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LDWA – 2021 LDWA 100 (Interview with Rory Bennett)

On the 29 to 31 May 2021, the LDWA’s 100 mile event will be taking place. Unfortunately, national restrictions mean that the Y 100 Sir Fynwy won’t be taking place as hoped, when in more normal times the South Wales group would have welcomed hundreds of walkers. Instead, there is the chance for entrants to walk a 100-mile route of their choice anywhere in the country, so the event has more of a national feel this year. And it’s fine to enter to do a shorter distance, with anyone walking 50 miles in 24 hours qualifying for the 2022 Trans-Pennine 100.

I’m taking part in the 100 (completed it! wooooo!!) and I’ve been compiling some resources relating to that. When the new LDWA web-site is launched, this and lots more other material relating to the event will be copied there. Over the next few weeks, I’m speaking (well, writing) to entrants on the 100 and following their efforts up to, and after, the big day. We’ll be using the text from these interviews and updates on social media and also perhaps in Strider, the LDWA’s rather excellent magazine which is sent to our 10,000 members. Hopefully it’ll help inform, educate and inspire others to take part or become involved with the LDWA in other ways.

This interview is with Rory Bennett, who very bravely is walking self-supported along a route in a very lovely part of the country (and I love Hay-on-Wye). I also love the food of Scotch egg and Haribo, treats that I enjoyed myself a couple of weeks on my own 100 attempt. Rory also has some great advice about this being a mental challenge and just put one foot in front of the other.

Q. Is this your first 100?

This will be my 2nd 100. My first was a self organised challenge walk last year which I did for charity after my original planned 100 ( 2 loops of the Shropshire Way 80k challenge walk) had to be cancelled due to obvious reasons!

Q. Who are you walking with?

I will be walking the route by myself

Q. What route are you planning to take?

My route is a self devised route allowing me to set off and finish at home, whilst not repeating any sections of the walk. I am lucky enough to live in an area on the offas dyke path so I will pick this up from near Presteigne, Mid Wales. I will follow Offas Dyke south through Kington, Hay-On-Wye, over the Black Mountains and down into Pandy. From here I will turn East and pick up the Herefordshire Trail and tracking North up through the Golden Valley back to Kington where I will follow the local hills & footpaths to my doorstep.

Q. Are you following a GPX route, a map, or do you already know your route well?

I always carry a paper map whilst walking however my main form of navigation will be through a GPX route. I always aim to have recced as much of the route as possible so there’s no nasty surprises on the day!

Q. What training are you undertaking at the moment?

My training schedule has been pretty erratic this year due various reasons, but mostly as work has been so busy. Apart from aiming to carry out 3 x 30ish mile recce walk/runs my main training aim is to to keep fit and active. This mostly revolves around attempting 2/3 runs a week of around 5 miles each, and 2/3 sessions on the spin bike a week. I’ve always been a firm believer that if you think you can achieve it you will succeed. Here’s hoping I have managed to keep up enough of my fitness throughout the winter!

Q. Do you think this will be easier or harder than the actual 100 that is traditionally held?

I suspect there will be aspects of both to this years 100, although generally leaning towards the harder side of things! There is a lot to be said for the comradery on a fully functioning challenge walk which although with all good intentions is impossible to replicate through social media channels. That being said people have the chance to choose a route that suits them, that they know, and that they potentially have a greater chance of completing.

Q. What support do you have en route, anyone cheering you on?

My plan is to walk the majority of the route self supported. After my 100 last year I put a lot of effort into organising specific rest stops that were well manned. This time I want to see how well my body and mind cope with a different challenge. That being said I have planned to meet family at the half-way mark for a change of footwear and some support. I’m also hoping there might be a sausage sandwich waiting for me around 6am!!

Q. What food treats are you taking with you?

For me it’s all about the Haribo, dried fruit, salted nuts and cold pizza. Chuck in a scotch egg and i’m away!

Q. What tactics do you think you’ll use if you feel like giving up on the walk?

Previously I’ve raised money for charity which has been a huge motivator. This time however will be a lot more of a mental battle than a physical one. Having a tracker and knowing people are watching me will spur me on and force me not to give up!

