Well done JDW! It means that those of us who are feeling the pinch and
who love the occasional pint, can actually go out and socialise,
rather than staying at home.

And shame on the Alcohol Concern lot for lambasting JDW's promotion.
Surely, rather than attacking moves which will get people back into
pubs (now closing at the rate of 5 a day) they ought to be
highlighting the ridiculous situation in supermarkets, where, in some
cases, a litre of beer is actually cheaper then a litre of water.

On 4 Jan, 19:01, M Platting wrote:
> Well done JDW! It means that those of us who are feeling the pinch and
> who love the occasional pint, can actually go out and socialise,
> rather than staying at home.
>
> And shame on the Alcohol Concern lot for lambasting JDW's promotion.

I'm staggered by the out and out lie that "prices across the industry
were already 65 percent lower in real terms than in 1980" (quote from
BBC website and also heard on BBC TV news tonight).

Well, I was drinking beer in 1980 and I have a pretty good memory of
what it cost back then, typically 50p-54p a pint for best bitter. The
Retail Prices Index has gone up by some 250 percent since then. If the
price of beer in a pub had followed RPI, it would now cost around GBP
1.70. Which to be fair, it mostly does - if you're drinking in a
Wetherspoon's house.

A more typical price "across the industry" is now about GBP 2.40
though. And if the price of a pint had actually come down by 65
percent in real terms, then we would be looking at just a pound a
pint.

I can't understand why no-one at the BBC even queries these mad
statements.
--
Pat Ricroft, City of Salford, UK
================================

On Jan 4, 7:01 pm, M Platting wrote:
> Well done JDW! It means that those of us who are feeling the pinch and
> who love the occasional pint, can actually go out and socialise,
> rather than staying at home.
>
> And shame on the Alcohol Concern lot for lambasting JDW's promotion.
> Surely, rather than attacking moves which will get people back into
> pubs (now closing at the rate of 5 a day) they ought to be
> highlighting the ridiculous situation in supermarkets, where, in some
> cases, a litre of beer is actually cheaper then a litre of water.

For those of us who enjoy drinking in pubs rather than characterless
Wetherbarns this is a disaster. This will not get people back into
pubs, it will encourage more drinkers out of pubs and into
Wetherspoon's. More, not less pubs will close as a result, and I for
one am not looking forward to the day when my only choice for real ale
or cider is to drink in a Wetherspoon. The effect of a Wetherspoon
opening near to my local pubs has already been felt, this will simply
increase the exodus.

IMO nobody (including supermarkets) should be allowed to sell a pint
of beer at 99p, tennanted pubs and freehouses in particular do not
have the option of discounting to compete with this obscene price, and
Wetherspoon are effectively using their purchasing muscle and the
ability to sell a loss leader (critics of supermarket policy will find
this a familiar theme) to undercut and extinguish the oposition.

I suspect that Mr Martin has taken this decision for two reasons: Huge
publicity for his grim pub chain (it worked), and a great big two
fingers up to the incumbent government who refuse to do anything about
the deap discounting of the supermarkets. Unfortunately by joining the
supermarkets in their discounting game Mr Martin loses any moral high-
ground he may have had, and in so doing makes the whole licensed trade
look like a bunch of money-grabbing gangsters determined to protect
their industry at practically any cost.

Wake up! Tim Martin is the alcoholics friend, and one of the pub and
brewing industrie's biggest villains.

Mark

On Jan 5, 10:30 am, Mark  wrote:
> On Jan 4, 7:01 pm, M Platting wrote:

When I visit Wetherspoon's pubs I always choose one of the real ales
or sometimes all of them. However, in this last week I have drunk
Greene King IPA exclusively, except for one pint of Growler and one
pint of Abbott Reserve (a bit too strong at 6.5%).

Ninety-nine pee is just too good to be ignored! And I don't think I am
the only one.

I feel a bit sorry for the real ale breweries who sometimes rely on
JDW sales; surely their sales must drop?

