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29th - Sneak thought it might be a good idea to have an entry today as it'll be four years before it can be done again. Anyway, Cap'n Kirk was in touch regarding Mr Cap and the trip to Yorkshire. "In our never ending quest for moderation in all things, our recent trip 'oop' north started on Saturday with a quick train journey to Leeds to present the runner up beer of the festival and a brewery trip. A quick pint in a pub by the station before heading back to York for the beer of the festival presentation and a brewery trip. The afternoon was spent visiting city centre pubs in York. After an all-you-can-eat chineese buffet, some of the more hardy members of the party then carried on the city centre crawl. Some of us lesser mortals offered to make sure that a certain member (no names, no packdrill, but think fawlty towers) who was a little tired and emotional (admitted to refilling his glass five times at the first brewery), got back to the hotel in one piece, although his Father Jack impersonation of being asleep in the armchair in the hotel bar is only one of the moments that night. Anyway that's why we were at the Leeds brewery when the picture was taken." So there you have it. York and Leeds.
20th - While Sneak has been quiet active recently, Sneak has just not had time to update the blog. So you will have to miss out on the delights of Dutch reaching 'critical mass', the introduction of a new source "100 degrees", and another installment in the elevation of Mr Cap to semi-devine status. Well actually Sneak can't miss on this one so, for all you Cappy fans, here is Mr Cap at York or Leeds brewery (Cap'n Kirk is a bit hazzy on this one) at the recent Beer of the Festival presentation. As Kirk says "... you can clearly see that Mr Cap is back on form with the correct attire, and a more sensibly sized container for his beer". Enjoy!
17th - Sneak was hoping the government would have a look at one of the consequences of the smoking ban - the lonely non-smoker. Like the disco girls, when one smoker wants one the room empties and the smokers adjourn to the 'smoking room'. Perhaps the government could ban more than two people smoking at once within five metres of each other it would save those occasions when the tumble weed starts to blow gently round the bar.
5th - Sneak has discovered another scientist who has delivered conclusive proof of what we all knew - beer makes you clever. These top boffins, in New Zealand, studied the mental performance of "specially-created transgenic rats" that were well supplied with drink and found that moderate daily alcohol intake conferred "heightened cognition". So the best thing is to have a couple of beers each and every day without fail, even if you don't want them. Skipping days is bad for you; especially if you then try to catch up later and drink several days' of brain-booster in a one.
1st - Sneak would like to wish all his (all 3 of them) readers and contributors a happy new year. So it seems the right time to let you all know that a Spanish boffin has proved that a quick pint (or three) of grog is also better at re hydrating the human body after exercise. A certain Manuel J Castillo Garzón, from Spain's University of Granada, got a bunch of students to run around in temperatures of 40°C then gave half of them a half-pint of beer while the rest got the same amount of water. The professor reckons the bubbles and carbohydrates in beer help quench the thirst and replace lost calories. Well Sneak doesn't know about the bubbles part but that walk to the pub is always a bit dehydrating so roll on 5 o'clock
4th - With the year approaching its close the silly season starts (no not the SILLY SAISON - that would go down well) and all Sneak will do is leave you with the headline from a recent article dug up on the internet. "Beer makes people have sex with you." Sneak knew there was a reason for the good stuff.
3rd - Young "Mr K" is still ploughing through the internet in search of the interesting or plain bizarre and found Sneak the following report from Dublin's Guinness brewery that was hit by an audacious raid in which an evidently thirsty man dubbed "the Beer Hunter" made off with 40,000 pints of the famous stout. The perp simply drove into the brewery yard in his own HGV, hitched it to a "well-provisioned" trailer and drove out again. The total pint-age nicked was 360 kegs of Guinness and Budweiser and 90 kegs of Carlsberg, worth a total of £46,000. A spokeswoman said: "We've never had such a breach of security prior to this and we're taking it extremely seriously. The spokeswoman rather brilliantly added: "What could they possibly want with all that beer?" Now Sneak tends to agree with "Mr K" who para-phases the spokeswoman "what could they possibly want with that beer?".
