User:Terry Batty

The Honourable Order of Bass Drinkers

The Honourable Order of Bass Drinkers, as its name suggests, exists to promote the sale and consumption of that famous ale with its distinguished red triangle trademark.

It began in 1967, when journalists on the sports desk of the Manchester Evening News in Northwest England, UK, would decamp from the office to a local pub called Sinclairs Oyster Bar. There, they supped Draught Bass and put the world to rights as newspapermen do.

One night they decided to formalise their love for the drink. Chief protagonist was an ex-naval officer called Don Frame, who suggested they call themselves the HOBD, as the Order is known for short.

Don was elected chairman, John Forbes his deputy, Terry Gorry was secretary and George Dowson the treasurer. Word soon got around other Evening News departments and within months the Order expanded rapidly.

The original members were joined by other newspapermen, local Bass employees and even customs and excise men based at Bass depots. Friends of these educated topers boosted membership further.

When the HOBD threw its first Christmas party, they invited representatives from the Burton-upon-Trent brewery in Derbyshire, England. The outcome was a close liaison and lifelong friendships that still exist today between those who brew Bass and those who enjoy drinking it.

Over 45 years, the Order has met each month with an agenda that promotes fun and fellowship and rules that encourage members, amongst other things, to wear their HOBD ties with pride. Several Manchester pubs have served as headquarters over the years, and woe betide any publican whose Bass falls short of tip-top condition.

Each year, the HOBD visits Burton, deemed to be the fountainhead of world beer-brewing, for a weekend of sampling in what members term the "holy of holys." The generous hospitality of the old Bass Brewing Company for almost four decades has been maintained by the brand's current owners, AB Inbev, and Marston's Brewery, where Bass has been produced since 2005.

The HOBD believes it is unique, in that no other organisation exists purely to drink one sort of ale. That is why it twice refused to merge with the Campaign for Real Ale, whom it pre-dates.

The Order's latin motto, Omnia toto animo perfice - or "do things with all of your heart" - is more readily understood by members as "never do things by halves". Thus it is always "pints all round" - of Draught Bass, naturally!

The H.O.B.D. today:

Since the original entry was written in 2012, the Honourable Order of Bass Drinkers has expanded somewhat, after some years with depleted numbers.

Now, as the order approaches its' diamond anniversary (60 years) in 2027 since it's founding, it has an official Burton Division, based in Burton-Upon-Trent, Staffordshire, UK.

A fitting locale as the home of Draught Bass Ale since 1777; see link at the top of the page.

The Burton Group sits alongside the Manchester "originals", but subordinate to it (as Burton members refer to the original group as "H.O.B.D. Headquarters). There is also a vibrant and growing arm of H.O.B.D. H.Q. members based on the Fylde Coast in West Lancashire, UK.

These groups still meet frequently and the H.O.B.D. now has a page on Facebook which links many Bass Ale fans from around the world, who are known as "Virtual Members".

Latin Motto update:

It has been noted over recent years, that the Order's motto is an incorrect translation and in fact was updated in July 2024 to read: "Numquam facere quae per partes" a more literal translation of "Never do things by halves".

• 
  Caption1
• 
  Caption2