Ale Cry 119

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Ale

FIGHTING FOR DRINKERS’ RIGHTS IN THE HEART OF LANCASHIRE SINCE 1973

Cry

issue 119, SUMMER 2018 03 Pub of the Season: Plungington Hotel 05 Brewery Visit: Farm Yard Ales 06 Revitalisation 09 Ale Cry Visits… Lytham

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My Pint of View Preston Parade Farewell to the Woods Family Historic Preston Pubs: Part 2

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Riley’s Rambles: Stalybridge South Ribble Scene Phoenix Pubs Chorley Chatter

CENTRAL LANCASHIRE BRANCH

Branch Contacts Chairman DAVE BELL t: 07900 565281 e: chairman@centrallancs.camra.org.uk

Membership Secretary JOHN SINGLETON t: 07456 914048 e: membership@centrallancs.camra.org.uk

Treasurer DAVE WOOLCOCK e: treasurer@centrallancs.camra.org.uk

Secretary & Webmaster GORDON SMALL

Chairman’s Welcome

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elcome to our Summer 2018 edition of Ale Cry. Let’s hope that this summer is going to be one that brings us some great weather.

I’m looking forward to sitting in some pub beer gardens whilst enjoying some quality real ale.

In my Chairman’s Welcome in the last issue, I reported that Ale Cry had been chosen by CAMRA West Pennine region as the “Most Improved Branch Magazine of the Year.” and the “Regional Magazine of the Year.” Little did I know then that these awards were going to be just the start of the recognition for our magazine. So now, I’m absolutely delighted to announce that at CAMRA’s AGM in Coventry in April, Ale Cry won the National award for “Most improved Magazine” and was also runner up in the National “Best Branch Magazine” for 2018.

This is a massive achievement considering that there are over 200 branches across the country with the majority producing a magazine and so for our magazine to be voted 2nd out of 200 plus is fantastic. We will now aim to continue to improve and try to get the top spot next year.

I would like to thank everyone involved for your contributions and hard work and a very special thank you and congratulations must go to our Editor, Adrian Smith, who heads up our editorial panel. I also want to give a big thank you to Stewart Grieve of Stewart Grieve Design Ltd. whose expertise in graphic design and eye for detail has played a massive part in this success. Quite simply, Ale Cry could not have achieved any of this without Adrian and Stewart. Equally, thanks are due to our advertisers, without whom it would not be possible to produce the magazine. Finally, thank you to all of you who read our magazine, I hope you like the changes we have made and continue to enjoy each issue.

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Now for an update on the other topic I mentioned in the last issue, namely, the Revitalisation Project. The vote on this took place at the AGM in April, with most of the proposals being agreed and adopted. For a full review of the process and what this means for CAMRA going forward, there is an article on page 6.

Craft beer is a topic that can cause friction amongst beer drinkers. At Prestival in April, a number of us had the opportunity to sample a few of these beers, to see just how good they can be. Certainly some of them have tremendous flavour and character, although temperature, carbonation and price are against them for many real ale drinkers. We thought it would be good to raise the issue of keg v cask, and Gary Quinn from the Guild Ale House (our 2018 Pub of the Year) provides some expert insight on this in My Pint of View on page 10.

As ever, if you have any thoughts, comments or feedback, please get in touch with us via email, you will find a contact list in this magazine, or better still, come along to one of our forthcoming meetings or events. Please also remember to visit our website www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk for all the latest information and local news and if you are on Facebook, please search for CAMRA Central Lancs and like our page. In addition, you can now follow us on Twitter, search for CAMRA Central Lancs.

We also produce a monthly newsletter which is emailed to Branch members on the 1st of each month. If you are not receiving this, it will be because we do not have an up to date email address for you.

Please get in touch and let us have your email address and we will add you to our list of recipients.

Kind Regards DAV E B E L L

Branch Chairman

t: 01772 746118 e: secretary@centrallancs.camra.org.uk

Pubs Officer DAVE WOOLCOCK e: pubsofficer@centrallancs.camra.org.uk

Pub Protection Officer DAVE LINLEY t: 01772 735628 e: pubprotection@centrallancs.camra.org.uk

Cider Officer LUKE HARRISON e: cider@centrallancs.camra.org.uk

Social Media Officer MIKE WOOLCOCK e: socialmedia@centrallancs.camra.org.uk

Communications Officer MICK CLARK t: 07984 840486 e: communications@centrallancs.camra.org.uk

Ale Cry Editor ADRIAN SMITH t: 07495 448555 e: editor@centrallancs.camra.org.uk

Social Secretary POST VACANT www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk @CAMRA_CentLancs CAMRA Central Lancashire Branch All material copyright © Central Lancs CAMRA No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this magazine are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Editor, Branch Committee or CAMRA nationally. Central Lancs CAMRA accepts no liability in relation to any advertisement or article and recommends the reader make their own enquiries. It should also be noted that inclusion of an advertisement in this magazine should not be deemed an endorsement of quality by Central Lancs CAMRA. Design & Layout: Stewart Grieve Design Ltd e: stew@stewartgrieve.co.uk www.stewartgrieve.co.uk Printed by: Printplus, Cocker Avenue, Poulton-le-Fylde, FY6 8JU t: 01253 299620 www.printplusgroup.com

Cover photo: Helen Woodward

of Pub the season

SUMMER 2018

PLUNGINGTON HOTEL PRESTON

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e are delighted to announce that our Pub of the Season for Summer 2018 is the PLUNGINGTON HOTEL on Lytham Road in Preston. The Plungington first started serving pints of beer in 1870 and despite several changes of hands in recent years, it has remained as one of Preston’s prominent pubs, sitting in a commanding position at the top end of Plungington Road.

The Plungington is now a vibrant, independent local pub and, following a

refurb when the current owners took over in 2016, has a welcoming, family friendly atmosphere where people want to go for a chat, a pint and maybe some food. The pub kitchen is open daily with an extensive menu and daily specials. All food is sourced locally and prepared fresh in-house for every order.

On the bar, 6 handpumps provide 3 permanent beers, Timothy Taylor Golden Best (3.5%), Plungington Pale (3.8%) and Plungington Bitter (4.0%) as well as 3 ever changing beers from local and regional breweries. Beers from Black Jack, Anarchy Brew Co, The Wild Beer Co, Saltaire, Elland, Thornbridge, Kirkstall, and Yeovil Brewery have all featured recently. There is also a selection of continental lagers, craft bottled beers and ciders.

Outside, is possibly the biggest beer garden in Preston. Previously a bowling green, the lawn can be found adorned with deck chairs in summer, creating a fantastic outdoor area to sit and relax in the sun with a beer. The venue hosts an eclectic mix of events throughout the year including the Plungington Gin Festival, Wimbledon on the Lawn, and Candlelit Carols.

The pub is open Mon 16.00–23.00, Tue–Thu 12.00–23.00, Fri–Sat 12.00–midnight and Sun 12.00–23.00.

Our presentation of this award will take place on Thursday 26th July from about 8pm and we hope to see you there. A short trip on the number 23 bus from Preston Bus Station will be well worthwhile. What could be more appropriate than our Pub of the Season award for summer going to the pub with probably the biggest and best beer garden.

Your deck chair awaits.

DAV E B E L L

www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk

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Branch Pub of the Season Summer 2017

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Brewery Visit: Farm Yard Ales

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t had been quite a while since our branch had a brewery visit, so our chairman, Dave Bell, took it upon himself to arrange one, seeing that we do not have a social secretary at the moment. Dave had recently been to the Farm Yard brewery and thought it would be an excellent venue for a branch day out. He was not wrong. He duly arranged a 22 seater bus for us and 21 of us (one no show) set off from Preston one Saturday lunchtime for the brewery.

Now, the Farm Yard brewery is exactly what it says, being situated on a working farm in the middle of the Lancashire countryside, miles from any large centre of habitation, so a satnav came in very useful in guiding us to our destination. This was Gulf Lane, near Cockerham, between Garstang and Lancaster. As we approached the farm, Dave advised us to look out for the bull, which he had seen on his previous visit. Lucky for us, there was no sign of it this time, and there would be no bull for the rest of the day, just a really good time in convivial surroundings.

We were welcomed by Steven Holmes, who led us up to the bar and tap room overlooking the brewing plant for the first of many tasty drinks of the visit. We could choose from Holmes Stead (3.4%), Sheaf Pale Ale (4.1%), and Fruit infused IPA (5.4%). Other beers include Haybob, a 3.9% beer brewed by mistake, but now their best seller and Hoof, a 4.3% coffee milk stout.

Steve is a 6th generation farmer who was looking for a way to diversify in order to make the farm work pay. The idea was to create a sustainable business for himself and future generations all the while based on the family farm. He came up with this ‘daft idea’ while he was out enjoying a few beers with some pals in the local pub.

The more he thought about it, the more it seemed much more than a ‘daft idea’ and he began to make plans to bring it to fruition. After a successful grant application and borrowing some money, work began three years ago to build his dream. After more than a year spent on construction, he finally opened the brewery for business and visitors in April 2016.

Steve took us on a tour of the brewing plant and I know a lot of you like the fine details of how each brewery produces its products, so here is a digest of the process at Farm Yard. The water, or liquor as it is known, is sourced from their own well 51 metres underground, and is then used in the mash tun to which the best whole UK malt, crushed in-house on their own mill for freshness, is added, starting the brewing process.

A strike temperature of 74˚C is used, aiming for mashing at 66˚C. They then sparge at 78% to extract the sugars from the malt before transferring the wort to their propane gas fired coppers, where the hops are added. After boiling, the hopped wort is passed through heat exchangers before it goes into the vats. Here the yeast is

added, which turns the sugars into alcohol, producing beer. The length of time in the vat varies; lager can be in the vat for five weeks.

