Beer around Ere issue 187

ALSO INSIDE PUB & BREWERY NEWS DIARY DATES JOIN CAMRA

Peterborough & District Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale April / May 2016

188

NO DILLY-DALLYING INNEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYMEA quest up north for beer

and oatcakes

LOCALE PUB OF THE YEAR

Palmerston Arms receivescoveted John Rice award

LETTER B WINS AGAIN!

Cider pub of the year goes to the Letter B Whittlesey

Dyed in the woolwinners! Woolpack triumphs with Pub of the Year 2016

see page 13 for more info.

The Simmonds Family present:

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Staniland Way, Werrington Centre PE4 6NA

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Live Satellite Sports • Live EntertainmentHappy Hour Monday - Friday 5-7pm

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Queens ArmsThe

31 Station Hill, Brixham TQ5 8BNTel: 01803 852074

6 hand pumps and a regular £2 specialWeekly Live Music and EventsFacebook: The-Queens-Arms

South Devon

CAMRA

Pub of the

Year 2014

South Devon

CAMRA

Pub of the

Year 2016

Peterborough

& District CAMRA

Pub of the

Year 2011

Peterborough

& District CAMRA

Gold Award

Winner 2013

Peterborough

& District CAMRA

Pub of the

Year 2014

Editor: Jane [email protected]

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

Produced on behalf of CAMRA by:Orchard House Media LtdEventus Business Centre, Sunderland Rd,Market Deeping. Tel: 01778 382758

Magazine Design & Production: Daniel Speed [email protected]

Advertising Sales Manager:Jane MichelsonTel: 01778 382718

Distribution:David [email protected] Reading:Bob Melville - 07941 246693Printed By:Precision Colour Print LtdHaldane, Telford, Shropshire TF7 4QQCirculation: 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

Editor’s ramblings |3

Beer Around ‘Ere is published by the

Peterborough & District Branch of

CAMRA Copyright © 2016, The

Campaign for Real Ale Ltd.

Views or comments expressed in

this publication may not necessarily

be those of the Editor or of CAMRA.

The next issue of Beer Around ‘Ere will be available

on the 26th May.

We must have your stories, news and

advertisements by 3rd May

Please send your stories and other copy to the

editor, Jane Brown.

By the time you read thisEaster may have been andgone. I hope you had a goodone and included at least onevisit to your local!

There are many really goodpubs in our Branch area and

one way to bring these into the limelight andencourage others to visit them is to recommendthem for an award see page 28. We are all tookeen to moan and criticise but not so keen to givepraise! So, please do recommend deserving pubs,it shows that they are appreciated and areproviding “what customers want”.

An email from a reader regarding a situation hehad experienced about a manager in his local,which has in fact since closed, reminded me of my‘ramblings’ in an earlier edition. In this I had saidthat bar staff can make or break a pub and so canlicensees/managers. CAMRA urges people to useit or lose it but it’s not always that clear cut. Thereare instances where, if you do not feel welcome orthe standard of service is below par, there is no wayyou are going to spend your hard-earned cash justto keep that pub open. It has to work for both sidesof the bar!

What is your view on the half pint of beer/cidercosting more than half (in some cases a lot more!)as much as a pint? Have you experienced this? As with all situations there are two sides to eachstory. Would welcome your thoughts.

I would like to compile a list of pubs for publica-tion in BAE that offer reduced prices on beer/ciderfor CAMRA members on production of theirmembership cards. I realise that some are ‘one offoffers’ but what I am looking for are establishmentsthat permanently have offers. Please, landlords,landladies, managers, customers, let me havedetails. We all know about Wetherspoon’s vouchersbut I’m sure there are many more and they mayencourage more people into your pub!

Don’t forget May is CAMRA Cider & Perrymonth! Last but by no means least a big “thankyou” to all contributors to this and previous issues,without you there would be no magazine! Alsothank you to Jim Martin for the cartoon on page17, it made me smile! Articles/ideas for articles arealways very welcome.

Cheers!JB

IN THIS ISSUEWelcome from the editor 3Chairman’s corner 5Pub news 7–11Presentations 13Brewery news 14–16Where’s all the Craic? 17Werrington social 19No Dilly-dallying 20–23Diary dates 24Discover real cider and perry 24Not a bridge too far 27Recommendation 28A good time for charity 29Branch contacts 30Join CAMRA 31

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk APRIL / MAY 2016 |BEER AROUND ERE

BEER AROUND ERE | APRIL / MAY 2016 Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

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Chairman’s corner |5

If there is a cut then it can only further strengthenthe argument that any reduction is a benefit toCAMRA’s cause to save pubs from closure. The lastthree years in which a cut has been made has surelybeen a much needed boost to the pub industry,after suffering continuous increases in beer pricesalongside several other increases in their costs.

One of these costs that has caused an outcryfrom licensees is the introduction of a new chargeto pubs, clubs and restaurants serving alcohol pastmidnight. I’m not just talking about city centrepubs but also community pubs, which open lateron the odd occasion or at weekends only. Althoughthe rules were introduced by the last governmentin 2011, the legislation also gives councils discre-tionary powers to charge more for late nightlicences to pay for additional policing. The attitudeof many pub owners is, rather than pay these extracharges, they would simply close earlier. If that wasthe case then all the reforms in pub opening hoursthat have taken place over the last twenty or thirtyyears would be wasted.

As I write this it has been announced by theWeatherspoon pub company that they have plansto stop serving Sunday roast dinners after Mother’sDay. Having on several occasions been to one oftheir pubs and enjoyed a quite adequate Sundayroast along with a decent pint of real ale includedin the price, I must be one of many of theircustomers who are sorry to see this happen.Knowing that the Sunday lunch trade is a majorpart of any pub’s weekend footfall it does seem abit strange that ‘Spoons’ have taken this step.Maybe there will be somone who will persuadeChairman Tim Martin to reverse this decision.

Although the forthcoming referendum as towhether we are to remain in or opt out of the EUis the main topic at the moment I’m not enteringinto any debate at this time. Reason? Simple, wewill be bombarded with a load of facts, figures,scaremongering and even barefaced lies by thepolitical elite that, by the time the voting comes,many will be sick and tired of it all, even though itmay well be one of the most important decisionsthat we make in our lives.

One of our longest serving local licensees is BertMurray (same surname, no relation!) of the Bull inMarket Deeping, I cannot claim to have servedsuch a distinguished career as Bert, first as a topclass professional footballer with Chelsea andPeterborough United amongst his clubs, then aslicensee at the White Horse in Market Deepingbefore moving round the corner to the Bull. As atoken of our admiration for Bert and his wifeElaine we are holding our April Branch meeting inthe pub. We also hope to replace the commemora-tive plaque on the wall of the pub which recordsthe formation of the Peterborough & DistrictBranch of CAMRA, in 1975. I would like to see asmany members as possible at this meeting, espe-cially those from the Deepings area. Bert andElaine retire from the pub on the 24th April, butwe are holding our meeting on Tuesday 5th April.

