Macc Fest

I manage to arrive at Macclesfield Rugby Club just as the finishing touches are being made to the marquee in the club's car park. For the next few days this will be home to the Macclesfield beer festival.

The major task once the marquee was erected was the construction of the stillage and then putting the barrels onto it - with over 150 barrels of beer and 35 pins of cider that is one tough job - I'm not sorry I missed out on that.

All the barrels were in place so there was very little for me to do but chat to Trev about the beers.

(left) Saturday lunchtime session

Keef, my host for the weekend, then arrived and we chatted further about the beer before making our way to nearby Bollington. Keef and Jill live just a hundred yards from the local CAMRA PotY 2010, the Poachers Inn, so we popped in there for a few pints and something to eat.

On Friday morning, it was time to give the barrels one final watering - the weather was quite cool but we wanted to be sure they didn't get too warm - before popping down to the Waters Green Tavern for a spot of lunch.

I'd not had any of Brian's tasty grub before the match last weekend but his steak pie was spot on (even if it isn't a proper pie). We'll have to find an excuse to come back here next season regardless that we're in the wrong division - if only so that they get their regulation dose of Lance.

Back at the festival, it was time to start checking the beers - quite an operation when you've got a fussy git like Trev as bar manager who wants to add his own tasting notes - and so we were still checking the final few beers when the festival opened.

Some interesting beers along the way included the Beartown Paddington Bear with it's strong chocolate orange overtones; Saltaire Blackberry Cascade; Townhouse GSA Extra which was a strong ale fortifed further with four bottles of port; TSA Ginger Explosion - a bit of a marmite beer; Whim Kaskade which was the pick of the pale ales, beautifully conditioned; Williams Ceilidh - a real lager and Yeovil Star Gazer.

Of the ciders and perries, the Two Trees perry from Gwynt y Ddraig was my favourite - and no doubt that of others too as this was all gone by the end of Friday night.

Less interesting were the six fruit beers from Coach House - Banoffee, Blueberry, Cherry, Pineapple, Pink Grapefruit and Strawberry - all at 5% and seemingly designed for the ladies visiting the festival. Not surprising none of them were especially subtle but they did sell surprisingly well.

One of the major considerations when running a festival is to ensure you have enough staff - and this is one area which has improved at the Macc fest - we now have enough to ensure the staff are not worked off their feet (they are volunteers after all) and the punters are not having to queue three-deep at the bar - which can happen when you have 1500 people in each night.

I was working on the stretch of bar with beers from breweries P to Y - next to the wine and cider bars - and we seem to be the first stretch of bar that people come to.

The Ceilidh took quite a hammering so after a while Trev takes it off. The Whim Kaskade then became the beer to have and so this is taken off too so as to preserve some stock for tomorrow.

After about three hours, the pace slackened off as most people started to drink a little slower and the rest of the session was quite relaxed. The bar closed at midnight and the security team ushered the punters out into the cold night air and we had time for a quick break.

Still work to be done though for the beer team - Trev, his wife Margaret, Keef and I then had to dip all the barrels to see how much beer was drunk. Using old traditional dipsticks this could be very awkward within the tight confines of the stillage but Trev has designed a measure that uses gravity to indicate how full the barrel is - surprisingly accurate and quite quick so that by 1:30am we were all finished and we're taxied home to our beds.

By the time Keef and I got back to the festival on Sat morning, the tent was all spick and span and Trev the perfectionist was busy checking the beers.

The Saturday lunchtime session has been getting more popular over recent years - not just with tickers (with rumours that Mick the Tick is in attendance) but also friends and families who come along for the chilled-out atmosphere.

John Bell has come over from Chester to see for himself - and it's not long before he has got chatting to one of the more avid beer hounds in attendance - or beer terrorist as John describes him. John used to think Colin was odd with his bottling - not any more.

(left) Former MP Nick Winterton and his successor David Rutley talk to a local voter


Also on parade is the new MP for Macclesfield - David Rutley - a Tory who has been recently parachuted into the constituency. He's been dragged along by outgoing MP Nicholas Winterton who has been a regular at these Sat sessions ever since the festival started.

Rutley is a Mormon and so is drinking water and feeling rather conspicuous as I take a few shots of him and Winterton. Let's hope he's as supportive of real ale as old Nick has been.

Once the lunchtime session is over and everyone has left, we wander out to pick up a chinese and manage to relax for a half-hour meal break before its time to dip the beers again. Trev is nothing if not thorough.

