Mead in Britain
Chester
See where King Charles I took refuge during the English Civil War
40th Anniversary of CAMRA
Legendary 18th Century engineer Thomas Telford’s pub
Hello and welcome to this months edition of Mead in Britain, the magazine that allows you to find all the right places to visit, wherever you might be. This time we are in Chester, a city with a vast history that dates all the way back to the Roman times. If you are a new reader, please note that if you get the sense of the context of this magazine is devolving into an advertising broshure, please don’t fret. This is merely a bi-product of what we are trying to achieve here. For although we aim to concentrate on the pubs that sell the best ales around, accompanied by informed advice and guidance, naturally, some good tourist information is thrown in to help also. Indeed, we do want you to visit the places we include and we want you to explore all the cities in Britain. This time, we hope the pull of the picturesque North West city of Chester, will be too much. Previous issue: Leeds \Next week: Manchester
Mead in Britain
Contents page Introduction to the magnificent city of Chester The Spitting Feathers’ Brewery Tap- Our featured public house Top five ales that we found on our travels. Telford’s Warehouse An ale of two cities-Sam Smith in Chester 40th Anniversary of CAMRA- we talk to Jon Howard, a 25 year old ale drinker that works for the organisation Mead in Chester- editorial discussing Chester and the future of ale in general Crossword puzzle
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“Old age is the only disease you dont want to be cured of”-Orson Welles
The City of Chester
Welcome to this month’s issue of Mead in Britain, where we will be exploring Chester, a city with a magnificent Cathedral right in the city centre, beautiful Roman walls and stacks of heritage. Chester is arguably the richest city in Britain for archaeological and architectural treasures preserved to this day from the time of the Roman occupation. Originally the fortress site of the 20th legion, Valeria Victrix, it was charged with suppressed the uprising of the army led by the warrior queen, Boadicea, the town being known then (c. AD70) as Deva, and soon became a major trading port. Its massive harbour and border position made it one of the finest strategic outposts of the Roman Empire. Long after the Romans had gone, during the Dark Ages, Viking raiders arrived in their long boats along the same route. After the Romans withdrew circa AD 400, the prosperous city fell prey to marauding Danes and Saxons and was virtually derelict by 900. The Normans reached Chester circa 1070 and a revival began, Chester Castle was built, housing Hugh the Wolf, First Earl of Chester, nephew of William the Conqueror. By the Middle Ages, Chester had become an
affluent and prosperous port. So that by the 13th century, it had again become a centre of shipping trade, a port serving Scotland, Ireland, France and Spain. In the 14th century began the Mystery Plays and pageants for which the city became famous. Henry VIII granted a charter in 1541 and made Chester a bishopric. By the 15th century, the Dee began to silt up and gradually, the seaborne trade died. Impoverished by this natural action the 1640s brought devastation during the English Civil War, with the city under siege for two years until starvation forced surrender. By the 1700s, the River Dee had changed course and the port had silted up. The walls were no longer needed for defence and were restyled into the pleasant walkways that we enjoy today. The Industrial Revolution brought canals, railways and roads. It was during this time that many important buildings were restored. The most distinctive medieval feature of the city is The Rows. These are double-level walkways with a continuous line of balconies and with shops at street and first-floor levels. The Rows are unique and were certainly in existence in the 14th century.
