House taken over by bottles
Having a lot of bottle is considered to be a good thing amongst most people – but not in the case of record-breaking pub-crawler Pete Hill, writes Andy Toft.
Having a lot of bottle is considered to be a good thing amongst most people – but not in the case of Black Country real-ale lover and record-breaking pub-crawler Pete Hill.
The 50-year-old's collection of unusual bottles, glasses and bar towels – which he calls "breweriana" – is taking over his West Bromwich home, so he has decided to put the lot up for auction before there is nowhere left for him to sleep.
Included in the sale of beer and pub memorabilia is a bottle of beer signed by West Bromwich Albion legend Jeff Astle.
There is so much stuff going under the hammer at Greets Green Sports & Bowling Club on Saturday next week, that the sale is taking place in two parts, with the first expected to last from 11am-1pm alone.
Following a break for a traditional Black Country refuelling of grey paes, and possibly a couple of pints, the sale will resume at 2pm when another 100-plus items with reserve prices go under the hammer, including the Astle bottle.
As if that wasn't enough there will also be a tabletop sale going on at the Whitehall Road club, selling books, beermats and T-shirts.
"I'm still keeping a load of stuff," said Pete.
"But my collection is taking over my house, so I've decided to sell the largest things.
"Nothing in the first sale has a reserve price, but some of the items in the second one do – and anyone who thinks they're going to get the bottle signed by Jeff Astle for less than £30 has got another think coming."
Two years ago, Pete and fellow drinking pals in the Tairsters group landed themselves a place in the Guinness Book of Records for their 21-year pub crawl that saw them visit 12,000 different boozers around the country.
The group, made up of Pete and pals from West Bromwich and Tipton, have visited every single pub in Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire - as well as everywhere in the Black Country.
And the items on sale on June 23 are largely gleaned from that mammoth undertaking.
However, there are some lots from even further afield – including Czech and German beer bottles, and a single batch of 300 foreign beermats.
