Campaign for

WATFORD AND DISTRICT BRANCH

Present an

Auction of Breweriana

on Thursday 19th March 2020 at the WEST HERTS SPORTS CLUB, Park Avenue,

Starting at 8.00pm, viewing of lots from 7.00pm

CAVEAT

The following is the list of lots we hope to have available at the 2020 CAMRA Watford & District branch breweriana auction. Although we hope all the listed items will be available on the night, we cannot guarantee that they all will be, nor that all the lots will be constituted as shown.

All dimensions are approximate and are in centimetres (2.54cm to the inch for those who can't remember).

Comments on the condition of the items are subjective, therefore close viewing of the lots on the night is strongly recommended. XX in the right hand margin indicates good or very good condition; X some marking/poor condition; blank indicates very poor condition; o unseen.

PURCHASE OF LOTS

To reduce the need for items to be paid for individually, we propose to keep a record of each purchase so that all lots bought can be collected and paid for either during the intervals or at the end. In order for this to operate smoothly we would ask all bidders to register for a bidder’s number and to show that after a successful bid.

Cheques will only be accepted if supported by a bankers' card and can only be taken up to the relevant maximum indicated on the card. We are also able to accept payment by Visa/Mastercard credit cards. Cash is also accepted!

There are 'reserves' on various lots in the auction: if the bidding fails to reach the reserve amount the item will be withdrawn.

We are again providing a guide price for those lots where such a figure is above £10. These appear in red at the end of the item’s description. The lower figure of the range shown is not less than the reserve price of the lot and may be higher.

There is no buyer’s premium; the final bid is what you pay.

Bids can be accepted in advance, please send them to: Bill Austin, 18 Malden Road, Watford, WD17 4EW, by phone: 07789 900411, or by e-mail to [email protected]. On the day, bids can be left with Bill or via the mobile number.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to all the Watford & District branch members who have donated and collected items for the auction, to our colleagues in other branches and CAMRA Games and Collectables who have also provided items and to the for their support. Particular thanks to the late John Garwell and Dave Lewin who left items to CAMRA. Acknowledgement also to the Brewery History Society and the British Beermat Collectors Society (BBCS) for all their research plagiarised in the descriptions. Special thanks to Martin Cornell for filling in a lot of the gaps in my knowledge of Benskins.

Lot No Description Condition

1. Benskins bar towel. XX - dates from the reintroduction of the brand in 1980.

2 A Sheffield “Beery” map. A list of over 40 and shops together with a map of their locations, XX produced for Sheffield Week, believed to have been produced for the 2019 event.

3. Crib board, bakelite, “Brewers Trumans since 1666”. o - merged with Watneys in 1974, closed in 1989.

4. Large (c42x59cm) Bass poster “The Drink of the Empire”. Reproduction. XX - the brewery was founded in Burton-on-Trent in 1777.

5. Bottle of Wells & Young’s Courage Imperial Russian , 10% abv, 275ml, brewed in 2013. XX - the beer was originally brewed by Thrale’s, and then later by Barclay’s. £10-12

6. Courage Imperial Russian Stout 1981. XX - the Courage version of the beer, the 1960’s editions of the Brewery Manual describe the beer as “very strong”. £10-12

7. Halstead Brewery cheque for £7 4s 3d dated Dec 10th 1922 made payable to Adams & Sons. XX - brewery started in 1859, bought by Thomas Francis Adams in 1876 and taken over by a subsidiary of Fremlins in 1939 and closed.

8. Empty, half pint bottle with “Benskins” embossed around the bottom. Was a corked bottle. XX - John Dyson II bought land in the High Street in 1810 and began building the Cannon Brewery.

9. Reproduction metal Fullers Pride wall sign, shield design, c19.5x26.5cm max. XX - Fullers sold the brewery to Asahi at the beginning of last year. £10-12

10. A pint and a half pint tankard, honeycomb design, GR stamped, verification office number 64 – X Sunderland. The pint tankard has a chip inside the brim.

11. Book: East End Pubs by Johnny Homer, 96pp, card cover, published 2018. A colourful guide to XX 42 pubs in East London.

12. Oval Vaux cloth badge, c8x11cm. XX - Sunderland brewer who quit in 1999, and the company disappeared into Whitbread the following year. The brand has been resurrected.

13. Morland & Co Abingdon embossed, clear, codd bottle, some frosting. X - taken over by in 1999 and closed.

14. The Breweries of Britain poster, c40x56cm, small tear. Produced Dec 1951, amended 1976. X

15. Lacons crown cork bottle opener. XX - Great Yarmouth brewery, Whitbreaded in 1965, and closed in 1968. The brand was resurrected in 2013 and houses a small museum (albeit with limited opening hours) full of old Lacons items.

