The current price in Bath is around 2.70

Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
the pubs than it has ever been.

We were talking about it in my local pub this lunchtime, us retired
people with long memories.

Wondering.


-- 
Douglas Clark ..................... Bath, Somerset, UK ......
http://usergroup.plus.net .......... http://www.dgdclynx.plus.com

In message <fpGdnRzO9IN08SDVRVnyhwA@posted.plusnet>, Douglas Clark 
 wrote
>The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>
>Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
>inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
>newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
>town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
>the pubs than it has ever been.
>
>We were talking about it in my local pub this lunchtime, us retired
>people with long memories.
>

Not beer prices, but for comparison the rpi for around  the last 90 
years can be found at:
http://www.wolfbane.com/rpi.htm

There is a link to a graph at the bottom of the page
-- 
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

In article <fpGdnRzO9IN08SDVRVnyhwA@posted.plusnet>,
   Douglas Clark  wrote:
> The current price in Bath is around 2.70

> Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
> inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
> newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
> town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
> the pubs than it has ever been.

> We were talking about it in my local pub this lunchtime, us retired
> people with long memories.

1976 - University of Aston in Birmingham Student Union -

Aston Ale 30p, lagerade and Guinness 31p.

I can't recall food prices (they weren't as important :-)

-- 

Steve Pampling

In message <fpGdnRzO9IN08SDVRVnyhwA@posted.plusnet>, Douglas Clark 
 wrote
>The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>
>Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
>inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
>newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
>town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
>the pubs than it has ever been.
>
>We were talking about it in my local pub this lunchtime, us retired
>people with long memories.
>
>Wondering.
>
>


CAMRA survey 1994
Average £1.36 (3.5% ABV)
South East £1.53
North West £1.20

Multiply the above prices by 1.5 to give inflation (RPI) adjusted 
figures
Ave = £2.04
SE = £2.30
NW = £1.80

So in the last 14 years beer in pubs hasn't got any cheaper in real 
terms. Also consider that the 'trade' is predicting an average £4/pint 
by the end of the year and £5/pint by 2012.

-- 
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

"Douglas Clark"  wrote in message 
news:fpGdnRzO9IN08SDVRVnyhwA@posted.plusnet...
> The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>
> Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
> inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
> newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
> town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
> the pubs than it has ever been.
>
> We were talking about it in my local pub this lunchtime, us retired
> people with long memories.

In the late seventies when I used to underage drink in the Hare and Hounds 
in Hastings (now long gone), a pint of Whitbread was 66p.
We used to have a pint and a half, and the evening's drinking still gave us 
change from a pound.

Happy days.....

In message , Steven Pampling 
 writes
>
>1976 - University of Aston in Birmingham Student Union -
>
>Aston Ale 30p, lagerade and Guinness 31p.
>


In Chester in 1974 mild was 12p and bitter was 14p.  Most of it was keg; 
we were grateful for Banks' in the countryside at the same price.  The 
1p difference between the saloon and the public still meant something 
then, just about.

I remember refusing to drink in the bar of the Derwent Hotel, Torquay 
because the keg "Double Diamond" was 24p a pint; in a pub it would've 
been about 16p.  That was at Easter 1975.  There was a geography course 
on the same field trip; I went back to the bar after closing for 
something I'd forgotten and there was John Cryne -

Er.  Um.  Beer prices were shooting up in the 70s like everything else 
though.  In about 1977, passing through Farnham, someone said "Bet 
lager's 50p a pint here!" meaning it'd be expensive.  By the following 
year that would've been cheap.

-- 
Sue  ]:(:)

In article , Manky Badger
<you.must@be.joking> writes
>In the late seventies when I used to underage drink in the Hare and 
>Hounds in Hastings (now long gone), a pint of Whitbread was 66p. We used 
>to have a pint and a half, and the evening's drinking still gave us 
>change from a pound.
>
>Happy days..... 

Indeed, when I started drinking in 1963 you could have a night out for a
pound, 12p a pint, 12.5p for 20 cigs, 3p each way bus fare to
Huddersfield, mind you the down side was I was only earning £3.15 a week
and had to pay board out of that.