Alan

On Tue, 6 Jan 2009 22:57:48 -0800 (PST), Offramp
 wrote:

>On Jan 5, 10:30 am, Mark  wrote:
>> On Jan 4, 7:01 pm, M Platting wrote:
>
>When I visit Wetherspoon's pubs I always choose one of the real ales
>or sometimes all of them. However, in this last week I have drunk
>Greene King IPA exclusively, except for one pint of Growler and one
>pint of Abbott Reserve (a bit too strong at 6.5%).
>
>Ninety-nine pee is just too good to be ignored! And I don't think I am
>the only one.
>
>I feel a bit sorry for the real ale breweries who sometimes rely on
>JDW sales; surely their sales must drop?
>
>Alan


I would rather go without than drinking GK ipa at any price, what the
point of drinking just because its cheap ? yo dink perhaps because you
fancy a particular beer, I have walked out of wetherspoons on
occasions as the range was dire,

On Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:16:50 +0000, martyn dawe
 wrote:


>
>
>I would rather go without than drinking GK ipa at any price, what the
>point of drinking just because its cheap

But of course some people do like Greene King IPA (I must admit I'm
not one) and indeed it was CAMRA's beer of the GBBF one year. 

>yo dink perhaps because you
>fancy a particular beer, I have walked out of wetherspoons on
>occasions as the range was dire,

I think, of all the pub chains, JDW seems to stand or fall by the
effort and enthusiasm of its managers. For example, Huddersfield JDW
has been pub of the season on a number of occasional and always
supports local breweries.  I believe one of the Lancaster 'spoons has
had similar accolades from CAMRA, and I'm sure the story is true
elsewhere.

">
> I think, of all the pub chains, JDW seems to stand or fall by the
> effort and enthusiasm of its managers. For example, Huddersfield JDW
> has been pub of the season on a number of occasional and always
> supports local breweries.  I believe one of the Lancaster 'spoons has
> had similar accolades from CAMRA, and I'm sure the story is true
> elsewhere.


They are a proverbial Curates egg - good in parts - the Brighouse one has 
seemed pretty good to me in the past, but the Halifax one is on the town 
centre "circuit" at Bull Green and often seems to have no real ale on at 
all.

In London they're handy when you get sick of paying £3 a pint.

And I had an awful breakfast in Keighley a couple of months ago - though the 
Local camra branch likes the place.

"martyn dawe"  wrote in message 
news:3grbm4lc2m382r8r0qv3ruq557og8q6vf5@4ax.com...

>>
>>When I visit Wetherspoon's pubs I always choose one of the real ales
>>or sometimes all of them. However, in this last week I have drunk
>>Greene King IPA exclusively, except for one pint of Growler and one
>>pint of Abbott Reserve (a bit too strong at 6.5%).
>>
>>Ninety-nine pee is just too good to be ignored! And I don't think I am
>>the only one.
>>
>>I feel a bit sorry for the real ale breweries who sometimes rely on
>>JDW sales; surely their sales must drop?
>>
>
> I would rather go without than drinking GK ipa at any price, what the
> point of drinking just because its cheap ? yo dink perhaps because you
> fancy a particular beer, I have walked out of wetherspoons on
> occasions as the range was dire,


AWTWP. I'm worried that the availability of 99p IPA will lead to the JDWs I 
frequent selling a lot less guest beer at £1.89, and consequently the choice 
and quality will suffer. And it's not as though it's brilliant right now in 
certain outlets.

I'm *hoping* that the IPA takes sales away from the John Smiths smooth 
drinkers, rather than existing real ale drinkers but I'm unconvinced we 
won't all suffer.

BTN

"Mark"  wrote in message 
news:7dcae7fe-ab44-41f2-9cf4-2ab55134e2e9@y1g2000pra.googlegroups.com...
On Jan 4, 7:01 pm, M Platting wrote:
>> Surely, rather than attacking moves which will get people back into
> pubs (now closing at the rate of 5 a day) they ought to be
> highlighting the ridiculous situation in supermarkets, where, in some
> cases, a litre of beer is actually cheaper then a litre of water.

