Ale Cry 102

Central Lancashire Branch

Ale

Fighting for drinkers rights in

Spring 2014

Cry

Formerly the West Lancashire Branch

Issue No. 102

since 1973

Moorbrook Saved The Moorbrook Inn, where CAMRA in Lancashire was founded in 1973, has been saved from the threat of demolition. It had been put up for auction by Thwaites Brewery

become a beer lover’s paradise, with eight handpulls and a wide range of other UK and imported beer. The Moorbrook will be wet led (i.e. drink will be the most important element), but pie and peas and meat and cheese platters will be available at lunch and teatime.

The pub, which will be open all day, should be ready in April, hopefully opening for Easter. The pub’s history as the place where our local branch of CAMRA was formed is to be respected and they are interested in any old photos of the interior of the pub or its history that could be incorporated in the décor. The pub has changed since the branch had its first meeting there in June1973, more than forty years ago.

Then there were three rooms on the ground floor, the front room on the left, a back room on that side where the meetings took place, and a further back room on the right, behind the bar. There was a drinking area in front of the bar that could get quite full with the many people who came to sup the well kept Thwaites beers dispensed by jovial bugle blowing landlord George Lee. There were two sets of two handpulls which would be attached to different barrels in the cellar that had been tapped a few days apart. Thus, those in the know could ask for the more mature beer, for as we all are aware, real ale changes in taste as it gets older.

One feature of the George Lee years that I cannot

see returning 1973

would be his as being surplus to

famous cellar requirements, and

parties, where the top bidder was

a barrel would a property develop

be attached to er, who obviously

a mini hand had no plans for it

pump down to remain a pub.

there and you For some reason,

served your when it came to

self, the barrel pay the winning In recent times bid, the developer being dipped before and after the could not be found and In happier times (photo The Rose and Crown event to ascertain charges. I wonder if in Farington is now the the property was sold

by Jim Holderness) to the second highest bidder. Luckily for us, this turned out there is any chance of a blue plaque. Rose of Farington, run to be Sue Woods and her partner Gary Culshaw. Sue just It is worrying to think that the Moor by Phil and Lynne and happens to be the mother of Jeremy Rowlands, who is well Brook very nearly disappeared into serves Wainwrights and known as the head of the Continental group, owners of the history, but the plans for the pub are Bombardier.

New Continental and the Ferret in Preston. very exciting and I for one am looking The Ale Emporium forward to renewing my acquaintance had 48 different ales in The Moorbrook will not be an expansion of the Continenwith this historic hostelry. tal group but Jeremy will be working as an adviser there. its first 19 days since Work has already started on the inside and the surviving opening Maybe Tom Walsh could be persuaded Victorian interior will be enhanced with the small parlour Long awaited to get his Irish Music nights going room layout retained. Outside a secret garden will be built are Paul Riley improvements

providing a beautiful escape on a summer’s day. It is set to again! underway at the p2 What Pub, Editorial; p4 Riley’s Rambles; p5 Clubwatch; p6 The Campaigner; p8 Mild Month Parkers Arms in p11 Pub of the Season; p12 Preston Parade; p13 South Ribble Scene; p15 Plaques, Leyland; Chorley including beer p18 Chorley Chatter; p20 Beer & Music, 3 Pianists, Chorley FC; p22 Crown Opens; garden, childrens play area and new kitchen p24 Mountain View; p26 A new Dawn; p29 George Lee Trophy; p30 Branch Details; P31 Membership Application Form...................................................................................................and much more to make it more family friendly

CAMRA’s national online pub

guide, WhatPub, went live to

non CAMRA members in

September 2013. The site now

has nearly 36,000 real ale pubs

listed, with full details on over

25,000 of them - this is about

96% of the Real Ale pubs across the country.

Central Lancs branch completed

our initial round of surveys

before Christmas and every pub

serving real ale in the area is now on WhatPub with full details. A few of the pubs still do not have pictures, which we hope to put right soon.

It has been a mammoth task, but one that our surveyors have enjoyed – something along the lines of “it’s a dirty job but somebody has to do it”.

However, this is an ongoing labour of love. Pubs are in a constant state of change and since we completed the surveys, we have had changes of licensee, closure and reopening of about 10 pubs; each change meaning a resurvey is required. The pubs in the Preston area were the first ones to be surveyed and a complete resurvey program for these is scheduled for the spring.

We also plan to visit all the clubs in the area selling real ale and add these in to the database.

With continuing pub closures, it is important to keep a record of the pubs in our area that have closed, and we are using WhatPub for this. If you would like to see which pubs have gone in our area, just put Central Lancashire Camra in the search window. When the list comes up, select Closed Pubs Only and deselect Real Ale Available. This will give you about 90 pubs in our area that have closed since 2005. We intend to go back further in due course although finding suitable photographs is a problem. If anyone reading this has photos of long closed pubs in the area that we could use, please get in touch with us.

All of you can help us in our quest to keep WhatPub as up to date as possible. The site includes a reporting facility where you can record any changes needed to the pub description, facilities or beers. All you need to do is complete this online and the information will be passed back to the local branch to amend the details. I have already received several updates to pubs in our area, and we are most grateful for this.

WhatPub also gives you the opportunity to record scores for the beer quality in every outlet. This is important to the branch committee – when we are looking to award Pub of the Season and Pub of the Year awards, or when putting pubs forward for the Good Beer Guide. While we always consider the pub environment and atmosphere and the range of beers available; beer quality and consistency is paramount. The more feedback we get from as wide a cross section of the drinking public as possible, the more useful the information is. Over the last 3 months, we have only 180 scores recorded at 54 of our 200+ real ale pubs.

This is not really enough to form any real impression of which pubs are consistently serving a top quality pint. So a plea to everyone – please can you score your beers on WhatPub? There are many online pub guides out there – but nothing as extensive or complete as WhatPub. Many of the other guides have out of date information or only show a handful of pubs in a given area. Probably most importantly, these guides do not tell you what beers a pub is selling – and from our standpoint, that is the most important thing! WhatPub really is the best pub guide on the web – the only one you will ever need. Adrian Smith

2

Editorial

It’s about time CAMRA started pulling it’s weight on behalf of licensees and customers

Eileen

Force Punch and Enterprise out of business

What is the point of having the strength of 150,000+ members if that strength is not used where it is most desperately needed.

When I see the likes of Eileen from the Original Bay Horse (Long Pull) at Horwich forced out by Enterprise after years of excellence, within weeks of the death of her husband Peter it makes my blood boil. They will be badly missed by their customers including those of us from the Chorley and Adlington areas. The pub is still for lease months after Eileen’s departure. As usual in such situations a temporary management team have been installed pending sale of lease. The beers on tap were in good nick and the pub was busy. Being an Enterprise Inn I wasn’t surprised to find that the popular John Willie Lees pump had been replaced. My hope is that Black Edge brewery based 100 yards from the pub can buy it as a brewery tap.

Examples like this one are replicated all over the country as licensees and customers suffer the consequences of the £8 billion debts of Punch and Enterprise that the incompetent banks have allowed to happen.

CAMRA MUST USE THE FULL WEIGHT OF ITS HUGE MEMBERSHIP TO FORCE THE CLOSURE OF THESE MORALLY CORRUPT MONOLITHS The battle shouldn’t end there and believe me there many other culprits beside Enterprise and Punch that we’ll be talking about in future Ale Crys.

Ed

Half Price Beer

to CAMRA members!!

In his article announcing the Horns at

` Goosnargh as winners of this year’s

George Lee Trophy Branch Chairman Dave Dave Linley wrote that the pub

offered. 50% real ale discount to

CAMRA members. Luckily whilst

proof reading Secretary Gordon Small

noticed that it should have read 50p

not 50% (which is still a fantastic

` ` offer). Nice try Dave - spoilsport Gordon!! Ed

The Crown @ Croston 01772 972785 www.crowncroston.co.uk

A warm welcome awaits from Jo & Rob

20p Discount to Card Carrying CAMRA Members 4 Cask Ales from Daniel Thwaites 1807 Cask Club Range

Home Cooked food served Lunchtimes & Evenings Full breakfast menu Saturday & Sunday from 10am Regular live Acoustic music Ample car parking with a large manicured, secluded beer garden & Boules Pitch

The Crown has recently been tastefully re-furbished and is modern without losing its character and charm

e-mail ~ thecrownhotelcroston@gmail.com

Mon-Thur 12 to 23.00 Fri 12 to 00.15 Sat 10 to 00.15 Sun 10 to 23.00 Closing times may be later than advertised !

Riley’s Rambles Marsden to Stalybridge

I had heard a great deal about the ‘Rail Ale Trail’ on the Huddersfield line between there and Manchester. In summer it is immensely popular with hoards of people hopping on and off the trains at stations in between to sample the real ales available in the pubs nearby and then moving on. In a bid to enjoy the pubs yet miss the crowds, I thought it would be a good idea to do part of the trail as our day out in that quiet period between Christmas and New Year. It proved to be a very enjoyable day out and one I could recommend at any time of year.

The journey involves going by train to Manchester and catching a train on to Marsden and working your way back to Manchester for the train home. There are a couple of ways of making the trip, either via Victoria station, or the way we went which involved catching the 10.12 from Preston, changing at Oxford Rd to the Scarborough train and changing again at Stalybridge, arriving at Marsden at 11.59, just in time for opening. You can get a through ticket for over £28 but a great saving can be made by buying two separate tickets Preston-Manchester and ManchesterMarsden. These will cost £11.60 and £9.60 respectively and you can buy them at the same time at the booking office in Preston. If there are two of you a further saving can be made by buying Duo tickets. This anomaly is the result of the flaw in railway through ticketing and there are many examples of this. It is perfectly legal to have your tickets split in this way, as long as the train stops at the stations mentioned on the ticket. It would be silly not to take advantage of this.

So, at, Marsden, our jolly band of six went down the steep hill for the short walk to our first pub, which was the Riverhead Brewery Tap, overlooking the River Colne.

