Sheffield for the day

I had a fantastic day out in Sheffield on Thursday, where I enjoyed the fine company of Retired Martin and Sheffield Hatter. Both are renowned pub men, with a good knowledge of what is happening on the local pub scene, even though Martin is a relatively newcomer to the city, after moving there from the Fens. (I think he wanted some hills to challenge himself!)  The pair took me to some excellent pubs where we all enjoyed some good and reasonably priced beer, and in one, a bargain-priced pub meal.

Sheffield city centre seemed eminently doable on foot, and for those times when speed was of the essence there was the option of both bus and tram. The latter was a real novelty, as I haven’t travelled on a tram since my last visit to Prague, back in 2015. The weather was kind too, with warm temperatures, wall-to-wall sunshine; factors that helped show off the city of Sheffield at its best. This was an added bonus, as it had been tipping down with rain as I walked from home to Tonbridge station that morning.

The highlights of the day were the Kelham Island area of the city, with its two award winning pubs. The nearby, and very traditional Wellington Inn at the bottom of the hill, and then the tastefully renovated, multi-roomed Bath Hotel, at the top. Finally, there was the delight of the impressive Sheffield Tap, situated next to the station. The perfect place for a few pre-train beers.

As for the trains, I travelled to Sheffield using the East Midland Railway service, from London St Pancras, having first reached the latter using a Thameslink service from London Bridge. The trains ran to time and the various connections all passed smoothly. This was my first proper visit to Sheffield, as with the previous ones I was literally, just passing through, primarily in connection with walking holidays in the Peak District.  The railway station seemed vaguely familiar, but that was about it.

This is only a brief snapshot of my visit, and a much more detailed report will follow in due course. In the meantime, thank-you to Retired Martin, and Sheffield Hatter, for acting as my guides, and also to whoever it was in the Department of Transport for releasing those cut-price rail tickets. They obviously had the right affect, as the train was quite full – so let’s have more of the same please!