For those of us who enjoy drinking in pubs rather than characterless
Wetherbarns this is a disaster.

===========

I haven't seen any of this

mk5000


" If we shadows have offended, / Think but this, and all is mended, / That 
you have but slumber'd here / While these visions did appear. / And this 
weak and idle theme, / No more yielding but a dream, / Gentles, do not 
reprehend: / If you pardon we will mend. / Else the Puck a liar call. / Give 
me your hands, if we be friends, / And Robin shall restore amends. "--Puck: 
Midsummer Night's Dream

Evening,

M Platting wrote:

> I think, of all the pub chains, JDW seems to stand or fall by the
> effort and enthusiasm of its managers. For example, Huddersfield JDW
> has been pub of the season on a number of occasional and always
> supports local breweries.  I believe one of the Lancaster 'spoons has
> had similar accolades from CAMRA, and I'm sure the story is true
> elsewhere.

The Wetherspoon in Grantham has won the local Pub of the Year award in 
the recent past. In my personal view, they have the best range and most 
consistent quality in town, irrespective of the price. I have a feeling 
that the Peterborough branch has won the local POTY in the 
not-too-distant past, too.

I've had some very ordinary pints in other branches, though; albeit 
never an undrinkable one.

As to the politics of the 99p pint offer, I'm in two minds. On the one 
hand, anything which gets people out of the supermarkets and into the 
more controlled drinking environment of a pub is probably, on balance, a 
good thing. On the other hand, I worry about the potential effects of 
this offer on local pubs which simply can't compete at that price point.

Martin.

On Sun, 11 Jan 2009 23:41:34 +0000, Martin G <msg@cheerful.REMOVETHIScom> wrote:
> Evening,
>
> M Platting wrote:
>
>> I think, of all the pub chains, JDW seems to stand or fall by the
>> effort and enthusiasm of its managers. For example, Huddersfield JDW
>> has been pub of the season on a number of occasional and always
>> supports local breweries.  I believe one of the Lancaster 'spoons has
>> had similar accolades from CAMRA, and I'm sure the story is true
>> elsewhere.
>
> The Wetherspoon in Grantham has won the local Pub of the Year award in 
> the recent past. In my personal view, they have the best range and most 
> consistent quality in town, irrespective of the price. I have a feeling 
> that the Peterborough branch has won the local POTY in the 
> not-too-distant past, too.

Yes.  The Draper's Arms won it in 2007 - I don't think they always get
their staffing levels right but the beer itself is fine.  The other 
Wetherspoons in town (The College Arms) is utterly dire.

-- 
Andy Leighton => andyl@azaal.plus.com
"The Lord is my shepherd, but we still lost the sheep dog trials" 
   - Robert Rankin, _They Came And Ate Us_

Offramp a écrit :

> I feel a bit sorry for the real ale breweries who sometimes rely on
> JDW sales; surely their sales must drop?

Not necessarily, but they're certainly under a very heavy pressue to 
reduce their prices, and some may end up selling beer at too low a 
profit, if not at a loss. I semm to remember some breweries actually 
went under over the past ten years because of the huge quantities they 
were flogging at no profit at all to pubcos...

Cheers !

Laurent

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

- Des trous dans mon parapluie, qui a fait ça ?
- Moi, et c'était un test... Car c'est ainsi qu'il pleut : Le Grand 
Parapluie Cosmique est Troué !!!
(F'murrr)

Laurent Mousson, Biel/Bienne, Switzerland

M Platting a écrit :


> But of course some people do like Greene King IPA (I must admit I'm
> not one) and indeed it was CAMRA's beer of the GBBF one year. 

'twas back in 2004 at the Champion Beer of Britain competition. Gold in 
the bitter class, and silver overall.
It caused a bit of a stir, rumours were quickly flying about, notably 
implying the batch delivered at GBBF was not quite the standard IPA. Ho 
hum, I guess we'll never really know...

