Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer book signing in London

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patto1ro
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Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer book signing in London

Post by patto1ro » Thu Mar 26, 2015 9:12 am

I'll be signing (and hopefully selling) copies of Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer this Saturday (28th March) and the Mad Bishop and Bear in Paddington station at 15:00 to 18:00.

Come along and have a chat with me, if nothing else.

https://www.facebook.com/events/816848985066637/

Graham

Re: Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer book signing in Lond

Post by Graham » Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:56 pm

patto1ro wrote:I'll be signing (and hopefully selling) copies of Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer this Saturday (28th March) and the Mad Bishop and Bear in Paddington station at 15:00 to 18:00.

Come along and have a chat with me, if nothing else.

https://www.facebook.com/events/816848985066637/
I'll give this a bit of a bump because I plan to turn up. I was to go to London on Saturday to visit a few of the pubs in Southwark that I have never been to. However, as my London terminus is Marylebone, it is only a short hop to Paddington, so it is possible for me to incorporate Mr Pattinson's shindig into my itinerary or leave Southwark for another weekend and just do the Paddington bar.

I will not be buying the book because I already have one from Amazon, and I will not be lugging it to London just to have it signed. I make a point of never signing my own books; partly because my illegible scrawl can only devalue the book and partly because there is something rather pretentious about the idea.

It is probable that my presence will not be welcome, due to various keyboard induced fisty-cuffs with Ron Pattinson and his major collaborator, some of them on this very forum, but I have learned much from Pattinson's blog; even though I do not always agree with his conclusions. Nevertheless his blog has helped shape my views and has educated me in my own little way, so I will turn up as a token of respect.

If you never hear from me again, it would indicate that Ron Pattinson has done a Jeremy Clarkson on me and that I did not survive.

Eadweard
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Re: Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer book signing in Lond

Post by Eadweard » Sat Mar 28, 2015 9:04 am

I'm going, and as you were my original brewing guru, I'll be delighted to meet you Graham. What time you getting there?

BenB

Re: Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer book signing in Lond

Post by BenB » Sat Mar 28, 2015 10:00 am

:( I was planning on going but I've lost my voice and am stuck in bed :D boohoo. Looks like it'll be Amazon for me...

Graham

Re: Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer book signing in Lond

Post by Graham » Sun Mar 29, 2015 11:44 am

Well, I got there and survived to tell the tale. I was received politely by Ron Pattinson, despite my apprehensions and I had a thoroughly good time. It shows what an insular little world I live in, because I was taken aback by the prices in the pub; getting on for about a couple of quid more than I am used to paying locally, and I thought that the prices in my home town were over the top.

Isn't Paddington Station a mess these days? It's like one bloody great food hypermarket. Inadequate signage and you can't get a visual bearing to, say, find the way to the outside world because all the damn stalls block your view.

I was pleased to reacquaint myself with Peter Haydon who was tightly clutching Stan Hieronymus's book on hops; obviously a man who does not relax, even on a booze-up. I met Peter many years ago, although I cannot exactly remember where. It was in the days of "The Grist"; an early magazine for micro-brewers, and I remember that Elizabeth Baker and Tony Williamson (possibly got the surname wrong), the couple that founded the magazine, were also present when I met Peter. I think, perhaps, that it might have been at a SIBA meet up in a London pub somewhere. However, Peter now has his own brewery and he brewed a version of the 1936 Barclay Perkins Doctor Brown Ale, detailed in Ron Pattinson's book. His DBA was on draught at the pub and a very pleasant, easy drinking brown it was too.

I was pleased to meet fellow forum member Eadweard. It has been years since I have been able to sit at a table with a group of people talking about beer and brewing, but the people there were so knowledgeable that I was somewhat outclassed, so I tended to keep my mouth shut for fear of embarrassing myself. Even Eadweard turned out to be an awful lot more than your average home brewer.

The high prices did not prevent me from getting pissed, at least I think I was pissed. After leaving the pub and wandering (lost) around Paddington Station for a while, I made my way to Marylebone Station on the underground, all without incident. When I got to Marylebone I had some time before the train left so I thought that I would go outside for some air. I had been outside for about a minute when I suddenly became rather queezy and made an immediate bee-line back inside to find somewhere to sit down. I had great physical difficulty getting to a seat and I ended up tripping over my own damn walking stick and went sprawling across the concourse. Some helpful passers by helped me to my feet and into a seat. However, the fit passed as quickly as it arrived and after a few minutes I walked to the train and ultimately got home without much difficulty.

Being a stroke victim I am on medication to reduce my blood pressure. My excuse is that the alcohol temporarily reduced my blood pressure below what is safe, which is why it passed so quickly, but if I was honest with myself I was probably pissed. My balance was never fully restored after my stroke, which is why I carry a stick, but to trip over your own stick, apart from being embarrassing, somewhat defeats the object. It is not the first time that I have done that either, even when sober.

