Andy C

First bus have published their new fares for 2025: Fare changes from 1 January 2025 | First Bus and Supertram: News - Travel South Yorkshire As a regular passenger seeing how many delays are currently caused by passengers buying single fares on board rather than scanning a daily/weekly/monthly pass I'll be glad to see the end of the crazily cheap single fare cap!

Stagecoach quotes fares in journey planner results on their app and website (stagecoachbus.com). I don't think any of the other operators do though.

Journeys such as Bradway/Totley/Dore to Sheffield City Centre should be around £3.50 to £4 by now I imagine. The train fare from Dore & Totley is currently £3.60.

Two more brewery bars confirmed - Wantsum and Theakstons. Also a special shuttle bus will run to Magna from Meadowhall and Rotherham from 4pm each day the festival is open, fare £2.50. The normal local First bus X3 also goes past the pedestrian entrance to Magna from Sheffield, Meadowhall and Rotherham on which normal tickets/passes apply.

Walking up Howard Street from the front of the station is an obvious route and it was upgraded a few years back now when the Heart of the City project very first started. Alternatively the tram picks up at the back of the station for a ride up into the City Centre or you can cross the road to the bus station for the free "Sheffield Connect" electric bus up into town.

Yes, the annual fare change also comes in on 1 January. Generally an increase in ticket prices reflecting the ongoing increases in the cost of providing the service, there are also some ticket types withdrawn as part of a simplification drive although that doesn't impact Sheffield much. Note First bus usually do their pricing around March/April so their changes may come later. PUBLISHED SO FAR: Stagecoach Yorkshire info: Changes to fares from 1st January 2025 | Stagecoach Travelmaster info: 2025 Ticket Changes | TravelMaster New tram fares not published yet, we do know the South Yorkshire Mayor has chosen to end funding for the tram single fare cap (currently set at £2.80) so the longer distance single will return to full price. ADULT SINGLES The government subsidised fare cap (ie the maximum single fare special offer) increases from £2 to £3. (This is a cap not a flat fare so if the normal price is less than £3 then the normal price will be charged). Note with the single fare not being so super cheap anymore it is more likely an unlimited travel pass will work out cheaper if taking multiple rides or commuting regularly. CHILD SINGLES The Zoom card holder fare for under 18s that are subsidised by the South Yorkshire Mayor remains at just £1 YOUTH SINGLES The fare for Zoom Beyond (18-21) cards will be £1.70 on Stagecoach buses. On buses this fare is also available to University students. STAGECOACH DAYRIDER & MEGARIDER - unlimited travel passes for Stagecoach buses only Silver tickets include all Stagecoach buses in South Yorkshire, Dronfield and Chesterfield 1 day: adult £6.50, child £4, group £20 evening rider: £4 flexi5 (pack of 5 day tickets): adult £28 7 day: adult £22.50, child £11.90 28 day or xtra pay monthly: adult £81, child £42 TRAVELMASTER - unlimited travel passes that include all operators, with options that include tram and train You can buy these tickets online at sytravelmaster.com, on the Travelmaster app or from the vending machines in bus interchanges. Weekly or longer tickets are loaded onto a smart card. Day tickets are also available from bus drivers and tram conductors as a paper ticket, weekly tickets can be loaded to a smart card by a bus driver or tram conductor but this is at a higher price than buying in advance and buses are cash only for weekly tickets (exact change may be required). Citybus - all buses in Sheffield 1 day £5.90 flexi5 £25 7 day £22.70 (£21.50 in advance) 28 day £80.80 annual £931.10 Citywide - all buses in Sheffield plus Supertram 1 day £6.70 flexi5 £28.40 7 day £25.10 (23.10 in advance) 28 day £86.90 annual £1002.30 SY Bus - all buses in South Yorkshire 1 day £6.60 flexi5 £28 7 day £24.90 (£22.90 in advance) 28 day £86.40 annual £995 SY Connect - all buses in South Yorkshire plus Supertram 1 day £9.20 flexi5 £39.10 7 day £34.50 (£31.10 in advance) 28 day £116.80 annual £1333.40 SY Connect Plus - all buses, trams and local trains in South Yorkshire also available to buy from the ticket office at staffed railway stations with day tickets sold by Northern's vending machines at unstaffed stations too. 1 day £11.40 7 day £40.40 28 day £151.90 annual £1702.90 Getabout for Zoom card holders (child version of SY Connect) 1 day £3.30 7 day £12.50 (£11.20 in advance) 28 day £44.70 Getabout+ for Zoom card holders (child version of SY Connect+) 1 day £5.10 7 day £18.40 £28 day £74.20

Services are available in Sheffield every day except Christmas day, although some days see revised timetables and/or shorter operating hours. A PDF "leaflet" is now available at https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/en-gb/LandingPage/Christmas In summary - 23 December: generally a Saturday timetable - 24 December (Christmas Eve) : Saturday timetable with early finish - 25 December (Christmas day): no service - 26 December (Boxing day): skeleton bus network operating daytime only. Trams operating from Meadowhall to Middlewood and Halfway 7am to 9pm. 27 and 28 December: Saturday timetable 29 December: normal Sunday service 30 December: Saturday timetable 31 December (New Years Eve): Saturday timetable with early finish 1 January (New Years Day): skeleton bus network operating daytime only. Trams running to Halfway, Middlewood, Meadowhall and Rotherham Parkgate during daytime.

