There is an olde worlde feel to the place with the pub keeping many of the original beams and wood features.
Given the fact that this was pub number seven of the day then my recollection of the place is understandably sketchy. I have no trouble remembering what I was drinking, it was a beer from the Oakham brewery called JHB.
The beer is named after Jeffrey Hudson who was an interesting character to say the least. He was born in Oakham in 1619 (hey, don't stop reading at this point !! It gets better) and he was considered to be one of the 'wonders of the age' due to his 'extreme and well proportioned smallness.' I think that these days we may refer to him as a dwarf. Actually these days there is probably a more politically correct term but you get my point.
On his seventh birthday Jeffrey was presented to the Duchess of Buckingham as a 'rarity of nature' and she invited him to join her household. A few months later the Duchess entertained King Charles and Queen Henrietta Maria, the climax of the visit was a lavish banquet when Jeffrey was presented to the Queen served in a large pie. When the pie was presented to the Queen, Jeffrey emerged from the crust eighteen inches tall dressed in a suit armour !! What a brilliant story !! I can only assume the pastry was short crust !!
Right, enough of the history lesson back to the pub. The pub had a series of alcoves and nooks and crannies for drinkers to enjoy a quiet, private pint. We chose instead to perch ourselves at the bar in the room at the front of the pub though in my eagerness to sit down I very nearly trod on a dog that I didn't see. Actually maybe I should also have kept my eye out for Jeffrey Hudson !!
We hadn't eaten since my food ordering disaster earlier at The Bear so something to eat was definitely a requirement sooner rather than later but not until we called into the eighth and final pub of the day appropriately called The Encore...
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