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the tippler
Free - Please Take One
The Magazine of the Gloucestershire Branches of the Campaign for Real Ale
Winter 2012
© The Campaign for Real Ale 2012. Opinions expressed need not represent those of CAMRA Ltd or its officials
Happy Retirement Brian & DotEnd of an era at the Adam & Eve
Cheltenham
Cheltenham Motor ClubCAMRA South West Region
Club of the Year 2012
Gloucestershire CAMRAis now on Facebook
Ale Caesar! Launch of Corinium Ales
The flavour ofevery month
Relax with an Otterwww.otterbrewery.com
Happy New Year
Short of ideas for a New YearResolution?
Why not try one of these ideas for size andhelp our beleaguered pubs at the same time.It will mean becoming a more activeCAMRA supporter but heck, you probablydeserve to go up in the world anyway. I'mnot asking any of you to do too much, butcan each and every one of you kindlyconsider doing one of the following twothings on five occasions (at least, monthlywould be better if you can afford to) during2013, namely:
1) Visit a pub you've not frequented for atleast three months, and make a purchasethere (the mark-up on soft drinks willprobably make you more popular with yourhost if you choose that option rather than ifyou buy a pint, sadly). If you're feelingbrave, curious or helpful, talk to the landlordor landlady (be careful about asking howtrade is, how he or she is getting on in thepresent economic climate, etc. as you mightbe there for some time) whilst you're there.
2) Invite along a friend (or mate/partner/neighbour/colleague) who's fallen out of thepub-going habit, and gently reintroduce themto a rich slice of British culture. Take themsomewhere you rate highly (your local willdo), even if it's just for one drink; you neverknow, if you get it right they might have fun,and possibly invite you back out for a drinkin the near future. If all 2250+ CAMRAmembers in this great County of ours doeither (ideally both) of these things, it'll helpmake several publicans' lives slightly easier,and hopefully get a few folk back intovisiting pubs on a regular basis (rather thandrinking in front of their TV all the time).
That's potentially an extra 11000 visits to ourpubs over the next 12 months, by a pair (atleast) of drinkers - and those small individualsteps could well help keep a few vulnerablepubs viable. I have visited almost everyseventh Gloucestershire pub during 2012,
and can assure you that an extra 10 drinks (itdoesn't matter if it's malt, grain, grape orsugar-based), being purchased by over 4000people over the course of the year, can helpmake a real difference (as some of ourpublicans are working on very, very slenderprofit margins).
Can I politely ask you to do your bit inhelping our drinking establishments during2013? Thank you in advance for your help(he said, rather optimistically).
Before I go, and as it's that time of the yearonce again, can I take this opportunity to saythat I sincerely hope that at least one of yourwishes for this festive season be bothplausible (and affordable) to those who loveyou most.
Cheers and a Happy New Year to one and all!
Chairman, Gloucestershire CAMRA
Andrew Frape
Pub News
A new real ale pub opened in Stroud onFriday 30th November. onJohn Street, formerly Bar Nine, is the latestventure of Nigel Crofts who previously ran aFullers pub in Hertford called the WhiteHorse - and before that ran another WhiteHorse in Chelmsford. His skills in the cellarhas led to CAMRA Good Beer Guideaccreditations. The beers on offer at theopening night of the Ale House were veryimpressive including Butcombe Rare Breed,Dark Star Hophead, Dartmoor DragonsBreath, Salamander Golden Salamander andLocAle beers from Stroud (Budding & DingDong), Gloucester Brewery Mariner andCotswold Lion 'Best in Show'.
The Ale House has an impressive bank oftwelve handpumps, six with swan necks andsix in the traditional style. 'Sparklers off' isthe default position. Nigel is passionate abouthis real ales and an interesting and variedselection should be regularly on offer.
The Ale House
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Bar Nine opened in March 2005 at 9 JohnStreet. Located on the corner of the streetopposite the Cornhill Market, the spaciousGrade II building was previously offices andthe boardroom of Stroud Rural DistrictCouncil. Although real ales were on offer atBar Nine (usually Bombardier and Spitfire),the premises was essentially an upmarket,chic bar that had 22 Greek Cypriot andSpanish dishes on the menu.
Tim Mars of the Stroud sub-branch ofCAMRA said: "I was very excited by Nigel'splans and impressed by his commitment. TheAle House is close to my idea of the perfecttown pub, with an impressive range of realales, plus real fires and real food. It alreadyboasts a one of the finest interiors in thetown. It is the most exciting and promisingpub opening in Stroud for a very long time."
In Cheltenham the gender friendly EXS nightclub in the 'Upper' High Street is to re-openin the Spring as the
. Grant Cook, Managing Directorof Mainly Beer and an active CAMRA
member, is behind the project. The SandfordPark Alehouse will sell beers from craftbrewers and will be a welcome addition toCheltenham's real ale scene. There will bemore details in the Spring edition of thetippler. It doesn't take a lot of guessing tofigure out what EXS meant. With this inmind we asked Grant if he had any plans toput up the signs for the Sandford ParkAlehouse in anagram form - 'Sparkles of aRoundhead!' "No", was his reply.
The in Lewis Lane, Cirencesteris now brewing its own beer. Publicans Steveand Carole have installed a one barrel plantand are currently producing just one beer,'Bell's Bitter', which is described as a 3.8%dark amber traditional English Bitter. Theyhope to brew another lighter coloured 'blondebitter' at 4.1% by the end of the year. Thesmell of malted barley and boiling hops onceagain pervades the air for the first time in130 years - the Twelve Bells once stood inthe shadow of Edward Bowly's CotswoldBrewery.
Sandford ParkAlehouse
Twelve Bells
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Royal Oak - Bibstone,Cromhall
I doubt if William Henry Cornock wouldhave thought that his grandsons, now in theireighties, would be living in the same villageand still drinking in his pub over 90 yearsafter he became landlord at the Royal Oakcirca 1919. Gordon and Ernie Cornock arestill regulars and remember much of thefamily history and stories told to them bytheir grandfathers: William Henry Cornockhad a haulage business run from the pub aswell as being landlord for about 20 years forthe then owners Arnold Perrett & Co. Ltd.,Wickwar Brewery. In the cellar with the beerwas a wheelwrights shop! Ernie has kindlygiven us permission to print the family photoof the Cornock family outside the pub.
We wish Ernie and Gordon many more yearsof drinking the excellent beers which arenow on tap with today's landlord Bill Gilland his wife Jill Gill. Today the Royal Oak isthe last surviving pub in the village and is a
thriving free house having been sold byEnterprise in late 2011.
I personally would like to give a big thankyou to the present day owners for saving theRoyal Oak from complete closure and to Billand Jill for continuing to make such asuccess in their very first pub. Bill hasbecome a very fastidious real ale enthusiastand can be seen throughout the day tastingsamples (just for quality control he says).Gill is in charge of the food and insists ongood quality home cooked meals.
Dave Hedges Dursley Sub-branch
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For the last 34 years Brian and Dot Gassonhave been familiar faces behind the bar at theAdam and Eve in Townsend Street,Cheltenham. They are to retire afterChristmas. Brian and Dot moved to theAdam in Eve in 1978, previously beingtenants at the White Lion in Winchcombe.When they started at the 'Adam' it was anordinary back street Whitbread pub and notlisted in CAMRA's 'Real Ale inGloucestershire'. Beer drinkers tended toprefer the Courage beers on offer at theRoyal Foresters further up Townsend Street.In the 1980's Brian's skills in cellarmanshipbegan to be appreciated - the Adam and Evesold some of the best kept pints of WhitbreadPA in Cheltenham. In 1991, when Whitbreadwere obliged to sell off some of their pubs,Arkells Brewery acquired the Adam and Eve- 21 years later hardly anything has changed.
