The Ayingerbrau Challenge 2004

Any thoughts that miracles cannot happen twice were dispelled at 11am on Saturday 11th December 2004 when the Second Ayingerbrau Challenge was go...

The winning formula of 2003 was largely retained, 24 pubs serving the sweet Brau nectar were to be visited between the hours of 11am and 11pm and a half a pint of Ayingerbrau was to be drunk from a stein in each. In addition, the standard regulations on moustaches, pigtails, pipes and hats were kept in place. The only change was the unfortunate removal from all pubs of the iconic Man in the Box - out of tribute to this hero it would have been wrong to abandon him in this hour of need by changing costume......

The honour of being the first pub on the route fell to The Earl of Lonsdale next to Portobello Road, Notting Hill, which had not been used in 2003 and had only been opened up that very week after an extensive refurbishment. The traditional ringing of the cowbell announced the challenge was go and in we went. Any early Brau nerves of putting on the full kit whilst sober were soon cast aside as Braumeisters Nick and Simon, both on debut, came fully dressed in a Brau-man/Sherlock Holmes style. In addition, Braumeister Kenzie arrived with bagfuls of curly pipes, blond pigtails and most impressively green alpine hats - which we all dothed to him in appreciation of his efforts.

Braulein Wilkin kindly took on bar duties and ordered the necessary drinks. The staff seemed a little perplexed by the early deluge and the steins being used - but The Earl of Lonsdale scored highly for all as we moved on to the second pub - The Anchor Tap, near Tower Bridge.

A long tube journey ensued followed by a walk down the Southbank past HMS Belfast, the GLC Building, the Tower of London and Tower bridge before entering the most impressive and historic monument of all, and the second pub to make its first Brau Challenge appearance, The Anchor Tap in Butlers Wharf.

Braumeister Bice arrived at this point, quickly turning his moustache into a pair of natty eyebrau's. He only anticipated joining the route briefly before heading off to a Swedish Christmas Party - however, the power of Ayingerbrau was strong and by pub 3 the call to cancel had been made....he was there for the duration.

From the Anchor Tap we caught the bus down to Rotherhithe tube station, where we met a girl who revealed the name of a further secret Brau pub in Deptford....which as the day wore on we once again forgot. If anyone out there knows what and where this is, please contact the website !

Third came the old favourite of the Captain Kidd in Wapping, where we all avoided the noose and sat outside by the river and gazed across at the Angel of Rotherhithe wrapped in scafollding and kept our fingers crossed this would be open for next year.

The second surprise encounter of the day came when travelling to pub four as we met an AUTHENTIC BAVARIAN on the DLR !! Naturally, he was proud to pose with a stein while doing a rather good impression of looking like Tony Blair.

We all marched down to the Crown and Sugarloaf next, another new pub built into the side of the Punch Tavern on Fleet Street, and supposedly the City of Londons only non-smoking pub. All pipes were extinguished as we rounded the corner and found.....THE PUB WAS SHUT !! Disaster.

Panic ensued. Were we now behind schedule having walked here ? Would we be able to find a replacement pub ? Fortunately Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese was just round the corner as planned and there were 'spares' built in along the route - so the drama was put on the backburner for now

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese was its usual self, full of history, full of tourists and full of Brau - a real favourite for all. Another favourite the Cittie of York was next, although unfortunately the grand upstairs bar was closed and we were shuffed downstairs into the cellar bar.

The mirrored Princess Louise near Holborn came next - a real star of the 2003 challenge - and a success this time around as well - all the Brau Pipes were lit in appreciation and smoke filled the downstairs bar

Fortunately the opportunity to regain our pub came next with The Crown near Tottenham Court Road - but the Brau Gods were not smiling....this had closed down for a refurbishment !! The pressure was mounting now as we scuttled off to The Angel, quickly drank up and then repeated the feat in the Bricklayers Arms.