Finally we are on the lookout for a member to stepup and fill the vacant post of LocAle Pubs Officer.Due to relocating ‘oop north’ to Barnsley, ourpresent LocAle Officer Dave Mclennan has to stepdown. We thank Dave for his enthusiasm and dedi-cation during his time in this role. We wish him allthe best for the future. That’s it for now folks.

David MurrayBranch Chairman

Chairman’s Corner


By the time you are reading this we shall know whether our latest plea to ChancellorGeorge Osborne, for a fourth cut in beer duty, has been successful.



Pub news |7

In my report to the Branch AGM in December Irecorded that twelve pubs had closed during thepreceding year. Of these, three will certainly notreopen, one of them having been razed to theground, whilst there is every possibility that someof the remainder will. In fact during the sameperiod nine pubs reopened, some of them, albeit,having been closed for just a short period. In addi-tion, three totally new pubs opened up. So it looksas though we are just about drawing even. Ofcourse, this situation is changing by the day, but itdoes seem to run counter to the perceived nationaltrend. Either the perception is no longer thereality, as many flat- earthers have come to accept,or the trend has bottomed out. If the latter is true,I suspect it is in no little respect due to theincreasing awareness of the ACV process. Notonly does this impose restrictions on change ofuse; it also raises the profile of pubs to make thema more desirable investment.

ACV ChampionsA few months ago, a man by the name of AlexBrown contacted me regarding the Red Lion inGedney Hill which has been closed for some time.He was enquiring about the ACV process and Ioffered what advice was currently at our disposal.Alex helped form a group who got as far as settingup a charitable company and extended the mora-torium period for the pub. He has recently writtento advise me that:“after an inspection we had to concede that due tothe level of dereliction of the property our groupwould not be able to raise the level of funds topurchase the pub and do essential initial repairs.”He goes on to say that“Fortunately it looks as though a local businessman is negotiating to buy the site and keep it as apub with an enabling development”. I suspect thatraising the ACV brought the pub to public noticeand occasioned the commercial interest that mightresurrect it. Through his experience Alex says hehas become something of an expert in ACVs andis offering his support to anybody who requests it.I have inserted Alex’s contact details below.*

Simon Brand has advised me that an ACV hasfinally been accepted on the Straw Bear inWhittlesey. Let’s hope it reopens soon. I havealso heard that a petition has been raised to savethe Angel in Ramsey. Despite the cynicism andrecalcitrance that surround this process, it looks asthough the strenuous efforts of branch membersare finally bearing fruit.

On the other hand, the Northfields in the northof the city has been closed and boarded up forsome time. It has been acquired by an Asianinterest and is destined to be converted into a shopand flats. Nothing is due to happen for two years,so there probably is a covenant on it. Of the sixbidders, only one of them was interested inretaining it as a pub, so I suspect that raising anACV would be a waste of time. I have heard thatDarren, the previous licensee of the Northfields, isdue to reopen the Blue Bell in Dogsthorpe, butthis has yet to be confirmed.

Off the beaten trackIn this case, a railway track. Availing myself of theoffer of a lift, I thought it a good opportunity toreach some of the pubs inaccessible by publictransport. And so along the A1175 and across therailway crossing to the Whistle Stop, aptlynamed as the pub that originally served Tallingtonrailway station. This is a very traditional pub witha large horseshoe-shaped bar surrounded byrailway memorabilia. It is very well furnished withtables supported by ornamental cast iron bases andpedestals bearing the celebrated name ofThornton and Ardy, clearly of Victorian origin.These were quite popular in the London pubs ofmy youth, ensuring that any inebriate lurching inthe direction of a table packed with drinks wouldhave very little impact upon it. The pub has anextensive, moderately priced menu and servesLondon Pride and Bombardier, along with guestsin the summer.

Just along the road is Ye Olde Bertie Arms inUffington. Dating back to 1691, this is one of theoldest and most attractive hostelries in the


Pub News

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8 | Pub news - continued

branch. I had heard so much about it and waslooking forward to the visit thinking Saturdayafternoon to be the perfect opportunity. Itswebsite encourages us to “drop by Ye Olde BertieArms and remind yourselves how good it feels toenjoy a pint of local real ale in a true Englishcountry pub? Landlord Peter Birch and his teamlook forward to giving you a warm welcome...”Unfortunately, the door was locked.

Whilst in the area we thought we would take theopportunity to check out the Blue Bell just overthe border in the Rutland branch. This little gemnestles deep in the village of Belmesthorpe. It is abeautiful old stone-built pub with flagstones andtwo imposing stone fireplaces. Six real ales areavailable including an outstanding pint of BishopsFarewell.

Back across the railway crossing is the village ofGreatford. The Hare and Hounds is a lively,rambling village pub on two levels, so mind yourhead as you approach the bar. On our visit theyfeatured Springhead Roaring Meg, JHB, AdnamsBroadside, Nobby’s Plum Porter, GrainstoreCooking and Bass. A pot of tea was thoughtfullyprovided for the driver. A blazing fire warming thedelightful small rooms welcomed us into the FiveHorseshoes in Barholm. On Saturday after-noon it was packed with locals and landladyEmma told us that they also attract the cyclists andwalkers who descend upon the fens. It has a largebeer garden and a dedicated pool room. Emmaand Matthew have been there for four years andwere offering JHB, Bishops Farewell, Newby WykeWhite Squall, Adnams Southwold, andHopshackle Historic Porter. Another feature ofthe pub is home-baked pizzas cooked in a pizzaoven on the premises.

Regular readers will be aware that I amconstantly at pains to describe routes to pubs bypublic transport or public footpath, but sometimesthe only way is by car. So don’t forget, if you drinkand drive, don’t breathe.

Stamford updateConflicting reports surround the Periwig. I have

heard that Knead Group intends to absorb it intothe Crown next door. How they intend to do this Iam not sure, but I have since heard that thesignage has been removed and is now advertisingPatens Wine Merchants instead. It would be agreat pity to see this ancient hostelry disappear.

The William Cecil, formerly Lady Ann’s’, at thetop of St. Martins has been refurbished and thebar is now open to the public, so technically it is apub. I took the opportunity to visit this sumptuous,up-market establishment at the end of January andfound a very warm welcome from Tom, the frontof house manager. Built from the ubiquitousStamford stone it is a very attractive venue popularwith locals for coffee and food. It boasts a reason-ably priced set menu for lunch times and a moreelaborate a la carte available from 6.00pm. I hadpreviously been informed that the Olympic bar isdecorated with pictures of Lord Burleigh. Imaginethen my relief and delight when I discovered thatthis was not Elizabeth’s enforcer but was, in fact,the fifth Marquess of Exeter hurdling his way toOlympic gold in 1928, hence the name of the bar.Grainstore Rutland Bitter was the house beer –Stamford prices but in excellent condition.Back into town and the Green Man has nowbeen taken over by George Sakkali. No news ofthe new manager as yet but we must hope thatthey will continue their tradition of two annualbeer festivals.

