Full Pints Volume 17 Issue 1

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Ayrshire and Wigtownshire CAMRA Branch

Spring 2015

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Articles: • Ray’s Round up • Barrow Hill Fest • Galloway travels plus lots more . . .

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Also inside: • Local News • Forthcoming Festivals • Local Meetings & Trips

T IS H B RAN

AYRSHIRE & WIGTOWNSHIRE AREA PUB OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Spring 2015

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Special A war d

OPENING TIMES: Every Day: 11am–11pm

THE Y OF E

2014

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PU B

Family run village inn located on the harbour in the picturesque fishing village of Isle of Whithorn Timothy Taylor Landlord plus five guest ales

Scotland and Northern Ireland Region

⅓ pint beer taster platters available for same price as a pint

Outside seating area on the harbourside. Children and Dogs Welcome.

Lunches 12-2pm. Snack Menu 2-6pm (Fri-Sun).

Evening Meals 6.30-9pm.

Sunday Carvery, 12-3pm: 3 Courses £12 Thursday Steak Night: Galloway Sirloin £12 Selection of local seafood dishes always available All food freshly prepared on the premises.

Daily chef ’s specials using the finest fresh produce and local seafood.

ACCOMMODATION

Comfortable en suite accommodation overlooking the harbour From £30 pppn B&B. Special accommodation offers to CAMRA members.

For bookings: visit our website, or call Alastair on 01988 500334 e-mail steampacketinn@btconnect.com 2

www.thesteampacketinn.biz

www.awcamra.org.uk

NEWS

Volume 17, Issue 1

Branch Area Pubs of the Year 2014 At the end of last year, we asked all our Branch members to nominate their favourite pubs for the Pub of the Year (POTY) award in each of the four social areas which we operate - namely North, East and South Ayrshire, and Wigtownshire.

The winners chosen by the members were: North Ayrshire Saracen’s Head Hotel, Beith East Ayrshire Weston Tavern, Kilmaurs South Ayrshire Wellingtons Bar, Ayr Wigtownshire The Grapes, Stranraer Judges from each area are now visiting the 4 outlets to assess them and to decide which will win the overall A&W Pub of the Year title, and which will go through to the Scottish heats of the competition. Pictured below are the winners receiving their Area POTY Certificates.

Ayrshire and Wigtownshire CAMRA Branch Chairman: Lindsay Grant Email: chair@awcamra.org.uk Secretary: Clare Scott Email: secretary@awcamra.org.uk Minutes of Branch Meetings are available to members from the Secretary.

Editor: Stuart McMahon, 93 Montfode Drive, Ardrossan KA22 7PH Tel: 01294 603848 Email: fullpints@awcamra.org.uk Advertising: Graeme Perry Email: advertising@awcamra.org.uk Advertising Rates: Full Page: £60 1/2 Page: £35 Websites: www.awcamra.org.uk www.ayrshirebeerfestival.co.uk @awcamra; @troonbeerfest

Ayrshire & Wigtownshire CAMRA Ayrshire Real Ale Festival

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1. Murray Thomson, owner, with Angela, Denise and Chloe at the Saracen’s Head, Beith being presented with their certificate by Ian Middleditch; 2. Bob Wallace presenting the certificate to Sheila Wilde, landlady at the Weston Tavern, Kilmaurs.

3. Caroline Munro (left) presenting Nan O’Brien and her staff with the South Ayrshire award at Wellington’s Bar, Ayr. 4. Malcolm McNeill with Sally Whorlow (left) and Lynn Balfour at The Grapes presentation in Stranraer.

Full Pints is designed by Montfode Design, www.md93.co.uk and printed by Brown Brothers Printers, Irvine, www.brown-bros.com.

2,000 copies are published every 3 months and distributed to all Real Ale outlets in our region.

The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the editor or of the Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. © Campaign for Real Ale Ltd

The next edition will be of published in June 2015.

Articles, photos and other contributions should be sent to the editor no later than Friday 22nd May 2015.

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Spring 2015

National Pub of the Year announced The Salutation Inn, a rural freehouse in the small village of Ham, Gloucestershire, has walked away with the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) National Pub of the Year Award - a feat made even more impressive given that this is the first pub the landlord has ever run.

Former business analyst Peter Tiley had never even pulled a pint when he decided to quit his job in London and follow his love of beer to take over The Salutation Inn with his wife Claire.

Eleven months later the pub had won its local branch competition, then the whole region, finally making it through to the final four and 1 then being named overall National Pub of the Year.

“For the Sally to have won National Pub of the Year is beyond our wildest dreams - we’re totally shell-shocked. Pubs are so important to me that to have our own one recognised in this way is just amazing. We count ourselves so unbelievably lucky to have a brilliant team of staff who are so passionate and dedicated as well as a community of locals who have given so much to support and contribute towards the pub. It is these people that have made the pub what it is today and for that we are incredibly grateful.” Peter Tiley, landlord of The Salutation Inn. Pubs are judged by CAMRA on a variety of criteria such as atmosphere, level of service, value for money and community focus, with extra weighting of course given to the quality of their real ale, cider and perry. The Salutation Inn, known by locals as ‘the sally’, was popular 4

with judges due to its fantastic beer selection and welcoming, homely feel – with one judge saying “what struck me most was the welcome – as if I was being invited into a private house as a friend”.

Last year our Branch Pub of the Year the Steam Packet Inn, Isle of Whithorn, went on to win the Scottish title, but unfortunately it didn’t make the last four in the competition.

For those thinking of visiting the pub, it is described in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide 2015 as a “rural gem in the Severn Valley, within walking distance of the Jenner Museum, Berkeley Castle and Deer Park. The enthusiastic landlord keeps an inspired selection of ales and eight real ciders and perries. The pub has two cosy bars with a log fire and a skittles alley. Live folk music and piano singalongs regularly occur.

Shove-ha’penny and table skittles are played.”

www.awcamra.org.uk

Landmark victory for beer drinkers, pub goers and licensees Back in November, MPs voted to introduce a market rent only option for licensees tied to the large pub companies in England & Wales a move that will secure the future of the Great British Pub. The Government was defeated by 284 votes to 259 with MPs from all parties voting in favour of a new clause to the Small Business Bill that will empower pubco licensees to choose between a tied agreement and a market rent only agreement that will allow them to buy beer on the open market. Allowing over 13,000 pub tenants tied to the large pub companies the option of buying beer on the open market at competitive prices will help keep pubs open

and ensure that the cost of a pint remains affordable. The large pub companies will no longer be able to charge their tenants prices up to 60 pence a pint higher than open market prices. This simple choice should spell the end of pubco licensees being forced out of business through high rents and tied product prices.

Thank you to the 8,000 CAMRA members and campaigners who lobbied their local MP to help make this happen and to those MPs that voted to support pubs. CAMRA are now urging the Government to accept the outcome of the vote. Lobbying is taking place to persuade the Scottish Parliament to bring in similar measures covering Scotland.

British beer sales growing for first time in ten years

Beer sales have increased for the first time in a decade, but more booze is now sold in supermarkets and off-licences than in pubs for the first time on record. There was a 1.3% rise in UK sales last year, driven by growth in supermarkets and off-licences, while beer sales in pubs fell by 0.8%, the smallest decline since 1996. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said the turnaround in beer sales followed the two cuts in beer duty announced in the last two Budgets.

