Stoatwobbler

http://www.southyorks.police.uk/appeals-information/road-closed-after-man-seriously-assaulted-sheffield

Are UKIP putting voters off Euro-scepticism? http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/iainmartin1/100276617/is-ukip-putting-voters-off-euroscepticism/

That is because it is a political topic. You would not be on this thread if it wasn't.

Actually, the ones being called "champaigne socialists" at the time were the ones opposing Blair's Iraq policy. So please don't insult "champagne socialists" by comparing them to Tony Blair.

Why were no WMD's found Mecky? Blair made a lot of bold statements about WMD's, that turned out to be untrue.

We had whole dossiers from Tony Blair full of claims about weapons that the Iraqi government did not posess. Blair took Britain to war in 2003 on a false premise.

His excuse for doing so is actually pretty abysmal http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27829958 Since when does promoting a sleazy tabloid support the England football team?

Rather enjoyed that from Newsthump.

3 Tuns in Dronfield is another pub that's football free.

There are many posts on social media urging people to return this free gift to the currant bun at a freepost address, thus costing News International even more money!

Most of the real ale pubs are football free, so I would suggest heading to somewhere like Shakespeare's. Can't guarantee that nobody will talk about it though.

Are you sure that wasn't the coalition in last week's Queens Speech? Anyway, here is the link to the "Fair Deal For Your Local" campaign for PubCo reform. http://www.fairdealforyourlocal.com/

Yep, having separately elected executive and legislature holding each other to account would be great. The problem is that any discussion of establishing a republic in this country tends to ignore this completely and instead focus on the merits of having a monarchy. As such I do worry that if we were to get a republic in Britain it would be at best no better then the current system.

It would have been nice if Labour's campaign for the EU elections had tackled EU issues head on rather then banging on about Westminster issues. The leaflets I had from Labour were notable for keeping any mention of the EU to a bare minimum.

Maybe if I were unemployed I would. Don't like having nothing to get out of bed for in the morning. As has been said, this proposal is more then a tad unfair on those working shifts for example, and political parties would go out of their way to all send their most partisan supporters to the polling station at the crack of dawn.

I'm afraid I went straight past that over to Abbeydale for the big rugby match between Rotherham Titans and Bristol. I'm afraid Barrow Hill was never going to be on my agenda after last year, when one of the bar staff took a bottled beer I'd ordered and served it to his mates instead. That incident has put Barrow Hill beer fest on my personal boycott list.

So now UKIP candidates want all those of us who won't vote for them strung up! And I thought it was the Marxists who promise to do that "when the revolution comes". http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/10839448/My-rivals-should-be-hanged-for-treason-says-Ukip-candidate.html

That sums up the UKIP fanboys we get on Sheffield Forum. Convinced that UKIP are the new messiahs in spite of all evidence to the contrary, and extremely intolerant of any evidence that UKIP are not all they are cracked up to be.

As you say, beer geeks wishing to watch world cup football in the pub may need to compromise a little. Personally I'm looking a little way out of town for possible places to watch the football. The Jolly Farmer in Dronfield Woodhouse should be passable for this. If the Travellers Rest in Apperknowle has the football on then that should be good. And there is the the question of whether the White Swan in Chesterfield will be showing the football in their upstairs room.

Of those pubs I'd say the Closed Shop is the most likely to be showing world cup football.

In my experience of living "Darn Sarf" there are many things we are known for. Some of them very surprising. I would say that football is the main thing we are known for with Wednesday, United and sometimes even Sheffield FC mentioned! But there is also music, films and TV shows set in Sheffield, celebrities such as Sean Bean, manufacturing, hills, the real ale scene in Kelham Island and even having a particularly steep tram line! You'd be surprised at the things that are mentioned about Sheffield when you are far from home.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. This year's European elections are increasingly resembling a far-right version of the "People's Front Of Judea" scene from Monty Python's Life Of Brian.

As you say, the beer list is key, especially given the sort of beers you can find in pubs round here. If the beer list looks good then the chances are that I might give it a whirl.

Because the system of regional lists used at European elections is a very strong deterrent to independent candidates. Few can afford the deposit, never mind the additional effort required to cover large regions of the UK. The "why don't you stand yourself" argument is IMHO little more then politicians code for "we have no intention whatsoever to represent your interests".

Let me put it this way. At the time of the last European elections I was living in East of England region and there were 4 decent options on the ballot paper from the minor parties for me to choose from. No such luck this time around. It's all complete dross on offer.