Previously a Co-op, it became a pub in 1995.With its own microbrewery on site, (and visible from the bar), this Ossett brewery owned pub is very welcoming. Ten beers are usually on sale and on our visit 5 beers from the on site brewery were on sale, including White Cloud and March Haigh, both 4.5% at £2.90 a pint, up to the 5.5% Redbrook Premium. Two Ossett beers were available, Yorkshire Blonde at 3.9% and £2.75 a pint and Silver King (4.3%).

Besides that, two guest beers were on sale, RAW Brewery’s Black Forest Stout (4.4%) and Fuller’s seasonal ale Jack Frost (4.5%). As we were there until leaving to catch the 13.43 to Greenfield, we had plenty of time to enjoy the delights. There is an upstairs restaurant and a riverside terrace for outdoor drinking for when the weather allows.

We headed back up for said train and duly arrived at Greenfield at 13.51. Our destination here was the

Railway which is convenient

ly opposite the station. It is

an unspoilt pub comprising a

central bar, games area and a

tap room and is decorated

with old photos of Saddle

worth. We had thought that we were the only people doing this route, and were surprised to find that a group of about ten people were just entering the pub before us. It turned out that they were doing the trail in the opposite direction and had just got off the Huddersfield bound train. Their group included a visiting Norwegian who was enjoying his day out on Northern 4

Rail. The beers available on the bar were regulars Copper Dragon Golden Pippin, Wells Bombardier and Theakston Old Peculier, plus two guests, Howard Town Longendale Lights (3.9% at £2.90) and Millstone Tiger Rut (4.0% at £2.90). There are apparently beautiful views over the Chew Valley, but as the weather on our visit varied from rain, drizzle or just heavy cloud, that pleasure was not afforded to us. Live music is a feature here on Thursday, Friday and Sunday nights.

We had just an hour there before catching the 14.51 train and alighting 4 minutes later at Mossley. Here two pubs very close to the station awaited us and we first went into the Commercial, a pub described as boisterous in the Good Beer Guide. Nevertheless, we were made quite welcome by the landlord and regulars, who must be well used to seeing masses of strangers passing through their pub. It is semiopen plan with bar areas, pool room and a low stage which is used for entertainments such as karaoke and live music at weekends. The choice of ales on our visit was the regular Millstone Tiger Rut and the guest beer Brains Rev. James.

From here we crossed

the road and went back to

go in the Britannia Inn,

which was in the process

of having an external face lift, with scaffolding pre venting us admiring the imposing gritstone façade of this former Marston’s house.

It now offers a continually changing range of up to five guest beers. On our visit though, only three beers were on tap, and they did not include the often available Millstone Mossley Brew. Instead we could pick from Brains Rev James, Wychwood Hobgoblin or Courage Directors. This 4.8% classic ale is now brewed by Wells in Bedford and half of our crew went for this.

It was soon time to catch the 15.55 train for Stalybridge, six minutes down the line. If you have been using a duo ticket, it is essential that you catch this train, or you would be stuck in Mossley for three hours, as a condition of this duo ticket is that you cannot travel on trains timed to depart between 16.00 and 18.00. The good news is that this gives you a good excuse to spend two hours in Stalybridge Station Refreshment Rooms (Buffet Bar). This Victorian gem is world famous, having appeared in numerous TV programmes and guide books, and even in the middle of winter, it was well patronised. No wonder with nine handpumps dispensing an ever changing variety of beers, mostly locally sourced.

While we were there, we could choose from Marble Pint (3.9%), Two Roses Chinook (4.0%), Millstone Tiger Rut, Liverpool Organic (4.5%), Tickety Brew Stout (5.2%), Hop Studio Vindhya (6.0%) as well as Taylors Dark Mild

Riley’s Rambles Marsden to Stalybridge - cont.

Hop Studio Vindhya (6.0%) as well as Taylors Dark Mild and Landlord. There were also two ciders on sale. The bar has recently been sympathetically refurbished, which has allowed expansion of the food menu and we were all suitably impressed with the quality and value of the home made Hotpot which we discovered was on sale once we had become ensconced in one of the rooms off the main bar area. There is also an interesting range of bottled beers, which would have gone down well with one of our regular fellow travellers who was most upset that he had to miss this ramble due to him having a doctor’s appointment.

The ambience and all round good feeling we experienced meant that we did not even contemplate moving elsewhere in Stalybridge, for there are other delights in the town, as there are in all the other places we visited, each of which could stand further investigation. However I hope our little taster has given you some ideas for exploring this area. It is well worth it.

There are several trains back after six o’ clock; we caught the 18.18 to Piccadilly and came back from there on a Transpennine train. Getting a train to Victoria is also an option and catching the probably less crowded Northern train. You could even get off again in Salford for more, if you had not had enough. We had had our fill so came straight back, with memories of another great day out on our great but often much maligned train service (usually unfairly). Just remember not to book a through ticket though.

Paul Riley

CLUB WATCH The introduction of Clubwatch has proved quite fruitful, with the number of clubs which are of

interest to CAMRA continuing to increase with each issue of Ale Cry. At the outset it was the branch's intention to try and draw up a list of all clubs in the branch area that were known to be selling real ale.

Having previously compiled an updated list of the branch's real ale pubs, it seemed a logical extension that we should next look at clubs, with the end result being that we would have some idea of the total number of real ale outlets in the branch area.

The first list was included in the Autumn 2013 Ale Cry and comprised 26 clubs. Recognising that the list was probably far from complete we asked readers to let us know of any additional clubs that were qualified to be placed on the list. When the Winter 2013/14 Ale Cry was produced we were able to list 28 clubs, and since this issue another three eligible clubs have come to light - the Euxton Parish Institute & War Memorial Club, the Oak Royal Golf & Country Club, and Charnock ichard Football Club.

It should be pointed out that clubs fall into two distinct categories - those that operate with a premises licence, and those that operate with a club premises certificate. My understanding is that those clubs that have a premises licence have fewer restrictions and are able to function very much like a pub in many ways. In contrast those clubs that have a club premises certificate are there purely for the benefit of their membership, and the only people allowed access to the premises are the members themselves and their officially signed-in guests.

Below are listed the 31 clubs in our branch area that are at this time understood to be selling real ale on a regular basis. Again we would like to learn of any further clubs that can be added to this list, and we would welcome any information about them which can be passed to the branch by sending an e-mail to clcamra@rocketmail.com. Gordon Small

7 Beer Festivals in April and May advertised in Ale Cry!! 5

CLUBS SELLING REAL ALE

Note:Those marked (P) operate with a Premises Licence,while those marked (C) operate under a Club Premises Certificate (P) Bamber Bridge Football Club (C) School Lane Club (Bamber Bridge) (C) Broughton & District Club (C) Charnock Richard Football Club (P) Chorley Cricket Club (C) Chorley Subscription Bowling Club (C) St George's Church Institute (Chorley) (P) Victory Park Social Club (Chorley) (C) Euxton Parish Institute & War Memorial Club (C) Fulwood Club (P) Fulwood & Broughton Cricket Club (C) Lonsdale Sports & Social Club (Fulwood) (P) Fox Lane Sports & Social Club (Leyland) (P) Leyland & Farington Social Club (P) Leyland Golf Club (C) St Mary's Priory Club (Leyland) (C) Longridge & District Conservative Club (P) Longton VM Sports & Social Club (C) Lostock Hall Conservative Club (P) Our Lady & St Gerard's Parochial Centre (Lostock Hall) (C) New Longton Sports & Social Club (P) St Teresa's Parish Centre (Penwortham) (P) BAC/EE Sports & Social Club (Preston) (C) Frenchwood Social Club (Preston) (C) New Meadow Street Labour Club (Preston) (C) Preston Golf Club (P) Preston Grasshoppers Rugby Football Club (C) Thurlby Club, Ashton (Preston) (C) 55th Division Association Club (Preston) (P) Whittingham & Goosnargh Sports & Social Club (P) Oak Royal Golf & Country Club (Withnell)

The Campaigner When CAMRA started in 1971, Britain’s pubs were in a sorry state. The majority of pubs were brewery owned and the ‘big six’ – Allied Breweries, Bass, Courage, Scottish & Newcastle, Watneys and Whitbread cared little about real ale. If you were lucky enough to be in the catchment area of one of the more enlightened independent breweries, then it was fairly easy to find a decent pint. However for many people this was not the case and some parts of the country were in effect real ale deserts.

Moving forward 40+ years and things are much changed.

The number of breweries has increased fourfold to over 800, there are literally thousands of beers to choose from, and wherever you are in the country, a real ale pub is never more than a few miles away. So is the Campaign still relevant when the battle has been won?

The simple answer is yes – now perhaps more than ever.

The battle for real ale has been won, but the battle for the British pub is now at the forefront of our Campaign. The big issue at the moment is PubCo reform.

In the 1970’s the majority of pubs were owned by the big six breweries, and while they didn’t do much for real ale, they did at least have an interest in running their pubs properly. Now the big brewers have divested themselves of their pub estates and the ownership has transferred to PubCo’s. These are huge property companies who have no real interest in pubs as such and simply see their estates as a cash cow to be milked to the last drop.

The PubCo model is very simple – charge the tenants high rents and increase the rents when the business is successful. If the tenant doesn’t like it, they let the tenant leave and start again. Coupled with this is the beer tie.

The tenant is forced to buy their beer from the PubCo’s approved supplier, with a limited range of beers and a hefty surcharge for the privilege. They can be expected to pay as much as £40 extra for a 9 gallon barrel (compared with buying on the open market) – which equates to 70p a pint after tax. This either has to be passed on to the customer (making the pub expensive and less attractive) or has to be paid by the licensee. Is it any wonder so many of them are struggling to make a decent living?

However, when they were building up these vast estates, the PubCo’s overpaid and have ended up with huge debts.

Let’s consider one of the major players – Punch Taverns.

They own about 4,300 pubs in the UK but are a staggeringly £2.3 billion (yes billion) in debt. With pressure growing from creditors, they are desperately trying to restructure the debt; failure to do so by the middle of February could force the company into administration and leave a huge question mark over the future of the pubs.