16. Benskins calendar 1983, illustrated with old photos, including old drays (horse drawn, Commer, XX Scammel). - when John Dyson III died in 1867 the Cannon brewery was sold at auction to a 57 year old ex-hotel owner. Joseph Benskin.

Lot No Description Condition

17. An assortment of items from newish Irish breweries. Beermats from: Carlow (Curim, Moling), XX Celtic Brew Finian’s; Dublin Brewing Co (4 Becket’s); Dwan; Irish Brewing Co (No.1 Brew); Porterhouse (Brainblasta, Hersbrucker, Plain, Red, Wrassler’s XXXX; Dwan A4 poster and small leaflet; small Carlow leaflet. - Carlow (aka O’Hara’s) have been going since 1996 as have Porterhouse; Dublin Brewing (“Dublin’s second largest brewery”) also started in 1996, but closed around 2005; Celtic Brew started 1997, closed 2006; Dwan lasted from around 1998 to 2003; Irish Brewing Co only seem to have been around in the early noughties and had definitely closed by 2013.

18. “Springwell Pure Drinking Water & Ice Co.” pottery ginger beer bottle. XX - were based in Mill End, Rickmansworth, and were operating up until at least 1949.

19. M&B blotter 1939. Blotting paper has been used. Contains photos of 2 of their pubs, and the X interiors of 2 others. - their Cape Hill brewery dated from 1878, merged with Bass in 1961, closed by Coors in 2002.

20. Box of 12 bottles from the southern part of England: pre minimum contents: Gale’s Champion Ale; XX Greene King Farm Stout; Morland ; fl oz/ml: Hook Norton Hook Ale; Morrell’s Brown Oxford Stout; Wadworth’s Light Ale; Young’s ; ml/fl oz: Brakspear Henley Pale Ale; Brakspear Strong Ale; Eldridge Pope Huntsman Green Top Pale Ale; Ridleys Stock Ale; Shepherd Neame Light Ale.

21. Hardback book “Britain’s Lost Breweries and ” by Chris Arnott, 192pp, 2012. Covers 30 XX breweries who no longer brew.

22. A model of the White Horse at Jackson’s Bridge, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, (c18x13x8 cm) XX made famous for its appearances in “Last of the Summer Wine”. It was then a Bass pub, it is still open and is now a free house.

23. Framed repro poster of Banks’s Brewery, Wolverhampton, c45x32.5cm. XX - Banks’s dates from 1875.

24. Empty Highgate Brewery bottle, name embossed around the bottom. XX - registered in 1898, taken over by M&B in 1939, management buyout 1985, merged with Aston Manor 2000, closed 2010.

25. Benskins Brewery metal bush ring. XX - these were primarily used in wooden barrels to protect the wood around the bunghole in the belly of the cask.

26. Plastic stand up Hook Norton XXX Bitter sign, 20x9.5x3cm. XX - the brewery’s been going since 1846.

27. Oval (c15x13 cm max) Butlers glass ash tray with a picture of their trademark be whiskered XX gentleman, their founder William Butler. - Wolverhampton brewer started in 1833, taken over by M&B in 1960, closed in 1991.

28. Benskins Brewery picture fridge magnet. XX - for the first 3 years, Joseph Benskin had a partner, and traded as Benskin and Bradley.

29. Hope and Anchor Jubilee tray “Stout value for money”. Features 2 bottles of stout in front of a X drawing of the Scotsman’s Pack Inn, Hathersage, near Sheffield, c34cm square. Some signs of wear. - Sheffield brewer who used this name from 1942 until the early 1960s, closed in 1994.

30. Handpump – details on request.

31. Henley Ales water jug. Hunting scene, no makers name, c12cm tall. XX - from Brakspears, who brewed in Henley from c1799 to 2002. £10-12 Lot No Description Condition

32. Benskin’s cast metal bottle opener, c8.5cm long. Has blank rim. XX - when Joseph Benskin died in 1877, his wife Maria took over running the brewery, which meant that at that time al 3 major Watford breweries were run by women.

33. Courage “A Family Tree” poster, 1987, c60x40cm. Shows bottle labels from some of the breweries XX they took over and closed. - Courage’s Anchor Brewery closed in 1981.

34. 2 gallon Strong’s pottery flagon, has crack. X - founded around 1778, this Romsey brewery was Whitbreaded on 1969 and survived for another 12 years.

35. T.Wild & Sons light green bottle XX - started brewing in Mill End about 1870, sold to Sedgwicks in 1900. Continued as mineral water producers until they sold their site to the Royal Herts Laundry.

