TODAY’S trip down memory lane features a special outing to the capital.
Harwich publicans visited Guinness’ former headquarters at Park Royal, London, in the mid-1970s.
At the time it was their main premises as, in 1997, Guinness merged with Grand Metropolitan to create a new company, Diageo.
Diageo stopped producing Guinness at the brewery in 2005, transferring it to their brewery in Dublin instead.
Special memories - Harwich publicans paid a visit to the Guinness brewery in London in June 1975. Derek is second from the left in the middle row and brother Brian is standing to his left
The Harwich publicans are pictured during a trip in June 1975.
The photo was sent in by Gazette reader Derek Rayner, who is in the picture along with brother Brian.
Brian ran the Castle Inn, at Ramsey, from 1969.
“I’m second from the left in the middle row,” said Derek.
Proud publicans - Brian Rayner and wife Jo outside the Countryman Club, on Dovercourt seafront
“Brian is standing next to me, to my left.
“Once upon a time I knew most of the landlords and landladies in the picture but their names escape me now.”
Brian and wife Jo also ran the Countryman Club, on the seafront at Dovercourt, from 1984.
One of the pictures on this spread shows him surveying the damage at the Castle Inn after a siege in 1979.
All smiles - Brian Rayner enjoying some quality time with grandson Daniel
Aside from his brother, Derek, 74, has a strong family connection with one of Colchester’s watering holes as his dad ran the Lord Nelson, on Hythe Hill.
He was landlord in the years after the Second World War.
He said: “I have so many memories of spending time with my dad in the pub and growing up down at the Hythe.
“He actually left the running of the pub to my mum and nanna while he set up a business going round installing bars.
Surveying the damage - Brian Rayner counts the cost of a siege at his pub, the Castle Inn, at Ramsey, in 1979
“Later on he fitted beer pumps and worked on other ways to get the beer from the cellar to the bar.
“I started working with dad when I was 20, travelling around six different counties, and he used to take me to Fullbridge, near Maldon, to meet the barge from the Brick Lane brewery.
“We used to pick up goods for work on Truman’s pubs.”
Derek went on to work for Tolly Cobbold, as a cellar inspector, and Britvic, as a drinks dispense technician, travelling on DFDS Ferries and servicing equipment on boats from Harwich to Europe.
Good old days - the Castle Inn, at Ramsey
“By this time, I was married to Ann and Shane, my son, was born so being abroad wasn’t good for me,” he said. “The chance came to manage and set up a cellar service team for Lay and Wheeler, in Colchester.
“Then when they were taken over I was made redundant, so I started dad’s old business up under a new name. Craig, my other son, and myself have carried on from where it all started, so it’s 54 years in the same industry and still counting!”
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