CHRISTMAS PARTY SUCCESS

In Oakengates, the Crown Inn has celebrated its busiest Christmas Party ever, with a choir, a competition, a visit from Father Christmas and Panto Stars dropping in. A locally based choral group, The Cadence Singers, entertained the crowds with a range of traditional Carols and other Christmas Songs, while a collection raised over £65 for Hope House Childrens’ Hospice.

SANTA

The man in the big red suit made a special appearance to announce the results of a draw for Megan Baker Childrens’ Hospice, the winner of which asked for the prizes to be donated to the Childrens’ ward at Telford Hospital. He then stayed and helped judge the Annual Mince Pie Competition.

BAKERS

The mince pie competition is one of several baking competitions organised each year at the Crown Inn and these are keenly contested. There were so many entrants that extra help was required with the judging. In addition to Father Christmas and the choristers, stars from Oakengates’ Pantomime, “Beauty and The Beast” dropped by to help with the tastings. Sue Hodge from ‘Allo ‘Allo and Richard Calkin from Brookside & Hollyoaks enjoyed tasting the mince pies and were pleasantly surprised by the high standard of baking in a pub-based competition. Eventually, after Howard Bell received his third place “Highly Commended Certificate”, the winners were unable to decide between Steve Folger and Steve Goodchild, who were presented with their “Joint Master Bakers of Oakengates” by landlord John Ellis.

THANKS

In addition to all the above, the crowd expressed their appreciation to Cllr. Steve Wood for arranging the arrival of Father Christmas and to Cllrs. Hilda Rhodes and Veronica Fletcher for assisting in the attendance of the Panto Stars. For those who missed the Pantomime Stars and still wish to see them, “Beauty & The Beast” runs until Sunday 4th January at Oakengates Theatre and tickets can be obtained via 01952 382382.

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All photos are used with kind permission of Amore Photography.

We’d like to share a poem with you written by a previous visitor to the Crown Inn;

The Crown – Oakengates.

You don’t need an address, everyone knows it.

A traditional pub, hard to fault.

In order of importance.

Good beer – Lager – Spirits – wine and brilliant staff.

No I am not on commission.

It is a pub – not a disco – not a karaoke – not a wine bar – it’s a pub and good at it.

The music is live and quality, the atmosphere is similar.

The food is next door.

Thanks anon. If you’d like to feature in Poet’s Corner please drop us a line using the contact us page.

Each beer festival we provide a printable beer list with comments and tick boxes to help guide you through the weekend.  Happy Drinking!

25th Telford Beer Festival Beer Guide

Note: This guide is in PDF format, to open this file you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. Most computers will already have this however you can download and install by clicking here.

Well, 25 Festivals! Who’d have thought it possible when we started here in 1995. We were told then that we couldn’t sell Real Ale in Oakengates – a good thing we ignored that advice! Some 9,000 beers later, I’m satisfied that we proved the “experts” wrong. In fact, thanks to a great team here and lots of supportive customers, we have just been awarded “Cask Ale Pub of the Year 2008 East & West Midlands”, as well as being the only pub in the area to be listed in the Good Beer Guide and by Cask Marque.

John Ellis, Crown Inn Landlord

It’s certainly no thanks to our political leaders that we’re still going and I find myself, yet again, ranting and railing at more mad Government interference. It was announced on Wednesday at 10 Downing Street, there is to be a Drinks Industry Committee (DIC). This august body is to be made up of “The Great & The Good” of the do-gooding industry and, apparently, there will be “some industry involvement”. You can bet your bottom dollar that, following “industry involvement”, pubs will be rail-roaded into yet more bureaucracy and interference, just like we were with the Licensing Act and Smoking.

So, who will steer this body to try to subdue the alcohol industry again? I was struggling to find a more likely candidate to be DIC Head than Sir Ian Gilmour, head of the Royal College of
Surgeons. But now there’s a Metropolitan Police Commissioner who needs to be found a well-paid job at public expense. Whoever gets the job, we can be sure that a Government-appointed DIC Head will be poking his nose into our industry before long. The Bill is to be debated in Parliament on 17th October – yes, it really is coming round that fast!

