Has anyone read the appalling rubbish written about the Great British 
Beer Festival in today's 'Daily Telegraph' by some hack called Neil 
Tweedie?

I think CAMRA should complain to the Press Complaints Commission about 
it. Some of the comments appear to be actionable.

I have written a letter in response, but I will be very surprised if 
they publish it.
-- 
Roy Bailey
West Berkshire.
<roy (dot) bailey (at) freeuk (dot) com>

"Roy Bailey"  wrote in message 
news:Q33qsNDmeO8CFwy$@freeuk.com...

> Has anyone read the appalling rubbish written about the Great British Beer 
> Festival in today's 'Daily Telegraph' by some hack called Neil Tweedie?


No.  Would you care to enlighten us?

"Ian Black"  wrote in message
news:42f10f2f$0$14679$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net

> "Roy Bailey"  wrote in message
> news:Q33qsNDmeO8CFwy$@freeuk.com...
>> Has anyone read the appalling rubbish written about the Great British
>> Beer Festival in today's 'Daily Telegraph' by some hack called Neil
>> Tweedie?
>
> No.  Would you care to enlighten us?


http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/08/03/nale03.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/08/03/ixnewstop.html

http://tinyurl.com/dffad

Starts:

"If you think Campaign for Real Ale festivals are populated by characters 
from Middle Earth, you are right.

"Beards, long ones, were in abundance at the Olympia exhibition centre in 
London yesterday, adorning men with pigtails, homely pot bellies, hearty 
laughs and foam around their mouths. The only thing missing was an orc."

Hmm, I've met some distinctly orc-like CAMRA members ;-)

-- 
http://www.stockportpubs.org.uk
"If a river bridge were not guarded by a parapet, the slackness of the
defaulting authority deserves the blame, not the people who fall in" -
Lieut. Col. Mervyn O'Gorman.

"Ian Black"  wrote in message
news:42f10f2f$0$14679$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net

> "Roy Bailey"  wrote in message
> news:Q33qsNDmeO8CFwy$@freeuk.com...
>> Has anyone read the appalling rubbish written about the Great British
>> Beer Festival in today's 'Daily Telegraph' by some hack called Neil
>> Tweedie?
>
> No.  Would you care to enlighten us?


http://tinyurl.com/dffad

-- 
http://www.stockportpubs.org.uk
"If a river bridge were not guarded by a parapet, the slackness of the
defaulting authority deserves the blame, not the people who fall in" -
Lieut. Col. Mervyn O'Gorman.

Roy Bailey  wrote in news:Q33qsNDmeO8CFwy$@freeuk.com:


> Has anyone read the appalling rubbish written about the Great British 
> Beer Festival in today's 'Daily Telegraph' by some hack called Neil 
> Tweedie?
> 
> I think CAMRA should complain to the Press Complaints Commission about 
> it. Some of the comments appear to be actionable.
> 
> I have written a letter in response, but I will be very surprised if 
> they publish it.


If this isn't a piss take, what did you write? Did you sign it Humour Less 
Pratt?

M.

On Wed, 3 Aug 2005 16:49:58 +0100, Roy Bailey  wrote:


>Has anyone read the appalling rubbish written about the Great British 
>Beer Festival in today's 'Daily Telegraph' by some hack called Neil 
>Tweedie?
>
>I think CAMRA should complain to the Press Complaints Commission about 
>it. Some of the comments appear to be actionable.


Don't get too worked up about this, it's just the usual lazy
journalism you get with this sort of story. There *are* plenty of
middle aged beer gutted bearded men around at GBBF if that's all
people want to see. Mainstream journalists writing beer stories
generally rely on either brewery press handouts or easy stereotypes.
This is why CAMRA lays on media stunts to coincide with GBBF - to give
lazy journos something to write about.

Tweedie will probably be writing about iPods or dirty vicars or split
capital investment trusts tomorrow.

