ON THE DOLE (OR POSSIBLY NOT)

AS A RESULT OF BEING MADE REDUNDANT FROM THE END OF OCTOBER, BEER PRODUCTION IS GOING TO BE A BIT REDUCED OVER THE NEXT MONTH. I COULD HAVE GONE TO IMMINGHAM MYSELF WITH THE RELOCATION, BUT THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN PROBLEMATIC AROUND CONTINUING BREWING. SO INSTEAD I FIND MYSELF ON THE DOLE, OR NOT AS IT MAY BE QUITE SOON. TO TRY AND MAKE UP FOR THE LACK OF JOB I MAY HAVE TO BREW SOME MORE BEER (IT'S A HARD LIFE). SO CONVERSELY MITHRIL ALES MAY BE TRAVELLING A BIT FURTHER AFIELD QUITE SOON.

THEY CAME, THEY WENT, YOU MAY NOT SEE!

WITH ALL THE WORK I HAVE BEEN DOING AROUND THE RECENT DARLINGTON BEER AND MUSIC FESTIVAL, I HAVE BEEN A BIT LAX ABOUT LETTING YOU KNOW ABOUT MY NEW BEERS. THIS MONTH I HAVE HAD TWO NEW SPECIALS, HARVEST FESTIVALE AND AUTUMN LIBERTY.

I WAS IN THE STANWICK ON FRIDAY NIGHT WHERE I ONLY JUST MANAGED TO GRAB THE LAST PINT OF AUTUMN LIBERTY MYSELF. ALTHOUGH I DID FEEL A BIT BAD THAT A COUPLE HAD COME DOWN FROM FROSTERLEY TO TRY SOME OF MY ALES, TO BE TOLD THE BREWER HAD JUST SNAFFLED THE LAST. THE FINAL CASK OF AUTUMN LIBERTY WAS DELIVERED TO THE STANWICK YESTERDAY.

I WILL BE DOING SPECIALS FOR HALLOWEEN AND GUY FAWKES AND WILL TRY TO BE A BIT MORE ON THE BALL FOR THEN IN BLOGGING THE NAMES AND WHERE IT HAS GONE TO.

A NUMBER ONE AND TWO FOR MITHRIL ALES

NO, I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT LAVATORIAL FUNCTIONS. MITHRIL ALES FLOWER POWER AND MY SPECIAL RHYTHM AND BREWS CAME FIRST AND SECOND PLACE AT DARLINGTON'S 31ST BEER AND MUSIC FESTIVAL HELD OVER THURSDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER TO SATURDAY THE 18TH. YORKSHIRE DALES SPECIAL FOR THE FESTIVAL, ANTIPODEAN CAME THIRD.

THANKS TO ALL WHO VOTED FOR ME, IT WAS A REAL HONOUR - PARTICULARLY AS THERE WERE SO MANY OTHER REALLY GREAT ALES ON OVER THE FESTIVAL.

PPPPPPPPPPPPICK UP A PIN AND LET'S GO TO THE HOP (FARM)

HAD MONDAY AND TUESDAY OFF THIS WEEK. TO TAKE PART IN THE ANNUAL CHARLES FARAM HOP FARM AND WALK. (IT SEEMS CORINNA IS NOW ALSO THE MITHRIL ALES DRIVER, A POST WHICH SEEMS TO REQUIRE IN ADDITION TO FREE MEALS NOW ALSO INCORPORATES BED AND BREAKFAST, COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF FREE COSTA AND STARBUCKS AND WELL ANYTHING ELSE I AM TOLD THIS POSITION DEMANDS )

THE CAMRA BEER GUIDE 2010 WAS INVALUABLE, IN FINDING AN EXCELLENT 1590 COACHING INN (ALTHOUGH WE TRAVELLED IN A PEUGEOT PARTNER) CALLED THE TALBOT, IT WAS BASED IN LEDBURY JUST 5 MILES FROM THE HOP FARM. SINCE WE WERE GOIING TO BE DOWN THIS WAY TOOK ADVANTAGE TO COLLECT SOME PINS FROM CYPHER CO IN DROITWICH.

LEDBURY, A STUNNING HISTORICAL MARKET TOWN - IF EVER THIS WAY AGAIN WOULD DO MORE EXPLORING. HAD A GOOD MEAL IN THE TALBOT, FOLLOWED BY A PUB CRAWL ON THE MONDAY ENDING IN THE PRINCE OF WALES. ALTHOUGH A BIT CONFUSED BY A CONVERSATION BY A FRIENDLY BUT IMBIBED DRINKER. THEY TOLD ME THE SOCIAL TAKE MONEY OUT OF YOUR JOBS SEEKERS ALLOWANCE FOR DRUGS AND GUNS (THE BIG SOCIETY - IS THIS A NEW CONSERVATIVE POLICY?)

