The Media Archive for Central England is the public screen archive for the East and West Midlands. An independent charity and company based at the University of Lincoln, MACE acquires, catalogues, preserves and makes widely available moving image materials that inform our understanding of the diverse cultures and histories of communities between the Lincolnshire coast and the Welsh border.
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Alcester Ale Tasters
A 1,000 year old pub crawl or a serious job for local trading standards? The ale tasters of Alcester Court Leet take to the town's pubs to see if the local brew is 'fit for man to drink'.
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Overview
With a history dating back to 1299 the Alcester Court Leet have a proud tradition of civic duty in the Warwickshire town. One of their ceremonial functions is to test beer in all the local pubs - a function that the ale tasters take on with relish as they reveal to ATV Today's Tony Maycock over a pint in the Royal Oak.
Like many ancient traditions, the existence of the ale tasting ceremony is thanks to a modern revival, and not Victorian for once but the decidedly more recent 1973.
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