When I spent some time in Ireland it was a complete revelation how much better it tasted than at home. What surprises me is actually how much better Guinness is in the UK now, half decent in some places.
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This is likely due to the history of where it was brewed. England Guiness used to be brewed at the Park Royal brewery in London and folk often said that the real Irish stuff was better. The Park Royal brewery was closed in 2005 and the Guiness for the UK since then has been sourced from the St James Gate brewery in Dublin, i.e. the real Irish stuff!
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The Guiness I drink is brewed in Osaka.
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When I was a student in Oxford, there was a lovely little pub run by an Irish couple who used to import barrels of Guinness from Dublin. They liked to serve the Guinness at room temperature, so the untapped barrels were kept under the banquette seating in the tiny pub.
So, if a barrel ran out, all the customers had to stand up while the bar staff retrieved a new barrel from under the seating .
The pub was next to a Chinese restaurant which didnāt have a licence to sell booze. Undaunted, the staff would sell lovely hot sake, which was served in teapots.
How the Police didnāt bust them is as much a mystery to me now as it was then.
Both quite marvellous places! It makes me feel very old just to think back to those days, getting on for 50 years ago now.
I would love to go back, to see if either of those places is still there now.
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A bottle of NZ stout poured and ready for the service.
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Itās pretty impressive March live I must say Mike
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Yes you are mad itās officialā¦ā¦.wonderful being bonkers donāt you thinkš
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Watching a young lad make his debut for Arsenal FC yesterday who was born in 2007.
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Iāve been mad for fcking years. 
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Iām not mad. Pretty much everyone else howeverā¦
Willy.
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I feel much older because the audiologist says I need hearing aids at 67. High frequency about 2000 hz not being heard much. Does anyone have recommendations for hearing aids that are compatible with hifi sound (like from my great NAIM system)? Because on the forum I note that some folks have problems with thisā¦
Thereās lots I could write. The main thing is if you can afford it, go private not NHS (NHS is too slow, gives you obsolete aids and is stingy in adjustments), tell the audiologist that listening to music is very important to you, and be pleasant but pushy about adjustments after your fitting.
Personally I like GN Resound hearing aids, but others here prefer Phonak or Starkey.
The technology changes every two years or so. I suggest buying the latest and best you can. Itās not a lot of money in Naim terms and can transform your life. A pair of premium quality aids with support for several years should cost Ā£4K or less. You should be able to have a free trial for a few weeks before deciding to buy.
Itās a cool thing to order a pint of Guinness; thatās why people do it.
eh, no!
ā¦when I ordered a Guinness it was for the unique body and flavor.
In the US a lot of places serving Guinness just did not have the knowledge, patience or capability of doing it right. Also some places just did not have the customer base and could serve enough volume to have fresh product and keep their lines clean. The typical bar or tavern employee training is to pull the tap and get the product in front of the customer fast.
Same could be said for a good Hefeweizen with a lemon wedge. A great summer beer but not found or served everywhere.
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Ticking the option in your superannuation account to start paying you a pension. 
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Well - having watched a good part of the queenās funeral plus the other related formalities over the last 10 days or so, I look back on my life and remember the time when I first saw her in my NZ hometown in 1953, when I was 3 years old
That kind of makes me feel old - sort of
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Well that makes me feel young, I wasnāt born. 
Ha ha - well Iām not about to tick that option box on my superannuation account for a pension just yet 
More fool you.
No hurry - more Naim gear to buy no doubt knowing me 