Best regards, Paul
--
Paul Sherwin Consulting     http://paulsherwin.co.uk

Paul Sherwin wrote:

> On Wed, 3 Aug 2005 16:49:58 +0100, Roy Bailey  wrote:
>
> >Has anyone read the appalling rubbish written about the Great British
> >Beer Festival in today's 'Daily Telegraph' by some hack called Neil
> >Tweedie?
> >
> >I think CAMRA should complain to the Press Complaints Commission about
> >it. Some of the comments appear to be actionable.


horses & courses, I actually thought it was mildly witty, yes,
ill-informed ("Lager is an accepted part of the real ale industry with
70 per cent of the beer market") yes, dully, lazily
stereotypical/cliched (beards, guts, dead sheep in cider, or cider
tasting of goat) but thought TheTelegraph a surprising place to read
this - "The real ale industry is, unlike many of its denizens, in rude
health. Drinkers tired of bland, mass-produced brands are seeking out
its wares in greater numbers"

A couple of other things - would an asst bar mgr at the  cider bar
really have called one of the products "ghastly"? & I wonder why the
writer found Cain's Lager "so-so-ish", it's been very good when I've
had it from cask. The only 2 drinks he seemed to like were Crouch Vale
Brewers Gold & Hobgoblin.
Cheers,
MikeMcG

On 4 Aug 2005 03:44:08 -0700, "MikeMcG" 
wrote:


>I wonder why the
>writer found Cain's Lager "so-so-ish", it's been very good when I've
>had it from cask.


Probably because it doesn't taste like the Stella or Bud I imagine he
normally drinks.

Best regards, Paul

--
Paul Sherwin Consulting     http://paulsherwin.co.uk

On Wed, 3 Aug 2005 16:49:58 +0100, Roy Bailey wrote
(in message <Q33qsNDmeO8CFwy$@freeuk.com>):


> Has anyone read the appalling rubbish written about the Great British 
> Beer Festival in today's 'Daily Telegraph' by some hack called Neil 
> Tweedie?
> 
> I think CAMRA should complain to the Press Complaints Commission about 
> it. Some of the comments appear to be actionable.
> 
> I have written a letter in response, but I will be very surprised if 
> they publish it.


Instead of complaining about GBBF related articles in the papers maybe 
youshould moan about CAMRA failing yet again to stage manage 
it'sinteraction with the press, surely it's one of the main things 
'campaign'groups are supposed to do.

If the fat, bearded, sandal wearers are such a minority as CAMRA defenders 
claim then how hard would it be to make sure the press don't come across them 
at press day?

And why does the event always seem to be covered by young, trendy, 
cornish-pastyhaircut, rookie reporters rather than the food anddrink 
correspondent? Is it because CAMRA haven't got a clue how toget their press 
release to the right person?

It happens every year and every year someone moans about it.


Just out of interest what would your complaint to the PCC be?

On 4 Aug, in article
     
     mikemcg6363@my-deja.com "MikeMcG" wrote:


>A couple of other things - would an asst bar mgr at the  cider bar
>really have called one of the products "ghastly"? & I wonder why the
>writer found Cain's Lager "so-so-ish", it's been very good when I've
>had it from cask. 


When I had a sample at the GBBF on Wed, it was sour. Unfortunately, the
friend who gave it to me couldn't be bothered walking all the way back
to the Cain's stand to return it!


-- 

[ John Hein              GM1YME  |       Phaggots do it on the phone!       ]
[ johndunedin@drink.demon.co.uk  |      Sine Pretio Loquimini Omnibus       ]
[ johndunedin@cix.compulink.co.uk|                                          ]
[ Telephone: +44 131 558 1279    |http://www.scotsgay.co.uk/people/john.html]
[ TeleFax: +44 131 539 2999      |   45 B5/6 f+ t- w+ d g++ k- s++! r-- p   ]
[ Lambda BBS: +44 131 556 6316   | S8/9 b g- l y- z/ n o++ x-- a+ u- v- j++ ]

PeterE wrote:

> "Ian Black"  wrote in message
> news:42f10f2f$0$14679$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net
>> "Roy Bailey"  wrote in message
>> news:Q33qsNDmeO8CFwy$@freeuk.com...
>>> Has anyone read the appalling rubbish written about the Great
>>> British Beer Festival in today's 'Daily Telegraph' by some hack
>>> called Neil Tweedie?
>>
>> No.  Would you care to enlighten us?
>
> http://tinyurl.com/dffad


How do I get rid of that awful "house" which sits over the web page 
advertising some Barclays mortgage? OTOH it does obscure the trash written 
underneath :-)

"Some 45000 CAMRA beardies" would be a good place to stop I think.

