Transcript
Page 1: Beer Around Ere issue 180

ALSO INSIDE PUB & BREWERY NEWS DIARY DATES JOIN CAMRA

Peterborough & District Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale December 2014 / January 2015

180

PUB AWARDSMerit Award presentations

and Pub Of the Year nominees inside

FOLLOW THE BEARCelebrate this old Fenland

plough custom in Whittlesey this January.

GOTTA HAND IT TO ‘EM

Bram and Sue from the Hand and Heart win Gold Award

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers!

Page 2: Beer Around Ere issue 180

Ten Real Ales from £2.00 a pintLive Sky Sports • Live EntertainmentHappy Hour Monday - Friday 5-7pm

P ETERBOROUGH CAMRA PUB OF THE YEAR 2014 & 2011CAMRA Gold award 2013

The Ploughman Staniland Way, Werrington Centre Tel: 01733 327696

The Dragon Hodgson Centre, Hodgson AvePE4 5EG Tel: 01733 578088

Six Real Ales from £2.50 a pintLive Sky Sports • Live Entertainment

Happy Hour Monday-Thursday 5-7pmCash Quiz every Sunday from 8pm

P ETERBOROUGH CAMRA PUB OF THE YEAR 2014 Runner Up

CAMRA Gold award 2013

Both pubs are in the CAMRA GOOD BEER GUIDE 2015!

Price: £10 per ticket. Pre-purchase only, not available on the door. Please buy from the venue. Ask at the bar for more details.

Page 3: Beer Around Ere issue 180

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk DECEMBER 2014 / JANUARY 2015 |BEER AROUND ERE

Editor: Jane [email protected]

Published by: Peterborough & DistrictBranch of the Campaign for Real Ale.

Produced on behalf of CAMRA by:Orchard House Media Ltd9a South Street, Crowland, PE6 0AHTel: 01733 211933

Magazine Design & Production: Daniel Speed [email protected]

Advertising Sales Manager:Jane [email protected]: 01733 211410

Distribution:David [email protected]

Proof Reading:Bob Melville - 07941 246693

Printed By:Precision Colour Print LtdHaldane, Telford, Shropshire TF7 4QQ

Circulation: 7,000 copies distributed topubs, clubs and members throughout thePeterborough and District CAMRABranch area. A digital version of thismagazine is available to view and download at issuu.com

Main Cover Image: John Moore

Editor’s ramblings |3

A pub is for life not just for Christmas!

Beer Around ‘Ere is publishedby the Peterborough & DistrictBranch of CAMRA Copyright© 2014, The Campaign forReal Ale Ltd.

Views or comments expressed in this publi-cation may not necessarily be those of the Editor or of CAMRA.

The next issue of Beer Around ‘Ere will beavailable on the 29th January. We must have your stories, news and advertisements by 6th January. Pleasesend your stories and other copy to theeditor, Jane Brown.

Greetings! Can’t believe it’snearly that time of year again!The Festive Season! (I like tothink all seasons are festive, butis that just wishful thinking?)At least it’s an excuse, if one isneeded, to meet up withfriends/family in your local or

meet them at theirs. The dark nights can be off-putting, and it’s easy to convince yourself not toventure out, but your local needs you!

I came across an article the other day inNovember’s edition of CAMRA’s What’s Brewing,entitled “Drinking Beer is the Healthy Option”.The article says “drinking beer is good for you andthat’s official. Supping a pint of beer a day helpsyou live longer, cuts the chance of heart attack by athird and it’s not going to make you fat, experts atthe European Beer and Health Symposium inBrussels have found.” They go on to say thatmoderate beer consumption can be part of ahealthy diet and lifestyle. Food for thought! ThinkI’ll go out for a pint even though it is dark anddamp, and mull it over. Merry Christmas and aHappy New Year to you all. Cheers. JB

IN THIS ISSUEWelcome from the editor 3Chairman’s corner 5Coalies in Newark 7Pub of the Year nominees 8–9Pub news 10–13Brewery news 14–17Follow the bear 18–21Disappearing boozers of Stamford 23–25A big hand 26Telford ale trail 29–31Gig guide 33Diary dates 35CAMRA Christmas party 36Top tips 37Contacts 38

Are you missing out?Get Beer Around Ere delivered to your door! For a year (6 issues) send £3.48 for second class or £4.02for 1st Class or multiples thereof for multiple years. Pleasesend a cheque/PO payable to “Peterborough CAMRA” andyour address to:- Daryl Ling, 19 Lidgate Close, PeterboroughPE2 7ZA

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Two Beer Gardens (one V.I.P!)

Childrens Bouncy Castle every Sunday throughout the summer

Refurbished Restaurant

Opening TimesMon - Thurs: 11am-3pm & 5-11pm

Fri - Sun: Open all day

Food Served All day Sunday

Huntingdonshire CAMRA Rural Pub of the Year 2014

BEER AROUND ERE | DECEMBER 2014 / JANUARY 2015 Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

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Chairman’s corner |5

A few with some enterprising skills do ride theperiod by enticing customers through their doors,in various ways, whether it is a charity night asrecently put on at The Heron in Stanground or, awinter ales beer festival. The point I’m trying tomake is for licensees to make a greater effort anddo something to get customers through the doors,rather than just sit and moan about the lack ofdrinkers.

As the year draws to an end we can take stock ofhow many more pubs we have lost this year. Forexample, if you were to go on a pub crawl startingin Woodston/ Fletton heading towards Stan-ground, on leaving The Coalheavers in Park St.the next pub you would come across would be overa mile and a half away, in Stanground. This sceneis repeated in many parts of the city, where youhave to trek well over a mile between pubs. It‘s stillunbelievable that, in many areas of our city, peopledo not have a pub within a ten or fifteen minutewalk from their homes. A situation that was unheardof a few years ago. Our new Pubs Officer JohnTemple has been making a vigorous effort inchecking out many of these past and present pubs.

A survey by Dr Ignazio Cabras of NewcastleBusiness School has come up with several facts thatshow pubs (in particular rural ones), can have ahigh level of complementarity between pubs andsocial events and activities within the community.They are deemed to be more effective inpromoting community events such as sportsmatches, charity events and social clubs than otherplaces such as village halls. Nevertheless the mostpowerful solution for avoiding pub closures wouldstill rely on us as it’s a simple case of use it or loseit, maybe for good.

All our local branch members should havereceived a letter and voting form to cast their votes

for our Pub of The Year (POTY) and to list theirchoices for inclusion in the 2016 Good BeerGuide. As we have seven contenders this year forPOTY we expect a good return of votes and aclose competition. Your nominations for pubs to be considered as GBG entries are also of great importance. Please note the change of address toreturn voting forms and the deadline date. Itwould be advisable to send them in before theXmas post rush, or you may prefer to send themby email. Only present CAMRA members cancast votes and please only list pubs within ourbranch area. We would also like to see as manymembers as possible to our AGM on the 10thDecember at The Brewery Tap. Prior to that andone not to forget, our social night on the 6thDecember at The Ploughman, Werrington.

It just remains for me to wish you all the verybest compliments of the forthcoming season andto look forward to a healthy and happy New Year.

Cheers David Murray

Branch Chairman

Chairman’s Corner

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Award PresentationsOn 19th October a minibus of CAMRA stalwartsvisited Ramsey and Whittlesey to present JollySailor and Letter B with Merit Awards.

Darker nights have descended on us with the inevitable reduction inthe number of people going to the pub. It’s a seasonal thing it seems!In the last few years the weeks leading up to the ‘silly season’,Christmas, have been somewhat slack for the pub trade.

Bruce receiving his award fromDave Murray our branch chairman.

Landlord and Landlady,Paul and Louise Craw-ford with Dave Murray

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Coalheavers’ Gang off to Newark |7

A very small group of us headed off to Newarkrecently. None of us had been before, it`s not toofar away and we had heard good things about it.The only down side to the trip was the cost. Wethought it would be about £15 so didn`t bothergetting advance tickets and we were stung for£20.20 each for a half hour journey. Newark hadbetter be good after paying that amount!! Luckilyit did not disappoint.

Pub number one was The Fox and Crown ownedby Castle Rock. Around 10 beers were availablehere though all were from Castle Rock or Tower.This was not really a problem as we all quite likeCastle Rock beers. We arrived there about 11.30and the place was full, and it’s a fair sized place.There was a coffee morning going on and we wereoffered coffee and cake but we didn`t need any, wehad beer.

Pub number two was the recently opened OrganGrinder, owned by the Blue Monkey Brewery. Thepub is very similar to The Organ Grinder inNottingham. Seven beers were on sale, all fromBlue Monkey, but with beers as good as theirs youdon`t really need any guest beers. They did saythat they would be having guest beers in the future.Very quiet when we were there but I`m sure it getsbusier later. Definitely one to visit. So good westayed for a second pint.

