Should Craft Beer be sold in Working men's clubs?

I was on the ale trail yesterday and in the wetherspoons in Batley you could a pint of cask for as little as £1.77.

I had a couple of Doombars and they were £2.04 a pint.

Unreal price
Love them or hate them , Spoons make drinking in a pub affordable to many and always have real ales on. Couple of years ago they were doing pints of Ruddles for £1 and you could also get a Bell's chaser for £1.
As for the initial post about craft ale in WMC's if it sells why not?
WMC/British Legion type places used to have live entertainment at weekends...many probably now mature people enjoyed watching 'fantastic comedy vocal' 'superb duo' etc acts as they always seemed to be advertised on posters. The artistes always seemed to wear sparkly outfits on the posters. Not sure if there is much of a circuit left, was a big part of northern working class social life.
 
My mum was brought up in 30p Lee's constituency of Sutton in Ashfield so had a billion nights growing up in the local labour club at weekend visits as a kid ('fizzy pop' of course).
My aunty (gran in all but name) used to clean their the next morning and I'd sometime go along with her.
The morning after the night smell of beer in sodden beer towels and carpets is so evocative.

Were it not for for some of the craft ales doing the rounds, I'd have probably quit drinking beer for good.
To think of all the shite I used to drink growing up. Festival bitter, Labbats....Was Boddingtons ever that good in its heyday?

Then again I started out on cider, but I drank enough to be ill too many times on that gear.

Local brewers like Cloudwater produce some amazing stuff.
Verdant and Vocation are great too.

Can be pricy but then again it's rare I go out drinking but tend to get a couple in over the weekend.

Someone explain the Craft ales in bottles rather than cans again (preferably bottles but not sure why)?
 
My mum was brought up in 30p Lee's constituency of Sutton in Ashfield so had a billion nights growing up in the local labour club at weekend visits as a kid ('fizzy pop' of course).
My aunty (gran in all but name) used to clean their the next morning and I'd sometime go along with her.
The morning after the night smell of beer in sodden beer towels and carpets is so evocative.

Were it not for for some of the craft ales doing the rounds, I'd have probably quit drinking beer for good.
To think of all the shite I used to drink growing up. Festival bitter, Labbats....Was Boddingtons ever that good in its heyday?

Then again I started out on cider, but I drank enough to be ill too many times on that gear.

Local brewers like Cloudwater produce some amazing stuff.
Verdant and Vocation are great too.

Can be pricy but then again it's rare I go out drinking but tend to get a couple in over the weekend.

Someone explain the Craft ales in bottles rather than cans again (preferably bottles but not sure why)?

Just had a long weekend in London taking in the Great British Beer Festival & the football yesterday
I'm mainly a cask ale drinker, but did some of the large number of craft beer pubs under the railway arches in Bermondsey on Saturday afternoon.
All the beers I tried were great, and all the pubs busy despite the rain. And it was great to see large groups of young people being so enthusiastic about trying different beers.
 
Just had a long weekend in London taking in the Great British Beer Festival & the football yesterday
I'm mainly a cask ale drinker, but did some of the large number of craft beer pubs under the railway arches in Bermondsey on Saturday afternoon.
All the beers I tried were great, and all the pubs busy despite the rain. And it was great to see large groups of young people being so enthusiastic about trying different beers.
I didn't get to the CAMRA beer festival in the end, glad you did and Abbot won a prize.

Had a Saturday afternoon in Clitheroe, where all the pubs were also heaving and I reckon I had a choice of nearly a hundred beers (cask and keg) across 4 pubs. Not bad for a town where the choice was Thwaites and Tets 20 years ago !
 
Stick "Craft beer" on the bottle and up the price 100%

Stick "Designer Jeans" on the label, up the price 100%

Whisky aged 25 years,,,,,up the price 100%......(Should give you a discount for being out of date) :)
 
It's the only way to get a palatable pint of Holt's and all Holt's pubs are used to serving mix. I've yet to find a way to make JW lees an acceptable pint though.

Can I recommend Manchester Craft Lager or Manchester Pale Ale (MPA). This is coming from someone who drinks Guinness and hates over hoppy Craft bollocks or piss poor lagers. These have just the right amount of taste.

I'm down in Sale and it's between £5.50 and £6 a pint for these now, but If I'm in a JW Lees pub, I stick to those two and forego the Guinness in the summer.
 
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1 – Kelly’s eye​


This bingo saying could be a reference to Ned Kelly, one of Australia’s greatest folk heroes – but many think it’s just military slang.


2 – One little duck​


The number 2 looks just like a little duckling!


3 – Cup of tea​


Because the British are particularly fond of tea and purely because it rhymes. Put the kettle on then!


4 – Knock at the door​


Who’s there?! This phrase rhymes with the number 4.


5 – Man alive​


Another great bingo calling sheet rhyme.