The Adam and Eve has been featured in theCAMRA Good Beer Guide for anuninterrupted 17 years since 1996, aremarkable achievement indeed. The Adam& Eve was voted by the Cheltenham sub-branch of CAMRA their Pub of the Year in2002 and 2004. Tony Aburrow, then thechairman of Gloucestershire CAMRA said:“You feel like someone special every timeyou walk through the door. Dot always treatsher customers as friends and I know of noother pub where the welcome is so generousand genuine."
In October 2002 Dot said: “It's a way of lifefor us. We're a beer and skittles pub, a villagepub in the town, and our social life is allaround us with our regulars.”
George Arkell, director Arkells Brewery said:"Dot has been a brilliant landlady over theyears and we are lucky to have her, Theydon't make them like her anymore.”
The success of the Adam and Eve is its verysimplicity. As Dot succinctly told the
in April 2012: "Youcould go all posh and turn the whole place
around, but the locals wouldn't like it. I lovewhat I do", she said, adding: "I haven't takena holiday for the past seventeen years but Idon't need one. Chatting to people every dayfrom behind the bar is what keeps me going."
Earlier this year Chie Konishi , a foreignstudent studying social history, wrote anessay on the relationship between the Adamand Eve and the local community. She spenta lot of time in the company of Brian and Dotand the regulars at the Adam & Evegathering material for her dissertation. Chie,a teetotaller, was made most welcome everytime she visited the pub although the reasonfor her assignment was probably not fullyunderstood by the locals. She wrote: "Aplace like the Adam & Eve is a rare exampleof an autonomous local community that isnot easily shaken by the global financialclimate and social changes." However, Chiealso speaks warmly of Brian and Dot and hersentiments are spot on when she observes:"What makes the Adam and Eve so special isBrian and Dot's dedication to serve thelocals. Their ambition is not in any way toexpand their business, but sustain the goodold relationship with the locals. This is a pubin which the conversations between peopleare truly valued and people take care of theirneighbours and any other newcomers.”
We wish Brian and Dot a very happyretirement. The Adam and Eve now goesinto a new phase in its history and no matterhow successful it becomes, things won't bequite the same without Brian and our Dot...perhaps Arkell's Brewery should rename thepub the Gasson's Rest.
Gloucestershire Echo
A&E - A Sad Farewell
7
AWARD WINNINGORGANIC ALES
CHRISTMAS IS COMINGBeer available in bottles, boxes and barrels Gift sets Brewery Club membership
01453 887122 [email protected]
THE BREWERY BAR NOW OPENEvery Friday 3–11pm Friday 21st pre-Christmas jazz with the Dave Ayre Quartet
Unit 11 Phoenix Works London Road Stroud GL5 2BU
www.stroudbrewery.co.uk
Cheltenham Motor Club is situated in theformer Crown Inn in Upper Park Street. Theclub relocated in 1998 from premises inLondon Road. First and foremost known as avenue for motoring/motorsport relatedactivities, the Cheltenham Motor Club hasevolved in recent years into a highly regardedvenue for real ale in the town.
Under the Stewardship of Neil Way since2005, the club has gone from strength tostrength having won Gloucestershire Branch'sClub of the Year award every year since 2006and has been named CAMRA's South WestRegion Club of the Year an amazing fivetimes. In 2007 the Cheltenham Motor Clubwent further in the competition and wasdeclared a national finalist. Not bad for aformer Pensions Administrator!
On Saturday 27th October SW RegionalDirector Ian Packham (below left) presentedNeil with the Certificate for CAMRA SouthWest Region Club of the Year 2012.
Starting with just three hand pumps, underNeil's watchful eye, the number has nowdoubled, with Stroud Tom Long, SalopianOracle and a Thatcher's Heritage Cider, inresidence on the bar, while the other pumpsshowcase a vast array of different styles ofbeer from some of the country's manytalented brewers. With the blessing andsupport of the club's committee and assistancefrom Neil's team and "Neil's rock" (as hedescribed his wife George at the recent SouthWest Region CAMRA presentation), the clubnow holds a few regular beer festivals. Thisyear alone we have been offered the aptlynamed "Wheel-Ale Festival", a now
established annual event in the club's socialcalendar and a "Hoptoberfest", Green-AleFestival, which took place in October and it ishoped that more will follow in 2013.
Visitors to the club, which welcomesCAMRA members and other guests bothlocally and from all over the country, will tellyou it has a vibrant social side and getsextremely busy at times. The club also playshost to a number of darts and pool teams whoplay in the town's leagues and is an importantpart of the local community, with its many"regulars" who prop up the bar each night. Amonthly Curry Club Night is also held, whichattracts many members who gather together atdifferent venues each time, to sample thedelights of Cheltenham's curry restaurants andthen head back to the club to put out the fire!
: It has just been announcedthat the Cheltenham Motor Club has made itinto the final four clubs nationally. The otherfinalists in the CAMRA National Club of theYear are the Darlington Snooker Club, LeytonOrient Supporters Club and the NunsfieldSocial Club, Alvaston, Derbyshire. Thewinner will be named in May 2013.
STOP PRESS
Motoring On,Simply Miles Ahead
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The Cotswold Lion Brewery is a comingtogether of Jon Kemp and Andy Forbes whohave 14 years brewing experience betweenthem. Jon was the head brewer and co-ownerof the Nailsworth brewery until December2011 when he decided it was time to break alllinks with the Village Inn pub and move on.During his time there, Jon won numerousawards for his beer including SIBA's BestBitter in the West of England and Wales andGloucestershire CAMRA's Beer of the Yearfor 'Old Rocky' in 2009. Andy was the headbrewer and owner of Cheltenham's popularFestival brewery. Jon and Andy had knowneach other for several years as both weremembers of the Gloucestershire CraftBrewers and they decided to team up. Andywas paying over the odds for his premises inCheltenham, so the plan was to open a newbrewery, in a barley farm in the village ofCoberley near the Air Ballon roundabout.
Five months on and things are working outvery well. Jon and Andy have settled into aroutine which sees Jon heading up thebrewing activities, while Andy is in charge ofmaintenance, sales, money, legislation,money, administration, health & safety,purchasing, money, sales and debt collecting.In short, Jon gets to work in the freezingbrewery lugging bags of malt round, whileAndy enjoys the comforts offered by a twobar fire, a kettle and a micro-wave in theoffice. Both share the deliveries; Jon to thesouth of Cheltenham and Andy to the north.Jon says: "We are extremely pleased with theresponse to our beers and keep waiting forthe honeymoon period to fade, but …theparty keeps on going, so we couldn't behappier.”
Why the sheep? Despite its name, the'Cotswold Lion' is in fact a sheep. It was abreed initially introduced by the Romans tothis area and although few in numbers (theyreally are a rare breed) they are very easy toidentify due to their shabby fleeces and
heavy dreadlocks. And continuing with thesheep theme, the beers all have 'sheep' relatednames:
A lovely light ale, crisp and full of citrusflavours. A perfect Summer Session Beer!
A walk along anEnglish hedgerowin the Autumn.Plenty of blackberryfruit with a hintof honey.
Citrus flavours dominate. This time it'sGrapefruit, giving our Rastafarian lookingsheep a typically tropical flavour.
There are plans for seasonal beers, includinga Christmas beer, but at the moment, such isthe demand for their regular beers, they arenot getting the opportunity to brew a fourth.
The beers are available to the public in casks(40 litres), polypins (10 & 20 Litres) andbottles. All bottles being bottled conditionedand bottled by hand 'in-house'.
You can contact the brewery at:[email protected]
Tel: 01242 870164
Or why don't you visit the website atto find out
more about the brewery and what they haveto offer.
