Handpumps ready and waiting to dispense winners - well, one is.Dave Brown - Bacchus in person!What to do with 'em when you've bought 'em!The Prince Albert, Stow cum Quy.  RIP.The view from behind the glass!The "Vital Spark", Para handy's famous puffer.What all scoopers should do, IMO!Aaaah, the smell of wild yeast...The copper at Appollo, Kobenhavn.A good flail never hurt anyone.

    The  Archive !    

Last Updated : 10/01/10

his page contains all the old stuff from the "New" page which I've archived off to enable the New page to load faster.  If you're here then you're probably lost and should return to the main page immediately.  Go on!


28/12/09 - I've updated the German section with the gen from our recent trip.  I'm working hard on a mammoth tome provisionally titled "So you want to be a Euroscooper..." which, as the name suggests, will tell you all you need to know to become a scooper abroad... not sure when it will be finished but I hope fairly shortly.  The latest Beer of the Month and Pub of the Month are online also.

11/12/09 - So much to do, so little time to do it...!  The November Pub of the Month is now up as is most of the Beer of the Month too.  My report for the Isle of Man is also here, leap-frogging much more worthy reports in the process, with plenty more to come soon...

01/12/09 - After a very successful visit to southern Germany (53 scoops!!) I've updated all the relevant Google maps and am currently working on the gen pages... plus reports for several places which have been on hold due to Steel City Brewing recently.  Now we're getting into the swing I should hopefully have more time to devote to Scoopergen again!  Loads of stuff in the backlog, thanks to all who have contributed and your stuff will be on here eventually!  Mark Enderby has been out scooping the Axis of Evil again and sends some reports from behind Commie lines...

17/11/09 - I've finally sorted out the Japan section, some phots to come soon!  Sorry for the lack of updates but I've been busy with my other project recently...

07/11/09 - The Isle of Man section has been amended with a few phots and gen plus the October Beer of the Month entry is finally finished!

03/11/09 - The Beer of the Month page has been updated!

01/11/09 - A new Gazzateer is up, as is my Pub of the Month for October, the Beer of the Month will appear later this week as well as some gen from my Isle of Man trip (let's just say I'd not rush there for scooping purposes, okay?).

25/10/09 - I'm off to the Isle of Man with work next week so expect some gen when I return!  Meanwhile I've added some Google maps for our forthcoming trip to München/Augsburg/Ulm/Stuttgart next month and some phots to the Wrocław page.

22/10/09 - The beer gen for Wrocław is now online, plus the Google map has been updated.  I think I've found a new favourite scooping pub, shame it's in Poland...

06/10/09 - As promised, the September Beer of the Month is up!

05/10/09 - Sorry for the lack of updates but I've been busy with other matters... the Pub of the Month for September (yes, there is one this month!) is now online with the beer to follow probably tomorrow.

20/09/09 - After 25 scoops in Genoa I'm once again filled with admiration for Italian craft beer and, even more so, their superb beer shops!  The details are now here although the report may take some time!  A few Google maps have been amended, too.

10/09/09 - A particularly ranty Gazzateer is online now plus various other updates have been done across the site none interesting enough to mention specifically.  Off to Genoa this weekend for yet more Italian beer scooping... oh yes!!!

31/08/09 - Well, if you didn't know now you do...  plus the August Beer of the Month is here but, owing to me not having been anywhere interesting recently, there's no Pub of the Month!

25/08/09 - The rest of the gen for Milan is online and - finally - the Plzeň report is too!

16/08/09 - A few new Google maps are online and my report from Milan this January is now here.  Expect one for Plzeň this week (the brewpub gen is already there) plus much more stuff.

05/08/09 - The July Beer of the Month and Pub of the Month pages are now online, plus a new Gazzateer outlining a change in policy!

02/08/09 - Another of my UK trips is now up, Llandudno this time, where you'll undoubtedly be pleased to hear normal service has resumed!

27/07/09 - My bar recommendations for Stockholm are now online, and part 2 of my New York report is finally here!

25/07/09 - Plenty of Scooper's pub guide updates (thanks to Allan Conner for the York gen - told you it would be on eventually!).

16/07/09 - My report for Lincoln is now online, as is one for Amsterdam by John Paul Adams.

08/07/09 - A new Google map for Lincoln is online (the report will be along shortly), a new Gazzateer in praise of proper lager is up, plus the June Beer of the Month and Pub of the Month are here too.

05/07/09 - A new Soapbox is online, plenty more to come this week including part 2 of my New York trip, the Stockholm beer gen, a wander around Lincoln and the beer/pub of the month for June!

30/06/09 - A Google map for Stockholm is now online and the beer gen from this undiscovered gem (both beery and architecturally) will be online this weekend with a fair wind.  I'm still working on the Tokyo and other stuff to upload, bear with me as I've got lots on at the moment... !

15/06/09 - A most bizarre - that's coming from me, and I wrote it - hop manifesto is now online discussing yet another of my increasingly oddball theories related to beer and it's consumption.  Note: this one is a joke (sort of)!

13/06/09 - My Beer of the Month for May is now online.

06/06/09 - My May Pub of the Month is online (beer to follow soon), there's a crawl around Oxford quaintly named "A tale of an Arse and an Elbow" for reasons which will become clear if you read it!  More Tokyo gen soon...

02/06/09 - A new Gazzateer rant (isn't everything on here?) is now up, more drivel to come this week.

23/05/09 - My Tokyo google map is now updated (and what a job that was...) plus there's a new Soapbox from yours truly.  More stuff on the way this weekend with a bit of luck...

19/05/09 - Back from Tokyo and what a place that was in all respects, but mainly on the beer front!  I scored over 170 beers during my stay and found one of the best beer pubs in the world which will be next month's pub of the month for sure and is a serious contender for my pub of the year!  All the Japanese gen will trickle onto the site in the coming weeks, so in the meantime here's the April Beer of the Month and Pub of the Month pages, sorry about the delay, but they both deserve the respect owing!

04/05/09 - Not much new recently as I've been to Lisbon (port and tram scooping!) plus swotting extra hard for my 10-day scooping extravaganza to Tokyo this Thursday.  So, if I don't manage to upload anything else before I go, I'll try and update all the Japanese gen on my return!  A few Scooper's pub guide amendments have been done.

17/04/09 - A little light reading; a new "My rarest scoops" yarn is now online!

13/04/09 - Some more Google Maps added plus, as promised, part one of the New York report!

05/04/09 - The Beer of the Month and Pub of the Month pages have been updated.  Expect some more gibberish this week maybe including part 1 of my New York trip last May (!).

31/03/09 - The monthly awards should be online in a few days, in the meantime a somewhat more sobering piece about Berlin here.

29/03/09 - Sorry for the lack of activity recently, a combination of CBA and a trip to Berlin were the cause!  The Berlin beer and city gen is fully updated with all the brewpub and bar information I know of plus some Berlin phots will appear on the trip report page! The beer and pub of the month will be here next week, don't fret.

06/03/09 - The Marseille page has been updated with gen from Lee Barrass, plus the latest Beer of the Month and Pub of the Month gen is up.  The Scooper's pub guide has also been added to.

14/02/09 - My Poznan report is finally up!

12/02/09 - The beer gen for Poznan is online and the report might make it up tomorrow, plus in anticipation of our March visit the Berlin Google map has had a refresh.

31/01/09 - The Beer of the Month page is now online and I've archived the old entries off into a separate page, same with the pubs too.  A few more phots added as well, and I've got a new way of dumping my best beers onto the site...

30/01/09 - January's Pub of the Month is online, I've uploaded the phots for Milan, and more should appear soon!

26/01/09 - I've finally got around to adding a load of phots, thanks to those who have contributed!  My NYC phots are also up...

21/01/09 - Just back from Milan and I'm ever impressed by the amazing Italian beer scene, more so each time I visit!  This time we met local beer tasting president Paolo Polli and he passed on the gen about his new scooping bar, BQ, which has an amazing 20 beers on tap plus one cask ale... read all the beer gen for Milan in this newly created report here.

