Future plans and final episodes

Uh Uh Hello and welcome to the Moon Underwater's Penultimate Pub Notice Board. I am the Landlord Robbie Knox and I am joined as always by my trusty regular Mr. Dan Trelfer. Dan how are you? Very well, thank you, mate. Very well indeed. Been down the estuary? Because you are actually moving away from the the realm all together, aren't you? I am. So I've yes, I've spent I've spent quite a lot of time down there the last few days, um, walking up and down by the river. In in deep contemplation, really, about What's gonna happen to my life. Yeah. Mistakes I've made. Wh of which there are many. Yes. Um skimming skimming stones. Badly across across the Suery. Did they bounce at all? No no no no So just rarely just throwing stones into the the estuary. It was quite depressing. What are you gonna do with your um tug boat, Belle? Are you gonna keep it? Well yes, I probably will. I might well I you know, I'm I mean it might be one of the many things I'm gonna have I'm gonna have to sell. to uh Yeah. Yeah. Are we what just are the chances what are the chances you'd say But at some point it gets so desperate for you you have to eat the punk boat bell to survive. If you look at my Google history, you might find how to cook a tugboat bell. Yeah. Surprising, not man not many there wasn't a YouTube tutorial on that, weirdly. Wasn't there. Well there's well there's an opportunity, I I might make one. Um Dan, um have you pubed this week? I have. Oh look at him uh look at Mr Hubby come lately. Just probably at the end of the year. Little couple of little pubs to add to the list. Go on. I went to so Uh is it two or my no we yes weaf we talked about last week, didn't we? Because I got to the fifty two. Yes. Uh so a couple more to add to the list. Last week we had um or on Monday we had uh Alex Horn, our final Final guest. Your work colleague. Um my work colleague. He didn't look that impressed when you when when he said when you said we were colleagues, didn't he? No, I don't know whether he wanted to be T boss. Or whether he just didn't want to be associated with you. Yeah, I think that was it. I think he he just he just he didn't he he sort of said, Well I suppose I suppose technically we're colleagues in the same way You know, I don't know, Bill Gates' colleagues with Everyone who works for him. Yeah. You know, I don't know. Yeah. So he was performing with his brilliant band Hornsection at Uh the Indigo O two. Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I met my friend Bex and we uh met at the Admiral Hardy in Greenwich because I went to I went to the traditional Greenwich pantomime when we're going for the last uh Six or seven years. Oh no, you didn't, et cetera. Yes, uh, which was great fun. And uh then after that. Ditched my child. And um uh met my friend Bex we and we had a couple of drinks in the end in the Admiral Harding, which is a very nice, quite close to the Thames, quite n quite close to the Cutty Sark, lovely pub. A lot of choice on cask, but but but very nice pub. And then we went off to the O two. to see the show. And Because I know Because I sort of didn't class them as like a band. I thought it said starting at six, so we sort of got there at five thirty. And then didn't realise that it meant doors at six. And actually you weren't even gonna be on stage till seven or thirty. So we were there really early. So we in the end we went to one of the pubs inside the O2. And um I'm quite glad I've got a plan to go to some more pubs uh for the rest of the year because we're to the slug and lettuce. It's nothing against the people working there. They were they were very nice. It was horrible. Yeah, you d you don't want that to be your final pub of the year, do you? You don't want to end on that. Yeah. It's yeah. It's I still like it. It's like the lettuces in the nineties, Robbie. They're a bit more sort of traditional pubs, weren't they? What is it like now? Well, I always remember Slaganettes being a sort of Beige Woody. Yes, but it was sort of nightclubby. Nightclubby lighting. Very loud. It might just have been because it's in the O two. Yeah, maybe. But um It wasn't that pleasant. I'm sorry you were disappointed by the slug and lettuce. Sorry slug and lettuce. You know, I'm sure a lot of people find find them a very nice place to go. Uh but that was my number fifty four for the year. Obviously we went to the after party afterwards and hung out with uh Alex Horn a little bit and then members of the band. All right. So that's nice. Cool. Yeah. Nice. I've I've pubbed also. Was that the extent of your pubbing, Dan? So I don't want to cut you off. That's the extent of my pubbing, Robbie. Yes. What have you uh what did you do? Uh I was I was an event. What for a Electric car, basically. And what who else should be who else should I bump into there? Elon Musk. No, it wasn't. But it does begin with an E. Oh. What, former guest? Former guest. I didn't know to think of beginning with the E's Ishan A Shana Ish Ishanak but yeah. It was. It was it. Oh, okay. Are there any other guesses guessed B? Um I don't know. Elliot Steel Steel. Of course. Uh but it wasn't him, it was it was E Shane. Um We we were at this thing. I it finished not too late, I think probably about eight thirty or something, and I had to get back to Norwich and he he lives outside