An Ale Tale

The sparkling conditions of yesterday were long gone today so there was to be no repeat of our frost inspired perambulation. 
As the gloomy weather had descended again we only ventured out for a quick bit of shopping and a pint back at the wonderfully characterful Black Horse at Thurham and today's image, very much of the emergency variety, is of an ale sign on the outside wall - there was just something about the intriguing little face that caught my attention. So of course I wanted to find out more when I got back home.
This is one of a range of ales produced by Canterbury Ales, brewed in a traditional yet modern way, which are inspired by the timeless characters from Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. They see each beer (there are eight) as embodying the unique personality and spirit of a Canterbury Tales character - and what better tales to draw on than those that have captivated readers for centuries.
In the order of the Tales, "The Pardoner's Tale" comes after "The Physicians Tale" and before "The Shipman's Tale" ; it is prompted by the Host's desire to hear something positive after the physician's depressing tale.
The Pardoner initiates his prologue - briefly accounting his methods of swindling people - then proceeds to tell a moral tale. The tale itself is an extended story to illustrate a moral point.
Setting out to kill Death, three young men encounter an Old Man who says they will find him under a nearby tree. When they arrive they discover a hoard of treasure and decide to stay with it until nightfall and carry it away under the cover of night. Out of greed, they murder one another. The tale and prologue are primarily concerned with what the Pardoner says is his "theme": radix malorum est cupiditas ("greed is the root of [all] evils").
Quite the ale tale from a sign on a wall! :-)