Next pub was another recently opened one andbased on a Monty Python theme. The FlyingCircus only had 3 beers on and one was a Mile-stone. There was a Brewster’s beer and one madeespecially for them and called Norwegian Blue,after the famous dead parrot sketch. The pub isfull of Monty Python things, pictures and quotes,plus an outside mural depicting the “Romans gohome” sketch. Beer was ok, but if you like MontyPython you must go. They actually sell cans ofspam!

On now to The Castle which was pretty good too,with half a dozen beers to choose from, a couple oflocal beers, one from Oldershaw’s and even anOakham beer. This is quite a large pub and wasquite busy while we were there. Worth a visit.

Just over the road from The Flying Circus is thesuperb Just Beer. It does exactly what it says on thelabel, it only sells cask conditioned ale. No lager,no wine, no spirits and no bottles. It`s a very smallplace and I imagine if you timed it wrongly youmay not get in. Luckily for us it was fairly quiet.There were at least eight beers available and I hadonly heard of three of them, but the stout I hadwas superb. In the four years they have been openthey have gone through about 2700 beers, 2400 ofwhich were different beers. Quite impressive Ithink. If you go to Newark, you must visit here.

Final pub of the day was the fantastic lookingPrince Rupert, owned by the Thurlby estate and asister pub to Stamford`s Tobie Norris. There were6 beers on but we spent most of the time justlooking around the little rooms, nooks and cran-nies. A really great looking pub that is bigger onthe inside than it looks. Another must visit. All inall Newark was really worth going to but I willbook my train tickets in advance next time.

Dave Botton

Coalies in NewarkCoalheavers mini trip part one

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Beer range in the Flying Circus, Newark

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VINE INN19 Church Street, Market Deeping. PE6 8AN

Small, two-roomed pub which used to be a Victorian

school house. An old limestone building featuring oak

beams and stone floors. Undercover patio area at rear.

Quiz night and open darts board on alternate Sundays.

Functions for up to 120 are possible. Closed in

November 2010. Reopened as a freehouse April 8th

2011 with five handpumps serving beers that often

include Hopshackle.

Now is the time for all good drinkers to come tothe aid of our classic locals. CAMRA membersit’s your time to vote for Peterborough Pub of theYear. All of the pubs listed below have beenselected because they have promoted real ale,continued to serve beer in excellent condition,expanded their customer base and reached out tothe community.

The winner will be put forward toCambridgeshire Pub of the Year and possiblyChampion of the Eastern Region and NationalPub of the Year. So why not go and see why theyhave been nominated and vote with your throats?

Mike Blakesley

THE CROWN 8 Duck Street, Elton. PE8 6RQ

Listed building on the village green that is pre-

1700. Rebuilt in 1985 after a major fire in stone

with thatched roof. Large comfortable bar with

beamed ceiling and inglenook fireplace. Separate

snug and Orangery restaurant. Four to six real

ales normally available. The house beer, Golden

Crown Ale, is supplied by Tydd Steam Brewery.

BLUE BELL39 High Street, Maxey. PE6 9EEThis 19th century pub was originally a barn withdark wooden beams and flagstone floors. Largebar with beamed ceiling immediately inside thefront door. A smaller room can be found to theleft which is decorated with stuffed animals andbirds and fishing photographs. The nine real alesavailable via hand pump always include a beerfrom Oakham Ales and either Abbeydale Absolu-tion or Fuller’s ESB.

All information from whatpub.com, The Campaign for Real Ale's online pub guide

Peterborough & District CAMRA

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Pub of the Year 2015 nominees |9

JOLLY SAILOR43 Great Whyte, Ramsey. PE26 1HHGrade II listed building that has been a pub for400 years. The three linked rooms have woodenbeams from various stages of time, as the pub wasincreased in size over the years. Pictures andpaintings of old Ramsey adorn the walls. Crib,dominoes and darts played. Five real ales on offer.

LETTER B53-57 Church Street, Whittlesey. PE7 1DE

Two hundred year old local community pub near

town centre with a warm welcome to all visitors. Was

called the Bee for a while; now back to the Letter B.

Said to be named the Letter B because there were so

many pubs in Whittlesey that they ran out of names.

There once was a Letter A and a Letter C. Four

regular real ales are always available.

COALHEAVERS ARMS5 Park Street Woodston, Peterborough. PE2 9BHSmall, friendly one roomed back street gem of a local, datingback to the 1850s. Eight hand pumps serving a mix of MiltonBrewery beers, including a mild, and regularly changingguests. Real cider and a craft British lager also sold. The onlyPeterborough pub to be bombed in WWII and exclusiveBomber’s Drop used to be a regular house beer. The largegarden is popular in summer and is used for the spring andautumn beer festivals.

HAND & HEART12 Highbury Street Peterborough. PE1 3BE

Essentially intact since built in 1938, this back street

community local is one of Britain’s Real Heritage Pubs.

A “drinking” corridor connects the public bar with its Art

Deco fittings and the rear room served by a hatch. The

public bar features a war memorial and real fire. Crib, darts

and dominoes played. Cheese club meets last Thursday of

the month. At least five real ales which always includes one,

often two, house beers from Brewster’s.

Pub of the Year 2015 Nominees

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First the bad news. I, John Temple, am taking overthis column. In so doing, I am acutely aware of theesteemed literati that have preceded me. So don’texpect too much. Now the good news. There are stillsome pubs open inside this branch. So equipped withmy bus pass I shall endeavor to scour the remotestregions and report back to you. Of course it is ahuge area. So please bear with me and don’t hesitateto get in touch if you think you are being left out.

Country mattersAfter nearly twenty years, I thought it was time tocheck out Stilton. This delightful little village stillhas four licensed premises. How does this happen?Is it prosperity or tourism? I was soon to find out.

My first stop was the Stilton Cheese, a listednineteenth century building with a central drinkingarea flanked either side by restaurant facilities.The pub boasts an enticing fresh fish menu with adistinct Portuguese tinge to it: crevettes in garlicand piri piri, Cataplana, Vinho Verde. I wasseverely tempted, but holding steadfastly to myprinciple of never eating on an empty stomach Ithought it wise to drink some beer first. Thechoice here was Adnams Lighthouse and TimTaylor’s Landlord.

Further along the road to the sumptuoussurroundings of the Bell Hotel. Most readerswill be familiar with this food orientated establish-ment and I was pleased to note the four real ales,two of them local: Digfield Fools Nook andBishop’s Farewell. I feel obliged to say, however,that as a dyed-in-the-wool working class lad I felt abit uncomfortable here, if one knows what onemeans.

It was therefore with some trepidation that Iapproached the Stilton Country Club oppositebut I needn’t have worried. To begin with therewas a board at the front gate announcing that non– members were welcome and there was noproblem of getting signed in. The club has a veryfriendly atmosphere with a policy of welcomingnew members. So I joined.

Viewed from the front it is easy to discern thestructure of this magnificent old coaching inn.

I believe it dates back to 1741 and was originallycalled the Angel. The original inn has beenconverted into an Indian restaurant and the bar isnow through the old courtyard and in the rear ofthe premises in what clearly were once the stables.It is a long, brick built building with the originaloak beams. In fact the only thing that appears tohave been structurally altered is the skylighthalfway along the bar. A pool table and dartboard are conveniently tucked away in their ownarea, and there is a full size snooker table further tothe back of the premises. The club also boasts amysterious underground tunnel which was recentlyinvestigated by a local psychic who unfortunatelyfailed to make contact with anyone. Surely sheshould have known this. Licensee Roy Bainesclearly has discovered the right formula, with a realale selection comprising on this occasion BlueMonkey BG Sips, Tydd Steam Stargazer andCastor Stilton United.

I noticed that a sparkler was placed on the plinthsupporting the hand pumps. I asked if it washouse policy to ask for the sparkler to be attachedto the nozzle rather than for it to be removed,which indeed was the case. This was also the prac-tice in the Talbot Inn and the Stilton Cheese. It seems that we have arrived at a new enlightenment.

And finally to the Talbot Inn. This is the oldestpub in the village with records going back to 1530and the second oldest building after the church.Another former a coaching inn, John and JessCurran have been running it for four years. Johntold me that when he took over real ale sales werenonexistent. Now he has three hand pumpsoffering Bombardier, Young’s bitter (his biggestseller) and a guest ale, on this occasion from BeerStudio. All of the beer was in top condition. I wasdelighted to hear that John has noticed anincreasing number of customers in the 18 -25 agegroup turning to real ale so they are obviouslydoing something right. The pub is decidedly bikerfriendly as it also plays host to PeterboroughBranch Triumph Owners Club.