When you examine the way they do things, it really isn’t any wonder they are in such a mess. Here are just a couple of examples of chronic mismanagement in our branch area. The Derby Arms at Thornley was a pleasant country inn with a reputation for good

food. It had been run by the Warne family for 29 years and after several changes of ownership,

ended up in the hands of Punch Taverns. When the lease came up for renegotiation in the summer of 2013, Punch wanted a significant rental increase. So much so that Will & Carole Warne couldn’t see how they could actually make a living at that level and have left. The pub is now empty – thus earning Punch Taverns nothing. An excellent licensee thrown out, a community asset closed – all due to short sighted management. To make matters 6 worse, we understand that four months after closure,

Punch Taverns put the freehold up for sale – having refused to sell it to the Warne family.

At the other end of the branch area is the Black Bull at Mawdesley. This is a Grade II listed building, with low ceilings, oak beams and a magnificent range; it has been a pub since 1610. A fine example of a country inn, it has appeared in no less than 31 Good Beer Guides. Following the departure of the last tenant, the pub was entrusted to the hands of a temporary manager while a new tenant was sought. This did the pub no favours; when my wife and I visited last summer there were a few scruffy youngsters at the bar (friends of the manager) and no other customers. It was decidedly unwelcoming and the beer nigh on undrinkable. Shortly after this the pub closed and remains so six months later.

Yet we know of at least one couple (from a current GBG listed pub in our area) who were turned down by Punch as being ‘unsuitable’ as prospective tenants. I’m not exactly sure what they were looking for but it seems they would rather have the building sitting empty than having a tenant paying them rent!

Shadow pubs minister Toby Perkins called for a pubs watchdog to be set up and this was debated in late January.

CAMRA agrees that a watchdog is needed to prevent big pub companies putting many individual publicans’ pubs under pressure and risk of closure due to unfair practices.

This is the third January in a row that the house has debated the regulation of pub companies; and despite government promises, two deadlines have already been missed. Perkins is calling for a statutory code which includes a rent-only option for pub companies that own more than 500 pubs, an open market rent review and an independent adjudicator. While the motion was defeated, Business minister Vince Cable said the government agreed on the need for reforms but wanted time to digest the findings of its consultation. He added that “statutory regulation governing the relationship between PubCos and their tenants is necessary”.

However, we all know that what politicians say and what they do is not necessarily the same thing. We must continue to put pressure on MP’s if PubCo reforms are to go ahead. You can help our campaign by signing the Watchdog petition. Go to www.pubscandal.org.uk to sign the petition. You can also contact your MP and tell him what you think. Whether or not you are a CAMRA member, you can still help us with our ongoing campaign to save the British pub.

Adrian Smith

Beer Festivals Organised for You

Steve Barker has been Landlord of the Springfield and the Alison Arms in Coppull. He is now using his expertise and experience to organise beer festivals for local organisations His first two are for Coppull United F.C. and Charnock Richard F.C. The Coppull one is set for the 27-29 June.

Tickets are £5 (10% discount for CAMRA members). The venue is the members club at the end of Springfield Road.

The Charnock Richard fest is at their own ground (25-27 July). Details are still being finalised.

At least 3 others are in the pipeline.

If you think your organisation could benefit from organising a festival or if you want tickets for or more information about the Coppull event you can contact Steve on:

07591 901896 or drink2you@hotmail.com Compo

Ale emporium 53, Fylde Road, Preston, pr1 2xq, tel: 01772 378290

aleemporium@aol.co.uk twitter@aleemporium1 facebook.com/aleemporiumpreston Here at the Ale emporium we have a mini beer festival every week - we have 8 pumps always available, changing daily and probably the best selection of ales in Preston.

We select our ales from all over the country as well as ensuring we support local breweries from Lancashire.

We are open all day everyday from Noon (4pm on Sundays) until late.

We have open mic. every Wednesday, live Jazz every other Thursday and a live band every Saturday evening from 9pm.

Our new kitchen will be serving food from early March offering good traditional pub food, along with local Lancashire crisps.

We believe in supporting small and local businesses not national chains.

We also have a function room which is currently being refurbished and will be available soon

HELP SUPPORT THE INDEPENDENT PUB.

Make May Mild Month When CAMRA was founded, I was living

in London. Real Ale was not easy to find in the mid 1970’s and finding a real mild in the south east was virtually impossible.

A few of the smaller family brewers did produce a draught mild – notably Harveys of Lewes, King and Barnes of Horsham and McMullen’s of Hertford.

However mild was a drink for the midlands and the north, along with the unfortunate image of whippets and cloth caps. In Lancashire at that time, drinkers would have been able to choose from excellent milds produced by Thwaites, Boddingtons, Tetley, Greenall Whitley, Matthew Brown and others. Not only was there great choice, but also ready availability. 40 years on, the availablity of real ale is better than it has been for years, but mild is still hard to find – despite many of the micro’s brewing one. Partly this is down to a perceived lack of demand from drinkers, but mainly, I suspect, due to the majority of our pubs being owned by pubco’s who restrict what is available to the licensee.

Each May, CAMRA runs a campaign to encourage pubs to stock mild and drinkers who would normally drink other beer styles to try it. This article is to let you know which of the pubs in our area can be relied on to stock mild and a bit about the beers themselves. Generally mild’s will be dark and weaker (in strength if not in flavour) than a standard bitter. If you’re looking at brewery tied pubs, your best bet is going to be Thwaite’s. Nutty Black, with an OG of 1036 and an ABV of 3.3% is a traditional dark mild, with a malty flavour, caramel notes and a slightly bitter finish. Not all Thwaite’s houses carry the full range of their beers and the mild is usually the one that

misses out. However

Nutty Black is usually to be found

in The Royal Oak at Riley Green,

the Dog at Whittle le Woods

and the Lamb & Packet in Preston

. At the time of writing, it is not

available inthe Boatyard at Royal Oak Riley Green Riley Green, but new landlord John

tells me it willbe there for May. Jennings

of Cockermouth produces an excellent

Dark Mild at an OG1031 and an ABV of

3.1%. You won’t find any information

about it on the brewery’s web site but

it is described in the GBG as having a Lamb and Packet malty aroma, strong roast taste and a slightly bitter finish.

Despite the number of Marston/Jennings houses in our branch,

the only regular outlet is the Prince of Wales

on Cowling Brow in Chorley, which has this

as one of its permanent brews – along with 7

others from the Marston stable. Tetley’s Mild

at an OG of 1034 and an ABV of 3.3% is usually available at the Olde Dog & Partridge in Preston and the Dog & Partridge in Chipping. Once the pride of Yorkshire,

this beer is now brewed by Bank’s in Wolverhampton,

although there is nothing on

the pump clip to warn the discerning drinker. Having stocked the multi award winning Rudgate

Ruby Mild for several years,

there has been a change in the 8 Prince of Wales mild available at the Bottom

Spinners in Adlington. Timothy Taylor’s Dark

Mild at an OG of 1034 and an ABV of 3.5% is

now available. Finally, you could try the Top Lock at Heapey.

We cannot be certain what will be on sale here, but there will always be a mild on the middle of the 9 hand pumps.

Rudgate Ruby Mild often features, Top Lock but in common with the rest of the beers at this pub, everything is subject to change. In recent months we have had Dark Night from Southport, Merry Maidens from Coastal and Timothy Taylor’s Dark Mild.

Apart from the 9 pubs listed above, we cannot guarantee you being able to find mild in any of the other pubs in our area. If you want to take a chance, your best bet is always going to be one of the true free houses like the Malt N Hops or Crown in Chorley or the Old Black Bull or Continental in Preston , or one of our three Wetherspoon’s – all of which usually have a wide selection of beers in a variety of styles, so you might be lucky. The Dolphin at Longton normally has a dark beer on the bar – often Moorhouse’s Black Cat or Bank Top Dark Mild – although you might find a stout or porter instead.

Whether you enjoy a pint of mild or have never tried it, hopefully this article will point you in the right direction and you’ll take up CAMRA’s challenge to ‘Make May Mild Month’ Adrian Smith

The Wheatsheaf

50 Water Lane, Preston, 01772 725917

Beer & Cider Festival

Friday 25th April from 6pm All day Saturday 26th And Sunday 27th Free entry Marquee with Open:Mon-Thu 11-11 Quiz Night a dozen real ales Fri & Sat 11-11.30 Thursday Sun 12-10.30 Live Music Fri & Sat And numerous ciders. & All Live Sports Selection of bottled 5 changing real ales A Pub German beers.

+ real Cider of the

Real Ales £2.10-£2.50 Season Litre Stein glasses

Real Cider £2.50 available.

THE

POTTERS 3 Real Ales including:

Good Beer Guide 2014 Winner of Gidlow Paint and pint Competition)

and a real fire

The Old Black Bull

Pub of the Season

We have chosen The Ferret in Preston as our Spring pub of the season. The pub has recently come under the auspices of the New Continental group and has seen sales of cask ale soar since the takeover in June 2013. Situated opposite the Students Union Building at 55 Fylde Road, the pub is mostly known as a music venue, but it is a bar where you can just visit for a few drinks, or for something to eat, the live music generally only featuring in the evenings.

Since the takeover in June 2013,

the pub has seen a major refur

bishment last September which

included a new stage, lighting and

sound system. There was also ma

jor work on the kitchen and more

importantly as far as we were

concerned six handpumps were

installed on the bar. These dis

pense an ever changing range of

four cask ales and two real ciders

or perries. The ales come from microbreweries from all over the country, as is the style of the Continental group, and on a recent visit I had a delicious pint of Great Orme Welsh Black (4%). I could also have had Bradfield Farmers Blonde (3.9%) or chosen the two beers from Marble Brewery, the 3.9% Pint or Brew 701, a yeast trial beer at 4.2%.

The pub is run by Stephanie who has the title of Venue Manager and she thinks the pub has more of a feel of a city bar after all the changes.

The cellar is the responsibility of Adam Shaw and the quality of the beer is a testament to the work he Adam, Jeremy and Stephanie puts into that important function.

Jeremy Rowlands, who heads the Continental group, is very pleased with the development of the Ferret, where real ale sales are up massively from before.

The pub is open from noon until half past midnight all nights (11.30 Sun), with live bands appearing most nights.