6 – Tom Mix/Half a dozen​


Tom Mix was America’s first Western Star, appearing in 291 films. His legend lives on in this rhyming bingo call. A dozen is 12 and half of 12 is 6, which is the alternative bingo saying the caller could choose.


7 – Lucky seven​


The number 7 is considered lucky in many cultures. There are 7 days of the week, 7 colours of the rainbow and 7 notes on a musical scale.


8 – Garden gate​


This saying rhymes with the number 8, but there’s said to be something more about the history of this call. Legend has it that the ‘garden gate’ was a code for a secret meeting or drop off point.


9 – Doctor’s orders​


During World War II, Number 9 was the name of a pill given out by army doctors to solidiers who were a little bit poorly. This powerful laxative was said to clear the system of all ills!


10 – [Prime Minister’s name]’s den​


Always up to date, bingo callers will insert the name of the current Prime Minister into this call. It references number 10 Downing Street.


11 – Legs eleven​


One of the many calls that relates to the shape that the number makes. The two 1s look like a pair of slender legs. Whit woo!


12 – One dozen​


12 makes up a dozen.


13 – Unlucky for some​


Many superstitious people believe that 13 is an unlucky number – but if you call house on 13, it’s lucky for you!


14 – Valentine’s Day​


Referring to 14th February, the international day of romance.


15 – Young and keen​


15 rhymes with keen .


16 – Sweet 16 and never been kissed​


Turning 16 marks a special birthday. You’re not quite an adult, but you’re no longer a child.


17 – Dancing queen​


“You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen!” We can thank ABBA and their 1976 hit single ‘Dancing Queen’ for this bingo call.


18 – Coming of age​


This milestone denotes when you’re officially an adult. Some callers also shout: “Now you can vote!”


19 – Goodbye teens​


The last teenage year!


20 – One score / Getting Plenty​


There are 20 units in a score. The phrase ‘getting plenty’ is also a cheeky rhyme with the number.


21 – Royal salute / Key of the door​


There are 21 guns fired in a royal or military salute. 21 was also the traditional age where you’d move out of your parents’ house and have your own keys to your own place.


22 – Two little ducks​


Again, this call exists to describe the shape that the numbers make.


23 – The Lord is my shepherd​


A biblical reference, this is the first phrase of Psalm 23 in the Old Testament.


24 – Two dozen​


12 is one dozen and 24 makes two dozen.


25 – Duck and dive​


Another call that rhymes but it’s also said that the number 2 is the duck and you want to dive away from the number 5 which looks like a snake! One of the stranger bingo terms, that’s for sure.


26 – Half a crown​


This saying comes from predecimalization (old money), where two shillings and sixpence made up half a crown.


27 – Gateway to heaven​


You will be in heaven if you call house on this bingo rhyming slang!


28 – In a state​


Cockney rhyming slang. “He was in a right two and eight” means “He was in a poor state!”


29 – Rise and shine​


The numbers rhyme with this cheery saying.


30 – Dirty Gertie​


Rhyming with 30, this phrase comes from the nickname for the statue La Délivrance, a bronze sculpture of a naked lady installed in North London in 1927. There was also a raucous song called Dirty Gertie from Bizerte, which was sung by Allied soldiers in North Africa during the Second World War.


31 – Get up and run​


Get up and run when you hear this rhyming call for 31.


32 – Buckle my shoe​


The phrase rhymes with the numbers.


33 – All the threes/Fish, chips and peas​


33 represents all the 3s available in a 90 ball game. It also rhymes with the traditional English fish supper from the chippy. Yum!


34 – Ask for more​


A great rhyme, especially following 33!


35 – Jump and jive​


You’ll be doing this dance step if you call house on number 35.


36 – Three dozen​


Plain and simple, 3 lots of 12.


37 – More than eleven​


Lots of numbers are more than 11, but this one kind of rhymes!


38 – Christmas cake​


Another term derived from cockney rhyming slang.


39 – 39 steps​


From the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock movie called 39 Steps.


40 – Life begins​


Life begins at 40! Who are we to disagree with this well-known bingo call?!


41 – Time for fun​


Life has begun so it’s time for some fun!


42 – Winnie the Pooh​


Winnie the Pooh books by A. A. Milne were first published in 1926. The honey-loving bear became part of the Walt Disney family in 1965.


43 – Down on your knees​


Harking back to war-time Britain, this phrase was often used by soldiers during the war.


44 – Droopy drawers​


Said to be a visual reference to sagging trousers!


45 – Halfway there​


There are 90 balls in traditional British bingo [www.meccabingo.com] games and 45 is half of 90.


46 – Up to tricks​


This phrase rhymes with the number 46.


47 – Four and seven​


Not particularly inspiring, but does what it says on the tin. Can you think of a better one?


48 – Four dozen​


4 x 12 = 48


49 – PC​


This call is based on the old TV programme ‘The Adventures of P.C. 49,’ which aired from 1946–53. The show told the stories of an unconventional police constable solving cases in London.


50 – Half a century​


A full century is 100 and 50 is half of that.


