Back to business.
It's been a while since MEMWNS was able to gather (Essex's ill-fated voluntary foray into Tier 2 meant that our last outing was a very cold evening at the Oddie in October) so it is good to be able to report on a covid-secure outdoor gathering.
I joined the EER at the Bryony Tap - not only does ACME boast its own landlord, we also have our own head brewer and he has a firepit with blue flames
As usual, I was late (then again I was the only person who cycled more than 300 yards to get there) so I arrived to find Head Brewer Huggy, the Hustler, demi-Jemango, Family Pack cyclist and OD already warming themselves at the firepit and sampling ales - I think there was a child indoors as well.
We sampled ACME Citra, Wing Commander Justin Peabody's Big Lamp, Sulky Dolphin Milk Stout (not the coffee version because only demi-J was allowed that because she's special and we're just not) and Retired Circuit Judge Wheat Beer - I don't know where Huggy gets these names from either, it's almost like somebody just made them up because they had forgotten what they were actually called.
It took a thorough review of the Quaffers' Rules until we found an exception under Rule 26(3)(c)(ix) - which most of you will know as the lickspittle's charter rule - that allowed us to proceed without our usual quorum of three and without the office junior; Huggy having been disqualified through loss of amateur status, demi-J for hogging the coffee milk stout, Family Pack for refusing to try anything other than wheat beer and OD because he was drinking Merlot. After much deliberation, the Hustler and I declared Sulky Dolphin the Quaffers' Choice.
For once, conversation did not revolve around riding in France, riding brevets, sleeping in ditches or even cycling at all. It appears that none of us has really bothered to put in many miles during lockdown with various home-improvement projects the excuse of the day. It was also possible that we had forgotten how to communicate with other adults from outside our household but I think we did alright and it really was good to see everybody and hear about their lockdown experiences.
There was plenty of laughter as well despite the untypically serious topics of conversation.
Before we knew it, the Head Brewer was flashing the outdoor lights and dousing the firepit having given up on his more subtle hints. It only took an hour or so further for us to realise he wanted us to leave so we did.
The ride home was unusually warm for March (not sandal weather but not far off) and extremely quiet on the roads. It was a real pleasure to be out even if I had forgotten how slowly I go post-sampling.
Thank you to Mr and Mrs Huggy for their hospitality and let's hope we can re-amalgamate the EER with the Western Outlaws very soon.