Ale Cry 90

ISSUE 90 SUMMER 2010

Pub of The Season The Railway - Chorley The Railway near Chorley Interchange has been awarded our Pub of the Season award for Autumn.

The pub has gone from strength to strength over the last couple of years. It has always been very much a local, a proper community pub, a happy pub where people from all walks of life blend well together.

The development of their music programme has attracted many new visitors to join the regulars. Open mic.on Sundays starting mid afternoon outdoors on warm Summer days, and early evening at other times is fun to join in and enjoyable to watch. If you don’t your own instrument with you the pub can lend from a wide range of instruments (see bottom left photo).

Jenna and Steve The artistes who appear on Saturday nights and sometimes on Fridays and range from rock bands to solo acts are always top quality. Their frequents weekend festivals are always an attraction, the last being a couple of weeks ago. An excellent juke box with all the hits from the early 50s onwards is always popular and is free on Tuesdays.

As with most good locals, pub games – pool, darts and dominoes are very much a part and parcel of the pubs activities.

Ted is the licensee and Jenna manages it ably assisted by cellar man / talented guitarist Steve and friendly bar staff. A fine range of ales is always on tap. I had a couple of excellent pints of Ringwood 49er on my last visit.

Why not pop along and see for yourself. An ideal opportunity will be when we hold our pub of the season presentation ceremony on the 9th September from about 8pm.

Melodious Mick

WEST LANCS BRANCH

Real Ale Online

The new generation of real ale enthusiasts exists in a world of instantaneous news sharing, as such the web has become (aside from Ale Cry ) the primary source of drinkers information.

Working in The Old Black Bull,Friargate, Preston has introduced me to the ancient craft of cask ale care. From correct cellar management to good customer service. I noticed in the Spring Issue of Ale Cry, a small box asking for an enthusiast Ale drinker to be West Lancs branch Webmaster. Web design is a hobby of mine, and so the opportunity to mix two passions I love presented an opportunity to good to be true. http://www.westlancscamra.org.uk, is a community of pub enthusiasts sharing experiences and opinions of the Real Ale scene in and around West Lancashire. It is the most complete up to date list of pubs, clubs, breweries, ales, news and events in existence.

Navigate using the left navigation bar, read through articles submitted by members, make a note of festivals in the future, contact us about events you’d like to promote, or just search out your favourite tipple from the pub list. Visit a pub profile which is linked with a map as well as information regularly updated by drinkers .If you are involved in the Real Ale or looking to get into it, westlancscamra.org.uk is the best place to start.

In the future, we hope to introduce a members network enabling an online community of sharing news and opinions. Visit www. westlancscamra.org.uk , and take part in the West Lancashire Ale community.

Webmaster David Suckling.

Contents

P2 Editorial, Brewery News, P4 Taps. P5 Preston Parade, P7 Chorley Chatter. P8 Brewers Scoop, Festival Fightback.

P9 Real Ale Pubs, P10 Locale, P12 South Ribble Scene.

P13 Riley’s Rambles, Young Drinkers. P14 Iain Aitchison.

P15 Training. P16 Planning. P17 Beer & Music.

P18 Leyland Road. P19 Quiz, What’s in a Name?

P21 Longridge. P22 Contacts. P23 Membership Form.

Progress (editorial) When you’ve been a CAMRA member for nearly forty years, when every battle’s been an uphill struggle and often its been a case of of one step forward two steps back even slow progress seems like giant strides forward. My trips round the pubs over the last couple of months have been really encouraging. It’s not all good news. The Golden Cross survived Melodious Mick singing PJ Proby’s Hold Me on a Friday night karaoke but couln’t survive its alleged canabis trading, leaving Hart brewery owner John Smith frantically searching for an alternative site.

When I returned to a pub - The Plough in Chorley, which was just ticking over with one hand pump a few months ago now busy with 2/ 3 and real ale sales ‘going through the roof’ it made my evening.

Going to a pub like the Cowling Spinners and talking to licensees Tony and Rita with professional darts playing son Louis (in the worlds top 50), who despite being ignored by CAMRA for years still give me a hearty welcome, it really lifts the spirits. When I see the Minstrel selling real ale again and creating the atmosphere I remember from years ago when ‘t’ turn’s ont’ stage’ it lifts my spirits even higher When I see the progress new webmaster David is making towards creating the most informative CAMRA local pub guide in the country my optimism lifts further. When I realise that more and more young people are seeing through the billion pound ad. campaigns promoting unhealthy ‘Zombeers’ and turning instead to the healthy option of real ale and getting involved in CAMRA like David and Young Members Secretary Gaz the future seems brighter by the minute. And then you find the old story of quick buck merchants buying failed pubs to turn into flats with media and Councils giving them thumbs up with two fingers to the communities involved you realise that there is still a long way to go.

What an exciting time it is to be involved in CAMRA so why not join us. Turn to page 23 and se ehow you can play a part in our progress for a small membership fee which you get back in terms of free beer. Ed Shredder at the Minstrel

Brewery News First the good news. Planning permission has been granted for the brewery at the Horns Inn near Goosnargh. Work is due to start on the brewery soon and it is hoped to be up and running for early 2011. Mark Woods is the landlord and has brewed as a hobby for some time. He plans to produce three real ales for sale both in the pub and to other pubs in the area.

The project, which will cost up to £200,000 will include a viewing area for the brewery and a farm shop where the beers and local produce will be sold. He plans to run weekly brewery tours and hopes it will become a tourist attraction. The pub currently sells two real ales, usually from local micros such as Bowland Brewery and is well known for the quality of its food. It also has bedrooms and an adjacent caravan park and will be a welcome addition to the microbrewery scene.

Meanwhile the planned move of the Hart Brewery to the Golden Cross in Preston hit a setback when cannabis plants were found in an upstairs room of the pub. The police have obviously taken a dim view of this and are to review the licence of the pub. John Smith, the brewer of Hart beers is committed to leaving his present brewing site at the Cartford Hotel in Little Eccleston. Expansion plans for the hotel means that John has been looking for the ideal place to relocate his brewing plant. Being a Preston lad, to brew in his own town has long been his dream, and the opportunity to brew at the Golden Cross was the chance for him to come home. He is not giving up on this dream and is talking with various interested parties about among other things, a possible takeover of the licence. All is not lost and we advise you to watch this space.

Having the Hart Brewery in Preston would be the first time since The Little Avenham Brewery, based at Gastons on Avenham Street, shut down, that Preston would have its own brewpub with the ability to drink the wares on site. Of course Preston already is the possessor of a mini- brewery, having Arkwrights Brewery, based at the Real Ale shop on Lovat Rd, but it can only offer beer for sale off the premises.

Another brewery on the move is the Hopstar Brewery, run by Barry Tyson who has been brewing in his garage in Darwen for 6 years. Barry is another well known character in CAMRA circles and can often be found in the BitterSuite in Preston.

Demand is now outstripping capacity and the work load is too heavy. Barry and the new owner Natalie (his daughter)are moving to a new bigger plant & new unit. For the first few months both breweries will be in operation at the same time with Natalie brewing on the new 6 barrelplant. Brewery tours old plant will be possible once they are settled in as they are no longer in the confined space of a garage Paul Riley

Under26s

Did you know that if you are aged under 26 you can join CAMRA for just £14 and that in return you will get £20worth of Wetherspoons Real Ale vouchers - who says you never get summat for nowt.see Page 23

3

Taps Wins Lancashire Pub of The Year The Taps has come top in the annual competition to be the Lancashire pub of the Year. It has become the benchmark for all pubs in Lancashire, having won the award two times already. Anyone who has been in the pub on Henry Street will know why it has been a popular winner. With eight real ales, always in good condition and a warm and friendly welcome from landlord Ian Rigg and his loyal, hard working staff, it is no wonder people want to keep coming back time and time again.

The Taps beat our own nomination, the Continental, into second place, which gained a very good score in the judging. Congratulations are due to all at the Continental as our entry to this competition usually comes way behind the winner. The other entries were Lunesdale’s Waterwitch and Southport’s Ship Inn at Haskayne. The East Lancs entry, the New Inn in Clitheroe, was disqualified when their branch did not submit any judging scores for the other entries.

