Beyond a joke.

This joke appeared in a cartoon in my daily paper, NRC Next. It refers to the drinking age for beer and wine being raised from 16 to 18 here in Holland. I think a pretty stupid and counter-productive move.

Fokke and Sukke
are 17 and law-abiding

Fokke: A crate of beer for this evening.

Sukke: and then a bottle of children's champagne for the New Year.

My son Andrew is 17. He could legally drink beer in a pub until midnight, then have to celebrate the New Year with lemonade. How totally fucking ridiculous.

You can see the original cartoon here. Though probably only for today.

Last few hours

Only a few hours left to by Yule Logs! another of my word-free masterpieces, available only in December and completely different each year.

A series of photos of brewing records spanning more than 150 years. It's dead cool. I always get myself one.

Go on. Treat yourself.

Cromwell Brewery tied houses

I sometimes I take a step back, pull in a deep breath and look hard at what I'm up to. Is it totally crazy? If the answer is yes, then I carry on. I had such a moment when researching this post.

I you remember, the Cromwell Brewery traded as Howe & Alexander for a few years in the 1880's, before Mr. Alexander went crazy and attacked his wife. An act that ultimately led to the demise of the brewery. It finally fell into the hands of Warwick & Richardson in 1892, though I'm fairly sure brewing had ceased a couple of years earlier.

I'm looking at the tied houses of a brewery that hasn't existed for more than 120 years. Is that crazy? I think you know the answer to that, so I'll continue.

I've managed to identify seven pubs in Newark which were once Cromwell Brewery tied houses. I won't claim that it's a complete list. I've taken most of the information from "Newark's Inns & Public Houses" by Rodney Cousins the revised edition published in 1991. He'd missed the Royal Oak in Stodman Street, a pub I definitely know was owned by the Cromwell Brewery, because that's where Mr. and Mrs. Alexander lived.

Of the seven, only the Queen's Head is still open. It's now a Wychwood pub. Not sure that tells us anything.

It's a shame that the Royal Oak has disappeared. The original building was from the 17th century, though it was rebuilt in the 1930's before being demolished in 1962. I think it was next door to Marks & Spencer, where there's now a pretty dismal 1960's thing. According to Cousins (page 18) it was sold for £2,450 in 1888. Was that part of the fallout of Alexander's attack on his wife? That happened in March 1888 and the brewery was sold in May that year. It sounds as if the two were sold separately as the brewery went for just £948 (Nottingham Evening Post - Friday 07 March 1890, page 4.).

Here are the Cromwell Brewery's pubs on a map:



And here's a table of their pubs:

Cromwell Brewery tied houses
Name	location	date opened	date closed
BLACK BOY	Chatham Street	1841	1911
BLACK HORSE	Bamby Gate	1842	1895
OLD CASTLE (Newark Castle)	Mill Gate	1792	1966
OLIVER CROMWELL TAVERN	Barnby Gate	1865	1931
QUEEN'S HEAD	Market Place	1560
ROYAL OAK	Stodman Street	1780	1962
TEN BELLS (Royal Dragoons)	Carter Gate	1851	1906
Sources:
"Newark's Inns & Public Houses" by Rodney Cousins, 1991, pages 27 - 29.
Some stuff I know from growing up in the town.

Just did a bit of digging. It turns out that the freehold of the Royal Oak was held by the Duke of Newcastle, who owned big chunks of Newark. It was only leased by Mr. Howe (misspelled Hoe in the article) for £70 a year. (Grantham Journal - Saturday 30 June 1888, page 6.) The sale had nothing to do with Alexander's attack on his wife. The Duke flogged off a variety of properties at one auction, including several pubs.

The same article tells me that this is when the Queen's Hotel came into the ownership of the Cromwell Brewery. Mr. Bastow, the new owner of the brewery, snapped it up for £1,000. Most of the pubs were either bought by Joseph Richardson or James Hole. The former buying the Royal Oak in Stodman Street for £2,450. Only the Saracen's Head and the Clinton Arms, two big coaching inns on the Market Place, sent for more.

Beers from other Newark breweries

I promised you details of some beers from other Newark breweries and here they are. Two very different types of operation.

First there's Westcrown, a very early new brewery. I think it operated between 1977 and 1980. It seems to have left almost no trace on the internet. I can remember their beer. The standard Bitter was pretty good when looked after properly. There was just one problem: where to find it. At the time, there was only one place that could have stocked it, the only non-tied pub in town, the Old Kings Arms. But for some reason they chose not to serve it. Strange that the town's specialist cask pub didn't want to sell beer from the town's only cask brewery.