Q. Are there any wildlife that you’re concerned about meeting on the walk? Sheep, cows, snakes, pigs, or anything else?!

Not overly… Maybe the dinosaurs I’m expecting to see well into the 2nd morning after 24 hours walking…

Q. Do you have any foot care tips?

Change socks regularly, trim you toe nails a week before and make sure, if you feel a stone in your shoe, or a lace is too tight, deal with it there and then. Don’t expect it to go away because it won’t and it’ll just get worse!

Q. Would you say you’re looking forward to it?

Yes definitely! I can’t wait.

Q. Do you have a time in mind of how long it’ll take you to finish?

My last 100 I completed in around 36 hours. Anything under 38 will be a success as its a new route and a lot on my own.

Q. Do you have any advice for others, one top tip about long distance walking?

I almost hate to say it, but the old saying ‘one foot in front of the other’ has never been more true. There will be a lot of times you will want to stop, but as long as you keeping going forward you’ll make it to the end. Look at where you’ve been because you’ll be surprised by how much ground you’ve covered!

Q. What would you say to anyone thinking about entering the 100, or thinking about doing a 50 mile challenge event, who might be a bit nervous?

Just go for it. If you’re considering it then it probably is for you. Push yourself to see what your body can achieve, you’ll be surprised. Sign up for a challenge event then its harder to back out, and definitely don’t worry about your time on your first try, that kind of nonsense comes further down the line!

May 24, 2021
LDWA 100 – Emily’s Interview with David Morgan

Below is an interview that took place between Emily, the LDWA’s new social media content volunteer, and David Morgan (above in a pensive mood), the inspirational and formidable former chair of the LDWA, on his recent 100 success. There’s more about the LDWA 100 here, including details of my little attempt at the 100. These resources will be moved to the LDWA’s new web-site when it’s completed, so that future generations can be inspired by them 🙂

NB, can I just add personally to Dave’s comment “I think a few would have had a thing or two to say about this climb that we put into the route”. Yes, I can absolutely confirm they would have done, and I would have likely been writing a very strongly worded letter myself.

Anyway, onto Emily’s interview.

For those who don’t know you from previous events, how many times have you done a 100?

I first entered the LDWA 100 in 1995 when I started the Shropshire 100. In total, I have entered 22 and successfully completed 19.

What worries/concerns did you have before you started, if any?

My main worry about walking the virtual 100 was not having enough water to remain hydrated. I was so lucky that my friends and family supported my effort and so I was able to drink just as I would normally do on a ‘normal’ 100 mile event. I have walked enough 100s on my own so I had no fears about being alone and as I had co-designed the route I was very comfortable with the fact that I would be able to navigate my way around as I am very familiar with the area in which I was walking.

You started this walk by yourself and walked large sections alone. Were these bits tougher for you than those where you had company? How valuable were your walking companions in keeping you motivated?

I did walk large sections of my virtual 100 alone and in the early stages I had no issues at all. I had great weather, had far reaching views and because I had left early I was able to see plenty of wildlife. Consequently, the earlier sections when I was walking alone were a delight. However, when it became clear that I was carrying an injury that had been exposed by the fact that I was walking a longer than normal distance, walking alone became a lot tougher. The worst part when walking alone was during the night and so when I met friends who essentially walked with me until close to the end, it was a huge boost. We enjoyed great conversations, had a good laugh and their company took my mind off the injury that I was experiencing.

Were there any sections of the route which are particularly memorable for you? Anything that will stay with you for a long time (for better or for worse!)

There were many on this route. In the early stages I was lucky to see deer at close quarters due to the fact that I had started at 6am and the deer were still active. The sunset on Hatterall Ridge in the Black Mountains was mesmerising and the colour of the sky was turned a gorgeous pink. As I descended from Hatterall Ridge I hear my first cuckoo of 2021 and the cloud inversion seen enveloping the Wye Valley from The Kymin was a real treat. From a negative experience, the knee pain that developed from about 50 miles really played on my mind and I won’t forget the negative feelings in a hurry!

How did you cope with the lack of support that an organised ‘non-virtual’ walk provides? You were very fortunate to have people to meet you with supplies and hot food but I’ve heard it said that the LDWA aid stations are the best for providing much needed food and support. Did you miss this?