There is normally free entrance to these music nights, but occasionally a charge has to be made for ‘Big Name’ bands. Wednesday is an ‘open mic’ night and there is a quiz on Tuesday. Food is available between 12 and 9pm all day every day from an interesting menu featuring Dr Sweetsmoke’s BBQ grill with various marinades. More information of upcoming events can be found on their website www.theferret.info The presentation of the certificate to the Ferret as the Central Lancs Pub of the Season will take place on Monday 14th April from 8pm onwards and all are welcome to come along and participate in the evening’s event.

Paul Riley

Now Free of Ties on Cask Beers This allows us to offer up to 9 local and regional Real Ales at all times

Heated Beer Garden 3D TV - Live Sports on 7 Screens Every Week is a Beer Festival At the Old Black Bull ‘One of the UKs top 100 pubs 2011’ - Famous Grouse Awards Three time winner of George Lee Trophy New Brews Regularly Sourced Central Lancs Pub of The Year A Good Beer Guide and Cask Marque Pub Thurs Eve a Cask Ale at £1.99 a Pint 33 Friargate - PRESTON - PR1 2AT Tel: 01772 823397 www.theoldblackbullpreston.co.uk

The Original

FARMERS ARMS Bar and Restaurant

• Up to 6 CASK ales at a time.

• A varying selection of real ales from

local micro breweries • Bar open all day until 12pm

• A large selection of freshly made bar snacks •

Sandwiches to T-bones & Ostrich served all day

• Special offers on beers all day everyday.

• Excellent bed & breakfast

accommodation with en-suite facilities available • Single room from £20 (en-suite from £25) • Double room from £25 (en-suite from £30)

Dear Ed

I'd be grateful if you would advertise the fact that I have back copies of the Good Beer Guide for the following years: 1991, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. They're free to whoever wants one or more of them.

They were well-used by my late husband Mike Atkins, and so may have some of his pencil markings in them interested takers would need to check for themselves.

They can contact me at: kathatkins@btinternet.com or on 01772 729808.

Thank you very much.

Kath Atkins

11

TOWNGATE ECCLESTON NR CHORLEYPR7 5QS TELEPHONE 01257 451594

Preston Parade With the excellent news about the plans for the Moorbrook (see elsewhere for details), it seems that this will be a good news bulletin from Preston. You remember in the last issue there was speculation about who would take over the Bitter Suite. There were three rumours going the rounds and one of them turned out to be true. The new owners of what you will have to get used to calling Ale Emporium are Patricia Mounsey and partner Peter Dewes from the Sun on Friargate. For the time being Trish will be spending most of her time behind the bar in the Sun and Pete will be in charge of Ale Emporium, but this could change with the Emporium becoming the main focus and possibly the Sun being given up.

Paula finally called time at the Bitter Suite on the Sunday evening of 19th January when for the third day on a row hoards of people came to say their goodbyes. The last pint pulled was from Arkwrights Brewery, who had stepped in with emergency supplies to ensure the occasion lasted just that little bit longer.

Pete

at the Ale Emporium

before that is ready, when more use will be made of it for functions etc. A silent television tuned to a rolling news channel takes the place of the juke box and is not obtrusive in any way.

More good news is possible in that the company that owns the Old Black Bull on Friargate could lease the Withy Trees in Fulwood and hopefully do something

there similar to what happens at the OBB with Stan overseeing an increase in the supply of and variety of real ale.

Meanwhile in the Lamb and Packet on Friargate, Warwick has had a change of heart and is once again getting a couple of guest beers in too. Recently, Hopping Mad Lunatickle at 3.9% and Mordue Valantinus (4.3%) were on sale.

There is some bad news this issue with the Bramwell Pub Co. having gone into administration. Their Smith and Jones subsidiary operated the Academy on Church Street and its future has yet to be decided.

Real ale availability is erratic.

Even worse, it seems that the nearby Fishers has stopped selling Real Ale altogether.

Out at Ingol, the fight to save the John O’ Gaunt as a pub has been lost with permission having been given to turn it into a children’s nursery, in spite of our objection.

In Lea Town, the tenants at the Smith’s Arms are leaving after being there for several years, and at Bartle, the landlady of the Sitting Goose has left, but the manager is still there and running the pub.

Back in Preston, the Cattle Market has been renamed ‘The Brook’, but no information on the beer range was available as we went to press.

Beer festivals in our area to look forward to include the Continental’s 12th on 15-17 May, the famous Whittingham beer and sausage one on 2-4th May, Strawberry Garden’s

3rd 22-26 May, and Fulwood and Broughton

Cricket Club will also be

running one in May, (see

their ad for dates).

Paul Riley

The national pub of the

year is the Swan with Two

Necks in Pendleton. Well

deserved; can our entry in

next year’s competition,

The Horns in Goosnargh,

get anywhere? Let us hope

so.

Paul Riley

A few days later Trish and Pete arrived to an empty shell of a pub, with all the fixtures and fittings having been sold. (Some of the furniture can be seen at Fulwood and Broughton Cricket Club). The week long task of furnishing a pub from scratch started and the pub reopened on a Friday night with eight real ales on sale, an increase of two on what was available before.

The handpumps are all you will see on the front of the bar, the keg beers being relegated to the side.

Things don’t always start perfectly, but Pete is willing to hear what the customer has to say, so it wasn’t long before a blackboard with the beers on sale and their strengths appeared, and a display of upcoming ales also featured. Beers continue to be sourced from far and wide, with probably less of an emphasis on Yorkshire beers, but some old favourites will continue to appear at regular intervals, such as beers from Pictish.

Suggestions of what to get are always welcome.

At present the opening times are 12-11pm Mon, 12-11.30 Tues-Thurs, 12-12.30am Fri and Sat, and 6-11.30 Sun. These times will be reviewed but they have already had requests to open Sunday afternoon. There is darts on Tuesdays; Wednesday is open mic night and the Silver Bell Band feature every 2nd and 4th Thursday. At present no food is available, but they are hoping to get the kitchen finished by the end of March. The upstairs room needs a lot of refurbishment, so it is likely to be September CAMRA Chairman Colin

Valentine presenting award

12

The Railway Inn Steeley lane Chorley Lancs PR6 0RD 01257411449 emailrailwayinnchorley@yahoo.co.uk

Jennings Cumberland and 4 changing guest ales

A CAMRA pub of the Season

A Good Beer Guide and Cask Marque Pub Free pool every Monday Darts and dominoes - Thurdays Free Jukebox every Tuesday

Chorley’s Premier Music Venue Live Music Friday and Saturday Evenings Seasonal music festivals with up to 8 bands In Penwortham it has to

be reported that at the PEAR TREE long-stand ing landlord Chris Davison

ced, the main news to report is

has decided to call it a

from Leyland, where in the space day. He commenced his

of just one week before Christmas tenancy at the Pear Tree in

there were two new real ale outlets September 2002, and his

to appear on the scene.

time in charge was finally On December 12th the former to come to an end in January 2014. For a while he was also

Roebuck on Worden Lane was the licensee at the Rose & Crown in Chorley. With Chris re-born as the WITHY ARMS, a gone, the Pear Tree currently has a temporary landlord in

sister pub to the highly successful and identically named Withy Arms in Bamber Bridge. Then place, and outside signs indicate that the Star Pubs & Bars pub company are advertising the lease for purchase. When I just four days later the town got its first micro-pub with called in the only real ale available was Caledonian IPA, but the MARKET ALE HOUSE opening on Hough Lane, this being a former travel agents shop converted into a one room hopefully it will not be too long before a new landlord is in place and the range of beers can be increased. bar by Railway At Leyland licensees Danny and Alison At the beginning of the year there Hindle. Although I made my first visits to the two pubs was some concern that the ROSE while they were still finding their feet, I have to say I was & CROWN at Farington was closed most impressed, both with the appearances of the pubs and with the freehold being advertised with the beer ranges that were available. I will not go into any further detail to describe the two pubs, but elsewhere in as being up for sale by the Star Pubs & Bars pub company. Subsequently this Ale Cry you will find a write-up on the branch's latest Ale Cry Distribution Crawl on February 6th when both pubs we were informed that the pub now has a new owner, and that it would be closed for a few more were visited. weeks while a refurbishment was being carried out. All being Another important development in the well the pub will have re-opened by the time that this Ale South Ribble area is the progress being Cry appears (stop press p1). The new landlord is Phil Robmade in getting the BISHOPS CROOK erts, and we have been assured that the pub will be retaining BREWERY established. In November its three handpumps and will once again be selling real ale. they were able to announce that they A pub that has been mentioned quite often in South Ribble were now officially licensed by the Scene in the past couple of years is the BRIDGE at WaltonHMRC to commercially brew their le-Dale. Unfortunately it is unlikely to get any further menbeers, and in the past couple of months tions, as in January 2014 the bulldozers were brought in to do their brewery clips have made occastheir business, with the site being cleared for the building of ional appearances at Our Lady & a state of the art children’s nursery. Another recently closed St Gerard's Club in Lostock Hall, and pub under threat of demolition is the LANCS & YORKS at more recently at the above mentioned Market Ale House in Leyland. Interestingly one of their beers has been named the Bamber Bridge. The Lancashire Evening Post have reported Withy Way - I wonder if this 3.8% beer is destined to appear that owners School Lane Properties Ltd want the existing building to be demolished and replaced by a new timber, in the branch's two Withy Arms pubs?

13 glass, and rendered brick two-storey shop. Gordon Small

` Since the last Ale Cry was produ-

South Ribble Scene

CAMRA CENTRAL LANCS BRANCH AND...BLUE PLAQUES (AND OTHERS)

Preston North End football team. Another pub with a plaque which described PNE connections was the NEW DEEPDALE on St George’s Road, but sadly this now comes under the category of being an ex-pub. There are many pubs with this type of home-produced plaque in place. Others that come to mind are the LANE ENDS at Ashton, the OLD HOB INN at Bamber Bridge, the ROSE&CROWN at Farington, and the ROYAL GARRISON in Fulwood (although this is another ex-pub at the time of writing). And I am sure that there are plenty more to be found in the branch area

Liking to think of myself as a student of local history I'm always somewhat intrigued when I see a plaque outside a pub which has been placed there to provide some important snippet of information about the pub's history. A look around Preston's city centre and you will see that there are a number of blue plaques that have been put in place courtesy of the Preston & South Ribble Civic Trust and other organisations. Of particular interest you will see that several of these are associated with pubs.

