What a shock to the system as I just hear on the news that Fuller, Smith and Turner, makers of London Pride, has just sold it's brewing business to Asahi, a Japanese brewing organisation. They have committed to continue brewing at the Griffin Brewery in Chiswick and the Fullers estate of pubs and hotels will continue to serve it, it just comes as a surprise when the brand has been doing so well for many, many years.
I completed the Fullers Passport many years ago and got a couple of ceramic pint mugs and a flagon as a prize, and have been drinking the beer since I moved to London in 1971. The Fuller's owners do say that the wet trade only accounts for 13% of their turnover and the share price went up 22% today so I guess it was a good bit of business for them.
A little known fact about the brewery and the local area is that the football ground soon to be vacated by Brentford is called Griffin Park because the brewery deposited the clinker from their furnaces there before the football ground was constructed on the site. The new Brentford ground is being constructed a stones throw from my previous abode in Silver Crescent. I just hope the brewery continues to be a local community landmark for many years to come.
Cheers!
Friday, 25 January 2019
Britain had talent
The Gladstone Theatre in Port Sunlight has just started a regular comedy club. It aims to host a number of 'stars' from Britain's Got Talent (BGT), on a monthly basis. We decided to give it a try as the headliner in the first show was Robert White, who made the final and only lost out to fellow comedian Lost Voice Guy.
Now Robert is autistic and gay and up until BGT worked as a teaching assistant. I thought he was good enough on TV to go to see him live. What a mistake that was. He was on an ego trip the size of which Simon Cowell would struggle to match. His jokes and songs were course and vulgar and the need to swear alot forced sections of the audience to vote with their feet and leave before the end. That included local comedian Stan BBoardman, next to whom we were sitting. He left commenting that that was not comedy, and he should know!!
In traditional comedy club format, there was an MC, and two warm up comedians before Robert. The MC was pretty poor. SWMBO liked the first warm-up and I liked the second, Simon Lomas, so at least we did not leave without having something to laugh about.
Simon had to endure a fairly boring heckler so maybe the venue will look at having a couple of bouncers around next time, to help the comics out.
The February gig features Nick Page, also from BGT, who incidentally used to be a presenter on Escape to the Countryside. The also have Lost Voice Guy later in the year who was the winner of BGT and consequently appeared in the Royal Variety Show in front of royalty. Lets hope they are a bit more humorous than Robert White was.
Now Robert is autistic and gay and up until BGT worked as a teaching assistant. I thought he was good enough on TV to go to see him live. What a mistake that was. He was on an ego trip the size of which Simon Cowell would struggle to match. His jokes and songs were course and vulgar and the need to swear alot forced sections of the audience to vote with their feet and leave before the end. That included local comedian Stan BBoardman, next to whom we were sitting. He left commenting that that was not comedy, and he should know!!
In traditional comedy club format, there was an MC, and two warm up comedians before Robert. The MC was pretty poor. SWMBO liked the first warm-up and I liked the second, Simon Lomas, so at least we did not leave without having something to laugh about.
Simon had to endure a fairly boring heckler so maybe the venue will look at having a couple of bouncers around next time, to help the comics out.
The February gig features Nick Page, also from BGT, who incidentally used to be a presenter on Escape to the Countryside. The also have Lost Voice Guy later in the year who was the winner of BGT and consequently appeared in the Royal Variety Show in front of royalty. Lets hope they are a bit more humorous than Robert White was.
Sunday, 13 January 2019
Behind you
Number one grand daughter was in her first pantomime this weekend, a small part but a step on the ladder. She was in the chorus for three numbers and then the grand finale.
The event was hosted in the Gladstone Theatre in Port Sunlight. It was opened in 1845 by the Prime Minister originally for men only entertainment but soon morphed itself into the cosy variety theatre it is today. It is a throwback to the Lord Leverhume philanthropic approach to staff well being, and must have attracted the misogynistic hall stars of the time. It still pulls in artists from stage and screen we have heard of, and is just launching a comedy club which we might sample shortly.
While we were supporting Ava, the Swiss branch were skiing in the Alps as the snow had dumped on the Swiss side, totally ignoring the Italians. No change there then.
I am writing this in Arrows Park A & E as we try to find out what they can do about my mother and her frail legs and body. It is going to be a long night I suspect as she once more becomes unstable and prone to falling.
