Henry the VIII was a great lover of Spiced Ale.
In old England ale and bread long were the chief items served for breakfast. There really is no joke here when we say "Breakfast Beer." The quantities consumed by the ladies at breakfast was considerable, for in the reign of Henry the VIII the maids of honor were allowed for breakfast,"one Chete loaf (Coarse Bread), one Manchet (a wheaten yeast bread of very good quality), two gallons of Ale, and a pitcher of wine."
A breakfast Ale Swilling "Maid of Honor"
Each? If so... these Maids were very strong women and hardy drinkers!
From a two door Vauxhall in the back seat... emerald green
As we headed in the direction of Seaton I had plenty of time to think of all the green, the colour of money, and funny I drifted to thinking how Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs, Countrywide home loans and American International Group (AIG) all were major contributors to both candidates running for President of the United States from both parties in the 2008 election after contributing to collapsing the world economy. Strange it is that since then none of these companies have been dragged into court to explain in plain English... well you know what I'm saying.
I confess I had been reading the Telegraph... as mile after mile of green after a while... so you pick up a paper: “The Euro is a dysfunctional currency without a central treasury, or debt union, nor has it an economic government policy to back it up. It was originally issued to the European public to use as legal tender before the membership nations legal systems, wage bargaining practices, productivity growth, and the interest rate differences between North and South Europe had converged...
I thought back to my dear British Father in law to the year 2004... God rest his soul... he was so proud before he passed from this Earth that the British government then had refused to join the "Euro currency Game," not the British he said, “we have the Pound Sterling!”... Ask Chancellor Merkel of Germany how she's working with the situation these days... now there's a banking system... if ever there was one... that want's to pullout now! Not to worry as we are here for the beer...
Somehow we found ourselves on the A30 heading south from Ilminster towards Exeter, almost in Honiton when we passed through Monkton, a saving grace for finally here was a loo. You bet we pulled into the Monkton Court Hotel... steeped in history, a former manor house and one time a vicarage to the Mary Magdalen Church that funny enough sits just across the street within walking distance; I'm seeing a correlation here and did I mention the loo!
I did not go inside, I should have for research reveals the beautiful stained glass windows were designed by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, a British artist of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. You can bet next time I am in this neck of the woods I will stop to have a look. The church of St. Mary Magdalene, excepting the tower, was entirely rebuilt of stone in 1862, in the Norman style . . . there are 130 seats.
The description for Monkton itself reads from the National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland of 1868: "MONKTON, a parish in the hundred of Colyton, county Devon, 2 miles N.E. of Honiton, its post town (where the post office was), and 12 miles E. of the Collumpton railway station. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on the S. bank of the river Otter, and on the high road to Taunton.
The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. The soil is clayey, with a marly subsoil. The living is a perpetual curacy annexed to the vicarage* of Colyton, in the diocese of Exeter. The church, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, is an ancient stone structure with a tower containing three bells. There is a small parochial school. R. S. Gard, Esq., is lord of the manor."
Now refreshed... I walked up to the landlord of the Monkton Court Hotel pub... (yes a woman) recognized for me my best choice for Ale... and placed orders for all in our travel party... now you just try and tell me after hours on the road crammed in the back seat of a two door Vauxhall... having to use the loo practically for the whole trip... and for what seemed ages our not being able to find a pub... with every bump in the road recalled and now relieved... with my legs properly stretched, in pleasant surroundings and with good seating waiting for refreshment to arrive...ah yessssssss... “Boddies” an Ale of great beauty!
I love this place. Monkton Court Hotel, Monkton, Nr Honiton, Devon EX14 9QH, enquiries@monktoncourthotel.co.uk, Phone 01404 42309
Boddingtons: the story
2 comments:
Holy cow, those must have been big old maids of honor if they could drink two gallons of ANYTHING at a single sitting!! :>)
love the homeland and the commentary... pics brought back a rush of memories.. thanks for sharing
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