Kmflett's Blog

Beard Liberation Front

15th January

contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Beard of the Year: Rylan Clark-Neal

The Beard Liberation Front as expressed concern as the Guardian has once again drawn attention to an entirely made-up story about men’s beards being dirtier than dog hairs.

The story was linked to in a piece partly inspired by right-wing Australian ‘researchers’ (University of Queensland)who regularly publish articles claiming women like men with beards, or, alternatively women dont like men with beards. Same sex relationships never feature.

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/jan/15/scientists-cite-parasite-factor-in-beard-attractiveness-debate?CMP=share_btn_tw

The beards and dog hairs was first printed in the Guardian in April 2019 and debunked by the BLF and others here:

Beards, dogs, dirt: the long reach of fake news

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, its concerning that the Guardian should repeat a made up story about beards. As for the Australian researchers they no doubt will continue. Others may think that one of the key reasons why many have beards is not to attract anyone but simply so they dont have to shave first thing in the morning

E P Thompson v Roger Scruton on wine

I drank a glass or two of real ale with EP Thompson over the years (mainly from memory Courage Directors bitter in Worcester) but not wine.

I was motivated to check his view on wine while looking at the controversy surrounding the late Roger Scruton’s comments about him in the 1985 volume Thinkers of the New Left and Thompson’s subsequent response.

Scruton published a book on philosophers and wine.

But what of Thompson and wine?

Perry Anderson in a note after Thompson’s untimely death in 1993 noted a time when Thompson stayed with him in London in 1962 (LRB 21st October 1993):

Coming home one evening in the last weeks of 1962, I found a bottle of wine in the vacated room, with a note underneath. Edward Thompson had been completing The Making of the English Working-Class.

Thompson’s criticism of staying in the old EEC published in the Sunday Times in 1975 (27th April 1975), Going into Europe, noted that one thing Europhiles liked about Europe was the ‘vintage wines’.

Thompson’s views on wine in his classic Making of the English Working Class were mixed. He noted that one of those who rode with the Yeomanry at Peterloo on 16th August 1819 was a wine merchant. On the other hand the leading Chartist Bronterre O’Brien (1805-64) was the son of an Irish wine merchant.

Scruton in I Drink Therefore I am argued that ‘while societies differ over which intoxicants should be encouraged…there has been a convergence of opinion around one all important rule: that the result must not threaten public order’

That is certainly what the wine merchant did at Peterloo and what the son of a wine merchant Bronterre O’Brien intended in some degree, although in different ways.

It may be presumed that Scruton liked wine, and Thompson was less keen. In his diary for 2019 published in the Spectator in early December Scruton revealed that at 75 (before his final illness had been diagnosed) he had given up hunting foxes. As Alex Callinicos noted on social media the fox hunting activity seemed to be about Scruton’s attempt to portray himself as a country gentleman, and a Tory, rather than an academic.

Again neither academic or gentleman rules out wine. Whether however Scruton’s views on wine matched historical reality is another matter.

We might conclude that philosopher though he may have been (as well as a number of other much less satisfactory things) historian Scruton was not.

Beard Liberation Front

14th January

contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

‘Beard Bard’ Bellamy on Beard of Winter shortlist

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that a trade union official and Labour Councillor dubbed the ‘Beard Bard’ by Michael Rosen has joined the Beard of Winter shortlist.

Ben Bellamy posted his Poem for the Hirsute on Twitter and Michael Rosen responded by suggesting that he should be nominated by the Beard Liberation Front as a ‘Beard Bard’

The vote for Beard of Winter is now open and will close at midday on 27th January with the result announced on 28th January

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, we welcome hirsute poetry and Ben Bellamy is a welcome addition to the Beard of Winter shortlist

Poem for the Hirsute by Ben Bellamy

Some chaps in the morning are enjoying long lie ins,

While other men busy themselves scraping at their chins,

And as they shave and pluck and groom and raze away the lather,

The more hirsute, and more astute just grow a balaclava.

Beard of Winter 2020

Beard of Winter shortlist

Dominic Sibley, England cricketer

Michael Rosen, author & broadcaster

Guz Khan, comedian & actor

Paul Chowdhry, comedian & actor

Carrick McClean, beard campaigner

Mikel Arteta, football manager

Daniel Vane, brewer

Wayne Rooney, footballer

Prince Harry, ex-Royal

Justin Trudeau, politician

Nuno, football manager

Ben Bellamy, Beard Bard

Beard Liberation Front

14th January

contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Prince Harry retains place on Beard of Winter shortlist after Sandringham meeting with Queen

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said Prince Harry has retained his place on the Beard of Winter shortlist after a meeting with the Queen at Sandringham on 13^th January.