Shepherd's Delight 3.6%
Best in Show 4.2%
Golden Fleece 4.4%
www.cotswoldlionbrewery.co.uk
Cotswold Lion Brewery
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Up to 8 Local Ales on offer
See us in the 2013 Good BeerGuide on page 176
Up to 4 Heritage Ciders
The Black Cat Bar available for hire
Open All Day - Every day
Traditional Home Cooked Food
The Halfway House in Box Village,bordering on Minchinhampton Common, hasnow been closed for four months but thepassion and commitment of the Communityto have it reopened has not diminished.
A series of twelve very successful weeklyvigils were held outside the Halfway Houseand this was followed up with a finalseasonal vigil which was attended by thelocal MP, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, MP, NeilCarmichael and various people associatedwith local council, including Cllr DorcasBinns. This final vigil followed on from avery successful meeting in the Box VillageHall which was attended by approximatelyeighty residents from Box and thesurrounding areas.
The meeting was organised and chaired bySean Kelly, who is leading the campaign.Geoffrey Clifton-Brown listened to the viewsand concerns of attendees and he and DorcasBinns took questions. Their commitment tosupport the reopening of the Halfway Housewas encouraging and much appreciated byattendees and they agreed to follow up on theissues raised. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has
indicated he will willingly raise the issue inParliament. The vigils outside the HalfwayHouse will resume in Spring.
The vigils and closure of the Halfway Househas also received extensive radio, televisionand print media coverage. A very successfulpetition has also been organised and over1500 people have signed the online andpaper versions.
Whilst the Chairman of Trustees, Dr JaneTarr has acknowledged that the decision toclose the Halfway House was taken in hasteand consultation with the community couldhave been better, she is adamant that it willremain closed. The Community is adamant itwill continue its campaign. Since the pub’sclosure, there has been no directcommunication with the public by theTrustees or executive of the Novalis Trustand we are informed that Geoffrey Clifton-Brown is having some difficulty in arranginga meeting with the Novalis Trust CEO todiscuss the matter.
The Novalis Trust have delivered tworepetitive statements. They say they are notobliged to seek community approval to closethe Halfway House and that the pub was notviable. The Novalis Trust / Chine School is
funded from localauthority funds yet theythink they do not haveto consult thecommunity! As for thepub not being viable,this is a nonsense and ismerely a reflection onthe motives of theTrustees who need areason for closing thepub. They can then seeka change of use andincorporate the propertyinto the school. Thesuccess of the lasttenant, Niall McInerney,is an embarrassment tothe CEO of the Novalis
Save the Halfway House
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Trust, who was a Director of the companySpiritual World who ran up losses of over£282,000 in just nineteen months when theyran the Halfway House. For detailedinformation readers should go to the
website.
The closure of the Halfway House and theNovalis Trust's total disregard for theCommunities needs and opinions issymptomatic of their management culture. Asfar as the community is concerned theclosure of the Halfway House is the finalstraw in a raft of unacceptable behavioursdemonstrated over many years.
questionableacquisitions, activities and expendituresundertaken by the Novalis Trust. TheHalfway House is just one of many
properties acquired with excess public fundsand where vast amounts of money have beenextravagantly expended and wasted for nobenefit or return. One therefore has toquestion whether the Novalis Trust hasmoved into becoming a property companyfunded by the Public.
The Novalis Trust are publicity shy and havetwice threatened the website host providerfor thewebsite. Unfortunately for the Novalis Trustand fortunately for the Community theattacks on the website have generated addedpublicity.
The Community are now seeking a fullinvestigation into the financial andoperational affairs of the Novalis Trust andwill continue to work with communitygroups and appropriate authorities to havethe Halfway House re-opened.
www.savethehalfwayhouse.com
www.savethehalfwayhouse.com
The purchase of the Halfway House, theextravagant expenditure on it and its closureshould not be seen as separate from thenumerous other highly
CAMRA National Pub of the Year 2007
CAMRA SW Region Pub of the Year 2009
Hill Road, Dursley, GL11 5JQ
01453 542870
TheOld Spot Inn
Always 8 or more ever changing beers available
Excellent home cooked food served
seven days a week. Lunches
Covered heated garden area Dogs welcome
13
We have begun our planning for next year'sCotswold Beer Festival at Postlip Hall nearWinchcombe and we felt that, even at this earlystage, many of our readers would be interestedin knowing some of the changes being mooted.Full details should be available in time for theMarch tippler.
: .
: Those of you whocame to the Festival this year will know that wehad a major problem with the loss of localparking and camping due to the persistent heavyrain. Unfortunately the parking field is to beput down to crop next year and there is noguarantee that it will have been harvested by theweekend of the Festival. Even if it was, itwould be even more vulnerable to bad weather.Therefore we have been forced to plan for nextyear on the basis that local parking and campingwill once again be unavailable.
Our bus service will run from Cheltenham asbefore. Please note though that the free servicethis year was a one-off response to the parkingproblems. From next year we will have torevert to charging but, since we expect manymore people will use the service, we should beable to lower the fare. We are also hoping theservice will take in Winchcombe as well.Tickets will be available at the same time asentry tickets.
: We appreciate also that many of ourcustomers like to camp and so we hope to cometo some agreements with one or more of thelocal campsites which can be integrated withtransport to the Festival.
: We have looked verycarefully at this and regretfully come to theconclusion that the space on the main road issimply not adequate to allow drop off and pickup (principally the latter) whether by privatevehicles or taxis.
: This year we found that selling ticketsover the last few weeks at the bottled beer shopFavourite Beers was extremely successful andwe are very grateful to Leigh Norwood fordoing this on our behalf. We plan to extend thisto more outlets in 2013 and from an earlier date.Postal sales will still be available but only for alimited time.
Also this year we bundled the tickets with a £6sheet of the tokens used to buy beer and food atthe Festival. This was to reduce the longqueues which formed at the token stand at thestart of each session, and for that purpose thechange worked very well indeed. Howeverseveral comments have suggested thatcustomers would prefer this to be optional.Therefore the tickets next year will not includetokens, but token sheets should be availableahead of the Festival through the same salesoptions as for tickets.
We will start much earlier and hope to havetickets available from mid March for sale toCAMRA members, possibly at the GloucesterBeer Festival at Blackfriars advertised oppositeand also at other CAMRA meetings and events.They would then go on sale to the generalpublic from around mid April.
: Sunday lunchtime has been theCinderella session, particularly over recentyears. There are no guarantees what beer willbe left and so there is no charge for entry.However, to maintain a good range of beersthroughout Saturday evening we are bound tohave very many still available on the Sunday –typically we have had 30 or more beers stillflowing, a very respectable festival in its ownright. Next year we plan to make much more ofthis and will in fact be making Sunday a fullticketed session. Tickets will be available at asmall cost which will then be reimbursed on theday, but this will allow us to plan better for boththe beers and ciders and for the transport whichwe shall lay on in the same way as for othersessions. The session is very relaxed andenjoyable so come along and give it a try.
Date 19th to 21st July 2013
Parking and transport
Camping
Drop off and pick up
Tickets
Sunday
Cotswold BeerFestival
2013
14
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Roman roots inspires anew local microbrewery
by Rob ToughA brand new microbrewery, Corinium Ales,set up by the current Cirencester CAMRAsub branch chair, Lucy Cordrey and herpartner, Colin Knight has recently launchedits first three ales at the Cirencester Farmer'sMarket.
The three launch ales make up themicrobrewery's Roman Collection andincludeCoriniumGold 4.2%(a deepgolden ale),Centurion4.7% (a stout)and Ale Caesar5% (an IndianPale Ale or IPA).Despite theweather, the ales and the one-off appearanceof two Roman soldiers pulled in the puntersand was a sell out.