The OLD DOG is one of Preston's oldest pubs, yet strangely the plaque there has a religious significance rather than a drinking significance. It honours Martha Thompson, the town's first Methodist, who invited John Wesley to come to Preston and hold meetings at the pub in 1780. Throughout the country

Rose and Crown - Farington there are many plaques which celebrate John Wesley's Going back to blue plaques, in the past it preachings, and it is perhaps no surprise that there is has been flippantly suggested that CAMRA should get in another to be found in Preston. This is on Lowthian Street, on the act and have some plaques produced for deserving close to the MARKET TAVERN, where it is recorded that pubs in our branch area.

Apologies that I have limited this the founder of Methodism preached on that site in 1790. to Preston pubs, but how about the following candidates:Another of Preston's old pubs is the BULL & ROYAL. The MOORBROOK in 1973 this was the birthplace of This has a blue plaque to commemorate the occasion that CAMRA West Lancashire branch (as we then were). The Bonny Prince Charlie 'The Young Pretender' stayed there MOOR PARK not a real ale pub these days, but in 1968 in 1745 during the Jacobite Revolution. There was once a (in the immediate pre-CAMRA age) this was supposedly second blue plaque at the Bull & Royal, but unfortunately the last pub in the area to brew its own beer. The OLD VIC this appears to have gone missing. For many years there in 1978 this was the location of CAMRA West Lancashire was a plaque on display near the entrance which branch’s one and only official Beer Festival.

The OLDE indicated that Charles Dickens had lodged there in 1854 BLUE BELL in 1981 this was chosen to be the inaugural while researching his 'Hard Times' serialisation about winner of the branch’s prestigious George Lee Memorial Coketown, a depressing northern mill town said to have Trophy award.

Looking a bit further afield, and it would been based on Preston. In contrast to the above three pubs, probably not be too difficult to find some equally worthy

the FERRET on Fylde Road may candidates from the Chorley, Leyland, and Longridge

have a relative short history as a pub. areas. Perhaps the ROYAL OAK at Whittle-le-Woods - the

However the building does have some pub which apparently has appeared in more editions of the

lasting industrial significance, with a Good Beer Guide than any other pub in our branch area.

plaque indicating that cotton manufac Finally, and being a little more realistic, I think it would be

turer John Horrocks constructed nice to see a blue plaque in Preston which commemorates

Preston's first steam-powered cotton Preston North End’s all conquering football team of the mill there in 1796.

Of course not all plaques 1880s.

After retiring, a number of the ‘Old Invincibles’ are blue, and it can be much more interesting to read those players later kept pubs in and around the town centre, and plaques that have been created for individual pubs to extol several of these pubs are still in existence. What about a the virtues of that particular establishment.

On the Preston North End related blue plaque at the Black Horse, face of it the pub may not seem that special, but often these the Black-A-Moor Head, the Continental, or the Unicorn? plaques go into some detail about the pub’s history, providGordon Small ing information on how a pub may have got its name, or describing some strange goings-on at the pub in its formative days. Sometimes the plaques are purely factual, With all the changes going on in Leyland lately, we but on other occasions there may be some humour added to thought it would be a good opportunity for our Preston try and grab the customer’s attention. Without going based members to make acquaintance with the new bars into any great detail, here are a few examples of this type on the block, and maybe visit one or two other pubs in the of plaque that can be found on pubs in our branch area.

The PLOUGH on Runshaw Moor has a plaque that will tell Leyland area by having our latest Ale Cry tour based on this part of our branch. The weather was a bit inclement, you why the pub is known locally as Jerry’s. The TARDY but a dozen members duly turned up for our minibus trip GATE at Lostock Hall there. (the only pub with this Our first stop was to be the name in the country) Market Ale House on Hough has a plaque that will lane. Opened in December tell you just what a 2013 in a former travel Tardy Gate was suppagents at the entrance to osed to be. The Leyland market, it is some HOSPITAL INN at thing new in our area, a micro Bamber Bridge is not pub. The brainchild of Danny and Alison Hindle of the located that close to Railway at Leyland, it is a one bar beer house with a any hospital, yet the plaque there will let you know where continuously changing range of six real ales and a real the name comes from. Similarly the SUMNERS at cider. No lagers or spirits are sold, but a range of wines, Fulwood has a plaque that explains the origins of the pub bottled beers and soft drinks are available. (cont) name, while there is also a theory proposed that the fortunes of the pub closely follow those of the nearby 15

Ale Cry Goes To Leyland

Ale Cry Goes To Leyland (cont)

There is no music or television, so talk is the order of the day, a welcome change compared to many pubs these days. On our visit the beers on the bar were Hart Pale Ale (3.8%) at £2.40, Prospect Alf (3.9%), Worsthorne Red Man (4.2%) and Hornbeam Black Coral Stout (4.5%) all at £2.60, and Marble Ginger (5.15%) at £2.90. The real cider was Sandford Orchard Fanny Bramble (4.0%) at £3.00. There are locally sourced traditional pub bar snacks on sale such as pork pies and Lancashire cheese boards, pickled eggs, crisps and scratchings. The pub is open 12-9ish on Mondays to Thursdays, with the possibilities of staying open later for special occasions. Friday and Saturday it is noon till 11pm, with Sunday 12-7. For those times when it closes early, it does not mean you missing out on a certain brew, for they have free two pint takeaway cartons so you can enjoy real ale at home. They have a facebook page that tells you what is on.

We had originally planned to go to the Black Bull at Moss Side next, but on hearing that it was up for lease, we decided to go in the nearby Gables as it was a pub that some of us had not been in for a while. The Gables is a fine community pub that has been under the care of licensees Stephen and Heather for twenty five years. Originally a Magee Marshall pub, then Greenalls and now owned by Punch, this fine building which was a doctors until the 1950’s, has two bars; a games room with pool and darts, with live sports on screen, and a lounge with wood panelling where you can relax in comfortable surroundings.

Stephen tends to keep the same beers on sale all the time as they all sell well, but in summer he sometimes has a guest ale on sale.

The permanents are Robinson’s Dizzy Blonde, Sharps Doom Bar and Wells Bombardier. Good value home cooked meals are available 12-2 every day and the pub itself is open 11-2330 all days except Sunday which is 12-2230. It was time to get on the minibus to go the short excursion to the Dunkirk Hall on the corner of Dunkirk Lane and Schleswig Way. The pub is set in a 17th Century Grade II listed building

Dog and Partridge 44 Friargate Preston Tel: 01772 252217

House Casks Include: Timothy Taylor’s Landlord, Joseph Holt’s Best Bitter Tetley Mild plus: Weekly Guests From The Punch Finest Cask Range and SIBA Direct Delivery

Smokey-o-Joes 32-Seater Smoking Area Good Value Lunches Including: ‘The’ Curry Fridays The Big Quiz Thursday Night Rock DJ Sunday

and was converted to a pub in the 1970’s. It still has many of its original features including its flag floors and it boasts an inviting real log fire. This is another pub which some of our members had not visited for a long time and they were appreciative of the warm welcome from the bar staff. Some were more appreciative at finding Theakstons Old Peculier on sale at £3.00 a pint, which was the price across the board for all three beers that were on sale. The other two were Greene King Abbot Ale and the one I plumped for, Jennings Cumberland, me being the type who prefers the weaker end of the alcohol range. Again food is available lunchtime and evenings and with generous portions being given, is good value. The pub is open 12-12 and features live music mostly at weekends. There is ample car parking but we were unable to see the attractive beer garden, because by this time it was bucketing down with rain and we had to make a mad dash to get back on the bus.

Gables

Withy Arms

Dunkirk Hall We were heading back to the town centre to visit our last pub of the night, the newly opened Withy Arms, on Worden Lane adjacent to Leyland Cross. Only having opened up in December, it was the first chance for some to visit this pub that has been completely revamped from its days as the Roebuck. Bought up

by Alan Burdett and Lee Forshaw who already operate the Withy Arms in Bamber Bridge (and also the School Lane Club there), the alterations have seen new floors laid and two wood burning stoves installed to give a warming atmosphere. An extensive outdoor drinking and dining area to the rear will be a welcome feature in the summer months to come. Similarly to the Bamber Bridge pub, there is no TV or pool table but there is a dress code of no urban sports gear and it is strictly no swearing. Food from an extensive menu that includes light bites, ciabattas, a good selection of main courses, starters and desserts is served every day from 12-8. Run as a free house, six real ales are on sale including the permanent Withy Arms Bitter (brewed by Thwaites) at £2.70 (3.6%) and five guests which on our visit were a Thwaites seasonal ale called TBC (3.8%) for £2.40, Wainwrights (4.1% at £2.60, two Cumberland Brewery beers, Corby Ale (3.9%) at £2.40 and Corby Noir (4.5%) at £2.80, as was St Austell Proper Job (4.5%).

All beers that we tried on our trip out were found to be excellent quality, which shows the commitment of all our hard working licensees to serving their customers a good pint. Long may it continue. As time to return to Preston approached, we trooped out of the pub and gazed over the road at one of the shops there. It was pointed out that it was the very shop in which one time member of our branch Ian Bignell had set up his very own microbrewery, the Leyland Brewery Co. many years ago.

He now lives down south and if he ever visited us again, I am sure he would be amazed at how the real ale scene in Leyland has changed for the better since his days as a brewer here.

