When I went to college in London in 1955, I was used to paying 1/2 for Lloyd & Yorath's bitter. London prices starting at 1/6 came as a shock, so we usually drank in the college bar, where the Flowers keg was 1/4.

In 1963, working near Bristol, we were in the habit of calling at the Ship at Alveston for a Friday evening pint on the way home (what drink-driving law, officer?). We changed our allegiance to one of the pubs in town when the Ship put up the price of Worthington E from 2/4 to 2/6. Whaat - pay half a crown for a pint - No Way!! We could still get a pint of ordinary bitter at 2/1.

But best value (lowest price for the year) must go to the Gaer Working Men's Club & Institute. Their main beer supply was from the Clubs United Brewery at Pontyclun - award-winning beers from a co-operative brewery. All profits were returned to the clubs as a bonus at the end of the year - shared according to the number of barrels sold. By 1970 the club had temperature-controlled cellar, new bar furniture, two new billiard tables and had run out of works to do. So they used the bonus to reduce the price of the beer for the month of January.

For 4 whole weeks we were able to drink Clubs Best for 10d a pint - in 1971! You couldn't do that with the nasty capitalist beers!!

Phil