This is Jon's personal "blog" - I work at an independent microbrewery (a small-scale, artisanal producer of “real ale” and other beery treats), based in the Furness area in Cumbria (or N. Lancs if you'd rather). Or a "Craft Brewer", if you like. We're known as "Stringers", or "Stringers Beer". I don't just make beer - I also sound-off in half-informed rants on a variety of subjects. Like here.
By 'eck. It's Back!
-
A veritable glitterati of CAMRA North West worthies, plus the* Morning
Advertiser *were gathered by invitation in *JW Lees Brewery Cottage*
yesterday to ...
The lift
-
I rise at 10:40. After a good long sleep.
Looking at my Whatsapp, I'm amazed to see a string of messages from the
hotel. That's how they contacted me. No...
Is Untappd to blame?
-
Last *Saturday* afternoon, I visited a well-known local free house. The pub
was quiet, although in mitigation it was the last weekend of the *summer
holi...
When pub signs go big and go viral
-
As the infrastructure of social media erodes around us, perhaps
old-fashioned physical advertising could help pubs get found – and convey
what makes them...
I'm forever blowing bubbles
-
*A recent study on beer foam introduced a lot of people to a strange type
of science: brewing research by non-brewers.* I first came across this
genre in...
5, 4, 3, 2, 1
-
Like other CAMRA members, I regularly score the cask beer I drink using the
National Beer Scoring System (NBSS). This isn’t just for my own
convenience: ve...
Homebrew - Victorian Style
-
There is something delightfully pompous, perhaps a little insane, about
book titles in the Victorian era that always reminds me of the
"Connections" TV ser...
Every Dog Has Its Day
-
I may as well admit it now. BrewDog and I have history. This blog was making
fun of them long before it was fashionable. Back in the day, 12 years ago
...
A mutual path for water?
-
It was a privilege to present in Whitstable, Kent, recently to the People’s
Commission on Water, whose report is released today. It relates to a topic
that...
When “candidate” is a crime against English
-
I originally posted this on LinkedIn under the title “Why I’m not doing job
interviews for freelance work”. I was quite cross. It’s autism awareness
month ...
-
*Green Hop Season 2024*
This year we're celebrating the Green Hop season to its fullest, with two
events at our Taproom.
*Green Hop Launch*
*Save the...
Last night at the JT
-
*Yesterday evening, I went to the Jerusalem Tavern. It was the pub's last
night.*
The operators, St Peter's Brewery, haven't renewed their long lease, an...
A final pint
-
My last blog post was a bit of a downer. I’ll try to cheer up on this one.
I seem to have created a theme of chronicling end of pubs. The travails of
the...
A Tale Of Two Weekends
-
The never ending tour of Manchester continues. With a lot of places either
still closed completely or not opening early in the week, it's easier to do
a ...
The Session: Where I'm/It's At.
-
Well, it has been a while. Since there was a proper Session. Since I wrote
a thing on this blog. Glad to be prodded. I think about blogging often, but
the...
The Positively Unknown
-
New book announcement! "The Positively Unknown: A Kid's Guide to the
Zymoglyphic Museum" is now available. Pick up a copy while you are
visiting the mu...
Letting go
-
It is often difficult to accept defeat. Indeed, when one has been working
on something for a long time it can be almost impossible to actually make
that fi...
We are taking a break
-
Dear Reader.
Due to various unforeseen circumstances, 'A Swift One' is taking a short
sabbatical. We apologise to all for the lack of content but we hope t...
Passive-aggressive hate mail
-
Way back in 2001, my brother and I opened a specialist beer bar in London.
You can read more about it *here*.
The way we were doings things proved fairly n...
Caxton Inn / XX Inn, River Street
-
Caxton Inn, River Street, Hulme, 1921. (c) Bob Potts [1]. The Caxton Inn
was a Carlton Brewery house that stood on the corner of River Street and
Welcomb S...
Brooklyn Comes To Dalston
-
Brooklyn Brewery are on the road again, taking their 'Mash' concept out to
nine countries. This week, they've been in London, with events like a DIY
dinner...
Thomas Hardy's Ale Reborn
-
This beauty arrived by post yesterday so I thought it was time to end my
silence.
The rights to the Thomas Hardy Ale name have now passed to a company in...
Recipe for
-
Busy days, busy days. I had an hour in departures this week with no
wireless and a useless phone so my 150 e-mails per day couldn’t find me.
During my co...
His name is "Stay!"
-
I'm lucky enough to get a call every so often from the Endress+Hauser
Corporation to make something out of their spare parts. They give me full
creative...
2 comments:
In an industrial society which confuses work and productivity, the necessity of producing has always been an enemy of the desire to create.
Is right.
Post a Comment