Maybe I should give you a few more details. It was located on George Street in what I believe was a former maltings. The building certainly looks like a maltings. I went round it once. Not a particularly long tour, as it wasn't a huge operation. The beer I tasted there was really outstanding. Way above the general standard of microbrewery beer of the time.

I never got to try Conqueror. I doubt many pubs would have wanted to stock a beer that strong.

I think it was lack of potential outlets that eventually did for Westcrown. It wasn't just in Newark, but also in the region around it that virtually all the pubs were tied. Newark may have had a brewing tradition, but it wasn't the greatest place to start a brewery in the 1970's.

This is how the building looks today. Not much different from back in the 1970's

The second brewery is the Maple Leaf on Winthorpe Road. It was a malt-extract brewpub run by Allied. They had got the pub from Courage in a pub swap and installed a little brewery, I think around 1982. To be honest, it was a weird place to put a brewpub. The Maple Leaf was a fairly tatty modern pub on a council estate. I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did.

The brewery operated until 1986. The pub has since been demolished and replaced by housing. I've never been very impressed by a professional brewery using malt extract rather than mashing. Hell, I wouldn't even homebrew with malt extract. And their beer was easy to spot as malt extract. It had that twang all extract beers seem to have, unless you load them up with roasted grain.

Here are the beer details:

Westcrown and Maple Leaf beers 1977 - 1986
Year	Brewer	Beer	Style	package	OG
1977	Westcrown	Regal Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1037.5
1979	Westcrown	Regal Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1037.5
1979	Westcrown	Regal Conqueror	Strong Ale	draught	1072.5
1982	Maple Leaf	Maple Leaf Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1037
1986	Maple Leaf	Maple Leaf Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1037
Sources:
Good Beer Guide 1978, 1980, 1983 and 1987.

Blatant book tarting - The Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer

My "proper" book is out in just a couple of days. I assume you've all pre-ordered it. At least the ones of you with a drop of human decency.

I had been going to say "at least the homebrewers". But my fingers started typing what I was thinking.

Yes, it's a homebrewing book. I know; you couldn't give a fishing fuck about beer recipes. I'm with you on that one. Boring as bollocks. Unless you want to learn about the use of crystal malt in British beers. Er, right. On reflection, not a topic of mass appeal, either.

Right. I remember its UPS (thank God I'm not dyslecix). The UPS of the Homebrewer's Guide to whatsit are the other bits. The non-recipe parts. Where I concisely sum up the characteristics and histories of British brewing techniques, ingredients and styles. Conciseness came from the word count I was allocated. The other bits, from the decades I've spent with my head up history's arse. The odd few hundred days of research.

I've just been explaining to Lexie how the cover is a sort of family history. There's the Milk Maid Stout my Mum drank, Woellnitzer from Thueringen where Dolores grew up, Newcastle Brown from the city where I was born, Greene King Burton, not just a type of beer but also Alexei's middle name and, almost invisible at the top left, a beer from James Hole, whose flagship beer was AK, the initials of both my father and my son.

I'd love to say that it was all by design. Other than the natural bias in my label collection, totally random.

The book will be out in a couple of days. Perhaps contemplate puchasing it.

Thomas William Alexander goes bankrupt

Like I said, the fallout from Mr. Alexander's moment of madness rumbled on for years. The settlement he made with his wife was the problem. It ate up all of his money.

In May 1888, just two months after the court case, the Cromwell brewery was bought by Lionel Charles Bastow for £948. Not a huge amount of money, especially when you consider that Alexander had sunk £5,000 of his own capital into the business.

It turns out he didn't really leave town. He just moved to Balderton (a village on the outskirts of Newark) and went into the dairy business. At least until he went bust.

