Lunesdale Drinker - Issue 21 - Jan/Feb/Mar 2014 by Capital Media

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Issue ue 21 | January nua ary y - Ma M March arc rch 201 20 2014 01 14 1

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Inside... Lunesdale Country Pubs Part Two: Warton

Beer in America Part One: Oregon

You Out? WWW. L U N E S D A L E C A M R A . O R G . U K

In memoriam - Spider Railton

plus much more...

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Tieing the knot

his November I managed (almost) to complete a month completely off alcohol. Not, as most of my friends assumed, for health reasons, or because some well-meaning charitable impulse was pulling at what remains of my moral fibre, but simply out of financial necessity. Partly due to choice, and partly due to circumstances, my income has done the opposite of what it is supposed to do as one gets older - that is, it has fallen. At the same time, the price of a pint in pubs almost everywhere continues to hare ahead at a rate far beyond both inflation (a somewhat moveable feast that is open to manipulation), and average incomes (more accurately felt). Whilst there is no one reason for this, a large part of the blame must be placed at the oversized feet of the iniquitous tie system - a system of vertical integration - in the pseudo-objective language of economics - or “price-fixing cartel” as it should be known, except that this more honest label wouldn’t be tolerated by our

Government, which, under a pretence of a laissez-faire libertarianism, leaps to the defence of the protectionist, taxpayersubsidized practices which benefit their wealthy chums when the interests of large and supposedly privatized companies are threatened. Under this system, Enterprise Inns can afford to pay its Chief Executive £996,000 (in the year ended 1 September), and its Chief Financial Officer Neil Smith, £563,000, a salary increase over last year of £142,000. Lest we think that this is a “reward” for making the firm more profitable, we should note that the firm’s earnings have fallen for at least two years. Even these figures are produced using the questionable EBITDA measure, which has a selective view of what sorts of debt make it onto the balance sheet, and has the effect of making businesses with a high proportion of fixed assets - such as Enterprise - appear in better health than

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EDITOR’S COLUMN

continued over the page

Branch Contacts Chairman Michael Dillon Branch Secretary Martin Sherlock e: secretary@lunesdalecamra.org.uk Tel 01524 66131 Treasurer John Slinger

Lunesdale Drinker Editor Cliff Laine e: editor@lunesdalecamra.org.uk Tel 07810 507602 (from where a postal address can be provided)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in articles are those of individual contributors and are not necessarily the views of the Lunesdale Branch, The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. Lunesdale 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 Lunesdale CAMRA.

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© MMXIII 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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they would be were they assessed under more traditional accounting methods. The vast salaries of the tiny number of people at the top of Enterprise - and many other firms like them, insulated from the “austerity” that only the poor are in together - bely the millions of hours of work that publicans go into make a success of a tied pub on its wafer-thin margins; and the second thoughts incurred by people who have to think whether to go out, and literally pay for it, with an opportunity cost that means substituting other expenditures. Following a decade-long period of pressure from CAMRA, the pub trade, and others, the Government set up a consultation into the tie last year, and is at the moment considering its response to the thousands of submissions it has received. The Business Secretary, Vince Cable, in the preamble to the consultation document, said that he “would like to be clear that I am not proposing to abolish the beer tie”; and any future legislation would only apply to firms with more than five hundred pubs. However, the stated principle that the tied slave - sorry, tenant - should be no worse off than a freed one,

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can only be welcomed, even though its devil lies in the detail. The outcome of this consultation is awaited with interest by anyone who, like me, hopes that they might live to see a system in which brewers sell their beers to publicans without rentiers and factors interceding to appropriate profits produced by others. In the meantime, and even if we don’t, let’s support the landlords of tied estates as far as we are able, and raise a glass in those same pubs, to the efforts that such landlords go to in order to keep their pubs thriving. Cliff Laine Editor editor@lunesdalecamra.org.uk

