Darlington Drinker N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E D A R L I N G T O N C A M PA I G N F O R R E A L A L E
E! FRasE e take Ple a copy
ISSUE 190 | SPRING 2014
REGIONAL AWARDS! Darlington Snooker Club & The Crown Inn receive their plaques!
IN THIS ISSUE... • BANTAM BIMBLE • PUBCO REFORM PETITION • THE LA & NA ISSUE Plus Much More.... www.dar locam r a.or g.uk Darlington Drinker - Issue 190.indd 1
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DARLINGTON CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE
ISSUE 190 | SPRING 2014
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DARLINGTON CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE
FROM THE EDITOR
Darlington Drinker
The Buck Inn Thornton Watlass, Bedale
Country Inn Overlooking the Village Green
W
elcome to Issue 190 of Darlington Drinker and our first issue of 2014. I hope you all enjoyed the festive period and didn’t indulge too much?! Well, the last few weeks have been a busy time for Darlington CAMRA members as it has been their opportunity to vote for their favourite town pub and country pub along with their overall choice as branch pub of the year. Current holder of Darlington CAMRA Pub of the Year, The Quakerhouse is currently CAMRA’s North East Pub of the Year while The Crown Inn at Manfield, our Country Pub of the Year finished third in last year’s CAMRA Yorkshire Pub of the Year. Both these pubs will no doubt want to repeat their successes on a branch scale and I’m sure they would welcome any regional successes that come along the way too. The start of the year also brings a chance for branch members to nominate our real ale pubs for inclusion in CAMRA’s 2015 Good Beer Guide, which is due to be published in September. All entries in the upcoming guide are chosen by CAMRA members in the UK with all pubs worthy of being an entry in the guide. As our branch covers a small area of North Yorkshire as well as County Durham, we have this marvellous opportunity to showcase our pubs to CAMRA members nationwide. Finally, some of you may now be aware that the branch is again looking to stage a beer festival this summer. Subject to CAMRA approval, the festival is due to take place at the end of June at The Forum on Borough Road, but it is going to be on a much smaller scale than other events we have hosted. Hopefully, we will have further details on the festival in the next issue of Darlington Drinker. Cheers!
Ian Jackson Editor, Darlington Drinker
ISSUE 190 | SPRING 2014
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FIVE REAL ALES ALWAYS ON PUMP
including local independents Quality Home-Cooked Meals Lunch & Evenings 7 Days A Week | Bar Open All Day Beer Garden | Children’s Play Area | Function Room
En-Suite Accommodation
SUNDAY LUNCHTIME JAZZ February 2nd - Ed O’Donnell’s Jazz Band February 16th - The Harriers Jazz Band March 2nd - Happy Chappies March 16th - Vieux Carre Jazzmen March 23rd - Jeff Milner’s Delta Friends
Call 01677 422461 or Visit www.buckwatlass.co.uk CONTACT DARLINGTON CAMRA Website: www.darlocamra.org.uk Twitter: @darloCAMRA Facebook: DarloCamra
OTHER CONTACTS Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. 230 Hatfield Road, St. Albans, Herts, AL1 4LW t: 01727 867 201 • e: camra@camra.org.uk • www.camra.org.uk Trading Standards t: 01325 388799 • e: tradingstandards@darlington.gov.uk
PUBLISHED BY Capital Media Midlands Limited 2 Halifax Court, Fernwood Business Park, Cross Lane, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, NG24 3JP. t: 01636 302 302 • e: darlingtondrinker@thisiscapital.com www.thisiscapital.com Disclaimer: The views expressed in articles are those of individual contributors and are not necessarily the views of the Darlington Branch, The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. Darlington CAMRA accepts no liability in relation to the accuracy of advertisements; readers must rely on their own enquiries. It should also be noted that acceptance of an advertisement in this publication should not be deemed an endorsement of quality by Darlington CAMRA. © 2014 Capital Media Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be transmitted, reproduced, recorded, photocopied or otherwise without the express written permission of the copyright holder.
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DARLINGTON CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE
PETERS GET THEIR PLAQUES... by Ian Jackson
F
ollowing its success in winning CAMRA’s North East Club of the year award for 2013, an award presentation was made to Darlington Snooker Club on Saturday 2nd November. The presentation to proprietor Peter Everett was a joint effort done by CAMRA’s North East Regional Director David Brazier and John Holland who is the chair for CAMRA’s Clubs Committee. David cited the warm welcome always received at the snooker club by the staff plus the beer range it has on offer which includes ones from local micros, while John explained how the judging process worked in selecting the overall winner. Peter thanked all the regulars and staff at the snooker club along with CAMRA members in the north east who chose the club to win the award. The club beat off competition from clubs in Durham, Newcastle, Sunderland and as far away as Haltwhistle in Northumberland to win the award for the ninth time in ten years. The presentation also coincided with the Halloween Booze ‘n’ Cues Festival at the snooker club so was well attended by CAMRA members. Meanwhile on the afternoon of Saturday 11th
The Crown Inn Presentation - Licensees, Peter & Karen Hynes (left & middle) and CAMRA’s Yorkshire Regional Director Mick Moss (right).
