Welcome to this first edition of "More Beer" our new Branch Newsletter from the Rochdale, Oldham & Bury CAMRA Branch (Campaign for Real Ale). I hope you enjoy it. As a Branch we have long wished to have our own vehicle to bring you beery news from around the branch. And now here it is!
It is hoped by producing this quarterly news letter that it will keep branch members and the drinking public informed about the cask ale drinking scene in the three metropolitan districts that the branch covers and will stir up debate and possible action to improve the cask ale scene in those area’s and maybe beyond….
Locally over the next few issues we will try and highlight as many of the different areas of the Branch as possible. If you have some news please let us have it at the editorial address or by email. We also aim to let you know what we think about the local and National beer scenes without fear or favour. Tell us too what you think of "More Beer". We really would like to hear from you.
Rochdale, Oldham & Bury Contacts/Committee 2005-2006
Chairman: Peter Alexander
Email – peter@peteralexander.plus.com
Secretary: Pam Ellis
Email – pam@pamellis.fsnet.co.uk
Membership: Mike Robinson
Email - jmikerobby@aol.com
Social Sec: Ken Holt
Email – kenjan.holt@btopenworld.com
Treasurer: Clive Taylor
Email – ctaylor@rapidial.co.uk
Pubs officer: Bernie Jackson
Email – acksionman@ntlworld.com
Campaigns: Alan Ainsworth
Email- alan.ainsworth99@ntlworld.com
More Beer Editor: Allan Whitehead
Email – ed-morebeer@tiscali.co.uk
MORE BEER is produced by the Rochdale,
Oldham & Bury branch of The Campaign for
Real Ale Limited. The editor, the Branch
committee or CAMRA does not necessarily
endorse any opinions expressed in this
news- letter. The editor would be pleased to
receive contributions on relevant topics – by
post or E-mail. Publication cannot be guaranteed, of course, as space is a premium in any
free publication, contributions may be edited
and certain grammatical errors corrected – if
spotted in time.
Copyright © 2005. The Campaign for Real Ale
Ltd., Rochdale, Oldham & Bury Branch.
SHORT MEASURE PINTS
Complain to you local Trading Standards office.
Oldham. 0161-911-4471
Rochdale. 01706-864-186
Bury. 0161-253-5566
Or Email www. Either To Bury, Oldham
Or Rochdale.gov.uk
Post contributions to:
The Editor, More Beer C/O 6. Roundthorn
Road, Glodwick, Oldham OL4 1YS
CAMRA HQ.
230 Hatfield Road St. Albans.Herts, AL1 4LW
01727 867201
Web: www.camra.org.uk Email:
camra@camra.org.uk
Or Post To:
CAMRA R.O.B.
P.O.Box 108, Oldham OL2-5RE
The Licensing Act 2003 comes into law on 24th November 2005
and brings with it a massive change to the licensing hours we
currently "enjoy." It allows flexibility for pubs to apply to open
earlier and close later than currently and transfers the responsibility for licensing,
from magistrates to Local Authorities. For
most this additional flexibility is to be welcomed, but if you are
to believe the anti drinks lobby and many politicians, as well as
the police, your local boozer will by now have applied to serve
delicious pints of foaming ale 24 hours a day, with the result
that those who live near pubs should attend courses on
managing their lives without any sleep and become skilled in
avoidance techniques to navigate pools of vomit and brawling
drink soaked thugs. The truth is far less sensational however.
In fact the new laws strengthen the public’s right to object to
a license and the hours a pub opens. The Government confirms
that local residents will be able to object to disorderly and noisy
behaviour outside pubs late at night even after an application
has been granted.
A quick check with the three licensing authorities* In the
Rochdale, Oldham and Bury areas revealed that in Bury there
has been no applications to open 24 hours a day and in
Rochdale, only two out of 429 pubs and clubs have applied to
open up to 24 hours.
Most have applied only for a modest increase in opening
hours with an hour or two later closing being most commonly
applied for. Some Town Centre pubs have applied to open much later, but these so called "destination pubs"
virtual night clubs selling mainly bottled beer
and alcopops, accompanied by loud music and
bouncers to a predominantly young clientele,
already have late night drinking well established. They already contribute to the kind of
anti social behaviour that all responsible
drinkers deplore, behaviour of the kind that is
rightly is condemned in our newspapers.