Michael Dillon

y the time you read this I expect that CAMRA members will have been busy submitting their nominations for the 2015 Good Beer Guide entries and branch pub of the year. Members now have a chance to vote for final selections. It would seem that not all members are receiving the branch emails which are our preferred method of communication, alongside the website and Lunesdale Drinker. To ensure you receive these please advise the membership secretary of any change to your email address. Whilst the cost of a universal postal mailout is now prohibitive, we will continue to send communications by post

for those without email, so please let the membership secretary know if this is not happening. Congratulations to Gregg and Julie at the Snug for a very successful Rail Ale Beer Festival in conjunction with Carnforth Station Heritage Trust. Not only did it raise money for the trust, but raised the profile of real ale with some very fine beers (and ciders). Finally it is good to see members using CAMRA’s online pub guide at www.whatpub.com Keep it up! Michael Dillon Chairman

FUTURE EVENTS EVENTS ORGANISED BY THIS BRANCH JANUARY

• Wednesday 8 : 8pm : Branch Meeting, Boot & Shoe (Lancaster). • Saturday 18 : 1pm : Lancashire CAMRA Branches Meeting. Disraeli’s, 26 Church St., Ormskirk, L39 3AN (near Clock Tower, five minutes’ walk from the station). • Sunday 26 : Hike & Pint, the Kellets. Either meet 10 am outside White Cross or catch bus 51 from Lancaster Bus Station at 1210 Contact Martin (01524 66131, e: secretary@lunesdalecamra.org.uk)

FEBRUARY

• Monday 3 - Sunday 9 : Dark & Winter Ales Festival. • Tuesday 11 : 8pm : Branch Meeting, Slyne Lodge (Slyne)

MARCH

• Friday 7 : 8.30 : Trip to Bank Top Brewery and their new pub. £20 for place on the coach and trip; optional £5 for buffet. Contact Keith Knight 01524 413346. • Wednesday 12th : 8pm : Branch Annual General Meeting, Borough (Lancaster)

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CHAIRMAN’S LETTER

For further information about any branch CAMRA events, visit www.lunesdalecamra.org.uk

OOT AND ABOOT - (Sorry, I work in

Glasgow, it rubs off after a while. Yeh no looking at meh funny, pal, eh?)

• Thursday 30 January - Saturday 1 February : Pendle Beer Festival, Colne. www.pendlebeerfestival.co.uk • Thursday 6 February - Saturday 8 February : Fleetwood Beer Festival. Guess Where. http://tinyurl.com/fleetwoodbeer

MORECAMBE BEER FESTIVAL PLANNING MEETINGS If you’d like to get involved with our very own Morecambe Beer Festival, held in the Winter Gardens, which possesses a faded glamour resembling that of some of our committee members, you’d be most welcome at the following planning meetings, all of which start at 8pm. If you can’t make it but would like to be involved, please get in touch with George Palmer at georgepalmer@talktalk.net • February 4 : The Palatine • March 4 : Yorkshire House • April 1 : The Royal Morecambe

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The George Washington

LUNESDALE COUNTRY PUBS Part Two: Warton by Lawrence Bland

he village of Warton is was formerly an important staging post on the journey north from Lancaster to Kendal and across Morecambe Bay. Its church of St.Oswald is probably pre-Norman Conquest and the village is well worth a visit, providing a starting point for several interesting walks. It can be reached by Stagecoach bus services, either direct from Lancaster, or by connecting with the train at Carnforth. There are two pubs on the Main Street. The George Washington, (www. georgewashingtonwarton.co.uk Tel 01524 732865) dating possibly

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from as long ago as the C15th, but now largely a mid-C19th century building, was known as the Black Bull until 1998 when Mitchell’s renamed the pub in honour of the Washington family who used to live in the area, whose favourite son became the first US president. Regular beers are Coniston Blue Bird, Everards Beacon, York Guzzler and Tetley Bitter, with one guest, Goff’s Excalibur, available when I called. The pub is open all day from noon (3pm on Mondays). There are six en-suite B&B rooms, and meals are avilable all day except Mondays. The Malt Shovel (Tel 01524 874149) dates back to the 1700s, when the cellar was used as a holding cell for those about to be hanged on the village gallows and there are rumours the pub may be haunted. It’s a nice friendly pub with a good choice of guest beers and food, with the local beers from featuring. Its beer garden has its own bar, and there is a changing selection of real ales - five were on when I called including ales from the local Old School Brewery (see below). The Nib (Tel 01524 735905) in Millhead near Carnforth was formerly known as the West View, but I’m

opub r c i M nug tion The Sat Carnforth Sta rinks Soft D Wine & V , le A l music, T ve Rea r, spirits, machines No lage We ser ing or gam