Meanwhile, it’s the beers that you’ve come for and we hope to be serving them for many years to come! Cheers!
John Ellis

BITTERS UPTO 3.9%
Acorn Yorkshire Pride 3.7
Back Yard Shire Oak 3.5
Falstaff Cassandra 3.9
Full Mash Monty’s Whistle 3.8
Hobson’s Best Bitter 3.8
Hook Norton The Jewel in the Crown 3.4
Leyden Gold Top 3.7
Rudgate Top Tipple 3.8
Rudgate Marston Moor’s Fox Hound 3.9
Rudgate Sword Blow 3.9

BITTERS UPTO 4.1%
Bowland Illumination 4.0
Cotleigh Goshawk 4.1
Cottage JT 4.0
Lichfield Silver Jubilee 4.0
Lichfield Saint John the Builder 4.0
Mayfields Trooper’s Gold 4.0
Millstone Royal Oak 4.0
Northumberland Legends of the Wear (2) No.3 Len Ashurst 4.0
Weetwood Cheshire Cat 4.0

BITTERS UPTO 4.3%
Dowbridge Morgan’s B5000 4.3
Falstaff Gallifrey 4.3
Hanby Fruit Fall 4.2
Idle Coopers 4.3
Lichfield Brickdust 4.2
Magpie Best 4.2
Morrissey Fox Blonde Ale 4.2
Morton Essington Ale 4.2
Northumberland Legends of the Tyne (2) No.8 Dave Hilley 4.3
Rudgate Three Card Brag 4.2
Sawbridgeworth Andrew’s Last Case 4.2
Wood Wild Edric 4.3
Wyre Piddle Piddle All Over 4.2
York MM 4.3

BITTERS UPTO 4.6%
Back Yard XXV Celebration Ale 4.4
Back Yard Big Red 4.5
Burton Bridge Captain Kiwi 4.5
Dowbridge Morgan’s Cruel Summer 4.5
Ironbridge Autumn 4.6
Lichfield Saint Giles 4.4
Magpie Monty’s Firkin 4.6
Morton Gregory’s Gold 4.4
Ossett Turning Leaves 4.5
Spinning Dog Autumn Gold 4.4
Teme Valley Amber Export Ale 4.5
Townhouse William Dodd’s Ale 4.4

BITTERS 4.7% and OVER
Ashover All Saint’s (Wheat Beer) 5.5
Cottage H.M.S. Victory 4.7
Full Mash Samhain (Lager) 5.0
Hambleton Yorkshire Lager 5.0
Maypole Buzz Lightbeer 4.7
Slater’s Voortrekker Laager 5.0

MILDS, STOUTS, PORTERS and Dark Beers
Archer’s Black Arrow 5.5
Cambrinus Yardstick 4.0
Coastal Bodmin Beast 5.5
Derventio Barbarian 5.5
Hanby Scorpio Porter S4.4
Hobson’s Mild M3.2
Leeds Gathering Storm 4.4
Spire Winter’s T’Ale 6.6

CIDERS & PERRY
Broad Oak Moonshine Medium Cider 7.5
Broad Oak Perry 7.5
Hecks Medium Cider 6.5
Hecks Kingston Black 7.0

Below is an provisional list of some of the beers that will be available at the 25th Telford Beer Festival starting Thursday 2nd October. We will announce the final list later this week and provide our usual ‘Scratchers Sheets’ for those of you who enjoy trying every beer we have to offer.

PROVISIONAL List as at Noon, Monday

BITTERS UPTO 3.9%
Acorn Yorkshire Pride 3.7%
Falstaff Cassandra 3.9%
Full Mash Monty’s Whistle 3.8%
Hobson’s Best Bitter 3.8%
Hook Norton Jewel in the Crown 3.4%
Leyden Gold Top 3.7%
Lichfield Silver Jubilee 3.8%
Rudgate Top Tipple 3.8%
Rudgate Marston Moor’s Fox Hound 3.9%
Rudgate Sword Blow 3.9%

BITTERS UPTO 4.1%
Bowland Illumination 4.0%
Cotleigh Goshawk 4.1%
Cottage JT 4.0%
Lichfield St. John the Builder 4.0%
Mayfields Trooper’s Gold 4.0%
Millstone The Royal Oak 4.0%
Northumberland Legends of the Wear (Series 2) No.3 4.0%

BITTERS UPTO 4.3%
Dowbridge Morgan’s B5000 4.3%
Falstaff Gallifrey 4.3%
Hanby Fruit Fall 4.2%
Idle Coopers 4.3%
Lichfield Brick Duster 4.2%
Morrissey Fox Blonde Ale 4.2%
Morton Essington Ale 4.2%
Northumberland Legends of the Tyne (Series 2) No.8 4.3%
Rudgate Three Card Brag 4.2%
Sawbridgeworth Andrew’s Last Case 4.2%
Wood Wild Edric 4.3%
Wyre Piddle Piddle All Over 4.2%
York MM 4.3%

