Canny Bevvy. I am free, please pick me up

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1 Canny Bevvy Newsletter of Tyneside & Northumberland Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale Autumn 2010 Issue 213 I am free, please pick me up North East Regional Cider Pub of the Year: The Cumberland Arms, Byker In this issue: Ice Cream and Real Ale - Part Two - page 8 Liquidity for Tricia - page 13 The Howay Match - page 14

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3 (Guest) Editors Intro Well David is off on his hollies no doubt visiting some excellent hostelries so I have invited myself back as editor for this issue. (If you fancy editing for an issue just let us know, I m sure we can fit you in some-where!). This edition s front cover celebrates the success of Fluff, Jo and Carl at the Cumberland Arms, Byker winning the North East Regional Cider Pub of the Year for the fourth consecutive year, a tremendous achievement. Well done and congratulations also on another successful summer beer and cider festival incorporating 36 beers and 36 ciders. You may have noticed a change to the front cover with a new banner headline, designed by Apostle Designs, our new graphic designers. There are also a few other improvements to this issue, which have been suggested by our editorial team. If you like what you see, or even if you don t, let us know. This is your branch newsletter and if there is a particular topic, review or event you would like regularly featured, perhaps one you ve seen in another branch newsletter, then we will try to make it happen. Our branch membership continues to grow and has breached 1,000 for the first time. If you would like to get more active in the Campaign then please see the leaflet compiled by our branch s new Public affairs Officer, Hubert Gieschen. (Welcome aboard Hubert, an excellent start!) Congratulations to Alan and Susan at The Surtees Ams, Ferryhill for winning the Regional POTY award for The Boathouse is a hard act to follow so what you have achieved is wonderful. That s enough from me, read and enjoy and as always, please try and support as many of our future events as possible, but remember to drink responsibly. P.S. Apologies to Lawrence and his staff at the Rockcliffe Arms in Whitley Bay. In the article about Ice Cream and Real Ale, we erroneously mentioned that food was served, when in fact you can only find the exceptional locally-produced pork pies and scotch eggs! Cheers, Richard Canny Bevvy Branch Contacts Chairman & Press Officer: Richard Dollimore chairman@cannybevvy.co.uk press@cannybevvy.co.uk Vice-Chairman & Festival Organiser: Gordon Heal vicechairman@cannybevvy.co.uk festivalorganiser@cannybevvy.co.uk Secretary & Social Secretary: Chris Mansfield secretary@cannybevvy.co.uk socialsecretary@cannybevvy.co.uk Treasurer: Gary Hinson treasurer@cannybevvy.co.uk Membership Secretary: June Scott membership@cannybevvy.co.uk Technical & Bevvy Distribution: Stuart Scott bevvydistribution@cannybevvy.co.uk Pubs Officer: Colin Anderson pubsofficer@cannybevvy.co.uk Webmaster: Jan Anderson webmaster@cannybevvy.co.uk Canny Bevvy Editor: David Vaughan bevvyeditor@cannybevvy.co.uk Procurement Officer: Dr. Ian Lee ian@cannybevvy.co.uk Cider & Perry Officer: Lisa Barron cidertart@cannybevvy.co.uk Public affairs Officer: Hubert Gieschen publicaffairs@cannybevvy.co.uk Disclaimer: Any views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Canny Bevvy Editor, CAMRA or the Publishers. Seek out and enjoy real ale wherever you can, drink responsibly and please support our advertisers. If you would like to advertise in this publication, please press@cannybevvy.co.uk Designed by Apostle Designs, Co. Durham studio@apostledesigns.co.uk Next Edition Copy date: Monday 15th November Publication date: Friday 26th November Canny Bevvy 3

