Cornwall, just like the rest of the UK, was once rich in local breweries. Sadly, over the years however, mergers, takeovers and closures have reduced their numbers, and by the early 1980s there were but three remaining - Devenish (Redruth), St. Austell, and the Blue Anchor (famous for its 'Spingo' in Helston. Then Devenish fell under the Whitbread axe and its pubs replenished with the likes of Flowers IPA, leaving St. Austell to lead the way in Cornish brewing around the county. In recent years, the situation has radically changed again. The Bird in Hand pub at Hayle started its brewing operation in 1980 and the Paradise Brewery was born. Bill Sharp set up an operation at Rock near Wadebridge in 1994 - Sharp's Brewery - which currently supplies hundreds of pubs both in and out of the county. Meanwhile, Steve and Sarah Skinner are enjoying huge success with their Skinner's Brewery in Truro, which started operations in 1997. After a somewhat chequered existence, the old Devenish brewery fell into Chinese ownership. Until recently, known by its original name the Redruth Brewing Company, it closed in March 2004. Several smaller operations have come and gone while the Keltek Brewery, which closed in 1998 after only a couple of years, was reborn in Lostwithiel by different owners. Vincent's Brewery also restarted as the Ventonwyn Brewery of Grampound Road (but later closed again), and the plant has recently been bought up by a new owner and restarted; otherwise known as the Wooden Hand Brewery. The St. Austell Brewery and the Blue Anchor survived and grind steadily on, while the Paradise Brewery has renamed itself as Wheal Ale while still brewing for the Bird in Hand. And there are some recent new arrivals on the Cornish brewing block: The Ring o' Bells Brewery near Launceston, started up in November 1999 and is brewing again after a short closure; the Driftwood Spars Brewery of St. Agnes, which started in 2000 and could be a brewery pub to rival the Blue Anchor; and the Organic Brewhouse of Cury Cross Lanes near Mullion, which brews only organic beer and also started brewing during 2000. Then arrived two more breweries in quick succession - Doghouse - which went on tap in July 2001 operating from a former dog kennel near Scorrier, and Ales of Scilly, which started by selling three ales on the islands at about the same time and has now moved into 'seasonal brews' such as Old Bustard, brewed for the 'twitchers' (bird-watchers). Finally, another two which also started more or less together: Lizard Brewery in St. Keverne, which is now enjoying buoyant sales of its three regular beers and is considering what else it can brew; and the tiny Bathtub Brewery in the back of the Seven Stars Inn, Stithians which has developed three distinctive ales for sale within the pub. Both of these breweries started operations late in 2004.