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told it was renamed about twentyfive years ago because workers from Wolverhampton, whose home bar was called the Nib, were such regular drinkers there. Only OSB Detention was on when I called by. The pub opens from 4pm and all weekend. Fish suppers are available on Friday evenings until 8pm. Two other pubs have now been lost. The Red Lion, opposite the George Washington, is now called Windsor House, and has a date stone of 1630 over the door. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m interested in this pub as one of my ancestors Joseph Western was the Innkeeper in the 1851 census, and after he died his Scottish wife Barbara took over. I believe the pub closed in the 1880s or early 1890s. The Warton Grange, on Sand Lane, which I remember for having dances and presentation nights, was demolished some years ago and replaced by housing. For news about Wartonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brewery, Old School Brewery, see Pub and Brewery News.

Open Tuesday to Saturday 12 noon - 2pm & 5pm - 9pm

Call: 07927 396861 Blog: thesnugmicropub.blogspot.co.uk Email: the.snug.carnforth@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesnugmicropub

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BEER IN AMERICA Part One - Oregon by Michael Dillon

his year while visiting my son in Oregon I decided to visit the Rogue Farm near Independence where they grow some of the hops which go into the beers brewed by Rogue at their brewery in Newport on the Pacific coast. So after leaving the main highway out of Independence, heading towards the Willamette River and ending up on a dirt road we reached the hop farm. My reason for going was not just to see the farm but to visit the Chatoe Rogue where in the middle of the hop fields you can enjoy a full selection of Rogue beers. As this was midweek it was all very quiet but we were assured that at weekends and holidays it is very busy. We each tried a taster tray of 4 beers including Brutal IPA (at 59 IBU’s) and 7 Hop IPA (at 70 IBU’s). All were very good. On the same trip my wife and I drove into California to see the Giant Redwoods and stayed

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in Crescent City where to my surprise in both of the excellent restaurants we visited I was introduced to the delights of Eel River IPA, an award winning IPA at 7.2% ABV (55 IBU’s). Eel River Brewing Company is the USA’s first certified organic brewery, and is based in Fortuna, California. Brewed with the finest organic malts and hops, this IPA features a bright-minted copper colour and a malty caramel sweetness balanced with an aggressively clean burst of fresh hop flavour. If ever you get the chance this is a beer not to be missed. The second part of Michael Dillon’s explorations in America will be published next time. If you have been out and about and would like to send in a report, whether from America, or somewhere far away and full of interest like Leyland, you can email your article to editor@ lunesdalecamra.org.uk or post it to Lunesdale Drinker, 22 Hope St., Lancaster LA1 3BQ.

Five Cask Ales • Food Served Daily • Enclosed Beer Garden • Range of Lagers •

The George & Dragon 24 St George’s Quay Lancaster, LA1 1RB

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A Lovely Local Riverside Pub, all are welcome...

t: 01524 388808

www.georgeanddragononline.co.uk

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Rory Walker hard at work

WHAT’S BREWING AT THE BOROUGH? Going underground

t is with great excitement that I proudly introduce The Borough Brewery. Writing this article is one of those benchmarks that seemed very distant in the early months of 2013 when I was looking at the unloved empty cask room in The Borough and picturing a brewery. I have been home brewing and trying to establish a micro-brewery in the centre of

Lancaster for a few years now, having worked in the pub trade for most of the past decade. In 2012 while enjoying pulling pints at The Borough, I sat down with the pub’s owners Hannah and Martin, with a couple of pints of my home brew, to discuss joining forces. The Borough Brewery is a separate company from The Borough, and rents space and sells beer, first and foremost to The Borough’s own taps. I have an immense amount of pride in opening a brewery in the North West, one of the best regions in the world for real ale.