I think that I was truly, truly blessed with the amount of support offered to me by my family and friends. I can honestly say that due to the support that I received that I didn’t miss the checkpoints that I would ordinarily visit on the annual 100. At every location that my family and friends met me I had a choice of either sweet or savoury food and there was always an option for me to have either a hot or cold drink. In some ways this 100 will be the most memorable for me due to the love and support that was offered to me throughout my 100 mile adventure.

After walking 50 miles, facing a long night of walking in the dark, and struggling with a sore knee, did any doubt start to creep in?

Absolutely. I have been really fortunate to have stayed injury free for many years and the last time that I had a knee issue on the 100 was in 2006. So, when this issue started so early into the event, I was very aware that I had a problem. I think that my lowest point was at about 5am when I realised that I couldn’t walk downhill in the way that I needed to and with so far still to go.

Several times in the film, you said you were hoping your knee would hold. Was there ever a time where you thought you might have to throw in the towel, due to the knee or anything else? What was it that kept you moving?

Yes, I did consider the prospect of retiring and mulled this over in my mind as I approached Monmouth where I knew I was having breakfast at 70 miles. I was worried that I might be doing long term damage without knowing what the cause of the pain was. I’m quite a stubborn person though and I weighed up the options. When I arrived in Monmouth I had been moving for 24 hours and had completed 70 miles. Therefore I knew that I had a further 24 hours if necessary to walk 30 miles and if I slowed down and was particularly careful on descents, I would be able to manage the issue I was experiencing. The other factor in keeping going was due to the support that I had received from my family and friends. I didn’t want to let them down, particularly as they had either stayed up all night to support me, or had driven large distances and had little sleep themselves to ensure that they were at specific locations to meet me. Their support kept me going and I just broke the walk down into stages so I would simply concentrate on walking from one location to another as opposed to looking at the fact that I had a considerable distance still to go.

Was the route, which you’d helped to design, as good as you’d hoped it would be? With hindsight, would you change anything?

Yes, it was absolutely superb and it is such a shame that the LDWA family wasn’t able to enjoy the route. It was such a varied route. It followed two of Wales’ great rivers with the Usk in the first half and the Wye in the second. We offered lots of ancient woodlands, rolling countryside with far reaching views, the Black Mountains, Offa’s Dyke National Trail and the Wales Coast Path that passes through the Gwent Levels. Yes, it was definitely as good as I had hoped.

I did chuckle at the fact that many would have been pleased to miss out on the big climb out of Llanthony to Loxidge Tump, a climb of 1432 ft ascent in little over a mile and half! I think a few would have had a thing or two to say about this climb that we put into the route! The only thing that I would have wanted to change would have been the route out of Tintern. We are blessed with a fabulous path network in the Wye Valley and I’m not sure that the route we had proposed was the best to Penterry Church. I think I might have made an alternative suggestion to the committee although I’m not sure that others would have agreed with my suggested plan!!

For those of us who are daunted by the thought of walking 100 miles, having done many yourself, what advice would you give?

Never ever look at the fact that you have such a long distance to walk. Break it down into stages and concentrate on walking that stage. So, look at the fact that it is 7 miles from the start to checkpoint 1 and not think about the bigger picture. Only start to think about the bigger picture when you get to 75+ miles. Prepare yourself physically by walking as much as you can, incorporate hills into your training as it is the hill-work that really raises your fitness levels and understand that you will experience negative thoughts and doubt during the early hours. For me it’s always from 4am until dawn. If you know the feelings will come you know you can ignore them as once the sun rises again, the body responds and you start to feel positive again.

A few fun, simple ones:

What was the best thing you ate on the route? (For the foodies among us!)

Norma’s beef stew at Llanthony. A truly hearty stew that filled my belly although when I was 2/3 up Loxidge Tump I was slightly regretting the decision to eat as much as I had!!

You saw a huge variety of animals on your route! What was your favourite?

The pigs at Forest Coalpit. They always snuffle and grunt and approach me when I walk through their paddock. It’s almost as if they are friends saying ‘hello’ to walkers passing through. They love to have a scratch!!

For many of us, the hills are all about the views. Were there any parts of this route that you’d recommend, for the view?

