I will start with the bad news.
Still reeling from the announcement that Greene King had ended their offer of IPA at £1.99 a pint, I was hit with the KO blow. Hayley, the landlady of the Fox, in her infinite wisdom has decided that the pub can no longer justify offering two real ales on hand-pump and, in future, will only be serving Moorlands Original.
Eminently drinkable though it is, MO just hasn’t got the same ring about it as IPA.
Not the end of the world you may be thinking but this is my last tenable daily connection with God’s Own County!
In a desperate attempt to justify her actions Hayley has decided to replace the Ruddles keg with Greene King IPA Smooth to be offered at £1.99 a pint.
Following my near self exploding experience with this at the Rec two weeks ago I think I will give it a wide berth.
So much for the so called re-emergence of proper beer. I feel an odd ode from the Welsh Bard coming on.
And the week-end started so well with England’s fine victory over the Taffs not to mention the fine performance of our under 20’s the previous evening in the warm up match and the Ladies in their corresponding fixture.
Instead of a lament from EvansAbove bemoaning this fine English treble, I received this report of his post match adventures:
“And so it came to pass that yesterday, just as the Twickers ref brought the curtain down on one pantomime, another one kicked off. From Harry’s end of the Village, this particular phenomenon isn’t so apparent, but when the wind comes from beyond the M4 interchange we get the full nasal treat as the Bombay, the Khazi and the India Gate combine their aromas. We keep saying that one day we’ll try the first named pair, but as the Gate is no more than eighty yards away, we use them for our sporadic takeaways. But there may be a change.
It’s not as if I’m a regular there, but I did notice that it was a new man on the restaurant’s ‘welcome’ desk. He evidently hadn’t been here long, as he started spelling my surname with an ‘H’! As ever, and it’s hardly worth buying an expensive lager while I’m waiting, I strolled home fighting my way through the weeping masses in their Brains sponsored tops. Twenty minutes later, I was back at the Gate, which was now beginning to get busy – with sad fans. “Takeaway for Evans”, I said, forgetting to aspirate my name, and number 42 duly arrived, with P. Evans clearly on the receipt...
Unpacking the bag, maybe two minutes later, I spotted Lamb Bhuna on one of the containers and realised it was the wrong selection of goodies, however appealingly they were smelling. I replaced them neatly in the bag, and made my third excursion through streets now damp with losers’ tears (you’re loving this, admit it! And it is the 30th anniversary of Ringer being sent off at Twickers...)
Back at the Gate, there followed a scene the Marx Bros would have been proud of, as the new man was given a bollocking and one of them scuttled off for the correct order. Yes, Baltzer, mine was P. Evans, but number bloody 43.
While this was going on, a bloke I’d never seen before walked in, and asked for his meal – name, P. Evans (we all drop our aitches around ere!) So, naturally I introduced myself and we shook hands. You must admit, it’s a novel way of meeting people, though I wonder if they explained that his meal had already done one lap of Whitchurch. As I left – with what turned out to be excellent nosh, unaffected by in-transit stumbles, despite the extremely wet pavements, now running with blood as well as tears – approximately ten Asians were arguing unintelligibly. Well, not wholly so, as I did understand the one word that cropped up quite frequently – “Hevans” ... "
Pleasing to know that I’m not the only person starring in takeaway comedies.
Still reeling from the announcement that Greene King had ended their offer of IPA at £1.99 a pint, I was hit with the KO blow. Hayley, the landlady of the Fox, in her infinite wisdom has decided that the pub can no longer justify offering two real ales on hand-pump and, in future, will only be serving Moorlands Original.
Eminently drinkable though it is, MO just hasn’t got the same ring about it as IPA.
Not the end of the world you may be thinking but this is my last tenable daily connection with God’s Own County!
In a desperate attempt to justify her actions Hayley has decided to replace the Ruddles keg with Greene King IPA Smooth to be offered at £1.99 a pint.
Following my near self exploding experience with this at the Rec two weeks ago I think I will give it a wide berth.
So much for the so called re-emergence of proper beer. I feel an odd ode from the Welsh Bard coming on.
And the week-end started so well with England’s fine victory over the Taffs not to mention the fine performance of our under 20’s the previous evening in the warm up match and the Ladies in their corresponding fixture.
Instead of a lament from EvansAbove bemoaning this fine English treble, I received this report of his post match adventures:
“And so it came to pass that yesterday, just as the Twickers ref brought the curtain down on one pantomime, another one kicked off. From Harry’s end of the Village, this particular phenomenon isn’t so apparent, but when the wind comes from beyond the M4 interchange we get the full nasal treat as the Bombay, the Khazi and the India Gate combine their aromas. We keep saying that one day we’ll try the first named pair, but as the Gate is no more than eighty yards away, we use them for our sporadic takeaways. But there may be a change.
