Hurry up and sort the trains out...

It’s been announced today that HS2 will now extend to Crewe ready for the futuristic date of 2027. Now I felt that we were very much deceived when we were told that Birmingham would be getting a new station which turned out to be just a new shopping centre. But to have to wait twelve years to be hurled around the country and have to be canned up like sardines before then is just too long. What’s going on? Why the long wait? And why do we have to tear up half of the country in the process? Surely we can just improve the infrastructure we’ve got? If the cross-city line can close for eight weeks to give us an extra twenty minute daily service; why can’t we have an express train? Perhaps we could get the platforms more organised where leaving passengers exit on one side and alighting passengers arrive on the other? Let’s get organised.

More trouble in Paridise

So Paris has been picked to host the latest climate change summit; and receive a host of protestors and campaigners in its wake. Police have already had to subdue the crowds with water cannons and tear gas to keep the rioters under control. But why choose Paris in the first place? Surely after the recent shootings the global community would come together to give the city a break and change their venue? But no, those extra security operations and fancy hotels have already been booked, so on with the show. I know that the everyday person shouldn’t be put off by recent events in changing their plans; but with an event that is known to attract protestors; you just have to ask why. And statistics are wildly off-course, my 1991 Blue Peter annual says that the fossil fuels would be running out by now; yet we continue to sell high-powered consumer electronics. Well, I told you so.

Heaven Sent Plot Holes...

I was shocked to see learn the conclusion of Heaven Sent that our great Doctor may be a hybrid created to destroy the Time Lords. To me, this makes no sense. The first thing is that a few  million years could have been saved if he went back for his shovel to smash through the ice? And surely the Time Lords would be aware of the Hybrid by now; since he ran from Gallifrey; so why are they so desperate to help him by restoring him to full health? And if the Time Lords are trapped; then hasn’t the Doctor won already? And why help trap the planet in the first place; why not let the Daleks do his dirty work for him in the great Time war? I suppose that the Daleks fear the Hybrid as they believe that Galifrey is already destroyed; but there have been no efforts to tame him to their will. Only time will tell…

Hobsons Town Crier at the Sportsmans Arms, Redditch

This month’s beer meeting was held in a pub that few would choose to venture into, but it was chosen for the fact that there was a private upstairs meeting room available, of which I wasn’t aware of before. There was a very strong smell of sewage as we entered the bar which we politely tried to ignore; but the emphasis for a quick meeting was the general consensus of the room. I had to make a few extra trips from floor to floor to supply extra chairs so that everyone could be seated, and it was only on the second run that the landlord offered to help. The beer was in good condition; but no-one was in a rush to get a re-fill as it was the only beer available. It was difficult to try and get the meeting to a full conclusion so that we could move onto the nearby brewery tap bar, as some had yet to make their visit. Being the last one to leave as I had to ensure that the room was tidy and also to thank the landlord, I was also the last to be served in the brewery tap pub, but at least I managed to get my loyalty card filled up quickly.

Christmas List

It’s that time of year where I’ve been asked to put together the dreaded Christmas list. What do I want for Christmas? Well, actually, you could just ask me rather than force me to write things down and save me the disappointment of the things that I didn’t get. Or you could just surprise me, which is somehow much more fun and festive. Lately, I’ve just been buying the things that I actually want to play with over the holidays; which might be a bit pricier than what people want to spend, and then I can at least own something that’s not throwaway or forces me to head back to the shop. Or I could give you next week’s grocery list? Most people would think to buy me beer, but usually it’s cheap supermarket bargain stuff that’s bland and not very adventurous. But forcing me to write a list? That’s defeating the whole idea of knowing me at all.  