CAMRA Chief Executive said, “It is fantastic to see overall beer sales back in growth for the first time in ten years, but it is vitally important that beer sales in pubs move back into growth too. The 0.8% drop in pub beer sales is the smallest decline in sales since 1996, but if we want to see less pubs closing it is vital that number is pushed into positive growth. A third beer duty cut in next month’s budget will help ensure that 2015 is the year when pub beer sales finally start growing again.”

But Scottish drink driving laws are hitting pubs hard Many stories are reaching us of rural (and not so rural) pubs getting hit hard due to the new drink driving laws. Several outlets have reported drops in takings of over £2,000 per month as folk simply stop drinking whilst out and about. One enterprising outlet in the Highlands has bought its own minibus and now runs a popular and free courtesy bus between local villages and the pub. But that approach is not without its own problems and cost outlays.

Now is the time, as we approach the Budget and the forthcoming general election, to keep campaigning and writing to your local MP / MSP voicing your concerns and asking for action to be taken by the Chancellor to help struggling rural businesses. Likewise, why not contact your local bus company highlighting the opportunities that exist if they enhanced their services in the evenings to allow easy travel to and from your local pub / restaurant.

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Welcoming Family Atmosphere Spring 2015

Traditional Family Fayre with something for everyone... ...where a great meal doesn’t cost the earth.

2 REAL ALES USUALLY AVAILABLE Ample Free Parking

Open every day

Children welcome until 10pm

Special Menu

12noon - 2pm: Mon-Fri 12noon - 3pm Sat/Sun 5.00-6.30pm: all week Main course: £8.95 Two courses: £10.95 Three courses: £12.95

Evening Dinner Menu also served from 5pm Friday Night Steak Night 8oz Sirloin with choice of sauce for £10.99 Add bottle of Merlot or Sauvignon Blanc for £11

• Delicious artisan breads, continental meats and cheeses, homemade baking, soups and sandwiches • Selection of quality bottled ales and wine • Gift hampers available for every occasion • Personalised buffet and party catering packages including: - Sandwiches from £2 per head - Deli Platter 2/3 people: £20 - Deli Platter 8/10 people: £65

Quiz Night every Tuesday Outside al-fresco dining area / beer garden FREE

WiFi

UPPER DECK HOLIDAY FLAT For availability see our website: www.holidayflatfairlie.co.uk

Check our website for our entertainment programmes

46 Bay Street, Fairlie. Tel: 01475 568432 www.villageinnfairlie.co.uk 6

www.awcamra.org.uk

LOCAL NEWS

Refurb at the Kinloch Hotel The Kinloch Hotel in Blackwaterfoot has recently completed a major refurbishment of their bar and lounge area. Your editor visited on the first day of reopening and enjoyed a very nice pint of Ayr’s Leezie Lundie (as well as some tasty soup and sandwiches). The Kinloch is also hoping to introduce a house ale that will be produced

by Ayr Brewing Company, along with a second ale usually from Caledonian or Theakstons. The hotel is also looking forward to running their 3rd Beer Festival on July 11th.

Millhouse Hotel, Stewarton is sold The Millhouse Hotel, Stewarton has been sold to Buzzworks, who are planning a £300,000 renovation project on the popular venue.

Whilst Buzzworks don’t sell any real ale in their existing portfolio of outlets, they are promising that the snug bar will focus on traditional ales and craft beers.

Wetherspoons is coming to Largs

The nearby Blackwaterfoot Lodge is supposed to be reopening this spring, having been closed last year. In the past, real ale was usually available – we’ll watch and report back in a future .

Microbrewery planned at Steam Packet Inn Last year’s Scottish Pub of the Year, the Steam Packet Inn, Isle of Whithorn has submitted a funding application for a small 2½ barrel microbrewery project. Alastair Scoular, owner, is hopeful that it will be operational later this summer if the funding is successful.

Planning permission has now been granted to Wetherspoons for a new outlet in Largs. A revised application was submitted to North Ayrshire Council following their initial refusal due to concerns over the design of the waste storage area and the proximity of a new outdoor terrace to a bus stop and pavement area. The outlet will be located in the former 10-pin bowling arcade on the promenade, next door to the new Co-operative store.

Fairlie Good Value for CAMRA members The Village Inn, Fairlie has introduced discounts of 20p off a pint (usually £3.40) for CAMRA members on production of their membership card.

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Spring 2015

WELLINGTONS BAR Traditional Bar Traditional Ales Traditional Music Two ever changing ales available, mostly from the tried and trusted range from Kelburn and Fyne Ales Renowned for our promotion of traditional music, session every Sunday night.

Longest running Quiz night every Wednesday Bar food served daily

17 Wellington Square, Ayr KA7 1EZ Tel: 01292 262794 Email: welliesayr@hotmail.co.uk www.welliesbar.weebly.com

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www.awcamra.org.uk

Kelburn bottles champion beer Kelburn Brewery in Barrhead is now bottling the current Champion Beer of Scotland, Dark Moor, and it is available permanently from their online shop at www.kelburnbrewery.com, or direct from the brewery at 10 Muriel Lane, Barrhead (open 10am-4.30pm, 1pm Fridays) and other regular outlets.

Garnock Social Club Local CAMRA Member, Ian Martin, was fed up not being able to drink real ale in Kilbirnie, so he approached Garnock Social Club to see if they would be interested in stocking some ale. The result was a resounding “yes” and on the last Saturday of January two pins of ale (36-pints each) from Kelburn and Jaw Breweries sold out within a few hours. Six pins were available on the last Saturday of February as went to print. Watch our facebook page for details of forthcoming “Ale Days”. The club is easily reached using the X34 / X36 and 125 buses which stop outside the club as you enter Kilbirnie from Dalry. It is also just a short walk from Glengarnock Rail Station.

Arran Brewery sales increase The Brewery continues to expand with sales 11% up on the same time last year, and its new Loch Earn Brewery, Hotel and Visitor Centre will fully open later this year. First guests will arriving at the hotel in mid March with the refurbishment of rooms progressing well. The brewery, which will be making St Fillans Gold Lager, plus cider, is about to have it’s concrete floor laid, after which the brewing equipment will be set up quickly.

Work at their new site in Dreghorn, Ayrshire is progressing with repackaging of bottled packs starting there in March. The plan is to have a full bottling plant, visitor centre and beer hall, and Sake brewery based there.

A second round of crowdfunding should be offered to existing shareholders and the wider public around Easter time.

New Brewery opens near Mauchline Roddenloft Brewery, trading as Ethical Ales, is a new start brewery in rural Ayrshire near Mauchline.

Young brewer Michael Sullivan from Kilmarnock will be craft brewing small batches of lagers and ales and will produce the beers using the finest Scottish barleys and British hops, together with pure and natural Ayrshire water.

They plan to sell a lot of their beer from their own mobile bar unit at music festivals and other outdoor events, plus sales to selected pubs.

The business will trade with ethical policies for sourcing quality raw materials, paying suppliers, employment and paying taxes. They will also support UK wildlife causes by donating 15p for every pint sold.

The first beer will be ready for drinking late March and their web site will become fully active and informative as they get closer to that great day of “first drinkable beer”.

You can follow progress at www.ethicalales.com 9

Spring 2015

• Real Food • Real Beer • Real Atmosphere 27 Main Street, Kilmaurs, KA3 2RQ Tel: 01563 538805 www.westontavern.co.uk

Saracen’s Head Hotel GOOD FOOD : GOOD BEER Outside Bars and Catering 2 Real Ales usually available SPECIAL OFFER: Mon-Thurs: only £2.50/pint Search for: SariBarBeith

10-12 Eglinton Street, Beith KA15 1AQ Tel: 01505 502329 10

www.awcamra.org.uk

Kirkmichael Cake and Ale Festival The inaugural Kirkmichael Cake and Ales Festival was held in the village hall, Kirkmichael on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th December 2014.

