Your shout

Write to BEER, CAMRA 230 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts AL1 4LW or email wb.editor@camra.org.uk

“It has been said that people

now like their beer to have the same palate in whatever part of the country they may be drinking” was written in 1973 by Frank Baillie (BEER, spring).

But significantly, he added in his The Beer Drinker’s Companion book that “it is unlikely to be a true assessment but rather a statement to match the present trends”, namely “a diminution of choice and a trend towards standardisation with sterile beers which can be delivered in bulk by tankers over long distances”, “the trend towards keg and container beers” and “the trend towards beer dispensed by CO2 gas”.

Two years earlier, Watneys’ marketing manager, Ken Miles, admitted in The Times “that people prefer traditional bitter provided that it is served at its best. But this doesn’t often happen. The appeal of keg is its consistency – people know it will always taste the same, however badly it was kept or served”.

Thankfully, CAMRA had been founded six weeks earlier.

Paul Mudge, Stafford

The Fisher’s Arms pub in

Horncliffe, near Berwick-uponTweed, Northumberland, closed its doors in October 2021.

Horncliffe village has had a pub for well over 200 years and residents and visitors alike were concerned that the hub of the village may be lost for ever.

A group of villagers passionate about saving the Fisher’s Arms have fishing village, encompassing its history and enhancing its future.

Can you help save the Fisher’s Arms?

set up a group to achieve a community buyout and secure the long-term future of our pub.

We have our own website: www.fishersarmshorncliffe.org

This contains information about our campaign and gives you the opportunity to pledge to buy a minimum of £500 in shares towards a community purchase of the Fisher’s Arms. We would very much appreciate it if you would give us your support.

Our aim is to raise a minimum of £296,000 to purchase the pub and fund necessary refurbishments.

Our vision is to save the Fisher’s Arms and give our pub an authentic Northumbrian/Border identity with a unique character using local breweries and suppliers. Building upon the tradition of our salmon-

Moira Kay, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Another excellent edition of

BEER with many great articles that would have been delivered to all members. However, I was of the understanding that details of branch meetings and CAMRA festivals that would have been in What’s Brewing would be included for the benefit of members that have no access to the internet for whatever reason. We have some who do not even own a mobile phone!

Phil Emond, Taunton

Editor replies: In a quarterly magazine such as BEER, there is simply not the space to list every branch festival. However, if there is enough demand, we could consider listing some of CAMRA’s main festivals.

Details of CAMRA festivals can be found on the beer festivals section of the Campaign’s website. All CAMRA branches can upload details of their festivals to this section of the site.