ED's Pint

Summer Pub of the Season 2008

2008-09-15T20:12:00.002+01:00

We were all very pleased to present the Bermuda Triangle with our Summer Pub of the Season Award, pictured centre is Andy Brown, branch chair presenting the plaque to John (left) and Steve (right) who are jointly responsible for ensuring there is a great selection of ales, served in the best quality every time.

Salisbury Arms Beer Fest 11-13 July

2008-06-04T18:13:00.004+01:00

The Salisbury Arms, Purewell is holding a beer festival 11-13 July offering 13 real ales from the region and live music to keep drinkers entertained. One regular to the pub and festival tells us: "I’m looking forward to it myself as there is always a good crowd there". And it's a great venue too, check out the website for more details "All I can say is it’s a proper pub with a proper garden all you could want". So check it out if you are in the area!

Spring Pub of the Season 2008

2008-05-26T11:02:00.005+01:00

At our April meeting we had the tough task of voting for our pub of the season, as ever a close contest which was won by The Cricketers, [Wyndham Road, Bournemouth, BH1 4RN]. With the dearth of decent real pubs in Bournemouth, it is really great to have another pub serving real ale in the town and this is a real gem. It is the oldest pub in Bournemouth, dating back to 1847, the comfortable lounge area once hosted a boxing gym that was frequented by some famous names in its' time.

We made the presentation on Friday night and found it to be well worthy of the award. Three real ales were served, the standard is Fuller's London Pride, the two guests were very unusual for the area however: Celt's Golden Ale and Newmans' Last Lion of Britain, we just missed Titanic Captain smith which ran out on our arrival. All the beers were excellent, so much so that we decided not to wander on and stayed there til closing time.

Well worth a visit and close to Bournemouth Train station and travel interchange, it is a really friendly welcoming pub with all the modern stuff and lots of history too, and if you are a prog rock music buff check out some of the posters in the lounge - anyone remember Camel? Also the Sunday lunches are fantastic!! What can we say, congrats to the landlord and landlady and all the staff, and to everyone else pay The Cricketers a visit.

Wychwood taken over by Marston's

2008-04-04T09:48:00.003+01:00

While they are not the takeover merchants that pillage, plunder and take the pubs and run it means one more independent brewer is gone and a little bit less choice within Wychwood pubs as they become restricted to the Marston's list of ales; on the plus side Wychwood will appear in the Marston's tied houses - swings and roundabouts!

Thankyou Darling

2008-04-04T09:46:00.000+01:00

Oh well another budget another nail in the coffin of the traditional British pub. We have just had an increase in beer prices due to increased costs of raw materials, now a 4p increase in the budget (but you can expect to pay upto 20p). CAMRA has described the increase as a "charter for smugglers and cheap supermarket booze". CAMRA launched a campaign to adopt policies to support pubs, practically the only place where you can buy quality local beers, which play little or no part in the current wave of disorder on the streets, but the government is clearly in no mood to listen. The chancellor has not recognised that community pubs are the solution to Britain's binge drinking problems. The budget will do nothing to stop binge drinking, but will lead to pub closures on a large scale (nationally there are around 57 pubs closed permanently a month). By imposing such a large increase on the already unfair and punitive levels of tax on beer, the chancellor is driving more people out of the controlled environment of pubs and into off-licences and supermarkets. This tax increase is punishing all beer drinkers rather than the minority of drunken hooligans. This increase is fuelling Britian's binge drink problem by driving people away from beer, out of the pubs and into the supermarkets who will sell premium strength lager as a loss leader at around 22p a can, which is cheaper than bottled water. Supermarkets don't pay beer duty and they won't allow brewers to pass it on, so their rock bottom prices will remain unaffected by this tax.

Andy Brown (Chairman, East Dorset CAMRA)

Bar Alastair Darling

2008-03-22T11:14:00.002Z

Follow the lead of a pub in Neath and bar Alastair Darling for his indiscriminate tax hike on all alcohol. Now what is needed is for every pub near him to put up this poster; sadly though I can't see him in he corner of a local.

Pub of the Season: Autumn 2007

2007-11-24T13:25:00.000Z

On of the many pleasures of being an active CAMRA member is giving awards to the deserving landlords around East Dorset that consistently serve good real ale to their customers. The winner of our Autumn Pub of the Season was the Duke of Wellington in Wareham; pictured below is our Chairman Andy Brown presenting the award to Kevin the manager and landlord.

We had a great night last night, five real ales including Hopback Summer Lightning, Isle of Purbeck Fossil Fuel and Thermal Cheer, and Cottage H.S.T.; the pub was really busy, and deservedly so, though we didnt get much of a chance to really chat to Kevin as he was run off his feet and had been since 5pm: such is his success. The pub is well worth a visit for a pint or a meal and a pint as they have an excellent and extensive menu including speciality fish dishes. Call in, you wont regret it!!

Sample a Triple IPA!!

2007-11-22T17:32:00.000Z

Next Friday (30th November) The Queens Arms in Corton Denham will be holding an evening for the launch of a beer brewed with Justin from Moor Beer Co. in Ashcott. It is roughly styled a triple IPA and the first time a brewer in the UK has attempted anything of this style and gravity. Although the pub is not in Dorset the postcode is, but hope this is of interest to members who live towards the western side of East Dorset.

They already have about 10 Somerset CAMRA members coming down from Taunton and say "it should prove to be a fun filled night, lots of drinking and beer geeking!" All welcome!!!

Bowman's Brewery: Nutz in Wallops Wood

2007-11-11T14:27:00.000Z

Yesterday we had the enormous pleasure of visiting Bowman's Brewery for a visit of one of the newest microbreweries in the region and of course to present the award for Beer of the Festival. We first tasted one of Martin's brews at the Hampshire Bowman last Christmas, but discovered the full range at the Guide Dog in Southampton, a regular outlet, in Spring. Thus it was no surprise that at our bar at the New Forest Show and at Poole Beer Festival, Swift One became an instant hit with drinkers and was voted our Beer of the Festival. Pictured below is Brian presenting the award and Martin with Roger being introduced to Roger's new mascot!

Martin found his base in Wallops Wood near Droxford late lat year, then it was a barn tat had once housed battery hens, so there was a generous layer of Chicken S**t on the floor, and then used for 'urban' paint balling. With a lot of hard work from him, his business partner Ray and their friends there has been created a wonderful little brewery that produces some excellent ales. See Bowman's website for the full range and do consider a take out, it is well worth it.

After a tour with a pint of Quiver (4.5%) or Wallops Wood (4%) in hand we were treated to a first, a taste of his seasonal beer Nutz. Brewed using organic chestnuts this is something quite special. Unlike all the thick, sweet and dark winter or Christmas beers, it is very smooth, light, rich brown coloured and with a good nutty taste and aroma. The perfect complement to a Christmas dinner we reckoned. We also enjoyed some Elderado, a very tasty and light 3.5 ale with a subtle elder flower hint. Not over-powering, just perfect in fact; though normally more of a summer beer given that we spent quite some time there it was good quaffing ale to keep he day going and not too strong so we all fell over.

The whole branch would like to thank Martin for being such an excellent host and for sharing is excellent ales with us. Look out for his beers, request them at your local free house, and if travelling on the A32 nip off down the B2150, drop by and pick up a carry out, you wont regret it!

Beer of the Festival

2007-11-03T09:07:00.000Z

At Poole Beer Festival all visitors vote for their top three ales, we then count up the votes and see who won. So the top three over all are.

