THE JAM AT SOMERSET HOUSE

Visit Date: July 2015

LOCATION: Somerset House,  London

WEBSITE: http://www.somersethouse.org.uk

DATES: 26 June – 31 August  2015

COST: £9.50

CONTACT: 020 7845 4600   info@somersethouse.org.uk

The Jam: About the Young Idea is an exhibition devoted to one of Britain's most successful short-lived bands. During their 6 year period they released three live albums and six studio albums, while they also released nineteen singles, the exhibition offers a unique insight into the personal archives of all three members. From unseen material and fan memorabilia it charts the rise to stardom of three boys from Woking to their breakup in 1982. What makes it more unusual is that it is the first time all three members have opened up their archives for an exclusive one off exhibition. Contributions include Paul Weller, Rick Buckler, Bruce Foxton, the Weller family and Den Davies to name but a few.

A video showing the Jam performing live at Bingley Hall Birmingham while the drum kit is the original set up from their last gig at the Brighton Conference Centre.

A video showing the Jam performing live at Bingley Hall Birmingham while the drum kit is the original set up from their last gig at the Brighton Conference Centre.

The exhibition displays school reports, letters and personal papers, press cuttings, original acetate recordings and even Paul's postcards while on tour. all of which take you from their early beginnings in Surrey through to the height of their fame.

Throughout the exhibition you are guided through (while remembering the music), the press coverage, the clothes and the political backdrop of the time. 

As with all good things, it came to a rather abrupt end, with Paul deciding to leave the band  in December 1982 after a farewell tour and appearances on both Top of the Pops and The Tube.

BEST WAY TO SPEND AN AFTERNOON...

Visit Date: May 2015

BREWERY NAME: Fuller's Brewery

WEBSITE: http://www.fullers.co.uk/brewery/book-a-tour

DATES: Mon-Fri only, at 11am, 12noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm.

COST: £10.00 tasting tour per person

DURATION: 90 mins approx

CONTACT: 020 8996 2000   fullers@fullers.co.uk  Book online is your best bet 

So what to do with an impromptu day off from work? A quick visit to the Fullers website reveals an afternoon slot available for one of their tours, perfect.

Setting off with travelcard and map in hand I head for my destination. After leaving Stamford Brook underground be prepared for a good 15 min walk before being advised (by the downloaded ticket Fullers sent through almost straight away via email) to cross the A4 via a subway, you'll see why when you get there... but across the road and through the trees the Mawsons Arms, or is it the Fox and Hounds...waiting patiently.

Once inside a quick half of London Pride followed by a chat with a member of the bar staff to ascertain the rendezvous point and time to relax and enjoy the afternoon in store. The pub is not only busy with previous tour parties but is packed with plenty of Fullers historical emphera dotted around the walls.

Our guide gathered everyone together and off we all trundled to The Hock Cellar. As expected being a working brewery shoes are well advised, and after we were issued with our visitor high visibility jackets we are taken through the formation and history of the Griffin Brewery.

Our guide went onto explain that they have been brewing beer since 1845. Even though Fullers is situated on the Thames, they have never used it as a source of water. In fact it was more to do with barging in all the primary ingredients.

As well as brewing quality ales, they also manage an estate of over 360 pubs across the South of England. Their range of beers can be found across the UK and beyond in particular London Pride, their biggest selling beer.

Hard to imagine that every single drop of Fullers Beer around the globe comes from the Griffin Brewery

After leaving the Hock Cellar we moved onto the hub of the brewery whereby we discovered some of the early brewing equipment they employed. During the tour our guide Colin, was incredibly enthusiastic and informative. As we stopped at the various stations to observe the workings of the brewery further information was imparted by Colin which brought the unique and enthralling story of brewing and Fullers to life.

My previous brewery tours have mostly been (so far) microbreweries so it was extremey intriguing to gaze inside and wander around a larger brewery, in fact over 20 tonnes of malt is used every single day, and each of the massive boiling coppers hold up to 90.000 pints. One of the things that struck me as we were taken around is how the brewery has grown, every available space has been so well designed and utilised it makes for almost a historical journey through the years of Fullers expansion.

