Say it aint so, Dave, please say it aint so...

[Beery Trainspotter]

Must admit, I’m not as sharp as I used to be – consequence of the advancing years & too many pints of Pale Rider (now that is a fine bevy) so I’m hoping I’ve got the wrong end of the stick completely here.

 

Reading the off topic comments in the “Hear Come The Fleet Thread” I was left with one or two questions about the bar.

 

1. Was I drinking Guinness or Murphy’s when I ordered Guinness from a Guinness pump last Saturday? I thought it was ‘thinner’ but put that down to quality variability, but now some of the allusions elsewhere on the board have got me wondering.

 

2. Infinitely more importantly, please, please tell me that the Courage Best being served was not Courage’s attempt to take advantage of somebody’s credulity & pass this off as the promised real ale, upon whose behalf I - for my sins - began the campaign. Courage Best is available in real ale form. It’s unremarkable but, if sold in peak condition – as in The Echo where they sell battleship loads of the stuff, a perfectly drinkable brew. However, what we had in the bar on Saturday is the keg version (i.e. pasteurised with artificially added carbon dioxide.) This is no more real ale than the much maligned John Smith's Smooth . Real ale is dispensed from a hand pump, by gravity (direct from the container) or, very rarely nowadays, by electric pump. Our Courage Best was coming from a standard keg dispenser. Maybe it’s always been there; I saw it for the first time because I was desperately scanning the horizon for any sign of the real stuff & I’m panicking unnecessarily.

 

So reassure a daft old duffer, Dave. Tell me the real real ale is still coming, that I’ve misinterpreted other contributors' comments & that when it comes, it will be trailed by fanfares on a properly working tanoy & have huge notices inside & outside the bar, announcing its presence, so there can be no mistake & sad old geezers like me can drink enough of it to make it a worthwhile investment.

 

BTS

 

PS Have Longdog disappeared - hence the small selection below & the impossibility of logging onto the old address? Is there an alternative that will work on here, so we can get more variety into our smilies?

 

[David Holden]

As far as I know the plan is still to introduce real ale, and we have spoken to Courage about this. I will ask for an update when I can and report back.

 

Seems that longdog have gone but I don't know if this is permament.

 

I think I have a French smilies site at home, and if it is still going I'll post the address later.

[Beery Trainspotter]

Cheers, Dave. Always nice to get such a quick response. I look forward to any updates re. the smilies & (especially) the beer.

 

BTS

[Jimmy]

Longdog hasn't paid his hosting fees but he assures me its only a temporary set back. He forgot.

[Alan W (GNFC)]

You've obviously got more connections than we thought, Jimmy !!

[Jimmy]

I am full of suprises.