Opinion
Topical articles and pieces from a personal point of view.
Beers from the past for now and the future
Itās heartening to find that Britainās rich tapestry of historic beer styles is recognised, cherished and promoted. While the rest of the world consum...
Pubs: āpieces of community infrastructureā
Shortly before Christmas, I read a letter to the editor of the Irish Times written by Dr Kathy McLoughlin. Dr McLoughlin is a psychologist who has spe...
Bare minimum
Taking a seat inside a popular central Manchester bar, I scroll my finger down the menu, deciding what to order for lunch. Opting for a double cheeseb...
Consider the power of your words...
Letās cut out the irresponsible comms this Christmas Warning: this article features an account of a suicide attempt and childhood trauma. It was a Fri...
Gone too soon
Itās amazing how sometimes we donāt notice the things that are right under our noses. My sisterās recent death, shortly before her 50th birthday, has...
Spread Eagle ā visit once...
Loose Chippings is a straggling village on the edge of the salt marshes and was one of the earliest Anglo-Saxon settlements in England. It was abandon...
Pubsā business rates blow
A post-Budget business rates bombshell could see scores of pubs closing as they face massive hikes in the amount they pay. The increases fly in the fa...
Long road back for Bass
Draught Bass may be in a pub near you. If I had written that 20 years ago, I would have been carried off to the funny farm, as Bass was the leading pr...
Beer poached pears with beer caramel sauce
A couple of weeks ago I spent some time sampling cask beer along the south coast of England. I tried some delightful new beers as well as revisiting o...
One beer does not a good pub make
Last month Timeout published its annual ā50 best pubs in Londonā list. Compiled by a handful of writers, including editor Leonie Cooper and bonafide p...
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