A couple of dates for the diary ...

JD Wetherspoon Real Ale Festival ... Wednesday 7 - Sunday 25 April 2010.

Doncaster CAMRA Beer Festival ... Thursday 8 - Saturday 10 April 2010.

Town last night ...

Had a pint of one of the most disappointing brews ever sampled ... Hilden Gael Rua (Irish Red) 4.3% in the Gatehouse. It smelled and tasted like something you might clean the toilet with. Awful - Didn't finish it!

Fortunately the next pint in the Old Angel was much better, Granny Wouldn't Like It from the Wolf Brewery 4.8%. A very enjoyable rich dark red ale.

It was commented by someone else on here historically that the choice in the Salutation is often unambitious. It certainly was last night. 4 ales available - Marstons Pedigree, Tetley Cask Ale, Black Sheep Best Bitter and Kelham Easy Rider. I settled for a pint of the Black Sheep and then quickly moved on.

Still no real ale in the Hallcross despite rumours of its impending arrival.

A real positive in the shape of the Yorkshire Grey's own labelled Best Bitter 4.0%. Not sure who it's brewed by but definitely the best drink of the night.

Thornbridge Halcyon 7.7% in the Red Lion last night. Hoppy with hints of tangerine - Malty yet bitter aftertaste. Very nice indeed.

Another new one to me was HB Clarks Hoopoe 4.2% (Gatehouse). A pleasant light brown ale.

Glentworth Donny-gal Dew 4.2% in the Horse and Jockey (obviously in readiness for today) - Not my cup of tea. As with many of the Glentworths, a little bland for my taste.

Just returned from three days in Whitby (a little longer than would have been my preference but that's another story).

Only sampled one new ale but it was a pretty decent one ... Black Dog Whitby Abbey Ale 3.8% in the Station Inn. They also had Courage Directors (as did the Board Inn).

The Granby Arms also had a very nice pint of Camerons Strongarm available.

You didn't go into the Jolly Sailors?
Shame on you.....

Avoided the Gael Rua ale on your say-so, last Friday, Gary, but had a very satisfying Saltaire Dublin Stout and Milestone Dark Galleon, to compensate. Incidentally, the Thorne Vermuyden is a bit of alright too.

Good call - awful stuff!

The Hook Norton Old Hooky 4.6% was on form last night in the Gatehouse - lovely! Also sampled Acorn Madness 4.5% (not bad without being anything special) and earlier in the Old Angel a rather nice pint of Spire Coal Porter 4.4%.

Theakston Hogshead Bitter 4.1% (malty brown bitter) and Robinsons Dragons Fire 4.0% (ruby red ale) sampled this week - both very enjoyable.

Tonight in Thorne Old Mill Blond Bomshell 2 pints in the Punchbowl & then a few pints of Black Sheep in the Windmill.


A good night .


COYD

Was at the Gardeners' Rest in Neepsend for a pint of Ramigius, a fine Cathedral ale and a very quaffable pint of Yorkshire Dales' Askrigg Ale at the CAMRA National Pub of the Year 2008/9 on Saturday.

Sheffield is sooo lucky to have such a glorious collection of real-ale establishments. The pie and peas wasn't bad at the KIT either

The Tut had Brains The Rev. James on this weekend



The Leopard had another winner from the Cottage 'stable' Mosquito 5.0% (first time for me).



The Old Angel had Banks & Taylor SOD 5.0%



Well catered for this weekend.

Haven't been to the Gardeners Rest since it finally re-opened. Will have to put that right sometime soon.

May be of interest ....

Barnsley Beer and Cider Festival 2010
Milton Hall, Elsecar, Barnsley

Opening Times:
12 noon till 10:30 each day
Good Friday 2nd April to Easter Sunday 4th April 2010

Admission £3 (£1 CAMRA members)

Sponsored by Acorn Brewery of Barnsley.

Hoping to drop into a least a couple of the following today ...

Wetherspoons (Leeds Station)
Scarbrough Arms
Leeds Brewery Tap

Pre match ...