Mike

-- 
Michael Swift           We do not regard Englishmen as foreigners.      
Kirkheaton              We look on them only as rather mad Norwegians.    
Yorkshire                                       Halvard Lange
'46 M Y++ L+ U KQ+ c B+ P99S P00S p+ Sh++ S(BAR) R(HD5)

In article ,
   MadCow <Sue@blackhole.invalid> wrote:

> In Chester in 1974 mild was 12p and bitter was 14p.  Most of it was keg; 
> we were grateful for Banks' in the countryside at the same price.  The 
> 1p difference between the saloon and the public still meant something 
> then, just about.

Yes, that was something I was trying to reconcile in my mind - I recall the
start of drinking IN pubs back in 1974 (or possibly 73) and the price per
pint was the same as the maximum bus fare which at the time was 15p

Maximum fare hasn't got to the current beer price at present, despite fuel
costs.

> I remember refusing to drink in the bar of the Derwent Hotel, Torquay 
> because the keg "Double Diamond" was 24p a pint; in a pub it would've 
> been about 16p.  That was at Easter 1975.  There was a geography course 
> on the same field trip; I went back to the bar after closing for 
> something I'd forgotten and there was John Cryne -

I was about to say that Double Diamond was a pretty good reason for not
drinking, then you threw in the reason to avoid pubs  :-)

I also remembered why I remembered the price difference on the beers in the
student union - the Aston Ale was the same price as lager and I avoided
lager, so until the Real Ale bar opened in the cellar Steve Parry and I
drank upstairs in the second floor. Since Guiness was one penny more than
the lager he was drinking he kept score and every 31 pints I had to buy an
extra round. Those who know Steve of old will now be laughing and recalling
a number of other similar incidents.

-- 

Steve Pampling

"Douglas Clark"  wrote in message 
news:fpGdnRzO9IN08SDVRVnyhwA@posted.plusnet...
> The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>
> Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
> inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
> newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
> town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
> the pubs than it has ever been.
>
I do not have exact figures or quotes but surely the only real comparison 
can be how many hours/minutes a specific common type worker such as building 
labourer has to work to buy a pint.

-- 
Chris, (on tour)

On Wed, 3 Sep 2008 08:56:29 +0100, "Cerumen" 
wrote:

>
>"Douglas Clark"  wrote in message 
>news:fpGdnRzO9IN08SDVRVnyhwA@posted.plusnet...
>> The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>>
>> Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
>> inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
>> newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
>> town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
>> the pubs than it has ever been.
>>
>I do not have exact figures or quotes but surely the only real comparison 
>can be how many hours/minutes a specific common type worker such as building 
>labourer has to work to buy a pint.

Building labourer? At the moment, that calculation would tend towards
infinity.

-- 

Ian D

In article , Steven Pampling 
 writes

>1976 - University of Aston in Birmingham Student Union -
>
>Aston Ale 30p, lagerade and Guinness 31p.

A pint cost that much at the student union bar at Queen's in Belfast 
around that time.
-- 
congokid
Eating out in London? Read my tips...
http://congokid.com

"Ian Dalziel"  wrote in message 
news:r7jsb4l3ml5s2hhta360du9b6csf09uq83@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 3 Sep 2008 08:56:29 +0100, "Cerumen" 
> wrote:
>
>>
>>"Douglas Clark"  wrote in message
>>news:fpGdnRzO9IN08SDVRVnyhwA@posted.plusnet...
>>> The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>>>
>>> Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
>>> inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
>>> newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
>>> town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
>>> the pubs than it has ever been.
>>>
>>I do not have exact figures or quotes but surely the only real comparison
>>can be how many hours/minutes a specific common type worker such as 
>>building
>>labourer has to work to buy a pint.
>
> Building labourer? At the moment, that calculation would tend towards
> infinity.
>
Bad choice maybe, I'm not up to speed with that work thing these days.

