Devon History Society (Free subscription) | 22/11/2009
Anna Eliza Bray, engraving from frontispiece of Autobiography . Click to enlarge. Anna Eliza Bray (1790-1883) was a writer of considerable output, which included biographies, historical novels and topographic works. Born Anna Eliza Kempe, she was first married to the historical draughtsman and antiquarian Charles Alfred Stothard, with whom she travelled widely until his death in 1821 from a fall while...
a swift one... (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
Last night the doors opened at the Star Inn's 8th Winter beer festival, and again it has gone from strength to strength. Sam and her team have provided another wonderful selection of beers for us to try, both in the marquee and on the bar, from breweries near and far (I didn't mean that to rhyme but never mind; I could write the rest of this in limerick form, or as a sonnet but I don't think my brain...
The Beer Nut (Free subscription) | 11/11/2009
Rounding up last weekend's trip to Liverpool with some of the better beers encountered, plus a couple of stinkers. Obviously, a trip to the Baltic Fleet brewpub had to be done -- an odd little ramshackle pub, squeezed between a busy main road and a vast building site near the docks. It looks like it hasn't seen a lick of paint in some time, and there was no sign of the Wapping Brewery, which lurks...
Hodoeporicon (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
Last night, Justin and I attended NERAX North . What is NERAX North, you say? Well, that's a valid question. As J. pointed out, a NERAX sounds like a Seussian character. However, it stands for N ew E ngland R eal A le E xpo and the North designation means it took place in Haverhill, as opposed to Somerville, where the March event takes place. In essence, it's a small beer drinking festival for those...
Called to the bar (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009
Was talking to a chap at Devon Earth brewery the other day, a newish small operation based in Paignton, and was rather tickled to hear that he brews beer for monks (not punks). Neither does he brew like a monk, sadly. Instead a barrel of his Devon Earth bitter gets sent to the Benedictine brothers at Buckfastleigh Abbey, which can be found on the southern edge of Dartmoor (I sometimes drop in when...
NJ's Blog (Free subscription) | 02/11/2009
Had a very restful weekend in beautiful Beer. Weather was fabulous. We stayed in the Dolphin Hotel, in the heart of the village. The food was fantastic.
The Croydonian (Free subscription) | 30/10/2009
is Ben Bradshaw . Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) meetings he has had with representatives of (i) his Department's sponsored bodies and (ii) outside organisations or individuals and (b) events he has attended in his capacity as Secretary of State since June 2009 He's been to Bayreuth, an Ashes Test match, Wimbledon and goodly number of plays, operas,...
Beer in Baltimore (Free subscription) | 27/10/2009
In carrying out some e-mail trades with a fellow beer aficionado, it came out that apparently Thomas Hardy's Ale, the world-class, world-standard barleywine produced in Devon, England for the past 40 years or so (with interruptions), may once again be in jeopardy : English brewery O'Hanlon's last week announced it would no longer be brewing Thomas Hardy's Ale, a rich, vintage-dated barley wine widely...
Called to the bar (Free subscription) | 24/10/2009
If you’re down in North Devon this weekend then a visit to the Hunters Inn might be a pleasant chore, you can see my review of it in today’s Daily Telegraph . The picture was taken during its recent beer festival where amongst its offerings, including Rudgate Mild, I was surprised and pleased to see Punk IPA. Now I’m off to the Conwy Feast, where there’s a beer tent featuring...
Joe Pastry (Free subscription) | 23/10/2009
You pretty much just let the squeezings sit. That at least is what early Americans did. Given time (ten days or so), yeasts on the skin of the apple go to work consuming the sugars and giving off alcohol. But that's just one possible way to go. In some cider-making traditions the fermentation is carried out before the cider is even squeezed. Back in Devon, cider makers form the apple pulp into large,...
Line Out (Free subscription) | 22/10/2009
And Introducing (at the 5:20 mark): Seattle sketch duo Black Daisy has released an instructional guitar video. Danny Barnes and Devon Shields star as muffed, lighter versions of Lemmy Kilmister and Don Dokken. Really though, I can’t get over the Ice Wizard. A real man of metal, with real hair down to his knees. I caught up with them (and the Ice Wizard) to get their thoughts: How did this Burn...
Black Shoe Diaries (Free subscription) | 19/10/2009
More photos » by Carolyn Kaster - AP 1 day ago: Penn State linebacker Navorro Bowman (11) tackles Minnesota running back Duane Bennett (22) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Penn State won 20-0. Bennett had to be helped from the field after the hit. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Browse more photos » It was a great performance...
Londonelicious (Free subscription) | 16/10/2009
Budleigh Salterton beach in Devon. I'm never quite up-to-date on this blogging stuff. So here's a quick round-up of what I've been up to since my dinner at Kai Mayfair... Hanging out in St. Albans at the Beer Festival, getting...
Not Quite Scilly (Free subscription) | 03/10/2009
With birds like Sandhill Crane , Veery , Red-eyed Vireo , and Pechora and Buff-bellied Pipits fattening the headlines it seems very churlish to consider talking gull. And not even rare gull at that. But have you noticed the Devon bit of the BirdGuides map just lately? That's right - virtually naked. So, have a dose of gull, tender readers, before the winter comes and everyone's at it... Yellow-legged...
Peter Barker's Musings (Free subscription) | 03/10/2009
My work for my Devon Exhibition at the Marine House Gallery at Beer in Devon, starting on Saturday 31st October, is now complete and all 46 new images have been posted on my website - go to 'paintings' tab, then click on 'Galleries' and then on the Marine House 'view paintings' button. I have also attached a commentary on each painting, the first new one being the Noble Heavy Horse. The images will...
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