Beverages and Blades - Traditional of Course

[Jack Black]

Thanks for that Jack you've lead an interesting life haven't you Yes I think I do remember the viewing window to the brewery, I don't recall ever meeting Ernest though. The 1994 GBG isn't particularly complimentary towards Whitbreads, I'll take a photo of the entry and post it in a min. It also lists just 4 breweries for the whole of South Yorkshire; Kelham Island, Stocks, Wards and Wortley. I think there's over 30 just in Sheffield alone nowadays but it's criminal just how big business was allowed to destroy the old established breweries like they did. A lot of the pubs entries haven't actually changed so it's good to see what worked then still works now.



That's an impressive monument. I can't imagine any of my mates doing that for me after I croak





Curried salmon?? I'm Scots/Irish descent and my grandad was from Maryhill but I've never heard of curried salmon. Gonna have to go to Glasgow now to track that down

Anyway good morning everyone.

Been too 'interesting' sometimes mate! It's a shame you never met Ernest, he was a great bloke. I have a photo of him somewhere, standing outside his cafe, but I need to get a new scanner. No, Whitbreads were one of the big breweries then, their beers wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst, and OK when you were drinking it for free! They did a dark Mild, but I only knew one Sheffield pub, which served it, The Raven, further along Division Street, at the top of Fitzwilliam Street. Their beers were actually very traditionally brewed, in Sheffield at least, but they were mostly served on keg back then, and I'm sure their attempts to elbow their way into the 'Real Ale' scene upset CAMRA. I once went for a job at Ward's, and toured the brewery a couple of times, a mate of my dad's worked there (they had both worked at James Neill's (Eclipse) behind it.

Great Sunday Lambsfoot pic my friend, I am running a bit behind today, but I'm looking forward to my sausage sandwich! Have a good one

 

[donn]

Here ya go Jack; I'm sure you'll know this anyway.
The 1994 Good Beer Guide entry for Whitbreads.

 

[donn]

Been too 'interesting' sometimes mate!

Yes. I've heard free ale has that effect

 

[Dschal]

Ach just down from the cathedral was this Indian restaurant, the best currired salmon...…..

I wish I’d known! Sounds great!

 

[Jack Black]

Here ya go Jack; I'm sure you'll know this anyway.
The 1994 Good Beer Guide entry for Whitbreads.

Thanks a lot for that David, I hadn't seen it before. It was a real shame about the brewery, it was an incredible building. When I worked there in 1979, it looked almost exactly like this

Yes. I've heard free ale has that effect

I only worked there for six months, as an 18 year-old, but the guys I shared a house with at the time, later told me they didn't think I was going to make it out alive! I remember drinking 17 pints on my first day there, and then heading to the pub! 'Course, we drank more on Fridays!

 

[Jack Black]

Slainte!

 

[dc50]

Slainte!

View attachment 977826

do dheagh shlàinte

 

[Wurrwulf]

Don't have very high expectations for LSU this year, but here I am...

 

[tmd_87]

This pilsner and this gunstock helped out with the limes.

 

[donn]

Thanks a lot for that David, I hadn't seen it before. It was a real shame about the brewery, it was an incredible building. When I worked there in 1979, it looked almost exactly like this

I only worked there for six months, as an 18 year-old, but the guys I shared a house with at the time, later told me they didn't think I was going to make it out alive! I remember drinking 17 pints on my first day there, and then heading to the pub! 'Course, we drank more on Fridays!

LOL! I guess it was part of the training to make all their apprentices sample the products on their first day
That's a great picture you've posted there. Probably all car parks and flats now??

 

[Travman]

 

[Chui]

Paul Mason Custom in Stresa, Lake Maggiore

 

[Jack Black]

LOL! I guess it was part of the training to make all their apprentices sample the products on their first day
That's a great picture you've posted there. Probably all car parks and flats now??

There was no initiation, and no apprentices, everybody was on the same pay (getting on for £200 a week in 1979). it's just that the guys who worked there were serious boozers. There'd often be people boozing there who didn't even work there, or guys who were supposed to be on holiday! The entire workforce was drunk before lunchtime! The routine was clock-in at 6.30am, or earlier if you wanted (guys regularly slept there, and all 'overtime' was at least 'time and a half'), drink tea for an hour, go and eat a great big subsidised breakfast, then come back and start drinking around 8.00am. Of course, some guys started earlier. If there was any small amount of work to do, it got done in the morning, but after about 11.00am there was no chance of getting any work done! The only exception was the actual brewhouse, which was shift-work, there you did maybe 2 hours work out of an 8 hour shift. Different times. I was talking to the head honcho at Magic Rock, and he wanted to publish some of this stuff!