1. Bowman's Swift One

Already a joint award winner with South Hants and Southampton, Swift One is pale, golden and very drinkable with really excellent flavours for its strength. Nice and hoppy without being aggressive and with an appetising aroma. Bowman's is a new brewery but brewer Martin has bags of experience, visit their website for the full range of beers and look out for the write up on the branch's trip next Saturday!

2. Purple Moose's Dark Side of the Moon

Winner at Leeds and Cambridge, Dark Side of the Moose is a delicious rich, dark ale with a deep malt flavour and a fruity bitterness; great texture and aroma popular with all who try it. The name sells it of course, but Purple Moose, from Porthmadog in the shadow of Snowdonia, have found a way of standing out within the micro-brewing market while satisfying all those who try it for the name. Look out for the rest of their range which can be traditionally named such as Snowdonia Ale, or the more amusing Mysterious Myrtle Stout.

3. Suddaby's Coffee Porter

Dark, rich flavoured, lovely aroma and taste of coffee: just what you would expect really but absolutely excellent. A small brewery centred in a pub/hotel in Malton, North Yorkshire that offers a wide range of ales, the website shows much of the range but focuses on promoting the hotel; though I can imagine its a great place to stay if their beers are available!!

Congratulations to the brewers who won, but this is no reflection on those who did not. I always find voting difficult, some beers are just not for me, some are great and then I forget what it was, etc, etc. These richly deserve an award, but so did many others, thanks to all who voted!

IT TAKES ALL SORTS - to enjoy Poole Beer Festival

2007-11-02T13:53:00.000Z

The BRAS (Bournemouth university Real Ales Society) enjoy a beer or two at Poole, and terrorise some of our other guests by pointing cameras at them. Then they all went on a pub crawl and nightclubbing after-true professionals! Hope they don't mind us borrowing a couple of their photos

Poole Beer Festival 2007

2007-10-29T20:42:00.000Z

I suppose after 9 years we should be getting it right, and from comments from visitors most things went pretty well. The stats are staggering, something like 880 gallons, 7040 pints of ale, with another 576 pints of cider and perry, and not forgetting the 40-50 bottles of foreign beer, all disappeared (well there was a bit of wastage but not much!!). But we estimate that our 1650 visitors must have had about 4-5 pints each, well done each and every one of you!!

There was some great beer around. My favourites were York Brewery's Yorkshire Terrier and Bowman's Quiver (so I'm really looking forward to visiting Bowmans Brewery on Nov 10th!!!). We're not sure who won beer of the festival yet, Brian is having a well earned rest before counting the votes - but we'll let you know as soon as he has the results. Bet it was Brewdog's Paradox, interesting idea to have an ale fermented in whisky casks, result though was the strong taste of burnt wood - not for me!!

The charity, Friends of Fernmount, did well this year. We know they were donated just over £400 in tokens at the end of the sessions, thanks!!

I forgot my camera - yes, berk, I know - if anyone has any good photos they would like to see on here email them over to edcamra.pub@ntlworld.com we have some and we will get some into the next EDition: in pubs about January time.

Last bit for now - one ladies coat, size 14, was found at the festival. Send me an email and I'll post it or if local collect the pint reward!

More soon, now festival is over have time to add the last lot of articles and update the site. ED!!

Branch Meeting 28th Sept 2007

2007-09-20T19:24:00.001+01:00

Venue Change!!!

No longer at The Antelope, Wareham

Now at The Black Boar, Wareham

See you all there

Wrong gimmick?

2007-08-24T13:20:00.000+01:00

A fascinating debate is played out on the Guardian blog, it focuses on the introduction of the third pint stemmed glass introduced at the Great British Beer Festival to encourage more females to drink real ale (follow link for post)

Is this the answer, or is one contributor's remark much closer to the truth when SHE says "Real ale is for real people and those who feel they can only order it if it is served up in a fancy glass, quite frankly, don't deserve it,"?

My other half prefers pints, so it wouldn't be a great selling poitn to her that's for sure

Watch out for Nutbrook

2007-08-21T15:39:00.000+01:00

With breweries selling up, closing down etc, its great to hear good news. Here is some from Derby. A Father and son are turning their brewing hobby into a business after successfully selling their top tipples to pubs. Chris Richards, 22, financed the building of a micro-brewery in the garage of his family's home in December. And now with his father, Dean, 53, he has applied for planning permission to make the Nutbrook Brewery, in Hallam Way, West Hallam, permanent. Chris said the business had been successful because of the custom-made ales it sold. The operation produces about eight barrels of ale a week, each of which makes a £40 profit. Chris said: "We found our own niche in the market. We brew the ales in single batches so they are unique and sell them to pubs and festivals".CAMRA is the biggest customer - Woohoo campaigning at its best

Their ales are Oak's Ale for the local Seven Oaks Restaurant, and Banter Bitter, a five-percent pint that's halfway between a lager and a bitter, sorry it may be too late to get some for Poole this year but in the future hopefully we'll get a barrel!

The dangers of beer (and bear)

2007-08-21T15:33:00.000+01:00

A 23-year old Serb was found dead and half-eaten in the bear cage of Belgrade Zoo at the weekend during the annual beer festival. The man was found naked, with his clothes lying intact inside the cage. Two adult bears, Masha and Misha, had dragged the body to their feeding corner and reacted angrily when keepers tried to recover it. "There's a good chance he was drunk or drugged. Only an idiot would jump into the bear cage," zoo director Vuk Bojovic told Reuters. Local media reported that police found several mobile phones inside the cage, as well as bricks, stones and beer cans.

For all those people who, after a long day at a beer festival, wake up in their own bed with a minor sense of surprised re-orientation; there is always one.

Summer Pub Of The Season

2007-07-28T09:32:00.001+01:00

At our meeting last night we voted on the Pub of the Season;

Nominees were (in alphabetical order):

Brewhouse, Poole

Duke of Wellington, Wareham

Railway, Blandford

Shoulder of Mutton, Kinson, Nr Bournemouth

Vine, Pamphill, Nr Wimborne

All superb pubs, all deserving to win, but it was The Railway Hotel on Oakfield Street in Blandford that triumphed. We will present the plaque to Nigel on Saturday 1st September and everyone is welcome to come along ro help congratualte him on his success. We will get there around 6-7pm (buses permitting)

Hopback for sale?

2007-07-28T09:18:00.000+01:00

On the site of commercial property agent Avondale is the following advertisement:

Offers invited
Independent Brewery & Public House EstateS. England - • Leading Independent Real Ale Cask Brewery - • Estate comprising 13 leasehold and freehold public houses - • Wholesale drinks supplier - • Known brand names supported by trademark - • Turnover of circa £5M and a gross profit of 49% - • Team of multifunctional, experienced staff - • Operates from brewery site, with offices, yard and warehousing.

This is a rare opportunity to purchase a leading, well established, independent real ale brewery with its own public house estate. Ale is supplied in casks to national pub chains as well as regional independents. Well known brands are supported by limited seasonal brews under the company’s distinctive brand name and this is supported by trademark. Additionally the business wholesales spirits, beers, lagers, ciders, wines and soft drinks to the catering industry... this is therefore an ideal opportunity for a new owner manager or alternatively for an existing brewery/public house estate to increase its product line/portfolio.

We were told at the New Forest Show that the brewery in question is Hopback and the spec seems to fit sort of. As far as I know they have 11 pubs, but there may be a couple not on their site that they own the freehold of. Does anyone have further info??

Ringwood Brewery Sold To Marston's!

2007-07-12T18:18:00.000+01:00

Marston's PLC bought Hampshire-based Ringwood Brewery Ltd for £19.2 mln and the brewery's seven freehold pubs including East Dorset's current Pub of the Year The Porterhouse. News of this is all over the web already, though curiously no mention is made on the Ringwood Brewery website.