January, licensees Peter and Karen Hynes received their award for The Crown Inn at Manfield finishing in third place in CAMRA’s Yorkshire Pub of the Year 2013 competition. The award presentation to Peter and Karen was made by CAMRA’s Yorkshire Regional Director Mick Moss. Mick explained the judging process citing how large the Yorkshire region is and that up to 18 other branches can nominate a pub to go into the competition, and for The Crown Inn to finish third in the award was a notable achievement especially considering the number of local CAMRA awards won by the pub which are displayed on the wall. Despite the branch area incorporating only a small part of North Yorkshire, Mick also praised Darlington CAMRA for being an active branch and getting involved in CAMRA’s Yorkshire region. The overall winner of CAMRA’s Yorkshire Pub of the Year was the No 7 in Barnsley while runner up in the award was the Ferryboat at Thorganby near York. Our congratulations go to the staff at both The Crown Inn and Darlington Snooker Club. A presentation to the Quakerhouse winning last year’s CAMRA North East Pub of the Year took place just as we went to press, more of this in the next issue of Darlington Drinker. Enough said! Darlington Snooker Club Presentation - Peter Everett (middle), North East Regional Director David Brazier (left) and John Holland (right) the chair for CAMRA’s Clubs Comittee
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ISSUE 190 | SPRING 2014
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Darlington Drinker
DARLINGTON CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE
The Old Well Inn
Darlington CAMRA’s ‘Teesdale Pub of the Season Winner 2011, 2012 & Runner Up 2013’
Drink well, eat well, sleep well...
Welcoming bar and lounge, private diningg room room, airy conservatory & a lovely enclosed beer garden. 10 en-suite bedrooms are beautifully and individually furnished with character and charm. Well behaved dogs & children welcome
5 Cask Ales always kept in tip top condition
• Acoustic Music Evening - Thursdays from 8.30pm • Quiz night - Tuesdays from 8.30pm • Real Ale & Music Festival - Every Easter & Late October
The Old Well Inn | 21 The Bank | Barnard Castle | DL12 8PH | 01833 690130
www. t h e o l d we llin n . co . u k
The Crown Inn
Vicars Lane, Manfield, Darlington. T: 01325 374 243
www.villagebrewer.co.uk The Crown Inn Manfield
@CrownManfield
• Up to 6 Guest Beers (from micro-breweries countrywide) Bar Meals Served: Mon - Fri: 5pm - 9pm, Sat: 12pm - 6pm, Sun: 12pm - 4pm
BEER FESTIVAL
REGULAR EVENTS
ENTERTAINMENT
Fish & Chip Van 1st Saturday of Every Month
2nd - 5th May
Friday - Open Mike Night Saturday - Casual Sax Live Band Sunday - Smoking Spitfires REFRESHMENTS - Available all weekend Friday Night - Carleys Kitchen Pie & Peas Saturday Night - Mr Chippy Fish ‘n’ Chips
MR CHIPPY
OPEN MIKE NIGHT 1st Friday of Every Month
MONTHLY QUIZ NIGHT
2013 DARLINGTON CAMRA COUNTRY PUB OF THE YEAR
A welcoming, 18th-century inn with a friendly atmosphere, situated in the quiet village of Manfield.
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DARLINGTON CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE
ISSUE 190 | SPRING 2014
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DARLINGTON CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE
Darlington Drinker
CAMRA LAUNCHES ONLINE PETITION ON PUBCO REFORM by Ian Jackson
C
AMRA have launched an online petition calling on the Government to introduce a Pubs Watchdog immediately to protect pubs from closure due to unfair practices in the tied pub sector. In the first two hours, the petition secured over 5,000 signatures and the total had reached 15,000 after 24 hours. The petition came ahead of a Parliamentary Debate where Shadow Business Minister Toby Perkins MP urged the Government to stop dragging its feet and introduce legislation critical to the longevity of the pub industry. The eight-week consultation into reform of the large pub companies launched last year, which promised to introduce a Statutory Code and Adjudicator. But despite over 96% of people responding to the consultation and supporting the need for regulation, the Government are still delaying their plans.
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CAMRA is now sending out a clear message to the Government that enough is enough. With twenty six pubs pulling their last pint every week, a Pubs Watchdog is urgently needed to ensure pubs and landlords are protected. The support the petition has acquired so far is vital evidence to the Government that reform is desperately needed and is supported by the general public. CAMRA’s Chief Executive Mike Benner said: “Pubs are closing as a result of big pub companies squeezing the profits of publicans with costly rents and high beer prices. Our petition is the latest demonstration of public dissatisfaction at the way far too many publicans are treated by the big pub companies.” Please continue to support our pubs and sign the online petition to prove to the Government that this is an issue that cannot be sidelined by visiting www.pubscandal.org.uk.