A familiar face joins us - Brian, landlord of the Waters Green, is one of the sponsors and has come up with his brother Matt and ex-ticker mate Jonesy for a pre-opening tasting.

(right) Brian, Matt and Jonesy

Brian fills me in on his plans for the pub now that he and Tracey have bought it and says they're looking forward to seeing DAFTS dropping in next season.

The evening session starts off quite busily but again we've got plenty of staff so we're not rushed off our feet. My feet are starting to ache though as apart from our meal break, I've been on them all day.

By the time we approach closing time everyone seems to have had enough to drink - and once the place is a bit quieter we make the final dipping of the barrels which is a bit quicker this time now that quite a few barrels are empty.

The once everything has been dipped, the remaining beer is tipped away. It seems sacrilege but the barrels will be taken away in the next day or so and the tent taken down within 24 hours so we get as much done as we can. Not the most glamorous of jobs.

It's 3am by the time I get to bed for just a few hours before I'm up again just after 8am for my early train back to London. I'm well and truly knackered but it has been fun.

Deja Macc

I hate farewells so I'll not be attending our final league game - all being well it won't be a case of Goodbye but Au Revoir instead and we'll be back in the League in the not too distant future.

So instead of trekking up to Darlo with Martin and Chris, I'll be taking my second trip to Macclesfield in less than a week as I make my annual pilgrimage to their beer festival - the 16th since it all started.

The backbone on the beer side of the event has been the same since that first festival - my mates Trevor and Keith handling the bar manager duties, ably supported by local CAMRA members and other volunteers.

There will be about 130 cask ales from many new micros plus the odd one-off special beer for the festival. And after they went so quickly last year, there will be at least 35 ciders and perries available.

The Friday and Saturday night sessions are ticket only - Friday usually sells out and Saturday will be close - with a lot of live music on both nights which generally means a quite mixed crowd.

It's a fun festival and all money made is donated to local charities.

For me, the best time to come is the free Saturday lunchtime session which is more family-oriented as well as being extremely popular with the ticker fraternity who travel from far and wide to check out Trev's beer selections.

See you at the bar...

Macc Attack

After what has seemed like an absolute eternity, the season has finally come to the end - certainly as far as I'm concerned as I'll not be there for the last rites against Dagenham & Redbridge.

And it's kind of appropriate that our final away league game will be at Moss Rose - hardly one of the most salubrious grounds in the league, more reminiscent of what we'll have a lot of next season - but they've still got a standing terrace so that will do me fine (so long as it doesn't rain of course).

I've aways enjoyed our trips to Macclesfield which is why, after a hearty breakfast at the nearby Double Six, I'm on the 7:55am train out of Euston leaving Martin to take the train an hour later.

The Virgin service these days is much improved and to date, all our journeys have been in stark contrast to previous seasons when delays, bus replacements and extended run times were the norm. Such a shame their carriages are so small and cramped.

After a quick wander round the shops in the centre of Macc I waited patiently outside the Waters Green Tavern just before 11am.

Landlady Tracey must have been keeping an eye out as she opened the door and told me that even though they now open at midday, I could come in.

(left) Steve tucks in at the Waters Green Tavern

Since our last visit to Macclesfield back in Sep 2008, landlord Brian and Tracey have now bought the pub and started work on various improvements. The toilets have had a welcome makeover and the roof is in the process of being renovated.

One thing that remains the same is the choice of beers which is up to its usual standard, mainly golden ales as preferred by the management, with Roosters Yankee, Bradfield Blonde, Dark Star American Pale Ale and Bradfield Stout on tap.

I settle down to my pint and it isn't long before I see some murky figures through the window - no doubt confused by the pub looking closed. On closer inspection I see that it's Trevor, John Gray and Rich Parker and some other Darlo lads so I ask Brian to let them in.

I hear from Martin who has just arrived in Macc but he has a bad attack of gout - too much good living probably - and so he is going straight to the ground via taxi as he reckons he'll just be bad company if he comes to the pub.

Subsequently the remainder of the DAFTS hardcore arrived - including Steve and Brummy Tony and then Lance and the Waters family who are staying over in Manchester for the weekend.

It had been rumoured that Lance would actually go to this final away fixture but in the end both Ray and he decided they'd stay in the pub instead.

The beer was going down very well today - the pick of the bunch was the Dark Star which has always been superb wherever I've had it. The others liked it too.

Steve, BT and myself left the pub quite late and caught a taxi from the nearby station to the ground but we were still there in plenty of time for the kick off.

