CalderCask - Issue 34 - Jun/Jul/Aug 2015

The Magazine of the Halifax & Calderdale CAMRA BranchThe Magazine of the Halifax & Calderdale CAMRA Branch

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Campaigning For Real Ale, Pubs & Drinkers' Rights Since 1971

IN THIS ISSUE... • EARLY DAYS OF THE BRANCH • CHAMPION WINTER BEER OF BRITAIN• VOCATION BREWERY • OUR 40TH BIRTHDAY • VOLUNTEERING WITH CAMRA • Plus much more...

THE CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE

HALIFAX & CALDERDALE CAMRA BRANCH40 Years of Campaigning - 1975 to 2015

1975to

2015

National Executive • MEMBERSHIP • Tax GOOD BEER GUIDE • Champion Beer of Britain St Albans • Hand Pump • REAL ALE IN A BOTTLE HQ staff • MICRO-BREWERIES • Campaigning

Pints. VOLUNTEERS • CASK ALES • Thirds • CIDERSMEMBER’S WEEKEND & NATIONAL AGM • Traditional

NATIONAL PUB OF THE YEAR • Pub of the Season National Beer Scoring Scheme • GOLDEN ALESWHAT’S BREWING • Bitters • PLANNING ISSUES

COMMITTEE POSITION • National Breweries Brewery Liaison Officer • GRAVITY DISPENSE GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL • Winter Ales

Regional Breweries • PUBCO’S • Old alesPerries • MILDS • National Pub Design Awards

Public Transport Group • BRANCH MEMBERSSPECIALITY BEERS • Strong Milds • Apple PUBS WEEK • Dan Kane Award • STOUTSPorters • Tasting panels • WHEAT BEERS

Young Members Committee

• National Executive • MEMBERSHIP • Tax • GOOD BEER GUIDE • Champion Beer of Britain • • St Albans • Hand Pump • REAL ALE IN A BOTTLE • • HQ staff • MICRO-BREWERIES • Campaigning •

• Pints • VOLUNTEERS • CASK ALES • Thirds • CIDERS •• MEMBER’S WEEKEND & NATIONAL AGM • Traditional •

• NATIONAL PUB OF THE YEAR • Pub of the Season • • National Beer Scoring Scheme • GOLDEN ALES •• WHAT’S BREWING • Bitters • PLANNING ISSUES •

• COMMITTEE POSITION • National Breweries •• Brewery Liaison Officer • GRAVITY DISPENSE • • GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL • Winter Ales •

• Regional Breweries • PUBCO’S • Old Ales •• Perries • MILDS • National Pub Design Awards •• Public Transport Group • BRANCH MEMBERS •

• SPECIALITY BEERS • Strong Milds • Apple • • PUBS WEEK • Dan Kane Award • STOUTS •• Porters • Tasting panels • WHEAT BEERS •

• Young Members Committee •

National Executive • MEMBERSHIP • Tax GOOD BEER GUIDE • Champion Beer of Britain St Albans • Hand Pump • REAL ALE IN A BOTTLE HQ staff • MICRO-BREWERIES • Campaigning

Pints. VOLUNTEERS • CASK ALES • Thirds • CIDERSMEMBER’S WEEKEND & NATIONAL AGM • Traditional

NATIONAL PUB OF THE YEAR • Pub of the Season National Beer Scoring Scheme • GOLDEN ALESWHAT’S BREWING • Bitters • PLANNING ISSUES

COMMITTEE POSITION • National Breweries Brewery Liaison Officer • GRAVITY DISPENSE GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL • Winter Ales

Regional Breweries • PUBCO’S • Old alesPerries • MILDS • National Pub Design Awards

Public Transport Group • BRANCH MEMBERSSPECIALITY BEERS • Strong Milds • Apple PUBS WEEK • Dan Kane Award • STOUTSPorters • Tasting panels • WHEAT BEERS

Young Members Committee

1975 - 201540 YEARS OFCAMPAIGNING

1975 to2015

40YEARS OFCAMPAIGNING

sdsS RS •••

•••••• 1975 to2015

40YEARS OFCAMPAIGNING

• H

A L I F A X & C A L D E R DALE •

CA

M

R A B R A N C H

Halifax & Calderdale Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

www.hxcalderdalecamra.org.uk2 | Issue 34


www.hxcalderdalecamra.org.uk 3Issue 34 |

ESSENTIAL BRANCH INFORMATION

ARTICLES FOR CalderCask?

BRANCH DIARY Our forthcoming meetings

Please Recycle your copy of CalderCask! - Why not pass to a friend, take it to work or leave it for others to read and enjoy.

All Branch & Committee Meetings start at 8pm. Social event times vary. Please check website for more info.

MAY 20157th Branch The Works, Sowerby Bridge.13th Social Brighouse Crawl - start Millers Bar, Brighouse21st Committee Big 6 Inn, Halifax.30th Social Three Pigeons, Halifax - `Come and celebrate the branch’s 40th anniversary’ (All day event plus presentation of the Pub of the year 2015)

JUNE 20155th Branch Cross Keys, Siddal, Halifax.7th Social Sportsman in Plough Croft.25th Social Halifax Crawl - start Plummet Line Hotel, Halifax.

JULY 20152nd Branch AGM Stubbing Wharf, Hebden Bridge (prompt start).15th Social Mytholmroyd Crawl - Start Shoulder of Mutton Inn, Mytholmroyd.

Local beer related articles are always welcome!Please submit your copy to be considered for use infuture editions via e-mail. [email protected] FOR SUBMISSIONS to the next edition of CalderCask is 10th July 2015Please note that for legal reasons that a full name andpostal address must now be submitted with any contributions.

BRANCH OFFICERS:• Chair: Nigel Robertshaw• Treasurer: Alan Fearnley• Social Secretary: Roger Bentley• Membershi : Richard Lee• Pubs Offi cer & Webmaster: Colin Phillips• Main Branch Contact & Secretary: Edward Lee 01274 672165 / 07946 871124 e: [email protected]• Caldercask Editor: Allan Whitehead e: [email protected]

DISCLAIMER - Views expressed in this publication are those of their individual authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Editor, branch committee or the Campaign for Real Ale nationally. Halifax & Calderdale CAMRA accepts no liability in relation to the accuracy of advertisements; readers must rely on their own enquiries. It should also be noted that acceptance of an advertisement in this publication should not be deemed an endorsement of quality by Halifax & Calderdale CAMRA.

