The 14 pubs Enfield - 1985 to 1990

In the years 1985 to 1990 the landlords of Enfield and the surrounding areas of Southgate, Winchmore Hill and Bush Hill Park suffered a yearly October-ish plunder of a bunch of rowdy teenagers in a great hurry.

With 7pm opening hours and 11pm closing, and a wide geographical area to cover, and then having to return home and try not to wake up your parents - indeed, in these days we had it tough.

The organisational skills mainly of Messrs. Russel, Stannard and Bates kept things rolling along from year to year,  and even the inconvenience of moving away from Enfield to far flung Universities did not stop the yearly Enfield pilgrimage.
That final sprint down Bourne Hill at 10.50 to the legendary 'Dog and Duck' was always symbolic of another year, and another job well done.

page top

The 14 pubs Brighton - 1990 to 1996

However as time wore on the legs could no longer perform that 10.50pm Bourne Hill sprint, the pubs were not quite the same great havens that we remembered when we were 16 (er, I mean 18 officer) - and some new life was needed as Enfield flagged.

So impressed with the 14 Pubs concept was a new Brighton nucleus, that the first 14 Pubs in Brighton happened only 4 days after the 14 Pubs in Enfield.
This turned out to be the final Enfield event, and the talisman was thus passed on down the A23 to Brighton.

From now on Ames and Beeson senior rolled out the invites and routes. From 1990-1996 this new (slightly less geographically demanding) 14 pub pub crawl gave everyone a yearly October chance to relive old School and University tales and to act like complete arses yet again.

Brighton's 'King and Queen' now served as the final triumphant goal, taking over amiably from Enfield's 'Dog and Duck', and the post-pubs slap up feed nirvana was now provided by the 'All Night Dinner' instead of Cliff's Mum's fridge.

page top

The Brighton Pub Crawl - 1997 to Present

Heaven forbid though, there was serious talk of less beer and pubs and more chance to sit and chat and to enjoy the Brighton scene instead (were some brazen women getting a voice perhaps).

So things evolved again and we now have the Brighton Pub Crawl of today - a leisurely Summer pub crawl and beach lounge. The Beeson Brothers now do the organising (Ames retired, and now funnily enough runs a pub).

Sometimes we keep people on their toes from year to year by altering the number of pubs and the route.
Details are always circulated via an invite containing this years theme and route.
Since Brighton decided to provide a beach Volleyball court for us, we take full advantage every year.

And that's your 14 Pubs / Brighton Pubs History to date. Long may it continue, and with that in mind this years event details can be found here.