Welcome all! Writing at the beginning of July, temperatures are finally high enough to warrant calling it Summer, and it’s time to be sitting in Beer Gardens relaxing with beer and friends – so long as you take your chances with the sudden onset of torrential tropical downpours and the resultant flash floods. The continuing credit crunch has resulted in some excellent meal deals at restaurants, often with wine included, but to date I’m only aware of one place that does a similar deal with beer – unless anyone knows otherwise? Let me know if you do.
Cheers Sue
The Mild One – CAMRA Rochdale, Oldham & Bury’s Mild Passport Scheme - generated a lot of interest in the 30 pubs which participated, as well as beer drinkers in the area. The scheme began with over 40 people taking part in a coach trip to breweries and pubs featuring mild beers - JW Lees in Middleton Junction, Phoenix Brewery in Heywood, the Hare & Hounds in Holcombe Brook, the Ashton Arms in Oldham and finally the Baum in Rochdale. The Mild One ran for the whole of May and involved pubs throughout the urban and rural parts of the Branch area. By purchasing just a half of mild, a sticker was obtained from that pub and this also provided an opportunity to try one of the many excellent milds on offer. Several of the winners commented that they had enjoyed the passport scheme and the chance to try the beers in pubs outside their normal drinking territory – well done to all of them!
At the end of the month the 15 participants (including someone who lives in Blackpool!) who submitted passport cards with the most pub stickers were invited to the Winners Event at Phoenix Brewery as follows:
David Pearson from Uppermil
Colin Macarthur from Ramsbottom
Malcolm Armitage
from Waterhead
Andy Ellis from Blackpool
David Stott from Rochdale
Steven Wood
from Rochdale
Bill Smyth from Castleton
Tony Sibson from Chadderton
Peter & Helen
Bramwell from Hathershaw
Derek Palin from Rochdale
Ian Mitchell from Oldham
Mike Robinson from Royton
Andy & Vikki Booth from
Woodhouses
Of the above, five people managed to get to all thirty pubs around the Rochdale Oldham & Bury areas and two of these only heard about and started collecting stickers on the 23rd of the month! One even managed to do the 30 pubs on public transport – quite an achievement as some of the pubs were located in distant parts of Saddleworth, Blackstone Edge and Holcombe Brook! At the event on Saturday 4th July, Tony Allen of Phoenix had brewed a special mild called ”Flossie’s Farewell (A Mild Old Lady)” to celebrate the life of Flossie Lane, the 94 year old licensee of the Sun Inn in Leintwardine who passed away on 13th June. The branch had the pleasure of visiting Flossie in her Hereford pub during a social trip two years ago. During the event at Phoenix the winners were given a beer or two followed by an excellent guided tour of the brewery, another beer or two followed by some food, another beer or two and presented with Winners’ Certificates and LADS badges and finally, yes, another beer or two! Overall it was agreed that the scheme had raised the profile of milds in ROB and plans are already in hand for a similar scheme in 2010.
Ken Holt
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I give the song ‘Bring us a Barrel’ which has often been assumed to be traditional but which was written by Keith Marsden, who sadly died young in 1991 and who was a founder member of the folk group Cockersdale. The idea that the song was a traditional song was helped by Keith’s habit of introducing it as having been “collected from old Charlie Hayes”. However, Charlie Hayes was not a remote shepherd, who learned it at the knee of his grandfather, but a cashier at the bank where Keith was the manager!
Quite apart from having a cracking chorus, it is useful to both ale drinkers and pub quiz goers, as it details the various sizes of cask. It mentions a pin (at 4.5 gallons) firkin (9), kilderkin (18), barrel (36) hogshead (54) b (108) and puncheon (which is commonly considered 72 gallons but which the OED describes as “a large cask for liquids etc, holding from 72 to 120 gallons”). The only size of cask not mentioned in the song is the tun (at 216 gallons). Of course, cask sizes have varied somewhat through the ages. Barrels of ale (and wine) are based on a subdivision of the tun. The surviving subdivisions indicated that the original tun must have been 256 gallons but, by 1347, it had been 252 gallons for so long that King Edward III’s commissioners could not explain the loss of the 4 gallons. By 1454 the barrel of ale contained 32 gallons (ie one-eighth of the original 256 gallon tun). In the Act of 1531 King Henry VIII confirmed these figures, yet by c1575 in Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, the gallons referred to were gallons of 282 cubic inches (or 1 gallon and 0.132 pints in today’s measurements). In 1688, at the time of William and Mary, the barrel of ale was set at 34 gallons, although London persisted in using a 32-gallon measure. For the cooks among you, the barrel of vinegar was also made 32 gallons. Under George II in 1803 the barrel of ale was raised to 36 gallons and, in 1824, when the imperial gallon replaced both the ale and wine gallon, the nominal capacity of the barrel was retained at 36 gallons and it hasn’t changed since! Bring Us A Barrel No man that’s a drinker takes ale from a pin For there is too little good stuff there within Four and a half is each measure in full, Too small for our sup; not enough for us all
Chorus:
So bring us a barrel, and set it up right,
Bring us a barrel to last out the
night,
Bring us a barrel, no matter how high.