The Editor reserves the right to amend or shorten contributions for publication. All editorial copyright © Halifax & Calderdale CAMRA 2015.

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ell then lad, isn’t it your branches 40th anniversary this year? what you doing to celebrate it?” I was asked by a rather inebriated

fellow CAMRA member in the new Bradford Brewery Tap during an excursion to sample the beery delights of the town during the Easter break. I thus informed this well-oiled chap with a spiel about what the branch had planned but I could see the words escaping from his right ear as fast as they were going in his left.

I fear his memory, probably like me after a few ales, is `shot’ and the retention of dates and times are consigned to the ìnstantly forget’ part of my brain. I resort to overcoming this forgetfulness by scribbling down dates, times etc. on pieces of paper and stu then in pockets in jeans/jackets for when I return home.

hen home I downloaded’ these scraps of text into the drawer of miscellaneous bits and pieces’. ou know the type that drawer where all the things you should throw away end up `just in case’, all waiting for their day of usefulness to come, sometimes, rarely, it does and then I’m lled with the smug satisfaction of I knew it was a good idea to keep it, this is despite my better half saying the draw is full of junk, which I remind her frequently about not throwing stu away like watch batteries, those really tiny screws to x my glasses and countless receipts form Tesco which impart information as to where all my money now seems to go.

I then ring the date on our family wall planner then usually a few days later I stare at the wall planner for inspiration wondering why I had circled a particular date! This is when the ̀ drawer of miscellaneous’ beckons me to search its contents for the answer.

o elsewhere in this packed edition there are announcements on some major branch activities but for those who like me circle those calendars/diaries, these are two signi cant dates that you may wish to note.

3 th May aturday , 2 15 the alifax Calderdale CAMRA Branch 40th Anniversary Celebration party to be held at the 3 igeons un Fold alifax from 12 noon with presentations and much ò’ back slapping, hand shaking with food plus, of course, beer to be consumed during the afternoon.

The second important date s for those diaries is November 12th, 13th, 1 th 2 15 Thurs- at this is the weekend of the Calderdale Beer & Cider Festival to be held at the Town all, ebden Bridge. ith a planned 50 + beers, ciders & perries available and hopefully some special anniversary brews.

o get scribbling those dates in your diaries or input into those modern electronic devices like mart hones, Tablets or iPads and check the branch web site for regular updates and extra info on the beer festival www.hxcalderdalecamra.org.uk

BAR THOUGHTS...40 Years of Progress

OUR MAGAZINE COVER...'Pint of words'This image hopefully conveys just some of the structure of the Campaign, its achievements and positives, many of which the Halifax and Calderdale Branch have been involved with in its 40 years of existence. ell done all and here’s to the next years – cheers.

In issue 32 I covered the demise of too many pubs closing for good, but it would seem that now the sun is shining in certain areas of our district with Halifax, Hebden Bridge and Todmorden leading the pack of new enterprises opening, from traditional pub, trendy bar, micro pub and specialist o -license plus a new micro-brewery a report on this new brewery in this edition May I suggest that eorge sborne’s duty cut of a penny the last three budgets really shows that by ust one penny o taxation can have ma or bene ts to the drinks industry.

This will ensure that the pint in the pub remains an a ordable pleasure, and secures many thousands of obs, continues to rebalance alcohol taxation Britain still is in the top three when it comes to taxing our national drink and ensuring that pubs and bars remain at the heart of our communities and not forgetting that beer and pubs contribute £22 bn. to the UK GDP and generate £13 bn. in tax revenue. es, we all need thriving pubs keeping your community heart beating, keeping the great in Great Britain.





As the tasting panel chair I was asked to help judge the winter beer of the year at the Annual CAMRA

inter Ales Festival. The Champion inter Beer of Britain competition judges the best of the best in terms of classic winter warmers – from thick, rich, dark porters and stouts, to sweet and strong Barley ines.

ix of us were given the task of udging Barley wines and strong Old Ales. Barley wines range from amber to copper to tawny in colour and may have a high residual sweetness due to residual sugars. Alternatively some barley wines are fermented to dryness. In many barley wines, estery and ripe fruity characteristics, such as pear drop or strawberry, are counter-balanced by medium to assertive bitterness and extraordinary alcohol content.

trong old ales have similar characteristics but are typically dark brown or black and may have a very rich malty character with light roast malt as well as dark fruits, chocolate or co ee in aroma and taste.

It was a blind tasting of eight beers. e individually gave marks out of 40 for each beer and only discussed the merit of each beer after writing down our score. Each udge had a di erent method of tasting the beers. I always choose four beers for a udge o with the beers changing places from my initial impression. e gave in our results, having little idea which beer would be the winner.

For the rst time the udges were able to oin the trade only session in the Round House. I had never been before and was amazed by the architectural splendour of this magni cent structure. The Roundhouse is the orld’s ldest Roundhouse built in 183 ,following £48 million renovation, it has been returned

to its former glory with original features restored and complemented by dazzling new artworks. This stunning Grade II* listed building opened its doors in late 2009 and has already played host to a wide range of prestigious corporate events. It was originally developed in 1839 by four rival rail companies, including North Midland Railway NMR for whom eorge tephenson and his son Robert were engineers.

I was pleased to nd out that at least 2 of the beers were free to judges and the trade until the general public were allowed to join us at 4pm. The standard and condition of the beers were excellent and I spent most of the time talking to a brewer from cotland who is willing to supply us with several beers from North of the border for the Calderdale’s Beer Festival at Hebden Bridge Town

all from Thursday 12th November to aturday 1 th November.

It then became the time for the results. The winner of the Barley ine ld strong Ales was Lees’ Moonraker. It was a beer that did stand out from the rest and was one of the beers in my udge o . I gave it fourth place, however, but I was more than happy with it being declared the winner.

After a big fanfare the overall winner was announced and it was a beer recommended by Halifax and Calderdale tasting panel as the best brewed porter in our area.

Elland 1872 orter was crowned CAMRA’s upreme Champion inter Beer of Britain 2 15. It will now go forward to compete in the overall Champion Beer of Britain competition at the Great British Beer Festival this August.