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DARLINGTON CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE
THE LA & NA ISSUE by John Briggs
M
y wife, my drinking buddy for many years who was a CAMRA member long before I was and introduced me to real ale can no longer drink alcohol. This is due to a medical condition which requires “life saving” medication which basically doesn’t work if alcohol is consumed. As it happened just days after starting the medication she flew out to America. Twenty years ago the United States was a real ale desert but now things have changed dramatically as there are many fine micro-breweries and many excellent bars. In each bar she visited there was an excellent choice of LA (Low Alcohol) or NA (Non Alcoholic) beers and lagers. She found a range of non alcoholic beer called O’Doul’s brewed by Anhauser Busch of which the Amber was particularly palatable. Every bar/pub she went in, no matter if it was in an airport or in the middle of nowhere, they always had a non alcoholic beer for sale. On her return we sallied forth to Darlington town centre for a drink together. In a JD Wetherspoons outlet I asked which low alcohol or non alcoholic beers they sold. I was offered a half pint bottle of Beck’s Blue at twice the price of a pint of real ale or a Kopparberg pear cider. The Beck’s Blue was poor and expensive, the cider too sickly sweet to drink and full of calories. On returning home we did a quick email/tweet/facebook message survey to our favourite pubs in the town. The question asked was “Which low alcohol and non alcoholic beers or lagers do you stock? The reply was in EVERY case...We don’t stock any! We were told that most of the larger supermarkets have a low alcohol or non alcoholic range so we called in at Sainsbury’s. Tucked away in a corner they had a non alcoholic wine in red, white, rose and sparkling varieties at £2.99 a bottle. They also had a small choice of non alcoholic lagers: Bavaria which is brewed in Holland was £5.00 for 12 half pint bottles, their own brand of Czech lager (brewed by Staropramen in Prague) at £1.20 and Erdinger at £1, both of which were in 500ml bottles. The shelf life on each bottle is over
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a year. In theory the price and the shelf life should appeal to pub owners, so why is no one stocking these? If Sainsbury’s can sell Bavaria at 42p per half pint bottle, why can’t the pubs sell it? There has got be to room for a decent mark-up. It isn’t a lot of fun sitting in a pub watching folks drink all those lovely different real ales you used to enjoy while you struggle to down a glass of fizzy coke which is sometimes priced higher than the cost of a pint. We would gladly pay the going rate just to be in a pub with our friends drinking something that at least tastes like beer. CAMRA has always campaigned for pubs over the supermarkets but in this particular field the supermarket clearly beats the pub hands down! This got me wondering, how easy and costly would it be to brew a non alcoholic real ale? My wife can’t be the only drinker in Darlington who is on medication? There must be a market for a nice non alcoholic amber or brown ale, dark mild, IPA or stout. I know the USA is more car orientated than here in the UK but there are hundreds of village pubs in England which would welcome drivers who could drink non alcoholic beer, even town pubs have folks who turn up in their cars. Would serious CAMRA drinkers be interested in “ticking” a non alcoholic brown ale or stout? Maybe at last orders when the alcohol tank is at full? I’d be interested to hear people’s thoughts on this, is there anyone out there who cares about a CAMRA member who is unable to drink anymore or should we buy at the supermarket and drink at home? One final puzzling question, why do Sainsbury’s insist you have to be 18 or over to purchase non alcoholic beer?
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DARLINGTON CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE
Darlington Drinker
Real Ales - We have a range of guest ales from breweries around the country.
Perfectly situated on the beautiful village green of Aycliffe Village we serve great fresh food and real ales in a friendly, relaxed environment.
We serve great food with only the freshest ingredients, locally sourced when possible. Our menus capture our local suppliers superb range of seasonal produce. Each of our seven luxury, individually designed rooms include en-suite facilities, comfy thick duvets, fluffy towels, toiletries, tea and coffee making facilities, Wi-Fi connectivity and flat-screen TVs.
Tel: 01325 312273
Aycliffe Village, Co. Durham, DL5 6LX
www.thecountyaycliffevillage.com
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MORPETH MEANDER
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by Ian Jackson
M
orpeth to many people is a market town north of Newcastle often passed by on the A1 or by train journey on the main East Coast Line up to Scotland. It was the choice of a pre Christmas meander in the company of Ian McAlpine, a former social secretary of our CAMRA branch and now residing in the Peterborough area. Our train journey from Newcastle brought us to Morpeth station, known for having the tightest curve on any main railway line in Britain. A short walk downhill from the station brought us to the town centre and heading along Bridge Street, we turned left at the end and down Newmarket to the Electrical Wizard, a JD Wetherspoon outlet, (pictured top right). A former cinema, a plaque on the wall outside states it took its name from Dr Walford Bodie, a magician known as the Electrical Wizard who performed tricks using electricity - “Shocking!” some might say! Among the regular Ruddles County and Greene King Abbott Ale were Elland Celebration Porter (a hefty 6.5% so a bit too early in the day to have!), Fullers London Pride and Moorhouses Elves Bells which at 4% was our selection for a starter along with one of their breakfasts. It was good to see a board at the bar with a list of beers coming on soon which included Growlers Red Santa and Mordue IPA. Heading up Newgate Street, we gave the White Swan a miss despite the choice of Deuchars IPA and Wells Bombardier and moved onto the Tap
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& Spile on Manchester Street. Once inside, it was pleasing to see it still retains the old style these pubs used to be well known for. It has been run by landlady Margo for over 20 years and deservedly a regular Tyneside & Northumberland CAMRA Branch winning pub and its current award for becoming the branch’s South East Northumberland area winner proves that. Eight handpumps dispensed beers, some with a Christmas connection as the pub was doing a “Twelve Beers of Xmas” theme. Regulars had a collector card so they could “tick” the beers off, some however did have trouble remembering what they had but luckily Margo kept them right by having a list behind the bar! Our “ticks” included A Good Stuffing from Wells & Youngs and Rusty Rudolph from High House Farm. Retracing our steps, we walked back into the main shopping area and popped into The Black Bull on Bridge Street where Tyne Bank’s Single Blonde proved extremely quaffable. Our final port of call was The Joiners Arms, pictured, just a short walk away over the footbridge that spans the River Wansbeck. Part of the Sir John Fitzgerald’s pub chain, this is a friendly pub comprising of a main bar which was packed with locals and a separate lounge. From the guests on offer, Stewart Pentland IPA was my choice while Ian had Jingle Pot from Yorkshire Dales Brewery. As usual he was not let down by the flavours we have all now grown accustomed to in Rob Wiltshire’s brews. A short walk back up the hill from The Joiners Arms brought us back to the railway station and while we waited for the train back to the bright lights of Newcastle, we both agreed what a great day out Morpeth was with some fine establishments in such a very compact town.
