Oz and James drink to Britain

Jan 11 2009 by Ian Robson, Sunday Sun

RAISE a glass to Oz Clarke and James May . . . after their manly, but futile, attempt to keep up with the locals on a night out.

The location is Newcastle’s famous Bigg Market — not a million miles from the Sunday Sun offices — where the presenters were filming.

The pair were in the Toon for their TV series Oz And James Drink To Britain, exploring the best booze in the country.

But the drinking session did not go according to plan, and the pair found it a little too much.

The BBC said: “Oz and James realised they were too old to party with the youngsters.

“But the disastrous night out was forgotten when, the next day, they headed for an idyllic and remote pub on the beautiful Northumberland coast.”

And the odd couple presenters can’t seem to stay away from the region.

The thirsty pair also visit the Gateshead brewery where Newcastle Brown Ale is made, where the experience of being surrounded by so much beer inspired James to create his own micro-brewery.

In the programme he challenges Oz to a home-brewing competition.

Sacrifices have to be made for James to install his high-tech micro brewery in the tiny caravan used on their road trip to pubs and breweries across the UK.

So, for the rest of the trip, James will be sleeping on the floor.

But, and this is not for the faint-hearted, there’s the chance to see Oz in all his glory.

The pair travel to Wigan, home to what is probably the smallest commercial brewery in the world, as they continue in their quest to find the drinks that speak for modern Britain.

The brewery is run by Patsy Slevin out of her mother-in-law’s garage.

Stripped down to his red silk boxer shorts for reasons that remain a mystery, Oz gets straight down to making the beer while James concentrates on what he does best . . . drinking beer.

V OZ AND JAMES DRINK TO BRITAIN, BBC2, Tuesday, 8pm.