Bridge Inn in Burtonwood

Cross-Country Pint Sets a New World Record - Travelling at 1mph

Burtonwood pulled itself into the record books on Saturday October 15th, 1988 as customers at the Bridge Inn supped the longest-travelled pint in the world!.

An amazing plan drawn up by Burtonwood Brewery fitters connected the pub to two barrels of best bitter in the brewery a mile away, via the world's longest beer-pipe.

The team consisted of Brian Langtry, George Slevin, Brian Hickey, Dave Brown, Keith Rankine and Win Neil, along with Kath Taylor and Terry Cooper, they hit on the idea to raise Ł1,000 for the Burtonwood "Going for Guide dogs" appeal.

Early on Saturday morning the team laid the pipe over roads, up trees, across fields, along a steam and through the back door of the Bridge Inn.

Terry Cooper, Burtonwood's assistant technical services supervisor, explained things at the brewery end:

"It's all standard equipment. We usually get the piping in 2,500 feet lengths, but the company, Peak Extrusions, has run us off 5,280 feet for this - four times the length of pipe used at Heathrow and in the QE2, which are the longest we know of."

"The pumping gear is also standard, supplied by Porter Lancastrian. Both these firms are sponsoring us for the attempt."

All morning the fitters shuttled between the brewery and pub, checking the pipe and its connections.

Finally all was ready at the brewery end, and the team decamped to the Bridge Inn.

Terry Cooper stood by the beer tap from which the world record pint would foam, hopefully!.

"What we are going to do is run water from the brewery as a check, then when we give the order, they'll switch over to the beer."

A minor panic set in when one of the fitters reported of a possible saboteur, a mysterious blonde figure wearing a beige trench-coat, had been spotted climbing into the field near the beer pipe.

It turned out to be a young woman who had got tired of waiting for her boyfriend to come and watch the event!.

Next the water started pouring through the beer tap, and Terry gave the order into his radio: "Bridge to Brewery - start pumping the beer!"

Estimated on how long it would be before the beer started to flow ranged from 22 seconds to one-and-a- half years.

After 42 minutes, Terry fingered the tap and announced - "We've just had three tadpoles and a stickleback come through.

Fears rose that the beer had been sidetracked, one of the team was sent outside to investigate reports of a "drunk and disorderly scarecrow" in the field outside.

He returned with a frog, which was scrutinised closely before being pronounced "sober and clean".

And then, 54 minutes and 35 seconds after the pint was pulled, the beer arrived. The first foaming world record pint was held aloft in the hand of St Helens Rugby League star, Paul Vauton and Ł1,000 was raised to buy and train one guide dog.