There had been concerns that Harry would trim or shave off his beard for the key meeting, given that the Queen is known not to be a great fan of beards.

However such evidence as there is suggests that the Prince stuck to his hirsute principles

The vote for Beard of Winter is now open and will close at midday on 27th January with the result announced on 28th January

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, whether Prince Harry is the kind of positive image that beard wearers want we’ll leave to Beard of Winter voters but the public profile of his beard could hardly be higher right now.

Beard of Winter 2020

Beard of Winter shortlist

Dominic Sibley, England cricketer

Michael Rosen, author & broadcaster

Guz Khan, comedian & actor

Paul Chowdhry, comedian & actor

Carrick McClean, beard campaigner

Mikel Arteta, football manager

Daniel Vane, brewer

Wayne Rooney, footballer

Prince Harry, ex-Royal

Justin Trudeau, politician

Nuno, football manager

Beard Liberation Front

Contact Keith Flett           07803 167266

13^th January

BEARD WEARERS WARNED: WIND CAN DAMAGE YOUR BEARD

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that as high winds are set to sweep across the UK on Tuesday beard wearers are strongly advised to take special care of their beards.

The campaigners say that while danger to life and limb is the central issue when extreme weather hits, a secondary concern for organic beard wearers is that exposing the beard to high and blustery winds may blow the beard out of shape and can cause permanent hair and follicle damage in some cases.

It is less likely that designer and some hipster beards will suffer significant wind damage

The BLF advises the following precautions:

Keep the beard slightly damp at all times by immersing it in a glass of hazy IPA or imperial stout. This will give solidity to the beard hairs and prevent them being blown around.

Use a scarf to protect the beard at all times

Secure the beard with elastic bands, strapping the hairs to the chin

If the beard is blown out of shape use a hair dryer to re-form the hairs in the correct position and then stay indoors for a several hours to allow the hairs and follicles to recover

BLF organiser Keith Flett said, the answer is most definitely not blowin’ in the wind today. We advise the hirsute to take care out there

Beard Liberation Front

Media Release

13th January

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

11,000 votes sees Beard Friendly Pub of the Year Award go to a pub outside London for first time

The Beard Liberation Front has confirmed the winners of the vote for the annual Beard Friendly Pub of the Year.

The decisive winner in a poll which saw 11,000 votes cast in 10 days is the Bumble Inn micropub in Peterborough

It is the first time a pub outside of London has won the annual award and the campaigners say it reflects the continued growth of beard friendly pubs

There were as usual three categories within the overall poll:

1 Overall Winner & runner-up

The Bumble Inn, Peterborough

The Cock, London,E8

2 London Winner & runner-up

The Cock, London E8

Kernel Brewery Tap,Bermondsey

3 Regional Winner & runners-up

The Bumble Inn, Peterborough

The Stoneworks, Peterborough (tied)

Tom’s Tap & Brewhouse Crewe (tied)

BLF Inspectors surveyed pubs for beard friendliness and finalised a list including several nominations from drinkers.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, congratulations to the winners. Its clear that in 2020 Britain’s pubs are becoming more beard friendly, and that means tolerant and open to all. Not only that, judging by the level of votes beard friendly pubs are more popular than ever as well

The criteria for the Award include:

Beard Friendly Pub: a pub that welcomes the hirsute and often has a significant number of hirsute customers, including but certainly not confined to those with modern styles of beards.

Beard Friendly Ambience: a pub that may have fewer hirsute customers but is welcoming to the hirsute through some bearded bar staff and beard friendly beers, plus has a generally relaxed atmosphere for all.

The campaign group says it welcomes diversity in both appearance and drinking. The truly beard friendly pub will have a genuine mix of customers not just a load of old blokes grumbling about life.

The list includes a range of pubs, bars and tap rooms without attempting to classify into sections

The 2019 winner was the Cock Tavern in Hackney

The Beard Friendly Pub, Bar, Tap of the Year Short List 2020

Bundobust, Manchester/Leeds/Liverpool

Bubs, Cardiff

The Chesham Arms, Hackney

Cock Tavern, Hackney

Hanging Bat, Edinburgh

Mother Kelly’s (Bethnal Green)

Small Bar, Bristol

Stoneworks, Peterborough

Whitelocks/Turks Head, Leeds

Magic Rock Brewery Tap, Huddersfield

Wellington, Birmingham

Tom’s Tap & Brewhouse, Crewe

The Experiment, Hackney

Fell Brewery Taproom, Kendal

High Cross, Tottenham

Bumble Inn, Peterborough

Cloudwater Tap Manchester

Ship & Mitre, Liverpool

Kernel Tap, Bermondsey

Plough Monday: the start of a year of revolt

In the traditional calendar the first Sunday after Epiphany (Twelfth Night) is Plough Sunday.