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

- Des trous dans mon parapluie, qui a fait ça ?
- Moi, et c'était un test... Car c'est ainsi qu'il pleut : Le Grand 
Parapluie Cosmique est Troué !!!
(F'murrr)

Laurent Mousson, Biel/Bienne, Switzerland

In article <496b91e3$1_1@news.bluewin.ch>, The Submarine Captain  wrote:
>M Platting a écrit :
>
>
>> But of course some people do like Greene King IPA (I must admit I'm
>> not one) and indeed it was CAMRA's beer of the GBBF one year. 
>
>'twas back in 2004 at the Champion Beer of Britain competition. Gold in 
>the bitter class, and silver overall.
>It caused a bit of a stir, rumours were quickly flying about, notably 
>implying the batch delivered at GBBF was not quite the standard IPA. Ho 
>hum, I guess we'll never really know...

Id suspect it was totally standard IPA, the difference was Greene King had 
an interest in making sure it was kept and served properly for a change, 
whereas I think for the vast majority of the pubs that they own, or places 
where you get hold of their beer, I dont think looking after the beer is 
top of the list,

Aw

awavey@yahoo.com a écrit :

> In article <496b91e3$1_1@news.bluewin.ch>, The Submarine Captain  wrote:
>
> Id suspect it was totally standard IPA, the difference was Greene King had 
> an interest in making sure it was kept and served properly for a change,

  Well, the casks for CBoB are kept on a separate stillage, and taken 
care of by festival volunteers in an enclosed area that is out of bounds 
to all but the CBoB team, i.e. completely out of the control of 
breweries... So I guess it would not be a positive interest, more like a 
double negative : a lack of non-interest... ;o)))

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

- Des trous dans mon parapluie, qui a fait ça ?
- Moi, et c'était un test... Car c'est ainsi qu'il pleut : Le Grand 
Parapluie Cosmique est Troué !!!
(F'murrr)

Laurent Mousson, Biel/Bienne, Switzerland

"The Submarine Captain"  wrote in message 
news:496b8f63$1_2@news.bluewin.ch...
> Offramp a écrit :
>
>> I feel a bit sorry for the real ale breweries who sometimes rely on
>> JDW sales; surely their sales must drop?
>
> Not necessarily, but they're certainly under a very heavy pressue to 
> reduce their prices, and some may end up selling beer at too low a profit, 
> if not at a loss. I semm to remember some breweries actually went under 
> over the past ten years because of the huge quantities they were flogging 
> at no profit at all to pubcos...
>
> Cheers !
\

Gawd beerbailout.
They are probably just as affected by credit line problems as any business 
to finance their payroll and inventory.
Don't know about the UK politicians.

There isn't ONE congressman that is not to blame for turning their
head while the mortgage market went bazoo. Not one, all of em, Obama,
Clinton, Edwards, Lieberman, Kerry, McCain, and so on.

They all had ties and had reason to bury their heads in the sand.  Not
only did they get lobbying perks.  They also made millions off the
securities of fnma during the housing bubble.  The lobbying wasn't to
keep FNMA alive. Everyone more or less wanted that (except perhaps Ron
Paul who doesn't believe in any government programs that didn't exist
in the constitution such as army and post office) and McCain only
pretended he didn;t.  People already recognize the value of fnma.
Foreign investors buy their bonds and stocks.  What most of the
lobbying was for was to keep the veeps of fnma's benefit checks
protected.

Washington is so broken I can hardly believe it

I guess the solution is to have a brew

mk5000



lobbying activities
http://www.implu.com/lobby_client/236
That payroll has cost Fannie and Freddie nearly $200 million in
lobbying and campaign contributions over the past decade, according to
lobbying reports and Federal Election Commission disclosures. It has
also won them plenty of protection from calls for greater regulation,
less federal protection, and even nationalization.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/16/AR2008071602565.html

and you gotta love McCain speaking out one side of his mouth about how
FNMA is too big and he will get rid of it and how he doesn't deal with
lobbyists.  But oops yes he does.  FNMA lobbyists work for him.  Obama
has similar ties

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/07/24/mccain-get-rid-of-fannie-mae-and-freddie-mac/

