Marston's Share Discussion Threads

[skinny] 26/3/2020 07:03

Gales HSB - Horndean Special/Strong Bitter?

Jeffian ESB is definitely one of my favourites historically and I had London Pride at my wedding 100 years ago. Youngs Special and the infamous "Ram & Spec" also their session beer Ordinary - neither a shadow of the former selves - also favourites as I grew up with 2 of the best (to my mind) Youngs pubs around - not that in the 70s, there was a bad one!

My bitter of choice these days is Adnams Ghost Ship.

[jeffian] 26/3/2020 00:11

Smithie6,

If you're interested in Surrey Free Inns search the ADVFN threads using the epics both SFI and SUF. This was a thread I contributed to, starting at #34.

[jeffian] 25/3/2020 23:56

Yes, he was quite a lad. We very nearly bought them but cried off after a detailed trip round the estate. He didn't take at all kindly to being told he was probably trading while insolvent! Maybe that was what triggered the share sale?!

I'll leave others to play your HSB competition, but I would say that Fullers' ESB is among my favourite ales. I can smell the brewery from my house when the wind's in the right direction!

Talking of initials, do search out HPA, Wye Valley Brewery's Hereford(?) Pale Ale. I've only come across it in a fairly limited area of Hereford/Worcs but it is God's own nectar. Straw-coloured, hoppy and delicious. Can't remember the strength - about 4.5 I think.

[smithie6] 25/3/2020 23:42

jeffian
you know all the history of the sector

you recall the SFI scandal I guess ?
false accounts if my memory is correct
(they were quite good at buzzy trendy High Street bar venues)
& the chairman sold £182k of shares X months before the collapse !

did any of the directors ever get punished in any way ?
=====

buzzy trendy bars
...fantastic profit producers when a bar is 'the' place to be, & there is a queue to get in
....but massive investment to fit them out...& high rent...as you know/mentioned

..as you said, its need the right type of direction to compete, ppl with a background in tied pubs are likely to be lambs to the slaughter.

[smithie6] 25/3/2020 23:26

since we have a few ale drinkers posting

shall I test readers knowledge ?!
maybe Jeffian should not answer since he used to work in the sector so he has a big advantage & he might find it easy to answer

so, the question is
what is the full name of the Ale with this abbreviation
HSB ?


...I'll give a couple of clues,
- its from south of horiz. line of the M4
- the B doesn't stand for the word bitter.

[dinvester] 25/3/2020 21:25

Jeffian. "From tonight's London Evening Standard.... "

I thought that they sold off Pitcher and Piano some time ago.

Anyways, thanks for this refreshing news.
:)

[jeffian] 25/3/2020 20:05

Yes, obviously a lager drinker. Old Peculier, please!

;-)

[fenners66] 25/3/2020 18:00

I once had a night drinking Theakstons old Peculiar... (is that the same mentioned above?).
As a "lager" drinker I needed to take rather large swigs to get a sparkle to my eyes.
Started drinking pints in 4 pulls.

I gave the dubious fertilizing benefit over someone's wall to their flowers on the way home...

[jeffian] 25/3/2020 17:54

From tonight's London Evening Standard:-

"On the FTSE 250 merger and acquisition talk dominated proceedings.

Shares in Marston’s were flying amid rumours potential suitors are moving to snap up the pubs and brewery firm.

Marston’s results have been poor in recent years but traders dismissed those concerns as buyers would only be interested in its property assets.

The group owns six breweries, 1700 pubs, including Pitcher & Piano, and a hotel chain called Marston’s Inns.

One bond trader said: “There’s plenty of foreign capital circling the UK for assets and Marston’s has plenty of them. Everyone wants hard assets and cash at the moment. Everything else is still too risky.”

In August last year rival Greene King was bought out in a £2.7 billion deal by CK Noble, the property firm run by Hong Kong’s wealthiest man, Li Ka-shing, while the old Enterprise Inns also fell into private equity hands in 2019.


Marston's shares were up 24% or 8.7p at 40p. "

[john09] 25/3/2020 17:48

Aha a bit of bid spec for good measure. Perfect. See you in the am

[smithie6] 25/3/2020 17:48

I always wondered where the beer name Old Speckled Hen came from

...I had assumed that someone in a marketing department had dreamt it up

but appears that there is a story, here it is

"First brewed in 1979 by Morland Brewery in Abingdon, Oxfordshire to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the MG car company setting up in Abingdon, and named after the MG factory's MG car - the paint splattered Owld' Speckled 'Un."