“To be happy, we must not be too concerned with others.” -Albert Campus
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Chester History and Heritage museum
“Life always waits for some crisis to occur before revealing itself at its most brilliang� -Paulo Coelho
The Brewery Tap
When approaching the Spitting Feathers Brewery Tap, you might not think it a public house at all, where it not for the sign. Concrete
steps lead up to a raised, Jacobean wall and on the right is a normal sized doorframe, with two delightful little double doors inside it. From street level you might think it a quirky bookshop, or a tiny tea room. However, when you step inside you are immediately struck by the décor. Very high ceilings and rustic aesthetics combine to give the distinct feeling of grandeur and humility. The
bar is the most prominent aspects of the interior. With seven real ale taps, all forever changing, and one cider tap. It sits in front of a centuries old sandstone fire place, converted into a unit to hold spirits. Spitting Feathers brewery just outside of the city provides all the alcohol for this traditional watering hole. But not all the ales are from there as variety is essential for manager John Thomas. When one barrel runs out, a different one is brought in. So in fact you’d have a task sticking to the same drink all year round. “Very basic, wooden chairs
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward” -Martin Luthor King
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picture of john thomas
wooden tables and trimmings. The way pubs used to be. A lot of pubs these days overdo it,” said Mr Thomas, describing the furnishings. (pic) He has been at the pub since day one when it opened in 2008, although the building has stood since around 1620. To call it by its real name, Gamul House was built by a wealthy merchant called Sir Francis Gamul who was also the Mayor of Chester for a time. During the Battle of Rowton Moor, King Charles 1st stood at the Gamul House and watched his troops fall to the parliamentarians. This was one of the Kings last defeats in the English Civil War before he fled to Wales where he was executed in 1649. The building had to be rebuilt late in the 17th century. It is speculated that the main bar area used to be a great courtyard, and the building was actually further back where all the kitchens and back rooms are now. You will notice the protective plastic high on the wall to the left of the bar. The listed building was built using a wattle and daub technique, common around the time, where weaved branches
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would be covered in mud and manure and would set into a strong enough wall. The plastic that preserves the wall is not uncommon around Chester, especially the pubs as many of them are conversions. The pub accommodates all ages and has a food menu too. “We get ladies that lunch, families and ale fanatics. Drinkers stopping in on a pub crawl maybe.” He also noted the surprise on tourists’ faces when they walk into the grand hall, which is speculated to have been the courtyard, over threehundred years ago. The local brewer works outside of the city, no just making Spitting Feathers ale. He has a farm to raise pigs that gets served at The Brewery Tap. All produce is locally sourced making the food hearty and the ale top notch. Barmaid Kim Faulkner commented: “It’s such a nice place to work we get all kinds of people coming through the doors, but they are always happy and smiley and the look on people’s faces always keeps things nice and interesting.” The pub has seen it’s fare of celebrity activity, last year the brewery was involved in the programme ‘Oz and James drink to Britain.’ A BBC show where James May and Oz Clarke travel round experimenting with different drinks from all worlds and times. They mention the bar in the episode but unfor-
“All my life i’ve had one dream, to achieve my many goals” -Homer Simpson
tunately filming was cut short and they never got to The Brewery Tap, James May was bitten by a bee at the farm whilst helping to produce Honey for the brew and for the Brewery Tap to use. It’s suspected this is why filming ceased. Also the pub has received numerous awards in the last few weeks. Being accredited by CAMRA and being publicised to people all around the country. It was the Regional Pub of the Year 2010, it received two awards for National Pub Design Awards. Not only this but the judges were astounded by the pub, awarding the English Heritage Conservation Award and the Conservation to Pub Use award. So don’t take it from us, take it from accolades the venue has under its belt.
So, if you are visiting Chester on and ale tour, this should most certainly be the first port of call, and don’t hesitate to ask any of the staff or John Thomas himself. They are all welcoming, happy and smiling. Even if you visited the pub on your own there is plenty of reading around on shelves for you to delve into, also the scenery itself is something to look at and study and some of the books in the pub are relevant and you can learn about the Wattle and Orb technique or about King Charles I and his stay at the building. Generally, the pub keeps in running with whole cities scenery and view. That is why we have picked it out as the best around and top place to visit.