Moving on, we were taken to the bottle, kegging and casking area, thankfully my visit was the day before a bank holiday so it was all very quiet and somewhat peaceful although Colin assured us that is not normally the case.

Our tour concluded by returning to the Hock Cellar, whereby we could ask further questions and sample one or two of their beers, in fact the 45 mins in the tap room afterwards was a joy. On the day of my visit, Gales beers, and the full range of Fullers including my personal favourite (made from American hops) - Wild River was available, others included, the scrumptious London Cab, the refreshing Olivers Island, and the flavoursome Honey Dew, not to mention Chiswick Bitter, ESB and of course London Pride. 

The Hock Cellar plays host to some stunning packaging, which demonstrated the development of their branding over the years, a real insight, into styles and trends change.

In conclusion, a fantastic impromtu day out of the studio - a great way for real beer lovers to while away a couple of hours in London - mind you that walk back to the underground didn't seem half as far...

AN OASIS OF CALM AND TRANQUILITY IN RURAL HERTFORDSHIRE

Visit Date: April 2015

THE HENRY MOORE FOUNDATION: Perry Green, Hertfordshire 

Friday 1 May to Sunday 25 October 2015
Wednesdays to Sundays and Bank Holidays, 11am-5pm

WEBSITE: http://www.henry-moore.org

OPEN: Hoglands, Studios & Gardens Wednesday - Friday mornings only

COST: Adult £9.10 Family £23.50

OPEN: Studios & Gardens 

COST: Adult £6.30 Family £15.70

The Henry Moore Foundation is a national treasure, endowed by Moore to preserve his legacy for the world. Nestled in Perry Green, a Hamlet of Much Hadham, Hertfordshire, this is a gem in the countryside - art among the sheep fields.

Three Piece Sculpture: Vertebrae 1968

Three Piece Sculpture: Vertebrae 1968

Moore settled here in 1941, and his house Hoglands forms part of the sculpture garden featuring his work.

Hoglands and Top Studio Henry Moore's family home

Goslar Warrior 1973-74

Goslar Warrior 1973-74

Many works are visible from public walkways, but to really begin to understand Moore, do the whole thing - tour the restored house, visit the studios and walk the grounds. The maquette studio shows the small maquettes he worked on, and the found objects that inspired him, preserved to look as it did when he worked in it - such a jumble that you see something new every time. The guides are enthusiastic and well-informed.

The grounds are beautifully and neatly maintained. Most years, there is a special exhibition, so keep an eye out for forthcoming exhibitions and events. It's only open Spring-Autumn, so plan ahead. I think this year it might be closed for building work, so plan a countryside walk which allows you to see some of the massive works in fields and walkways.

The foundation owns a nearby pub The Hoops Inn which serves great food, while the cask beer on sale did make me chuckle - Adnams Southwold Bitter and Meantime London Pale Ale, I wondered if they had been chosen especially, as it seems to me that Perry Green is almost halfway between the two great breweries.

CRAFT BEER TOUR OF BERLIN

Visit Date: April 2015

BREWPUBS VISITED: Brauhaus Georbraeu, Circus Hostel Brew Co. and Pfefferbräu

WEBSITE:  http://www.brewersberlintours.com/craft-beer-n-breweries

DATES: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday

COST: £25.00 including tasting and tour, per person

DURATION: 3 Hours (starts at 7pm)

FURTHER INFORMATION: An AB travel ticket is needed for the tour (not included).

Berlin has a long brewing history, but many traditional breweries and bars disappeared following World War II and the city’s division during the Cold War. Now, new breweries and brewpubs are reinventing traditional beer styles, and resestablishing Berlin as a brewing city once more. 