=====

(if anyone is in any doubt, imo, people on the Island (& the big wet island next door !) are very lucky to be able to enjoy such a massive variety of top quality beers, which on draught can be at ok prices.
...in most local bars in most/much of Europe the choice is between the 1 industrial lager on tap (!!) & the same industrial lager number 1 or number 2 in bottles. :-(
(while yes, the lager in Eastern Europe is quite good (& cheap !) & smoother than say in Spain but its just lager & not 'tasty')

[jeffian] 25/3/2020 17:46

This from tonight's London Evening Standard:-

"On the FTSE 250 merger and acquisition talk dominated proceedings.

Shares in Marston’s were flying amid rumours potential suitors are moving to snap up the pubs and brewery firm.

Marston’s results have been poor in recent years but traders dismissed those concerns as buyers would only be interested in its property assets.

The group owns six breweries, 1700 pubs, including Pitcher & Piano, and a hotel chain called Marston’s Inns.

One bond trader said: “There’s plenty of foreign capital circling the UK for assets and Marston’s has plenty of them. Everyone wants hard assets and cash at the moment. Everything else is still too risky.”

In August last year rival Greene King was bought out in a £2.7 billion deal by CK Noble, the property firm run by Hong Kong’s wealthiest man, Li Ka-shing, while the old Enterprise Inns also fell into private equity hands in 2019.


Marston's shares were up 24% or 8.7p at 40p."

[john09] 25/3/2020 17:44

Dow flying again. New (recent lol) highs tomorrow

[jeffian] 25/3/2020 17:43

...and Shepherd Neame's Bishop's Finger. They pinched our colouring (Ecclesiastical Purple).

[smithie6] 25/3/2020 17:05

jeffian

Bishop's Tipple

I'm fairly sure its now a beer from Greene King

GK beer's used to be on tap at a social club/bar where I worked once
...a few games of snooker after work & some strongish beer on an empty stomach...'where's the party' :-) je je

-----
oops

looks like its from Wadworth

....I got mixed up with Greene King's "Abbot Ale"

[mister md] 25/3/2020 16:45

I like Marstons brands very much - shares have been a nightmare, but hey 40% recovery today, I'll drink to that

[jeffian] 25/3/2020 16:27

The true Bishop's Tipple was ours - Gibbs Mew of Salisbury - but got hived off when we stopped brewing and we were eventually acquired by Enterprise Inns in 1998. Funnily enough, against trend for small regional brewers, GM was one of the first to go 'all keg' so when the CAMRA revolution came along we were caught out and had to re-invent a real ale pronto. Bishop's Tipple was the result - a malty, stonking 6.5% brew which tasted fantastic. It's strength was a bit of a problem as most of us thought 5% was a good premium ale then and, frankly, most of us weren't used to it - as I can attest as the new beer featured at my wedding in 1976 and, how shall I put this, but the marriage was not immediately consummated. I can't remember who brews it now - in bottle only, I think - but it is a pale imitation of the real thing.

[smithie6] 25/3/2020 16:16

...gotta love all the interesting beer names that different cos. brew

Bishop's Tipple
Old Thumper
Old Peculiar
Hobgoblin

etc etc

[jeffian] 25/3/2020 15:48

#3476,

pherrom,

Funnily enough, I used to hold shares in both. Since W&D was the acquirer and Marstons the acquired, the entity we see now is the old W&D which has renamed itself.

When Oi were a lad, Banks's was the local brew....and I hated it! In the way that youngsters like lager now, I liked fizzy keg beers rather than traditional ales. To me then they were 'flat'. Double Diamond was a favourite; quite sweet and strong. I've grown up a bit since then. Tastes evolve. I like oysters and olives now!

[smithie6] 25/3/2020 14:38

123Trev

....the central banks can just make as much as they want, I think....as long as no one notices the size of the debt mountain it'll be fine, je je

& if the central banks keep the % rate at 0% , forever ?, then it be free, no ?! , forever ?!.

& if the UK debt is hidden behind the USA one (& Italy's) Im sure that no one will see it ;-)

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as long as they don't divide the overall debt & send me a bill for my part !...but they won't do that since the party doing it won't ever get any votes again !

[123trev] 25/3/2020 13:28

Be prepared for 3 weeks to turn into 2 months at a minimum that makes sense if you look at the projected peak.

[john09] 25/3/2020 13:11

Back in at 40p

[123trev] 25/3/2020 12:51

Well take your pick but economic is nailed on now.How is this all going to be paid for!

[smithie6] 25/3/2020 12:46

"future lost years"

you are thinking a dark/bad economic future or... ??