It’s not as if I’m a regular there, but I did notice that it was a new man on the restaurant’s ‘welcome’ desk. He evidently hadn’t been here long, as he started spelling my surname with an ‘H’! As ever, and it’s hardly worth buying an expensive lager while I’m waiting, I strolled home fighting my way through the weeping masses in their Brains sponsored tops. Twenty minutes later, I was back at the Gate, which was now beginning to get busy – with sad fans. “Takeaway for Evans”, I said, forgetting to aspirate my name, and number 42 duly arrived, with P. Evans clearly on the receipt...
Unpacking the bag, maybe two minutes later, I spotted Lamb Bhuna on one of the containers and realised it was the wrong selection of goodies, however appealingly they were smelling. I replaced them neatly in the bag, and made my third excursion through streets now damp with losers’ tears (you’re loving this, admit it! And it is the 30th anniversary of Ringer being sent off at Twickers...)
Back at the Gate, there followed a scene the Marx Bros would have been proud of, as the new man was given a bollocking and one of them scuttled off for the correct order. Yes, Baltzer, mine was P. Evans, but number bloody 43.
While this was going on, a bloke I’d never seen before walked in, and asked for his meal – name, P. Evans (we all drop our aitches around ere!) So, naturally I introduced myself and we shook hands. You must admit, it’s a novel way of meeting people, though I wonder if they explained that his meal had already done one lap of Whitchurch. As I left – with what turned out to be excellent nosh, unaffected by in-transit stumbles, despite the extremely wet pavements, now running with blood as well as tears – approximately ten Asians were arguing unintelligibly. Well, not wholly so, as I did understand the one word that cropped up quite frequently – “Hevans” ... "
Pleasing to know that I’m not the only person starring in takeaway comedies.
The highlight of the week was the receipt of my new fruit bushes which I mentioned briefly last week.
John Stoa, an artist and gardener, who lives in Dundee came across this fruit, which is very similar in appearance and taste to blueberries, being grown commercially while visiting Canada.
On his return to Scotland he discovered that Amelanchier alnifolia is quite widely grown in the UK as an ornamental shrub, not for it's black berries which are produced in large numbers and mainly left for the birds, but for it's attractive white spring flowers. Saskatoons, as the fruit are called, have similar nutrients to blueberries but in higher levels. They grow faster and taller than blueberries, do not require acidic soil conditions and have very few pests and diseases likely to trouble them. Saskatoons contain high levels of antitoxins which may help prevent heart disease, strokes, cancer, cataracts and other chronic illnesses, can be used as fresh fruit and also processed for jams, jellies, chutneys, pie fillings, yoghurts, syrups, juice concentrates, cider, wine and liqueurs.
Sounds like a pretty "tooned" in fruit to me.
On his return to Scotland he discovered that Amelanchier alnifolia is quite widely grown in the UK as an ornamental shrub, not for it's black berries which are produced in large numbers and mainly left for the birds, but for it's attractive white spring flowers. Saskatoons, as the fruit are called, have similar nutrients to blueberries but in higher levels. They grow faster and taller than blueberries, do not require acidic soil conditions and have very few pests and diseases likely to trouble them. Saskatoons contain high levels of antitoxins which may help prevent heart disease, strokes, cancer, cataracts and other chronic illnesses, can be used as fresh fruit and also processed for jams, jellies, chutneys, pie fillings, yoghurts, syrups, juice concentrates, cider, wine and liqueurs.
Sounds like a pretty "tooned" in fruit to me.
Full details of the shrub and how to obtain them can be found on John's website:
Why not try some - you know it makes sense!
Back on the greenhouse front more seeds have been sown this week for early crops aubergines, tomatoes, peppers, chillis, cucumbers, okra and melon. A bit behind Kitchen Gardens schedule which will probably be telling me to pick them in next months issue. Call me old fashioned but I'll stick with Arthur's 1936 timetable.
I leave you for another week with this final memory of Suffolk's own Indian Pale Ale (RIP)
Greene King IPA, an award winning beer
Award-winning Greene King IPA is a great-tasting beer, loved by drinkers across the world.
This hoppy, refreshing beer is brewed in the historic market town of Bury St Edmunds, in the heart of Suffolk, where brewing has been an important part of the town's history even as far back as 1086 when brewing in the town was recorded in the Domesday Book.