When ready, it is racked directly into casks from the vat. All of this is controlled from a panel in the brewhouse. The whole plant was built by a local fabricator.

We were shown around the cold store, where they keep their supplies of hops from all over the world and their allBritish malt. Steve proudly told us that everything at the brewery is recycled, with the hops and yeast mixed with the wastewater being used to fertilise the soil, which is then used to grow their own malting barley and the spent grains are used to feed their cows. We were then shown the next stage in the development, round the back of the present beer hall, where an extension is being built. This will, besides expanding brewing capacity, include their own canning line. They are hoping for completion this summer.

We returned upstairs to the bar, where we continued to drink the available products.

Some of us even tried the ‘key keg’ beers on sale and we were fascinated to discover that a key keg is a once only container for beer delivery and is thrown away after use by the pub and costs £15 a throw. Besides the beer, there was food available in the form of pies and sausage rolls and most of us took advantage of this, and very good they were too. There was even some chocolate cake.

On asking Steve why we did not see as much of their beer in the pubs in our area as we perhaps should, he explained that quality is their ethos, not quantity, and using premium products came at a price, making their beers more costly than others.

They were not prepared to compromise on price, or offer discounts, but have had their beers in pubs in Preston such as the Moorbrook. It is interesting that since our visit, their beers have also been on sale at the Guild Ale House in Preston and a number of pubs in Chorley.

By this time it was well past 4 o’clock and we decided to head back towards Preston, as we only had the bus till six, stopping off at a pub on the way. We chose to go to OWD NELL’S at Bilsborrow, it probably having the largest choice of beers on sale of the pubs on the way back, and so it proved. It was such a popular venue on a nice sunny day, that it was extremely crowded and even though there was plenty of staff, it took a while for us all to get served. Nothing could spoil the day though, for we had enjoyed a marvellous time at Farm Yard Brewery.

If you would like to visit them, they are open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights from 5 o’clock onwards. Once a month they do a live music night to which they once had 400 people in the beer hall. If you want to check if they are open, you can contact them on 01253 799988 or 07717081170 or go to their website www. farmyardales.co.uk.

PAU L R I L E Y

www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk

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REVITALISATION

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AMRA has been one of the most successful consumer organisations anywhere, but it’s detractors might say that “we’ve had our day, our job is done”. For the last 2 years, we have been looking into ways in which we can revitalise the campaign. After a lengthy exercise involving numerous regional meetings and a series of member questionnaires, a number of proposals were drawn up. These were put to members who were able to vote online or at the AGM at Warwick University in April.

Over 18,000 members voted and agreed to remove the organisation’s current “objects” in the Articles of Association – the statement of what the Campaign exists to achieve. In place of the old objects, members voted to approve recommendations to add in new objectives for the Campaign, designed to make the organisation more inclusive, relevant and welcoming: • To secure the long term future of real ale, real cider and real perry by increasing their quality, availability and popularity • To promote and protect pubs and clubs as social centres as part of the UK’s cultural heritage • To increase recognition of the benefits of responsible, moderate social drinking • To play a leading role in the provision of information, education and training to all those with an interest in beer, cider and perry of any type • To ensure, where possible, that producers and retailers of beer, cider and perry act in the best interests of the customer.

The changes will see CAMRA put increased focus on educating members (and non-members) about different types of beer. It also sees campaigning for real cider and perry added to the objects for the first time, as well as recognising pub and club protection as a key object for the organisation.

CAMRA’s outgoing National Chairman, Colin Valentine said: “The recommendations for change that we made to the membership were based entirely on feedback received from members when we consulted with them as part of the Revitalisation Project. “It was the largest consultation CAMRA has ever carried out and we listened

CAMRA’S FUTURE? CAMRA’S PURPOSE?

HAVE YOUR SAY!

Vote to decide the Campaign’s objectives Vote to decide who joins CAMRA’s National Executive

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to the views of over 25,000 of our members, who filled in online surveys and attended consultation meetings across the country. We were determined to give every single member the right to have the final say on the recommendations by voting on the changes to the Articles of Association. The membership has taken advantage of that right and made its views clear.”

“We’re delighted that all but one of the Special Resolutions was approved, which shows the majority of members agreed with the consultation findings that CAMRA needs to change to remain a relevant and effective campaigning organisation. The hard work now starts to define new strategies to position CAMRA where our members have told us they want it to be. We appreciate that, that while the majority of members voted in favour of most of the recommendations, there is some disagreement about how we deliver the required changes. We need to do all we can to reassure all members that our core campaigning objectives remain focussed on real ale, cider and perry as ever. Those who called for more far reaching changes, which has not been supported in the vote, and those who disagreed with any change, can be confident that their contribution to the Campaign remains as valued as ever – and that all members can continue to work together to achieve common objectives.”

The only Special Resolution that was not approved was SR6, which was ‘to act as the voice and represent the interests of all pub goers and beer, cider and perry drinkers.’ This narrowly failed to make the 75% vote threshold for acceptance. Despite all the positive changes that were approved, it is the one that didn’t get through that seems to be generating the most publicity.

The Morning Advertiser was particularly scathing, stating that SR6 was ‘widely seen as the organisation’s best chance of enduring’ and that CAMRA members rejecting the call to widen the organisation’s scope to promote other types of beer, cider and perry, sent a clear message to the industry. That message? “We’re not interested in adapting. We don’t want to change.” Other celebrated beer bloggers were equally critical and had the same read on what SR6 was all about.

Ignoring the actually wording of the resolution, let’s look at the impact it was likely to have on the organisation – as set out in the AGM voting literature. The aims were fourfold: 1 Position CAMRA as the representative and spokesperson for all UK beer, cider and perry drinkers and pub goers.

2 Increase the knowledge and appreciation of the quality of all types of beer, cider, and perry.

3 ­Lobby for a tax regime that favours drinking of beer, cider and perry on licensed premises.

4 ­Forge strong links with other stakeholders, including brewers, licensees, pub owners, national and local government, professional bodies and amenity groups.

So lets look at what was ‘rejected’. #1 probably covers too much for most members to understand exactly how it would be achieved and what it would mean. As a campaign for one sector of the drinks market, can we really expect to speak for the lager drinkers, gin lovers and whisky tasters? I think not. #2 was also covered under SR5 (approved) which sets the aim “to play a leading role in the provision of information, education and training to all those who have an interest in beer cider and perry of any type”. #3 is something we have been talking about for some time and as an organisation we have had much success in campaigning for a freeze or reduction in duty on several occasions.

While #4 sounds great on paper, who would those stakeholders be? While Pete at the Dog & Duck might be a great guy and run a cracking pub, he has zero clout within the industry. The stakeholders need to be big players. Do we really want to forge closer ties to the likes of say Marstons, who are still predatory and pose a real threat to smaller breweries.? Or Greene King, who

persist in promoting beers with dubious provenance (Hardy & Hanson, Morland and Ruddles)? Or, for that matter, any of the larger breweries who come up with mass produced and heavily marketed ‘bland beers’ that are little better than the keg products we fought so hard against all those years ago?

What about the pubcos? How about Ei (formerly Enterprise Inns), who having restricted the real ales their tenants can sell, now give them the option of going down the SIBA direct route? Restrict what they pay the breweries to £50 or so a barrel and sell on to the pub for over £100 – maybe not. Or perhaps Wetherspoons would be an option – although many of us would say that our ties with them are already too close.

No, SR6 was always going to be a hard sell to the membership and having followed closely the social media postings of a number of ‘senior figures’ within CAMRA, it was not exactly a surprise to them that it failed to get the required vote. But it was never about CAMRA endorsing or promoting any beer, cider or perry that is not ‘real’.

This was not an attempt to slip keg/craft in via the backdoor, and attempts by ‘industry voices’ to call it that are simply wrong.

So where does CAMRA stand on the question of keg/craft beers?

Quite simply we do not have a stance on them. We have always been an organisation that promotes the brewing, selling and drinking of real ale. We have never told people what they should drink, or worse still, tell them they are wrong when they drink something that doesn’t fit our definition of real ale. Individual members may express these views (sometimes very forcefully) but they do not speak for CAMRA. Many of our members would acknowledge that there are some fine beers out there that are not ‘real ale’ and some fairly woeful examples of stuff that is. It’s up to the drinker to decide what to spend their money on – just as long as they enjoy it!

Finally, where does all this leave CAMRA? We now have a clear mandate to work to and a clear set of Articles of Association.

Hopefully we will be all the stronger for this and will continue to grow and benefit all those who use the ‘Great British Pub’ – whatever they chose to drink.

ADRIAN SMITH

Masons Arms 98 HARPERS LANE, CHORLEY PR6 0HU

· · · ·

4 rooms 2 bars 6 rotating cask ales Gin and wine bar

· · · ·

Ciders, lagers and spirits Fresh snacks daily Open everyday Free wifi

Branch Pub of the Season Spring 2018

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Sky, BT & Racing Dog friendly Family friendly Monday night quiz

LIVE MUSIC www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk

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Ale Cry visits… Lytham

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he last time Lytham featured in Ale Cry, there wasn’t a micropub there, so now that there is one, it was suggested it would be a good place to visit, both to see this new addition and also to catch up with some old favourites in our neighbour’s patch.

Thus our minibus duly arrived on Clifton St. in Lytham and stopped outside the Craft House, described as a Beer Café. It first opened in the summer of 2016 and most of the people on the bus had never visited it before, so it was the place they wanted to go to first. However, it is correctly described as being compact, and 15 drinkers descending at once on an already busy pub

proved problematic and several decided to go elsewhere first and return later. I and a few others walked the short distance round the corner of Station Rd. to the RAILWAY HOTEL, Lytham’s Wetherspoon pub.