The event was set up and run by Andy and Dorothy Birks, proprietors of the Kirkmichael Arms, after encouragement from customers and staff at the pub.

The makeshift bar was set up using gantry kindly loaned

by Ian Murray, formerly of the Blue Peter in Kirkcolm, and materials and labour from local tradesman Robbie Kidd. The mild spell ended as the new Scottish drink-drive laws came into effect, leaving everyone feeling cold, but the ale was in fine form, and hungry drinkers could sample hot rolls and paninis served up by Dorothy and her staff.

The delicious home made cakes were also selling like, well, hot cakes !

Music was provided on Friday

by Robert Carmichael, and on Saturday by the ever-popular ale drinking Peas!

Above: Howzat! Stephen Massie pours a pint of Loch Lomond Southern Summit

by George Bryden

There were twelve ales on offer from Scottish and Cumbrian breweries, and first to sell out on the Saturday was the Windermere Pale from Hawkshead, closely followed

by Fyne Ales Avalanche. The other Cumbrian beers from Barngates, Yates and Carlisle sold well, as did the Ayr, Sulwath and Loch Lomond offerings.

A big thank you from the Kirkmichael Arms to all the drinkers who managed to get to Kirkmichael, despite difficult public transport links, and they hope to see you all again later this year, dates to be confirmed.

Top: George Bryden and Mike Tomlinson with a festival t-shirt Bottom: Neil and Bob deep in thought over what ale to get next!

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Spring 2015

Ardrossan Academicals Rugby Club

4th REAL ALE Festival 19th-22nd March 2015 LIVE International Rugby, Sat 21st, on TV

Up to 16 Real Ales available Hot snacks available

Kick Offs

Ita v Wal 1230 Sco v Ire 1430 Eng v Fra 1700

Supported by

Opening Times: Thu 19th: 7pm - late

(Card-carrying CAMRA Members’ Preview)

Fri 20th: 5pm - late Sat 21st: 12.30pm - late Sun 22nd: 12.30pm - 6pm Admission: £3 (inc. glass)

Clubhouse, Sorbie Road, Ardrossan

FRASERS BAR Millport

Find us just up the road from the pier

Quality Cask Ales Served All Year Meals Served Every Day 12 noon - 2.30pm / 5.30pm -7.30pm 7 Cardiff Street, Millport, Isle of Cumbrae KA28 0AS Tel: 01475 530518 12

www.awcamra.org.uk

Forthcoming Festivals

In 2015 you can visit a beer festival in Scotland every month from now until November, if you are so inclined! Here are details for the first few: First off the blocks, Ardrossan Academicals Rugby Club will be holding their 4th Real Ale Festival on 20th-22nd March in their clubhouse on Sorbie Road.

Supported by CAMRA, it will feature up to 16 ales from around the country. Once again the festival coincides with the final day of the Six Nations Rugby Championships and the games will all be shown on the club’s TVs. The March North Ayrshire CAMRA Social will be held at the Rugby Club on Thursday 19th from 7pm and will have discounted entry and beer for cardcarrying members. Main opening times are Friday: 5pm till late, Saturday 12.30pm till late, and Sunday 12.30pm till 6pm whilst stocks last.

Entrance is £3 which includes a glass, and ales will be priced at £2.50/pint.

April sees three major festivals taking place.

Firstly is one that isn’t local: the increasingly popular Bandstand Beer Festival in Nairn runs for over a week from 3rd12th April and will have 160+ ales. See advert on p28 of Full Pints. Secondly, the 7th Larbert Real Ale Festival takes place in the Dobbie Hall, Larbert on Fri 3rd and Sat 4th April with over 60 ales available. Admission is £5 (£3 CAMRA). And finally, the 28th Paisley Beer Festival from 22nd - 25th April in Paisley Town Hall. There will be an Ayrshire CAMRA Branch social meeting at it on the Saturday afternoon. Entrance is £4 for CAMRA members and £6 non-members.

Outwith south and west Scotland, the 17th Kingdom of Fife CAMRA Real Ale and Cider Festival takes place in the Rothes Halls, Glenrothes from 30th April – 2nd May featuring around 50 ales. Last year’s festival featured some rarely seen beers here in the west. Regular buses from Glasgow Buchanan Street are the simplest way to go.

Back to the west, Helensburgh Round Table will be holding a non-CAMRA festival on 15th-16th May at Helensburgh Sailing Club.

The 3rd Village Inn Real Ale Festival in Fairlie, which is also supported by CAMRA will this year run from 29th-31st May. There will be up to 24 ales available plus some cider, along with a barbeque. Volunteers will once again be required to man the bar.

The increasingly popular FyneFest is being held at the Fyne Ales brewery from 12th-14th June featuring a huge selection of beers and a wide variety of music. Tickets required in advance from www.fynefest.com.

Following its success last year, the Glasgow Real Ale Festival (GRAF) returns to the Briggait from 25th – 27th June. More details at www.glasgowrealalefestival.co.uk.

And finally, on Arran the Kinloch Hotel will be holding their 3rd beer and food festival on Saturday 11th July.

Ayrshire Real Ale Festival 2015 1st - 3rd October, Troon Concert Hall

Main Festival Sponsor

1st - 3rd October

Troon Concert Hall Two bars featuring 150+ Real Ales from around the UK plus Cider & Perry

Thurs 1st October

LIVE MUSIC

FRIDAY Evening: Someone SATURDAY Afternoon: Irvine & District Pipe Band Evening: Someone

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Spring 2015

The Golf Inn, Prestwick 154 Main Street, KA9 1PB. Tel: 01292 476711 Now Serving Real Ale Food Served Daily Weekly Karaoke & Quiz Nights 14

www.awcamra.org.uk

FESTIVE CRAWL 2014

Our Festive Pub Crawl around Ayr held on 29th December was extremely popular with around 40 folk attending throughout the day. We were all so busy drinking that very few photos (if any) were taken to record the visits!

However, socialising started at 1 p.m. in the Twa Dugs / Ayrshire & Galloway Hotel, and after visiting the Glen Park Hotel, Wellingtons, the West Kirk, the Tam O’ Shanter Inn, the Newton Arms and Geordie’s Byre, everyone was in agreement that it had been a great day, with the beer in all the outlets in good condition.

So long, Caley 80/One of Scotland’s longest established beers, Caledonian 80/has been renamed as Edinburgh Castle Ale, following an agreement with Historic Scotland to use the worldfamous landmark and name. It will remain at 4.1% ABV but the recipe has been tweaked to give it a bit more hoppiness.

Thanks for Beer Scoring Over the past year, real ale drinkers have submitted around 1,900 scores for all the pubs in our branch area. This is a tremendous effort and helps the committee greatly when assessing pubs for possible inclusion in the Good Beer Guide. We continually need scores for all of the outlets in our branch area, particularly those in the more outlying areas. All it takes is a few simple taps on the whatpub.com website, which is also smartphone friendly. If you don’t have access to a computer, then just take a note of your scores and send them to a committee member who can enter them on your behalf.

Branch member Stephen Massie travelled from Mauchline to New Zealand recently to enjoy his other hobby - cricket, cheering on the Scotland team in their World Cup matches.