The stewards are a friendly lot here and were quite happy for me to use my camera to capture some shots of this last away league match.

Inside the ground we took up position just behind the goal and it wasn't long before the away terrace was jumping with delight. Captain Ian Miller headed in a cross from Mark Convery after less than ten minutes. Was this a case of PTE (Peaking Too Early)?

(right) BT, Tony and Trev celebrate the opening goal

Any signs that Macclesfield were going to make a commited attempt to get back on terms were not forthcoming - in fact it all looked quite comfortable for us and it was the home fans who were starting to moan at their team.

Meanwhile on the away terrace there was a bit of a party atmosphere - a relatively decent turnout though to be fair I'd expected it to be a bit fuller for this last away game.

At one stage in the first half, a group of knuckle-dragging types arrived and were generally acting like wannabe football hooligans but they didn't seem to know what they were doing. After a bit of posturing and gurning at the stewards they did the decent thing and fucked off.

For the remainder of the first half Darlo continued to dominate although Macc had the odd chance - Liversedge dealt with all that he needed to which was very surprising given his recent lack of form. I begin to wonder whether we should also be questioning the quality of the goalkeeping coach this season.

In the second half Darlo were kicking towards the away end and continued to dominate. The defence coped well whilst youngsters McReady and Michael Smith impressed with hard-working displays.

It looked as if Darlo would double their lead after sub Mulligan was judged to have been fouled and Darlo were awarded a penalty. Convery took it but it was a tame effort and the keeper saved easily.

My Northallerton neighbour, Geoff, went apoplectic with the effort - probably getting too overexcited as he did so - but Con was soon to make amends when he crossed a great little ball for Smith to head home past Macc keeper Brain.

(left) Michael Smith scores the second goal for Darlo

It was a thoroughly deserved victory as Macc were hardly at the races and there were good performances throughout - just the sort of positive performance to finish the season on after so much of it has been totally forgettable.

After applauding the players off, we wandered off down to the Railway View to have a few beers. I can't remember what we had - the pump clip was rather spartan in the information stakes - but it was very bland so we supped up and wandered back to the station.

Tony, Lesley and BT decided to catch their trains whilst I wandered over to the Old Millstone to meet Martin. This pub used to do a few different beers but all it had to offer was Ruddles Bitter. It wasn't a particularly nice pint so I left half of it and we popped over to the station to await our train.

Not quite a perfect journey back - the locomotive was not running at full power so we were about 20 mins late back into Euston. I rushed off to St Pancras - leaving Martin to limp slowly back to his car - where I met Liz, Jenny and Chris at the Betjeman Arms.

They're certain of a play-off spot but are not yet certain of the opposition. For me though, the season is now over and I can enjoy a few free weekends and maybe do some of those jobs that I've been putting off all season. Don't hold your breath though...

(above) Happy Campers

Grimsby Fiendish

Today was the last home game for Howard and myself and so it would be our last visit of the season to Da Vincis for breakfast. All was well until the waiter clearing away our dishes asked Martin, for some unknown reason, how old he was.

"Have a guess" said Martin. "Fifty-five" said the waiter.

Cue spluttering from Mr Deans who although only three years off this age, continues to delude himself that he's a young looking chap.  No tip today then!

(left) Howard in the Quaker

Quite a few fans of all creeds on-board today - Newcastle fans out in force as soon as there is a bit of silverware to be seen but also a few AFC Wimbledon types off to see their team at Gateshead. 

And an Oxford United fan was sat at our table as we continued recent discussions about the Conference although she wasn't off to their game. No point I suppose now they're firmly in the play-offs.

It was a beautiful day in Darlo when we arrived and made our way to the Quakerhouse.

A handful of Grimsby fans had beaten us but thankfully they'd decided to sit outside in the sun and left "our" table free.

(right) Lesley in her new Darlo hat

On offer at the bar today were: Dorset Ammonite, Castle Rock Dingy Skipper (part of their Wildlife portfolio), Tyneside Blonde, Green Jack Trawlerboys Best Bitter, Allendale Tar Bar'l, Prospect Blinding Light, Highgate Davenports Bee-zone and Bards Tale and Jarrow Brewery Willie Would've.

Mr Wilson was already waiting for us having travelled up the previous night - and before long Tony also joined us, sporting a black eye which he claimed he received playing 5-a-side. Yeah, right...

Of the beers, the Blonde and Dingy Skipper were very nice - perfect for a warm day - but the Tar Bar'l was very good too - a dry stout.