When asked what the catalyst was forCorinium Ales, Lucy, Director and Brewerexplained: " it was a combination of thingsreally, a love of real ale; the discovery oflocally crafted beers in liquor stores and brewpubs whilst on an amazing trip with Colin tothe USA last year; and a very strong desire todo something in life that was my own butthat would involve and give pleasure toothers. But perhaps the real deciding factorwas down to seeing an article on Cotswoldmicrobreweries in the in-flight magazine"Hemispheres" whilst flying home from theStates! How spooky is that and was it asign?”
Corinium Ales, which takes its name fromthe Roman origins of the much-lovedCotswold market town, joins the growingband of microbreweries to emerge in theregion. It is fantastic to see this resurgence
of brewing and if you take a walk through thestreets of Cirencester you will see that thereexists here a history of brewing - theBrewery Arts Centre, once the main site ofthe old town's brewery; the malt house onCricklade Street, now a residential building;and even the old meadow, where the drayhorses were turned out, is still evident in the'brewery' car park; although now it is abowling green.
Corinium Ales currently resides in a smallconverted garage. The ales are brewed on a100litre unit called "Sylvia" - a wonderfulcompact and shiny stainless steel contraption,a little more than ½ barrel plant size and iscomplete with two 100litre fermentationvessels. The stout was the first ale to bebrewed on the unit. For a while it was knownas 'Sylvia's Stout' but was soon to become'Centurion' and is a fine stout indeed.
Close to 400 bottles (or 350 pints) can beproduced a week, although given ullageallowance realistically it is less than this.Brewer, Colin comments: "We are possiblythe smallest microbrewery in the Cotswoldsbut this allows us to experiment with ourrecipes and develop the ultimate locallybrewed beer that can be enjoyed on its ownor partnered with food".
The Cirencester Farmer's Market is currentlythe only outlet where Corinium Ales areavailable to try before you buy. But next yearthey hope to see their ales in one or morelocal outlets, including a pub or two andperhaps at the Cotswold Beer Festival too.
You can contact the brewers via theirwebpage www.coriniumales.co.uk
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It has been a busy year for tippler editor Geoff Sandles. He has compiled five books detailingGloucestershire Pubs Through Time. The latest titles are ‘South Cotswolds’ and ‘StroudValleys’. Published by Amberley these books document the changing face of pubs in the county,past and present. Some pubs will be familiar whilst others are obscure, and long since closed.The archive monochrome images contrast with modern colour digital photographs and areaccompanied by informative and often amusing captions. Each book contains a selection of over90 pubs. Geoff is obviously passionate about the history of pubs and brewing in Gloucestershire.The books are available from local book shops and from on-line retailers, including Amazon.
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A Beer Adventure.
Recently the forward thinking manager ofWetherspoons in Tewkesbury organised a tripto a Gloucestershire brewery. Stewart gottogether with the team at Wickwar breweryin Gloucestershire and arranged guided tourwith some of his customers.
Needless to say the "Tewkesbury BeerMonsters" turned up with a good delegationas also did local CAMRA members from theTewkesbury chapter.
We duly arrived at the brewery and weregreeted by an enthusiastic team, GraemeClifford the business development manager,Neil Challis the head brewer and the rest ofthe friendly team. Frankly they seemed morelike part of a family rather than individualsworking for Wickwar, they obviously lovedtheir job and were quite dedicated to the artof fermenting great real ale.
There was an air of expectation and magic,the grand old buildings smelt initially ofbeeswax polished oak and mahogany, andthat indefinable welcoming church likesolemnity and peace. If there were anyghosts here they were very convivial happyand benign.
I was taken aback by the intense passion anddedication as well as the deep knowledgeshown by Neil Challis the Head Brewer. Tohim it seemed that brewing the very best beerwas not just a job, it was also a dailychallenge to meet and exceed standards, away of his daily life. We tried to catch himout on his understanding of the art but it wasnot to be, he led us into the complexities of
choosing the correct hops, the barley, malt,and so much more, we learnt a lot. This wasa veritable champion black belt brewer andperfectionist. He also works Christmasmornings!
Eventually we came to the tasting session,the doors were thrown open to us and theserious business of judgement began, MagsMorton the only lady there took our ordersand we soon were trying the lighter range ofbrews to the more serious and heavierporters. There emerged a pattern, there weredifferences in style as well as similaritiesbetween the ales, but one thing in commonwas obvious apparent, quality!
The way that the drink hit the palate, theexplosion of flavours and the long lingeringfinish just like in a good wine, superlative! Iwas quite pleased to still be able to taste thefiner nuances of my last sip over an hourlater, a sure sign of excellence.
Sadly I had work in the morning so had tocurtail my intake, I however intend to makeup for my moderation as I hear thatWetherspoons Tewkesbury are about to takeon another delivery of the Wickwar nectar inthe coming days.
On behalf of the other guests my eternalthanks to the entire Wickwar team for a trulymagnificent and memorable visit. Long maythey prosper!
Northway, Tewkesbury.
Andrew Goloskof.
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Sorry to disappoint some of you with thetitle, but this article is about a jaunt we madeback in October; a small band of early risershurtling up the M6 to visit the CumbrianLegendary Brewery (to present our Beer ofthe Cotswold Beer Festival award whichthey'd won with their wonderful LoweswaterGold). I would also like to recommend thebreakfast at a certain service area beginningwith 'K', just past J15, but as I don't want tolie to you, I can't.
As a great mark of respect for our visit, thefabulous folk at Cumbrian Legendary hadlaid on some proper local weather for us, sothat the more spectacular the scenerybecame, the heavier the rain. I do soappreciate it when people make a specialeffort, so may I take this opportunity to saythanks to all concerned.
Their august brewing concern is based justsouth of Hawkshead on the western side ofEsthwaite Water; in the Old Hall Brewery,which itself is part of a ménage of carefullydesigned barn conversions that, as wequickly discovered, includes a pickling plant.Indeed, it's not often that one opens the cardoor at a brewery to have one's olfactorysenses hit by an unsubtle note of tangyvinegar (it's quite an alarming moment inmore than one sense).
After pausing for an optimistic minute incase the rain showed any signs of easing (fatchance), we dashed across the yard andthrough the nearest opening, whereupon,after gazing pie-eyed at two dozen fullyladen pallets of glass condiment jars for afew seconds, we decided to try the other door(which does mention the word brewery,which should help those amongst you whomay wish to call round themselves at somejuncture - all part of the service which yourlocal friendly CAMRA branch provides,because we care, really, we do).
Once inside, we were warmly greeted byRoger Humphreys and Hayley Barton(Director and Head Brewer respectively). It's
not often that an offer of a hot drink seems acracking idea in such a building, but it wasone to which, as it was wet and stillreasonably early, we readily acquiesced.After a gentle pootle around the premises,during which some of their future plans werediscussed, a few photos were taken, but ifyou wish to see the full scenic splendour ofthe topography in sunlight, I'd advise you tovisit their online domain
. It'll alsohave a more concise guide to the newequipment they have on order to increasecapacity. It transpired that Hayley'soriginally from Stroud, but has recoveredwell (that'll keep the letters page busy), andis enjoying life as a brewer (I think most ofus can see an upside to that). She's alsoreasonably au fait with what our local ladsare up to as well (she is now).
Our next port of call was the BlacksmithsArms, Broughton Mills, a great Heritage pubthat we try to visit whenever in the area. Thedirect(!) route took us up over a very soggyBroughton Moor, where the wonderful viewswere carefully hidden behind sheets oflashing rain. It's not often in my life that I'vecaught so much precipitation whilst hurtlingfrom the car to a pub door - indeed, I cancount the number of times I've been so wetupon entry to a hostelry on the fingers of onehand (so that's almost seven times). Onceinside, I was once again surprised by howmuch people who reside in continentalclimatic zones (and who you'd think wouldbe immune to the cold) love a goodheatsource: but enough heat escaped past
Wet fun in Westmorland
www.cumbrianlegendaryales.com
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In recent months Paul Best, aCAMRA member from Tetbury, hasbeen assisting me with theGloucestershire Pubs and Breweriesproject. Paul has kindly agreed to posthis encyclopaedic information on theold breweries of Gloucestershire ontothe website’s brewery database.