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Darlington Drinker
The Quakerhouse
DARLINGTON CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE
REAL ALE & ROCK / BLUES BAR - LIVE MUSIC EVERY WEEK FEB
3rd 10th 17th 24th 31st
Paul Dannett & friends (open mic) Marc Atkinson Dave Cadman & friends (open mic) Gary Grainger Paul Dannett & friends (open mic)
7th 14th 21st
Revolver Dave Cadman & friends (open mic) Kate Bradley/ Tom Attah (£4 ticket -
28th
Paul Dannett & friends (open mic)
APR
10 hand pulls - 9 real ales & 2 real ciders.
Paul Dannett & friends (open mic) Adam Cole Dave Cadman & friends (open mic) Doc Brown
MAR
ACOUSTIC MONDAYS 3rd 10th 17th 24th
A rotating selection from all around the country.
FOLK TUESDAYS
Fosters, Thatchers Gold, Budweiser Budvar, Marstons Oyster Stout, Westons ‘Old Rosie Cider’ plus a selection of bottled ciders and lagers also available. Wines and spirits also on offer.
Acoustic Night - Mondays Rock Night - Wednesdays (Free entry before 8pm - £4 after 8pm) Busk-It - Monthly open mic night on first Tuesday + live backing band Blues Thursdays Lounge Sessions (hosted by Alex Fawcett & Danny Wragg) - Monthly open mic night on a Thursday for blues music • Laid Back Sundays - Bluegrass/Skiffle Night (with Willow Creek) Last Sunday every month
FEB
• • • •
ROCK WEDNESDAYS 5th 12th 19th 26th
Out After Dark Lobo Blues Police Cover Up The Ballbreakers
MAR
We pride ourselves in the beer, the service and our music. Please check out the events page on our website for further information.
Featuring members of Steam Radio Feb 25th, March 25th, April 29th
5th 12th 19th 26th
Krank It Up Born Villains Under The Radar The Mo Scott Band
APR
We are proud to be the Darlington CAMRA Pub of the Year 2013 winner for the ninth time. We are also honoured to have been awarded CAMRA North East Pub of the Year 2013.
2nd 9th 16th 23rd 30th
The Whole Hog The Switch Shake The Snake Animate Deep Purple in Rock (£5 ticket)
Open 7 Days a Week - from 11am. Closing Times Vary - M - 11:30pm / Tu, Th & Su - 11pm / W, F & Sa - Midnight
The-Quakerhouse
part of national tour by renowned blues artists)
BLUE THURSDAYS Feb 20th, Mar 20th, Apr 17th
@TheQuakerhouse
SATURDAYS
WWW.QUAKERHOUSE.CO.UK
Feb 15th D.J. Wal's ÂOne LoveÊ Reggae Sounds Mar 1st Eddie Miller (in the Bar)
FEB
9th 23rd
The Two Hogs (4pm - 6pm) Willow Creek (8.30pm)
APR MAR
LAID BACK SUNDAYS
9th 30th
TBA Willow Creek (8.30pm)
13th 27th
Dave Black (4pm - 6pm) Willow Creek (8.30pm)
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DARLINGTON CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE
BANTAM BIMBLE by Ian Jackson
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fter the real ale trip around Leeds in the previous issue of Darlington Drinker, both John Magson and I decided on doing a crawl of a city we had not done previously. Although having visited Bradford Beer Festival on a number of occasions, the festival itself is actually in Saltaire on the outskirts of Bradford as opposed to being in the city centre. Time then to see if there is more to Bradford than the home of the Grattan catalogue, headquarters of the Morrisons supermarket chain and the National Media Museum. Catching the train from Leeds we arrived at Bradford Interchange Station. Walking up past the National Media Museum, we came to our first port of call, the Sir Titus Salt, a JD Wetherspoon outlet so named after a mill owner who became mayor of Bradford in 1848. Naylor’s Magnum was our choice of ale from the range of beers on offer. It had an impressive open plan layout with an upper balcony and an area near the bar was reserved for CAMRA literature which included a “Beer Request” form for regulars to fill in and have their favourite tipple on the bar. Moving on we headed down past the Alhambra Theatre and across the City Park and dancing fountains to the Ginger Goose by the city hall. Again another open plan pub with up to six beers on offer from
Interior of The Sparrow 12