Formerly a Bass house called the Hansom Cab; it has been pleasantly extended and improved to become a spacious (but not massive) modern pub on varying levels with distinct seating areas. All the features we have come to appreciate of a Wetherspoons are in place and this one has the usual regular beers (Ruddles, Abbot, Doom Bar) plus several guests. It often has a Moorhouse’s brewed C&S Ale in remembrance of the Blackpool brewer Catteral and Swarbrick (who once had several pubs in Preston and environs).

This was not available on our visit, but two Moorhouse’s beers, Blonde Witch (4.4%) and Pendle Witch (5.1%) were. There were also two Phoenix Brewery beers, Resurrection (4.5%) and Wobbly Bob (6%).

We returned to the CRAFT HOUSE where we were welcomed by the friendly bar staff and other customers who were curious about this large invasion of what is only a tiny pub in comparison to, say our own Guild Ale House. We quickly chose our drinks from the ever changing range dispensed from the three handpumps.

That night we could have Anarchy Citra

Star (4.1%), Kelham Island Easy Rider (4.3%) or Lancaster Black (4.5%). There is a 20p discount for Camra members. The bar is closed on Mondays, but is open 4–11 Tue, 2–11 Wed–Thur, 2–11.30 Fri, 1–11.30 Sat and 1–8 on Sundays. Hot food snacks such as toasties and baguettes are served till 4.30 each day.

Moving on, we walked up Clifton St. and called in the Greene King owned SHIP AND ROYAL. A grade two listed building, with mock-Tudor upper stories, its interior was refurbished in 2015, giving it a comfortable light and airy feel. Usually having six real ales with beers from Lytham Brewery often featured, it was a bit disconcerting to nearly order a Greene King brewed beer called Lytham Ship Ale (3.9%) in the mistaken belief that it was an authentic Lytham brew. Three other beers were available: Greene King IPA, Morland Old Golden Hen and Robinson Dizzy Blonde. The pub is open all days from 11–11except Fri and Sat when it stays open till midnight.

From here we made our way to Station Square where in a much altered part of the railway station buildings can be found the STATION TAVERN. Large and airy with plenty of seating areas, the pub is the area’s premier live music venue with bands performing each Saturday night and most Fridays with free admission. On a Thursday, though, it was much more sedate and we could enjoy our drinks in relative peace with a choice of four ales to pick from. There was Caledonian Deuchers IPA (3.8%), and XPA (4.3%) and Theakston Black Bull Bitter (3.9%) and Lightfoot (4.1%). As with all the pubs in Lytham (except the Taps) there is a Camra discount and here it was 25p off a pint. There is plenty of outdoor seating and food is served 11–9.

The pub is open 10am–11pm all days except Fri and Sat when they stay open until 1am.

We made our way back to the centre and went into the COUNTY HOTEL on Church Rd. Once a Boddingtons pub, it is now a division of

Mitchell’s and Butlers and after an extensive refurb in 2013 is a prominent and attractive pub that offers accommodation in the centre of town. Big screen sports are a favourite feature with all major events shown and colours of all teams welcome. There is a good range of real ales on sale, with one regular in Doom Bar, but four changing guests which on our visit were Goffs Tournament (4%), Stamps Brewery Mail Train (4.2%) and Submarine (4.3%) plus Jennings Cumberland. There is an extensive food menu available from 12–9 including pizzas and the pub is open 11–11 (midnight Fri–Sat) and 12–11 Sun. Members Discount 20p/pint, 10p/half.

Our final pub is the one with the greatest range of beers in the area and a lot of people’s favourite pub, the TAPS. Several times winner of the branch pub of the year and runner up of the national pub of the year, the pub is in the capable hands of Steve Norris who shows what can be done with a Greene King pub. Like when Stan Eaton had the Old Black Bull in Preston, Steve manages to ensure that there is a constant range of ever changing guest beers on the bar and is rewarded in having a perpetually busy pub, with drinkers coming from many miles to drink his well kept ales. There are four regular beers; these being Greene King IPA, Robinson Dizzy Blonde, Morland Old Speckled Hen and Moorhouses Pendle Witch. Besides these, there are six constantly changing guest beers, which usually include a mild. On our visit, this was Titanic Classic Mild (3.5%). The other guests included a special beer brewed

by Lytham Brewery in aid of Lancashire cricketer Stephen Croft’s Testimonial year, Lytham Crofty’s, a light, hoppy ale at 3.8%, and Stephen was present on the night. The other ones were York First Light (3.7%), Wantsum Dynamo (4.3%) and East London Brewery Quadruped (5.3%). The pub’s website shows a regular update of what is on the bar. It was a great end to the evening in what had been an entertaining night out. Let us hope that the Old Black Bull in Preston can one day emulate what goes on at the Taps.

Lytham can be easily reached from Preston both by bus or train. The No 68 bus provides a frequent service during the day, with a more limited one in the evening with the last ones back to Preston at 2150 and 2335. The train provides an hourly service with the last ones back to Preston at 2219 and 2338 at a cost of £6.80 return.

PAU L R I L E Y www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk

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My Pint of View

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hen CAMRA was formed in the 1970’s, it was very simple.

Keg beer was truly awful – if you wanted something with flavour and character, it had to be cask. For the best part of 40 years nothing really happened to change this view. However in the last few years we’ve seen a rush of new breweries and with it the advent of ‘keg/craft beer’. Decried by some, loved by others, keg/craft is something that our members often disagree on. So let’s look at this phenomenon, and who better to talk to us about it than Gary Quinn, owner of Preston’s Guild Ale House and the Orchard – a man with his feet firmly in both camps.

AC You have two very different pubs a few yards apart – one is predominantly a cask ale pub with some keg, the other keg with a couple of cask. Where do you stand on the cask v keg debate?

GQ Cask beer is my thing. I love choosing beers to sell and the different styles to choose from, picking ones from my favourite breweries or trying a ‘new kid on the block’. I enjoy racking them up and the whole process of tapping and venting and I always look forward to sampling the beer straight from the cask before it goes on sale, smelling them and tasting the different flavours knowing the customers are going to be wowed by a certain beer so for me cask is king. However keg beers have now earned the right to be held in the same esteem as we do

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cask because there are breweries out there producing the most amazing beers. Keg beer allows brewers to experiment with styles, flavour combinations and strengths as the beer can stay on the bar longer without spoiling. There is less chance the beer can be played with resulting in a poorer beer for the consumer so the brewer has more control on quality.

AC I read in a recent blog by noted beer writer Roger Protz that keg/craft is not a threat to cask beer and that research

by Heineken shows that most drinkers of craft keg were previously lager drinkers.

GQ Probably true. There is no better feeling than when a customer comes into the bar and asks for a Fosters and we explain that the beers we sell actually taste of something and have bags of flavour. It would be a waste of time directing them straight over to cask as they are used to drinking something cold and fizzy, but give them a taste of a Belgium Pilsner or venture further and let them taste an APA like Gamma Ray and 9 times out of 10 they are wowed and just keep coming back for more, and once on the tasting train they just want to keep on going!

I do feel there is room for both types of beer in the market place but my only fear is that the more crafty/hoppy beer producers will move more to keg in the future as they can ask a higher price rather than selling cask at lower margins due to peoples perceptions. I can pay

£120 for a 30ltr keg but would never pay that for a 9gall cask as I couldn’t get the price on the bar and even if I did it would probably spoil before I sold it all, where the keg would last much longer with little waste.

Just an example is Tiny Rebel Dutty keg £101 (52pts), cask £109 (72pts). We get £4.80/pt on keg but would struggle at £3.50/pt on cask. So not only does the brewer get a better price for his product, but we can also demand a more realistic price on keg and make slightly higher margins. This is not always the case but its just an example.

AC I’m glad you mentioned price. One of the issues that our members often raise is why is keg/craft so expensive compared to the cask equivalent?

GQ It is something that baffles me also. I know some breweries over hop their beers to compensate for the loss of flavour due to the lower temp of the keg beers. With hops being the most expensive ingredient in beer, this goes some way to explain the difference in price. Most keg/ craft beers tend to be of the hoppy variety or flavoured stouts/porters, because a lot of flavour is needed due to the lower serving temperature.

I do also know the key kegs cost around £15 each and they are a disposable item so this cost also needs to be added to the price where a cask or metal keg cost around £90 (£45 for plastic) and can be used indefinitely. Some breweries

tend to charge the same kind of price for the same beers for either keg or cask. The only problem is that a cask contains 72pints and a keg 52pints, so that accounts for some of the difference. I do think that cask under sells itself though.

Peoples perceptions of cask is that it should be cheaper than say a mainstream lager, which does seem crazy when you compare the ingredients of both products. Don’t get me wrong there are some cask out there that are good value for money but if you want to drink the more hop forward or stronger beers they do come at a price. We do sell some of the more ‘crafty’ cask beers at a higher price on our premium pump but we are still restricted on the price the customer would pay and often don’t make the gross profit that we should. The craft/keg drinkers are happy to pay the premium prices due to it coming to the market at that price and never having the history of it being a cheap product.

AC CAMRA is all about promoting real ale and ignoring everything else. Do you think we are right on this?

GQ The last thing I would want to do is to decry what CAMRA has done for the cause; with more breweries than ever, some of the best beers in the world and being able to drink in some real quirky pubs/ bars up and down the country.

CAMRA have saved us from the bland mass produced beers of the past and allowed the smaller breweries to thrive giving us so much more choice than ever before. But times change and we must move forward and embrace the changes that are taking place.