Storm force winds are forecast for the next few weeks so best be prepared for a bit of inclement weather here for a while.
I have just got tickets for the cricket at Lords in August so that gives us something sunny to look forward to, and we are off to St George's Hall for a beer festival, prior to the Six Nations rugby starting. Nothing like a bit of drinking practise before the drinking starts in earnest.
The event was hosted in the Gladstone Theatre in Port Sunlight. It was opened in 1845 by the Prime Minister originally for men only entertainment but soon morphed itself into the cosy variety theatre it is today. It is a throwback to the Lord Leverhume philanthropic approach to staff well being, and must have attracted the misogynistic hall stars of the time. It still pulls in artists from stage and screen we have heard of, and is just launching a comedy club which we might sample shortly.
While we were supporting Ava, the Swiss branch were skiing in the Alps as the snow had dumped on the Swiss side, totally ignoring the Italians. No change there then.
I am writing this in Arrows Park A & E as we try to find out what they can do about my mother and her frail legs and body. It is going to be a long night I suspect as she once more becomes unstable and prone to falling.
Storm force winds are forecast for the next few weeks so best be prepared for a bit of inclement weather here for a while.
I have just got tickets for the cricket at Lords in August so that gives us something sunny to look forward to, and we are off to St George's Hall for a beer festival, prior to the Six Nations rugby starting. Nothing like a bit of drinking practise before the drinking starts in earnest.
Thursday, 3 January 2019
Sunny side up
First post of 2019, and already so much going on. The New Years Eve party was good but not spectacular. There were plenty of men in skirts and a few Ceilidh dances were performed but there was not really enough room for all those who wished to participate. My knee was still crook from the wedding accident so I sat those dances out.
We were on a table for two rather than a group table which was fine, but the conversation with other guests only really took off after mid-night as everybody converged on the comfy chairs. we went to bed about 2:00am having met another Scouser and a lad from Kent who had both moved to Caithness which even further North than Inverness.
I have a reputation on golf tours of going off piste as far as the menu is concerned and the tactic of choosing the best bits of one dish with the basis of another is called doing a 'weathers'. So why not start the year with one I thought. I then proceeded to turn up for brunch at about 12:00 and ordered a full Scottish breakfast with steak and eggs on the side. A true 'weathers' would see me leaving some of it as it is usually too substantial, but on this occasion it all got woofed.
We had a good trip back yesterday and saw number one son and family. I went out for a swiftie with him and number two son. I left them at about 21:30. They rolled in at 06:00 having been out on the lash in Liverpool. Blind leading the blind me thinks.
Today has been busy. The first of the New Year jobs saw the swimming pool dehumidifier fixed. We then managed to get a Social Services assessment of my mum completed meaning she can return to her home tomorrow and care assistants will visit three or four times a day as necessary. I can then go to the Tranmere v Spurs FA Cup game and have a few beers hopefully. Golf starts in earnest again next week and hoepfully normal service will be restored.
Only time will tell......
We were on a table for two rather than a group table which was fine, but the conversation with other guests only really took off after mid-night as everybody converged on the comfy chairs. we went to bed about 2:00am having met another Scouser and a lad from Kent who had both moved to Caithness which even further North than Inverness.
I have a reputation on golf tours of going off piste as far as the menu is concerned and the tactic of choosing the best bits of one dish with the basis of another is called doing a 'weathers'. So why not start the year with one I thought. I then proceeded to turn up for brunch at about 12:00 and ordered a full Scottish breakfast with steak and eggs on the side. A true 'weathers' would see me leaving some of it as it is usually too substantial, but on this occasion it all got woofed.
We had a good trip back yesterday and saw number one son and family. I went out for a swiftie with him and number two son. I left them at about 21:30. They rolled in at 06:00 having been out on the lash in Liverpool. Blind leading the blind me thinks.
Today has been busy. The first of the New Year jobs saw the swimming pool dehumidifier fixed. We then managed to get a Social Services assessment of my mum completed meaning she can return to her home tomorrow and care assistants will visit three or four times a day as necessary. I can then go to the Tranmere v Spurs FA Cup game and have a few beers hopefully. Golf starts in earnest again next week and hoepfully normal service will be restored.
Only time will tell......
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