Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Happy Arthur's day!
Guinness, that is, not Astrop.
Now that you're all in festival mood, it's just 250 years today since young Arthur Guinness took out his 9,000 year lease on St James's Gate Brewery on his 34th birthday in 1759. Whatever Diageo's future plans there should still be plenty of time for a real pint. Dublin's the place to be, or even Nigeria, kicking off at 17:59 exactly.
With the Railway Bar swallowed up by the Shelton Hotel this road's a parched desert. Now if we only had that bloody Wightman Bus I could make my way down to the Nag's Head for auld time's sake. Nominal loyalty suggests the OAE, perhaps, but I'm damned if I'm going to crawl down to the SHOLsbury.
Now that you're all in festival mood, it's just 250 years today since young Arthur Guinness took out his 9,000 year lease on St James's Gate Brewery on his 34th birthday in 1759. Whatever Diageo's future plans there should still be plenty of time for a real pint. Dublin's the place to be, or even Nigeria, kicking off at 17:59 exactly.
With the Railway Bar swallowed up by the Shelton Hotel this road's a parched desert. Now if we only had that bloody Wightman Bus I could make my way down to the Nag's Head for auld time's sake. Nominal loyalty suggests the OAE, perhaps, but I'm damned if I'm going to crawl down to the SHOLsbury.
Tags for Forum Posts: GUINNESSisGOODforYOU
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Birdy_Too on
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I spent alot of time about a year ago working on all that Guinness promo stuff. Isn't it quicker and cheaper for you to go to the OAE, OAE?
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Permalink Reply by Old-Age-Emporium(OAE) on
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Ironically, I don't touch the stuff. Too much iron. So I suppose I didn't give it up. It gave me up.
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Arthur Guiness stole the recipe from the smithfield meat market brewery.
It was drank by the meat porters hence it's name 'porter beer'.
He went home to dublin and resold it back to england.
A bit like what the beatles did with american music.
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Right up to a p(o)int, James, but I think the 'stout porter' (=stout) was a stronger recipe than the porters drank.
The less romantic aspect of the Guinness saga was that the growth of their Dublin outfit squeezed a lot of the smaller Irish breweries out of business with consequent loss of their more varied brews. One of the few survivors (Kilbeggan Brewery, two years older than Guinness) makes a point of that in their congratulatory ad in today's Irish Times.
Still the 'pint o' plain' was more associated with Guinness and maybe even the Smithfield porters would raise a glass to Brian O'Nolan/Flann O'Brien's homage to
THE WORKMAN'S FRIEND
When things go wrong and will not come right,
Though you do the best you can,
When life looks black as the hour of night -
A pint of plain is your only man.
When money's tight and is hard to get
And your horse has also ran,
When all you have is a heap of debt -
A pint of plain is your only man.
When health is bad and your heart feels strange,
And your face is pale and wan,
When doctors say you need a change -
A pint of plain is your only man.
When food is scarce and your larder bare
And no rashers grease your pan,
When hunger grows as your meals are rare -
A pint of plain is your only man.
In time of trouble and lousy strife
You have still got a darlint plan,
You still can turn to a brighter life -
A pint of plain is your only man.
Jem Casey, Poet of the Pick, character in 'At Swim-Two-Birds'
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To OAE
Gad sir, me heart missed a beat when I saw your heading. And then missed another when I read your first line! Never touched the stuff meself. Was told, when I was a lad, that it was 'iron railings in suspension.' But ''Joxer' Daly is your man for it, I believe. (But then who on HoL has heard of him these days?).
Arthur Astrop
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Glad you picked up on that, Arthur.
Yes, no wonder that after a few pints of the black stuff Joxer was "dhreamin' I was on the bridge of a ship and askin' what is the stars, what is the stars?" No wonder, too, that Boyle concluded, "I'm done with Joxer. He'll never blow the froth off a pint o' mine agen."
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Ah, I'm among friends. And I'd privately made a bet you two would be the first to reply!
Arthur
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Hence comes my fit again! I didn't know that, Pamish. Shows how reclusive I've become without a Wightman Bus!!
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