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Author shares 'obsessive' beer mat collection

Rob Derry Selfie of a man in the bottom left of the frame, bespectacled and smiling with a wall covered with beer mats next to himRob Derry
Rob Derry has been collecting beer mats since he was 18 years old

A man has built up a collection of more than 900 beer mats, after starting to collect back in the 1980s.

Rob Derry, from Uphill, Weston-super-Mare, picked up the hobby, known as tegestology, from his father.

His collection includes mats from Hungary, the Czech Republic and across America.

They now adorn the walls of his 'man-cave', from where he writes horror novels.

Rob Derry A beer mat shaped in the contours of the Channel Island Jersey, with text saying Mary Ann, followed by text saying The Beers that make Jersey famous.Rob Derry
Rob's collection includes beer mats from many European countries

Mr Derry's father began collecting beer mats from the 1960s. They served as decorations, particularly on a coffee table he had made a decade later.

The table played a key role in getting Rob involved in the hobby. "When he dismantled it in the eighties, I offered to save them from the bin."

This began his tegestology journey.

"When I went to pubs from 18 years old, I started to pick them up. Many of them, the breweries (printed on the mats) don't exist any more," he said.

"The Woodbine and Watney's are among the oldest. Back in those days, you could advertise cigarettes as well. So I've got things like Embassy, Marlborough and Hamwick."

Rob Derry A red beer mat depicting a glass filled with ale, with the following text on it- Watneys Pale the greatest ale Rob Derry
Some of the beer mats date back to the 1960s
Rob Derry Beer mat depicting comic strip character Hagar the Horrible raising a glass of beer with the test skol typed on it, surrounded by other beer mats not fully visibleRob Derry
The beer mats are all stored on the wall of his 'man-cave'

All 900 beer mats now adorn the walls of his 'man-cave', where he writes ghost and horror stories. One of his novels, 'The Brothers', is a story set against the background of the abolition of the slave trade.

He said: "It (the novel) features a Bristol pub, The Seven Stars, from where I collected a few beer mats with the landlord's permission. It was where the abolitionist movement really got started and so I did my book launch there".

His enthusiasm for collecting beer mats means that people collect mats from around the world for him as well.

"My friends have been abroad and they'll bring them back, so they've been to Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic", he said.

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