4 FUTURE MEETINGS AND EVENTS Thursday 2nd to Saturday 4th September Durham CAMRA Branch Beer Festival, University Students Union, Old Elvet, Durham City Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th September Newcastle Arms Beer Festival, St. Andrews St., Newcastle Wednesday 8th September 8.00 pm Wednesday Wander, North Shields (for itinerary see Canny Bevvy web-site) Thursday 16th September 3.00 pm GBG 2011 Regional Launch, Darlington Beer Festival Thursday 16th to Saturday 18th September 31st Darlington Beer and Music Festival Thursday 16th to Saturday 18th September Tynemouth Beer Festival, Tynemouth Cricket Club Thursday 16th to Sunday 19th September Stables Beer Festival, Beamish Hall Hotel, Stanley Saturday 18th to Sunday 19th September Alnwick Beer Festival, Town Hall, Alnwick Wednesday 22nd September 7.30 pm Branch Meeting, Boathouse, Wylam Thursday 30th to Sunday 3rd October Oddfellows Cider Festival, North Shields Monday 4th October 7.30 pm Ladies Meeting, Black Bull, Blaydon Friday 8th October 6.30 pm 6th Annual Cider Crawl, Ouseburn, Newcastle Wednesday 13th October 8.00 pm Wednesday Wander, Wylam (for itinerary see Canny Bevvy web-site) THE JARROW BREWERY CHAMPION ALES - CHAMPION PUBS The Robin Hood Primrose Hill, Jarrow Tel: Home of the Jarrow Brewery CAMRA North East Regional Pub of the Year 2005 CAMRA Pub of Great Britain Runner-Up 2006 Beer and music hall now open - regular live entertainment RIVET CATCHER 4.0% ABV Champion Beer of the North East Great British Beer Festival Silver & Bronze Medal Winner A beautiful traditional pub above a brew house Award Winning Cask Ales Brewed & Served on the Premises q Claypath Lane, South Shields Tel (0191) Beers you d walk a long, long way for JARROW ALES Daily deliveries across the north east - Tel: and nationally by Flying Firkin - Tel: HADRIAN & BORDER BREWERY Monday 18th October Branch Meeting, Newcastle Cricket Club Thursday 21st to Monday 25th October Newcastle Cricket Club Beer Festival, Jesmond Friday 22nd to Saturday 23rd October Chester-le-Street Cricket Club Beer Festival Wednesday 10th November 8.00 pm Wednesday Wander, Gateshead (for itinerary see Canny Bevvy web-site) Thursday 11th to Saturday 13th November Gosforth Winter Beer Festival, Civic Hall, Gosforth Wednesday 17th November 7.30 pm Branch Meeting, Bridge End, Ovingham Wednesday 24th November 7.30 pm Regional Meeting, Bridge Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne Further details on times, itineraries and festival web-sites on the Canny Bevvy website: and What s Brewing Deliveries every week to Edinburgh in the north, Darlington and Middlesborough in the south and across the Scottish Borders, County Durham plus of course daily around Tyne & Wear and Northumberland. Tel: for a list of our cask products 4 Canny Bevvy

5 Local News Congratulations to the Bamburgh Castle at Seahouses for being the latest recruit to the LocAle campaign. We now have 22 pubs participating and are always on the lookout for more, so if your local has a hand-pump, which regularly sells a local beer, then let us know and we will do the rest. Gus at the John Bull, Alnwick accepting his 2010 North Northumberland POTY award at a special presentation evening in August. Pictures of the event and of those involving the Bacchus, Newcastle (Tyneside), Tap & Spile, Morpeth (South East Northumberland) and the Boathouse, Wylam (South West Northumberland and overall branch winner) can be found on our website: Go to the Pub of the Year section and just click on the name of the pub! The North East Region Cider POTY award goes to The Cumberland Arms, Byker. In the photo on the front cover, the award is being presented by Chris Palmer, Regional Cider Rep. to Fluff, the cider person extraordinaire at the Cumberland. Congratulations should also go to Alan and Susan at the Surtees Arms, Ferryhill Station, Co. Durham for scooping the North East Region POTY. Well done, it takes a lot to beat the Boathouse, last years winner and good luck for the Super Region vote. 80+ Cask Beers 20 Ciders & Perries Bottled Beers 2 nd Sept: 5pm until 11pm 3 rd Sept: 11am until 11pm 4 th Sept: 11am 'til the beer runs out Entry: 3 Free to CAMRA members Hot and cold food available The Festival Charity is: Dunelm House Durham (Durham Students' Union) For more information, contact festival@camradurham.org.uk or see Sponsors include: Canny Bevvy 5