-- 
Chris, (on tour)
Intellect is invisible to the man who has none.
Schopenhauer

On Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:39:56 +0100, Mike Swift wrote:

> In article , Manky Badger
> <you.must@be.joking> writes
>>In the late seventies when I used to underage drink in the Hare and
>>Hounds in Hastings (now long gone), a pint of Whitbread was 66p. We used
>>to have a pint and a half, and the evening's drinking still gave us
>>change from a pound.
>>
>>Happy days.....
> 
> Indeed, when I started drinking in 1963 you could have a night out for a
> pound, 12p a pint, 12.5p for 20 cigs, 3p each way bus fare to
> Huddersfield, mind you the down side was I was only earning £3.15 a week
> and had to pay board out of that.
> 
> Mike

  Are you sure about this? I started drinking about the same year (63) and
can remember (*) paying about 1 shilling 5 pence (63 being pre-decimal)
for a pint (of bitter) on Merseyside. This equates to just over 7p. I
can't imagine Yorkshire would be nearly twice as expensive as Merseyside.
Even 5 or so years later a so called "premium" (ie keg) beer was
2 shillings 6 pence which is 12.5p. 

 Malcolm

(*) Being the 60's, I don't guarantee my memory either...

For many years a Mars bar kept level with inflation and was regularly used to equate to cost.

Of course, like everything else, they had to change the size.

There again, THEY have to change things usually for the sake of change.

Just who THEY are is impossible to discover but they have a lot to answer for.

-- 
Brian Waine
Warrington
"Cerumen"  wrote in message news:6i6upaFp0ee1U1@mid.individual.net...
>
> "Douglas Clark"  wrote in message news:fpGdnRzO9IN08SDVRVnyhwA@posted.plusnet...
>> The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>>
>> Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
>> inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
>> newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
>> town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
>> the pubs than it has ever been.
>>
> I do not have exact figures or quotes but surely the only real comparison can be how many hours/minutes a specific 
> common type worker such as building labourer has to work to buy a pint.
>
> -- 
> Chris, (on tour)
>
>
>

In article , Malcolm Lee
 writes
>> Indeed, when I started drinking in 1963 you could have a night out for a
>> pound, 12p a pint, 12.5p for 20 cigs, 3p each way bus fare to
>> Huddersfield, mind you the down side was I was only earning £3.15 a week
>> and had to pay board out of that.
>> 
>> Mike
>
>  Are you sure about this? I started drinking about the same year (63) 
>and can remember (*) paying about 1 shilling 5 pence (63 being pre-
>decimal) for a pint (of bitter) on Merseyside. This equates to just over 
>7p. I can't imagine Yorkshire would be nearly twice as expensive as 
>Merseyside. Even 5 or so years later a so called "premium" (ie keg) beer 
>was 2 shillings 6 pence which is 12.5p. 
>
I was thinking after I posted that maybe memory had played a trick or
two and it was nearer the back end of the sixties.

> Malcolm
>
>(*) Being the 60's, I don't guarantee my memory either... 

Very true.

Mike

-- 
Michael Swift           We do not regard Englishmen as foreigners.      
Kirkheaton              We look on them only as rather mad Norwegians.    
Yorkshire                                       Halvard Lange
'46 M Y++ L+ U KQ+ c B+ P99S P00S p+ Sh++ S(BAR) R(HD5)

On Tue, 2 Sep 2008 17:42:16 +0100, "Douglas Clark"
 wrote:

>The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>
>Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
>inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
>newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
>town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
>the pubs than it has ever been.
>
>We were talking about it in my local pub this lunchtime, us retired
>people with long memories.

I'd be surprised if it were true, given the fact that the price of raw
materials has shot through the roof recently [1]. The price of the
cheapest pint in my local has increased from £1.60 to £2.20 over the
last two years, and much of that is due to increases in brewers'
prices because of this.

[1] ask any small brewer about the fun he's having procuring hops this
year, for instance

In article , Manky Badger
<you.must@be.joking> writes
>
>"Douglas Clark"  wrote in message 
>news:fpGdnRzO9IN08SDVRVnyhwA@posted.plusnet...
>> The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>>
>> Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
>> inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
>> newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
>> town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
>> the pubs than it has ever been.
>>
>> We were talking about it in my local pub this lunchtime, us retired
>> people with long memories.
>
>In the late seventies when I used to underage drink in the Hare and Hounds 
>in Hastings (now long gone), a pint of Whitbread was 66p.
>We used to have a pint and a half, and the evening's drinking still gave us 
>change from a pound.
>
>Happy days..... 
>
>

When I became a student in 1977, beer in the Poly bar was 12p for bitter
and 14p for lager (the price difference being the reason for me ceasing
to be a lager drinker) - I think these prices were somewhat subsidised,
as in our regular boozer (Dirty Duck in Rugby) bitter was around 27p and
Kronenberg (considered a premium lager by us divots) was 32p, met with
cries of anger when it went up to 34p.