Here is a description of the beer in the Good Beer uide. Creamy, full- avoured porter

with rich liquorice avours and a hint of chocolate from the roasted malt. A soft but satisfying after taste of bittersweet roast and malt.”

By Richard Lee, Halifax & Calderdale TastingPanel Chair

NATIONAL WINTER ALES FESTIVALTasting Panel’s Report



As the Halifax and Calderdale branch of CAMRA approaches its 40th anniversary, it seems appropriate to glance backwards at those early

days. In order to do so, I have extracted a few snippets from the minute books which might amuse or surprise the present readership of Caldercask. The earliest surviving record is a Halifax Courier newspaper report of 8 May 1 75, in which the chairman of the est orkshire Branch, Mr Chris Bateman, called upon those CAMRA members living in the area to attend a meeting on 22 May at the Three Pigeons in Halifax, in order to establish if there was su cient support to set up a separate CAMRA branch in Calderdale. The pub had been run by Isobel and Naylor Hiley since April 1964, and was well known both for its Art Deco interior and the quality of its ebster’s Best dispensed via ageing thirties alex’ hand-pumps. The meeting was enthusiastically attended, and was followed by a second meeting to test support at the eneral Rawdon in Luddenden Foot later the Coach and orses a few weeks later on une nineteenth.

The support evident at both these meetings led to the formal inauguration of the Halifax and Calderdale Branch on 2 uly 1 75, back at the Three igeons, where Naylor had now introduced traditional ebster’s ennine Bitter in addition to the long established Best. The rst chairman of the branch was Rod Bailey, sadly no longer with us, the treasurer, hil o mann and secretary, Chris Bateman. The four remaining committee posts were lled by ohn Grundy, Barry Morris, Chris Allen and Ian Richardson. The new chairman reported upon the opening of a new free house near owerby Bridge, The obbit, and also mentioned that Home, Boddington, Thwaites and Hardy Hanson Breweries were all looking for outlets in our area.

e also mentioned the possibility that Mixenden .M.C. might be opening as a public house. Having appealed for donations to branch funds earlier in the meeting, the treasurer was able to report that they now stood at £2.06 ½.

hil o man produced a breakdown of the pubs within the new Branch area by ownership as follows:

ebster rand Met 1 Burtonwood 2 hitbread 78 ome 1 Tetley Allied Breweries 7 ard 1 Bass Charrington 17 am mith 1 ilson rand Met 5 Free ouses 5 ounger cottish

Newcastle Taylor 3 Total 336.

The need for a more active membership in the Calderdale area is amply highlighted by the rst edition of the Good Beer Guide which had been published prior to the formation of the Halifax and Calderdale Branch, at a time when only a handful of dedicated experts within the est orkshire Branch attempted to cover the whole Metropolitan County. The guide listed just two pubs in Calderdale, the Railway at venden, described as Future in doubt owing to road-widening scheme. Popular pub with interesting railway d cor. hitbread Leeds bitter, mild ’ and the Fox and oose, ebden Bridge, that carried no description at all, merely hitbread Blackburn bitter, mild ’. Unfortunately, by the time that the next B was produced in 1 75 the hitbread breweries at both Leeds and Blackburn had ceased to brew real ale, furthermore the Fox and Goose had been sold to the free trade but the new owners had chosen not to o er cask beer the Three igeons, however, did make it into the edition along with nine other pubs.

ithin a few months of the Branch’s inception it had been established that around seventy of the district’s pubs were serving cask conditioned beers, and no less than thirty-seven were put forward to be considered for the twenty-three spaces allocated to the branch area in the 1976 GBG.

In the light of present day experience, there are a few striking features about the pubs included on the shortlist. Firstly, only six of the pubs on the list were free houses, whereas the remainder were tied to breweries, indicating that whilst the Calderdale pub trade at that time included a fairly high proportion of free trade, it had not yet recognised a growing demand for real ale, which at the same time it still remained a signi cant part of the business for the established brewers. Indeed one

EARLY DAYS OF THIS CAMRA BRANCHHalifax & Calderdale Branch’s History



6 REAL ALES & 3 REAL CIDERS- Rotating selection of Guest Ales & 3 Farmhouse Ciderson handpumps plus a wide selection of bottled ciders

BAR OPEN EVERYDAY: 12 noon to 11pm

FOOD SERVED ALL DAY, EVERY DAY Mon - Sat: 12 noon to 9pm, Sun: 12 noon to 8:30pm

King Street, Hebden Bridge, Halifax HX7 6LU

Tel. 01422 844 107

www.stubbingwharf.com

Find us on Facebook & Twitter

Always the warmest welcome

REAL ALE & GREAT PUB FOOD

15 Market Street • Hebden Bridge • HX7 6EUOpening Times: Wednesday to Saturday 10am - 6pm & Sunday 10am - 4pm

We sell Specialist Bo�le Beers from Yorkshire & Beyond, Specialist Arsan Spirits, Loose Leaf Teas,

Coffee & Speciality Mixers & Tonics

of the earliest branch minutes revealed an approach to campaigning that was aimed at persuading more of the free trade to sell real ale in the hope that would encourage the tied trade, seen as in decline owing to the promotion of keg beers by the large brewers. econdly, hand-pumps were by no means universal as a method for dispensing real ale, with nineteen out of thirty-seven pubs utilising electric pumps to draw beer from the cellar. Carbon dioxide gas blanket pressure was little or never used in this area at that time since beer volumes remained high, and the continued use of the auto-vac remained a contentious issue; pubs usually made a simple choice between traditionally dispensed cask conditioned beers or brewery conditioned products. Thirdly, the lack of choice. Despite the fact that Calderdale enjoyed the advantage that eight of its tied houses were supplied by ve small or regional brewers from outside the area, and hence had more choice than much of est orkshire, only twelve brewers were represented in total. Indeed the free houses listed o ered many of the same beers found elsewhere, namely

ebster, ounger, ilson and Tetley, with only Theakston and Thwaites beers being provided by those pubs which bene ted from a lack of tie to a brewery.

I hope to take a further look at snippets from Calderdale CAMRA’s archive in the next edition of Caldercask.