“Blessed are the cracked, for they shall let in the light” -Groucho Marx
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©ÄÅ IJ˺ Monkeytown Mild: A thick black look with a caramel-white crown. It would certainly hit the spot for a real traditionalist who likes scent of malt and bitter in their pallet. A creep of fruitiness creeps up to the surface in amongst the aroma. A winter drink would best describe it, you would not feel the cold after two or three of these. Overall very tasty and not for the faint hearted. Cheshire Cat: A golden citrus drink. One of Chester’s signature ales so you’ll find it in several of the bars around the city. Brewed at Weetwood which is just outside the city, it’s a very drinkable pale brew. It doesn’t fill you up the way some Milds do, instead it just refreshes and quenches, perfect for a sunny beer garden. Eastgate Ale: Amber in colour with a malty aroma. Pale malts give a rounded balance with digestive biscuit and slight redcurrant fruit flavours evident. Not too dry in the aftertaste with a metallic hop resin bite in the finish.
Old Wavertonian Stout: A pitch black stout with a good brown head. Tart, liquorice taste followed by a tangy, dryer aftertaste and a hint of blackberries at the end of the gulp. The texture is thick and chocolaty, with a burnt finish. Overall full of taste but again not for the weak stomached. Kelham Gold: A wonderfully refreshing light golden ale. Reminiscent of Oakhams JHB. A light floral well hopped ale with a good sharp citrus bitter finish. This pint was found in the local Weatherspoons on the guest ale tap, keep an eye out for it around the country, especially if it’s a nice day.
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“Keep your eyes on teh stars and your feet on the ground” -Theodore Roosevelt
Telfords warehouse
Telford’s warehouse is a beautiful canal front venue that is second to none in terms of the view from the taps. The place is full of interest-
ing and quirky things to look at. But first the walk up to the pub is across the car park which admittedly seems a bit odd you might think, but really it gives you a chance to take it in. The huge front windows gave onto the canal and the angle reflects the water glimmering into your eyes, on a sunny day. Seats run down the side of the canal, worth minding your step after a few. The bar itself is overhung onto the canal, having being converted from a Georgian boat loading bay. Built in the
late 1700s by engineer Thomas Telford, the bar although presenting a wonderful selection of guest and regular ales, also has a taste for live music and entertainment. It is also a restaurant and an art gallery, for the walls are covered in pieces of art collected by the owners. In 2000 the building fell victim to a terrible fire that took almost a year to renovate and get back running. The bar works with CAMRA regularly and serves ale from various local brewers. It has Cheshire Cat on tap, one of the areas signature delicious ales, as well as ales from Spitting Feathers, Westwood and Weetwood. Visit their website and you will see: “Our collection of guest ales reflects
“The best kind of friend is the kind you sit with, never say a word and walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you “Courage isn’t having the strength to go on - it is going on when you don’t have strength” -Napoleon Bonaparte ever had” -Steven Wright
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our passion for quality and variety from as wide an area as possible.” The bar staff are friendly and the venue beautiful to look at. This bar would almost certainly be top of our list. However, it does accommodate for a young generation, therefore you might not get the quiet pint you were thinking of if you are there later on in the evening. If that is the kind of thing you like to see then do visit. It is one of the few venues for this sort of thing in Chester so is very sought after by young musicians and artists. Meaning that there is an enormous variety week to week and fills out with thirsty punters.
this could be seen as a disadvantage. If rowdiness is something you like to avoid, perhaps this is not the place for you, though Mead in Britain is of the opinion that the beautiful surroundings the place is so proud of and has worked hard to obtain, far outweighs a little noise in the evening. Also, the bar does well to combine the two walks of life, hopefully persuading younger generations to take an interest in local brewed ale, and ditch the boring and monotonous world of lager. In fact, Chester is actually thriving when it comes to youngsters involved in ale, there will be more on this later in the issue.