"CREDITORS' MEETINGS IN NOTTINGHAM.
A first meeting of creditors the case Thomas William Alexander, Balderton, near Newark, formerly brewer, now milkseller and cowkeeper, against whom a receiving order was made on the 7th inst., was held this morning at the offices the Official Receiver (Mr. H. R. Thorpe), St. Peter's Church-walk, Nottingham. The summary of debtor's statement of affairs showed liabilities of £674 10s. 4d. owing to unsecured creditors. The assets were returned £1,200, leaving, according this, a surplus £525 9s. 8d. The causes of failure were thus set out by the debtor :— "Through having settled property on my wife about two years ago. Bad debts." The Official Receiver's observations in the case were as follow :— The receiving order was made on a creditor's petition, the act of bankruptcy alleged against the debtor being his non-compliance with the requirements of a bankruptcy notice served upon him on the. 12th day of June last. The debtor was adjudicated bankrupt the 7th inst. The debtor states he commenced business as a brewer at the Cromwell Brewery, Newark-upon-Trent, about four years ago with a capital of £5,000, and that he sold this business about 18 months ago to Lionel Charles Bastow, recently bankrupt. The debtor states that in March, 1888, he settled certain property, consisting of a freehold house, in Crown-street, Newark, and £700 in cash or invested mortgage on his wife, Mrs. Almeida Alexander. The debtor states that was under the impression that he was solvent at the time he made this settlement, but that he has subsequently discovered that without the aid of the property included in the settlement he was insolvent at the time of making it. I have not seen the settlement or any copy of it. If the bankrupt's account of his position, at the time of making the settlement, is accurate, it would seem that there is ground for an application to the Court to declare the settlement void under Sec. 47 of the Bankruptcy Act, 1883. The only asset shown in the debtor's statement affairs is £1,200, the estimated value of the property so settled upon his wife, and from which, after paying his existing liabilities, set down £574 10s. 4d.", he estimates a surplus of £525 9s. 8d. There are, therefore, no funds in the bankruptcy with which to contest the validity of the settlement. It is open to the creditors to appoint a trustee at the meeting, but whether the estate is administered by the Official Receiver or by a trustee, if litigation is intended to be commenced on behalf of the estate, it will be necessary that the creditors should make some provision for meeting the expenses incident to such litigation. The debtor states that he kept a proper set of books in his brewery business, and that they were handed to the purchaser when that business was sold. The debtor was examined by the Official Receiver, to the circumstances under which the settlement was made upon his wife. Mr. White, chartered accountant, Newark, was appointed trustee, with Mr. J. Crossley, Newark Mr. T. H. Robinson, Newark, and Mr. G. S Penfold, Southwark, as a committee of inspection."
Nottingham Evening Post - Friday 25 July 1890, page 4.

As it turned out, he didn't actually have the assets to give his wife £700 and a house. In a couple of years his £5,000 had evaporated and the £1,200 he had given his wife had in fact been all that he had. So technically the settlement probably wasn't valid. Oh dear. But as there weren't enough funds to contest it, nothing could be done.

Had Alexander deliberately bankrupted himself to get the settlement with his wife undone? I think it's a possibility. But it didn't work.

Though he must have scraped some money together, because he eventually paid back most of what he owed:

"Thomas Wm. Alexander, Balderton, near Newark-upon-Trent formerly brewer, now milk seller and cowkeeper. First and final dividend 15s. in the pound, payable July 27, at 52, Castle gate, Newark." Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Wednesday 15 July 1891, page 8.

15 shillings in the pound is 75%. Not all that bad. And which means that he must have found £430 17s. 6d.

We'll be moving on to another bankruptcy next. You can probably guess of whom: Lionel Charles Bastow, the purchaser of the Cromwell Brewery. Who was bankrupted even before Alexander. And it seems that Alexander played a role in his bankruptcy.

Thomas William Alexander turns violent

They certainly rattled through justice in the old days. Within a week of attacking his wife, Alexander was in court.

He was a lucky man - the charge was considerably reduced in seriousness before the trial kicked off:

"Serious Charge.—At Newark on Monday, before the Mayor (Ald. Pratt) and other Justices, Mr. Thomas William Alexander, of the firm of Howe and Alexander, brewers, Newark, was brought up on remand charged with attempting to murder his wife.—Mr. C. W. HAIGH prosecuted, and Mr. W. H. NORLEDGE defended.—Mr. HAIGH asked that the charge of feloniously wounding with intent to murder might be withdrawn and one of aggravated assault substituted, as there was not sufficient evidence to support the graver charge. — The Bench consented to the charge being reduced to one of cutting and wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm."
Stamford Mercury - Friday 06 April 1888, page 5.

I'm sure that the potential sentence would be much higher for attempted murder than aggravated assault.


First the doctor who had treated Mrs Alexander gave evidence.