09/01/09 - The Marseille report is now up... but there's not much beer in it!

01/01/09 - Spring cleaning has begun with the links page getting a makeover.  My December Beer of the Month is now online and also, amazingly on-time, are the Scoopergen 2008 awards!!

29/12/08 - Yet more Scooper's Pub Guide updates (cheers Steve, Lou and Craig) plus my Pub of the Month for December is now online.  Watch out for the Scoopergen 2008 awards coming very soon whilst I kid myself that anyone cares what I think...

27/12/08 - Ho ho fucking ho.  I come with a bulging sack of gifts... ok, I'll forget the Viz-esque gags and tell you there's lots more Scooper's Pub Guide, a piece on good beer from regionals (honest!).  More to come...

14/12/08 - Just in case you've not seen it, Leader's piece in the Publican is now on the In the News section.  Some other bits and pieces also added.

05/12/08 - Prague was superb; we scooped 50 new beers, visited all 3 brewpubs in Plzeň and 7 in Praha plus one in the suburbs, drank unfiltered Urquell and Staropramen, ate loads of garlic soup and dumplings and rode hundreds of KMs on proper trams... it doesn't get much better than that! (well, apart from the  Urquell and Staropramen, it gets much better than those)... The Prague beer gen will be amended this weekend, but in the meantime November's Pub of the Month and Beer of the Month pages are online now.

24/11/08 - Some minor SPG updates.  We're off to snowy Praha for 6 days so nowt new until next week, but I'm still after more pubs worthy of the guide if you please...

14/11/08 - The Scooper's pub guide updated again!

09/11/08 - Another Scooper's pub guide update.  More stuff on the way!

05/11/08 - A large London update to the Scooper's pub guide, cheers Simon, plus some others, cheers Dave!

04/11/08 - October's Pub of the Month and Beer of the Month pages are online.

02/11/08 - The Scooper's pub guide is taking shape now (cheers to those who have contributed!) plus my report for Gothenburg is now online too!

28/11/08 - More updates to the Scooper's pub guide...

25/11/08 - Some more updates to the Scooper's pub guide plus my report for Zagreb this year is now online too... two reports in a week, you lucky people you...

22/11/08 - An update to the Scooper's pub guide is now online - COME ON, PEOPLE - I CAN'T DO IT ALL BY MYSELF !!!  Fill in a form and send it off to me!

21/10/08 - There's an update to the slowly improving Dublin beer scene by John Paul Adams here and finally, only 9 months late, my Prague report from the February trip with Dean!

19/10/08 - If you're ever in Marseille then don't bother with the beer - there's bugger all there, and even the local beer is made in the Czech republic - but try a spot of wine scooping instead!  My report tells all... which doesn't take long, admittedly.

04/10/08 - I've updated my Poznañ Google map and added one for Birmingham, uploaded my beer gen for Poznañ, plus the Pub of the Month and Beer of the Month pages are updated too.  Also, the very first upload of the Scooper's Pub Guide is online... it will grow as the weeks progress, so if you have anything to add then let me know or fill in this form!

28/09/08 - A google map for Cambridge is now online, as is a report from a wander around St Neots and Eaton Socon... I was going to write up my Cambridge wander but decided that I only do ones where I have a really bad time...  me moaning is what you expect, after all.

16/09/08 - Finally, a large update!  My Rome report is now online, two new Google maps have been added, the Harlequin has been appended to the pubs page, there's a new soapbox from Mr Whizz plus loads of random phots.  More to follow including our February Prague trip report...

02/09/08 - The Pub of the Month and Beer of the Month pages have been updated.  Apologies for the piss-poor updating of late, but I've been working away and unable to do much apart from scoop beer of an evening!  The Rome report is almost ready and will be up this weekend plus some more bits too.

24/08/08 - An update to my Leeds report is here, and I promise that it doesn't mention football at all.  The Leeds map has also been updated.

09/08/08 - Yet again, It's that time of the month for the Pub of the Month and Beer of the Month pages...

01/08/08 - The report for Bratislava and Vienna from last December is finally online and I've rearranged my Austrian gen pages accordingly.

23/07/08 - A new piece on yet another of my dubious theories is online and a map of Stockport has joined my Google Maps page and there's a new Gazzateer too.

13/07/08 - New today is the report from our visit to Porto... read it with an open mind and you may find yourself rushing out there to begin a new career as a port scooper!

06/07/08 - It's that time of the month again for me to update the Pub of the Month and Beer of the Month pages...

05/07/08 - A report from Leeds is now online and the Curry crawl page has finally been updated after four years!

29/06/08 - Some phots from Gothenburg are now online.  Expect more gibber next weekend as I've got some time to write reports this week...

26/06/08 - Most of my Google Maps are now updated - including new maps of Leeds and Gothenburg - plus any extra pubs I know about, and Mark Enderby has been to Armenia (I didn't know where it was either).

19/06/08 - Beer gen from our recent trip to Gothenburg is now uploaded and a report of my recent visit to Leeds is soon to be here too.  I'm also slaving over the Porto and Bratislava/Vienna reports too, you lucky people.

09/06/08 - The Pub of the Month and Beer of the Month sections are now complete!

03/06/08 - A bit busy at work currently which is slowing up my NYC information, but I've managed to write most of my May beer of the month page, the rest should follow shortly as will pub of the month.

24/05/08 - We're 5 this week, so happy birthday to Scoopergen... new today are some phots from Reading and beyond, a new soapbox by Mr Westby and more is on the way...

19/05/08 - Back from NYC and all I can say is wow!  What an amazingly beery place it is, although it's not cheap... I scooped 151 beers in all, not bad going seeing as most were in bars not brewpubs, and had a thoroughly great time; a report will appear sometime next century as will some phots!

09/05/08 - As I'm off to New York for a week tomorrow morning I shan't be boring you for a while (but just wait till I get back...) so, as a parting present, here's a short piece - on hops, yet again - questioning if the current hop shortage is a totally bad thing or maybe, just maybe, does it have an upside?  Cheers and wish me luck, I aim to score well over 100 beers...

05/05/08 - A piece on my UK "hop heroes" is now on the site, I've added Pub of the Month and Beer of the Month, plus the superb Lommerzheim in Köln has re-opened!

26/04/08 - A major revision to the Budget Flights page in light of the ever-changing ways the cheap airlines are finding to extract money from us when we book flights.

21/04/08 - The Stone IIPA article has been updated with the results of a session on it last Friday, some new (well, new to this site!) scoopers have been added, there's a new Gazzateer and there's more stuff in the pipeline...

10/04/08 - A quick tale of my search for the Shepherd Neame Stone IIPA is online.

07/04/08 - The latest Pub of the Month and Beer of the Month pages are now up...

23/03/08 - We're back from Zagreb and a mammoth tram-scooping frenzy so I've updated the Croatia page accordingly, as well as penning a slightly surreal piece on an old theology of mine which goes by the name of "beer limbo"...

09/03/08 - My Argentina report from last October is finally online and I've completely updated the Buenos Aires beer page too.  More phots will be uploaded later this week...

03/03/08 - The latest Pub of the Month and Beer of the Month pages are now online.

02/03/08 - Apologies for my tardiness in updating recently, but we've been away to Porto and also I've been busy with other stuff... be assured that normal - whatever that means - service is now resumed and I've got a huge backlog of reports to write... in the meantime, some new phots are here.

12/02/08 - Many thanks to Max, the Pivni Filosof of Prague, who has sent me a PDF file listing the three locations where you might find the massive Suchdolský Jeník at the Czech agricultural university in Prague... download it here and get scooping !!!

10/02/08 - A new Soapbox rant added today and, in a sudden fit of prolificy, a new Gazzateer too!

07/02/08 - The Pub of the Month and Beer of the Month pages are now up.