We’ll drink it up lads, we’ll
drink it dry.
The poor little firkin, nine gallons in all.
Though the ale, it is good, the
size is too small
For lads that are drinkers, like you and like I,
That firkin small barrel will
quickly run dry.
The kilderkin’s next and although rather small
At least it’s better
than nothing at all
Its eighteen full gallons will just about do
Provided, of course, there’s
another for you.
And when I am dying and on my death bed,
By my bedside leave a fine full hogshead,
And if down below I must go when I
die,
Then me and Old Nick, we can both drink it dry.
Then bring forth the puncheon
and roll out the butt
T
hem’s the best measures before me to put
Our pots will go round and good
ale it will flow
And we’ll be contented for an hour or so.
© Keith Marsden (1939-1991)
The kilderkin verse was written by Ron
Shuttleworth
From Friday the 28th to Sunday the 30th of August, The Nook Pub in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, will be holding its 6th Annual Beer Festival. As usual there will be 40+ Real Ales, Ciders and Fruit Wines accompanied by live music. This year however, their much-awaited micro-brewery will be showcasing its first of many beers. It should prove to be a blast, so don't miss out! www.thenookholmfirth.co.uk 01484 681568
A couple of items of good news: It is rumoured that Chicago Rock, opposite the Interchange in Bury, has been bought by JD Wetherspoon and is to be re-opened as a Lloyds No. 1.
The area on the ground floor of the Met, previously occupied by the Tourist Information office which has now relocated to the new Fusiliers Museum opposite the Art Gallery, has been taken over by bar-next-door Automatic (which, it is reported, has also had three handpumps installed) and has been re-opened as a real ale and whisky bar. The décor is a soothing beige and soft green with lit candles providing the ambience. You can see the workings of the beer engines through glass panels, also the barrels are racked up in a glass cupboard. It is hoped there will eventually be 100 whiskies available. On our visit there were Outstanding Blonde and Outstanding SOS, Otter Bright, Thwaites Bomber and Daleside Bitter, all of which were on good form.
Lucky patrons of the Met have now got a choice of ales to look forward to in the interval!
This inaugural event took place in the Elizabethan Suite of Bury Town Hall over the 1st May Bank Holiday weekend and was intended to raise funds for the new Museum. An excellent range of beers with a military theme was available. Unfortunately attendance was nowhere near the figures anticipated. Thanks to the hard work of Neville and his helpers many of the beers had been sponsored, which cushioned the blow a little, but it was heartbreaking to see the amount of beer that had to be poured away on the Sunday. It is not known yet whether the event will run again next year.
This is the new name for the Paradise Brewery Bar in the Arndale Market, Manchester. It has been taken over by Boggart who have given it a very impressive makeover (including bespoke beer mats and branded glassware).
There is a changing cask cider plus Kuppers Kolsch on draught alongside four cask beers. Two of the beers will be Boggart beers and the other two, ever changing guests from the extensive range of breweries for whom Boggart act as wholesalers. Recently there were beers from the Yorkshire Dales Brewery and the Aston Brewery. Customers will be able to vote on what they want next on a dedicated "Punters' Pump".
In addition there is a good range of bottled beers including 9 (!) from Brewdog – it looks like the full range bar Paradox. Again this will be supplemented by bottles from the 300-plus micros that Boggart deal with. Opening hours are 11-6pm, Monday - Saturday and 12-5pm Sundays.
For those who don't know, here are the results
of the various competitions at the recent
Stockport Beer & Cider Festival;
Cider of the Festival: Gwynt y Ddraig
Black Dragon
Perry of the Festival: Rathays Painted Lady
Beer of the Festival:
Gold: Outstanding Stout
Silver: Robinsons Old Tom
Bronze: Dunham Massey Chocolate Cherry Mild
10-16 Aug: The Crescent Beer Festival, Salford
4-5 Sept: Saddleworth Museum
Beer Festival, Uppermill
24 Sept – 4 Oct: Hare & Hounds Beer Festival,
Holcombe Brook, Bury
25-26 Sept: SeptemBURYfest, Bury Sports Club
Saddleworth Museum is again holding its annual Beer Festival (the 18th) on Friday 4th and Saturday 5th September, to generate funds for its continued operation. As usual, products from a number of excellent local breweries will be offered including Greenfield, Millstone, Phoenix, Pictish, JW Lees and Shaws. In addition to some popular regular beers, seasonal ales from Millstone, JW Lees and Shaws will also be featured. Live music will be played during both evenings, and food, wine and soft drinks will also be available. So why not call into the Museum for a couple of hours and enjoy some great music and beer, knowing that any proceeds will go to a good cause? Why not put the dates in your diary now? At the Cross Keys in Uppermill, Wayne and Wendy Rawstron have won the prestigious annual JW Lees Cask Ale Pub of the Year award, pipping other nominations, the Tandle Hill Tavern (Middleton) and Spread Eagle (Lymm). The criteria for this award are the number of cask beers on sale, the percentage of cask versus total draught sales, quality of beer sold and the proportion of beer returned to the brewery. This and other awards were presented at the Bridgewater Hall on 8th May by the brewery directors. As a near neighbour to the Cross Keys I fully support this award - since Wayne & Wendy took over 18 months ago there has been a marked improvement in the choice and quality of the beers available. Even the “unfashionable” Brewer’s Dark, introduced over a year ago, is now one of their best sellers.
