Don't forget to put your clocks forward this weekend!

This weekend sees the end of winter and the official start of spring, as British Summer Time begins. Don't forget to move your clocks forward 1 hour at 1am on Sunday 28th March, the change will mean darker mornings but lighter evenings.
On a personal note I'm well annoyed because I have to start work at 6am on Sunday, so after loosing an hours sleep it will feel like me getting up at 4am instead of the usual 5. Can't wait till the end of October when the clocks go back an hour so we get more sleep, although knowing my luck I'll be working nights then so will have to work the extra hour- can't we just stick to Greenwich Mean Time and leave the clocks as they are!

Tax up on Cider from Midnight on Sunday

Drinkers across the county have been appalled by Alistair Darling's decision to increase the tax on cider by 10% above the rate of inflation. Already the protests are starting with a Downing Street petition launched and even a Facebook campaign to get the Worzel's classic 'I am a Cider Drinker' to number one in protest.

While minsters argue that the tax increase will discourage underage drinking, many cite the hike as unfair. Cider has traditionally be subject to a lower level of taxation than other drinks due to the high set-up costs compared to beer brewing and the time taken to turnover the product.

Its seems that once again the nation's pubs will feel the pinch more than anyone with the price of a pint down your local increasing by an estimated 20p. Going back 20 to 30 years a pint in a pub would cost you around twice as much as the equivalent from a supermarket. Its now estimated that the difference could be typically 4 or 5 times that amount.

Surely a fairer way would be to distinguish the taxation between those drinks served on tap at pubs and those bottled or canned drinks available from Supermarkets and off-licences. If the tax rises are being justified as ways of combating underage drinking such a distinction between off-licence and pub taxation would lead to more people drinking in the sociable environment of their local pub than getting boozed up at home or on the streets.

Rave Reader Reviews for Treacle Mine

We've received a couple of glowing reader reviews for the recently re-opened Treacle Mine.

Keith Marshall is a regular there and highly recommends the Gammon and Egg roll. Click here for Keith's full review.

Julie and Sue Paton made a lunch time visit and praise the welcoming and friendly atmosphere. Click here to read their full review.

What are fathers meant to do? -sexism in pubs

Whilst visiting a pub last week I noticed the above toilet signs, this got me to thinking what does a bloke do if the baby he's with needs a nappy change. I have a 10 week old son, and quite often we have a wander round town; if he's due a feed then I'd happily pop into a pub, and it's milk for him and a pint for me. But what happens after that? He invariably dirties his nappy halfway through a bottle, so where do I change him? I can hardly go in the "ladies", and it's not really fair to change him on the table, especially if there are people close by having a meal.
So I call upon all pubs not to be sexist (if there were baby changing facilities in the gents and none in the ladies- imagine the uproar), either have a separate changing facility or put one in both toilets. Don't make things even harder for blokes to spend time with their kids!

Change of ownership at The Black Lion

Last weekend saw the closure of another Hereford pub- The Black Lion. However, upon closer inspection, there is a sign in the doorway saying that it will re-open on Friday 19th March at noon under new management. As usual we will endeavour to bring you an updated review as soon as possible, but if you get there first then let us know what you think.

Hereford Pubs on Google Street View

To celebrate the recent addition of Hereford to Google's excellent Street View feature we've done a bit of a collage of some of the City's pubs.

Pictured above are the Rose and Crown on Ledbury Road, a view of Widemarsh Street showing The Imperial and Saxtys, and Commercial Road featuring the Litten Tree, The Hop Pole and The Kings Fee. Click the picture for a more detailed view.

As well as being great fun to play around with, Street View is sure to become a great tool to use when planning pub crawls - especially when visiting new places.

Another week, another update

Last week saw another HMPG reviewing session around the streets of Hereford. Just click on the pub names below to read the review:

• The Treacle Mine (pictured below)- after being closed for a short time , we are pleased to say that The Treacle Mine is open and definitely worth a visit. On our visit the place was vibrant and friendly, and therefore it rightly reclaims it's old position as the best pub south of the river.
• The Stagecoach (pictured below)- this town pub has an olde worlde charm, with nice oak beams on display. However, it also embraces the modern era with some well placed tv's that are ideal for watching the sporting events of your choice.
• Queen's Arms (pictured below)- another friendly town pub. Ever since I can remember there has been a Man United shrine in the back corner; however, this has gone and now "Waster's Corner" is a shadow of its former self and now has no unique features.
• The Bowling Green (pictured below)- this lively town pub now has a pool table but no tv's (televisions not transvestites- however, the locals can look pretty scary but they seem nice enough!)

Ye Olde Black Bear, Tewkesbury

Will S has sent us a great review of the Olde Black Bear, Tewkesbury along with the above photo.

The pub is decribed as the oldest working pub in Gloucestershire and dates back to 1308.

To check out Will's full review together with some more details on the Olde Bear's history click here.

The Whitehouse Closes.

The Whitehouse in Whittern Way is the latest Hereford pub to call last orders.This has been on the cards for many months and means that the good drinkers of Tupsley will have to walk that bit further to either The Cock of Tupsley or The Rose and Crown. This may not be such a bad thing as these pubs are far superior to The Whitehouse. Just look at the Official HMPG rankings: The Rose and Crown scores 74% (and is currently the highest ranked pub in Hereford); The Cock of Tupsley scores 62%; and the Whitehouse scored a meagre 36% and was languishing near the bottom of the table. However, that being said, nobody wants a pub to close and I'm sure the place will be missed by it's locals. We'll keep you posted if we see any signs of life there and if we hear any rumours of a re-opening.