London as well. Um what you do after I'm probably just gonna head back and um Uh it's quite it's takes a bit of time to get back. He said, Yeah, I'll probably do the same and I said You want a pint, don't you? And he went, Yeah, I do. I went, All right, let's go get one. So we went to the we went to the pub there, we went to Um but I think I've been to it before, the Crown and Shuttlecock in Shoreditch. Let me do a search on my documents. I'm almost certain tree, the crown in. Oh yes. So I can't claim that was a new one. Number it's your sixty ninth pub of the year. Was it? Oh it was. It's a funny number. Um and then on Friday night I met our mutual friend uh BBC News' Jim Reed, and we went to a pub called The George just ran from the BBC. Uh oh nice, okay. Was busy with Christmas Revlers Island Normal suitcase with me. And so um I just had to manoeuvre that around people, which is quite annoying, but Yeah. Um but managed it. Yeah. And then then I've also later that evening, I went to meet another friend at the Soho Theatre Bar, but I think I might have been there Before. Yes, you I'm sure you have, in fact. Uh let me just check. Yes. That was your twenty third pub of the year will be. And so that one I can't cut again. But then after that I we w we we went on to s we went to Soho House, a private members' club that my friend was a member of. Hate it there. I used to be a member of it. I hate it. I'm not gonna count it, even though we did go there to drink, a public house, this is not open to the public. No. But public are not missing out. Um fair enough. So and it's absolutely round there now. I haven't been there for many years. Is it? Yeah, it's absolutely round. So the main point is somewhere where you can go and get a seat. Yeah. And is like um I said can I put my Bag in the cloak and they went, nah, I'm gonna room. Yeah. Oh, okay. I'll just take an enormous suitcase into this then. So um but anyway, um so not counting that one, so um The only new one then really is the George. I've done a few extra bonus. Gets you up to a a hundred and seventy four. Respectful. Uh a respect full mount. Um now d Dan there's been some pub news. Have you seen about this Guinness shortage? I have, yeah. So the BVC, this is from the BVC, but it's been reported in a number of different outlets. Uh the amount of Guinness pubs can buy in the build up to Christmas has been limited by its maker Diasio after exceptional demand over the past three weeks. Is understood the firm is working at a hundred percent production capacity, but But still place limits on orders in Great Britain. Dr. Beising in popularity with women and young people, and recent rugby international has a put a strain on supplies. Yeah, she has been upping his marketing effort with influence. Genuinely put a strain on supply. Well, they advertise it a lot around rugby, don't they, I think? I suppose so, yes. Yeah. Um and rugby people do drink a lot. It's been w they they've been working with influence over the past year to try and raise Guinness's profile? BBC understands DJ is allocating supplies on a weekly basis to make sure that has enough stock to meet demand over Christmas. I t I'll tell you what's absolutely guaranteed to not uh cause people to buy more guineas than they than they need. is to do a press release saying there might not be enough kids. Game just to warn you we're gonna run out of toilet paper. Yeah. Like surely all that's done is made people rush out and get loads of water. Well, Ender Murray, landlord of three pubs in London, says that his supplier has restricted his supply of Guinness to one or two kegs per pub. Just ten percent of what they need. So he's managed to bring fence some from another supplier should have enough for the next week or two. He also says we've seen a massive upshot in young people, especially drinking Guinness, he says, and credits this to the trend of splitting the G as all Guinness influencers, everyone wants to be a Guinness influencer. Uh you can't all be prime mutton, everyone. Patrick Yeah, Prime Mutton doesn't get mentioned here. I reckon he's probably a lot to do with it. Yeah The the landlord of the faltering fallback in Finsbury Park, that's a tongue twister, says he's worried he'll run out of Guinness by Wednesday, if it's said he's managed to secure a supply of Camden Stout as an alternative. Hopefully customers realise there's more than just Guinness on the market, he says. Quite a good opportunity for Other stouts and maybe even dare I say porters like London Black to get a little It will look at It's like they've been on the bench all this time and the strikers got off injured at in right before Christmas, in the cup final. They got aren't you go, son. You got chance it. Impressive see what you can do. Yeah. Well, you know, in the nineties I used to quite often see B Mission Murphy's in parts. It was more stout was you saw it more often. Um, yeah. Guinness seem to sort of completely um corner of the market though and it was like you'd you don't you very rarely see Murphy's in there. I love a point of Murphys. I don't know if I've ever had a Pan of Murphy's to be honest. Oh, it's very nice, the Murphy's. Camden Stout is okay. Oh I was I didn't love it when I had it. But as you say, London Black. Big fan of that. Yeah. Very nice. Good luck, everyone. Drunk in Guinness is