An old charitable community group is being resurrected in The Bailey Head pub Oswestry – The Ancient of Froth Blowers.
The Ancient Order of Froth Blowers was a humorous, typically British, organisation ‘to foster the noble art and gentle healthy pastime of froth blowing amongst gentlemen-of-leisure and ex-Soldiers’. Founded as a parody on Free Mason’s but as a fun and charitable organisation for the good of the community. ‘Froth blowing’ being the act of blowing the froth or head off the top of a pint of beer!
Originally running from 1924 -1931, it was founded by a Bert Temple, an ex-soldier and silk-merchant, initially to raise £100 (equal to £4,228 today) for the children’s charity of the surgeon Sir Alfred Fripp. In the day, Oswestry had several pubs linked to the Order and it’s hoped it can be brought back to the town for the benefit of the community for fun and friendship.
Bert Temple founded the organisation in gratitude for life-saving stomach surgery by Sir Alfred Fripp. Membership of this spoof order cost 5 shillings (equal to £11 today), each member receiving a pair of silver, enamelled cuff-links and a membership booklet and card entitling them to ‘blow froth off any member’s beer and occasionally off non-members’ beer provided they are not looking or are of a peaceful disposition’. The motto was ‘Lubrication in Moderation’.
By late 1928, 700,000 had joined, raising over £100,000 (equal to £4,466,332 today) for hospital cots, outings to the country, invalid children, etc. It endowed 40 hospital cots, funded holidays for thousands of needy children and in 1929 established a roof garden for mothers and children on the Marylebone Housing Association’s first block of slum clearance flats.
The movement came to a natural end shortly after Fripp’s death and then the death of Bert Temple in 1931.
In Froth Blowers speak, a meeting place is called a Vat and the Oswestry Vat is The Bailey Head in Bailey Head, Oswestry. Thanks to Duncan Borrowman and Grace Goodland, we will be using the pub to meet on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday in the month at 7.00pm. Why here? Well quite simply, because of the welcoming atmosphere and of course the wide selection of real ales and other excellent beverages. Oh, and of course because they have been recognised as CAMRA West Midlands Regional Pub of the Year, CAMRA West Midlands Regional Cider Pub of the Year and SIBA UK Best Rural Craft Beer Pub/Bar Highly Commended!
Organiser Mike Lade said, “We are hoping to grab the public imagination in a fun way. We are open to men and women who appreciate beer, ale or exceptionally, lager or cider who are friendly and want to enjoy the company of others. Also, who want to look after our community and raise some money for others. Particularly welcome still are ex-military veterans, same as they were in 1924-31, but also ‘blue light’ workers, NHS workers, the lonely and isolated that can come together and chat over a beer – preferably real ale!” When asked why, Mike said, “It’s difficult to answer that one! I think it’s mostly that I loved the name and that I like real ale. Then I started to look into the history of the organisation and fell in love with the back story.
A fun, tongue-in-cheek group of people that doesn’t take itself very seriously, that is centred in the community, that cares for each other and strives to ‘do good’ has a great appeal to me in this day and age. Hence, the desire to resurrect the Ancient Order of Froth Blowers starting in Oswestry.” He added, “The new version of the organisation will be greatly updated to reflect a modern version because many of the old rules and practices would be considered very strange in this day and age, but then it was based on a spoof of the Free Masons!”
The new group will be starting to meet soon at 7.00 for 7.30pm on 1st and 3rd Tuesday at The Bailey Head, Bailey Head, Oswestry, SY11 1PZ.
More information is available on Face Book @Ancient Order of Froth Blowers -Oswestry, contacting Mike on 07803 038858, via email at AOoFB@gmail.com or through the temporary web site available from the Facebook page.
Please contact Mike if you would like to be part of the Ancient Order of Froth Blowers in Oswestry.
Mike Lade (L) and Duncan Borrowman.
