FOOD FOOD EVERYWHERE AND NOT A MORSEL TO EAT

BREWING AGAIN ON SUNDAY, I HAD PROMISED THE BOSS THAT I WOULD TAKE HER TO THE GEORGE AT PIERCEBRIDGE FOR THEIR AFTERNOON TEA. UNFORTUNATELY BY THE TIME I GOT FINISHED AND GOT DOWN THEY HAD SOLD OUT, GOOD FOR THEM NOT SO GOOD FOR ME. OH WELL IT SEEEMED A WASTE TO GO DOWN FOR TEA WHEN BEER WAS TO BE HAD - HAD A PINT OF THE ORIGINAL ALDBROUGH ST JOHN (VILLAGE) BREWER, WHITE BOAR.

THWARTED BY OUR PLANS TO EAT WE THEN VENTURED TO THE CROWN, ONLY TO DISCOVER THEY STOP DOING FOOD AT 4.00PM ON A SUNDAY (YOU CAN TELL WE DON'T OFTEN EAT OUT ON A SUNDAY). WHAT IS THAT I SPY ON THE BAR, ONLY MITHRIL ALES 'HEATWAVE' - WELL IT SEEMED RUDE NOT TO - AND SO WE DID.

HAPPILY WE ARRIVED AT THE STANWICK INN - AND OPTED FOR THE POLISH KROMESKI MAIN - LOOK IT UP ON THE INTERNET VERY TASTY.

ANYWAY WILL TRY FOR THE AFTERNOON TEA AGAIN THIS WEEKEND, IF I WANT TO LIVE.

TEESDALE DEJA VU

As you will note, Friday was spent in Middleton In Teesdale - what to do on Saturday then. I know let's go the area again - and so we did! Had a pint of the recent Darlington Beer Festival winner, Yard of Ale Spring Triple Tipple at the Moorcock at Egglestone. Feeling a bit peckish we then dropped off at Middleston In Teesdale again for a chippie - sat outside the chippie which is opposite the Teesdale Hotel we were tempted to pop in and see if the Teesdale Massive were also present (but were very good and kept to our original plan).

We then travelled onto the George and Dragon at Boldron - albeit not sure if directions were out or misheard, but ended up at a road in the middle of nowhere with a gate at the end - at least we know where Grassholme Reservoir is now! Eventually ended up with a pleasant seat outside the George supping a pint of Copper Dragon Golden Pippin.

BLAME IT ON THE BABS

HAVING A PROBLEM COMING UP WITH A NAME FOR MY JULY SPECIAL, I ASKED MITHRIL ALES VERY OWN FOCUS GROUP (AKA BABS) IF SHE HAD ANY IDEAS. A HUGE EMAIL THAT WILL DO ME FOR SEVERAL YEARS WAS DULY ISSUED, AND WE SETTLED ON 'HEATWAVE' WHICH SEEMED TOPICAL AT THE TIME. THE MISSUS (BEING THE PROPHET OF DOOM) DID MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT WHAT IF YOU CALL IT THAT AND THE WEATHER CHANGES. I SAID I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD.

LO AND BEHOLD THE MINUTE IT'S IN THE CASK, YEP THE WEATHER CHANGES.

ANYWAY HEATWAVE HAS BEEN DELIVERED THIS WEEK TO

STANWICK INN - ALDBROUGH ST JOHN
CROWN - MANFIELD
THE MALTINGS AT JARROW
TEESDALE HOTEL AS FEATURED IN EARLIER BLOG
THE BLACKSMITHS ARMS - PRESTON LE SKERNE
THE A66 MOTEL - ON THE A66 SCOTCH CORNER- BARNARD CASTLE ROAD
THE SURTEES - FERRYHILL
THE VANE ARMS - LONG NEWTON
THE QUAKERHOUSE - DARLINGTON
THE SNOOKER CLUB - DARLINGTON

TIPPLING IN TEESDALE

AFTER A GREAT TRIP A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WITH CAMRA, WE DECIDED TO TRAVEL UP TO MIDDLETON IN TEESDALE FOR SOME FRIDAY NIGHT TEA. LO AND BEHOLD WE GO INTO THE TEESDALE HOTEL AND WHAT DO WE FIND - ONLY MITHRIL ALES JULY SPECIAL 'HEATWAVE' ON THE BAR! (THE MISSUS WAS A BIT SUSPICIOUS, BUT IT WAS PURELY COINCIDENCE). INDEED MOST OF THE BAR SEEMED TO BE DRINKING IT, AND FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE CAMRA MASSIVE BASED IN TEESDALE TELL ME THEY THOUGHT IT WAS MY BEST ONE SO FAR.

WASHED DOWN A HEARTY STEAK AND ALE PIE WITH A COUPLE OF PINTS - IT'S A HARD LIFE.

CIDER FEST AT CROWN - WHO DRANK ALL THE PINTS!