6 The Award Winning Newcastle Arms Voted CAMRA s most popular Tyneside pub over last 5 years. Try our exclusive Golden Star 4.0 From Big Lamp Brewers Our 3 festivals so far in 2010 have seen an amazing 114 different beers cross the bar in only 3 weekends! Come and see what you ve been missing at our 4th festival, taking place over the weekend of Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th September. No food, no music, just great beer! 57 St. Andrews Street, Newcastle NE1 5SE Telephone: Canny Bevvy

7 SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP DEAL FOR CAMRA MEMBERS Following the success of Newcastle Cricket Club s first Five Day Real Ale Festival in 2009, the Club has taken real ale to heart and expanded its regular offering of selected casks and ciders. Now a special membership arrangement has been agreed for CAMRA members. Instead of the usual fee of 20, production of a CAMRA membership card will make you eligible for membership for 1 and to make your joy complete, a welcome voucher of 1 towards your first pint is provided. Forms are available in the Pavilion Bar at Osborne Avenue, Jesmond. (See separate advert for details of the upcoming Beer Festival in October). Newcastle Cricket Club Real Ale & Cider Festival Sample more than forty beers and ciders in this award-winning historic cricket ground Dates: Thurs 21st October 5pm - 11pm Fri 22nd October 2pm - 11pm Sat 23rd October 12 noon - 11pm Sun 24th October 12 noon pm Mon 25th October 5pm - 11pm Major sponsor: Roseworth Properties Tickets: 2 Please order tickets from: robert.creswick@blueyonder.co.uk / Jesmond Ground, Osborne Avenue, Newcastle NE2 1JS Details and directions: Canny Bevvy 7

8 North-east is top real ale region People in north-east England are the top drinkers of real ale after new research showed 74% of adults in the region have tried it. The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) released the findings of its nationwide survey to find the biggest supporters of real ale. The north-east of England emerged as the biggest supporters with 74% of drinkers having tried real ale, up from 33% two years ago. East Anglia was next with 70% of people having tried it, up from 42%, and the Midlands was third with 59%, up from 40%. Across all regions 54% of drinkers have now tried real ale with the lowest rate in Yorkshire at 45%, up just 7% from two years ago. In just two years, parts of the UK where it once was rare to see a real ale handpump on a high street have now proliferated, with well-run pubs dedicated to showcasing the real ale boom to local consumers, said CAMRA national chairman Colin Valentine. Today s research really reinforces the point that drinkers are growing tired of drinking the advertising of mass produced global brands, and are turning towards quality, locally produced real ales for inspiration. 200 Mile Walk - Real Ales Oil the Wheels A fundraising sponsored walk from source to sea along the Thames has had an unexpected bonus. Newcastle Cricket Club s Bar Committee Chair Rob Creswick has discovered there are real ale pubs throughout the route - a welcome way to slake the thirst and distract from aches and pains. The favourite real ale so far? - Brakspears Oxford Gold. The three week walk began after a night in the closest accommodation to the source, the Arkells house, Thames Head Inn, Cirencester. The next two stops in Cricklade and Lechlade both had an exceptional range of choice including the Halfpenny microbrewery at the Crown Inn. If we d known, we could have booked accommodation in real ale pubs every night - but luckily they were all within limping distance anyway, said Rob. Their website describes it as a remarkably zesty brew, with fresh, citrussy aromas and a firm, fruity flavour. Pale ale malts provide the beer with its gold-gilt shimmer, spruced by a hatful of crystal malts to give body, texture and a delicate honey d wrap. Organic Target hops deliver a shamelessly fresh perfume, whilst late hopping with organic Goldings and fermentation by our Brakspear yeasts give Brakspear Oxford Gold a fabulous, fruity finish. Voila! Rob is raising 2,000 for refurbishment of the Pavilion Bar and Function Room by the walk, which is being joined by members along the route. 10 Canny Bevvy