Christmas. Good luck, Guinness Guinness uh uh Enjoyers. Uh don't you fancy reading us a little letter? Let's do it. Uh this was from Colin. Correspondent. It's not my dad, but my dad does have that name. Okay. Yes. Shout out to your dad if he's listening. Hi Dad if you're listening. I don't know if he does listen. He's never mentioned it. Unbelievably. But imagine this is from your dad. Yes, okay. Who's moved to Newcastle. Right. Hi Robbie! Dan and the unnamed working class heroes in the production sweatshirt. Yes. Yes. I was delighted to get a name check in Bert's correspondence from the Netherlands. I too have a Bert as a friend. Scottish, not Dutch. Lovely. Okay. I mean, there's no time left, but I I'd be quite happy if people to to write in and tell us about their friend called Bert. Yeah, any Burt's great name to know about, yeah. The Ferry 2 stroke from Newcastle to Amsterdam is very popular. It sails overnight, allowing those who want to to drink on the way to a session, and also to continue to drink post session. Burt clearly has class and carried out detailed research as to three pubs he visited are friendly, comfortable. House? Probably. Don't speak Geordie. uh with that's H O W F S. Uh with small brewery beers on on offer of plenty. The E Station regularly has great live music. The Wobbly Duck and Town Mouse are both basement bars, giving them a great vibe. Well done, Bert. Well done Bert. Brilliant stuff, but yeah. My first email where I proudly attained correspondence. had me at under 200 bars in this great tune. I've now smashed through the 200 bar ceiling and I have my eye on outlying towns and villages to cast my now. That's great. Nice but the idea that you sort of just goes out and he's you know on public transport with his car or whatever just trying to find a pub that he hasn't he hasn't been to down to Peter Lee. That's on that way, isn't there? Go there. Oh yeah, I think so. I'd like to apologize about the delay. I didn't expect to get a callback. However, I will prioritise the pub notice board podcasts as of now, as soon as they drop. I hate that phrase. Uh my pub. Count for twenty twenty four stands at a decent hundred and eighteen. Very good. Have visited Avi Moore, Even S, Fort Bill, Edinburgh. How do you say it so? Avey Moore. Adding more. Inverness, Fort Bill, Edinburgh, the always excellent Glasgow, and London. That was pronounced. Well done. Yeah, sorry, I always get that wrong. Yeah. K Well and I wish you the very best over the festive thing. Thanks, Colin. I mean, Colin may not have been aware of the terrible news when you write that. Um message. But thank you for being a great correspondent colin. All the things going on for me. Right, okay. Um who've just looked up um here and on the um internet in British English. It's Scottish meaning a haunt, especially a public house. Oh Okay, and pronounce hoof. Or rather than house. Probably house. Yes. Right, I'm gonna read letters from Sam. Um Yeah. Hi Robbie. Wow Dan. Yeah. I don't get a mention. Yeah. Thanks, mate. Thanks. I was wondering, as a sadly former Norwich resident, whether you've spent much time in the fat cat. I'm a resident in Norwich again. Oh, you mean he's a sorry, he's a former resident. Okay, I get it, I'm gonna Having been a UE student from 2020 to 2024, I strongly believe it is by far and away the greatest pub in the country. But don't take it from me, take it from Camera, who as I'm sure you know have twice crowned it the UK pub of the year, which one considers the lack of international pub competition, means it has basically been deemed the best pub in the world twice. No small feat. I'm just aware there's never been mentioned on the Moon Underwater, at least as far as I'm aware. Not on Happy How or on your YouTube videos. Everyone that ever visited myself, my mates know it's always taken there as soon as possible. As always extremely impressed and walk away, I hope with a deeper understanding of what a true pub really is. Something I think is really important when there's so few free houses left in the industry nowadays. Also, OUI and myself and my partner are a bit of a life rut for years, and I essentially decided to go to U EA solely based on your glowing recommendations of the fine city of Norwich. We're still together four years later, I've loved every second I spent in the city, PSP and to realise it's much like an ad reader as a though I'm the landlord living some free PR. I promise it isn't. Thank you with love and appreciation. Sam. Sam, I used to live when I was at UEA between nineteen ninety well, not my first year. So in the years nineteen ninety six to ninety seven and ninety seven to ninety eight, I lived pretty much opposite the fat cat. Where is the fat cat? It's just off Deerham Road. I can't remember the name of the road it's on. I was gonna say, is it off Deer? I was living on Deer and Road and it was just I was basically G out my house, across the road and down that little road there. I didn't go to it that much because at the time I wasn't drinking Bear. I was drinking side there. So I didn't fully appreciate it. But it's a fabulous. I like to pop in whenever I'm in that part of the city. Um Oh we'll have to take me next time. I'll check it out. I can't believe I must I'd probably I'd probably have but you've repeated a fat cat. Fabulous. Come up over