"Dr. Lucas said on the 26th March he was called to see Mrs. Alexander soon after ten in the morning. Her face was very swollen, her eyes blackened, and her neck marked with contusions or bruises. A very shallow incised wound was on the left cheek. That, in his opinion, was caused by a knife or sharp instrument. There was a deeper incised wound the base the index finger the left hand. The only other injuries were slight bruises on the left side and knee. The bleeding had stopped before he saw the wounds. There was no wound on the throat of any kind."
Stamford Mercury - Friday 06 April 1888, page 5.

The fact that her injuries were relatively minor and that there was no wound on her throat are probably the reasons why the charge was reduced.

Next it was Mrs. Alexander's turn to take the stand.

"— Mrs. Almeida Alexander said : I am the wife defendant. On a week last Sunday night I had been with my brother and husband to the Midland station to see the former off on the mail train. After that I came back to the Royal Oak in My husband came home about ten o'clock. After we had closed I went into the dining-room, and he asked me if I would go the smoke-room, where he had some workmen sitting. I refused to go. There had been no quarrel, and I said nothing else, but went to bed. My husband was perfectly sober. I next saw him about twelve o'clock, when he came to bed. I had been to sleep. He locked the door after him. The first words that he said were, "I will murder you," and he had an open pocket knife in his hand, and the gas was alight in the room. He got hold of me and dragged me out of bed, and I struggled. I felt the knife first against left ear, and put up my hand to save me. My hand was then cut. I managed to get the window. I wanted to get out of the window, and up to that time he had the knife his hand. He pulled me away from the window by the hair, and in doing so broke the fastener. Afterwards he kicked me, and hit me with his fist about the head and face. He did not knock me on the floor, but the bed, where I struggled with him. He mentioned about my saying that I would go away to a situation. My hand was bleeding, and I put a towel round my hand. There was blood on my night-shirt, and he told me to take it off. He took the night-shirt off, and said if he were taken up I should not have the clothes to give in evidence against him. My child, aged four, was in the room. He took the towel away also. This continued till after 3 o'clock. I went to the door, but the key was taken out of the lock, and he refused to give it me. Shortly after three he got into bed, and kept kicking and pinching me. This went on till I fell asleep. Before I got into bed I asked be allowed to lie on the floor, as I said I had no strength to get up. Defendant woke at seven o'clock. Asked for the key, he said he did not know where it was. I asked him a second time and he gave me from between the bed and the mattress. I was partly dressed, and went to the barmaid's room after unlocking the door. In the barmaid's room he called for me. He asked me to get his working coat. I refused to go alone, except the barmaid went with me. He asked to speak to me privately. In the presence of the barmaid he asked me to forgive him, but I was very frightened and went downstairs. The housemaid washed the blood off my face. He left the house, and soon after I left and went to some friends. On the Wednesday night previously we had had a quarrel my father, who was living in the house. I have had occasion to remonstrate with my husband for his treatment of my father. That night father was drunk, and my husband had locked him in a bed-room. I remonstrated with my husband about this."
Stamford Mercury - Friday 06 April 1888, page 5.

I'm not sure I understand why Mr. Alexander came into the bedroom and threatened to kill his wife. It all seems rather random.  Unless it was something to do with not going into the smoke-room full of workmen. Why did he want her to go there and why did she refuse?

"He mentioned about my saying that I would go away to a situation." What does that mean? Had she threatened to leave him? Is that why he lost his rag?

It must have been a terrifying experience for Mrs. Alexander. What's even weirder is that all this happened while their 4-year-old son was in the room. I don't think I'd be able to fall asleep after having someone put a knife to my throat. Especially if the were still kicking and punching me.

Or was it connected with her rather? It sounds as if Alexander didn't care for his father-in-law. Were they partners? As Mrs. Alexander was born Almeida Howe, I suspect that they were. Though I haven't unearthed any actual evidence.

The barmaid corroborated Mrs. Alexander's account:

"— Miss Mary Jane Hill, barmaid, said: A week on Sunday night I saw defendant at ten minutes past twelve, when he was sober. My bed-room is some distance from where Mr. and Mrs. Alexander sleep, and I did not hear any noise. About seven next morning Mrs. Alexander came to my bed-room and was bleeding from the hand. Defendant asked Mrs. Alexander to forgive him in their bed-room."
Stamford Mercury - Friday 06 April 1888, page 5.

At which point the case rather irritatingly came to a halt. A shame, as I'd like to have heard Mr. Alexander's evidence.