Though on the other hand my student grant for that year was around £900
for the entire year, and the factory job I had paid £24 per week. My
bedsit was about £10/week. Price of going to see even quite famous bands
playing in the students union was 75p - £1. Phone call was 2p. A gallon
of petrol was around 77p (ie about 15p a litre), think fags were about
that for 20, though I'm not sure.

Enough of this light hearted shilly shally

Steven Pampling wrote:
> 
> 1976 - University of Aston in Birmingham Student Union -
> 
> Aston Ale 30p, lagerade and Guinness 31p.
> 

To add another data point to the graph, when I left Uni (Salford) in 
1992, it was still possible to get a pint of Holts Mild in a Holts pub 
for 86p.

M

-- 
Martin:  Poster, large, helpful, SBL administrator.  Beer Baron and
spreadshit maestro.  Last remaining Huddersfield fan on the planet.

On Tue, 2 Sep 2008 17:42:16 +0100, "Douglas Clark"
 wrote:

>The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>
>Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
>inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
>newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
>town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
>the pubs than it has ever been.
>
>We were talking about it in my local pub this lunchtime, us retired
>people with long memories.
>
>Wondering.
I recall my local charged 12.5 pence a pint for Home Bitter in 1973.
My wife drank halves and the landlord charged 6.5 pence for the first
half , 6 pence for the next and so on.None of the present day rounding
up for him.

In message <fpGdnRzO9IN08SDVRVnyhwA@posted.plusnet>, Douglas Clark 
 wrote
>The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>
>Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
>inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
>newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
>town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
>the pubs than it has ever been.
>
>We were talking about it in my local pub this lunchtime, us retired
>people with long memories.
>

Shameless advert: A friend of mine has some beer price lists for sale 
mailto: pubstuff@tap-room.com
or editorial address found at
www.tap-room.com

Back on topic:  Some pub prices taken from those price lists. Some 
prices are for Keg products.

Hall & Woodhouse 1964
Public bar
Keg bitter 1/10   pint
Keg mild   1/9
Best        1/9
Pale Ale   1/4
Mild        1/3

Stingo Barley Wine 1/5 1/2d nip
Export Stout 1/1  1/2d
Light Ale 11 1/2d

Whitbread 1965  (Probably London prices)
Tankard 2/4  Pint
Bitter 1/11
Best 1/6

Whitbread (Light?) 1/2 1/2d
Mackeson    1/7 1/2d        1/2 bottle 2.8%
Gold Label Barley wine 1/10  Nip (6oz)

Fremlins 1966
Elephant Light Ale 2/- pint
IPA 1/9 pint
Queens Ale 1/7 nip


Tolly Cobbold 1968
Public Bar
Mild   1/7
Bitter 1/11
Old Strong 2/3

Tolly Cobbold 1969
http://www.amac.f2s.com/Beer_price/
Mild 1/8
Bitter 2/-
Old Strong 2/4

Tolly Cobbold 1969
Mild 1/10
Bitter 2/2
Old Strong 2/6

For the younger readers, or those with brains that have been affected by 
the vast amount of Real Ale drunk over the years :)

12d = 1/- (One shilling)
20 shilling = £1

Some price adjustments in line with the RPI
RPI figures taken from
http://www.wolfbane.com/rpi.htm

1964  - 1/10 = approx 10p x 15.2 = £1.52
1965 - 1/11 = approx 10p x 14.3 = £1.43 (probably a London price)
1966 - 2/- = 10p x 13.9 = £1.39
1969 - 2/2 = 11p x 12.3 = £1.35

It looks like that compared to prices charged in pubs in the mid to late 
1960s we may be paying double the price charged back then.