Our host Jonathon was a great engaging and knowledgable guide not only to Berlin itself, but also the beer culture and knowledge of the city. We started off with a traditional pretezl before embarking on a short U Bahn ride to Alexanderplatz, where Jonathon highlighted the architecture and history of the old East Berlin. Our first calling point was Brauhaus Georbraeu. Apparently one of the oldest Berlin brew houses, it dates back to the early 1990's! The surrounding buildings reflected the 1980's style of architecture as it was an area built by the GDR to increase tourism from the west and in turn make some money. The brew house is located in Nikolai Quarter, in the Mitte area and right on the banks of the River Spree near museum island - idyllic. Each year almost 1,500 litres of Saint George pilsner are brewed, which is exclusively available in the Georgbraeu. Georgbraeu is a typical large brewery bar which serves traditional German food. The place itself is very nice with a lovely wooden interior, and lots of small alcoves and side rooms. There is a large outdoor area too but it was early March, so no way we could use that! As for the beer, well the dunkel was heavenly, and the food being served looked pretty good as well.

Our next calling point was certaintly in stark contrast the Katz and Maus Tap Room serving the flavoursome pilsner brewed by the newly formed microbrewery - Circus Hostel Brewing Company, located in the Rosenthaler Platz. The microbrewery has only been in existence since January 2014 thus making it one of the most recent addition to the craft beer scene, Heiko the brewmaster only uses the finest hops and barley and adheres to the German Purity Laws of 1516. The bar has a very relaxed and friendly feel with a libaray of books to sit and read, while the walls are decorated with a variety of illustrations demonstrating the brewing process, and if you wish to know anything about David Hasselhoff, then the shrine to him in one of the back rooms is a sight to behold...once again the Pilsner is brewed on site.

Unfortunately we had to move on to our final location. However we were not disappointed as we landed on the doorstep of the Pfefferbräu Restaurant and Brewery Mountain, which has received a lot of press attention and deservedly so being one of the first micro breweries to bring back brewing to the traditional heartland of the Berlin brewing region Pankow

We just had to try the Alt (dark brown colored with a small off-white head, and hoppy finish), the Helles (hazy amber colored with a small white head) and not forgetting the Dunkel, we took great delight in discussing them, and generally had a fun time.

In conclusion the tour is lighthearted with a few set discussion topics, which is what I enjoyed about it the most. Additionally, I would distinguish this from the more-common pub crawls. This was a quieter time that focused more on good beer, good company, and good conversation. So, I would recommend getting on a Brewer's Brewery tour if you ever find yourself in Berlin. It is a great way to see some of the less tourist areas of the city and to learn about the rich brewing, political and economic history of one of the most unusual european cities.

THE BERLIN TRILOGY - THE BOWIE BERLIN TOUR

Visit Date: April 2015

TOUR DETAILS: Berlin Music Tours

WEBSITE: musictours-berlin.com

DATES: Sundays - extra dates and times possible on request

TIME: 12.00 Midday

COST: £12.00 (approx)

DURATION: 3 hours

CONTACT: +49 (0)30 3087 5633

It is suggested that the three albums (Low, Heroes, Lodger - although technically Lodger was recorded in Switzerland) David Bowie wished to write and record, along with Brian Eno in Berlin are his most creative. It was a period in his life whereby he was totally absorbed by his cocaine habit while living in LA and therefore he decided that it was make or break time. After a lack of success to convince Konrad 'Conny' Plank (music producer who has worked with the likes of Kraftwerk, Ultravox, DAF, Neu, amongst others and lived in Dusseldorf) to produce his new albums that, he looked further a field, and found that the Hansa Studios in West Berlin was an ideal location to help him redefine his life and career.

We have visited Berlin on numerous occasions but always seem to run out of time. On this trip we were determined to book onto the Bowie Berlin Walk once and for all. From the moment we organised the tickets with Thilo to the time we arrived to meet Phillppe, the whole process was friendly, helpful and extremely informative. 
 

