Driving home yesterday evening, passing through built up areas, I was surprised to see folks sat outside, in the cold and almost dark, roadside, drinking outside pubs and bars.
You gotta be kidding me. I love beer. Preferably quite a few social pints with friends, but no way am I sitting next to a busy road freezing my nuts off drinking cold beer.
I guess I’m not the hardened drinker I thought I was, although 12 of us are attending a friends leaving party mid afternoon Friday in a pleasant local beer garden. He and his extended family of three generations are relocating to the dark side. The Vale of York.
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>> He and his extended family of three generations are relocating to the dark side. The
>> Vale of York.
Could have been worse!
They could have gone to The Deep South!
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My last beer was in a pub on the 4th of December at around 4pm...my friend and I were the only ones there....(previous recon)....why the heck would I want to sit outside a pub in the wintery weather we've been having this last few days ? I wouldn't and I won't !
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Snap to the sitting outside a pub malarkey in the cold. At least this Friday afternoons leaving party is inside a quite large m****** set up in the pub beer garden.
I’ve had friends round to sit in my garage, chat, drink beer etc every Friday evening, 6-8, for the past few months. We looked forward to it.
The past few weeks we’ve enjoyed a few last minute afternoon soirées in friends gardens when the sun was out, but temps at the moment are just too cold....as for dining outside. Forget that, unless it’s at least 20C +.
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Perhaps they really enjoyed seeing their friends.
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My 1st post lockdown(Mk2) beer and pub meal is on Thursday.
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My local (a Greene King) isn't opening for a few more weeks despite they have a reasonably sized garden.
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It all depends on where you live whether it's a pleasant experience or not. I live in a North West resort and yesterday (Monday) I popped into the town centre to visit a supermarket.
The town was heaving both traffic and pedestrian wise and the main street's pavement tables outside pubs and cafes were fully occupied, with people enjoying the sunshine and the return of good company, along with their food and drink.
Yet other areas of the country had snow and cold winds.....
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>> My 1st post lockdown(Mk2) beer and pub meal is on Thursday.
Well that was fantastic. A 10 minute stroll past Lando Norris's pad, two hours in a pub garden with friends, 3 pints of fresh draft Bierra Morreti, a fantastic pub burger with triple cooked chips and a stunning sticky toffee pudding with ice cream.
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Sounds brilliant. Lucky git.
Less good for your friends, obviously.
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Wouldn't want to get downwind of him after that lot...
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there is a fresh breeze building up about now. I blame the slaw
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 15 Apr 21 at 16:48
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Drinking fizzy foreign stuff I’m not surprised it took 40 minutes to drink each pint.
7 course Yorkshire Tasting Menu for 12 of us tomorrow afternoon in a posh beer garden.
Six pints and a pie
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>> Six pints and a pie
Good man. Now if I could persuade you to buy a 6th and ship it to your favourite poster from Chile, that would be good. Perhaps include a kebab.
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>> Good man. Now if I could persuade you to buy a 6th and ship it
>> to your favourite poster from Chile, that would be good. Perhaps include a kebab.
>>
The last time I had anything similar to a kebab was a gyro when I used to holiday on the Greek islands. Very tasty they were too.
The barrel of beer I bought in didn’t last long...friends came and went with their own glasses and nibbles, sat outside my house to drink it, left payment in an honesty box. Other friends took beer away in plastic milk bottles. Profits went to your fav charity.
At 10:00 PM last night I was stocking up with Oakham Citra at Tesco, 4x 500ml for £6, so bought 12 bottles. The shelf was empty but they found me a solitary case in the stockroom.
I sincerely hope that others, like Zeddo, get to enjoy sunny afternoons in beer gardens as lockdown eases. Sharing food, drink and banter with friends is good for the soul.
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>> 7 course Yorkshire Tasting Menu for 12 of us tomorrow afternoon in a posh beer
>> garden.
>>
>> Six pints and a pie
So long as you don't have any of that nasty racist cheese with the pie - or the pints!
tinyurl.com/a8erep6
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>> So long as you don't have any of that nasty racist cheese with the pie
>> - or the pints!