36. Barley Brewery Royal Wedding Ale bottle, 1986. XX - brewed at the Fox and Hounds, Barley (near Royston), between 1982 and 1997.

37. Small Youngers display sign for No1, No.3, Scotch Ale, c15x9m, has a nail hole. X - began in 1778, merged with McEwans in 1931 to form Scottish Breweries, stopped brewing in Edinburgh in 1986.

38. Fremlins leaflet advertising Oatmeal Stout. As was common with these leaflets, during wartime, XX the reverse was used for copying letters, this one is addressed to Ind Coope detailing gyles that had been sent out that day (8th November 1943). - Ralph Fremlin bought the brewery in Maidstone in 1861, Whitbreaded in 1967, closed in 1972.

39. Paperback book. Britain’s Oldest Brewery Youngs Wandsworth by Helen Osborne, 224pp, 1999. o - in 1835 about 70% of the Ram Brewery’s output was ,

40. “Nicholson’ & Sons, fine ales on Draught or in Bottle” “Brewed since 1840 in Maidenhead” XX pottery ash tray, white with red script, 12.5cm diameter, Vitreous Ironstone. Made by Dunn Bennett & Co Ltd, Burslem. - taken over by Courage in 1958, closed in 1961. .

41. “Buckley A Local Tradition” poster, 25.5x38cm. XX - brewery dating from 1769, closed 1998 after ending up being owned by Brains.

42. Album with over 200 old beer labels 1950s onwards to Watneys. o

43. Pack of 22 old beer mats: Beverleys’ Golden Eagle (BBCS 15, 1959); You can’t beat Beverleys’ XX Beer (BBCS 29, 1954); Camerons Double Lion Export (BBCS 17, 1960); Camerons enjoy Strongarm (BBCS 16, 1960); Camerons Regal Rich Stout (BBCS 19, 1963); Pick Flowers Bitter (BBCS 13; 1958); Hole’s Castle Stout (BBCS 20, 1965); Hole’s Best Mild (BBCS 19, 1965); Presenting Hole’s Newark Ales (BBCS 11, 1960); Hope & Anchor Jubilee (BBCS 77, 1959); King & Barnes JK Sweet Stout (BBCS 4, 1964); McEwans Scotch & Christmas Ales (BBCS 3, 1955); Magees Crown Ale (BBCS 16 (1/0 version), 1958); N.B.C. Radiates Good Cheer (BBCS 1, 1952); Star Sussex Ales (BBCS 1, 1959); Tetley’s Regal Ale (BBCS 24, 59); Insist on Tolly Ale (BBCS 6, 1955); Peter Walker Brown Peter (BBCS 52. 1964); Best Wishes from Webster’s (BBCS 43, 1962); Another Perfect Beer by Websters (BBCS 36, 1960); Wells & Winch (BBCS 22, 1961); Whitakers Cock o’ the North (BBCS 21, 1968); Yorkshire Clubs’ Brewery (BBCS 3, 1961). Condition is generally good, but a few are grubby, bit of scuffing, have pin holes. £10-12

44. Bottle of Higsons Last Drop, 1990. Slight marks to front label, back label a bit grubby. XX - brewed at the magnificent looking Cain’s brewery at Stanhope Street, Liverpool, from 1923. Boddingtons took them over in 1985 and closed them in 1990.

Lot No Description Condition

45. Worthington Lord Mayor figure, the version with a green bottle tap. XX - the brewery was founded in Burton-on-Trent around 1761. £25-30

46. Ceramic Ridley’s Ales brewery lorry, c21x10x8cm. Some wear to script. Made in ’84? XX - brewed at Hartford End, Essex, between 1842 and 2006, when they sold out to Greene King and. surprise, surprise, were closed.

47 Framed Ringwood glass sign, c44.5x34.5cm. Not quite a mirror... XX - started brewing in 1978, bought by Marstons in 2007, but still brewing. £15-20

48. Franklin & Sons embossed green bottle which was originally crown corked. XX - the company started in 1886 as Franklin Bros, producing soft drinks at 171 High Street, Rickmansworth, changed their name as above in 1898.

49. Randalls of Guernsey . XX - R.H.Randall bought the Vauxlaurens Brewery in 1868, sold to private investors in 2006, and moved to a new site in 2008.

50. United Clubs Brewery 75th Anniversary plate, 1994, limited edition of 100, No 15, c20.5cm XX diameter. Bone china, made in England. - became the Crown Brewery in 1877, merged with Buckleys and closed in 1989.

