It was a sad day for me yesterday, when we arrived at the pub in Catherington where the music quiz is held every week, only to find that the best beer in the world was no longer on the pumps. HSB (Horndean Special Bitter) was gone.

It's been on the cards for a while now. Fullers, a brewery of *******'s based in Chiswick, London, bought Gales (the Horndean-based brewers of HSB) a couple of years ago, and proceeded to shut down the brewery itself almost immediately, ripping the heart out of the small town of Horndean in the process. Next they installed their thoroughly mediocre London Pride in every Gales pub, pushing it as their flagship ale. Superior brews such as Gales' Butser were lost in that first round. Now, with its target ale-drinking market split by London Pride, HSB apparently isn't selling well enough. Since the old Gales pubs (which are all now being rebranded as Fullers) have to flog London Pride anyway, HSB is getting shafted.

I was forced to have a pint of Pride last night, and I've never enjoyed a pint less. I couldn't even bring myself to finish the tepid, lifeless brew. It's a poor imitation of a real beer, and serves only as a bitter reminder of the local brew that once was. I'll be switching to Guiness in that pub from now on, or to whichever other beer has the lowest profit margin for Fullers.

Rest in peace, HSB.