12th - Sneak has heard from a web-surfer who obviously has time on his hands. Seems that a 30-year-old Glaswegian has suffered what may go down in history as the greatest hangover - a six-month headache induced by sinking 60 pints over four days. According to The Lancet, the man presented himself in a Glasgow A&E last October suffering from "wavy" vision and a headache he had for more than a month. The report from from the hospital said he "had no history of head injury or loss of consciousness; his past medical record was unremarkable, and he was taking no medications", and that his body temperature and blood pressure were both normal. It was only when an eye specialist gave the poor bloke the once-over that the truth was revealed. He was suffering swollen optical discs, greatly enlarged blind spots and "flame hemorrhages" - bleeding nerve fibres. When quizzed, the patient admitted he had sunk 60 pints following a domestic crisis. The resulting dehydration had caused cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) - a rare condition which can lead to seizures, impaired consciousness, loss of vision and neurological damage. Now Sneak is not a doctor but recons it was most probably the 'super strength' lager drunk in the fair city of Glasgow wot did it.
7th - Sneak thinks Captain Kirk is on a bit of a roll at the moment. Dutch came forward with news that the 'Monty' had a pint for 90p (no really it said so outside) and offered up a challenge. Captain Kirk (who boldly goes where no man has gone before) informs Sneak that he "could not resist the chance to don my hoodie, shell suit and trainers, so I popped in this evening. There are in fact THREE hand pumps serving a selection of Green King IPA!!! but no clip. The 90p pint only applies to the GK IPA (and only up to 19.00, although it does not say that outside). In the never ending quest to locate potential GBG entries I had a half of Guinness and was later asked how it was. How is Guinness meant to be? Don't think I will be rushing back." Well thanks for the tip Captain. As an aside to the above Sneak was interested to learn from Kirk that he was once "thrown out of the 'Monty' for selecting all the Christmas tunes, like the Wombles etc, on the dukebox [sic] one lunch time, mind you it was in June." Go for it my son!
4th - "Greetings Sneak" starts the latest missive from "Cap'n James T Kink" (Sneak thinks he means Kirk and good old Tiberius has been supping too mich [sic] again) "Due to a transporter malfunction" Kirk conintues, "instead of shopping in Chichester I ended up north of Horsham, at the Royal Oak, Friday Street, Rusper. This was always a good pub when King and Barnes ran things and now having been set free by Hall and Woodhouse it is now a cracking free house. Dark Star Best and a Surrey Hills ale are always available plus FIVE other small or micro brewery beers, (1648, Surrey Hills, Dark Star today) plus a hand pumped cider. The food is all local and cooked to order and the portions are 'hearty'. Walkers, dogs and children are all welcome and the garden is being relandscaped to incorporate the stream. Well worth the detour to find even if it it is not on our patch." Sneak feels a tour coming on.
27th - 
Worthing Beer Festival Part 2. It seems our very own "Davina Bailey" snapped Cappy again - this is getting to be a habit - and Sneak is currently in negoiation with the webmaster to provide Cappy's fans with an online gallery. Sneak is not sure if he can wangle this so for the moment you'll have to come back here. Anyway for your delictation he is Cappy and apron - oh and some of the casks from the beer festival can just be made out behind.
25/6th - Worthing Beer Festival. The 11th. Another lost weekend.
10th - Sneak's buddy and long time drinking partner "Mr K" found this snippet from the BBC, it seems the British Beer and Pub Association have said there is a 3.3% year-on-year dip in alcohol consumption recorded in 2006, and this was the largest for 15 years. HM Revenue and Customs data, checked against sales information from BBPA members, suggests drinkers got through an average of 8.9 litres of alcohol per person in 2006. That compared with 9.2 litres in 2005. Come-on we must do better.
25th - Sneak wonders if you can guess which pubs these are?
1. "Inhabited by some very strange customers! Tourists, not recommended unless you're accompanied by fully trained experts for future counseling sessions !!".
2. "Located on a busy crossroads on the edge of a small industrial estate with limited parking facilities. It's clean and tidy, serves good ale and does most other things well but...it has got one or two of those idiosyncratic types of customer !!."
Any guesses ... ?
