Branch Walkabout in Crookes and Commonside on Friday, January 26th, 2001

What they are is an opportunity for you- whether you are a member of CAMRA or not- to join in and sample pubs and their ales in a particular area. In other words, these events are friendly pub-crawls with people who love real ale, good conversation, and who enjoy welcoming people who may not have come across the relaxing pleasure of the many events that we organise.

This Walkabout was no exception. A dozen of us met at 8.30pm in the Princess Royal, Slinn Street, Crookes. As with all the pubs we visited this evening, it was a stone built, Victorian, pub. It has retained a cobbled forecourt, along with elaborate etched windows advertising the long gone Gilmours Brewery. Inside, its two front rooms have been knocked into one, but it has a traditional snooker room at the back. There was a group of devoted players there, whilst the front room was friendly and welcoming with Tetley Bitter on the hand pump.

On this clear and frosty night, a pleasant walk down stone flagged and generally unspoilt Victorian suburban streets took us to The Cobden View, on Cobden View Road. Knocking through in the past has, fortunately, still left the pub with two separate bar areas, and a sitting area with a Pool table. On the bar were hand pumped Barnsley Bitter and Castle Eden ale. Also fixed to the bar was a vending machine, full of bright pink sweets, whilst a thumping and crashing from overhead, announced the fact that the landlord finds it more profitable to let his accommodation out to students than to live there himself.

Down Commonside, we came to the Closed Shop. Given the name, you might expect the pub sign to depict some local struggle in the history of Trade Union recognition. Instead, as bland as a focus group, the pub sign shows on one side, a smiling shopkeeper letting happy customers into an open offy, whilst on the other (shame!) the unsmiling shopkeeper stops his unhappy looking customers from entering his closed shop. According to local people, the pub was indeed an off licence when it was first built, and was closed down for several years before reopening as a public house. Inside, it has had its rooms all knocked through creating one large drinking area, with a friendly, unpretentious, clientele. The bar staff were good conversationalists, and served Timothy Taylor's Landlord and Tetley Bitter in fine condition. Hand pumped Addlestones Cider was also available.

And then we went across the road to the Hallamshire Hotel. A double fronted ex- Wards pub, it has a modest entrance leading to two rooms served by the front bar. However, a corridor leads, Tardis like, to two stunning, lofty, rooms at the back. One contains the rear bar, and has comfortable seating with illuminated Art Deco panels set into the ceiling, whilst the other is a traditional, unspoilt oak panelled snooker room which contains a full size table. Both rooms have windows that yield panoramic views over the city. This grand pub has interior architecture which compares favourably with the best in Sheffield. On handpull and in good form were Black Sheep Special, Magnet, and Theakston's Cool Cask.

Our final call of the evening was to the Springvale (formerly the Beer Engine) on Commonside. Previously comprising a bar and a separate concert room with stage, the pub was knocked through in the 1990's, and is now a single room, with plenty of chalkboards advertising cheap food and drinks promotions, aimed at its younger clientele. On hand pump were Black Sheep Special, Wadworth's 6x, Flower's IPA and Boddingtons Bitter. Again, these were in good condition and as time was called, we all agreed that the evening had been interesting and worthwhile.