It’s august 1st – Yorkshire day. I will be celebrating by emphatically not drinking in any Samuel Smith pubs, but I may well nip down to Marks and Spencer and pick up a bottle of their own-brand Yorkshire Bitter – brewed by Cropton, who you may remember were in a legal battle with Smiths over their use of the Yorkshire rose on their bottles. A high court judge, Mr Justice Arnold has ordered Cropton to not use the county symbol on their bottles of Yorkshire Warrior (though it is, in fact, the Yorkshire Regiment’s badge – sale of the beer raises money for their injured personnel), although for some reason it’s OK on the M&S bottles. Be rather nice if the sixty-odd (and counting) breweries in Yorkshire all started to display our ‘national’ symbol on their branding, even if only to prove that our white rose does not belong to bloodyminded Tadcaster curmudgeons.
Ten-Inch Wheels 
Well, what about Tim Bresnan’s performance on Yorkshire Day (he’s a cricketer……just in case it had passed you by!)? I am quite sure he sank a few that night…..whether they were Cropton’s or not is open to question. Castle Rock maybe?
Affer, my cricketing years are way behind me! Was it good?
I sincerely hope that the stupidity of the last few nights hasn’t encroached upon you and your family.
Thanks Affer – Hackney is a mere stones throw (!) away from us, but it seemed all quiet in The Mighty Leytonstone last night – although the Red Lion shut early!