Marston's have said quite a lot about the deal. A statement by Alistair Darby, managing director of Marston's, comments that this takeover "is consistent with its strategy of developing a portfolio of well-established premium regional beer brands to complement its core range led by Pedigree. It said it fits well with its recent purchase of the Eldridge Pope estate and strengthens the company's position in the South of England." If you look at the former Dorchester brewery, once home of Eldridge Pope, and the beer quality in some former Eldridge Pope pubs, that does not sound awfully promising.

Darby continues: "We plan to develop (Ringwood's) excellent brands as part of our strategy to meet consumer demand for premium ales with local provenance and heritage. Our premium ale business continues to deliver good, consistent growth and we look forward to replicating the success of the Jennings business through Ringwood in the South of England".

The fear here is that choice is going to be limited once again. Ringwood beers may continue but will the quality and standards be maintained? Jennings beers have survived, so perhaps a good sign, but Eldridge Pope are off the map. More worrying for us in Dorset is the choice in the pub. Both The Porterhouse and The Boot in Weymouth are renowned for having a guest beer, many from micro-breweries. Does this takeover mean that the 'guests' will be all Marston's and Jennings beers; fine but bad for the micro-brewer and the interesting ales that enjoy fewer and fewer outlets beyond Beer Festivals.

Blandford Railway Beer Festival

2007-07-10T21:19:00.000+01:00

On a cold, wet and windy Bank Holiday Monday (what else would you expect for a Public Holiday!!), we set off for the bus to Blandford, and the Railway Hotel’s 3rd Beer Festival.. Bearing in mind, we had arrived back in Blighty the previous day, after some serious campaigning in Prague, (we would write it up but after sampling absinth and a strange concoction made with mead and honey none of us can remember! ED) hence only a few of us made the trip!!

On arrival at the Railway, we headed into the skittle room where the bar had been set up and was showcasing an impressive range of 40+ beers and ciders from Dorset, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and the Channel Islands. Ah decisions, decisions—where to start !!

Always taking the sensible option (no sniggering Ed!!), I began the day with a lovely Keltek 4K Mild, and we went to take refuge in the main bar, hiding from the rain !! We managed to find a seat and began to peruse the festival programme. A great selection with several different styles and strengths to suit all tastes. The ones I sampled were Abbey Ales Mild, Blackawton 44 Special, Otter Bright, St. Austell Black Prince, and South Hams Porter (A quiet day out then?? ED). It was also great to see Badger’s nettle beer Stinger in cask, normally this is only available in bottles, so we had to have a taste. If all goes to plan, we’re hoping to have this on at Poole Beer Festival, so hopefully you can all have a try too!!

If you have never ventured into The Railway you should, they usually have a range of four interesting ales, they also have a selection of screens where you can often watch more than one of the big sporting events, and they have an interpub quiz going on all day, just pick up a handset from a table and join in! Hence it attracts a wide clientele and is popular into the wee hours of the day. When we were there, it coinciding with Blandford’s Georgian Fair the pub was buzzing, even attracting a few Morris dancers. After performing earlier, they decided to wind down over several beers.

Being reliant on public transport (and making sure we allowed enough time to get back to the bus stop, one step forward, 2 steps back, you know the scenario!!) we sadly only had a few hours at the festival. Hopefully next year, we’ll be able to spend a little more time there, and not have to cut the afternoon off so sharply.

I thoroughly recommend an outing here if you get the chance next year. It always coincides with May Day Bank Holiday, so put the date in your diary folks! But, find time to pop in at other times as well, for example we meet there 29th June! If you are lucky enough to live nearby, the pub also stays open until the last person stops drinking !!

Many thanks to Nigel, family and staff for organising another great festival

Tree

Up North’ - Journals From A Trip – Part 2

2007-07-04T17:31:00.000+01:00

Not so long ago in a county a few hundred miles away……

Having conquered the pubs of Stockport, myself and twelve other drinking troopers are ready to move on to Manchester and in particular the National Winter Ale Festival. Porters, Stouts and other winter warming ales awaited but the toils of the previous days activities created a disturbance in the force……..

Another day, another dawn and another fuzzy head! Memories of the previous afternoon’s jollities around the pubs of Stockport swam through my mind and they all seemed to contain drink in them somewhere. Even Charlie, my parent’s dog seemed to take pity on our plight and stop his barking for a while! Finding the courage to venture out from under my duvet, a shower and my mums fried breakfast had soon sorted us out and it was off to find the bus to take us into Manchester. Text messages were soon reaching us which not only confirmed that the others had found their hotel last night but that they had all managed to get up at a reasonable hour and set off into Manchester before us. They had even found time to call at The Circus Tavern, a tiny Tetley’s pub on their way to the festival!

After a little confusion and a short stop at a coffee shop, we managed to find The New Century Hall, the venue for this year’s event and we made our way inside. The festival is split between two floors and offers a wide range of ales, not just those of the dark wintry warming variety as one might expect. The selection of old ales, milds, porters and stouts were, none the less, much more in evidence than you would expect at many other festivals and we settled down to try and sample a good selection of them. Particular personal favourites with me were Sarah Hughes’ Snowflake and Fuller’s London Porter which notably won the Stouts and Porters category and took the Silver Medal for the supreme champion beer. It is such a shame that this fabulous Porter is rarely seen in any of Fuller’s pubs and I hope that they are taking note of these awards. Green Jack’s Ripper (a barley wine) took the Supreme Champion beer of the festival but it had run out by the time of our visit so none of us were able to try it, maybe one for next time. After spending a very pleasant few hours at the festival, we decided it was time to try a few of the pubs around Manchester, the first of which being a mere stagger away.

Passing the currently closed (lets hope not for long) Beerhouse we arrived at The Marble Arch with the Marble Brewery situated at the back of it. This is a small pub which was understandably very busy due to its close proximity to the festival; however this did not detract from the splendour of the tiled frontage and interior, vaulted ceiling and slightly odd sloping floor. A small seating area at the rear offered views of the brewing coppers and fermenting vessels. A good selection of guest beers complemented the full range of Marble Brewery offerings, Ginger Marble and Port Stout being particularly notable – look out for these at Poole Beer Festival in October – and after enjoying a very pleasant drink whilst discovering that the relief landlord had once managed The Central in Lower Parkstone (spooky, huh?), it was time to carry on around Manchester.

A long walk through the centre of Manchester brought us to the Briton’s Protection, a multi-roomed inventory listed pub offering Cheshire Gold and Burn’s Auld Sleekit for our thirsty walkers. With early evening setting in and news of another defeat for Charlton (sorry, Roger!) filtering through to us we moved on to the nest pub, Peveril of The Peak (so famous there is even a picture in Manchester’s Art Gallery, see below). Isolated between two main roads and surrounded by high rise buildings, the location of this pub is a little unusual to say the least, a description which can also be extended to the interior with its maze of little rooms around a central bar. Sadly the table football was broken but one of the rooms at least contained a pool table and having acquired our drinks from a choice of Deuchars IPA, Golden Pippin, Black Sheep Best and Bombardier we settled down to display our pool playing prowess to a few of the locals………well ok, we’d had a lot to drink………the table is slower than the one’s we usually play on…….and it slopes to one end……..maybe it was time for something to eat and soak up all this beer!