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which Box Steam’s Half Sovereign was our choice and at 3.4%, a golden ale with plenty of flavour. Heading along Market Street and onto Hustlergate, we arrived at the City Vaults near the Wool Exchange and as the name suggests, it was formerly a bank. Saltaire Blonde and Old Bear Goldilocks were local representatives featured among the beers on offer. Walking away from the centre and along Bolton Road brought us to our next pub, the Corn Dolly. This is a gem of a pub and the beams are adorned with pumpclips from breweries from days gone by such as Brewery on Sea, Kitchen Brewery and Ridley’s, plus many old style pumpclips from existing breweries before the days of rebranding came along. Being an award winning CAMRA pub, plenty of awards were on the wall many in the style which is uniquely adopted by Bradford CAMRA. The pub takes its name from a form of straw work which was made during harvest time and a tea towel on the wall depicted various types of corn dolly. After being overcast for much of the day, the sun finally made an appearance and after a short walk we reached The Sparrow on North Parade. Bradford CAMRA’s Pub of the Year in 2012, it is actually a bier cafe and its interior, pictured, is reminiscent of the type of cafe bar you would come across in Europe. We chose Dark Star Hophead at 3.8% from the four handpumps dispensing beers, which along with two other beers from Dark Star Brewery also included Redwillow Faithless XXII, an experimental beer from this Macclesfield based brewery. The Sparrow also caters for lovers of craft keg beers and the likes of Hardknott, Magic Rock, Quaffing Gravy and Weird Beard breweries provided these. Also available were Bernard Beers from the ISSUE 190 | SPRING 2014
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Czech Republic with three choices of pilsner: light, unfiltered or dark while two real ciders were also available. A short distance from The Sparrow on Westgate is one of Britain’s Best Real Heritage Pubs, The New Beehive Inn. A multi roomed inn, the back room has a number of paintings on the wall depicting music artists, the majority of whom are sadly deceased, pictured below. From a choice of four beers, Welbeck Abbey Brewery’s Kaiser was our thirst quencher while we marvelled at the interior of this fine establishment. Just across a small park from The New Beehive Inn is Lumb Lane and home to Haigy’s, an imposing white building which is also decked in the colours of “The Bantams”, the nickname of Bradford City Football Club. The pub offers up to four guest ales along with Tetley Bitter and our choice was Newby Wyke Slipway. Displayed on the walls are plenty of Bradford City memorabilia due its close proximity to the team’s home ground of Valley Parade, and in particular it has a mirror commemorating the tragic fire on 11 May 1985 at the stadium when 55 people lost their lives. A very poignant reminder to someone like myself who works in the football industry. Our final pub of the day was The Fighting Cock on Preston Street, again another short walk but this time through an industrial area. Arguably, you could say we were saving the best until last as this is currently Bradford CAMRA’s Pub of the
Darlington Drinker Year, and an award it also won in 2011. Once inside it was very easy to see why it has won this accolade with up to a dozen real ales including the full range of Timothy Taylor’s beers plus guests from Yorkshire breweries such as Copper Dragon, Glentworth, Goose Eye, Little Valley plus Theakstons. We plumped for two “outsiders”; I had the Highland Scapa Special from the Orkney Islands while John had Crouch Vale’s Essex Boys. Real cider was also available along with foreign bottled beers. Soon it was time to make our way back to Bradford Interchange Station and as we decided our feet had done enough walking for the day, a short taxi ride took us back for the train to Leeds and onwards home. A brilliant day out crawling around some great pubs, the majority of which are all within easy walking distance of one another.
Interior of The New Beehive Inn (left), and The Fighting Cock (right)
BRANCH WHO’S WHO?
Darlington Drinker Editor: Ian Jackson e: newsletter@darlocamra.org.uk
Chairman: Peter Everett t: 01325 241388, e: peterdsc@yahoo.co.uk
Social Secretary, Pubs Officer & Cider Officer: Pete Fenwick t: 01325 374817, 07889 167128 e: mithril58@btinternet.com
Secretary & Branch Contact: John Magson e: john.magson@ntlworld.com Membership Secretary: Angus Gair e: angusgair@ntlworld.com
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DARLINGTON
Darlington Drinker
DARLINGTON CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE
SNOOKER CLUB
FOR THE BEST VALUE GAME OF SNOOKER IN DARLINGTON
10 FULL SIZE TABLES OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
• Mon to Thurs: 12 noon - Midnight • Fri: 12 noon - Late • Sat: 11am - Late • Sun: 11am - 11pm
FOUR QUALITY CASK ALES There’s always something to suit your taste!
Comfortable TV Lounge Parties Catered For
SUPER REGIONAL FINALIST NE CLUB OF THE YEAR 2011-2013 Further Accolades: • CAMRA North East Club of the Year 2004-2008
Buffets can be supplied to fit every budget
• Good Beer Guide 2005-2012
Junior Classes Sunday 9-11am. No Junior
• FIRST Snooker Club to be voted CAMRA Club of the Year
classes on Saturdays.