Much modern keg beer is no longer the ‘evil brew’ that it once was. If beer is good and full of flavour and you enjoy drinking it then surely that is all that matters. Apart from CAMRA, who cares how its dispensed or if its ‘real’. Surely its better to promote great beer than support a mass produced flavourless liquid just because

it can be classed as ‘real’.

I really do think that there is room for both types of beers in the market and why shouldn’t CAMRA support both. The battle that they set out has been won but they can’t rest on their laurels as the big boys are now trying to do to craft what they did to cask many years ago. With International conglomerates buying up the smaller craft breweries e.g.

Coors and AB Inbev (two of the main culprits) followed by the likes of Marstons, on a national scale the waters are becoming ever more muddied.

AC Anything else you think we should be doing?

GQ I personally think that CAMRA should now be educating people more so that consumers have a more informed choice when selecting what and where to drink, without having to type into Google before you order a pint.

CAMRA is the country’s most well supported ‘beer club’ so lets get the word out and tell people.

There are so many different beers out there; different styles,

different hops and different ways of storing and serving. The problem has always been that most people drink what they are used to (or what they have seen advertised) and are wary of trying something different.

CAMRA should be looking at things like: • Explaining the difference between cask, keykeg and standard keg (and then lobbying brewers of keg to get them to state on their badges what form the beer is so once people know the difference they can make that choice).

• Embracing craft and give it a proper definition like real ale has.

• Embracing keg and see the potential it offers.

• Teaching people about unfined beers and that a murky beer is not necessarily bad.

• Explain to people the difference between small scale ‘handmade’ beers as opposed to the mass ‘machine made’ beers. I’m not saying all mass produced beers are bad, I’m just saying that I choose not to drink them!

Hoppy Days M I C R O P U B

TRADES HALL CLUB Bamber Bridge

L O N G R I D G E

Branch Club of the Year 2018

3 Handpumps for real ale Other drinks at bargain prices inc. San Miguel and Warsteiner.

CAMRA members welcome.

(Discounted prices on production of valid membership card)

Membership available all year round.

154c Station Road, Bamber Bridge, Preston, Lancs. PR5 6TP http://www.trades-hall.co.uk

Acts on every Saturday.

Bingo every Wednesday and Saturday.

www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk

Ale Cry

11

PRESTON PARADE

F

irst off, let us congratulate Gary Quinn on his pub, the GUILD ALE HOUSE on Lancaster Road, winning Pub of the Year for Central Lancashire. In a poll of all members of the branch, the Guild Ale House came out in front of all

other nominations (with MALT‘N’HOPS (Chorley) second and MOORBROOK (Preston) third). Chairman Dave Bell presented Gary with the new shield and certificate at a packed award ceremony at the pub. Gary and his partner, Jane, have been behind the bar at Preston’s first micropub since they opened it just over two years ago. In that time, they have served an ever changing range of beers from all over the British Isles from its seven handpumps, always in good condition. This, along with a friendly atmosphere proved popular with the voters and the pub proved a worthy winner. The pub will now go forward as our nomination for the Lancashire Pub of the Year competition, where it will go up against the entries from all the other Lancashire Branches. Meanwhile, Gary’s other venture, the ORCHARD, in the new Market Hall now has its two cask lines fully installed, serving a changing variety of guest ales as well as 10 craft lines.

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What about our other up and coming Micropubs? Well, by the time you read this, the PLUG AND TAP on Lune St. should have opened its doors. Run by the people behind the Market Ale House in Leyland, it should have four handpumps dispensing a changing range of real ales from far and wide on the bar. As anyone who has been in their pub in Leyland will probably attest, you will find a very different selection of beers than is normally available in Preston.

Delays with the builders had held up the opening, but frantic work in the past few weeks have finally come to fruition. Besides the downstairs bar area, there is a lounge area upstairs with seating. In addition to the four cask ales, there are 10 keg (or craft) lines for those who like to try something different.

Snacks will be available. The Plug and Tap is open every day, provisionally from 12 until 11pm, it actually being licensed to 2am.

Just to prove that work is actually going on at the site of the third micro and it will open sometime, I ventured through the door of the future PLAU on Friargate and took a photo of the interior of the front room. It looks like it will be a very attractive looking place when all work is complete, hopefully later this year.

At the other end of Friargate, the OLD BLACK BULL closed for an extensive refurbishment in early May. It should have reopened by 15 June, so any description of the changes came too late for inclusion here, but it was proposed that renovations would be made to the toilets and seating in the pub, plus alterations to the kitchen. The patio to the rear was to be upgraded to more of a garden area to make it more attractive.

With the promise that the pub will continue to offer a changing range of guest beers, we can hope that it will once again become prominent on the real ale scene.

Just up Friargate, there has been another change of manager at the DOG AND PARTRIDGE. Taking over from the previous incumbent, who only started in January, is Chelsea. Having had the experience of already running many pubs, she hopes to improve this pub. She has decided to stick with five core brands of cask ale and not have constantly changing beers. These five are: Lancaster Blonde, Doom Bar, Wainwrights,

Wells’ Bombardier and Robinson’s Trooper.

The good news is that she has reduced prices, with all cask ales now only £2.70 a pint across the board. There will continue to be live music on Friday and Saturday nights.

At the BLACK HORSE on the corner of Orchard St. we can look forward to another beer festival there in late September/ early October. To coincide with the second anniversary of taking over, it is planned to have 18 real ales and 10 ciders available.

Having learnt from last year, when the beers became slightly warm, this time all beers will be cellar conditioned so there will be no trouble with temperature. Following on from this, if successful, we could end up having four festivals a year there, one for each season.

Speaking of festivals, the first ‘Prestival’ was held recently in the UCLAN students union and was aided by members of this

branch manning the cask bars there. 50 real ales were on sale and those who came had a great time. Unfortunately it was not as well attended as it should have been.

Lessons will have been learned and if it goes ahead next year I am sure it will be a roaring success.

The Ale Emporium is no more. Long live MAD HATTERS! Alan has finally got his signage installed and the official name of the pub on Fylde Road is now Mad Hatters.

Ten real ales, with both an ever-changing selection of Lancashire beers, plus beers from all over the country, will continue to

feature. Look out for a ‘Meet the brewer’ night in mid June featuring the Rat Brewery.

Another thing to look out for on Preston’s new market area is a ‘shop’ in one of the box units on the Fish Market. Run by Preston’s own Priest Town Brewery it offers for sale a selection of bottled and canned ales from Lancashire, including their own brand goods. You can even buy five litre kegs of beer, which are ideal for parties. (Do you remember Bodcans and Party Sevens?) They are still waiting for the council to put up a sign advertising their premises, but look out for them on Earl St. lower down than the Orchard Bar. They are open 12–5 Mon–Fri and 10–5 Sat–Sun when Billy will be waiting to attend to you.

HAIGHTON MANOR at Haighton, is the winner of our Cider Pub of the Year award, although the presentation was held too late to be included in this magazine. They are trialling two shuttle bus services to enable drinkers and diners to get to the pub without driving. This is in response to some customer feedback and one runs from Tag Lane, Ingol near the Guild Merchant, via the Black Bull and Sherwood, and the other from Grimsargh via Berry Lane, Longridge, Goosnargh and Broughton. Both cost £4 return and have to be booked by phone.

More details of times, pick up points and booking procedure can be found online at http://www.brunningandprice.co.uk/ haightonmanor/homepage/.

Whilst recently in the BULL AND ROYAL on Church St, I noticed that they had both a pinball machine and a table football machine on a raised area to the rear of the pub. Once a regular feature of many a pub in Preston, they are now a rarity, so if you fancy a bit of nostalgia you know where to go. Besides which there are three cask ales at reasonable prices. There are usually two Moorhouse’s beers and a Bank Top one.

News of a couple of pubs that now offer discounts to card carrying Camra members: WINGS AND BEER on Cannon St, which now has four real ales on sale, has a 10% discount, whilst the BROUGHTON INN in the village there gives you 20p a pint off.

PAU L R I L E Y

ST T E R E SA’S PENWORTHAM

BT SPORTS FREE WI FI POOL / SNOOKER LARGE FUNCTION ROOM LAGERS

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SPIRITS WINE GIN BAR SOFT DRINKS

MON–THUR 7–11 • FRI 7–12 • SAT 4–12 • SUN 4–11

34 QUEENSWAY PENWORTHAM PRESTON PR1 0DS TEL 01772 743523 www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk

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FAREWELL

TO THE

WOODS FAMILY

S

Th Be e U lti er Fe ma te st iv al

adly we have to report the closure of the Horns Inn at Goosnargh and the Goosnargh Brewery, on the retirement of landlord and brewer Mark Woods. Both have been sold by the Woods family and are currently closed.

The Woods family took over the tenancy of the Horns in 1951 when it was a Tetley pub – the pub is dated 1782 on the front wall. Mark Woods took over in his early 20s following the unfortunate death of his father in a plane crash and he and his wife Denise have run it very successfully for about 30 years until their retirement this year.

The pub was, and has remained, a very traditional country local, with 4 small rooms on the ground floor including a very unusual snug behind the bar where staff serve and customers can sit and drink as well, one of only 3 in the country. In 2010, the pub was added to CAMRA’s National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors because of this. Surprisingly, the Horns was not then a listed building, but fortunately a couple of years ago after an application

by CAMRA it was added to the statutory list, meaning that any alterations either to the exterior or the interior now need listed building consent.

In view of its remote rural location, it was inevitably food-oriented, with local suppliers used whenever possible including the nationally known Goosnargh Duck. Mark and Denise developed the business without losing that traditional character. A barn was converted into bed & breakfast accommodation, and a Caravan Club site laid out in the grounds, both ways of increasing trade at the pub.