Once we arrived at our meeting point, from the word go, Phillppe's passion for both the city and Bowie was evident. Starting outside the Martin-Gropius-Bau we discovered the location of some scenes from the 'Where Are We Now' video. The first part of the tour was spent recreating the reason for Bowie's choice of Berlin, what the lifestyle was like, the political landscape and the surrounding influences that Bowie experienced in this strange isloated city (due to the wall surrounding western Berlin). Moving on, Phillppe recounted the story of 'Heroes', and the real inspiration behind Bowie's all time favourite track. From the outside of the famous Hansa Studio, (which is still in use, -  only recently The Manic Street Preachers completed Futurology,) we were shown how it nestled close to the wall and was surrounded by derlict buildings back in the day.

Famed by the single Where Are We Now? from the Next Day album

Famed by the single Where Are We Now? from the Next Day album

one of the gateway stations to the old East Berlin

one of the gateway stations to the old East Berlin

The tour is well constructed and thought through, at intervals a few well chosen lyrics would be dropped into the presentation which kept our party on our toes. Nothing was rushed or dismissed, Phillppe was extremely inclusive considerate and professional. The ancodes never stopped, and the wealth of 'inside information' from one of the music engineers that worked on the 'Heroes' album with Bowie, were both funny and insightful. Throughout the talk we were shown imagery pertaining to the various stop points, along with both continued political and historical references to further understand the time of Bowie's stay while in Berlin. 

The tour concluded (unfortunately) far too quickly, with a rather 'refreshing' surprise ( you will have to go on the tour to see what that is..) Regrettably we missed out on the Hansa studio tour ( which was on our day of departure) but would love to do that next time.

The famous Hansa Studios

The famous Hansa Studios

Entrance panel to Hansa Studios

Entrance panel to Hansa Studios

I would throughly recommend the tour, and if like me, you grew up listening to the Berlin trilogy religiously then this is a tour not to be missed. Great insight chaps, keep up the good work.
 

Bowie and Iggy's flat today in Kleistpark area in Schöneberg - Hauptstrasse 155

KÖLN AND KÖLSCH BEER VISIT

While traveling around Germany we found ourselves 'stranded' in Köln (Cologne), so if you ever find yourself in Köln may I suggest one or two places to visit (this is by no means a detailed list, but it does cover one or two venues that serve the unique Kölsch beer). Unfortunately the weather wasn't the best so the imposing Cathedral was unfortunately shrouded in mist, however this didn't dampen our plans...

In 1985 the 24 breweries of Cologne gathered to create the 'Kölsch Konvention' which stipulates that Kölsch is brewed within the Köln metroploitan area and brewed according to the German Purity Law of 1516 (beer can only be brewed using simply water, barley and hops), it is pale in colour, top-fermented, hop-accented, and filtered, with alcohol by volume ranging from 4.4% to 5.2%.

The term Kölsch was offically used in 1918 to describe the beer brewed at the Sünner Brewery, however there appears to be a few definitions of the meaning of the word, whether it is to refer to the local dialect or whether it refres to the beer style itself is open to interpretation. Kolsch never really gained popularity in the first half of the twentieth century as bottom-fermented beers proved more popular. It wasn't until the 1960's that the sales of Kölsch started to climb. After the second world war only 2 breweries remained however that number has steadily increased.

So what is Kölsch? it is clear, with a bright straw yellow hue, and is not overly hoppy, it is less bitter than the standard German pale lager though. Traditionally it is served in a tall, straight, cylindrical 200ml glass called a Kölsch-Stange, and the best place to taste it...in an orignal 'Brauhaus' (the traditional German pub where the beer is brewed). Be aware though, the 'Köbes' serve this fantastic ale one after another so if you don't say 'no' and put the beer matt on top of your glass, they just keep coming!

In no particular order here is a simple list of the places we visited, oh, and best to check opening times as they can vary:

Früh am Dom

Köln Hbf 400m    Am Hof 12-14    50667 Köln    T: 0221 261 3211

http://www.frueh.de

Gaffel-Haus

Köln Hbf 600m    Alter Markt 20-22    50667 Köln    T: 0221 257 7692 

http://www.gaffel.de

Sion

 Köln Hbf 450m    Unter Tashenmacher 5    50667 Köln    T: 0221 257 8540

http://www.brauhaus-sion.de

Peters

Köln Hbf 500m    Mühlengasse 1    50667 Köln     T: 0221 257 3950

http://www.peters-brauhaus.de

Pfaffen

Köln Hbf 700m    Heumarkt 62    50667 Köln    T: 0221 257 7765

http://www.max-paeffgen.de

Sünner im Walfisch

Köln Hbf 450m    Salzgasse 13    50667 Köln    T: 0221 257 7879

http://www.walfisch.net

*the beerdesignerguy is not responsible for the content of external links to other sites.