The Brewhouse As you walk in to The Borough through the front doors the brewhouse occupies the space to the left under the floor. On brew days, Mondays and Tuesdays, beautiful aromas waft through the building. During the past year part of the cellar has been transformed into a brewhouse and the spirit cupboard relocated to make way for a toasty fermentation room. We have spent more money and taken extra time to have things British made and as locally to us as possible. Our brew plant was produced by CNMetalworks in Kendal, the heat exchanger is from 10

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Nottingham, pipework from Lancaster, casks from Lincolnshire and pumps and chillers from Preston--amalgamated to produce a brewhouse of which Heath Robinson would be proud.

The Beers Pale 3.7%

A crisp finish and wonderful smell are created by an epic hop combination of Chinook and Cascade. There are few things more enjoyable in brewing than adding kilos of these hops to a hundred gallons of sweet pale beer wort on the boil, standing over it and breathing in deeply. The prestigious Golden Promise pale malt provides the main body and a generous wallop of Cara malt adds a wonderful colour and sweet edge.

Bitter 4%

A traditional bitter, fresh and full of flavour. The bittering hop First Gold has been reined in slightly, to allow the palate space to enjoy a good amount of Crystal and Cara malts with a decent base of Maris Otter pale malt. It’s finished with a very delicate floral hop called Saaz, that without getting daft about it, sits like a rose bush at a Hobnob factory within the finished beer.

Wintertime Dark 5%

A substantial stout, made with a substantial grain bill. Maris Otter features again as the base malt which is then followed by Munich malt, Chocolate malt, Black malt, Roast barley and Flaked barley. Single hopped with UK Fuggles giving an earthy nose and adding to a robust flavour.

Summertime Dark 4%

Heavy enough to satisfy, light enough to have another, with all the depth of flavour and chompy-ness that is expected from dark beer drinkers regardless of the season.

Specials

During the prolonged and much enjoyed test brewing phase I developed gems such as a Elderflower Pale, Gooseberry Pale, a Ruby Dark and a Local Organic Hopped Pale. There are more one offs and specials to come as well.

What’s so special about The Borough Brewery? The competition is fierce for great beer around here so here is what makes The Borough Brewery unique. All of the beers can be enjoyed by vegetarians and vegans. To the best of my knowledge the nearest all vegan breweries are in Manchester and York. For more information on what part of what animal goes into most beers, see our website address at the end of this article. Put simply, no animal products are added that mask the natural flavours and aromas of the beers. I produce just twenty casks of ale a week. This means I can ensure the quality and freshness of all of them. Being a city centre brew pub is pretty unique in itself but it also means we have control over the quality of the beer. Plus, CAMRA card holders get £1 off each pint at The Borough. As much as I love drinking fantastic ale at The Borough, occasionally it is nice to have a few pints in different places. So I’ll be supplying other venues which have a similar lust for high quality beer. Feedback and enquiries are always gratefully received. Drop in for a pint and leave a message or send an email. Find us on Facebook or follow Twitter for regular updates. Rory Walker Head Brewer

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BREWERY & PUB NEWS Compiled by Martin Sherlock

he recession is over! Or at least there are clear signs in the local pub scene that the property market is moving again. People have turned up showing an interest in pubs that have been closed and empty for years. The Victoria and the Ofﬁce (both in Morecambe) are to become flats, while the Dolly Blue Tavern (Lancaster) is scheduled to become a homeless hostel. Two more pubs have been sold by their respective pubcos, the Moorlands (Lancaster) and the Church (Bonds). Both are now closed awaiting developments: local rumours say the latter is to become housing. The Greaves (Lancaster) and the Broadway (Morecambe), meanwhile, are to be demolished and replaced by McCarthy and Stone residences. The suggestion is repeated that anyone who would like these places to stay as pubs should have them listed as “assets of community value” (see Spring’s Lunesdale Drinker). Two closed pubs have, however, reopened, the Royal Oak (Hornby) and the Nag’s Head (Lancaster). The first is being run on the same lines as before, the other is being run by the man who has the John O’Gaunt, but it has no cask ale. I understand that Marston’s are planning to revamp the Silverdale Hotel