Telford’s Warehouse certainly caters for all ages, for the quiet ale drinker
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“A coward dies a thousand deaths...A soldier dies but once” -Williams Shakespeare
The Falcon and The Boot
Nearly a century ago, on the tall, ominous cliffs of Dover, stood John and Sam. Their father, destined for an adventure across the plains of Pangea, as he knew it by, stood over them bearing gifts to give before his departure. To both his quarrelling sons he gave a small wealth, and the secret to great ale, a recipe handed to him by his father, and his father by his grandfather. But, the recipe comes with a curse, for every profit of wealth made using the secret, taints the ale beyond repair, lowering its quality. Father left the two boys to cross the channel and leave them to go their
separate ways, each with the greatest gift their father possessed. John, went back home ecstatic and cheered to his wife: “we are saved, all our troubles will go away now we have father’s secret. We’ll will sleep with gold sheets and drink from diamond tankards.” John knew of the curse, but his greed and arrogance was so much so that soon he forgot the curse. Slowly as he sold each barrel, John became richer and richer. In months he did so have his diamond tankard and he revelled in his riches every day. Of course with John’s abuse of the secret handed down to him by his father, came the promise that the
“Think of how stupid “Anthe empty average stomache personisis, notand a good realise political half of advisor” them are -Albert stupiderEinstein than that” -George Carlin
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curse foretold. And sure enough, the ale started to taste different, like starch at first, potato. Convinced someone might have put potatoes into the barrels he fired all his employees, safe in the knowledge he had the money to hire better workers. But the ale continued on the downward spiral. John’s greed had grown so much that he’d forgotten of the curse, and he drove himself mad trying to figure out why his ale was deteriorating. He kept on this destructive path for months, although still selling the tainted ale, to his trusted cliental. He would sack all his staff every week, with accusations of sabotage. He would spend days in the distiller trying to rectify the problem, but in vain. Before long John’s wealth was all gone, spent on the most of exotic ingredients and experts, brought to him to help the quality of his ale, ale that was now simply muddy rain water.
All this time Sam, had been drinking the perfect ale, every evening after work, and didn’t sell one pint. Until one day, a drifter arrived at his door, it was his brother John. John was haggard and worn, he was penniless and lost all his friends and
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family over his madness. John asked Sam to do the unthinkable: “Sell some of your ale brother, give me some wealth so I may regain my life, my business and my love.” Although it saddened Sam to do as his greedy brother asked, he did so anyway, for seeing his brother this way was worse. And so it was that Sam sold enough barrels, just enough, to see his brother get back on his feet again, and re-open his brewery with a different recipe, one that takes element from his father’s but is not cursed. Sam continues to brew ale but sells it at a price that is fair and unprofitable only with the intention of sharing it with the cities of his home country, not to make himself wealthy. The boys name’s father was Smith. And although Sam Smith’s ale isn’t the perfect ale known by the men of old, it’s still pretty damn fine. Now, all we can do is speculate the truth of such a tale, but what we can do, like we do with every issue, is highlight the Sam Smith’s pubs in the city. The Boot, situated on one of Chester’s signature, and pretty rows above the shops. It’s a lovely little place with low ceilings and traditional furnishings. Out the back it has a darts board and a smoking area, perfect for a quiet, and of course cheaper pint. The Falcon is a bit further away but again is and old Georgian building. It has two floors with plenty of seating. It’s bigger than the Boot and arguably gets more custom. But either way, most of us will know what to expect when we walk into a Sam Smith’s pub, and these two are no different. Basic, warm and friendly, and indeed sells delicious ale.