1. Clifton Arms
2. The Smugglars Return (formerly the Ham).
The descriptions are nothing to do with Sneak as he has't been in (1) since 2000 and (2) since it became the Smuggars. Does Sneak feel a trip coming on ... most probably not. (Comments from Pub Utopia[
])
16th - "Yo Sneakie, Captain's log, Stardate @#*$X7!! *(£}:¬(. I too have pictures of 'Mr Cap' [See 8th August). Is he speaking to his fans gathered below, or trying to find that bottle he put on the window ledge to cool down? I think we should be told. P.S. Good to see the head gear is in order this time." What more can Sneak add ... well the picture for one, Cheers Captain!
11th - One of Sneak's harder drinking buddies "Mr K" forwarded a link to a BBC News story[]about a beer festival. Now nothing strange there you might think ... but hang on this is an Octoberfest styled festival on the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The story tells of the Taybeh Brewing Company[]who brought the festival forward out of respect for thier Muslim neighbours, who begin their holy month of Ramadan this week. Sneak has veiwed the pictures[]as well, and while Taybeh is the only beer brewed in the Palestinian territories and its makers claim it is "the finest in the Middle East" Sneak thinks it looks decidely of regal
type and in different guises, from Dark to Gold is brewed using only the finest natural ingredients. Anyway they seem to be enjoying themselves.
31st - Sneak heard from Dutch again with something Sneak couldn't help but chuckle regarding Herr Webmeister, Dutch continues the story thus "Sneak's longtime drinking partner and look-a-like Herr Webmeister was in the Selden after work yeasterday (indeed he may well have been there since lunchtime!) waxing lyrical about the upcoming First Brugge Beer Festival[]to which he is being taken on his wedding anniversary! Known to share the imbibing capacity of the said Sneak, but with a list of 164 beers (even by 15cl tasting measures and typical Belgian strengths) will surely test those legenday powers! One trusts that should he later remember the true reason for the visit and, feeling a tad amourous, decide to climb the 366 steps to the top of the Belfry tower, his head will not swim too much! We await the photos with interest!" As does Sneak!
27th - "Good morrow Mr Sneak. [Starts 'Kirk'] I have just enjoyed a bottle of Applebocq (an apple wheat beer) from the Du Bocq brewery (well Tesco actually), and thought I would check the web site www.bocq.be[]. Amongst the data for the beers is a reference to the EBC colour. On investigation this turns out to be the European Brewing Convention colour chart. If you ever have trouble sleeping, try this link which goes to a 54 page PDF on beer colour testing - Viggiano Beer[]. Maybe we should include this info on the festival tasting notes!!" For prosperity Sneak has captured the final equation, the competition opens today ... what on earth does it mean!
20th - Sneak's favorite sleuth has been out and about yet again. "Yo Sneakie [Starts 'Captain Kirk'] Hope the holiday was OK? Now back to the serious stuff. We went to the farmers market in Steyning this morning and took the opportunity to pop into the Chequers. The regular beers are Dark Star Best, Gales HSB, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Fullers London Pride and a guest beer which was Arundel Gold. Dark Star and Taylors in great condition, as I was driving that was it. Also now a WI FI zone, should you have an icon for that? The pub was busy with drinkers of all ages so I reckon it needs to be surveyed properly. Keep Sneaking" 
19th - Sneak is usually a bit careful in who he identifies but not today as reliable sources saw "Herr Webmiester" supping large amounts of Pimms (with lots of fruit, leaves and stirring sticks) at Gio's. If that was not enough it was through a straw. Try as Sneak might find nobody was on hand with a camra [sic] so the story will be left to verbal accounts [with not too many witnesses!
8th - Sneak was his usual self today ... but not for long. A trip to GBBF was on the cards. Sneak visited on the Wednesday and was rewarded with "bumping" into a few of the regulars. The Wizard, of course, was on hand to offer advice as well suggestions to avoid ...
Sneak managed to "bag" some exclusive shots of other regulars. Here for your delectation is Mr Cap himself. OK Sneak has to admit this is the first time he has seen Mr Cap capless. But what sort of glass is the legendary drinker using, would that be a third then?
The Sneak Archive - check out what has gone on before ...
