Exclusive: photo of the first Spitfire to be uncovered.

[Garry Russell]

[Vancouver]

Hoots of laughter here.

[Tako_Kichi]

I hope that 'Bishop's Finger' wasn't one that featured in all the Bishop/actress jokes!

[FlyTexas]

"Bottle of Britain". And what's all this about Kentish Ale? Any beer drinkers here (I can't imagine ) who would like to comment on the qualities of a Kentish Ale? I've never heard of the term to be honest.

Brian

[speedbird591]

I've never heard of the term to be honest.

That's your misfortune, Brian

http://www.ukprotectedfoods.com/kentish-ale-pgi/

The County of Kent used to be the largest producer of hops in the UK and had a very healthy brewing industry. I grew up in Kent, drinking 'Kentish' ales and you'll still find a predominance of them amongst my bottle store

Thousands of acres of hop fields covered the County when I was growing up and it was traditional for working-class East-Enders from London to spend their summer holidays picking the hops for the brewing industry. In the 60s, cheap jet travel meant that they went to the Costa Brava instead and there was no-one left to pick the hops so hop production moved to Eastern Europe and the landscape of Kent changed irrevocably. But the beer didn't!

British Pathe Hop Pickers

Ian

[511Flyer]

I spent 20 years in Herefordshire as a publican, and they produced more hops than Kent. Still do in fact!

[speedbird591]

I spent 20 years in Herefordshire as a publican, and they produced more hops than Kent. Still do in fact!

Oh OK then. Kent used to be the second largest producer of hops in the UK

I've just checked in my fridge and I've got two types of real ale in stock. A Kentish ale - 1698 from Shepherd Neame (the oldest brewery in the world - unless there's an older one in Herefordshire), bottle-conditioned (careful of the sediment) and 6.5% ABV. And just to show that I'm not a biased southerner, I also have another bottle-conditioned ale from Burton on Trent. Worthington White Shield, a classic IPA (India Pale Ale) of 5.6% ABV which is what I used to drink as a young man. Kentish Ale and IPA - that's what makes life worth living!

Far too strong and flavourful for American or Australian tastes. They're probably illegal outside the UK, they're so good. Beer drinkers would riot if they knew what they were missing

Ian

[Tomliner]

I've just checked in my fridge and I've got two types of real ale in stock

Sacrilege Ian.Fridge!!?Room temperature only please(unless your house is like a fridge) EricT

[FlyTexas]

Thanks very much for the Kentish Ale education Ian. I'm drinking my morning coffee at the moment but one of those Ales sounds pretty good right now. It'd really wake me up.

Brian

[DaveB]

The last thing you want to wake you up in the morning is a 7% abv bottle of beer mate. It'd have the opposite effect on me!

ATB
DaveB