Creature of Havoc by Steve Jackson

Creature Of Havoc by Steve Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Death turns at every corner in this roleplaying fantasy adventure. It’s a lot different to some of the other adventures, as though you are a powerful fighter; there is little that you can do in the way of deciding your own destiny. A lot of outcomes rely on the roll of the dice; not just in the combat scenes but in choosing which direction to travel as well. A large amount of the adventure relies on finding a relic which allows you to translate some of the coded text. And it’s certainly a risk to decide whether or not to perform even the simplest action such as venturing into a room or abandoning a feast. I wonder if it’s ever possible to read through the whole story successfully and meet all of the characters mentioned in the prologue? I think that I will have to create a map for each journey so that I can learn which paths loop or lead to certain death. I can’t remember ever winning.

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Purity Mad Goose at the Dodford Inn

The Dodford Inn re-opened in November and is under the ownership of husband and wife team Steve and Gina. The pub has undergone a complete transformation with a new bar, laminate flooring and pine furniture to give a contemporary open air look. Up to six real ales are available; and Steve hopes to run regular beer festivals and live music events in the summer. Plans are also being put into place to build an extension for a formal restaurant area. There are bar stools at the front of the pub for drinkers; while the rest of the pub caters for diners. French windows have also been fitted for access to the garden. I opted for Purity’s Mad Goose which was in excellent form, but at £2 for just a half it looks like the pub is certainly going into the gastro market. Blonde barmaids were abound everywhere, just like the old crowd at the Brook Inn.

We need more holidays

For the last year, more and more British retailers are taking part in the infamous Black Friday sales. It’s developed from an American tradition where many businesses are closed for the Thanksgiving weekend, and people are actually celebrating with family. Businesses start their sales early to clear their remaining stock to make room for Christmas items and new products. Over here, we don’t have a thanksgiving celebration; but we are still expected to work our arses off for pretty much a normal payday weekend. Even printers and car salesmen are having special weekend deals. There’s hysteria on the shop floor as people battle for basement bargains which they could pretty much have at any other time of year. And then there’s the Cyber Monday deals, which causes even more panic buying; throwing out and general waste. We need our own cultural celebration which should be St. George’s Day, and it’s about time we showed pride in our military heritage and make Remembrance Day a bank holiday too. It’s time people traded responsibly. But at least it takes the pressure off Boxing Day and New Year sales.  

Paris Attacks

I’m now a bit confused about the state of play in the Paris attacks, as I’m obviously not going to be glued to the screen every day to see the latest developments. What I’m most unsure of is whether or not they’ve actually got the bastard responsible or not. The media are referring to Abdelhamid Abaaoud as a mastermind, but it’s actually quite simple to manage a team of nine or more people. Some people do this for a living. After the police’s raid a few days later, there was certainly a delay in confirming Abaaoud’s death, and it was even reported that he may have escaped to Belgium. The frustrating thing is that the French authorities had already sentenced him to twenty years for previous foiled crimes, so how come he was allowed to roam about? If someone is a proven danger to the public, they should be taken away from the public. We need to stop spending on these individuals; they are clearly causing harm and distress and should not be allowed to roam this earth.

References

I’ve recently been asked to write a reference for a friend. It’s for a volunteer position at a library, and my friend has been undertaking some volunteer work on my committee team for over ten years. The post involves some manual work alongside working with customers. My friend was a bit weary of me mentioning what he does for our society; but I felt that that was the only capacity in which I felt that a reference could be useful. After googling ‘how to write a reference’, I put some text together. The e-mail didn’t say in what format was required, so I decided to just write a few paragraphs. I read through the job description and tailored it as best I could to adapt it to his skills. The only thing that I feel would let him down is the fact that he has no interest in the literary world at all. I just hope that there is not too much competition for him.  

Hex

I finally got round to giving Hex a second go. The first time I watched it, I dozed off while two of my friends were in the room. It’s a western where an outlaw seeks justice for the murder of his family while undertaking bounty hunting in the process. It stars Josh Brolin as an ugly, battle-scarred mumbling cowboy who I could barely understand; and had to rely on the subtitles to work out what was happening. Megan Fox plays a prostitute which barely creates a love interest and could easily be Brolin’s daughter were it not for the fact that his family were burned to death, and is only there to make the film look pretty. The plot is short for which I am grateful, and we only see two demonstration of Brolin’s unnatural ability to talk to the dead to obtain information for his quests. John Malkovich also stars as the film’s antagonist, and of course he always plays evil geniuses well. 

