On my Twiku.com blog I have just posted about a pint of beer I enjoyed in Wigan last week – but perhaps soon this will be just a part of history.
When I was in Harrogate, my friend Alan and I decided (most unusually) to have a few pints after travelling all day. To our horror we found that the first five “pubs” we visited did not server beer – we could get cider, wine, fizzy lager, coffee and everything else from Iron Bru to Red Bull, but no straightforward beer – even a pint through the horrid refrigeration devices would have been welcome – my dream of a creamy pint of warm weak mild was dashed.
Eventually after an hour of walking and asking many locals, we found a pub which offered one cold bitter – interestingly they had a newsletter “Pub News” which showed photos of real beer, 6X, London Pride and Bombardier – but in small print it said that cask ale may not be available – too right – no blooming ale was available.
To make matters worse they decided in their infinite wisdom to start the music at 7:00 pm – and this was Yorkshire – we made a hasty retreat to the civilised county of Lancashire.
On the flying visit to the UK I saw scored of old pubs all boarded up and out of business – I was told the tax on a pint of beer made it too expensive to keep business going – so I saw it as my duty to drink as many pints as possible.
Alan could have taken you to our local the “Three Elms” and bought you a pint of Ruddles County – in a glass with a handle = doubt you get those oop north any more.
It’s the PC brigade at it again. Can’t
have a fag in the pub (I’m a non-smoker) and now Plod lurks to see if you have had more than a pint and a half.
Meanwhile the yobs on foot drink themselves senseless in town on high strength lager.
Stay where you are!!
John
Yeah, british cider its not bad at all, but for sure ill take the ales! Cheers mates!