The Fishpond, Matlock Bath

The newly- and extensively-refurbished Fishpond provided an interesting challenge to the tastes of a group of middle-aged men. Eclectic decorations, including an elaborate (but probably fake) gold mirror and a trompe-l'oeil bookcase, and a variety of seating options in several settings both inside and out, made for an intriguing venue. From the door, it looked like the 'beer' on offer was going to be cold and fizzy but, on approaching the bar, there was, in fact, some range of beers and the one recommended was hoppy and refreshing. Other members may recall the names of the breweries. I don't know if we'll go back, as a group, but we might individually pop in, if we're caught up in the hell that Matlock Bath sometimes is at the weekends.

The Princess Victoria, Matlock Bath

This pub has had a bit of a chequered past and ownership seems to have changed hands fairly frequently, suggesting its not an easy pub to run. Our visit revealed yet another recent change with a new tenant installed (although he was previously the manager). However, our impressions were favourable. Pleasant wooden surroundings, slightly dingy lighting, a bloke on the piano contrasting with 60s classics on the sound system. It is, maybe, still a pub whose target market is young people but there was a healthy range of beers on tap (Ashover and Blue Monkey are the two I remember but there were more) and the manager was on hand to offer advice about flavours. All in all, a pleasant place and one to go back to..

The Old Bowling Green, Winster

Positioned just off the main road in this historic village is the stone built, cottage style, 15th century free house.
We visited this on a Friday evening (it only opens Fri, Sat and Sun).
First impression is that this is a popular foodie pub, with three quarters of the area dedicated to dining.
We occupied  a cosy corner alongside a few local drinkers and enjoyed several pints of well kept guest beers from the Barlow Brewery and Peak Ales, one of particular note being Heath Robinson from the former.  The beers and Pipers crisps were reasonably priced and the staff friendly.

Derwent Hotel, Whatstandwell

It is strange that on the course of the River Derwent between Baslow and Derby there is not one pub where you can sit beside the river and go with the flow. Despite its name, the Derwent Hotel fits this pattern: it has a beer garden at the back but without a watery view.

After a run of erratic opening, new owners have re-fitted and re-opened this pub by the bridge where the A6 crosses the river. Perhaps there is more emphasis on eating than drinking; when we went the choice of beers was restricted to two Greene King bitters, both quite drinkable if rather expensive. It's too soon to comment on the pub's atmosphere; clearly it needs time to settle down. Certainly this is a welcome addition to the local drinking options, given the closure of the Yew Tree at Holloway and Homesford Cottage up the road.

Derby

The Derby evening excursion allowed 3 hours in Derby and covered 4 pubs. The first pleasant surprise was that you can get to and from Derby on the train for only £3 in the evenings and, with a willing wife to take us to and pick us up from the local station, all our transport problems were solved.
Anyway, as to the pubs (The Dolphin, The Silk Mill, The Brewery Tap and The Brunswick), they were varied, interesting, staffed by friendly helpful people and provided good beer and ambience. They were also arranged along a convenient route from the north end of town back towards the station, with 5/10 minute walks between.
The 'highlight' of the evening (in terms of novel experience) was sharing two platters of ale with cheese. The Brewery Tap (the old Royal Standard but re-named since being taken over by the Derby Brewing Co.) offers 5 x one-third pints of beer + a bowl of cheese cubes for £6.10. Seemingly a good way to sample a range of beers and have some nibbles too. Possibly a good thing but it was a strange thing to be sharing ten small glasses of beer with 4 other blokes. In the next pub, we were all quite happy to return to having our own pints.


All in all, another excellent night out for the HDDC!

The MoCa Bar, Matlock

This place is a surprise for real ale drinkers because, from the outside, it looks like the sort of place which offers a couple of mass-produced lagers for those whose preference would really be a cocktail. It is, however, a bastion of the real ale tradition - at least in terms of beers on offer - offering a least three alternatives, with a range of different flavours. The seating was a bit posy - elevated tables and accompanying unwieldy stools - but the ambience was good - the MoCa seems to attract a mixture of ages and, to cap it all off, they offer pork pie and pickle for £1.20. Excellent!

The Boat House Inn, Matlock

We turned up with low expectations, mostly because few of us had been in the BH before. We were met with a warm welcome, a choice of 3 real ales and a range of eclectic seating. The beer was so nice we decided to stay for a second pint, only leaving when there wasa danger of being dragged into the pub quiz (for which many regulars arrived, it has to be said). A pleasant surprise and well worth a return visit..