Moggy, you once said how you liked to watch the build up of the formations for the London flypasts from your particular vantage point, sitting outside the Sole Bay Inn with a pint of Adnams in hand.
After tomorrow things will be different, the drey horses delivering the beer to the pubs are to be retired, something that has gone unnoticed on the news tonight.
A new distrubution depot is to be opened tomorrow outside of town, I have to admit it is a fantastic building, I saw it a few weeks ago, but they reckon it’s too far for the horses to travel back into town, and fair enough, it certainly is, I have no qualms about Adnams good intentions, unlike other breweries I can think of.
No doubt these noble beasts were employed to deliver beer to the local pubs through thick and thin, air raids, coastal threats, whatever, sad to see them go.
The last 2 are Percherons, related to Suffolk Punches but originally bred to carry French knights into battle, they were decimated at Agincourt.
They are now a very rare breed, but we have one, a beautiful gentle giant called Jessica, who lives under the flight path for Stansted and appears to be quite nervous of everything but a/c, bless, an equine aviation enthusiast.
Will the beer now taste different I wonder.
By: Cliffair - 8th September 2006 at 18:47
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After tomorrow things will be different, the drey horses delivering the beer to the pubs are to be retired, something that has gone unnoticed on the news tonight.
A.
Funny you should mention this Pete, the story was covered on BBC Breakfast this morning (8th Sept)
A very sad day indeed..
Cliff
By: Moggy C - 8th September 2006 at 09:50
I delayed answering this thread as I hoped I had some images here at work to post.
A few years back we were producing a clothing brochure and decided to shoot the ‘mood’ shots in Southwold.
I did a bit of fixing with Adnams, who fell over themselves to be helpful, and we spent most of a morning working with the horses and their drayman (an ex-cavalryman) around the town.
They were absolutely super models, and only stamped their feet when they were getting really bored with Lofty’s attention to detail.
They will be sadly missed. Another little bit of history slips away.
Lots to do today, but if I get the time I’ll scan one of the brochure pics (The original images must be archived somewhere – fashion shots are dead six weeks after they are taken)
Moggy
By: megalith - 8th September 2006 at 08:37
Sad, sad, sad day; heavy horses of all types are incredible beasts, massively strong but in my experience gentle, docile and affectionate – but I’m both lucky and biased as the horse I normally ride is a Shire cross. If a thourgbred is the ‘Spitfire’ of the horse world then the heavy horses are the ‘Hurricanes.’
Hope these horses have a long and happy retirement.
By: pimpernel - 7th September 2006 at 22:59
I dof my cap to you both, Monarch and Sam – enjoy your retirement.
It will be sad to see the last of these great horses but thats progress.
They say that the walk from Raydon will be to hazardous to walk for the Drays which is understandable.
Might get a tour of this one as the old Sole Bay premises was to dodgy for health and safety reasons, won’t be the same though.
Just for you to shed a tear Moggy 🙁
By: wessex boy - 7th September 2006 at 19:53
Shame, we always park so that we can go and see the horses when we visit Southwold, I will have to conduct an exhaustive consistency check on both Broadside & Regatta!
On an Aviation note, we always did the Diss-Southwold triangle when doing Navex’s from Norwich, the lighthouse was our turning point…
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September 7, 2006 at 7:46 pm