There’s been plenty of downsides in the last 14 months. Tuesday brought a welcome change of pace in Crofton.
The CHEK TV Upside Guys, Ed Bain and Jeff King, made an appearance at the Brass Bell Pub to broadcast their program and provide some laughs for the people there to see them in person and the folks watching at home.
The two-hour newscast included Bain, who’s also the famous morning man at 100.3 The Q radio in Victoria, doing the weather forecast while the pair continued their shtick on The Upside, a program that originated on the news since the start of the pandemic.
Bain and King started the program at street level outside the Brass Bell and were given a royal Crofton welcome. A steady stream of cars went past the intersection of Chaplin Street and York Avenue, with folks honking their horns and waving to the dynamic duo. “We love you” shouts were common.
“Friendliest town ever,” raved Bain.
“Great people, great view,” marvelled King.
King said he hadn’t been to the town in quite some time.
“I forgot how gorgeous it is,” he enthused.
Mary-lynne Weberg sent an email suggesting the Brass Bell as a site for the Upside Guys to do their on-location broadcast and they obliged, showing up along with camera operator Mark Innes. Weberg was sitting on the Brass Bell patio during the broadcast and was acknowledged on the air with a wave from Bain and King.
“They called me last week and they said they were going to stop by, ” said Rachael Scott-Screaton, who just took over as the Brass Bell’s owner on April 1 after having been the manager for four years.
“I think this has been great. We’ve had a lot of phone calls already. They were great. They were so funny.”
She’s pleased with the support she’s received from the town.
“Amazing people here,” she said on the broadcast while displaying some of the pub’s new menu of food selections. There’s also two new beer taps that have been installed.
“Our takeout’s doing great on the rainy days,” Scott-Screaton added.
This wasn’t one of those rainy days, with patrons grabbing the few available spots on the deck to enjoy the sunshine.
“It’s a great community,” said Scott-Screaton. “It’s grown a lot in the last few years. We’ve had so much support, it’s been absolutely fantastic.”
The Upside Guys were at Thai Pinto in Chemainus in April of 2020 for a Takeout Tuesday segment.