By P. W. Robinson





Following the sad death of long-standing licensee ohn artley, the houlder of Mutton, Mytholmroyd

has been taken over by wen and Lisa ’ ullivan, formerly of the Cross in eptonstall. hile they do not plan to make any major changes to the pub, the beer range has already improved considerably. On Easter Monday the six ales on the bar were: Copper Dragon Golden Pippin, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Goose Eye Chinook, Rooster’s ankee, op Back ummer Lightning and Kelham Island Pale Rider. All the beers sampled were in good condition.

Calderdale’s rst micropub, Calan’s in ebden Bridge, is due to open at mid-day on aturday 25th April. ituated in the former Hebden Bridge Tea Company premises in the Courtyard, o Bridge ate, it is the rst venture into the licensed trade of Alan Binns and Alyson Littlefair. They hope to have four beers on sale from local and regional micro-breweries.

Contrary to earlier reports, the arcel ce pop-up beer and cider bar on Hebden Bridge station WILL now open this summer after all. It will be operated by Nadine Colclough, who ran it on behalf of the Real Cider Company’s Phil Kennedy the summer before last. The bar will be open from 16 00 to 21 00 on Fridays and aturdays from 1st May onwards. Nadine hopes to have at least one re-racked cask ale from a local brewery on sale. Plus several traditional ciders and a range of continental bottled beers. he also hopes to have live music performed by local artistes.

The olden Lion, Fielden quare, Rochdale Road, Todmorden, re-opened on March 1st by bar owner and local character, Matthanee Nilavongse - known to all as

ig - of the Three ise Monkeys, on nearby ater treet. As well as running the food and drink side of the business,

ig will also be o ering accommodation at the Lion by renovating ve bedrooms of the old coaching house to create a “quirky, boutique B&B.” Gig will continue to run the Three ise Monkeys, hoping the bars and their restaurants will complement each other - while bringing a new experience to Todmorden’s drinkers and diners.

n the beer front The olden Lion o ers hand pulls dispensing a range of independent cask ales with recent o erings of Bridestones, lightly Foxed and Revolutions . And on recent visits all the cask ales have been in excellent form. The Lion now o ers a fused mix of traditional pub interior with an oriental twist with many artefacts’ and

curios instead of the usual pottery and horse brasses. It is nice to see the Golden Lion re open and trading again following the disastrous oods of 2 12 and Mood ubs part of the Leeds-based Mood developments for their investment of £300,000 to refurbish the pub.

On a sad note also in Todmorden the Bramsche Bar on Rochdale Road is now closed but will re-open as a licensed co ee shop, ava, which until recently had premises on alifax Road Todmorden. The co ee shop was always well attended with a range of ne drinks and food available so although the loss of a cask ale outlet is regrettable, at least the premises on Rochdale Road is not to remain closed and boarded up.

Up the road at alsden the Cross eys on Rochdale Road has a `Free-Hold’ for sale sign erected and the familiar steel shutters on the doors. Let’s hope when it is sold that the new owner considers keeping it as a licensed premises

Good News - hilst in Todmorden area the Bear Arts Brewery is to re-commence brewing shortly with occasional one-o brews during the spring and summer, with the emphasis on strong experimental beers.

From the Halifax & Calder Valley

PUB & BREWERY NEWS

THE CALDERDALE BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL

12th, 13th & 14th NOVEMBER 2015Thursday Saturday

• A RANGE OF OVER 50+ BEERS, CIDERS & PERRIES WILL BE AVAILABLE

• HOT & COLD FOODAVAILABLE ALL SESSIONS

• SPECIALLY BREWED FESTIVAL ALES

Pay on the door NO advance tickets required.Regular buses & trains to Hebden Bridge

from all parts of Calderdale

The Halifax and Calderdale Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale proudly presents

To be held atHEBDEN BRIDGE TOWN HALL

St, George’s Street, Hebden Bridge, HX7 7BY

Admission Times• m 10.00 m Thursday 1 th • 1 noon 11.00 m Friday 1 th

• 1 noon 10.00 m Saturday 14th



Vocation Brewery is a brand new enterprise set up in the wilds of Hebden Bridge, high up in Cragg Vale or, to be precise, at Cragg’s Business Park,

New Road.The new brewery is the vison of ohn ickling who

for you brewery spotters out there was the founder and owner of the award-winning Blue Monkey Brewery of Nottingham until recently .

The brewery is set in dramatic moorland with far reaching views across the moors opposite and for ohn an area he knew well, having originally lived in Heptonstall for several years before getting into brewing. The new venture is in good company being a neighbour of Little Valley Brewery and The Real Cider Company in the business park.

In a recent interview and brewery visit ohn explained his journey into the brewing world and how he started his career in IT for a major bank but, in his own words, “wanted to create something more than spreadsheets”, bought a home brew kit and was hooked. The brewing of beer was a revelation and now inspired, he soon went on to found the brewery Blue Monkey in 2008 so named after the nickname of the ames that rose out of the chimneys of a local foundry tanton iron works .

ohn sold Blue Monkey about 12 months ago after ve years of running the brewery and producing award winning ales, but in his words “mused for something else to do” soon realised that setting up and running successful breweries was in his blood, not only was in his blood but was for him a true vocation in life - hence the name Vocation Brewery.

The brewery is a very modern a air with the plant being installed by Vincent ohnson Brewery installations, a company with over twenty years’ experience, based in Tottington, Bury, Lancashire . A nationally recognised rm for producing the nest quality brew kits in Britain and

Europe. The brew kit will consist of the usual hot and cold liquor tanks that’s water the Mash Tun, Copper,

fermenting vessels and arrangement of other various technical items.

The copper which boils the

w o r t

has next to it an ingenious contraption that looks as if is straight out of some nuclear reactor called an Èxternal Calandria’ it contains the heating elements 3 that heats the liquid, wort that is pumped through it from the copper, then re-circulates around gradually bringing the copper and its contents to the Boil’. ohn said that he believes it to be unusual for micro-breweries to be using this methodology of heating the wort, as external Calandria’s are more common place in much larger breweries. This technical innovation will allow for better brewing with techniques employed like whirlpool technology and aid the cleaning of the copper considerably no elements getting in the way .