School Groups Welcome Professional coach available
• FIRST Snooker Club to appear in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide • FIRST Snooker Club to have it’s own major beer festival
CAMRA MEMBERS FREE ENTRY ON PRODUCTION OF MEMBERSHIP CARD
ROAD, DARLINGTON, DL3 6AE • t: 01325 141 CORPORATION | www.darlocamra.org.uk Darlington Drinker - Issue 190.indd 14
241388 • e: peterdsc@yahoo.co.uk ISSUE 190 | SPRING 2014 29/01/2014 11:20
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Darlington Drinker
DARLINGTON CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE
BREWERY NOW OPEN TO PUBLIC FOR OFF-SALES! Call in and stock up on Black Paw beer. (Please pre-order Mini casks and ‘Beer in Box’) See website for further details.
Beers available in Firkins, Pins, Mini Casks & Bottles • • • • • •
Bishop’s Best, Alc. 3.8% vol. Paw’s Gold, Alc. 4.0% vol. Archbishop’s Ale, Alc. 4.1% vol. Polar Paw, Alc. 4.4% vol. Dark Seam, Alc. 5.0% vol. Black Paw IPA, Alc. 5.0% vol.
For more information & updates please visit our website
www.blackpawbrewery.co.uk or join us on Facebook & Twitter
01388 602144 or 07557 020664
Delivering to pubs around the North of England on a weekly basis. Also available through SIBA DDS.
Unit 4, Westgate Road, Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham, DL14 7AX
NUMBER TWENTY2
F
Traditional Alehouse & Canteen
Enjoy up to 13 REAL ALES plus 9 CONTINENTAL BEERS
3
the
To compliment our great ale and beers, we offer 20 wines by the glass plus selected malt whiskies and cognac.
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Campaigning on behalf of lovers of real ale
ted
Sandwiches & Bar Snacks are served Mon - Sat 12pm - 7pm
ar in de 22 Coniscliffe Rd, Darlington 01325 354 590
it’s
k
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Open 6 Days A Week: Monday - Saturday
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D.D. TEN YEARS AGO... 150 NOT OUT! Yes, in case you haven’t noticed, Darlington Drinker, the local beer lover’s most informative read, has scored a century-and-a-half with this bumper edition. Almost twenty-two years after its inception as two typewritten A4 pages, DD has reached a milestone in non profit making, non professional, pamphleteering. And like the publishers, Darlington CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, intend to celebrate the fact in time honoured fashion – with a toast of cask beer. The branch is commissioning a special 150 Edition Brew, to be launched at the Spring Thing Festival in March. The first DD was produced on 19th May 1982 for the inaugural meeting of Darlington CAMRA. Only 50 copies were printed (page 1 is reproduced inside if you missed it!) compared with upwards of 2,500 today. In total there have been a third of a million copies distributed to pubs, clubs and even libraries
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in Darlington, south Durham and North Yorkshire. A copy has been sighted in a bar in British Columbia. Another’s just been on a Pacific cruise. There are currently 115 regular outlets for the mag. And that itself tells a tale. When DD No 1 was published just a few dozen pubs in the branch stocked real ale. Now two out of every three do: 132 pubs out of 197. That’s real campaigning success. And we think Darlington Drinker has played its part Darlington Drinker Issue 150, February/March 2004
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DARLINGTON CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE
The White Swan
Gilling West - Richmond Country Pub & Pantry
THE Foresters Arms Real Food, Real Ale, Real Fire Ukelele Club - Twice a month Open Mic Nights
18 Bespoke Burgers 5 Cuts of 35 Day Aged Grass Fed Yorkshire Steak Over 40 Ales & Lagers
1st & 3rd Sunday of each month
Mother’s Day Bookings Now Being Taken (no inflated charges for Mother’s Day, just great home cooked food)
Food Served -Wednesday to Saturday 12noon till 9pm & Sunday 12 noon till 6pm
01 3 2 5 320 565
Coatham Mundeville | Darlington | DL1 3LU
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01748 825122
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BISHOP BLAIZE The BISHOP BLAIZE situated in the historic Market Place of Richmond, North Yorkshire. Serving freshly cooked meals in 3 different areas that include an outdoor area with the backdrop of Richmond Castle, Dining Room and a new addition of upstairs Function Room & Bar. The downstairs Bar has 4 Hand Pulls and a moderate selection of Spirits & Wines. Don’t miss out on our fabulous Sunday Lunch Menu, Themed Food Nights, Wine Tasting Sessions and Beer & Cider Festivals. The Bishop Blaize is also a favourite for entertainment with an array of activities including Live Music Nights, Karaoke, Poker, Televised Sports in the Bar along with Pool & Darts.
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on all 4 Real Ales for CAMRA members (on production of membership card)
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on ANY Pre Group Bookings for Meals, including the Christmas Festive Menu
To book your next party or a table; please give us a call or email for further details. 40 Market Place, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 4QL T: 01748 518087 E: bishopblaize@live.com For future events & deals, please join the Bishop Blaize on Facebook
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INN BRIEF...