Stephen became a bit of a celebrity in the local NZ Otago Daily Times after joining a near capacity crowd of over 4,600 spectators as he watched Scotland play (and lose) to New Zealand. The paper reports that the sound of bagpipes rang through the air during the match, adding to the atmosphere as pockets of vocal Scottish fans watched their side push the Black Caps all the way.

Photo: ©Stephen Jaquiery

From Mauchline to New Zealand

‘’There’s still a part of me that doesn’t believe I’m here,’’ he said. ‘’I’m just sitting here looking around at the hills and taking in the scenery and the sights. It’s just fantastic.’’ He also made a couple of signs, one saying “Hello Mauchline”, to hold up in case his family saw him on television back home. And after the first game he even found some real ale at Albar, Dunedin (pictured bottom right).

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Spring 2015

Barrow Hill Real Ale Festival

The Barrow Hill real ale festival claims to be the “most atmospheric beer festival of the year”. With nearly 200 CAMRA organised festivals last year, plus all the other beer festivals organised by other groups or even just the pubs themselves, that’s a mighty big claim to make, so does it live up to it?

The only way to find out was to go there . . .

The first problem anyone going to Barrow Hill encounters is getting there.

The festival is in the old railway shed, on the outskirts of Barrow Hill village, which really only existed to serve the railway and collieries, both of which are now gone so there is little in the way of amenities and almost certainly no accommodation available.

However, the town of Chesterfield is only around 4 miles away and it has plenty of hotels, including The Portland Arms – a Wetherspoons lodge.

I will simply mention that it exists, and leave others to decide on whether or not staying there is a good idea.

There isn’t much in the way of public transport between Chesterfield and Barrow Hill, but the festival organisers have an arrangement with a local group of bus enthusiasts, who put on 16

buses between the festival site and Chesterfield railway station. No charge is made for passengers but there is a bucket for donations to the bus group at the front of each bus, and I would encourage anyone using this service to chuck in some loose change.

Another handy tip is to catch one of the single decker buses, as the double decker either has to take a slightly longer route to the festival on account of some low bridges, or it arrives at the festival as an open-top bus!

The bus drops you right at the entrance gate to the festival site, where you either pay your admission or show your pre-booked ticket, in return for a programme and a festival glass. Once through the gate, immediately on your right is a steam train that will take you on a short trip to the other side of the site. There is no bar

on the train but passengers can bring beer on board with them and as the trip takes no more than 15 minutes there and back you are at very little risk of dehydration.

Alternatively, the main hall is immediately in front of you and is accessed via a marquee that contains a large seating area, a couple of stalls selling craft beers, a good selection of food stalls, and a jazz band.

Like Wetherspoons, jazz is a rather divisive subject for CAMRA and there was a prominent sign stating that the marquee is fire resistant, just in case anyone who dislikes jazz got any ideas into their heads!

Once through the marquee and into the main hall, you begin to see why Barrow Hill really stands out from other festivals. The hall is the old railway roundhouse, a building

Photo: ©Barrow Hill Real Ale Festival

by Cameron Clark

www.awcamra.org.uk

On the other side of the hall is a railway yard, part of which is fenced off to allow festival goers to safely wander round, and this area has plenty of uncovered seating, and yet more food stalls, selling everything from a roll and cheese to a hog roast. Many of the food stalls were local enterprises selling things like hand made chocolates, truffles, cheeses and crisps, which complemented the more usual burger bars, sandwich stalls and carveries, and I have to concede that the choice of food on offer was well above anything I’ve ever experienced at a Scottish beer festival.

As for the beers, there were over 200 of them available from 4 different bars. Some of the bars were difficult to find, as they had to be arranged around the locomotives on display. Some of the breweries had cleverly used this to their advantage and the Derbyshire

Photo: ©Barrow Hill Real Ale Festival

whose purpose was to allow locomotives to be kept under cover on a series of railway lines arranged around a giant turntable. It still serves that purpose today as a working museum, so in amongst the plentiful bars and some more food stalls there are a dozen or so steam, diesel, and even electric railway locomotives.

Brewers Collective had utilised the flat side of an electric locomotive to display a giant banner which brought a few tuts of disapproval from some of the railway fraternity, and as I know that the Ayrshire CAMRA branch has a few steam enthusiast members I won’t mention what the Tyrells crisps people had done to a Great Western steam locomotive, just in case any of them are of a nervous disposition.

With so many beers on offer, it was a chance to see what ingredients were in fashion amongst the brewers.

Coriander seemed to be on the way out, but pineapple and elderflower were popular ingredients. There was even an elderflower cider but that’s just a bit too specialist

for my personal tastes, and Polish Junga was this year’s “trendy” hop. Darker IPAs were also popular. Scottish beers were totally absent with the emphasis on local ales, although bottled international beers were available from the craft beer bar. The notes that follow relate to just some of the beers I sampled.

Navigation Brewery, Apus American IPA – so hoppy it hurts. Titanic Steerage – a core beer but hard to find in Ayrshire so well worth trying.

Brimstone Trappers Hat – tastes a bit like Trade Winds but a more golden colour, plus the orange and grapefruit equals 2 of your 5 a day!!!

Ossett Junga – beer of the festival for me. I have no idea what those Polish junga hops are but they sure taste good.

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Spring 2015

Saltaire Cascade Pale Ale – a cracking little beer that I always seek out when in or nearby Yorkshire, and at only 3.8% it’s a good one for pacing out between the stronger beers.

Wharfe Bank The Mexican – grapefruit and chilli combined. What could possibly go wrong? In all seriousness this was tasty but I’m not sure if it would be a good session beer.

Chatsworth Gold – pretty standard golden ale but as we had visited Chatsworth House the day before it would have been churlish not to try it.

Derby Brewing Company White Witch – a decent pale ale that should be recommended to lager drinkers to wean them off it. Coincidentally, I saw this beer in a pub in Leamington Spa months after the festival and knew what to expect thanks to tasting it here. Yet another good reason to attend more beer festivals.

The band providing the evening’s music used an old flat railway wagon as an impromptu stage. The music was mostly covers from the 80s and 90s which went down well. It must concentrate the mind of a performer if he knows that anything unacceptable to the audience is likely to be met with a change of the points and a gentle shove which will see the band propelled out of the venue and off towards Chesterfield! Jools Holland played a gig at the roundhouse a couple of months after the festival although I suspect that they would have given him a grander and rather more sturdy platform on which to perform.

But was it atmospheric ? Well, as we sat in the shade, strong sunlight streaming in through ornately shaped windows that were more suited to a church than a railway shed, it was hard not to imagine what the place was like in its heyday, and this feeling only intensified when 18

the locomotive that had been running up and down the yard all day was brought into the shed, positioned on the turntable, and left to cool down.

For the rest of the evening it sat there, wisps of steam slowly escaping as it’s boiler cooled down, smoke from it’s fire giving the building a smell not unlike that from the coal fire in a country pub.

For my money, yes, the most atmospheric beer festival in Britain, and we’ll be back in 2015.

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Buy your tickets online NOW!

More information at: www.railalefestival.com

This outlet accepts all major credit / debit cards. Also pay with PayPal or Master Pass.

You will be able to collect your tickets from the Barrow Hill Roundhouse Box Office on the day of the event.

Click here to buy tickets for Thursday 14th May (http://www.seetickets.com/event/rail­ale­2015­trade­session­connoisseurs­ night/barrow­hill­roundhouse/831913/)

www.awcamra.org.uk

BRANCH SOCIAL ACTIVITIES Our Branch has Social Groups covering North, South and East Ayrshire, and Wigtownshire. All CAMRA members are encouraged to attend these informal events, but non-CAMRA members are equally welcome. For more information, please contact the area coordinators listed below: North Ayrshire - usually meets 3rd Thursday of every month. Contact Ian Middleditch.