>>
>> tinyurl.com/a8erep6
The concept of racist cheese is obviously comical.
However, if cheese or other milk based foods are being served, without the offer of alternative, in situations where significant numbers, perhaps a majority are because of a racial difference intolerant of lactose then that's a problem.
Ignoring it could be seen as a variation on institutional racism.
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I don't think you need to starting throwing about the racist tag, for issues like this. Nor trying to make it a national issue either, they'll be loads of schools where this isn't an issue. So don't make it one.
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>> I don't think you need to starting throwing about the racist tag, for issues like
>> this. Nor trying to make it a national issue either, they'll be loads of schools
>> where this isn't an issue. So don't make it one.
I was simply making the point that the issue of cheese in school meals was not as ridiculous as the coverage suggests.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Fri 16 Apr 21 at 11:28
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how you bring up the topic matters, if it's badly done you end up with talk points around 'is cheese racist?'
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>> how you bring up the topic matters, if it's badly done you end up with
>> talk points around 'is cheese racist?'
Which was exactly the point made in the Vine clip Duncan mentioned when introducing the joke.
Underneath it there's (potentially) a real issue
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Hopefully the next person to bring up the issue is a bit more media savvy.
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>> I was simply making the point that the issue of cheese in school meals was
>> not as ridiculous as the coverage suggests.
It is absolutely ridiculous. A vegan alternative will be an option its got ruck all with racism
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 16 Apr 21 at 19:39
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>> in situations where significant numbers, perhaps a majority are because of a racial difference intolerant of lactose then that's a problem.
They aren't intolerant because of a racial difference, in my opinion.
What is racist is suggesting that races are genetically different, when they are the same species and we are all genetically different from each other unless we are identical twins. The majority of genetic variation is found between individuals in populations, rather less between different populations of the same race, and less still between races.
I'm pretty sure I got this from something Adam Rutherford broadcast on Curious Cases or possibly in How to Argue with a Racist
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000f6sp
which is unfortunately not still available on iPlayer. I wanted it to be true when I heard it, because some of the worst racists in history have focused on heritable differences between races so I wouldn't be going there if I were you.
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This is the gist of the series, I think...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjrfggW7bss
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>> They aren't intolerant because of a racial difference, in my opinion.
>>
>> What is racist is suggesting that races are genetically different, when they are the same
>> species and we are all genetically different from each other unless we are identical twins.
So is it racist to point out that sickle cell anaemia is genetically linked to race?
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What's that word you love? whattaboutery is it?
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>> What's that word you love? whattaboutery is it?
No there's a scientific/philosophical issue around race and inherited conditions. Manatee's thoughtful posts have got my mind turning on that; my use of the term 'racially derived' was careless language.
When I've processed my thoughts I may return with them.
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>> So is it racist to point out that sickle cell anaemia is genetically linked to
>> race?
I'm not the authority on this but is that a meaningful analogue? What it is linked to is a mutation in the relevant gene, of which IIRC there are variants found in different populations, and it affects all races more or less - and it isn't confined to people of African descent.
Inter alia, apparently it tends to die out naturally by selection where malaria is not prevalent. Where malaria is prevalent, sickle cell disease actually confers a benefit in relation to the severity of malarial infection, or something like that.
Going back to Adam Rutherford, who isn't God either but he is a geneticist, I came away with the view that race is a social construct and not especially meaningful, and not really about genetics.
Anyway I admit to being slightly out of my depth, but staying in the shallow end is really a waste of time IMO:)
Edit - I think I've decided I have nothing to say on race as a concept - it seems to do more harm than good.
Last edited by: Manatee on Fri 16 Apr 21 at 21:14
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>> >> My 1st post lockdown(Mk2) beer and pub meal is on Thursday.
>>
>> Well that was fantastic.
Got my second in today, Pub garden, in the sunny new forest with friends, long dog walk back to pub for coffee and cake. Two pints of draught London Pride, Beer battered fish and chips.
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>> Got my second in today, Pub garden, in the sunny new forest with friends, long
>>dog walk back to pub for coffee and cake.