Paul is a keen collector of old bottlesand stone jars from a bygone age. Hismeticulous research into the history ofbreweries and companies to whomthey once belonged is going to appealto those interested in local history andgenealogists alike.
www.gloucestershirepubs.co.uk
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said Native of Minnesota for the rest of us toeventually start drying out in front of the firetoo. They had three ales on, two of themreasonably local, and the offering fromClarks was very good. After a pleasant mealwe tweaked our plans and headed deeper intothe old County of Westmorland (it not beingIron Age fort weather).
We'd planned to stop in Ambleside, but asevery outdoor sport enthusiast within 20miles seemed to have the same idea (whyclimb a hill with no view?), we carried onand stopped at the Badger Bar in the GlenRothay Hotel, Rydal, which had just beenvoted pub of the season by the Westmorlandbranch of CAMRA (we didn't know that untilwe reached the bar, just the Zen levels finallycoming back into equilibrium for a fewglorious seconds). As they offer a discountto CAMRA members, we thought it'd be rudenot to linger for a while and sample all fourof the LocAle beers proffered, which is parfor the course here (they are justifiably proudof the Cumbrian breweries, and rarely sellanything but). We all tried somethingdifferent, but it was the Cumbrian LegendaryLangdale that impressed most. The fabric ofthis building is an odd mixture of styles, withsome wonderful oak panelling on display inthe drawing room that's well worth looking atif you ever get the chance.
It transpires that the tippler is a rare sightaround that area for some strange reason, butwe had a cracking chat about real ciders andthen beer festivals with both the barman andthe landlord. Although their beer quality wasvery impressive, we already had plans for theevening, involving a long cut through thenarrow roads of the National Park. When aroad is sign posted 'gates' around here, expectplural, double the first number you thoughtof and then add half again. Quick it wasn't,but confusing to the livestock, very, or so itseemed (that, or they were bored and hadn'tseen a car for a few months).
We had a B&B booked in HesketNewmarket, almost 40 yards from theCrown, home of the Hesket NewmarketBrewery (sometimes plans do come
together). Needless to say, years ofexperience paid off handsomely, and a verygood time was had by all. I have a vaguerecollection that we tried several samples ofthe Skiddaw, Black Sail, Helvellyn Gold andScafell Blonde between us. The food there isvery rich (presumably aimed at those whogenteelly gamble gracefully over thefabulous Fells for fun), but worth sampling.A very friendly place, I found myself indanger of being signed up for their darts team(don't ask, I don't know how or why either,but we'd all passed the half-gallon mark a tadearlier....).
On Friday morning we had to nip over thePennines via the glorious (in places) A66 intoYorkshire for social reasons, but did manageto call in at the fabulous Garden Gate pub inHunslet, Leeds, on the return trip. Easily oneof my favourite Heritage pubs, this splendidexample of pub architecture is well worth adetour, and the Midnight Bell and Leeds Palewere both in cracking condition (once again).You really should add this one to your 'to do'list, you won't be disappointed.
Chairman, Gloucestershire CAMRA
Andrew Frape
Beneath The Apple Tree
The past two months have proved busy andchallenging for the county's cider makersas I found out when I caught up with twoof them - the well-established Severn Cideralong with county newcomer Priors Tipple.
Severn Cider maybe established butthey're not restingon their laurels asa trip round theOld Rectorydemonstrated.Nick Bull showing us the humble shedwhere his cider making had begun and thepurpose built building that then followedwhich they have since outgrown. SevernCider has no plans to stop there and havebeen granted permission to build evenbigger premises which will increaseproduction capacity. Vitally important, soas to keep up with their growing customerbase which now include the Tate Galleriesin London!
It hasn't been all plain sailing, sellingbigger volumes means going over the taxexemption limit which opens a new worldof workload and red tape. They also don'thave their own orchards and with regularfruit suppliers unable to provide the yielddue to poor weather Tom Bull and his teamhave been working hard to source fruit andbuild bridges with new suppliersthroughout the county. When I meet himhe's clearly tired but still very excitedabout what 2013 will bring.
Prior's Tipple are not new to cider makingbut new to the county. Previously based inCleeve Prior (where they still have a smallorchard), Worcestershire, they moved tothe Stanway estate after being invited byLord Wemyss. Run by husband and wifeteam Isaac and Jo Nixon, Prior's Tipple area small scale maker using low tech andtraditional methods with much of theirunsprayed hand-picked fruit sourced fromabandoned orchards, gardens and
farmland. They are steadily increasingtheir outlets and people becoming aware ofthem with their medium/dry cider beingtheir most popular product.
Like Severn Cider they too have hadtrouble with fruit in both terms of yield andaccess which has led to a restriction involume production. They won't be lettingthis stop them though and 2013 looks likeit will be a busy year. They're just put uptheir website www.priorstipple.co.uk andare continuing to experiment with oakmatured cider, vintage blends and methodechampenoise. Isaac even hopes to have thehorse driven apple mill and stone basedscrew press restored by next autumn!The weather has tried its best but it seemsyou just can't stop a determined cidermaker making cider!
Sarah Dunn
Isaac Nixon, Priors Tipple
Ken Lush Sings Pubco’s
Ken Lush, the head brewer at UleyBrewery, is also an accomplished
musician. He has written a very poignantsong about the large Pubco’s (Pub
Companies). You can watch Ken singPubco’s on YouTube. Just search for KenLush. This is brilliant stuff, you won’t be
disappointed.
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The Hunter's Column
Peace unto the All Nations and theDuke Of Wellington
What is the best thing that you could wish forover Christmas? For my 6 year oldgranddaughter, you would have thought thatit would have been her two front teeth, but Ihonestly don't think that they will be high onher Christmas list. It will be something pinkand fairylike; no, not Julian Clary. I supposethat when all of your mates have got theirfront gnashers missing too, you don't reallywant to be any different. I can picture theclass photo now, "OK children… all togethernow… Don't Smile!"As you get older you get a bit morephilosophical and philanthropic (or is itphilanthropical and Philosanic?); hopefullygaining not only in weight but the wisdom ofexperience, along with the benefit ofhindsight - as long as you can find yourglasses. For us beer drinkers, who are still inpossession of two front teeth and can put ourhands on our glasses, foremost on our minds,in making our Christmas List, must be theCase of the Disappearing Pubs, a case thateven the esteemed Sherlock Holmes mighthave difficulty in solving. Although, if wecould just get him away from that oddsmelling pipe and violin for a bit…
Number one on my list would be peace untoAll Nations and a Duke of Wellington. Irecently paid a well-rewarded visit to the AllNations pub, Madeley, which is oppositeBlists Hill Museum, part of the IronbridgeWorld Heritage Site, a celebration ofrevolution English style, of the industrialkind. Not ones for chopping off heads orrazing palaces to the ground, the otherwiseindustrious English decided to condemnthemselves and all of those following in theirwake, to sweated labour in demonicfactories, for a century or two. The pub isdescribed as a time warp, in the Good BeerGuide. It was close to Halloween, when wevisited. They were very friendly - 'We put theHallo in Halloween' - and the garden had
been decorated with some plastic gravestonesone of which declared, "Here lies an atheist.All dressed up and nowhere to go"! Therewas everything you'd look for in a time warp,outside toilets: real fire: real gaffer askingwhere his pyromaniacs were because the firewas really close to going out; a brewery atthe back and, this was all down to oneindefatigable man, the Duke of Wellington.