51 – Tweak of the thumb​


A quirky call that rhymes. Could also be replaced with “I love my mum.”


52 – Danny La Rue​


Another great rhyme that references the Irish cross-dressing singer and entertainer who rose to fame in the mid ‘40s.


53 – Here comes Herbie​


53 is the number of the VW Beetle Herbie, the car featured in a number of films by Walt Disney in the 1960s. Players often respond with “Beep, beep!”


54 – Clean the floor​


Nobody wants to think about housework while they’re playing bingo, but this rhyme has been around for years.


55 – Snakes alive​


Another visual bingo call. The two fives look like snakes ready to spring.


56 – Shotts Bus / Was she worth it?​


The original number of the bus route from Glasgow to Shotts. Five shillings and sixpence was how much a marriage licence used to cost. When the caller asked: “Was she worth it?” many players would shout back “Every penny!”


57 – Heinz varieties​


Referring to the number in the logo of food company Heinz. The number 57 was reportedly picked by the founder as he wanted to claim he offered the greatest selection of pickles. Five was his lucky number and 7 was his wife’s.


58 – Make them wait​


This is another rhyming call. Players often respond with “Choo choo, Thomas!”


59 – Brighton Line​


There are mixed ideas on where this comes from. Some think that it’s the number of the train from Brighton to London, engine 59 – and others say that all original telephone numbers in Brighton started with 59.


60 – Five dozen / Grandma’s getting frisky​


Our favourite reference is back again! 5 x 12 = 60. 60 almost rhymes with frisky and is the traditional age that women could retire and draw a state pension.


61 – Baker’s bun​


This bingo call rhymes with the number.


62 – Turn the screw / Tickety-boo​


Both these phrases rhyme with the number. Tickety-boo is slang for ‘good’ or ‘going well’.


63 – Tickle me​


Another cheeky phrase that rhymes, but its origins are unclear.


64 – Red raw​


Not the closest rhyme to the number 64 but this bingo call seems to have stood the test of time.


65 – Old age pension​


The traditional age that men could retire in the UK.


66 – Clickety click​


This great sounding rhyme sounds like a train steaming down a track.


67 – Stairway to heaven​


Another whimsical rhyming bingo call.


68 – Pick a mate​


Bingo [www.meccabingo.com] is better with friends! Pick a mate and look out for this rhyming call.


69 – Any way up​


This call explains how the number 69 looks the same upside down.


70 – Three score and ten​


More maths! 3 x 2 = 60, plus 10 = 70!


71 – Bang on the drum​


In the early 2000s, a campaign called to change this traditional call to ‘J.Lo’s bum’. What do you make of that?


72 – Six dozen​


Another reference using that famous dozen metric.


73 – Queen bee​


We’re buzzing about this bingo call that rhymes.


74 – Hit the floor​


A call that rhymes. Makes us want to hit the dance floor, too!


75 – Strive and strive​


We’re striving for a full house. Hope it lands when this call is shouted.


76 – Trombones​


This pop-culture bingo call references the lyrics in the popular marching song ‘76 Trombones’ from the musical, The Music Man.


77 – Sunset strip​


So called because of the popular 1950s/60s private investigator TV show, 77 Sunset Strip.


78 – 39 more steps​


This references the 39 Steps film again, as 39 + 39 = 78


79 – One more time​


Nothing to do with Britney Spears, just another call that rhymes!


80 – Ghandi’s breakfast​


Because he is said to have ate nothing… eight nothing… geddit?!


81 – Stop and run​


A bit of a confusing bingo rhyme…how can you stop and run and the same time?


82 – Straight on through​


Another lovely rhyme that’s been around since bingo began.


83 – Time for tea​


Another reference to the UK’s favourite beverage. Two quintessentially British pastimes; bingo and brews!


84 – Seven dozen​


The last of our dozen references! 7 x 12 = 84.


85 – Staying alive​


This bingo call was around well before the Bee Gees, but we like it and it rhymes!


86 – Between the sticks​


Not only does this rhyme, but it is said to refer to the number 86 being the position of goalkeepers, who would spend the match ‘between the sticks’ or goalposts.


87 – Torquay in Devon​


It rhymes and also provides a geography lesson!


88 – Two fat ladies​


A visual representation… the number 88 is said to look like two fat ladies sitting next to each other.


89 – Nearly there​


A reference to 89 being 1 away from 90 – the end of the bingo numbers.


90 – Top of the shop / end of the line / as far as we go​


All the calls that go with the number 90 in bingo reference it being the highest or last number.

I'd agree with most of those, but there are a lot of regionaal variations going back to my youth, for example 80 used to be Blind 80 (as were most numbers ending in a zero) and 53 was always the Old Trafford special
 
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Working Men’s Clubs always used to be a lot more popular up in the North East than they were down here, in my experience.

Don’t know what it’s like now but back when I spent quite a bit of time up there in the 80s and 90s, virtually everyone I knew would mainly drink in clubs rather than pubs.
 

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