51. Boxed set of 3 model Benskins drays made by “Days Gone” (owned by Lledo): horse drawn dray; XX van; lorry. Numbered 172 of a limited set of 478. - even in Victorian times, Benskins had managed to get their beers on sale in many West End theatres (and the House of Commons…). £10-12

52. Framed Butler’s price list, dated February 1953, c26.5x33cm. XX - the Springfield Brewery was purpose built for the company and it now forms part of a University Of Wolverhampton campus. £12-15

53. Cottage Spring Brewery Ltd large, black polo shirt, pre-owned. X - merged with Severn Vale brewery in 2016, closed 2017. Their brewer was Nik Milo the ex-brewer from the Flag & Firkin.

54. Boxed set of 12 Whitbread illustrations, c12cm square, taken from the 1954 Whitbread calendar XX and depict the production process. - the company was founded in 1742, quit brewing in 2001.

55. 2 packs of unused playing cards: Youngs brewery and Chesters fine ales. XX - Youngs brewery closed in 2005, Chesters in 1966, but the brands carried on/were reintroduced.

56. Benskins Bitter button badge. XX - this version of the beer was initially brewed in Romford and was launched in 1980.

57. Unframed Adnams Ales poster, c83x58cm, diagrammatic representation of the brewery. XX - members of the Adnams family bought the brewery around 1876.

58. Welch Ale Brewery Ltd, Princes Risborough, Bucks, imprinted stone jar, about 25cm tall. One XX small chip to brim. - the Lion Steam Brewery was bought in 1900, and ended up with the Aylesbury Brewery Company (ABC) in 1920.

59. 5 Red Squirrel pump clip fronts: IPA in the USA; Original English IPA; RSB; Scottish Ale; XX Springfield IPA. Used, some slight grubbiness, writing on reverse. - started brewing in 2004, changed their name to Mad Squirrel in 2017. Lot No Description Condition

60. Small, framed (c15.5x21cm). paper Plymouth Breweries Ltd advert. XX - created in 1889, taken over by Courage in 1970 and lasted until 1983.

61. Benskins leather key ring “Benskins cares for careful drivers”. From early 1980s. XX - they were using a cannon as a logo, but the Cannon Brewery of Clerkenwell so they registered a trademark of two hands, one protruding out of a jacket arm, the other out of a shirt sleeve, holding between them a beer bottle with a “S” on the label.

62. Small (11x14cm) Marston’s booklet, 12 pages. A promotional article including a brief history of XX the brewery, reprinted from the “Standard”, with 4 pages of adverts including a price list. The article looks to date from the early part of the 20th century, although it is suspected that this a reproduction from the 60s/70s. - John Marston started a brewery in 1834,

63. “Try a Brewmaster” plastic shelf sign, 30x5.5cm. XX - on taking over the Flowers brewery in 1954, Greens took the latter’s name.

64. Guinness’s Extra Stout bottle label, bottled by Benskin’s, oval, 5.5x7.2cm. XX - believed to be at least 70 years old.

65. Empty Strong’s bottle with name embossed down the side. o - took over Wethereds in 1949.

66. Wills cigarette cards, “Old Inns”, series 1, 40 cards. In display sheaths. Includes the Fighting XX Cocks, 6 “Georges”, and an “Old George”.

67. Brakspear Exhibition Ale, stone bottle with flip top, bottle no. 475, 50cl, Dec 1997. XX - in 2002 the Board undertook a review of operations and unfortunately concluded that they “could not continue to sustain substantial losses incurred by the brewing operation”.

68. “Get Younger Every Day” tray, c30cm diameter. Some minor wear. XX - the brewery historian Martin Cornell disputes the claims that William Younger set up a brewery in Leith in 1749. pointing out that he would only have been 16 at the time, and that by 1753 he was working as an excise officer, certainly not as a brewer.

69. “Benskins Bishop’s Stortford” inscribed pottery flagon, c25cm tall. XX - Benskins took over the Hawkes brewery in Bishop’s Stortford in 1898, and they continued brewing there until 1916. It continued as a depot until 1987. £10-12

70. Bill Tidy cartoon. This is one of a number of quality art prints produced for Tony Brookes and the XX Head of Steam chain by Bill Tidy from originals commissioned from him. Signed and numbered by Mr Tidy, this is no. 49 of a limited edition of 50 copies of this particular cartoon. It features a number of monks “relaxing” after a day’s brewing… £12-15

71. Framed aerial photo of Benskins brewery, looks to date from the early 20th century. XX - the “hands” logo obviously didn’t go down well as a few months later they registered their iconic pennant logo which Doris Benskin, the daughter of Thomas the then owner, says she designed.

72. Perspex Okell’s Ales, Falcon Brewery, wall sign, with fixing holes, c25x30cm. XX - started brewing in 1850, but the Falcon Brewery closed in 1994 when they moved to a new brewery in Douglas which is still in production.