After a few pints, Howard headed off to get the pies and we three headed up to Number Twenty-2. Relatively quiet today as seemingly the Grimsby fans didn't get this far.

Tony's father-in-law joined us for a quick pint and then we got a taxi to the Arena. The car park was exceedingly quiet - it's probably busier when we have a car boot sale.

(left) Tony trying his luck - Mary sells him a 50/50 ticket

We had a quick scout round the club shop to see if there were any bargains but there wasn't much to be had unless you want Darlo curtains, duvet cover or waste bin.

We met Lesley at the ground which gave me the opportunity to give her the Darlo hat I'd recently bought for her - she'd bought one at the start of the season but it was too large for her petite head but just right for my brainbox-curls combo so she have it to me.

Thankfully the replacement fitted her perfectly even if it wasn't the weather for wooly hats.

Despite the rumours of a huge horde travelling from Grimsby - rumours of 2000 fishy fans coming to the game - it seems that only two or three hundred fans had made the effort.

A pleasant surprise was the appearance of Tadhg Purcell as earlier reports suggested he was out for the season.

And it was Purcell who went closest for Darlo in the first half on a couple of occasions but the Grimsby keeper was in fine form and did well to keep a clean sheet.

Grimsby of course still had their league position to fight for and they were out to win this game from the very start.

They scored after 20 mins when slack marking by Milne allowed Lancashire to head past Liversedge.

Other than the efforts by Purcell, Darlo had little to offer - Diop again flitting around the opposition half to no real effect - and it wasn't a huge surprise when Grimsby doubled their lead just before half-time.

(right) You must be f**king joking - it's our only pleasure these days

Mark Convery replaced Groves at the restart and was probably our busiest player in the second half - he brought a good save from the Grimsby keeper and worked hard, trying to get things moving but other than Gary Smith, his team mates did not appear interested.

It is hard to be critical given that this seventh game in three weeks but I'm sure it will help Simon Davey make his mind up when it comes to the end-of-season clear out.

As so often this season at home, the final whistle was a blessing and I walked back to the station with John.

I'll miss visiting the pubs in Darlo over the summer break but not going to see the football. I still can't wait for the fixtures for next season though...

(above) South stand concourse

Seaside Sojourn - Day Two

I was up and about quite early - the habit of getting up in good time for travelling north is a hard one to break - and so I watched the F1 Grand Prix qualifying as BBC1 was about the only channel I could get with my titchy aerial.

I joined Tony, Lesley and Brian in the restaurant - the breakfast was rather disappointing in terms of quality but was served by a young girl in her first day on the job who was very polite. Brian confused her somewhat though by asking for just two rashers of bacon but was twice given a full breakfast.

After breakfast, five of our group took the M1 bus (great value - £5 for five people for all day travel on that bus route) and headed off into the centre of Bournemouth.

We had a wander through the Lower Gardens where we resisted the lure of a static balloon ride - not difficult when they're charging £12.50 per person.

(left) Tony with some Darlo-style rock for Neil

We headed to the pier where we bagged some traditional seaside rock - proper break-your-teeth stuff, not the sweet soft stuff you often find these days.

Tony bought some black and white striped 'Darlo' rock for Neil though whether he ever receives it remains to be seen.

It was a bright sunny day so we actually strayed onto the beach and dipped our feet into the sea.
And then after a quick butchers around the aviary, where we admired the collection of exotic finches and teeny-tiny quail, we headed off towards the matchday pub.

It was quite a schlep - a bit further than we realised and in hindsight a bus might have been quicker for most of the journey - but it was just as well as I'd been misled about the opening time.

Getting there at ten minutes to noon and finding it closed wasn't quite as annoying as it would have been to get there at eleven as I'd been advised.

After a few minutes the Cricketers Arms opened and we headed to the bar. Just three ales on offer - the regular beer is Fullers London Pride - and there were two guests; Youngs Kew Gold and one of the Piddle beers.

Most of us stuck to the Kew Gold which was the perfect beer for a nice warm day. Tony had a quick try of the Piddle but some returned to the Gold.

(right) Cricketers Arms

The Cricketers Arms has recently been announced as pub of the year for 2010 for East Dorset. I had a chat with the landlady and she was a bit surprised at winning the award given she has a relatively small range of beer.

We sat inside out of the bright sunshine and played the jukebox - various stragglers joining us - first Bev and then Iain, who'd caught the train from Sussex, and finally Steve.

From the Cricketers it was a 15-20 minute walk to Dean Court (or the Fitness First Stadium if you prefer).