Saddleworth has a long tradition of brass band music and bands play in summer (up to mid October) on alternate Sunday afternoons at the Diggle Hotel and the Navigation in Dobcross.
Recently the Diggle Hotel has been adopting a more active guest beer policy, selecting ales from SIBA breweries in line with their agreement with Enterprise Inns. In June they were selling two products from Empire Brewery in Slaithwaite, which is located along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal on the other side of the Standedge Tunnel, Golden Warrior (3.8%) and Empire Strikes Back (4.3%). In addition Stoker’s Slake (3.6%), a dark mild from Three B’s, has become a regular offer in the last few weeks.
Down the road the Despoina has begun selling mainly national brand guests beers in addition to Theakston’s Best. However new licensee Steve Edwards is hoping that S&N will relax their beer tie to allow them a bigger choice of local guest ales.
Soon after his arrival there, Martin Standley has left the Despoina and Ryan Fitton has taken over its management, as well as managing the Dog and Partridge in Springhead. The freehold for the latter has been bought out from Punch Taverns by Mark Hughes, who is part owner of the Grotton, and they intend to introduce a couple of cask beers to this keg-only establishment. Meanwhile the Grotton continues to sell three beers on handpump – Greenfield Dobcross and Summer Ice, as well as a guest and the restaurant has reopened with the emphasis on tapas.
Following the additional space taken over at Tanners Mill, Greenfield Brewery’s business has also expanded and they are now operating at capacity, about 12 barrels per week. Over the last few weeks Greenfield have developed 5 new outlets, including local sports clubs, and have just had enquiries from local JD Wetherspoon pubs. Two new vans have just been purchased to facilitate deliveries. The brewery is also involved with Retro Railtours, which arranges day trips using old locos (mainly diesel) to different parts of the country. As well as supplying bottled and draught beers on the train, Greenfield’s products are also served on station bars along the route. The next tour has been fixed for Saturday 29th August and originating from Huddersfield, it will follow the Oldham loop before heading to the scenic Cumbrian coast. Beer and rail anoraks should book now! More information is available on www.retrorailtours.co.uk.
The 2009 award for Beer of the Oldham Beer Festival was Ye Olde Vic from Millstone Brewery in Mossley and a presentation ceremony took place at the brewery on Thursday 23rd July. The last beer in their “pub names series” was Coach & Horses and they plan a revamped version of 4.1% Summer Daze using American hope, in July/ August. Millstone are also rebranding their point-of-sale display material, including the distinctive pottery mill stone pump clips, in August.
Saturday 2nd May saw the inaugural ROB May Mild Crawl.
A mild passport scheme was launched for the duration of May only, which Social Secretary Ken Holt outlined – stamps were to be collected for each mild in a number of pubs across the branch, collect 12 and you’d receive vouchers for 5 free pints at Bury Beer Festival in November. Collect a full card and 20 lucky winners (to be drawn from the hat if more than that complete it) will get a grand tour of Phoenix, beer, luxury dinner and more goodies!
Starting at JW Lees Brewery, there was Lees Brewer's Dark, Hopping Mad, Bitter, Coronation St, Moonraker and GB Mild.
Continuing to Phoenix Brewery at Heywood, we had Monkeytown Mild, Black Shadow Mild and for those who couldn’t bring themselves to drink mild, White Tornado at 4.3%. A presentation was also made to Tony Allen for his Black Bee being runner-up Beer of the Festival at Oldham in March.
Lunch was at the Hare & Hounds in Holcombe Brook. As the mild offering here was from Boggart, some stuck to the more obvious delights of Phoenix (Arizona) and Durham (White Gem, Priors Gold). This obviously went straight to my head, as the next thing I knew I was joining them on their coach. Well it was free. We called at the Ashton Arms in Oldham, where the Outstanding Blonde was good, before settling in at the Baum in Rochdale. This provided some excellent beer, the Phoenix Hopsack being particularly so, and some Sarah Hughes Dark Mild. Here our Branch Chairman Peter Alexander made a presentation to the landlord for the Pub of the Year award.