Brian

In article , Steve 
Pickthall  writes

>On Wed, 3 Aug 2005 16:49:58 +0100, Roy Bailey wrote
>(in message <Q33qsNDmeO8CFwy$@freeuk.com>):
>
>> Has anyone read the appalling rubbish written about the Great British
>> Beer Festival in today's 'Daily Telegraph' by some hack called Neil
>> Tweedie?
>>
>> I think CAMRA should complain to the Press Complaints Commission about
>> it. Some of the comments appear to be actionable.
>>
>> I have written a letter in response, but I will be very surprised if
>> they publish it.
>
>Instead of complaining about GBBF related articles in the papers maybe
>youshould moan about CAMRA failing yet again to stage manage
>it'sinteraction with the press, surely it's one of the main things
>'campaign'groups are supposed to do.
>
>If the fat, bearded, sandal wearers are such a minority as CAMRA defenders
>claim then how hard would it be to make sure the press don't come across them
>at press day?
>
>And why does the event always seem to be covered by young, trendy,
>cornish-pastyhaircut, rookie reporters rather than the food anddrink
>correspondent? Is it because CAMRA haven't got a clue how toget their press
>release to the right person?
>
>It happens every year and every year someone moans about it.
>

Presumably the press release goes out to *all* the media, and I am 
confident that HQ staff know how to target such releases, but CAMRA 
cannot stipulate the particular journalist sent to cover the event, nor 
the attitude of the newspaper, radio station or TV channel concerned. 
This was the first time I can remember the Daily Telegraph taking any 
interest in GBBF.

You never miss a chance to have a pop at CAMRA, do you? What's up - was 
your mother frightened by a brewer?
-- 
Roy Bailey
West Berkshire.
<roy (dot) bailey (at) freeuk (dot) com>

In message , Roy Bailey  
wrote

>
>Presumably the press release goes out to *all* the media, and I am 
>confident that HQ staff know how to target such releases,


You have obviously not read too many of the CAMRA press releases. Just 
enough information missing or so badly written that a lazy journalist 
has to make up some of the information.

Often CAMRA, collectively, seems to assume that EVERYBODY knows their 
aims and that the 'internal shorthand' is understood. I have read press 
articles liberally sprinkled with the word poty, rather than being about 
a Pub Of The Year. Give the press meaningless TLAs (or in this case 
FLAs) and you don't have to wonder why a distorted message is presented.
-- 
Alan
mailto:news2me_a_2003@amacleod.clara.co.uk

On Fri, 5 Aug 2005 7:42:29 +0100, Roy Bailey wrote
(in message ):


> Presumably the press release goes out to *all* the media, and I am 
> confident that HQ staff know how to target such releases, but CAMRA 
> cannot stipulate the particular journalist sent to cover the event, nor 
> the attitude of the newspaper, radio station or TV channel concerned. 
> This was the first time I can remember the Daily Telegraph taking any 
> interest in GBBF.


I never miss a chance to have a pop at CAMRA because CAMRA never miss a 
chance to bollocks things like this up, in the process making the life of 
everyone else who's involved in the quality end of beer industry a little 
more difficult.

I know CAMRA can'tstipulate who covers it, but what's it doing to minimise 
the chances of it being covered by a lazy moron?

IMO the press release shouldn't go out to all and any parts of the media, it 
should be targeted at food and drink journalists and preferably sympathetic 
ones. The event never seems to get anything more than 500 words in the news 
section by a journalist intent on relaying the attire of the 'I'm mad I am' 
section of the real ale community. Why isn't it in the coloursupplement 
covering a few pages near the food and drink section?

It happens every year, why does it never improve?

Alan wrote:


> In message , Roy Bailey 
> wrote
> >
> >Presumably the press release goes out to *all* the media, and I am
> >confident that HQ staff know how to target such releases,
>
> You have obviously not read too many of the CAMRA press releases. Just
> enough information missing or so badly written that a lazy journalist
> has to make up some of the information.
>
> Often CAMRA, collectively, seems to assume that EVERYBODY knows their
> aims and that the 'internal shorthand' is understood. I have read press
> articles liberally sprinkled with the word poty, rather than being about
> a Pub Of The Year. Give the press meaningless TLAs (or in this case
> FLAs) and you don't have to wonder why a distorted message is presented.
> --
> Alan
> mailto:news2me_a_2003@amacleod.clara.co.uk


Speaking as a journalist, I think youre being rather negative about Camra
and media coverage. A few points:

- The Daily Telegraph article managed to combine both positive reporting
with the stereotypical stuff in a pretty witty package ? and so was
probably widely read. Some publicity is better than none.

- Do a search for Camra on Google news ? youll be surprised how many
reports turn up. The pub closure theme has been widely reported.

- Beer does get quite a good airing in the papers, although I agree its
rather on and off ? its a shame the Guardian  doesnt carry Roger Protzs
beer column at present.