Church End Cuthbert at the Dragon, Worcester

I have been in the Dragon a number of times; mainly for its convenient bus stop right outside. It’s not a particularly well furnished pub, with tatty wallpaper and peeling tables which clearly show a long term occupancy. However, my interest perked up when there was scaffolding outside the building and just behind it were the words ‘Church End Brewery’ peeking out. The guy behind the bar couldn’t tell us much other than a full refurbishment was in progress; and we also noted that the famous board of banned topics of conversation had vanished from existence. Five beers were available, all from Church End Brewery, and the first one I’d ordered from the menu wasn’t available. I then settled for a Cuthbert, which one of the Worcester branch members bought for me before disappearing to the other side of the room. I then had to make my excuses as the meeting seemed to have finished; and we had all seemed to have gathered into a corner which I couldn’t get into.  

A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines

A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the story of one boy’s attempt to take on the world. Trapped in a world where both his family and peers despise him; his only relief is taming nature in the form of a kestrel; affectionately named Kes. Here, Hines’s young protagonist excels and even wins over his classmates and teacher as he tells of the wonders of falconry which is his only escape from teenage life. However, the book soon tells of a Yorkshire dog-eat-dog world, where every effort made just results in rotten luck as the frustrations of adulthood are forced upon him. Although comic in places when the adults lay down the law; this is a true tale of heartbreak and despair as all of Billy’s efforts come to nothing and he is swiftly punished for failing to uphold his family loyalties. Eventually, he seems doomed to accept his fate without help or encouragement from his parents, friends or teachers.

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Pint Taken Winter Editorale 2015/6

Is it winter already? There’s no hint of a frost outside; which surely means that there’s plenty of time to relax with a perfect pint in front of a roaring log fire before starting the Christmas shopping? However, our good friend Jack Frost has become somewhat unreliable over the years; and as our last official white Christmas took place four years ago, it’s already time to start planning for 2016.  Where has the time gone? 

Of course, after Christmas comes the dreaded New Year Resolutions. After polishing off those bottled Christmas ales, many people choose to start the new year in a ‘Dryanuary’ state; which doesn’t help our hard-working licensees in the pub trade. So this year, why not join the Tryanuary movement? Why not make a resolution to seek out new pubs; or re-visit local pubs that you haven’t been to in a while? January is a great time to get to know new landlords during this quiet period; and you may be pleasantly surprised by what they have on offer. Or better yet; why not make a resolution to get involved with some of CAMRA’s campaigns and beer festivals? We hope that you find plenty of inspiration in this very magazine! After all, pubs aren’t just for Christmas…

From all at Pint Taken, we hope that you’ve had a great 2015 and wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Hoppy New Beer! And to the cider and perry lovers; WASSAIL!

Kendrick's Scrum at the Imperial Tavern, Worcester

On a windy Autumn evening, I decided to trek over to Worcester to meet the gang at their branch meeting. Black Country Ales have gone to an amazing effort to refurnish this pub; which was a former disco pub hangout. A large horseshoe bar dominates; with comfy seating at the front and rear of the pub were alongside a real log fire. There was a blackboard by the entrance which displayed the real ales available; and there was a large seating area at the rear for more intimate conversation. The locals seemed very settled yet friendly and eager to chat to newcomers. They had also done a fantastic job with the servery, making it look as traditional as possible. The beer was very smooth and moreish, and I would have gladly stayed for another if it wasn’t for the fact that the majority of our party decided to move onto a pub which has had a new owner.   

Doing my bit for Pudsey

I decided to get into the swing of things for Children In Need and bought myself a pair of Pudsey ears. I wore them with pride on Children In Need Day with pride at work; the only person to take pride in the occasion and step up. After about six hours the plastic started to clench into my forehead; so off they went. The following day, I downloaded what I thought was to be the highlight of the show; a Star Wars sketch with Terry Wogan as a Jedi and Warwick Davies attempting to find the biggest Superfan. Despite Alan Sugar’s attempt to sell him a fan, the sketch was a bit too short and lame; and we never even saw a fat robot with no arms get the chance to push the totaliser button. Lewis Hamilton was brilliant in his golf cart; and the chaos that Martin Freeman caused was fantastic; but the whole thing could have been a little bit longer.  