The pub got its first licence through theDuke's Beer House Act of 1830 and , in the1970's, was one of the last brew-pubs stillbrewing. It was a good job that the IronDuke's head was left in place. In the early1800's, they had a similar problem to us, inthat the populace were forsaking their ale infavour of gin; ale houses were suffering. TheDuke thought, enough of this 'gingoism'; allwe are saying is Give Pubs A Chance. So, in1830 he introduced the Beer House Act,whereby anyone who paid two guineas for alicence, could open up their house as a pub.Gingo, I mean Bingo! What a man, what asolution! Don't forget he'd not long donemajor battle with Napoleon, over intellectualproperty rights to the flush toilet that he hadjust invented, I think. Not only that, his self-penned victory ballad, composed shortlyafterwards, lay dormant for years, until it wasrevived in the 1970's by another foreigninvader, ABBA and put them on their route toworld domination. So, as you gather withfriends, family and fellow travellers thisYuletide, please raise a glass or three with meand let us toast together Peace unto the AllNations. Then put the Wellie in!
Gloucestershire CAMRAis now on Facebook
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Home Brewers Scoop"Beer of the Festival"
This year’s Wheels of Steel Beer Festival atthe Cheltenham Motor Club on 22ndSeptember was marked by John Preen'sHome Brewed Beer, Prefect Ale, being votedas Beer of the Festival, which competedwith many Top Quality Commercial Brewswhich were expertly put on by club stewardNeil Way.
Again this year the Cotswold Home Brewers,who regularly meet at the Cheltenham MotorClub, arranged to brew several beers ofdiffering styles for Festivalgoers to sampleand then make a donation to this year'scharity in aid of Cheltenham Cardiac Unit.
Three beers were brewed, John brewed alighter bitter, which he called "Prefect Ale"(which got its name from John's first car) a4.5% strength light Hoppy brew. BobShepherd brewed a traditional Bitter at 4.2%,which went under the name of Bob's BestBitter, this reflected an older session stylewith predominantly English Goldings Hops. Ibrewed another strong dark beer for the eventstyled on a Black I.P.A. at 5.2%.The finalresult also resembled a Porter due to thefuller flavours gained from the malts used. Icalled this brew "Tyred & E-motional”
.
Our beers were delivered to the club early inthe week and gave them a chance to settleand clear. Our Club members were on handthroughout the Festival day to dispense thebrews and offer advice on home brewing,and how we are able to achieve the quality of
beer that we areable to turn out,and at the sametime collectdonations for thecharity.
Once again ourbeers provedpopular with thosethat tried them, (including those that weresceptical about the quality that can beachieved at home!) and having to return on anumber of occasions to check that theirfindings were correct!There were also thosewho returned from last year eager to try thisyear's offerings.
The club was blessed yet again, this year,with having good weather for the event, andwe found, as in previous years, John's"Prefect Ale" being lighter was most popularearly, when the sun was shining, with mydark, "Tyred & E-motional" featuring moreso later in the day. Bob's Best Bitter being agood session beer was sampled steadilythroughout the day. By mid evening most ofthe beer had gone and we were struggling toget the last few drops from the barrels. Thecommercial brews had also taken a poundingwith only a couple of barrels left running.
During the Festival I am pleased to reportthat our Home Brew section managed tocollect in excess of £190 for the CheltenhamCardiac Unit.
I would also wish to thank Neil & Georgefrom the Motor Club for their excellentorganisation of the day and for letting usparticipate in this event, giving our membersthe opportunity to raise money for such aworthy cause.
If you are interested in joining our brewersgroup and trying your hand at brewing yourown beer at home then please come and seeus. We meet on the third Wednesday of mostmonths and sample Brews that have beenmade.
Chairman, Cotswold Home Brewers.
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l-r Steve Merrett, John Preen, Bob Shepherd
Steve Merrett
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We’re an energy company unlike any other – we take the moneyour customers spend on their electricity and gas bills and use it to build new sources of renewable energy, such as windmills. People:power is at the heart of what we do – the more people who join us, the more green energy we can generate, and when you join us you’ll receive a FREE Beer Club membership (worth £50) from our partners at Stroud Brewery.
Call us free on 08000 302 302 (quoting ALE1)
or visit www.ecotricity.co.uk/stroud-brewery
FREE Beer Club membership worth £50 from Stroud Brewery when you join Ecotricity*.
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For full terms and conditions, please go to www.ecotricity.co.uk/stroud-brewery
FREEBEER CLUB MEMBERSHIP when you join Ecotricity*
CAMRA LocAle is an initiative that promotes pubs which endeavour always to stock at leastone locally-brewed real ale kept in consistently good condition. The last point is important asthe pubs must be places where you can taste the local ales reliably as they are meant to be. Thescheme builds on a growing consumer demand for quality local produce and an increasedawareness of 'green' issues.
Gloucestershire Branch launched its LocAle campaign in January 2009 and since then we andNorth Cotswold Branch between us have signed up over 130 pubs in the county. The currentlist, at time of going to press, is below, given in order of town or village, but it is growing allthe time and we will continue to publish updates in these pages. New additions since the lastTippler are highlighted in
Our definition of ‘local’ is that a beer should be brewed either in the county or within 30 milesof the pub and only one of the ales at any one time need be ‘local’ in order to qualify. If yourlocal is not already part of the scheme ask your landlord why not. If he or she is interestedplease get in touch with us (branch contacts on p.30) and we will take it from there.
red
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LocAle Pubs across the county:
Alderton, Gardeners ArmsAmberley, Amberley InnAmberley, Black HorseAshleworth, BoatAvening, BellBarnsley, Village PubBibury, Swan Hotel
Bourton-on-the-Hill, Horse & GroomBourton-on-the-Water, MousetrapBream, Rising SunBrimscombe, Ship InnBroad Campden, Bakers ArmsBroadwell, Fox InnBrockhampton, Craven ArmsBrookend, LammastideCashes Green, Prince of WalesCerney Wick, CrownCharfield, PeartreeCheltenham, Adam & Eve
Cheltenham, Beehive Inn (Montpellier)Cheltenham, Cheltenham Motor ClubCheltenham, Exmouth ArmsCheltenham, Jolly BrewmasterCheltenham, Kemble Brewery InnCheltenham, Moon Under WaterCheltenham, Old RestorationCheltenham, RetreatCheltenham, Royal UnionCheltenham, Somerset ArmsCheltenham, St Stephens ClubCheltenham, StrandChipping Campden, Eight Bells
Cirencester, Bees KneesCirencester, Corinium Hotel
Clifford’s Mesne, Yew TreeCranham, Black HorseCranham, Royal WilliamCromhall, Royal Oak
Cirencester, Twelve BellsCirencester, Waggon & HorsesClearwell, Lamb Inn
Blaisdon, Red HartBlockley, Great Western Arms
Chipping Campden, Noel Arms
Set in the beautifulCotswolds near the villageof Duntisbourne Abbots,the Five Mile House is an
award winning 17thCentury public house; one
of only a few of TheNational Inventory ofHistoric Pub Interiors.
We offer a selection of real ales and fine wines. Dedicated cider bar in the old cellar, with a widerange of local and national ciders.
Traditional English menu including home-made pies, quality steaks, grills, ploughmans served daily atlunch and evenings. Cosy log fires. Ample parking.
