in a different part of the train…
Torrside Brewery is part of the marina complex on Hibbert Street, sitting opposite the famous Swizzels sweet factory, although the shop wasn’t open on this occasion for purchases. The Tap itself is a converted boat repair shop and is kitted out with casks on stillage, a hopper and benches to enjoy the offerings of Torrside and Osaka Local food truck.
The range of cask and keg is impressive and boast pales, bitter and dark beers. Others and myself plumped for the Torrside Mosaic, 4.8% APA. This was followed by the I Am Curious Lemon, again 4.8% but an EPA this time. I am not a darker beer drinker generally. Although I did try the excellent Kuro Neko, a 5.2% Schwarzbier, akin to an airy stout packed with flavour. As the Mosaic ran out, it was swiftly replaced with All of the Klaxons, a more sessionable 4% EPA. We all tasted a sample a lovely smoked dark, bottled beer, purchased by Andy.
An enjoyable social few hours was enjoyed by the group around the table with a few anecdotes told that had all howling, including Malc’s Wetherspoon place tale (you had to be there..)
We set off for the next bar in this old mining and mill town. Boasting the Grade II listed Torr Vale Mill, which at 210 years of continuous use was the longest running in the UK. The town’s industry was also served by the rivers Sett and Goyt for power, and the Peak Forest Canal for transportation.
Arriving at the Beer Shed at the top of Market Street, we were greeted to a compact, narrow bar displaying old beer adverts on the walls. Beer was courtesy of Thornbridge, with the 4.5% Fonio Pale Ale, but offered another 2 handpumps.
We then departed for what we thought would be our final pub the Masons Arms on the bottom end of High Street, a pretty and narrow lane with terraced cottages and cobbles. This pub offered Robinsons beers and a couple of guests. I enjoyed the Unicorn bitter at 4.3%, and the Storm Brewing Co Bosley Cloud, a Blonde Golden of 4.1% with adjuncts of fruits, spices and occasionally coffee.
So, on returning to our shuttle bus back to Chinley is where the comedy, or not, started. We were in plenty of time for the 19:23 to Sheffield, but after 10-15 minutes after it should have arrived, we suspected it wouldn’t, especially as the 20:23 was cancelled too. This confirmed our decamping to the nearby Chinley Bar and Lounge. Not expecting much, we were surprised to find 2 cask ales on the bar. Chatsworth Gold, a 4.6% Blonde/Golden and the classic Bass, 4.4% bitter. All this was accompanied with laughs at Andy Cullen’s tale of radiator covers (you had to be there..)
We then returned to Chinley Station for the 21:23, only to find that too was cancelled. Fortunately, shortly afterwards we were informed a minibus was enroute to return us to Sheffield. After picking up a few passengers from other stations, and dropping off Andy C at Dore & Totley, we arrived back 2.5hours after our original time. John, Phil and myself decided on a nightcap at Shakespeares where I partook in a Fuggle Bunny Stomper, weighing in at 5% and a refreshing SeaCider Blueberry of 4%.
It was now taxi time, but although an exhausting day, we can all look back on great beer, food, company and a lot of laughs. If there no rail disruptions, New Mills is well worth 7 hrs of anyone’s time on a Torrside Brewery Tap Saturday.
Local history enthusiast Shaun Stevenson and Chesterfield CAMRA’s InnSpire magazine editor Chris Fox, have teamed up to produce a high quality, self-guided Chesterfield pub tour booklet called “Historical Tales & Traditional Ales”.
The guide begins at The Rutland on Stevenson’s Place in the shadow of the Crooked Spire. The tour meanders through some of Chesterfield’s best pubs and many of its historical locations including the Crooked Spire and the Market place. With histories and anecdotes from 10 pubs open today and many more that have been lost to time, the booklet finishes at the Chesterfield Arms.
