There will be no mother of all booze-ups at the brewery today, writes REG LITTLE. Two centuries of Morrells family brewing will come to an end with barely a glass raised in celebration.

After the bitter family feuding and secret big money deals the atmosphere at the famous Oxford brewery could hardly seem flatter on this historic day, as the business officially changes hands.

Instead of wild partying, the day Morrells brewery ceased to exist as a proud family firm will be marked at the brewery only by frantic calls to and from lawyers.

For even now, there are still many legal loose ends to be tied up after the sale of the brewery for £48m to beer and burger tycoon Michael Cannon.

But glasses will be raised on the other side of Magdalen Bridge as drinkers and Morrells workers gather at the Plasterers' Arms in Marston Road tonight (Fri). But it promises to be more of a wake than a hooley.

A book of condolence will lay across the Plasterers' bar in memory of "Morrells Brewery Ltd" as it passes away at 5pm on Friday, October 16, 1998, aged 216 years. Landlord Chris Doyle said: "I suppose you could call it an Irish wake for the loss of a close friend. This is a sad moment in the local history of Oxford, which should not pass unrecorded.

"Many people have not had a real opportunity to express their feelings and sadness about the sale. There are many people who have fond memories of the Morrell family, the brewery itself and happy occasions while sampling the brew."

By a nice touch, the Plasterers stands near Headington Hill Hall, the one-time family seat of the Morrells family. And it is easy to find evidence of the family's generosity from the South Park across the road to the fountain of the Plain.

Yet drinkers will hardly feel compelled to cry in their ale for the present members of the family. They owned more than 98 per cent of the company shares. Even the grand old lady of the family - Margie Eld, 76, who bitterly fought against the sell-off - has admitted that she is now a very rich woman.

The man standing down as chief executive today, Ken Hodgson, said: "We are delighted that the new owners will operate as Morrells of Oxford, which means that the name of Morrells will remain part of the Oxford scene." But the sale of Morrells Brewery Ltd to Morrells of Oxford Ltd will not have fooled many. The company has been bought by an investment company, owned by a tycoon living in America, who built a fortune from buying and selling pub groups.

It has already been confirmed that the St Thomas' Street brewery will be closed, but there is the promise that most brewery jobs will be saved and money invested in the 132 Morrells pubs.

On Monday the new chief executive, Paul Beadle, is at least expected to mark the historic hand-over with a press conference looking ahead to the future.

Keeping clear heads at the brewery may not be a bad idea.

BIG SHOT CANNON KEEPS HIS DISTANCE

Transforming tatty boozers into money-making machines has earned Michael Cannon millions.

But for all his reputation as a buyer and seller of pub chains, the man who bought Morrells will not be investing much of his time or energy in his latest acquisition.

He has been at pains to suggest that he will leave the running of Morrells to his friend and former business Paul Beadle, the new chief executive, who formerly worked at Greenalls.

It seems that Mr Cannon, 59, will be the millionaire across the water. His commitments in America, where he has acquired the hamburger restaurant group, Fuddruckers, will keep him busy enough. He has also now runs his own New York property company, which is transforming offices into flats across Manhattan. Not bad for a former chef at Bernie Inn, who in the 1960s worked in Oxfordshire at the Catherine Wheel pub in Henley.

His view on closure of the St Thomas' Street brewery is typically unsentimental. "It's a shame about the brewery," he said, speaking from his office in New York.

"I believe it's losing somewhere between £1m and £4m a year. We may look at some small efficient brewery to produce Varsity and Graduate ales but I think the main brewery will be sold."

Mr Cannon will not, however, be on the board of Morrells. This may come as a relief to some real ale buffs who may know of his reputation for transforming traditional pubs into Pickled Newts or Orange Kippers.

Mr Cannon's earlier sales of Davenish to Greenalls for £214m in 1993 and his sale of the Magic Pub company to Greene King for £197.5m suggest that wherever he is living, he will have very high expectations of Morrells.

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