There are a few views I’d recommend.

1. Gray Hill (Stage 2) with fine views over the Severn Estuary to the Mendips and Cotswolds.

2. Cefn Hill (Stage 3) with fine views over Mynydd Maen.

3. Deri (Stage 6) with fine views over Abergavenny and the Usk Valley to Blorenge and Llangattock.

4. Loxidge Tump (Stage with superb views down the Vale of Eywas.

5. Hatterall Ridge (Stage with far reaching views over Herefordshire.

6. The Kymin (Stage 12) with a bird’s eye view over Monmouth and the Wye Valley.

How long did it take you to fully recover from the event?

I haven’t fully recovered yet. The knee issue has been diagnosed as a tight quadriceps muscle that in turn pulls on my Iliotibial Band. So, the knee isn’t actually the issue, it’s the muscle. Sadly, it’s an overuse injury and the 100 didn’t cause the injury but simply exposed an underlying issue that, if I’m honest, I’ve known about for some time. So, it’s sessions of physio to loosen the knotted and tight muscle, stretches and strength exercises plus rest for about a month to allow the muscle to slacken off. Rather frustrating but at least I now know the cause of the pain!

Will you do another 100?

I’ve done 19, so I suppose I’ll answer the question with a question. Does it ever rain in Wales?

******

Huge thanks to David for taking the time to answer these questions. I’m sure we all hope that the physio helps and stops this issue from occurring in future. Although, to be honest, if you’re going to suffer from an overuse injury, the 100 is probably the most likely time for it to appear! I, for one, am disappointed that we aren’t all able to experience the route that you designed but with luck, in future, some of us might!

I hope this was entertaining and informative to some of you. A massive good luck to everyone tackling the virtual 100 next weekend. I’m looking forward to hearing everyone’s stories.

May 24, 2021
Derbyshire – Castleton – Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn

This confused me a little, as a couple of miles down the road is the Good Beer Guide listed Cheshire Cheese Inn that I visited last year. This pub is in Castleton itself with the present building dating to 1660 and it has been an inn since the middle of the eighteenth century.

There are six real ales available, but yet this pub doesn’t make it into the Good Beer Guide, which seems to be due to the high quality of other pubs in the region. Anyway, that’s a decent choice for a pub to have, although I personally thought that the balance of different beer types was slightly askew, but that might just be my own tastes.

The service in the pub was friendly and warm, with a table being found for the four of us. There was compliance with Covid rules and the pub seemed clean and well organised. Table service is currently being offered and that worked out well, with no real wait. There was an offer for us to pay separately which went awry as the pub has a weird way of dealing with tax which the staff member couldn’t work out either, so we felt best just to pay as one round. Richard had some ridiculous double gin thing which was well over half the cost of the round, so my attempts to wean him onto beer seem to have taken a step back. But I didn’t say anything….

The Barnsley Bitter from Acorn Brewery was better than I somehow expected, quite malty and having a decent flavour to it. The Brown Cow from Bradfield Brewery, which is relatively local as it’s from Sheffield, had the flavours of what I would call a drinkable session beer. Both beers tasted well kept and were at the appropriate temperature, all perfectly acceptable.

I like this kind of signage, it suggests a friendly staff team and it’s informative and easy to read. Lovely last line as well of “come in and say hello, we’re ready to see and meet new faces” which is I think a well communicated welcome, I might try and use a similar version to that myself in the future.

There were a couple of beers from Abbeydale on, which were Deception and Moonshine. I’ve only had the Daily Bread beer from them, which was the yeastiest beer I can remember having (to the point that I wasn’t entirely sure it was meant to taste like that as I’m not enough of a beer expert to know). Anyway, I’ll try some of their beers next time I’m back in the Peak District, although the Daily Bread beer has been stocked in the Plasterers in Norwich before.

All told, I still wonder how near this inn must be to getting into the Good Beer Guide, as I thought it was catering to the needs of most real ale fans. Friendly, clean and welcoming, so all really rather lovely.