Visited all three as it turned out. Leed Brewery Tap had a number of beers on from the Vale Brewery so I plumped for one of theirs (over the Midnight Bell). Grumpling Ale a very nice ruby ale 4.6%.

Next to the Scarbrough Arms and a pint of Hydes Over A Barrel 4.1%.

Wetherspoons at Leeds Station and the excellent Nethergate Mary's Ruby Mild 4.5%.

Post Match ...

Cross Keys (Holgate). Nook Brewery Oat Stout 5.2%.

Midnight Bell (Holgate) and obviously a pint of Leeds Midnight Bell 4.8%.

Five decent pints. A toss up between a favourite of mine Midnight Bell and the Nethergate brew for the best one of the day.

Visited the Pivni World Beer Freehouse at York yesterday. Plenty of foreign beers as you might expect from its name but they also have a number of rotating cask ales. Three from Thornbridge available yesterday. Settled on the very nice Ashford, a brown ale at 4.2%.

Had a couple of York Brewery beers too, it would have been rude not too

. The ever-reliable Centurions Ghost 5.4% in the Three Legged Mare and Coppergate 4.3% in the Golden Lion.

Also encountered the green coloured beer (for only the second time) that is Stonehenge Ales Sign of Spring 4.6% from Bunces Brewery, Salisbury in Harkers.

One new one which was a very pleasant surprise was Derail Ale 5.2% from the Box Steam Brewery, Colerne sampled in The Maltings.

The Hub is the Pub tonight.

Managed to sample a few new ones last night at the Hub ...

Breconshire Red Dragon 4.7%
Bristol Beer Factory Exhibition 5.2%
Idle Brewery Idle Eyes 4.4%
Isle of Avalon Arthurs Ale 7.0%
Newmans Spring Cottage Biscuit 4.2%
Stonehenge Great Bustard 4.8%
Wensleydale Sheep Rustler's Nut Brown Ale 4.4%

not a bad one among them.



also had half of Leeds Midnight Bell 4.8% (couldn't resist it

).

Took the chance to have a couple of pints in Newcastle before yesterdays game at Gateshead.

First up the very nice Bridge Inn (near the Castle Keep) and a pint of Jarrow Brewery Rivet Catcher 4.0%.

Then a visit to the Bodega and a pint of Nethergate Extra Old Growler 5.5%.

The former was the more attractive pub but the latter was the better pint.

Note to self must go back again and do more pubs - there was a Lloyds and a Wetherspoons both within 2 minutes walk of the Station which got bypassed and that before you get too far into the City Centre.

When you're up there again, it's worth a trip to the Crown Posada on Quayside. Excellent selection of microbrewed beers on every time I've been in and it's worth it just to see the old record player at the end of the bar playing vinyl!! Remember that kids? I know S-O will

Hey! Welcome back.



Only had about an hour pre-match so I'd looked for a couple not too far from the Station. The Crown Posada was on my list until I spotted the opening times in the GBG (Sun 7-10.30pm).

I plan on going back when there isn't a match to think about so it'll be on my list then.

Good job you didn't then. When I've visited it's usually Saturday afternoon often around Xmas, so amidst the shopping, it's the only treat I get.

How could I forget? Went to the George and Dragon as part of my extended celebrations for my big 5-0 on Saturday. For some reason, I had a pint of Woppass or WPA55, to give it its correct title and then kept on having more.

Peterborough yesterday ... visited a number of pubs, some better than others as you'd expect but not one I'd be against visiting again if out that way. A couple that are definitely worth a mention are Charters (a barge on the River Nene) with 12 handpumps and the Brewery Tap which also has 12 handpumps and a custom made brew-plant (Oakham Ales). Sadly, the latter appears under threat if a proposed development gets the green light.

Ale of the day ... a close call between Woodfordes Nelsons Revenge 4.5% (at the Hand & Heart) or Cathedral Ales Red Imp 4.2% (in the aforementioned Brewery Tap) with the former just edging it.

The Drapers Arms (town-centre Wetherspoons) had a number of 'festival ales' available and the Czech brew Herold Black Chalice 4.8% was a sound choice.

A very enjoyable few hours and trains running on time too.