Tuesday 7 February 2012

William Younger adverts from the 1920's (part six)

See. I hadn't forgotten about this series. Just been distracted by other things.

A fairly diverse set, this lot, though all featuring Father William.





Stiggins: "Remember, my friend, the good die young."
Father William: "Yes, and the wise get 'YOUNGER'"

If ever there has been a liquor worthy to drink "Good Health" in, it is Wm. YOUNGER's SCOTCH ALE. There's a rare "smack" in theflavour of it, a sparkle in the appearance of it, and a stimulating effect which combine to make it the Nation's best beverage. Brewed from the finest Hops and Malt with the famous Edinburgh water.

William Younger's
Scotch Ale
Brewed in Edinburgh
The beer with a bite in it.
Nottingham Evening Post - Thursday 15 November 1923, page 6.

I've a simple question: who the hell is Stiggins? As he's been named, I'm pretty sure it's a real person. I lovw his scowl and wagging finger. Do you recognise him? He was in another ad, but with a mate. In that they were supposed to be a pair of church elders.Is that what Stiggins was? Whatever, he doesn't look like someone who would enjoy a beer. Or enjoy anything, for that matter.



"Boo-Hoo! I can't get YOUNGER till I get older."

THE wonderful popularity of Wm. William Younger's Scotch Ale proves that Ale is still the nation's favourite beverage — provided that people get a really honest brew of hops and malt.

On wintry days snow, fog or hail,
Keep warm with Younger's good "Scotch Ale"

William Younger's
Scotch Ale
Brewed in Edinburgh
The beer with a bite in it.

Branches at London, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Middlesbrough.
Nottingham Evening Post - Friday 23 January 1925, page 7.

They're back to proclaiming the warming characteristics of Scotch Ale. Something I could do with, given the arctic weather we're currently experiencing. Would you get away with a baby in an alcohol advert now? I'm pretty sure not.




"We're all getting YOUNGER, YOUNGER every day."
"Since beer was first brewed, none has been
"brewed better than Wm. Younger's Scotch Ale.
"It is the hale man's joy, the weary man's restorer
"the chilly man's comfort, and the ailing man's
"stimulant ; there is no malt liquor like it in all
"the three Wide Kingdoms."

(With apologies Charles Kingsley.)

Stimulating, wholesome, warming and satisfying. William Younger's Scotch Ale is the ideal drink. Brewed from hops and malt with the famous rock spring Edinburgh water — the finest water in the world.

It's cold to-day and so we say
Younger's "Scotch Ale" keeps the cold away.

William Younger's
Scotch Ale
Brewed in Edinburgh
The beer with a bite in it.

Branches at London, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Middlesbrough.
Nottingham Evening Post - Thursday 5 February 1925, page 8.

Quite a wordy ad, our last one. That rhyme must have been nicked from Charles Kingsley, author of the "Water Babies". I had to look that last bit up. Even though I read the book as a child. According to wikipedia:

Charles Kingsley's novel "Westward Ho!" led to the founding of a town by the same name—the only place name in England which contains an exclamation mark
Someone else with a penchant for titles with exclamation marks. I'm dead jealous about him being responsible for that town name. It's long been a dream of mine to found a town with punctuation in its name. The bastard beat me to it.

Dodgy health claims - I'm sure Younger weren't the only ones peddling them. You should see the fag ads of the period. And that malt and hops stuff again. Though note that this time there's no "only" or "alone" tagged on to it. Had someone pointed out the lie?

Yes, we know Edinburgh's water isn't bad for brewing, but the best water in the world? What a bizarre claim. And what does "rock spring" mean? (Apart from the name of a church in Atlanta.)

More to come when I overcome my torpor.

3 comments:

The Beer Nut said...

Appropriately for today, the disagreeable Reverend Stiggins is from The Pickwick Papers.

Gary Gillman said...

Stiggins is probably an allusion to the remonstrating Reverend of that name in Pickwick Papers. At one point he breaks up a meeting alleging everyone is drunk, but he seems to be rather under the influence himself. Charles Dickens's satirical portrait likely was the allusion here.

Gary

Jeff Renner said...

A little Googling suggests that Elder Stiggins is a character in Dickins'(200 today)Pickwick Papers.