The Taps now goes forward to the competition for West Pennines Pub of the Year, Here it is up against competition from Cumbria’s White Horse at Kings Meaburn, which is between Penrith and Appleby, and the Isle of Man entry, the White House Hotel in Peel. The winner of this goes forward to the national competition.

The presentation took place on 20 July, where besides a certificate, The Tony Buller Memorial Shield was handed over to Ian Rigg for another year by Ian Ward, Chairman Of the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre branch, whose nomination it was. The shield is held for one year by the Lancashire winner and commemorates the one time mainstay of the West Lancs branch.

Paul Riley

Social Secretary NEEDED

Th'Alps got fed up being Social Sec., so until we find someone new for the job there'll be fewer pub crawls, brewery trips, pub visits, and social events in general which is a pity, bearing in mind our plans to widen this area of activity and involve the wider public. If you fancy this enjoyable job please get in touch – see contacts, page22.

4

4

Preston Parade What everybody wants to know is when the New Britannia on Heatley Street will reopen. Well, hopefully it could be open by the time you read this. Plans were that it would have opened by now, after the sudden closing a few months ago when Enterprise Inns stepped in and removed the previous lessee.

However unforeseen problems with the infrastructure of the pub have put the opening back. This is now due for the August Bank Holiday weekend. Ale Cry has been assured that when it reopens it will be back to its best and will be a proper real ale drinker’s pub again. I for one look forward to having a few drinks there again The Olde Dog and Partridge on Friargate is having a bit of a makeover; Nothing that will destroy the pubs ambience, but will involve up to £30,000 of work. It will mainly involve work to the kitchen and toilets and that general area including the sunken area in front of the kitchen.The bar will also see some upgrading and a few other minor alterations to the entrance and outside are also envisaged. The warm welcome of Ronnie and his dedicated staff will remain, however, along with his varietyof ales both from the Punch list and the guest beers he gets from the S.I.B.A direct delivery service.

A success story in these troubled times. Down at the Shawes Arms on London Road at the Walton crossing, Joanne and Carl took over last September.

They were advised by the area manager not to bother with real ale, but they were determined to have it on sale. They now have three hand pumps on the bar and are on the S.I.B.A list for direct delivery of microbrewery beer.

They like to try different beers and have had a fair variety of beers on sale. Ones that have proved very popular are Titanic beers, ones from Moorhouses, Barngates Tag Lag and Sharps Doom Bar. Cask ale sales have now overtaken smoothflow and John Smiths has been taken out.

The pub is open 12-11(12 Fri-Sat) and they serve bar snacks 12-2 and 5-8. They have a quiz night on Thursdays and Karaoke alternate Saturdays. They are looking to put on a mini beer festival for August Bank Holiday weekend in an outside garage overlooking the river.

Just outside Preston, Mick Moran has recently taken over the Mill Tavern in Higher Walton.

Here again he was advised not to put real ale on due to the inadequateness of the cellar. He has had that fixed and now has two handpumps on the bar selling beer from the Marstons range. He usually goes through four casks a week with Marstons EPA selling really well. Here the pub is open 12-12( 1 am Fri- Sat). They have an open mic session on Tuesdays, quiz night Thursday and Karaoke Saturday. They are trying to introduce a poker night on Wednesday. There is a covered heated outdoor drinking area at the rear with outdoor screen for sports events etc.

Paul Riley

Pubs-Not advertising with us - Why not???

Other than word of mouth you won’t find a better way to get your message across - Just ask our current advertisers.

Current Prices: Full Page £175 Half Page £95 Quarter £55 Eigth £35 See Page 22 for contact details

STOP PRESS:

Beer and Music

Thanks Stan, for the great beer & allowing us to use his pub to design this magazine. Incidently The Old Black Bull is having a Cornish Themed Beer Festival Friday 3rd to Monday 5th Sept & it’s sure to be a tasty treat.

No space this issue but if any of you have taken my advice and gone to any of the festivals I've mentioed I would welcome you dropping me a line Melodious Mick Next festivals: Fylde (Fleetwood) 3-5 September Bromyard 10-12 September 5

Dedicated to Joshua Thomas Suckling Born 3rd August 2010. God Bless You Good Luck

5

6

CHORLEY CHATTER Thompson’s Travels Whilst walking past the Roebuck in

Whitttle-le-Woods I glanced through the open door and to my amazement I spotted two handpumps. Now to my knowledge this pub has been keg for as long as anyone can remember.

So I was surprised to be informed by the landlord that the pub has been selling cask beer for almost a year. Wells Bombadier is the permanent beer and is sold alongside a changing guest which was Deuchars IPA on my visit.

New tenants at the Brethy. The Bretherton Arms on Eaves Lane have re-introduced real ale to the pub. Theakston's Best bitter is always on sale alongside a guest which was another Caledonian beer 'Mild Mayhem'.

The Hinds Head at Charnock Richard has re-opened after a short period of closure. New landlord Steve Martin also runs a Robinson's pub in Stockport. Called the Bull's Head. He currently has three beers on the bar, which are Wychwood Hobgoblin, Jennings Cumberland Ale and the extremely powerful Robinsons Old Tom. He hopes to add a further three ever changing guests in the future.

The Wheelton area has become a hot spot for drinkers in the Chorley area the Top Lock and the Dressers Arms always have a large and diverse variety of guest beers available whilst lovers of Thwaites beers are well catered for at the Golden Lion and the Royal Oak in Riley Green. Both of these have a full range from Thwaites Brewery on the bar and now the Red Lion in Lower Wheelton has joined in the fun. The Licensees have been in charge for about six months now and have four cask beers on sale. On the Saturday night that we called in the place was bouncing to live music and the beers on the bar were Black Sheep Bitter, Wychwood Hobgoblin and two beers from the popular Bowland Brewery which were Hen Harrier and Patriot.

Good news for CAMRA members from the Sea View in Whittle le Woods. Lee Thompson has taken on the pub from his parents who have run the pub for about thirty years. He currently operates from four handpumps selling the likes of Bombadier Theakstons, Deuchars IPA and Jennings Cumberland. CAMRA members are to be offered a 10% discount on these cask ales on Tuesday and Friday nights Back in the Town beers from Bank Top in Bolton and Allgates of Wigan Breweries are are appearing on the bar of the Swan With Two Necks whilst the Rose and Crown has increased its number of handpumps to four. 3Bs Doffcocker is much in demand in the Potters Arms alongside the Black Sheep Bitter and the guest ale, whilst due to popular demand the Breakespeare's Oxford Gold has returned to the Prince of Wales on Cowling Brow. Finally if you think we've missed anything out or you have any news from the Chorley area please contact the editor by phone or email.

Alan Thompson

Red Lion

Elephant and Castle

Singing Landlord ‘Chaz’ At the ‘Brethy’

Railway

Cowling Ale Trail Alan Thompson referred to the Potters

and the Cowling Prince of Wales. I have often mentioned the Black Horse at Limbrick and the Bay Horse in Heath Charnock. But in between the Spinners Arms seems always to be overlooked which is unfortunate and unfair. If I was designing an 'Ale trail for a nice summer day it would start at the Sir Henry Tate or the market Prince of Wales move on to the Railway, the Potters the Cowling Prince of Wales and the Cowling Spinners before heading into Adlington via the Black Horse and the Bay Horse.

So apologies to Tony, Rita and Louis for ignoring you for so long. It was an easy mistake to make they've only been there for 14 years!!! I know how popular your quiz nights are and your pensioners meals – being a codger I enjoyed one myself on my visit Toilet Humour If you're in Higher Adlington and call in at the Top Spinners and get 'caught short' the toilet humour in the Gents will have you in stitches and if you're short of change customers in the Elephant and Castle get rid of their spare change in the urinals. Sorry I don't know what happens in the Ladies of the two pubs.

I mentioned in the last issue that many pubs can only keep one hand pump ticking over which is fine and that the Pliugh on Pall Mall was one of them. Since then demand for real ales has rocketed and they now have three active handpumps.