- Most importantly, in my view, over the years Camra has been one of the
outstanding consumer movements, helping to reverse the virtual extinction
of the industry. What other movement comes close to its achievements?

 Marc

BrianW wrote:

> >
> > http://tinyurl.com/dffad
>
> How do I get rid of that awful "house" which sits over the web page
> advertising some Barclays mortgage?


I can't see it, so I presume it's a pop-up advert. If so, just use a
browser that blocks them. I can recommend Firefox:
<http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/>.
-- 
Pat Ricroft, City of Salford, UK
================================

"marcb"  wrote in message

>
> - Most importantly, in my view, over the years Camra has been one of the
> outstanding consumer movements, helping to reverse the virtual extinction
> of the industry. What other movement comes close to its achievements?


CAMRA has certainly greatly increased the appreciation and understanding of 
beer, but it must be said that less real ale is being drunk now than at any 
time in the movement's history. That can't be be regarded as an unqualified 
success story.

-- 
http://www.stockportpubs.org.uk
"If a river bridge were not guarded by a parapet, the slackness of the
defaulting authority deserves the blame, not the people who fall in" -
Lieut. Col. Mervyn O'Gorman.

In message , 
MikeMcG  writes

>
>A couple of other things - would an asst bar mgr at the  cider bar
>really have called one of the products "ghastly"? & I wonder why the


You'd normally say you *thought* it was ghastly, since you know someone 
will love it.

BTW that's where the orc is.

-- 
Sue  ];(:)

> CAMRA has certainly greatly increased the appreciation and
> understanding of beer, but it must be said that less real ale is being
> drunk now than at any time in the movement's history. That can't be be
> regarded as an unqualified success story.


As a small organisation with mostly volunteer activists the achievements 
are way beyond what you could expect. 

M.

"marcb"  wrote in message
news:Xns96AA8ACF314FBxxxyyy@194.117.143.53

>> CAMRA has certainly greatly increased the appreciation and
>> understanding of beer, but it must be said that less real ale is being
>> drunk now than at any time in the movement's history. That can't be be
>> regarded as an unqualified success story.
>
> As a small organisation with mostly volunteer activists the achievements
> are way beyond what you could expect.


What has it achieved, then, beyond "greatly increasing the appreciation and
understanding of beer"?

(I am one of those volunteer activists, but I feel that much of CAMRA's 
activity has been in putting up token resistance to the inevitable)

-- 
http://www.stockportpubs.org.uk
"If a river bridge were not guarded by a parapet, the slackness of the
defaulting authority deserves the blame, not the people who fall in" -
Lieut. Col. Mervyn O'Gorman.

"PeterE"  wrote in
news:dd3b9r$7u7$1@news6.svr.pol.co.uk: 


>>
>> As a small organisation with mostly volunteer activists the
>> achievements are way beyond what you could expect.
> 
> What has it achieved, then, beyond "greatly increasing the
> appreciation and understanding of beer"?
> 
> (I am one of those volunteer activists, but I feel that much of
> CAMRA's activity has been in putting up token resistance to the
> inevitable) 


I believe Camra is still one of the outstanding examples of a consumer
movement that forced major corporations to change their intentions,
ie to wipe out real ale. This should not be underestimated. Big
business has destroyed other traditional products and ways of life 
(supermarkets vs high street being an obvious example). The government
is now having to regulate things like salt content in foods.

Yes, real ale has a declining share but there is probably more choice 
around now if you want it, both in pubs and retail outlets.  
 
In my experience with small organisatoions that depend on activists it is
usually the volunteers who tend to scupper more professionalism, as they
dislike using the same techniques deployed by the 'enemy'. 

M.

Steve Pickthall wrote:

>
> Instead of complaining about GBBF related articles in the papers maybe
> you should moan about CAMRA failing yet again to stage manage
> it's interaction with the press, surely it's one of the main things
> 'campaign' groups are supposed to do.
>


Having looked at a range of papers that came out over GBBF week, the 
Telegraph one stood out because it was the only "negative" one. Most of the 
others were positive and  concentrated on the CAMRA press-release on pub 
closures - hardly an indication of poor press releases! I suggest the lazt 
journo simply wanted to put a different spin from the other papers in order 
to "stand out from the crowd".
In terms of the Telegraph, I start worrying when I agree with the content!

