Yorkshire's Best

Last week I sent my Bloggy pal, Alan Burnett of News From Nowhere, a consignment of Wickwar Gold, a beer from these here parts, for which he had expressed an admiration in his blog.

Yesterday I received a return consignment of 12 bottles of beer from a wide variety of Yorkshire breweries, for which I am grateful - they will come in useful for my 60th birthday celebrations on Sunday. These ales bear such evocative names as Farmer's Brown Cow, Battle Axe, Frothingham Best and Gamefell Flame - names that conjure up images of the North Yorkshire Dales, dry stone walls, icy brooks and the Cauldron Falls.

Craft beers, of which both consignments are admirable examples, have received a welcome boost through the budget, assuming of course that the Conservatives are returned to power; however, as Alan is close to the Labour Party, I'm sure he will apply pressure where necessary to ensure the boost is retained by Labour.

As it happens, Hay and I are off to the North Yorkshire Dales today to sample the air and spend a night at the New Inn in Clapham (the Yorkshire Clapham, not the London one) after meeting up with No.1 Daughter just across the border in Accrington for lunch. We're leaving the house in the care of No.1 Son, who has proved himself trustworthy in the past.

The title of this post is Yorkshire's Best, which refers not only to the ales so kindly sent by Alan, but to the inestimable Alan himself, who is an all-round excellent chap and dedicated blogger. Thank you Alan - or rather ta lad, tha shun't uv.

By the way, when Yorkshire folk say; "Tin tin tin," they're not extolling some metallurgic fantasy, but are merely saying; "It isn't in the tin." Similarly, when they say; "Mama Mia," they're not referring to a musical by the popular beat combo Abba, but simply announcing to their mother that they've arrived.