Real ale was re-introduced a few years ago, with 2 handpumps serving beers, then coming from Bowland and Black Sheep. In 2012, this was increased to 3 pumps. This was rewarded in 2013 by a Central Lancashire branch Pub of the Season Presentation.

Mark then had an ambition to set up his own brewery. When

Grindleton Brewery went out of business, he bought their plant and arranged to store it in a local barn. Then in 2010 he got planning permission for a sizable brewery building including a visitor centre and shop to attract tourists. Unfortunately though, this was not a good time for the economy and Mark could not get the finance he required.

Eventually, he got fed up with waiting and installed the plant in a tiny outbuilding at the pub. Mark learnt his trade from Dave Porter at Outstanding, and Goosnargh Brewery started brewing in March 2013 with a 5 barrel plant. The beer was sold in the Horns and also in local free houses and clubs.

The business went from strength to strength. The Horns was listed in the Good Beer Guide from 2013. Then in 2014, the George Lee Trophy was awarded to Mark Woods (as Landlord & Brewer) as the pub, person or organisation that had done the most to promote the cause of real ale in the branch area in the last 12 months. He fitted the criteria admirably. As George Lee Trophy Winner, the Horns was then put forward as Lancashire Pub of the Year and won that award as well.

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A couple of years ago though, sadly the Woods family felt they wanted to step down from the hard work of running both pub and brewery. None of their children was interested in taking over and so the pub was put up for sale.

Now the site has been bought by local building firm J. Townley.

They have closed the pub, but say that they are going to renovate it and re-open it later this year. Unfortunately the brewery will not re-open and the equipment is currently for sale.

We are sorry to lose Mark and Denise who have done an excellent job at the Horns, creating a very popular real ale pub and brewery at what had for many years been a food driven, keg-only establishment. We wish them all the best for their retirement.

We also hope that later this year, the new owners will re-open the Horns as a real-ale led outlet having retained the traditional character.

DAV E L I N L E Y

www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk

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HISTORIC PRESTON PUBS

PART 2 AVENHAM LANE

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(I was nearly old enough) was the Parkers Arms on Manchester Road, where they sold, believe it or not, mushy pea pies. Both pubs I think were Thwaite’s selling just mild and bitter. I remember paying 1s 6d a pint (71/2p).”

Go back to the roundabout and turn left. A short distance down on the left you will find some modern units which include a fish and chip shop. This was the site of the KING STREET TAVERN (Manchester Road

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Carry on down Manchester Road and at the mini roundabout turn left on to Queen Street. The NEW INN was a Thwaite’s pub that stood on the corner of Queen Street and Grimshaw Street. A pub that many years ago, brewed beer on the premises, as did many others, but unusual in that in the 1930s it issued trade tokens. The example shown was exchangeable for a half pint of Saxton’s home brewed beer at the pub. The licensee at that time was Arthur Saxton. A typical street corner boozer with a reputation for decent ale, it appeared in the GBG from 1990 to 1993. It closed in 1997 and has since been demolished. Member Ray Sanders recalls: “I grew up in the 1950s/60s round that area, living in Brewery Street (really) other streets were Hop Street, Malt Street and Vat Street. My parents’ local was The New Inn on Queen Street. My first pub

AM

et’s start our journey back in time on Church Street. Head out of town and just before the Bear’s Paw, turn right on to Manchester Road. The BALMORAL was a Tetley’s pub situated on the left about 100 yards down. A notoriously rough pub for many years, frequented by disreputable types, drunkards and ladies of the night. The Balmoral was built on land that once housed another pub, The Black Swan. In 1904, the landlord, Robert Holmes, an ex England International footballer and Preston North End player, was fined £3 for selling brandy “not of the nature and quality demanded” Despite it’s reputation, the beer was clearly reasonable as it featured in the 1981 & 1982 editions of the Good Beer Guide. In more recent years it was renamed the BEAT STREET CAFE BAR before closing in about 2001. The building with it’s distinctive blue tiled exterior is still standing, boarded up and forlorn.

LA

If you carry on down Charlotte Street, turn right on to Oxford Street and head back in towards the centre you will come to the Avenham Car Park and our next port of call. The pub was for many years known as MAGUIRES TAVERN before becoming GASTON’S in the early 1990s. In 1992, the success of Gaston’s

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led to the setting up of a micro brewery in the cellar, known as Little Avenham Brewery. The brewery did very well initially, producing beers such as: Clog Dancer (4.0%), Hedgerow Bitter (4.0%), Pickled Priest (4.3%) and Pierrepoint’s Last Drop (7.0%). In 1995, the Little Avenham Brewery was doing well but the pub was not, so the pub was sold to Burtonwood and the brewery moved to Arkwright Mill where brewing continued for a short while before it was closed in 1997. For a period after this, the pub was re-named as Maguires, closing in 2002. In its later years as a night club, it had spells as the New City Bar and Noir before finally closing in 2014. However it was announced in the previous issue of Ale Cry that this would be reopening as a pub.

Now owned by the Holt Pub Co, the new venture will be known as Baker Street they hope to have it open by early summer.

Our remaining three pubs in this section are grouped together towards the west end of Avenham Lane. The FRENCHWOOD stood on the corner of Avenham Lane and Frenchwood Street. It’s one entry in the GBG came in 1985, when it was serving Matthew Brown beers. Our picture taken a few years later has it in Theakston livery.

It closed in 2003, initially becoming

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was previously called King Street) which was a Matthew Brown pub. A typical red brick building it had a single story extension (only partly visible) which was the public bar, and which had a separate entrance at the far end. It closed in 2004 and was demolished in 2007.

Once again, back to the roundabout and turn left on to Avenham Lane.

Turn left on to St Austin’s Road and then right on to Charlotte Street. The BRUNSWICK was a modern pub built during the 1960’s and stood on the corner of Charlotte Street and Knowsley Street. Owned by John Smiths it had a good disco upstairs but unimpressive ale. It closed in 1994 and after being boarded up for many years was converted into offices.

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a curry house although it is now residential accommodation.

The AVENHAM PARK TAVERN was a Duttons pub (later named Avenham Park Hotel under Whitbread) that stood on the corner of Avenham Lane and Great Avenham Street. The pub was first licensed in 1866 as a beer

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www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk

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house, later getting a full licence. It gained entry to the Good Beer Guide in 2001 and 2002, but closed in 2007 and remains boarded up.

The PALATINE HOTEL was a Chester’s (later Whitbread) house on the same road junction, on the opposite corner to the Avenham Park Tavern. It closed in 2000 and was converted into residential accommodation.

ADRIAN SMITH

In part 3 we will be looking at the ‘University quarter’ – the area to the immediate north of Ringway.

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Ale

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Cry

ISSUE 119 SUMMER 2018

20 years in the Good Beer Guide

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elgium has long been acknowledged by beer drinkers as one of the great brewing nations, with a wealth of different styles, loads of small breweries, and specialist beer cafés with long menus of bottled beers which are often served in special branded glasses.

This is the 8th Edition of the guide, and comes out some 30 years after the first one. What immediately strikes the reader is the quality of the publication; all glossy paper, coloured page headers to identify the different sections and loads of illustrations.

This is much more akin to the standard quality travel guides than a conventional beer guide.

The layout is easy to follow with a brief introduction, a potted history of the country and some useful travel and regional food information. Then on to the meat (or should I say drink) of the publication, with 20 or so pages covering the various different styles of beer you’re likely to encounter in Belgium.

This is followed by an A-Z listing of Belgian breweries, with details of their regularly available beers. There is also a handy quality rating of both beers and breweries – enabling the discerning drinker

to pick the very best from a bewildering selection.

The main section is devoted to where to find good quality Belgian beer. 800 or so places are listed and the writers make it clear that these are the very best, with so many good new outlets appearing that old favourites that no longer come up to scratch have been omitted. Belgium is split into provinces and each one has it’s own section (with a handy map at the start) and with the entries arranged alphabetically by town. Individual outlets have address, phone number and opening hours followed by a description and the writers manage to convey a lot of really useful information in most of the entries, which give a real feel for whether or not the venue is one for you. The blocks of text are broken up with numerous photographs and some town maps, making the whole thing a pleasure to use.

The final section gives a short list of places outside of Belgium where you are likely to find a good selection of the ‘better beers’, together with a listing of Belgian beer festivals and beer related events.

The book retails at £14.99, which is about the going rate for a guide book of this size and quality. An essential publication for

anybody going to Belgium who has more than a passing interest in beer. This is not a book for reading at a sitting, it is one for dipping into when the mood takes. As such, it is perhaps an ideal book for the armchair enthusiast. I can imagine settling down on a dark wet winter’s evening in front of an open fire with a bottle of my favourite Tripel or Saison and reading about places I will probably never visit and beers that one day I hope to try.

Highly recommended.

ADRIAN SMITH

www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk

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19

RILEY’S RAMBLES:

Stalybridge

B

ack in 2014 I did a Riley’s Ramble from Marsden to Stalybridge using the Huddersfield railway line from Manchester. We finished up in the Station Buffet Bar on the platform of Stalybridge station, not venturing into the town itself.

In that article I stated that the excellence of the buffet bar was self evident, but there were other delights of the town that could do with further investigation. Four years later and I can finally show you what the town itself has to offer.

We caught the 10.50 train from Preston to Manchester Victoria, arriving there at 11.47, where the same train became the 11.57 to Huddersfield and we arrived in Stalybridge at 12.11. This was once a through train from Preston to Huddersfield and possibly will eventually be reinstated as such one day.