Riley Paul 16

Conti *

Chorley Chatter

The reopening of the Royal Oak has been A couple of pubs in Euxton have had a change of licensee since the

rumbling on for the last few months. last Ale Cry. Daniel Jones has taken over at the Railway. The pub

Again work is progressing but we have no seems much the same, with 3 real ales from the the Marston range.

idea when this pub will reopen. Real ale Cumberland is the regular with the other two changing, although

appears to have been withdrawn from Marston’s Pedigree is likely to be on the bar. The Euxton Mills

Trader Jacks and availability has been has reopened after a few weeks closure just

unpredictable at both Leigh Arms & before Christmas and we welcome John & Judy Williams to our Station and George. However on the last visit, both of these area. This used to be a GBG regular, but of late has been a bit pubs had at least one real ale available. Good ale is always under par. However on my latest visit all seemed well, with a flowing at the White Hart where two of the four handpumps smart new menu and 5 real ales on the bar. Jennings Cumberland were offering Hobgoblin and Shepherd Neame bitter at £2 and Cocker Hoop, Marston’s Pedigree and Wychwood Hobgoblin a pint on a recent visit. Landlord Tony is hosting our March are regulars, the fifth pump has a changing Marstons guest – this branch meeting on the 24th (8pm), when our guest speaker will time it was Jennings Sneck Lifter. be the founder of the CAMRA Members Investment Fund The Hayrick at Clayton le Woods closed for a refurbishment in Neil Kellet. The public are welcome to attend. Pearsons mid January and should be open by early March. We understand changing ales on 3 hand pumps for £2.20 - usually from there is a change of licensee and we will report on the changes in ‘locale’ breweries. the next issue. On a filthy wet and windy night Refurbishment work has started at Top Lock in Heapey. We in early February I decided to understand that the work is going to be done in stages to give pay an, all too infrequent, visit to as little disruption as possible. Even during the quiet winter the Bottom Spinners in Adlington. months, this pub manages to keep 9 real ales on the bar,

A cosy pub with a roaring fire and invariably in excellent condition. Beers from Timothy

6 well kept ales is just the thing Taylor and Coniston are always available with the others being to drive away the winter blues and with sourced from a wide range of breweries across the country.

Abbeydale Duck Baffler, Hawkshead Windermere Pale and Durham, Oakham, Abbeydale, Phoenix, Rudgate and Durham White Gold among the choices on the bar, I soon forgot Hawkshead often feature and there is always a mild and a stout about the weather. The only thing that puzzles me is why I don’t or porter on offer. The GBG listed Red Lion in Wheelton visit this particular pub more often!

Adrian Smith village has been running with temporary management over recent months, but we understand that new tenants will be in place by the end of February. Steve and Ann will be moving across from the West View (Thwaitre’s) in Blackburn, and we Most interesting and hot off the press – new tenants take over the Red Lion at Wheelton from Tuesday 25th Feb so we welcome wish them well. The beer range is likely to be unaltered with Anne and Steve Flood formerly of the Westview Hotel, Blackburn. the beers being sourced from Phil at the Top Lock.

Although Phil owns the building and Anne has to order the beer We also welcome Sue & John Ketley to the Boatyard at through him she has free rein on what she serves. Keen to get the Riley Green. Although this is a food led outlet, John is keen to develop the beer side – all his former pubs have been in the pub back on its feet she intends to maintain her reputation for GBG at one time including the Cross Guns at Egerton and the running a ‘Cask Marque’ pub by establishing the same at the Red Cemetery Hotel in Rochdale. At the moment the beer range is Lion. In time they may make some changes to the bar area but she Thwaite’s Original, Wainwright and Lanacaster Bomber, with will be opening at 12 to close (instead of 4pm as present) there the fourth pump being used for a seasonal ale. By the time we will be food and live artists from time to time. They had 4 ales on get to summer they will also be stocking the Nutty Black mild. when I visited including TT’s Landlord and I must admit it was the best pint of Landlord I’d had in ages (@ £3). They seem a nice They ran a mini festival in early February and are hoping to couple of mature age and could do well. have a larger event in September.

On a recent visit to the Apparently Phil at the Top Lock is progressing with his

Wheatsheaf at Croston there renovations though I have not been up.

was Hawkshead Windermere

Pale, Saltaire Blonde, Moor The Hare is equally making progress and has attracted many to the

house’s Blond Witch and pub in search of Silke’s authentic local cuisine with a

Cottage Armada on the bar.

German twist. The ‘Fondue and Raclette’ evenings have proved

We understand that a fifth handpump is to be installed shortly and possibly real cider will popular, for which you have to book ahead details can be found on Facebook at ‘Hare and Hounds in Abbey Village’. Three ales were be available during summer months on tap - Best Bitter and Golden Pippin from the Copper Dragon Alan Thompson has been out and stable and Moorhouses Blond Witch. Mark and silke are keen to about in Clayton –le-Woods and promote the many local walks available from the pub and walkers, Whittle-le-Woods; areas that with or without dogs, are most welcome. don’t seem to feature in Chorley Chatter very often. The Beaumont The Oak Tree at Brinscall continues to serve up the best pint of (near Asda) was serving Caledonian Autumn Red, Lancaster Black and Batemans Nosey Rosey. The Holts Bitter around at the best price of £2.50 along with one Halfway House on A6 is a Lees tied house and had Lees Bitter, other local bitter selected from the 3Bs brewery. They have started up an ‘Open Mic’ Night on Tuesdays from around 7ish - punters MPA and Cora available. The Dog is a Thwaites tied house are notified of this and other live events through Facebook and at the top end of Chorley Old Road and has had an external paint job recently. It usually has 5 beers available; Thwaite’s ‘Oak Tree in Brinscall’.

Original, Nutty Black and Wainwright are the standards, with While the Dressers continues to serve up seven ales of which the guests this time being TBC and Hop Caunce. Just down the most popular seems to be Thwaites’s ‘Wainwright’ at present the road is the Royal Oak, which used to be a GBG regular.

Deuchars IPA, Fuller’s London Pride and Ordnance City Brew- (@£3.30/pint)the Cricketers has reduced their selection to one ery (Somerset) Detonator IPA were on at the time. Finally at the among the 5 pumps available – either Jennings Cocker Hoop bottom of the hill is the Roebuck which had Wells Bombardier alternating with one of Marstons own Pedigree and Sweet Chariot have recently featured. and a beer from Caledonian on draught. Looks like a decent 18 All for now ‘Irish’ John mini crawl to me!

Brinscall, Withnell, etc

Crown Hotel

Chapel Street

Chorley

Up to 5 Now Reopened CaskAles

on The Bar as aFree House

after Including a Mild

extensive

Refurbishment

‘We are Proud to support CAMRA and our great Lancashire Brewers’ Tel: 01257 374236

The

Lamb & Packet

A CAMRA pub of the Season 91A Friargate, PR1 2ED. 01772 200292

Open from 11am ‘til Late

New Menu

Food Served all day from £2.95 Good Selection of World Beers 5 cask Ales Including Guests Heated Outdoor Smoking Area Free Wi-Fi Sky Sports

Chorley Chatter (cont.)

On The Lane Chorley FC - Victory Park Social Club

Beer and football have always gone

together, but while the pubs near foot

ball grounds may serve good ale, the International blues musician John (Lemon)

chance of finding a decent pint inside O’Grady said of Jon Brindley that he is the

the ground is usually slim. Well, not if ‘greatest multi-instrumentalist the world has

you go to see Chorley FC. Although ever seen.’ When Jon gave me his usual 2-3

they have hadrecent off pitch difficul hours notice (thinking I’d spread the word) that

ties, the club is definitely on the up. he was on at the Prince of Wales (Cowling), I took the

With a dedicated and hard working opportunity to travel ‘the Lane’ for the first time in over a year.

group ofdirectors and under the astute I used to live at one end of Eaves Lane although there isn’t a plaque there yet. I love the Lane - its close proximity to ‘The

management of ex Manchester City Nab’, Anglezarke and Rivington. My first stopping off point

and Blackburn midfielder Gary was ‘The Brethy (Bretherton). Chas

Flitcroft, the club are having a great

is the Landlord - a good singer in his

season. Currently top of the Evo Stick

own right. He runs Karaoke nights on

League Premier Division and with

` Fridays and Saturdays. From the 3 attendances upwards of 600, things are looking

hand pumps he had operating last time,he was now good for the future.

only selling from one. It’s a pub well worth a visit.

The Derby Arms which used to have both Websters It’s not only on the pitch that they are making

and Wilsons bitters many moons ago when my great strides. The directors are looking to promote

Friday evenings used to start from there is now keg only as is the Seven Stars and St.James’s the club within the community and use the club Club. The Brookes is now shut but ‘the Sheps’ had the same facilities for fundraising and social events to which welcoming atmosphere as usual and served a nice pint of all are welcome. The club facilities are two rooms Wainwrights. I was chuffed to bump into friends Mark and with a communal bar; the smaller room having Dawn and Rocky and Marie. Rocky was the second top snooker and pool tables, while the larger one has a entertainer I bumped into that Sunday Evening with Jon Brindley about stage, dance floor and is used for major functions. to become the third. I walked round the corner to the Prince about half six The club are looking to refurbish this and make it just as Jon was about to start and was well entertained until kicking out the largest function room in Chorley. time. Jon restricted himself to guitar, fiddle and accordian plus of course his voice (which Radio Lancashire argued was ‘his finest instrument’). He was accompanied for part by Jamie Lawson who also did a short solo spot One of their directors is Glen Hutchinson who is as did Landlord John who concluded the entertainment - the second singing also the licensee of the Spinners at Cowling. Glen landlord concluding of a really enjoyable evening.

It goes was keen to promote quality real ale in the clubwithout saying that all eight handpumps were kept busy. house, and with the help of Sue (the bar manager) What a great night out. I loved it.

Melodious Mick they have seen a 10 fold increase in sales since it was introduced. There are two hand pumps, one of which is dedicated to St Austell Tribute (which is also a fixture at the Spinners) and the other is a changing guest. I visited for the game against Stamford in early February (which Chorley won 3-0) and the Tribute was on top form (the other beer on sale was Jennings Cum berland). It was pleasing to see the club packed an hour before kick-off and a significant number of people The pub and the community go hand in hand. How can you have a pub drinking the cask ale. without a community and a community without a pub would be in a sorry state. Many have darts teams, pool, dominoes, quizzes, karaoke, entertainment. Some even have bar billiards. Some still have skittles. Some place The club is open on Monday and Friday nights and their main focus on food. Others are more than happy to remain unhindered from noon on Saturday if there is a match on, and by distractions, knowing that conversation and cameraderie are all mankind everyone is welcome. needs to satisfy their entertainment needs.