Some then made unofficial visits to the Regal Moon and the Flying Horse.
The trip was well subscribed, but we still had room for more – look out for next year’s!
As some of you will know, the CIS Management announced that the New Century Hall was to be “closed” to any external event from December 2009. The reasons, I am told, are that the hall requires refurbishment and would cost circa £1m so rather than spend this and then close/sell the building (always been a long/short term plan) they have decided to close it to outside events. The CIS plan to build a larger, newer building on the site on Miller Street (14 acres) but, as far as I am aware, they will not be including any form of facility similar to the NCH.
With this in mind and the fact that I had been looking for an alternative anyway (the obvious ones being far too expensive) the Working Party visited the Sheridan Suite, also known as “The Venue” - http://www.sheridan1838.co.uk/ - and have decided (subject to the National Executive of CAMRA’s approval, that we would move the NWAF to the Venue for 2010. This, though not in central Manchester, is just 1.1 miles from the City Centre edge and within easy reach of The Northern Quarter where many of the free houses are located and Victoria Station and the adjacent interchange for Piccadilly. It is easily accessible by 12 service buses and with a huge (free) car park is ideal for Branches organising coach trips to the event.
The National Winter Ales Festival will take place between Wednesday 20th – Saturday 23rd January 2010. The actual Champion Winter Beer of Britain tasting panel and competition will convene from Wednesday morning followed by the Trade Session from 2.30pm and general public from 5.00pm. The winners of the competition will be announced during the Trade Session. This will mean that all of the beers will be available (if ready for serving!) at every session. Also all of the beers will be on one level! We also propose to open from noon on Thursday with free entry to card carrying CAMRA members up to 4pm and then discounted entry at every other session (including the Wednesday evening).
With a larger capacity, all beers on one level and all available from the first public opening session, easier access for the public with escalator access and disabled lift to the hall on the 1st floor (and for the volunteers setting up and taking down - an easily accessible delivery bay, and goods lift) this promises to be an excellent venue for CAMRA’s Winter Ales showcase.
*Service buses stopping on:
• Oldham Road outside Venue:
24, 72, 80,82, 83, 88, 180, 181, 182,
& 184 and the Night Bus 82;
• On Queens Road: 53;
• & on Hulme Hall Lane: 54 & 53
Fancy a quiet pint? How about a very quiet pint in a pub described by the Good Beer Guide as “the most remote pub in mainland Britain”?
Easy. Although there is no road access there are two ways to get there. You can either attempt an 18 mile yomp in spectacular scenery but on very challenging terrain (this normally takes 2-3 days), or you can take an infrequent ferry operating only three days a week in “winter” which spans from October to May.
At the end of this journey you will have reached The Old Forge in Inverie on the isolated Knoydart peninsula in the North West Scottish Highlands. It enjoys spectacular views across Loch Nevis towards Mallaig and the southern part of Skye. A few miles along the peninsula west of Inverie there are breathtaking views towards the isles of Eigg and Rum. A place of true isolation and tranquillity. As a measure of the degree of isolation there, it was noticeable that none of the cars or four-wheeled drives has a current road tax licence – it seems it is too far off the beaten track for the authorities to bother! To add to the sense of novelty here, when we called into the Post Office we noted that among the postage stamps and envelopes they were also selling goose eggs...
After the tortuous journey to reach Inverie, there is only one way to recover – at The Old Forge. Remarkably, the pub usually offers two cask ales on handpump and considering that they have to be ferried over from Mallaig the price of £3.25 per pint is not too extortionate.
Slightly disappointingly, the first brew available during our visit was the rare and exclusive Deuchars IPA! However more local beers appeared during the next few days including Isle of Skye’s Red Cuillin (4.2% ABV) and the Standard Ale (4.3%) from Glenfinnan.
The pub is very much the centre of village life and full of atmosphere, with people getting together after a day on the hills or fishing the lochs. Meals based on local produce are featured at the Old Forge, and excellent seafood straight from Loch Nevis, local game and veggie dishes were usually available.
The area has had a chequered history and has changed hands through a variety of owners over the years. After the previous landowners, Knoydart Peninsula Ltd, collapsed over ten years ago the land was purchased for the local people and is now run by the Knoydart Foundation, which seems to encourage sensible eco-friendly development. For example the pub and most of the other buildings in Inverie are powered from a local hydro-electric scheme.
So, if you fancy a quite pint in a beautiful part of the world pack your boots and head for Inverie!
They always say never go back. A recent trip allowed some of us to see if this is true.