into another of their stereotyped “family dining” emporia (vide Hurley Flyer, Bellflower, etc). Another pub already having the character knocked out of it is the New Inn (Clapham), which is being turned into another typical 21st-century pub. Although the Borough Brewery hasn’t had an official launch, it is past the trial brew stage with three Borough Brewery ales always on the bar at the Borough. A hoppy Pale at 3.7%, a balanced malty Bitter at 4% and a substantial Stout at 5%. Keep your eyes out for the beers appearing in other places around town too. And see the article by Bob Smith and Head Brewer Rory Walker in this issue—Ed. All seems to have gone quiet at Iron Junction Brewing in Carnforth. I hope no news is not bad news. I can report that there are plans, still in the early stages, for a brewery at Lancaster University. Watch this space (or look at our website).

PUBS WITH CAMRA DISCOUNT This list is believed to be accurate, but may of course change without notice. Some pubs don’t give discount on half pints. Email any errors or omissions to editor@lunesdalecamra.org.uk LANCASTER • Bobbin (LA1 1HH) - 10p off a pint • The Borough (LA1 1PP) - £1 off a pint • Fibber McGee’s (LA1 1UP) - 30p off a pint • Greaves Park (LA1 3AH) - 30p off a pint • Lord Ashton (LA1 1NY) - 20% Off • Merchants (LA1 1YN) - 10p off a pint • Penny Bank (LA1 1XF) - 10p off a pint • Penny Street Bridge (LA1 1XT) - 30p off a pint • Robert Gillow (LA1 1HP) - 10% Off • Tap House (LA1 1UH) - 10% Off • Three Mariners (LA1 1EE) - 10p off a pint • Water Witch (LA1 1SU) - 30p Off • White Cross (LA1 4XT) - 10p Off

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MORECAMBE • Kings Arms (LA4 4BJ) - 20% Off • York (LA4 5QH) - All cask ales @ £2 a pint GARSTANG • Wheatsheaf (PR3 1EL) - 20p off a pint GALGATE • Plough (LA2 0LQ) - 40p off a pint

Members need to be in possession of a current valid CAMRA membership card to claim the discount.

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Enjoying a well deserved pint

KENDAL HIKE & PINT Sunday 17th November Hike & Pint by Lawrence Bland

n a damp and misty day we set off to Oxenholme and Kendal, where we were promised two castles and five pubs. The first of the Good Beer Guide entries for Kendal, Alexanders, has been modernised from former stables and a barn. We sampled the Bowness Swan and Cumberland Corby Fox. Continuing our walk, passing Kendal Castle and crossing the dry canal and the River Kent, we headed towards the Parish Church to our next port of call, the Ring O’Bells, where we tried the Cumberland Corby Noir and Hawkshead Bitter. After walking along Highgate and Gillingate, and some steep steps up to Castle Howe, we reached the Rifleman’s Arms in Greenside (our second GBG entry), where most of the party tried the Jarrow Bitter. Near the foot of the steep All Hallows Lane we arrived at the Wetherspoons, the Miles Thompson, a conversion from council offices and former public baths, where most of the party snacked and sampled the Cumberland Corby Ale. Unfortunately Burgundy’s Wine Bar, home of the Kendal Brewery was closed, as they open later on Sundays. We called in the Riverside Hotel for a Hawkshead Brodie’s Prime, before we finished the day’s drinking at the Castle Inn

and Hawkshead Bitter and Loweswater Gold before catching the 1818 train from Kendal back to Lancaster.