Email: vicechair1@awcamra.org.uk South Ayrshire - contact Caroline Munro for details.

Email: south-ayrshire@awcamra.org.uk East Ayrshire - meets last Wednesday of every month.

Contact Bob Wallace. Email: membership@awcamra.org.uk Wigtownshire - contact Malcolm McNeil for details.

Email: wigtownshire@awcamra.org.uk

Some of our younger folks enjoy a pint in the Saracen’s Head Additionally, the Branch also holds social outings and trips on a regular basis – see www. awcamra.org.uk for details or contact social secretary Donald Clark at social@awcamra.org.uk

OUTLETS NEWS SPRING DIARY DATES

The following changes in outlets have occurred since the last edition of .

New Outlets:

The Smoking Goat, Ayr: 2 real ales usually from Fyne Ales or Ayr Brewing Cheeky Charlie’s, Troon: re-opened with 2 handpumps available for real ale.

Golf Inn, Prestwick: one handpump at present - Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted was on tap as Full Pints went to press.

Losses:

Village Inn, Dunlop: closed

MARCH Fri 13th Wigtownshire Social, The Grapes, Stranraer, 8pm Sat 14th Beer of the Festival presentation, Broughton Ales - see page 33 Thurs 19th North Ayrshire Social - Ardrossan Accies Beer Festival - Preview night for CAMRA members from 7pm. Fri 20th - Sun 22nd Festival opens at 5pm Fri; 12.30pm Sat/Sun. Wed 25th East Ayrshire Social, Fanny by Gaslight, Kilmarnock, 7.30pm Sat 28th Branch AGM, Abbotsford Hotel, Ayr, 2pm. All members are encouraged to attend this important meeting.

APRIL Sat 11th Wigtownshire Social to Portpatrick. Meet at the Grapes, 12 noon Thurs 16th North Ayrshire Social - Largs, Venue TBC Fri 17th - Sun 19th CAMRA National Members’ Weekend and AGM, Nottingham - see form on page 24.

Sat 25th Branch Social at Paisley Beer Festival, from 1pm Wed 29th East Ayrshire Social - Wheatsheaf, Kilmarnock, 7.30pm MAY Sat 9th Mild Trail by Rail (SNIB Social), Dunblane to Linlithgow, from 1pm Thurs 21st North Ayrshire Social, Village Inn, Fairlie, 8pm Wed 27th Branch Meeting and East Ayrshire Social, Venue TBC Fri 29th - Sun 31st Fairlie Beer Festival, Village Inn, Fairlie

Please check www.awcamra.org.uk for up-to-date details of all Branch news, meetings and social nights.

JUNE Sat 20th Branch Bus Trip to Strathaven Brewery – details TBC 19

Spring 2015

Houston

Bute

Largs

Millport

Gateside

Lochranza Catacol Arran

Fairlie Beith Ardrossan Kilmaurs

Drygate

Kelburn

Lugton Dunlop Strathaven

Kilmarnock

Saltcoats Brodick Irvine Troon Lamlash

Blackwaterfoot

Jaw

Failford

Prestwick

Sorn

Ayr Stair

Ayr

Kirkmichael Kirkoswald Barr

Bargrennan Kirkcolm Stranraer

Sulwath

New Luce Glenluce

Portpatrick

Sandhead

Newton Stewart Wigtown Bladnoch

Not to scale. Reproduced from Ordnance Survey map data by permission of the Ordnance Survey Š Crown Copyright 2014

20

Drummore

Isle of Whithorn

www.awcamra.org.uk

AYRSHIRE & WIGTOWNSHIRE REAL ALE OUTLETS ISLE OF ARRAN

SOUTH AYRSHIRE

EAST AYRSHIRE

BLACKWATERFOOT Blackwaterfoot Lodge * Kinloch Hotel

AYR Abbotsford Hotel Ayrshire & Galloway Chestnuts Hotel Geordie’s Byre Glen Park Hotel Harry’s Bar Newton Arms Smoking Goat Tam O’ Shanter Twa Dugs Wellingtons Bar West Kirk

DUNLOP Auld Hoose

KILMAURS Weston Tavern

KILMARNOCK Brass & Granite Fanny by Gaslight § First Edition Goldberry Arms Wheatsheaf Inn

SORN Sorn Inn

BARR Kings Arms Hotel

BARGRENNAN House O’ Hill Hotel

FAILFORD Failford Inn

BLADNOCH Bladnoch Inn

KIRKMICHAEL Kirkmichael Arms

DRUMMORE Clashwhannon

PORTPATRICK Crown Hotel Harbour House Hotel

KIRKOSWALD Souter’s Inn

GLENLUCE Kelvin House Hotel

SANDHEAD Tigh-na-Mara Hotel

PRESTWICK Eagle Tavern Golf Inn Prestwick Pioneer

ISLE OF WHITHORN Steam Packet Inn §

STRANRAER Grapes § Ruddicot Hotel

BRODICK Brodick Bar Ormidale Hotel Wine Port CATACOL Catacol Bay Hotel LAMLASH Drift Inn LOCHRANZA Lochranza Hotel NORTH AYRSHIRE ARDROSSAN Ardrossan Rugby Club* Lauriston Hotel BEITH Saracen’s Head FAIRLIE Village Inn § GATESIDE Gateside Inn IRVINE Ship Inn The Auld Brig LARGS J G Sharps Largs Sailing Club (weekends only) Lounge MacAulays McCabes Three Reasons Waterside LUGTON Canny Man § MILLPORT Fraser’s Bar SALTCOATS Salt Cot

TROON Bruce’s Well Cheeky Charlie’s Fullartons Harbour Bar Lonsdale Bar* McKay’s Marr Rugby Club (weekends only) South Beach Hotel

STAIR Stair Inn

WIGTOWNSHIRE

KIRKCOLM Blue Peter Hotel NEW LUCE Kenmuir Arms Hotel

NEWTON STEWART Creebridge House Hotel Galloway Arms Hotel

WIGTOWN Wigtown Ploughman

Every CAMRA member can score ales they drink in their local pub using the WhatPub app and website, www.whatpub.com.

But what are the benefits? Well, all scores go towards whether an outlet is considered for inclusion in the Good Beer Guide, and, if there is a trend of low scores for any outlet, it can alert the committee to possible problems.

Scores are continually required for the whole Branch area but, in particular, Arran and outlying pubs in East and South Ayrshire * CAMRA members have noted that real ale is not receive very few scores - why not take a few moments to score always available at these your beers on whatpub.com if you visit them? pubs.

§ Special offers for card-carrying CAMRA members

Do you know of a pub that sells real ale and isn’t listed? Please let us know.

21

by Ray Turpie, Branch Vice Chairman and Scotland & Northern Ireland CAMRA Director

In the last issue, I wrote about beer festivals. There are so many of these on the go now, some better than others, it is not surprising that the subject comes up so frequently.

If you had the inclination and the resources you could look at “What’s Brewing” and go to a festival every weekend in some part of the country, either to work at or for recreation.

One festival I had not managed to attend until this year, however, was CAMRA’s National Winter Ales Festival. With over 450 draught ales available and many ciders and perries, in my opinion, this is second only to the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) held in London. I was not disappointed. It used to be held in Manchester but now has moved to the Roundhouse, Derby in February.

P

RAY’S ROUND UP

ROUNSpring D U 2015 Y’S A R

Almost the first person I bumped into was Ian Middleditch from our own branch.