"The Submarine Captain"  wrote in message 
news:496b8f63$1_2@news.bluewin.ch...
> Not necessarily, but they're certainly under a very heavy pressue to 
> reduce their prices, and some may end up selling beer at too low a profit, 
> if not at a loss. I semm to remember some breweries actually went under 
> over the past ten years because of the huge quantities they were flogging 
> at no profit at all to pubcos...
>

I saw the original story on video on demand.  It was hilarious

mk5000

"Something is amiss. I don't smell bacon. Now, isn't there a law in the 
state of New York where it can't be called breakfast unless there's bacon or 
sausage or some sort of fried meat?"-- Michael Wiseman: Now and Again

On 12 Jan, 20:40, The Submarine Captain 
wrote:
> awa...@yahoo.com a écrit :
>
> > In article <496b91e3$...@news.bluewin.ch>, The Submarine Captain  wrote:
>
> > Id suspect it was totally standard IPA, the difference was Greene King had
> > an interest in making sure it was kept and served properly for a change>   Well, the casks for CBoB are kept on a separate stillage, and taken
> care of by festival volunteers in an enclosed area that is out of bounds
> to all but the CBoB team, i.e. completely out of the control of
> breweries... So I guess it would not be a positive interest, more like a
> double negative : a lack of non-interest... ;o)))
>
> --
> Warning : you may encounter French language beyond this point.
>
> - Des trous dans mon parapluie, qui a fait ça ?
> - Moi, et c'était un test... Car c'est ainsi qu'il pleut : Le Grand
> Parapluie Cosmique est Troué !!!
> (F'murrr)
>
> Laurent Mousson, Biel/Bienne, Switzerland


Its slightly more subtle than just that.  The normal order for GBF
beer was two barrels, and this happened every year with the major
breweries like GK who for reasons whatever (sponsorship ?), were
always asked to supply.

Imagine the surprise then if you are asked one year for an extra 9 of
one of your beers.  Not all of them, just one of them.  Ah-ha, what's
that about then ?

Well, it doesnt take a genius in the industry to guess the extra is
for judging.  So, lets make sure its especially good.  A good dry-
hopping at the very least......

In article
,
   alebuff  wrote:
> Its slightly more subtle than just that.  The normal order for GBF
> beer was two barrels, and this happened every year with the major
> breweries like GK who for reasons whatever (sponsorship ?), were
> always asked to supply.

> Imagine the surprise then if you are asked one year for an extra 9 of
> one of your beers.  Not all of them, just one of them.  Ah-ha, what's
> that about then ?

> Well, it doesnt take a genius in the industry to guess the extra is
> for judging.  So, lets make sure its especially good.  A good dry-
> hopping at the very least......

It's certainly the explanation for some truly amazing TT Landlord
circulating in the Bradford area in August one year...

-- 
Chris Ramsbottom
Pandora's Box Healing
36 Coombe Drive, Binley Woods, Coventry, Warks CV3 2QU
www.pandorasboxhealing.com
07768 210273

On Jan 14, 6:59 am, alebuff  wrote:
> Its slightly more subtle than just that.  The normal order for GBF
> beer was two barrels, and this happened every year with the major
> breweries like GK who for reasons whatever (sponsorship ?), were
> always asked to supply.
>
> Imagine the surprise then if you are asked one year for an extra 9 of
> one of your beers.  Not all of them, just one of them.  Ah-ha, what's
> that about then ?
>
> Well, it doesnt take a genius in the industry to guess the extra is
> for judging.  So, lets make sure its especially good.  A good dry-
> hopping at the very least......

I don't think it's quite so simple...the floor orders are for kils
(18gal), multiples of each.  So then the brewery will also get an
order for a couple of 9s of some beers...a give away that maybe you're
in the running?  Well not really, because I think the staff bar is run
with 9s, and there's usually 20ish beers each day (maybe 8-10 at a
time).  Plus I have an inkling that much of it gets bought through a
couple of wholesalers anyway.

