Paul Pry, The Butts
Ms.Catherine Esther Louise Ottaway must be the best pub gaffer in the world bar none (well, I say ‘bar none’ when really I mean ‘bar one at least’; to whit, me, ‘cos that’s just what she did not so long ago on account of something quite innocuous I wrote in the book – and boy, did it unleash a backlash of abuse from the 1400+ members of the ‘Worcester Pubs Then and Now’ FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/worcesterpubsthenandnow). But I digress. Where was I…? Oh yes, the best pub gaffer in the world… See, yesterday, the local #CAMRA coven unveiled its ‘Worcester CAMRA Pub of the Year’ – The Paul Pry no less, licensee and dps Ms. Catherine Esther Louise Ottaway. The accolade takes the tally of Worcester pubs that have won the title since 1993 to just four, of which Ms.Catherine Esther Louise Ottaway has, at some stage or another, been very closely involved in three: The Dragon – winners 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003; The Plough – winners 2006, 2008 and 2011 with no prize awarded in 2009; and, as of yesterday, The Paul Pry. Out of interest, the only other is The Firefly, winner 2012. Now, not having been permitted since last Christmas to set foot in any of the three she’s been associated with, I don’t doubt for one second that the accolade is eminently well deserved, and the local press will surely be reporting this particularly remarkable licensee’s incredible run of success once the Worcester CAMRA spokesman gets his usual two penn’orth in. HIs name’s Bill Ottaway – and if you didn’t catch it first time, here it is again: Bill Ottaway, former husband of said Catherine Esther Louise Ottaway. Look out for it – it won’t be biased in the slightest. Honest.
Bob Backenforth 