40th Anniversary Brewery History

www.pinttaken.org.uk Autumn 2015

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

If you’ve watched the film before reading this book, prepare to be amazed as there’s an actual plotline rather than an overpaid director filming scenes from a script. If you done it vice versa; prepare to be disappointed. Harry’s childlike innocence is portrayed perfectly as we are introduced to the world of Hogwarts and its characters. The classroom banter is fantastic and the narrative eases us gently into the wizarding world; helping the reader to discover Hogwarts without overloading us with facts and historical accounts of the world before. We learn at the same rate as Harry as he attends his first classes; though whether you can remember the rules of Quidditch is a different matter entirely. It’s a fantastic first adventure and no detail is left unturned, of which Warner Brothers ignored to their cost as the franchise continued. It’s a tale that you will want to read again and again.    

Work Stress out

I am absolutely furious at the moment. I have been working my ass off at work because some cunt forgot to top up their car with petrol and I have to cover for them. That means that I have to cover their shift before they even start and then the shop gets even busier. So I'm dashing around trying to keep up a fast level of service and often I'm the only one in the stockroom. I have to remind the others that they need to focus on people rather than patching boxes back up which they can do later. Then when it gets even busier I spot two of my colleagues giggling over a mobile phone. I have to tell them to move their ass as I haven't had a break in six hours and I have to drive the next batch of stuff to the other store. I am then told not to get stressed. Bastards. 

RBCAMRA POTY

www.pinttaken.org.uk summer 2015

RBCAMRA POTY

See www.pinttaken.org.uk

Charlotte Street

This was an enjoyable and entertaining novel but it lacked the usual humour behind Danny Wallace’s other exciting works. The blurb on the back cover promises an exciting adventure, which vanishes as soon as you jump into the first chapter. Gone is the positivity and the childish ponderings; instead we are left with an imprint of a hollow character faced with depression. Yes, there’s still the mission of finding the one girl in London to follow through with, but along the way we experience an antagonising journey of Mr. Priestley’s past and his downfall; and his slow but inspiring recovery. The dialogue is entertaining, and there’s still plenty of narrative soliloquy ‘between you and me’ moments shared between reader and writer. And the characters that surround him are all inspiring; eager to spur him onto the next life-changing moment; all while each hiding away their own problems and challenges. It’s all about making things happen.

Awkward Situations for Men

This book was absolutely full of laugh-out-loud moments. It’s all about the little things that you never think about until they are encountered. The pastries that need hiding because of someone who made the effort to get them. Being the first to arrive at a distant friend’s party. Accidentally pulling the panic cord in the vapour room in an attempt to get rid of the steam. And it’s all in the name of attempting to avoid an awkward situation and not cause a scene.  Wallace covers a fantastic range of topics in his simple approach of a series of columns about his experiences throughout the year rather than a simple narrative of a regular novel. Whatever the outcome in this charming commentary of Wallace’s life, it’s always hilarious as Danny struggles to cope with the unexpected characters that he meets upon his travels. He is certainly someone that I would very much enjoy having a pint with.