Sheffield Pub News - August 2007

We have added Boho bar-restaurant to our database. Boho is located on the site previously occupied by Chambers Wine Bar & Restaurant, which was called Art:Room before that.

The Boardwalk on Snig Hill in the city centre has applied to Sheffield City Council licensing board for an extension of its license until 2AM on Fridays and Saturdays. The Boardwalk currently closed at Midnight and is renowned for supporting local bands such as Little Man Tate and the Arctic Monkeys.

In addition to later opening hours, the Boardwalk has asked for current conditions barring under-16s from the venue after 9PM to be relaxed. The move is being opposed by Sheffield Safeguarding Children Board, who believe that such a change would routinely allow under 18s into the venue at night.

The Boardwalk have been given a warning by South Yorkshire Police after staff served a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old during test purchases in May and July. Sheffield Safeguarding Children Board argue that the Boardwalk management have failed to adequately train their staff on under age drinking policies.

Full program of entertainment and events at beer festival announced

The organisers of the Campaign for Real Ale's Steel City Beer Festival in Sheffield next month have today unveiled a busy schedule of events to keep drinkers entertained.

On the Thursday night there is live music provided by Monkey Swallows the Universe, a local Indie-Pop band who have recently released a new album to rave reviews in the national press, and regularly sell out local venues such as the Boardwalk. More about the band can be found on their website www.mstu.co.uk.

Friday afternoon is the quiet session for those who prefer conversation or are serious about their beer. Visitors will have the opportunity to join a tutored beer tasting session where staff from Bradfield Brewery will provide a number of beers of different styles to drink and will explain what each type of beer should taste like and what the difference in ingredients are - a perfect introduction for those new to real ale.

Drinkers at the festival on Friday night will be able to enjoy live music (the band for this session is yet to be confirmed).

Saturday afternoon sees the ever popular pub quiz make a comeback. Hosted by our very own larger than life questionmaster Richard 'Ricko' Ryan, there are great prizes to be won and all proceeds from the sale of quiz sheets goes to the festival's nominated charity.

Also Saturday afternoon there will be another tutored beer tasting session for those who would like an introduction to the variety of beer styles available, this time hosted by Eddy Munnelly from the Gardeners Rest and Sheffield Brewing Company.

Finally, Treebeard is on stage providing the music on Saturday night. Ever popular on the pub and beer festival circuit, their musical style is a collision of folk music, rock and pop, described by the band as 'Heavy Wood'. Treebeard always guarantee to put festival goers in a fantastic mood and sees folk dancing around the bars! More about this band can be found on their website at www.treebeard.org.uk

The beer festival takes place at Darnall Liberal Club from 27th to 29th September and features a range of around 70 real ales and 24 traditional ciders & perries, along with a selection of continental beers.

The venue is easily reached by the frequent bus service 52 and there will also be a dedicated shuttle bus service from Sheffield rail station, the University of Sheffield and the Kelham Island Tavern every hour.

We have removed the Hare & Hounds pub, formerly of 77 Church Street, Stannington, from our database because it has been closed for some time and it has reportedly been sold for redevelopment.

We have removed the Classic Rock Bar, formerly of Ecclesall Road, from our database because it closed in 2005 and has now been demolished.

We have removed the bar formerly called the Stone House on Church Street in Sheffield city centre because it has been closed permanently for redevelopment.

We have updated the name of the pub previously called "Buskers Bar" on Furnival Gate in the city centre to the Nelson.

We have added the Lounge bar on Glossop Street in Sheffield city centre to our database.

We have removed the Ball Inn, formerly or 287 Darnall Road, Darnall, from our database because it is now closed. The former pub is currently being advertised for sale by auction with a guide price of £250,000. Planning consent has been given for the Grade II listed building to be converted into a restaurant with residential space.

We have removed the Arundel pub, formerly of The Common, Ecclesfield, from our database because it has been closed down and turned into a restaurant.

The organisers of the Campaign for Real Ale's Steel City Beer Festival in Sheffield are pleased to confirm that a shuttle bus will operate to take thirsty festival-goers out to Darnall Liberal Club, this years new venue, from Sheffield railway station, University of Sheffield and Kelham Island.

The bus will operate on a circular route every hour during the festival, and is being provided by volunteer enthusiasts from a local bus preservation group. No fare will be charged on the bus, however passengers will be encouraged to put a donation in the bus group's collection bucket to cover the cost of running the shuttle and to go towards the ongoing preservation work of the group.