In the early 1990s a yearly coach trip was run to the ‘Black Country’. These days out have become legendary as the years have gone by. When it was announced that there was going to be a re-run many signed up, although the itinerary was somewhat pared down to take into account that the last one was some 10 years ago and we’re not as young or as resilient as we were!
We left the Oldham area on a cold, windy torrentially-raining Saturday in midsummer and picked up in Manchester. Altogether there were 40 people from all the Greater Manchester branches. The M6 was clear, the only sight of a queue being as we left the motorway. As a result our arrival in Sedgley was before 12pm (in bright sunshine). As the Beacon does not open till midday, we headed for the Bull’s Head. However the sudden influx of a coach load resulted in a queue out the door. Spotting some people sneaking off further down the road, I followed them to find the Clifton, a Wetherspoon pub. 12 handpumps were on the bar. Unfortunately, the four or five I fancied most were ‘coming shortly’. Of those available (Highgate Mild, Highgate Bee Zone, Shardlow Fool’s Gold, Davenport’s Summer T’Else and Sadler’s Kimber Drop) I tried the Bee Zone which, unsurprisingly, contained honey, and the Kimber Drop. Both were fine.
The Bulls Head is a Holden’s tied house. This was my first worry as I’ve spent years eulogising over Holden’s Bitter. Thankfully the beer was excellent (& quite hoppy), the pub was friendly and the sandwiches were £1.20 and absolutely huge. Here there were Holden’s Bitter, Mild, Golden Glow (at £2.10 a pint!) and Black Country Special. The Golden Glow was excellent. The mild was also complimented once a new barrel was put on. After retracing our steps we arrived back at The Beacon, home of Sarah Hughes brewery. Available were Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby, Surprise (a new beer, being 5%, light and refreshingly hoppy), Amber, Enville Ginger and Church End Fallen Angel. The multi-roomed pub is unusual having a central island servery surrounded by a number of rooms. It has to be said that the Pale Amber and Surprise Bitter were disappointing but the Dark Ruby (a 5.8% mild) was rather nice.
Our next stop, after a tour of the area due to the shortcomings of the GPS, was by the roadside in Amblecote. There were officially 3 pubs within walking distance – but we found a fourth!
The Starving Rascal, a small Free House, was advertising 3 real ales on a board outside. Apparently originally known as the Dudley Arms, the pub was renamed after a local tale of a landlord turning away a starving beggar, only to find him dead in the road the next morning. The three ales were Enville, Holden’s Golden Glow and Sadler’s Worcester Sorcerer, which was another pale drinkable beer.
The Swan, downhill from the Rascal, served an excellently hoppy Leeds Samba, and Acorn Quantum. On walking in, we momentarily thought there had been a mistake in including this pub, until we saw all the pumpclips on the wall above the bar.
Next to the Robin Hood, with Salopian Golden Thread, Enville Ginger and Enville Ale, Holdens Golden Glow, Bathams Mild and Batham’s Best. All were excellent.
A walk down the hill was needed to find The Maverick, a hostelry with a Wild West theme. Thankfully the beer was good, well the Purity Mad Goose was. Also on were Wychwood’s Wizard’s Staff, Jennings Cumberland Ale and a beer which may have been called Drinking House Hickock’s Gold or Hickock’s Drinking House Gold – anyway I believe it was made by the barman specially for the pub.
The Vine, better known as the Bull and Bladder, in Brierley Hill was another worry. The memory was of a multi-roomed pub selling very bitter beer. The pub is still a ‘classic’ but the Batham’s Bitter had a slightly sweet finish. So either the beer has changed or it never was that bitter. Once over the initial shock the bitter was actually quite good and the small pork pies at £1 each were superb and were selling like hotcakes to our hungry horde.
The last stop was the Olde Swan in Netherton. Ma Pardoe’s has a nationally noted interior and is the home of the Olde Swan brewery. Here were Olde Swan Original, Dark Swan (a strongish (4.2%) sweet dark mild), Entire (a faintly hoppy premium brew), and Purity Mad Goose. There was also an intelligence test, trying to find out how to access the back room (the door was hidden as you opened another one). After several pubs some of us failed this!
Judging by the peace on the coach on the way back (broken only by severe bouts of snoring) everyone seemed to have had a good day out. So did the trip live up to the memories? The answer is partially. Was it a good day out? The answer is a big yes. Should we go again? The answer has to be certainly. Finally thanks to the 2 Kens (Holt & Birch) for organising a good event. See again you next year lads?
Normally our Branch weekends tend to take place in Spring and Autumn, so it was a first to be going in (technically) Summer, and we were promised that there would be other firsts in store as well. The forecast was rain, rain and rain, although as usual the sun shone on the righteous and we stayed dry all Friday. The due money having been extracted by the Social Secretary, we were informed of our day’s itinerary.