"—Other evidence having been taken,

Mr. Haigh said there was evidence to justify a charge of aggravated assault, but Mr. Norledge had suggested that an arrangement should to come to by which the defendant would undertake to leave the district, that a separation order be drawn up, and defendant should settle upon his wife £700 and certain property. It was a matter between husband wife, and it would be better for all concerned if an agreement could be come to, and if defendant was allowed out on bail for a month it might carried out — Mr. Norledge for the defendant, consented. — The Deputy Clerk (Mr. Wallis) said he should have to report the case to the Home Secretary, that the Public Prosecutor might take up if he liked .— Mr. Haigh thought he would not interfere. — The Mayor replied, but supposing the Home Secretary and the Public Prosecutor set to work it would be a slur on the Magistrates after they had allowed the case to drop. — After some further discussion the case was adjourned for a month, pending the depositions being sent to the Public Prosecutor and the agreement and deed of separation being drawn up. Subsequently defendant was liberated on the recognisances of himself and brother in £100 each for his re-appearance in month."
Stamford Mercury - Friday 06 April 1888, page 5.

In return for buggering off and paying a considerable sum to his wife, the case would be dropped. On the face of it, Alexander got off pretty lightly. I say on the face of it because the story doesn't stop there. But we'll be getting to that later.

Another newspaper report includes some details omitted from the first. Mrs. Alexander must have been quite a sight in court:

"The prosecutrix [Mrs. Alexander] was then called into court, and signed a fresh information on the minor charge. Both her eyes wore blackened, the fingers of her left hand were bandaged up, and she bore other signs of brutal treatment."
Grantham Journal - Saturday 07 April 1888, page 3.

There's a little more about their son in this report:

"The ill-treatment went on till a little after three o'clock in the morning. When witness went to the bedroom door to try to get out of the room, she found it locked, and the key taken out. Witness asked the prisoner for the key, but refused to give it to her. Shortly after three o'clock prisoner got into bed, and witness took the child (four years old) out of the cot and put it in the bed between the prisoner and herself. After prisoner got into bed he kept kicking her with his knees and pinching her. Prisoner fell asleep about four o'clock, but before doing so he took the child out of the bed and put it back in the cot. While prisoner was asleep witness searched for the key of the door, but could not find it. When he awoke, about seven o'clock, she asked him for the key, and he said at first he did not know where it was, but afterwards got it from between the bed and the mattress."
Grantham Journal - Saturday 07 April 1888, page 3.

And I can't help wondering what Alexander meant by this:

"Sergeant Free said he apprehended defendant, and read over the warrant to him. Prisoner replied, "Free, there are faults on both sides."
Grantham Journal - Saturday 07 April 1888, page 3.

Next we'll be looking at the continued fallout from the case,  which rumbled on for another couple of years. And had a big impact on the brewery itself. And we'll be seeing Mr. Norledge again.

Let's Brew Wednesday stats

How's this for naval gazing - tables of statistics about the blog. Or one series of posts, Let's Brew Wednesday.

I counted 89 recipes in all, broken down by style like this:

Style	No. recipes	% of total	average no. views
Table	2	2.25%	701
Strong Ale	4	4.49%	1003
Stout	19	21.35%	836
Scotch Ale	12	13.48%	803
Porter	4	4.49%	1345
Pale Ale	25	28.09%	755
Mild	14	15.73%	801
Lager	2	2.25%	584
Burton	7	7.87%	894
Total	89	100.00%

I'm surprised at how few Porter recipes I've posted. Fewer even than Scotch Ale or Burton.

These are the recipes in reverse order of popularity:

Recipe	Style	no. of views	date posted
1918 Barclay Perkins GA	Mild	126	04/02/2010
1921 Barclay Perkins PA	Pale Ale	271	24/02/2010
1953 Truman No.7	Mild	285	27/01/2011
1971 Whitbread Final Selection	Strong Ale	301	19/12/2013
1952 Lees Stout	Stout	308	29/09/2010
1909 Maclay PI 60/-	IPA	316	18/12/2013
1928 Barclay Perkins Ale 4d	Mild	361	11/11/2010
1928 Barclay Perkins Export PA	Pale Ale	379	14/10/2010
1919 Barclay Perkins X	Mild	380	19/01/2011
1934 Barclay Perkins Ale 4d	Mild	386	12/01/2011
1894 Usher's PA	Pale Ale	392	16/12/2011
1958 Lees Best Mild	Mild	408	04/08/2010
1921 Barclay Perkins BS S Irish Stout type	Stout	431	10/03/2010
1924 Barclay Perkins Export PA	Pale Ale	443	11/05/2011
1868 William Younger No. 2	Scotch Ale	447	22/02/2012
1971 Whitbread Brewmaster Export	Pale Ale	448	11/12/2013
1923 Barclay Perkins XLK	Pale Ale	449	08/12/2010
1885 Usher's 40/-	Shilling Ale	456	24/11/2011
1868 William Younger 120/-	Shilling Ale	462	03/11/2011
1868 Younger Table Beer	Table	471	20/10/2011
1868 William Younger Bg	Scotch Ale	471	21/09/2011
1949 William Younger DBS	Stout	477	26/04/2012
1949 William Younger XXPS	Pale Ale	495	11/04/2012
1942 Barclay Perkins XLK	Pale Ale	509	11/03/2011
1894 Usher's Stout	Stout	514	07/12/2011
1868 Younger 60/-	Shilling Ale	525	13/10/2011
1934 Barclay Perkins Draught Lager	Lager	526	29/08/2012
1950 Whitbread Exp PA	Pale Ale	539	20/07/2011
1933 Kidd AK	Pale Ale	541	06/04/2011
1971 Whitbread Tankard	Pale Ale	553	04/12/2013
1868 William Younger 140/-	Shilling Ale	562	05/10/2011
1928 Barclay Perkins IBS	Stout	566	01/12/2010
1934 Kidd PA	Pale Ale	573	28/04/2011
1951 Lees "C" Ale	Burton	579	25/07/2010
1879 William Younger No.3	Scotch Ale	587	02/02/2012
1924 Barclay Perkins RNS	Stout	589	11/07/2012
1987 Boddington's ELM	Mild	590	23/05/2012
1915 Noakes Double Stout	Stout	592	01/08/2012
1900 Amsdell Porter	Porter	601	14/11/2012
1868 Tetley's X3P Stout	Stout	605	15/08/2012
1962 Barclay Perkins Sparkling Beer	Lager	642	26/09/2012
1896 Eldridge Pope LTS	Stout	645	23/01/2013
1879 Whitbread XX Export	Mild	656	30/06/2011
1942 Barclay Perkins KK	Burton	660	02/03/2011
1952 Mackeson Stout	Stout	661	01/11/2010
1923 Fuller's XK	Pale Ale	664	07/02/2013
1867 Courage Double Stout	Stout	665	08/08/2012
1840 Truman Export Stout	Stout	671	07/07/2011
1833 Vassar Pale Double Ale	Strong Ale	683	01/11/2012
1895 Truman Export Stout	Stout	684	25/07/2012
1890 Truman Imperial, Double and SS Stout	Stout	684	28/04/2010
1942 Barclay Perkins XX	Mild	690	17/03/2011
1955 Whitbread XXX	Mild	696	03/03/2010
1923 Courage X	Mild	727	21/11/2013
1941 Barclay Perkins IBS	Stout	736	11/02/2010
1923 Courage KKK	Burton	749	07/11/2013
1868 William Younger DBS	Stout	757	26/10/2011
1883 Truman Export Pale Ale	Pale Ale	760	13/07/2011
1913 William Younger No. 1	Scotch Ale	770	28/03/2012
1955 Fullers X	Mild	772	07/06/2012
1933 Barclay Perkins KKKK	Burton	789	22/12/2010
1885 Younger XP	IPA	798	25/10/2013
1987 Boddington's Mild	Mild	798	16/05/2012
1913 William Younger No. 3	Scotch Ale	809	21/03/2012
1923 Barclay Perkins XLK	Pale Ale	810	02/02/2011
1930 Whitbread AK	Pale Ale	823	03/08/2011
1953 Ben Truman	Pale Ale	825	22/04/2010
1885 Usher's PA	Pale Ale	829	16/11/2011
1948 Portsmouth and Brighton United Breweries Pompey Royal	Strong Ale	836	27/06/2012
1928 Barclay Perkins KK (bottling)	Burton	887	18/03/2010
1914 Fullers AK	Pale Ale	894	18/08/2011
1834 St. Stephen's Porter	Porter	898	14/01/2010
1896 Eldridge Pope AK	Pale Ale	903	17/01/2013
1987 Oldham Mild	Mild	906	10/05/2012
1834 Vassar Double Ale	Strong Ale	918	12/10/2012
1877 Whitbread XPS	Pale Ale	924	25/05/2011
1804 Barclay Perkins Table Beer	Table	931	04/11/2010
1934 Kidd XXX	Burton	960	13/04/2011
1885 Usher's IP	Pale Ale	981	09/11/2011
1943 Whitbread Oat Mild	Mild	983	28/01/2010
1868 Younger No. 3	Scotch Ale	1016	28/09/2011
1868 Younger XP	Pale Ale	1024	15/09/2011
1839 Barclay Perkins XXX	Mild	1092	24/03/2010
1911 Russell AK	Pale Ale	1105	24/08/2011
1987 Boddington's Bitter	Pale Ale	1296	02/05/2012
1928 Barclay Perkins IPA	Pale Ale	1298	18/11/2010
1909 Maclay's Oatmalt Stout	Stout	1310	13/06/2012
1936 Mackeson Stout	Stout	1366	07/10/2010
1879 William Younger No.1	Scotch Ale	1441	18/01/2012
1967 Eldridge Pope Hardy Ale	Strong Ale	1576	13/03/2013
1935 Fullers OBE	Burton	1631	09/06/2010
1923 Courage Stout	Stout	1796	14/11/2013
1811 Whitbread Porter	Porter	1819	05/01/2011
1859 Barclay Perkins EI	Porter	2063	22/11/2012
1868 William Younger No. 3 Export	Scotch Ale	2084	08/02/2012
1952 Lees Best Mild	Mild	2131	28/07/2010
1914 Courage Imperial	Stout	2141	29/02/2012