Luckily (or did I plan it!?) we were a mere stones throw away from an area for which Manchester is becoming famous; a short bus ride took us into Rusholme and its curry mile. We were soon munching on poppadoms and indulging in some very good curry before it was time to make our way to the last pub of the day, The Sandbar. Being close to the university, there is a very student influence throughout the many rooms of this pub and we certainly weren’t the youngest people in the place on this particular evening! (Some of us never are, mentioning no names, ED) Abbeydale Absolution, Pheonix All Saints and Moorhouse’s Premium made up the selection of ales at the bar although our full stomachs and the fact that the weekend was catching up with us was by now taking up much of our attention. Having visited fourteen pubs, a national ale festival and a curry house in two days it was time to catch the bus home for some much needed sleep!

Thankfully everyone at the hotel was up bright and breezy for their trips back down the M6 while I took the opportunity to have Sunday lunch with my family, taking Dusty, Tree and Roger with us to The Sportsman’s Arms at Strines. With an ever changing selection of ales (York Breweries Yorkshire Terrier and Pictich Brewers Gold when we were there), this pub offers great views down the valley into Marple and a pleasurable couple of hours was spent there with my sister’s young children as extra entertainment!

Sadly all good things come to an end and with snow starting to fall we set off on our journey back home, although I’m sure it won’t be too long before I’m asked to arrange another pub crawl around my home town again!?

Meanwhile, Luke and Hans Solo were on their way to……….oh no, that’s a different story!

Steve

Drink Real Ale, Crazy Fool!

2007-07-01T17:38:00.000+01:00

CAN YOU TELL WHO IT IS YET?

BAMBERG DAY 4

2007-07-01T15:32:00.000+01:00

The day dawned bright and sunny and strong coffee was the order of the day and what better place is enjoy this then in the shadow of the Altes Rathaus (city hall) built on its own little island in the middle of the Regnitz River the original half timbered building with the gothic exhibition centre on the left with it’s three dimensional cherub mural whilst watching the world go by. Dominating the Bamberg skyline are the four massive towers of city’s cathedral which is the first stop on our cultural tour being Sunday we can only peep inside the 11th century building.

We continue walking up past two palaces both former residences of the Bishops of Bamberg, the half timbered Old Court built in the 15th century and the 17th century New Residence with it’s baroque wings and surrounding rose garden from which we have a stunning view of the whole town. After a pit stop we reach the Seehof Palace with it’s large cascade and 18th century orangery.

It’s time for lunch so we head back down to the town meeting up with the rest of our party in Bamberg’s newest brewpub the Ambrausianum opened in August 2004 and selling draught hell, dunkel and weizen a long narrow bar with light wooden tables on the right which give the bar a nice cheery look. The pasta was good and substantial the beer acceptable well they have another few hundred years to catch up with the rest of the town.

We head off down to the river and decide to enjoy a boat trip we embark by the granary and enjoy a cooling ice cream, ok some had a rauchbier. The first part of the trip was interesting passing the old fisherman’s cottages that literally are built on the rivers edge we then pass through a large lock and that is where the scenery ends as we are now in the industrial part of the town by the stoneworks, enough said. (at least we missed out the sewage works, ED)

Back in town more refreshment is required with a little help from our map we find the Klosterbrau with outside tables and inviting sunshades. Draught beers Bamberger gold (pils) schwarzla (black lager) and the amber braunbier. Gastsatte is the oldest brewery dating back to 1533.We are amazed to see a elderly lady on the next table knock back a full stein, must be good beer so we stop for another to confirm the point and yes it was excellent.

As this was our last evening in Bamberg all agreed that we would head towards the beer gardens for a relaxing evening and a final few beers. First port of call is the Maisel-Keller with it’s rustic tables and horse chestnut trees for shade and a refreshing glass of Bamberger weisse. The extensive garden is close to the brewery who used to store or lager the beer in the hills for summer consumption.

A short hike up the hill is the 800 seat Special-Keller. By now it seems that the whole of Bamberg is enjoying the beer and the superb view of the city below. We find a vacant table and krugs of rauchbier arrive courtesy of a friendly waitress, although not friendly enough to offer summer lodgings to Robin the radler drinker (ginger beer to you and me). This is the perfect place to end our short trip to Bamberg, a packed beer garden with young and old enjoying a Sunday evening drink.

A great place with friendly people who enjoy a beer and drink plenty but in a responsible way long may Bamberg continue to prosper.
P.S. What is the German for the platform of the train to Frankfurt Airport has changed. (I think it was schisse, ED!)

Rog, International Correspondent

BRISTOL BEER FESTIVAL

2007-07-01T15:28:00.000+01:00

We started our visit to the 10th Bristol Beer Festival a day earlier to ensure we were in prime condition for the tasting ahead. Our first stop was close to Temple Meads Station just a ten minute walk, where we popped in for a lunch time pick me up at the Hidden Brewery’s new and only their second pub,- the very old Cornubia, created by converting two Georgian town houses- looking very fresh following re decoration and it didn’t take long until we were refreshed by their superb porter Hidden Depths and a new one for us Hidden Strength.

We had to limit ourselves however as we were meeting our daughter & son in law at the CAMRA award winning Hare on the Hill conveniently just a 100 yards from their front door in Cotham. We spent the evening sampling Bath Ale’s –Festivity, Rare and Wild Hare, not to mention one lady’s predilection for fruity Belgian beer. Obviously been spending too much time in Roger’s company!

Next day not so bright or fortunately early we made our way to the festival lunch time session at the amazing Brunel passenger shed. The central part of Bristol’s Victorian railway heritage and a very large space adjoining Temple Meads station. Ideal to accommodate a beer festival and it had no difficulty containing the 120 beers, 40 ciders and parries as well as the all important pasty stand.

Yeah but you will say what did you drink. No buts about it to our credit we managed an impressive range of the beers on offer,- with specialists in mild- Sarah Hughes, champions , Crouch Vales Brewers Gold as well as Triple F’s Moondance, as well as a massive selection of West Country beers; St Austell and all the Bristol based brewers.

The event was clearly a huge success sold out months in advance, appealing to a wide audience, It was especially pleasing to see lots of young people enjoying real ales, obviously from the University, a good breeding ground to encourage camra membership. Apparently there were 76 different real ales still available when the festival closed at the end of the final session on Saturday night, which would never have happened if East Dorset had been there mob heavy. We tried our best, - promise.

The results of the Beer and Cider/Perry of the festival competitions were: 1st: Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout; 2nd: Cairngorm Trade Winds; 3rd: Bath Ales Rare Hare. Cider/Perry of the Festival: Winner: Holders Perry; Runner Up: Wilkins Sweet Cider. Unfortunately did not get to taste them all but will try again next year. Our thanks to Bristol Camra for a superb festival.

Trev & Sue Thwaites

Our disappearing history

2007-06-30T14:03:00.000+01:00

Whilst keeping a watching eye regarding the planning application to demolish The Cockleshell (left) in Lagland Street, Poole and replace with a 5 storey block of 10 flats I stumbled across the reason for the strange name. The Cockleshell Heroes were a small group of hand picked marines who in 1942 led by Major Hasler carried out a daring raid on enemy shipping by paddling canoes deep into enemy territory. Of the 5 boats who set out only 2 made the gruelling 70 mile journey down the perilous River Gironde with its ferocious currents to plant their specially designed ‘limpet’ mines on the enemy ships moored in Bordeaux harbour. Of the 10 men who set out only 2 survived, the rest were either drowned or captured and shot as saboteurs. The link with Poole and the pub is that the 2 men folding canoes, or ‘cockles’, designed to store the mines during the journey were made in Poole and both men and canoes were immortalised in the 1955 film ‘Cockleshell Heroes’.

