I think saying that I "organised" last night's event is a bit over the top. All I really did was identify a pub, specify a date, and post a new thread, and get there early enough to bag a table. Nonetheless, it was certainly worth the somewhat minimal effort I expended.
Thanks Gann - I reckon that saying I know more about beer and historic pub interiors than the workings of a digital camera to be a compliment. Clearly my time spent in pubs has not been wasted.
Like Roger I found the PuG T-shirt to be an advantage. Letting the barmaid know that I was a chum of RogerB was also an added advantage. I didn't have a spare T-shirt for her, but of course she got one of the calling cards, which I'm sure she will treasure.
In the event it wasn't a crawl. At a couple of points during the evening I did mention the possibility of wandering down to the Eagle Ale House and/or The Nightingale, but the consensus was that there was little point as the Falcon had 17 ales on, and we had a table from which we could spy the ale list on the chalboard above the bar back. Of course by the end of the evening the PuG team had given the ales a serious pounding (bit like some heads this morning I suspect) and several (three as I recall) casks had been drunk dry. It was hard and thirsty work, but we all stuck to the Herculean task manfully and, I think, emerged triumphant.
I think I've managed to attach a team photograph, the quality of which will confirm Gann's assessment of my photographic skills! Those in the photograph are: HTM69 in the foreground; then going clockwise we have RogerB; Bryan (brother-in-law of Brakslover); Bucking Fastard; Gann; Brakslover; Maldenman; and Pubsignman. Those missing from the shot are rpadam, who had to leave earlier, and yours truly who was behind the camera. It was a great evening, and one I'm sure we will repeat before too long.
Rex, you're too modest - you certainly deserve credit for organising a very enjoyable evening. The choice of pub was excellent - we struggled to think of many other London pubs that would have had 17 ales on offer.
And thanks to Roger for the trivia answers - I thought HTM69's Kentish status would forever remain a mystery.
I certainly look forward to another get together in the near future.
RPA managed to double his normal criteria by having a quick 2 and he's off (we think he sneaked a bonus pint in teh Slug & Lettuce next door).
Ha! It was actually the rather hideous, but could be rather better given its location, Sloe Bar at Waterloo Station (and only because I got there from Clapham Junction in record time despite having playing the traditional platform-roulette-with-contradictory-information-from-each-so-called-information-board game). Anyway, it was good to see some of you, and sorry to have missed others - next time...