May 24, 2021
London – City of London – The Pelt Trader

This bar is listed in the Good Beer Guide and I’m not sure how I’ve missed it in the past, given that it sells craft beer and pizzas. It’s located under a railway arch at Cannon Street railway street and it opened here in 2013. I was fortunate with my timing, as I hadn’t realised just how small this venue is. I asked if there was space for me and the helpful team member said that they were giving up with a table booking for six people that hadn’t bothered to turn up or let them know. That table had been left empty for half an hour, a really unhelpful thing for such a small venue. Anyway, the team member asked if I was happy with that table, which I most certainly was.

There’s a canoe hanging from the ceiling which all adds some atmosphere to the proceedings I suppose. Ordering could be done via a web-site, but it was just as easy to order from the staff member. There were beers from a number of decent breweries, with a balance of different beer types which met my approval.

The beer list is chalked up on the back bar, but it was somewhat easier to read it using the bar’s on-line menu system. This is one advantage that has come out of the blasted pandemic, pubs have been forced to be more innovative in their ordering systems. The food could also be ordered on-line, including 12 and 18 inch pizzas, not unreasonably charged at around £12 and £18 each. My knowledge of maths is sufficiently good enough to know that this makes the larger pizza considerably better value for money. Anyway, I digress.

The branding on the glass isn’t relevant to the drink that I ordered, with this one being Orange Crush from Brick Brewery and I also went for the Tropical Deluxe from Howling Hops. Both very agreeable beers, well kept and those are both excellent breweries.

I was a little unsure what to expect from this bar and I was entirely pleased with its offering, which remains on-trend although was perhaps ahead of its time when it opened. Friendly service, comfortable environment and a quirky feeling all bode well, especially with that mix of decent craft beer and pizza. Nice.

May 20, 2021
London – Tower Hamlets (Borough of) – Kings Stores Pub

I’m working my way carefully around the Good Beer Guide pubs of London, with the Kings Stores being operated by the Metropolitan Pub Company, which is part of Greene King. They note that “every single one of our 71 pubs in and around London is unique and each of them is individually run by its manager”, which adds some confidence to arrangements, as Greene King aren’t always the finest purveyors of beers in their pubs.

The welcome was prompt and friendly, with the pub feeling all clean and organised. The beer choice was just about satisfactory, although to be fair, better than most Greene King pubs. There was Greene King IPA, Amagansett from Bedlam Brewery and Swift from Truman’s Brewery, so a not particularly balanced selection and nothing of any real note for a pub listed in the Good Beer Guide. I limited myself to a half pint of Swift, which was well kept and moderately interesting, but I wouldn’t have much wanted much more of it.

The pub seems to be well reviewed for food and it looks a reliable option for that, and the pubs has a multitude of wines available. The observant might notice in the above photo that sausage rolls and Scotch Eggs are being sold for £5, with other food prices all being towards the higher end of the range. The pub shows sports as well as trying to appeal to a dining clientele, which seems an interesting mix, and the whole arrangement felt a bit formulaic to me.

Anyway, the pub was welcoming and that’s important, with the service being efficient and warm. It’s nearby to London Liverpool Street railway station and I can think of worse places to wait for a train than this pub.

May 20, 2021
London – Westminster (Borough of) – Oxford Street – Hard Rock Cafe

We won’t go back into my annoyance with The Fork (what I consider to be the TripAdvisor’s badly run restaurant booking service, but others may have different views, including probably TripAdvisor), but they had the Hard Rock Cafe in Oxford Street on a 50% off food offer. They were also promising 1,000 Yums (worth £20) for a booking made under an offer to get people back eating in restaurants, although I shall see in due course whether this gets paid out. That meant I made an exception and made a booking via The Fork, which will likely give me something else to complain about next week.

Anyway, the restaurant wasn’t packed. This is a large and expensive set-up on Oxford Street, right next to Marble Arch underground station, which also consists of a Hard Rock hotel. The whole complex opened in 2019, perhaps not the best timing with what was to happen next. The management are left with a huge restaurant that was designed to make money by having a large turnover, but they’re trying to fill it as best as they can.

I entered and there were no staff immediately visible, so I meandered to near the bar area so that I could stand there and look awkward. Fortunately, someone looking a bit important noticed me and found a member of staff to welcome me, which was all done efficiently. They didn’t seem overly interested that I had a reservation, which is understandable since they have about 100 tables available. I needed them to be interested though for the purposes of The Fork deal, and they seemed all content when I mentioned it.