06/02/08 - The trip to Prague with old scooping mate Dean was definitely one of the most full-on, hardcore beer trips I've done in quite a while... we scored 34 beers in a mere two days and visited a whole range of places from a university cafe to a converted tram crew hut via all things in-between.  I've put up the preliminary gen here, some phots of the trip here, totally rewritten my Czech beer gen page here... time for a beer I think! 

24/01/08 - Just back from Rome where we found the fast-growing Italian beer culture has resulted in a clutch of superb bars (2 selling cask beer!) plus a great bottle shop and so, on the strength of just one visit, the "Football pub" goes right into my top-5 bars anywhere... I'd recommend that everyone gets themselves to Rome this year to see just how far the Italian beer scene has come, in particular Del Borgo ReAle extra which is into my top ten of beers of all time... even better, it was from cask in the Football Pub!  It doesn't get much better than that...

16/01/08 - Hot off the press today is Herbal's much-waited for account of his trip to the USA in search of Genesisii and beers... you know, the one when he got arrested!

15/01/08 - The London report is finally online, and it's a lot more comprehensive than I thought it would be... !

10/01/08 - Yet another Google beer-map, this time Praha (Prague)...

06/01/08 - The January beer of the month is now online, and the London report should be up tomorrow with a fair wind...

02/01/08 - Despite the aforementioned man-cold ruining my seasonal supping I'm still beavering away on stuff for the site, including Google beer-maps for both London (yes, there is some there...) and also Rome.  Plus, on-time this year, are the Scoopergen awards 2007... read 'em and weep, if that's the correct terminology.

31/12/07 - The preliminary findings for our trip to Rome next month are now online including all the brewpubs and bars I have unearthed.  Happy new year all! (unless I don't like you, in which case you can FOAD!)

29/12/07 - A rancid "man-cold" contracted in Laaarndan is seriously preventing me doing any writing at present, but I've managed to drag my near-death corpse to the computer to upload some photos of London the other week... and I've also started work on a short story set in the future which may come online later next year to baffle you all... Also, the Scoopergen awards for 2007 are being worked on now, so beware crap brewers!  All this plus December's beer of the month, the London, South America and Slovakia/Vienna report... I need a year off!

27/12/07 - A new google map of Vienna's comprehensive array of brewpubs is now uploaded to the Google maps page.

24/12/07 - A new Gazzateer, concerning "once a year" drinkers, is now up as is the report on Pembroke Dock, although I'd not pack your bags until you've read it.

16/12/07 - Had a good time in Bratislava and Vienna, the reports will appear sometime within the next century but in the meantime I've added some phots of the trip here and also the revised gen for Bratislava and Vienna is uploaded.  There's also a new Beer of the Month for those who like to read my pretentious descriptions of beer.

02/12/07 - Some phots from my recent Argentina trip are now here.  A report into Pembroke Dock will appear shortly... as will the Argentina one if I get a spare month to write it!

20/11/07 - "201 the Pub", an account of how I walked miles for very little in Denton and Hyde, is now online and a new Google map of Worcester is online.

17/11/07 - Getting really "beer writer"-ish now; I've decided to let you all know about the best beers I drink and so will attempt to write a "Beer of the Month" page each and every month... It will be the best beer from wherever I've been so could be anything...

11/11/07 - A few more phots online today... I'm working in Denton this week, so expect a report from a planned walkabout taking in the less than salubrious Denton via the Lowes Arms to Hyde... bet you can't wait, can you?

10/11/07 - The long-promised phots are finally online, as is the report from my recent Glasgow trip in the summer.  The South America report is coming along fine (but it's going to be a big 'un...) and I'm trying to upload some phots from the trip and also amend the Argentina beer gen page this weekend...

31/10/07 - I've added some new gen for Bratislava as we're there in December and I promise some new phots will appear this week, along with a report from my summer visit to Glasgow.

27/10/07 - In process of sorting out the mounds of phots to add to the site - they should all be on here this week... I'm now on 145 Argentine beers, the top man outside Buenos Aires, and the evidence in the form of some phots of the adventures of me and Big Feller will be here soon.

24/10/07 - I'm back!  What a superb trip that was (despite British Airways messing up our Santiago day) and I scooped 90 South American beers as well as two brewery tours, met lots of very sociable people and generally had a cracking time.  The inevitable report will arrive at some point (and I'll update the beer gen), but I'll try and put some phots up soon.  I will also try and add the huge backlog of photos/articles I've been sent, thanks a lot people, you know who you are!  I've added Lee Croot's Cuban report, also Mark Enderby has been on his travels again - this time to Canada and the Pacific Northwest of the USA...

07/10/07 - My report for Cork is now online.  I've got a massive backlog of photos to add (cheers to Nicky, Valerie Hollows and Herbal amongst others) which might be going on this week, although I'm off to Santiago and Buenos Aires on Thursday for 10 days... !

23/09/07 - A few more Google maps are online, plus some more reports will be appearing this week with a bit of luck as well as some more phots...

19/09/07 - An amazing encounter with hops in Cork will shortly be joining the "My Rarest Scoops" page, but in the meantime there's a Gazzateer about a revelationary encounter on the Emerald Isle...  Plus, may I join in the chorus of well wishing to Chris Fudge, and may he recover quickly.

11/09/07 - The Copenhagen report is now live...

04/09/07 - Some new phots added, thanks to all who have sent them in...

02/09/07 - A few more Google maps added...

31/08/07 - Apologies for no updates, but I was in Glasgow for a Ratebeer meeting last weekend and then have been in Cardiff the rest of the week... "No Rest", as Gary Mess says...  A quick Gazzateer is here lamenting the demise of a great character of the beer world.  The report for Copenhagen should be here soon, and maybe a new Glasgow one too...

21/08/07 - A new piece regarding my views on how the remaining regional brewers could survive the current cull... but you won't agree with it.

19/08/07 - My Basel / Zürich report is finally online... plus some more Google maps.

13/08/07 - A few more Google maps and a Gazzateer added...

12/08/07 - Some new phots from the weekend around Sheffield are now online and the Basel / Zürich report should be here very shortly too!  I've just discovered the superb Google maps and will be doing one for all my new reports and, retrospectively if I have time, some of the old ones too...  and finally a warm gingery welcome to the Sheffield circuit's newest feline resident...

29/07/07 - New today is a tour of York by Steve Fulcher here.

23/07/07 - A quick canter around Preston is now online, with yet more references to the weather...  It's a British thing, don't you know...

22/07/07 - A new page explaining my beer scooping rules has been added, both for the UK and Europe, just in case you didn't know how interesting this kind of thing is.

19/07/07 - I thought that as it was a while since I wrote any amusing yarns (years, according to some people) I'd pen another of my epic "My rarest beer" stories to piss off those not old enough to remember scooping in the early 1990's.  Read it here and laugh at my misfortune with climatic conditions...

15/07/07 - A slightly strange addition this, but for those who travel abroad a lot using cheap airlines (OK, it's not politically correct nowadays, but what can you do anymore?) here's a brief snapshot of the more popular ones...  The next report will be our Swiss one, but it may take a few weeks!

14/07/07 - The report for Turin and Milan is finally online...  I may also be doing one for Preston after visiting last Thursday evening, so expect another generally positive one...  There's also another small entry on the Gazzateer for all those Blog-lovers out there...

07/07/07 - Nothing really to update, I just liked 07/07/07!  Actually, there are some new phots of random things and people, and a few reports have been updated with info received; cheers to everyone who's supplied it.

03/07/07 - An update to Herbal's NE America gen has been uploaded.

01/07/07 - Off to the pub now to see what it's like with no poisonous gases inside!  A major update of the Argentina page courtesy of Lee Croot (Crooton) has been done, and I've now booked my October trip to Santiago and Buenos Aires... can't wait.  Some comment on the smoking ban in in the Gazzateer for those saddos who like reading blogs and suchlike.

28/06/07 - Some phots added to the Switzerland page!