There was a big home crowd plus the usual hardcore of Darlo fans, most of who also appeared to be making a weekend of it.

Darlo had a few injuries so Madden replaced Arnison who has been one of the better players of late. Only five subs were named due to the lack of available players.

In the first half, Darlo more than held their own - Bournemouth were certainly a well-drilled team and had a game plan of getting the ball up to their big forwards, not pretty football but it has worked well for them so far this season.

The Cherries had quite a few opportunities but all efforts were blazed wide or tidied up by the defence. Upfront, Darlo had a couple of efforts on goal but nothing for us to get too excited about.
In the second half, our work rate diminished as Bournemouth moved up a gear and our defending became more frenetic.

(left) Lunchtime DAFTS

Bournemouth broke the deadlock close to the hour mark - a cross ball was met by the head of Robinson and the ball appeared to slip through Redmond's hands. It looked soft from where we were sat.

Inevitably this energised the home side and they upped the pressure even more. The lead was doubled when the ref awarded a penalty for handball by Madden - more a case of ball to hand and very harsh.

It certainly didn't look deliberate which is what Law 12 says it should be but we didn't get the rub of the green from the ref (not that it would have affected the outcome) throughout the game.
For the remainder of the match, Darlo struggled to get the ball out of their half and make meaningful progress up front - Michael Smith was introduced but was inffectual whilst Redmond made a great save close to the end.

After clapping off the team, we made our way via a couple of buses back to the hotel for a quick change into glad rags (for those that had them). A few of us then headed back to the Porterhouse and then the Goat for more beers.

In the Goat we came across John Gray, Richie Parker and chums who were doing their best to get through the eleven handpumps and the conversation turned to the pubs we'll be trying out in the Conference next season.

From the Goat it was a short walk to the West Beach Restaurant more or less right on the beach close to the pier. This is supposedly the best place in town, concentrating mainly on seafood dishes.

Those that had stayed at the hotel had beaten us but we found that our table wasn't yet ready - not a good start. In the end it took about 15 mins for them to get our table ready which did at least allow time for use to fully peruse the specials board.

The restaurant is a cut-above the normal sort of restaurant DAFTS tend to visit on their away trips but given that we're celebrating a few people hitting their half century this year (try and guess who), it was nice to visit somewhere a bit special.

Debbie McGee was also dining at a nearby table - sans hubby who was performing for the Round Table in a nearby hotel - so it's obviously the in place to be in Bournemouth (if you're a former assistant to a magician, that is).

The food was excellent, not quite the quantities that trenchers like us are used to but still very filling, and as the restaurant offered free water and wine in lieu of our extended wait, the meal didn't break the bank either.

All in all a fine finish to a very pleasant weekend away - good company, good beer and good food - what more do you want?

Now all I have to do is get my deposit back...

Seaside Sojourn - Day One

Whilst waiting for my train at Waterloo station, I saw a familiar figure shuffling along the concourse- it took me a few seconds to work out who but it was Bernard Cribbins, looking old and frail, but despite his recent appearances in Dr Who it appears no one else recognised him.

I'd taken the Friday afternoon off in order to beat the rush-hour frenzy and head off to the south coast - a quiet journey just a little under two hours with some nice views of the New Forest along the way - where I met Steve and Cath at Branksome station.

(left) Branksome Railway Hotel

We were staying at the nearby Branksome Railway Hotel - we wandered over and checked in.

After paying for our rooms we were rather dischuffed to find that we also had to pay a deposit in case anything got damaged. Damn cheek - do we look like the types that would smash up our rooms?!

After checking in and dropping off our luggage, we decided against a beer in the hotel and wandered off down the Poole Road into Bournemouth to our first port of call, the Porterhouse.

This is a small pub belonging to Ringwoods serving three of their regular beers - Best Bitter, Fortyniner and Old Thumper - plus guests Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted and Martons Old Empire IPA.

Being mid-afternoon tt was nice and quiet and the beers were in good condition so we settled back to relax for a couple of hours. We were joined by Tony and Lesley who'd driven down from Darlington.

After a couple more beers we wandered off to one of our old haunts, the Goat and Tricycle on West Hill Road.

Several years ago a group of us had come down, not just for a Darlo game but also for Neil's 50th birthday. We stayed at a hotel just down the road and the Goat became our local pub.

(right) The Goat and Tricycle

Neil, along with his other half Mari, had been planning to join us for the weekend but they became one of the early casualties of the Icelandic volcanic dust which was grounding most flights in northern Europe.