The brewery will be a 15 barrel plant capable of brewing up to 4 x times per week combined with the 4 fermenters could produce 17,220 pints per week believe me that’s a lot of delicious beer -editor which will be delivered to outlets in the distinctive black casks emblazoned with the brewery logo.

The malt for brewing comes from Crisp of Norwich, ohn states that he has used Crisp malts before and their

malts have a proven record of producing the quality ales that has become ohn’s trademark and in ohn words “why change a winning formula?”.

The hops will be mainly American hops varieties west coast so expect many of the brews to have a fruit character consisting of a broad range of these fruity avours from citrus, pine, peachy, pineapple, grapefruit, mango and blueberry all balanced with a clean rounded bitterness to leave you wanting more. I certainly can’t wait to see them on the pumps of local free houses. –Editor .

As wall as cask ohn intends to bottle some of the beers which he intends to do in-house, so within the building there is provision for a shop selling the bottles and a bar for those visiting groups to enjoy a hand drawn ale which, I’m sure will prove very popular with CAMRA groups and the general public.

The other important member of the team at Vocation is Tom Chapman who is the ales Manager. Tom who is local to the area ebden Bridge will be easily

VOCATION BREWERYNew Brewery Opens



recognisable for those who frequented the pubs around Hebden Bridge, in many of which he was behind the bar serving and latterly was Bar Manager at The inchli e Arms, Cragg Vale, a position he held there for three years. Tom has a real passion for cask ale so he certainly knows about its care in the cellar and of course as well as serving was often heard giving a back ground explanation about beers to those wanting to know more about their purchase, with descriptions given on styles, colour and characteristics, ensuring the customers are happy with their beer and hopefully coming back for some more.

As Tom states “drinkers are wanting to know a lot more about their beer, not just that it tastes good but about the depth of avours, style and where it come from and some thing that makes it stand out from others they may have tried”. “I believe that the range of beers we will be brewing here at Vocation will be distinctive and leave the consumer wanting more, hopefully much more”.

The Brewery�s mission statement -Vocation is a ercely independent brewery, hell-bent on producing punchy and distinctive beers. Over long days and sleepless nights, we pursue perfection with dogged determination and never compromise our vision. This relentless persistence makes our beers bold, brave and exhilarating.www.vocationbrewery.com

• Locally Brewed House Beer• 6 Rotating Guest Ales & Ciders

• Large range of Bottled Lagers & Ciders• Lined glasses to ensure a full pint

• Quiz - Mondays 9:00pm• Regular Music Sessions • Sunny Beer Garden

1ST CO-OPERATIVE PUB IN WEST YORKSHIRE& CAMRA WINTER PUB 2015

www.foxandgoose.org 7 Heptonstall Road, Hebden Bridge HX7 6AZ

BEER FESTIVAL 22nd - 25th MAY

Open from Noon Daily

PUB OF THE SEASON PRESENTATIONPhotos from the well attended Presentation at the Fox & Goose, Hebden Bridge

The offi cial certifi cateThe Stained glass window

The

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The banner outside

A bit too much for this pub regular

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A bit too much for this pub regularA bit too much for this pub regularA bit too much for this pub regular

The banner outsideThe Stained glass window

A busy night for all

The offi cial certifi cateThe Stained glass window



es, that’s right the Halifax and Calderdale CAMRA branch is celebrating 40 glorious years of existence in 2 15. es, it’s hard to believe that the branch

has been going since the year 1 75 that’s a long time ago, well for some, but as for others it may seem only yesterday but however you feel about the last years I’m sure there are many memories from those past years.

Thinking about 1975 here are a list of notable dates and events plus some other bits and bobs to maybe remind you of those days, or perhaps you are counting your blessings that you escaped those groovy days of 75 and were too young to understand or born somewhat later. Any way here goes...

Do you Remember...1975?Let’s start with beer – the price of your pint in 1975.

About – well see later but it’s in pence!• Brian Clough was appointed manager of econd

Division strugglers Nottingham Forest.• Margaret Thatcher appointed leader of the

Conservative Party.• British coal miners accepted a 35% pay rise.• Actor Charlie Chaplin was knighted by the queen.• The National Front protested about integration

with Europe.• Monty ython lm the oly rail was released.• In ation hits an all-time high of 2 .2%.• The National Railway Museum opens in ork.• The ex istols have their rst public

performance.• im’ll x it was rst aired by the BBC that year.• ueens Bohemian Rhapsody was released.• Vauxhall launches a new model the Chevette.• Chrysler launches the Alpine 5 door car. • Fawlty Towers was aired for the rst time by

the BBC.• Unemployment tops 1.25 million.• Norton Villers motorcycle producers closes down.• Vauxhall launches the Cavalier car.• British and Icelandic ship clash again marking a

third Cod ar.• The government announce that Britain was in a

double dip recession.• British Leyland launched the Morris 18-22 which

within 6 months is re-released as the Princess.

• Lord Lucan was named as murderer of the nanny found in his wife’s London home that year.

• Two new acts of parliament came into force: The ex iscrimination act and The Equal ay act.

I was around in 1 75 in my mid-teens . Looking through this list makes me feel quite old - some I remember, some I don’t and many I’ve ust forgot. o here are a few other factoids to probe that aging grey area.

Books published in 1975Malcom Bradbury - History Man published. Agatha

Christie’s last Hercule Poirot book published. Colin exter’s rst Inspector Morse book published. erald eymor’s thriller arrys ame published.

Personalities Born in 1975ary Neville, footballer. Edith Bowman, Radio .

amie liver, TV Chef. ate inslett, Actress. annah aterman, Actress. Robbie Fowler, Footballer. Russel

Brand, Actor/comedian. David Beckham, Footballer. Konnie Huq, TV presenter. Declan Donnelly & Anthony Mcpartlin, TV presenters. Melanie Brown, inger. Tiger

oods, golfer.

Personalities Who Died in 1975illiam artnell, Actor. odehouse, riter.

Barbra epworth, culptor. ames Robertson ustice Actor. Ross Mcwhirter co-founder of the Guinness book of records. Graham Hill, Racing driver. Pete Ham, singer and song writer.

