We got the number 293 TM Travel bus to Dronfield Woodhouse, and alighted outside the Jolly Farmer in pouring rain. Luckily the bus stop is very close to the pub, and we were soon inside at the bar studying the big bank of handpumps.

We tried three of the six beers - White Knight, Hyde’s Celebration and Caledonian Deuchars IPA, all of which were enjoyed. We thought about ordering lunch - we were sat in the non-smoking area and the menu looked tempting - however we didn’t have enough time before the next 293 bus was due to take us to Dronfield Civic Centre.

As we got off the bus at the Civic Centre it was raining very heavily (in fact it rained all afternoon!) so we dashed into the Sports Centre cafe to take refuge and have some non-alcoholic refreshment whilst we thought about the next pub. The opportunity was taken to have food, and opted for the Sportsmans all day Breakfast. It was nice and very good value, but the thought did cross my mind about the irony of such an unhealthy menu in a Sports Centre.....

After a short walk across the car park we arrived at the Blue Stoops. This is a traditional, friendly local during the daytime, however things appear to become livelier at night. Here we enjoyed the one real ale available, Timothy Taylors Landlord, which was in good form.

We walked down to the bottom to the area around the railway station next. The Bridge had no real ale, so it was soon on to the Old Sidings, for a pint of Tetleys Bitter and the start of Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports.

There was another pub just up the hill which was shut, so we walked up further for a fair old distance, back past the Civic Centre to the Queen, however the real ale was off so we went back to the Blue Stoops for a last pint, before returning to Sheffield on the number 43 Stagecoach bus, which picks up outside Sainsburys.