the Christmas period. And we'll go there. All right. Okay. Let's do it. Deal. So yes, and but yeah, but Sam's absolutely right. It's a f it's a fabulous I've not talked a lot about the good pubs of Norris. There's a few good ones at the minute as well. There's there's um Did we did you take me there and we sat outside? Ah Oh, I don't know. No, I don't think I have No, I don't think maybe you haven't. I'm looking at pictures. It's fabulous. It looks lovely. Yeah. I've definitely it might not be in a YouTube video, I've definitely done some kind of advert or something on Instagram that or or or something that has been filmed in the Fat Cat in the past. Anyway. Um Sam, thank you for that. Um and and so glad you enjoy the City of Norwich. Hopefully one day you'll return and I will see you down a pub probably the Fat Cat. Dan, read me more. I will. Uh it says Dear the Moon Underwater team. Uh this is from James. I hope this message finds you well, preferably in the snug of your dream pub with a pint in hand. I'm writing with a modest proposition. I'd like to be your alcohol free beer correspondent. Ooh. That's a great idea. Well, we've we've been doing it geographically, but he's going genre. Yeah. Genre. At thirty eight, I'm still fond of a good beer. But let's just say my engine isn't quite as finely tuned as it once was. I hear you. Add to that. No he feels yet. Add to that my secluded rural lifestyle where the nearest pub is a car ride away, and the reality is I've had to embrace the world of alcohol free beers. That said, I love going to the pub, not just for the beer, but for the character, the conversation, and the atmosphere you just can't replicate at home. So much so, I've decided to tackle the 52 pub challenge, but with a twist. I'll be doing it with non alcoholic beers. Fabulous. That's great. Uh now I know this might not be your thing, but if it is something that can enrich your illustrious discussions, I'd be delighted to help. I could provide tasting notes, share discoveries, or even weigh in on that internal question, can alcohol free beer ever truly supersede actual beer? Thanks for considering this somewhat left field suggestion. If it's not for you, no hard feelings. I'll just keep sipping and pub hopping in obscurity. But if it sparks your interest, I'll be thrilled to join your ever expanding roster of correspondents. Cheers, James. You're in, James. You're in. I mean don't get too excited because you've only got another week left of the mid underwater. You have got you've got the job. Very good, yeah, 'cause I I've I've done a fair bit of alcohol free beer tasting on my YouTube channel. I've got a video where I rated different alcohol free beers about this time last year and Christmas time. But Uh so yeah, I I'd always always keep to know more of an alcohol free beer. I had I just I had three pints yesterday. I had two with you, I think, Dan. Um maybe no maybe may I add I had two and a half with you, and then I had another one lady, so three and a half. As soon as I finish recording this, it's like eleven thirty in the morning, I'm going to bed. That's how that's the impact of just drinking even a moderate amount of alcohol these days. Exactly. And also I think, you know, it's worth saying he sort of said, Oh, it might not be up your street. I think Hopefully the podcast has been about celebrating but we love beer, but it's hopefully it's been about celebrating pubs. Yeah. Isn't it? And we've been. And we've been very pro pro alcohol free beer as well. Yes. And I think I think over the last uh over the last year I've learnt loads more about non alcoholic and low alcohol alcohol beers and had some delicious ones. So yeah. Wonderful stuff. Great stuff. So Dan it's been enjoy having you at the Moon Underwater as always, uh today. And we are entering now the final week before the developers move in and turn it into flats. We've had many guests in the podcast who grinded all their wishes for the designs of their dream pub, but now it is our turn. And on Monday We're gonna work together to design our own Dream. Oh, that'll be nice. Based on the knowledge we've acquired. I've done one before in the um Division one era. Um, but this will be now with the knowledge you've got on the podcast, what will it our dream pubs be. So we'll do that on Monday. And that isn't it, because then there will be one special final edition of the pub notice board landing in your feed. Next Thursday feed is that. That's podcast term, by the way. Not like animal feed. Okay. So if you're in my oats. No, if you e if you eat out of a trough You won't find the episode there. It'll be on Spotify, Apple Music, or one of the other sort of podcast distribution. And those are those are apps that you're on your phone, are they? Yes. Yeah. Yes. Um so just wanted to clarify. But yeah, we're gonna do the last moon underwater from one of our favorite pubs that we've mentioned a few times on the podcast. We've been reading your fantastic correspondence, talking about our favorite guests over the series and crowning our favorite pubs of the year. We also want to hear who your favorite guests were, so let us know, Robbie at moonunderpod.com See ya Monday for a celebratory final week at the Moon Underwater. Dan, will you please polish the Moon Underwater pub no disboard to get it ready for its grand Okay.