St. Austell Tribute at the Riflemans Arms, Droitwich

It’s always hard to try and get a good parking spot in Droitwich. My first visit was during daytime hours so I knew that I would probably have to pay; and headed into the Morrisons Car Park. It was a fair walk to get to this pub; heading into a street of independent shops and past a rough pub into a road near a school where classes had just finished. But I found the pub and had a lovely chat with the landlady about our upcoming CAMRA meeting who had agreed to put us in the back room. The beer was in good form and I sat near the window watching the locals come in for their after-work drink. So when it came to the meeting itself; I somehow ended up parking even further away; and completely forgot about the spaces near the independent shops. Even though the beer was still in good form; it was a struggle to arrange for the pub to have our meeting; as the back room turned out to be the outside smoking lounge and the landlady seemed to be popping out for the evening for a few drinks herself! Still, we got the job done.

Under the Eagle by Simon Scarrow

Under The Eagle by Simon Scarrow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Scarrow’s historical account of life in the first century Roman army captures a great atmosphere of conflict and brotherhood. There is drama in both peace and war time; as there is always someone trying to better themselves over their peers. Though Cato’s love interest is kept to a minimum; there is always something for the soldiers to focus on; whether it’s getting to grips with their peers; raiding a German village; or preparing to invade Britain itself. It's always good to see corruption within there is as well; as Scarrow constantly keeps the reader guessing as to who is the perpetrator. The only downside is that there is very little character background information; as the narrator constantly prefers to focus on the here and now. It is an excellent first novel in the series; and I hope that Marco and Cato will go a long way towards the upkeep of the Roman Empire.

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Grainstone Cooking at the Corn Exchange, Leicester

Deep in the heart of Leicester is a Wetherspoons that I have always wanted to visit. Last time I got stuck in the one-way system; gave up; and parked in a side-street which happened to be a completely different Wetherspoons but was still worth going to. The Corn Exchange has always attracted me because of the large building that it’s in; and the picture of a large stone bridge over its entrance portrays the impression of going into a cage. Unfortunately, my phone battery was very low so my navigational skills weren’t the best when heading into town. This time, I found a third completely different Wetherspoons; but this time I was determined not to give up and asked for directions to the Corn Exchange. After some more wandering around, we finally found it hidden in the centre of the market place. It wasn’t an impressive building inside; just a two storey cotemporary decorated pub; with a large horseshoe bar. I find that horseshoe bars are difficult for the customer if there is a side which is unmanned; as you never know who is to be served next. My friend opted for a vegetable curry but wasn’t able to say that everything was OK when our waiter came to check as he hadn’t sampled everything on his plate yet.However; even though the service was a bit strange and my steak was a tiny bit grisly; I thoroughly enjoyed my Cooking bitter from the Grainstore brewery. 

Butterbeer at the Magic Alley, Stratford Upon Avon

As part of our visit to Stratford, we took a look inside Magic Alley, the magic shop in Stratford upon Avon which commemorates Dave Matthews’s The Wizard Chronicles. These books celebrate their 25^th anniversary; and I’d never heard of them until I set foot in the museum. The staff do recognise that Harry Potter is much mainstream and do sell some of their products; mainly of the sweet variety. I was really hoping to go upstairs into the museum; but instead we opted to go into the café and try a butterbeer. We were ushered into the back of the shop which had a small parlour; and was nearly like a private boudoir complete with curtains and velvet seats. My friend suggested sitting outside; but to be honest that just looked like their smoking area next to the bins. And the butterbeer; though non-alcoholic; was one of the sourest and creamiest drinks that I’d ever tasted. It was a sour creamy ginger ale with pumpkin juice. We drank quickly then headed off to find a real drink. 

