NANTWICH PUB CRAWL DAY #1

Team VFH visited family in northwest England over the Christmas holidays in Nantwich, Chesire, and as promised our time there brimmed with family and friends and featured hours of couch sitting and conversations, catching up with the in-laws and the kids, watching a lot of “Patrick TV” (Janet’s year old grandson) and plenty of trips to the area pubs. Before our departure for England Janet worried it would be a boring time for me, but I could not disagree more. Life is fleetingly short and days can be a blur and it was quite comforting to just let the days unfold for once. We often scurry about to get the most for our airfare, which for me was just over $1,000, but our pace in Nantwich was just perfect. There was some idle chatter about traveling to Chester, just to be tourists, but logistics got in the way and that destination thankfully dissipated. No, we basically hung around the Bereton Drive home of the in-laws, crawled our way to a number of pubs and began Sweet ’16 drinking and dancing at the Nantwich Club. As midnight loomed we all trundled out into the nearby square and listened to the bells of St. Mary’s Church chime in the New Year.

SHORT AND SWEET

I was in England for all of 6 days, with work constraints holding me back and I did not land until Monday. Janet was able to celebrate Christmas and Boxing Day with her extended family in England. Boxing Day is the day after the holiday and the day servants were traditionally finally able to celebrate the holiday with their family rather than waiting on their masters. Often the servants were sent home with boxes, containing gifts, bonuses and sometimes leftover foods… Now it’s really when all the after Christmas sales kick in, and a really great excuse to get drunk.

TIED AND FREE HOUSES 

As Boxing Day fell on a Saturday, the following Monday was the “bank holiday” and the “official” closing of everything….except the pubs. After I had a quick nap we embarked on our sojourn through to some of the favorites of our hosts. Janet had already gone out on Boxing Day, but was up for the challenge. … of course.

 

THE TALBOT

Our first stop was The Talbot Bar and Grill on Beam Street under the pretense to see a football/soccer game, but also to drink. The Talbot serves food and has musical acts and  mostly serves Marston’s Beers.

I’m not sure if The Talbot is “tied” to Marston's beer, meaning it was a public house or “pub” required to carry a particular brew, whether it was owned directly by the brewery and managed or mortgaged through the brewery or just a free house. It is too complicated for me to ponder such things for what is for me a difficult libation to quaff.

MARSTON'S BEER, UK

THE TALBOT NANTWICH 

BITTER ABOUT BITTERS

Served usually in 20 oz pints and weaker alcohol content and flavor than the current U.S. rage of hoppy IPAs bitters are good, for one. But, when you’re out on a pub crawl, especially on a long weekend holiday like this, you have to make a show of it. Truthfully though I could never drink like our hosts no matter what, but the filling, low alcohol bitters usually served gives me a bloated feeling more than a buzz. So I nursed the pint given to me and happily paid the next round.

A DABBER’S PARADISE

Despite all this carping on my part about the beer I thoroughly enjoy going out to the pubs in Nantwich. The atmosphere is pleasant and the company is great and I get to experience a Dabber’s life while out and about.

Like the whole bit about tied and free pubs the meaning behind Dabber is equally complicated. Suffice it to say that anyone born in Nantwich is a Dabber, whatever the hell that means, but being a Dabber-by-proxy is fun if not expansive.

To read about the complicated and convoluted history of the Dabber name, here is a great little article.

WHAT IS A DABBER? 

If you are interested in becoming a Dabber-by-proxy by managing a pub or mortgaging the property with a "soft loan" from the company; many of the main breweries have properties for your own franchise if not in Nantwich then somewhere in England. Here are current Marston opportunities:

MARSTON'S PUBS FOR SALE 

PROPER AND POSH

Well the game at The Talbot was an illegal feed and was buffering too slowly so we moved on to the recently renovated Vine on Hospital Street. It was crowded with a whole different selection of beer. I believe it once was a “tied” house, but is now “free”. The game was on a big screen though one had to feint and weave to catch a glimpse. One thing I noticed about crowded rooms in England is that the participants are very tactile, a trait somewhat unnerving at first for this “don’t-invade-my-personal-space” New Yorker, where another person can get within an eyelash of you, as long as they don’t touch! Colin, our host, clapped me on the back at one point while at the Vine and said this was a proper pub.

THE VINE NANTWICH

Later we trundled across the River Weaver to Welsh Row and The Chesire Cat, a posh bar, restaurant and inn. It was labeled as such by Colin. A former disco with weaving corridors and an open outdoor garden in the middle, the Chesire Cat had a lot of women inside. Many of the ladies were related to our hosts. Everyone remembered me from the kids’ wedding in 2011, though I just smiled broadly with every hello to cover up my faulty memory. The place was relatively empty of men, especially when compared to the crowd at the Vine. It was like the “he-man women haters club” was meeting there. 

THE CHESIRE CAT

Regardless, the “Cat” is set in a charming 17^th century building featuring the magpie design of many buildings in town.

We drank some more beer, but I couldn’t tell what it was and at this point I was drinking whatever they handed me.