With extended hours and a warm hospitality, we look forward to welcoming you to:
The Five Mile House - Old Gloucester Road, Duntisbourne Abbots, Near Cirencester, GL7 7JR
Tel: 01285 821432 www.fivemilehouse.co.uk
FIVE MILETHE
HOUSE
Didmarton, King's ArmsDuntisbourne Abbots, Five Mile HouseDursley, Old SpotEastcombe, Lamb InnEastington, Old BadgerEbrington, Ebrington ArmsEdge, Edgemoor Inn
Elmstone Hardwicke, Gloucester Old SpotForthampton, Lower Lode InnFrampton Mansell, Crown InnFrance Lynch, Kings HeadGloucester, Cross Keys (C.K. Lane)Gloucester, Dick WhittingtonGloucester, New Inn
Gloucester, Water PoetGloucester, YorkGotherington, Shutter InnGreat Barrington, FoxGretton, Royal OakGuiting Power, Hollow BottomHam, Salutation Inn
Hawkesbury Upton, Beaufort Arms
Kemble, Thames Head InnKempsford, GeorgeKineton, Halfway HouseLechlade, Crown InnMickleton, Butchers ArmsMinchinhampton, Crown
Minchinhampton, Weighbridge InnMiserden, Carpenters ArmsMoreton-in-Marsh, Bell Inn
Nailsworth, Britannia InnNailsworth, Village InnNaunton, Black HorseNettleton Bottom, Golden Heart InnNewent, George HotelNewmarket, George Inn
Nympsfield, Rose & CrownOddington, Horse & Groom
Elkstone, HighwaymanMinchinhampton, Old Lodge Inn
Moreton-in-Marsh, Redesdale ArmsHotel
North Cerney, Bathurst Arms
Gloucester, Pelican
Hillesley, The Fleece
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Poulton, FalconRandwick, Vine Tree InnShipton Moyne, Cat & Custard PotShurdington, BellSiddington, GreyhoundSlad, WoolpackSlimbridge, Tudor ArmsSnowshill, Snowshill ArmsSomerford Keynes, Bakers ArmsSouth Cerney, Old George InnStanton, MountStonehouse, WoolpackStroud, British OakStroud, Clothiers ArmsStroud, Crown & SceptreStroud, Golden FleeceStroud, Imperial Hotel
Stroud, Queen VictoriaStroud, The RetreatTetbury, Priory Inn HotelTetbury, The Ormond
Stroud, Prince Albert
Tetbury, The Snooty FoxTetbury, Trouble HouseTewkesbury, Nottingham ArmsTewkesbury, Royal Hop PoleTewkesbury, Theoc HouseTewkesbury, Tudor House HotelTewkesbury, White BearThe Camp, Fostons AshToddington, Pheasant InnTormarton, Major's RetreatTwyning, The Village InnUley, CrownWestonbirt, Hare & HoundsWhiteshill, StarWickwar, ButhayWickwar, Wickwar Social ClubWoodchester, Old FleeceWoodchester, Ram InnWotton-under-Edge, Falcon InnWotton-under-Edge, Royal OakWotton-under-Edge, StarWotton-under-Edge, Swan Hotel
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A genuine freehold, Freehouseoffering a wide range of Real Alesfrom Local and Regional Brewers
ALKERTON ROAD, SPRINGHILLEASTINGTON, GLOS, GL10 3AY
www.oldbadgerinn.co.uk01453 822892
Cosy Log Fires
Covered & Heated Patio
Car Parking & Lawned Garden
Happy Dogs Welcome
Good Food now available
Lots More Happening in 2012
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Chairman and Branch ContactGood Beer Guide Co-ordinator
Treasurer:
Pubs Officer / Media Officer:
Young Members Officer
Social Secretary and Webmaster:
Roger Price6 Greenlake CloseBourton on the WaterCHELTENHAMGL54 2PR01451 810305Mobile: 07850 [email protected]
Dawn Harrison (Bourton on the Water)01451 [email protected]
Martyn Herbert (Cheltenham)Mobile: 07760 [email protected]
Ed BlacklockMobile: 07544 [email protected]
Peter Rowe (Bourton on the Water)01625 260664, Mobile: 07812 [email protected]
Secretary:
Membership Secretary:
Beer Festivals Coordinator:
post vacant - refer to chairman or specificofficers
Garry Hayward (Winchcombe)01242 [email protected]
John Stocks (Toddington)01242 [email protected]
North Cotswold CAMRA Branch Officers and Contacts:
www.northcotswoldcamra.org.uk
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The North Cotswold branch of CAMRAstaged the fifth beer festival at Moreton inMarsh Cricket Club on the weekend of 28thSeptember. As in the previous four years wewere blessed with sunshine, throughout theweekend. The festival again attracted over700 people from all over the country, manycamping on site.
The range of 38 stunning beers, weresourced from various parts of the country asfar away as Scotland, Kent, Cornwall andYorkshire with four local beers. The cidersand perry came from the Herefordshireorchards of Gwatkin Cider.
Friday opened earlier at lunchtime, a majorchange from the previous years and thecrowds responded welcoming the newopening hours in the warm Autumn sunshine.
CAMRA members from near and far turnedout in force, many with families who hadreserved the weekend for their favouritefestival and were entertained by the WorriedMen in the evening (sponsored by NorthCotswold Brewery). The first beer to run outwas the Beer of theFestival - Kiwi PaleAle, a 4% beer fromDark Star Breweryin Horsham, WestSussex.
On Friday and Saturday we were treated bynew caterers, Butcher R & D Walker fromMoreton (who sponsored local band Zool onSaturday Night). This is a majorimprovement and response to previouscomplaints with a wider range of food on
offer such as :- Faggots and peas, Chile withNachos and cheese, plus speciality pies andthe usual sausages and bacon rolls. Attractivewaitresses and all weather seating added tothe service with the bonus of full Englishafter a heavy Friday night.
More campers and caravans arrived for theSaturday opening with all beers stillstanding. Big Bad Wolf from Cheltenhamplayed on the big stage from 2-30pm andwere well received by the crowds. Manyremaining were joined by locals for Zool onthe evening who were preceded by anotherlocal duo who peerformed several numbersbefore the main act.
Thanks to all our helpers, sponsors and toMoreton Cricket Club for the venue and awelcome to the eight new CAMRA memberswho signed up through the weekend. Longmay it continue!
,
North Cotswold Branch Chairman
Beer sells out and the Sunshines on Moreton Beer
Festival
Roger Price
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Favourite Beers adds Draught Aleto their Draught Cider Range
During 'Cask Ale Week’ back in September,Favourite Beers - Cheltenham's specialistbeer and cider shop on Hewlett Road, startedto sell draught ale, served on gravity, straightfrom the cask. The ale can be taken away infour pint containers available for purchase atthe shop or they will fill whatever containeryou can take along.
Leigh Norwood, owner of Favourite Beersexplained: - "we have been selling draughtcider from the shop for just over a year nowand although that took a while to getestablished, we now feature 6 or 7 draughtciders and perrys at any one time and we aregetting through about 3-4 containers a week.I looked at other specialist beer shopsthroughout the country and many of themhave a very successful draught ale offering aswell as bottles, so we thought we would giveit a go”
Leigh hopes that if the draught ale serviceproves to be as popular as the draught ciderhe will eventually be able to offer four or fivedraught ales at a time. His aim is toeventually be able to support the manythriving local Gloucestershire and Bristolbreweries as well as providing the occasionalspecialist 'guest' ale from further afield.
"We started with two fantastic beers fromBristol Beer Factory for our launch, but saleswere very slow to start with so we havereverted to putting on one fairly well known(not necessarily local) ale every week. Thepast few weeks have seen Oakham Citra,Wye Valley Butty Bach, Bath Ales Gem andFelinfoel Double Dragon available and theseare starting to sell quite well, but really if thisservice is to continue we need numbers tosupport it - then we can start growing thenumber of beers on offer".
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It was recently announced the CheltenhamMotor Club has made it into the final four forCAMRA National Club of the Year. I,personally have a soft spot for Clubs as Igrew up in a relatively new industrial townwhere Clubs had more prevalence than pubs.I remember the Saturday night bands, theexcitement of the Snowball (not the drink!),and waddling home with the winnings of theMeat Draw, but mostly I remember theextended family feel.