Further updatesMike Lane has notified me that the Decoy inMilking Nook is closed again and on the marketfor £450,000 with a grant from the councilallowing change of use. Anybody interested inaborting this ridiculous idea……?Meanwhile, over in Langtoft the Waggon andHorses has had a chequered past and an uncer-tain future, partly through indifferent management.I visited it recently and had a warm and friendlywelcome from new proprietors Deborah andRichard. They have been in the pub trade for along time having run several pubs before. Richardhas been a chef for 21 years having worked previ-ously at the Spinning Wheel in Baston. The pubwas well frequented on a Wednesday afternoon


Pub news - continued |9

and it looks as though they are determined tomake it work. It should come as no surprise to usthat the hospitality industry is best served by hospi-tality. Colin Payne, Amanda’s business partner atthe Peacock in Woodston, has taken over theDuck and Drake in Yaxley. Given Colin’sdedication, I am sure we shall start to see an inter-esting choice of beers in the pub and I am lookingforward to visiting. Sadly, the Simmonds brothersare leaving the Dragon in Werrington, but theyhope to go into another free trade venture and Iam sure they will update us on this in the future.

“Return to the dreary fen......Upon whose dreary edge” four villages lie insplendid isolation in the northernmost reaches ofthe branch. Straddling two counties, with half ofthe bar in each, is the Tydd Gote Inn in TyddGote. Hopefully it is also straddling two land-lords, but the news is not good. I was told by alocal that it has been closed for a month and isdestined to become an Indian restaurant. TheFive Bells in Tydd St. Mary is a spacious, L-shaped pub with exposed brick facing on theopen fires, a restaurant to the side and a dedicatedpool room to the rear. Serving a Tydd Steam beerin regular rotation with Old Speckled Hen, it is thelocal of Tydd Steam brewer Will Nevison, whobrews just along the road. Expect no higher praise.

The clatter of dominoes and a warm welcomefrom landlord, Tim Ryan, awaited us in the Hatand Feathers in Sutton St. James. This is abusy, friendly typical Fenland village pub servingBatemans XB in excellent condition. Despite thelively atmosphere on a Sunday afternoon, Timtold us that he doesn’t open Mondays and Tues-days through lack of trade. If you are in the areayou might want to make a visit on a Wednesday ora Sunday between 6.30and 8.00 p.m. where youwill get a steak and all the trimmings for £6.95!

Further along the road to Tydd St. Giles and theCrown and Mitre offered us Fullers ESB, StAustell Tribute and a beer called Martin Carter’sCaptain’s Cask. Landlord Mick told me it is a beerbrewed specially for the pub by Marston’s in recog-nition of one of his customers. It is a fruity 3.6%

bitter, possibly a standard beer rebadged, but it ismy guess that it is dry-hopped. Asking who thiscustomer was and why he has been celebrated,Mick told me that he had been using the pub for72 years and that he was sitting alongside me. So Ihad the good fortune to speak to Martin who toldme that he had captained the pub teams in foot-ball, cricket, dominoes, and darts (for which healso represented England) and the wall bore acertificate declaring that he is a qualified IrishWhisky Taster. In response to my impertinentenquiry regarding his actual age, he told me thathe was 88. It was a great relief for me to discoverthat I was not the only juvenile delinquent whohad been served in pubs since I was 16 years old.Perhaps in deepest Fenland we had found thesecret of longevity.

Micro landlord reaches new heightsThe general trend towards accommodating thechange in public taste is becoming increasinglyevident in the growth of micro pubs. Tom Beran,landlord of the Coalheavers Arms in Wood-ston is planning to open the first micro pub inPeterborough. The Bimble Inn will occupy theold pharmacy in Westgate and, having justreceived planning permission, he hopes to be openby Easter. The interior will be completely rippedout to make way for a cold room, and the exteriorshop front will be redesigned in the industrialrustic look in slate blue-grey. Tom and Michelleintend to run the pub themselves along with theCoalheavers. Tom told me his target audience is“beer lovers who enjoy pubs and feel that the towncentre will benefit from a pub with a new perspec-tive which will enrich the drinking experience forthe city drinker”. The product range will includefive real ales, cider, craft keg, new wave brewerybottles and cans, and British table wine. I askedMichelle why it is being called the Bimble Inn.“Well, of course, it is because the family is alwaysbimbling”. Why didn’t I guess that? I am surethat this venture will attract a more varied customto the city centre and provide a spin off for otherpopular real ale venues.

The growth of this part of the market hasattracted much publicity recently and it looks


F



Pub news - continued |11

as though we are starting to get our share of theaction. Page & Saldana Hospitality have applied fora licence for 8b Church Street in the city centre andI understand that John Lawrence (formerly of theCrown) and Steve Williams (formerly Pubs Officer)plan to open a bar in the north of the city. Theyhave identified this as a significantly unexploited areaand I have absolutely no doubt that this venture willbe welcomed by a pub impoverished public.

Cultural change has rightly been cited as areason for pub closures but it sometimes appears tome that this is a statement of the bleedin’ obvious.Cultural change brought pubs into existence in thefirst place and has accounted for their changesover the centuries. Readers interested in investi-gating this phenomenon might like to consult PeterHaydon’s book: The English Pub: A History.However, this was published in 1994 and I, forone, think that it is important that we continue theanalysis.

Having served my pub apprenticeship inLondon, when “the guvnor” frequently rejoiced inbeing Hitler’s grandchild- in fact some of themmade a positive virtue of it- I can see where thisargument is coming from. Not that I am criti-cizing this sophisticated brand of customer care.For us youngsters it set the boundaries and instilledin us a standard of acceptable bar behaviour thathas served us well over the years. Survey aftersurvey, however, reveal that good service is higheston the list of priorities for pub users and the oldfashioned governor is something of a dinosaur. Sowhat changes have we seen in recent years?

The most exhaustive survey I have read on pubclosures is the 2014 Institute of Economic Affairs Surveycompiled by Christopher Snowdon.** The ACVprocess is now a key campaign for CAMRA, andas Pubs Protection Officer I am duty bound tosupport it. I have also witnessed its benefits. Mr.Snowdon puts an alternative case, believing thatgovernment regulation is actually detrimental tothe trade. What is the point in creating an artifi-cial market? He also explodes a few urban myths.“Changing tastes, the shift towards home drinkingand the increasing sale of alcohol in the off trade

are all long term trends that do not sufficientlyexplain the rapid acceleration of pub closures after2006….I estimate that approximately 4,000 pubswould have closed without any additional pressures”.Since 10,000 pubs have closed over this period, whatother factors must be taken into account?

After carefully examining some suggested solu-tions, Mr. Snowdon has proposed the followingremedies: reduce alcohol duty, reduce VAT oncooked food, abolish cumulative impact zones(government policy prevents new pubs fromopening in areas of high demand) and reverse thesmoking ban. He goes on to say “The UK shouldfollow the lead of many European countries thatallow the hospitality industry to accommodatesmokers.”

At the time of the introduction of the smokingban, 54% of pub customers were smokers. As lifelong non smoker, I, for one, would have noobjection to a reserved indoor area for smokerswhere there is no interface with the bar. Hands upall those who agree with me.

John TemplePubs Officer

*Alex Brown may be contacted on: [email protected]

** Institute of Economic Affairs Report 2014:Christopher Snowdon. Christopher Snowdon isDirector of Lifestyle Economics at the IEA.