For most of us the changes will in merely permit us the luxury of a late drink in our local,
where a mixed clientele and a more relaxed
environment will allow us a few quiet pints at
a time of our choosing. We should hopefully be
about to see a time when people will be able
to take control of their own drinking lives.
There will be pubs open to suit local requirements and less trouble and noise at chucking
out time, because there will not be a common
closing time. The problem of rowdy youths in
Town Centres is a different one and was not
created by this Act. It preceded it. This should
not be used as an excuse to deny responsible
drinkers a late night drink in quiet neighbourhood pubs. It is a time for us to reclaim our
local pubs, drink some good real ale in good
company and then quietly go home. Let’s bring
the local back to life!
And while we are at it, how about a decent public transport system to get us there and back?
* Oldham Council did not respond to repeated requests for information. P.A.
The Three Crowns on Manchester Street in Oldham (Op the new bus station) is now selling Guest beers, Tom Wood Harvest Bitter at present and Brakspear to follow, the regular is Mansfield cask. The Bowling Green on Manchester road, Oldham is having a Refurbishment, what the format will be is unknown, so watch this space for details. Further down Manchester road the Dutch Birds is having a makeover, will cask ale remain, it’s unknown -a regular to the pub will report back.
The Minders Arms on Joshua Lane Middleton is having a "makeover". Lees say this is a sympathetic refurbishment that brings the facilities up to date without loosing any character and is part of a plan to upgrade a large number of their smaller tenancies. (more details under JW Lees Pubs & Brewery News).
The Hopwood Arms, Slattocks Castleton continues to sell four changing cask ales usually including one from Phoenix. Pale Moonlight was in good form on a recent visit. The Healy Hotel on Shawclough Road, Rochdale is serving the new seasonal Lighthouse and next is the return of Old Tom.
The Albion Bistro 600 Whitworth Road is serving three from Taylors (Golden Best, Bitter and Landlord), Lees Bitter, Thwaites Bomber and two excellent Bazens brews the Blue Bullet and one of my favourites Black Pig Mild with Moorhouse Blonde Witch to follow.
Over in Littleborough the Wheatsheaf on Church Street has six beers going Black Sheep, Jennings, Pictish, Flowers IPA Archers Goldentrain IPA and W. Richwood Broadstone.
The Moorcock at Blackstone Edge is well worth a trip out to visit with an excellent 80 seat restaurant and a good selection of cask ales Taylors Landlord, Titanic Iceberg, Fursty Ferret by Badger with Northern Soul Rider, Wyldes, and the ever drinkable Pictish Brewers Gold coming on soon. They also now have B+B accommodation.
The Merry Monk on College road had on recently Hydes HPA, and Slaters Supreme with Rudgate Battleaxe and Osset Firestone to follow
The Vice Chair of JW Lees Brewery, Christopher Lees-Jones has been appointed to one of the highest and most distinguished offices in the brewing world. He has taken over as Master of the Worshipful Company of Brewers, one of the oldest Livery Companies in the City of London, an office he will hold for a year. Michael Lees-Jones (Christopher’s son) has been appointed Director of Beer Quality.
New Build: Managed House -Duke of Gloucester, Crewe.
Refurbishments are planned or under way at: -
Links Hotel – Llandudno
Millstone – Manchester Centre
Colliers Return – Shaw
Minders Arms – Middleton
(works end last week Sept)
Hark to Dandler – Bury (works end last week Oct)
Bowling Green – Chadderton (works end Sept)
Ship Inn – Slattocks - The Ship Inn has undergone
an amazing transformation, from the tired pub it
was into a bright new canal side tenancy. The
layout has been changed to open up the lounge
and games area, with access to a small terrace.
New Acquisitions: Swan – Radcliff, White Hart –
Mottram (both newly acquired and refurbished)
It’s always been the case that whilst green king has been busy building up a massive estate else where, Bury remained blissfully unsullied. It seems that’s no longer the case. With the purchase of several ex Whitbread pubs (remember them?), pubs, the behemoth has finally arrived.