-- 

Brett

Pat Ricroft wrote:

> BrianW wrote:
>>>
>>> http://tinyurl.com/dffad
>>
>> How do I get rid of that awful "house" which sits over the web page
>> advertising some Barclays mortgage?
>
> I can't see it, so I presume it's a pop-up advert. If so, just use a
> browser that blocks them. I can recommend Firefox:
> <http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/>.


In fact I do block popups using the Google toolbar. So maybe there are 
popups and popups...

Brian

marcb wrote:

> "PeterE"  wrote in
> news:dd3b9r$7u7$1@news6.svr.pol.co.uk:
>
>>>
>>> As a small organisation with mostly volunteer activists the
>>> achievements are way beyond what you could expect.
>>
>> What has it achieved, then, beyond "greatly increasing the
>> appreciation and understanding of beer"?
>>
>> (I am one of those volunteer activists, but I feel that much of
>> CAMRA's activity has been in putting up token resistance to the
>> inevitable)
>
> I believe Camra is still one of the outstanding examples of a consumer
> movement that forced major corporations to change their intentions,
> ie to wipe out real ale. This should not be underestimated. Big
> business has destroyed other traditional products and ways of life
> (supermarkets vs high street being an obvious example). The government
> is now having to regulate things like salt content in foods.
>
> Yes, real ale has a declining share but there is probably more choice
> around now if you want it, both in pubs and retail outlets.
>
> In my experience with small organisatoions that depend on activists
> it is usually the volunteers who tend to scupper more
> professionalism, as they dislike using the same techniques deployed
> by the 'enemy'.


What I'm seeing locally is less of the "megabrews" like Boddingtons, John 
Smiths and Tetleys, and more offerings from local microbreweries. Storm 
(Macclesfield) brews now seem to be much commoner in the local area than 
Boddies. But then I don't tend to go to "lowest common denominator" pubs.

The problem is that most people measure real ale sales by how much of the 
likes of Boddingtons is sold. (No disrespect to Hydes, but you know what I 
mean.)

Brian

BrianW wrote:

> Pat Ricroft wrote:
> 
>>BrianW wrote:
>>
>>>>http://tinyurl.com/dffad
>>>
>>>How do I get rid of that awful "house" which sits over the web page
>>>advertising some Barclays mortgage?
>>
>>I can't see it, so I presume it's a pop-up advert. If so, just use a
>>browser that blocks them. I can recommend Firefox:
>><http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/>.
> 
> 
> In fact I do block popups using the Google toolbar. So maybe there are 
> popups and popups...
> 
> Brian
> 
> 

Those are a particularly horrible version.  If you look closely - and
you may need to scroll about a bit - there is a 'close' button on the
edge of those ads - somewhere...

Steve Pickthall a crit :


>It happens every year, why does it never improve?
>

Mr Pickthall, your seasonal GBBF rants also happen every year,  why 
don't they ever improve either ?


-- 
Warning : you may encounter French language beyond this point.

Quel merveilleux jeu de jambes ! Einstein avait raison ! "Une blanche vaut deux noires" 
(F'murrr)

Laurent Mousson, Berne, Switzerland

On Mon, 8 Aug 2005 18:29:28 +0100, The Submarine Captain wrote
(in message <42f794fd$1_1@news.bluewin.ch>):
 

> Mr Pickthall, your seasonal GBBF rants also happen every year,  why 
> don't they ever improve either ?


Because they're spot-on every year and you can't improve on spot-onness.

Steve Pickthall a crit :


>On Mon, 8 Aug 2005 18:29:28 +0100, The Submarine Captain wrote
>(in message <42f794fd$1_1@news.bluewin.ch>):
> 
>  
>
>>Mr Pickthall, your seasonal GBBF rants also happen every year,  why 
>>don't they ever improve either ?
>>    
>>
>
>Because they're spot-on every year and you can't improve on spot-onness.
>

Oh I see, you're right because you're right. wont't have the cheek to 
dare dicuss that, then.


-- 
Warning : you may encounter French language beyond this point.

Quel merveilleux jeu de jambes ! Einstein avait raison ! "Une blanche vaut deux noires" 
(F'murrr)

Laurent Mousson, Berne, Switzerland

"BrianW"  wrote in
news:g7uJe.13434$hc4.9020@newsfe6-win.ntli.net: 


> What I'm seeing locally is less of the "megabrews" like Boddingtons,
> John Smiths and Tetleys, and more offerings from local microbreweries.
> Storm (Macclesfield) brews now seem to be much commoner in the local
> area than Boddies. But then I don't tend to go to "lowest common
> denominator" pubs. 
> 
> The problem is that most people measure real ale sales by how much of
> the likes of Boddingtons is sold. (No disrespect to Hydes, but you
> know what I mean.)
> 
> Brian


Here in Islington I think there is more decent choice now largely thanks
to the rise of the gastropub although the beer comes at a high price. My
local is one such doing a choice of sometimes well served beers - before it
was a mostly empty back steet pub with one sad disused handpump.There are 
now three gastros in easy walking distance and another looks like it's 
being converted at the other end of my street.