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

Are you missing out?Get Beer Around Ere delivered to your door! For a year (6 issues) send £3.60 for second class or £4.14for 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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Peterborough andDistrict Branch Pubof the Year 2016

The Letter B,Whittlesey.Congratulations toBruce and Denisewho won “Cider Pubof the Year” for thesecond year in succes-sion! The Award waspresented on Saturday

20th February 2016. A small contingent ofCAMRA members ventured from Peterboroughby minibus to join locals for an enjoyable eveningof cider/beer, music, plus buffet. A great eveningwas had by all!

Cider Pub of the Year 2016

The Woolpack, Stanground.Linda, landlady of the Woolpack, Stanground receivedher Pub of the Year Award from Peterborough andDistrict CAMRA Branch Chairman, Dave Murray, andSteve Williams, original proposer of the Gold Award,on Friday 12th February 2016. Branch membersjoined locals in celebrating a well-deserved award forthis community pub. Good beer, good company what more could one ask for! Congratulations!

The Palmerston Arms were presented withthe Peterborough and District Branch, JohnRice LocAle Pub of the Year award. Thepresentation to Simon took place onMonday 7th March at a monthly branchmeeting. Congratulations Simon and team!

LocAle Pub ofthe Year 2016

14 |

Abstract JungleThere have been some bigchanges at Abstract Jungleover the last few weeks andregretfully Simon has decided

that, due to a family illness requiring him to becloser to home, he will move the brewery awayfrom the Peterborough area much sooner thaninitially envisaged. Of course, priorities change inany business venture and we will all be sorry tolose Abstract Jungle from the local brewing scene.

Simon passes on his thanks to the Peterboroughbrewing community for welcoming him and espe-cially to Steve Saldana at Bexar County Breweryfor allowing him to invade his space over the lastfew months.

Local CAMRA members and local pubs havebeen both enthusiastic and helpful in the launch ofSimon’s venture and will continue to supportAbstract Jungle as the intention is to maintainexisting supply links with the Peterborough area.

On a more positive note Abstract Jungle will bemoving into another brewery of note but inNottingham, just a few miles from Simon’s home.Totally Brewed are an amazing brewery based incentral Nottingham and they are kindly allowingSimon to brew at their site until Abstract Junglefind a more permanent home in the area.

The final brew from Peterborough was a“special” Alpha Pale which was readily availablearound Peterborough at the end of February. Itwas a 4.8% abv pale ale with Cascade and Amar-illo hops with a long bitter finish.

Abstract Jungle and Totally Brewed have alreadybrewed a “collaboration special” which is a choco-late and hazelnut porter and the first brew fromAbstract Jungle in Nottingham is the Pride a3.9% abv Pale Ale, available from early March.

Peterborough CAMRA extends their best wishesand support to Simon and his family with every

good fortune for the future and I’m sure we willstill be keeping up to date with brewing news fromAbstract Jungle on a regular basis.

Bexar CountyThere have been collaborationbrews with Weird Beard, Alphabetand 3 Blind Mice. A new beercalled Scarecrow Army 4.7% abv isnow available and may become a

core beer.

Castor AlesWith the recent announce-ments regarding newhostelries in the city. Notwanting to be left behind

Castor Ales always had ambitions of a brewery tapit could proudly call its own. The problem asalways is that these things cost money and getcomplicated by planning, organising and theinevitable red tape (that pesky EU red tape getseverywhere coming over here sticking to ourfingers!). As if that was not enough many peoplewere warning Castor Ales that the period just afterChristmas was not the right time to open abrewery tap. However, undaunted, Duncan stoodby his guns and in characteristic fashion, just wentout and did his own thing.

“I was aware of what people were telling me, butin the end, I found the whole process quite pain-less-apart from signing the cheque obviously” hetold BAE "to be honest, everything went sosmoothly I was beginning to think that somecalamity was bound to befall us at the last minute.However, I just went into the merchants, selectedthe tap I wanted, and arranged for a local plumberto fit it.”

The official opening was at the end of January,and already it has made a great difference to thebrew day cleaning experience. The old tapdripped constantly and was almost impossible to


Brewery News


Brewery news |15

turn on and off, so once we bought the new plugfor the sink, there really was no turning back.”

Castor Ales went totally wild (for us) and brewed aPlum and Liquorice Porter Imperial RomanPorter 4.6% abv. This one off brew (although bewarned we still have plenty of liquorice root left) hasbeen well received at the usual Castor Ales outlets.Another “new” brew just hitting the cellars of ourloyal publicans is a special Hopping Toad, brewedto celebrate the Leap Year. “Leaping Toad” is adry hopped (Cascade), version of our awardwinning flagship brew and comes in at 4.9% abv.Catch it if you can.

ElgoodsStraw Beer was brewed forthe Whittlesey Straw BearFestival in January. This wasfollowed in February by

Greyhound Strong Ale. The seasonal beer forMarch will be Snake Slayer a 4.5% abv stoutbrewed to celebrate St Patrick driving the snakesfrom Ireland. The seasonal for April will be Puff4.3% abv. This will be a burnished copper ale withhints of currants and raisins. The brewery will besending both bottled and keg beers to the CraftBeer Rising Festival in London. Elgood’s arealways looking at ways to increase sales andexports are a growing part of this strategy. Italy isa growing market and the brewery is hoping to seegrowth in sales to the USA this year including theCoolship beers. Cambridge IPA is beingdiscontinued as a regular cask beer. Elgood’s havejust completed the sale of the Boat at Whittlesey toincumbent landlord Phil Quinn.

Hopshackle BreweryThe brewery is doing very well,sales are still good following anexcellent Christmas and NewYear. Black Mule 5.6% abv,

has just been brewed. This was 7% abv when lastbrewed 3 years ago. Aniseed Porter 4.8% abv,Vanilla Porter 4.8% abv, Historic Porter 4.8%abv are all available now, plus Extra SpecialBitter 4.8% abv, Sumo 5.2% abv and Hopnosis5.2% abv all available in casks and bottles.

Kings Cliffe BreweryKCB have been brewing a ‘oneoff ’ beer with Simon themanager of the Ostrich, North

Street, Peterborough. It is an amber ale of around4.2 % abv and should be on sale for Easter.Brewer, Jez, continues to do ‘one off ’ brews for theCross Keys at Kings Cliffe and the Crown atElton.

Mile Tree BreweryMile Tree are lookingforward to the year aheadand will be having their

beers available at beer festivals both near and far.They also continue to supply a select number oflocal pubs.

Nene Valley BreweryConstruction work at the Oundlewharf site ended on March 4thwith the building workers andtheir machinery leaving thesite. There remains some floor-

painting and internal cladding to be done to bringthe premises up to spec for brewing purposesbefore the new fermenters etc. can be installed.

Nene Valley’s collaboration brew, with The PintShop in Cambridge, will be called Supersonicafter the lyrics from Oasis' Supersonic - I'm feelingsupersonic, Give me gin and tonic. The beer is a pale6% abv wheat beer with flavourings fromcardamom, cinchona bark, coriander, lemon andjuniper. It was launched on March 17th at thePint Shop. The beer will be available in bottles,keg and small quantities in cask.