Ebeneezer, Squeezebox Mel, Orville, Toad, Melodious Mick, Lord Mountain and Royston

7

Local pubs fight back Brewers Scoop - Manic Miners with festivals of ale Wouldn’t it be great to spend the day with a brewer? A quick boil up, throw in some hops, bacon butties for breakfast and chuck the cooled wort into a fermenting vessel with some yeast then home in time for tea! Well the bacon butty part was spot on; the rest was a fascinating insight into the dark art of brewing and the amazing story of Patsy and John Slevin.

The story of Prospect brewery starts late one evening 3 ½ years ago when Patsy had had enough with her old job and feeling the burn out had gone on far too long, told her husband John “We need to run our own business, what can we do”. John had been a keen CAMRA member since the seventies and had always dreamed of opening his own brewery and Patsy loved the idea too so that night the idea took root. Within a few weeks Patsy and John had taken a short course with Moss brew at The Ministry of Ale in Burnley and by the end of the week companies house had a new application drop through its letter box!

Up until a few months ago all the brewing was done in the garage at home and brewing has gone from strength to strength; mainly due to the quality and reputation of the brewery (not to mention a few awards). Patsy is of course an international superstar in her right having appeared on Oz and James Drink to Britain last year. Whilst attending a SIBA event Patsy noticed Oz Clarke merrily supping a pint of real ale in one corner and in true “who dare wins” fashion went over for a chat. Oz explained that he was researching for a new series (nice work if you can get it!) to which Patsy asked why can’t the researchers do it. Ah, but a researcher can’t tell me if I’m going to like a person! The rest they say is history but if you haven’t seen the footage take this issue of Alecry home and type this into Google http://www. prospectbrewery.org.uk/.

Stood at the brewery door at 0700 made me and John (my partner in crime for the day) feel like we had an alcohol problem or more like two kids waiting for the sweet shop to open but, bang on time Patsy arrived to open up and it was game on. Within minutes a whole series of switches had been thrown and checks completed. It was time to get down and very dirty. John (Slevin) explained the different types of malt and insisted on us munching every variety to hand (imagine the worlds weirdest muesli without milk). Patsy laughed and pointed out that her husband would have made an excellent contestant on any Japanese game show or bush tucker challenge and was known for his desire to taste and drink anything out of principle. Now, having served with the army I thought I could and should out do John on this front and vowed to match him for every munch and slurp, however I have to say he had me beat hands down by the end of the day…I’m not worthy After mashing the secret ingredients for Silver Tally, a rather excellent Golden hoppy ale (3.7%), I then volunteered to dig out the aftermath (actually I was ordered in by Patsy!) and to stand by my masher for a white glove inspectiom. 9/10 was the verdict so I was very happy but verdict so I was very happy but it became abundantly clear that if you don’t like cleaning don’t open a brewery. Maybe that’s why Prospects beer is so good all the staff have high level OCD when it comes to cleaning and constantly try to outdo each other in what can only be described as a daily world cup cleaning competition! Bacon butties ensued and was explained as an essential part of the brewing process and a very necessary step in the pursuit of quality beer.

The boil then took place with carefully added hops at set times and then time for a quick brewery tour. The whole plant is brand new with the exception of a few vessels brought over from the previous plant and at 12 barrel capacity with 5 fermenting vessels is certainly set for the future. That said the building could easily hold a much larger affair and the plan is to put in a bar and viewing area sometime in the near future. Boil over, the wort was pumped through a heat exchanger and into a fermenting vessel, yeast measured and added, job done.

This time it was Johns turn to climb into the copper and start digging; I’d obviously got off lightly judging by his sweaty face and the amount of goo round his ankles. Relentless ribbing ensued. Labelling bottled beer was next, one a private order for father’s day and another for a pub in Burscough, both an excellent way to raise the profile of the brewery. As the day came to a close I have to say that I was sorry to leave. We had shared a lot of banter, eaten and tasted the ingredients at every stage and allowed to be an employee for the day in every sense. Patsy and Johns enthusiasm and knowledge are without doubt infectious andthe ales produced superb,especially “Big John” an excellent 4.8% smoky stout. The biggest strength of the brewery has in my opinion nothing to do with the ale but the people.Patsy and John complement each other perfectly and their enthusiasm has obviously gotten into the staff, so much so that I expect that Prospect brewery will be producing more Gold and Silver in the near future.Methinks you’ll need that extra space sold MIJ

8

In these sober times for the traditional English pub it is great to see that two local pubs within the Chorley area are fighting back with two fantastic beer festivals which are drawing in drinkers from near and far. The Black Horse at Limbick, and the Cavendish Arms at Brindle, both held their second annual beer festivals with some fifty odd beers, each being served from marquees which were filled with handpumps stocked with a variety of micro brewery beers, from both local, regional, and national producers.

A favourite at the Cavendish was the Prospect Brewery beers which are brewed just down the road in Wigan. These beers were originally brewed in a garage by the side of the house in Standish but now moved to a purpose built industrial unit due to the popular demand for the beers.

Despite having to fight against pubcos, large brewery conglomerates, and a dwindling number of pub outlets due to unsympathetic government policies, micro breweries have been springing up everywhere over the last ten years giving the real ale drinker a greater choice than was ever enjoyed in the dark days of Watneys Red Barrel!

Indeed the Chorley area now has three regular annual real ale festivals featuring many of these micro beers, with the Heapy Beer Festival at the Top Lock being the pioneer event which started the ball rolling for local pubs!

The great thing with a guest cask beer is that once an effort is made to put it on the bar, and word gets around, the customers will soon arrive to drink and enjoy it. A good example is the regular Bank Top beers now enjoyed by customers in the White Bull at Chorley, or the Bowland Beers recently enjoyed by drinkers in the Swan With Two Necks within the same town centre.

Landlord Ross at the Malt and Hops, Chorley, also spends considerable effort in bringing a variety of guest beers for his customers at the bar. If pubs are to survive these harsh times then many of the pubs within the Chorley area are showing the way forward. Lets hope this lesson is learned by all the local pubs within the area and a keg only pub is soon a thing of the dark and dreaded past!

One could easily say that Keg Only = Closed!!

The Alp

CAMRA WEST LANCS BRANCH .....AND REAL ALE PUBS At recent meetings CAMRA West Lancs branch members have been

helping out with the formidable task of drawing up a comprehensive list of public houses that are currently open and located within the branch boundaries.

In the past this has been attempted on a number of previous occasions, the most recent being in 2004 when an up-to-date list was produced to assist branch members in compiling the Central Lancashire Real Ale Guide. As it is now more than six years since this most recent local real ale guide was produced it had become apparent to West Lancs committee members that it was about time that the branch had more up-to-date information to hand on the local pub situation.

In recent years the financial climate has seen an unprecedented number of pub closures, and in particular it has become clear that there have been distinct changes in the types of pubs that are surviving the passage of time. The numbers of pubs in rural areas and in town centres may not have been reduced dramatically, but most significantly there has definitely been a drastic fall in the number of suburban street corner locals which once thrived in the branch area.

Consider the numbers. In 2004 there were over 350 pubs open in the branch area. Now that figure is somewhere around the 270 mark.

Despite this reduction in total numbers, it is interesting to report that there has been a big increase in the percentage of pubs which are selling real ale. In 2004 the number of real ale pubs was 197 (about 56% of the overall total). As I write this article in August 2010 there are believed to be 190 real ale pubs (which is about 70% of the overall total).

It is certainly not true to say that those pubs which sell real ale have been exempt from closure. For much of the time during the last six years the total number of real ale pubs was actually in excess of that magic 200 figure. However in the last couple of years there have been many instances of pubs closing that were once popular with local real ale drinkers, including a number If pubs that have been former Good Beer Guide entries.

