As you’ll know, I love Essex. Particularly estuary Essex around Tendring. So a trip to the Maybush in Great Oakley was always going to be one of my GBG18 highlights.
Regular readers will recall our last trip down here at Christmas. The great ” Recovery of Mrs RM’s Handbag episode“. Back then, I wouldn’t have guessed I’d be passing the Wix Waggon again so soon, so remote is this little bit of Tendring.
A closer look at the OS reveals a panoply of great names round here. Bull’s Ooze, Cabbage Row, Old Moze Dock, Bramble Island. So much going on here.
We’d called up earlier to check the Maybush was going to be open. In 2017, you should never ever assume a pub is open. “We’re always open !” said the cheeriest voice in Essexdom.
Note the big sign outside the pub proclaiming that very fact.
And an expensive red car (what is it ?). Great Oakley isn’t as posh as the villages clustered on the Hertfordshire border, but is unassumingly lovely.
Not many people veer off the A120 to walk the estuary round here, so the Maybush has to survive on the local pound, and it was pleasing to see a fair few Old Boys in the public at 3pm.
“Help Yerself” said one as I waited a few seconds for the lady to appear. I really could have done; they’d just finished a beer festival and all the beers were on stillage.
Quite a bit of the Great Heck Voodoo Mild (which I’ll dedicate to Chicago Dick) went over the floor.
You’ll know my thoughts on beer festivals, but this was a pleasingly rich and dark mild, an easy NBSS 3.5 for my £3.
“Because the Night” and “Uptown Girl” for my delectation, possibly from Radio Hi-de-Hi. But mainly I got conversation, which is what I look for in a pub,
Being community owned, it functions as a pub, with pool tables, TV, laughing, and all those other activities that beer bores hate about real pubs.
The nice lady gave me a sheet of paper telling me all about the village purchase of the pub. The details are on the website (here). They’re trying to buy another property for a café and social housing. Well done them.
The case for community owned pubs (and there’s one in my next village) well made. But of course,
“Use it or lose it”.
retiredmartin 
Thank you for the dedication. That is the only way I will be able to get a good mild for many months.
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That top row of casks is above head height. Does the pub employ the local strong man to lift them up there, or is there some form of well-hidden, mechanical hoist?
Looking at the map, I wouldn’t want to get stuck in Bull’s Ooze, or get lost on Bramble Island.
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Ha ! Yes, Essex full of those unpopulated, inaccessible islands.
The pub seemed to be run by volunteers (may be wrong), several strong enough to lift those barrels.
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Rather them than me, but no doubt they are younger, stronger and possibly fitter than I am!
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Must try this proper pub. A walk including the Maybush and the Alma sounds a winner. I had Voodoo Mild at the Matlock Beer Festival last Friday. Like most out of Great Heck, a fine pint.
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The Alma is the Harwich one, isn’t it. Love walking round Harwich.
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That’s right. They serve great beer but if they sold ditchwater I’d still love it.
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That’s the attitude. We ate there last time, great lunch.
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If you still fancy a walk involving the Maybush and the Alma, Tendring CAMRA are planning one for 20th October 2018 – http://www.tendringcamra.org.uk/rambale/rambale2a.html#13/51.9215/1.2356 – but from a timing point of view we may have to skip the Bottle Kiln
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I’m sitting by the front door on my phone (not actually sitting on my phone of course) waiting for a parcel pick up by Canada Post. Doing that to earn brownie points with the missus; and that’s after driving her hot/cold meals truck this morning. 😎
Well done them for buying the pub, and for continuing to try and improve the community.
“Use it or lose it”.
Concur. With all the brownie points I’m racking up I’ll have to use that phrase on my better half at “intimate relations night”. 😉
Cheers
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I know I said I like detail, but this is a family-friendly blog, Russ. Sin-binned for 20 minutes (that’s what they do in Canadian ice hockey, isn’t it ?).
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Ok, it’s been more than 20 minutes (in the penalty box):
My dear sir you totally misconstrued my implied intent. By “intimate relations” I merely meant sharing secrets with relatives. 🙂
Cheers
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Bramble Island is/hosts an explosives factory. Quite hard to get lost there, I imagine. Walking between Great Oakley and Harwich is a bit complicated, thanks partly to said factory. If you end up in that part of Harwich, check out the New Bell and the Hanover as well.
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Grief. Missed that one.
Know New Bell and Hanover well, both Beer Guide stalwarts. Harwich very underrated.
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