73. Davenports water jug. Maroon with gold script, 16cm tall, Wade RegiCor. XX - started brewing in Birmingham in 1739, taken over by Greenalls in 1986, and closed 3 years later.

74. Empty Benskins bottle with Nut Brown Ale label. Minor damage to label. XX - thought to date from the late 1940s/early 1950s.

Lot No Description Condition

75. Charrington Toby Bitter bar mount, c12.5x10.5x17.5cm. XX - their Anchor Brewery on the Mile End Road closed in 1975.

76. 3 circular, plastic, Morrells Brewery pump clips: Mild, Bitter and Varsity. Shows o.g., c9.5cm XX diameter. - Oxford brewer who quit brewing in 1998, 107 of their pubs ended up with Greene King.

77. Boxed bottle of Fuller’s Brewer’s Reserve No4, Oak Aged. 8.5% abv, best before end 2022. 500ml. XX Listed on the Fuller’s online site at £100… - when Fullers tried patenting the name “Griffin” in the early 1890s, a Mr T.P.Griffin objected: in 1892 the case was settled and Fullers had the rights to the name “Griffin Brewery”. £25-30

78. The 8 copies of “The Pennant”, Benskins Brewery’s quarterly in-house magazine that form XX Volume VII, April 1948 to Christmas 1950. Some pages loose, stains to cover and tape to the binding of one copy. - a fascinating insight to the time, with details such as a photo of the Halfway House, Cassio Bridge and where the license was transferred to, a sketch of what the Essex Arms would have looked like if it was built on its originally planned site on the corner of Rickmansworth Road and Station Road, and humour that I think is best described as an “acquired taste”. £20-25

79. “Guinness – Him Strong”, “See what Big Chief Toucan do” laminated display card, c20x15cm. XX Printed by Sanders Phillips, a few minor marks. - dates from around 1960. £15-20

80. 14 Silver Jubilee bottles: Banks’s; Courage; Fullers; Homes; Ind Coope; Jennings; Marstons; XX Morrells; Ridleys; Shepherd Neame; Shipstones; Tetleys; Wadworth; Youngs.

81. Tea towel with Benskins Brewery print design. XX - Benskins were aggressive predators of other breweries, the first they took over was Groomes of Kings Langley who they acquired in 1897.

82. Hardback book “Beer Memorabilia” by Martin Cornell. 160pp, A colourfully illustrated XX introduction to collecting breweriana, produced in 2000 by the former regular contributor to the “ Newsletter” (which is now known as “Pints of View”).

83. Reproduction metal wall sign, c30x40cm, featuring an Ind Coope bottle and the XX double diamond logo. - the interlocking diamonds trademark was registered in 1876, but the name “Double Diamond” didn’t appear on bottles until 1934, and then it was under the Allsopp’s name, with whom Ind Coope had just merged. Ind Coope’s Double Diamond appeared 4 years later.

84. Pallett & Springwell embossed clear glass bottle, with stopper. XX - Palletts were a Rickmansworth company who were previously and wine merchants. The combined name was used from around 1910 to 1922.

85. “Offilers’Golden Bitter It’s lovely” ash tray, red script on white, some wear to green coloured rim. X Gresley ware, T.G. Green & Co Ltd. - started brewing 1876, bought by Charringtons in 1965 and closed the following year.

86. Benskin’s Watford Brewery soda syphon. XX - at the time of his death in 1903, Thomas Benskin was also a director of Stretton’s brewery and a brewery in Dortmund. £12-15

87. 1983 edition of “Real in Hertfordshire”, 118pp. Some minor creasing. XX - there were 30 entries for Watford, see how many are still open…

Lot No Description Condition

88. 113 beer labels: 93 from the USA, 14 from Mexico, 2 from Puerto Rico; 2 from Dominican XX Republic, 1 from Canada, and 1 (and a neck label) from Germany. At least some of the US breweries closed in the late 1960s/early1970s…

89 “And Now For a Worthington” plastic bowls measure. XX - merged with Bass in 1927, but continued to operate as a separate company.

90. Take Courage metal menu holder, c8.5cm tall. XX - John Courage I, an Aberdonian resident in London, bought the Anchor Brewery in 1787.

91. Benskin’s 1953 Coronation Ale bottle. Label damaged. X £10-12

92. Benskin’s 1953 Coronation Ale oval bottle label, c5.5x7cm. XX

93. Hardback book: “Brewery Railways” by Ian P. Peaty, 1985, 96pp. Benskin’s brewery is included. XX

94. Firkin Brewery Mistlet’ale bottle. Believed to have been produced at the old Flag & Firkin brewery XX by Watford Junction station in what is now the music room at O’Neills. - brewed between 1997 and 1999.