You could go straight into the buffet bar on platform 4, but we decided to save that for later. Go out of the station and turn right and go under the railway bridge, and you will find our first pub, the Q INN. With the shortest name of any pub in the country, the Q is a Hyde’s tied house that besides their own ales also has a guest beer, which on our visit was Bradfield Farmer’s Blonde (4.0%). Three Hyde’s beers are also available which were Q Ale, a badged beer at 3.5%, Original (3.8%) and their newish strong beer Lowry at 4.7% brewed with Citra and Chinook hops. The pub opens at noon and is a friendly, warm pub with a real fire, which was especially welcome on a cold winter’s day.

Continuing down Market St. you soon reach our next pub, the WHITE HOUSE, also a Hyde’s tied house. This one had six real ales, with Original and Lowry as before plus four changing guest beers, which were Beer Studio Talisman Gold (4.5%), Kansas Amber State Thirty Four (4.0%), Elgood Strawbeer (4.0%) plus Bradfield Farmer’s Blonde. There is also a real cider. Opening

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at noon, the pub is semi-open plan but has several distinct drinking areas where you can find a quiet corner.

From here, continue along Market St. to the right of the bus interchange until you reach Melbourne St. which you turn down on your right. Going up, you pass over two watercourses and we see, on our right, the two micropubs (which we will return to later). We first continue up the street to the top where we find the town’s Wetherspoon’s pub – THE SOCIETY ROOMS. The name reminds one that the pub occupies premises that once housed shops belonging to the Cooperative Society.

All the usual attractions of a Wetherspoon are present in this split level pub along with six changing guest beers which on this visit were (disappointingly for me, who prefers a quaffing strength ale) all over 4.3% with most of them over 5% strength.

Going back down Melbourne St. we return to the micropubs, the first one we come to being BRIDGE BEERS, a combined pub

and bottle shop. Opened in 2016 in a former hairdressers, you will find inside a bar on the left in front of a row of stillaged casks dispensing four changing beers served by gravity. On the other side is a display of the bottles on sale. There is a comfortable Victorian styled lounge area upstairs. We could choose from Stockport Brewery’s Cascade (4%) at £3.00 a pint, Bootleg Chorlton Pale Ale (4%), Green Mill Pot Black Porter (4.4%) and Howard Town Superfortress (4.4%), all at £3.20. Closed on Monday, it opens 12–7 Tue–Thurs, 12–10 Fri and Sat. It apparently shuts its doors 1 hour before closing. It is closed on Sundays except for the second Sunday of every month when it opens from noon till 4pm to coincide with Stalybridge Farmers Market.

Coming out, you turn left again to quickly reach the CRAFTY PINT, a new microbar that only opened in December 2017. It opens at 4pm on a Wednesday, so we timed it to arrive just as it opened. Welcomed by the owner, it is a modern, roomy, open plan bar

selling four ever changing real ales. With no televisions or fruit machines, conversation is an important part of its atmosphere.

Pump cleaning was in progress on our visit, so there were two beers to choose from Howard Town Longdendale Lights (3.9%) at £3 a pint and Wiley Fox Third Star (4.2%).

Two other beers were to be available soon.

The pub is closed on Tuesdays and opens 12–6 Sundays and Mondays and 4–11 Wed– Fri, and noon till 11pm on Saturdays.

It was now time to finally enjoy the STATION BUFFET BAR, so we walked back over the River Tame to turn left on Market St. to the railway station. As I said in my previous article, this bar is world famous, having appeared in numerous TV programmes and guide books and, once

again, it was busy, even in the middle of winter, with a lovely and warm real fire to thaw you out if it is freezing. Nine changing real ales are the great attraction and on this visit we could run the gamut from Titanic Mild at 3.5% and Track Sonoma (3.8%) at £3 a pint to Magic Rock Dark Arts (6%) at £3.90, with all sorts between. There are also a couple of traditional ciders on sale. Food is available 12–7 and the bar is open 12–11 Mon, 11–11 Tues–Thurs and Sunday plus 11– midnight Fri–Sat. It was a great place to end

an entertaining day out while we awaited our train back to Manchester and then back to Preston.

We travelled using the £10 Northern Rail vouchers that appear in the Evening Post a couple of times a year (meaning you must travel only on Northern Rail services), but a day return ticket from Preston to Stalybridge is only £18 and with this you could use any train service to get there, broadening your options. Either way, it is a good day out.

PAU L R I L E Y

www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk

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SOUTH RIBBLE SCENE

W

e had little to report from South Ribble in the last Ale Cry, but this time round there is no shortage of news from the area.

Starting in Penwortham, where there is now a micropub, the TAP AND VINE @69 on Liverpool Road. This new establishment opened on Good Friday, March 30th, and in the opening weeks it proved a great attraction as people were keen to check out the welcome newcomer.

In appearance a cross between a micropub and a wine bar, it has four handpumps, and the beers available have included many from local breweries including Bowland, Moorhouses, and Rivington. Good news for CAMRA members is that they are offering a 10% reduction on the price of their beers on production of a CAMRA membership card.

The coming of a micropub has certainly increased the options for beer drinkers in this area of Penwortham, but what of the competition? Further along Liverpool Road the more spacious FLEECE usually has six different beers on offer, and on a recent visit there was a fine selection with Lytham Golden Beast, Windmill Knockout Pale Ale, George Wright Drunken Duck, George Wright Longboat, Ruddles Best, and Tetley Cask Bitter all being available.

For CAMRA members this is another pub that offers a discount on production of a CAMRA membership card.

Slightly off the beaten track, but nearby on Queensway is ST TERESA’S PARISH CENTRE. This club has a premises licence, which means that it can operate more or less like a pub. This is an establishment that has been honoured by CAMRA in the past, although you have to go back quite a few years. As well as being the branch’s Club of the Year several times, it was once CAMRA’s national Club of the Year, and in the mid-1990s was the location for one of the first regular annual Beer Festivals to be held in the branch area.

For the beer drinker St Teresa’s has had its ups and downs, but once again it is well worth visiting, with up to four cask ales from the Marston’s range being available.

Another club not too far away is PENWORTHAM GOLF CLUB on Blundell Lane. This is a members-only club, but as a venue it is available for booking and holds many events which are open to non-members. For many years this club sold only keg beers, and more recently it was an outlet for the all too common Wainwright.

However it can now be reported that things have improved considerably, with three handpumps in place, and with the beers available coming from breweries like Dunscar Bridge, Lancaster, and Moorhouses.

Elsewhere in South Ribble, Bamber Bridge has also been the scene of much excitement in recent weeks. In April BAMBER BRIDGE FOOTBALL CLUB held its annual Beer Festival, and this year’s event would appear to have been their most successful yet. The same month the TRADES HALL CLUB & INSTITUTE on Station Road was honoured by being presented with the CAMRA Central Lancashire branch Club of the Year award for 2018. Chairman Dave Bell is pictured presenting the award to Mat Bickerton, the Steward. He has only been Steward for a couple of months, although he has

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worked there for a few years, but has continued the push to serve real ale and the club is now selling more than ever. 3 handpumps with changing beers, members are being encouraged to try real ale instead of lager and “smooth”. CAMRA members have provided good feedback on the quality of the beer and the club is welcoming and at the heart of the community.

During April, it was also announced that Bamber Bridge would soon be joining the micropub revolution. Then, not wanting to do things by halves, within days it was revealed that Bamber Bridge would be getting not just one but two micropubs in the coming months. It looks like the first to open will be the BRIG ‘N’ BARREL on Station Road, this being located in the former TV and Video Shop opposite the Pump & Truncheon pub. Flyers produced for this micropub indicate that it could be opening as early as June, while licensee Graham Roberts has told us that he is intending to have available 5 cask ales plus a real cider.

The second micropub on the way is the WEAVERS ARMS, this being a long anticipated addition to the pub estate of the Withy Arms Group.

This micropub will be housed in the former Gone Fishing tackle shop located at the corner of Station Road and Spinners Square, not too far from Ye Olde Hob Inn. It is planned for an opening in late July, and being a Withy Arms outlet we can be sure that it will be well worth the wait. As if this were not enough, rumours are circulating about yet another micropub in Longton, and we hope to have more on these exciting developments in our next issue of Ale Cry. The OLD ORIGINAL SEVEN STARS in Leyland has been the subject of many rumours in recent years, and on more than one occasion it has looked as if its days as a pub were numbered.

Early this year it was again closed, but the good news is that it has now been acquired by the Holt Pub Company. The pub has been fully refurbished and re-opened towards the end of May. Although too late to include full details in this issue, we understand there are 4 handpumps; so great news to see real ale available once again in this pub. The Holt Pub Company owns a number of pubs in the branch area including TH’OWD SMITHY INN at Much Hoole, and the soon to be opened Baker Street in Preston.

The Boddington Arms at Balderstone has been acquired by JW Lees, and after a period of closure and a £1 million refurbishment has been re-named the BLUEBIRD INN. This name was chosen as Bluebird K7, the record breaking hydroplane was built at a nearby engineering factory in the 1950s. The pub was officially re-opened in April by Gina Campbell, the daughter of Donald Campbell, the pioneer who had lost his life in Bluebird when attempting to break the water speed record

on Coniston Water in 1967. The Bluebird Inn is offering a better range of real ales than was ever on offer at the Boddington Arms, with four different Lees beers being available.

After last issues brief resume of (mainly) bad news from South Ribble, one of our readers took us to task for not promoting Leyland pubs sufficiently. It’s certainly true that things have taken an upturn in the town in recent years, so much so that the Lancashire Branches Social is being held there on July 14th (see diary). So lets have a quick run down of our likely itinerary on the day.