24/06/07 - Just back from Copenhagen where the amazing Danish beer culture took us by surprise; Denmark must be one of the most up and coming brewing nations in the world at present!  I've added some photos of our trip to the Copenhagen page, and some photos from our last trip to Switzerland will be there very shortly.  The next article up will be the Turin and Milan epic, hopefully next weekend, but some phots are there in the meantime.  All that and I never did get to Bury St Edmunds last week... luckily!

10/06/07 - Following on from the recent Flemish Sour tasting, I've done yet another one of the highly controversial Trappist beers... see what you think!

06/06/07 - My recent visit to St Albans has spawned yet another report, and yet another "cheery beery" one too.  Next up, Turin and Milan...

04/06/07 - The Madrid and Lisbon report - the second gripping instalment of "From Siberia to Iberia" - is now online; you lucky people, you.

31/05/07 - A description of a recent tasting session of Belgian Flemish Sour beers is now online, with a Trappist beer tasting one coming soon...

28/05/07 - The Kraków and Katowice report is finally online, although unless you like reading about different types of trams and how cold it was I'm not sure you'll like it... part two of the instalment, namely Madrid and Lisbon, will be along soon!  Also, congratulations to Per Samuelsson who has become the first person outside of the UK to reach the milestone of 10,000 scoops; Per has been all over the world scooping beers and, as he doesn't have the sheer volume of beers at home in Sweden as we have in the UK, I'm sure you'll agree his achievement is all the more impressive !  Some preliminary gen from Switzerland is up too, and very good it was...

15/05/07 - A new UK crawl, this time Cardiff, although I've missed the deadline for the Polish and Iberian reports as we're off to Switzerland on Thursday and so they will have to wait until I return!  A few new phots too, cheers to those who have supplied...

07/05/07 - I've finally added the New Oxford to the Pubs section!  A new bit about pubs is on the Gazzateer, and some phots from Reading are here.  More to come this week!

29/04/07 - Gen on Italy will appear shortly, although we didn't really make the best of Milan so another trip there is definitely needed!  A short report of my first visit to the Evening Star for eleven years is now online, as is another instalment in my ongoing saga of "Crap Southern towns" - this time Crawley.  The Kraków report is getting close, this may be up next weekend, as may one for Cardiff!  Some more phots are up too.

18/04/07 - My Portsmouth report is now up!  Off to Turin and Milan in the morning...

15/04/07 - Some more phots added today.

14/04/07 - Mark Enderby has been on his travels again and has sent me some gen for the following countries - Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.  I've updated the Madrid and Lisbon pages with gen and phots from our recent visits.

09/04/07 - I've uploaded all the beer gen I've uncovered for our forthcoming trips to Basel and Zürich and also Turin and Milan, and the Portsmouth report should be up this week too as the sun's gone in.

04/04/07 - The new phots are finally online.  Alas, the Portsmouth report has been delayed by the wrong sort of sun, but will appear as soon as pathing allows.  I'll put up some phots and beer gen from Madrid and Lisbon too this weekend.

01/04/07 - Lots of phots to add tomorrow, thanks to Otto, Shaz Williamson, Glyn and Nicky Wightman, but in the meantime some gen about Krakow and Katowice is here.  The Portsmouth report may also be up tomorrow...

19/03/07 - The mammoth Harz report is now online... if you're one of these strange people who likes to read my unmitigated gibberish then you're going to have a bundle of laughs with this one.  Everyone else - just skip to page 23 of the PDF for the gen and ignore the rest.  Next up will be a short whizz around Portsmouth, then I'm starting on the Kraków/Katowice report... all that to do and we're off to Madrid on Wednesday!

18/03/07 - More new phots added, thanks to everyone for those, and the Harz report will finally be online tomorrow evening!  The Portsmouth one may appear before we go to Madrid/Lisbon but probably not...

11/03/07 - Some new phots added today, thanks to those who have supplied them!  Also a new Gazzateer which some may find strange coming from me...

04/03/07 - After what must be the longest break from updating the site since it was founded, I've finally got around to putting some new stuff on Scoopergen!  Apologies if anyone has dropped by hoping to see some new ramblings but we've been away in Krakow and I've been working away for three weeks so, as you can probably guess, things have got a little behind schedule in the updating department... anyhow, new reports from Reading and Southampton are online and the German Harz report is poised for it's grand entrance...

11/02/07 - Yet another report from some hellhole in the middle of nowhere - this time it's Calne in Wiltshire - but I wouldn't get your scooping gear together just yet until you've read the report!  The Harz report should be up by next weekend with a favourable wind.

03/02/07 - A new soapbox rant brought on by a thread on Scoopgen and a new Gazzateer.

28/01/07 - Lots of new phots today (cheers to everyone who has supplied them!) and also the phots from Manchester t'other week are up too.

27/01/07 - A few new bits today; a piece on the latest talking point amongst environmentalists, "food miles" (although I call them beer miles instead), a new UK report on Swansea, and some new phots by various people - more tomorrow!

21/01/07 - Sorry, not much time to update as I'm working away at present... still, that gives me time to write more reports such as this new one for Chester!  Some phots will appear from the Manchester do this weekend, a great time was had by all as far as I could tell!

13/01/07 - Thanks to a week away on Anglesey with nothing much to do on the beer front (see the report!) I've managed to finish two new UK crawls namely Kendal and Anglesey.  The German one will be next as I'm in Chester all next week!

07/01/07 - I've written an article about my views on ageing beers; this was prompted by a discussion on the Ratebeer forums about 100-year old beer and voices my opinions - in no uncertain terms - why such bottles should be left firmly on the shelves!

02/01/07 - In a shameless act of ostentatiousness I've compiled an awards page for 2006; have a look and see if you agree with any of my gongs! 

01/01/07 - I've done a major update to the Argentina page after Per Samuelsson from Ohhh my Head sent me lots of gen from his recent visit.  I'm aiming to visit Argentina again this August... !  I've also updated my best beers page.

31/12/06 - Happy new year and all that to everyone, and may your new year be full of non-dodgy scoops!  I've added the Carcassonne report for those who just can't do without reading some more of my unbridled shite over the holiday period - although it only contains 2 beers so, unless you're really bored, I'd not bother...

26/12/06 - Sorry for the lack of activity, but I've had a rancid cold and so have been unable to drink anything so far... cheers then!  Hopefully I'm OK now though, so I've added some phots from Martin Stamp to the New Phots section.

22/12/06 - The phots from the annual Xmas piss-up in Sheffield are now up.  I've also added some gen for Madrid and Lisbon and have some more phots to add this weekend.

18/12/06 - Herbal has written a top report of his recent cranking tour around the North-East USA; find it here.   Not quite as exotic, but I've added another UK tour to the UK page, namely Bath, with Kendal coming soon.  Phots from the Xmas piss-up should be up this week at some point... another good turn out, cheers everyone.

12/12/06 - Yet another instalment of my aimless wanderings around the UK is now online and, to maintain the theme of only covering places you'd never even think about drinking in, I present the hard-earned fruits of my labours around Taunton.

10/12/06 - Well, I scooped the one and only beer in Carcassonne... even though I'm not 100% sure it's actually brewed there!  The city itself is an unbelievably ancient place and highly recommended for a visit, just don't go there after scoops....!  Hopefully, some more crawls will be up this week as well as the full Carcassonne article.

03/12/06 - Yet another report from my recent trip around the South-West of England, this time Ilminster... yep, I'd never heard of it either!

02/12/06 - A report on my recent trawl around Christchurch in Dorset is now online, although I wouldn't read it if you like Ringwood or come from Christchurch.

01/12/06 - A few phots from Germany are now up.  Some more UK pub crawls in random and unexciting places should be up this weekend too.

28/11/06 - A few vaguely beer-related phots from Riga are now on the site.

27/11/06 - The Harz region of Germany was a right treat; 36 beers scooped and 4 new tram systems!  The gen will be up as soon as possible along with the usual rambling and irrelevant gibberish you've come to expect from me.  I've just added the superb Royal Oak in Bath to the "best pubs" page.