And yesterday, the inevitable pulling ticks out the dogs skin. Hateful things - sure they wouldn't be missed from the food chain.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 19 Apr 21 at 08:37
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Most of the people I'd seen in the news were in their twenties or late teens drinking outside. I wouldn't bother now but if I were that age now I wouldn't think twice about it.
Who cares about a bit of chilly weather when you're that age?
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Yep that's exactly what I said to SWMBO when she was saying she'd sooner be in the warm by the telly.
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>> Most of the people I'd seen in the news were in their twenties or late
>> teens drinking outside. I wouldn't bother now but if I were that age now I
>> wouldn't think twice about it.
>>
>> Who cares about a bit of chilly weather when you're that age?
If you have ever been to Newcastle on a winters Friday or Saturday might and seen the young ladies in skimpy outfits moving from pub to nightclub in the face of a N/E wind your "who cares" is much in evidence.
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"If you have ever been to Newcastle on a winters Friday or Saturday might and seen the young ladies in skimpy outfits moving from pub to nightclub in the face of a N/E wind your "who cares" is much in evidence."
I had a stag weekend in Newcastle a few years ago. Anybody who thinks it's just an exaggeration, they're very much mistaken. They're not just moving from pub to pub, they hang around outside drinking, only venturing inside for a pee or a round. And that was winter.
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>> I had a stag weekend in Newcastle a few years ago.
We had a couple of work 'Awaydays' in Newcastle c2006 - May time.
A colleague, mature female, who ventured out after dinner reported 'Bigg Market' dress and behaviour on a smaller scale on a midweek night.
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I like Newcastle.
Two pals from skool went to Newcastle to read Medicine. A long study course and we visited for long weekends several times a year. Boozy Saturday afternoons in The Cooperage pub on the quayside, Saturday nights bopping away on the Tuxedo Princess, a retired ferry turned into a knocking shop tied up on the Tyne.
Fast forward a few years and a pal lived in Ponteland. Friday down the Bigg Market, repeat Saturday. Short sleeved shirt in the middle of winter. Great times.
Early doors beers in The Chain Locker pub in South Shields.
Last edited by: legacylad on Tue 13 Apr 21 at 23:02
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I was at Newcastle University from 1975-1978 and remember it very fondly. Lived up there till 1989 and do miss it. We don't visit as much these days but there is an energy about the town.
Bit scary when my brothers came up for a football match and supported the opposition, but there were plenty of police escorts to and from the station.
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Yes, been there a few times.
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>> If you have ever been to Newcastle on a winters Friday or Saturday might and
>> seen the young ladies in skimpy outfits moving from pub to nightclub in the face
>> of a N/E wind your "who cares" is much in evidence.
I know a Newcastle lass who moved darn sarf to teach (erm) 'challenged', yoof. When threatened by one, she simply told them: "I'm from Newcastle lass, nothing you can do can scare me".
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I spent a few months on a project in Newcastle, living in a hotel on the road opposite the Bigg Market (looks like it's now the Maldron hotel) and the week nights were really hectic!
I wasn't up there for many weekends but I remember turning up one Sunday evening when Newcastle had just had some sort of football success and the town was jumping, people everywhere including up really tall lampposts and millions of police transits parked up the side streets just waiting for it to kick off.
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I spent some time in Newcastle. I also spent some time in Belfast. I marginally preferred Belfast, and I intensely dislike Belfast.
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>>Most of the people I'd seen in the news were in their twenties or late teens drinking outside. I wouldn't bother now but if I were that age now I wouldn't think twice about it.
I'd do it now, if I had the option. It absolutely wouldn't bother me at all. Stay at home again after months of restriction or go out to the pub for once and see a whole bunch of friends and acquaintances all of whom will be in a good mood.
The cold wouldn't stop me.
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Trip out today to take SWMBO for a 14:40 hospital appointment. I'm not allowed to accompany her inside so it's a return trip home. Both journeys through schooltime traffic. We understood it was a 90 minute jobby. Just got home and made a brew when she called me to collect her. Another couple of journeys through heavy traffic. Passed a few pubs which were full. Got home to a stewed brew. I haven't had to drive in traffic for nearly a year and she keeps asking why I'm grumpy!