The Iron Horse Ranch House in MarketDeeping are launching a Craft Beer Club on April6th which includes a talk from a craft brewer. Thebrewer for the first talk is from Nene Valley.

The beer list for the Easter Beer Festival atOundle Wharf should be out on social media bythe time of publication with around 30 beers fromoutside the local area. Nene Valley beers will alsobe available and somewhere within these will bethe brewery's one millionth pint. All drinkers F


16 | Brewery news - continued

at the festival who purchase a Nene Valley brewwill be given a ticket for their “Millionth Pint”competition. The prize will be lots of Nene Valleybeer in bottle, can, keg or draught.

Oakham AlesFor 2016 the Oakadamy range of beersoffers six new outings brewed bi-monthly with a theme of super sleuths,

detectives and heroes so here goes: - February hadAffair at Styles 3.8% abv, a pale hoppy ale whichreceived good feedback. April beer ChemicalSyndicate 3.9% abv is a ruby beer packed withnew world hops. Enough Rope 4.3% abv in Juneis followed in August by Velvet Claws 4.2% abv.Study in Scarlett 4% abv is to be October’s beerand last but not least for December Shot in theDark 4.1% abv.

March sees the return of Beer Monster whichwas brewed originally as the breweries festivalspecial for the 2008 Peterborough Beer Festival.Those that can’t remember it is an amber brew at4.8% abv. Also seen around locally has beenMompessons Gold 5.2% abv, which remainsever popular and very good it is too!The two new craft kegs, Export Stout 6.5% abvand Blonde 4.5% abv were launched at Craft BeerRising recently at The Old Truman Brewery in EastLondon. They will now form part of the new‘Craftworks’ range. The expansion work at thebrewery continues with in their words “Just veryboring digging of holes and rewiring in preparationfor other stuff ”!

Shoulder of MuttonThings are going well at the moment with thesuccess of Shoulder Stout 4.6% abv in cask andkeg. The brewery is venturing into the world oflager with Shoulder Lager 4.7% abv in cask andkeg. The first batch ran out in a few daysprompting a rapid reorder of Saaz hops from theCzech Republic. Real ale stocks have beenbolstered by a new monthly special blond calledHills and Hollows named after a play area in thevillage and a fruity number called Ropemaker4.6% abv named after a former trade in the villagewhich will be ready this month. Oresome and

Rosie’s Sweat Box, both at 4.2% abv, were to beavailable at the Leicester Beer Festival.

Star Brewing CompanyBeers being brewed at themoment are Titan 4.2% abv andAstral 4.5% abv. The next beerto be brewed will be Orbit 4.1%abv which will be a pale and

hoppy beer. This will be available from the middleof March. Brewer, Simon, has received an enquiryfrom the organisers of the East Anglian BeerFestival (Bury St Edmunds) with regard tosupplying beer to their Festival.

Tydd SteamSweet Chariot was brewedready for the Six NationsRugby. This is actually

Scoundrel re-badged. Mind Bomb will be brewedshortly with some being entered in the SIBANational Beer competition. Iron Brew is currentlyavailable. Sales have been good and the recentlaunch of Arctic Fox’s Polar Bear brewed tocelebrate Will’s nephew’s trip to the South Polecreated quite a lot of interest in the brewery.Ratcatcher is making its second appearance aspart of the brewery’s occasional portfolio.

Xtreme AlesJanuary is always a busy monthwith Whittlesey Straw BearFestival coming straight after

Christmas. Goldilocks and Dancing Pigeonwere available at a number of pubs throughout thetown during the festival. The Letter B also hadadditional beers at their traditional Grufton realale bar. Xtreme were honoured to be asked tobrew a festival special for the CAMRA Winter AleFestival held at the Roundhouse in Derby. TheirScout Stout was named in honour of a Derbycommittee member, who passed away last year. Itreceived excellent reviews. Pigeon Ale was also atthe festival. Beers have also been sent to Colch-ester, Leicester and Booze on the Ouse festivals.Production continues at an increased level withbeer going to local pubs and pubs further afield.The search is still on for larger premises.


Trip around Werrington |19

After a Saturday at Straw Bear the ordinary-nessof peeling potatoes, preparing veg and charcoalingmeat held no charm at all, (yes lads, Sunday Lunchdoes not miraculously appear on the table). Goodjob then the Social Secretary, ever keen to ring thechanges, morphed Pie Night into an afternoonsocial with carvery to start.

In a branch that has over two thousand sevenhundred members, it’s a great shame that only ninecould be bothered to support the event but hey!Like everything else people only get off their inertgluteus maximus when things disappear for good.

Speaking of which, our first port of call, in thearea of Werrington the locals are keen to keep theepithet “Village”, was The Blue Bell, the last (attime of writing) open Elgoods pub in the city (andsneer all you like, it’s a local family-run brewerynot sitting on it’s laurels but embracing thechanges in beer styles and adapting, again supportor lose) and pleasant it was too. The bar has beenfreshened up while the restaurant was packed. Andno wonder! Three choices of meats, and platesizes, as well as a field of veg per person at theprice of a decent joint of meat! The beer drinkersall found pints to suit tastes and while thelemonade left something to be desired, like tasteand bubbles, a word at the bar soon had thematter rectified.

A run around the village to make room for morebeer was suggested by the Editor post-lunch, butwe managed to ignore her on the short walk to thenext watering hole, The Three Horseshoes. Insuch a small space there did seem to be a lot ofscreens of the television variety. Not that it both-ered us, we were too busy chatting, y’know thatgood old-fashioned pub pastime that makescustomers drouthy for more beer, not catatonic,gazing at moving pictures. But we were obviouslyout of place here so, after just a pint of nothingout of the ordinary, we departed for our finalhostelry of the afternoon.

Double the walk, so about five minutes, took usto The Cock Inn. Here too, beer drinkers foundsuitable refreshments but Straw Bear was startingto take its toll and some of the number had todepart. While very busy with late afternoon quaffers we were able to find seats away from thejukebox, and continue with conversation. Settlednow for the rest of the afternoon we mused whythis area of Peterborough is so well served withpublic houses.

There is of course yet another pub in the villagenever mind another two in Werrington magna.According to the last official census the village hasthe highest ratio of widows per capita in Peterbor-ough. Couldn’t be the ultimate grey girl power,could it?

The Wean


Werrington Village Social

at Sundays, 3 Cumbergate, Peterborough PE1 1YRBookings on [email protected] Tel: 01733 554 334

Great local ingredients, cooked low ‘n slowover wood in our multi-award winning

Cookshack Smoker, imported from the USA.

Beef Brisket, Pulled Pork, Ribs & more.

Good Meat+Rub+Smoke+Time=BBQ

Twenty five of us set off from PeterboroughStation on Saturday morning, map and sheets inhand with 14 pubs to visit. Of all the days to traveltowards Birmingham, it happened to be Peterbor-ough against West Brom in the FA Cup. Football!