21/11/06 - The Riga article is now up, as is the PDF of it.  Off to Hanover tonight!

19/11/06 - A whole ruck of new photos, including some from the last Cask festival, are now up.  The Riga report should be up this week, then it's off to Germany for 5 days!  A new section for UK pub crawls in now here.

11/11/06 - A new Gazzateer is up, penned after seeing some rather stupid installations at my local McSpoons No.1.

05/11/06 - I've uploaded a quick report of a recent pub recce around the West Wales town of Carmarthen; it just proves there's almost always decent beer if only you go to the right places!  The Riga article will, hopefully, be up within the next two weeks.

25/10/06 - The Gdańsk report is now online in PDF format only; the web one should be here by tomorrow evening. 

22/10/06 - Some phots from Nottingham are now online.  The preliminary gen from Latvia is also here (40 scoops in 3 days!) and the Gdańsk report should be along this week at some point too.

11/10/06 - Mark Enderby has sent me a report from the city of Las Vegas with details of a surprisingly large number of brewpubs!  My Argentina report will finally go up today, and the Gdańsk one will be here next week with a bit of luck.  We're off to Riga on Saturday so expect more gen from there next week - and I think the beer should be OK too!

03/10/06 - Some new phots have been uploaded and I particularly like the one of Spoon in his Togo flag... I forget the story but it looks a right beast!  The Argentinean report is close to completion and an epic tome it is too at 30,000 words... you don't have to read it... The Beige Peige also has some new additions; must be the season for it!

26/09/06 - Gdańsk was a superb city architecturally and historically, but on the beer front it was very poor indeed; almost all bars are owned by multinationals (Zywiec, Tyskie etc) and so we resorted to scooping bottles in supermarkets and shops...!  A report of this trip will be online at some point in the next month I hope!  I've also added some maps to the Argentinean page and also it's been confirmed that Hopfingerbräu in Berlin doesn't actually brew but is supplied by Lindenbrau and Traunstein... ah well!

17/09/06 - The Argentinean report has now reached 22,000 words and still isn't finished although I'm trying to wrap it up before we visit Gdansk this Thursday.  Peter Alexander has passed on some details of yet another brewpub in Berlin (Hopfingerbräu at the new Hauptbahnhof) and, still in Berlin, Steve Westby has confirmed the gen about Sudstern re-opening - thanks a lot, guys.  Apart from that, not much is new...

10/09/06 - A page of phots from the Tamworth festival is now here.  The Argentinean report is coming along (slowly), there should be a new Gazzateer today, and there are also some new additions to the Beige Peige!

27/08/06 - First of all, apologies for my claims that the Pot of Beer had been demolished - my excuse is that I was never quite sure where it was!  Some photos of the pub now on the new phots page...

20/08/06 - Some phots from Worcester are now up as well as some of the Beer House boarded up in Manchester; the Pubs page has consequently been updated and there are a few more additions to the Beige Peige!

13/08/06 - A few new phots added today!

09/08/06  - The Channel Islands report is now online and, considering how little beer gen it contains, it's still feckin' huge.  Next is the Argentina one - I'm looking forwards to writing that one, I can tell you... it may be some time though!

07/08/06 - An update on the West brewing Co. in Glasgow by Rick Pickup, some more phots from Nicky Wightman and some other random updates which no-one will notice have been added.  The Channel Islands article will be up next, maybe tomorrow?

04/08/06 - The Edinburgh article is finally online, and what a big'un it is too!

01/08/06 - August already!  I've re-written a fair amount of the Scooping page as reading it made me realise how poorly some of it was done, mainly three years ago - it was one of the first parts of the site to be written.

31/07/06 - Thanks to Mr Pickup for a synopsis of the Black Horse in Darwen which gave me the impetus to tidy up the Pubs page and add weblinks for the featured hostelries, as well as making sure the addresses are correct.

30/07/06 - Some phots from the Channel Islands now up as well as some new photos sent in by various people - cheers to everyone!  The Edinburgh report will be up this week I hope.

23/07/06 - A few more phots added, but it's too hot to do owt else!

22/07/06 - Some Channel Islands gen is now online, phots to follow!

21/07/06 - The Lübeck report is finally online!  Some gen about the Channel Islands will follow this weekend too, then it's the Argentina report!

08/07/06 - Cheers to Herbal for his Irish article, and there's more Gazzateer after I found some very heartening news on the interweb!

05/07/06 - Thanks to intrepid explorer Mr Westby for his latest globe-trotting gen page, this time Singapore!  My Lübeck report is almost finished too... you lucky people, you.

02/07/06 - Some more phots from Bin Laden (aka Suited Scooper) and John Law are now up.  Also, a report from Washington DC by John Adams whilst my Lübeck report is coming along and should be here this week.

25/06/06 - The phots are now up, as is a short Gazzateer about my recent visit to the Garland, Redhill.  Is it just me who thinks someone's moved it?

24/06/06 - I've written up the micro brewery and pubs section of the Argentinean page, so it's the report next!

23/06/06 - A new soapbox from you-know-who.  Loads of phots from various people - thanks a lot to you all - will be up by Monday hopefully.

21/06/06 - Some phots from the Edinburgh trip are now up, as are those from Argentina.  I'm slowly adding to the Argentina gen; more beer stuff will go up this weekend but for now it's some top food gen which has been uploaded - mmmmmmm, empanadas!!!  I've got a load of photos from various people to upload so these should appear over the weekend; thanks to everyone who has sent me stuff and rest assured I'll get around to putting it on the site as soon as I have a spare second to do so!

16/06/06 - Better late than never, although after reading it you may disagree... my Tuscany article is now online for your delectation...  Off to Edinburgh tomorrow for three days so hopefully some scoops and decent beer this weekend?

13/06/06 - For those saddos waiting with baited breath for my Paris report, it's now online and full of all the usual shite and inaccuracies you expect from me.  Tuscany is almost finished, then it's Lübeck and then Buenos Aires...  All that and we're off to Edinburgh this weekend for three days!

11/06/06 - I'm back!!!  Well,  what can I say apart from Argentina is a country experiencing a massive surge of "artisanal" beer brewing and everyone should get themselves over there to experience it!  The full report may be some time coming but I'll try and get some gen and phots up by the end of today.  I've also updated the Pubs section and a few phots from Paris are now up too.

23/05/06 - Some additions to the Czech page courtesy of Fudge and John Holland, many thanks to them both.  My Pisa and Florence article is almost finished now, and see here for some snippits from the recent Paris trip, but as I'm off to Buenos Aires on Friday for 12 days there will be nothing new until I get back - hopefully with 100 Argentinian beers under my belt... well, I can dream.  If it's as good as it sounds I might do it!

16/05/06 - The Topsham crawl article is now completed!

14/05/06 - Been a bit busy with working away recently so no new stuff at the moment, although a report of a cracking little pub crawl at Topsham (near Exeter) will appear as soon as I have time to write it - some photos here and the first bit of the story!

03/05/06 - Some phots from Reading now up on the Latest Phots page... also, any funny or downright silly phots will now be stored here...

02/05/06 - The Barcelona report is finally up - now for the Lübeck one!  The phots from Reading will be here Thursday hopefully.

23/04/06 - Small update as I'm still working on the Barcelona report - the Czech gen page has been updated and some beermat scans from Holstein uploaded.

18/04/06 - Back from Hamburg and Lübeck which turned out to be a very good beer scooping trip - we scored the best North German Pils in a little brewpub in Neustadt-in-Holstein and had some top food everywhere!  The report will be on after the Barcelona one is done (there's a bit of a queue forming now) but I'll try and get some gen and pictures up by the end of today.

09/04/06 - My Dublin report is now online, the Barcelona one will be next...

08/04/06 - Some phots from the Dublin trip now online, the report will be there soon.