As well as monitoring the changing face of the local pub scene, the creation of an updated Pubs List will be useful to the branch for a number of other important reasons. Looking to the future, there are plans for the branch to produce a new Real Ale Guide to coincide with the next Preston Guild which takes place in 2012. More immediately there are plans that the CAMRA West Lancs branch website will be further improved so that it includes a comprehensive directory of all local pubs (including those not selling any real ale). Finally there are ambitious plans that CAMRA nationally will maintain a 'CAMRA Pubs Online' database that will document all pubs throughout the country and that will be accessible to both CAMRA members and

the general public.Accompanying this article there is a list of all pubs in the West Lancs branch area which are currently believed

to be selling real ale. As must be appreciated this list is a work-inprogress which almost certainly will be out of date by the time it appears in print. The list is restricted to pubs only, and as it stands does not include any clubs or other outlets where real ale may be encountered. It is to be hoped that the list does not contain too many embarrassing mistakes. It is recognised that there will be one or two pubs on the list that may not be one hundred percent committed to the real ale cause, but until proved otherwise (ie. that they are no longer selling real ale) they have been given the benefit of the doubt. At the time of producing this Real Ale Pubs List there are a number of pubs that are currently closed. These include real ale stalwarts like the Myerscough at Balderstone, the New Britannia in Preston, and the Nabs Head in Samlesbury. Hopefully in all instances the closures will only be temporary and when these pubs do eventually re-open they will once again take their rightful place on the branch's Real Ale Pubs List.

Perhaps it will not be too long before there are again 200 real ale pubs in the West Lancs branch area Gordon Small

PUBS CURRENTLY SELLING REAL ALE (190 PUBS)

1.

ADLINGTON. Bridge; Cardwell Arms; Elephant & Castle; Spinners 2. (Bottom); Spinners Arms (Top); Waggon & Horses; White Bear.

Arms 3.

ALSTON. White Bull.

ASHTON. Lane Ends; Ribble Pilot; Wellington; Wheatsheaf.

BALDERSTONE. Boddington Arms.

BAMBER BRIDGE. Black Bull; Hospital; Olde Hob; Olde Original Withy Trees; Pear Tree; The Peters Bar; Top House; Walton Fox; White Bull.

BARTLE. Saddle; Sitting Goose.

BARTON. Boars Head.

BISPHAM GREEN. Eagle & Child; Farmers Arms.

BRETHERTON. Blue Anchor.

BRINDLE. Cavendish Arms.

BUCKSHAW VILLAGE. Bobbin Mill.

CHARNOCK RICHARD. Bowling Green; Dog & Partridge; Hinds Head.

CHIPPING. Dog & Partridge; Sun; Tillotsons Arms.

CHORLEY. Bretherton Arms; Gillibrand Arms; ID; Lock & Quay; Malt'n'Hops; Millers; Minstrel, Plough; Potters Arms; Prince Of Wales (Market Street); Prince Of Wales (Cowling Brow); Railway; Rose & Crown; Sir Henry Tate; Spinners Arms; Swan With Two Necks; White Bull; White Hart.

CLAYTON-LE-WOODS. Beaumont; Halfway House; Hayrick; Ley Inn; Lord Nelson.

COPPULL. Red Herring.

COTTAM. Ancient Oak. CROSTON. Black Horse; Crown; Grapes; Highfield; Lord Nelson; Wheatsheaf.

ECCLESTON. Brown Cow; Original Farmers Arms; Windmill.

EUXTON. Bay Horse; Euxton Mills; Plough; Railway; Talbot; Travellers Rest.

FARINGTON. Rose & Crown.

FULWOOD. Anderton Arms; Black Bull; Cattle Market; Sumners; Withy Trees.

GOOSNARGH. Grapes; Horns; Stags Head.

GRIMSARGH. Plough.

HEATH CHARNOCK. Bay Horse.

HESKIN. Brook House; Farmers Arms.

HIGHER WALTON. Mill Tavern.

HOGHTON. Black Horse; Boars Head; Boatyard;Old Oak; Royal Oak; Sirloin.

HUTTON. Anchor.

INGLEWHITE. Green Man. INGOL. Guild Merchant.

LEA. Cotty Brook; Lea Gate.

LEA TOWN. Smiths Arms.

LEYLAND. Barristers; Black Bull; Broadfield Arms; Dunkirk Hall; Roebuck Eagle & Child; Gables; Midge Hall; Railway At Leyland; Wagon & Horses; Wheatsheaf.

LIMBRICK. Black Horse LONGRIDGE. Alston Arms; Bull & Royal; Corporation Arms; Duke William; Durham Ox; Forrest Arms; Old Oak; Townley Arms; Weavers Arms; White Bull.

LONGTON. Black Bull; Dolphin; Rams Head; Red Lion.

LOSTOCK HALL. Anchor; Pleasant Retreat; Tardy Gate; Victoria.

MAWDESLEY. Black Bull; Red Lion; Robin Hood.

MUCH HOOLE. Smithy Inn. PENWORTHAM. Black Bull; Fleece; Pear Tree; Sir Tom Finney.

PRESTON. Angel; Bitter Suite; Black Horse; Fox & Grapes (Fox Street); Golden Cross; Greyfriar; Guild; Hartleys; Lamb & Packet; Market Tavern; Moorbrook; New Continental; New Welcome; Old Black Bull; Old Dog; Old Vic; Olde Blue Bell; Olde Dog & Partridge; Princess Alice; Queen Vic; Shawes Arms; Stanley Arms; Station; Sun; Unicorn; Wellington; Yates's.

RIBBLETON. Ribble Lodge.

SAMLESBURY. New Hall Tavern.

THORNLEY. Derby Arms.

ULNES WALTON. Rose & Crown.

WALMER BRIDGE. Fox Cub; Longton Arms; Walmer Bridge.

WALTON-LE-DALE. Sir Robert Peel; Welcome; White Bull; Yew Tree.

The Plough WHEELTON. Dressers Arms; Golden Lion; Malthouse Farm; Red Lion; Top Lock.

WHITESTAKE. Farmers Arms.

WHITTLE-LE-WOODS. Dog; Roebuck, Royal Oak; Sea View.

WITHNELL. Hoghton Arms.

WOODPLUMPTON. Wheatsheaf.

9

It is now over a year and a half since CAMRA West Lancashire branch launched a LocAle initiative that we would support licensees in our area who were selling at least one beer that was brewed within 30 miles of their pub premises.

There are currently 16 pubs and 2 clubs which have indicated that they wish to be identified with the branch’s LocAle scheme.

• Bridge, Adlington.

• Potters Arms, Chorley.

• Swan With Two Necks, Chorley.

• White Bull, Chorley.

• Beaumont, Clayton-le-Woods.

• Horns Inn, Goosnargh.

• Boatyard, Heapey Photo White Bull.

• Corporation Arms, Longridge.

• Longridge Conservative Club.

• Dolphin, Longton.

• Angel, Preston.

• Lamb & Packet, Preston.

• New Continental, Preston.

• Old Black Bull, Preston.

• Old Vic, Preston.

• Preston Grasshoppers Rugby Club.

White Bull • Royal Oak, Riley Green.

• Golden Lion, Wheelton.

After long being a branch with no real ale breweries, it would now appear that there is every likelihood that CAMRA West Lancs will soon have a number of micro-breweries operating in the branch area. ARKWRIGHT’S BREWERY is already open at the Real Ale Shop on Lovat Road in Preston, HART BREWERY is looking at a re-location to the Golden Cross on Lancaster Road in Preston, the as yet unnamed micro-brewery at YE HORNS INN at Goosnargh is planning to start brewing from early in 2011, while there is an outside chance that a small craft brewery could be set up on WORDEN PARK in Leyland.

Looking outside the branch boundaries there are many other breweries which are close enough to qualify pubs in the CAMRA West Lancs area for them to be able to participate in the LocAle scheme. As well as giants like Moorhouses and Thwaites, there are nearby breweries like Bank Top, Brysons, Fuzzy Duck, Hop Star, Lancaster, Lytham, Southport, and Three B’s which can often be found on the bars of local pubs.

The prospects are that there will be a sizeable increase in the number of pubs and clubs that will qualify for them to hold a LocAle accreditation. Although we are anticipating that there will be a probable increase, it is the intention that CAMRA members will regularly check the accredited pubs and clubs, and if any are found to have stopped selling a local beer then they will be removed from the list.