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Traditional Real Ales

Westmorland CAMRA POTY 2011 14

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Spider Railton

“YOU OUT?” In memoriam - Spider Railton (d. November 2013) by Cliff ??????? Laine

n 28th November we lost one of the finest men ever to be seen inside or outside of a pub, Spider Railton. I met Spider simply through drinking, although due to his relentless sociable nature, and the way he was endearing and memorable to everyone he met, we soon discovered that we had dozens of mutual connections. We once went round to an afternoon “barbeque” - I trust that seasoned drinkers will understand that this is not some kind of Aussie-influenced thing on the beach with tinnies and bottles of thin, agribusiness lager, but was held in one of the tiny “gardens” that Lancaster’s terraced houses specialise in, teaching us the virtue - as I often remind my girlfriend of deriving a great deal of pleasure out of something small. The assembled menfolk, lacking the savoir-faire to achieve the fulsome smouldering glow of a Nigella Lawson tossing meat, resorted to fanning the flagging embers with old copies of the Lancaster Guardian. This resulted in an acrid, eye-smarting cloud of smoke, the like of which has not been seen in Lancaster since the John O’Gaunt on the last day before the smoking ban. We repaired into the kitchen instead, set to on the several square yards of ale, and did

what any sensible men would do in the circumstances - leave the women to sort it out. That simple two-word of this article’s title appearing on my phone, always indicated the beginning of an afternoon, usually with his close friend and wife Kirsty and various friends old and new, as pints went down and tales were told. As I write this his funeral is pending, and I expect the multitude of people who want to remember this lovely, kind, witty, selfdeprecating, and generous man, will be far too large to fit into the Crematorium. Spider has asked us to turn up “as though we were going down the pub”, which request entirely befits his attitude to life: let’s not take all this too seriously. It will be difficult Spider not being around, as he is one of the pivots upon which social life in Lancaster turns, but we’ll always have very fond memories of you Spider, and we will continue to think of you being here, a seat always reserved for you wherever we go.

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DARK SIDE OF THE LUNE Dark & Winter Ales Festival, 3rd - 9th February

should apologise for shamelessly stealing the subtle and clever moniker of Lancaster’s highly successful goth night held at Hornsea Pottery and the Yorkshire House, and hope I don’t disappoint too many men in Dracula coats and eyeliner, and girls in ripped fishnet tights, when I say that what follows has little to do with somewhat pessimistic guitar-based rock music. But I am glad to announce that by the time you read this the Dark and Winter Ales Festival will be upon us. It’s taking place between 3rd and 9th February. As we go to press the pubs involved are not known - with three exceptions, The White Cross, The Penny Bank, and the Merchants. The former has been the central hub of DWAF since its inception. The aim is to bring some of the lesser spotted dark ales from around the area into Lancaster, and to encourage brewers, landlords and drinkers to try them out. Now that CAMRA has moved its main Winter Ales Festival out of the Northwest, to Derby (19 - 22 February - see www. nwaf.org.uk for details), our DWAF has a chance to take over as the Northwest’s foremost festival for lovers of the dark ale, and the simply curious. Last year over forty pubs took part, with five new beers being brewed for the festival, including one, the Old School Brewery’s Governors, which quite took a new girlfriend of mine by surprise, which, after four or five pints, turned her into a most co-operative plaything afterwards, as took her coat off, bent over the kitchen

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table, and got the dominoes out. Everyone taking part has a chance to vote for the Beer of the Festival. Last year’s winner was Dark Arts, 4.4% lager (I hear you gasp) from Kirkby Lonsdale not bad for a brewery which only started up in February 2009. There were some interesting shenanigans afterwards, as Kirkby Lonsdale were contacted by a brewery - which may or may not be located in Huddersfield - saying that they’d already used the name. With the spirit of generosity and kind-hearted warmth towards others for which Yorkshiremen and women are famous, they insisted Kirkby Lonsdale change its name, so the Westmorland brewery cleverly retitled their beer Dark Envy. DWAF has in the past developed a good online presence too on the Book of Face, with people posting reports of merry nights on the stouts and darker ales. Last year, one reader’s somewhat overstimulated late night prose about meeting a girl in ripped fishnet tights could not, unfortunately, be given wide circulation. I was pleased to hear, however, that the person in question managed to find someone to repair his tights. Information about which pubs are included will be on our website at www. lunesdalecamra.org.uk, from the White Cross, or you can just do what I do and go up to strange men (i.e., Tim Tomlinson, Landlord of the aforementioned inn) saying you fancy a DWAF and can he give you a hand.

