Apache ale
Taking flight: Bartrams Brewery’s AH 64, which was dreamt up by an air traffic controller at Wattisham
A BRAND new beer has been designed to pack a punch in celebration of the Apache attack helicopter.
Known as the AH-64, the Apache is flown on operations in Afghanistan by two Army Air Corps regiments – 3 and 4 Regiment – and has now been emulated in the 6.4 per cent beer named AH 6.4 in its honour.
Brewed by Bartrams Brewery, near the helicopter’s base at Wattisham Airfield in Suffolk, it was originally billed as a one-off present for a regiment from a commanding officer who was to be re-posted – but its popularity soon spread.
Bartrams Brewery owner Marc Bartram said: “I’ve been inundated with emails placing orders. In the ten years I’ve been brewing this is one of the most successful products I’ve been involved in.
“As opposed to being a one-off beer I think it’s going to be part of the permanent range because demand has gone through the roof.”
The idea for the special beer came from Robert Perkin-Ball, a civilian air traffic controller at Wattisham Airfield, and it was decided it would be the perfect leaving present to 4 Regiment from their CO Lt Col Neil Dalton.
The two men designed the bottle in the regiment’s red and green colours, with the label listing their battle honours. The taste of the beer was left to Bartram who decided to brew an old-fashioned IPA and, as the Apache is a union of British and US industry, he blended a traditional British hop called Target and an American hop called Mount Hood.
The beer was given to the troops at a presentation dinner on September 20 and the bottles then went on sale, with 10p from each purchase donated to SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association) Forces Help.
To order AH 6.4 beer, log on to www.bartramsbrewery.co.uk
Festive fare
SEARCHING for an alternative to mail order flowers and cards this Christmas? Everlasting Wishes’ collection of original gifts may be the answer you are looking for.
Ranging from personalised baubles (pictured below) to soft toys, the keepsakes can be viewed and bought online at www.everlastingwishes.com
Each gift is hand-inscribed with a message before being gift-wrapped with scented paper and hand-cut confetti hearts and placed in a gift box tied with satin ribbons. Everlasting Wishes then takes care of posting the item.
To win one of three vouchers for Christmas gifts worth £25, £15 and £10, tell us in which year during the First World War a Christmas truce was called between some of the British and German troops.
Answers by postcard to the address at the front of the magazine or by email (comps@soldiermagazine.co.uk) to reach us by November 28. Winners will be drawn at random. Usual rules apply.
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ROADSHOWS
THE Army Presentation Team wants to hear from members of the public who would like a personal invitation to attend its dynamic roadshow, which begins with a reception, is followed by a presentation and questions-and-answers session and finishes with a finger buffet. Military personnel will answer all your questions about the British Army. Call 01276 417000 or email your name and address to apt.mod@btinternet.com with the event you are interested in attending.
November: 12, Chingford; 18, Croydon; 20, Camden. January: 13, Macclesfield; 14, Bolton; 15, Manchester; 27, Penzance; 28, Plymouth; 29, Blandford.
COMPETITIONS
Blu-ray player/21: Sig R Galliers, Edinburgh. Runners Up: I Burgess, ATR Winchester; Sgt G Barnett, BFPO 40; G Crandles, Edinburgh; Sgt A Owen, Blandford Camp; Lt Col H Timothy, BFPO 801. Answer: Vingt-et-un.
Bullet Ant Goggles: Sqn Ldr J Leighton, 12 Mech Bde; WO2 M Sutor, Brompton Bks; Capt P Horne, 5 Regt RA. Answer: Optic Nerve.
Flash Survivor Memory Stick: Sgt C Thomas, 39 Regt RA; SUO D Cognolato, UOTC Birmingham; Maj S Taylor, Strensall, York. Answer: Eight bits to a byte.
Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Cfn A Lang, Prince Philip Bks; Sig Brodfield, 251 Sig Sqn; Capt J Thomas, HQ 4 Div. Answer: Mace Windu.
Picking up the Brass: A Lappin, Navy Desk, QA Hospital, Cosham; W Croall, Old Kilpatrick, Dunbartonshire; P Park, Henlow, Beds; C Cooper, HQ 49 Bde; Miss M Carmichael, Dunoon, Argyll. Answer: British Honduras. |
Send a message to loved ones
SOLDIER has teamed up with gift company Pre.vu to offer a prize that ensures being on tour does not have to mean being out of touch with loved ones back home.
The company’s Talking Tags are credit card-sized gizmos that hold a 60-second voice recording. They can be sent around the world and played at the push of a button.
As well as storing the latest news from friends and family, Talking Tags can hold anything from a lasting memento of a baby’s first sounds to a Christmas greeting for a soldier spending the festive period overseas.
Setting up a Talking Tag could not be easier. After purchasing one from www.talkingtags.com, senders phone a national rate number and have three attempts to leave their message before Pre.vu sends the tag to its recipient.
Pre.vu has 100 Talking Tags, usually priced at £5.50 including delivery, to give away to Soldier readers, limited to addresses in the UK or Operations Herrick and Telic.
To claim your tag, visit www.talkingtags.com and use the promotion code SOL100 at the checkout stage. |