This is the ritual start of the agricultural year when land is ploughed ready for the sowing of crops.

The ritual was also carried out on Plough Monday.

Poorer land holders didn’t usually own a plough and a communal one was held by the local church( the source of authority in pre-industrial times).

As often with such rituals rebellion was never far away.

George Ewart Evans in The Pattern Under the Plough (1965) noted:

The ploughman dragged a gaily decorated plough from door to door asking for money to buy drink…if any householder refused to contribute to this foolery,the mummers put their shoulders to the plough, and ploughed up the greensward in front of his door. There was also a lot of dancing and high stepping antics performed by the mummers

Jo Draper on Plough Monday in Dorchester

In Dorchester, Freddie James, Agricultural Trades Union worker and Mayor of the town from 1934 to 1936, had decided that this was a festival worth reviving because it marked the beginning of the farming year. He said, ‘When we cease to recognise the importance of the plough, it will be a bad day for this country. This Festival will help agriculture, for the more people think about its real meaning, the more honourable will they find the profession. There is a greater skill required in handling a plough than in some of the leading crafts of the day.’ He managed to coincide Plough Monday with a visit by the Minister of Agriculture, who addressed a large meeting of Conservatives at Weymouth and then came up to Dorchester to ‘toast the plough’.

http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2010/01/plough-monday-in-dorchester/

But the great event of the day was when they came before some house which bore signs that the owner was well-to-do in the world, and nothing was given to them. Bossy rattled his box and the ploughmen danced, while the country lads blew their bullocks’ horns, or shouted with all their might; but if there was still no sign, no coming forth of either bread-and-cheese or ale, then the word was given, the ploughshare driven into the ground before the door or window, the whole twenty men yoked pulling like one, and in a minute or two the ground before the house was as brown, barren, and ridgy as a newly-ploughed field. But this was rarely done, for everybody gave something, and were it but little the men never murmured, though they might talk about the stinginess of the giver afterwards amongst themselves, more especially if the party was what they called ” well off in the world.” We are notaware that the ploughmen were ever summoned to answer for such a breach of the law, for they believe, to use their own expressive language, ” they can stand by it, and no law in the world can touch ’em,’ cause it’s an old charter;” and we are sure it would spoil their ” folly to be wise.”

Chambers Book of Days (11^th Jan 1864)

Beard Liberation Front

Media Release

12th January

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Hackney’s Cock Tavern voted London’s most Beard Friendly Pub of the Year

The Beard Liberation Front has said that Hackney’s Cock Tavern has been voted London’s most Beard Friendly Pub of the Year.

The London runner-up was the new Kernel Brewery tap room in Bermondsey. Kernel is one of London’s oldest craft breweries

The Bumble Inn in Peterborough was the overall national winner in the annual poll which saw over 11,000 votes this year.

BLF Inspectors surveyed pubs for beard friendliness and finalised a list including several nominations from drinkers.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, congratulations to the Cock Tavern. While the national Beard Friendly Pub of the Year Award has gone to a Regional pub for the first time, the Cock remains an iconic destination amongst London drinkers after good beer, beard or not.

The criteria for the Award include:

Beard Friendly Pub: a pub that welcomes the hirsute and often has a significant number of hirsute customers, including but certainly not confined to those with modern styles of beards.

Beard Friendly Ambience: a pub that may have fewer hirsute customers but is welcoming to the hirsute through some bearded bar staff and beard friendly beers, plus has a generally relaxed atmosphere for all.

The campaign group says it welcomes diversity in both appearance and drinking. The truly beard friendly pub will have a genuine mix of customers not just a load of old blokes grumbling about life.

The list includes a range of pubs, bars and tap rooms without attempting to classify into sections

The 2019 winner was the Cock Tavern in Hackney

The Beard Friendly Pub, Bar, Tap of the Year Short List 2020

Bundobust, Manchester/Leeds/Liverpool

Bubs, Cardiff

The Chesham Arms, Hackney

Cock Tavern, Hackney

Hanging Bat, Edinburgh

Mother Kelly’s (Bethnal Green)

Small Bar, Bristol

Stoneworks, Peterborough

Whitelocks/Turks Head, Leeds

Magic Rock Brewery Tap, Huddersfield

Wellington, Birmingham

Tom’s Tap & Brewhouse, Crewe

The Experiment, Hackney

Fell Brewery Taproom, Kendal

High Cross, Tottenham

Bumble Inn, Peterborough

Cloudwater Tap Manchester

Ship & Mitre, Liverpool

Kernel Tap, Bermondsey

Beard Liberation Front

Media Release

12th January

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Britain’s pubs more beard friendly than ever as Crewe Brewery Tap ties for place in annual Award

The Beard Liberation Front has said that for the second year in a row a Crewe pub, Tom’s Tap and Brewhouse has been placed in the Beard Friendly Pub of the Year vote.

