Hmmm? Now That's Strange....

Seems there is a pub in the UK that has been shuttered since 2011, but is still getting Trip Advisor reviews many years later. Folks reviewed such things as the Sunday roast, and noted the poor service. Hmmm?

Click HERE for the link to the BBC.

They Say This Is The Highest Pub In England

At 1,772 (540m), the Cat and Fiddle pub is said to be the highest pub in England. It is situated on a moor between Buxton, Derbyshire and Macclesfield, Cheshire. This photo shows the pub circa 1894. Supposedly, there is a pub in Yorkshire that claimed to a few feet higher.
Cheers,
Dave

What Was Your First .... British Car, That is?

Well, my first was a 1968 Sunbeam Alpine Mk V. I paid 600 bucks for it, which was quite a little bit of money for a teenaged kid who was sacking groceries part time for a living. It was just in Ok shape and was often a maintenance nightmare, but I loved every minute I owned that car. I totaled it a couple of years later.

When I tell people I had an Alpine many comment that it was “too bad it wasn’t a Tiger.” Well yes, I suppose so. But I have always thought that the Tiger was not quite the “Brit” car that an Alpine was, after all one must fiddle with a pair of Zenith Strombergs from time to time (Not a Holley 650 Double Pumper - or whatever the Ford V8 has on it. Driving a reasonably powered British roadster with spirit takes a bit more skill that having gobs of power under the hood.

Today, Tigers have become stupid expensive - stooopid expensive - no longer attainable by your average Joe or Jill. I find super expensive cars only semi-interesting. I look at them, and then move on to something that I could possibly attain.

Cheers All,

Dave

Sunbeam Alpine. I love that single spot light.


Salutation and Cat ... ?

So...What's in a Name?

We all know that public house names can be somewhat mysterious as to their meaning. Here's one for you.
Back in the late 1890s there was a tavern - also termed a dining tavern - at No. 17 Newgate Street in London, called the "Salutation and Cat." It had been long tended to the landlord, a certain Mr. Thomas. Many thought that the meaning of this title had to do with saying hello to a mate and then something to do with a cat. Most, however, could not fathom the connection between the two. A hint could be found hanging in a frame on the wall of the tavern.
This painting in question depicted a gentleman of the era saluting a friend he met on the street. Part of the greeting included this gentleman offering his friend a pinch of snuff out of a snuff box that was part of the top of his cane. These "box knobs" on a cane were also known as "cats," although it must be said that why these box knobs were called cats has been obscured by time.
Anyway, by the turn of the century the Salutation and Cat was simply referred to as the Salutation Tavern - no mention of a cat.

Source: Old London Taverns, by E Callow - 1899.

Your Poem for the Day...

From the tiny pamphlet "Cries of Banbury and London and Celebrated Stories" published in 1840.
By the way, a "Grenadier" was an old-time soldier that specialized in tossing grenades.
Cheers,
Dave

The Grenadier

Who comes here?
A Grenadier,
What d'ye want?
A pint of beer.

Where's your money?
I forgot;
Get you gone, you
Silly sot.

Beer is Just as Nourishing as Fruit Juice

This is an advert from the brochure for the Franco-British Exhibition, which was held in London during the fall of 1908. The event was a celebration of what was known as the Entente Cordiale, a sort of political, commercial, cultural agreement between Great Britain and France.
It is interesting to note that the Schweppes Ltd company was quite proud of the benefits of their “Proset” Fruit Beverage, claiming that “Its nourishing qualities equal those of Beer and Stout.”
The big question - put to you - is whether you would like a glass of fruit beverage, or a pint of really good stout?