Our first stop was Nuneaton. Wehad to wait there for the connec-tion to Stoke-on-Trent and hadenough time to walk to the FelixHalt on Stratford Street, a Weather-spoon’s. What should we spy on thepumps? Only Elland Brewery’s NettleThrasher. Woe is us! Dickie had trav-elled all that way to have a pint of hisown beer. I joined him in a pint and heconfessed: “No nettle was harmed inthe making of this beer”. Weatherspoon’s isWeatherspoon’s the whole country over, but theyare open and serving at 10:30am on a Saturday.They may want to put that review in their adver-tising.

On the train again and Mick organised ‘Sid’sTaxis’ to pick us up at Stoke and take us to

Newcastle under Lyme, as there is no station there(eight in a taxi for £1.25 each). “The Castle Monaplease driver” on Victoria Street, a Free Houseopen 12- 12 on Saturday - and we were off. Quite

a good choice of beer. My choice wasPunch and Judy at 4.3%, they also hadBombardier 4.1%, Slumbering Monk4.5%, Joules Pale Ale 4.1% andGrowler 5.0%. So, most tastescovered there. What I did like in thepub was the ‘Joule’s’ advertising onthe walls, one of which read,“REAL GENTLEMEN GETPROPERLY LAAGERED” withthe two AA’s in the spelling, adver-tising Craft Brewed larger by

Joule’s Master Brewers, and a footnote of “alwaysdemand a properly laagered lager”. Note taken.

Across the main road is Castle Oatcakes, whichwas our next call, for a snack, or breakfast. Mickhad extolled the virtues of Staffordshire oatcakes,so we all went across. Oatcakes to me are a biscuitthat I would have with cheese in the evening.However, these Oatcakes are a pancake but made


A Pub Crawl of Newcastle-under-Lyme

No Dilly-dallying

Newcastle-under-Lyme Tour |21

with oat flour, and I had a breakfast box of threeoatcakes, with fillings of tomato, baked beans, friedegg, mushrooms, bacon and sausage, all for £3.50.A single oatcake with cheese and bacon cost£1.80. They open at 5am till 1-30pm Thursday toSaturday and we can recommend you try oatcakeswhen in the Stoke area.

Back up the road now to the Jolly Potter,Barracks Road. They had four hand pumps withBattlefield beers, 14034.1%, Gold 3.8% andSabut Jung 5.8%, plusWincle Beer Co’s Burke’sSpecial 5%. Nice pub

of two rooms, and the locals were friendly. Theyeven moved away from the radiator so we could allget a warm

We re-jigged the schedule here as we had theArnold Machin (Weatherspoon’s) down for a visitand lunch for those that wanted it. However, as wehad had the oatcakes earlier we went onto OldBull’s Head Inn, Lad Lane. Finding your wayaround Newcastle under Lyme is a little chal-lenging as not many streets display their names,but we found our way. The Old Bull is a charmingand old fashioned pub in the centre of town, theoldest in Newcastle, dating back to the 14thCentury. We received a very warm welcome andthe food smelt wonderful. It also had an attractive‘Snug’. Mainly Joule’s beer, they had Pale Ale4.1%, Slumbering Monk, Blonde 3.8% and OldNo6 4.8%, plus Wrekin Pale Ale 4% and Smoke-

creen 5%, a robust smoked porter. Rob said thissmelt and tasted of smoked kippers, always aselling point for me! Although I did like this pub, Ithink we sat in the wrong corner as there was themost awful smell of air freshener. OK in the toiletbut NOT in the pub. The inn sign is rare being atiled picture of a bull’s head.

Next up was Ten Green Bottles, Merrial Street, acraft beer pub that I liked very much. They havean extensive range of bottled beers which you candrink in or take out, and the staff were wonderful;

helpful and very chatty. There is also agreat range of Gin. Philip tried a‘Poppies’ gin from Belgium, which hasthe distinct smell and flavour of aniseedand lives in an old clay-like bottle with apoppy design on the front. It’s served in alarge balloon glass, with pomegranatepips, grapefruit and rose lemonade withfour cubes of ice - very nice. Also three realales.

Another tucked-away town centre pub is theLymestone Vaults, Pepper Street which sells sixLymestone real ales and four guest beers (+ sevenreal draught ciders). It was only when we arrivedthat we realised the pub sold Oatcakes with arange of fillings, so we could have had some forlunch in a warm pubrather than standing inthe street as we did atthe Castle Oatcakeshop!

We are on a roll nowand the next port ofcall was the BridgeStreet Ale House. Thisis the first micro pubset up in the area andit’s like going into yourNan’s house. The largefront room has acentral entrance door,then at the back, tworooms look out onto thegarden and have a


Old Bulls Head, Newcastle under Lyme

Ten Green Bottle, Merrial StreetF

variety of old fashioned dining tables andchairs. On the walls are posters, memorabilia ofBatman, Spiderman and Lord of the Rings - soperhaps not your typical Nan’s house. They hadfour hand pumps. I had a Wentworth Blue-berry Stout. 4.5%. Also available was Slater’sPremium, Phoenix Arizona and Castle RockTraffic St. Specials #6 Rat Race.

Across the road from the Ale House is theHopwater Cellar, also specialising in bottledbeer from all around the world, also selling onereal ale and a craft keg beer. This is owned andoperated by a local CAMRA member. It is open12-8pm on a Saturday, well worth a visit for thequirkiness of it and for the retro, CommodorePET 2001 Series, personal computer. Lookssomewhat like a check out till.

We set off up the road to visit the Albert,Brindley Street, which is only a 10 minute walkaway and where I was looking forward to seeingthe tiled mural that is devoted to local man PhilipAstley, who in 1768 invented the circus ring.

We found the Albert and as my dad andbrother both were called Albert, I felt at home


Hopwater Cellar

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

• Large garden • Dogs welcome

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

We are Peterborough CAMRA Pub of the Year 2016!

LIVE MUSIC SUNDAY 3rd AprilTHE STRINGLERS 4pm - 6pm

BEER FESTIVAL MAY DAY WEEKEND Fri 30 April – Sun 2 May

Newcastle-under-Lyme Tour - continued |23

with them and the pub. It is a small place, only asingle room, and Paul the landlord made us verywelcome. He came and told us the history of thepub and how he used to walk past it as a ‘Youth’and see men sitting inside in trilbies, smoking pipesand wearing suits and thought “That’s not for me”only to find himself there for the past six and a halfyears with his wife Hilary. He said that he catersfor the locals and they like the beer he serves,Marston Pedigree sells five and a half nines andBombardier two and a half nines a week. If that’syour trade then you have to cater for them, but agreat friendly pub to visit.

Just 200 yards along the same road we found TheFreebird, named after a Lynyrd Skynyrd song. It isa real ale music pub, which is frequented by‘Bikers’. When we were there it was a little quietand neon lights during the day never really hit anote with me. Eight real ales on sale.

Some of the party took taxis to the Hop Inn,Albert Street, which is the current PotteriesCAMRA Pub of the Year. This three roomed pubsells six real ales from some of the best microbrew-eries in the country. Nearby is the Victoria, KingStreet, another pub in the Good Beer Guideselling four guest beers mostly from microbrew-eries.

