IT’S HAPPY HOUR AGAIN

Curry Charles wanted to call this “Flying Doggy style in the Cock“, but I know children read this (BRAPA for a start) so that can be left for a future pub blogger.

Our Dereham evening continued five minutes from the Cherry Tree at the Cock, busiest pub of the night, and possibly the whole of West Norfolk.

It’s not in the Beer Guide YET, but if we see it through to a GBG22 I’ll eat a large pasty if it doesn’t make it next year. It’s so new Bing Maps hasn’t caught up from its spell as the Rusty Tap, an unconvincing name for a plumbers if you ask me.

Dereham itinerary

I wondered why Charles was so keen for us to get a move on and get seated; it was only 17:11 on a damp October Wednesday.

We entered at the rear, just so Charles could make another double entendre to the disgust of Mrs RM.

The “greeter” (not in a Wight Bear way) looked perturbed.

“Oh, we’re nearly full. Ah, I can squeeze you in round the corner“

While Mrs RM appraised the option, I took the photo.

“It’s Happy Hour for another 15 minutes“.

Ah, that’s why Charles was in a rush. Typical Scot Auditor.

Not a bad seat, copper tables and all, but a bit low unless you’re Mrs RM.

Last time here I was impressed with a smart, cosy, grown-ups pub but a bit taken aback by the differential pricing.

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This time the 25% discount made the Cherry Porter and Nightingale a bit of a bargain, though obviously Mrs RM had to choose from the bottle beers.

Tropical Bitch from Flying Dog, apparently.

There’s only one Plum Porter, of course, but Mauldon’s cherry variation was startlingly cool and crisp, an easy 4.

“Brass in Pocket” gave way to “Like A Rolling Stone“, the cheery* couple opposite tried to buy cake but failed, I unadvisedly stayed for a Green Jack Nightingale of my own. Turnover is nearly everything; this was a 4.5.

Happy Hour had gone, but enough remained to give the Spoons a run for their money on cask sales.

Outside, the Landlord arrived back from Mighty Oak with some barrels of beer. One of those, Oscar Wilde perhaps, would have seen us through November.

*Drunk

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

20 thoughts on “IT’S HAPPY HOUR AGAIN”

    1. I am desperately trying to remember a similar classy all-rounder I went to with high quality beer like that. Having 4 pumps and two dozen cask drinkers at Happy Hour is a recipe for good quality beer.

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  3. I was a little surprised that Landlord was the very most expensive pint on the board. Do you commonly find that? I guess I imagined Landlord was one of those old fashioned beers that couldn’t command the price of newer, higher ABV things that combine chocolate with the taste of asiago cheese. 😉

    Your blog title got me thinking about the Housemartins song and what its attitude is toward pubs and people who like going to pubs. Should we deduce that the writer of those lyrics was– heaven forbid– anti-pub?!

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    1. The Housemartins song was (as I hear it) an attack on sexism seen in the pub. Paul Heaton has a long association with pub culture; he collects beer mats and owned a pub in Salford for a while !

      Landlord often seems to be sold at a premium of at least 50p on similar strength beers; I think it goes back to the time when Madonna popularised it by once sipping a half in Soho.

      I wouldn’t mind that premium if it reflected some extra conditioning of the beer in the cellar but it’s often no better than bland.

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    2. Mark,
      I’ve seen price lists of wholesale Beer Agencies and remember two beers disproportionately higher priced than might be expected for their strength as Timothy Taylors Landlord and Fullers London Pride. Maybe being so well known beers is why the brewers can command such a premium for them. I’ve noticed London Pride as correspondingly more expensive than other cask beers in London Wetherspoons venues.

      Martin,
      “owned a pub in Salford for a while” – which one ?

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      3. No, just running about an hour late with my normal 9pm to 1am and 2am to 6am sleeping.
        And I thought you knew I have no interest in politics.

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  4. I always loved the housemartins and hearing that Heaton collects beeemats has sent him even higher in my estimation.
    Saw them deliver a fantastic gig at the hummingbird in Brum in 87 and London 0 Hull 4 was THE seminal album in my final year at school…
    Oh yes the pub looks magnificent and as good as the cherry tree!!

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  6. “Curry Charles wanted to call this “Flying Doggy style in the Cock“, but I know children read this (BRAPA for a start) so that can be left for a future pub blogger.”

    Thank goodness! I doubt I’d be able finish posting if that had been the case! 🙂

    “an unconvincing name for a plumbers if you ask me.”

    Going from a rusty tap to a cock doesn’t inspire much in the way of their sex life either!

    “We entered at the rear, just so Charles could make another double entendre to the disgust of Mrs RM.”

    I’m beginning to like Charles. 🙂

    “Typical Scot Auditor.”

    (slow golf clap)

    “but a bit taken aback by the differential pricing.”

    Blimey. All over the bloody map!

    “Tropical Bitch from Flying Dog, apparently.”

    Good thing Mrs RM wasn’t accidentally in the picture!

    “Turnover is nearly everything; this was a 4.5”

    Yowza.

    “Happy Hour had gone, but enough remained to give the Spoons a run for their money on cask sales.”

    Turnover can do that as well it seems.

    Cheers

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      3. Yes, and Wapping would have been new to me although I’m familiar with Mount Pleasant, Southwark, Charing Cross and King’s Cross.
        It’s November so had Humphrey got his Yorkshire Stingo on in the Chandos at Charing Cross ?

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