Pub Selection...

www.camra.org.uk/shop

ORDER ONLINE

ave you wondered how CAMRA selects pubs for the annual Good Beer Guide? Each CAMRA branch is responsible for the entries in its area within the county and each listed pub must consistently serve real ale (and real cider if offered) of good quality. To help us do this, we collect beer quality information through CAMRA’s National Beer Scoring System (NBSS) in which members are asked to contribute scores for pubs throughout the year. It is easy to score your beers in NBSS. Log in to CAMRA’s online pub guide, WhatPub (www.whatpub.com), using your membership number and the same password that you use to enter the CAMRA national website. Search for the pub and enter a score for each beer that you drank in the Submit Beer Scores panel on the right of the screen. There is plenty of help and information about NBSS on the Beer Scoring tab. A version of WhatPub optimised for use on a smart phone appeared in August and a downloadable app should appear soon, so you can score your beer in the pub while you drink it! If you don’t have online access at all, then ask your NBSS Coordinator at a branch meeting for paper forms and we will enter your scores for you.

The Lunesdale branch will be using beer scoring properly to help choose its Good Beer Guide entries from 2014. We will use the previous year’s scores, so get scoring now. The scores, once we have them, can also be used for other purposes, for example, grading the pubs listed on our websites, or producing local pub guides. To make this work better, we need many more members to enter their scores. We value the opinions of all members whether active or not and we need as many opinions as possible for as many pints in as many pubs as possible. This is so we can have confidence in the statistics. We ask members to score the pubs continually not just once or twice. NBSS works across the country not just in our branch. If you are not a member but would like your opinions of beer quality in pubs to count, then join CAMRA!

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GOOD BEER GUIDE

The York Hotel

• Quality Beers, Spirits and Wines •Cask Ales •Darts and Pool • Outside Patio • Quality Food • Full Sky Sports/ESPN Package • Free wireless internet

ALL CASK ALES £2 ON TUESDAYS

87 Lancaster Road Morecambe LA4 5QH 01524 425353 www.yorkhotelmorecambe.co.uk Issue21 |

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MEMBERS WEEKEND & AGM 25th - 27th April 2014

CAMRA Members’ Weekend, featuring the National AGM and Conference, is where our members discuss our future policy and direction. The weekend also offers the opportunity to members to socialise with friends, visit recommended pubs and go on organised trips. Open to all CAMRA members and will be held at The Spa Complex, Scarborough. Pre-register your interest today 1. Visit the Members’ Weekend website: www.camraagm.org.uk 2. Select “Member Login” at the top right hand corner to log in. 3. Once logged in, click “Register” on the home page or on the navigation bar located in the top right hand corner. 4. Once clicked, you should receive on-screen confirmation that your registration has been successful. Please note that joint members will need to login and register individually. Closing date for pre-registration is Friday 28th March 2014. As a pre-registered member you will receive the Members’ Weekend Handbook before the event. Members’ Conference packs will be available at the venue.

Reach 6000+ real ale drinkers and pubgoers The Lunesdale Drinker is the only local magazine to reach more than 6000 discerning real ale drinkers and pubgoers in North Lancashire. Best of all, advertising costs as little as £3.45 per week.

Call 01524 220 230 or visit www.lunesdaledrinker.com

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W W W. L U NE SD AL E CAM RA. O RG. UK

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) ____________________________________________________

Partner’s Details (if Joint Membership)

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 ______________________________

Title ____________ Surname ___________________________________ Forename(s) _________________________________________________

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

Service User Number

9 2 6 1 2 9 FOR CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALES LTD. OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Address

This is not part of the instruction to your Bank or Building Society.

Membership Number Name Postcode

Postcode

Name(s) of Account Holder

Instructions to your Bank or Building Society

Branch Sort Code

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.

Bank or Building Society Account Number

Reference

Signature Date

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

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.

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• You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by19 simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

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W W W. L U NE SD AL E CAM RA. O RG. UK