Close by is the last of the pubs we visited - theGreyhound on George Street. En route to this pubyou have to pass The Museum Pub on the sameroad, but as time was not on our side we had toneglect this one. What a warm welcome we had at

The Greyhound. On the pumps were, TitanicPlum Porter 4.9% a favourite of ours and of ThePalmy Tuesday night Black Beer Club, plus TitanicSteerage 3.8%, Titanic Iceberg 4.1%, TitanicWhite Star 4.5%, Everards Tiger 4.2%, DukeriesRay of Sunshine 4.2%, Camerons Gold Bullion3.9%, Windsor & Eton Canberra 4.6% and TheBeer Studio Yakima Palisade 4.7%. What choiceand prices from £2.75 to £3.40 a pint. They alsosell snacks and have a great selection of ScotchEggs. So we had three of those. Caramelisedonion, duck egg and chutney, and mango, £2.50each served with a dish of relish, very nice. Taxiarrived and we went back to the station with Sid’sTaxi’s again.

Train back to Nuneaton with time to spare (anunrecorded Simon & Garfunkel album). The deci-sion was either a 10-minute walk to Lord Hop, amicro pub in the town centre selling four real alesor a one minute hop to The Crown, across theroad from the station, en route passing TheRailway pub. Our choice was The Crown. Thebeer was £1.99 a pint, a large old building a littlelike going into The College Arms size wise. Thebar staff had wonderful face piercings. Six real alesand four ciders; we plumped for the MilestoneHoney Porter 4.9%, also available was: Slaters RyeIPA, a black IPA 3.9%, 4T’s A.P.A. pale ale 4%,Mordue Workie Ticket 4.5%, and CottageBrewery GWR 5.4%. A wonderful choice andthen the music racked up and Mr. ‘Gibbo’ and sonwere well away as were the rest of us. What ashame our train had to stop us. A great time in agreat pub that you could very easily pass by on theway to Lloyds or ‘Spoons’.

Our journey home was eventful as involved trav-elling back with jubilant Posh supporters. Seatswherever you could get and we managed the 1stClass with Carl, with a curly “C”, and joined inwith the Posh singing.

A grand day out with some great people who hadan excellent time.

Roz Fountain(Photos by Ross Parton, Derek Gibson

and Alan Fury)


Diary Dates CAMRA meetings, socials and beer festivals in the coming months

AprilTuesday 5th April 8.00pmBranch Monthly Meeting andpresentation at the Bull, MarketDeeping, PE6 8EA. Help uscelebrate Bert Murray’s retire-ment and the replacement ofthe plaque commemorating theformation of Peterborough &District CAMRA Branch in1975. All members welcome,please bring membership card.

Thursday 21st - Sunday 24th7th St George’s Beer and MusicFestival at Hand and Heart,Highbury Street, PeterboroughPE1 3BE.

Saturday 23rdJoint visit with Huntingdonbranch to the Bermondsey BeerMile. The branch have beeninvited to join Huntingdon

branch on their rail trip to TheBermondsey Beer Mile in SouthEast London. Meet at Peterbor-ough railway Station at 8.30 for8.46 train. Group save ticketwith Travel card is £16.55return. Please book placesthrough John Hunt, SocialSecretary.

MayTuesday 3rd at 8.30pmBranch Monthly Meeting at theLime Tree, Paston Lane, Peterborough PE4 6HA. All members welcome, butplease bring membership card.

Thursday 5th – Sunday 8th Coalheavers Arms Spring BeerFestival. 5 Park Street, Peterbor-ough PE2 9BH. Friday 6th TheOverdubs. Saturday 7thJamaican BBQ and DJ.

Wednesday 18thMidweek campaigning crawl toElgood’s country visiting someof the more out of the way pubsin Guyhirn, Murrow andWisbech St Mary areas.

Depart Brewery Tap at 7pm andreturn by 11pm. Cost £5.00.Please book places through JohnHunt, Social Secretary.

Monday 23rd - Saturday 27th43rd Cambridge Beer Festival200+ ales, 80+ ciders & perries,plus foreign beer, wines andmeads. Famous CAMRA cheesecounter, with a range of Britishcheeses. CAMRA members freeall sessions. See www.cambridgebeerfestival.comfor more information.


When I movedto England in

the late 80’s I wastaken to my first beer

festival. At the time I didn'tdrink beer so I found myself atthe cider bar and it was a revela-tion. Having spent years drinkingthe standard fizzy cider that wasavailable in pubs I discovered adrink that tasted of apples andyou could taste the flavourscoming through from the fruit. Ialso discovered the variety ofdrinks that were available.

I quickly learnt that very fewpubs sold real cider and that the

only place that I could guaranteebeing able to find it was at thelarger CAMRA beer festivals so Ijoined to find out where the festi-vals were and started travelling tothose which were easy to get to.

Thankfully we now live in avery different world. We haveseen the number of ciderproducers increase in recentyears so many areas now have acider producer somewherenearby. Most beer festivals nowsell real cider and perry, witheven the smaller ones having asmall selection. There are also alot more pubs with at least one

available and many stocking agood range.

If you search for pubs that sellreal cider in your county on theWhatpub website, you are givena choice of pubs. It is evenpossible to arrange cider crawlsof larger towns and cities. Mayis one of CAMRA’s cidercampaigning months so, nowthat it is easier to find in pubsand at beer festivals, why nottake the opportunity to try somereal cider or perry and discoverthe variety of flavours that youcan find in these drinks.

Andrea Briers

Discover Real Cider and Perry



Please support our advertisers |25

25+ Beers, Ciders and Craft Lagers.

Live Music all weekendGorefield Gala day on Saturday,

lots of stalls and attractions.

Camping available, £5 per pitch, with toilets on site and showerblock. please book in advance.email: [email protected]

www.hall.gorefield.com

Gorefield Community Hall, Wolf Lane,Gorefield, Wisbech, PE13 4NE



Find us at: 7 Burghley Rd, Peterborough PE1 2QATel 01733 896989 theburghleyclub

Website: www.theburghleyclub.com

Peterborough’s OldestMembers Club

Just a short walk from Bus and Railway Stations and Queensgate

Food served Wednesday to SundayFree entry to CAMRA members

Live Music & EntertainmentSat 9th April Sole RunnerSat 16th April AthenrySat 23rd April Sun of a GunSat 30th April Go with the FlowFri 6th May Sole SXSat 7th May Gone to the DogsSat 14th May Betty Swollocks

Charters 25th anniversary|27

Moored next to Town Bridge is an old Dutch bargehousing ‘Charters’ bar and ‘East’ restaurant, two ofthe City’s iconic eating and drinking establish-ments. It was in 1991 that the barge was purchasedby Paul Hook, of Oakham Ales, and taken on anintrepid voyage across the North Sea and up theRiver Nene. They even had to sink her to getunder Town Bridge, and then refloat her into theposition where she has lain ever since serving somemillions of locals and visitors alike. So in 2016 the‘Leendert – R’ is having her 25th birthday as arestaurant and bar venue, a far cry from the timeswhen, for 85 years and through two world wars, sheplied the Rhine carrying grain and sand.