-- 
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

In message <259eSnDdXcwIFw+d@amac.f2s.com>, Alan 
 wrote

Some more prices from the 1950s - off licence prices

Priced per dozen

(Peterborough) AUTUMN 1951
Guinness, Harp label 12/- halves - 22/- pints
Nut Brown 16/6 pints
Carlsberg 15/-  halves
Grahams Golden Lager (Skol) 11/6

XMAS 1953
Guinness = same price
Nut Brown = 17/-
Carlsberg = same price
Skol (GGL) 12/-

-- 
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

"Alan"  wrote in message 
news:259eSnDdXcwIFw+d@amac.f2s.com...
> In message <fpGdnRzO9IN08SDVRVnyhwA@posted.plusnet>, Douglas Clark 
>  wrote
>>The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>>
>>Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
>>inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
>>newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
>>town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
>>the pubs than it has ever been.
>>
>>We were talking about it in my local pub this lunchtime, us retired
>>people with long memories.
>>
> Some price adjustments in line with the RPI
> RPI figures taken from
> http://www.wolfbane.com/rpi.htm
>
> 1964  - 1/10 = approx 10p x 15.2 = £1.52
> 1965 - 1/11 = approx 10p x 14.3 = £1.43 (probably a London price)
> 1966 - 2/- = 10p x 13.9 = £1.39
> 1969 - 2/2 = 11p x 12.3 = £1.35
>
> It looks like that compared to prices charged in pubs in the mid to late 
> 1960s we may be paying double the price charged back then.
>
> -- 
> Alan
> news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

Thanks Alan. Those were the sort of figures I was after.

Douglas Clark wrote:
> The current price in Bath is around 2.70
> 
> Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
> inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
> newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
> town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
> the pubs than it has ever been.
> 
> We were talking about it in my local pub this lunchtime, us retired
> people with long memories.
> 
> Wondering.

I still remember my first £1 pint. (I was horrified!) It was in a pub in
Norfolk in the summer of 1988. Norfolk was a beer desert in those days -
how times have changed!

Astonishingly I had another £1 pint a few weeks ago at the Barge and
Bottle in Sleaford, Lincs. (A GK related beer on special offer. Maybe
that says something about GK beers, although the beer concerned...)

-- 
Brian

"Mike Swift"  wrote in message 
news:6eo3FLA8CcvIFwlL@ntlworld.com...
> In article , Manky Badger
> <you.must@be.joking> writes
>>In the late seventies when I used to underage drink in the Hare and
>>Hounds in Hastings (now long gone), a pint of Whitbread was 66p. We used
>>to have a pint and a half, and the evening's drinking still gave us
>>change from a pound.
>>
>>Happy days.....
>
> Indeed, when I started drinking in 1963 you could have a night out for a
> pound, 12p a pint, 12.5p for 20 cigs, 3p each way bus fare to
> Huddersfield, mind you the down side was I was only earning £3.15 a week
> and had to pay board out of that.
>
> Mike
>
> -- 
> Michael Swift           We do not regard Englishmen as foreigners.
> Kirkheaton              We look on them only as rather mad Norwegians.
> Yorkshire                                       Halvard Lange
> '46 M Y++ L+ U KQ+ c B+ P99S P00S p+ Sh++ S(BAR) R(HD5)

I don't think that can be right. In 1970 I remember Double Diamond (yeah I 
know better now .....!) was 1/10d per pint in Chelmsford - around 9p/pint. I 
could buy a round for 4 - with crisps and nuts and get change from 10 bob 
(50p) - I was on £440 a year at the time as an apprentice.

On Tue, 2 Sep 2008 17:42:16 +0100, "Douglas Clark"
 wrote:

>The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>
>Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
>inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
>newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
>town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
>the pubs than it has ever been.

From the 1986 GBG , average beer prices per pint were
1974 15p
1975 19.5p
1976 23p
1977 26.5p
1978 28.5p
1979 34p (In my area Home Bitter was 25p in 1979)
1980 40.5p
1981 49p
1982 54.5p
1983 61p
1984 65p
1985 70p

On 2 Sep, 17:42, "Douglas Clark"  wrote:
> The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>
> Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
> inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
> newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
> town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
> the pubs than it has ever been.
>
> We were talking about it in my local pub this lunchtime, us retired
> people with long memories.
>
> Wondering.
>
> --
> Douglas Clark ..................... Bath, Somerset, UK ......http://usergroup.plus.net..........http://www.dgdclynx.plus.com

I started drinking in 1960 and the prices I paid were:-
Simmonds bitter 1/3d
Strongs bitter 1/5d
Marstons bitter 1/6d

At decimalisation I was paying 2/4d for Marstons bitter and in 1979 it
was 40p.