LAST WEEKEND WAS THE 5TH CROWN CIDER FESTIVAL (PART OF THE REASON THE BIRTHDAY SHOPPING WAS A WEEK EARLY AS I WANTED TO WORK AT IT ON THE SATURDAY). WENT ON THE FRIDAY NIGHT - GREAT RANGE OF CIDERS - THE STRAWBERRY ONE WENT FIRST, SPLENDID CORNISH PASTIES AND ENJOYED MUSIC FROM THE EXPLODING BUDDHAS. THE MUSIC WAS COURTESY OF GILLING GIG ON TOUR, I THINK MOST OF GILLING WAS IN THE PUB AS WELL!

WORKED A VERY BUSY SATURDAY - AND HAD HOPED TO RETURN ON SUNDAY - BUT WAS RUNG BY PETER FROM THE CROWN WHO TOLD ME ALL THE CIDER HAD BEEN DRUNK! TYPICAL, I'D NEVER DO ANYTHING SO SELFISH AS TO DRINK LOTS IN A PUB AND DEPLETE THEIR STOCK.

BIRTHDAY BASH (WELL I WAS BREWING THE NEXT DAY)

WENT OFF TO NEWCASTLE ON THE 10TH JULY FOR THE MISSUS'S BIRTHDAY SHOPPING (OH THE JOYS OF BEING A PRIMARK WIDOWER). LUCKILY LUNCH AND AND TASTY PINTS WERE TO BE HAD AT BACCHUS, AND THE SLOW WALK BACK TO THE STATION (LADEN WITH SHOPPING BAGS) WAS BROKEN DOWN BY A VISIT TO THE NEWCASTLE ARMS AND EVENTUALLY A RESIDENCY IN THE BODEGA.

ON THE PLUS SIDE IT ALLOWED ME SOME QUIET REFLECTION ABOUT HOW TO GET BY BEERS UP TO NEWCASTLE, I LOVE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER.

ELFY ALE

Mithril Ales appears on page 26 of The New Imbiber (June/July) 2010 Editon 37.

Also many other excellent articles - beg, borrow or buy a copy!

A MIDGE TOO FAR!

Went on a Darlington CAMRA trip round Upper Teesdale on the 9th July with a bus full of eager real ale drinkers (although to be fair often we have some very welcome non real ale drinkers who attend the trips.

Had a great evening, at the Langdon Beck Hotel, Teesdale Hotel, Strathmore Arms, The Kirk, The Fox and Hounds and Finally the Red Lion. Oh and a cheeky Mithril pint was had at the Teesdale Hotel (Flower Power) and The Fox and Hounds (Route A66).

They say that the Scottish Midge is the most menacing midge in the UK, but I think on this occasion it may have been beaten by the Upper Teesdale Midge who attacked us from the bus to the Strathmore and back again. Cunningly it's bites were on a delay - sneakily inflaming the next day. Anyway, don't let this put you off - all the years we have done this trip before we have always sat outside with no issues whatsover . Think probably a combination of the hot and humid weather meant Friday must have been a midge night everywhere.

.

MISCOUNT - BUT NOT A VOTING SCANDAL

Er, if you went to the Vane Arms hoping to have Mithril Ales as the 100th ale, you may have found it was not mine that was on. Didn't quite work out that way - due to both a slight miscount on when the 100th ale would need to go on, and the use by date of my cask. Sure whoever was lucky enough to the be the 100th was a great pint and wishing the Vane Arms all the best for the 200th!

THE COLOUR PURPLE

FINE FILM (AND BOOK) THO IT IS, WILL LEAVE THE REVIEWING IN THIS AREA TO THE PROFESSIONALS. ON A LESS INTELLECTUAL LEVEL, MITHRIL ALE T SHIRTS ARE AVAILABLE IN A WIDE COLOUR RANGE INCLUDING THE COLOUR PURPLE.

HAVING TO BE DIFFERENT ER INDOORS IS NOW SPORTING THE PURPLE VERSION, OR AT LEAST SHE TELLS ME SHE WILL BE WHEN SHE FINDS THE RIGHT JEANS, SHOES, JEWELLERY TO DO IT JUSTICE (OR AM I BEING FOBBED OFF?)

THE VANE ARMS 100TH BREW

DELIVERED TO THE VANE ARMS IN LONG NEWTON A SPECIAL BREW, (NO PUN INTENDED) CELEBRATING 'PAULS 100TH CASK ALE'. ALL THE BEST TO PAUL AND JILL - KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK !

WORK THAT CAMERA, MY LEFT SIDE IS THE BEST!

WIFE CAME HOME ON TUESDAY THE 29TH JUNE TO FIND A YOUNG MAN SITTING IN THE LIVING ROOM - NO, I HADN'T DISCOVERED AN AGE REJUVENATING SERUM VIA MY BREWING. IT WAS THE PHOTOGRAPHER FROM THE NORTHERN ECHO, READY TO TAKE MY PICCIE FOR MIKE AMOS'S ARTICLE.

BEING A PRO, ALWAYS READY GLASS IN HAND FOR A PHOTO OPPORTUNITY I HOPE I PROVED EASY WORK FOR GETTING THE RIGHT SHOT.

ANYWAY THE WORK OF THE PROFESSIONALS CAN BE VIEWED VIA -

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/features/8249852.The_brew_that___s_bucking_the_trend/