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Thread: Random news of the day

  1. #2881
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    I see that the Morning Advertiser have updated their occasional list of "most popular pub names", which has attracted a little mainstream media coverage. Sadly it seems to be based on MA subscribers, so is not especially accurate as a quick cross-check of our own excellent live list quickly shows. Even allowing for possible differences in method (like ignoring suffixes so that Railway, Railway Inn, Railway Tavern, Railway Hotel etc are all counted as Railway) there are some pretty wide variations and obvious omissions.

    Presumably as a publicity gimmick, they have also seized on the Nag's Head as having made the top 25 (nowhere near according to us) and trotted out (or should that be Trottered?) the totally ridiculous story that appeared a while ago that the name derives from lanterns hung on horses to signal to smugglers. Quite apart from the fact that smugglers' signal lanterns were closely masked to avoid alerting the excisemen, you might expect that this would mean many Nag's Heads would be on the coast. Needless to say, hardly any of them are, with only one being anywhere near a 'smuggling' area. It is a great shame that if you repeat something often enough it becomes accepted as a fact.
    On leaving the bar, I felt a strong blow to the back of my head. Turning round, I discovered it was the pavement

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    Old & Bitter oldboots's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pangolin View Post

    Presumably as a publicity gimmick, they have also seized on the Nag's Head as having made the top 25 (nowhere near according to us) and trotted out (or should that be Trottered?) the totally ridiculous story that appeared a while ago that the name derives from lanterns hung on horses to signal to smugglers. Quite apart from the fact that smugglers' signal lanterns were closely masked to avoid alerting the excisemen, you might expect that this would mean many Nag's Heads would be on the coast. Needless to say, hardly any of them are, with only one being anywhere near a 'smuggling' area. It is a great shame that if you repeat something often enough it becomes accepted as a fact.
    Never heard that one before, Larwood & Camden-Hotten, who produced a massive tome on pub signs, don't offer an origin for the name but do refer to a myth called "The Nag's Head Fable" which concerns the consecration of an Archbishop of Canterbury in the Nag's Head, Cheapside.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pangolin View Post
    It is a great shame that if you repeat something often enough it becomes accepted as a fact.
    My favourite one of these is the claim that Bob Holness the Blockbusters presenter performed the saxophone solo on Gerry Rafferty's Baker Street.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aqualung View Post
    My favourite one of these is the claim that Bob Holness the Blockbusters presenter performed the saxophone solo on Gerry Rafferty's Baker Street.
    Or that JDW buy short-dated beer.

    You wonder if that was written on the side of a bus, given much of their core clientele believe things (well, a rather specific thing) written on the side of a bus.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aqualung View Post
    My favourite one of these is the claim that Bob Holness the Blockbusters presenter performed the saxophone solo on Gerry Rafferty's Baker Street.

    This was generated by music journalist Stuart Maconie during his time at the NME - from Wikipedia: "Maconie also is credited with starting two urban legends; that Bob Holness, UK host of the game show Blockbusters, played the sax solo on Gerry Rafferty's hit single "Baker Street"[4] and that David Bowie invented the board game Connect Four.[5] The stories first appeared as blatant jokes in a spoof NME 'Believe It or Not' feature, but have since been repeated elsewhere as if true."

    A less well-known myth he also fabricated was that the Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant was a fully qualified rugby union referee.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tris39 View Post
    This was generated by music journalist Stuart Maconie during his time at the NME - from Wikipedia: "Maconie also is credited with starting two urban legends; that Bob Holness, UK host of the game show Blockbusters, played the sax solo on Gerry Rafferty's hit single "Baker Street"[4] and that David Bowie invented the board game Connect Four.[5] The stories first appeared as blatant jokes in a spoof NME 'Believe It or Not' feature, but have since been repeated elsewhere as if true."

    A less well-known myth he also fabricated was that the Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant was a fully qualified rugby union referee.
    He is also credited with Watneys -red barrel was a great pint.Urban myth I think.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aqualung View Post
    I was told by one of the Wild Card founders years ago that JDW and Enterprise terms are just as bad as each other. At least JDW pass on the savings to the punter rather than charging the inflated "going rate". Truman's already have a strong presence in East London JDWs as Locale options. Most of them are drinkable but understated. They aren't a complete disaster (we're not in Doom Bore territory here).
    I don't think Wetherspoons are that bad really.They tell the brewers what they are willing to pay and if they can match the price its a deal.Enterprise use SIBA and have lowered the agreed price on a few occasions which is a bad move for anyone supplying them.I quite like Trumans beers on the bbb scale decent ,tasty beers generally.

  8. #2888
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    Quote Originally Posted by london calling View Post
    He is also credited with Watneys -red barrel was a great pint.Urban myth I think.
    I can assure anyone interested that it certainly wasn't a great pint. The remarkable thing is that they degraded it even further by changing it to Watney's Red which had no merit whatsoever. Even when they realised they had shot themselves in the foot their Watney's Fined Bitter was poor compared to the slightly later Ind Coope Burton Ale. As an aside Burton Bridge brewery have done a fair job of recreating this beer.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aqualung View Post
    I can assure anyone interested that it certainly wasn't a great pint. The remarkable thing is that they degraded it even further by changing it to Watney's Red which had no merit whatsoever. Even when they realised they had shot themselves in the foot their Watney's Fined Bitter was poor compared to the slightly later Ind Coope Burton Ale. As an aside Burton Bridge brewery have done a fair job of recreating this beer.
    I remember going to a pub in Fulham specifically to try the new Fined Bitter.Didnt like it much.My fav them was Worthingtons ? bitter.Couldnt say I liked English beer much at that time,73/74 probably.

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    Quote Originally Posted by london calling View Post
    I remember going to a pub in Fulham specifically to try the new Fined Bitter.Didnt like it much.My fav them was Worthingtons ? bitter.Couldnt say I liked English beer much at that time,73/74 probably.
    I assume we are just talking cask here so Worthington Bitter was a Burton brewed option but not that common in London which was awash with Charrington IPA or less likely Bass. It's still going but brewed by Brains for Mouldy Corpse.

    My recollection of timescales is that Red Barrel was replaced by Red in late 1969 or early 1970. I think Red Barrel was an attempt to create an Irish Red Ale but the new Red was dismal. It was accompanied by a huge advertising campaign urging people to join the Red Revolution featuring supposed Communist leaders and was about as funny as an emergency visit to the dentist. This was the era of the Vietnam War, the Cold War and the Cuban missile crisis so was arguably a lot more offensive than recent sexist beer names and pump clips.
    As I recall Watney's Fined Bitter was introduced in 1975/1976. It was brewed in Norwich. Ind Coope Burton Ale followed in 1976/1977 and was rightly much better received.
    This is all from memory but I think the dates are right.

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