DESIGNING THE 20TH CENTURY

Life and Work of Abram Games

Not so long ago I noticed advertised in Time Out that an exhibition dedicated to Abram Games was opened to celebrate a centenary of his birth.

Abram Games was one of the most influential graphic designers of the 20th Century. He was considered to be the foremost graphic designer of postwar Britain. His achievements have included the first animated BBC identity and was appointed the Official War Poster Artist during the Second World War, other clients during his career included London Underground, Guinness and The Times newspaper. He also designed the iconic Festival of Britain logo in 1951. His career is extremely impressive and is all the more inspiring when seeing together with personal artefacts from his family's archive.

I discovered his work while studying design at art college, - he was a true visionary, a purest in his approach and an independent thinker. No one was doing what he was doing at the time.

He took many hours distilling down a thought or idea to get to the real nub of the visual message. His family were his major critic, and if they felt that his work did not communicate the concept then it was back to the drawing board.

Some of his work still remains on 'display', noteably the mural at Stockwell tube which depicts a Swan that was inspired by the near by pub.

CHILTERN BREWERY VISIT

Visit Date: February 2015

BREWERY NAME: The Chiltern Brewery

WEBSITE: http://www.chilternbrewery.co.uk

DATES: Friday - Saturday 14.00

COST: £13.50 per head

DURATION: 60 mins

CONTACT: info@chilternbrewery.co.uk or call (01296) 613647

Nestled between the villages of  Terrick and Wendover The Chiltern Brewery is easy enough to find, as it is  well signposted from Stoke Mandeville, Wendover and the A4010. On arrival, we appeared to be the first for the tour. Checking in at the small but extremely well stocked brewery shop, we were welcomed by a complimentary glass of the award winning Beechwood Bitter (4.3%), which is mid-amber in colour with a nutty, toffee taste, slightly fruity but a well rounded ale.

As everyone arrived we were asked to take a seat in the tasting room which is plastered with a fair array of awards, certificates and magazine articles pertaining to their history. Our guide for the afternoon proceeded to explain the origins and history of  The Chiltern Brewery.

It was founded by Richard and Lesley Jenkinson in 1980, the brewery is the oldest independent brewery in the Chiltern Hills and Buckinghamshire and is now run by brothers George and Tom Jenkinson. It is housed on a working farm and their aim has always been to source and use the most natural, high quality ingredients available in Britain. It transpired that due to their close proximity to the railway line between London and Aylesbury they are able to easily distribute their beers right up to London.

After a quick visit across the yard to investigate the brew house we returned to discover our tables replenished with a few small pitchers of different ales and plenty of finger food.

The pairing of Chiltern Pale Ale (3.7%) with the locally produced cheese and chutney was an unexpected surprise. We then moved onto the excellent 300’s Old Ale which weights in at 5.0% vol. The selected beers really complimented the local produced food but the best was saved until the end. Bodgers Barley Wine at (8.5%) was simply nectar. The locally produced fruit cake wasn‘t bad either!

The visit concluded with a few questions raised by members of our party, and a final slurp of the barley wine which  all in all, made it a very relaxing and enjoyable afternoon.

The Chiltern Brewery is not that easy to get to on public transport - a nominated driver is advisable, but once you get there, the award winning beers are well worth the visit. .. not to mention the temptation of buying a few to take home and enjoy... Yummy yum.