He was doing a training course on bar management and helping out behind the bar.

It is good to know our own festival will be in good hands! No doubt he was interested in the building as well, as it is the oldest surviving example of a railway round house and in some places the tracks can still be seen on the floor.

It is now part of the college but the classrooms have been dropped in to the building as modules to preserve the superstructure of this protected building.

The Champion Winter Beer of Britain was Elland 1872 Porter, which also won the title two years ago, and so this will again progress to the national finals at Olympia in August.

Orkney Skullsplitter and Highland Sneaky Wee Orkney Stout won silver and bronze medals respectively in their individual classes.

Many other great beers were available but I had to try Ray of Sunshine from Bogart Brewery, based in Manchester.

I was pleased to note also several Scottish Breweries represented including our own Ayr Brewing Company which had Rabbie’s Porter and Clootie Bree on offer as well as their newer brew, Fair Jenny’s Jig Extra Pale.

22

www.awcamra.org.uk

I have been in Derby before, however, and can vouch for its credentials as one of the best cities in Britain for pubs and beer. I remember visiting Ye Olde Dolphin the last time with its quirky pub sign but this time I was impressed with the Alexandra Hotel which had Castle Rock Harvest Pale and the Brunswick Inn which has a brewery attached. I tried some of their range and my favourites were The Usual and Banjoed.

Some other CAMRA Beer Festivals which are coming up you may wish to visit are Larbert 3-4th April; Paisley 22-25th April and Glenrothes 30th April-2nd May. Also in May is the Mild Ale Trail by Rail which some of us are doing on 9th May from Dunblane to Linlithgow. Please come and join us at some of these events.

More information can be found on page 13 of , as well as on our website www. awcamra.org.uk or in our news sheet CAMRA Calling.

My next big venture is the national CAMRA Members’ Weekend and AGM in Nottingham from 17-19th April. You still have time to register for this at www.camraagm.org.uk or by completing the form on page 24 of if you can manage to go. If you are a keen member and active volunteer you should try and visit this at least once in your life and see democracy at work during the conference.

Finally, congratulations to the Salutation Inn, Ham, East Gloucester for coming out on top as national Pub of the Year (POTY). Until two years ago, the guy who runs it was working in a high paid job in the city but decided to quit London to run a pub in rural Gloucestershire, all for the love of beer and the countryside.

Interestingly enough, they do not serve tea or coffee, only soft drinks. Also, the lunchtime menu is limited to three dishes, one of which, not surprisingly, is ham and eggs. After all, they do keep a few of their own pigs and hens out the back. Quite an achievement I would say.

Alexandra Hotel

Brunswick Inn

Ye Olde Dolphin

In the meantime, I wish you happy ale hunting.

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Spring 2015

24

www.awcamra.org.uk

GETTING AROUND Beer of the Festival Presentation Listed below are some useful contact details for transport providers in our Branch area.

Stagecoach West Scotland

www.stagecoachbus.com Tel: 01292 613500 (Ayr)

01294 607007 (Ard)

01776 704484 (Stran) Disability Helpdesk:

07736 892253

Shuttle Buses

www.shuttlebuses.co.uk Tel: 0800 072 0373

ScotRail

www.scotrail.co.uk Tel: 0330 303 0112

Caledonian MacBrayne www.calmac.co.uk Tel: 0800 066 5000

Traveline Scotland

www.travelinescotland.com

On Saturday 14th March we will visit Broughton Brewery, near to Biggar, to present them with the 15th Ayrshire Real Ale Festival Beer of the Festival Award for their Dark Dunter ale. Bus pick-up times are: Kilwinning Railway Station 1030 (Largs train arrives 1019); Kilmarnock Campbell Street 1050; Prestwick Main Street 1110; Ayr Station Road 1125. Arrival at Broughton approx 1300.

The bus “fare” is dependant on numbers but will be around £15.

The brewery visit, cost £12pp, includes a 30 minute brewery tour; inclusive bar (4 different ales will be on tap); Broughton souvenir pint glass; and a light lunch in the form of locally produced pies, crisps and some finger food.

To check availability, please contact our Social Secretary, Donald Clark 47 Blackford Crescent, Prestwick, KA9 2LZ; Telephone 07886 312454; E-mail social@awcamra.org.uk.

Trading Standard Details Irvine: 01294 310101 Kilmarnock: 01563 576602 Ayr: 01292 616060 Stranraer: 030 33 33 3000

Full contact information can be found on your local authority website: www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk www.dumgal.gov.uk

25

Spring 2015

The Waterside Bath Street, Largs Tel: 01475 672224

Two Real Ales available

Mondays - Poker Wednesdays - Poker Fridays - Karaoke

Tuesdays - Quiz Night Saturdays - Live Music Sundays - Open Mic Night

Food available every day except Monday 26

www.awcamra.org.uk

A Scottish Sojourn Monday 19th January saw our long-awaited holiday to Portpatrick, Scotland with our favourite coach holiday company, Shearing’s.

Having left home at 7.30am we arrived just after 4pm.

Now, when Yvonne and I tried our first holiday with Shearing’s in February 2013 on the recommendation of other people we had met, we had never even heard of Portpatrick, let alone know where it was. However, it had been recommended by so many other members of the “Shearing’s Travel Club” that we thought we would give it a try. We were not disappointed.

However, enough of Shearing’s, as this article is intended for CAMRA members. We always realise that going away in the winter is a risk, especially my efforts to find pubs using public transport, but at £129 for a five day holiday it was worth taking a chance.

£3.00. It was excellent.

However, I just had the one pint so that I could compare it with the Good Beer Guide listed Crown Hotel just along the harbourside road. Here I kept warm near the roasting hot fire fuelled with wooden logs and coal and savoured a pint of Courage Directors. It was the only real ale available, and cost 30p more, but it was in good condition, It was Tuesday when I realised how difficult it would be to get to any Good Beer Guide pubs at the right time. Realising how limited public transport would be given the fact that we were away in January, we decided to book on a couple of optional trips with our Shearing’s driver Martin.

The first of those on Tuesday morning was an excursion to the northern end of the Rhins On arriving in Portpatrick on of Galloway. This took the Monday evening, I decided us in the first instance to go for a beer before dinner to Stranraer, and then at 6.30pm. So I took the short along the shores walk from the hotel down to of Loch Ryan up to the harbour while it was still Corsewall Point. light. It was easy to find the On the way, we went Harbour House hotel, where through the village of I tried a pint of Hardys and Kirkcolm, where we Hansons Rocking Rudolph at passed the front door

by David Williams, CAMRA Southport & West Lancs

of the Blue Peter Inn, which features in the 2015 GBG. As you can guess, the pub was closed and did not open until 6 o’clock, and remained a missed opportunity for the rest of the week. The only realistic way I could have got there would have been to go there and back by taxi at a cost of £7 each way from Stranraer, a price I was not willing to pay.

In the afternoon we went to the Mull of Galloway, which despite not involving any pub stops, was nonetheless unmissable due to the highlight for me of visiting the lighthouse at the most southerly point in Scotland.

I even managed, despite recent health problems, to scramble down the steps from the lighthouse to the old foghorn used to warn ships of the impending rocks in bad visibility.

27

Spring 2015

When we got back from the Mull of Galloway, I decided to take my chance to get to the Grapes at Stranraer. I left Yvonne to watch the television and made my way on foot back to Portpatrick harbour, catching the 367 bus at 17.00 which took about twenty or so minutes to get me to George Street in Stranraer. Here it was a short walk to Bridge Street and the GBG-listed Grapes.