Lunch stop was in Alcester where unfortunately, due to traffic holdups on the M6, we were left with less than an hour to do justice to 3 pubs as we had a fixed appointment at a winery. First, the Three Tuns on High St, where I had Little Tinker and Celt No. 2, both in acceptable form. There was also Sharp’s Doom Bar. At the Turks Head, also on High St, the Purity Pure Gold was also excellent and the walled garden was a lovely place to sit. Finally The Holly Bush on Henley St is an old coaching inn on which a lot of money has obviously been spent and which is also renowned for its walled garden. The Purity Mad Goose was excellent. The staff were fantastic, dealing with 23 of us with smiles, efficiency and good nature.
In Alcester we noticed what turned out to be a recurring theme in the area – all the pubs had newspaper articles on display documenting when the whole village had been flooded to several feet (several times over the years!).
Our next stop was the 3 Choirs Vineyard at Newent. They also now have a microbrewery called Whittingtons, named after local boy Richard of Lord Mayor of London fame. We were allowed to look at the brew plant through the windows but were unable to take a tour, although some bottled product was available for purchase from the shop. We did however get a tour of the winery with three samples (two whites and a rose). They had some quite impressive and techy kit! They also explained their particular method of training the vines. The restaurant looked like it could have been in a Mediterranean country. They also do B&B on site, or wine tasting weekends if you want to treat yourselves. We then nipped back to the George Hotel in Newent where 4 beers were available, Butcombe Bitter, Wickwar Right Flanker, Freeminer Bitter and Cottage Western Glory.
After this we went to check in at the Royal Hop Pole, a Wetherspoon Lodge in Tewkesbury. This is a rambling maze of a place, with the ancient Great Hall still visible in the bedroom corridors. The rooms were nice, although as usual with hotels I found it too warm and opened all the windows, only to regret it in the middle of the night when the rain started doing drum solos on the pvc roof next to my room.
We had a quick recce of Shrewsbury, starting at the bar of the Hop Pole, where I had a pleasant Stonehenge Eye Opener, then going to the Nottingham Arms and the Tudor House before most people went to find food. The Nottingham Arms provided Butcombe Bitter, Wickwar BOB, and Old Speckled Hen. I had the Sharp’s Doom Bar. The Tudor House Hotel also had a range of beers, I had Goff's White Knight which was quite pale for this area. There was also Coddington Old Codger.
Other recommended Tewkesbury pubs (untried by me) include the Berkeley Arms, Britannia and White Bear. One of our number who did get to the White Bear commented to the bar staff that the pub was quite a way from the centre of town.
They explained that the pub was built on the outskirts by the Town, specifically for the navvies who were digging the canal, to keep them out of the town pubs where they were causing havoc! They said they used to have bunkhouses for them too.
Saturday dawned absolutely torrential, and I paddled my way round town to have a look at the shops and architecture before we set off on Round 2.
First stop, at 11 am, was the Cider House (known as the Monkey House) at Woodmancote, Worcs. This is one of only four remaining cider-only pubs in Britain and is easily passed by as it looks just like an ordinary thatched cottage. Medium cider, dry cider from Westons, and perry is served from a stable-door type hatch at a very reasonable price of £2.10 a pint. The mood was merry despite the rain dripping off the thatch and into our glasses! And despite the sign by the front door, licensee Mr Collins was delightful.
Next, to the Fleece at Bretforton, owned by the National Trust and with a range of beers, an extensive collection of pewter plates, flagged floors and a huge fireplace. It was Asparagus season and quite a few of the dishes on the menu included said vegetable. There’s even local festivals built around it. All praise to Jim our driver who managed yet again to get a 50- seater coach round corners in villages where you’d think twice about taking a car. Our third stop, the Mount at Stanton, was the first disappointment of the weekend. Not because there was no coach access and we had to walk 5 minutes up an extremely steep lane (which journey was enlivened by the sight of two llamas being taken for a walk). This pub, which had an incredible view over the village once you got there, can only be described as a gastro pub. It was full of people eating, but very few were drinking. Donnington BB and SBA were the only beers available. The BB was taken back by quite a few people and was exchanged, but the attitude of the staff was not very friendly and we felt that we were in the way. The SBA was drinkable but uninspiring. Those non-beer drinkers among us were shocked to pay £4.60 for Carlsberg Export! By common consent we cut short our visit (also probably a branch first!).
We continued to Winchcombe, where several pubs were available. I had what was for me one of the best pints of the weekend – Timothy Taylor’s Landlord! - in the Plaisterers Arms. A decent Wye Valley White Lion Bitter was also had in the White Lion. The White Hart Inn was more of a bistro and wine bar, but I can’t remember what I drank as I was distracted by the sight of the ploughmans lunches which were served to some of our number, artfully arranged on what looked like chopping boards and costing around £9 if I remember correctly. The Corner Cupboard was a bit too far at the opposite end of the village to fit in a visit.