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I've loved driving. However just having had a 90 mile journey across country (admittedly to a Hospital appointment) and back, I have to say its no longer on my to do list. Plus you miss so much in the right hand seat.
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Saw some images online of folk in pubs getting pints.
Let’s just say what they were dubbing looked to me that it had been sitting in the pipes since the last pipe was poured!
Like any software updates, I think I will give it a few weeks after the “release” and let all the issues be ironed out before I take up the offer!
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Too true Bobby. In normal times I drink bottled beer if I am first customer of the day and have a pulled pint next when others have taken the hit of flat beer and cleaning fluid mix.
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>> Too true Bobby. In normal times I drink bottled beer if I am first customer
>> of the day and have a pulled pint next when others have taken the hit
>> of flat beer and cleaning fluid mix.
Yet one more reason to frequent Wetherspoons - should another reason be needed.
The old soaks have been in there since 8a.m., they have have drunk all the slops and cleaning fluid. The stuff coming through the lines at seven or eight o'clock in the evening is delicious London Pride, or Doom Bar, or even - whisper it! - Greene King.
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Pity there isnt one near you.
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>> Pity there isnt one near you.
Pity there isn't one near me.
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>> Pity there isnt one near you.
>>
Is glorious Feltham High Street the new closest ?
Else Surbiton or Royal Kingston upon Thames.
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>> >> Pity there isnt one near you.
>> >>
>> Is glorious Feltham High Street the new closest ?
>> Else Surbiton or Royal Kingston upon Thames.
This is my nearest. Dear old Surbiton. Just across from the station.
www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/london/the-coronation-hall-surbiton
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Can't be doing with London Pride. Not that keen on the Chiswick bitter but I'll have that in preference if it's available.
I really can't account for it, but where other beers can be moreish, I could never get through a third pint of Pride. ESB isn't bad but much too strong for a session.
Fairly academic now that I hardly drink, but when I have a half I wouldn't waste the opportunity on Pride.
When LL relates his sessions I feel envious, but if I were to join him he'd have to do most of the drinking.
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The secret of a successful late afternoon, evening session is two fold. Eat lunch before going out. Sausage and/or bacon sandwiches. Choose your beers.
Fridays session commenced 3:30 but we arrived early. 16 of us on 3 tables, which turned into a version of musical chairs.
We soon finished a barrel of Wishbone Brewery (Keighley) Eezee, then moved on to Wensleydale Brewery (Leyburn) Al Fresco. Both 3.8% so sensible low ABV but plenty of taste. £3.20 a pint with 20p off Camra discount.
A good time was had by all, but by 7pm it was time to act my age and leave. I’d seen the warning signs. Best live and fight another day.
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After Friday’s soirée I had a 46 hour detox...my first visit to my local pubs beer garden since last September, meeting with friends at 5pm yesterday evening. It’s had a revamp....two wooden shelters, with heating and seating for 6 at the bottom of the garden, several new 6 seater tables, a new entry point through a gate with the Track & Trace app. Increased seating capacity so the tiered beer garden will now accommodate 95, and still plenty of social distancing space, a mix of patio and lawn.
Chatting with the landlord just before they closed at 8, yesterday achieved the highest takings since they took over the pub two years ago. Amazing as the indoor restaurant area and 3 drinking areas are still out of bounds.
folks were still dining at 7pm. I suspect their food would soon go cold. Beer price has increased...it’s a Thwaites tied house so beer has always been expensive, now £3.90 for a pint of IPA so I went home with only 50p change from a twenty. Blimey.
Still the best beer garden for miles around, SW facing, the swallows are just starting to arrive, great views across to Giggleswick school Chapel. And no screaming children. Result.
I’m happy to buy anyone a pint if they venture into the Harts Head...their accommodation is being revamped imminently. Just a shame it’s Thwaites, but needs must.
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Sounds perfect LL.
At my favourite village pub, a couple of miles away, I usually order a sausage sandwich with the first pint. Or rather, I did. And hope I will again, even if I only drink 2 halves.
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The area has gone down since Wetherspoons left.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-56846688
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>> The area has gone down since Wetherspoons left.
And M&S took over the Aldi store
>> www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-56846688
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Beer o’clock - Duncan