M.

Xifer wrote:

> BrianW wrote:
>> Pat Ricroft wrote:
>>
>>> BrianW wrote:
>>>
>>>>> http://tinyurl.com/dffad
>>>>
>>>> How do I get rid of that awful "house" which sits over the web page
>>>> advertising some Barclays mortgage?
>>>
>>> I can't see it, so I presume it's a pop-up advert. If so, just use a
>>> browser that blocks them. I can recommend Firefox:
>>> <http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/>.
>>
>>
>> In fact I do block popups using the Google toolbar. So maybe there
>> are popups and popups...
>>
>> Brian
>>
>>
> Those are a particularly horrible version.  If you look closely - and
> you may need to scroll about a bit - there is a 'close' button on the
> edge of those ads - somewhere...


Hmmm. The "house" eventually transmogrifies to the right into a standard 
window with a "close" button. But there is no way to close the original 
"house" that I can see. I haven't tried it with Firefox, but elsewhere 
there's a comment that a CAMRA web site doesn't display correctly with 
Firefox. (I can confirm that you can't click on some links.)

Just revisited the web page and the house has gone! Oh well.

Brian

The Submarine Captain wrote:

> Steve Pickthall a crit :
>
>> On Mon, 8 Aug 2005 18:29:28 +0100, The Submarine Captain wrote
>> (in message <42f794fd$1_1@news.bluewin.ch>):
>>
>>
>>
>>> Mr Pickthall, your seasonal GBBF rants also happen every year,  why
>>> don't they ever improve either ?
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Because they're spot-on every year and you can't improve on
>> spot-onness.
> Oh I see, you're right because you're right. wont't have the cheek to
> dare dicuss that, then.


Laurent. Just stick to this newsgroup. On some others you'd have just 
started a flame war!

Brian

On Mon, 08 Aug 2005 18:58:16 +0000, marcb wrote:


> Here in Islington I think there is more decent choice now largely thanks
> to the rise of the gastropub although the beer comes at a high price. My
> local is one such doing a choice of sometimes well served beers - before
> it was a mostly empty back steet pub with one sad disused handpump.There
> are now three gastros in easy walking distance and another looks like it's
> being converted at the other end of my street.


May I ask what part of Islington? (Lived there mostly)

Wayne
-- 
Registered Linux user #375994
You can try sending mail to the address in the headers but it
might not get read for a while, if at all.

In article , Steve 
Pickthall  writes

>On Mon, 8 Aug 2005 18:29:28 +0100, The Submarine Captain wrote
>(in message <42f794fd$1_1@news.bluewin.ch>):
>
>> Mr Pickthall, your seasonal GBBF rants also happen every year,  why
>> don't they ever improve either ?
>
>Because they're spot-on every year
>

Can't say that I've noticed ...

There must be skin and hair flying when the Thickpall brothers get 
together, because sibling Jeff has started taking What's Brewing's 
filthy lucre, and  must therefore approve of CAMRA and what it is doing.

If not ...
-- 
Roy Bailey
West Berkshire.
<roy (dot) bailey (at) freeuk (dot) com>

Wayne wrote:


>
> May I ask what part of Islington? (Lived there mostly)
>


De Beauvoir - Islington/Hackney. Gastro pubs are the Talbot, Northgate,
Rosemary Branch. The Trolley Stop on Stamford Road is undergoing a refit and
may be another soon.

M.

"marcb"  wrote in message
news:Xns96ACCB22BD328xxxyyy@194.117.143.38

>
> Here in Islington I think there is more decent choice now largely thanks
> to the rise of the gastropub although the beer comes at a high price. My
> local is one such doing a choice of sometimes well served beers - before
> it was a mostly empty back steet pub with one sad disused handpump.There
> are now three gastros in easy walking distance and another looks like it's
> being converted at the other end of my street.


Are these "gastropubs" welcoming to people who don't want a "gastromeal"? 
Much of what I have read suggests that they are basically pretentious 
restaurants inhabiting the shells of former pubs.

