Mine's a Pint - Spring 2020

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Beer Mat CollectingSo often taken for granted, the familiar beermat, drip mat or coaster is more than just apiece of absorbent material but, nevertheless,is so easily overlooked. It’s probably just whenthey’re not around that their absence is mostkeenly felt but, in becoming objects of historicalvalue and artistic worth, they extend wellbeyond their utility as point-of-sale advertisingmaterial. Probably, the nostalgia for lostbreweries that commissioned their manufactureor past beers now consigned to history realisestheir true worth to the casual observer but it’salso in terms of commemorating past events,from coronations to beer festivals, from jubileesto sporting fixtures, that they come into theirown just as readily.Whether as mementos of changing fashions,both in apparel and beer styles or with somehumorous intent, beer mats are often exquisitelydesigned and have thus become targeted by‘tegestologists’, the technical name accorded tocollectors of these modest but essential items.‘Teges’ itself comes from Latin, meaninga covering or mat, although the term‘dripsomaniacs’ is often unkindly used todescribe such hobbyists. They would invariablycounter that it would be a rare pub-goerindeed that has not been tempted at one timeor another to purloin a beer mat or two, suchis the range of topics that have been coveredby a brewery or virtually any other drinksmanufacturer. Not that they’ve been solelycommissioned by companies associated withthe beerage as transport undertakers, roadsafety campaigners, charity fundraisers, cigarand cigarette manufacturers, crisp, nut andmeat pie factories and even banks and sportsclubs have all issued their own promotionaldrip mats.Likewise, the range of topics covered is almostendless and, sometimes, they have formed partof a numbered series to actively promote theirMine’s A Pint15Part 1acquisition, just as cigarette cards did in theirday, thereby decrying the accusation that, asbeing disposable, they have no intrinsic value!Their appeal can be, perhaps, best likenedto stamps, which philatelists devour as newissues and denominations come into the publicdomain.Similarly, beer mat collecting has its own club,the British Beermat Collectors’ Society, fortegestologists to meet, swap and disseminateinformation on the subject. Founded in 1960,the BBCS was suggested by a Mr Chris Walshwho placed an advertisement in ‘Exchange &Mart’ (a printed bound newspaper for bothtrade and public to advertise and sell itemsthat predated e-bay) asking for like-mindedindividuals to contact him. An enthusiasticresponse gave rise to an initial membershipthat was 20-strong which had, by the 1980s,grown to 1,200 worldwide and even had, asits first joint presidents, that famous comedicpartnership of Morecambe& Wise for a time. A filmwas made promotingthe new Societyoutside the BatterseaPark Funfair BeerHall by British Pathéwhich featured the pairadopting various rusesto acquire, from anothercustomer, a different beermat to one of thosethey’d been given!Local meetings are held all across the UKmonthly with a national annual meeting, verymuch like CAMRA itself. Members receive aspecial BBCS beer mat when they first enrol andthen whenever their individual collections reacha particular milestone, be it 1,000, 2,000 orwhatever with one Austrian collector amassinga world record to date with over 150,000 mats.If placed in a line, end to end, they would reachto nearly 10 miles in length!
Page 1: THE MAGAZINE FOR READING ANDMID BER
Page 4 and 5: MayThursday 7th: (20:00) First Thur
Page 6 and 7: Pub NewsCavershamThe Fox & Hounds i
Page 8 and 9: TilehurstThe Butchers in Lower Armo
Page 10 and 11: Chiltern2020 marks the 40th anniver
Page 12 and 13: Small BeerA round up of news and in
Page 16 and 17: The Society had undertaken to catal
Page 18 and 19: Both sets won the BBCS ‘beer mat
Page 20 and 21: Ale Trail - Now OnEvery spring sees
Page 22 and 23: Reading Beer &Cider Festival 2020 -
Page 24 and 25: ESTABLISHED 2006SERVING OVER 1,500C
Page 26 and 27: amazing Affogato, you probably stil
Page 28: Will Siren be making an appearance
Page 32: - EVENTS- TOURS- REAL ALE- CRAFT BE

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