As then, the pub had a large range of ales on offer - it's a Wadworths pub so there are quite a few from their stable such as Bishops Tipple, Horizon, 6X, Strong In The Arm and Henry's Original IPA.

There were also a good few guests on offer: Tom Wood's Springtime, Cairngorm Howler, Ushers 1824, O'Hanlons Yellow Hammer, Everards Tiger, Holden's Wind Blower and White Horse Saracen.

On the way in I bumped into a guy who asked if I was from CAMRA? I mean - just how did he guess that? It turned out he was from Sheffield and his local CAMRA mates had asked him to bring down various newsletters but he only knew this pub. Ever organised with my trusty map, I soon put him straight on the places to visit.

John and Bev were next to join us and as well as sampling the beers we also had some food. A very decent menu, the pick of which was the trio of steaks for less than a tenner - gammon, pork and rump steak plus chips, tomato and fried egg - very good quality, well cooked and quickly devoured.

A surprise guest joining us was Gavin Ellis who was looking for some people to tell his bad jokes to.

We remember his comedic talents all too well from pre-season trips to the Isle of Man and Eire several years ago. Suffice to say they've not improved.

(left) Have you heard this one, Ted?

Gavin told us that he'd taken the coach to Rochdale, had taken the train down to Bournemouth and was going to the next game at Cheltenham in his taxi. He's going to take a few fans with him - I hope they're taking cotton wool with them.

Brian was the last to join us - he'd been to see some cricket at Trent Bridge before driving down to complete our merry band - and after a quick pint, we wandered off back to the Porterhouse.

Unlike earlier, the pub was absolutely crammed - it seems to be a real locals place and age-wise the clientele reminded me a little of Number Twenty2. We had another quick pint before heading off back to the hotel for a relatively early night.

Update: Read about Gav and his taxi ride to Cheltenham here.

Conference Calling, Conference Calling...

And so the outcome we've been waiting for all season has finally come to pass - Darlo are heading back into the Conference despite a wonderful victory at Spotland - an impressive third away win on the trot.

Despite this win - which put the champagne on ice for Rochdale's promotion for just a little longer - results elsewhere meant that the fat lady can finally start singing.

It is difficult to say whether the recent upturn in form is due to the dismissal of Staunton - and presumably a feeling of relief from some of the players - or the fact the pressure is off or possibly the immediate impact of the new managerial team.

Regardless of the reason, it has at least brought back a bit of pride in the club for the fans and something for us all to cheer about. And perhaps we can now look forward to next season with a sense of optimism - plus enjoyment as we'll be revisiting a few old haunts as well as off to some new towns and grounds.

I thought it was appropriate to have a few beers to mark the occasion and decided to visit the Eleanor Arms in Bow.

The Eleanor Arms is a Shepherd Neame house which Steve and I popped into earlier in the season.

(left) Colclough's Landlady - a special brew

Liz was already at the bar when I got there - sat chatting with our Leyton Orient and cider festival chum, Mick Lewis.

This week they've had a special brew available - Colclough's Landlady - a beer brewed in Shep's pilot brewery.

Each year they brew a "Four Tenants" ale where the style and strength are prescribed by their tenants and this year this was to be four of their London-based landlords, one being Frankie Colclough who runs the Eleanor.

The Eleanor had four barrels of the beer, the first of which came and went earlier this week.

It's a very tasty drop with a pleasant hoppy edge to it - due to the inclusion of some Slovenian hops apparently - and it is devoid of the usual Sheps tang which I'm not a big fan of.

Also on offer was Solar Eclipse - also from their pilot brewery - as well as Canterbury Jack and the Double Stout from the main brewery. I stuck to the Landlady.

Frankie was not on duty tonight - his wife was doing the honours which I suppose was appropriate - but we bumped into him outside Mile End tube as we headed home.

He'd been for a bit of a crawl around some Sheps pubs and was rather the worse for wear as a result. Nice to see a landlord who enjoys beers and visiting pubs.

Whilst on the subject of special one-off beers, check out your local Wetherspoons as they have their annual international beer festival on.

Liz and I went to their flagship outlet, the Crosse Keys, in the City of London last week to check it out.

(right) Hawkwind - the beer for space rockers!

There are a lot of beers brewed especially for the festival including a number brews by foreign brewers, including one from Hawaii who had produced a coconut stout.  I left that for another day.

But what else did I find? A pint of Hawkwind!

Finally a brewery, Elgoods, has realised the worth of the band and brewed a very nice brew in their honour! Try it before it's too late...