The stillage for the CBOB beers is separate from the staff bar,
though.  Until after it's been judged, at which time the staff bar
closes a while and staff can wander round and sample them at whim.

In article , M Platting
wrote:
> Well done JDW! It means that those of us who are feeling the pinch
> and who love the occasional pint, can actually go out and
> socialise, rather than staying at home.

we are finding this a big drawback . . . 

So much of the real ale that is being sold at our spoons is GK IPA
that the guest beers are reduced to two and they are not being
changed very quickly. Friday night's two, which I didn't like, were
still on tonight.

:o(((

I hope they stop this silly offer soon!

-- 
Chris de Cordova (West Cumbria & Western Lakes) www.westcumbriacamra.org.uk
Whitehaven Beer Festival: 21st & 22nd Nov 2008 (www.whitehavenbeerfestival.co.uk)
www.cumbrianbreweries.org.uk for good craic on our beers!

The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.

In article , Chris de Cordova 
 writes
>In article , M Platting
>wrote:
>> Well done JDW! It means that those of us who are feeling the pinch
>> and who love the occasional pint, can actually go out and
>> socialise, rather than staying at home.
>
>we are finding this a big drawback . . .
>
>So much of the real ale that is being sold at our spoons is GK IPA
>that the guest beers are reduced to two and they are not being
>changed very quickly. Friday night's two, which I didn't like, were
>still on tonight.
>
>:o(((
>
>I hope they stop this silly offer soon!

I had several pints of SA Gold at 1.99 GBP this evening which were most 
enjoyable, and tried GK IPA at 99p/pint, which was not. In short you are 
not compelled to drink the urine, so why complain if it is cheap, mot 
people were not drinking to price.

-- 
Ian             G8ILZ
There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.
~Ansel Adams

In article , Prometheus
 wrote:
> In article , Chris de Cordova
>  writes
> >In article , M
> >Platting wrote:
> >> Well done JDW! It means that those of us who are feeling the
> >> pinch and who love the occasional pint, can actually go out and
> >> socialise, rather than staying at home.
> >
> >we are finding this a big drawback . . .
> >
> >So much of the real ale that is being sold at our spoons is GK IPA
> >that the guest beers are reduced to two and they are not being
> >changed very quickly. Friday night's two, which I didn't like,
> >were still on tonight.
> >
> >:o(((
> >
> >I hope they stop this silly offer soon!

> I had several pints of SA Gold at 1.99 GBP this evening which were
> most enjoyable, and tried GK IPA at 99p/pint, which was not. In
> short you are not compelled to drink the urine, so why complain if
> it is cheap, mot people were not drinking to price.

I am not compelled to drink the IPA - I am complaining that there is
less choice because it is on the bar and cheap.

-- 
Chris de Cordova (West Cumbria & Western Lakes) www.westcumbriacamra.org.uk
Whitehaven Beer Festival: 21st & 22nd Nov 2008 (www.whitehavenbeerfestival.co.uk)
www.cumbrianbreweries.org.uk for good craic on our beers!

Two wrongs are only the beginning.

In article , Chris de Cordova 
 writes
>In article , Prometheus
> wrote:
>> In article , Chris de Cordova
>>  writes
>> >In article , M
>> >Platting wrote:
>> >> Well done JDW! It means that those of us who are feeling the
>> >> pinch and who love the occasional pint, can actually go out and
>> >> socialise, rather than staying at home.
>> >
>> >we are finding this a big drawback . . .
>> >
>> >So much of the real ale that is being sold at our spoons is GK IPA
>> >that the guest beers are reduced to two and they are not being
>> >changed very quickly. Friday night's two, which I didn't like,
>> >were still on tonight.
>> >
>> >:o(((
>> >
>> >I hope they stop this silly offer soon!
>
>> I had several pints of SA Gold at 1.99 GBP this evening which were
>> most enjoyable, and tried GK IPA at 99p/pint, which was not. In
>> short you are not compelled to drink the urine, so why complain if
>> it is cheap, mot people were not drinking to price.
>
>I am not compelled to drink the IPA - I am complaining that there is
>less choice because it is on the bar and cheap.