BEER AROUND ERE | DECEMBER 2014 / JANUARY 2015 Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Pub News

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Pub news |11

John ClareThe previous issue of Beer Around ‘Ere carried thenews that George Sakkalli, landlord of theGolden Pheasant has applied for a licence forthe Exeter Arms in Helpston. I am pleased to beable to confirm that this has now been granted andI met George recently to discuss his plans. He isbasing his business plan on that which has been sosuccessful at the Golden Pheasant so the reopeningof the pub will provide a major asset to the village.It has been acquired from Enterprise Inns by theJohn Clare Trust and George will take fullmanagement of the business sharing the revenueswith the Trust. This is a fitting tribute to the greatman as I learned from George that Clare’s bodywas actually laid to rest in the adjoining barnbefore being buried in St Botolph’s church.George plans to turn the barn into a kiddie’s clubfeaturing amongst other things Saturday morningpictures. He also plans to incorporate a library,and there is even more good news for the villagersas he will export the Pheasant’s exquisite cuisine tothe pub using the same chef.

George has taken the astute decision to write a newsletter to local residents to allay their fears. The text isavailable from George@the goldenpheasant.net.The pub will open before Christmas with six handpumps and will also feature some craft beers.

The Decoy at Milking Nook is now open as theDecoy bar & Indian Restaurant, featuring twoOakham ales.

Local newsDespite the For Sale sign outside the Golden Lion(anybody with over £350,000 to spare?) things arecertainly looking up in Stanground. Major invest-ment is going into the Fenman in what is not somuch a refurb as a major overhaul. The cellar hasalready been radically improved and work iscurrently underway to complete a new kitchen andto convert the saloon bar into a restaurant. Theplace is starting to look really classy, and the wholetransformation is taking place whilst the pub staysopen all day every day. I was disappointed thatthere was no real ale, but there are four handpumps intact, and I understand that the newproprietor intends to reintroduce it in the future.

Rob and Meri are continuing their excellentstewardship of the Heron and are “chuffed” atthe way things are going. Plans for the futureinclude a new kitchen, a complete overhaul of thecellar including a dedicated python for real aletemperature control, and a new plinth on the barto tidy up the hand pump array. They willcontinue to concentrate on LocAle beers. OnNovember 1st the pub had a charity music andbeerfest with one off brews being supplied byBexar, Xtreme, Elland, Mile Tree, and Staramongst others, all in aid of Alzheimer’s ResearchUK. Meri did tell me which bands were on but Iseem to have forgotten.

Jamie Brown at the Whittle (formerly theWhittle Way) is making strenuous efforts topromote his real ale policy with a Monday loyaltycard system which offers a free pint for every sixconsumed. He has only been there for fifteenmonths and the pub went through a major refurblast October. He has expanded the real alesavailable from two to four and he tells me that

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk DECEMBER 2014 / JANUARY 2015 |BEER AROUND ERE

F

Up to 4 Real Ales available • Friendly village pub with riverside mooring

• Large garden • Dogs welcome

Food served: Tues to Sun 12 - 2.30pm, Mon to Sat 6pm - 8pm

LIVE MUSIC every Sunday 4pm til 7pm

with a traditional Irish session band. Instrumental and songs. Instruments includefiddle, mandolin, guitar, flute and lots more.

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12 | Pub news - continued

his custom has increased by about 200%, whichseems to me to be about the right equation. Thebeers available on my visit were a Dark Horse beerfrom north of the border, Red Squirrel Red DawnMild, for which I was thankful, Jennings Cumber-land, for which I was equally thankful, and TimTaylor’s Landlord, for which I was truly thankful.Children are welcome in the bar until about 8.30pm.

After a tasteful refurb, the Carpenters Arms isnow under the management of GeorginaSpringthorpe. Born and bred in Stanground,Georgina was previously licensee at the GoldenLion, so she has the perfect pedigree. Which isindeed one of the rotating beers, along withBombardier, JHB, Spitfire and Tim Taylor’sLandlord. The pub boasts four pool teams, twofootball teams, pub games, Tuesday night quiz andlive Sky Sports. I would like to wish her good luckbut I really don’t think she needs it.

Stamford trekWalking through Stamford is like walking throughthe corridors of time. Just to get to the JollyBrewer you have to pass the mound of themedieval castle, now the bus station. Then past the17th century canted bays of St Peter’s Street untilarriving at Rutland Terrace, a Regency development designed to deliver the wealthy fromthe “squalor” of the Sheepmarket. And finally pastthe Bastion, the only remaining section of the orig-inal town wall. A millennium covered in a fiveminute walk. I was amongst the multitude thatflocked to Dean’s autumn beer festival, which againwas highly successful. No news yet on Dean’sproposed brewery, but this is definitely going aheadalbeit in a remote location. Dean has promised toupdate us as soon as he has anything concrete.

Whilst on this visit I picked up the ugly rumourthat the Danish Invader was on the point ofbeing razed to the ground. Now I suspect that thiswas just a typical piece of stereotyping. What elsewould you expect a Danish Invader to do? Butgiven the level of pub closures the only way to findout was to visit the place. Imagine then my joywhen I arrived at a pub that was not only stillstanding but actually busy and full of activity. And

this was two o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon.Imagine then my further elation when landlord,Chris Needham, informed me that not only wasthe rumour completely untrue, but that EnterpriseInns had only just rejected an offer of £1.4 millionfor the site. I found this a very welcoming familyorientated business. Three hand pumps featuringOld Speck, John Smith’s Rough and Doombar. Itwas the best Doombar I had drunk since oneo’clock.

Not so good news on the Punchbowl which wasclosed and clearly faces an uncertain future. Anynews on this pub would be appreciated.

Just as well that the Green Man is just a fewyards away under the enterprising management ofStamford man James Pallash who has turned thepub into a ticker’s paradise. James gets his beerfrom a distributor who deals directly with thebrewers. Beers from Hopcraft, Artisan, Buxton,Anarchy and Scarborough were among theesoteric delights available on my visit.

Getting back to the “squalor” of the Sheep-market I felt it mandatory to visit the newWetherspoons, the Stamford Post. The Post hastwelve hand pumps, each with a small jar in frontof it containing a small quantity of beer. The barstaff told me that this was to indicate to thecustomers the colour of the beer being dispensedfrom each pump. But I wasn’t going to buy that. It is clearly a strategy to deter scoopers byattracting their natural predators.

It is good to see a new pub opening in an areawhere licensed premises are pretty thin on theground. Within a sixty yard radius I counted onlyfive: (Stamford Post, Cosy Club, Golden Fleece,London Inn, Millstone). And little more than astone’s throw away just another four: (Melbourne’s,Crown Hotel, Periwig, St. Mary’s Vaults). How onearth do the denizens of this darkness manage anysocial life?

Fenland updateBeing possessed of only five digits on each hand Iam always reluctant to risk venturing into fenland.

BEER AROUND ERE | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2014-15 Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

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Pub news - continued|13

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But the lure of Whittlesey was too strong, and I amglad that it was because the Black Bull was sellingPedigree and Spitfire at £2.20 a pint. ManagerRose Black also runs the delightful New Crown atthe end of the Causeway where the beer is servedstraight from the cask, and is keeping the Bricklayersopen at least until the Straw Bear Festival.

I noticed that the leasehold for the Ram is upfor offers in early January, a peculiar time for it tochange hands since this will also coincide with theStraw Bear. I regret that my principles do notallow me to comment on this pagan event, but myfriend and colleague Mick Slaughter has agreed toshoulder the burden for me (see page 18).

My next visit to the town was on the occasion ofthe long overdue presentation of a Merit Award toBruce and Denise at the Letter B. Local microbrewer Xtreme was represented amongst the choiceof beers, and I was pleased to observe that theentire contingent of the brewery workforce hadtaken the trouble to attend the event. Checking outthe adjoining pubs, I was sorry to see that the Heroof Aliwal was still closed. I suspect that this pubneeds to discover a niche market in order to survivebetween the Letter B and the Boat Inn where land-lord Phil is maintaining his commitment to offeringreal ale to a high standard. I hope to have morepositive information on the future of Whittleseypubs in the next issue.

There has been some welcome renaming inMarch. The Little London Inn has reverted toits former name the Men of March. And themen of March have prevailed again in Stars wherethe misguided plan to convert the pub into a bistrohas been abandoned and it is now back to its orig-inal name, the Seven Stars, with a policy of beerfirst rather than food first.

I was alarmed on my way into town that the innsign for the Coachmakers was still missing butrelieved to find that the pub had reopened in July.It was offering Green King IPA, Abbot, and St.Austell Tribute at between £2.20 and £2.50 a pintand they are in the process of restoring the sign.

Whilst a debate raged in this bar concerning the

oldest pub in March, I attempted to resolve thematter by visiting the Ship Inn. With recordsgoing back to 1682 and the oak beams allegedlyhaving been recovered from an old galleon, Iassume that this august title is now beyond issue. Thepub has been free of tie for the last four years and it isnow offering up to five real ales and two ciders.

Serious issuesThe George in Ramsey Four Foot is under threatwith the owners seeking planning permission toconvert the pub into flats. This is the only pub in thevillage and is clearly a candidate for an ACV. Myesteemed predecessor, Neil Holmes, carried an articlein the Issue 176 outlining the value of ACVs and Ithink it is worth reinforcing his message. He says:

“Under the Localism Act 2011, people living inEngland can nominate a pub to be listed as anAsset of Community Value. Listing your local asan ACV provides communities with the power topostpone the sale for up to six months, earning valuable time to explore options for saving the pub.”