Films from 1975aws, Towering Inferno, Ben i, Funny Lady, Murder on

the rient Express, Tommy, ne ew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Number Ones in 1975 (but who sung them?)Bye Bye Baby, ailing, hispering grass, tand

by your man, Give a little love, Hold me close, The last farewell, I only have eyes for you, Tears on my pillow,

40th BIRTHDAY!Halifax & Calderdale Branch Celebrate



I’m Not in love, Barbados, If, anuary, A space oddity, Bohemian Rhapsody.

TV Shows of 1975The weeney, Crossroads, Celebrity quares, Fawlty

Towers, pace 1 , Cuckoo alt , Angels, urvivors, Opportunity Knocks, Tiswas, Dixon of Dock Green, That’s Life, orridge, Call my Blu , ads Army, The oodies,

R ho.

And Finally... those odd facts that you thought you knew but didn’t!Petrol was 72 pence per Gallon! Micro-soft was registered as a trademark, ony released the Beta max tape, odak released the rst digital camera, New house prices start at £11,787. The Bank of England base rate was 11.25% - NA A launched the space probe Viking one to explore the outer planets. Mr potato head was one of the best-selling toys- the CAMRA Branch Halifax and Calderdale was formed.

o if reading these lists have stirred those memories or just made you curious to the long ago days of 1975, then why not join the Halifax and Calderdale CAMRA branch for a beer or two at our anniversary party? It is being held at The Three igeons, un Fold, alifax in late May 3 th

aturday from 12 noon onwards, with the presentation of the CAMRA ub of the ear’ presentation in the mid-

afternoon, so please come a share those 70s memories, come for the presentation or ust come and nd out what CAMRA is all about and consume many ne ales

And if all that doesn’t tempt you, it’s also coincides with The Three Pigeons 10th Anniversary under Ossett Brewery ownership with a superb 4 day Beer Festival starting on the 28th May – so enjoy!!

– Oh the price of that tasty pint - about 18 pence, unless of course you know di erently

APJ

A BIG THANK YOU...From the Halifax & Calderdale CAMRA BranchThe Halifax and Calderdale CAMRA branch would like to thank the following establishments for allowing us to hold our meetings – The Gundog, Halifax. Fox and Goose, Hebden Bridge. The Polished Knob, Todmorden. Long Chimney, Sowerby Bridge. Duke of York Stainland. The Railway, Brighouse.

& From the Editor of CalderCaskThe Editor is grateful to the following for their contributions to this edition of Caldercask. A. Grant. P. W. Robinson. AP J. A. Whitehead. D. O’Neill. C. Dyson.

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In the last issue an article titled `40 BRANCH AGMs’ and the prospect of all change. Due to the lack of space in the last edition this is now part two of that article-

The Committee/volunteers structure of the Halifax and Calderdale CAMRA Branch is like many branches around the UK. The standard format of usually 5-6 main posts then sub posts or associate positions, many of these sub-positions could be in place depending on where the branch is located geographically. For example does the CAMRA branch cover a city or a geographic area that has a major university? It would then probably follow that the committee structure would have an individual or group of persons to represent this important part of the local, albeit temporary, populace students , so a young persons’ or `student liaison’ position would be included in the branch’s volunteer structure.

Many CAMRA branches produce a regular beery magazine or similar publication usually every quarter but others may produce at more frequent intervals, so an associate position of èditor’ or èditorial group’ will be required to manage and cover aspects of the production of such publications.

Nearly all CAMRA branches will have breweries operating within their boundaries, from national, regional through to the phenomenal explosion of microbreweries now setting up throughout the U . o it is good practise that CAMRA branches have regular contact with these breweries and have individuals to act as a liaison between the local CAMRA branch and the brewery concerned. These associate committee positions are called `Brewery Liaison cers’ or BL ’s for short.

The same can be said of Cider & Perry producers. If a branch area covers part or region of the country that has cider and perry producers then a representative to liaise between the local CAMRA branch and these producers will be needed. Of course that does not necessarily mean that because a branch doesn’t currently have any producers of cider and perry that a cider & perry representative is not required, a person could be needed to promote the style of drink within the branch or act as the person responsible for looking after a range of ciders and perries on sale at a local CAMRA beer festival.

Most CAMRA branches run or hold some sort of beer festival or beer promotion event. This can range from the standard format of a local hall or similar building, although

some branches use marquees to hold their beer festivals. These festival can be a one day, or through to multiday events showcasing the very best of local and countrywide beers, ciders and perries.

Many individuals volunteers will be needed to organise and co-ordinate these events. Thinking mainly about a traditional hall/marquee type of event; usually a main person is appointed who is named the `Festival organiser’ and then sub groups or individuals are appointed volunteer , who will look after di erent aspects of the festival. ome example are - Cider erry rep, looking after and ordering a range of beverages to try Beer ordering, as the name suggests ordering all the beers and ales Booking the hall and nance, the overseeing of all aspects of the nancial running of the event, this could involve getting sponsorship of the festival by local pubs, breweries and businesses Logistics making sure all the equipment is at the site ready for assembly from stillaging through to tables, chairs, taps, beer lines, hand pumps etc. . ta ng o cer, making sure volunteers are on hand to serve you your drink and ensuring that volunteers have regular breaks and are given meals . ublicity o cer organising all aspects of advance promotion of the event maybe even making an announcement on local radio, TV or issuing brie ngs press releases to the local papers Entertainment o cer booking bands, musicians or other entertainments and looking after those persons whilst at the festival .

And not forgetting the small army of volunteers, the `behind the scenes’ people who turn their hand to a multitude of di erent tasks, from the setting up of the festival in the days beforehand, washing glasses, wiping tables, moving furniture, stewarding, sweeping - mopping up, unloading / loading vans and delivery vehicles, putting up posters to even making brews cups of tea co ee . All these individuals involved from the festival organiser down to the brewer-upper - ALL giving up their free time to volunteer, to sta and run the festival and hopefully making it successful.