First to succumb was the Rose & Crown on of the more obscure choices but things are Cockey Moor Road. This has been generally a looking up quality wise. Talking of which, good cask pub, with Black Sheep proving very several local pubs have reported problems with Pub & Brewery News popular amongst the locals recently. Now there are four beers on, but they are all of the GK stable. Two of these, Abbot Ale and the cloying Old Speckled Hen are 5% or above. That leaves the session drinker with a choice of IPA or the totally bland Ruddles. Cask sales have suffered accordingly and it will be interesting to see how long all four will remain on offer. Since then, Green King has added the Wellington on Bolton Road, the Robin Hood, in Tottington and now it looks as if the Knowsley in the town centre may be changing signage as well. Some of these could actually do with an infuse of cask ale, so I shall withhold judgement until later.
Over at the Hare & Hounds, Holcome Brook, there has been a bit of a shake up with new management coming in. Beer choice has seemingly been reduced to four, squeezing out some of the more obscure choices but things are looking up quality wise Talking of which, several local pubs have reported problems with the new Boddingtons. Some pubs have put Hydes Bitter on in its place. Not a bad move, in my book.
In Bury town centre, the Two Tubs lags further behind the competition daily. Squeezed by
Holts at Wyldes and Wetherspoons next door,
Thwaites have singularly failed to raise their
game. Opening up the food operation beyond
lunchtime and extending Sunday hours would
be a start. No wonder the place is deserted.
The only good thing to report is they are now
selling Konig Ludwig Weiss Beer speaking of
foreign beer the Sir Robert Peel has increased
its bottled beer range to include one or two
actually worth drinking, this is handy, as
despite usually having a Bank Top on, the
quality of the cask beer varies considerably.
When it’s on, that is.
Email me with Bury news to – alex_k_uk2000@yahoo.co.uk
(Tuesday Meetings all 8.30pm Unless Otherwise Stated)
OCTOBER
Tues 4th Branch Meeting- Cemetery Hotel Bury
rd Rochdale
Sat 8th / Sun 9th W/d Coach Social-
Scarborough via York
Tues 18th BBF Meeting- Trackside Bolton St Bury
Sun 30th 10K Social Tandle Hill Tavern
Thornham lane Middleton
NOVEMBER
Tues 1st Branch Meeting- Railway & Linnet
Grimshaw La Middleton
Fri 19th/Sat20th BURY BEER FESTIVAL-
The Met Market St Bury
(volunteers needed for set up on
Wed/Thurs days)
Fri 25th Evening Social- Ramsbottom Brewery Bury
DECEMBER
Tues 6th Branch Meeting- Dusty Miller Crostons
Rd Bury
Wed 14th Christmas\Social- Ashton Arms Clegg
St Oldham
Wed 28th Evening Social- Drown the Turkey
Manchester Northern Quarter
Further Details on Social Events are available
from the Branch contact or Social Secretary –
Changes to the diary and other events may be
announced at Branch Meetings
Need that Tram, Train Or Bus to the Next
Meeting Then ring GMPTE Travel line
0161-228-7811 or www.gmpte.com
CAN’T ALWAYS GET TO OUR BRANCH MEETINGS?
BUT WANT TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE ACTION !
Make sure we have your up to date E-mail Address on our Secretary s data-base.
Information and Social Events can be E-mailed out to you.
I had the good fortune to find myself at the
Great British Beer Festival this year to sample some beery delights,
stock up on my liquid library and purchase those indispensable
CAMRA goodies as well as trawl around all the
other interesting diversions around the halls,
from all the beer memorabilia type stands to
one of my favourite
book stalls Beer Inn
Print. This year I took
the opportunity to travel
by train than the usual
long journey by coach, a
better method of travel I
thought and surprising for
the train cheaper too!
(You can really get some
bargain fares if you book
early enough). Having an
early start to the day and
having to start the journey by coach to
Wilmslow (engineering work on the line
from Manchester) didn t dampen my
enthusiasm for the trip to London. I did
not travel alone, my travelling companion, as ever was my good lady, a secret
beer swigger to boot as well, thus ensuring a
good tasting of a reasonable selection of ales
was on the cards. (No I’m not being chauvinistic
she is a CAMRA life member and enjoys the
festival as well).
Of course as a CAMRA member you’ll never
alone at this festival as with many others you are
always amongst friends as my wife will testify,
whilst I got my nose in a beer and book she will
be off talking to various people or trade stands
bar staff, (certain brewery s spring to mind, I
don t know what she see in those young men
that I didn t have 25 years ago! I’m still the
same, only older!), any way back to the festival.