At time of going to press we thought the pub would be no more as Primetower Properties’ application to build a five-storey block of flats on the site was showing as having been decided on March 30th 2007, but it was not accepted. One reason given was that "the proposed demolition of this buildign of local importance will have a prejudicial impact on the architectural and historic character and appearance of the locality..." (p. 5)

The Swan Inn, on the Quay, is also under threat. Decisions are still to be made but Pegasus Planning Group may be likely to gain permission to build a new block of flats adjoining the current development on Poole Quay. The latest plans do hold out some hope that whilst the building will still be demolished it is now the Pegasus’s intention to reuse the tiled façade within the new development. How much of the tile work and exactly if it will be accessible is not very clear from the drawings but hopefully the two elegant tubelined swans with their beaks full of swag and the Marston’s Poole Ales signage will be retained.

BLACK COUNTRY BREWING—DAY ONE

2007-06-30T10:04:00.000+01:00

One of the good points about attending the National Members Weekend is the chance to visit a nearby brewery organised by the hosting branch, well 2007 was a bumper day with a chance to visit 12 breweries in and around Wolverhampton and Dudley.

An excellent guide was produced by the local branch giving bus/tram routes and where to alight and how to get to the brewery, It was a chance not to be missed. With my £3.00 all day bus ticket I headed for Wolverhampton Bus Station and before long was heading along the A4123. My first stop, Holden's Brewery, is in Woodsetton a 5 minute walk from the main road. The brewery is situated alongside the Park Inn and was purchased in 1915 by Edwin Holden as a brewpub and over the years the brewery expanded to adjoining buildings which had been previously used as a maltstore by Atkinsons Brewery. Although it was only 11am a quick half of mild was called for before being shown around by a retired brewer who had worked at Holdens for 40 years. The brewery was a mixture of old and new with a keen regard for cleanliness and it soon became evident that brewing was still carried out in a very traditional way using whole fuggles hops with the beer being fermented in open vessels. The company has slowly been expanding with a small bottling plant and the acquisition of 2 more pubs taking the estate to 21 pubs which necessitates brewing 5 days a week, with several pubs having their beer delivered in 36 gallons barrels . The 9,000 brewing capacity has recently seen a new innovation with the introduction of seasonal beers which complement the traditional Mild, (3.7%), Black Country Bitter (3.9%), (Golden Glow (4.4%) and Special Bitter (5.1%).Time for a pint in the lovingly restored Victorian Park Inn, a wonderful start to the day.

In the evening we were taken to a suburb of Dudley for another brewery visit. So after a quick walk back into Brierley Hill and back to Dudley Bus Station I headed for Netherton and door to door service as the bus drops you right outside The Olde Swan pub. This is better known as Ma Pardoe’s after the matriarch that ran the pub for ages. The pub has been licensed since 1835, but had a bumpy ride in the 1980’s after the Pardoe family sold it. After several changes of landlord, Punch Taverns carried out a major refurbishment including the purchase of the shop next door and this now magnificent pub is back in all it’s former glory catering for beer lovers as well offering an extensive food menu.

At the back of the pub is the small Olde Swan brewery built in 1830. It too had a few ups and downs with brewing stopping between 1993 and 2001, but happily all is now well and the seven barrel plant is being looked after by a dedicated team. The original brewery was coal fired which meant that maintaining the correct brewing temperature was a problem. Hence, when brewing recommenced it took a while for the old the wooden vessels to seal , in particular the wooden fermenting vessel which leaked like a sieve before the wood swelled and sealed the leaks.

The original Mild Ale (3.5%) is a rare example of a light mild and is still based on the original Ma Pardoe’s staple brew, and only £1.70 a pint. Dark Swan (4.2%) is a smooth mild using roasted grain. Entire (4.4%) brought over by the previous brewer from Holt, Plant and Deakin has now gained a well deserved reputation as a Black Country speciality namely a strong amber mild and the latest beer Bumble Hole (5.2%) a copper coloured beer with sweet malt flavour balanced by a hoppy aftertaste. They were all delicious and it was well worth a visit. All that remained was to thank the local branch for organising a smashing day and retire to the pub.

P.S. The bus home passes close to another legendary black country drinking hole the Beacon Hotel in Sedgley so needing a comfort break the pull of Sarah Hughes’ Dark Ruby Mild (6%) proved impossible to resist but that’s another story. Rog

Beer Fest, Bournemouth, this weekend

2007-06-18T07:39:00.000+01:00

Plastic Glasses may be imposed by police

2007-06-08T14:54:00.000+01:00

Plans are being considered to introduce only plastic glasses. Now while this may be a good idea for the pubs that suffer from bad behaviour, but a blanket ban on the beloved glass seems unnecessary. So, if you too think that pubs should have the choice and you want to drink your beer from a glass then please sign this petition: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/plasticglass

Spring Pub of the Season

2007-05-24T15:06:00.000+01:00

At our April meeting we voted for our Spring Pub of the Season; the pubs nominated were:

Cock & Bottle, East Morden
Crown & Anchor, Wimborne
Royal Oak, Kinson
Saxon, Child Okeford
Shoulder of Mutton, Bear Cross

The winner of what turned out to be a very close contest was The Royal Oak at Kinson. On Wimborne Road in the heart of Kinson’s shopping area, and at the entrance to Somerfield's car park, this is a thriving locals pub often ignored; this is a mistake. Dave and Angie the landlord and landlady have Ringwood Best, Sharp's Doom Bar and Wychwood Hobgoblin as regulars and ensure there is usually a guest ale on tap, when I visited to take the photo it was Hidden Fantasy.

We will be presenting the award on June 23rd, planning to arrive around 6.30 and presenting the plaque roughly 7.30. All are welcome so do drop in and raise your glass to Dave, Angie and all the staff and thank them for doing a great job.

Love at first taste?

2007-05-22T13:11:00.000+01:00

A tale of requited love, almost religious fervour, and one man's conversion to the amber nectar that is real ale; this story from Cambridge Evening News:

ALL it took was one sip. The moment real ale passed his lips, Paul Ainsworth knew there was no going back: his days of lager drinking were over. Now the publicity manager of the Cambridge branch of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, Paul remembers supping that first pint like it was yesterday (Sunday, 20 May). "It was 1980 and I was in the Cambridge Arms," he recalls.

"In those days I was a lager drinker; I wasted my drinking youth . . . I was having a drink with a work colleague, who was gurgling ecstatically through a pint of Abbot Ale. I thought: "This chap is enjoying his beer much more than I am. Perhaps there is something in this real ale after all... Up till then, I'd dismissed it as a bit of a fad; a bit pretentious. I thought all beer tasted the same. But I allowed my friend to buy me a pint of Abbot. After a few sips I saw the light - and there was no going back." "The people who founded CAMRA didn't want Britain to lose something which was part of its culture; they wanted to protect this wonderful brew so people could continue to enjoy it in the future. Along with protecting and promoting real ale, they also wanted to safeguard the British pub; over the whole country, 56 pubs a month are being lost

How does CAMRA spread the word? "In Cambridge, one of the main ways we spread our message about the joys of real ale is by holding summer and winter beer festivals," says Paul, who works for the county council as communications and customer relations manager.

Taking place every year in the last week of May, the summer festival is held on Jesus Green. "It's the oldest beer festival in the country," Paul enthuses. "It was the very first one to be held, back in 1973 - it's now in its 34th year. It is also the third largest beer festival in Britain, after the national one and Peterborough. Last year we had 30,000 visitors over the six days.

"A lot of people who come along don't normally drink real ale, so we try and convince them it's better than whatever they do normally drink! Breweries come from all over to have a stand; it's a great shop window for real ales."