They had IPA on the bar before reducing it to 99p, and the choice was no 
less than some of the times before it was reduced. If my local 
Wetherspoons had nothing of interest (as sometimes happens) I would have 
chosen to go to another pub (Fuller's, Shepherd Neame, Timothy Taylor, 
White Horse, Young's, etc.), where depends on how little drinking time 
is available.







-- 
Ian             G8ILZ
There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.
~Ansel Adams

In article <wdZg0aGm+QdJFwxa@spam.newbrain.demon.co.uk>, Prometheus
 wrote:
> In article , Chris de Cordova
>  writes


> They had IPA on the bar before reducing it to 99p, and the choice
> was no less than some of the times before it was reduced. If my
> local Wetherspoons had nothing of interest (as sometimes happens) I
> would have chosen to go to another pub (Fuller's, Shepherd Neame,
> Timothy Taylor, White Horse, Young's, etc.), where depends on how
> little drinking time is available.

We hardly ever had GK IPA on the bar; being so close to Scotland we
had Deuchars IPA instead,  Now we have GK IPA on FIVE handpumps!!!
Whereat one time we used to have FIVE guest beers. (10 guests
altogether)

-- 
Chris de Cordova (West Cumbria & Western Lakes) www.westcumbriacamra.org.uk
Whitehaven Beer Festival: 21st & 22nd Nov 2008 (www.whitehavenbeerfestival.co.uk)
www.cumbrianbreweries.org.uk for good craic on our beers!

The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread.

> They had IPA on the bar before reducing it to 99p, and the choice was no
> less than some of the times before it was reduced. If my local
> Wetherspoons had nothing of interest (as sometimes happens) I would have
> chosen to go to another pub (Fuller's, Shepherd Neame, Timothy Taylor,
> White Horse, Young's, etc.), where depends on how little drinking time
> is available.
>
> --
> Ian             G8ILZ

Your local pubs must be pretty dire if the Wetherspoon is your 'first'
choice...

Mark

In article 
, 
Mark  writes
>> They had IPA on the bar before reducing it to 99p, and the choice was no
>> less than some of the times before it was reduced. If my local
>> Wetherspoons had nothing of interest (as sometimes happens) I would have
>> chosen to go to another pub (Fuller's, Shepherd Neame, Timothy Taylor,
>> White Horse, Young's, etc.), where depends on how little drinking time
>> is available.
>
>Your local pubs must be pretty dire if the Wetherspoon is your 'first'
>choice...

It is the closest taking about seven minutes to walk to, others take 
fifteen to thirty minutes with waiting time for bus or underground. 
Since I sometimes do not go out until 21:30 on a Sunday I go to the 
closest, although some of the others are open much latter (I enjoyed a 
few pints of SA gold last Sunday). As such this is in part being lazy, 
and part not wanting to be too late getting home. This said I have 
walked into the Wetherspoons at 21:30, looked at the choice (e.g. Itchen 
Valley, Itchen Valley, etc.) and walked back out to  get the underground 
to the White Horse on Parsons Green. I shall probably go there tomorrow 
evening.

-- 
Ian             G8ILZ
There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.
~Ansel Adams

In message 
          Mark  wrote:

> 
> Your local pubs must be pretty dire if the Wetherspoon is your 'first'
> choice...

"Dire", sir! You dare to write "Dire"!

Oh ye of little vestribulation!

For such as you, who neer do venture oft-times within such lusty
portals, methinks 'tis not your province to eschew opinion, sir!
  
-- 
BW Chris F. 
[ British Iyonix, RISC OS 5.13 & A9 ]

> www.cumbrianbreweries.org.uk for good craic on our beers!

Craic!?! God I hate that word!
The are plenty of Gaelic words for a good time but the unenlightened
choose to use an English word!

In article
,
   Offramp  wrote:
> > www.cumbrianbreweries.org.uk for good craic on our beers!

> Craic!?! God I hate that word!
> The are plenty of Gaelic words for a good time but the unenlightened
> choose to use an English word!