National Space Museum, Leicester

Deep in the heart of Leicestershire lies a museum which is literally out of this world. It has a planetarium with amazing effects; lots of hands-on activities to keep the kid in me amused; and best of all; it’s educational! The National Space Museum is well worth a visit. There’s a giant rocket that you can climb through; interactive displays that need maintenance; and models aplenty to control (providing you can shoo the school kids away!). There’s a section of the international space station that you can walk through; as well as many other exhibits to crawl in and try on. This time, I was really looking forward to the space simulator; which I thought would be a video roller coaster; but instead turned out to be a stationary chassis that jerked violently as we turned an on-screen corner. It’s a great place to explore; but can be a bit boring if you’ve visited before; I think the only thing that’s changed since my previous visit is the planetarium’s film.

Old Bill's Grave at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford Upon Avon

We opted to go for a nice stroll round Stratford upon Avon. We walked through the town and down to the canal, then followed the river through the rec ground. Our plan was to catch the foot ferry to see William Shakespeare’s grave; but as it turned out we arrived too early. It was still very nice as we continued down the river with trees overhanging the banks; but I wasn’t sure where we could turn round as I’d never been this far downstream before. But eventually we reached a huge road bridge with a foot bridge running next to it; which made for a perfect crossing. We found the church which was currently undergoing restoration work; then headed straight for the tomb of the world’s greatest bard. Except it wasn’t really a tomb; but simply a slab in the ground alongside his other family members. The only thing that truly made it Shakespearian was the well-kept bust mounted on the wall. 

Highland Brewing Company's Scapa Special at the Square Peg, Birmingham

The Square Peg is a pub I’ve passed quite a few times on the way to other places, but I hadn’t actually been in for over twelve years when our university crowd used to meet up there for meals. It’s quite a narrow pub with a long stretch of lounge either side. It was quite busy for a Friday night as people were passing through; and the only vacant table I could find was in a corner reserved for the solo drinkers. The pub had gone to great lengths to showcase their choice of real ales; but as usual most people were leaning over the hand pumps to order other drinks not in plain view. The beer was in good form; a red bitter with a nice spice. I thought it was a new beer for me; but as usual there wasn’t enough time to glance at my beer tick list before getting served. I wonder when the pub's quiet sessions are?

Fireworks at the Fire Station

What better place to celebrate the English tradition of gunpowder treason and plot than the local fire station? Sure; there's no historical connection; but at least we’ll be safe while listening to subliminal messages about checking smoke alarms (which I still haven't done). We decided not to be cheap and support the cause by paying to go in for the best views and atmosphere. The display was excellent; though we couldn't get a glimpse of the fire until the very end owing to the crowds and how far away it was from the safety barrier. There was some excellent music to accompany them; and though we couldn't see the Catherine wheel at the start; they'd gone to the great effort of timing their show to the tunes. The climax was a bit low; we thought they could have done a grander display; but all in all it was a very enjoyable evening.

Solihull Beer Festival

I was quite looking forward to a session on my own at Solihull Beer Festival. It was in a new venue; and I had plenty to read through while I was there. The signs were good, a second train would take me onto Dorridge; and from there I would have a mile’s walk to the marquee at the cricket club. Two things that I didn’t think about: Firstly the size of the beer festival. As it was in a small marquee; there wasn’t much room for seating; and October wasn’t exactly the time for outdoor weather. Secondly; everyone who I ever knew in CAMRA seemed to be there; so I ended up chatting to a lot of people while not doing much at all. The novel thing that I enjoyed were the quotes on the door of the railway station waiting room; it seems that Dorridge wants its visitors to leave with a sense of education and well-being during their travels. 

