As one world vanishes, another takes its place. The objects we collect are a record of the past, and of these objects, the least recorded are often the ones we all take for granted. Antique and vintage kitchenalia can tell us so many stories about Britain’s culinary, scientific and innovative past. Yet in a society seemingly so …
Sheffield is the fourth-largest city in England and was where the Industrial Revolution began in earnest. It is renowned for its high-quality steel and fine cutlery, for its two large universities and for having the biggest shopping centre in Europe, yet there is so much more to know about this proud South Yorkshire city. As in many places, …
The Berkshire town of Windsor has a rich royal history and you’ll find no better illustration of this than in its many and varied old hostelries. People have been enjoying the hospitality offered by the town’s watering holes since William the Conqueror first built a castle here in the 11th century. Today, that reputation continues as a lively …
Clerkenwell and Islington are two of London’s most historic districts; areas where radicalism once thrived and heavy industry flourished, where poverty and lawlessness were commonplace. This diverse and colourful history can be traced in the area’s many pubs. The ancient parish of Clerkenwell, located just outside the City of London’s walls, was historically the home of the Knights …
Blackpool isn’t a particularly old town and its rapid development has primarily been fuelled by tourism in the last 150 years or so. To cater for the millions of visitors that arrive each year Blackpool has more licensed premises than anywhere else in the country outside of Central London. Like most other towns though, re-development of areas and …
Despite its relatively small size, the City of St Andrews boasts more than its fair share of pubs. With most contained within the boundaries of the medieval town centre, each offers its own long and unique history. Discover the tales behind the names, explore the town’s best ’19th holes’, where golf legends of the past and present have …
Beer originated in the Middle East about 8000 BC and took another three and a half millennia to arrive across the Channel to Britain. In sixth-century Sussex – the kingdom of the South Saxons – social life centred upon the alehouse. Throughout the Middle Ages, brewing remained a domestic occupation: beer was sweet and flavored with herbs and …
Cheshire at one time was an important contributor to the brewing industry, with the epicentre being Warrington. From old photographs we see that many northern pubs (especially those in Liverpool) bore the words’ Walkers Warrington Ales’ in large letters, the company later becoming Tetley Walker. Then there was G & J Greenall, the famous Warrington distillery …
‘Gloucestershire is a poor county for real ale’: That was the sad assessment of the county’s brewing heritage in the 1976 Good Beer Guide according to the Campaign For Real Ale. Just two breweries were in operation then, supplying only four real ales. The ubiquitous Whitbread PA was easy to find, but it took a determined effort to …
The county of Kent holds a unique place in the history of brewing in Great Britain. When hops were first cultivated in this country around 600 years ago, introduced by Dutch and Flemish merchants, it was at Westbere just outside Canterbury where they were grown. Indeed the Kentish soil proved so suited to the growing of Humulus lupulus, …