Drinkers farewell to Hanson's
A band of five regulars at a Black Country pub who have spent nearly 200 years between them drinking a traditional beer are to bid farewell to the bostin' brew.
After happily supping Hanson's Mild for decades, five lunch-time drinkers at The Court House Inn, Dudley, have had to swallow some bad news after brewers Marston's decided to axe the popular ale.
Barry Vaughan, aged 59 and 74-year-old Alfred Surman, both of Wrens Nest, 64-year-old William Harper, from Dudley and 70-year-old William Thomas, from the Priory estate, meet in the town centre pub every day for a few of their favourite pints.
The fifth member of the group, 64-year-old Lower Gornal man Barry Anslow, said changing beers would break the habit of a lifetime.
"We've got used to drinking it," he said. "You drink other stuff over the years as well, but we've always had Hanson's in Dudley since we were young men."
From April, the friends will have to try something different – leaving landlord Paul Turton fearing takings will inevitably suffer.
"This has always been a Hanson's house and now they've just said that's it," he said.
"It's not very clever because around Dudley everyone knows their Hanson's and it's very well-loved.
"The drinkers don't like this decision, it's as simple as that. The older fellas will have to try something different but they have got the taste for their mild and it won't be easy for them to change.
"Some of them have been drinking Hanson's for 50 years and I'm going to lose people because my customers won't drink so much of anything else."
Wife Christine, who comes from mid-Wales, said the five members of the 'One O'Clock Club' were typical of the strong pub culture in the Black Country.
"I think they'll drink other milds, but they do prefer the Hanson's," she said.
"They like their traditional ales round here and they favour beer with a bit of taste to it because some of the newer ones are a bit bland."
Hanson's Mild was first brewed round the corner from The Court House Inn, in the Saracen's Head pub, by the fabled Black Country brewer Julia Hanson.
Brewing at the Stone Street pub began more than 125 years ago, until production moved to bigger premises in the High Street in 1881.
Burton-based brewers Marston's – the former Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries which took over Hanson's in 1943 – will stop making Hanson's Mild from April.
