With The Power Of Ale, You Cannot Fail

After the hangover that was the Real Ale Festival, our local Wetherspoons had arranged a tasting session on behalf of the Saltaire Brewery. So down we went at 7.30pm to try their ales.

They were giving them away in free third pints and there were four to try. The licquorice stout and the blonde were my favourites as they were sweet with a hidden depth. The Ruby Red was pleasant enough whilst the golden-coloured Skye was a little dry for me. As we showed interest in the Brewery as the lady was wandering around the pub giving everyone their free thirds, we got far more than the requisite four. We were also invited to drink in their brewery this Friday. We bought a pint each to show our gratitude.

By 9pm it was over and we went home. Early night for everyone and the sunny weather this morning has put me in an excellent humour.

Sadly government plans to tax super strength beers come as a bit of a blow, particularly as the problems with alcohol come with the copious drinking of cheap fizzy crap that is designed to be downed. I have never seen social problems outside a continental beer bar yet plenty of misbehaviour can be viewed outside nightclubs which sell poor quality beer. I don't think alcohol content is a problem but the ingredients and prevalence of the main brands, particularly when they are on ridiculous special offers in clubs and supermarkets. There is your problem, not high strength beers.

Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.

With The Power Of Ale, You Cannot Fail

After the hangover that was the Real Ale Festival, our local Wetherspoons had arranged a tasting session on behalf of the Saltaire Brewery. So down we went at 7.30pm to try their ales.

They were giving them away in free third pints and there were four to try. The licquorice stout and the blonde were my favourites as they were sweet with a hidden depth. The Ruby Red was pleasant enough whilst the golden-coloured Skye was a little dry for me. As we showed interest in the Brewery as the lady was wandering around the pub giving everyone their free thirds, we got far more than the requisite four. We were also invited to drink in their brewery this Friday. We bought a pint each to show our gratitude.

By 9pm it was over and we went home. Early night for everyone and the sunny weather this morning has put me in an excellent humour.

Sadly government plans to tax super strength beers come as a bit of a blow, particularly as the problems with alcohol come with the copious drinking of cheap fizzy crap that is designed to be downed. I have never seen social problems outside a continental beer bar yet plenty of misbehaviour can be viewed outside nightclubs which sell poor quality beer. I don't think alcohol content is a problem but the ingredients and prevalence of the main brands, particularly when they are on ridiculous special offers in clubs and supermarkets. There is your problem, not high strength beers.

Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.

Fiscal Fisting

Current CPI rate of inflation - 4.4%
Current RPI rate of inflation - 5.5%
Current rate of interest on my savings - 2.9%

I can't help but feel that the prudent ones amongst us are suffering for the avarice and greed of everyone else. Whilst the value of my savings decreases so does the value of the debt of those who took out loans and mortgages they could ill-afford.

I have a student loan, whose value is also decreasing over time (which is the only positive at the moment) but the worst debt I have ever been in is an overdraft of £800. Consequently I do not benefit from the current economic conditions and the message appears to be to get yourself into eyeballs of debt as you will not suffer as much as those who are sensible.

In a country which has a mantra of property is king - the rise in house prices over the last decade resulted in many people over stretching themselves and this is now the main barrier preventing a rise in interest rates as it would force many people to default on their mortgage. So prudent people like me must suffer interest rates on our savings which are wiped out by the rate of inflation. I have no intention of buying a house any time soon.

Not even stocks and shares ISAs will be sufficient now nor accounts in which you lock your money for a number of years. Clearly I made the mistake of not spunking all my money on material goods - I now know for next time.

*In response to some of the comments below, I will further the above by saying many people with mortgages were merely responding to market conditions. They shouldn't have been offered mortgages that they had no realistic way of paying back and the blame here should largely be laid at the banks and the previous government's lack of regulation. However, it was clear this country was in a property bubble and taking on such mortgages was a decision that these people made and some responsibility should lie at their door. Despite this, I think it was more down to market conditions than greed, a comment I reserve for those who have high credit card and store card debt etc. I probably should have checked this post before posting it but my bus had just arrived then my phone battery died - as crap as an excuse as that is.

Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.

Fiscal Fisting

Current CPI rate of inflation - 4.4%
Current RPI rate of inflation - 5.5%
Current rate of interest on my savings - 2.9%

I can't help but feel that the prudent ones amongst us are suffering for the avarice and greed of everyone else. Whilst the value of my savings decreases so does the value of the debt of those who took out loans and mortgages they could ill-afford.

I have a student loan, whose value is also decreasing over time (which is the only positive at the moment) but the worst debt I have ever been in is an overdraft of £800. Consequently I do not benefit from the current economic conditions and the message appears to be to get yourself into eyeballs of debt as you will not suffer as much as those who are sensible.

In a country which has a mantra of property is king - the rise in house prices over the last decade resulted in many people over stretching themselves and this is now the main barrier preventing a rise in interest rates as it would force many people to default on their mortgage. So prudent people like me must suffer interest rates on our savings which are wiped out by the rate of inflation. I have no intention of buying a house any time soon.

Not even stocks and shares ISAs will be sufficient now nor accounts in which you lock your money for a number of years. Clearly I made the mistake of not spunking all my money on material goods - I now know for next time.

*In response to some of the comments below, I will further the above by saying many people with mortgages were merely responding to market conditions. They shouldn't have been offered mortgages that they had no realistic way of paying back and the blame here should largely be laid at the banks and the previous government's lack of regulation. However, it was clear this country was in a property bubble and taking on such mortgages was a decision that these people made and some responsibility should lie at their door. Despite this, I think it was more down to market conditions than greed, a comment I reserve for those who have high credit card and store card debt etc. I probably should have checked this post before posting it but my bus had just arrived then my phone battery died - as crap as an excuse as that is.

Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.