Next to Cheltenham, where we again had a bit of a walk from the coach to the Kemble Brewery Inn. This was an end-of-terrace pub which extended way back to a garden where a live music festival (the Fairview Convention, after the name of the street) was taking place, with proceeds going to the Air Ambulance Fund. There was a lively atmosphere but for us the visit was spoiled by the use of plastic glasses and the attitude of one of the staff who, when asked for a half, poured me a pint and then told me off when I pointed out that I’d asked for a half, and on my second visit to the bar tried to short change me a pound. The range of beers could not be faulted though.
The Jolly Brewmaster, in a very nice residential area, was a lot more spacious and friendly. Here I enjoyed East St Cream, although there was also quite a range. Again, there wasn’t time to try the third suggestion, the Adam & Eve.
Returning to the hotel, some decided to try the Tewkesbury pubs which they hadn’t managed on the Friday. Others went for food and the more sensible option of an early night. Food seems to be a bit on the pricey side here – even a takeaway kebab cost me just short of £7, although I didn’t resent that as it was freshly cooked and absolutely excellent.
Sunday was drier and there was an outbreak of democracy (another branch first?). The choices were 1 – head south, 2 – go for a bit of cultural wandering round Evesham or Pershore, 3 – go to Wetherspoons in Worcester, 4 – go to the Plough at Ford (another Donnington’s pub). Unsurprisingly, after the fiasco of the Mount, option 4 was unanimously rejected. So we ended up at the Postal Order in Worcester, surprisingly busy at 11.30 on a Sunday morning, where 10 beers were available including the usual Wetherspoon standards plus Thwaites’ Wainwright’s Ale, Springhead Cromwell’s Hat and Torpedo Gold. Unfortunately time didn’t allow us to take in the other two suggestions on the itinerary, the Cricketers and the Dragon Inn.
Talk about saving the best for last (which means you finish the weekend on a high but feel sad to be going home) it just kept getting better from here!
Next, to the Fruiterer’s Arms, brewery tap for Cannon Royall. Again, inaccessible by coach, tucked away down a narrow lane off the A449, and involving a 5-minute trot, which was rewarded by Fruiterers’ Mild, Muzzle Loader, King’s Shilling and Arrowhead.
Then to the Coombs Wood Sports & Social Club, a cricket club tucked away behind trees in a residential area of Halesowen. Half a dozen beers and very cheap filled baps were available and it was just about sunny enough to sit outside. Although a members club (you have to buzz at the gate for access) Camra members and holders of the GBG are welcome.
Unfortunately we had to miss out on the Somers Sports & Social Club, also in Halesowen, which would have been worth it to see the 250 year old house and extensive grounds in which it is set.
Finally, and possibly best call of the weekend, was the Waggon & Horses on Stourbridge Rd, also Halesowen. Reminding us of the Marble Arch in Manchester due to the sloping floor, there were about 15 beers on, also some seriously chilli-loaded salsa dip and cheeses on the bar. The locals, including some from the local Camra branch, were extremely friendly and gave us tips for more good places to visit, which unfortunately we weren’t able to follow up. From here it was straight home (with a diversion for the Bury members into the Trackside).
This was a fantastic weekend, weather notwithstanding, in good company. Some of us found more brown beer than we would like, but we all found something we were happy with. As can be seen, there are many more places to go that would justify at least one more weekend. Thanks go to trip organiser Mike Robinson, Social Secretary Ken Holt and of course Jim the Driver.
Sue Barker
In old England ale and bread long continued to be the chief items even of the royal breakfast. The quantity of ale consumed by ladies at breakfast was considerable, for in the reign of Henry VIII the maids of honour were allowed for breakfast “one chete loaf, one manchet, two gallons of ale, and a pitcher of wine”.
A chete loaf was one for cutting up, while a manchet was a loaf of the finest wheaten flour. We may read of a certain Lady Lucy who made a mighty tonic of the national brew. Her breakfast was “a chine of beef, a loaf, and a gallon of ale; and for her pillow-meal a posset porridge, a generous cut of mutton, a loaf, and a gallon of ale”.
There is an amusing letter written by the Earl of Leicester to Lord Burleigh as to the lack of sufficiently strong ale for Queen Elizabeth I at Hatfield. “There is not one drop of good drink for her there. We were fain to send to London and Kenilworth and divers other places where ale was; her own beer was so strong as there was no man able to drink it”. It was Queen Bess’s matured opinion that beer was “an excellent wash”. Right well did this typical English queen enjoy a quart of ale for breakfast, though her more fastidious sister, Queen Mary, preferred a flask of Canary. But then Mary was not “all English”.