If however, you can’t make the brewery then a visit to the brewery tap -  The Farmers’ Bar at the historic Kings Head in Aylesbury  is a great place to have lunch and sample some of The Chiltern Brewery’s finest! ... Cheers


CAMDEN TOWN BREWERY VISIT

Visit Date: October 2014

BREWERY NAME: Camden Town Brewery

WEBSITE: http://www.camdentownbrewery.com/brewery-tours/

DATES: Thursday 6.30pm booking tickets via Eventbrite

COST: £12.00 per head

DUIRATION: 90 - 120mins

CONTACT: ashleigh@camdentownbrewery.com

Now then, a tour to Camden Town Brewery! What great evening in store...

After checking out the location on the map, I discovered they are  under the arches of Kentish Town West Overground, so I left work early and off I trundled for a 6.30pm start. Arrived a wee bit early only to be advised that the beer was plentiful during the tour, so even though I was a bit thirsty I opted for a half of Camden Pale Ale.

As I sat down outside the brewery the waft of beautiful street food emernated from the stall to my right, which was just scrumptious. As I was just about to delve into my pocket for a few coins to purchase a snack, our guide arrived asking us to congregate in the main bar area.

No sooner than I had sat down with the rest of the party of about 15 of us, a small glass and a large pitcher of Camden Hells Lager appeared - fab.

Pete, our guide for  the evening arrived after a full day teaching nearby,  in fact he looked in need of a brew himself.  We later discovered that he hails from Boston USA and works regularly at the brewery, in fact for almost the last two years.

Camden Town Brewery was concieved at The Horseshoe Hampstead (the brewery tap) by its owner Jasper Cuppaidge. He discovered there was a distinct lack of quality beers on offer locally, and therefore decided to brew his own. From the humble beginnings in North London it wasn’t long before the need to find larger premises became a priority. In 2010 a new location was required, and the right site was found under the arches where they now reside and it wasn’t long before brewing began with great gusto.

First off ,  As you would expect we were taken into the Mash Room where Pete described the first stages of the brewing process. However, what struck me immediately was both his enthusiasm and passion. His description of the brewing process was succint and to the point, expertly explained without being overwhelming with chemistry or science - (I was never very good at chemistry when at school). Ever so often he recapped the process when we looked blank or appeared a bit puzzled.

Throughout the whole tour we stopped to take in a few more sips of their lovely beer not to mention ask continuous questions regarding keg beer versus cask, how they distribute, and the their unique process. One thing that was highlighted was the use and installation of the digitally automated process, which sounds a bit mechanical, but far from it, it allows the brewery to concentrate more on the process, ingredients or experiment with different recipes which lessens their time on painstakingly cleaning, and sterilising the all the equipment.

During our tour it is worth noting that protective spectacles are required (supplied by the good folk at the brewery). The brewery is extremely compact and a fair few hoses and obstacles are scattered around the floor - so best to leave the high heels and sandals in the wardrobe, still I think we only went up some stairs once to view the mash tun and its aromatic ingredients, so no trouble with vertigo. Their main brew is Camden Hells (4.6%) named after the famous German Helles variety, in fact a lot of their kit and influences stem from Bavaria. We also sampled their Camden Pale Ale (4.0%). Their popular Camden Ink stout (4.4%) which is an absolute delight while the Unfiltered Hells Lager (4.6%) rounded off the evening nicely.

We concluded our tour, passing 'mother superior ' in full flow ( the xtra dispenser for further hop addition) then finally visiting the bottling and canning area. The canning line was going hell for leather  (no pun intended) with a few unfortunate souls hand packing them into outers ready for shipping.

Having visited the brewery in Kentish Town almost over a year ago for a quick drink, I can see how they have expanded but as Pete reaffirmed, they are at maximum capacity within their original space and will have to move in order to carry on with their continued growth.

Camden Brewery is not just a great brewery with a variety of beers but they really champion local food and businesses, and when I was there both the courtyard bar and the bar itself were packed. Their beers are  now distributed around a variety of London pubs and both their cans and bottles can be found in increasingly more specialist beer shops and high street supermarkets. If you are ever in north London I strongly recommend a visit, their staff are both helpful and informative and I do like their branded material.... keep up the good work fellas.