When I say that it wasn’t packed, there were about two customers. They offered to seat me at the bar, but I was quite content with one of the tables and the staff member didn’t seem overly annoyed at my decision. I can’t be doing all that social at lunchtime, I’m not in America at the moment. Although dreaming of it….. Anyway, I digress.

This is the view I had from my table, which I thought was entirely satisfactory and is nicer than most dining options that I frequent. The service was as would be expected from Hard Rock, which was engaging, personable, enthusiastic and all of those things. It was all very timely, but there were as many staff members as guests, so this probably wasn’t entirely difficult to achieve.

I decided to go for the chicken fajitas, which were about £8.50 after the discount and I considered that to be very reasonable, especially given the decadent and empty surroundings. The food was decent, the chicken was moist and tender with some depth of flavour to it. The sour cream seemed to have been served using an ice cream scoop and I was pleased that the cheese had been kept away from any hot items (I like my cheese cold as I’m awkward). Restaurants never seem to provide enough wrap things (the meal comes with four) for the amount of food and I notice one person in a review said they asked for one more wrap and got charged £4.99. And the amount of guacamole was generous, which pleased me.

I like “the damage” bill holder, although I wonder how that goes down for those who are moderately shocked by the size of their bill. My bill came to £15.28 by the time that the unlimited sodas and service charge was added on. I do try and visit Hard Rock Cafes when in a city, so this wasn’t an unreasonable price given the quality of the experience.

My knowledge of music memorabilia is very limited, but I do like having a little look at what each Hard Rock in the chain has acquired for their walls.

All told, I thought that this was a professionally run restaurant and I can imagine it’ll be very popular with tourists when some form of normality returns to London. Fortunately, the quietness of London at the moment means that I got what I considered a cheap meal and I’ll be very pleased if The Fork actually pay the £20 out like they’re supposed to, as I’ll probably come back here to spend it. If that all works out, this was a rather keenly priced meal.

May 20, 2021
London – City of London – First London Coffee House

From where it all began for coffee shops in London, what is now the Jamaica Wine House on St Michael’s Alley in the Cornhill area. This first coffee house was opened in 1652 by Pasqua Rosée who had connections with the Turkish and Greek communities. He built himself a little shop, although I can imagine that it wasn’t exactly Pret (it was probably more akin to something that I’d create with a few bits of wood and a civil engineer friend to do some sawing and construction), and this new drink of coffee seemed to catch on. He put a sign up out the front with his own image on it, similar to what Tim Martin did with his now closed pub on Whitehall. He had some important customers (Rosée I mean, not Tim Martin), not least Samuel Pepys who wrote about his visit in 1660.

It had quite a nice little location by St. Michael’s Cornhill Church, but this whole area was badly affected (by badly affected, I mean it burned down) by the 1666 Great Fire of London. The church is still in situ, although it was heavily rebuilt following the Great Fire, with the shop also being rebuilt on pretty much the same site it had been standing on. Rosée wasn’t a freeman of the city and I can imagine the problems that this caused him, so apparently there was some partnership arrangement created to get around this problem to ensure that he could trade. No-one is entirely sure what the premises were called, but it’s thought that for a while they were known as the Turk’s Head. Rosée did well from his enterprise, but he decided to go an innovate in Paris instead, opening up that city’s first coffee shop in 1672.

The building on the site today is the Jamaica Wine House, a Victorian building which was completed in 1869. The pub might have switched from coffee to beer and then more to wine (next step craft beer…..), but there’s still a nineteenth century cooker in place from where the coffee beans were roasted.

I still like how exotic this coffee shop must have been when it opened, probably as exciting as an innovative craft beer bar being announced. It was a place to be seen and also to discuss financial arrangements, which is how the large insurance, banks and financial institutions evolved. They were good places for traders to meet to discuss their purchase and sales, usually also quite energetic (loud) environments. Usually there was no alcohol served in these coffee shops in the early days and women were excluded from attending such decadent places.