05/04/06 - Just back from Dublin and I can report that the beer scene is as bad as ever apart from a new Porterhouse pub in Nassau street; the original Porterhouse no longer brews as the plant has been moved to the outskirts somewhere.  A full report will appear this weekend, hopefully - see the Ireland section.

26/03/06 - A diatribe on how, in my opinion, we can save classic beers is here.  I've also updated the Festivals page, any more suggestions let me know.

25/03/06 - Some phots now added to the Barcelona page, and a report on the Polish city of Wroclaw from Helen is online - cheers mate!

23/03/06 - The initial Barcelona beer guide is now up, the report hasn't been started yet!

21/03/06 - Some more stuff being written including a few more serious articles!  Just back from Barcelona and, as expected, the beer wasn't the best, so expect the report shortly... a new bit on the Gazzateer about internet searches...

15/03/06 - A little piece called "scraps from the scoopsbook" is here!

14/03/06 - A new "round-up" of travel reports is now online.  Mick the Tick's interview from Taste (remember that?!) in 1998 is also in the "In the News" section.

13/03/06 - A few more phots added to the "Flat as a Board" story, and the new soapbox is finally online although it's not the one I was going to write, that's next...

12/03/06 - The story about me being "Brewer for a day" at Swale making my 4,000th beer is now online here...!  My latest rant will be online soon...  Steve Westby's report of his visit to Glasgow in search of deep-fried Mars bars is now online too... !

05/03/06 - A few more phots for old UK brewpubs added to the "brewpubs of the world" feature.  The "Flat as a Board" article is coming along, whilst the "Scooping" section has been revised and some parts rewritten.

02/03/06 - Phots now added to the Glasgow report.

01/03/06 - The report from our visit to Glasgow a couple of weeks back is now online, although be warned it's quite a hefty document (as usual)... some phots for the visit are due to be added soon.  Also, a recollection for the 10th anniversary of my 4,000th beer, "Flat as a Board" will soon be finished but in the meantime have a look at the phots...

26/02/06 - My current research of breweries in Buenos Aires is now online, and a load of new photos, mainly from the Whitwells of Scotland, have recently arrived in my inbox!  Expect the new soapbox soon along with a typically lengthy and crap report of our recent trip to Glasgow.

12/02/06 - Another tiny update, but some new stuff is planned this week including a new soapbox - read it if you dare!

05/02/06 - Small update; a few new photos in Brewpubs of the world and other minor additions.

29/01/06 - The Pisa page has been updated with more info about the superb Birrifico Artigianale and there are loads more cuttings from the media in the new media section!

24/01/06 - A page depicting the excesses of last weekend is now up, as well as a slightly updated version of the Berlin article with extra links etc.

23/01/06 - "Another tick in the wall", my mammoth 21,400 word (!) article, is now online if you've got a few days to spare reading some rambling gibberish.  Phots from the Manchester winter ales weekend will also be here very shortly.

17/01/06 - Berlin phots are now up!  The report will follow tomorrow - but be warned, it's around 15,000 words and none of them string together or make a lot of sense... normal service resumed, then.  Also, a new section called "In the News" which will preserve for posterity any record of scoopers in the media... the ones normals read!

16/01/06 - A belated happy new year to everyone.  My Berlin article is almost finished and will be here soon, the photos may be here tonight... you never know.

30/12/05 - Large update of the Abroad section due to Dave Unpronounceable sending me some reports from his recent trips around Yugoslavia and the like!

26/12/05 - As both Scoopergen and Quaffale confirmed their sadness by uploading on Xmas day (well, what else is there to do?) I thought I'd go one-up on Mr Pickup and update today as well!  A mammoth new rant on Soapbox is available for your perusal but beware, it's like reading one of Fidel Castro's more hard-line speeches.  Don't say I didn't warn you.  There's also a bit about my local in the Gazzateer if you're really bored.

25/12/05 - Lots of phots from the annual piss-up in Sheffield are now up, see them here... happy Yule to everyone!

16/12/05 - Our visit to Tuscany yielded some stunning beers; the full report will be here soon but there's a preliminary page of crap here in the meantime if you can't wait for more of my inane gibbering (and if not you really should get out more, you know).  Also, my recent visit to Belfast has a short (by my standards) report here...

04/12/05 - My Budapest report, "Hungary for winners", is now online... also, some photos from Steve Westby's Alaskan trip are there too.

03/12/05 - The links page has been revamped and the beer/brewpub gen from our Berlin trip is now online here.  Budapest article is coming soon...!

30/11/05 - Some new phots today, mainly from John Law - cheers!  Mark Enderby has been off on his travels again (India this time), and my Hungarian article is due this weekend... The Berlin one has been started, but may take some time!  12 brewpubs... phew!

13/11/05 - Steve Westby's report of his recent trip to Alaska is here, and bloody good it sounds too.

12/11/05 - A quick write-up of a recent visit to Cardiff in search of a decent pint of Brains' Dark is now in the Gazzateer...

27/10/05 - Phots from Nottingham now online here, also a new trip report from the fearless Mr Enderby - this time from the Southern USA, y'all hear now?

19/10/05 - Budapest phots are now up !

18/10/05 - My Geneva article is now online!  I will also upload some photos and the all-important brewery and brewpub gen from our latest trip to Budapest in lieu of the full article which may take some time to write!

04/10/05 - Some phots from our recent Geneva trip should be online today - see the Swiss section in Scooping Abroad.  Also, there's a new yarn about me scooping another huge beer, this time Brains MA all the way back in 1991...  Some new Praha gen from Joe Wright is here too as well as some new Cats...

16/09/05 - Phots from Birmingham on Thursday now online! (I must be getting desperate again, that's 2 fests in a week!!!)

14/09/05 - Phots from last weekend's Tamworth festival are now online!  I've also updated the Danish report with some new brewpub gen.

06/09/05 - A new soapbox and a general overhaul of some old pages today!

05/09/05 - I wrote a new soapbox about the Belgian Trappist brewers, but it's so big I've done it as a separate article and I'll have to write another smaller one for the page!

04/09/05 - Thanks to Dave Wild for some new photos on the Pubs page, which will be getting some more entries very soon.

31/08/05 - My report of our Bratislava/Brno trip is now online!!!

14/08/05 - Update of phots from the better than usual Worcester festival which would have included more phots if I hadn't forgotten the camera on Saturday... D'oh!

21/07/05 - Small update, mainly from Mark Enderby who has visited Tallinn - see what he has to say on it all here!  Bratislava/Brno article coming soon...

12/07/05 - At last - Tallinn and Helsinki is online!  Everything you need to know about these two places for a weekend out scooping is included here (well, everything I could think of...) so read and enjoy.  A couple of maps are also included.

10/07/05 - The Tallinn / Helsinki article will be on here this week - but be warned it's over 18 pages long!!!  I've started the Bratislava / Brno one too, this one won't be as epic, and a description of some of the commoner European beer styles will also be on the "Abroad" section as soon as it's available just so those who are just starting to explore beers from abroad can get an idea what to expect from each style.

26/06/05 - Scoopergen is now live on the new server!  You should have noticed no change "front of house" but, believe me, there's loads more space back here for all sorts of gibberish to be uploaded.  My Tallinn/Finland article is still in the making and we're just back from Bratislava and Brno so expect to see these appear within a few weeks - hopefully!  There's a new article about the rare Zoigl beer by Mat Wilson and some new phots from the Wellington on Saturday!

12/06/05 - You might have noticed the new front screen - well, this is part of the "re-branding" exercise Scoopergen will get when I finally get my hand in my pocket and pay for the webspace I need.  Expect to see the whole site change over the next few months.  For now, see some phots from Tallinn here.

06/06/05 - The Leipzig report is finally available - sorry for the delays.  More phots will be added this week hopefully, along with a few from Tallinn and Helsinki.

