EGON TOASTE's Wassailled Hostelries Guide
Wherein Egon Toaste and his trusty navigator Arthur Boutfayse attempt to recount the travels and travailles of many evenings progress from hostelry to hostelry. There is a key - see below
STORTFOLK HOMEPAGE or BBT Site
TOUR (& Rough Location) | SIGN of the HOUSE | Notes & Ratings |
ASH VALE - | 16/12/1999 | £187 in in the hat |
Wareside | Chequers | K,J,M,SBSB - home pub for the Ashvale Longsword |
White Horse | M,SB | |
Widford | The Bell | SB,M |
Much Hadham | Jolly Waggoners | K,JJ,MM,SB - Mince Pies Hot! (NB: off the list in 2000 (mbp)) |
Crown | J,SBSBM | |
Bulls Head | MM,SBSB | |
Little Hadham | Nags Head | MMM,SB |
Standon | Bell | SB,J |
Star | J,M,SB | |
Puckeridge | Crown & Falcon | M,SBSB |
MANUDEN TOUR | 1999 | £182.18 in the hat - a first night record ? |
Manuden | Yew Tree Inn | SBSB,MM,J |
Clavering | Cricketers | MMM,SBSB,J - famed for dinners. Busy but friendly |
Fox & Hounds | MM,SBSB,J - Directors in good shape. Jean's Birthday. | |
Brent Pelham | Black Horse | SB,J - No go in 99 due to decent live band & dance. Will call again in 2000 as natives very friendly. |
Stocking Pelham | Cock | SBSB - very popular. |
Furneaux Pelham | Brewery Tap | SBSB,M - Once the home of Rayments - now Greene King |
Hazel End | Three Horseshoes | K,SBSB,MM,J- convivial. (ie full of fundraising topers) - excellent fun |
A11 Tour: | 17/12/1999 | £190.43 in the hat |
Elsenham | The Crown | MMM,SBSB,JJJ - Barbara's Gin & Marmalade Ice Cream has an unusual and wonderous effect on Suggers. |
Henham | The Cock | MM,SBSB - Live band but we were still allowed in! |
Newport | The Coach & Horses | MM,SBSB,J - lots of diners all having an Excellent Time |
The White Horse | SBSB, small but very friendly. | |
Quendon | The Chequers | MM,SBSB,J |
Rickling Green | The Cricketers | K,JJ,MMM,SBSB - Many thanks to the lady who donated the flashy earrings with the flashy lights in them. |
Hatfield Heath Tour: | 11/12/1999 | £240.13 in the hat |
HATFIELD BROAD OAK | The Cock | N,MM - Woodfords Wherry etc... truly excellent. Good watering hole ! |
Dukes Head | MMM,SBSB, | |
HATFIELD HEATH | Thatchers | SBSBSB,MM,J - Spitfire went down like silken nectar |
Stag | M,SB | |
White Horse | M,SB | |
Hallingbury | Sutton Arms | JJ,SBSB,MM - |
George | J,SBSB,MMM. Very convivial - Much Real Ale was drunk (& so were Sawbridgeworth 41 club) | |
SHEERING | Crown, free house | MM,SBSB,J - Good Adnams. |
Cock free house | SBSB,MM, | |
SAWBRIDGEWORTH | 18/12/1999 | £251.82 in the hat |
West Road | Three Horseshoes | SB,M |
High Wych | Rising Sun | N,KKK - world-renowned ! |
Half Moon | SB, MM - lovely little pub with a great atmosphere | |
Sawbo City | Hand & Crown | MM,SBSB,J - favourite stop for a wet. |
Bell | SB,KKK,J - Ridleys Tiddley in nice order. Heaving. | |
Market House | SB,SB,MMM,J- good place for a meal out. Cordon Bleu Restaurant. | |
King William IV | SB,SB,M - Directors sold. Birthday Party - boy did they know how to party as well. | |
Queen's Head | SB,M - very friendly | |
George IV | SB,SB,KKK - Gladsone (McMullens) in good order (when available) | |
Good Intent | SBSB,M - nice pub for a good pint. | |
The Gate | SBSBSB - nearly N. Very good range of Ales.*** Awarded N by Suggers on subsequent Sunday Lunch - to be ratified next wassail. *** | |
The Railway | SBSB - Adnams was in Fine Condition | |
The Bull | SB,M - just re-opened 1999 after a long-ish refurb. Worth a visit.Could not sing in 1999 but manager allowed collection, so still on the list ! | |
The White Horse | Good pub, but too noisy to wassail this year. The house has never shown us any discourtesy (we just didn't ask) so included here for completeness. Great atmosphere for the twenty-something party set. | |
Editors Note: in case you hadn't noticed, Sawbo is a very dangerous place for a pub crawl In addition to the houses there are a couple or six excellent caffs - French, Chinese, Indian (x2) & a Mexican Fun Bar, plus take-aways. And late (-ish) trains / good taxis. |
KEY to the ratings: - Hostelries may qualify under more than one heading. All hostelries mentioned are deemed to be good & sufficient places of rest, recreation and enjoyment. Ratings are for especial competence in one or more areas.
Sad to report, there are some establishments where we have been denied the Comfort of the House. They will never appear here, nor will they generally be asked again.
Ratings are entirely at the discretion of the Association and can be altered at Will, provided he shows up. Landlords who feel they have been unfairly graded should appeal formally to the Grand Court of the Wassail Branch, enclosing grounds for appeal on a postcard, together with a stamped & addressed barrel of best.
M (= Macs)
M : Good Food. Bar Snacks. Egg & Chips done. MM: LOTS of food. All very tasty. MMM: Aroma of Good Roast Beef, Australian-grade steaks or home-made pie. Array of Dangerous Puddings &/or Throwing Trifles in cabinet. MMMM: Groaning Board. Fly-button damage to ceiling. Mr Creosote ate here.
J (=Jacquis)
J: More than usually Friendly or own parrot. JJ: Chat-up merchants JJJ: Made coffee, told jokes, made all the ladies giggle & blush. Don't smoke over you. JJJJ: Royal Liberty Morris. All maidens carried lustily away.
K (=Kevins)
K: Folkies KK: Singing tolerated & joined in with KKK: Jams encouraged and/or landlord posesses Goaty Voice & will use it. KKKK: Tour continued without Real Folkies, who now live there permanently.
SB (=Suggers-Brain)
SB - Good Ale. Awarded as standard. We wouldn't grace any establishment where it wasn't. SBSB - Exceptionally Good Ale, or a fine cellar. SBSBSB - Very Good Ale at reasonable cost in convivial surroundings. SBSBSBBSSSBBBSSSSS - More than SBSB. Almost impossible to enunciate. See N below
N (=Nigel)
A Nigel indicates the prescence of the rarest and very finest Real English Ale. A Hero of a Cellarman. And proper facilities in which to savour the brew. Only one Nigel is ever awarded (per pub), as there is only one Nigel.
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