The Bumble Inn in Peterborough beat the 2019 winner Hackney’s Cock Tavern in the annual poll which saw over 11,000 votes this year.

Crewe’s Tom’s Tap and Brewhouse tied with Peterborough’s Stoneworks bar for the runner-up in the Regional category

BLF Inspectors surveyed pubs for beard friendliness and finalised a list including several nominations from drinkers.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, congratulations to Tom’s Tap and Brewhouse they have established themselves as one of the iconic beard friendly bars in the UK, open and friendly to all including of course beard wearers

The criteria for the Award include:

Beard Friendly Pub: a pub that welcomes the hirsute and often has a significant number of hirsute customers, including but certainly not confined to those with modern styles of beards.

Beard Friendly Ambience: a pub that may have fewer hirsute customers but is welcoming to the hirsute through some bearded bar staff and beard friendly beers, plus has a generally relaxed atmosphere for all.

The campaign group says it welcomes diversity in both appearance and drinking. The truly beard friendly pub will have a genuine mix of customers not just a load of old blokes grumbling about life.

The list includes a range of pubs, bars and tap rooms without attempting to classify into sections

The 2019 winner was the Cock Tavern in Hackney

The Beard Friendly Pub, Bar, Tap of the Year Short List 2020

Bundobust, Manchester/Leeds/Liverpool

Bubs, Cardiff

The Chesham Arms, Hackney

Cock Tavern, Hackney

Hanging Bat, Edinburgh

Mother Kelly’s (Bethnal Green)

Small Bar, Bristol

Stoneworks, Peterborough

Whitelocks/Turks Head, Leeds

Magic Rock Brewery Tap, Huddersfield

Wellington, Birmingham

Tom’s Tap & Brewhouse, Crewe

The Experiment, Hackney

Fell Brewery Taproom, Kendal

High Cross, Tottenham

Bumble Inn, Peterborough

Cloudwater Tap Manchester

Ship & Mitre, Liverpool

Kernel Tap, Bermondsey

Beard Liberation Front

Media Release

12th January

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Britain’s pubs more beard friendly than ever as Peterborough Micro-pub voted Beard Friendly Pub of the Year

The Beard Liberation Front has said that for the first time ever a pub outside of London has won the Beard Friendly Pub of the Year vote.

The Bumble Inn in Peterborough beat the 2019 winner Hackney’s Cock Tavern in the annual poll which saw over 11,000 votes this year.

It was something of a clean shave for Peterborough as the Stoneworks in the city was a Regional runner-up tying for second place with Tom’s Tap & Brewhouse in Crewe

BLF Inspectors surveyed pubs for beard friendliness and finalised a list including several nominations from drinkers.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, congratulations to the Bumble Inn. Its victory underlines that Britain’s pubs are more friendly than ever, open and tolerant of all kinds of drinkers in 2020

The criteria for the Award include:

Beard Friendly Pub: a pub that welcomes the hirsute and often has a significant number of hirsute customers, including but certainly not confined to those with modern styles of beards.

Beard Friendly Ambience: a pub that may have fewer hirsute customers but is welcoming to the hirsute through some bearded bar staff and beard friendly beers, plus has a generally relaxed atmosphere for all.

The campaign group says it welcomes diversity in both appearance and drinking. The truly beard friendly pub will have a genuine mix of customers not just a load of old blokes grumbling about life.

The list includes a range of pubs, bars and tap rooms without attempting to classify into sections

The 2019 winner was the Cock Tavern in Hackney

The Beard Friendly Pub, Bar, Tap of the Year Short List 2020

Bundobust, Manchester/Leeds/Liverpool

Bubs, Cardiff

The Chesham Arms, Hackney

Cock Tavern, Hackney

Hanging Bat, Edinburgh

Mother Kelly’s (Bethnal Green)

Small Bar, Bristol

Stoneworks, Peterborough

Whitelocks/Turks Head, Leeds

Magic Rock Brewery Tap, Huddersfield

Wellington, Birmingham

Tom’s Tap & Brewhouse, Crewe

The Experiment, Hackney

Fell Brewery Taproom, Kendal

High Cross, Tottenham

Bumble Inn, Peterborough

Cloudwater Tap Manchester

Ship & Mitre, Liverpool

Kernel Tap, Bermondsey