We know of at least two occasions when we wereinformed too late to stop the change of use. So ifyou think your local is in danger, please let usknow. If we don’t know about it there is nothingwe can do.

John Temple Pubs Officer

Other NewsThe Bluebell in Helpston now has it’s own bitter“10 Woodgate” brewed by Star Brewery in MarketDeeping. Originally known as The Bell Inn, theAncient Order of Foresters (Court Forester’s Star)was founded there in 1841.

Send us your news!Calling all landlords and landladies! Had a refurb?Got a great event on? Started selling a new rangeof ales or cider? Let us know and we will add yournews to these pages. Just email John Temple at [email protected]

Page 14: Beer Around Ere issue 180

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Blue BellEmma is very positive about the future of bottlingat Blue Bell. Bespoke sales to the corporatebottling market for special events and occasions areincreasing and sales to the Co-operative areremaining steady. The only beer being bottled isOld Honesty and this will remain the case for theforeseeable future. Cask sales are static. 

Castor AlesIt has been a delicatebalancing act recently tryingto keep the local outletssupplied whilst supplying

pubs and beer festivals all over the country.Hopping Toad appeared at the Rook and Gaskillin York, up against a range of Yorkshire’s finestales. It then headed down south to Farnborough,and then to the deepest west to Falmouth for the Cornwall (Kernow) Beer Festival.

Beer is the perfect complement to good causesand Castor Ales were very pleased to support theHeron beer festival in aid of Alzheimer’s ResearchUK and Crystal Charity Ball in Spalding in aid ofthe Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.Hopping Toad of course, is forever associatedwith the Kelly Simmonds Fund raising money forthe Respiratory Sleep Study Unit at PapworthHospital. Look out for new brews as winter’s griptightens and the December festivities take hold.Merry Christmas and a happy, peaceful and pros-perous New Year to all. Cheers!

Digfield Ales Digfield Ales weredelighted with their

Bronze award for Chiffchaff at the PeterboroughBeer Festival. The 3.9% amber-gold bitter hasbeen very well received everywhere including theNottingham and Falmouth beer festivals. Digfield’sXmas ale, Merry Monk 4.8% was brewed backin September, leaving time for the dark maltybitter to develop its full character in the cask beforethe season begins. Digfield ales will again be avail-able in polypins during December.

ElgoodsNorth Brink Porter will beavailable for November andwill be followed by Reinbeerfor the festive season.

The recent Elgoods/SIBA competition and beerfestival was well attended and considered a successby the brewery. Elgoods gained success in thecompetition with Apple & Vanilla Wheat,Black Eagle, Golden Newt and Warriorgaining awards in their various classes.

On the pubs front, The Blue Bell, Werringtonwill reopen on 12th December with new landladyHelen Wearby at the helm. Ales on sale will includeCambridge, Golden Newt, a seasonal and LondonPride. Will be open all day and for breakfasts.

Hopshackle Brewery New beer Midas 5.2% is now available and is a

golden, malty, fruity beer with a dry finish.Hopshackle Christmas beer Jingle 5.2% is alsoavailable. A very dark spiced beer which wentextremely well last Christmas. Hopshackle’s newbrewery will be installed the first week in March2015. It is a replica of the existing brewery, tomatch the retained fermenter and to keep the feelof the old brewery and its sense of tradition andhistory.

All the new vessels will be clad in pine with anantique finish. The existing mezzanine floor isbeing retained and the larger mash tun will gravityfeed the copper. It will have a maximum brewingcapacity of 13 barrels (468 gallons) compared tothe existing 4.2 barrels (151.2 gallons) Nigel hasdesigned it so that he can brew anything from fivebarrels up to the maximum of 13. Retaining oneof the existing fermenters will allow ‘one-off ’seasonals and specials like Restoration 9.5% andImperial Stout 9.3%.

The existing brewery kit is to be sold and therewill be no disruption in the supply of beer as stockswill be built up.

Brewery News

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Brewery news continued |15

Kings Cliffe Brewery (KCB)KCB ales are following on fromtheir success at the PeterboroughBeer Festival with regular appear-

ances at pubs in and around Peterborough, plusappearances at Nottingham and St Ives Festivals.Throughout December KCB will be supplying theirtwo regular ales 5C and No 10 at a local near you.

Acting on the customer feedback the KCB PumpClip will be modified with the brewery name in full.OBT has now been discontinued and in its place is66 Degrees a sweet and floral 4.6% ale, usingFuggles, Challenger and East Kent Goldings hops.

Mile Tree BreweryIn late September Mile Treewere very proud to bepresented with SIBA Eastern

Region bronze award for their 1850 Porter 5.3%.Their bottle label now sports a bronze medal!

October saw two brewery tours, the first on 22ndOctober by Ramsey Young Farmers who sampled aselection of bottled beers. Good fun was had by all!

The second on 28th October by PeterboroughConservative Club. There was a good turn out andthe visitors sampled Harvest Ale, Autumn Ale,plus a selection of bottled beers, and a BBQ. A veryenjoyable evening!

In December they will be taking their 'Travellin’Tavern’ or gazebo to the following events, wherecustomers will be able to buy individual/ Christmasgift wrapped bottles of ale.

6th Dec - Sacrewell Farm and Activity Centre7th Dec - March Christmas Market13th Dec - Ferry Meadows Christmas Fayre14th Dec - Sacrewell Farm and Activity Centre15th Dec - Wisbech Christmas Market 20th Dec - Sacrewell Farm and Activity Centre21st Dec - Sacrewell Farm and Activity Centre

Not ones to rest on their laurels they are now lookingto extend their customer supply area further afield.

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Nene Valley BreweryBrewery Liaison Officer, BobMelville made a trip out to thebrewery in mid-October topresent Dick and Paul with the

certificates for Bible Black from the 2014 Peter-borough Beer Festival. They were very pleasedto receive them and that the trip had been made.The certificates now take pride of place in theBrewery Shop.

The first batch of Lone Star, a 3.7%amber/red ale, is now out in pubs and anotherbrew will soon be ready for the Christmas trade.The brew uses Caramalt and there is an orangeflavour from the hops.

Bible Black will no longer be brewed in twostrengths but will only be available at 6.5%. Likethe Double JIP reported previously, BibleBlack and Fenland Farmhouse Saison(7.2%) will be available in the Brewery Shop in330 ml bottles.

At the Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Foodand Drink Awards, Nene Valley were runners-upin the New Local Drink of the Year categorywith Big Bang Theory. The team were disap-pointed not to win but, since the winner was acider, they are, technically, the best new beer inthe category.

This week the brewery are trialling one-waykegging of their beers to ensure the quality whentransported to some of the far-flung parts of theUK. The beers will still be unfiltered when putinto the kegs.

Things are definitely gearing up for the openingof the Tap & Kitchen on November 24th, sohopefully trading will be in full swing by the timeyou read this article.

Oakham AlesOakham Ales won a gold and silvermedal in the recent SIBA East(Society of Independent Brewers)

Beer Competition.  Black Hole Porter won F

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Brewery news continued |17

the top prize in the Porters, Stouts, Old Ales andStrong Milds category and Bishops Farwellpicked up the silver medal in Premium Bitters.These two beers were nominated by sixty-ninejudges and selected from over 150 cask alesentered into the competition.  Black HolePorter will now go through to the SIBA nationalfinals which take place at ‘Beer X’ in Sheffield inMarch 2015. 

Black Hole Porter 5.5% is one of the popularbeers within Oakham Ales aged and vintage range,with big, dark malt flavours and looks almost blackin colour.  It has a sweet, fruity hop taste thatmakes this strong porter easy to drink for itscomparatively high strength.  Bishops Farewell4.6% is available all year round and is a strongpremium beer dominated by elaborate fruity hopnotes with a grainy background and dry finish.

Adrian Posnett, managing director of OakhamAles says: “With so many different cask ales tochoose from, it’s fantastic to win a gold and silvermedal at this highly competitive regional beercompetition. We now have the chance to competeagain, at the national finals next year with ourBlack Hole Porter.” 

The last Oakadamy beer for 2014 will be FortyTwo 4.2%, featuring 42 different hops. See if youcan spot them all!

Finally 2015 will see the expansion of thebrewery and offices, plus changes to theOakademy and vintage beer ranges. Watch thisspace!

Star Brewing CompanyStar’s latest brew is a traditional stoutDark Matter 4.4%. They haverecently been distributing Simcoe

locally, which is one of their “Solus” range ofsingle hop speciality beers. Also planned in thisrange are single hopped beers using Amarillo andMount Hood respectively. Black Hole 4.4%, atraditional stout was a “one off ” special brew forthe recent Knightfest charity beer and musicfestival.