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10 Ice-Cream and Real Ale - Part two The Northumberland coast ranges from desolate untouched bays to towns with hundreds of years of industrial heritage. This is the second part of a 3 part guide to real ale pubs on the Northumberland coast. After leaving Blyth the next place up the coast to have real ale pubs is Newbiggin by the Sea. There are five real ale pubs in Newbiggin and they are all on the main thoroughfare Front Street, which becomes High Street as you get further into Newbiggin and nearer Church Point (the end of the road). The furthest pub is nearly on Church Point and is The Cresswell Arms. Draught Bass, Bombadier and Black Sheep are regulars here and they are famous for their fish and chips and mushy peas on sale at lunchtime. Also on the High Street is the Queens Head which has a guest ale changing weekly and is normally from a local brewery. Lily Brewster and Nels Best from High House Farm are two examples. Porters Ale from Yorkshire is a regular at present. A good family pub particularly for those visiting the beach is The Old Ship. The front of the pub is on Front Street but the back is actually on the promenade and seating is provided so you can keep an eye on the kids whilst looking out on the new sculpture at the breakwater. Youngs Bitter is a regular and currently Summer Lightening from Hop Back a guest. Next to the Old Ship is The Coble, a quaint and small pub which has Deuchars and Black Sheep. On the way out of Newbiggin (past the speed camera) is The New Ship next to a school on North Seaton Road. This pub is away from the town centre but has Farne Island from Hadrian and Border as a regular and sometimes Bulldog from Gladiator. There are no more real ale pubs on the seaside between Newbiggin and Warkworth but there are two on the coastal route A1068. These are The Plough at Ellington which has Abbot Ale and the Widdrington Inn at Widdrington which has Caledonian Nectar and Speckled Hen. 8 Canny Bevvy

11 The next coastal town boasting four real ale pubs is Warkworth, which is at the end of a mile long inlet from the sea which becomes the River Coquet. Warkworth has a wonderful castle with The Sun Hotel next to it on Castle Terrace. It is a welcoming pub with views of the sea and River Coquet and serves nice pints of Directors and Fog on the Tyne. Down at the other end of Castle Street from the Castle is Dial Place, on Market Square there are three more real ale pubs. The Hermitage is a Jennings pub with four hand pulls - Cumberland Ale, Cocker Hoop, Honey Bole and Sneck Lifter all regulars. The Masons Arms has Adnams Southwold, Theakstons XB, Bombardier and Deuchars. The Black Bull on Bridge Street - 20 yards from Dial Place regularly has a Wylam beer and Mordues Workie Ticket as a guest beer. Further north up the coast and across the River Aln is Alnmouth, a lovely fishing village that was once a thriving port back in the 1800 s. There is a nice beach but to get to it you have to pass four real ale pubs on Northumberland Street. They are The Sun Inn (Black Sheep, Workie Ticket). The Hope and Anchor (Castles from Northumberland Brewery, Wylam Gold Tankard and Farne Island). The Red Lion (Wylam Bitter, Farne Island and Black Sheep). Finally, there is The Schooner Hotel with Brysons Sunshine and Black Sheep Bitter. The next real ale pub on the coast is The Jolly Fisherman next to the smoke house in Craster. The smell of smoked herring and kippers is nearly always present and the beers are Black Sheep and Workie Ticket. Dunstanburgh Castle can be accessed by walking along the cliffs from Craster. The Grey s Inn at Embleton also sells real ale from local breweries such as Mordues. The last stop on this part of our journey is at Low Newton by the Sea. It is The Ship Inn and has its own brewery, although hard to find Low Newton is a lovely little fishing village owned by the National Trust. Dolly Day Dream, Ship Hop Ale, Sandcastles at Dawn and Sea Wheat may be on the four hand pulls and customers can try samples from each. The final part of Ice Cream and Real Ale will be looking at Seahouses, Bamburgh, Holy Island and Berwickupon-Tweed. Canny Bevvy 9