This being the case, and the fact that the LocAle scheme has now been in place for over 18 months, it has been decided that in the coming weeks all the participating pubs and clubs will be re-visited and re-checked. Providing that they still qualify for accreditation, they will be supplied with a package containing the latest LocAle promotional material. The branch is also looking at the possibility of presenting certificates to those pubs and clubs that have been long-standing and reliable participants in the scheme.

Look out for pubs and clubs in the West Lancashire branch area that are displaying LocAle promotional material. These establishments are to be recommended if you wish to support those licensees who are doing their bit for local breweries (and for the environment). Gordon Small

LANDLORD WINS 3 GALLONS it's great to see landlords recommending customers to join CAMRA. When Stuart from the Golden Lion at Wheelton recommended Michael Cook to join little did he realise that his name would be drawn out by CAMRA hq staff as winner of the quarterly draw for Wetherspoons beer vouchers for 3 gallons of real ale from The Grey Friar at Preston. Thanks Stuart and other landlords who are doing likewise. Keep up the good work Ed

10

Up to 6 CASK ales at a time!

A varying selection of real ales from local micro breweries • Bar open all day everyday until 12pm Large selection of freshly made bar snacks from sandwiches to T-bones & Ostrich served all day.

Special offers on beers all day every day • Excellent bed & breakfast accommodation with en suite facilities available.

• Single room from £20 (en suite from £25) Double room from £25( en suite £20) TOWNGATE•ECCLESTON•NR. CHORLEY •PR7 5QS TELEPHONE 01257 451594

11

SOUTH RIBBLE SCENE In Penwortham, the SIR TOM FINNEY on Central Drive has acquired an additional handpump and is now selling up to four real ales. These days Moorhouses Brewery beers can regularly be found, and on a recent visit Pride of Pendle and Pendle Witches Brew were both available alongside the one outsider Thwaites Lancaster Bomber. The FLEECE on Liverpool Road continues to offer a good range of real ales. Recently found there on a midweek afternoon were Adnams Broadside, Charles Wells Bombardier, Tetley Cask Bitter, and Lytham Summer Bitter.

Still in Penwortham, it was the BLACK BULL that had the best range of beers on the day, with Hydes Loose Cannon, Greene King IPA, Marstons Pedigree Diamond, Ruddles Best Bitter, and Theakstons Mild all being available. Some good news that just missed the deadline for the last Ale Cry was that the Black Bull had earned a Beautiful Beer Gold Award distinction. These awards come under the jurisdiction of the Cask Marque organisation, but are not restricted solely to real ale pubs.

Previously two other pubs in South Ribble had achieved Gold awards - the Boddington Arms at Balderstone and the keg-only Old Leyland Gates at Leyland. Finally computer users will be interested to learn that the Black Bull has now set up its own Facebook page on the internet.

In the Spring 2010 Ale Cry I reported that the PEAR TREE on Station Road in Bamber Bridge had been selling an interesting range of up to five real ales including beers from several local micro-breweries. On my most recent visit the only beers available were Courage Directors and Wychwood Hobgoblin. It is to be hoped that I Ipicked a bad day and that beers from breweries like Lancaster and Three B's will soon again be in evidence.

As it turned out I did not have too far to travel to find some Lancaster Brewery beers that day, with the neighbouring THE PETERS BAR on School Lane having both Lancaster Amber and Lancaster Blonde on sale.

You’re never to old to join CAMRA. So join for £14 and get £20 worth of Wetherspoons beer tokens for joining. (see page 23) 12

Over the years the FARMERS ARMS at Whitestake has gone through a number of different phases, with real ale sometimes being in favour but then at other times being out of favour. The pub has long been celebrated as an eating establishment, but it is good to report that real ale is again back on the drinks menu with Greene King IPA and Thwaites Lancaster Bomber being the beers that are usually available.

Leyland appears to be steadily improving as a place to go for the real ale drinker. After a gap of many years the ROEBUCK on Worden Lane has heralded the re-introduction of real ale with a board outside indicating that Cask Ale will be coming soon.

These are tough times for pubs throughout the country and several pubs in the South Ribble area have also been experiencing problems. Since the beginning of the year and for various different reasons the following pubs have all had a period of closure - the MYERSCOUGH at Balderstone, the LANCS & YORKS at Bamber Bridge, the FARMERS ARMS at Higher Walton, the BLACK BULL at Moss Side, the BRIDGE at Penwortham, the NABS HEAD at Samlesbury, and the BRIDGE at Walton-le-Dale. Some of these have since re-opened, but hopefully in all cases the problems will only be temporary and they will soon again be back in business.

Gordon Small Nab’s Head Salmesbury

Club News from Bamber Bridge

Thanks to Tom Grant for the following information about the real ale clubs of Bamber Bridge. He tells us that St. Gerard’s Catholic Club on Brownedge Rd. has one pump selling real ale that has had beers from breweries such as Allgates, Moorhouses and the 3B’s. The steward Gary likes his small independents and is holding a beer festival at the club from 17-19 September where there will be 25 ales on sale. Entry will be £2. Phone Gary on 01772 339457 for more details.

Bamber Bridge Conservative Club on Cranbourne St. opposite the White Bull also has one real ale pump and among others has had Black Sheep on sale and it is going well. Finally the Trades Hall on Station Rd. is selling two Thwaites beers on handpump.

If any one of our readers has news on real ale in our area, why don’t you let us know like Tom did, and we will pass this information on. See elsewhere in this issue to find out how to contact us.

Paul Riley

CAMRA member? Recruit a friend using page 23 and have a chance to win 3 gallons of real ale

Riley’s Rambles:-Manor Arms, Broughton in Furness A couple of years ago, two friends of ours decided to up sticks from Preston and relocate to a place just outside Kirby in Furness called Soutergate. They took a nice little cottage in the village and quickly acclimatised to a new way of life involving long walks in the beautiful countryside and long periods of quietude. Luckily for me , their cottage does have a spare room and we occasionally go up to see them. Usually we walk up to the Burlington Arms in Kirby, which has two guest ales, often from Cumbrian micros.

On a recent visit however, because of the timing, this pub was not open and it was suggested that we drive the short distance to Broughton and go in the Manor Arms there. What a good suggestion that turned out to be. After parking round the obelisk in the main square, we entered a beer drinkers paradise, a lovely warming (real fire) pub with eight handpumps on the bar. I ascertained that Yates Bitter and Copper Dragon Golden Pippin were permanent beers and the other six were sourced from independent breweries, with a penchant for Cumbrian breweries. Three still ciders are also available. As Yates bitter is a particular favourite of mine, I plumped for that one first and we settled down in a bay window and enjoyed our ale as we looked out over the main square of the village.

Broughton is part of ‘undiscovered Lakeland’ and has been a centre for writers and artists through the ages whose photographs and paintings can be admired on the walls of the pub. It is on the Innway walk and is the gateway to the Duddon Valley immortalised by William Wordsworth.

The 17th century free house has been run for over twenty years by the Varty family whose son Scott has recently taken over the reins rom his parents. They are justly proud of their reputation for high standards. As we enjoyed our beer, I quickly realised that this pub was not a place for a quick pint, but a place to enjoy good company and conversation at a leisurely pace. In summer, I am told, people take their drinks outside and sit around the obelisk watching the world go by.

If I hadn’t got my friends house to stay at, I could take advantage of the three ensuite guest rooms available at the pub complete with colour TV, tea making facilities and central heating. Breakfast is served in your room! As it draws groups from all over the country, it would be advisable to book in advance.

Hot and cold snacks are available all day up to 10pm, and for the drivers, tea and coffee are always available. The pub itself is open from 12-11.30( 12-12 Fri, Sat) plus 12-11 on Sunday.

The experience is so good; I did not want to leave. No wonder that it has won numerous CAMRA awards, including West Pennines pub of the year and was a finalist in the national awards. I will be going back again.

One last thing: when I was younger I always thought it was pronounced Fur-NESS, but recently I was told it should be pronounced as in the word furnace. However, I have just heard someone on the telly say that he came from Barrow in FurNESS. Which one is right?

