Pub Odyssey 46

Tuesday 22 November:  THE NORTH STAR, near Oaklands (Chris Haden, Mike Horsman, Elvis Pile, Andrew Swift, Jeff Tipper, John Westwood)

COMMENT: There is something a bit mysterious about the name of this pub  The "North Star" was a famous railway engine, the first and last "Broad Gauge" engine on Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Great Western Railway.  But the GWR operated many miles from Hertfordshire, why name a pub here after one of its engines?  The pub itself is clearly a between-the-wars construction, built like so many then to resemble a very large commuterland house, in this case in "stockbroker Tudor" style.  It would have been designed to catch either, or both, of road and rail traffic on the major arteries going north.  As usual, McMullens provide very little information about the pub, but unusually for them they did provide an information gem on one of their beers, an excellent dark beer called "Pope's Porter".

This beer, according to a McMullens card beside the handpump, celebrated the only English pope, Adrian IV (ruled 1154-59).  Adrian was born in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, with the name of Nicholas Breakspear, became a monk and eventually a successful cardinal and diplomat before being elected pope.

McMullen commented

"Adrian IV often had to deal with the troublesome Normans and reputedly sent for Hertfordshire ale to quell any uprisings.  He died in 1159 choking on a fly in his wine.  Should've stuck with the beer!"

It's a good story but the spoilsport Wikipedia suggests that Adrian probably died of quinsy (a complication of tonsillitis).  I've also seen suggestions Adrian was poisoned, quite a likely explanation; medieval cardinals and popes were often as lethal in their political methods as medieval kings.  Perhaps the tradition persists; conspiracy theories abound about the sudden death in 1977, after a reign of 33 days, of Pope John Paul I.

In all this historical guff I should have said the food and beer were good and as usual we had a good time!