THE CHESIRE CAT NANTWICH

Almost directly across Welsh Row from the Cat is the Black Lion and yet another place to drink. Julie’s father used to sing at the Black Lion years ago and we HAD to go. I had to kind of get pushed in because my belly got stuck in the door jamb, but I’m glad we stopped here. Very charming and cozy, the Black Lion is one of the oldest pubs in Nantwich, dating from 1664 and offered Weetwood Beers which included some ales as well as a number of “guest” beers. Deviating from the bitters was very acceptable to me. Our little group settled in at a table near a roaring fire and smiled contently. It was a really great stop.

THE BLACK LION 

BEERS AT THE BLACK LION

WEETWOOD ALES UK 

MUNCHIES

Differences in customs and cultures notwithstanding you have to eat, especially if you’ve been drinking! I remember fondly some street side suspect hamburger kiosk in Sarajevo while working the Olympics there. The “Big Mec” burgers were topped with yoghurt… I think. …

The Nantwich equivalent is Coral Reef, a takeaway fish and chips restaurant on Pillory Street. Brightly lighted and greasy smelling and serving up the best fish and chips and “proper” mushy peas! We’ve been there before and I was quite happy we ended our night with a cache of grub from this place.  

Now, everything in Nantwich is kind of near everything else in Nantwich. It’s not much more than a 10-15 minute jaunt from one end of town to the other, or if you’re like Colin 5-10 minutes… he does walk fast. We ended the night around the kitchen table devouring our still hot fish and chips and life just seemed like a Dabber’s Paradise.

Dogs, Babies and Handbag Thieves

If you don’t like the weather here, wait five minutes. No, this isn’t Chicago, but Nantwich, Chesire. Usually it’s just overcast and rain, but yesterday, with the sun somehow gracing the sky, Janet and I decided to set out for the center of town to do some shopping. From our hosts’ home on Brereton Drive it is about a half mile walk to the store on High Street Janet wanted to visit, but just as we were stepping out the door we were advised to “take our brellys” as the sky was turning dark.

No less than 200 yards from the house a fierce wind picked up and the rain came! We thought it couldn’t be THAT bad and it would die down soon enough, so we kept going. My “brelly” bent in the hurricane force winds and by the time we reached the clothing store on High Street we were soaked.

Incredibly, people were going about town in this raging storm as if this was perfectly fine to do so; kids on scooters and bikes, people walking dogs, strolling along as if it was a warm sunny day. Our host, Colin, says it rains so much here in England that you can’t spend ALL your time indoors. Despite the howling wind and fierce rain everyone was walking leisurely around.

The clerks in the store looked at us incredulously; their calmness unnerving as we panted and shook excess water from our coats. “Oh, is it raining,” one asked, standing still at her post. We arched our eyes at her, thinking that perhaps we were certainly over reacting to the torrents. We smiled politely and went on with our shopping. I was hoping that we would be there long enough to dry off somewhat, but sadly, Janet’s purchase did not take that long and we had to leave.

Caffe Nero, Nantwich 

Thankfully a coffee shop was next door. Caffé Nero was large and airy with plenty of seating with a number of couches. Most of the place was filled and there were plenty of kids in strollers and dogs on leads. We got our coffees and a slice of chocolate cake to share and settled in our chairs to rest and allow our clothes to dry. All around us parents cooed over infant children and dogs lazed at their owner’s feet. The café was a nice respite from the rain, but we were not thrilled with the prospect of walking back in the downpour. Coffee shops usually have wifi and Janet tried to get on Caffé Nero’s to see if we could get a ride back to the house, but to no avail. So we lingered a bit longer than we should have just to wait out the storm. While there, in this pleasant little coffee shop on High Street in the sleepy little town of Nantwich, Chesire, where EVERYONE knows EVERYTHING about EVERYONE, we saw a sign that cautioned us against handbag thieves who have been known to work in the area. It didn’t seem plausible.

So, we steeled ourselves to scurry back home between the rain drops, but when we emerged from the café the rain had stopped and the sun was glowing brightly in the late afternoon sky.

SWEET ‘16

As always, it is our devout wish here at VFH Central that all of your horizons remain bright throughout this new year of 2016. Here’s hoping love doesn’t escape you and that good fortune trundles along your path. Maybe someone will buy you a much-needed adult libation? Here's hoping there are plenty of new destinations to set your sights on in 2016 and that all your experiences will be sweet....and of course... cheap!

Whether traveling near or far, travel safe! 

-love Janet and Greg

NANTWICH UNDER SIEGE

Disaster in Nantwich

The gloaming comes early in this part of the world. Combine the northern latitude with the wintry times and it gets dark mid-afternoon in northwest England. The sun is usually a rare sighting any time of year, although it was unseasonably delightful yesterday and there have been silvery glints in the sky. Today the full impact of English weather is on display with blustery winds and rain that comes in fits and spurts, nothing full on and nothing quite clear, just a muddling through the day. Other parts of England are suffering through severe flooding caused by Storm Frank. Nantwich has been largely spared, although the winds that left my face raw red after my run was cause for some excitement in this sleepy little town. They will be talking about the fierce storm of 2015 for decades to come in the pubs of Nantwich. Not only was an elderly man’s hat blown clear across the street, the winds did blow over a tree. This offensive tree just happened to be front of the apartment of our hosts’ daughter and throughout the day she was comforted and congratulated for her bravery by friends and family.