Paul Riley

I’ve recently become Young Members Secretary for the branch and along with David Suckling (our new Webmaster), I am working on the new website for West Lancs.I first got ‘into’ real ale a couple of years ago after being a chemical fizz drinker – God knows why I was drinking chemical fizz in the first place as I never enjoyed drinking it anyway. One of the things that helped me ‘see the light’ (as well as wondering why I was drinking chemical fizz in the first place) was a trip to Masham and the Theakstons brewery.I had a wonderful insight into the brewing of real ale and after a couple of pints of XB and Paradise Ale; I was hooked and have never looked back since. It was unfortunate that I didn’t have time to fit in the Black Sheep Brewery too. Anyway, I have now been a Camra member for 18 months and beca=me Young Members. Secretary earlier this year.

It is my intention to help the branch increase the number of young members as well as working alongside David to build up the new website.With some fresh ideas and what will be an excellent website, I can see a bright future for West Lancs Camra.

Gary (Gaz) Bond p.s. Why not come and join us – when you can get £20 of beer tokens for a £14 joining fee you'd be daft not to. See application form inside back page

IAIN AITCHISON

It is with deep regret that we have to tell you of the death of Iain Aitchison, an important member of the management team of the West Lancs branch.

Iain was the instigator of many prominent campaigning efforts by the branch, including organising and running two successful Preston pubs Beer Festivals, an idea that has been copied by several other branches, including Merseyside.

Through his work with Lancashire County Council on the transport side, he came up with the idea of promoting real ale pubs by means of public transport and produced many Real Ale Trail leaflets that listed bus and train routes and the pubs that could be visited on the way. These included the route to Longridge, the Fylde and the train line to Ormskirk. Again this is an idea that has been copied in other parts of the country.

Besides being an active local member, Iain was a member of Camra’s national Public Transport Advisory Group which advised branches on public transport issues and attempted to influence the Government’s ‘Integrated Transport Strategy’ so that it more fully addressed the needs of rural communities and in particular rural pubs.

Iain will be greatly missed by all who knew him, and we offer our condolences to his wife and family.

Paul Riley

14

THEAKSTONS BREWERY TRAINING COURSE In May of this year I got invited to attend an advanced cask ale training course held at the Theakstons brewery in Yorkshire, run by one of the Theakston family themself; Edward Theaskston. Being new to the industry this was far too good of an opportunity to turn down, and duly headed across to the white rose county.

It was a full day course, followed by a tour of the brewery, so I set off fully expecting a great day out and I wasn’t to be disappointed. I arrived at 8:30am at the White Bear pub and hotel, a large and very picturesque building in the village of Masham, Yorkshire. Myself and the other 18 guests were quick to sit down and get introduced to Edward Theakston for his training.

At the Rose and Crown, we have a lot of pride in our cask ales, so I knew this course would be of importance, but when it is run by someone of Edwards stature and background, even moreattention is paid as his experience in this field is invaluable.

We started with some of thebasics; what exactly is ‘realale’ and what ingredients go into the making of it. Real Ale is in fact ale made with traditional ingredients and no chemicals or preservatives used in the making or storing of the beer. The heart of the definition is maturation requirements.

If the beer is unfiltered, unpasteurised and still active on theyeast it is a real beer; it is irrelevant whether the container is a cask or a bottle. If the yeast is still alive and still conditioning the beer, it is "real". Also, Ale is made from just 4 ingredients: Malt barley, hops, water and yeast; what could be more natural?

There were 19 of us on the course, all pub managers and lessees from across the North of England, this itself was a great knowledge bank to tap into and the ample lunch and free flowing Theaksons quickly got us all talking!

The advice on which ales have sold well, different stillage requirements of various beers and pricing was great and has proved more than helpful since the course, although we have only been in The Rose and Crown for 7 months, I hope I too managed to pass on some useful advice and tips to the others. As well as Edward leading the training course, it was also an open forum to ask questions at any point, as well as relaxing the room, it meant we got relevant advice to our own pubs as well as some stories from Edward.Soon the course had come to an end, but the day was still young as we had a guided tour of the brewery to come up. Just a short 5 minutes walk from the White Bear and we were at the Theakstons brewery. .

Here we met Edwards’s brother Simon. He gave us a detailed history of both the Theakson family and the business; the first ales brewed back in 1827 when Robert Theakston took the lease of the local Black Bull Inn. It was heart warning and inspiring to see a family so dedicated to their business.

Two of the directors of a multinational company taking time out to help thepeople that sell their product, although that may seem quite rational it’s hard to think of another example of this involvement. They know that by helping us, they can in turn deliver to you; the consumer a better quality pint, one just like their master brewer intends it to be. After a practical example of how to tap and vent a cask barrel, we were taken on the tour of the brewery. My only other experience of a brewery is the tour of St James gate,the Guinness brewery in Dublin, with this in the back of my mind, the size of the Theakstons brewery surprised me, it was much smaller than I had anticipated, and still using all the original methods, and some of the original equipment!

However, we soon learnt that the brewery can brew 3 times each day, with 80 barrels made on each brew.

There are 23,000 pints in each of these barrels so that’s 69,000 pints a day and when running at full capacity they brew 4 days a week, that’s over a quarter of a million pints each week. On learning this you soon realise the size of the brand that it Theakstons. A keg is also saved from each and every brew, so on the odd occasionthat there is a problem with an ale, this can be traced back and the problem resolved. The day was thoroughly enjoyable and also educational, which in turn should mean a better pint served to you our customers. Theakstons ales are now often picked as our guest ales, I hopeto see you in soon to sample one!

Alex (licensee Rose and Crown Chorley)

15

Planning

what Planning?

Let me firstly introduce myself in terms of my knowledge and experience of local planning issues, of the leisure industry and of the relationship between the two: Planning: I served on Chorley's Planning Committee for a decade and later helped with two appeals against the Council in relation to leisure issues - in both cases successfully.

I have seen first hand the weaknesses of the planning system and its impact on individuals and communities Leisure: I have been involved in the community leisure industry for many years, as a leisure employee, as a Councillor on a eisure Committee, as a successful designer of leisure facilities, as a Member of The Institute of Leisure and Amenities Managenent, as a lecturer in the subject and as a member of the community who enjoys leisure as much as I possibly can.

I state my credentials not because I am some ego trip although most of my mates think I'm on a permanent one. I do so because I realise how unfair the planning system is – how much it favours the developer at the expense of the ordinary citizen and how much lip service is payed to the principles of community control of the planning process. Let me give you a simple example: If a developer has been turned down for planning permission the developer has the right of appeal. If however planning permission is granted to a developer, agrieved opponents have no right of appeal – the deal is done and dusted.

Why do you think that County and Borough Councils were given the responsibility for planning control – simple – It's your community so it should be you, through your elected representatives, who decides what goes into it in terms of roads, houses, schools, hospitals, leisure facilities, etc.

So – whats's all this introduction leading towards?

Well it's about a community (and I apologise to people from Preston and South Ribble for concentrating on Chorley with this article, but believe me you face similar issues) and the way leisure facilities have been taken away to the detrement of the communitty and at the same time to help the greedy on the path to the Sunday Times Rich List.

When I were nowt but a bit of a sprog Chorley had 5 cinemas and half a dozedance halls. All gone now despite the population doubling.

16

The Beachcomber first floor over Halls Bakery Cricket tennis and Football pitches have been built on. It any wonder kids are walking the streets – a few getting into trouble.

So, destroying leisure facilities for development is nothing new. Still if it makes rich people richer isn’t it a sacrifice we should proud to make?

No it’s nothing new but its kicked on a pace in the last 30 years and is now building up to a crescendo.

What a magnificent club was Coppull Workmen’s Club.

Melodious Mick remembered seeing Marmalade. After a few years without a hit they were a surprise top ten entry with

Falling Apart At The Seams yet still honoured their commitment to appear at the club. The club really was a focal point for the community. Developers found a way in and before long it was housing. The same set up had already turned the Reform Club into Harry’s Bar and after the Coppull Club they repeated the process with Pall Mall WMC turning it into housing and Brooke Street WMC turning it into an Indian restaurant. Chorley is a more miserable place with their passing.

On to the pubs. Pub closures are nothing new. Fifty years ago Chorley had twice as many pubs as today. Changing lifestyles and restructuring accounted for many.

