Bass have tended to ignore Stone’s brewing heritage but the Bass Museum Brewing Company have twice recently reminded us of Joules’ presence in the town.

The Bass Museum took their 1926 Daimler Worthington’s White Shield bottle car to Downs Bank near Stone to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Joules’ gift of these 170 acres to the National Trust.

A similar ceremony at the Crown Hotel in Stone’s High Street helped publicise the Joules Bitter now being brewed in Burton by the Bass Museum and supplied to several local pubs.

With ownership having passed from Morlands of Abingdon to the SFI Group (originally Surrey Free Inns), a Stafford pub is being transformed from one branded outlet into another.

After two years as a Newt and Cucumber, the riverside pub beneath the 1970s council offices is being refurbished and opened as a Litten Tree.

Cask ale is a feature of Litten Tree outlets and a late licence is planned.

Stability can now be expected at the Stafford Arms after a turbulent year.

Titanic Inns’ sale of the award-winning pub to Punch Taverns was announced in September 1999, but it took Punch nearly three months to appoint a lessee. Andy Bennett of Telford then moved on after just four months at the Railway Street pub.

Marie Mullaney from Cannock took on the Stafford Arms’ tenancy in March, but only on a temporary basis. In early September however Marie signed a three-year tenancy agreement.

Throughout the upheaval manager Bob Bell has maintained the beer quality, although at times the range was somewhat restricted. Several cask beers from micro brewers are regularly on sale, including at least two from Titanic.

Top quality meals are now served between noon and 9pm, Tuesday to Saturday, and noon to 6pm on Sunday. The pub’s kitchen is now run by Austin Charlton, who was previously head chef at the Tillington Hall Hotel.

Soon after its licensee suddenly left, the Duke of York at Mill Meece was being sold by Enterprise Inns.

Stafford’s grade II listed Eagle Inn has been re-roofed five months after cowboy’ demolition workers removed most of the slates The saving of the Eagle from demolition featured in this cartoon by Bill Tidy:

More than a year after Potters Bar (issue 88) reported J.D.Wetherspoon’s interest in Stone’s former Post Office and sorting office, the company have submitted plans for change of use to a "traditional food, ale and wine house".

The main entrance to the 270 square metres of "retail area" would be from Granville Square, with a beer terrace at the back and toilets upstairs.

Many local people have welcomed the plans, but there has been opposition from others, including Andy Burdon of the Red Lion and Dave Smithwick of Langtry’s.

Slater’s Eccleshall Brewery is planning a 4.9% abv winter beer, Oblivion, that brewer Andrew Slater expects to be smooth, fruity and quite dark.

Slater’s brewery tap, the George, has had its restaurant area transformed from George’s Bistro to George’s Café Bar, converted from a "Big Steak Pub" to a "Big Steak Kitchen". Marston’s Pedigree and Tetley’s Bitter are still the two cask beers on sale.

OTHER 'PINTS OF VIEW' ARTICLES

From the Archives Pub of the Month December 2000 Pub of the Month January 2001

Front Page Pub of the Year 2000 Potteries Pub Preservation Group Try the N/4

Belgium in a Bottle Pub News Titanic News 20th Stoke Beer Festival Report

Beartown Brewery Letters

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