Brewery bars confirmed so far.. Brew York Abbeydale Chantry Thornbridge Radio City Beer Works These bars are separate from the main festival bars and will usually be staffed by folk from the brewery that are able to answer questions about the beer!

Now open under new management.

Following the long running Rotherham Real Ale & Music Festival coming to an end this year, CAMRA's Great British Beer Festival winter edition is relocating from Burton on Trent to Magna, on the Sheffield/Rotherham border near Meadowhall (bus X3 Sheffield-Doncaster goes there). Website winter.gbbf.org.uk Features - Huge range of cask real ales from Yorkshire and further afield - other craft beers from around the UK on tap - brewery bars - range of imported beers from around the world - traditional cider & perry made from freshly pressed juice, not concentrate - champion winter beer of Britain judged here with all the competition entries on a dedicated bar (categories include stouts, porters, old ales and barley wines!) - learn & discover bar selling themed tasting flights - table top games and tombola - tutored tasting sessions with themes including champion ales, beers brewed on the Thornbridge Union, beer & cheese pairing and beer & music matching - live music - food available Tickets - individual entry £10 (or £8 for CAMRA members), buy online or on the door - group deal, 5 for £40, buy online - season ticket, includes all sessions from Wednesday to Saturday, £30, buy online. - tutored tastings are an optional extra, book online Opening hours - Wednesday 5pm to 11pm - Thursday to Saturday midday to 11pm. Buying drinks - all the bars will accept contactless card payment - alternatively you can buy beer tokens from desks around the venue to spend at the bar What's On Wednesday 6:30pm – Tutored tasting: Champion Winter Beer of Britain with Roger Protz (£12) Wednesday 6:30pm – Live music: Bone Broke Kings – Blues rock band (included in entry) Wednesday 7:45pm – Live music: Lightning Threads – Blues rock power trio (included in entry) Wednesday 9pm – Live music: The Fargo Railroad Co – Southern rock (included in entry) Thursday 2pm – Tutored tasting: Champion Winter Beer of Britain with Roger Protz (£12) Thursday 6pm – Tutored tasting: Brewed on the Union with Roger Protz and the Thornbridge brewers (£12) Thursday 7pm – Live music: Floodhounds – indie, garage rock, blues and grunge! (included in entry) Thursday 8:30pm – Live music: Northern Citizens – 5 piece classic rock covers band (included in entry) Friday 1pm – Live music: Daniel Horsham – solo acoustic covers (included in entry) Friday 2pm – Tutored tasting: Beer & Cheese pairing with Annabel Smith (£16) Friday 3:30pm – Live music: Eboney Jayne O’Brien – vocalist (included in entry) Friday 5pm – Live music: Kiziah and the Kings – Eclectic fusion band, reggae funk-tock ska to soul (included in entry) Friday 6pm – Tutored tasting: Beer & Music matching with Pete Brown (£12) Friday 6:30pm – Live music: Soul Battalion – soul and Motown band (included in entry) Friday 8:30pm – Live music: The Leptons – three-piece party band (included in entry) Saturday 1pm – Live music: Jack T Harper – solo acoustic covers (included in entry) Saturday 3pm – Live music: Maltby Miners Welfare Band – three section brass band (included in entry) Saturday 5:30pm – Live music: Matilda Shakes – indie rock and rollers (included in entry) Saturday 7pm – Live music: Republic – high energy five piece covers band (included in entry) Saturday 8:30pm – Live music: Handsome Dan and the Mavericks – attractive ska gunslingers (included in entry)

The English National Concession pass gets you free travel on normal local buses anywhere in England between 9.30am and 11pm on weekdays, anytime at the weekend. Some local authorities fund extra benefits just for local residents, so for example a pass endorsed Travel South Yorkshire also includes some Concessions on local trains in South Yorkshire and into West Yorkshire. Buses that are excluded are "special services" such as event shuttles, open top tour buses, express coaches etc. More information is available at https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/en-gb/ticketsandpasses/disabled-pass

Yes, pubs are still closing, although that isn't entirely down to there not being any demand for pubs - in the same way lots of little local butchers/fishmongers/bakers/fruit & veg shops closing but still demand to eat! There are various factors: from the consumer side there has been a need for many to tighten their belt during the cost of living crisis over recent years as well as changing habits such as working from home (so relaxing with a cheeky pint after work with other pub regulars is less of a thing for example). From the business side the cost of operation is getting unsustainable for some with high energy bills, food & drink suppliers increasing prices, staff wages increasing etc. Additionally there are those pubs that are an independent business but leasing the pub from a big pub company such as Stonegate or Heineken's Star Pubs where as well as paying rent they are often contractually tied to buying much of their wet stock through the pub company at inflated prices, using the pub company's insurance provider that might not be the most competitive etc. Then there is the fact that many pubs are getting totally stitched up when it comes to business rates, which is something the government really needs to change. The tax rates are assessed based on the property value rather than the viability as a business premises because the property would be worth a lot more if converted to a house. There are still many pubs that are popular and doing well of course - if the ownership model, location and offering are right the demand is still out there!

Details of changes and new timetables First bus https://www.firstbus.co.uk/south-yorkshire/news-and-service-updates/updates/september-service-changes-1 Stagecoach https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/yorkshire/service-changes-in-sheffield Travel South Yorkshire (SYMCA) https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/en-gb/newsupdates/service-changes

73 and 95/95a/95b/95s

75/75a and 76/76a/76e