Stafford, Brackley, Banbury and Lancaster by Man in a Hat

Improperly Dressed.........

Off With the Fairies

It all started so well. Breakfast at the Plaza Friday morning. The waitress excitedly trying on her fairy costume ahead of “breakfast with Santa”, which is held every Saturday morning in the run up to Xmas. The Maître D flatly refusing to try on his elf outfit. The waitress flatly refusing to take her fairy costume off!

My travelling companion (Stafford) arrived in good time for us to get the train to Banbury. Once there, finding the bus to Brackley was easy enough, so the whole journey passed without incident and went exactly to plan.

We checked into the Crown Hotel and grabbed a pint of Old Hooky in the hotel bar whilst waiting for our taxi to the Stratton Arms for dinner. 

Our wait was enhanced through chatting with some Shrewsbury fans who were working in Brackley and planning to take in the game tomorrow, i.e. Brackley vs. County.

As we left the Crown, a guy at the bar tells us to give our regards to Phil, the Landlord at the Stratton Arms.

Upon arrival at the Stratton Arms (about 5.30pm), we’re told that unless we eat straight away, there’ll be no scran for us. Happy days. We are starving. And, we discover that this excellent real ale pub is trying out serving Thai food. Marvellous!

After eating, I set about the other menu, the excellent selection of real ales. Although there is 5 hand pulls, 3 are changed during our visit, so there was actually 8 ales to go at. I didn’t try every one (honest). The stand out beers were the Hook Norton Flagship, Adnams Ghost Ship and Otter Bitter.

Wrong County?

We notice a sign on the wall indicating that the pub is in the 2018 Good Beer Guide. Nonsense! The only pub we’re visiting this trip that is in The Guide is in Banbury. But hold on, there is a copy of The Guide on the shelf as well.

I check. Nope. Nothing under Oxfordshire. Northamptonshire - no. We have to check the map to realise that our short 10 minute taxi journey has taken us over the border into Buckinghamshire. We’re in Turweston.

As you know, I’ve been lost a few times in the course of my travels, but I can’t remember ever being in the wrong County!

I’ve been chatting to Phil (the Landlord remember) on and off, about his ales and why he’s trying out Thai food etc. Phil overhears me ordering a taxi and says he’ll drop us back in Brackley himself! Well, I suppose we have been there over 3 hours. A very nice gesture none-the-less.

In the course of the evening, I realise that I have forgotten my hat, thereby dooming County to defeat tomorrow. In addition, there will be no pictures of people wearing my hat- hedgegrower will be furious!

Not a single County Supporter sighted so far. What a load of light-weights?

It’s Cold in Brackley

Breakfast at the Crown. Cold bacon, cold beans, cold hash brown, cold mushrooms, cold sausages, warm coffee and hot toast. No pastries.

We didn’t think breakfast was included, so can’t complain? After going upstairs, I have to return to retrieve Stafford’s room key, which he’s left on the table, so I take the opportunity to check that breakfast is served until 10am, not 9.30am, as everything was cold.

10am is correct.

I have a brief scout about ahead of Stafford and I launching ourselves into match day. Everything is a lot closer together than imagined, so I take some pub photos for CAMRA whilst the sun is up.

We’re at the Red Lion before noon. 4 ales on offer, Eagle IPA for me (not too clever), some keg filth stout for Stafford (Belhaven Black). Still no sign of any County Supporters.  

We note that the Red Lion does accommodation, so I reckon we’ll stay here when we return for the play-offs. I tune Stafford’s radio to BBC Oxford as recommended by Brackley Town FC, in the hope that there will be at least some match commentary.     

As we leave, I hear the dulcet tones of Louis Spalding at the bar. County have arrived and all is well.

After about a 5 minute walk, we reach the ground, but can’t find anyone to tell us where to go for our match-day hospitality. So I have a mooch about and get a photo of the fourth official’s board, amongst other equipment (contain yourselves).  

Eventually we’re escorted inside, shown where we’ll be eating (where we leave our coats) and settle in for a pint or two ahead of the game. There is even cask ale, Greene King Abbot Ale, which is actually pretty good. Plenty of County about by now, including the Bollington Massive, Joe, Tim etc.  

Media Circus

Then George Haigh arrives with daughter-in-law Gill (from America!), media circus in tow. Over the course of the next 20 minutes, pretty well every County Supporter present pops over to say hello and shake his hand, including the County hierarchy, who have also arrived.

This continues even after we have commenced our pre-match meal. Every time the door to the hospitality area opens, another County Supporter pops in, apologises for interrupting, interrupts, says hello to George, and bids a hasty retreat.  

You can’t get a look in when George is around. I may as well be invisible.

We have a really good chat with George ahead of the game, including recalling his 102^nd birthday back in June, the day he opened the County Museum and then joined us all for a pint or 2 of velvet pussy in the Florist afterwards.

During half-time, with County leading 2-1, the County Supporters are in excellent voice inside the bar as we enjoy half-time cheesecake. Little do they know that in the absence of the hat, County have no chance, lead or no lead.

The highlight of the day for me was the broad beaming smile on George’s face as he sat quietly listening to the Supporters in full voice.

The second half is played out in a relentless drizzle and predictably County lose. I accept full responsibility. I will remember the hat for the Lancaster trip, I promise.

When we return after the game, we are told that George has high-tailed it out of there already. Presumably he’s gone on to his next media engagement?