Inns, Ales & Drinking Customs of Old England, Frederick W Hackwood
We were notified of this scheme by members of Stockport & South Manchester and North Manchester branches.
We’ve all heard about being driven to drink, but now you really can be.
The Head Of Steam Ltd has recently taken over Reform Place, which is right in the middle of Durham City, but with no parking capability near it.
So the company has come up with a stunning marketing idea to get its customers to the pub, without needing a parking place or bus trip - for free. It is working with Freedom private hire - by paying its customers' fares! All you need to do is ring Freedom on 0191 378 9963. You’ll will be collected from home - or wherever – and taken directly to Reform Place. Then show your taxi receipt to bar staff and as soon as you’ve spent 4 times the taxi fare (which might only be as little as one round), get the taxi fare back - in cash. Customers can ring from anywhere – Durham city, the villages and towns round about, or even Newcastle or Darlington.
"In times of economic stringency, when businesses are fighting for trade, you have to show your customers that you really value them" said Jemma Watson, Manager of Reform Place; "we have to try harder than most pubs, because we are hidden away in the centre of the city" she said.
Reform Place is undergoing big changes, but organically. A new electricity supply is to be installed in July, which will allow the pub to offer a wide range of pub meals (it can only offer sandwiches, cakes and the like at present). Also, the range of drinks products will be increased by the introduction of real ales, real cider and rare draught world beers. Kids play equipment is currently being designed for the sun-trap pub garden – which it is thought will make Reform Place the only pub offering that facility in Durham. The name of the pub will be changing to The Head of Steam, as soon as the new signage is ready. For more information about Durham's new best pub, contact Jemma Watson on 0191 383 2173 or Tony Brookes on 01434 607 393 or 07803 124 508. In these days of 'responsible' drinking, I don’t think any of us in the Gtr M/c area should take up this offer. Imagine the hangover you will get by trying to get your fare back!!!
JULY
Thurs 23rd Evening coach trip Millstone Brewery,
Vale Mill, Mossley for OBF presentation
AUGUST
Sat 1st Coach Social Last of the summer beer
revisited, Holmfirth
Tues 11th Branch Meeting Cemetery Hotel,
Bury Road, Rochdale
SEPTEMBER
Tues 1st Branch Meeting The Grotton Hotel,
Oldham Rd, Lees
Sat 5th Train social Stockport pub crawl
OCTOBER
Sat 3rd Coach Social Sheffield area incl. Beer Fest
Tues 6th Branch Meeting
Red Lion, Bury New Rd, Prestwich
Sat 31st Oct /Sun Nov 1st Weekend Coach
Social, North Yorkshire Market Towns
NOVEMBER
Tue 3rd Nov Branch Meeting The Baum,
Toad Lane, Rochdale
Fri 20/Sat 21 Bury Beer Festival The Met,
Market St, Bury
DECEMBER
Tue 1st Branch Meeting The Baum, Toad Lane,
Rochdale
Tues 15th Christmas Social* Hare & Hounds,
Bolton Rd West, Holcombe Brook
Tues 29th Walking Social* ‘Drown the Turkey’
Manchester Crawl
JANUARY 2010
Branch Meeting The Baum, Toad Lane, Rochdale
* Further details of social events are available from branch contact or social
secretary.
All branch and committee meetings start at 8.30 unless otherwise indicated or
announced.
Changes to the diary and other events may be announced at branch meetings or
publicised on the website.
‘More Beer’ editorial meetings are held from time to time at the Royal Oak, Werneth - details available from the editor.
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.
Real cider is a long established traditional drink, which is produced naturally from apples and is neither carbonated nor pasteurised.
Modern mass produced ciders are normally served very cold, are pasteurised, and are fizzy because of the extra carbon dioxide put into them during manufacture. Real cider is nothing of the sort. Traditional cider consists simply of apple juice, which has been allowed to ferment.
Cider in the western part of England and Wales is made from the many varieties of cider apple, whereas in eastern and southern England cooking and dessert apples are normally used. There are a tremendous number of flavours and aromas depending on the types of apples used, in what proportions of each variety the producers choose to blend and where the fruit is grown in Britain. If you have not tried traditional cider before you will be pleasantly surprised. Perry is made in exactly the same way as cider is from apples, but perry is from pears. Like cider apples, perry pears are grown specifically for perry production. Most traditional ciders and perries are blends of different varieties, but a number of single variety ciders and perries are made. The popularity of real cider and perry is rising as more people discover how deliciously mellow and aromatic the flavours of naturally produced cider can be, and CAMRA campaigns to raise the profile of real cider and perry. Ciders and perries generally have an alcoholic content greater than most beers, normally at least 6% and rising to a maximum of 8.4%. Make the change from drinking cold fizzy bland tasting cider and perry to the real thing and discover what you have been missing all these years. You will be pleasantly surprised.