It was a hard assignment - but somebody had to do it.

They needed a group of people who wouldn't pale at the thought of exploring cavernous interiors with strange contraptions and even stranger smells. A group of people who were brave enough to sample amber liquids and ,..

Yes, you've guessed it - it was the 'Friends' outing to the famous Banks's Brewery, the home of Banks's beer since 1875.

How else would we start but with a visit to the Bar, and the first chance to try the 'amber liquid', or even a glass of wine or a soft drink.        

Then the exploration began.

Up ancient stairs to - yes - the 'cavernous interiors' - to see how the ancient and magical art of brewing was done. Large round vessels mixing up the brew - yet more stairs and more round vessels heating it up - a chance to small the pelleted hops or, for the brave (or foolish), to taste them. (I did!).

Here, I had better mention Steve. Steve is a drayman, like his father before him. And with his thorough knowledge of the art, was the ideal person to show round - and to pull a pint.. which I'll come to in a minute.

After the fermenting room, where the sugars in the liquid are converted into alcohol in large tanks, we descended to the floor where casks were filled and bunged ready for distribution. It was quiet, but we learned that when the brew was ready, it became a hive of strenuous activity.

All through the tour, Steve had regaled us with stories of the brewery workers, and we were told of the mishaps that could occur if a worker tried to rush the exacting process. If just one worker was careless, the whole shift would suffer as a consequence.

After all this climbing of stairs, asking of questions, and climbing down of stairs again, it was with big smiles that we followed Steve back to the Bar, and were persuaded to sample yet more 'amber nectar' (in the interests of research, of course).

Beer, wine and mementoes bought in the Brewery Shop were loaded into the Community Bus, and Tim steered a very happy and contented group of 'friends' home.