However, despite the incident I would do it all again next Saturday if the opportunity was there.

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Jim
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Re: Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer book signing in Lond

Post by Jim » Sun Mar 29, 2015 12:02 pm

Heh! I've heard it said that you didn't had a good time unless you fell over at the end. :lol:

I've heard London prices are outrageous though. Luckily it's too far for me to go for a pint.
NURSE!! He's out of bed again!

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Eadweard
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Re: Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer book signing in Lond

Post by Eadweard » Sun Mar 29, 2015 1:48 pm

I was lovely to meet you Graham, I think everyone except Dolores was a bit wobbly by the time they left. I was shocked at the prices too. £4.20 a bleedin' pint! Way more than I'm used to paying too.

Graham

Re: Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer book signing in Lond

Post by Graham » Sun Mar 29, 2015 2:29 pm

Jim wrote:Heh! I've heard it said that you didn't had a good time unless you fell over at the end. :lol:
It seems that it was something more than just being drunk because I was very suddenly taken giddy and unable to walk in a straight line, then the worst of the problem went away just as suddenly after sitting down for a few minutes. I suspect that my erratic blood pressure in combination with alcohol was behind it all. Probably quite a dangerous thing for someone in my situation to do. I have heard of people in drink keeling over when fresh air hits them, but I think that is a bit of an urban myth. If not, then I am lucky that it happened where it did. I wanted to get some fresh air at Paddington Station, but I couldn't find my way out of the bloody place, so in the end I gave up and went to the Underground. I don't know what would happen if there was a fire or a bomb scare there. Had my problem happened at Paddington, I would not have trusted myself on the Underground and would have had to sit it out until I felt fit enough to continue, but I do not recall seeing any public seating there. If I sat on the ground I would soon get nicked for vagrancy or drunk and disorderly. With my uneven walking gait and less than perfect balance, I can appear drunk when I am perfectly sober. I wouldn't stand a chance with a few drinks inside me. I had better practice not to trip over my walking stick.

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Jim
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Re: Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer book signing in Lond

Post by Jim » Sun Mar 29, 2015 2:35 pm

Graham wrote:
Jim wrote:Heh! I've heard it said that you didn't had a good time unless you fell over at the end. :lol:
It seems that it was something more than just being drunk because I was very suddenly taken giddy and unable to walk in a straight line, then the worst of the problem went away just as suddenly after sitting down for a few minutes. I suspect that my erratic blood pressure in combination with alcohol was behind it all. Probably quite a dangerous thing for someone in my situation to do. I have heard of people in drink keeling over when fresh air hits them, but I think that is a bit of an urban myth. If not, then I am lucky that it happened where it did. I wanted to get some fresh air at Paddington Station, but I couldn't find my way out of the bloody place, so in the end I gave up and went to the Underground. I don't know what would happen if there was a fire or a bomb scare there. Had my problem happened at Paddington, I would not have trusted myself on the Underground and would have had to sit it out until I felt fit enough to continue, but I do not recall seeing any public seating there. If I sat on the ground I would soon get nicked for vagrancy or drunk and disorderly. With my uneven walking gait and less than perfect balance, I can appear drunk when I am perfectly sober. I wouldn't stand a chance with a few drinks inside me. I had better practice not to trip over my walking stick.
Yes, it must have been worrying. I'm glad you eventually got home safely, anyway.
NURSE!! He's out of bed again!

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Graham

Re: Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer book signing in Lond

Post by Graham » Sun Mar 29, 2015 2:52 pm

Eadweard wrote:I was lovely to meet you Graham, I think everyone except Dolores was a bit wobbly by the time they left. I was shocked at the prices too. £4.20 a bleedin' pint! Way more than I'm used to paying too.
Good to meet you too, sir. I think some of their beers were more expensive than that. I recall getting a few coppers change out of a tenner for two drinks.

Graham

Re: Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer book signing in Lond

Post by Graham » Sun Mar 29, 2015 3:14 pm

Jim wrote: Yes, it must have been worrying. I'm glad you eventually got home safely, anyway.
Thank you. It did cross my mind that another stroke was coming on, but I am no worse than usual today, so there were no noticeable lasting effects.

BarnsleyBrewer
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Re: Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer book signing in Lond

Post by BarnsleyBrewer » Wed Apr 01, 2015 5:54 pm

Great to see your out and about Graham and I only wish I could've come to meet you..
You and my uncle are my brewing inspirations, he taught me kits, you brought me up another couple of levels to AG....

Thanks' =D>
BB
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patto1ro
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Re: Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer book signing in Lond

Post by patto1ro » Wed Apr 01, 2015 7:14 pm

It was a fun evening, even if much is a bit blurry. Great meeting Graham and chatting beer with everyone. Glad I had Dolores - the sensible one - to help me home.

Sorry to hear about your fall. Hope everything is going well.

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