 

No surpise that a watery WW I Government Ale was the least popular and an Imperial Stout the most popular. It is heartening that the second most popular was a 1950's Dark Mild.

And finally, the recipes ordered by date:

Recipe	Style	no. of views	date posted
1804 Barclay Perkins Table Beer	Table	931	04/11/2010
1811 Whitbread Porter	Porter	1819	05/01/2011
1833 Vassar Pale Double Ale	Strong Ale	683	01/11/2012
1834 St. Stephen's Porter	Porter	898	14/01/2010
1834 Vassar Double Ale	Strong Ale	918	12/10/2012
1839 Barclay Perkins XXX	Mild	1092	24/03/2010
1840 Truman Export Stout	Stout	671	07/07/2011
1859 Barclay Perkins EI	Porter	2063	22/11/2012
1867 Courage Double Stout	Stout	665	08/08/2012
1868 Tetley's X3P Stout	Stout	605	15/08/2012
1868 William Younger 120/-	Shilling Ale	462	03/11/2011
1868 William Younger 140/-	Shilling Ale	562	05/10/2011
1868 William Younger Bg	Scotch Ale	471	21/09/2011
1868 William Younger DBS	Stout	757	26/10/2011
1868 William Younger No. 2	Scotch Ale	447	22/02/2012
1868 William Younger No. 3 Export	Scotch Ale	2084	08/02/2012
1868 Younger 60/-	Shilling Ale	525	13/10/2011
1868 Younger No. 3	Scotch Ale	1016	28/09/2011
1868 Younger Table Beer	Table	471	20/10/2011
1868 Younger XP	Pale Ale	1024	15/09/2011
1877 Whitbread XPS	Pale Ale	924	25/05/2011
1879 Whitbread XX Export	Mild	656	30/06/2011
1879 William Younger No.1	Scotch Ale	1441	18/01/2012
1879 William Younger No.3	Scotch Ale	587	02/02/2012
1883 Truman Export Pale Ale	Pale Ale	760	13/07/2011
1885 Usher's 40/-	Shilling Ale	456	24/11/2011
1885 Usher's IP	Pale Ale	981	09/11/2011
1885 Usher's PA	Pale Ale	829	16/11/2011
1885 Younger XP	IPA	798	25/10/2013
1890 Truman Imperial, Double and SS Stout	Stout	684	28/04/2010
1894 Usher's PA	Pale Ale	392	16/12/2011
1894 Usher's Stout	Stout	514	07/12/2011
1895 Truman Export Stout	Stout	684	25/07/2012
1896 Eldridge Pope AK	Pale Ale	903	17/01/2013
1896 Eldridge Pope LTS	Stout	645	23/01/2013
1900 Amsdell Porter	Porter	601	14/11/2012
1909 Maclay PI 60/-	IPA	316	18/12/2013
1909 Maclay's Oatmalt Stout	Stout	1310	13/06/2012
1911 Russell AK	Pale Ale	1105	24/08/2011
1913 William Younger No. 1	Scotch Ale	770	28/03/2012
1913 William Younger No. 3	Scotch Ale	809	21/03/2012
1914 Courage Imperial	Stout	2141	29/02/2012
1914 Fullers AK	Pale Ale	894	18/08/2011
1915 Noakes Double Stout	Stout	592	01/08/2012
1918 Barclay Perkins GA	Mild	126	04/02/2010
1919 Barclay Perkins X	Mild	380	19/01/2011
1921 Barclay Perkins BS S Irish Stout type	Stout	431	10/03/2010