AFTER A GOOD NIGHTS REST, AND A BETTER BREAKFAST HEADED TO THE HOP FARM FOR FREE BEER AND LUNCH (IT'S A HARD LIFE) AND THE HIGHLIGHT A WALKING TOUR OF THE FARM.

WAS SORRY TO HEAD BACK YESTERDAY, AND EVEN SORRIER WE AGAIN HAD TO STOP OFF FOR LATTES - BUT FOUND A BARGAIN £1.00 SANDWICH AT M & S.

CROWN BEER FESTIVAL SEPT 3RD TO 5TH

ALTHOUGH I WENT TO THE BEER FESTIVAL AT THE SHOULDER OF MUTTON ON THE FRIDAY, STILL MANAGED TO WORK IN THE CROWN OUT FOR THE SATURDAY SESSION OF THEIR BEER FESTIVAL IN THE VILLAGE OF MANFIELD.

ENJOYED (HOW COULD YOU NOT) A TAYLORS STEAK PIE AND MUSHY PEAS, WHICH SOAKED UP MY FREE BEER, WHICH WAS GIVEN IN EXCHANGE FOR MY LABOURS ON A PLEASANT SUMMERS DAY. A GREAT END TO A GOOD WEEKEND

JUST FOR A CHANGE - BEER FESTIVAL AT SHOULDER OF MUTTON AT KIRBY HILL

ROUTE A66 AND FLOWER POWER WERE BEING SERVED AT THE SHOULDER OF MUTTONS'S FIRST EVER BEER FESTIVAL HELD THE WEEKEND BEGINNING THE 3RD SEPTEMBER. IT THEREFORE SEEMED RUDE NOT TO JOIN THE CAMRA TRIP OUT TO THE FESTIVAL, AND SO WE DID ON FRIDAY ALONG WITH THE RENTS AND MY AUNT.
( WHO WAS UP HERE ON HOLIDAY AND ENJOYED HER FIRST BEER FESTIVAL AT THE SHY AGE OF ALMOST 80) .

WE WERE LUCKY TO BE TREATED TO A BAR MEAL BY AUNT, THE LAMB PIE WAS A PARTICULARLY GOOD CHOICE BEFORE MOVING OUT TO THE MARQUEE.

THERE WAS A GOOD RANGE OF 14 BEERS (A FURTHER THREE INSIDE) AND ALSO WHISKEY AND PIMMS AVAILABLE. FOR THOSE NOT BEING TREATED BY KINDLY AUNT'S, THE LOIN KING HOT SANDWICH VAN WAS SELLING PORK BUNS OUTSIDE. THE MUSIC, WAS BY A GROUP FROM LEEDS CALLED SEED.

NOT SURE WHETHER THIS WILL BECOME AN ANNUAL THING, BUT EVERYONE WHO WENT CERTAINLY ENJOYED THEMSELVES - LET'S HOPE SO

TRAVELS IN STAINDROP AND £5.95 RUMP STEAKS

THE BLACK SWAN AT STAINDROP HELD IT'S FIRST BEER FESTIVAL ON THE BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND, FROM THE 28TH-30TH AUGUST. SEEING AS ROUTE A66 WAS MAKING AN APPEARANCE IT SEEMED RUDE NOT TO ATTEND.

IN ADDITION TO MITHRIL'S FINEST, THE FESTIVAL ALSO HAD ON WYLAM GOLD TANKARD, GREYS CHAMPION ALE, MORDUE RADGIE GADGIE AND WORKIE TICKET, WYCHWOOD HOBGOBLIN, COPPER DRAGON BEST BITTER, WYLAM ANGEL AND TIMOTHY TAYLOR LANDLORD. BUT, BEST DISCOVERY OF THE NIGHT WAS A TASTY AND SUPRISINGLY CHEAP MENU. BOTH MYSELF AND CORINNA HAD THE 8OZ RUMP STEAK AT £5.95 WITH A WHOLE 55P EXTRA FOR A SAUCE. THE STEAK WAS COOKED JUST RIGHT, AND CAME WITH A NICE SALAD AND EXCELLENT HOME MADE CHIPS.

ON THE MONDAY WE DECIDED TO GO BACK THERE FOR OUR LUNCH, WHERE WE PAID A WHOLE £3.50 FOR A HUGE BURGER AND CHIPS -

IF YOU ARE IN THE AREA GIVE IT A TRY. GOOD FOOD, BEER AT £2.20 S PINT - YOU CAN'T GO WRONG!