I
n the County Durham area, The Blue Bell in Bishopton now stocks a house beer: Bishopton Best Bitter 3.9% which is brewed by Greene King. In Hurworth Place The Station has real ale on once again and currently sells Black Sheep Best Bitter. The Three Tuns in Sadberge has reopened as The Tuns and taken over by the people who run Santoro’s Italian restaurant in Yarm. Now a free house it stocks up to two guest beers and although closed all day Mondays it is open all day from Tuesday to Sunday with lunches and evening meals. In Darlington, The Half Moon on Northgate launched its first “official” beer on the bar on Friday 22nd November from its own Crafty Pint nano brewery with “Elder Ale”, a 4.4% golden coloured ale with hints of elderflower. The pub still continues to have trial brews from the brewery on the bar, recent appearances have included a pale ale plus a mild. Continuing on with the brewing theme, The Hop & Grape homebrew shop on North Road now has new owners following John and Patsy Braithwaite’s retirement. Kevin and Mel Carr took over in October last year following ‘mentoring’ by John for a month or so. John and Patsy would like to thank all those
BRANCH DIARY For further updates on branch and regional events please visit our website at www. darlocamra.org.uk FEBRUARY Fri 7th - North Yorkshire Pub of the Season Surveyiing Trip, 7pm. Middleton Tyas to Kirby Hill. Sat 8th - North East Regional Meeting, 1pm. Voodoo Cafe, Skinnergate, Darlington. Tue 11th - Branch Meeting, 7.30pm The Glittering Star, Stonegate Darlington. MARCH Tue 4th - Branch Meeting, 7.30pm Hole In The Wall, Horsemarket, Marketplace, Darlington
who have supported them over the years since they started the business back in March 1979 in Duke Street before moving to the current premises in December 1997. The branch in turn would like to wish John and Patsy a very happy and well earned retirement. Also, changes have been taking place at The Quakerhouse in Mechanics Yard after coowner Garry Hewitt decided to give up his share of the award winning pub now leaving Brian Dourish as the sole proprietor. Meanwhile The Three Crowns on Sun Street is reportedly selling John Smith’s Bitter as a guest beer. In the North Yorkshire part of our branch, The A66 Motel at Smallways has increased its number of handpumps up to two. The Chequers Inn in Dalton on Tees is under new management.
Fri 14th - North Yorkshire Pub of the Season Surveying Trip, 7pm. Scorton to Dalton on Tees. APRIL Thu 3rd - Annual General Meeting, 7.45pm Darlington Cricket Club, Feethams South, Darlington Fri 11th - North Yorkshire Pub of the Season Surveyiing Trip, 7pm. Croft on Tees to Welbury. MAY Tue 6th - Branch Meeting, 7.30pm Darlington Snooker Club, 1 Corporation Road, Darlington All trips: Leave from round the corner from The Dolphin Centre & return there. Open to members & non members. Visitors & new members are always made welcome.
For details of all trips please call Pete Fenwick on 01325 374817 or 07889 167128
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Meanwhile, a presentation was made to Peter and Karen Hynes of The Crown Inn at Manfield for finishing third in CAMRA’s Yorkshire Pub of the Year 2013 competition on Saturday 11th January. The award was presented by Yorkshire Regional Director Mick Moss. Up in Teesdale, The Beaconsfield at the top of Galgate in Barnard Castle which has been shut for a while is set to become an Italian restaurant. GlaxoSmithKline Sports & Social Club in Strathmore Road on the outskirts of town now stocks a guest beer. Darlington Branch members Dave and Sandra Wilkinson have now taken over the tenancy of the Golden Lion in Barnard Castle after doing a six month stint at the Queen’s Head in Stokesley. Following a small refurbishment of the pub, they took over in late November and currently sell Banks’ Bitter, Marston’s Pedigree plus a guest from either the Jennings, Marston’s, Ringwood or Wychwood brewery portfolios. Rumour has it that Ringwood’s XXXX Porter went down rather well over the Christmas period!. Incidentally, The Grand in Bishop Auckland which they previously ran has now reopened again and reportedly selling real ale. Also in Barnard Castle, it is also rumoured that the JD Wetherspoon pub chain is planning on opening an outlet in the town possibly in the market place. A couple of closures to report with the George and Dragon in Boldron and the Bridge Inn in Middleton having closed their doors. In Mickleton, The Blacksmith’s Arms is now a regular outlet for York Brewery’s beers while the Crown now offers up to five guest beers. In Winston the Bridgewater Arms has now become free of tie and has up to two guest beers on the bar. If you have any pub or club news for inclusion in future editions of Darlington Drinker please email us at newsletter@darlocamra.org.uk
Darlington Drinker Neil, Helen & Staff welcome you to
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BREWERY NEWS by Ian Jackson
F
ollowing a number of trial brews, The Crafty Pint nano brewery launched their first “official” beer on the bar at The Half Moon on Friday 22nd November with Elder Ale, a 4.4% golden coloured ale with hints of elderflower. Pictured right barmaid Paula pulls one of the first pints and by mid-evening, the beer had sold so well the second pin ended up going on sale! Following Elder Ale came Christmas Pud, a seasonal ale which even included real Christmas puddings in the beer! Also in time for the kids breaking up for Christmas was School’s Out at 4%, a hazy pale ale and Tawny Mild, a 4% traditional mild. Trial brews of different beer styles continue and these have included a port stout - very nice it was too! Beers at the The Four Alls Brewery, based in the cellar of The Four Alls Inn in Ovington continue to be brewed solely for the pub. Beers from the one barrel plant include 30 Shillings, Iggy Pop, Red Admiral and Swift. Although they are usually available on the bar, it is advisable to ring the pub before visiting just to make sure. Meanwhile at Darlington CAMRA’s Christmas Social, a presentation was made to Mithril Ales proprietor Pete Fenwick for winning Beer of the Festival with Mowden First at the beer festival held at the Northern Echo Arena. Alongside core beers A66 and Flower Power are weekly specials and current ones are based on sporting events such as Maul and Try for the Six Nations Rugby plus Rock and Skeleton for the Winter Olympics taking place in Sochi, Russia. Regulars at Darlington Snooker Club have also chosen a name for a beer, Hunter’s Hat Trick, named after Paul Hunter who was Masters Champion three times. Paul made a celebrity appearance at the snooker club and sadly died in October 2006. At the Yard of Ale Brewing Company at the Surtees Arms in Ferryhill Station, two brand new beers have been launched. A Good Day To Try Yard is a 4% golden ale with generous amounts of Dana hops while The Extra Yard is a 4% smooth brown ale brewed with
