What better combination is there than beer and trousers?
When we started HebTroCo, we chose Drink? – Hebden Bridge’s craft beer bar and bottle shop as our local collection point. Rather than receive their trousers by post, local customers could collect their purchase from the bar.
Drink? was also one of our “trouser trying on” establishments. We had a full range of waist sizes, in a variety of colours in both 177 Moleskin and C60 Needlecord in a bag under a bench. People just asked behind the bar and then used the changing facilities upstairs to try on some trousers. Sadly, things got a bit busy, and with only one toilet, after one guy spent an hour trying various ones on one afternoon, we realised we had to move on. But we still drink in Drink. It’s great.
Mart, barman and friend to the Trousermen, was an obvious choice for us to have as one of our Men of Hebden. After all, everyone needs a discreet landlord to pull pints and keep an eye on their trousers.
Martin Ogley
Married
No Children
1 Cat
Does smile occasionally
“Born in the late 60’s I grew up in Wakefield and long trousers have always been a part of my life – If I’d passed the Entrance Exam to QUEGS in Wakefield it would have been so different with the uniform there being shorts and a blazer. I went to Silcoates where my uniform was Spencers trousers & a blazer.
My First part time Job was at Marks & Spencer in Wakefield where I worked in menswear & then the food hall. The (nasty) nylon trousers I had to wear had no pockets (so you couldn’t steal anything) and I constantly got electric shocks.
My next job set me off down the road to end up as owner of Drink? – the bar and bottle shop at 15 Market Street, Hebden Bridge.
My first full time job saw me suited and booted five days a week working for Tetley’s brewery in Leeds. From there I moved to an independent pub company and it’s here I learnt about the industry & more importantly brewing as I helped set up a small brewery in one of their pubs. The pub company was sold and I set up a much bigger brewery and ran it for over 12 years. I left to get more of a life and joined Bridestones Brewing and here’s when I fell in love with The Valley and Hebden Bridge. Drink? came about as a “side” project while working here but with the “Events of Boxing Day”* I took the opportunity to take the shop on as my own enterprise. I refit it & threw the doors open just before Easter & the Trousermen have not only been regulars but also great supporters by and fetching new people into the shop.
I now don’t have a life again but I do have friends who make trousers and lots who drink beer in their trousers – and you know what, I’ve never been happier”
Martin Ogley
*we don’t like to mention the flood by name.
You can find Drink? on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram but it’s best to visit them on Market St in Hebden Bridge (closed Mondays, 11-9 Tue-Saturday, 11-5 Sunday).