Game Over

Eventually, we are evicted from the hospitality area to make way for the players’ post-match sustenance. Whilst mingling with what remained of the great unwashed, we witness the sorry sight of Matty Warburton on crutches, his crocked left foot barely covered by an old sock.

I soon cheer up when I manage to get served ahead of Aaron Williams, Brackley’s match-winner, who the barmaid clearly doesn’t recognise! Here, this keg Belhaven Black isn’t bad - clearly I’m starting to lose it!

As we leave we thank Janene for looking after us so well. The match day hospitality has been good, albeit a bit behind time all day. She recommends that we try the Greyhound this evening, a pub that she runs just up the High Street.

After regrouping back at the “hotel” for half an hour, we head out again.

We find the Greyhound a 10 minute walk away. Ales aplenty. The Greene King Mighty Moose is excellent, weighing in at 5.6% ABV, by far the strongest beer of the weekend.

After a long chat with a Brackley fan who has thoroughly enjoyed County’s visit, particularly the singing in the bar at half time, we head off for our final pub of the day, the Plough. I think we sometimes overlook the enjoyment we create for home supporters.

There is a band on. The leader plays guitar and keyboards at the same time. Impossible to describe, so I won’t even try. They probably needed a better sound man though, as we can barely hear the lead singer.

All good stuff though. The final beer of the evening is Vale’s Wychert, an excellent rich malty bitter. Is malty making a comeback? 

Off to Banbury

I decline the out-of-date yoghurt, but as we hadn’t eaten last night, opt for a selection of tepid “cooked” items as part of another pastry-less breakfast at the Crown.

We get a copy of the NLP from the Co-op whilst waiting for the bus to Banbury. Looks like Banbury drew away at St. Ives, equalising in the last minute. County are a dismal 11^th, but only Harrogate and Blyth have scored more, so there is still hope. Just need to get the defence sorted out.

After getting off the bus, 15 minutes later we arrive at the Cromwell. Too early to check in, so we leave our bags and get on with exploring Banbury.

Just over the road is the Three Pigeons and Banbury’s first micro-pub, the Bailiff’s Tap. As the later is yet to open, the Three Pigeons it is. Purity Pure Gold, a good starter for 10. Coffee for Stafford - is he fading? Proper pub this. Thatched roof, oak beams, low ceilings, open fires, real ale etc. The lot really.

But, what a boozer the Bailiff’s Tap is. It was opened earlier this year by Ian and Sheila. When I asked why, I stopped Ian after he said “I used to work in sales….” Here is a picture of the happy couple. Can you tell which one is wearing my invisible hat? 

4 ales, all served by gravity (straight from a tap in the barrel) plus 4 real ciders. I reckon the best ale was First Chop Vanilla Stout, the highest score of the weekend.

Over the next 2 hours, we get the lowdown on where to drink in Banbury and I get the chance to chuck a few Manchester Beer & Cider Festival beer mats around (January 24^th - 27^th as you ask).

After finally checking in at the Cromwell, we head out to the newest micro-pub in Banbury (that makes 2 then?), the Old Town Ale & Cider House. It’s on the cover of the local CAMRA magazine and has been open less than a fortnight.

Loddon Hoppit and Salopian Darwins Origin both go down very well. I was anticipating having to write this place up for the WhatPub? website, but the owner in the former local chair of CAMRA, so there’s nothing for me to do.  

One of the quirky things here, is that they offer “cocked ales”, i.e. 2 halves of different ales in the same pint glass (get it?). The “cocked ale” of the week is “Goodtime Girl” which consists of half of Wye Valley’s Betty Stoggs and half of Salopian’s Darwins Origin.

Time to move onto a pub called 4, which is supposed to have 4 ales (just 1 when we visited). Hooky Gold. Decent enough, but over £4 a pint! No wonder we are the only ones in there.

Off to the Olde Reine Deer Inn, Hook Norton’s flagship drinking hole. This shows in every respect. The beer, service, building and general feel of the place are all excellent. The dark mild is very good and their seasonal ale, Twelve Days, even better.

After spotting my County scarf, a bloke comes over for a chat. An Oxford fan. The usual conversation re “what’s gone wrong at County”, “can’t wait to come back” etc. All very good humoured. Good to know people still think of us.

We eat at a Thai place we spotted earlier and then head for the only Banbury pub in the Good Beer Guide, the White Horse, which faces the Cromwell. In fact, this is the main reason we’re staying at the Cromwell.

Blown It!

What a pity I’ve peaked too early (been out too long). Just 1 of the 7 ales on offer is tried, Derby’s Dashingly Dark - very good indeed.

Don’t even get to try the beer at the Cromwell. What’s the point in staying somewhere that has real ale if you don’t even try it?

Never mind, all of these schoolboy errors can be rectified when we return for the play-offs. Now that we have confidence in the bus service, we may as well base ourselves in Banbury - at the Cromwell.

Homeward Bound At Last

The breakfast at the Cromwell is excellent. Kippers for me, plus anything else I can lay my hands on. There are even pastries! Shame it all takes so long, but we are in no hurry.

My camera has stopped working, the zip on my coat has broken, I forgot my hat, County lost, and I managed just one beer in the only Good Beer Guide we intended to visit (good job I made up for it at the Stratton Arms).

However, yet again the whole trip has been very enjoyable, and we met some great people along the way. And, Stafford seems to have survived the ordeal.

Yes, Lancaster is on. With 8 pubs in the Good Beer Guide, a ground called the Giant Axe and County only playing there twice a century, attendance is mandatory. 2 nights minimum!

See you there.

Graham Privett.