 TREE DOWN

Yes, not a lot happens in Nantwich.

And, that’s wonderful.

THE HORRIBLE AFTERMATH!

  

To Grandmother's House we go..............

The boss of Team VFH, is currently in England visiting her daughter and son-in-law and their 11 month old child. Work commitments have me here Stateside until tomorrow when I fly out to Manchester out of Philadelphia.

 

THE CROWN HOTEL, NANTWICH

This is an over the hills and through the woods excursion across the pond and hearts and minds will brim with warm thoughts and embraces and another chance to see the young grandson that has Janet’s heart on a string. I’ll be there for just 6 days, so there’s not much time for exploring. Usually I am loath to return to a destination because it is such a big world and there is so much to see, but this particular trip to Nantwich, Chesire in the UK is all about family.

 THE CROWN HOTEL, NANTWICH

ST. MARY'S CHURCH, NANTWICH

Nantwch is about 40 miles south of Liverpool and I was last there for the kid’s wedding at the Crown Hotel, a 16^th century building that leans into High Street like a drunken sailor. Our visit this time to this charming, quiet town will no doubt include several trips to “The Gun”, The Rifleman, the favored pub of our hosts. They’ll be little time for anything else. I understand our NYE celebration will include a pub crawl and then a gathering at the square before St. Mary’s Church to hear the New Year chime in as we all link arms to sing a drunken version of Auld Lang Syne. ….before going back to the pubs.

THE RIFLEMAN

Sounds like fun!

The Mind Behind The Voice

I would be remiss if I allow this date to pass without acknowledging how it changed my life and set me on an around the world course, literally. Twice!

Today is the 100th birthday of Frank Sinatra.

For a relatively brief stint in his illustrious career I worked for him as his teleprompter operator. Some may scoff that he couldn’t remember all his lyrics and I say that every night the orchestra would unfurl their sheet music to play such standards as “I’ve Got The World On A String” and “Under My Skin.” I obviously make a joke that I was The Mind behind The Voice, but it was a necessary job.

The cultural icon was born in Hoboken, NJ in 1915 and always had some difficulty remembering lyrics. During his shows he used to tell a story about his time as a singing waiter at The Rustic Cabin in Englewood Cliffs, NJ and tried to sing a Cole Porter song for the man and his entourage, but forgot the lyrics.

And, that’s where I come in, at least in 1986. Prompting is an easy fix for flawed memories, especially during the swirl and commotion of a live event

My five years with Mr. Sinatra took me to places I never would have hoped to visit. He took me to Australia three times, Japan twice. I cut a wide swatch through Europe in our tours; countries like Austria, Monaco, Finland and Italy, among many, many others. Had I not worked a show in Des Moines I doubt I would ever have visited Iowa.

Yes, traveling on Sinatra’s dime had its perks and as the founding father of Vacations From Home traveling to such varied and exotic locations was quite alluring, especially since I only had to pay for my beer. My passport brimmed with stamps. Yeah, there was work, but that never got in the way of exploring with days off. We once traveled to Italy for five weeks and did all of five shows while there. We would travel to Las Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City or London for a week at a time, which allowed me to travel my fledgling family in for mini-vacations. These were good times.

So, happy birthday Francis Albert Sinatra. I am sure there’s a rip-snorting party going on right now!

WINE NOT

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!

Sorry I didn’t get to this until now. I have been too busy imbibing Beaujolais Nouveau. It is the third Thursday in November after all.

For the sober and uninformed or, ahem, boorish reader, the uncorking of this young wine at the stroke of midnight on the third Thursday of November has grown from a local phenomenon in the bars and bistros around Beaujolais and Lyon to a world-wide celebration. Nouveau is the first wine from the past year’s harvest and is meant to be drunk young, before the next year’s harvest, and meant to be drunk while better Beaujolais take their good old time aging. Picked quickly, rapidly fermented and speedily bottled, Beaujolais Nouveau has bided its time until TODAY!

(French law since the 50’s states that this is the earliest the Nouveau can be released. The regulation used to have November 15 as the date, but was changed to this third Thursday to allow the partying to readily flow into a weekend.) 

Yes, the uncorking of this young fruity wine on this date is cause for parties and fireworks in France and with the frivolous celebration now extending beyond France the “race” to export the Nouveau has led to gimmicky deliveries via the Concorde, by elephant or a hot air balloon. Yes, it may be all a marketing ploy, but Nouveau is best served slightly chilled, and gulped rather than critiqued; which lends itself to a festive air  and a gathering of friends whether self-proclaimed oenophiles or not.

So, if you are unable to fly into France for this silly wine event to take dinner at Paul Bocuse’s L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges in Lyon for some of his Nouvelle Cuisine, know you can simply pick up a bottle or three of Beaujolais Nouveau, flip open a pizza box with friends and party like it is well, the day the nouveau has arrived!!!

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