BITTERS UPTO 4.6%
Back Yard XXV 4.4%
Back Yard Big Red 4.6%
Burton Bridge Captain Kiwi 4.5%
Dowbridge Morgan’s Cruel Summer 4.5%
Ironbridge Autumn 4.6%
Lichfield Saint Giles 4.4%
Magpie Monty’s Firkin 4.6%
Morton Gregory’s Gold 4.4%
Ossett Turning Leaves 4.5%
Teme Valley Amber Export Ale 4.5%
Townhouse William Dodd’s Ale 4.4%

BITTERS 4.7% and OVER
Ashover All Saint’s (Wheat Beer) 5.5%
Cottage H.M.S. Victory 4.7%
Full Mash Samhain (Lager) 5.0%
Hambleton Yorkshire Lager 5.0%
Maypole Buzz Lightbeer 4.7%
Slater’s Voortrekker Laager 5.0%
Spinning Dog Autumn Gold 4.7%

MILDS, STOUTS, PORTERS and Dark Beers
Coastal Bodmin Beast 5.5%
Derventio Barbarian (Oatmeal Stout) 5.5%
Leeds Gathering Storm (Stout) 4.4%
Spire Winters T’ Ale 6.6%

CIDERS & PERRY
Broad Oak Moonshine Medium Cider 7.5%
Broad Oak Perry 7.5%
Hecks Medium Cider 6.0%
Hecks Kingston Black 7.5%

Beer Fesitval Bar

Beer Festival Bar

Outdoor Area

Crown Inn

Submitted by Crown Inn regular Howard Bell.

Learn to speak “Crownese”, The easy way.

If you are a regular to the Crown Inn, you will be well aware that it has its very own language. If you are visiting, this guide will help you understand what’s going on. I’m sure to miss a lot out, so please use the comments or send me an Email, and we’ll add them.

Feel free to print this page out and take it to the Crown Inn with you.

Question – Do you have any rattly bits?

In English – This is a request from the bar staff for change, so dig deep into your pockets and pay for your drinks with as many coins as possible. It is very important that if you are being served by S-J, you only pay with coins as she loves counting coins and hates notes.

It’s been pointed out to me that when you are given your change and it contains coins, you are only being “lent” rattly bits.

Question – Are you a queue?

In English, this phrase is asking if you are waiting to be served. The correct response is that you are a queue but would like to be an “ex queue”.

Understanding Charges and Change

Quarter past 2 = £2-15
Half past 5 = £5-30
Quarter to 9 = £8-45
Chinese dentist = £2-30 (tooth hurty), also known as Half past 2
A poorly octopus = £6-00 (sick squid)
2 guineas = £2-10 (unfortunately John no longer accepts payment in farthings, ha’pennies, groats, florins or ferrets)

Drinks

Amstel = Girlie Beer (When we had Carlsberg Lager it was known as “Euro-Fizz”)
Coke = Full Fat
Diet Coke = Semi skimmed
House Whisky = A Cooking

The Intercom System

There is an Intercom System that connects the “Cellar”, the “Bar” and the “Kitchen”. These are known as The “Engine Room”, “Bridge” and “Crows Nest”. So now, if you hear “Engine Room to Bridge” you’ll know what’s going on. Another phrase you might hear is “I’m going down for a bang and a wallop”. I’ll leave John to explain that one.

Don’t forget that Ice is very rare. You ask for it at your own risk.

While on the subject of Ice, it’s not as rare these days as the pub now has an ice maker. You may not know that ice can be fresh or frozen so please make your choice before getting to the bar. Also, try to avoid the word “lots” as this usually results in John having to chase the last three ‘lumps’ around the bucket, these are roughly the size of a penny & will melt before you get back to your table.

If you are buying eggs (Yes, The Crown does sell eggs) please only do so when the bar is really busy.

For the second year running the Crown Inn has been named the Best Cask Beer Pub in the East and West Midlands at the Great British Pub Awards; below is is an article that appeared in the Shropshire Star on Saturday 20th September 2008.

A Telford pub has narrowly missed out on a national award after being named as the Best Cask Beer Pub in the East and West Midlands in the Great British Pub Awards.

Yesterday John Ellis, the licensee of the Crown Inn, Oakengates, travelled to London for the ceremony at the London Hilton.

Mr Ellis said it was not the first time they had been successful. They were selected as the East and West Midlands free house of the year last year at the Morning Advertiser awards. And the Market Street pub had been a runner-up for the guest ale pub of the year three times before.

At present the pub has 14 handpull ales. Between October 2 and 6 it will host a beer festival when there will be 34 beers available to try. Morning Advertiser editor, Andrew Pring, said: “The winners of our awards really do deserve to be called heroes and heroines – they run wonderful pubs to the highest standards, keeping their customers happy and cementing together so many communities across the country.”

Pictured is Crown Inn's Landlord John Ellis