The main focus in the Malt & Hops has always been the latter but is supplemented by food in the form At the end of May the club will be holding its 3rd of Alan’s superb curry, chillie, etc., although sometimes the chicken is on annual beer festival, with the triple themes of real the head rather than in the food (see photo - i.e. it helps the atmosphere if ale, real cider and real sausages. There will be you have Alan’s advantage of being nutty as a fruitcake.) His special events 60+ real ales, mainly from local breweries such as such as pie tasting (organised by Peter Pie, and his sausage sampling days Allgates, Bank Top, Black Edge, Holt, always go down well and his Wednesday quizzes are always popular.

Phoenix and Prospect. 20 ciders will be on sale The draughts team (including internationals) meet on alternate Tuesdays from Gwent Y Draig from Pontypridd along with a and are always on the lookout for more participants.

Also on the last couple of fruit beers and 5 varieties of home-made Tuesday in the month local pagan organisation (pagan drift) meet there. sausage will also be available. The festival will When I was in the other week a young lady from the pagans entertained us with popular music displaying her considerable skills as a pianist and a gent be open Thursday and Friday evenings and all day from the draughts team showed similar skills with ‘honky tonk’ and Scott Saturday and Sunday and there will be live music Joplin material. The resident pianist didn’t contribute much but Paxo the on Friday and Saturday nights. The previous two parrot chipped in. I really enjoyed an unusual and unexpected evening. festivals were a great success and we look forward

Toad to sampling the ales and supporting the club this May.

Beer and Music

Malt & Hops - Community Pub - a tale of 3 pianists

So if you like football and a good pint, why not go down to Victory Park. Real football and real beer – you just can’t beat it.

20

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Guest Ales include: Moorhouses, 3Bs

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Stuart Rathmell is a provider of positive Solutions.

In all situations we offer free advice and a free initial consultation.

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Chorley Chatter (cont.)

Adlington

Crown Opens

The Elephant & Castle in Adlington is now being run by Christine Burgess. After a long spell of having no real ale she has introduced two real ales. Wainwrights is a regular plus a changing guest beer. Christine is an experienced landlady having run the Bridge in Horwich for 21 years.

Her son David worked along side her, he now runs the Victoria and Albert in Horwich which has won Bolton CAMRA pub of the year for the last 2 years and came third in the regional finals. Christine has live football matches on, live entertainment every other Saturday and a jamming session every other Monday night.

Foxy The Cardwell Arms, Adlington is

now under new management!

Paul Brackenridge (30) along with

his fiancée Joanne Griffiths (27)

got the best 30th birthday present

a bloke could ask for, the keys to a

pub and a good little boozer at that!

Partner Joanne has worked behind the bar for the best part of 9 years and with Paul being brought up in the licencing trade (his Dad, Dave Brackenridge, ran the Minstrel in Chorley for 8 years) it was only a matter of time before these two took the plunge!

Paul and Joanne want to promote sports to the fullest, the customers are all very sport oriented with a varied number of interests. They have already introduced BT Sport, specialist Horse Racing channels and Grand Prix channels along with Sky Multiroom allowing the TV’s to be split so 3 channels can be watched simultaneously! The TV’s have been updated, all flat screen HD ready, they are also installing a new 60” TV and another projector and large screen! This will be the place to be for the world cup this summer!

Earlier opening times and food are also on the cards.

From April the pub will capitalise on the full licencing hours opening at 12noon during the week and 11am at weekends. A “Bar Top Menu” will be available serving hot and cold snacks and tea and coffees throughout the day and evening.

The Real Ale trade has increased with the promotion of a more varied range of cask ales available, already increasing from 1 pump to 2, with the aim of having all 3 pumps running in the near future.

A varied range of entertainment will still be available at weekend, including Disco, karaoke and Live Bands!

For regular updates on events, promotions and real ales available join The Cardwell Arms Facebook page, www. facebook.com/cardwell.arms

So often we hear tales of doom and gloom about pub closures that it is great to be able to report on another long closed pub reopening its doors. The Crown on Chapel Street in Chorley closed in 2012 and was put up for sale. It has been bought by David & Deborah Holliday who used to run the Farmers Arms at Burscough and reopened in mid February after a full refurbishment. I have been popping into the pub since about October to check on the progress and have found David in his overalls and turning his hand to a variety of tasks.

In an era when so much history is swept away in the name of progress it is pleasing to see that the entrance lobby on Chapel St. retains the mosaic floor tiles with the pub name. The attractive bar counter and back have been refurbished and complemented by modern style seating in the largely

open plan pub. The front lounge

has been retained and there is also

a small secluded seating area

tucked round to the side of the

bar. With the light paintwork and

concealed lighting it has a bright

and airy feel to it. There are two

large TV’s in the main bar area for

showing sport but these do not intrude for those who are not interested.

There are 5 handpumps at the right hand side of the bar and the intention is for these to sell a changing range of beers, with a focus on those from Lancashire breweries. On the opening weekend the beers on offer certainly reflected this philosophy. Golden Cascade, a 3.8% golden beer from Fuzzy Bar Duck was on top form as was the Rialto 47 from Dunscar Bridge – another pale beer at 3.7%

and brewed with American hops.

My wife likes her beers a bit darker and

was delighted to find Moorhouse’s Black

Cat mild available and again in great con

dition. The other two beers on offer were

Lancaster Blonde and Ruddles County Dave at work (now of brewed by Greene King). The pub is free of tie and if the starting selection is a sign of things to come, this is a welcome addition to the drinking scene in the centre of Chorley and at prices from £2.50 a pint, great value as well.

Last year we wrote about the sad death of former Minstrel Landlord Dave Brackenridge, who I knew very well. Dave was one of the old style landlords the ultimate proffessional and a lovely man. If he has passed on his skills to Paul then he and Joanne will have solid foundations for a successful future in the precarious licensed trade. We wish them both well

Ed

CAMRA badly needs branch contacts to keep us in touch with your local pubs and to distribute Ale Crys to them Please contact me (p30) ed

Quiet Corner

Main Bar

Work on the kitchen has not yet been completed. David told me he intends to put down his toolkit for a week or so and get down to running the pub, and it is likely to be early April before food will be available. The plan is to serve food from noon through to about tea time, depending on demand, with the menu still to be finalised Adrian Smith

22

The Old Vic

Also known as the Vic and Station

Tel.No.

Find us

Fishergate Preston

Opposite Preston Railway Station CAMRA Recommended Good Beer Guide 2014 7 Handpumps in action Normally 20 different real ales available during the course of a week Two 3D screens - 5 Sports足Boxes Showing: Football, Rugby Cricket, Horse Racing, Darts, Athletics, Tennis, Golf and other major events Traditional pub with traditional lunchtime bar meals Buffets can足be arranged

Mountain View C.M.I.C.

What - you may ask is CMIC?

The answer is CAMRA

Members Investment Club. It

is an investment club open

only to CAMRA members and was the brain child of Neil Kellett (on right of bottom photo) and was conceived in 1982 in The Star Inn in Cheadle, South Manchester.

The current funds total over £17.3million with over 4,000 members. Its anonymous headquarters are on Chapel Brow, Leyland and its Chief Executive is accountant Mark Howarth.

Its success as an investment club has been excellent but a lot of CAMRA members feel that its ultra-safe philosophy means it misses out on higher risk investments e.g. backing new pub / brewery ventures (a company needs at least 2 years accounts before being considered for investment).

CAMRA members point out to me that because CAMRA doesn’t have any input into its decision making that its connection to CAMRA is slender.

I really enjoyed our chat and my interview with Neil and Mark will be fully reported in the next Ale Cry. In the meantime Neil will be guest speaker at our March Branch meeting / Social at The White Hart (near the Town Hall) in Chorley where you will be able to ask questions of Neil and Mark.

Lord Mountain

CAMRA Branch Meeting Monday 24th March 8pm White Hart Chorley Guest Speaker: Neil Kellett - founder CAMRA Members Investment Club You are all welcome to attend

THE MALT AND HOPS Free House ‘One of Chorley’s most

popular real ale hostelries a long time Good Beer Guide entry, a recognised stopping off point for train and bus commuters,serving a wide and changing range of ‘locales’.

Fancy a game of Draughts come along (alternate Tuesdays).

Quiz night is Wednesday with free hot pot.

The Malt and Hops offers free wifi, sports t.v.and much more.

The Malt and Hops is

on twitter and facebook.

Soon to be refurbished.

Well worth a visit or

two or three or more’ 24

Girl Power is here

Case 1

A

New Dawn

I bumped into a

couple of friends

the other day.

They’d spent a

weekend in the beautiful lake district town of Keswick. Ray has been drinking real ale for years but Dawn had consistantly refused to try it.

Because of the weather their plans were upset, so they decided to try out the local hostelries.

After a number of recent occasions waking up with a headache after a night out she was wary of drinking lager or shorts, so reluctantly decided to give in to Ray’s constant pestering to give real ale a try.

The location for that historic event was the Dog and Gun which should have a plaque erected commemorating ‘Dawn’s Coversion to Cask ales’ because like Ray and the rest of us she now delights in tasting the amazing range of textures and flavours available today and it goes without saying that hangovers are a thing of the past.

Case Last week Paul Riley and I had the good fortune to call in at the Ferret and the Ale Emporium on our lunch time travels. The University lecturers were on strike and after their demonstration and speaches a number of them decided to enjoy a well earned lunch in the Emporium. As a retired lecturer myself and someone who supports their cause I took the opportunity to chat to them and met Nikola who is not only a lecturer at the Uni but is also a talented brewer with ‘Snaggletooth Brewing’ and is about to join forces with Patsy from Prospect Brewery in a new venture which we will be covering in the next issue.

er a g n o l ’s no main! e l A l Rea only do

man 2

Nikola and other lecturers have offered to help us get a real ale society flourishing at the uni and to help us find a Young Members officer for the branch Ed

Trips / Ale Trails etc

A Tidy Certificate for the Horns On our trip to the Horns at Goosnargh we spotted this Certificate designed by Bill Tidy and presented by the Wakefield CAMRA branch to the pub.

U.C.L.A.N.