12 For more information and all the latest news, visit our website at: Over 50 premium real ales & ciders! A wide selection of award winning beers! Hexhamshire Brewery. A real taste of traditional ale, a beer for every occasion. Delivered directly and through SIBA DDS in the North of England and by quality wholesalers nationally. ShotleyBridgeCricketClub 3 rd AnnualBeerFestival In conjunction with CAMRA (Tyneside) August Bank Holiday Weekend Friday 27th Sunday 29th Over 50premiumreal ales and ciders to choose from! Find out moreat 4 entry which includes festival glass. To advertise in this publication press@cannybevvy.co.uk E: ghb@hexhamshire.co.uk T: W: Proprietor Mr G.N. Weatherburn The Boathouse Manager Mr. J. J. Bennett Too Many C.A.M.R.A. Awards To Mention Famous For The Atmosphere And The Craic 10 Real Ciders Served From the Cellar Great Homemade Food Served Daily Themed Beer Festival Every Bank Holiday Permanent Beer Festival With 15 Ever Changing Handpulls Right Next To The Station At Wylam Station Road, Wylam, Northumberland, NE41 8HR, Tel: , - theboathousewylam@live.co.uk Open 11am till 11pm Every Day Except Sun 12pm till 10:30pm 12 Canny Bevvy

13 Liquidity for Tricia! Geoff Brooker, licensee of the Dipton Mill Inn and owner of Hexhamshire Brewery, accepts the Battle of the Beers winning certificate for his Light Side from Gordon Heal, who was the Festival Organiser for the 34th Newcastle Beer & Cider Festival, where the Battle was fought. Also pictured is Tricia Arnold pouring a pint of Liquidity, another special brew from Geoff for the Tynedale Beer Festival. Tricia, who runs her own accountancy firm, has been sponsoring Geoff Brooker s beer at the the Tynedale Beer Festival for a number of years and last year was invited to upgrade to become one of the main sponsors of the event. To celebrate this Geoff kindly offered to brew a special beer. Tricia adds, Much time was spent in our office trying to use blue sky thinking and other such marketing techniques to come up with a witty, amusing and relevant name for our beer in the world of accountancy - not a very inspiring, beer orientated media! After huge debate we settled on the name Liquidity - a good one I think which links ale and good finance! Geoff graciously offered to make this special brew again for the 2010 Beer Festival as I was a main sponsor this year also. Tricia has been a fully paid-up member of CAMRA since 1977, probably one of the few female members at the time, when we didn t think real ale was going to make it! Look where she and CAMRA are now! Canny Bevvy 13

14 The Howay Match With a bus full of expectant, fully badged Tyneside & Northumberland CAMRA branch members the first away match of the season took us to Manchester. Not a match for the faint hearted with a possible ten venues to visit with an unknown number of brews to negotiate before returning uninjured. How could we fail with our talisman striker in place? G. Heal an unknown force in Manchester, who had been training for his first tap in. The Marble Arch Inn interior is jaw dropping; a recognised heritage pub built in 1880, it is a joy to think that in 130 years it has been kept in such loving care. A worthwhile tour round the brew house was included in our visit, a gentle walk behind the pub where it is housed in a high railway arch. I can t think of a better use of a railway arch! [Ed. What about the music venue at the Tyne, Ouseburn!] The first sight on Rochdale Road was our first stop, the little gem grade listed Marble Arch Inn. We just knew the Rovers Return stood no chance. The choice of beer styles was outstanding; as well as the presentation beer Pint at 3.8, two guests were on show, Shaws Golden Globe 4.1 and Whim Brewery Flower Power, challenging 5.2. Marbles own Stout 4.7 and Porter 4.5 were available plus the well known festival favourite Ginger Marble at Canny Bevvy