Shaun has been running the Chesterfield Great Historic Pub Tour since 2019 and has built up a wealth of information that he recounts in an engaging and easy to read style. Shaun remarked, “We wanted to create something accessible for anyone who is interested in Chesterfield, its pubs and their history. Something that didn’t cost very much and is entertaining, rather than just dry dates and names”.
The pages contain stories of murder, mystery and dark secrets. Everything from pop stars, a streaker, the Oddfellows and even a former prime minister who opened one of Chesterfield’s pubs. “Many people will enjoy a trip down memory lane because we also include some of the more recent history and anecdotes”, said Shaun.
In order to get as many booklets sold as possible the price is just £1 and it is available from every pub on the route – The Rutland, Pig & Pump, The Golden Fleece, the Portland, The Sun, The Market, Hidden Knight, Barley Mow, Gasoline and the Chesterfield Arms.
The driving force behind creating this booklet is Chris Fox. Chris says “Working with Shaun has been a pleasure, we are both really proud of the finished product. We just need people to go out and buy it, do the tour and support our local pubs”.
Anyone wanting a copy that can’t visit Chesterfield town centre can obtain a copy by arrangement with Shaun on 07908 183 160. The booklet can also be viewed and downloaded on the Chesterfield CAMRA website.
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.
Our vice chair Paul Manning and his wife Bev recently visited Japan and South Korea trying the local beer scene on their travels.
Our 18-day adventure started with a brief flight stopover in the UAE at the ultra-modern sand dune shaped Abu Dhabi airport where we had time to sample a pint of 1758 Belgium IPA but at £13 each, they were easily the most expensive of the trip.
After 16 hours total flying time we arrived in Narita airport and, after a 40-mile taxi transfer, reached the excellent Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku, Tokyo which was to be our base for the first three nights. Fighting off the dreaded jetlag we headed out on a prearranged night-time beer and food tour round Shinjuku. Our tour group consisted off ourselves, three Americans, an Australian and our Japanese guide.
A great camaraderie ensued during the four-hour tour which consisted of stops at some great street food and beer stalls where the delights of fried chicken, dumplings and even raw horse meat were tried, washed down with copious amounts of the local beers – mainly Kirin and Asahi super dry lagers together with the local favourite, highball cocktail.
Shinjuku at night was like New York Times Square with neon lights, the famous 3D digital cat, a towering Godzilla and was crowded with people which wasn’t a surprise for the world’s most populated city where 34 million people live in the greater Tokyo conurbation. After a detour to a local Shinto shrine where we paid our respects, the tour finished in what could only be described as a dive bar and after more Kirin I tasted some snake infused liquor. It was basically a local Japanese whisky with a decapitated snake head occupying the bottle!
Having survived the horse meat and snake liquor our next two days were again on pre-booked tours of wider Tokyo and further afield. The city is an amazing metropolis but so safe and clean – no graffiti or litter in sight which contrasted wildly with home. We explored Tokyo far and wide on the first day visiting the emperor’s imperial palace, the royal Shinto shrine with hundreds of saki beer barrels, a trip to the top of the Skytree tower for amazing views and a trip round Tokyo bay.
Beer opportunities were a little limited, with some green matcha flavoured ale at lunch, followed by a dark Asahi pale at the tower summit and more Kirin on the boat. The 45th floor lounge bar in our hotel more than sufficed for a few more lagers and cocktails accompanying dinner with jaw dropping night-time city views.
The second day was bright and clear with the main highlight a visit to the snow-covered foothills of Mount Fuji which was out in her full glory (we were lucky as she is only seen out of cloud around 60 days a year). A cable car ride over a sulphur emitting dormant volcano and a pirate ship lake ride followed before another highlight being a super-fast return trip by bullet train to Tokyo. The ship had an excellent Gora Brewery Rising Sun IPA but our beer highlight was a visit to a Hitachino Brewing’s Nest Beer outlet just outside one of Tokyo train station’s numerous exits.