95. ABC plastic salt and pepper set, from the 1980s. XX - Aylesbury Brewery Company came into existence in 1895, stopped brewing in 1937. Taken over by Allied Breweries in 1972 and was one of the names resurrected in the early 1980s.

96. “Heaver Bros Limited, brewers of Bollington” embossed bottle. XX - started in 1895, this Cheshire brewery was taken over by Ind Coope in 1931.

97. Postcard from the Colditz Brewery, postmarked 15th November 1941, advising on a pick up of XX spent hops on the 20th November after 3pm, and a written request to “Please return the card!”. There’s also a typed “Heil Hitler!”. - the brewery was founded around 1594. It is now closed but is thought to have lasted until the end of the last century.

98. Benskins Redskins tankard. Was issued in the 1980s as a prize for visiting a number of the XX chain’s pubs. Made by Sylva Ceramics. £10-12

99. “A. Leadbetter High St. High Wycombe” printed stone jar, c21cm tall, corked. XX - Alfred Leadbetter was involved with his father as wine & spirit merchants in the High Street. In 1881 he went into partnership at the Frogmore Brewery, Priory Street, and his name was incorporated into the brewery name. He died in 1897, and the brewery closed the next year. £10-12

100. Bottle: Victoria Brewery A Special Brew for the Artful Dodger. XX - brewed at the Victoria Maltings in Ware between in 1981 and 1985.

101. Bass M&B brass barrel tap. XX - Bass and Mitchells and Butler merged in 1961, a further merger created Bass Charrington in 1967.

102. Tring “quart” pottery tankard. Features Ridgeway Bitter, Death or Glory and Old Icknield Ale XX pump clip designs. Gives the address as 81-82 Akeman Street, Tring, so dates it to pre 2010. No maker’s name - started brewing in 1992. £10-12

103. Benskins poster (50.5x34cm) from after 1980. Some minor scuffing and a small tear to one edge. X - by the time they took over Wellers brewery, Benskins owned around 860 pubs.

Lot No Description Condition

104. Black Sheep Fine Ales mirror, c37x47cm XX - started by Paul Theakston in 1992. £15-18

105. Box of 12 Northern/Midlands brewery beer bottles: fl oz: Burtonwood Forshaw ‘67’; fl oz (ml): XX Boddingtons Nut Brown Ale; Homes Home Brewed; fl oz ml: Mathew Brown Lion Crystal Ale; Hydes Anvil Ale; Robinsons Unicorn St; Shipstones Strong Ale; John Smiths Double Brown; Theakstons Special Brown Ale; Thwaites Big Ben; ml fl oz: Greenall Whitley Champion Ale; Wolverhampton & Dudley Fox Ale.

106. Shepherd Neame Whitstable Bay memory stick, contains a Shepherd Neame Brand XX Presentation, 3.72Gb free… - there’s been a brewery on their site since the 16th century.

107. Truman Hanbury Buxton & Company Limited booklet, 1951, 96pp. Covers the brewing process, XX a list of their pubs (includes the Kings Stag, Bushey, and the Hit or Miss, Watford) and contains a number of drawings. Cover slightly grubby

108. Benskins light green codd bottle. XX - during the Great War, Benskins developed a large export trade to Belgium, mainly for the British troops.

109. Boxed pack of Whitbread’s London Stout playing cards, full set plus joker and a card with contract XX bridge scoring rules. Used, but they are in quite good condition considering they are thought to date from the 1920s, although the box has seen better days… - their Chiswell Street brewery closed in 1976.

110. Holts Bitter Ale poster, c58x42cm. A reproduction, but of a certain age itself. XX - been brewing since 1849, and still a beer worth drinking. £10-12

111. C & G Brice etched codd bottle. . - mineral water produces, they were at 153 Vicarage Road between c1911 and 1913.

112. Benskins centenary “pint” pottery tankard, 1867-1967. Irish porcelain. XX - features a scene in a Benskins pub, this picture had previously been used in some of the few pieces of advertising they produced before the brands reintroduction.

113. 3 Anspach & Hobday glasses: 1/3rd pint; 2/3rd pint; pint. XX - started brewing on the Bermondsey Beer Mile in 2014, they have recently opened a new site in Croydon.

114. & Brackley bottle with a fired on label which is worn. X - the Chesham Brewery merged with Hopcraft & Norrish of Brackley in 1946. Bought by Taylor Walker in 1956, and the breweries closed in 1957 and 1959,

115. Barclay’s Beer mat, 1953 (BBCS no.17). XX - merged with Courage in 1955, and brewing ceased around 1963.

116. Watford 2016 banner, c243x90cm. (It’s got a blank, black, back, so could be XX reused…).

117. Licensed Houses and their Management, 3 volumes, 1951 edition. General editor W. Bentley X Capper, 263, 287, 223pp. Some foxing of edges.