Some of the shell is still intact, but that's it unfortunately

I'm having a break from beer tonight anyway

 

[dc50]

There was no initiation, and no apprentices, everybody was on the same pay (getting on for £200 a week in 1979). it's just that the guys who worked there were serious boozers. There'd often be people boozing there who didn't even work there, or guys who were supposed to be on holiday! The entire workforce was drunk before lunchtime! The routine was clock-in at 6.30am, or earlier if you wanted (guys regularly slept there, and all 'overtime' was at least 'time and a half'), drink tea for an hour, go and eat a great big subsidised breakfast, then come back and start drinking around 8.00am. Of course, some guys started earlier. If there was any small amount of work to do, it got done in the morning, but after about 11.00am there was no chance of getting any work done! The only exception was the actual brewhouse, which was shift-work, there you did maybe 2 hours work out of an 8 hour shift. Different times. I was talking to the head honcho at Magic Rock, and he wanted to publish some of this stuff!

Some of the shell is still intact, but that's it unfortunately

I'm having a break from beer tonight anyway

View attachment 978537

Wow! That would have been the place to work 2hrs work and drink or sleep the rest of the shift.
Man, my apprenticeship at the butcher shop was like a prison compared to that. We were discouraged from using the restroom until our 10 min break. My first week on the job, I accidentally dropped some sliced ham on the floor which was covered in sawdust. They subtracted it from my weekly wage of 70.00 net

 

[Jack Black]

Wow! That would have been the place to work 2hrs work and drink or sleep the rest of the shift.
Man, my apprenticeship at the butcher shop was like a prison compared to that. We were discouraged from using the restroom until our 10 min break. My first week on the job, I accidentally dropped some sliced ham on the floor which was covered in sawdust. They subtracted it from my weekly wage of 70.00 net

You're not kidding (but I wouldn't have wanted to work there for long)! The brewery was owned by a much large brewing company, with no real management on site. Just before I started, there was a minor scandal, when a management team, touring the labyrinthine building, found some beds in one of the lofts! Not mattresses, but made-up beds! Guys had just not been going home (and if you didn't clock-out, they kept on paying you)! My apprenticeship was as a mechanic/plant fitter for the local council, I didn't complete it though. The job was rotten, but it wasn't as brutal as yours Dave! My pay as an apprentice was £18 a week, two years later, at the brewery, it was nearly £200!

 

[dc50]

You're not kidding (but I wouldn't have wanted to work there for long)! The brewery was owned by a much large brewing company, with no real management on site. Just before I started, there was a minor scandal, when a management team, touring the labyrinthine building, found some beds in one of the lofts! Not mattresses, but made-up beds! Guys had just not been going home (and if you didn't clock-out, they kept on paying you)! My apprenticeship was as a mechanic/plant fitter for the local council, I didn't complete it though. The job was rotten, but it wasn't as brutal as yours Dave! My pay as an apprentice was £18 a week, two years later, at the brewery, it was nearly £200!

Things changed for me when this song came out.

 

[Jack Black]

Things changed for me when this song came out.

Great song Dave! When I left my first job, I sent in my resignation on the back of a postcard from Rome They still had it pinned up on the notice-board in the garage nearly ten years later!

 

[WhittlinAway]

Today is off to a good start.

 

[Jolipapa]

 

[donn]

There was no initiation, and no apprentices, everybody was on the same pay (getting on for £200 a week in 1979). it's just that the guys who worked there were serious boozers. There'd often be people boozing there who didn't even work there, or guys who were supposed to be on holiday! The entire workforce was drunk before lunchtime! The routine was clock-in at 6.30am, or earlier if you wanted (guys regularly slept there, and all 'overtime' was at least 'time and a half'), drink tea for an hour, go and eat a great big subsidised breakfast, then come back and start drinking around 8.00am. Of course, some guys started earlier. If there was any small amount of work to do, it got done in the morning, but after about 11.00am there was no chance of getting any work done! The only exception was the actual brewhouse, which was shift-work, there you did maybe 2 hours work out of an 8 hour shift. Different times. I was talking to the head honcho at Magic Rock, and he wanted to publish some of this stuff!

You're not kidding (but I wouldn't have wanted to work there for long)! The brewery was owned by a much large brewing company, with no real management on site. Just before I started, there was a minor scandal, when a management team, touring the labyrinthine building, found some beds in one of the lofts! Not mattresses, but made-up beds! Guys had just not been going home (and if you didn't clock-out, they kept on paying you)! My apprenticeship was as a mechanic/plant fitter for the local council, I didn't complete it though. The job was rotten, but it wasn't as brutal as yours Dave! My pay as an apprentice was £18 a week, two years later, at the brewery, it was nearly £200!

That's the best story you've ever told Jack! Hilarious! You need to sit down with that chap from Magic Rock and get all your stories down on paper.
It's funny but I know of jobs nowadays were the employer would love it if the workforce never went home.

Things changed for me when this song came out.

Thanks for posting that Dave I've never heard it before.

A pint of the house beer "Swan with Two Nicks" (brewed by Coach House brewery of Warrington) outside the pub of the same name earlier today