Again, there was only one real ale available, but it was the most interesting so far: Strathaven Duchess Anne.

However, despite a choice of just one beer, my CAMRA Membership card got me 20p off a pint!

The following day saw us taking the option of a full day optional excursion. This took us to the Machars, another peninsular in the former county of Wigtownshire.

Our first stop was Wigtown, Scotland’s book town. Here I walked past the Wigtown Ploughman on the Main

28

Street, but again it was too early as the pub was not open yet.

We moved on from there to Newton Stewart, and this time I thought I must be able to get a pint of real ale. Walking across the river Cree, I found the sign to the Creebridge Hotel.

However, on walking through the main door I was advised by a member of staff that the hotel was open for bed and breakfast, but the bar was closed for staff holidays! So much for the Scots’ reputation as hardened drinkers: here was a hotel with the bar closed!

This was a shame, because I was hoping to sample beers from the Sulwath brewery at nearby Castle Douglas.

Wednesday from November to mid-March, so again I would have been out of luck.

Thursday was hopefully going to be the highlight of the week. I had been in touch with local CAMRA branch contact Mick Lee who had been very helpful and who had asked me to give him and the branch some feedback regarding the local pubs. So this was my best chance to make an impact.

Instead I left to meet Yvonne at the Galloway Arms hotel on the Main Street, which at least had a bar which was open.

I sampled a pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord which was average and £3.45. I could see why it was not GBG-listed, but not bad.

Our excursion that day involved a two-and-a-half hour stop in Ayr (not as long as I would have liked) after an earlier coffee stop in Alloway at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. Driver Martin dropped us off in Alloway Street near Burns Statue Square, which is where he would later pick us up from.

We were then taken to the Galloway Forest Park to feed the wild goats, but it was a pity again that we did not stop at nearby Bargrennan, as we had seen the GBG-listed House o’ Hill hotel advertised in Newton Stewart. However, according to the excellent Guide to Real Ale in Dumfries and Galloway it is closed anyway from Monday to

I was a man on a mission.

Ayr had seven GBG-listed pubs, a far cry from my only previous visit here in 2001 when we did a Beer of the Festival Award trip to the Isle of Arran brewery from Southport. Then I seem to recall Ayr having just the three GBG-listed pubs, including the Chestnuts Hotel and Geordie’s Byre, which still survive today.

www.awcamra.org.uk

So I concentrated my efforts on getting to the other five pubs, and it was not going to be easy. I began by walking across the bridge to Newtonon-Ayr, where Geordie’s Byre is situated. But just a few doors away is the Newton Arms.

Aided by a very helpful young barman, I was about to have a pint of the 5% Clootie Bree from the local Ayr brewery.

However, while pulling a pint, he made the effort to ring the pub manager who told him that the other handpump was ready to dispense Ayr Jolly Beggars, so I tried half of each. The Jolly Beggars was preferable to me, but he only charged me for one half and was very friendly.

I explained that I was on a mission, so I left to cross the bridge to the West Kirk, the only Wetherspoons pub for miles around. Here I had an excellent pint of Orkney Raven Ale, which cost me just £1.49 after tendering my 50p.

CAMRA voucher.

From there it was just a few hundred yards down Sandgate, past the bus station

and onto Wellington Square.

I couldn’t see a pub, but a passer-by advised me that Wellingtons Bar was a stone’s throw away and I would “fall into it”. Now I realised why there was no obvious sign of a pub on the square – Wellingtons Bar was down a set of stairs to a basement bar!

However, despite being the only customer at this point, this was one of the highlights of the day, as the extremely friendly and knowledgeable barmaid advised me that she was about to pull off some of the beer on the second handpump from which she was going to prepare a pint of Fyne Ales Jarl. However, I told her I was happy to try the other Fyne beer, a beer called Maverick which I had not tried

before. This was excellent, and at £2.90 a pint anything under three quid these days is normally more than acceptable, especially beer in such good condition. This had been the pick of the day so far, and I could have stayed here all day.

I had to move on however, and time was now of the essence. I got spot on directions to turn right out of Wellington Square, turn right again, cross the main road, and the Glen Park Hotel was just a few hundred yards away at the junction of Miller Road.

It was now about 1.45pm, my coach was leaving Ayr at 2.30pm and I had another pub to visit. So it had to be a quick half, and I was spoilt for choice. This is the brewery tap for the Ayr Brewing Company, so I tried their very own Hiphopopotamus (difficult to pronounce and to spell), which understandably the barmaid told me they all called “Hip-Hop”. Well, the beer in Wellingtons Bar was excellent, but this was absolutely superb and got my “beer of the week” award. Absolute nectar, and a shame I did not have time to stay.

29

Spring 2015

30

www.awcamra.org.uk

With about half an hour to go, it was a dash to do 0.7 miles of walking (according to CAMRA’s WhatPub web site) to the Abbotsford Hotel. I scurried down Racecourse Road to the traffic lights, where I passed the GBG-listed Chestnuts Hotel (visited in 2001), turned left along Racecourse View.

By this time, I was beginning to think I had better start making my way back to the coach when the Abbotsford Hotel suddenly emerged from behind the trees.

So I dashed in to find a slightly disappointing choice of beers: Thwaites Wainwright and Marston’s Pedigree (which they sell in my local in Southport) and Fullers Chiswick Bitter.

The manager was extremely welcoming however, and despite me only ordering a half of Pedigree, he gave me tasters of the other two beers, which must have amounted to a pint in total, all of which

I necked in about five or ten minutes.

It was about 2.20pm or so, and by now I needed to start running. It took me about fifteen minutes to get back to the Robert Burns monument where the coach was waiting. I was the last passenger to get on, my wife was ringing wondering where I was and I eventually got back five minutes late! However, the driver was fine about it, and accepted my apology that I had “lost my bearings” on the way back.

And as you may guess, at least those of you who know Ayr well, the driver went virtually past where I had just come from on the way back! I could have been picked up on either Racecourse Road or Carrick

Street on the way home. But why worry, because we were in no hurry to get back. I just wish we had spent longer in Ayr, which has become an excellent town for the real ale drinker. A vast improvement on 2001 in terms of choice, the friendliness and hospitality of the staff in the pubs was excellent.

The only pity for me was that I was not able to get to some of the outlying pubs in Dumfries and Galloway. Which means I will have to get back there again, and hopefully not wait another thirteen years.

WIGTOWNSHIRE NEWS

by Malcolm McNeill The Pie and Pint night held in The Grapes in January was a great night and special thanks to Billy and Sally for providing the superb complimentary Haggis Pies! They also supplied complimentary home made soup to Dundee United and Stranraer`s fans before (and after) their Scottish Cup tie on 8th February. United fans were most appreciative!

A delighted Billy Hodge and Sally Whorlow with some of the local CAMRA members after receiving their POTY certificate

There are three upcoming social events. The first is a “Meet the Brewer”night in the Grapes at 8pm on Friday 13th March when Malcolm Irving of Irving Brewing Company in Portsmouth will give a presentation and tasting of some of his ales. Malcolm is a local man and CAMRA member. Please support this event.

The second event is a social trip to Portpatrick on the afternoon of Saturday 11th April - meet at the Grapes, Stranraer from midday. The third trip is to Castle Douglas on either Saturday 30th May (Sulwath Beer Festival) or the following Saturday (Sulwath Brewery/Castle Douglas Food Town). The date will depend on members’ preferences nearer the time.