118. 8 Ventnor Brewery pump clip fronts: Christmas Ale; Golden Ale; Jubilee Bitter; Old Ruby Bitter; XX Sand Rock; Oyster Stout; Sunfire; Wight Spirit. - brewed at the old Burt’s brewery between 1996 and 2009.

Lot No Description Condition

119. Embossed bottle: “Oakhill Brewery, Bristol, Stores, Upper Street”. o - the Oakhill Brewery was taken over by Bristol United Breweries in 1925 and closed in 1938, so, presumably the bottle dates from that period.

120. Gales HSB plate, celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 1984. Made by Amber China, Staffordshire, XX c20.5cm diameter. - Gales sold out to Fullers in 2005 and closed.

121. Reproduction metal West Country Ales wall sign, c14x20cm. XX - formed in 1958 when Cheltenham Brewery Holdings merged with the Stroud brewery. Whitbreaded in 1963, the Cheltenham brewery closed in 1998.

122. Framed reproduction of the Benskin’s Watford Brewery poster, c44x33cm. XX - an original of the poster hangs in the Watford Museum.

123. Heavy, metal Whitbread wall sign, oval 24.3x33.5cm. XX - for a long while, the accepted view was that until the introduction of refrigeration around 1870, Victorian breweries closed down for the summer. Ron Pattinson’s investigation of Whitbread brewing records show that not to be the case £20-25

124. Hoskins booklet, 12 pages of photos of their Beaumanor Road Brewery, thought to date from the X 1920s/30s. Staples rusted. - Thomas Hoskins took over the brewery in 1906, brewery closed in 2001, and their beers are now brewed under license by Belvoir.

125. Hall & Woodhouse 1953 Coronation bottle, cork slightly raised and some beer loss, label has a X hole. - started brewing in Ansty in 1777, and in Blandford St Mary since 1883. £15-20

126. “Lion Brewery Blackburn”, “Lion Ales” embossed lime green water jug. Made by H.G. X Stephenson Ltd, Manchester, c9.5cm tall, has a 5cm long hairline crack. - Blackburn brewery owned by Matthew Brown from 1927, closed 1991 4 years after being bought by Scottish & Newcastle.

127. Benskins fridge magnet, in the shape of the 1984 Cup Final bottle. XX

128. An actual Benskins 1984 Cup Final bottle. XX

129. Simpkiss’ Mild, No 1 Ale, Bitter tray, c34cm diameter, a couple of very minor marks, some XX scratches to the reverse. - Brierley Hill brewery that unfortunately sold out to Greenalls in 1985 and closed.

130. 9 brewery booklets: Elgood, Gales, Harveys, Hook Norton, King & Barnes, McMullens, XX Mitchells, Ridleys, Wards.

131. Pottery “Pick Flowers Brewmaster” figure, Carltonware, c23cm tall, slight crazing. XX - the figure was the logo of Greens brewery which was Whitbreaded in 1961 and closed in 1969. £20-22

132. Empty “Springwell Rickmansworth” embossed pint, green, bottle, previously cork sealed. XX

133. Early crown cork opener “Guinness is good for you” GA 122A. XX

Lot No Description Condition

134. 27 Tring Brewery pump clip fronts: 3 ovals: Brock Bitter; Ridgeway Bitter; Tea Kettle Stout; 10 XX triangular with “scroll”: Pale+Four; Albatross; Comet; Gipsy Moth; Dragon Rapide; Hummingbird; Puma; Queen Bee; Sea Vixen; White Hawk; 14 triangular: Aldbury Ale; Barbarian; Beck’s Bender; Colley’s Dog; Hock-Tide Mild; Jack O’Legs; James Snooks; Mother Haggy’s; One for the Throne; Pudding Porter; Reap the Rye; Side Pocket for a Toad; Soot Spreader; Wicked Lady. About a third have writing on the reverse and a couple have slight damage/adhesive still attached.

135. Watford FC wine bottle: Hornets Sauvignon Blanc 2016, New Zealand wine. Produced by Clark XX Estates, the owner Peter Clark claims to have been a supporter for over 50 years

136. Framed (23.5x195cm) painting of the Coach & Horses, Croxley Green, signed by the artist, 1995, XX showing the pub in its Benskins colours. - the first reference to the pub dates from 1774, although the building is earlier. It was a home-brew establishment probably until the early 20th century, it then became part of the Salter’s estate and thence to Taylor Walker before its rebranding as a Benskins pub in 1980.