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a little extra chocolate malt. The Extra Yard is the first recipe which has been devised by Luke, the brewing apprentice – well done him! These ales are the first two in a series of twelve special ales that will be produced this year. Beers are also available in 330ml bottles either individually or as a three bottle gift pack and are available from the Surtees Arms. Another Easter Beer Festival is planned at the Surtees Arms; see the pub’s website at www. surteesarms.co.uk for further details of opening times and beers available. Just up the A1(M) at Coxhoe, the Sonnet 43 Brew House now has an “official” brewery tap. The Kicking Cuddy pub situated next to the brewery has been refurbished and reverted to its original name, the Clarence Villa. It reopened in November last year and now includes a restaurant along with the bar and becomes Sonnet 43’s third outlet following in the footsteps of the Lambton Worm in Chester-lestreet and the White Lead in Hebburn on Tyneside. There are also plans to include a visitor centre next to the Clarence Villa, thus allowing people to take in the brewing experience. Camerons Brewery in Hartlepool has increased the size of its retail pub estate by acquiring pubs in the Head of Steam pub group. These include the outlets in Durham, Huddersfield and in the Tyneside area including The Central in Gateshead, The Cluny in Byker and Tilley’s Bar in Newcastle. These pubs will however continue to offer customers the same range of cask ales along with craft beers thus allowing Camerons’ portfolio to expand in both the North East and Yorkshire. ISSUE 190 | SPRING 2014
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Darlington Drinker
Another brewery which has recently started up in our region is the The Bridge Tavern, directly under the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle. Under the guidance of Wylam Brewery, one off brews are produced on a 1Âź barrel plant seven days a week with each brew being a one off. For health and safety reasons, brews only take place when the pub is closed to the public. In Issue 189, we reported the possibility of a brewery opening in ManďŹ eld on the outskirts of Darlington in the school house of the now disused school. However, it now looks unlikely that the brewery will be based there and the proprietor is looking at possibly setting up in an industrial unit in Darlington, but the brewery is still set to be called the School House Brewery. A brewing kit is being sourced in Somerset but may eventually come from Germany. There is still no further news of the proposed brewery in a Goods Shed next to North Road Station in Darlington, however it is hoped we may have further information in the next issue of Darlington Drinker.
GREENBANK HOTEL
WWW.GREENBANKHOTEL.CO.UK A family run Hotel/B&B, based only 5 mins stroll from the historic town centre. We have 27 very comfortable bedrooms with some superior themed rooms. A welcoming atmosphere awaits. Enjoy an amazing display of militaria whilst relaxing in our well stocked bar.
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90 Greenbank Rd Darlington DL3 6EL t: 01325 462624
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Join CAMRA Today
Complete the Direct Debit form and you will receive 15 months membership for the price of 12 and a fantastic discount on your membership subscription. 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 Membership Department, CAMRA, 230 Hatfield Road, St Albans, AL1 4LW.
Your Details
Direct Debit
Title ____________ Surname ___________________________________ Forename(s) _________________________________________________ Date of Birth (dd/mm/yyyy) ____________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _______________________ Postcode __________________________ Email address _______________________________________________ Tel No(s) ____________________________________________________
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Single Membership (UK & EU)
£23
Joint Membership £28 (Partner at the same address)
Non DD
£25 £30
For Young Member and concessionary rates please visit www.camra.org.uk or call 01727 867201. I wish to join the Campaign for Real Ale, and agree to abide by the Memorandum and Articles of Association. I enclose a cheque for _________________ Signed ______________________________ Date ________________________________ Applications will be processed within 21 days
Date of Birth (dd/mm/yyyy) ____________________________________
Campaigning for Pub Goers & Beer Drinkers
Enjoying Real Ale & Pubs
Join CAMRA today – www.camra.org.uk/joinus Instruction to your Bank or Building Society to pay by Direct Debit Please fill in the whole form using a ball point pen and send to: Campaign for Real Ale Ltd., 230 Hatfield Road, St.Albans, Herts, AL1 4LW Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society To the Manager
Bank or Building Society
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9 2 6 1 2 9 FOR CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALES LTD. OFFICIAL USE ONLY
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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.
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Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account.
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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. www.darlocamra.org.uk | 23
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