I was talking the other day to Graham, an old friend visiting from his home in Lancaster where he moved twenty years ago. He was the last Landlord of The Green Man Still, now an electrical shop. Loss of housing to create the town centtre bypass spelled the end for that and another couple of pubs.

So t You’re never to old to join CAMRA (unless of course he natural process of change does of course account for the death of some pubs and community facilities, but it is the acceleration of recent years which should be worrying us all.

Although the title of this article is ‘Planning’ you may have noticed that I haven’t used the word since the first couple of paragaphs. The reason is simple. Community defence of community facilities over the last 50 years has been almost non-existant. In a rare case, where the Council for once, dug its heals in the developer simply bided his time until a more gutless and dopey planning authority came along. Twenty odd years ago the old Chorley Motors sports ground on Duke Street fell into the hands of a locally based development company. What a fine facility it was. Many was the enjoyable evening spent at the bar of the magnificent club house, many the match I played and watched on the excellent football pitch and many the pint I supped watching the crown green bowlers on the top class green. Little wonder then that when the developers applied to turn the facility into housing all sides of the Council were united in opposing it, little wonder the fury felt by Councillors when by coincidence the club house burnt down on the same night the planning application was refused and little wonder that Council members outside the Council chamber resolved that the land would never become housing. The developers can’t have been worried. They knew that sooner or later a Council would come along without the moral fibre to resist and so twenty years or so later it has proved and permission has now been approved for 71 houses.

sooner or later a Council would come along without the moral fibre to resist and so twenty years or so later it has proved and permission has now been approved for 71 houses.

consuming strong alcohol too quickly for their body and mind to cope with it’. For some obscure reason the Government omitted the speed element and a valuable educational tool was lost. It might not be healthy to drink a gallon of beer over a fourteen hour period but for a regular socialiser it is unlikely to result in disruptive behaviour. It should be the role of educators at secondary and further education to ensure an understanding od alcoholic drinks from a historical perespective, the natural creation of alcohol, the brewing process, the way industrialisation has interfered with nature for the purposes of profit and the way that same greed had led to the billion pound advertising campaigns aimed at young minds to make strong alcopops and Zombeers an image and fashion issue.

The media play the sensationalist ‘binge’ card to the maximum. They are not interested in alternative views from such as CAMRA. Developers aren’t the only villains determined to destroy our communities for their own greedy ends. The worst villians must be the Pubcos. Over the years whilst reaping in the profits they have refused to maintain the properties such as the magnificent Queens in Chorley and the Jackson’s Arms ‘Nacky’ which are almost beyond repair

ermission has been granted for Coppull’s Wagon and and Horses to be built on. I well remember the fine community events that used to be held in the grounds of the Wagon and pleasant evenings spent there.

In recent years, in Chorley, the Eagle and Child and the Wagon and Horses have become flats. Both of them were hotels rather than just pubs and with a little imagination suitable renovation would surely have proved just as lucrative and helped satisfy the towns growing tourism demand instead of restricting it.

In the last issue we praised the Charnock Richard Residents who successfully pressurized the Council into opposing the development of the Dog and Partridge but warned them they would be wise to remain vigilant. Last week’s Chorley Guardian hada photograph of trees behind the Dog and Partridge being chopped down for development.

And so it goes on. The press a couple of weeks ago indicated that a local haulage firm had a novel solution for a few closedpubs, including the Alma and the Ridgeway. ‘They’re shut, so we’ll buy them and turn them into flats.’ That’s original - not.

When are the Government going to give Local Authorities real power to act on behalf of their communities and when are local authorities going to show an interest in doing so.

Government and Planners by their ignorance share the blame.

Educators, the media and in particular pub companies share the responsibility for the demise of our pub industry.

With rabid Government ministers hitting out wildly at the pub industry trying desperately to find a scapegoat for the binge drinking culture why can’t just step back and view the problem logically. f people are drinking in the street - and not in the pubs where people are supervised by sensible management then surely the problem lies elsewhere..

It’s a question of education and if Government misinformation develops a myth what hope is there?

We all knew that binge drinking was ‘the consumption of

Queens Nacky Such shortsightedness is typical of the way they operate and compounded by their greed and incompetence is the biggest contributor to the demise of the pub industry.

After this gloomy article I’ll offer some positive alternatives in the next issue.

Lord Mountain.

17

17

ONE DAY ... ON LEYLAND ROAD In previous issues of Ale Cry I have looked at particular locations within the CAMRA West Lancashire branch area and have visited the pubs and highlighted the beers that have been encountered on one specific day. For a change on this occasion I am looking at a travel route, that from Preston to Leyland, to discover the range of beers that could be sampled on one day by the adventurous real ale drinker.

Going 'station to station' and taking the direct route along the B5254, this is what was found on one sunny Sunday July afternoon:BRIDGE, Leyland Road, Penwortham. Recently re-opened after several months of closure. Was not selling real ale before it closed, and unfortunately there is still no real ale available.

PEAR TREE, Leyland Road, Penwortham. A pub which has long been a safe bet for the real ale drinker, and the pub on this route that I am probably most familiar with. On occasions there can be four different beers on offer, but on this particular visit I was a little unlucky to discover that Charles Wells Bombardier and Theakstons Black Bull Bitter were the only handpumped beers available. Beers recently departed from the bar were Caledonian Deuchars IPA and Adnams Lighthouse.

SUMPTER HORSE, Leyland Road, Penwortham. The only pub in the country with this name. The Sumpter Horse has battled to stay open despite being under threat of demolition to make way for a new road scheme that no one seems to want.

Still has handpumps on the bar, but is believed not to have sold real ale for several years now.

TARDY GATE, Watkin Lane, Lostock Hall. Interestingly the second pub on the route with a unique name. After almost 20 years as a keg only outlet, the Tardy Gate re-commenced selling real ale just a few months ago. This was a welcome gain for CAMRA particularly as it meant that all pubs in Lostock Hall were now selling real ale (however it is a little worrying that there have been 'Business For Sale' signs up outside for quite some time). Has been selling two handpumped beers, but on my visit Theakstons Black Bull Bitter was the only available choice, with the Caledonian Deuchars IPA recently having departed the scene.

PLEASANT RETREAT, Watkin Lane, Lostock Hall. Another pub which has had an unsettled time in the last couple of years, with periods of closure and a number of licensee changes. On the day Courage Directors Bitter was the only real ale available, but with three handpumps on the bar the landlord has indicated that he is keen to increase the range of beers on offer.

No doubt it will not be too long before this former Boddingtons tied house is again selling Boddingtons Bitter.

18

VICTORIA, Watkin Lane, Lostock Hall. In recent years this was a pub that had only limited appeal to the real ale drinker.

For a time there was no real ale available, and at other times the choice was limited to a single high strength beer. The good news is that things are now very much different with the Victoria a rising star for the seeker of handpumped beer. These days four beers are always available, and the landlord is looking at getting a fifth handpump installed. On my visit the four beers were Morland Old Speckled Hen, Shepherd Neame Spitfire, Theakstons Coopers Butt, and Tolly Cobbold Phoenix.

ROSE & CROWN, Stanifield Lane, Farington. For many years a keg only pub, the Rose & Crown did re-commence selling handpumped beer during 2009 but there had been a number of reports that it was not always available. Having myself experienced a couple of 'real ale' failures here in the past year, it was extremely pleasing to find that both handpumps were being used for their intended purpose and also to find that on the day it was the only pub to be selling a real mild. The beers available were Theakstons Black Bull Bitter and Theakstons Traditional Mild.

RAILWAY AT LEYLAND, Preston Road, Leyland.

A pub which has thrived since a major refurbis-hment at the back end of 2007.

It is the only pub on this route that is curr-ently a Good Beer Guide entry, and is the venue for a succes--sful Beer Festival which takes place ann--ually over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. With this build up you would expect the choice of beers to be interesting and you would not be disappointed. Four beers are always available, and at the time of my visit they were Black Sheep Bitter, Greene King IPA, Jennings Cumberland Ale, and the only LocAle beer of the day Lancaster Blonde. The Leyland Road route may be a bit lengthy for a pub crawl on foot, but for the cyclist or the Fishwicks bus user then it may have some appeal. There are eight pubs en route - six pubs which are selling real ale, and two pubs which currently are not (although both have sold real ale in the not too distant past). On this particular day there were 12 different real ales available and quite probably on another day there could easily have been at least three or four more beers on offer.

