2007 April Trip
Johnners, Colin's friend asked him to move his narrow boat from Rugby to Macclesfield. Jake and John where quickly recruited and the "crack" crew was finally completed with Tom, following refusals from Julian Clarey and the Michaels Winner and Howard. Jake unselfishly took a top bunk which was rather cramped to say the least, but after two uncomfortable nights ended up in Tom's rear cabin on the floor. Over the week we only had breakfast on the boat with the occasional snack of bacon butties We started at Willow Wren boatyard in Rugby April 21st. Weather was Sunny. First stop Newbold, 2 pubs two crap beers BrewXI and Ruddles County. Evening stopped at Ansty, a food pub with no seats, had pint of Old Hooky outside and then went back to boat at 7pm for another hours drive to the Elephant & Castle, a noisy, smoky, Brew XI and Disco in other bar plus interesting drinking fraternity buying rounds of nearly £70 a time extremely regularly.. (Tom was told they were Pikees)
Sunday. Another sunny day, passed the Greyhound just 400m walking away which had a beer festival with 25 guest beers. Nuneaton lunch time at the Crown, excellent pub with 8 beers and 2 ciders on draught. Evening at Atherstone. The Market Tavern giving discounts for Camra members. Tom becomes a part time Camra member. Beer not so good, left looking for the Red Lion. Roger said we passed it on the way in, the rest of us say it is across the road, where the sign proudly displayed the name Red Lion Hotel. Roger pointed out that it wasn’t that Red Lion, but one of the others in the town, despite John pointing out the forest of hand pumps on the bar. Church End beer and excellent food served till 9-30.
Monday early start, locking before 7-30. Drizzle. Lunch at Hopwas and again reasonable food. Tom took wrong turning at Fradley Junction, was it because he didn’t believe Roger and Colin telling him to turn left and they turned right (to cross canal to go back left) or because John wound him up?. Evening at the Olde Peculiar at Handsacre, Theakstons, Tower Gone for a Burton bitter and more nice food, Thai this time.  On the way home John took a tumble. Tom had been walking behind him. Was it the beer, senility or just evil Tom.
Tuesday. Another early start, more drizzle. Lunch in the Holly Bush, Salt. Evening at Stone. Quiz in the Swan won a bottle of wine.
Wednesday. Sunny and windy. Cab at lunchtime to Malt ‘n’ Hops Fenton after some time trying to  explain to cab firm where we were. John told the inquisitive cab driver, who was interested in where we had parked the boat, that we were on a walking holiday, to avoid a repeat of another Bill Wadley inspired break in. Going through Stoke locks encountered the local police mounted towpath patrol. First 5 coppers doing a “Starlight express impression” shot past Tom nearly knocking him over. Then there followed a further 3, John said to them “8 coppers must be the whole of Stafford’s bike patrol ”, only to be told there were a further 2 behind. These laggards eventually turned up and asked Tom the way (along a canal!). We were told the reason for this show of strength was because there had been a lot of incidents around the locks. (not at 4pm though)  Evening another Cab to Bull’s Head, Burslem, the Titanic Pub and then bus to the Blue Bell.
Thursday. Sunny. Pump out and fill with diesel. Tom and Roger take the boat via the Harecastle tunnel, breaking a record according to Tom to moor at Congleton (stopped at Rising Sun, Scholar Green for lunch).  Colin took John in his car to Rugby to pick up John’s car then both to Macclesfield to park cars. Then via Waters Green Tavern and Macclesfield railway station to Congleton and the Queens Head to meet up with speedy and “right hand down a bit” Tom. In the evening Beartown Tap. Tom showing his formidable Ann Robinson skills as Quiz master.
Friday, rain then sunshine, Bosley locks and stopped at Old Kings Head at Gurnett Aqueduct (Banks and 6X). Evening at the Waters Green Tavern. Stagger out at 12.30 after hellish sampling of excellent beer range. Landlady recognises us from previous visits and asks ‘what happened to that old chap?’
The week's journey of 102 miles, (101.5 was planned, but Tom had other ideas), 47 locks, 297 bridges and 20 pubs took a whole week by canal and just over two hours by car on the way home.
Sunday papers in the Lloyds Pub in Nuneaton. Incorrect info in the GBG nearly caused us to miss this pub gem.
A colourful passage of the Newbold tunnel at the start of our trip
Recently whilst on a canal trip with the Editor of Pint in Hand, we called into a pub that I last visited way back in the 70s called the Holly Bush, which brought back happy memories or in this case a lack of them. Now everyone have a favourite beer or two but my story is about something different, an extremely rare Beer from the Wood. Please excuse the ramblings but I’ll get to the point eventually.

Working for what was then the GPO, I had lots of opportunities to visit Stone, in Staffordshire, as our Training School was nearby, over the years I became friendly with Frank and Jenny Beech, the proprietors of the Red Lion in the High Street. It was with their help that Oz Tillett and the Special Branch organised the protest against the closure of the Joules Brewery, which got national coverage. 
Frank loved taking me to great pubs in the middle of nowhere and over the years we visited many together.

One year my friends and I were on a two week canal holiday that went through Stone, naturally we had arranged a visit to the Red Lion. Frank, who was expecting us, had arranged a treat for us. At closing time on Sunday (2pm in those far off days) he and Jenny embarked with the rest of us for a very pleasant afternoon cruise down the Trent and Mersey to Salt about 6 miles away.

We moored and went to the Holly Bush. Needless to say the Governor was a friend of Frank's and we all settled in for a lock in. As we all know, lock in beer always tastes good but this was something else, Burtonwood beer from the wood, so what you might ask, it was common then, well this was different. It was about 12 weeks old.

When the wooden barrel was first tapped the beer was extremely lively and it was left whilst the Governor went away on holiday, when he got back he tested it and realised that it was going through a second fermentation. This was likely to have been caused by contamination from the wooden barrel. He left it a few more weeks to see how it turned out and found it to be in his words, “pure nectar”. Frank had somehow found out about this treasure and got us eight lucky souls into the act.
  
Although I remember the lead up to the story and how much we all loved the beer and that some of us agreed it was the best beer we had ever tasted, I can’t remember much else except one of Frank’s regulars popping in to pick him and Jenny up, so they could open up their pub. I am sad to say I can’t remember how the beer tasted. Since we stayed to closing time and the “pure nectar” would have been quite a strong brew that is not surprising. Maybe Frank, who is still an SPBW member, can supply more details?
One of the few damp moments of an excellent week weather wise.
A sign greeting drinkers in the Olde Peculiar at Handsacre
The old Joules Brewery by the canal in Stone
Typical weather for the week, Colin, Tom and a cow enjoy the sunshine
John doing some careful driving, mindful of it being a private boat
Hawkesbury Junction
End of the road at Macclesfield.
Two views of the Holly Bush inside and out
On the way back from the Holly Bush in Salt
Instead of enjoying the delights on offer at this hostelry we elected to drink Brew XI in the Elephant & Castle