Sadly, the ancestry hereabouts is mostly of Irish Extraction and that
is the word and spelling they use! It is not about a good time - more
about good conversation.

The valley that contains the small town in which I work is referred
to as 'Little Ireland'! Green and lush, reminding them of their home 
country, when they all swarmed here during the potato famine.

-- 
Chris de Cordova (West Cumbria & Western Lakes) www.westcumbriacamra.org.uk
Whitehaven Beer Festival: 21st & 22nd Nov 2008 (www.whitehavenbeerfestival.co.uk)
www.cumbrianbreweries.org.uk for good craic on our beers!

I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.

From Wikipedia:
"Criticism of the spelling "craic"

The spelling craic has attracted some criticism. Diarmaid Ó Muirithe
has written:[15]
“ 	The constant Gaelicisation of the good old English-Scottish dialect
word crack as craic sets my teeth on edge. It seems, indeed, that many
people think the word is an Irish one; hence we find advertisements
proclaiming "music, songs, dancing and craic". The implication is that
craic = boozing and high jinks, great fun as it used to be [...] 	”

—Diarmaid Ó Muirithe

Fintan Vallely condemned craic in his Companion to Irish Traditional
Music,[16] and elaborated via an open letter to an internet forum:[17]
“ 	[T]he spelling craic causes serious nausea among intelligent
people. This glib spelling of the word was invented in the 1970s ...
it is the context of the use of the (recent, modern) Irish spelling of
the word that is the issue - if craic is to be used, it should be used
while writing in the Irish language, OR placed in parentheses or in
italics when writing in English. I stress that this is a word which
was NEVER in the Irish language (but cráic, meaning arsehole, or
creac, meaning herd, are). ... I grew up using the word in the 1950s.
When I went to Dublin (from Ulster) in 1968 NOBODY I met in Dublin
used 'crack' ... 'Crack' only began to be used with the influx of
northerners and in the context of music, it travelled with northern
influence (at the fleadh cheoil, etc) until southern people began to
believe that they had invented it. Ciaran Carson is particular enraged
by the craic spelling, so too Desi Wilkinson and many other otherwise
tolerant souls. 	”

—Fintan Vallely

Offramp wrote:
> From Wikipedia:
> "Criticism of the spelling "craic"

Good grief!

Offramp a écrit :
> 
> The spelling craic has attracted some criticism. Diarmaid Ó Muirithe
> has written:[15]
> “ 	The constant Gaelicisation of the good old English-Scottish dialect
> word crack as craic sets my teeth on edge.

Aha, interesting. So it's a saxon word, not a celtic one.

But then borrowing words from other languages and adapting their 
spelling to one's own is a common linguistic phenomenon...

...or is the problem, in this case that a language (english) borrowed a 
word to another (southern scottish saxon dialect) and attributed it to a 
third (irish gaelic).


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

Leçon 2 : Chaque cas est un cas particulier et appelle un traitement 
particulier...
(F'murrr)

Laurent Mousson, Biel/Bienne, Switzerland

Forget Wikipedia:

"the Crack is good in Cricklewood"

eveything else is just a bastardisation!

KW

On Jan 24, 10:47 am, "Ken Ward"  wrote:
> Forget Wikipedia:
>
> "the Crack is good in Cricklewood"

No problems with that at all!!

In article ,
   Chris de Cordova  wrote:
> I hope they stop this silly offer soon!

Apparently the end is nigh.

Told by our Spoons regional manager (who drinks in our pub):
GK cannot keep up with the demand. 
The offer is finishingin March and it will goo back up to £1.29  or
£1.49 - can;t remember which.
And we won't be getting it any more - we will get Theakston's Best
(worst) Bitter instead.

Tiny improvement.

-- 
Chris de Cordova (West Cumbria & Western Lakes) www.westcumbriacamra.org.uk
Whitehaven Beer Festival: 21st & 22nd Nov 2008 (www.whitehavenbeerfestival.co.uk)
www.cumbrianbreweries.org.uk for good craic on our beers!

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.