Tydd SteamDr Fox's CunningLinctus 4.4% and GoldenKiwi 4.1% are currently

available. The autumn seasonal is The Leveller4.7%, a dark winter beer. Sales to beer festivals arestrong at the moment with the beers going toBedford, Norwich, Nottingham and Falmouth.Sales of Barn Ale to the local free trade arerobust and the brewery is working at capacity.

Xtreme AlesThe new 2.5 Barrel brewingequipment has been safelytransferred and installedwith test brewing scheduled

for mid to late November. In the meantime thesmall kit is still running at full capacity with Mikeand Neil trying to keep up with the ever-growingdemand.

Nottingham Beer Fest was a great success for thebrewery, all three beers selling out. Beers havebeen on sale locally at The Vine, Coates, whichheld a War Memorial Charity Weekend whichfeatured Plum Mild. They have also sold SquabBeer and will have more on soon. The Letter B atWhittlesey had Evil Pigeon during their MeritAward Presentation, it went so wellit could become a regular! TheDragon in Werrington hadChocolate Plums on attheir annual HalloweenBeer Festival. ThePloughman, Werringtonhad a special beer to cele-brate Tracy McLennan’sBirthday (pictured right).

They were proud to supportthe first ever Knightfest at the Heron in Stanground. Xtreme Ales, with the help of organ-iser Jayne Paul, ran a competition to name thefestival special beer. The winner was PhilippaMillard with MusicAle and this was the first beerto run out at the festival.

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Many of you will no doubt be looking forward towhat is arguably the first beer festival in 2015 -Whittlesey Straw Bear Day on Saturday 10thJanuary where in the town’s pubs you will find over50 different real ales on sale. You will also be ableto sample at least 3 real ales brewed specially forthe Straw Bear Festival – Elgoods Straw Beer;Oakham Straw Bear Ale and Tydd SteamBeartown. If you haven’t discovered the delights ofStraw Bear Day I hope the following will persuadeyou to put the date in your diary.

36th Whittlesea Straw Bear FestivalThe Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival celebrates theold Fenland plough custom of parading strawbears around the town every January and theactivities cover three days. There is also a concerton the evening of Friday 9th January at the IvyLeaf Club, a Barn Dance on Saturday evening atSir Harry Smith Community College, and at thesame venue on Sunday between 12 noon and 2.30is the Burning of the Bear.

Straw Bear SaturdayOn Saturday a procession of at least 250 colourfuldancers and musicians from all over the countryled by Straw Bears – both adult and junior – setsoff at 10.30am from the Manor Leisure Centreand arrives in the Market Place at 10.45am.Between 10.45 and 12 noon the crowds of peoplewho fill the Market Place and Market Street(closed to traffic all morning) are entertained bynearly 40 teams of Morris Dancers, MollyDancers, Sword Dancers (Rapper andLongsword), Appalachian Dancers, Clog Dancersand even a Mummers Play. A programme is avail-able for a donation and gives an approximate timewhen and where different dance teams areperforming. It is available on the day or in pubslike the Letter B in the days beforehand. The

Dance Schedule and more information about theevent can be found on www.strawbear.org.uk.

Between 12 and 12.30 the procession moves fromthe Market Place down High Causeway to the IvyLeaf Club. Between 1.30 and 3pm the processioncan be found in the Church Street / Ramsey Roadarea and dancers perform both inside and outsidepubs like the Boat, Falcon, Hero of Aliwal andLetter B. Between 3 and 3.30 the processionarrives in the Market Place for the ‘Grand Finale’With the relaxation of the order banning theconsumption of alcohol in the street between10am and 5pm on Straw Bear Day drinkers canwalk around the town with a pint in their hands(plastic glasses of course but you can bring yourown solid plastic one such as those issued by YorkBeer Festival; your pewter tankard is also OK).

Where to find Real AlesA number of pubs set up stillages of real alesinside and outside the pub including: -Boat, 2 Ramsey Road – up to 10 real ales fromElgoods and guests outsideFalcon Hotel, London Street – up to 16 realales outsideHero of Aliwal, Church Street – up to 6 realales insideHubs Place, 12 Market Place – up to 10 realales outsideIvy Leaf Club, Gracious Street – up to 8 realales from casks on the bar

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FollowThe Bear

F

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Straw Bear festival - continued |21

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Letter B, 53 Church Street – up to 25 real alespredominately from local micro-breweries and 10ciders/perries insideNew Crown, High Causeway – up to 15 realales inside and outsideQuinn’s Bar, 24 Market Street – up to 6 realales insideRailway Inn, 139 Station Road (near RailwayStation i.e. 15 minutes walk from town centre) – upto 8 real ales outsideStraw Bear pub, 103 Drybread Road - up to12 real ales and 6 ciders/perries

Other pubs in Whittlesey likely to sell Straw Bearbeers and/or extra real ales on Straw Bear Dayinclude: - Black Bull, 18 Market Street; BricklayersArms, Station Road; Childers Club, 1a Station Road;George, 10 Market Place; and Ram, 16 Delph.

Tips for Real Ale Drinkers 1. The George gets very full for most of the day soarrive in Whittlesey early and make this your firstor second visit.2. Beers on stillages can run out by mid afternoonparticularly at Hubs Place and New Crown so visitthem early in the day.3. The Letter B gets very full from 4pm and thedoor may be closed so don’t turn up at 5pm andexpect to get in!

Food in Pubs on Straw Bear DayThe Railway Inn is selling full English breakfastsfrom 7am; The Straw Bear pub is selling buffetbreakfasts from 7.30am to 12 noon, then basketmeals etc. until 7pm; Ivy Leaf Club has bacon rolls etc. from 7.30am; The George sells food from

9am but has a restricted menu (and many tablesare taken away to get more customers in!); TheGrasmere Farm catering trailer will be in the carpark of The Boat all day; Letter B has a HogRoast by Fenland Roaster; other pubs will beselling rolls, snacks, soup etc. The Dog in aDoublet, situated 1½ miles north of the town, is apub that does have a full menu all day.

Whittlesey by Public TransportBUSFrom PeterboroughStagecoach bus 31/33 leaves Queensgate everyhalf hour (05 and 35 mins past the hour) –returning to Peterborough half hourly at 06 and36 from Whittlesey Market Place with the last twobuses at 17.36 and 18.36. Stagecoach Peterbor-ough Day Rider is valid on this route. Judds Bus701 hourly from 9.30 to 17.30 - last buses back toPeterborough at 16.30 and 17.30.

From March: Stagecoach bus 33 every 2 hoursat 09.25, 11.25 & 13.25 with last bus back toMarch at 19.00

From Ramsey: Stagecoach bus 31 every 2 hoursat 09.01, 11.04 and 13.01 with the last bus back toRamsey at 18.30.

TRAIN*From Peterborough: Every 2 hours at 09.50and 11.50 etc, with last trains back to Peterbor-ough at 19.28 and 21.28.

From Ely (& March): Every 2 hours at 08.58(09.17); 10.58 (11.17) etc. with the last trains backto March & Ely at 19.58 and 21.53.*Please note the railway station is 15 to 20 mins walk fromthe Market Place.

Don’t Miss This Unique EventA ‘Must Do’ for real ale drinkers. Aim to get to

Whittlesey by 10.30am to see the whole event anddon’t forget the last buses leave the town at halfpast six!

Mick Slaughter

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Disappearing Boozers of Stamford |23

Often, when I mention in conversation that I livein Stamford, people enthuse “Oh yes, all thosegreat pubs!” Indeed the town has always beenknown for its many watering holes, but sadly thenational rate of closures (up from 16 to 18 a week,I read recently) has affected Stamford just as badlyas anywhere else. In the south-western quarter ofthe town alone we have lost no fewer than ten pubsor clubs in the last couple of decades with a meretwo opening to replace them. Admittedly the twoare the Tobie Norris and Mama Liz;s, both recentwinners of this branch’s Pub Of The Year award(so it’s not, quite, all doom and gloom) but mypoint is that nine community drinking establish-ments (if you don’t count the RAFA club whichmetamorphosed into the Norris) have been lost,probably forever, and from a personal point ofview the saddest thing is that I can rememberdrinking in all of them at one time or another...

The Victoria on Ryhall Road has been a privatehouse since the 1990s. I went in there oneThursday night as the vanguard on a stag night (inthe days when such events were held a mere twodays before the wedding) and asked for seventeenpints of bitter (probably Sam Smith’s Old Brewerygiven that the Vic was a Melbourn's house). Thelandlord gave me a look and asked “Is it a stagnight?” Resisting the temptation to reply “No,they’re all for me but I’m extremely thirsty so canyou start pouring please” I dully said “Yes”.

The O’Brien’s Arms at the top of BrazenoseLane was about ten seconds’ walk from my girl-friend's house in the mid-80s, but apart from onefunction it never got my custom. Even in those far-off days the words Watney Mann meant I keptwalking. The pub is now Stamford School'smedical centre.

