Too true, and I have no idea why they decide to retain the 'Ordinary' (now renamed 'Gravity'), rather than the Special, which is what most people drank. The odd brews from the micro-brewery in the Bull serve to remind you of what Braks beers used to be like.
On leaving the bar, I felt a strong blow to the back of my head. Turning round, I discovered it was the pavement
Do you mind me asking which one that was? I completed the Brakspear tour in 1979 but never made it to Ye Lion in Henley. I did manage it to the Old Hatch Gate at Cockpole Green and the Old House at Home at Warren Row which were wonderful places. The favourite venue was the Crooked Billet at Stoke Row which is apparently now a gastro place. Back then it was run by an old bloke Nobby who was quite happy to stay open with you in the afternoon as long as he could join in!
I've still got one of those old pale blue and yellow guides to Brakspear pubs.
Finally, an issue of national importance, do you pronounce it correctly (IMO) as "Brakespear" or "Brackspear"? It makes me throw a wobbler when I see it spelt as "Breakspear", similarly with "Weatherspoon"!
Here
Pronuciation? - you might recall "apply the Brakes"
Last edited by NickDavies; 03-03-2020 at 22:07.
Being close to the Western boundary of the estate, we probably didn't get there more than once or twice. Apart from Henley or a train back towns tended to be off the agenda. Do you remember the outcrop of Gales pubs at Mapledurham? There was the Pack Horse & Pack Saddle on the A4074 and I'm pretty sure the Black Lion near Woodcote was one. Was there a fourth or is that a memory management violation?
There were indeed four, the WhatPub entry for the Fox lists them. I'm sure I used to know why/how Gales acquired them but depletion of brain cells has taken its toll. I think I've got a seventies Oxfordshire Camra guide somewhere, that might shed some light on the matter.
I'm never sure when you're joking. There's a reason why this sort of thing is called an Old Wives Tale. Here's a list of dietary improvements you can make if your red blood cell count is low: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319457. Milk is only helpful if it's vitamin B12 deficiency that you are experiencing. And there is no milk in Milk Stout, only lactose (and hence no B12, unfortunately).
If it's iron that is low, here's what you should be eating:
shellfish, such as oysters, clams, and mussels
fortified cereals
oysters
spinach
chocolate with 45–69% cacao solids
chickpeas
tuna
sardines
baked potato with the skin attached
beef liver
beef
tofu
chicken liver
white beans
lentils
Good luck with finding a beer with those in!
Come On You Hatters!