Real Ale Society - find details in pubs near the Students Union building or contact ed (p30)

If you’d like us to arrange any trips Young Members give us your ideas - contact our Social Officer Needed Secretary (see p30) See Page 30

26

Black Horse

Croston

Westhead Road

Croston PR26 9RQ 01772 600338

Beer and Cheese Festival Thurs 3rd - Sunday 6th April

Open 12 - Midnight (Thurs & Fri) 9am - Midnight (Sat & Sun) 25 cask ales @ ÂŁ2.50 a pint. All beers from 50 mile radius of pub 6 cask ciders Free Admission Fantastic cheeseboards and snacks available Live Music Fri / Sat nights and Sun lunchtime

Winner of Britain in Bloom Silver gilt Award 2013

MARK WOODS GEORGE LEE TROPHY WINNER

This year’s George Lee Trophy Winner is Mark Woods who runs the Horns Inn near Goosnargh and Goosnargh Brewery.

George Lee was the first Treasurer of the Central Lancs. (then West Lancs.) Branch of CAMRA and landlord of the Moorbrook in Preston. He was a very committed promoter of real ale.

After his sad death, the branch decided to make an annual award to the “pub, person or organisation that has done most to promote the cause of real ale in the branch area in the last 12 months”.

At a vote at the branch Christmas Party, members decided that Mark Woods fits that description admirably.

The Woods family own the Horns Inn, and Mark has run the pub for the last 27 years since the early death of his father.

The pub layout has hardly altered in many years with a series of small rooms giving a characterful drinking environment.

An almost unique feature is the small snug behind the bar. The staff serve from this area, but you can also sit and drink or eat at one of the small tables in this room, an arrangement which only occurs in a couple of other pubs in the country but seems to work well.

The pub is in an attractive country area, at least two miles from Goosnargh village and the nearest bus service and so, inevitably, the main emphasis is on food. There is a good quality menu using local ingredients from independent suppliers in most dishes.

Accommodation in a converted barn, and a small caravan site, are both popular and bring in extra trade. But drinkers are always made welcome, even if not eating, and there is a hard core of locals. In recent years, Mark has introduced real ale, with two pumps serving beer from local breweries.

28

Mark Woods has had an ambition to open a brewery for a few years now and when Grindleton Brewery went out of business 4 or 5 years ago, he bought their 5-barrel plant and arranged with a friendly local farmer to store it in a barn. Permission was granted for a building next to the pub to accommodate the brewery with room for expansion, together with a brewery shop and viewing area for tourists but Mark could not get finance. He got fed up with waiting and decided instead to convert a small stone outbuilding into a very-micro-brewery. The building seems no bigger than a domestic garage, but he has put in a 5-barrel plant containing the former Grindleton hot liquor tank, mash tun and copper, all altered and re-insulated, and 4 of their former conditioning tanks. He has added 2 new 5-barrel fermenting vessels made from plastic.

The brewery opened in April 2013, with beers sold in the pub and a third handpump installed to increase the range. Soon, beers were on sale in local free houses such as such as the Corporation Arms at Longridge, Tillotsons Arms in Chipping and Owd Nells at Bilsborrow. He also swaps beer with other local brewers such as Lancaster and Lytham and Goosnargh beer was on sale at the National Winter Ales Festival in Derby.

The 3 beers normally on sale at the pub are Goosnargh Gold, a 4% hoppy golden ale; Goosnargh Truckle, a 3.7% darker, malty beer; and RGB (Real Goosnargh Beer), a 4.3% copper-coloured fruity best bitter, one of them sometimes replaced by a guest beer. Bit o’ Blonde, a 4% summer ale and Blitzened, a 4/5% Christmas Ale are also brewed.

A 50p discount is given to CAMRA members on pints of Goosnargh brewery beers (25p per half).

All in all, Mark has done a great deal in 2013 to promote the cause of real ale in the Central Lancs. Branch area, and he is a worthy winner of the George Lee Memorial Trophy.

At the recent presentation night, he said he was “very pleased to be honoured and receive the award after such a small time with the brewery”. He concentrates on beer quality and hopes to extend the range of beers. He now brews 3 times a fortnight, i.e. 7½ barrels a week.

Dave Linley

THE 33 Hough Lane, MARKET

Leyland,

ALE HOUSE PR25 2SB * Quality cask ales, cider and wine

* Constantly changing selection of cask ales from microbreweries in Lancashire and the North of England * Bar snacks inc pork pies and cheese platter

`` * No tv's, music or mobile phones

just good old conversation (or peace and quiet)

Opening Hours Mon-Thurs 12 noon to 9pm ish, Fri and Sat 12noon to 11pm, Sun 12noon to 7pm

Tel: 01772 623363 e.mailthemarketalehouse@hotmail.co.uk

Branch Meetings (8pm): Branch / Socials* Committee # You’re welcome to attend any of our meetings and trips

Mar 13 # Leyland Lion (Leyland)

24 * White Hart (Chorley) Guest speaker - Neil Kellett CAMRA Members

Invesatment Club

Apr 10 # Withy Arms (Bamber Bridge)

14 Pub of Season Presentation - Ferret, Preston 28 * Angel (Preston)

May 8 # Eagle and Child (Leyland)

19 * Crown (Chorley) Jun 12 #Towneley Arms (Longridge)

23 * AGM Black Horse (Preston)

Trips / Visits / Ale Trails:

3 free gallons at Lion Steve from L.A. wins 24 Pints Steve Dykin who has taken on the role of branch contact for Lower Adlington has won 24 pints of real ale to enjoy at the Leyland Lion. You could be next.

We badly need branch contacts i.e. people prepared to keep in touch with a few local pubs - passing news on Ed, Manageress Caroline and to us, distributing Ale Cry etc. It’s an winner Steve enjoyable job which takes little effort and could win you 3 gals of real ale. Contact ed by phone or email Under

26

over 60 You’d be mad noor to join CAMRA Fr >>> om £15.50 to join: £20 trea months membership for the l ale vouchers, and 15 All + Real Ale Discounts atprice of 12 (see next page) hundreds of pubs

The branch would welcome Change A change of Manager at more members and potential the Sir Henry Tate has made a big difference to the atmosphere. are happier, customer service is much improved and as a members joining us on our trips and Staff consequence many of the customers they lost under the previous administration have returned. After several false dawns those of visits. Our next one is: us who welcomed the arrival of Wetherspoons in Chorley will

Thur 20th Mar - Ale Cry distribution Crawl Along the A59 -Minibus from Old Vicarage, Preston (near bus station) Leaves at 7.15 - Returns for 10.45pm. To book a place contact ++Paul Riley 01772 709272..

Pub of the Season social and presentation The Ferret (Preston) - Presentation takes place about 9pm Officers and Contacts:

Branch Contact/Chairman Dave Linley 01772 735628 Secretary / Web site / Gordon Small 01772 746118

14 Bank Parade Penwortham Preston Treasurer Paul Riley 01772 709272 Vice-Chairman John Singleton 07449 453854 Pubs Officer Adrian Smith 01257 273931 Womens contact: Sue Riley 01772 709272 Social Secretary Steve Enderby 01257 410146 Young Members Vacant (if interested contact Communications (inc.

Mick Clark (see below) membership & editor) Mick Clark 07984 840486

be keeping their fingers crossed. We wish all the best to Mark, Jess, Parissa and team.

Compo

Sorry -- no winners of the three gallons for recruiting a friend (see next page) so in the next issue there’ll be two winners declared, so if you’re a CAMRA member why not have a dooo Ed

email address: clcamra@rocketmail.com

website- http://www.centrallancscamra.org.uk www.facebook.com CAMRA Central Lancashire Branch

18 pubs closing every day. The impact on our society is extremely serious.We need your support. Join us - see next page >>>

Stopping conDisclaimer: The views expressed glomerates turnin Ale Cry are not ing pubs into necessarily those of supermarkets the Editor, the Central just one of many Lancashire Branch of CAMRA, fights CAMRA or of the Campaign must fight.

Join us in that for Real Ale fight .............

Published by: The Central see next page >>> Lancashire Branch Of The Campaign for Real Ale

Deadline for Adverts and Articles for the 16/05/14 Summer Edition:: 30/05/14 30 Expected Publication Date:

The Angel Lune Street Preston

Reopened and Renovated

Under New Management 4 Cask Ales £2 Pint Offers During the day

AMAZING OFFERS FOR REAL ALE DRINKERS

Accordingly, in association with CAMRA, we are pleased to announce these AMAZING offers:

£20 of JD Wetherspoon Real Ale tokens

15 months membership for the price of 12 if you agree to pay by direct debit

Proud supporter of traditional,

then once you’ve joined :

healthy, British made, real

ales & CAMRA in its fight to bring this healthy, organically produced example of

Chance to win 24 pints to enjoy in the Leyland Lion on Hough Lane, Leyland for helping keep the branch informed about what’s happening in your local pubs

British culture to more people’s attention.

You don’t need an existing member to recommend you to join CAMRA, but if one has, he or she could win 3 gallons of real ale , just by insterting their details here.

Name Membership No Phone No

Single Membership (uk & eu) £23 £25 Concessionary (under 26 or over 60) £15.50 £17.50 Joint Membership (Partner at the same address) £28 £30 Concessionary (under 26 or over 60) £18.50 £20.50 I wish to Join the Campaign for Real Ale and agree to abide by the Memorandum and Articles of the Association I enclose a cheque for: (or complete dd >>) Signed: Date: .

(If Joint membership - Partners name and signature): Date:

Chance to win 24 pints to enjoy in Greyfriars, Friargate, Preston for recruiting a friend to CAMRA

.

So fill in this application form a.s.a.p. and post it to:

FAO Gary Fowler

Wetherspoons Membership Offer, CAMRA, 230, Hatfield Road, St.Albans, Herts, AL1 4LW.

£299 All inclusive package deal

Ashcroft Room

The Deal:

RInvite up to 75 Guests RD J and Karaoke (if required) RGreat Cold Food Buffet RCask Ales & Drinks Competitive Prices RCarriages at 1am

School Lane Club, Bamber Bridge Call Anita on 01772 698105 www.school‐lane.com

Room bookings are subject to availability.

Terms and conditions apply and are available on our website.