The winter event was introduced eight years ago. "That's a much smaller festival," explains Paul, who lives in Over with his wife Jane. "The focus is on winter ales which tend to be darker, stronger and more warming. It's held in the University Sports and Social Club on Mill Lane and, like the summer festival, it's really popular - we get people queuing round the block to get in." So does Paul have a favourite tipple? "I like golden ales," he says. "If pushed, I think I'd have to say my favourite is Oakham JHB - Jeffrey Hudson Beer (named after the country's smallest man, who was born and raised in Oakham, Rutland). It's brewed in Peterborough and is full of character. But my favourite tends to change, week to week. I'm very fickle!"

For more information about Cambridge CAMRA and the Cambridge beer festival, which starts today (Monday, 21 May), visit their website.

Mashed Ads!

2007-05-21T20:22:00.000+01:00

These were sent, they should not be seen as representative of anyone's view in particular; I just thought we should share them ;-)

Addictive Game

2007-05-21T18:57:00.000+01:00

Here's a bit of fun, very addictive, and how they got the drunk that far I will never know!!

http://mistux2.com/misgroup/funnies/drunk/help_the_drunk_get_home.php

Enjoy, ED!!!

New Wetherspoons pub on the way

2007-05-15T22:36:00.000+01:00

The site of G&Ts in Winton could soon become the latest Wetherspoons in the Bournemouth area. The pub company are keen on building relations with CAMRA, are sponsoring Bar Nouveau at this year’s GBBF, where the newest ales are showcased, and also want your feedback. There is a feedback form on their main page. They are responsible for building interest in real ale but only if it’s good—so get typing if you have any comments you would like to make on their service or any part of the Wetherspoon experience.

Salisbury Pub Crawl

2007-04-18T10:57:00.000+01:00

Every year, just before Christmas, ED CAMRA have the tradition of going to Salisbury for a festive pub crawl. I say festive, we didn't wear hats or wish each other a festive noel, so I suppose really it is just an excuse for another pub crawl! (as if we need one, ED!). Salisbury is a fantastic place for a pub tour, most of the pubs are spread out allowing you to walk off some of the beer between stops (well that was the plan anyway!), and the range of beers and styles of pub is just wonderful.

So we arrived on the X3 bus and stepped off into the bustle of the High Street and proceeded to wind our way through the city towards our first stop The Village Freehouse. This is arguably one of the best pubs in Salisbury for real ale with most of the beers chosen by the people who drink it; the customers! On offer today was a beer from a nearby brewery, ‘3 Castles’ near Pewsey; at 4.3% it seemed a good place to start and it turned out to be a wise choice. There was bags of flavour and left your taste buds wanting more; three pints later we managed to force ourselves to leave.

Next stop was Deacons, a friendly traditional drinker’s pub where Hopback GFB, Summer Lightening and Sharp’s Doom Bar were on offer and in good form. At this point our merry group splintered as some of the men folk were dragged off shopping (Language, ED!!); luckily some of us managed to avoid this fate and strode off in the direction of our next port of call. After wandering around the city we managed to find our next pub The Winchester Gate (at no time were we lost, we are men we do not get lost!). On pump there we found Deuchars XPA, a welcome surprise. This busy local was a bit too busy on this occasion so we decided to our next but by no means our last hostelry: The Wyndham Arms.

The Wyndham was the birthplace of Hopback, now located out in Downton, this is a cracking pub and no visit to Salisbury would be complete without a few beers in this local CAMRA pub of 2006. We were spoilt for choice with Hopback GFB, Crop Circle, Spring Zing, Red Ember and Summer Lightning, and Mighty White, a beer from another local brewery brewed in support of Salisbury Football team. Our group reformed here and thirsty shoppers slaked their thirst before pushing onto our final destination The Rai D’or.

The Rai D’or is an historic freehouse dating back to 1292 when it was the heart of the medieval red light district. It is a lovely pub which now also serves excellent Thai food. The beer was superb with Rye Smile from Downton and Vale from Three Castles brewery that we had enjoyed at the beginning of the day. Thankfully Wilts & Dorset have been good enough to put a bus stop outside (PHEW!) so we stepped out of the pub and onto the bus for home: the end of a very pleasant day! If you are thinking of following our crawl, all the pubs can be found in the 2007 Good Beer Guide but I would recommend taking a map! Salisbury apparently is famous for other things as well as good ale, its got some sort of big church and some crumbly buildings, and shops if you like that sort of thing, but I recommend having a pint or two first.

Cheers, Dan Griffiths

ED CAMRA Pubs of the year 2006

2007-04-18T10:26:00.000+01:00

Every year we award four Pub of the Season awards, and out of the one is awarded the outright winner of Pub of the Year. However, this year we were unable to separate the top tow and so we now have joint winners. This means we had to do two presentations, and so have a drink in each (that was a nightmare), but we are proud to announce that Parkstone’s Bermuda Triangle and Westbourne’s Porterhouse each get the title. Additional to our Pub of the Year, we also give out a Rural Pub of the Year award, this year we decided this should go to The Bankes Arms at Studland. Presentations were made at the Bankes Arms on 17th February and we visited both the Bermuda Triangle and Porterhouse on March 31st. We suggest anyone visiting the area visit these pubs, along with others of course, they do a fantastic job and need every bit of encouragement!
The Bankes Arms at Studland is the home of the Isle of Purbeck brewery and holds an annual beer festival in August which offers 100+ beers. A real gem it offers four Isle of Purbeck and up to seven guest ales, has an extensive food menu including local fish and venison and there are rooms available. Apart from the ales, of course, and the wonderful ivy covered rustic charm of the pub, its best feature is the beer garden which is on the cliff top over looking Poole Bay and Old Harry Rocks; this makes it very popular with walkers and tourists. Above Hamish (second from right), head brewer, accepts the award on behalf of the pub.
The Bermuda Triangle on Parr Street in Lower Parkstone is a fascinating little pub that offers four ever changing guest ales that usually range from 3.8, 4.2-5, 4.5-5% and one strong ale. It is a real mecca for ale lovers and a popular meeting place for visitors to music venue Mr Kyps. Its memorabilia is also worth browsing while enjoying your pint, especially the aeroplane wing suspended from the ceiling. It is also popular with sports fans, and you can go there and watch football, rugby, even the Boat Race; though the pub offers quiet areas and drinking nooks to satisfy all. John and Steve (pictured above centre accepting the award) are in charge of keeping the beers in top condition and also ensuring there is something for everyone on offer; great job guys!!
The Porterhouse, Poole Road, Westbourne, was recently taken over by Jon and Andrea Blackie who have maintained its reputation as an excellent ale house. This pub is a long standing favourite of the branch, mainly due to its central location but mainly because of the interesting guest beers on offer. The pub is owned by Ringwood Brewery and offering their full range but it is the one ever changing guest ale that is the draw for real ale officianados. The Porterhouse is a no-nonsense community pub that attracts a very diverse clientele who enjoy the quiet friendly atmosphere, playing cards and board games and supping a good pint. It also serves good pub grub during the daytime, so it makes an ideal stopping off point for visitors having a wander through Westbourne to or from the beaches. Above, Jon, Andrea and their son Nathan receive the award from our Chairman Andy Brown.

Dorchester Beer Festival

2007-04-18T10:19:00.000+01:00

One of our favourite trips of the year is on the first Saturday of February as its the time when many of our members of the branch catch the train to Dorchester and make our way to the Corn exchange in the High St, not only to sample the fifty or so beers and ciders that are on offer, but its nice to see our friends from the West Dorset branch.