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Spring 2015

REAL ALES SERVED HERE Meals Served Daily 12-2pm and 6-9pm Traditional Roast Served every Sunday Extensive Bar Menu Award-winning Table D’Hôte and À La Carte Dining Available

Telephone: 01671 402121 Fax: 01671 403258

www.creebridge.co.uk Email: info@creebridge.co.uk

Creebridge House Hotel, Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire DG8 6NP

Great food and local Real Ales from Arran, Houston and Kelburn breweries Sundays – Ceilidh band sessions New house ale brewed by Kelburn Brewery

Tel: 01505 850510 www.thecannyman.co.uk

Find us on the A736 Irvine to Barrhead Road, at Lugton 32

www.awcamra.org.uk

Just for Fun UH E T RN S E MF N A I WM B WPWP MS A B DR T R GE E A R S R S WR S S L D I G E RDR T I E A O F E N H T D I N I L T WN L E ON I I R L HH CROA LWE S L H S I WA U P E SOR E I H S N A A S R L A S R I N A

I G N E R N E S O U T H B E A C H N T C T S E N O C T U

Abbotsford BluePeter CannyMan CreebridgeHouse Failford Fullartons GlenPark HarbourHouse KelvinHouse KirkmichaelArms MacAulays Ormidale SaracensHead SouthBeach ThreeReasons Waterside Wheatsheaf

outlets

Find the Ayrshire & Wigtownshire real ale outlets listed below.

Words are used once and may appear in any direction.

RMA L MCC A B E SGU B T A A HN A T KM L MY S H I P I NN S D I WA E EMR S T UN T S E HCD SMR A NO TWE N K A U UMP AWR E T E P E U L OC R S L I E GR RWL A H I E A E EGV D E S A A R T T S S S A T A S F Y U U L T I WGM H O T A S N OWS O D E N G CWE S L B HU V C E L I O I N L G RC E S A T T L K CMPG A L UG F E L S T K E K L H A N A D A S A R POE R N S E S G I MG S I WN B A HNR T OR Y SO F B D SWS E S T A B T N A R A C H A H C E Y Y E E OWR N A A L K A RNR E S S S ON T A V E RNGRRD A T N L A S T E AMP A C K SODOCR B F S A Y NN I NN A HOD I OV I L L RRUN L S L OUNGE R U N EWU B O B N E SMH A I R I NNGE A E S S N L D B R I GE HOY L A E AuldBrig BrassGranite CatacolBay CrownHotel FannybyGaslight GallowayArms GoldberryArms HarrysBar KenmuirArms Lauriston McCabes PrestwickPioneer ShipInn StairInn TighnaMara Wellingtons WigtownPloughman

D AWT R E E K B NR T E C E F SOOHD L U A T K E H V L I D I GS I L L D A BMN A F I MS RHROC A NR O T RONOOR OD T H T DD I NHGG I R E T N I NCORCH T I K F Y CC A L B S B AOP R A T S R L NRO OEON E Y R Y I U I L S T A N R KGB A K U K A R A HCN EO B R T MMN C N SOE CMA A N RH S U L MNN E T I N NWN E S RD A B E Y N AGE I NNMC R B I E C S A Y F DNOR A N T A Z N A RHCO F S K R I K T S

AuldHoose BrodickBar Chestnuts Drift Inn FirstEdition GatesideInn Grapes HouseOHill KingsArms Lochranza McKays Ruddicot SornInn SteamPacketInn TwaDugs WestKirk

GM F R U A R I A B B S R K U S OE B K RH A N H A SG P R R A A C HG S I GO J S C E T G T O N L N B L E EW

BladnochInn BrucesWell Clashwhannon EagleTavern FrasersBar GeordiesByre HarbourBar JGSharps Kinloch Lounge NewtonArms SaltCot SoutersInn TamOShanter VillageInn WestonTavern

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YOU'RE DUE A CHANGE

Spring 2015

EDINBURGH’S ORIGINAL PALE ALE www.edinburghbrewing.co.uk

NEW BEERS IN BOTTLE!

UPCOMING SEASONAL BREWS

WHERE REAL SCOTS CRAFT REAL ALE 34

WWW.BROUGHTONALES.CO.UK Tel: +44 (0)1899 830 345 Email: beer@broughtonales.co.uk

Home of the famous Old Jock Ale

A Campaign

Fai www.awcamra.org.uk r Save on dea b itain’s tax eer l BrPu bs! now !

of Two Halves

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Alternatively you can send a cheque payable to CAMRA Ltd with your completed form, visit www.camra.org.uk/joinus or call 01727 867201. All forms should be addressed to the: Membership Department, CAMRA, 230 Hatfield Road, St Albans, AL1 4LW.

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Bank or Building Society

Address

9 2 6 1 2 9 FOR CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE LTD OFFICIAL USE ONLY

This is not part of the instruction to your Bank or Building Society Membership Number Postcode Name

Name(s) of Account Holder

Postcode

Bank or Building Society Account Number

Please pay Campaign For Real Ale Limited Direct Debits from the account detailed on this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with Campaign For Real Ale Limited and, if so will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society.

Instructions to your Bank or Building Society

Branch Sort Code

Signature(s)

Reference

Date

This Guarantee should be detached and retained by the payer.

The Direct Debit Guarantee This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay by Direct Debits.

If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed.

If you request The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society - If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when The Campaign For Real Ale Ltd asks you to You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society.Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

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Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account.

Spring 2015

First Edition Kilmarnock - 4 Cask Ales - Weekend DJ’s - Food served daily

/FirstEditionKilmarnock1

@FirstEditionKil

50 Bank Street, Kilmarnock, KA1 1HA | 01563 528833

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www.awcamra.org.uk

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Spring 2015

Our range of Award-winning Real Ales includes:

Hand Crafted, Award Winning, Traditional Cask Conditioned Ale Brewed in the Heart of Burns Country All ales are available in Firkins (72 Pints), Pins (36 Pints) and Mini Casks (8.8 Pints) Ayr Brewing Company, 5 Racecourse Road, Ayr KA7 2DG Telephone: 01292 263891 Fax: 01292 830450 Mobile: 07834 922142 www.ayrbrewingcompany.com 38

www.awcamra.org.uk

Mr Beer Surfer is connected, some would say wired, to the internet and enjoys nothing better than drinking his bottled conditioned ales in front of his computer whilst researching beery blogs and sites to share with you.

Beer Lens is about two friends, Robert Gale and Kim Reed, who share pictures of their love of beer. No fuss, no gimmickry – just good quality photos of pub interiors and events. www.beerlens.com

SPRING SAISON

In a similar vein, dimpledmug.co.uk describes itself as a public house photography blog.

Focussing mainly on the Manchester area, there are some Scottish entries and a map showing locations from elsewhere around the UK. If you want a trip back in time, then oldglasgowpubs.co.uk will delight you with listings, photos and history for many, if not all, of Glasgow’s old drinking establishments. There is also a facebook page run in tandem at facebook.com/ PubsGlasgow If, however, you are of an east coast persuasion, brewmook.wordpress.com is a blog which started out in July 2013 with a mission to have a pint in every pub within one mile of Edinburgh Castle, within one year.

The tour ended 49 weeks later in July 2014, but is still updated occasionally with new outlets.

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At Sulwath Brewers we give you the chance to see the craft of brewing in action, and to taste our speciality ales at our fully licensed brewery tap visitor centre.

Open Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm Off-sales also available

The Brewery, King Street Castle Douglas, DG7 1DT www.sulwathbrewers.co.uk

Telephone: 01556 504525