At the moment my local (soon to be ex) is charging between £3 and
£3-20p.
Another pub a couple of miles further down the road is charging £2-50p
for beers under 5% and £2-60p for beers 5% and over with an ever
changing choice of 3 guests.

PY

Pete wrote:
> On 2 Sep, 17:42, "Douglas Clark"  wrote:
>> The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>>
>> Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
>> inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
>> newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
>> town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
>> the pubs than it has ever been.
>>
>> We were talking about it in my local pub this lunchtime, us retired
>> people with long memories.
>>
>> Wondering.
>>
>> --
>> Douglas Clark ..................... Bath, Somerset, UK ......http://usergroup.plus.net..........http://www.dgdclynx.plus.com
> 
> I started drinking in 1960 and the prices I paid were:-
> Simmonds bitter 1/3d
> Strongs bitter 1/5d
> Marstons bitter 1/6d
> 
> At decimalisation I was paying 2/4d for Marstons bitter and in 1979 it
> was 40p.
> 
> At the moment my local (soon to be ex) is charging between £3 and
> £3-20p.
> Another pub a couple of miles further down the road is charging £2-50p
> for beers under 5% and £2-60p for beers 5% and over with an ever
> changing choice of 3 guests.
> 
> PY
It's gone up to around £2.50/£2.60 around here too (glum)
(that's South Wales in rural pubs, even spoons is over the £2 mark now.)

On Wed 03 Sep08 08:56, Cerumen  wrote in
<news:6i6upaFp0ee1U1@mid.individual.net>: 

> 
> "Douglas Clark"  wrote in message 
> news:fpGdnRzO9IN08SDVRVnyhwA@posted.plusnet...
>> The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>>
>> Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
>> inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
>> newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
>> town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
>> the pubs than it has ever been.
>>
> I do not have exact figures or quotes but surely the only real
> comparison can be how many hours/minutes a specific common type
> worker such as building labourer has to work to buy a pint.
> 

If prices change at a different rate to earnings then isn't it better 
to compare the price of beer to the price index?
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:22:57 +0100, Dominic 
wrote:

>On Wed 03 Sep08 08:56, Cerumen  wrote in
><news:6i6upaFp0ee1U1@mid.individual.net>: 
>
>> 
>> "Douglas Clark"  wrote in message 
>> news:fpGdnRzO9IN08SDVRVnyhwA@posted.plusnet...
>>> The current price in Bath is around 2.70
>>>
>>> Does anybody have any figures for 20-30-40 years ago which
>>> inflation-adjusted could give some credence to the idea in the
>>> newpapers that beer (real ale that is, not supermarket stuff or
>>> town centre drinking places for students etc) is cheaper now in
>>> the pubs than it has ever been.
>>>
>> I do not have exact figures or quotes but surely the only real
>> comparison can be how many hours/minutes a specific common type
>> worker such as building labourer has to work to buy a pint.
>> 
>
>If prices change at a different rate to earnings then isn't it better 
>to compare the price of beer to the price index?
>** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **


Hi

If my memory serves me right; back in the mid 1960s, when I were a lad
on a wage of £67 10 shillings per month, a pint of Toby light was
about one and tenpence!!!!    8^)

Regards
KGB

In article ,
   KGB   (KGB) wrote:


> Hi

> If my memory serves me right; back in the mid 1960s, when I were a lad
> on a wage of £67 10 shillings per month, a pint of Toby light was
> about one and tenpence!!!!    8^)

Yes, but we were talking about beer.

-- 

Steve Pampling

On Tue, 14 Oct 2008 07:49:37 +0100, Steven Pampling
 wrote:

>In article ,
>   KGB   (KGB) wrote:
>
>
>> Hi
>
>> If my memory serves me right; back in the mid 1960s, when I were a lad
>> on a wage of £67 10 shillings per month, a pint of Toby light was
>> about one and tenpence!!!!    8^)
>
>Yes, but we were talking about beer.