I can only imagine the sort of gossip that was discussed at this coffee shop from 1652, but I think that I’d like to have listened to it. King Charles I had been executed just three years before the coffee shop opened, so political talk would have been inevitable, and I’m sure care was taken to avoid upsetting the wrong people. Coffee shops and pubs later often welcomed one political group over another, which would be an interesting set-up for Pret, they could have shops for Starmer supporters and maybe the odd one or two for supporters of Grant Shapps or something. Anyway, I digress.

May 20, 2021
London – Hackney (Borough of) – Shoreditch – Goose Island

I’m not going to write up anything more about my visit to Goose Island today, as nothing has changed, it’s still brilliant. I still can’t name another location I’ve been where the bar staff are as knowledgeable, and passionate, about beer. And thanks to the manager today for remembering my blog posts when I mentioned my name (I’d add that I made a reservation to get a table so needed to say my name, I didn’t walk in and announce my name and expect rose petals to be thrown on the floor). More about Goose Island coming up soon, as I’ve convinced Liam to come with me to enjoy the whole experience of the bar and I hope the staff can deal with that beer education challenge 🙂

What I did want to write about though, mostly to remind myself, was this most decadent beer. This is the 14.6% Bourbon County Brand Stout (2020) and the manager said they had to have this on for their re-opening. It is sublime and manages to hide its strength so that it doesn’t taste like sump oil, as my friend Steve has suggested about some of what I call my decadent stouts. There’s a complexity to the flavours, both with the mouthfeel and the aftertaste. There’s vanilla, caramel, bourbon, toffee, biscuit (well, I think there’s biscuit and I don’t think anyone else does) and chocolate, and it remains beautifully smooth. I don’t know how a brewery can make a beer of this strength this smooth and easy to drink.

I managed to sip my way through this without ever getting bored of it, it’s liquid beauty and I think it might be the best beer that I’ve ever had. It has a staggeringly good rating of 4.47 on Untappd, from just under 40,000 different reviews. I’m looking forwards to the 2021 version which comes out I think towards the end of the year, which will again be aged in bourbon whiskey barrels. I haven’t got excited about the release of a beer before, so this is a first.

May 19, 2021
London – City of London – Gilt of Cain (Slave Trade Monument)

This was on the wonderful walk around London led by Des yesterday evening, focusing on the issue of slavery and the links that London has to that (and there’s no shortage of such links). It’s a monument that was unveiled by Desmond Tutu on 4 September 2008 and I’m not sure that I’d have ever noticed it if it wasn’t for Des pointing it out. Not that it’s entirely hidden away, it’s next to 74 Fenchurch Street in what was once the churchyard of St Gabriel Fenchurch which was destroyed during the Great Fire of London and wasn’t rebuilt.

I like this monument, as the messaging behind it is clear without requiring a 62-page guidebook to explain its meaning and purpose. I initially thought that the pulpit was one where anti-slavery campaigners would preach their message and although this is the case, another meaning is apparently also that it is symbolic of how slave auctions might take place. The columns represent sugar cane and show people listening to the message at the pulpit, or, alternatively waiting to be sold to their new owner.

The sculpture is located near to where John Newton of St. Mary Woolnoth parish was the vicar between 1780 and 1807 and he was buried here, although he was later moved. This is important as Newton was a slave trader who changed his views and decided to campaign to end the trade and he’s perhaps best known today for writing the words to the hymn Amazing Grace.

Anyway, this sculpture is thoughtfully located, has a depth of meaning and is creatively intriguing. This is perhaps an ideal which similar projects should try and match in the future. The spelling of the word ‘Gilt’ in the name is also deliberate, it’s a play on the financial term and a nod towards how important that was to London at the time of the slave-trade, and still is today.

There’s a poem written by Lemn Sissay (who later became the official poet of the London Olympics in 2012) and some of the text of that is incorporated onto the monument.

May 19, 2021
London – Little Hail Storm

I was five minutes later for my visit to Little Creatures, because this happened in mid-May when I thought the weather might be quite moderate. I didn’t think that it was ideal as the hail was like people chucking gravel at my head (well, I’ve never had anyone chuck gravel at me, but I’ve used my imagination), so I had to hide in the entrance to a shopping centre….. The whole weather arrangement caused joy amongst the children in the area though.

May 19, 2021