Next up was a potentially sticky point on the route. The Fitzroy Tavern is regarded highly by all true Brau Lovers as a favourite establishment, but as it had appeared as the final pub number 24 in the 2003 challenge it had possibly seen the worst and loudest of both us and the cowbell the previous year. Tentatively in we went and duly received the best welcome of the day - meeting the landlord, the bar staff (who remembered us as the cowbell people from 2003) and were invited behind the bar and to participate in the 'Bring music back to Brau pubs' campaign as well as the more emotive issue of bringing back Man in the Box.

Buoyant we marched on, to the Blue Posts, The Champion (where the stained glass windows were nicely topped off with Christmas hats on the characters) and onto the Horse and Groom where we met up with Messrs Gwyther, Perrins and Tilley who threw their weight behind the Brau mission for a few supportive hours in the middle of the Challenge.

Onwards we marched to the Yorkshire Grey, down through cobbled mews to The Dover Castle and into another Brau Challenge first - The Duke of York on New Cavendish Street - which was warmly welcomed into the Brau fold.

Any wilting and starving Brau soldiers were aided in our next venue - The Angel in the Fields - by our Australian cobbers - Braumeisters Higgins and Winterford (who had also kindly donated more pipe tobacco than you could shake your pipe at) - who stopped off to pick up a McDonalds 'feast' en route. Another late arrival, sporting a musical stein, gold digger tache and most questionably a tartan 'See you Jimmy' hat appeared here in the shape of Mr Blanchard - who sensibly adopted an approach of downing a pint of the lethal Brau Pils in each pub from now to the end - a move that was to maybe qualify his post Brau Challenge performance......

The Cock near Oxford Circus, scene of our magnificent meeting with the Join Me Karma Army twelve months previously was next enjoyed, followed by the excellent Soho haunts, The Red Lion and The John Snow near Carnaby Street

By this stage, memories were fading fast, moving from pub to pub was becoming more of a struggle - although thankfully the sight of 20+ green alpine hats bobbing along managed to keep most of the group together - and the number of random people becoming in someway involved in hat, tache and pipe wearing was, according to the photographic evidence, increasing ten fold.

A slightly wary Glasshouse Stores ushered us round the back of the pub before agreeing to fill our steins once more and the Duke of Argylle and White Horse were conquered (as were a number of visits to the local shops....most visibly from Braumeister Whiteland) before the last pub on our list - The Chandos - on Trafalgar Square was entered with bell ringing and Brau screams echoing. Unfortunately at about pub 22 Braumeister Higgins had become too wrapped up in the excitement and wobbled off course onto the tube and home

However, this could not be the scene of our triumph. Despite Braulein Wilkin looking overcome with excitement and Braumeister Simon tying his hair into celebratory pigtails, there was more work to do. Back at the start of the route we had encountered problems with pub closures which meant that The Chandos was only pub 23. However, just as Philleas Fogg had managed to eke out an extra 24 hours from his 80 day trip around the world, we managed to bowl down The Strand to magically rustle up a 24th pub - The Lyceum Tavern

So, the celebrations began in earnest, full tasty pints of magnificent Ayingerbrau were ordered and gleefully slurped and spilt. Hands were shaken, hugs exchanged and the cowbell ring was proud. Once again, London had been taken on head to head and the Brau Challenge had prevailed - the target of 24 pubs had been met.

Gradually, resembling the final scene from Oceans Eleven, people stumbled off and slipped out of doors and off home, except this time they were still wearing green hats and chewing on pipes. For some this was not the end of the night as they found the strength to continue - although for us the story ends here - how Mr Bice ended up wearing two pairs of pants the following morning, or part time Brau Man Blanchard and Braulein Hutchins decided curry was not enough, even when still eating the curry itself, or even who ever mentioned Sophisticats in the first place shall probably always remain a mystery apart from to the people involved and central London CCTV.

BBBBRRRRAAAAAUUUUUUU !!!!!!!