Sadler's Mellow Yellow at the Wildmoor oak, Bromsgrove

It had been a long time since I’d set foot in Lorenzo’s bar; and this afternoon was a welcoming visit as I was to meet the CEO of the Campaign for Real Ale. Having only been given a brief suggestion of an itinerary; I was considering an afternoon nap when my phone rang to tell me he was en route. Fortunately, I had delegated someone to meet him while I jumped into the shower and raced across Worcestershire with my evening meeting plans. The pub was fairly busy for a lunchtime session; but we still managed to commandeer a large table while Lorenzo told us of his aspirations for the restaurant while being under a pub chain. The beer was in good form; but the best part of the visit was Lorenzo’s Carribbean Jerk pork; served on a sizzling skillet with rice, chips and salad. It was absolutely delicious. I was very tempted to bring someone the following week as they have an excellent vegetarian menu; but we opted for food closer to home on that day.

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Tressell’s novel of early twentieth century working-class society looks at the struggle of searching for employment in an increasingly populated town; where Victorians have strived for a better class of living through advancements in sanitation and medical well-being. It focuses on the beliefs of a group of painters; who constantly debate their social standing with each other and of their social survival within the fictional and aptly named town of Mugsborough. The colourful characters makes for some very interesting debates during their breaks of how society should be run. Frank Owen is the sole campaigner longing for change; but he cannot persuade his colleagues to take matters into their own hands and is instead forced to place his future in the hands of his better man. The descriptions are very detailed; as if Tressell is educating the reader of the behaviour of the working classes and leading them on a safari of their environments. Much mockery is made of working class life; but it does make for a very entertaining tale.

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Liberation's Sin Bin at the Penny Black, Kidderminster

This is a pub that I’ve been meaning to visit for some time. One year I came close and actually stood outside it; but my friend opted for another pub. So tonight I have finally graced its doors. The view isn't much; looking into a central pedestrianised area that's currently fenced off for development. There is also a derelict office building. But the local CAMRA branch has just voted it as their Pub of the Season, so now seemed a good time to check it out. I looked at the first array of hand pulls at bar; then searched for a second before realising that was all there was. Despite the small size; there's a lot going on; with a darts board; a dedicatedly  CAMRA board listing the committee members and an upstairs dining area. The  beer was in superb condition; and was  a tick for me as well,both off my beer and Cask Marque lists.

Cannock Beer Festival

It takes a great deal of time to get to some of these beer festivals; especially when there’s more than one train involved. It’s therefore really appreciated when you come out of the station and find signs pointing you in the right direction. Sadly this wasn’t the case with Cannock; and it was phones out to follow the blue dot along the line. Sadly, this didn’t take into account the fact that we were to cross four lanes of traffic on a ring road; but luckily I spotted an underpass in the opposite direction. With the venue found, we climbed two flights of stairs to the entrance; where we were greeted by less than enthusiastic volunteers. The bar staff looked even more bored; as there were plenty of them compared to the ratio of customers. And you had would have thought that they were able to pay attention to detail; but my first beer was indeed a short measure. The rugby was also attempted to be broadcast; but this was on a small set in the lounge bar. Here, I waited an age to get some festival food; and ended up with quite a nice hot dog after waiting an age for chilli with cheese and nachos to arrive. Amazingly, they had managed to get a cask marque certificate for the event; which was great news for us; a rare visit to tick. And the organiser came over for a chat to tell us about his branch; which was very appreciative. The Black Country band were fantastic in their warm-up song; but their main performance seemed quite folky and we decided to leave during their beer break.

Someone once said that Cannock was the most miserable West Midlands town; and I think I agree.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This classic American tale focuses on life in nineteenth century Missouri. Told in the eyes of Huck Finn, Twain adapts the traditional southern accent too; which can be quite annoying at times at it states the obvious. The humour and plotlines can therefore be very theatrical at times; which is connected to the masculine violence in the novel. Twain’s reversal of the adult to child authority creates some very comic situations, but he always illustrates that racial differences have both good and bad traits; and it’s all to do with character and personality rather than skin colour. The writing is very colourful and just flows, but is purely for narrative purposes and not once do we learn of Finn’s opinions or perceptions. In a way he leads a life of piracy; but in a more innocent manner owing to the events he encounters with American society, and of his Christian attitudes which is a delicate balance between survival and doing the right thing.

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