Starting at the station end of town, at the top of Chapel Brow is the GOLDEN TAP ALE HOUSE, one of our newer micropubs, but coming up to 2 years old. 6 real ales and a couple of changing ciders are available here. On Hough Lane, the LEYLAND LION, a previous winner of the George Lee Memorial Trophy has 11 real ales on offer, and following the extension into the adjoining shop unit, more space than previously. Just across the road and adjacent to the entrance to Leyland Market is the MARKET ALE HOUSE, the branches first micropub. A good selection is usually to be found with 6 changing real ales and up to 5 ciders. A few yards down the road is the distinctive building housing the GABLES, with a further 6 real ales, normally a mixture of nationally available brands and something from local micros. These four pubs make a very acceptable mini crawl and are all likely to feature in the day.

A short walk along Towngate and across the Tesco car park leads us to the final two pubs, starting at the WITHY ARMS on Worden Lane.

This is a modern looking venue, serving up to 6 real ales including it’s house beers under the Ribble Brewery name. Head up the hill past the church to our final destination, the EAGLE & CHILD. The oldest pub in the town, dating from the mid 1500’s, it is very traditional internally with plenty of dark wood and small areas. Up to 8 real ales are served from the extensive Marston’s portfolio.

Should be a good day out, so why not join us. Alternatively, why not make your own way to Leyland and try some of these at your leisure.

GORDON SMALL

THE CRICKETERS 94 School Lane, Brinscall. Chorley PR6 8QP 01264 832117

Monday • Carlsberg/Marston’s smooth £1.99 a pint

Wednesday • All cask ales £2.30 a pint

Thursday • Quiz night

• 5 CHANGING REAL ALES • • FAMILY AND DOG FRIENDLY • BEER GARDEN • FREE

THE WHEATSHEAF Spendmore Lane, Coppull, Nr Chorley, Lancashire

PR7 4NY

3 ever changing Cask Ales – including Prospect, Bank Top, Blackedge, Martland Mill & Coach House

FREE HOU SE

• Free entertainment: Jukebox — Monday Pool — Monday –Thursday Quiz — Wednesday 9:30pm • Friday/Saturday night live music • Sunday — Chase the Ace 12noon–5.45pm • Beer garden • Dogs & muddy boots welcome • Carling Premier & Strongbow Dark Fruits now being served.

OPENING TIMES

Monday – Thursday from 3pm

Friday from 2pm

Saturday & Sunday from 12pm

www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk

Ale Cry

23

QU

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RS

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M D AY 9 P

A warm and friendly atmosphere with great beer, no children, and a beautiful beer garden awaits you at …

THE BLACK BULL INN

of Penwortham

In CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide 2012–18

Enjoy a wide range of drinks • Cask Ale — 2 permanent hand pumps (Theakston’s Best,

Theakston’s Black Bull Bitter), a rotating CAMRA LocAle Lancashire guest ale and national guest ale, and Robinsons Dizzy Blonde • Lagers — Birra Moretti, Kronenbourg 1664, and Fosters • Ciders — Strongbow, Dark Fruit, and Cloudy Apple.

• Guinness • Extensive range of gins, vodkas, and malt whiskys • Range of wines and prosecco • Low/non-alcoholic drinks available • Tea, coffee, and hot chocolate

The ONLY Penwortham pub in the GBG 2018

Enjoy all the big sporting occasions, as well as the horses, on the 3 large HD screens indoors, and a garden screen in good weather

Dogs are welcome!

On Stagecoach route No 3 – Pope Lane

Opening times Monday–Thursday 12–11 • Friday 12–Midnight Saturday 11–11.30 • Sunday 12–11 FREE

20p off a pint for CAMRA card carrying members

@BlackBullPenwor black.bull.penwortham

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Ale Cry

ISSUE 119 SUMMER 2018

Telephone 01772 752953 mail@blackbull-penwortham.co.uk

83 Pope Lane, Penwortham, Preston PR1 9BA www.blackbull-penwortham.co.uk

CAMRA CENTRAL LANCASHIRE BRANCH AND …

PHOENIX PUBS

I

t is a sad fact of life for beer drinkers that there are an alarming number of well established pubs closing down each year. With some of these pubs subsequently being demolished, there is no way back. However others may go on to have a completely different existence, often recognisable as a former pub, but now fulfilling the role of being student accommodation or perhaps a restaurant.

In this article I am featuring some pubs that came back from the dead, and some that may yet return. Yes, there are closed pubs that can rise from the ashes (in some cases literally) to once again provide the service to pubgoers that they were originally created for.

One of the best examples of this is the CONTINENTAL in Preston, a pub with an interesting history. It was opened in 1911 and its first landlord was ex-footballer Sam Thomson, one of the Preston North End ‘Old Invincibles’ from the 1880s. Located on the banks of the River Ribble, and next to Miller Park, it was constructed as a pub for the summer months, catering for visitors out for a

day’s entertainment. Later it had some success as a Boddingtons pub, but gradually its popularity declined, and it was closed in 2007. The Continental looked finished as a pub, and there were reports that the police were wanting to acquire the premises for training purposes. The pub was eventually purchased by local pub entrepreneur Jeremy Rowlands, who needed to oversee an extensive refurbishment to get the building back in shape (as illustrated in the before and after pictures below). After 18 months closure, the Continental re-opened in 2008, and later this year it will be celebrating 10 years of existence in its present format. As well as becoming a leading pub venue for arts and music activities, it has now hosted 18 Beer & Cider Festivals, and has twice been the winner of the branch’s George Lee Memorial Trophy award.

Another success story concerns the DOG INN in Longridge. This was a pub that closed in 2009, following there having been a failed effort to

run it as a pub and restaurant combined. It subsequently became a dedicated Indian restaurant, and for a number of years it continued in this guise. However when it was closed as a restaurant in June 2015, there were ambitious plans announced by Longridge businessman Ben Lee that it could once again become a pub.

The plan was that the upper floors could be converted into five one-bedroom apartments, while the ground floor could be restored as a community pub. Building work went on for months, but in August 2017, after having been closed for 8 years, the pub re-opened as a ‘local dog-friendly gastropub’.

The tasteful refurbishment has received much praise, and with five handpumps in place there is an excellent choice of real ales available.

In recent years Chorley has become a renowned destination for real ale drinkers, and partly this must be down to the beer range that has been available at the CROWN on Chapel Street.

This pub closed in 2012, and with ‘For Sale’ signs on display it looked likely that it would be another Chorley pub to be consigned to the history books. Fortunately the pub was bought by a private individual, and after about 18 months closure it was re-opened as a free house in February 2014.

It was immediately popular with Chorley’s real ale drinkers, offering a good range of local beers plus a real cider, and in

Autumn 2014 was rewarded by being named the CAMRA Central Lancashire Pub of the Season.

The pub now comes under the ownership of Toastie Taverns, who also have a micropub in the town.

There are several other pubs which have had lengthy periods of closure in recent years before re-opening. These include the DOG & PARTRIDGE at Charnock Richard (closed for 18 months), the SWAN at Higher Walton (closed for 2 years), and the WHEATSHEAF at Coppull (closed for 3 years). All these pubs are currently serving real ale, but another recently reopened pub, FIVES in Preston (closed for about 10 years) has yet to re-introduce any cask ales to its beer range.

Earlier I referred to pubs as having risen from the ashes.

The DRESSERS ARMS at Wheelton was closed due to fire damage in 2014, but barely six months later it was back open after having made some major internal changes. Just last year there were highly destructive fires at both the GEORGE in Chorley, and at the GRILL & GRAIN AT THE BOATYARD at Riley Green. In both instances, announcements were made that these pubs would be reopening, but in neither case have we seen much work or indeed have a date for them to resume trading.

What are the possible phoenix pubs of the future? Well, a phoenix pub that should be back among us soon is the former Maguires Tavern on Avenham Street. Once known as the Garth’s Arms, and then later the Duke

www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk

Ale Cry

25

Of Windsor, it became Maguires Tavern in 1973, the year the local CAMRA branch came into being.

In the 1980s it was transformed into the highly popular Gaston’s and for a couple of years it was the location of the Little Avenham Brewery. Following this it was back as Maguires, then after becoming more of a night club it had spells as the New City Bar, SoBar, Noir, and most recently the Villa R&B Bar. Late in 2017 the premises were acquired by the Holt Pub Company with the intention that it be renovated and re-opened as BAKER STREET, a pub to be modelled on the in vogue Albert’s Schloss establishment in Manchester.

Another pub which may soon re-open is the UNICORN on North Road. Closed in August 2017, and currently in use as a temporary building site office, the original story was that it would be re-opening as a pub once the adjacent Canterbury Hall student accommodation building was complete. Will this actually happen? Well we’ll have to wait and see.

Other possible phoenix pubs include the BLACK BULL at

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ISSUE 119 SUMMER 2018

Mawdesley, which closed in 2013 after a period of turmoil which saw it formally deleted from the Good Beer Guide. There have since been rumours that the pub was being refurbished and would re-open, and that a microbrewery would also be set up on the site. Going back even further, the CROSS KEYS at Whitechapel closed as long ago as 2004. In the intervening years it has been reported that work was going on to get the pub back in shape for a re-opening.

However as time goes by this would perhaps seem to be less and less of a possibility.

Of course there is always the PLAU on Friargate in Preston.

This much anticipated new micropub and gin bar has been undergoing a major restoration for several years now. When it does eventually open, then this could be considered the most extreme example of a phoenix pub re-opening. Once known as the Plough, then later the Hotel National until 1913, it is believed to be over 100 years since the premises were last in use as a pub.

GORDON SMALL

❖ Selection of 5 ever changing cask ales from near and far; including dark and strong. ❖ Range of drinks; Real Cider / Crafty Gins / Rum Single Malts / Wines & Prosecco. ❖ Award winning Pies and selection of snacks. ❖ CAMRA Central Lancs ‘POTY 2015/16’ & ‘Cider POTY 2017’ ❖ Enjoy a peaceful pint; pooch friendly & child free.