As the Cheltenham Motor Club proves it'snot just pubs that can (and do) champion ale,so armed with a list of ale serving clubs inCheltenham I set off to see what they had tooffer and my efforts were rewarded withsome really good results! With the exceptionof the Suffolk Bowling Club (strictlymembers only) we were made to feel verywelcome and welcome to return. Mark, theSteward for the Albion even went out of hisway to give us a complete tour of theimpressive and cavernous building. All theClubs visited were bustling, with peopleturning up for various skittles, darts andpoker matches. The notice boards were ladenwith information on upcoming events andactivities.
Although the range of beers in any of theClubs was limited they were all kept reallywell with St Stephens Club standing out forthe really good condition of both theiravailable beers. All the Stewards showed agood understanding of the needs of theircustomer base through beer selection androtation, but also as, Pauline, Steward of theRAOB (Royal Antediluvian Order of TheBuffalo or the Buff's for short) told us, mostwere willing to change things up to keep itinteresting. The United Services were theonly exception, preferring to keep to thesame two beers. I will let them off as they arethe only place in Cheltenham (I do believe)to do Severn Cider on draught, a craft ciderin a club - ‘who'd of thunk it!’
Sadly the number of Working Men's Clubshas dropped from 4000 to 2000 in threedecades, struggling with image and a place insociety as the social demographic changes. Itdoesn't help that they are often inconspicuousbuildings (be honest do how many do youknow of and where?) but behind thoseunsuspecting doors there's a world ofpotential. So give a club a go!
Sarah Dunn
Real Ale in Clubs
As part of the Gloucester History Festivalheld on the weekend of 7th / 9th SeptemberCAMRA member Darrel Kirby (author of‘The Story of Gloucester Pubs’) organised aGloucester Heritage Beer Festival whichshowcased real ales in 16 city pubs. As partof the Beer Festival Darrel ran a competitionin conjunction with the participating pubs,the Gloucester Brewery and Wye ValleyBrewery to win 45 pints of beer - 9 pints ofGloucester Gold from the GloucesterBrewery and 36 pints of Wye Valley beer ofthe winners choice. By visiting each pubcompetitors discovered clues to a set quiz.
Anthony Clarke from Gloucester was thelucky winner, gaining a maximum 26 points.Anthony, who described the competition as“intriguing and great fun”, opted to receive
his 36 pints of Butty Bach at the Pelican Innin the form of tokens. The photograph showsa delighted Anthony (right) receiving his firstfree pint from Pelican landlord Michael Hall,cheered on by Alan Stephens (chairman ofCAMRA in Gloucester). He was presentedwith his nine pints of Gloucester Gold byGloucester Brewery owner, Jared Brown.
Photo courtesy Ken Jaques35
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EVENTS DIARY
GLOUCESTERSHIRE BRANCH OPENCOMMITTEE MEETINGS
GLOUCESTERSHIRE SUB BRANCH MEETINGS
Tuesday 8th January, 8pm -Tuesday 5th February, 8pm - Cheltenham, venue tbaTuesday 5th March, 8pm - Royal Hop Pole, Church St, Tewkesbury
usually meets on the Second Thursday of the month at8pm. Contact Trevor Carter 07717 841233website: www.gloucestershirecamra.org.uk/cheltenham
usually meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 8 pm.Contact Lucy Cordrey 07716 826467
Contact: Andy Tubb, 01594 822381
usually meets on the second Wednesday of the month. ‘AwayDays’ on the first Saturdays of each month and ‘evenings out’ on 3rd or 4th Wednesdays. Fulldetails in Sub-branch ‘News and Views’ which is with this newsletter (in Gloucester) or onbranch website. Contact Alan Stephens 01452 410237. Dave Winnington 01452 531075.
Stroud Sub-branch usually meets at 20.00 on the 3rd or4th Tuesday of the month at a pub in central Stroud. Please contact Andy Burstonor Bob Brooks and let them have your email address if you would like to be keptup to date on Stroud area activities.
Contact Steve Kisby 01684 295466 website: www.tewkesburycamra.org.uk
Fountain Inn, Westgate St, Gloucester
usually meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 8pm.Contact Chris Arrowsmith 01453 548991 website: www.camradursley.co.uk
Tue 29th January – Swan Tytherington, meeting at Royal Oak Cromhall.Tue 26th February – Wotton Under Edge, Details TBA
has arranged to meet on the second Tuesday ofeach month at 8pm.
01453 88241001452 770346
usually meets on the 3rd Thursday of the monthat 8pm.
January 17th, The Nottingham Arms [8 pm], Berkeley Arms [9 pm].January 31st, February 1st & 2nd 2013 TEWKESBURY WINTER ALES FESTIVAL.February 21st, The Black Bear[8 pm] followed by the White Bear ,March 21st, Cross Keys, Bredon’s Hardwick [8 pm] then The Fleet, Twyning, followed by TheVillage Inn.
Cheltenham Sub-branch (GL50-53)
Cirencester Sub-branch (GL7,8)
Forest of Dean Sub-branch (GL14,15,16,17)
Gloucester Sub-branch (GL1-4)
Stroud Sub-branch (GL5,6 & GL10)
Dursley Sub-branch (GL9,11,12,13)
Tewkesbury Sub-branch (GL18,19 & GL20)
For latest updates on all branch events see our website: www.gloucestershirecamra.org.uk
37
NORTH COTSWOLD BRANCH EVENTS (contacts on p.32)
Sat 5 Jan - walk from Bakers Arms, Broad Campden
Chairman
Secretary and Branch Contact:
Treasurer:
Pubs Database Manager:
Good Beer Guide Selection Co-ordinator:
:
mobile: 07941 670371
Martin Parker68 Cirencester RoadCharlton KingsCHELTENHAM01242 252085
Patrick Phair33 Wessex DriveCHELTENHAMGL52 5AF01242 527068
Steve Harborne01242 230825
Alan Stephens01452 410237
Andrew Frape
Pubs Officer;
Chairman of Tasting Panel:Trevor Cartermobile: 07717 841233
Sunnybank, Cheltenham Road,Bagendon,CIRENCESTER, GL7 7BH
[email protected]@gloucestershirecamra.org.uk
[email protected]@gloucestershirecamra.org.uk
Media Officer:
Membership Secretary; Webmaster:
Tippler Editor:
Martyn Herbertmobile: 07760 134866
John Barrett59 Welland Lodge RoadCHELTENHAMGL52 3HH01242 239785mobile: 07966 929922
Geoff Sandles18 Ridgemount CloseBrockworthGLOUCESTERGL3 4EJ01452 552824 mobile: 07528 [email protected]
Young Members Contact:
Branch website:
Sarah Dunnmobile: 07955 670600
www.gloucestershirecamra.org.uk
Advertise in the tipplerWhy not place an advert for your pub, brewery or beer festival in the tippler? Rates are competitive.The tippler is prominently displayed in over 200 Gloucestershire pubs and read by over 2000CAMRA members so you will be targeting beer drinkers and pub goers . Copy date for theSpring 2013 issue will be but get in touch as soon as possible to reserve space.
Call on 01242 252085 or email tippleradvertising
directly
@gloucestershirecamra.org.uk
1 March
Martin Parker
Gloucestershire CAMRABranch officers and contacts:
Trading Standards Dept.Gloucestershire Trading StandardsHillfield HouseDenmark RoadGLOUCESTER GL1 3LD01452 [email protected]
38
WYE’S WORDS No. 36
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HPA NEW YEAR“ ”
SHARE OUR TASTE FOR REAL LIFE
HPA is a truly delightful pale ale that gives hardworking real-ale lovers a taste that’s distinctively different. Carefully made using Celeia and locally grown Target hops, HPA is smooth on the palate and boasts a citrus hop
festive season – and to a HPA new year!
www.WyeValleyBrewery.co.uk