“Everybody’s “We are all gotintothe believe gutter,inbut something. some of us I believe are looking i’ll have at the another stars”beer” -Oscar -W.Wilde C. Fields
40th Anniversary of CAMRA Featured Profile of Jon Howard
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) have just entered May and their National Mild Month campaign. Last
month the organisation celebrated its 40th anniversary. The first four founding members were from the North West, and decided they wanted to form a campaign after being fed up with fizzy ales and loss of taste. Nearly half a century on they continue to do good work for the future of ale. Mead in Britain strongly recommends subscribing to the organisation, this way you can read their monthly newspaper that highlights all the on-going and forthcoming events they are to be hosting. As you can imagine the interest in real ale amongst the younger age-groups is little, but by no means no-existent. Jon
Howard is a 25 year old ale drinker from the North West. He now works for CAMRA in the media office. He was more than happy to talk to us about his passion for ale and why youngsters are steered away from ale. It is of course rare for a man of his age to enjoy a pint of traditional ale. “I started drinking real ale because I liked the sheer amount of variety and the fact I could drink something from a local brewery down my local pub.” Jon presents a brilliant insight into the world of ale in this country, and is clearly well informed and well established at CAMRA. He started working for them in the summer of 2008 whilst completing a Masters in Culture and Media at the University of Brighton. “I wanted to work for CAMRA as i knew it was such a diverse organisation, the popularity of real ale was growing and i wanted to jump on the band waggon.” Originally from the New Forest in the south of England Jon is used to drinking Ringwood and Hop Back beers in the sun. He says that if he was in Chester he would be found drinking in the Brewery Tap, “The place is awesome,” he added. We asked Jon more about the growing popularity. “There are now over 800 real ale breweries across the UK, and not many people realise there are way over 3,000 beers to choose from on the scene at the moment. Even national pub chains are now filling
“What would to lifeanyone...20% be if we had no courage to attempt anything” “Never tell your problems don’t care and the other 80% are -Vincent glad youVan haveGogh them” -Lou Holtz
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their bars with hand pumps to serve real ale, and this shows that drinkers, students and pensioners alike, are growing bored of big, mass produced brands and fancy something a little different.” Keeping in running with the youth around Chester, we wanted to know what can be done to get more involved and what CAMRA are planning in the near future. Of course they are a National campaign, so all they do will affect every ale fanatic around the country, that’s why it comes highly recommended that you sign up and join CAMRA, and is also why we take such an interest at Mead in Britain. “For a start we’ve seen a large upsurge in the number of young people giving real ale a try in the last couple of years, and this is all down to its greater availability and the increased awareness of industry brands amongst drinkers.” It’s important that youngsters are aware of all the small brewers and more importantly, the individual and unique ales that pop up as guests, drinks that don’t have advertisements on the television or even in newspapers. “While many complaints from young people remain that real ale is an old man’s drink, the classic whippet and flat cap perception, in reality this couldn’t be further from the truth,” added Jon. The problem is that ale isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Especially after a couple of years drinking fizzy ales and fruity vodka drinks, the pallet just isn’t prepared for such a change, and people are instantly put off. Also, we all know how impressionable young groups of friends are, and one will drink whatever the other six of his or her friends drink, without branching off to something different and experimenting. Jon assures us however that this is no longer the case. “Go to any decent community pub in the city
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centres of Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, on a Friday night and you are going to see a broad cross section of drinkers enjoying a decent pint. But to further influence perceptions we are doing a lot of work in showing the benefits of ‘try before you buy’ schemes in pubs, greater marketing information of beers at point of sale, and beer tasting evenings which many licensees are now organising around the country. We are also working hard to promote student real ale societies through our university student union affiliation scheme, and targeting younger drinkers by stepping up our game on the social media front.” So it is obvious that CAMRA are fully aware of the obvious issues that surround us drinkers day to day. The most obvious I think is, if no one under the age of 30 is drinking ale, what happens in 20 years or so? Well, with younger drinkers like Jon Howard in the office doing leg work to help the industry nationally, we think that ale brewers will be ok, in fact we think they will thrive in the future. “Pub going is endemic in British culture, and is a major part of our cultural heritage. While the pub industry evolves and may look a little different than it once did, the principles of enjoying a drink with friends in a sociable atmosphere will always remain the same. While a lot of our heritage pubs are dying out, an issue CAMRA has campaigned strongly against for the last 40 years, we are pleased to see both pubs and bars alike constantly diversifying to meet the needs of today’s consumers, and realising that real ale has become a major seller to a broad range of drinkers. So expect in 30 years time for the pub industry to have changed in exterior, but not in substance.” The four founding members met up for a drink, 40 years after that first pint they had together when they decided to form the organisation.