15 The reason for our visit was to present to Marble Brewery our award of best beer of Newcastle Beer Festival. The presentation took place in the sunlight in the open lounge area behind the restaurant by the aforementioned talisman (Gordon Heal) resplendent in his best away kit. The brewer was delighted to receive our award and thanked us all for our support and for making the journey. A short drive away to the Castlefield area carried us to the second half which promised to be full of incidents in a fun packed day. J W Lees handsome pub The Rain Bar (previously an umbrella factory) with rooms on several levels was our supper stop with a very nice selection of different dishes in pleasant open surroundings. I suppose that is where they tested the umbrellas! Just across the road is a really special tiled pub the Peveril of the Peak, an oasis in a modern developed area serving Copper Dragon at 3.9. Being able to sit at tables outside was a joy! Our last port of call, just down Great Bridgewater Street, is the oddly named pub Brittons Protection, a cosy friendly pub serving Robinsons Unicorn at 4.2 and Allgates Citra, also at 4.2. One of our group thought the manageress looked like someone from Coronation Street so I asked her if her name was Annie, but she couldn t work out the reasoning behind my question. At this point the full time whistle was blown, so everyone boarded the bus to return home, looking forward to the next fixture. CAMRA S Edinburgh Pub Walks by Bob Steel Walk a hundred yards along Edinburgh s Princes Street or up the Royal Mile at any time of the year, and you will be mingling with people from all corners of the globe. Edinburgh is one of the world s greatest cities and fortunately is just a short trip and 7.50 up the line from Tyneside. CAMRA S latest guide book has 25 walks ranging from the historic city centre to outlying towns, countryside and coast. As would be expected it recommends many pubs which are worth visiting for heritage and beer interest. However, I did not expect the depth and detailed research relating to Edinburgh s history and culture that makes this guide book invaluable to anyone who wishes to walk around Auld Reekie. To make planning a trip easier it includes information on public transport and accommodation. To provide the reader with an understanding of Scottish beer and pub culture there are interesting sections on Scottish beer dispense, pub architecture and interiors. Illustrated throughout in colour with colour photographs and maps, the book is great value at I can t wait to go to Edinburgh with Bob Steel s walking tours in my pocket. Highly recommended. Martin Ellis Canny Bevvy 15

16 Trading Standards If you have any complaints about short measure pints etc, you can contact your local Trading Standards Office, details of which are listed below: Trading Standards Offices: City of Newcastle upon Tyne Trading Standards and Licensing Team Regeneration Directorate Civic Centre Newcastle upon Tyne Tyne & Wear NE1 8PB t: f: Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council Development & Enterprise Commercial and Consumer Services Civic Centre Regent Street Gateshead Tyne and Wear NE8 1HH t: f: and Industry/ TradingStandards Northumberland County Council Trading Standards Department Loansdean Morpeth Northumberland NE61 2ED t: f: e: North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council Trading Standards The North Tyneside Business Centre 54A Saville Street North Shields Tyne and Wear NE30 1NT t: (Consumer Direct for consumer advice) f: e: Wylam Brewery Ltd A SUCCESS STORY We supply a large selection of fine ales to the best real ale outlets in the North. Our epicure bottled beers and ciders are featured on the menus of leading hotels and restaurants to accompany fine food. Speciality shops, outlets and stores prominently feature our products for retail customers. Join the real ale revolution Call or visit Canny Bevvy

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19 LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY - PLATFORM 8 SATURDAY - STATE 4 HOT FOOD PROFESSIONAL WINE AND WHISKEY TASTING AVAILABLE AND WINES Tynemouth Cricket Club, Preston Avenue, North Shields, NE30 2BG Thursday 16th Sept 4 7pm until 11pm Platform 8 Friday 17th Sept midday until 11pm State 4 Saturday 18th Sept midday until 11pm ADMISSION [includes FREE programme and commemorative glass] Tynemouth Beer Festival 2010 supporting Sponsors always welcome, for more details please contact the event co-ordinators Steve Mordue on or Rouven Snowdon on tynemouthbeerfestival@live.co.uk Still time to sponsor a beer call Canny Bevvy 19

20 OVER 600 OF THE FINEST ALES SOLD NATIONALLY AT J D WETHERSPOON FEATURING GREAT ALES SUCH AS BRITAIN S NO.1 SUPPORTER OF MICROBREWERIES JOIN CAMRA TODAY AND RECEIVE WETHERSPOON REAL-ALE VOUCHERS WORTH 20. FULL DETAILS ON APPLICATION FORM: THE JOB BULMAN THE QUAYSIDE THE KEEL ROW THE UNION ROOMS ST NICHOLAS AVENUE, GOSFORTH, NEWCASTLE TEL: NEWGATE STREET, NEWCASTLE TEL: THE CLOSE, QUAYSIDE, NEWCASTLE TEL: WESTGATE ROAD, NEWCASTLE TEL: THE MILE CASTLE WESTGATE ROAD & GRAINGER STREET, NEWCASTLE TEL: Subject to local licensing restrictions and availability at participating free houses.