This round of six perfect pints from Sarah Hilton, of Edinburgh.

I would start out in 1968 at the Baltic Hotel in Sheffield’s old East End. This was a pub in the middle of Sheffield’s heavy industry. It had no frills but served Stones Bitter when it was a pale distinctive pint; before the accountants and brand men got at it. Superb.

Much refreshed by my pint, I would go to Malton and any of the half dozen Rose’s pubs that surrounded the market place. A perfect pint of their ‘Best’ Bitter, as opposed to ‘Ordinary’, would go down beautifully. Roses was acquired by Tetley at around this time, and their beers were no substitute for the malt laden local brews that they tried to replace.

Then it would be on to the Star at Harome for a pint of Theakston’s Old Peculiar, brewed at Masham, along with the excellent ploughman’s lunch that they used to provide. In those days, OP really was a bit special.

Moving on, I would arrive at the East India Arms on Fenchurch St, London for a pint of Young’s Special Bitter. This was always a very special pub as there was no ladies toilet and we had to use the public ones on Fenchurch Street Station! A pint and a flasher, all for 2/3d.

Then it is on to Wainfleet and the Royal Oak. No round could be complete without a pint of Bateman’s XXXB. Still as good today is it was then.

My final pint would be at the South Cliff in Filey. I would choose from the options available at the time; Brew 10, Watney’s Red Barrel or Star Light. You can have too much of a good thing, and with all this fantasy about a by-gone age it is good to get back to the realities of what it was really like.

Still, after five pints of the best and one of the worst, I still have enough change out of a pound for a fish supper and the bus home! I am afraid that The Good Beer Guide of 1975 does not even mention Newark, although there were 3 entries by 1977.

Nov. '00