-- 
http://www.stockportpubs.org.uk
"If a river bridge were not guarded by a parapet, the slackness of the
defaulting authority deserves the blame, not the people who fall in" -
Lieut. Col. Mervyn O'Gorman.

BrianW a crit :


>Laurent. Just stick to this newsgroup. On some others you'd have just 
>started a flame war!
>

No kidding ? ;o>

Very aware of that, but then I've been 'round here for quite some time, 
see...


-- 
Warning : you may encounter French language beyond this point.

On ne peut mme plus dire qu'elle boit : a lui passe directement dans le sang... 
(F'murrr)

Laurent Mousson, Berne, Switzerland

PeterE wrote:


> "Are these "gastropubs" welcoming to people who don't want a "gastromeal"?
> Much of what I have read suggests that they are basically pretentious
> restaurants inhabiting the shells of former pubs.
>


They vary - some are basically pubs with a good kitchen and others tend to
cater for mostly eaters mainly because they get so popular. The previously
empty pub near me is packed most nights but thee'e no problem about just
drinking - the food there is not the main draw. It's just been refurbished as a
trendy bar.

M.

Seems quite unjustified, I recall remarking to friends that there was a
really quite high proportion of totty there.
Although having passed 30, and having had the beard for ~10years, I suspect
I fall into exactly the right mould...

"Roy Bailey"  wrote in message
news:Q33qsNDmeO8CFwy$@freeuk.com...

> Has anyone read the appalling rubbish written about the Great British
> Beer Festival in today's 'Daily Telegraph' by some hack called Neil
> Tweedie?
>
> I think CAMRA should complain to the Press Complaints Commission about
> it. Some of the comments appear to be actionable.
>
> I have written a letter in response, but I will be very surprised if
> they publish it.
> --
> Roy Bailey
> West Berkshire.
> <roy (dot) bailey (at) freeuk (dot) com>
>

BrianW wrote:

> 
> I haven't tried it with Firefox, but elsewhere
> there's a comment that a CAMRA web site doesn't display correctly with
> Firefox. (I can confirm that you can't click on some links.)


I've experienced that problem too, with CAMRA's HQ site, but I'm told
that "they're working on it".
-- 
Joyce Whitchurch, Stalybridge, UK
=================================
Do something amazing. Give blood.
<http://www.blood.co.uk/>

On Tue, 09 Aug 2005 09:02:33 +0000, marcb wrote:


>> May I ask what part of Islington? (Lived there mostly)
>>
>>
> De Beauvoir - Islington/Hackney. Gastro pubs are the Talbot, Northgate,
> Rosemary Branch. The Trolley Stop on Stamford Road is undergoing a refit
> and may be another soon.


Ahh, different part of Islington. Grew up around Caledonian road,
family still live there. Brother has to trot up Copenhagen street
to The Angel (Wetherspoons) to get a decent pint. All his locals
are pretty gruesome.

Wayne
-- 
Registered Linux user #375994
You can try sending mail to the address in the headers but it
might not get read for a while, if at all.

Simon Cooper wrote:


> having had the beard for ~10years, I suspect
> I fall into exactly the right mould...


Your local pharmacy should have a patent remedy for beard mould.

M.

In article ,
   Roy Bailey  wrote:

> In article , Steve 
> Pickthall  writes
> >On Mon, 8 Aug 2005 18:29:28 +0100, The Submarine Captain wrote
> >(in message <42f794fd$1_1@news.bluewin.ch>):
> >
> >> Mr Pickthall, your seasonal GBBF rants also happen every year,  why
> >> don't they ever improve either ?
> >
> >Because they're spot-on every year
> >
> Can't say that I've noticed ...

> There must be skin and hair flying when the Thickpall brothers get 
> together, because sibling Jeff has started taking What's Brewing's 
> filthy lucre, and  must therefore approve of CAMRA and what it is doing.


Yes.... the Chairman was very interested in this author, and I pointed
out to her his history as available through this ng...


> If not ...


-- 
Christine Ramsbottom

**** Post for FREE via your newsreader at post.usenet.com ****

On Mon, 8 Aug 2005 18:54:32 +0100, Roy Bailey wrote
(in message ):


> Can't say that I've noticed ...
> 
> There must be skin and hair flying when the Thickpall brothers get 
> together, because sibling Jeff has started taking What's Brewing's 
> filthy lucre, and  must therefore approve of CAMRA and what it is doing.
> 
> If not ...