"This years will be the last time at Olympia” I was told upon entering the venue by the chap accepting my entrance fee, and next year, I asked “Earls Court“ was his reply so I thought better make this one to remember. Getting our glasses we headed off to the bars one of the first beer to try was the Cains Cask Lager and their delicious Raisin Beer both very enjoyable, with the Cask Lager being really smooth and very drinkable (my wife thought it was her favourite beer of the festival) next a walk around to the Bar Nouveau (sponsored by JD Wetherspoon) with beers by Bazens Flatbac, Facers Crabtree, Loddon Kite Mild and Northern Spellbinder being tasted, time for a spot of food to soak up the beer, you are certainly not disappointed at the Great British Beer Festival when it comes to food choice with a varied selection on offer from pies and pasties to vegetarian offerings , curries and just about everything in between pancakes, real meat sausages, olives, pork rolls. With some stands selling not just the usual steak and chicken but Bison, Kangaroo, Ostrich and Wild boar! I settled for my favourite beer fest food pies, with my wife going for curry with some onion barges to follow, suitably refreshed it was back to the serious business of drinking!. A trip over to the Family Brewers bar with beers from Batham Mild, Hardy & Hansons Mild, Taylors Golden Best and JW Lees GB Mild and Scorcher being consumed whilst viewing the various tee shirt stands and a wander around the CAMRA shop. A walk into the National hall found one of my personal favourite brewery s bar Oakham Ales, Jeffery Hudson Bitter and White Dwarf being drunk whilst listening to the CAMRA Quiz questions being read out to waiting teams by Mr Terry Lock, (Ex national executive member). Time for a few non-drinking activities I thought, with money spent on the `EveryOnes A Winner’, `Pick a Perfect Pub and `Heritage Pub Tom bola with a good few prizes to boot won!
The day was getting on and with only a couple of hours drinking remaining, time to find
some of my favourite ales before they all go! A
slow walk around to the entrance area I found
two of my all time breweries beers to drink
Young’s and Fullers. First to the Young’s bar
Special and Golden Zest and as luck would have
it, next door the Fullers bar, for Chiswick Bitter
and the last half pint of London Pride. Times running out now, might try some Woodfordes
beers Oops! No beer here now, only funny hats
to give out a dash back into the Grand hall and
a guess what! Back at where we started the
day, the Cains stall, only the Mild available but
for me the best Mild I’ve drunk all day.(must
have a trip to Liverpool, I thought!) The time
now 6.40pm we have to go! Swap our festival
glasses for clean ones to take home and say
our goodbyes to Olympia.
And that was it, another Great British Beer Festival over, and 14 historic years at Olympia, lets hope the new venue lives up to all that has gone before at Olympia! So I’m looking forward to the next one and the topic for our journey back to Manchester, "next year lets come down for a few days as it s to rushed a one day visit"!
As for those three top winning champion beers here they are;
Champion Beer of Britain – Crouch Vale
Brewers Gold, The beer is described in the 2005
Good Beer Guide as a "Striking grapefruit nose
leads to a beer of generally citrus hoppy character, underpinned by a perfumed sweetness
and an after taste of wine gums"
The Silver award went to: Rutland Panther from Grainstore (Rutland)
The Bronze award went to: Woodfordes Wherry from Norfork.
A full list of all the beers judged and winners
at this year s Great British Beer Festival can
be found at the CAMRA web site
www.camra.org.uk
Never Believe a man who says
he’s going to an auction “just
to see what the prices are like”,
especially if there’s folding money in
his poket! He Just might come home
with a full set of brewing vessels! The hard bit is deciding how to tell the wife
that you’ve been to an auction she knew
nothing about and that when she comes home
from work tomorrow the drive will be filled
with a hot liquor tank, mash tun, copper, two
fermenters and two conditioning tanks. Obvious
answer, call in and tell her at work - there’s a
limit to how berserk she can go in front of
other people. Eighteen months later the air is thick with references to “scrap metal merchants” it’s obviously
time to find a proper home for the brewery! Out on the travels one day the Hope Inn comes
into view, looking deralict and vandalised - but
maybe with the height for a traditional tower
brewery. One phone call tells us Daniel
Thwaites are happy to sell and will arrange a
viewing if the 8.5 metre tower will fit (bring
your own torches to negotiate ripped up floors
in the pitch black because windows are
boarded up).