67 Chapel Street, Chorley, PR7 1BS

Shepherds Hall Ale House

@ShepsAleHouse

THE

OLD VIC SUNDAY NIGHT QUIZ WITH CASH JACKPOT

Serving breakfasts, lunchtime specials and all traditional pub food. Also sandwiches, salads and delicious home made pies.

Parties catered for.

• 7 Handpumps revolving up to 25 cask ales including many local brewers each week • 50p Wetherspoons vouchers now redeemed

• New enlarged outdoor area with large screen TV

• Included in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide

• Outside area now covered and heated

• Upto 20 gins on our new gin menu

• Live music all summer

• Live train arrival and departure times shown

• Sky/BT showing all major sporting events

Fishergate, Preston Opposite Preston Railway Station 01772 828519

www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk

Ale Cry

27

CHORLEY CHATTER

O

ur Spring Pub of the Season was the MASONS ARMS in Chorley. The presentation was held in late April and the pub was packed with regulars and a good turnout from the branch.

Licensee Nick Reid and partner Cheryl Folan are pictured with the certificate, with a number of branch regulars lurking in the background! Despite a run on the beers in the early evening we soon had a fine selection of ales to choose from.

The pub has just installed a half barrel brewing plant in the rear lounge and we hope that before too long we will have another new brewery operating in our area.

Chorley is rapidly becoming the micropub capital of the north with the seventh one opening at the end of February this year. The GINNELL is at the top of Pall Mall opposite Asda and was formerly a hairdressers salon. Long and narrow, there is a slightly continental feel to it. There are 4 handpumps, 2 for beer and 2 for cider – all of these changing regularly. There

28

Ale Cry

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are also 6 craft pumps, with a mixture of ale, continental lager and cider on these.

One of the town’s micropubs has had a rather turbulent existence, with changes of name, ownership and licensee.

However things seem to have settled down at the TOASTIE TAVERN and new licensee Richard Busby has got things ticking along nicely. The four

handpumps all sell changing real ales and there has been some rather interesting things on offer recently. There are now two ciders served from boxes on the bar as well.

The SPINNERS AT COWLING has further enhanced it’s growing reputation as a food venue. Having won Good Food Awards 2 years running, the pub was voted the best Lancashire Gastropub in a recent poll held by the Lancashire Post. Three real ales are always available, normally including something from Moorhouses, with Stray Dog and White Witch being regulars.

One pub that has been off my radar for a while is DRESSERS ARMS at Wheelton. Although there has always been a decent selection of beers on offer, quality was often a problem. I reported in issue 116 of Ale Cry that they seemed to have sorted out the quality issue, and some extensive research over the winter months has confirmed

this to be the case. With 7 changing real ales, often from local micros, and with prices reduced to only £2.50 a pint Mon – Wed and after 7 on Sun, there are plenty of good reasons to give this one a try.

Just up the road, the CRICKETERS (Brinscall) has reopened after a brief closure and refurbishment. The exterior has been repainted a pleasant shade of green which goes really well with the stonework and a small seating area is now available at the front of the pub.

The bar has been extended and with new seating and smart décor throughout, it has been transformed into a cosy village local. The five handpumps sell a changing array of beers from the Marston’s range, with Sticky

Project2_Layout 1 18/01/2017 11:09 Page 1

THE PRINCE OF WALES AT COWLING

THE RED HERRING STE & MARY WELCOME YOU TO COPPULL’S TOP FREEHOUSE. Guest ales include

9-11 Cowling Brow Chorley - PR6 0QE Tel: 01257 260815

Bank Top, Reedley Hallows, Prospect, Wily Fox and many more

8 REAL ALES - 4 CHANGING WEEKLY

Live entertainment last Saturday of the month.

Sunday night quiz.

Ring Mill function room for hire.

- 10% DISCOUNT FOR CAMRA MEMBERS - BEER FESTIVALS THREE TIMES A YEAR - LIVE MUSIC EVERY WEEKEND - DOG FRIENDLY AND BEER GARDEN

Proud to sponsor Chorley Football Club

Wicket (Oxford Gold rebadged for the pub) available most of the time. There is a large beer garden and children and dogs are made welcome.

COPPULL CONSERVATIVE CLUB is now selling real ale.

There are two handpumps on

the bar, currently serving beers from Ramsbottom Craft Brewery but the intention is to have constantly changing beers from unusual suppliers. On Thursday the beer is £2.60 a pint.

Weekdays only one pump will normally be in use, two different beers at weekends. Members of the public are welcome, no need to be signed in by a member.

Opening times seem to vary day by day but it’s worth a look if you are in the area.

CHARNOCK RICHARD F.C. has now got its own branded beer from Hubsters Brewery. It is named Back Of The Net and is proving popular with customers.

Back in January we launched the Chorley Ale Trail. 6,000 leaflets were printed and most of these have now been distributed. It seems to have been popular as some licensees are reporting numbers of new faces appearing, armed with our leaflets. With one additional real ale outlet having opened since the launch, a slight redesign is called for and the new look leaflets will likely be in the Chorley pubs in the early summer.

ADRIAN SMITH

OPEN

Monday–Thursday from 3pm Friday–Sunday from 12 noon

MILL LANE, COPPULL, CHORLEY, LANCS 01257 470130

PR7 5AN

S T E WA RT G R I E V E D E S I G N LT D GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR PRINT With more than 15 years experience I offer friendly graphic design services with a keen eye for detail. Designs ranging from flyers, brochures, catalogues, and books are all assured the same commitment and creativity, guaranteeing projects exceed expectations.

w w w.stewa r tg rieve.co.uk stew@ stewa r tg rieve.co.uk 07 761 335 8 47

www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk

Ale Cry

29

Branch Diary Monday 4th June Committee Meeting at Malt‘n’Hops, Chorley (7.30) Thursday 14th June AGM at Black Horse, Preston Thursday 5th July Ale Cry Distribution Trip to Garstang, Minibus from Preston 7.15, return for 10.45 Monday 9th July Committee meeting at Market Ale House, Leyland (7.30) Saturday 14th July Lancashire Branches Social. Pub Crawl to Leyland.

Starts Leyland Lion at 12 noon.

Thursday 26th July Branch Social and Pub of the Season Presentation at Plungington Hotel, Preston

CAMRA Discount Pubs All over the country, hundreds of pubs are offering a discount to card carrying CAMRA members. These pubs deserve your support and listed below are the ones in our branch area that we believe are offering a discount.

Adelphi, Preston

10%

Ancient Oak, Cottam

20p per pint, except Mon when discount is for all customers

Anderton Arms, Fulwood

20p per pint, except Mon when discount is for all customers

Bamber Bridge Football Club

20p per pint

Bay Horse, Euxton

10%

Black Bull, Fulwood

20p per pint, except Mon when discount is for all customers

Black Bull, Penwortham

20p per pint

Bob Inn, Chorley

20p per pint

Monday 13th August Committee meeting at Wellington (Glovers Court), Preston

Broughton Inn, Broughton

20p per pint

Fleece, Penwortham

10%

Thursday 23 August Branch Social – Leyland Pub Crawl starting at Golden Tap (7.30)

Grey Friar, Preston

50p per pint using a Wetherspoon’s token

Guild (Fylde Rd), Preston

25p per pint

Horns, Goosnargh

50p per pint on Goosnargh Brewery beers

All meetings start at 8pm unless shown.

Lane Ends, Ashton

10%

Trips For further details and to book, contact Dave Linley on 07981 518506 or email dave.linley@tiscali.co.uk

Leyland Lion, Leyland

50p per pint using a Wetherspoon’s token

Nabs Head, Samlesbury

20p per pint

Old Black Bull, Preston

20p per pint off guest beers

Old Vic, Preston

50p per pint using a Wetherspoon’s token except Thu when real ale is discounted for all customers

With a print run of 6,000 and magazines available in pubs and clubs across the area and beyond, an advert in Ale Cry is probably the best value targeted advertising around.

Pear Tree, Penwortham

20p per pint

Plough, Grimsargh

20p per pint, 10p per half pint

Poachers, Bamber Bridge

10%

Advert prices

Preston Grasshoppers RFC

10%

Prince of Wales, Cowling Brow, Chorley

10%

Prince Of Wales New Market Street, Chorley

10%

Roper Hall, Preston

10%

Sir Henry Tate, Chorley

50p per pint using a Wetherspoon’s token

Smiths Arms, Lea Town

20p per pint, 10p per half pint

Tap & Vine @ 69, Penwortham

10%

Trades Hall Club & Institute, Bamber Bridge

10%

Twelve Tellers, Preston

50p per pint using a Wetherspoon’s token

Walton Fox, Bamber Bridge

20p per pint

Wellington, Ashton

Up to 25p per pint

rd

Advertising

Quarter page: £55 Half page: £95 Full page: £175 Back page: £195 (not currently available) For further details contact: editor@centrallancs.camra.org.uk

Publication Dates

The next issue of Ale Cry will be published on 1st September 2018.

Copy deadline is 1st August 2018.

Trading Standards

For complaints about issues such as short measures, contact: Lancashire County Council Trading Standards County Hall, Pitt Street Preston, PR1 0LD. T: 0345 404 0506

Wellington (Glovers Ct.), Preston 10% Wings & Beer, Preston

10%

Yates, Preston

10%

If you know of a pub offering a discount that is not listed here, or one is listed that no longer offers a discount, please let us know.

If you are a licensee and are interested in joining the scheme then please contact editor@centrallancs.camra.org.uk

30

Ale Cry

ISSUE 119 SUMMER 2018

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Or enter your details and complete the Direct Debit form below and you will receive 15 months membership for the price of 12 and save £2 on your membership subscription

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