Saturday 19th September - To and From Hayes - Low flying planes, and unlubricated sofas

Well, we've gone upmarket with this post. Gone are the boring but functional solely text postings, now we've got pictures!

Hayes and Yeading football club, which I suppose sounds a bit like a musical double act, was the destination for today's jaunt and brief look at the excellent map on their web site revealed they are very close to Heathrow and even better the same map revealed a pub, the White Horse in the village of Longford which if the airport ever expands even a few feet that way will probably need to be expunged from the records.

There was clear evidence of the pub selling real ale from their web site and knowing that t'other half likes a bit of plane spotting it seemed like a good stopping off point.

Off down the M40 we set, past 10, no 20, no 40 Smart cars of various models and after a brief stop at High Wycombe services with a wonderful example of a Sydney Armstrong parked up there, we arrived shortly after noon.

Its a Saturday so the on street parking was free and we settled down in the road side seats with Marston's Pedigree in Hand to watch the flying machines come in accompanied by the pub's dog.


Unfortunately whilst the pub is indeed close to the airport, surrounding buildings make it not well placed for photographic purposes and having spotted The Kings Arms a few hundred yards away we decided to head there and see what that could offer. From the outside it looked worst but on closer inspection we were rewarded in our efforts with an excellent view across the Terminal 5 and a close up view of the aircraft coming in to land. (The photo below was taken with a compact camera and not a super long telephoto lens). Alas the beer choice was not great - there was evidence of real ale being sold but not today so it was coke for me.

So that's the low flying bit of the title dealt with, but what I hear you cry, of the "unlubricated sofa" - don't fear - read on.

Thence off to the match, thence the homeward leg and the plan this time was to stop in a village in Oxfordshire hopefully to include food. My aging copy of the GBG revealed a likely candidate in the shape of the King's Head at Fritwell with its choice of ales and "traditional food served daily." Sure enough we soon found our way there and opted for a beer from Hook Norton (alas not noted) and asked about food. "We're not doing any today" came the reply, "but we do have a bbq on" so out we tramped and indeed there was a bbq that although had been going for some time they were still offering excellent burgers and indeed free sausages once we revealed we had come from Tamworth.

T'other half tends to pick up vibes about people and was soon quietly pointing out that the cook was a bit camp.

Whilst sitting there a trailor was dragged to the front of the pub containing a 3 piece suite which some friends of the familtyowners then needed to get up a steep narrow staircase at the side of the pub. After much grunting and groaning from those involved they managed to get the two chairs up and in. Then came the sofa. I didn't think you could carry a sofa that many ways. Eventually amidst the chorus of friendly if unhelpful but well intentioned comments, the cook piped up with "If you put some lubrication on it it will slip in easier" - success and thence we left as t'other half burst into fits of laughter.

Thursday 17th September - Burton Beer Festival

Burton's branch of CAMRA typically hosts two festivals every year and in the past, the plan was usually to attend on the Friday night. This plan however is often flawed due to the sheer number of people attending, and the more interesting beers having sold out priot to our arrival. Not so this year as we arrived shortly before opening for the initial Thursday night session. Whilst we waited we chatted to a nice chap who had come all the way from Aberdeen.

At 7 pm sharp (-ish) the door were flung open and in we went.

"Hmmm" was my intial reaction, somethings changed here, the beer range looks more interesting than in previous years. Our normal plan is to spend some time at the festival and thence a couple of pubs, - not this time as our stay till 10.15 soon passed.

Along the way the following beers were sampled:

1. Brewdog - Edge - the description of a mild drinking far above its strength was spot on - although only 2.8% - you'd have thought it was stronger. A good example of the "people's beer" that CAMRA has proposed.
2. Time for something unusual. I had spied Dark Star's Espresso, a 4.2% black beer made with freshly ground espresso. This should be a beer for the beer drinker who like a little coffee, alas it came across as a glass of cold coffee for the beer drinker. Not a beer I'd drink again on purpose and a half was a lifetime's supply for me (but then beer is so subjective.
3. Back to the Brewdog section. I've followed the development of the double and triple IPA styles from their early days (then known as Baltic IPAs in some parts) so the chance to sample a British brewery's attempt in the form on Hardcore IPA was one I jumped at (the note in the programme that this 9% was the most bitter of british beers added to the attraction (must be the beer drinker's equivilent of why to mountaineers climb mountains?)) Sure enough the nip that I sampled had an intense hoppiness that you either love or don't. I think in a blind tasting it would be difficult to divide this from a Shiraz style wine. What ever I could still feel the numbness some days later!
   I was almost tempted by the 13.4% Falstaff Supernova, but the knowledge of meetings the next morning put paid to that.
   
4. So, onward from a large hopping to a very small hopped Milk Stout (4.5%) from the Bristol Beer Factory. A revival of an old Bristol recipe, this is a good example of the style I felt. If I'd have had a flat cap and closed my eyes I could quite easily imagine sitting in a pub in Bristol (except for the slight problem that I've never been to Bristol let alone drunk in a pub there).
5. Sticking to the Bristolian Stout theme but wanting more body next came Arbor's Oyster Stout (4.6%). Not one for the vegatarians as this does contain oysters.
6. Further into Cornwall, for Crowlas Bitter from Penzance. A simple 3.8% offering which answered my call for beer flavoured beer.
   
7. Closer to home next, I'd been speaking to Robert Greenway from Blythe Brewery earlier in the evening so it was only fittin g to sample one of his. Three beers were on offer, all new to me, but I chose Hamstall Hop a 4.2% beer on the basis that he had ustilised Fuggle hops growing at the brewery and I have previously say under the said hop bine. Good beer sums this one up nicely.
8. time for one more, Swedish Nightingale from Malvern Hills seemed a good choice and indeed was my conclusion over this 4% offering.