Twenty months of building new walls, re-roofing, knocking out floors, installing brewing
tower and refurbishing public areas gets everything ready for a trial brew in August 2004 and
public opening in September. What beers to brew? After some thought we
settle on “Horny Owl”, “Greenacres Gold” and“Night Owl”. Night Owl, a black porter with coffee and
chocolate overtones, surprises by being and
instant hit and continues virtually unchanged. Greenacres Gold, honey coloured and slightly
floral, continues with an increased hopping rate
and slightly plaer blend of malts.
Horny Owl, deep ruby red and rich/fruity, was too big a taste for most but came into its own as a Christmas Special at 4.7% with added cinnamon. Twelve months on and the range has expanded to over 10 unique ales (although bar customers are encouraged to experiment with mixtures and blends in the glass) some regularly brewed, and some seasonal specials.
Sales in cask to the free trade pubs (may they
live long and prosper) produce a steady stream
of demand for new beers, fuelled by customers
who want to try something different. By a happy
coincidence this is matched with our natural
tendency to experiement, but makes it harder
and harder to think up names for new ales. As you read this, our first birthday will have
come and gone and comments on the beers
continue to change from complimentary to
enthusiastic!
As the SIBA website says: First ask yourself why you want to be a brewer, if the answer is anything other than “Teapot” you are obviously unsuitable by virtue of being too sane!
For opening hours at the Hope Inn, or cask purchase ring 07889 631366
CAMRA. The Campaign for Real Ale is a
national organisation, but we use a system of local groups that we call "branches"
to provide a local focus. A handful of volunteers in these branches organise Beer Festivals,
selects the pubs that go into the Good Beer
Guide and produces local guides and newsletters. We have a good time too, why not join us
at one of our many events and see? Every branch would welcome new faces and
new ideas.
Many branches send out mail- shots; why not respond and see what’s on offer, and what you can offer in return? -Your branch needs you !
“CAMRA. The Campaign for
Real Ale is a national
organisation, but we use a
system of local groups that
we call "branches" to
provide a local focus.”
You may be unable to attend regular meetings, that does not mean that you can not be involved ! You joined because you care about good beer and good pubs. You can still help with a very small amount of your time.
Every branch would be pleased to receive snippets of pub news.
Some branches use a Beer Quality Survey system to help them select their branch allocation of pubs to go into the Good Beer Guide: please send in your thoughts about the beer quality in pubs you use and current Good beer Guide pubs to your local branch.
This branch could do with a hand to deliver this newsletter to a few local pubs once a quarter (contact the editor if you are interested)
E.mail No need to drag your self to a meeting at an inconvenient time or place - let the miracle of science - E.mail help you by keeping you in touch of what’s going on in your local branch. (see contacts page)
Website As well as this newsletter we will shortly have our own web site, see the next edition for details. Any member who wishes to be involved in any way, even the slightest, is more than welcome to join in the fun! please contact any member of the committee listed on the branch contacts page.
MANCHESTER REGIONAL CAMRA
EVENT UNDER 30’s GROUP
Are organising a Liverpool pub
crawl on Saturday 12th November.
We are leaving Piccadilly on the
11.07 train and will visit a wide
section of fantastic pubs – a great
crawl guaranteed!
Members and non-members and
guests all very welcome.
Contact:
camrau30.Manchester@gmail.com
or Matthew Parr on
07734 66 1212 for details
The 23rd Bury Beer Festival is nearly upon us. As usual it will be held at the Met Arts Centre Market St, Bury. This year it will take place on Friday 18th & Saturday 19th NovemberThe 23rd Bury Beer Festival is nearly upon us and for the first time will be a totally non-smoking event.
Featuring around 60 cask ales, a wide range of continental beers, plus traditional cider and perry the festival opening times and entry fees are as above. However, entry is free at all times to CAMRA members on production of a current valid membership card.
The Met provides disabled access on request, guide dogs are permitted but no other animals or pets are allowed.
We have a separate lounge for well-behaved children, but they are only allowed at lunchtime sessions and must be accompanied by parent(s)/guardian at all times.
Hot food is provided by "Automatic" - the downstairs café bar and there will be vegetarian options.
This year we have put out an appeal for local businesses / enthusiasts to sponsor a barrel for a notional £25 or £50, what you get back in freebees (entry for non members, beer for members) is proportional to the level of sponsorship. You also get your name in print in the program and on a "barrel end" poster in the festival.
If you are able to help us, please contact Alan Ainsworth on 01204 574790. Come and taste the difference!