This is a well established festival that started in 1988, and run not only by West Dorset CAMRA but by the local branch of the Round Table. Many of the beers are sponsored by local companies and businesses so as well as making sure everyone is enjoying themselves they raise a lot of money for local charities. The main sponsor for the forth year running is Dorset Brewing Company (formerly Quay brewery), a superb (newish) brewery who produce some fine beers, at least four beers of which were on offer.

Most of us arrived not long after opening time and once you open the programme there is a serious decision to make, which of these beers do I try first? There are loads to try and some I've never heard of like Blue Moor (George Wright, Liverpool), Brass Knocker (Matthews, Somerset), Pig Brook (North Cotswolds, Warwicks) and Glaslyn Ale (Purple Moose, Wales) to name but a few. There were also some firm favourites from beer festivals, a few of which have graced our local bars, this makes our choice even more difficult. The staff work very hard to keep all our thirsts in check (pictured is Richard, an ever smiling presence behind their bar)

Teresa, suffering from having just arrived after a thirteen hour flight from Johannesburg tried to play safe; she failed! Robin meanwhile hit the cider and the day went downhill for him from there. But we all had several pints and had a fantastic day (Cheers West Dorset!!). After much sampling, much talking and a lot of fun we finally had to leave (Boo Hoo). What shall we do now some fool asked? Well Tom Brown's (Goldfinch brewery brew pub) and the Blue Raddle (West Dorset CAMRA pub of the year) are open, and they are only about 100 yds from the festival (Hooray). There is a god. So off we went!!

Look out for Dorchester in Whats Brewing or EDs Pint, or even on the BBC, usually its early February, and join us for a great day out. Andy Brown

Up North’' - Part 1

2007-04-18T10:05:00.000+01:00

January, perhaps not the best time of year for not only heading north but heading to somewhere that is better known for its rain (and in January, snow!) than it is for its short winter breaks. Or so you might think…….

Since becoming responsible for organising our branches social activities it has been suggested many times that I take the more intrepid members of our branch back to my home town routes for a tour/pub crawl/stagger around some of the fine pubs that are to be found in Stockport and the fact that we could combine this with a visit to the National Winter Ale Festival in nearby Manchester was an opportunity that could not be missed. So it was that on the morning of the 19th January, thirteen of us set off ‘up North’ to the home of Robinson’s brewery and the breaker of many a fine man, Old Tom. This could turn into a long and very hazy weekend!

Having all arrived safely after our treks up the M40 and M6, we made the short walk to the first pub of the day which was The Nursery Inn, a Hyde’s pub in Heaton Norris. While I remember this national inventory pub as being the place we called at after taking the dogs for a walk on Heaton Norris wreck on a Sunday afternoon, some of you may recall this being CAMRA’s National Pub of The Year in 2001. As everyone filled their glasses from the choice of Hyde’s Mild, Bitter, Jeckylls Gold and Winter Warmer some could be seen heading for the corners of the pub with deep frowns crossing their brow. ‘Was that right?’ said one, re-checking the change in their pocket. ‘I think the bar lady made a mistake’ whispered another, weighed down by an unexpectedly large amount of coins received in their change from a tenner! Yes, the beer is definitely much cheaper in this part of the country and everyone soon realised that, late night kebab munchies aside, this was going to be a very cheap weekend indeed. We all had some lunch to set ourselves up for all the drinking……I mean walking between pubs ahead of us and, as we finished our drinks and took a moment to gaze out and contemplate what the goings on around the pubs immaculately kept bowling green might be like on a warm summers evening (the large glass cabinet brimming with trophies suggests that they have a good team), it was time to commence our tour round Stockport.

Fifteen minutes walk and several successfully identified items of public transport later, we arrived at The Navigation at the top of Lancashire Hill. With its large banner proudly proclaiming its status as CAMRA’s Local Pub of The year in 2003, this is one of two pubs owned by Beartown Brewery from nearby Congleton and gave everyone a chance to sample their rarely seen range of beers. Indeed, the choice of Bruin’s Ruin, Bearskinfull, Kodiak Gold, Wheat Beer and Hoppy New Year pretty much covered the breweries full range and everyone sat back to take in the atmosphere of the large lounge bar and discuss the sharpness of the claws on the large brass beer statue which overlooked proceedings. It was agreed that the pub was worthy of its accolade and in all too short a time our glasses were empty and it was time to head towards the centre of town.

Our next port of call was The Tiviot, a Robinson’s pub located conveniently at the bottom of Lancashire Hill, the speed with which some of the group raced to the bar suggested that all this walking was proving thirsty work or could it just be that they were struggling to slow down as they got to the bottom of the hill!? This multi-roomed back street local was adorned with photographs of Stockport from years gone by, ‘Where’s that taken from?’ came the question’s aimed in my direction - ‘I don’t know, I’m far too young to know where that was’ would be my reply, I’m sure my mum and dad would have a great time reminiscing though! Robinson’s Original and Hatters was only available on gas dispensed pumps so a half was in order before we pressed on. A barrel of Old Tom could be seen lurking in a dark corner of the bar, however there are times when it is worth remembering that fortune does not always favour the brave…….

The Railway, a Porter brewery pub, would have once nestled amongst the cotton mills and hat factories which once formed the heart of Stockport’s industrial base and it is quite easy to imagine the factory workers crowding into the u-shaped bar at the end of their shifts. Today the factories have been replaced by a large retail park but I’m sure that the impressive array of nine Porter ales and two guests have helped satisfy the needs of many a thirsty shopper in a similar fashion to that of the factory workers in days gone by. Amongst the various train themed pictures and artefacts adorning the walls, a black board displays a menu of bottled foreign beers as impressive as the choice of draught beers on the bar and one starts to wonder whether these pub crawls are all they are cracked up to be and that it would surely be better to spend the rest of the evening here. A couple of pints later though and it was reluctantly time to move on to the second Robinson’s pub on the crawl. Back out on the street and….wait a minute…its raining, clearly Stockport has taken a long look at the whole climate change business and decided to give it a wide berth!

Upon arrival at a crowded Arden Arms we are invited into the Snug, a small room located behind the bar, traditionally used by those wishing to play cards games in private, though no gambling of course!? Orders are taken and drinks are brought into us as we sit and dwell in our unexpected exclusivity. Debates commenced about whether the bell push’s located around the room would still work and it was left to Teresa to do the honours and press one of them. Perhaps the reason that they do is why this pub is National Inventory listed and was CAMRA’s National pub of the year runner-up in 2004. Then again, maybe the quality of the beer, the unspoilt traditional decor and the cosiness of the large open fireplace would have much more to do with the awarding of these honours. At least the bar staff found our bell antics amusing and after finishing our drinks and bidding a fond farewell we made our leave.

Next stop was The Spread Eagle, another Robinson’s pub that, although not in the GBG, I included in the crawl as it is the closest to the original brewery. This place has changed little since my last visit and it is not unlike stepping into granny’s lounge, I have a slight sense that I should be waiting to be offered tea and cake! As is to be expected from somewhere that looks like granny’s lounge, the atmosphere is welcoming and friendly, and our short stop for a half of either Hatters or Original is certainly a pleasant one.

Back on the move and heading up into Stockport’s market place we were actually walking in a big circle but with everyone reaching a stage where short term memory, walking in a perfectly straight line and simple calculations of geography was becoming an issue, no one either seemed to notice or complain! We soon arrived at The Thatched House, a bikers pub where four ales including Kelham Island’s Easy Rider and a large range of bottled beers were waiting to greet us. This was the only pub that I had not previously visited and the small main bar is complimented by a side room filled by a pool table. It was obvious that the mish-mash of drums, guitars, packing cases and speaker stands strewn across the floor were soon to be assembled into the instruments for a rock band and the flyers and events lists on the wall intimated that this sort of thing occurred regularly. Suggestions that we should stay and watch the band (I’m sure in such a small venue the atmosphere would be superb) were made but there were more pubs to be visited and my (increasingly wobbly!) mission to get round them was not complete. We finished our beer and amongst comments of disapproval, left the band to finish their tuning up and entertain a crowd of enthusiastic rockers which we would not on this night be a part.