That her role today is different is obvious whenyou mount the gangway and see the casks and kegsstacked on her bow. The whole of the lower deck isCharters bar, retaining the authentic feel of an oldworking barge with the interior hull and struts, andthe beams and poles providing a gritty feel. It is anattractive bare-boards environment, and there is anample variety of seating with eclectic furniture suchas old church pews and stripped-down, old diningtables. Charters prides itself on serving a vast arrayof ever-changing real ales and ciders. This makes

Charters a perfect venue to attend during theEaster and August beer festivals, or indeed at anytime when the customer is seeking choice andvariety, or just something new. Their large range ofmodern ciders has proven popular, There is also alarge riverside garden area for alfresco drinking,eating and music whenever the weather allows.

There will be special birthday events inSeptember. Let’s drink to the next 25 years for theLeendert – R. She serves the City well.


Town Bridge not “A BridgeToo Far” for ‘Leendert - R’


28 |

Pub Merit Awards & Gold AwardsPub name:

Pub address/town/village:

Reason for award:

Your name:

Your phone number or e-mail address:

Your membership number:

RecommendationA brief definition - congratulations, extolment, kudos, praise- an expression something (as a course of action) that is recom-mended as advisable.

If you are a CAMRA member does your local pubhave excellent beer, friendly staff, good atmos-phere, promote community spirit? Why notrecommend them for a Merit or Gold award?Peterborough and District CAMRA present theseawards throughout the year to recognize the effortsmade by publicans to deliver both the best pubexperience and good quality beer and cider, but itneeds members to nominate deserving pubs.

Two award schemes are in operation:CAMRA Merit AwardThe Merit Award is for pubs that maintain thehighest level of good service, an excellent qualityand range of real ales and ciders, and provide agreat atmosphere.CAMRA Gold AwardThe Gold Award recognizes pubs that have madeextraordinary efforts to improve the quality andrange of their beers and ciders, along with greatservice and atmosphere, creating what we knowand love as the British pub.

First Steps Your nomination could result in your local beingrecognized by a wider audience. In December allthe pubs that received awards throughout theprevious 12 months are automatically put forwardfor the Branch Pub of The Year Award or POTYas it is affectionately known. Branch membersthen vote for their choice.

The winning pub is automatically put forward forCounty Pub of the Year and then possibly ontoRegional and then National Pub of the Year. So,who knows what you can start with your nomina-tion! A nomination form can be found in BeerAround Ere or you can email your nomination to thebranch secretary Dickie Bird [email protected]

Please ensure your email includes your name,membership number, and phone number, as well aspub details and either “Merit” or “Gold” award.

Mike BlakesleyPress Officer

|29


A Good Time for CharityWell as nights out sampling live local music go, thiswas one of the best in a long while.

Step forward three bands, a good crowd and all for adeserving cause. This event was at the Cherry Func-tion Suite, Oundle Road and held in memory of localgood fella Simon Vjestica, aka Rat, and for MultipleSclerosis. First up were The Dole, featuring Gizz Button stage alongside his old mates for the first time in avery long while and made all the more special with anold friend of many and of Rat’s, Murko Bradavich onkeyboards. I've got to say that without much rehearsalthe band absolutely nailed it.

Playing original songs that were penned some thirtyyears back, their mix of energetic drummingand guitar laden riffs were underpinned by whatwould have been experimental keyboard sounds ofthe day, with their short set quite rightly earning adeserved encore. So with their dark shades nowoff, they finished what may well be their last everappearance, with aplomb, applying equal energy totheir post stage pints too!

Next up was a band known to many on the local livemusic scene, The Phsycobombz. Now slimmed downwithout the doors-esque keyboard sound thatcould sometimes take them over, they seemed moreenergetic and with a cleaner sound too.

With bass player problems the week before this gig, theband invited Andy Lyndsey along for the ride and Ithink it's fair to say they delivered the goods with asound that had a more 60's garage band sound. Modeven? Quite possibly. Enjoyable? Definitely. With thevenue now packed their performance dovetailedsuperbly with what The Dole laid down previouslyand to what the next band were set to deliver.

With it being so busy there was the expected queue atthe bar, three deep in this case. It was due to this thatI could only get my hands on the pubs residentTimothy Taylor's Landlord. Thankfully it lived up tothe mark, so I was soon back in the queue!

Next up on stage were The Expletives, a band thathave seemingly come from nowhere in these lastthree years. Yet again delivering tight polishedanthemic punk covers that are adorned with theirvery own Johnny Rotten giving it, as is normal,a 110% full on frontal earlobe assault. Matched bygesturing and body shopping that would make anyMum proud.

By now the crowd were rightly into the night’s fareand it was soon time for some of the 50 somethingsamongst us to start pogoing. Well, as long as theirknees held up of course.

I'm sure some aching joints, and for that matterheads, were present over many Sunday morningcoffees, but hey the night’s music was damn good, aswas the reason for the night’s event taking place.

Lez Wheeler

The Bluebell InnHelpston

We support local micro breweries stocking greatlocal cask conditioned ales - always a choice of 4 including “10 Woodgate” which is specially

brewed just for us.

Open seven days a week for drinks and servingfresh, seasonal, locally sourced produce, our menu

offers something for everyone.

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

Email: [email protected]

‘Lunch for Less’ Menu Monday to Friday

(offering a special two course menu only £10)

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]

Cider Officer: Bernidette [email protected]

Young Members: Kara [email protected]: Bob Melville07941 [email protected] Org:Mike Lane07850 [email protected]

LocAle Officer: Vacant [email protected]

Webmaster: Harry [email protected]

Brewery Liaison OfficersAbstract Jungle:Mike Lane07850 334203Blue Bell: John Hunt07923 489917Bexar County Brewery: Dave Botton01733 345475Castor Ales:Mike Lane07850 334203Digfield: Dave Waller07821 912605

Elgood’s: John Hunt07923 489917Hopshackle: Noel Ryland07944 869656

Kings Cliffe Brewery:Mike Blakesley07747 617527Melbourn: Don Rudd07806 731765Mile Tree Brewery:Steve Williams07756 066503Nene Valley: Bob Melville07941 246693Oakham Ales: Dave Allett07966 344417Tydd Steam: John Hunt07923 489917Shoulder of Mutton Brewery:John Temple07905 051 312Star Brewing Company: Don Rudd 07806 731765Xtreme Ales: Vacant Position

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

Friday 27th Northern Soul In The Marquee from 6pm

Supporting Northern Soul against Cancer

Saturday 28th From 7.30pm Easton Theatrical Society Present:

“ Easton’s Got Talent”

Sunday 29th Village FeteFrom 11am Children’s entertainment, stalls,

sideshows, live music and fun for all!

Sunday 29th From 8pm*The Music of the 60’s & 70’s House Party

Monday 30th from 1pmLive bands over 2 stages

27th - 30th of May • Late May Bank Holiday Weekend30+ Real Ales & 10+ Ciders

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 Menu5:00pm - Late Carvery & Grill MenuSunday Open From 12 Noon - 9pm

All Day Carvery

Big

Breakfast

every

Sat 8

to 11

am

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only £5.9

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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.

Now taking bookings for

Fathers Day on June 19th

Now licensed to conduct Civil Marriage ceremonies on the premises

Documents

Beer around Ere issue 187