VOLUNTEERING - WHAT CAN I DO?Part Two



o what could you the CAMRA member do to help out? - Fancy trying your hand at any of the above or any of the current committee positions? Perhaps you have skills or expertise in some of the positions mentioned. Good at nance or getting in sponsorship, dealing with the press or new media, good at writing or have creative skills in art and design, experience in HR - dealing with people or organisations face to face , experience of data bases- running membership lists, have a passion for ciders and perries, good at organising social events, have some free time to deliver to pubs the branch magazine Caldercask. Perhaps you are a `young person’ or `non-active/new’ member who wants to get involved but are not too sure what you can o er lease make contact with us via any

of the methods on the essential information page, even if you only want some more information before you get involved as the old phrase goes - “many hands make light work”.

o why not volunteer, help out to make a di erence As a taster to some of the volunteer roles there are two descriptions of associate positions - the Brewery Liaison

cer and Cider erry Representative - printed elsewhere within the issue, so have a good read and if you think that I like the sound of that then please contact us.

By Allan Whitehead

SITUATIONS VACANT Can you fill these positions?

The position is not time demanding perhaps 1 hour but does require the holder to contact the brewery on a regular basis. This is entirely

at the discretion of the post holder but usually once per month should be probably aimed at. The purpose of these visits is to speak to the brewery owner this could be the brewer him/herself and ask how business is going, whether any new beers are in the pipeline or if expansion/ development is planned.

For example, a lot of micros especially in the orkshire region brewed special ales to commemorate

the Tour de orkshire’ cycle race or perhaps another ma or sporting event cricket, rugby or even the Commonwealth games . The brewery could be

working at out to meet demand or having new fermenters /equipment installed to meet this demand. It may have won awards from winning `Beer at the Festival’ either locally or at the regional/national level.

The idea of the BLO position is to `liaise’ with the local CAMRA group and the brewery nd out the news on behalf of the branch and how we the branch can support the brewery. our only other commitment is to send in to the CAMRA branch regular reports on the brewery and supply text if you have any, for inclusion in the Breweries ection’ in the branch Maga ine Caldercask.

If this sounds like something you could do then please contact the branch via the web address or you can write if you prefer to the branch postal address enclosing your full details - all information can be found on the essential information page in this edition.

The Cider and Perry representative is a vital link individual between the local CAMRA group and producers, suppliers and pubs serving this style

of traditional drink this is not to be confused with mass produced ciders makers .

Although the traditional cider and perry produces are mainly based around the est Country area of Britain there are now many small cider and perry producers cropping up in all parts of the UK with quite a few in the orkshire region. Unfortunately these small producers are underrepresented in the Calderdale area. There are a few exceptions were the small producers have seen their products served regularly, but they are often seen as a niche product.

The position as representative of this style of drink is to liaise with the branch and producers and suppliers to see how CAMRA can promote this type of beverage to a bigger market. This could be by making sure that a good range of styles and avours of di erent ciders and perries are available at our local CAMRA festivals maybe others and submitting regular reports about these style of drinks to the branch with articles submitted to be included into Caldercask. ome previous holders of this type of position have seen themselves representing cider and perry at regional and national festivals throughout the UK.

If this sounds like something you could do then please contact the branch via the web address or you can write if you prefer to the branch postal address enclosing your full details - all information can be found on the essential information page in this edition

The Brewery Liason Offi cer (BLO)

The Cider & Perry Representative



One of the great things about the arrival of pring and the lighter nights is the opportunity to sit outside with a pint. It is almost as if the rst hint

of warmer weather brings the drinker back to life after months of hibernation in the snug or taproom - unless of course you’re a smoking one, who through necessity has had to venture outdoors in even the most adverse weather conditions. That rst outside drink of the year, even when there is still a chill in the air, often feels like a new awakening.

There is something about drinking outside. It gives us a chance to re-convene with nature , take in the fresh air, and enjoy the sunshine. It is like all those hours spent on the computer or watching TV are now compensated by a re-born sense of awareness that we are creatures who need the bene t of the sun’s warmth and light. The pint in your hand tastes better, the sun makes you feel better. hen you’ve got kids a beer garden with a swings and climbing frames is as much an attraction to them as the beer and fresh air is to you. The Navigation at Calder

rove near ake eld was a particular favourite when my elder two were growing up, with the canal an added feature of interest.

The ingenuity of the human race to conjure up a space in which to catch the rays knows no bounds. It may only be a bench by the side of a busy A road, but it still works. The sound of busy tra c can be ust as cathartic as the

sound of birds singing when you’ve had a busy day working inside. A particular favourite of mine is the sun-trap which is the car park at talybridge Bu et Bar, with the noise of the trains and hills beyond providing more interest.

My actual very favourite beer garden is the terrace at the un otel in Coniston, with its backdrop of the Cumbrian Fells and the village down below. I took a trip to Hebden Bridge today – purely in the interests of research, of course and at the tubbing harf there is a fantastic canalside location with tables. I enjoyed a pint there, birds singing, the odd barge passing, before moving on to try the new hillside beer garden at the Fox and Goose. But throughout our area we have some fantastic places.

If you want to read more about this and various other ramblings please feel free to visit my blog: Real Ale, Real Music: www.chrisdyson55.blogspot.comCheers, enjoy the sunshine...and keep on rockin’ in the free world...By Chris Dyson

REAL ALE, REAL MUSICGood Beer, Good Music, Good Times

o we are well into 2015. And this year is continuing to be every bit as good as 2014. After a few hospital visits I nally got my eyes sorted out and can now

see very clearly. I never realised I’d got a colour telly....At the end of 2014, three of us old gits went on a trip

to Bury. e had a great time visiting and sampling some great beer in various pubs including the Art Picture House, the Trackside Bar and ir Robert eel amongst others, starting and nishing o at the Commercial Railway in Brighouse. In anuary fellow columnist Chris yson had a signi cant birthday can’t say how old he is but he can

now get free prescriptions . As part of the celebrations we en oyed a day visiting the Railway in reen eld and the Bu et Bar in talybridge.

A little boy arrived home dragging an armchair with one hand and a settee with the other. His father scolds him saying hat have I told you about accepting suites from strangers?!”

Little Brian goes up to his father and asks “Dad, where did I come from?” His father puts down his paper and launches into a long talk about love, the birds and the bees, and the ins and outs of human reproduction. The last few minutes of the lecture are devoted to little Brian’s time in his mother’s womb and the rather long and messy birth. As the tale continues, the boy’s eyes get wider and wider. Finally father nishes and Brian whistles in surprise.

ow, that sure beats Tommy mith, he only came from Heckmondwike!”

ere’s a thought. hy are ave the trees’ signs always made out of wood?