The craft beers were excellent at approximately £5 a pint, and we spent a good two hours sampling their Dai DaiAle 6% IPA, Amber Ale 6%, MikanSession IPA 4.5%, Nipponia 6% IPA, History 1602Pale Ale 5% and Espresso Stout 8%. I’d recommend seeking them out if ever in Tokyo.
The second part of our trip was a 12-night cruise down the east side of Japan onboard the cruise liner Celebrity Millennium. A great ship with attentive staff, great entertainment and food.
Onboard, craft beers were either bottled or canned and mostly American. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Goose Island IPA, Sam Adams Boston Lager, Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale wheat IPA, Guiness (on St Patrick’s Day) were all sampled together with some more interesting brews including 90 Minute IPA 9% imperial IPA from Dogfish Head Brewery, a Unibroue Brewery (Canada) La Fin du Monde 9% wheat beer and a Terrapin Beer (Georgia, US) Luau Krunkles IPA 6.5% passion fruit, orange and guava IPA.
While the East China Sea was at times rather rough, the weather was mostly dry if a little chilly. Our ports of call were varied with trips to more Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, castles, spectacular underground caves, and exquisite Japanese gardens mixed in with spectacular views over the cities of Okinawa, Kagoshima, Osaka, Kyoto in Japan, Jeju Island in South Korea and paddling in the Pacific Ocean in Shizuoka.
Of course, the alcohol side was satisfied by trips to a saki brewery factory and museum with an 18% saki beer purchased, Nanto brewery in Okinawa and a sweet potato shōchū 25% proof beer purchase in Kagoshima.
All in all, a spectacular trip with plenty of opportunities to sample Japanese culture, cities and the beer scene in Tokyo which is highly recommended.
My friends set off for Scarborough early Good Friday morning, but being a foolish football fan, I went to the game after booking a Northern train for the day after.
Saturday saw me rise at 03:30 to prepare and get the taxi for the 05:42 to Scarborough. The train was akin to a magical mystery tour, and my split ticket to Doncaster, then onwards took me through Goole, Beverley, Bridlington and Filey before arrival in Scarborough, but at least it was direct.
On arrival I went to my hotel the Palace Hill, a 260 year old listed building, just across from the Merchant. My friend and I had to leave the third person suffering from the previous night. One quick pint in the Golden Last saw a Beavertown Neck Oil on keg at 4.3%, as there was no cask. On arrival, the Spa Pavilion was already Filling up at 13:00.
Surprisingly for a punk festival, it had two real ales to its beer roster. I tried both, and they were well kept. The first was Wold Top Bitter, a very sessionable 3.7% from the Driffield based brewery. Second was the festival branded Scarborough Punk Festival IPA, a 4.2%, again brewed by Wold Top.
Awaking the next morning, and not with the first band I wanted to see until 16:40, I set out at 13:00 to have an ale adventure.
First stop was halfway down N Marine Road, where I had a well kept pint of Taylors Landlord, 4.3%, described as pale, but more a lighter bitter to me.
I then had a stroll round the North Bay before taking the open top bus to the South Bay. Alighting near the traffic lights near the Frigate, a lovely small real ale bar just up a small, steep cobbled street. I had a pint of Maxim Samson Bitter, a good, smooth bitter of 4%.
Next was the short walk to the Merchant, a lightly themed Irish bar, but with a nice WB Blonde on cask at 4%.
I then walked further up to the hill to Dickens, festooned with TVs and tourists. Theakston Summit, a bright, crisp 4.2% EPA was on offer, so that was partaken.
It was time to watch the bands again, so I strolled down past the Grand Hotel to the Spa Pavilion for a few more SPF IPAs. After a great four bands, we called in the Lord Nelson where a Theakston Best Bitter was drank for one more for the road.
The short hop to the hotel was uneventful. So all in all, somewhere I would like to revisit with two days to venture further afield to the bars I missed in Scarborough CAMRA’s recommendations.