That's all we could get in those days - arguably, at least it tasted
marginally better than lager!!!   8^)

Regards


KGB

KGB (KGB) wrote:

> That's all we could get in those days - arguably, at least it tasted
> marginally better than lager!!!   8^)

Which leads me onto a sub-thread.
I loathe the taste of pasteurised bottled beers - that dead, caramelly 
sameness that they all share and which ruins the basically good taste 
of *some* of them.
However, on the rare occasions I drink bottled/canned/keg mass-market 
lager, that pasteurised taste is not present. Whilst I don't rate the 
flavour highly, I don't find it offensive like I do with most 
pasteurised beers.
So what gives? Is mass market lager pasteurised? If so, why doesn't it 
taste as bad as the pasteurised bitters etc?
Or is it just me?

-- 
KeithS.

On Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:00:15 +0100, KeithS  wrote:

>KGB (KGB) wrote:
>
>> That's all we could get in those days - arguably, at least it tasted
>> marginally better than lager!!!   8^)
>
>Which leads me onto a sub-thread.
>I loathe the taste of pasteurised bottled beers - that dead, caramelly 
>sameness that they all share and which ruins the basically good taste 
>of *some* of them.
>However, on the rare occasions I drink bottled/canned/keg mass-market 
>lager, that pasteurised taste is not present. Whilst I don't rate the 
>flavour highly, I don't find it offensive like I do with most 
>pasteurised beers.
>So what gives? Is mass market lager pasteurised? If so, why doesn't it 
>taste as bad as the pasteurised bitters etc?
>Or is it just me?

Hi

I also hate bottled beer and know exactly what you mean; although
personally, I now brew my own draught beer at home.  By brewing my
own, I do NOT mean making it from kits, but in a proper little (5
gallon) brewery in my garden shed, starting the process by milling the
grain and then brewing in exactly the same way a commercial real-ale
brewery does, in a mash tun followed by sparging etc. - and tastewise,
a "full mash" homebrew can hold its own with the best real ale bought
over a bar, the main difference being that mine costs just over twenty
pence a pint.  

The reason I go to the trouble of milling my own grain is purely and
simply for convenience. Whole grain lasts for years, whereas milled
grain goes off in just a few weeks.  As all my ingredients have to be
bought mail order, it is more convenient to buy un-milled grain in
bulk and just mill it as and when required.

When on holiday however, I do tend to drink the local beer - usually a
lager, which almost certainly suits the climate (British beer doesn't
taste right when the air temperature is well over 100 degrees).  I do
find often that, although there is no "dead, caramelly" taste to
mass-market lager, quite often there is an odd "tinny" taste which
fortunately seems to be masked by the flavour of the lager (What
flavour I hear you cry!!!!)          8^)

Regards

KGB

KGB (KGB) wrote:
> 
> I also hate bottled beer and know exactly what you mean; although
> personally, I now brew my own draught beer at home. 

Well you're pushing at an open door there. I first started brewing 
kits in '71, switched to extract, crystal and hops in '76, and to full 
mash brewing in '84. I also crush my own grain (bought direct from 
Faram's http://www.charlesfaram.co.uk/ , along with hops and yeast).
I absolutely agree with your remarks regarding quality.


> When on holiday however, I do tend to drink the local beer - usually a
> lager, which almost certainly suits the climate (British beer doesn't
> taste right when the air temperature is well over 100 degrees). 
Agreed again. Though I remember going to Boston many years ago, (work 
related) and trying Bass chilled to within an inch of its life. Ye 
Gods! It doesn't taste right even when the ambient temperature is 
similar to here! Then I discovered Samuel Adams :) Now *that* didn't 
taste caramelly (cold-filtered and CO2 injected??)


> I do find often that, although there is no "dead, caramelly" taste to
> mass-market lager, quite often there is an odd "tinny" taste which
> fortunately seems to be masked by the flavour of the lager 
I've certainly had that tinny taste with canned lager, usually after 
its 'Best Before' date, and some keg lagers, probably also past their 
'Best Before' date. But if in date I haven't noticed it.


-- 
KeithS.

Steven Pampling wrote:
> In article ,
>    KGB   (KGB) wrote:
> 
> 
>> Hi
> 
>> If my memory serves me right; back in the mid 1960s, when I were a lad>> on a wage of £67 10 shillings per month, a pint of Toby light was
>> about one and tenpence!!!!    8^)
> 
> Yes, but we were talking about beer.

Point taken. My experience of "Watney's red" put me off beer for ages. I
couldn't understand how anybody could drink this foul tasting stuff.

-- 
Brian