The Daniel Lambert (St Leonard’s Street) was athriving boozer in the 90s and early 2000s underformer Met police officer and opera buff Tom

Auchterlonie but sadly his wife Anne’s illnessmeant they had to move on. The pub never recov-ered and is now a beauty salon. In its earlier life asthe Reindeer this was the pub that taught me notto drink Ruddles County at lunchtime. Youngerreaders should be aware that County then was oneof the premier strong ales in the country, uniquelytwice winner of the prestigious InternationalBrewex Award, and not the thin, Suffolk-brewedimitation foisted upon us today.

The General Gordon in Wharf Road, run forwhat seemed like decades by the Jakes familyduring the 60s and 70s, finally fell from grace inthe early 90s. My football team drank in therepost-match and you could never be sure from oneweek to the next just who the licensees would be.Eventually it closed (rumour had it that a singlecellar beam was holding the entire building up)only to reopen briefly in the mid-90s as Fat Boys'Bar. Finally it was demolished and flats now adornthe site.

Cummins (formerly Newage) Social Club, a fewdoors down from the Gordon, closed its doorsearlier this year and is to become an IT hub.Although no real ale was offered in latter years,there were two handpumps in use previously andthe ale was always worth drinking.

Just across the town bridge, the Anchor closed in2001. Much of its trade at one time came fromlorry drivers overnighting on the nearby cattlemarket but when that facility closed the pubsuffered. The landlord and landlady (his domainwas the kitchen while she kept the ale in top-notch condition) moved on, as I recall, to the

DisappearingBoozers of Stamford

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F

The Victoria on Ryhall Road, now a private dwelling

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Disappearing Boozersof Stamford continuedWhite Swan at Harringworth. The classic Anchorbuilding now wears its Pizza Express logo with afaint air of embarrassment.

Round the corner the George Tap is now part ofthe George Business Centre to the rear of theeponymous hotel. I recall it being popular withRAF personnel from Wittering going on leave whowould buy their tickets from the nearby railwaystation before repairing to the Tap for a pint ortwo of Newcastle Exhibition whilst waiting for thetrain. The Morgado family ran the pub beforemoving on to greater things at the Bull and Swanand the Royal Oak, Duddington.

Back across the river, the Dolphin in East Street,which only closed at the end of last year, neverreally recovered in my opinion from the departureof entrepreneurial landlord Mik Maksimovic andhis wife Tina at the end of the 90s. It will almostcertainly become a residential property.

The Half Moon in Star Lane was briefly busy inthe early 90s when Bert and Eileen Murray ran itin tandem with the Bull at Deeping, but it hadbeen a Chinese restaurant for a number of yearsbefore Domino's Pizza took it over last Christmas.In the 1990s I lived in St Paul's Street with theMoon, Dolphin and Lord Burghley all within aminute’s walk from my door. Happy daze.

Also in St Paul’s Street was the RAFA Club, nowthe Tobie Norris as mentioned earlier. A quirk ofthe law, involving an agreement between the ex-forces association, the police and the licensingauthority, meant that as long as a member was onthe premises then the bar could be open. A workcolleague of mine was a member and, well, youcan guess the rest.

Well-known beer writer Pete Brown calls the pub“the primordial cell of British life” and “the back-bone of social history”. Fine, bold words, but howmany vertebrae can a backbone lose before itbuckles completely?

Alun Thomas

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MONDAYS: REAL ALE AND CIDER CLUBTUESDAYS: PIE & PINT NIGHT

WEDNESDAYS: MIDWEEK MADNESSFRIDAYS: BIG COVER BANDSSATURDAYS: ANYTHING GOES

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Thursday 11th Dec - Open Mic Night - Christmas party version

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Party sing-a-long and much moreTuesday 16th Dec- School Choir

Local school Christmas carol concertWednesday 24th Dec

Christmas Eve Free Party, open to all

JANUARYNEW YEAR – NEW DRINKSA new drink on offer every day!

Wednesday 7th JanMidweek Madness Mega Quiz

Saturday 10th Jan 60’s Night of musicand fancy dress

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Including live music from Porky Pigand Children Of The Revolution

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Page 26: Beer Around Ere issue 180

Late September, nights are drawing in and leavesfalling - but there was still a good crowd in the beergarden at the Hand and Heart in Highbury Street,Millfield, Peterborough, when a special presenta-tion was made to the landlords.

The CAMRA Gold Award was handed to PaulBrammer and his wife Susan by two of their nomi-nators, Mrs Sally Hooton and Dr Graham Simms.The presentation was held on the first night of thepub’s autumn beer festival – which, as ever, drewthe crowds to enjoy the bounties of the gardenbeer shed!

On the stage, handing over the coveted award,nominator Sally Hooton said: “Chris and I votedfor The Hand and Heart because it was longoverdue recognition – it has excellent real ale and,as we are former publicans ourselves, we knowhow much effort goes into not just putting thebrown stuff into those glasses, but into making itperfect every time. And it IS perfect every timehere at The Hand, thanks to Bram.

We also voted for it because it is a REAL pub,with REAL people both behind the bar and infront of it – the place is full of characters; Bram isjust the loudest of them! Some of those marvel-lous characters built this beer shed – proving theyare a valuable part of a truly good old-fashionedcommunity. The Hand is also a worthy award-winner because it has such a pleasant garden –thanks to the landlady – which is perfect for eventssuch as this. Good for you, Sue.”

But The Hand is not just a beacon for discerningbeer drinkers, it is also a part of our heritage. Littlehas changed since the 1930s, apart from the nameover the door and the range of ales on offer. Longmay it last!

Please drink a toast to The Hand, to Bram andSue and to their valiant efforts to keep the doors ofthis heritage pub open.

Sally Hooton

A Big Hand for Perfect Beers!26 |The Hand and Heart

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Paul and Sue Brammer (centre) receiving the Gold award for the Hand and Heart.

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Saturday 17th May was another great MickSlaughter Ale Trip. This time we went to Shrop-shire for the Telford Rail Ale Trail, whichincluded, if you wanted, a visit to one of Britain’sBest Real Heritage Pubs, The Bulls Head inWrockwardine Wood, Telford.

Our first port of call on a hot sunny Saturday(for a change) was Codsall Station. The trainpulled in we got off, and the bar was open, whatmore could you ask for? Some took a stroll into thevillage to visit The Bull Hotel, a Marston’s pub,and the Crown which sells two guest beers but asthe sun was out and the beer cold, we stayed put.Holden’s Mild 3.7% drank well and was part ofthe Shropshire CAMRA, Mild in May, for whichyou were given a passport plus a stamp for everypint of beer you bought and at the end of themonth post it in with the chance to win a T-Shirt.Got the passport and the stamps, but not sure ifenough to send in! Other beers available at CodsallStation were, Wood’s Pot of Gold 4.4%, (had oneof those as well, very nice), Peerless Viking Gold4.6% (my friend Ann had that one). Also availablewas Holden’s Bitter 3.9%, Holden’s Special Bitter5.1% and Holden’s Golden Glow 4.4%. All beerswere on hand pumps, well-kept and if only the triphad stayed there I would have tried them all.

Must also add that theladies toilets were soclean, and smelt sosweet, a nice changefrom some that we visit.

With a heavy heart we caught the next trainonwards to Shifnal, where we could visit threepubs and have lunch at The White Hart. Firstport of call was Odfellows Wine Bar (don’t beput off by the name), Market Street, Shifnal, turnleft out of the station and it’s 20 yards along theroad. There I had Best Odley Bitter BOB 3.8%,again a great beer brewed at The Bell & Talbot,Bridgnorth. They have a notice about “BOB” beeras follows: Have you met BOB? Best Odley Bitteris our own real ale, brewed in tiny batches withgreat care and increasing level of competence atour little pub in Bridgnorth, the legendary Bell &Talbot. Weighing in at a quaffable 3.8% it’s on thebar now at just £2.40 a pint so why not give it awhirl. Well worth the money.

Out of the pub and turn right back past thestation where you will come across The WhiteHart, where we had booked to have lunch. Mick,as usual, had phoned the orders through and asgot our beers, the food arrived. There were nocomplaints just empty plates. This is a nice pubwith lots of small rooms, which you have to gothrough to get outside. Perhaps help is needed ifyou have had one over the eight. Another Holden’sMild and another stamp for the passport. The

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TelfordRail Ale Trail

F

White Hart, Shifnal

Codsall Station

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30 | Telford rail ale trail - continued

landlord had a small problem as he had just putthe Mild on and the hand pump dropped to bitsand he had to do running repairs before they couldserve any beer. He managed admirably!

Next visit was into The Plough back towardsthe station, logically thought out to visiton the wayback to the train. Here I found Kelham Island20th Century Boy 4.8%, and the pump clip was apicture of Marc Bolan. For girls of that eraohhhhhh! Also available were Three Tuns Mild3.4% and seven others, that after seeing Marc, Icould not remember, but the pub is well worth avisit as it is a 17th century Grade II listed buildingwith exposed beams and tiled floors. Have to addhere that again the ladies toilet was so clean withpictures by Beryl Cook on the walls. Then a quicksix minute walk back to the station, but it is a long,steep, slow slog to get over the bridge to catch thetrain, please take a little longer than the sixminutes especially after lunch and beer!

