In 1880 the Mersey Hotel was destroyed by a fire. A well-known local, ‘Tommy the Shaker’, worked tirelessly to help salvage items from the fire. He happened to find a keg of ale and instead of sharing it around he quietly moved it to a spot that he could enjoy it by himself. He eventually bored a hole in the keg and took a swig of the liquid that came out. It turns out that the keg did not contain liquor, but mutton birds!
Image Credit: BSMC Historical Collection, BSMC-3586
