Monocled Mutineer

Hero? Conman? Murderer? Spy? It seems the jury is still out. Whatever the case, Alan Bleasdale's 1986 TV drama, The Monocled Mutineer created something of a legend, and you may be surprised to learn that the legend was born right here. The Glassworks sits on the corner of Sheffield Road and Sanforth Street. And it was on Sanforth Street that Francis Percy Toplis was born. Did he play any part in the mutiny that Bleasdale's drama made so famous? No one knows for sure. Despite claims to the contrary, his military service records did not survive, so there is no formal documentary evidence that can confirm he was in France at the time of the mutiny. Just as there is no official evidence to say that he was not. It's an enduring mystery all the same.

If you happen to find yourself down at The Glassworks, be sure to order a pint of Monocled Mutineer, brewed to celebrate the launch of the pub and its curious stake in the Toplis legend.

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