Beers, Boats and Boozers, No.47.

We left our winter moorings late in March. We had been comfy in Aston Marina and all were very friendly, although I do think somebody had been using our electricity! We did have a couple of meals at the restaurant over the six months and they were very good. Not much choice of beer though!!

Anyway were were finally off, on a cold but sunny day. We felt as fresh, but not quite so young as the lambs in the fields. We turned left at the entrance and headed down towards Fradley Junction.

The first lock of this years campaign was Sandon Lock. Helen remembered what to do, and still had some muscles left to accomplish the process too. I did offer to do the 'honours' but she wanted to test her self! I managed to get in the lock with out dislodging anything from the shelves inside, or giving myself a paint job on the first day!

Once away from the railway line and the road it is a pleasant cruise and as there wasn't much wind the reflections were good.

Having started late, as I had to come back on the train after taking the car home, we didn't go far as the days are still short. We moored up at Weston on Trent and took a walk into the village.

There is a choice of two pubs in Weston, the Saracen's Head right by the canal or the Woolpack on the village green. We chose the Woolpack, but later heard that the Saracen's Head had recently been refurbished. We also wanted to eat and as they had a deal on two steak dinners we were sold.

Weston did appear in the Domesday Day book with one household. The pub was originally a row of cottages and a blacksmiths shop which explains the various areas or bays in the building, and the low ceilings. It was welcoming with a real fire. It had been one of 150 outlets of the old Eley's Brewery of Stafford. It started out as run by a John Bishop in 1878 and than became Eley's in 1899. It was sold to W. Butlers &Co in 1928. They were a Wolverhampton brewery. They in turn were bought by Mitchells and Butlers in 1960 and the Bass the year after.

Ringwood Brewery was started in 1978 by Peter Austin at Minty's Yard, in the market town of that name, north of Southampton. By 1986 it had outgrwon the original site and moved to the present site. In 1990 they were brewing 5000 barrels a year then a massive rise to 13000 by 1994! There followed to further expansions of the brewery. By 2007 retirements saw the take over of the brewery by Marston's and hence it is an offering at most Marston outlets.

Boon Doggle was first brewed in 1997 and is classed as a 4.2% blonde. I think of it more of a pale ale. It has four hops and english malt that gives it a lovely mix of hoppy aroma and citrus taste and quite a sweet taste. A lovely drop on the whole with a nice head. Apparently boon doggle is an American phrase from the 1920's and meant 'work with little value'. This is taken to mean in this case, jolly, or an excuse for a pint! I'll drink to that.