The group between them own a number of ex-South Yorkshire PTE vehicles, it is anticipated the one used on the festival shuttle will be a Dennis Dominator, of which the last few examples in service in Sheffield were withdrawn by First South Yorkshire about a year ago. (A more classic rear loading open platform bus was also available to us but that would have required safety marshalls employed on board making sure drunk people didn't fall out the back!)

The idea of a 'heritage' shuttle bus to the festival was put to Sheffield CAMRA chairman Dave Williams by Lewis Gonda, who like Dave works in the Kelham Island Tavern, but unlike Dave owns his own double-decker bus and is a member of the bus group.

Dave thought the idea was genius - "Whenever a beer festival moves to a new venue people worry about how easy it is to get to, especially when it's outside the city centre, but with the special shuttle bus festival goers can simply get on in town or at the University, and be delivered direct to the venue hassle free".

This years Steel City Beer Festival is at Darnall Liberal Club from the 27th to the 29th of September, and features a range of about 70 real ales, 24 traditional ciders and perries plus a selection of continental beers.

As well as the shuttle bus, the festival can be easily accessed by the frequent 52 bus service and also by the hourly train service that calls at Darnall station.

More information: Sheffield CAMRA
Dave Williams 07851 998745

We are pleased to announce that we have completely redeveloped Sheffield Pub Guide and we hope that the new website is an improvement on our previous guide.

As well as a new look for the pub guide we are currently in the process of contacting all of the pubs for which we have contact details and asking them to supply us with updated information. In addition to this we are also adding a lot of new photographs of pubs and so we believe that Sheffield Pub Guide will be greatly improved over the coming weeks and months.

We appreciate your comments and feedback and so if you either like or dislike the new website or have any suggestions, please contact us.

We have updated the details of the pub previously called the Surrey on Surrey Street in Sheffield city centre. The pub is now called the Graduate.

Real ale pubs hit by the Sheffield floods this summer have been helped out by money raised through a music festival held over the weekend at the Hillsborough Hotel.

The Harlequin, Fat Cat and Kelham Island Tavern in the city centre, and the Gardeners Rest in Neepsend were all damaged by the floods back in July. Half a dozen real ale breweries donated free kegs of bitter, and drinkers' beer money went straight in a charity fund split between the South Yorkshire Community Foundation Flood Disaster Relief Fund and four pubs on the real ale trail damaged in the downpours.

A total of £1,035 was raised, with £635 going to the South Yorkshire Community Foundation fund and £100 to each of the pubs.

Following the police raid in July that netted drugs, guns and various other weapons, the 30+ Bar (also known as Avit Bar) on Carlisle Street, Burngreave, has been permanently closed by Sheffield City Council licensing officers.

A permanent closure order has been made against the bar after a hearing was told that it was a popular gathering place for Jamaican "Yardies" from London. Inspector Jon Ekuwbiri told the licensing board that the bar attracted criminals with strong links to drugs and gun crime.

Licensee Dawn Hill now has 21 days in which to appeal the decision.

The Cossack pub, formerly of Howard Street in Sheffield city centre, has been demolished in the past couple of days and we have now removed it from our database.

We have removed the Shiregreen Hotel, formerly of 416 Sicey Avenue, Shiregreen; the Huntsman, formerly of 975 Barnsley Road, Parson Cross; and the Highway, formerly of Fox Street, Pitsmoor; from our database because they have been demolished.

The Fairway Inn pub on the Birley Estate was targeted by two robbers wielding baseball bats. A member of staff at the pub was threatened by the robbers, who demanded money, at around 8:45AM.

Police say that the robbers left the pub with a quantity of cash and the male staff member was not injured. Two men have been questioned and released on police bail pending further enquiries. One of the men arrested is aged 36 and lives locally. The other man is 39 years old and lives in Barnsley.

The pub previously known as the Office at Upperthorpe has reopened as the Moon and is now an Abbeydale Brewery pub with ten real ales available.

The Cricket Inn at Totley has now reopened under the ownership of Thornbridge Brewery. The pub stocks four cask ales and serves a variety of food.

We have removed the Deep End pub in Hillsborough from our database and replaced it with the Rawson Spring. The new Wetherspoon's pub opened on 29th July 2007.

We have removed Dikkins Le Metro, formerly of Carver Street in Sheffield city centre, and replaced it with Ruby Lounge.

Further to our recent story in July about DnR Bar on Arundel Gate, we can now report that the bar has been closed.

Sheffield City Council's Licensing Board met on 30th July and reviewed a report that found, amongst other things, that a fire escape had been blocked and a ceiling that was supposed to withstand fire had holes drilled in it for cables. South Yorkshire Police called for the licence to be revoked after DnR Bar repeatedly served under-age drinkers.

The licensing board suspended the bar's license for three month.

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