Our brave adventurers, the FOF, fortified with Fuggle Dee Dum (or Stella in the case of the lager
drinker)...
...were continuing their discovery of the Lost Island of Wight...
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| Magnificent flying machine... |
...Not, fortunately, in a yellow Sopwith Camel, as that would be too dangerous and as Julian said sternly...'You should never drink and fly...(except if you're on a package holiday flight...)"
Flanked by a myriad of retail units, the FOFs succumbed to temptation and took a few moments out from their serious adventuring, to do a little window shopping.
Faces pressed to the window they admired the toys...
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| Period sailing ship... |
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| ...for wealthy seafarers (yachties)... |
...but unfortunately these were well beyond the reach of the FOF's pocket money.
"Never mind" said Dick, "Lets get on with our adventure"
And so they did, and soon they came to The Cowes Ale House...
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| (Add your own caption) |
"It looks rather like another shop" said Alan doubtfully, examining the front.
"Well it's a micro-pub. They're usually old shops that turn into places that sell beer" said George, having read all about them in a book called 'The Micropub - from Herne to Eternity'.
Inside, the FOFs received a warm welcome from the island locals at the bar...
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| ...warm welcome...when they'd finished checking their phone messages... |
The casks of ale were lined up on the back wall making it a tad difficult to read the names without binoculars...
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| Ales with unreadable names... |
But the barman kindly explained the beers on offer (which he must do often) and so a pint of Wight Squirrel (4.3%) it was, from island brewery Yates...
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| Red...like the squirrels... |
Wight Squirrel was very good, and of course is red...a red rye beer named after the rare red squirrels which inhabit the lost island.
The Cowes Ale House is typical of the classic 'micropub in shop' style....the daylight shone in through the antique shop front, the yellow lights lit the gloom of the interior, and the gentle murmur of conversation wafted across the room, broken by the occasional chortle signifying that a classic micropub joke had been told...
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| Classic... |
There was also some fine breweriana...
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| Lost historic brewer of the lost island... |
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| Early single horsepower beer delivery van... |
While Alan drank his craft lager and acclimatised to his surroundings on his first micropub visit... there was just time to read the local magazine about cask ale (and vintage buses)...
... the last ferry and bedtime was looming and the FOFs had to press on with their journey of discovery on the lost island...
Wightwash ! Brilliant.
ReplyDeleteThat Wight Squirrel looks weird. Not bad, just weird.
Perhaps it’s the lopsided head...?
DeleteOr the strange red shade that might be from the charity collection can behind it...?
:)
"Magnificent flying machine..."
ReplyDeleteBut no cardboard cutout of the magnificent men who flew them.
(Up tiddy up up and then down tiddly down down apparently)
"and as Julian said sternly...'You should never drink and fly...(except if you're on a package holiday flight...)'"
(chuckle)
"(Add your own caption)"
'The best place to drink till the cowes come home!'
"in a book called 'The Micropub - from Herne to Eternity'. "
Not bad! (guffaw)
"Ales with unreadable names..."
Blimey.
"kindly explained the beers on offer (which he must do often)"
That's me with my wife's lunch truck every time someone asks "what do have that's hot?". :)
"named after the rare red squirrels"
For a second I thought you were going to say it was made with them!
"Early single horsepower beer delivery van..."
Van? :)
"there was just time to read the local magazine about cask ale (and vintage buses)..."
Crikey! I initially thought that was from 1950 or so, and then saw that date at the top!
"... the last ferry and bedtime was looming"
Were you going to sleep on the ferry? :)
Cheers
"(Up tiddy up up and then down tiddly down down apparently)”
DeleteCome to think of it there was plenty of that...it’s old age you know...
"'The best place to drink till the cowes come home!’”
Excellent - You've won a prize* for the best caption.
"Not bad! (guffaw)"
Quite pleased with that myself (he says modestly...)
"That's me with my wife's lunch truck every time someone asks "what do have that's hot?". :)”
Hmmm - that must be a tricky one to answer... :)
"For a second I thought you were going to say it was made with them!”
You may be onto something there - perhaps that explains why Martin thinks it’s weird - tasted ok though...
"Van? :)"
Ok you’ve got me there - not a peculiarity of UK language - just me stretching the reality a bit - ‘cart' may be better...;)
"Crikey! I initially thought that was from 1950 or so, and then saw that date at the top!”
Well it is a lost island - could be lost in time...
"Were you going to sleep on the ferry? :)”
Pretty much and a good spot...you’ll probably see why in the last episode (don’t miss it...!)
Cheers Russ
:)
oops forgot to put the small print in for the prize...
Delete*The code to claim your prize of a pint of Doombar will be whispered in the gents outside toilet of a pub in Maidenhead just as the full moon is rising over the urinal. No cash alternatives will be given.
A most excellent full post reply GH. (thumbs up)
DeleteCheers!
PS - as for my prize, even though my wife will gasp, due to the requirements I think I'll actually forgo that free beer, thanks all the same. :)
Thanks Russ and indeed an excellent comment by you in the first place that I couldn't resist... :).
DeleteIn the best modern traditions of almost impossible to claim prizes, I think that's a wise decision....
...though I have a feeling that RetiredMartin may claim it next time he's passing...
;)
Went in here when I was in the IoW last year and there were a cluster of Pillocks At The Bar (PATBs) making it impossible to see which beers were available.
ReplyDeleteI thought about the best drinking spot on the whole island was Yelf's Hotel in Ryde, which also happened to be where I was staying, and had Draught Bass :D
I bet they were on their mobile phones - other than that I couldn’t possibly comment....
DeleteUnfortunately on this adventure we barely got further than Cowes High Street...;) Something to do with the density of pubs - took a lot of getting through...:)
Will definitely be putting the Yelf’s Hotel on the itinerary for the next adventure on the lost island...!
Haven't been to The Isle Of Wight since some when back in the 1980's , one of the group I was among decided we should jump on a hovercraft and spend the afternoon on the beer, It was a Sunday and when we landed and went exploring It was soon apparent the whole Island was in shutdown, nothing open at all and not a drop passed my lips, a disaster. I presume it's more civilised nowadays.
ReplyDeleteHello Citra - sounds very traumatic...!
DeleteMust be more civilised now - though as my trip was on a Saturday and only involved a bit of Cowes - I’m no authority... :)