TOPIC:

It used to be in a case above the ciggy machine, but when that went so did The Hat. Has it been found since the takeover, perhaps lurking in a cupboard or something? I used to tell the gullible that the only reason I ever went to the Bell was to look at The Hat, but for the last couple of years I've had to tell the truth.
Now that I own a tiny part of the pub can we have it back on the wall? After all, it might be MY little bit of the Bell - much better than owning anything to do with the Gents!
If it's gone for good, how about a Wiggo hat as a replacement?

Cheers!

oo, dunno, will check it out, i'm sure it ought to be around somewhere - except of course if it was actually Ian's. I'll have a look...

I asked Ian and he doesn't know where it went either...
very mysterious...

I don't know about the hat, but I was relieved to see that The Ben Gale Coin is still in it's rightful place. That belongs to me and about 9 other people, one of whom is Don Pilliner, but I've lost my share-certificate for it.

Yes, that's right - there were share certificates issued at The Bell about 22 years before the latest buy-out.

what's the story, Steve?

Rod Donaldson (he with the two giant sons who have been known to have a half or two in The Bell on occasion) bought the token from Ben Gale, who found it under the floorboards of a house he was renovating.

Having found out that it was worth about £10 pounds on a good day, he sold shares to about 10 people for a pound each, then spent that money on having it framed by Martin Tracey (he with the red T-shirt and recently acquired dodgy moustache).

Rod being Rod, he managed to get the thing very nicely framed with a mirrored back by Martin - to museum quality standards - for that tiny amount of money, then nailed it to the wall at the same time as issuing the (very authentic looking, but utterly meaningless) share-certificates.

The rest will become history - given enough time.