22/05/05 - My Leipzig report is finished and in the proof-reading stage so expect it this week sometime with phots.  I've added my "100 words on holding beers back" from the Cask-UK egroup for posterity too.  Scoopergen may be getting better soon - more space on the server will mean better quality phots and also the reports in PDF format.... maybe!  Just back from Estonia and Helsinki, so the report for this will be started this week.  It's fecking never ending, this website lark...

08/05/05 - My phots from Reading are now online, and what a great festival it was as usual - mainly for the superb European beer bar!!! (and the return of Jimmy Hill!).  Some phots from Leipzig & Dresden are also online, the report is coming soon...  then Estonia... then Bratislava and Brno...  and you wonder why I don't have any time to scoop in the UK these days, eh?

17/04/05 - The Abroad section just gets better and better - now Peru is there, courtesy of Steve Westby, and all those who think there's a lot of brewpubs in Vienna better read this and weep.....  Some phots too.  We're off the Leipzig and Dresden next weekend so expect the usual gibbering report soon, then Estonia and Finland in mid-May.

30/03/05 - A new soapbox from Mr Whizz, a new Gazzateer and that's about it for now....

17/03/05 - Billy Whizz's photos are now added to his report - eventually! 

28/02/05 - Thanks to everyone who has sent in phots and other gen for me, these are in the process of being added.  Speaking of additions, the new Venice and Nice/Genoa articles are now online albeit without phots as yet.  Billy Whizz has a top report on the brewpubs of Australia which is also online - and without phots as yet too!  So much to do...

02/02/05 - Just back from Venice - not much beer, but there was a brew-restaurant where you helped yourself to the beer from a tap!  Surreal.  A few more phots online and some other additions done.  There will be SHORT article about Venice soon!  I've had a bit of a tidy up of the site with new additions to the pubs page and various others.

19/01/05 - My Bavarian & Franconian article is now online - without any phots as yet.

02/01/05 - Happy new year to everyone!  My Bavarian article will be here soon - honest!  Lots of beermat scans have been added to the Czech article, a few more to Tunisia and Croatia.

12/12/04 - Nowt new as such this week, although the Bavarian article is going well and should be here in a few weeks!

05/12/04 - My long and gibbering account of a recent Belgian trip, "Lambic Frenzy", is now available for you to read if you've an hour or two spare.  The Bavarian story has been started but may be a while yet!

28/11/04 - Well, nothing much new this week - we did Bavaria and the report will be on here as soon as it's done.  The Belgian one should be on next weekend with a bit of luck.

14/11/04 - Another travel report from Mr Enderby this week, Berlin this time, along with Beige Phil's response to my Beer House rant the other week.  After the Lambic-fest that was Belgium last weekend the usual over-long and rambling report is in preparation and will be here in a few weeks.  It would be next weekend but it's off to Bavaria on Saturday!  Also, my Köln article has been updated with beermat scans.

31/10/04 - Some phots from Nottingham courtesy of Phil Hodgson this week, and another inane gibbering essay from me, about branding this time....

24/10/04 - Not much new this week, only a new soapbox from me again and a slight update to the curry crawl from the other week.

10/10/04 - In a bit of a departure from normal, I've added my Manchester curry cafe crawl report, newly updated as of last week - if you've never had a curry in the "Northern Quarter", then read this and weep!  A few minor alterations to the scooper lists following gen from various people (Dave Wild in particular) and some new bits on the famous Beige Peige!, including a free gift - the amazing, indispensible Beigeometer!  More next week.

03/10/04 - My epic report from Köln, Bonn and Düsseldorf is now online under the "Abroad" section, but I warn you it's a bit long!

26/09/04 - The Koln report is almost finished and will be on here next week.  Some new phots from Phil Hodgson (cheers Phil), some from Tamworth, and a new soapbox from me, and a very whingy one it is too having read it again.....  Mark Enderby has been on his travels again, this time to Boston in the US of A.

05/09/04 - Koln report still being written so no new stuff this week.  I've put a few phots up though so you know what it's like there!  More soon.

15/08/04 - Some phots from Worcester fest now up.  We're off to Koln next weekend, so a report from there will be added shortly!

01/08/04 - Sorry for the lack of updates but I've been busy etc etc... anyhow, lots of photos from the "201" crawl the other week added, and we're now up to 299 scoopers!  In case you were wondering why the text is in Beige, there's a new page added to celebrate this wonderful colour and the wearing of it by more and more scoopers.  My Belgian scooper's guide is also now on the site.

12/07/04 - Molly's tribute page is now up, thanks to Beer Monster for the phots.

10/07/04 - I've got around to scanning Roly's phots (at last!) so I'm putting them, plus some more old ones of mine, on the site this weekend.  My Belgian scooper's guide is coming along well, and we're off to Köln soon so expect one for there too!

02/07/04 - I'll never hear a sea shanty the same way again.  Molly (Tony Molyneaux) was found dead in his home this morning.  I know a lot of tickers knew him due to his gregarious nature and will be just as gutted as I am by the news.  Anyone with photos of Molly can send them in and I'll prepare a tribute page to him, it's the least I can do.

20/06/04 - Only a few new phots this week.  I'm busy writing up an account of my Tunisian visit for another site so no time to do any Scoopergen stuff, but Roly's phots are next on the list.  Honest!

07/06/04 - A few new bits today including a couple of South-East scoopers.  Hopefully this weekend should see Roly's phots making a long overdue appearance!

01/06/04 - Who'd have thought it, we've been online a year!  I hope that Scoopergen has grown into an enjoyable and informative resource for everyone, if not - send me some stuff!!!!  New on today are some phots from Denmark and Tunisia, Stephen Harris' German article is definitely on this time, and the Tunisia one has been updated.  More soon......

31/05/04 - A few new stories added this week and also the 1st version of my Denmark report from the other week.  The Tunisia one is on too, more to come this week.  Stephen Harris has sent me a report of a German trip which is now on, as is another episode in the life of Mr Westby.....

19/05/04 - Apologies for the lack of additions to the site, but I've been away in Tunisia scooping Alcos and brewpubs.  An article about the latter will appear next week hopefully, but we've got a weekend in Denmark before that!  Such is life.....

03/05/04 - A few new phots from Reading on this weekend, but as I'm totally un-desperate these days not much else (apart from a quick comment in Gazzateer) and a new soapbox by Mr Westby.  I'm hopefully off to Tunisia next week so expect a report from the 2 brewpubs there!

18/04/04 - Well, I hope you have a lot of time to spare 'cos my Interview for Ratebeer.com is now on here!  It's the full, unedited version too so all the bits the Yanks wouldn't understand and hit the cutting room floor are still in it!  There's also a new waffle in the Gazzateer and Mark Enderby has been off globetrotting again......  I've also got some phots from Roly to add when I've got a few hours, maybe next weekend.

12/04/04 - Not much new today, although I have rewritten my Austrian article with up to date info on the 12 brewpubs in this superb city.  My interview for ratebeer should be on here next weekend.

04/04/04 - I seem to have a rush on Soapboxes, there's another epic one today from Headmixer!  If anyone has any feedback on any soapbox (or anything really) then send it to me and I'll pass it on.  Some new phots again, cheers to the Carlisle guys, and a few of me in Austria last week (updated gen next week).  I'm also completing an interview with Steve Pereira for the American beer site www.ratebeer.com which will be on here soon too.

21/03/04 - Thanks to Billy Whizz for the new soapbox, and I've added some more pictures of Little Andy that I had meant to put on here months ago, as well as a few more pub reviews.  We're off to Austria on thursday, so no update next weekend, but maybe the Austrian gen page will be updated the following week!

14/03/04 - Lots of good phots added this week, thanks to Saxon Scooper, Nicky Wightman (again!) and Valerie Hollows (again!).  Also some new stories added and the pubs section is in the process of being expanded.

07/03/04 - Some new phots added today, thanks to Mark Enderby, Bobby Nattrass, Nicky Wightman and Valerie Hollows for most of these.  We've got trips booked to Austria and Denmark between now and June, so more European updates soon!