137. Wild & Sons light green codd bottle. XX - amongst the pubs they owned were: the Swan, Bushey; Bedford Arms, Watford; Old Shepherd, Chorleywood; Western, Rickmansworth; and their brewery tap, Vine, Mill End.

138. Cameron’s Strongarm can proof. A sheet of metal, 31.5x25.5cm, showing a proof copy of the XX design for the body of a 440ml/15.5fl oz can. - this came from the estate of Richard Anderson who, among other things, designed labels for John Smiths, Greene King and Ballantine whisky.

139. Courage Bulldog card display sign c18x28cm. XX - the Bulldog logo was used by the bottlers Robert Porter, and Courage brewed beer for them which were sold under the Porter name.

140. 2 Guinness Christmas bottles, 1981 and 1982, in pristine condition. XX

141. Pack of sealed Benskins playing cards from the early 1980s. XX

142. 2 Martlet Brewery leaflets, one gives a brief history of brewing in Sussex and the brewery, the XX other is an advert for their Regency Bitter. - Eastbourne brewery that lasted from 1979 to 1983.

143. Boxed bottle of Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2010, 8.5% abv, 1pt 0.9fl oz. XX - this version no longer appears on the Fuller’s online shop, but the 2012 and 2013 are listed at £100… £20-25

144. Genuine Inn Signs: 12 cocktail sticks featuring “The Historical Inns of England”. The Fighting XX Cocks, St Albans, is included.

145. 6 crown cork openers: Manns, John Courage Barclay Stout, Thorben, Ind Coope Double Diamond, XX Vaux Double Maxim, Charrington Toby Ale.

146. Benskins Watford Brewery Ltd imprinted gallon pottery flagon. XX - on 13th March 1957, Ind Coope & Allsopp took over Benskins. £15-20

147. Oval Wells Watford Sparkling OK bottle label, c6.4x8.5cm max. XX - their brewery was on St Albans Road: taken over and closed by Benskin’s in 1951. £20-25

148. Quarter gill measure, tankard style, stamped ER (1901-1910), made by W.R.Loftus. Some dents to XX base, and slight pitting to rim. - a reminder that there are 4 gills to a pint. Lot No Description Condition

149. ½pint bottle: Whitbread The Queen’s Ale, brewed November 21st 1962 to celebrate her visit to the XX brewery. - when King George III and his entourage visited the Whitbread brewery in 1787 they were shown the great store which held three thousand and seven barrels of beer.

150. “Here for the Beer”, a gazetteer of the brewers of Hertfordshire, 64pp booklet compiled by Helen XX Poole for the Watford Museum in 1984.

151. Brakspear plastic wall sign, c28cm diameter. XX - in his history of the brewery written in 1979, Francis Sheppard mentions the tradition of hanging holly and mistletoe in the eaves of the loading bay: “Tradition has it that so long as the holly and mistletoe hang securely from the beams throughout the year, the firm will prosper; but if they fall, some great misfortune will ensue”. There must have been a few cases of dropsy 2001/2002… £10-12

152. Glossy reproduction of a McMullen’s AK poster, unglazed frame c 92x68. Some damage to poster. X - Peter McMullen started brewing in 1827. Over the years, McMullens have sold or closed 38 pubs in Hertford.

153. Watlington Brewery Company Limited embossed light green codd bottle. Some slight frosting and XX some slight signs of wear. - Oxfordshire brewery founded around 1770, had stopped brewing by 1917.

154. “Worthington in Bottle” mirror, with India Pale Ale bottle label design top left. Heavy, 68x53cm. XX - the brewery closed in 1967 and was demolished shortly afterwards. £80-90

155. 2 gallon flagon inscribed “Franklins celebrated home brewed ginger beer”. XX - the company was taken over in 1989 and closed shortly afterwards, the brand name was resurrected and they are now based in NW7. £25-30

156. Chiltern Brewery bottle, “Prince’s Preference”, Charles & Di wedding ale, 1981. Looks as XX though the label was originally signed by the brewer. Bottle no. 1144, 9.68 fl oz, 275ml. - been brewing at Terrick (south of Aylesbury) since 1980.

157. Framed copy of an engraving of the Lion Brewery, London. c17.5x10.5cm. XX - the brewery started life as Godings, became the Lion Brewery in 1865. Taken over by Hoares in 1923 and closed the following year. The large lion seen on the roof is on permanent loan at Twickenham rugby stadium.

158. Around 100 Beermats from the 1970s and later, the majority from Oxfordshire. o

159. Set of 6 Guinness waistcoat buttons, the version with the white background. XX £10-15

160. Benskins Bitter enamelled metal wall sign, c28.5x39cm max. XX - all the Benskins pubs were adorned with these when the brand was relaunched in 1980. £15-20

161.

162.

163.