DAZE OUTHarry Goode’s Thoughts





es folks, you read the heading correctly – it’s not a typo The Cross eys in iddal, alifax, was the very worthy winner of our branch’s ub of the ear

award last year. Unfortunately the presentation co-incided with CalderCask’s previous editor moving away from the area and nine months elapsed before the publication of a new edition under our current editor. As a result of this we were unable to credit the award with the current publicity that it deserved at the time.

In order to try and compensate for that lapse, I have penned this little item to draw your attention to what is a rst-rate and very well- run community pub that is well worth a visit. ituated at the unction of iddal New Road and hitegate, ust over a mile south-east of alifax town centre. It can be reached on foot from the town centre in about 20 minutes, but if it’s raining hard, or you’re not too good on your feet, the 542 bus stops a few yards from the door in both directions half-hourly during the day and hourly in the evening .

ust over two years ago ugh irby and Ruth Dunsmore purchased and rescued this historic, but very run-down local from almost certain oblivion under the ownership of a national pubco. They then set about spending lots of time and money on structural and decorative improvements to restore the building to its former glory as a thriving community pub. On entering the front door you will nd yourself in a large comfortably- furnished opened-out area with the bar over to the left and a smaller raised area to the right beyond the replace. A smaller enclosed room behind the bar is often used for meetings – including from time to time our own branch and committee meetings.

Hugh is passionate about cask- conditioned beer and now has six hand pulls on the bar serving a wide variety of well-kept continually-rotating ales from independent breweries in orkshire and beyond, always including a dark beer, plus a traditional cider. There is also a range of locally-made pork pies for when the munchies strike.

ome of the guest ales can be a little on the strong side, so if you’ve had a good session and inadvertently miss the last bus home, there are two letting rooms available upstairs.

The Cross Keys has a wonderfully friendly atmosphere and you won’t be in the pub for long before you fall into conversation with the friendly regulars. Darts, dominoes and Ring the Bull are played and a roaring re warms the lounge area in winter. There is live music on unday

afternoons and walkers, cyclists and dogs with well-behaved owners are welcome. Before winning the Pub of the ear award ugh and Ruth had already gained a ub of the eason award and a well-earned place in the ood Beer uide, plus being named B orkshire regional pub of the year for 2014, so belated congratulations to them for their latest accolade. If you haven’t yet visited the pub, do so as soon as possible. ou won’t regret it

By Andy Grant

PUB OF THE YEAR 2014For Halifax & The Calderdale Branch Area



The Real Cider Co is based in Cragg Vale, Hebden Bridge.

We specialise in the wholesale of ciders and perries to food and

drink festivals, pubs, wine bars, restaurants and retailers.

If you love cider and perry we have a massive range to choose from so

make sure you tell your local Pub or Bar Manager to give us a call.

Proudly supplying Cider & Perry to pubs, bars and festivals all over Calderdale

THE REAL CIDER COMPANY

- Cider & Perry Tasting Sessions (great for Hen & Stag do's)

- Cider & Perry Staff Training through our 'Wise on Cider' scheme

- A host your own Cider Festival Package

- A Cider Cocktail Service (Very cool - think Tom Cruise in a flat cap)

- Festival Guidance & Advice

We don't just supply Cider & Perry we offer a host of other 'Appley' services too:

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Trainingr' scheme

der Loads going on so tokeep up with all our news

and events you'd best pay usa visit at www.therealcider

company.co.uk

You can give us a tinkle on 01422 881315

or email us at [email protected]

Don't tell anyone but we've also started doing draught cider in kegs too. More news to follow.

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Elland brewery’s 1872 Porter has been crowned CAMRA’s upreme Champion inter Beer of Britain 2 15 by a panel of udges at the National inter

Ales Festival in Derby, which took place at the city’s Roundhouse venue.

The winning 6.5% abv beer is described in CAMRA’s 2 15 ood Beer uide as a creamy, full- avoured porter with rich liquorice avours and a hint of chocolate from the roasted malt. A soft but satisfying after taste of bittersweet roast and malt.”

Mike Hiscock, Elland Brewery Manager, had this to say on the win:

It’s absolutely fabulous to win the Champion inter Beer of Britain, though we certainly weren’t expecting this, it is amazing to get the hat trick and win this award for the third time. e know it is independently udged so for it to keep coming out on top is testament to the depth of avour and complexity that we get into the beer. This really is fantastic news.”

The Champion inter Beer of Britain competition judges the best of the best in terms of classic winter warmers – from thick, rich, dark porters and stouts, to sweet and strong Barley ines.

A panel of beer writers, members of the licensed trade and CAMRA members judged the competition. Elland 1872 porter will now go forward to compete in the overall Champion Beer of Britain competition at the Great British Beer Festival this August. Nik Antona, Champion inter Beer of Britain Director had this to say on the importance of the competition:

“Elland 1872 is a fantastic example of what a traditional porter should taste like and has been hugely popular for

many years, particularly it seems with

competition udges, who have named it Champion inter Beer of Britain twice and overall Champion Beer of Britain once in the last three years – a huge achievement.”

Second Time in Three Years!

OVERALL CHAMPION Gold Elland - 1972 Porter

ilver urple Moose - arkside of the MooseBronze Dancing Duck - Dark Drake

CATEGORY WINNERSBARLEY WINE & STRONG OLD ALES Gold: Lees - Moonraker

ilver: rkney - kullsplitterBronze: Darwin - Extinction Ale

OLD ALE STRONG MILDSGold: Purple Moose - Darkside of the Moose

ilver: Ulverston - Fra diavolio Bronze: Castle Rock - Midnight Owl

STO TGold: Dancing Duck - Dark Drake

ilver: lain Ales - IncognitoBron e: ighland - neeky ee rkney tout

PORTERGold: Elland - 1872 Porter

ilver oint : Bath Ales - Festivities Fuller’s - London PorterBron e: Blakemere - eep ark ecret

NATIONAL CHAMPION WINTER BEER OF BRITAIN WINNERSSee below for the Bronze, Silver & Gold Winners

ELLAND 1872 PORTER - CHAMPION WINTER BEER OF BRITAIN





Documents

CalderCask - Issue 34 - Jun/Jul/Aug 2015