Train again onto Oakengates, where you will findthe golden triangle of three Good Beer Guide pubs –Crown Inn, Old Fighting Cocks and StationHotel - also the Duke of York, all within 10yards of one another. I visited The Station Hotel,and had Pictish Brewing Company Summer 4.5%,also available was Bathams Best Bitter 4.3% pluseight others all between 3.8% and 5.2% and cider.They had a sign up of forthcoming beers, which

included Oakham Citra, Inferno and BishopsFarewell and that they would be having a beerfestival with the pub next door, Old FightingCocks. The pub has lots of pictures of trainmemorabilia and a notice to say you cannot smokeE-cigarettes at the bar.

We left here (some of us) via a taxi to go to TheBulls Head at Wrockwardine Wood, a HeritagePub. As we pulled up outside the top of thewindows had been boarded up and there was no-one in the bar. For a moment we thought it wasclosed, but we found the side door open and Kellythe landlady/licensee was very welcoming.

Kelly has been there since 2013 and is trying to getthe front bar up and running after the windowshad bricks thrown through them. This has notdeterred her and the front bar is magnificent withit’s beautiful tiles. This is an old Victorian pub andhad a door at the front to the left that the ladieswould use to enter the pub, where they had theirown small room. Again the tiles around the door

BEER AROUND ERE | DECEMBER 2014 / JANUARY 2015 Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Station Hotel, Oakengates

The Bull’s Head, Wrockwardine Wood

Page 31: Beer Around Ere issue 180

entrance outside and the floor tiles were just stun-ning. Kelly did not have a landline fitted in the pubbut she did pass her number to Mick, so contactcan be made for future visits. I would adviseanyone in the area to go and see this gem. Thebeer we drank was Shropshire Gold, others wereon in the back bar.

Our next stop was the Cock Hotel, Wellington,again a West Midlands Real Heritage Pub and youcan see why. The fixtures and fittings are wellreported in the guide but I was fascinated by apicture on the wall which states that the first recordof a pub on this site is 1820, and that previouslandlords had all died between the age of 50 and52, not a good trade then. In July 1901 you couldstay here and stable your horses for £26-05-00d anight. Now run by Peter Neal and Jane ElizabethHolland Aider since 1999. Another great pub, withlots of character and worth a stop if in the area.

From here we went via a taxi to Pheasant onMarket Street, our taxi driver had no idea where itwas and drove past it ……. but we got there. Thisis an Everards Project William Pub, and onlyopened in May 2014 after refurbishment as theIronbridge Brewery Tap, so is still very new andnice.

Along the road is a Weatherspoon’s, TheWilliam Withering on New Street. I didn’t gettime to visit though some of the group did.

Another train to Wolverhampton, and then wevisited The Posada, again a great little old realheritage pub with a wonderful frontage, I liked thisone – it has a rare set of snob screens on the barback and tiled walls. My last pint of the day wasMarston’s EPA 3.6%, a good pint, and Ann’s wasLancaster Blonde 4.1%. Other beers availablewere Backyard Brewhouse Spring 3.6%, CastleRock Harvest Pale 3.8%, Adnams SouthwoldBitter 3.7% and Punk IPA 5.6% in bottles.

Some of the group went onto the Lynch GateTavern just up the road, a pub created by BlackCountry Ales in former offices, but I chose to stayput and watch the end of the F.A. Cup Final.

The next train was back to Birmingham andthen to Peterborough and a good day was had byall. Thanks again Mick for all your input andknowledge, it was a great day out.

All photos by Mick Slaughter.

Roz Fountain

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk DECEMBER 2014 / JANUARY 2015 |BEER AROUND ERE

Tiled interior and Ceramic exterior of The Posada, Wolverhampton

Telford rail ale trail - continued |31

Page 32: Beer Around Ere issue 180

32 | Please support our advertisers

BEER AROUND ERE | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2014-15 Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

The all day venue – Open for meals and snacks 12pm to 9pm daily

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Page 33: Beer Around Ere issue 180

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk DECEMBER 2014 / JANUARY 2015 |BEER AROUND ERE

Live music in a pub near you |33

DecemberMon 1st Unplugged Charters

Fri 5th Lenny G Conservative Club

Sat 6th Mark Steele Conservative Club

Phoenix Straw Bear, Whittlesey

Overdubs Dragon, Werrington

The High Rollers Charters

Fri 12th Eric Cloud Conservative Club

Rocket Dogs Dragon, Werrington

Children of the Revolution Charters

Sat 13th In The Red Conservative Club

Arc Nation Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

The Guards Dragon, Werrington

Groove Cartel Charters

Fri 19th Hi Definition Conservative Club

Chuck Norris Experience Charters

Children of the RevolutionPrince of Wales Feathers, Castor

Sat 20th The Business Conservative Club

Velocity Straw Bear, Whittlesey

Elvis Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

Hooker Dragon, Werrington

Sun 21st Savoy Jazz Conservative Club

Wed 24th Mike Nelson Conservative Club

Boobonyx Straw Bear, Whittlesey

Sat 27th Dale Andrews Conservative Club

The Guards Straw Bear, Whittlesey

The 707 Dragon, Werrington

Ultimate Unplugged Charters

Wed 31st League of Mentalmen (Ticket Only) Dragon, Werrington

Grounded (Ticket Only) Charters

JanuaryFri 9th One Bloke One Mandolin

Straw Bear, Whittlesey

Sat 10th Pennyless Straw Bear, Whittlesey

Sat 17th James Edmonds Straw Bear, Whittlesey

Sat 31sh Psych-o-bombs Straw Bear, Whittlesey

Gig guide

The Bluebell InnHelpston

Are we the only pub to have two different images on our pub sign?

We’re like to think we’re different for other reasons too – we’re a proper village local

with a really warm welcome to all. We servegreat local cask conditioned ales(always achoice of 4 including “10 Woodgate” which is

specially brewed just for us.)

Serving fresh, seasonal, locally sourced produce,our menu offers something for everyone.

We hope you’ll visit soon.

The Bluebell, Woodgate, Helpston, Peterborough PE6 7ED Tel: 01733 252394

Email: [email protected]

BREAKING NEWS!Promotion for Jessica Loock the General

Manager of the Brewery Tap.Congratulations are in order for BreweryTap Manager Jessica Loock. Jess, a familiarindividual and supporter of real ale in thecity, has been promoted to BusinessPerformance Manager for the Oaka Group.We wish her every success.

Santas needed for Charity event!The Brewery Tap and Charters Bar have joinedforces with Grasshopper Productions to raise fundsfor Sue Ryder’s Thorpe Hall Hospice Appeal. Theyare looking for 200 Santas to join them on their SantaCrawl. The Santa Crawl, taking place on Saturday13th December, will kick off at 3:30pm from theBrewery Tap in Westgate, with promotional offers,live music and fun games along the way, the Santaswill move around the city centre visiting severalvenues before reaching Charters Bar where music willbe provided by Groove Cartel. Tickets are £10 perperson which will see a proportion going directly tothe Sue Ryder Hospice Appeal. Each attendee willbe provided with a Santa Costume. Ring 01733315766 for more details.

Page 34: Beer Around Ere issue 180
Page 35: Beer Around Ere issue 180

Events and beer festivals |35

Diary datesDecemberSaturday 6thCAMRA Christmas Party, ThePloughman, Werrington, PE4 6NA.

Wednesday 10th at 8.30pmPeterborough Branch AGM,Brewery Tap, Peterborough, PE12AA. All members welcome,please bring membership card.

Saturday 13thChristmas in the City Crawl.We will be holding our tradi-tional pub crawl of Peterboroughpubs starting at The Ploughman,Werrington, PE4 6NA at 10amfor breakfast. If you requirebreakfast at £5.50, pleasecontact Social Secretary JohnHunt. We will then follow the No

1 bus route into town, taking invarious hostelries en route.

JanuaryMonday 12th at 8.30pmBranch Committee Meeting,The Solstice, Northminster,Peterborough, PE1 1YN. Allmembers welcome, please bringmembership card.

CAMRA meetings and socials

Beer FestivalsDecemberTues 2nd -Sat 6th. 31st Pigs Ear Beer and CiderFestival, Round Chapel, 1dGlenarm Road Hackney E50PU. 400+ beers. MagnificentEnglish Heritage restored venuewith seated gallery area.

Wed 3rd – Sat 6th 13th Harwich and DovercourtBay Winter Ale Festival,Kingsway Hall, Dovercourt.50+ real ales, emphasis on darkand seasonal brews as well ascider, draught and bottled conti-nental beers.

JanuaryWed 21st - Sat 24th Manchester Beer & CiderFestival. With over 500 beers,ciders and perries on offer. Formore info please visit: manchesterbeerfestival.org.uk.