29/02/04 - Only one update today, a new soapbox.  I banged this out in 30 minutes, and it seems to have tapped a huge well of vitriol within me - see if you agree with any of it!

24/02/04 - Some phots from Liverpool added, also some from Fleetwood courtesy of Mark Enderby.  A veritable Browny-fest seems to have ensued!  Some newly discovered scoopers have also been added.  More to come at the weekend!  A new Soapbox is due soon too, by me again!

15/02/04 - Once again, profuse apologies for no updates - been on holiday again, Bilbao this time!  No animals were scored for consumption, unless you count fish eggs and a big fuck-off sized crab.  Anyhow, a few updates today, including scans of the beermats in Austria, and re-written accounts of my trips to Croatia and Slovenia.

05/02/04 - Thanks to Helen for some nostalgic phots!  I'm still working on the A-Z list of scoopers, and there's some more stuff in the Abroad section - a bit on Italy (well, 1 beer), some alterations to the Czech article and more on the way.

01/02/04 - Sorry for no update last week; on holiday again in Sardinia, eating Donkey Ragout and Horse & chips......  Some new stuff this week, but hopefully more added during this week.

18/01/04 - A bit of new stuff this week.  Steve W has written a new Soapbox, there's a ruck of new phots including new scoopers and the all-new Gazzateer....

11/01/04 - Firstly, happy new year to everyone and may your year be free of rebadges.  As I've been to Czech for 9 days there's not much new at the moment, but more next week.  Billy Whizz's scooping article is new, and the last lot of the "Militant Scooper's xmas piss-up" phots are now on.

28/12/03 - Some more stuff uploaded, including my Amsterdam guide.  The Scooper's map now has clickable areas!  Small update to the Lingo page too.

26/12/03 - Yet more phots uploaded, still loads to go!

25/12/03 - I'm sure everyone who knew him is as gutted as I am to hear of the premature death of Andy Buchan this week.  I've written a small obituary to him here.  There's plenty more stuff added today, see the Latest phots for details.

21/12/03 - Once again, I prostrate myself at your feet with feeble excuses for not updating the site... we were on Holiday in Belgium, honest guv!  Anyhow, the backlog of stuff to put on Scoopergen has now built up to EU Butter mountain sized proportions, and rest assured I'll be forsaking my Yuletide spare time to put it all on.  Have a look around the 26th or so!  A few photos added for now...... a top "Militant Scooper's Xmas Piss-up" was had in Sheffield on Saturday, more phots next week.

07/12/03 - First of all, humblest apologies for no update last week - I was on holiday!  The good news is a large backlog has built up and some of it is here this weekend.  Thanks to Saxon Scooper for the phots!  There's also a new Soapbox and a review of the beer scene in Geneva from Steve W.  There should be a small update next week as we're off to Belgium for some scooping!

23/11/03 - Despite the scare stories regarding Sheffield's best scooping pubs, a great day out was had on Saturday with 24 ticks!  I've added the phots from the weekend, plus a few others I've received - thanks to Herbal, Valerie Hollows and John Law for those.  There's a new story by Mark Enderby too - cheers, Mark.  Lots more next week!

16/11/03 - Sorry folks, but hardly anything new this week!  Been working on another project, but some stuff is in the pipeline for next week.  A few new phots have been added this week.

09/11/03 - A few new scoopers and cats this week, that's all!  More in the pipeline for next week though.

02/11/03 - More gibbering added this weekend, including a new soapbox from me (and there's plenty more waiting...), some more phots from the archives, and the latest story of my "Rarest scoops".

26/10/03 - Not much new this week as just got back from Amsterdam.  Been tram bashing and beer bashing - you know the story!  A few phots from the weekend and a few old ones too.  Lots more next week, I promise.

20/10/03 - Well, how was Nottingham for you then?  Loads of new scoopers and phots, cheers to everyone for letting me take their phot!  Slightly late update as I'm recovering from flu, so there's some more for next week, if we get back from Amsterdam!  See the New Phots section for a full list of new phots.

12/10/93 - Been trawling through the archives for some phots of people we didn't have previously.  See New Phots for details!  Also added some more to the Lingo page, and the Fairy stories are now complete!  More new phots next week, plus a new Soapbox and hopefully some more stuff by me....if I get time....and, of course, the Nottingham phots, so brush your hair everyone!

05/10/03 - Hardly any new stuff this week, sorry - been busy doing other things!!!

28/09/03 - Lots of new phots added today - see "New Phots" section, including a few new Unknown scoopers...

21/09/03 - Bit of a tidy up and "new scooper" insertion this weekend.  A new Soapbox from a well known SE scooper, and also the new "New Phots" page.

14/09/03 - Pretty big update this week, including a lot of "new" scoopers and loads of phots.  The Animals section has been well updated, and there's a new Soapbox by guess who, and I've written the first 2 parts of my Rarest beer scoops stories and all the Tamworth phots are in one place.

07/09/03 - Sorry, no time for an update this week, just got back from Tamworth!  There will be lots of stuff next week though, including a new Soapbox, loads of phots, a story about scooping a massive beer and maybe the secret diary of a scooper waistline 40.5!

31/08/03 - I'm back!  Superb week in Czech, many fine beers.  Small update today including some phots and my Rare Breeds BF story.

17/08/03 - Major update after Worcester BF with loads of phots of those present!  Also, a new Soapbox, the brand new Ethical Scooping section and my Austrian scooping trip.

10/08/03 - Small update as I've got loads to do before my Czech bash in 2 weeks!  I've been finding phots of some people without them so far, so expect to see them next week with a bit of luck!  Some pretty flags added to the Abroad section!

03/08/03 - Major update of the site, with scooper totals added and a lot more phots - cheers to Alex Hall and Andy Buchan for those.

27/07/03 - Small update to the scoopers section, including phots from the Crescent on Thursday night - a few new faces!

22/07/03 - Lots more scoopers added, thanks to everyone who supplied gen about the "uknown scoopers" - but there's still more to go!  Also a new Soapbox by our regular columnist, and dead right he is too if I may be allowed to say so.

13/07/2003 - More phots added, most from the Bhurtpore BF over the weekend.  A new section is the Unknown scoopers, where I need your help to identify people I'm sure are scoopers but know nothing about!   A new contribution by Mr Westby tells of an eventful pub crawl in Cambridge, although Scoopgen members will have already seen this! 

06/07/2003 - Some new scoopers added to the lists.  Cheers to Phil Hodgson for the phots and Dave Wild for the scooper gen.

29/06/2003 - Small update, been on holiday so not much done this week!

21/06/2003 - General tidy up and new front page.

13/06/2003 - Fair size update tonight, with the addition of Soapbox, where you can have your say - within reason!  Also the story of Mushy Pea beer, and loads of new scoopers and some new phots added.  Top ten tables amended (except beer which I've broken!).  Still lots more to do - maybe another update on Sunday,

08/06/2003 - Some profiles amended with gen supplied by Headmixer and Simon Fyffe, cheers!  Also the all new Top 10's page is here!  Have a look,  AND GET VOTING!

02/06/2003 - Small update.  13 phots added (mainly people without previous phots - Graham, Julie and Andy Lee, Vicar of Rotherham and Les) and Kipper the cat from the Vat & Fiddle, Nottingham!  Bigger update planned soon, honest.

28/05/2003 - 44 more phots added to the profiles from my digital back catalogue!  Next update due next Tuesday night, lots more phots etc.

27/05/2003 - More profiles updated from info supplied by various people - cheers.  Loads more in the pipeline, so keep tuned!

23/05/2003 - Profiles updated with info from Headmixer, Simon Fyffe, Phil Hodgson, Rob Bolt - cheers comrades!  Beige Phil's article on scooping added. (cheers Phil).

21/05/2003 - First preview site online.  Not all the photos are on the server yet, so if you get some dodgy icons then don't worry - they'll be there in due course.