1921 Barclay Perkins PA	Pale Ale	271	24/02/2010
1923 Barclay Perkins XLK	Pale Ale	449	08/12/2010
1923 Barclay Perkins XLK	Pale Ale	810	02/02/2011
1923 Courage KKK	Burton	749	07/11/2013
1923 Courage Stout	Stout	1796	14/11/2013
1923 Courage X	Mild	727	21/11/2013
1923 Fuller's XK	Pale Ale	664	07/02/2013
1924 Barclay Perkins Export PA	Pale Ale	443	11/05/2011
1924 Barclay Perkins RNS	Stout	589	11/07/2012
1928 Barclay Perkins Ale 4d	Mild	361	11/11/2010
1928 Barclay Perkins Export PA	Pale Ale	379	14/10/2010
1928 Barclay Perkins IBS	Stout	566	01/12/2010
1928 Barclay Perkins IPA	Pale Ale	1298	18/11/2010
1928 Barclay Perkins KK (bottling)	Burton	887	18/03/2010
1930 Whitbread AK	Pale Ale	823	03/08/2011
1933 Barclay Perkins KKKK	Burton	789	22/12/2010
1933 Kidd AK	Pale Ale	541	06/04/2011
1934 Barclay Perkins Ale 4d	Mild	386	12/01/2011
1934 Barclay Perkins Draught Lager	Lager	526	29/08/2012
1934 Kidd PA	Pale Ale	573	28/04/2011
1934 Kidd XXX	Burton	960	13/04/2011
1935 Fullers OBE	Burton	1631	09/06/2010
1936 Mackeson Stout	Stout	1366	07/10/2010
1941 Barclay Perkins IBS	Stout	736	11/02/2010
1942 Barclay Perkins KK	Burton	660	02/03/2011
1942 Barclay Perkins XLK	Pale Ale	509	11/03/2011
1942 Barclay Perkins XX	Mild	690	17/03/2011
1943 Whitbread Oat Mild	Mild	983	28/01/2010
1948 Portsmouth and Brighton United Breweries Pompey Royal	Strong Ale	836	27/06/2012
1949 William Younger DBS	Stout	477	26/04/2012
1949 William Younger XXPS	Pale Ale	495	11/04/2012
1950 Whitbread Exp PA	Pale Ale	539	20/07/2011
1951 Lees "C" Ale	Burton	579	25/07/2010
1952 Lees Best Mild	Mild	2131	28/07/2010
1952 Lees Stout	Stout	308	29/09/2010
1952 Mackeson Stout	Stout	661	01/11/2010
1953 Ben Truman	Pale Ale	825	22/04/2010
1953 Truman No.7	Mild	285	27/01/2011
1955 Fullers X	Mild	772	07/06/2012
1955 Whitbread XXX	Mild	696	03/03/2010
1958 Lees Best Mild	Mild	408	04/08/2010
1962 Barclay Perkins Sparkling Beer	Lager	642	26/09/2012
1967 Eldridge Pope Hardy Ale	Strong Ale	1576	13/03/2013
1971 Whitbread Brewmaster Export	Pale Ale	448	11/12/2013
1971 Whitbread Final Selection	Strong Ale	301	19/12/2013
1971 Whitbread Tankard	Pale Ale	553	04/12/2013
1987 Boddington's Bitter	Pale Ale	1296	02/05/2012
1987 Boddington's ELM	Mild	590	23/05/2012
1987 Boddington's Mild	Mild	798	16/05/2012
1987 Oldham Mild	Mild	906	10/05/2012

 

1804 to 1987, with every decade inbetween represented, with the exceptioon of the 1820's. I must fix that. Not a bad spread.