CAMRA and other beer festivals in the coming months

The Jolly Sailor, 43 Great Whyte,

Ramsey PE26 1HH

Tel 01487 813388

OPEN ALL DAY EVERY DAY FROM 11amFive Real Ales on permanently

FOOD SERVED DAILY Monday to Friday: 12 to 2.30, 6 to 9pm

Saturday: 12 to 9pm Sunday: 12 to 4pm

Menus available for Christmas parties and

Christmas Day Booking now being taken!

Sunday 7th December 8pmKaraoke

FESTIVE MENU’S

Page 36: Beer Around Ere issue 180

36 | Come to our Christmas party!

TheTraditional Free House

High Street, Maxey, Peterborough PE6 9EE Tel: 01778 348182

Club & special event buffets on requestReal fires in winter, always a friendly welcome!

• CAMRA Gold Award Winners 2005 • CAMRA Pub of the Year 2006 • Cambs Pub of the Year 2007 •

Blue Bell at Maxey

Now with NINE Real Ales includingFullers ESB and London Pride, at least one Oakham Ale

and SIX ever-changing quality guest ales

MERRY XMAS TO ALL OUR CUSTOMERS!

CAMRAChristmas PartySaturday 6th December 2014 at The Ploughman,Werrington. Tickets are £5 per person. The Nuggetswill be performing in the adjoining lounge bar,playing a selection of 60's hits from the Kinks to Jimi Hendrix. The legendary Christmas Buffet willonce again be available and as always a good selectionof ales. This event is for CAMRA Members ONLYTo apply for tickets, send your membership no. and aSAE DL size please with a cheque (made out to‘Peterborough CAMRA’), to 205 High Street, OldFletton, Peterborough. PE2 8DY. We are hoping toprovide a low-cost minibus or coach for those on thesouth side of the Nene or in that direction.

Missing the Party? Not a CAMRAMember?Why not consider membership of CAMRA (TheCampaign For Real Ale). The Peterborough &District Branch is one of the largest in CAMRAwith over 2,500 members. We are also a very active inour Campaign to support Local Pubs, Breweries andCampaigning for drinker’s rights. We also have a veryactive social calendar and the Peterborough Beer

Festival is our crowning glory each August on theEmbankment.

How much does it cost? Membership of CAMRA is £15.50 (direct debit) forunder 26 and over 60, £23 (direct debit) for FullSingle and £28 (direct debit) for Full Joint Member-ship. For non-direct debit payments add £2. Rates increase from January 2015.

What are the Benefits?Well, in Peterborough & District, attendance at theexcellent Christmas Party for starters. We also havethe social events throughout the year. There are alsofree/reduced entrance to not only the Peterboroughbeer festival but all CAMRA Beer festivals. You wantmore! How about £20 worth of JD Wetherspoon'svouchers, plus further discounts. What are youwaiting for? Visit www.camra.org.uk. Happy NewYear and I look forward to meeting you in 2015.Cheers

Mike BlakesleyPress Officer

Page 37: Beer Around Ere issue 180

The last weekend in September produced awonderful beer and music festival at the historicHand & Heart in Highbury Street. The eventcommenced on the Thursday evening with thepresentation of a CAMRA Gold Award for theconsistent good quality of beer served.

Being the branch LocAle rep, I was more thandelighted to find over 20 locally brewed cask alesof absolutely stunning quality. I visited the eventtwice, once on the Thursday evening and again onthe Sunday afternoon, and I can honestly say thatI didn’t taste one beer that I disliked. The LocAleCampaign is obviously gathering pace as more andmore breweries are springing up in our area.Which in turn leads to more and more outletsstocking a LocAle. This is all wonderful news toreal ale lovers and CAMRA supporters alike.Having so many local ales at one independentfestival is, I believe, a first in our area, and can onlybe good for us all and the local economy. Licenseeand Landlord Bram did a commendable job gath-

ering over 20 under one roof and serving them allin such good condition. I just wish it could be amore regular occurrence but unfortunately it onlyhappens twice yearly at present. The highlight forme was, Castor Ales Afterburner, a light hoppybeer with the addition of Scotch Bonnet chillipeppers. There was also an excellent showing fromXtreme Brewery of Turves, one of their 3 offer-ings a delicious Plum Mild at 4.5%. All of the 3sold out Xtremely fast, pardon the pun. The onlydownside is the “Hand” doesn’t always get thesupport it deserves, those ale-lovers who cannotventure north of the river without an oxygen maskare truly missing out on some of the best kept beerin the area. Which leads us on to the first and fore-most campaign, “Use it or lose it!”

The landlord may be like Marmite, but the beeris great. 10/10 for effort and attention to detail.

Dave McLennanLocAle Officer

Top Tips |37

Put a new angle onscooping.Fed up with short measures? Why not useyour pooper scooper? You will find that thissophisticated instrument is perfectly cali-brated for the twenty ounce glass. Simplywrap the open claws of the scooper aroundthe glass and you will instantly see if youhave the right quantity of beer.

Recent models even have a beveled edge toaccommodate the government’s unholy insis-tence that a pint is now only 19.5 fluidounces. Enjoy the look of confusion andanxiety on the faces of the bar staff as youstart making notes. A word of warning. Ifyou happen to have a dog, keep a sparescooper in your pocket to avoid unnecessaryincrustation. Ossie Ander

TOP TIPS Pooper Scooper

Do any other

readers have any

useful hints for

enhancing the

drinking

experience?

Over 20 LocAles at Local Beer and Music Fest

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk DECEMBER / JANUARY 2014-15 |BEER AROUND ERE

Page 38: Beer Around Ere issue 180

38 | CAMRA Contacts

Branch CommitteeSecretary: Dickie Bird4 Cissbury Ring,WerringtonPeterborough, PE4 6QH01733 574226 (tel & fax)07731 993896 [email protected]

Chairman: David Murray01733 [email protected]

Treasurer: Paul Beecham01733 31198107710 [email protected]

Vice Chair: Matthew Mace07809 [email protected]

Social Sec: John Hunt07923 [email protected]

Pubs Officer: John Temple07905 051 [email protected]

Press Officer: Mike Blakesley01733 390828 (h) 07747 617527 (m)[email protected]

Young Members: Kara [email protected]

Membership: Bob Melville07941 [email protected]

Festival Org: Mike Lane07850 [email protected]

LocAle Officer: Dave McLennan01733 346059 (h) 07854 642773 (m)[email protected]

Webmaster: Harry [email protected]

Brewery Liaison OfficersBlue Bell: John Hunt07923 489917

Bexar County Brewery & Mile Tree Brewery:Steve Williams07756 066503

Castor Ales: Mike Lane07850 334203

Digfield: Dave Waller07821 912605

Elgoods: John Hunt07923 489917

Hopshackle: Noel Ryland07944 869656

Kings Cliffe Brewery:Mike Blakesley07747 617527

Melbourn:Vacant

Nene Valley: Bob Melville07941 246693

Oakham Ales: Dave Allett07966 344417

Tydd Steam: John Hunt07923 489917

Star Brewing Company: Dave McLennan 07854 642773.

Xtreme Ales: Matt Mace07809 629241

Trading Standards08545 040506www.consumerdirect.gov.ukCheck out our website at:www.real-ale.org.uk

Pub Merit Awards & Gold AwardsDoes your local pub have excellent beer, friendly staff, a great atmosphere/ community spirit, or havethey introduced additional hand pumps? If so nominate them for Gold or Merit Award. The newMerit Award is for pubs that are continuously outstanding, so if you know of a deserving pub withinthe branch area, please complete the form below indicating Gold or Merit Award and post to thesecretary or email nominations to [email protected]. Pub name:

Pub address/town/village:

Reason for award:

Your name:

Your phone number or e-mail address:

Your membership number:

BEER AROUND ERE | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2014-15 Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Page 39: Beer Around Ere issue 180
Page 40: Beer Around Ere issue 180

A great welcome awaits you at The Farmers, Yaxley. We are famous for our fresh vegetables and great carverymeats, succulent and served with all the trimmings, then finished off with a tantalising hot or cold dessert!

Check out our lunch-time grill menus and our ever-changing specials boards. Put it all together with three fine cask ales and you have the perfect place to enjoy dinner with friends or a family celebration. We have a self-contained function suite which is ideal for parties, weddings and all of life’s celebrations.

So if you’ve not been before give us a try and you’ll bepleasantly surprised.

More than just a Carvery!

At Least Three

Real Ales!

Open Every Day10am - 5.30pm All Day Menu & Coffee

Midday - 2:30pm Carvery & Specials Menu5:30pm - LATE Carvery & Grill MenuSunday Open From 12 Noon - 9pm

All Day Carvery

Big

Breakfast

every Sat 8 to 11am

Help yourself from the carvery,

as much as you can eat for

only £5.95!

200 Broadway, Yaxley Tel: 01733 244885Email: [email protected] www.thefarmersyaxley.co.uk

Planning a wedding or special family event? We have lots of packages available including our new

Green Room facility. Please call for further details.


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