Yes hereally enjoys being paid CAMRA membership fees to drink beer.


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In article , marcb
 wrote:


> Speaking as a journalist, I think you<re being rather negative about
> Camra and media coverage. A few points:

> - The Daily Telegraph article managed to combine both positive reporting
> with the stereotypical stuff in a pretty witty package ? and so was
> probably widely read.


Highly read too (Marc H is a touch on the tall side).

It provided a moderate amount of amusement for the group on a site visit to
Earls Court. (Don't forget folks the Great British Beer Festival isn't at
Olympia next year)

As I recall the comment was "It has the usual Telegraph bollocks about
beards etc but the rest is pretty good."


> Some publicity is better than none.


Quite. There is also the amusement value to be derived watching a reporter
spend twice as long getting a story because they are desperately trying to
line up the photographic evidence for their distorted storyline. After all
it can be very difficult to find a beard or beer belly on some of the
working members and somewhat easier to find a trim feminine figure.

-- 
Steve Pampling

Steven Pampling a crit :


>Quite. There is also the amusement value to be derived watching a reporter
>spend twice as long getting a story because they are desperately trying to
>line up the photographic evidence for their distorted storyline. After all
>it can be very difficult to find a beard or beer belly on some of the
>working members and somewhat easier to find a trim feminine figure.
>  
>

Quite a few of those gentlemen from the press I caught gaping at my pith 
helmet... some of them, who asked nicely, got pictures, but two of them 
I sent packing as diplomatically as possible :

- The first one wanted me to move over to the W&D stand so he could get 
a picture of me with a pint of Jennings... as if I was supporting the 
takeover !

- The second one was from a TV crew, and wanted to feed me 'witty' lines 
he'd written, for me to say to the camera, about beers we didn't even 
have on the bar I was working at.
I found the idea somewhat insulting...

Cheers !

Laurent


-- 
Warning : you may encounter French language beyond this point.

.... oncques ne vit-on quidam se passer la moustache au lait de brebis. 
(F'murrr)

Laurent Mousson, Berne, Switzerland

In article <tF$MejGi7H9CFwOp@mashtub.demon.co.uk>,
   MadCow <Sue@blackhole.invalid> wrote:

> In message , 
> MikeMcG  writes
> >
> >A couple of other things - would an asst bar mgr at the  cider bar
> >really have called one of the products "ghastly"? & I wonder why the

> You'd normally say you *thought* it was ghastly, since you know someone 
> will love it.

> BTW that's where the orc is.


Really? I thought there were several Middle Earth species represented on
that particular bar...

-- 
Christine Ramsbottom

On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 19:51:21 +0200, The Submarine Captain
 wrote:


>Steven Pampling a crit :
>
>>Quite. There is also the amusement value to be derived watching a reporter
>>spend twice as long getting a story because they are desperately trying to
>>line up the photographic evidence for their distorted storyline. After all
>>it can be very difficult to find a beard or beer belly on some of the
>>working members and somewhat easier to find a trim feminine figure.
>>  
>>
>Quite a few of those gentlemen from the press I caught gaping at my pith 
>helmet... some of them, who asked nicely, got pictures, but two of them 
>I sent packing as diplomatically as possible :
>
>- The first one wanted me to move over to the W&D stand so he could get 
>a picture of me with a pint of Jennings... as if I was supporting the 
>takeover !
>
>- The second one was from a TV crew, and wanted to feed me 'witty' lines 
>he'd written, for me to say to the camera, about beers we didn't even 
>have on the bar I was working at.
>I found the idea somewhat insulting...


They were taking the pith I reckon

Peter

Peter Alexander a crit :


>>Quite a few of those gentlemen from the press I caught gaping at my pith 
>>helmet... some of them, who asked nicely, got pictures, but two of them 
>>I sent packing as diplomatically as possible :
>>
>>- The first one wanted me to move over to the W&D stand so he could get 
>>a picture of me with a pint of Jennings... as if I was supporting the 
>>takeover !
>>
>>- The second one was from a TV crew, and wanted to feed me 'witty' lines 
>>he'd written, for me to say to the camera, about beers we didn't even 
>>have on the bar I was working at.
>>I found the idea somewhat insulting...
>>    
>>
>
>They were taking the pith I reckon
>  
>


Well, they were completely pithed...


-- 
Warning : you may encounter French language beyond this point.

My name is icosadre muscl. But call me Hugues. 
(F'murrr)

Laurent Mousson, Berne, Switzerland