“A great “After cityclimbing is the place a great to escape hill, one the only true finds drama that of there provincial are many life, and morefind hills solace to climb” in fantasy” -Nelson-G.K Mandela Chesterton
Chester Cathedral
“I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps the time will comewhen i shall be able to carry them out� -Anne Frank
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“Be realistic: plan for a miracle” -Osho
Mead in Chester
With all the positive feedback we’ve had about ale in Chester, and all the young enthusiasm that can be seen here, we think it’s worth mentioning that this could perhaps not have been achieved without the help of CAMRA. Almost every pub we’ve been in showed a notable pride to be part of the organisation and to work with them as closely as possible. Their work can really be seen around this picturesque city. It is pleases us to hear about such what seems to be becoming a positive future for the industry. CAMRA are always thinking of new ways to campaign, prior to their National Mild Month they have revealed research that states UK beer drinkers are demanding the return of one of the nations most iconic beer styles. CAMRA conducted a survey to 400 beer drinkers and has discovered 47 percent have seen their local brewer produce a Mild over the past 12 months. This upturn in recognition for the beer style is
extremely pleasing. In a separate poll, beer drinkers surveyed noted that apart from India Pale Ales, a popular beer style in today’s market, Mild beers are what they’d most like to see more of down their local pub. At present, just over one third of drinkers have noticed a Mild served at their local over the past month. Tony Jerome, CAMRA head of Marketing said: “Such positive findings really reinforce the notion that Mild beers have fallen back in favour with today’s discerning consumers. While CAMRA has been campaigning for Mild beers for years as an endangered beer style, it appears the general upsurge in the number of people having tried real ale has given the Mild a welcome shot in the arm.” Although around Chester you can find wonderful little pubs for the quintessential drinker who enjoys peace and quiet, it is lovely to also see such a blend amongst the town. Youthful, more contemporary style bars look very dif-
“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song” -Maya Angelou
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ferent from a traditional old pub, but in Chester, they still serve a good ale. Mr Jerome added: “Misconceptions surrounding Mild drinkers may continue - many still perceive it to be an old man’s drink - but our research clearly points towards the fact that if drinkers new to the beer style are given the opportunity to try before they buy, and are given simple information at point of sale, these misconceptions are easily broken down. While some beer drinkers feel that names such as Dark, Dark Light, or Sweet are more appropriate for a Mild beer in the modern day, we will be taking these suggestions on board and working with the industry to further champion this iconic beer style.” The aim of National Mild Month is to encourage local pubs to stock a Mild throughout the month of May, and to encourage trial of this traditional beer style through initiatives such as ‘try before you buys’, third pint sampling measures, Mild beer and food matching events, and Mild beer tasting sessions. Meanwhile, CAMRA branches across the UK have organised a whole host of campaigning activities to champion the Mild beer style. In areas such as Nottingham, the local CAMRA branch have devised a whole Mild pub passport scheme to encourage drinkers to try the beer style in participating pubs around the city. CAMRA branches in the Greater Manchester area have also worked together to produce a Mild trail for beer drinkers to choose from 94 pubs in their local area. Manchester is where the next issue of Mead in Britain will be being based. We look forward to exploring the North West City, not so far from Chester, but we’re sure very different. Especially for what we’re looking for.
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“We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world” -Helen Keller
Here is a map of Chester City Center, there are many markings on it already but we’ve added the four we think you should be concerned about. The blue tags on the map are as follows: The highest one up at the top of the map is Telford’s Warehouse. The next one down just in front of the Grovesnor Shopping Center is The Boot. This pub is up on the rows so look for a concrete set of steps in between the shops on the high street. The next one down is The Falcon, this is on the corner of the junction and you can’t miss the sign. Finally, the lowest marker is the Spitting Feathers Brewery Tap, our featured venue and our pick of the bunch. It’s a little way out of the town but well worth the extra two minute walk. “Workers of the world unite; you have nothing to lose but your chains” -Karl Marx
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“Time wounds all heels” -Groucho Marx
Notes:
“If you treat people right they will treat you right- ninety percent of the time� -Franklin D.Roosevelt
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