It is worth mentioning that there are also two former pubs on this route, and both are still quite easily recognisable as such despite them no longer being public houses. In Preston at the bottom of Fishergate Hill was the RIBBLESIDE, once run by a landlord who was a keen CAMRA member, but more recently an Indian restaurant called the Spice Lounge. In Lostock Hall was the RAILWAY, described in the 2003 Good Beer Guide as 'stocking six real ales and having the widest range of beers for miles', but now currently in the process of being converted for use other than as a public house. How times change.

Gordon Small Where are Your AN APOLOGY TO THE DOLPHIN Letters?

In the last issue, instead of 'Large Children's Play Area' the advert It's horrible when nobody loves simply said 'Large Children'. As a consequence, expecting large you – nobody children on the menu customers arrived in their droves and the writes to you – chef was unable to catch sufficient large children to satisfy nobody emails you. I would love demand. Consequently there will now only be small children on the to have a letters menu because they are tastier and easier to catch. page so stop be- On a serious note we like to get things right and apologise ing cruel and sincerely to the Dolphin for the error drop me a line ed See page 22

Lancashire Walks Ale Cry Quiz No. 2 Quiz set by John Griffiths and Bob Clare. Many of the answers can be found on www.lancashirewalks.com website.

1.There is a memorial to Wallace Hartley in Colne. Who was he?

2.What reservoir is the main supply of water for Blackpool?

3.Dan Jones, Peter Pike and Kitty Ussher represented which Lancashire constituency?

4.Where in Preston is there a memorial to the soldiers who died in the South African War? 5.What bird is the symbol of the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty?

What’s In a Name???

We're the West Lancashire Branch of CAMRA. Why's that when Southport, Fylde etc are further west than us.

Simple – we were the first branch in our area so concequently we, for a number of years covered a much wider area. So it's historical and something to be proud of. It may not be accurate but it's us.

Let's not be confusing or misleading or confusing say others.

Central Lancashire Development Corporation covered the same area as us and that's an accurate description so let's call us Central Lancashire Branch. The Heart of Lancashire Tourism Consortium covered the same area as us so let's call it rhe Heart of Lancashire Branch.

What do you think – Write to us or email us with your views (see page 17 for contact details). Ed

6.What is distinctive about the Parish church in Hornby (in the Lune Valley)?

7.What Lancashire pub dating from 1580 was formerly known as “‘ell ‘ob” because of its enormous fireplace and 16 pound poker?

8. The Green Man in Croston changed its name to what in 1805?

WLANCLANCS

9.In what year was the Sir Tom Finney public house, Penwortham opened?

10.Who is the Duke of Lancaster?

19

Specialising in locally sourced fresh produce Offering 6 changing cask conditional ales Great selection of wines and premium soft drinks Fully refurbished to the highest standard Stunning terrace garden Large, well lit, free parking available for patrons Lounge bar, dining room and parlour Booking Advisable DAWBERS LANE • EUXTON • PR7 6EG • TEL 01257 451184 www.thetravellersresteuxton.co.uk

20

20

Ale Cry Visits Longridge I don’t know what it is about organised visits to Longridge, but something always seems to go wrong. We had a planned visit for a pub crawl last January, but this was cancelled because of the excessive amount of snow and ice that we had at that time. To compensate, we decided to do an Ale Cry distribution crawl of Longridge in April by service bus. The only thing was Ale Cry wasn’t ready so had to have the crawl with nothing to distribute.

We decided to try out the Alston Arms, which is on the way out of Longridge towards Chipping first. It has reopened after a short closure and reports of it had been good. Unfortunately we had gone on a Monday and, guess what, it is closed on Mondays. Through the window we could see four handpumps with Theakstons mild, Greene King IPA and Abbot Ale and Shepherd Neame Bishops Finger pumpclips on them. We will have to go again another day.

We quickly retraced our steps our steps to go in the Forrest Arms, where we found we had just missed out on their 6th annual beer festival to celebrate St Georges Day. As it was we could try the Thyme Bitter, brewed especially for them by Moorhouses. At 3.7% ABV it is a good thirstquencher. Some of us had the Copper Dragon Golden Pippin at 3.9% for its dry bitter taste and citrus aroma. As mentioned many times before, the Forrest is associated with the Sirloin at Hoghton and has its own restaurant attached next door. We noted that live music was featured on Sundays as we moved on to the next pub.

This was the Bull and Royal, a Thwaites tied house just along the road towards Preston. We received a friendly welcome as we entered, but one or two of us were disappointed as the Lancaster Bomber had just run out. However, the Original Bitter was on form and everyone was satisfied. Because it was a Monday both pubs were a bit on the quiet side, but the Bull had a few people in watching the football.

Backtracking slightly, we went up Berry Lane and went into the Towneley Arms, which for many years had been a Tetley tied house and was a beacon for those who liked their fine ales. It still sells Tetley bitter but also has a changing guest beer now, which was Lancaster Brewery Blonde at 4.1% and a very reasonable £2.10 on our visit. I would urge everyone to try Tetleys whilst it is still being brewed in Leeds for those clowns at Carlesberg, who now own the brand, are closing the brewery down and producing it elsewhere. It will never be the same again.

While we were enjoying our visit to the Towneley, the topic of where to go next came up. I reminded everyone that the Longridge Conservative Club, just up the road, had been reported to be flying the flag for real ale. We were unsure if we could just walk in or not, but after tentatively pushing the door open and seeing several handpumps on the bar, we decided to give it a go. We found out that you are allowed four visits after asking a friendly local. Anyway, there were five real ales on sale, Theakstons mild and bitter plus three guests.

On our visit these were Leeds Pale Ale(3.8% and £1.75) Bank Top Flat Cap(4.0% and £2.20) plus Fullers London Pride.

We tucked in and very enjoyable it was too, if a bit disconcerting, drinking in the same room as a large picture of Margaret Thatcher.

In conversation with the helpful stewardess Caroline, we found that they try have as many local beers as possible on, such as Bowland and Hart Brewery and real ale sales were going well.

We again thought it was a bit quiet, like the other pubs, until we went to the gents and came across the games room, which was very busy with snooker and other pastimes. Besides the large games room there is a bowling green and function room, both of which you can hire out. The club is open 2-11 Mon Tue Thur Sun, 3-11 Wed, 2-12 Fri, 12-12 Sat. If you are interested in joining the club, It is only £7.50 a year, or £10 if you want to be affiliated. The beer was so good, we didn’t go anywhere else, but after a few, just tumbled straight out and got our bus back to Preston.

Paul Riley

Longridge Conservative Club

21

Branch Officers Branch Contact And Treasurer Womens Sec. Chairman Secretary Webmaster Young members Social Secretary Communications (inc. membership & editor)

Paul Riley 01772 709272 Sue Riley 01772 709272 Alan Thompson 01257 276363 Gordon Small 01772 746118 David Suckling 07597 003210 Gary Bond 07809 429716 Vacant Mick Clark

07984 840486

All emails to: wlancscamra@rocketmail.com

Branch Meetings/Socials - * (8pm) Committee Meetings - # “ Sept 9- # Railway, Chorley - Pub of The Season

Presentation

20 - * Bitter Suite, Preston

27 - Ale Cry Distribution - Croston Oct 7 - # Sea View, Whittle-le-Woods

18 - * AGM – Eagle and Child, Leyland Nov 4 - # Shawes Arms, Preston

15 - * Golden Cross, Preston

Published by: The West Lancashire Branch Of The Campaign for Real Ale Disclaimer: The views expressed in Ale Cry are not necessarily those of the Editor, the West Lancashire Branch of CAMRA, or of the Campaign for Real Ale Printed by: Printed by: CPL Design Print: Tel: 01772 335928, Fax: 01772 316012.

Email: sales@cpldesignandprint.co.uk

Designed by:

22

23

New arrivals include Peroni, Amstel and Tiger beer all on draught