Heading back down Hillgate, past The Spread Eagle (I said we were going round in circles!) we arrived at The Three Shires, a sixteenth century Tudor building in the centre of town. The pub itself is now a modern restaurant/wine bar and the fact that it is often crowded underlines its popularity and quality of food. Three ales including Pride Of Pendle are on offer and the frequently changing range tends to put an emphasis on local micro’s. Although the ambience of the pub is not to everyone’s taste, we all enjoy an excellent quality beer before its time to stagger…..I mean move on.

Our final pub of the day was The Olde Vic, a free house close to the train station and on the outskirts of Edgeley. This free house has five beers are on offer, the pump clips from which might end up being displayed on the ceiling with the vast collection already up there. Elsewhere, this small single room pub is simply (and in some places not at all) decorated and filled with interesting items of furniture and ornaments, not least of which is a full coat of armour which greets the fairer sex in the ladies toilets, something that both spooked and amused Teresa!

Outside, some youths were crashing a car into the wall on the opposite side of the road. A second car appeared, the occupants of which jumped out and, with the help of baseball bats, proceeded to make their own modifications to the appearance of the crashed car! One might have wondered whether the band at The Thatched House were treating their audience to such ‘interesting’ entertainment but by this stage, trying to string words together in order to make anything akin to a coherent sentence was demanding a great deal of concentration which was broken only by the thought of food. Others were thinking the same and before long we were out wandering the streets in search of it - ‘it’ being a Chinese chip shop which we were informed was just up the road. One hefty portion of chips and curry sauce later and it was back to the pub to round off the evening. Those chips were having little success in soaking up the ale though, it was getting late and after listening to my blurry attempt at giving directions back to their hotel, most of the group ventured out in search of the 192 bus stop, leaving myself, Darren and Teresa who were also staying at my parents to finish our drinks. We were not far behind, half expecting to meet everyone at the bus stop but there was worryingly no one to be found. Had they got lost? Were they roaming the streets in search of an Old Tom night cap? Would they all be up in time to venture into Manchester in the morning? And would Charlie, my parents Highland Shelty let us into the house without barking so much as to wake up the whole damn neighbourhood?!

Find out in part two coming soon……………. Steve

Our Advertisers

2007-04-17T21:18:00.000+01:00

Thanks to all our Advertisers, they keep Ed's Pint in print, they are some of the very best pubs and breweries in our area so please pay them a visit or drink their ales.

A little gem—Isle of Purbeck brewery

2007-04-17T18:29:00.000+01:00

In the middle of February, we headed off on the 150 bus. Our destination was the picturesque cliff-top village of Studland and the Bankes Arms Hotel, home of East Dorset’s second and smallest brewery. On arrival at the Bankes Arms there were smiles all round as we chose from the 5 Isle of Purbeck beers on offer – Fossil Fuel, Solar Power, IPA, Thermal Cheer and Studland Bay Wrecked. Hamish, one of IoP’s brewer arrived and after a quick chat he split us into two groups to go round the cosy 10 barrel plant, in a wooden barn (above), next door to the pub. Hamish enthusiastically showed us his new temperature probe and told us about the new cooling system, a regulator for which would be installed soon; a feat that involves doors being removed and major juggling acts. We all got a chance to see and smell the next batch of Fossil Fuel (Andrew even tried to swim in it, see picture) before retiring to the pub for a buffet of scampi and chips. If you ever get the chance to visit, I strongly recommend it. Just to admire the pure logistical nightmare and engineering skill it must have taken to fit all the equipment into the barn! To call it cosy is an under statement. Thanks to all at the brewery for a great day out, try to get your local to get some of their ales…… Tree

Small but perfectly formed: Garton Brewery

2007-04-17T18:23:00.000+01:00

Garton Brewery’s Chocolate Frog winning Poole’s Beer of the Festival was a bit of a surprise. Not because it was not a worthy winner, the beer is fantastic; but it was 8% so those who enjoy it may not remember to fill out the voting slip (or being at the fest at all ED!), also being a must try it ran out pretty quickly as well. However win it did, this posed the problem of how to present the award with a personal touch at a brewery 340 miles away in East Yorkshire. Luckily I was visiting family and friends in Scarborough and Garton being only a matter of 20 miles or so away this was thought the best way. And it seemed a good excuse to me! Garton is situated on the A166, a few miles west of Driffield, the brewery is exactly a mile out of the village (follow the signs for the medieval church). Richard Heptinstall (pictured above with ED) set up the brewery in 2001 with a very special mission. Dismissing the fashion of creating ales to compete with the mass produced standards or that would appeal to lager drinkers, Richard wanted to recreate the flavours of Dickensian England. Strong rich beers produced using malt and grain, but no sugar, that offer something different within the market. Hence Garton’s weakest beers, Woldsman Bitter and Old Buffer, are 4.5%; but the beers Richard produces most of are the two strong 8% ales Liquid Lobotomy and Chocolate Frog. The problem is that few pubs are daring enough to take these excellent ales, especially those around the East Yorks Wolds or towns of the east coast such as Scarborough. However this is not actually a great problem for Richard, thanks to East-West Ales and Flying Firkin his ales do get around the country and seem popular in the West Country.
The brewery, As the pictures I hope testify, is small: the size of a double garage at the rear of Richard’s bungalow. However two mash tuns and a fermenting vessel do the job perfectly and Richard has no plans to expand significantly. His beers are popular at festivals around the country and he hopes that the award given him by visitors to Poole Beer Festival will gain him a little more interest. He was delighted to win and we enjoyed a half in the brewery to celebrate.

HOME SWEET HOME

2007-04-17T18:11:00.000+01:00

If asked to name my favourite cities I don’t even have to think about the answer: London (history at every turn), Paris (amazing architecture and parks), Fez (the most complete medieval city in the Arab world) and...er...Sheffield. Yes. Sheffield! Some of our readers will perhaps have hit a mental wall at this point so I will, briefly, explain...

My job moved to Sheffield and I, rather reluctantly, moved with it assuming I’d be there for the shortest possible time before returning to my native Dorset. But Sheffield exerted an inexorable grip. Already at that time being transformed from a post industrial wasteland Sheffield had everything: major concerts, big sporting events, a brilliant World cinema, galleries and museums aplenty; added to these a canal terminus for walking, also easy access to the peak district, York, etc, etc, while the first tracks of the Supertram were being laid down to complement the existing excellent bus and rail network (a real eye opener I can tell you!). Equally important the people proved friendlier than I could possibly imagine, no journey into town complete without conversation with complete strangers. Oh yes, I nearly forgot. Sheffield also possesses some of the finest real ale pubs in the country. Consequently I ended up staying not one but four years. (Hic!)

Eventually returning to Dorset to marry Rachel she and I have returned to Steel City as often as possible, though not as often as we would like. My mistake was to enthuse about such visits as CAMRA meetings, which was to prove my eventual undoing. Some years after my initial rash promise of playing tour guide, much delayed by spending time on the wrong side of a bar - from a drinking point of view at least, I foolishly mentioned to our Branch Chair that I would be available from date X, earlier this year. Within an hour I had booked every room at the Hillsborough Hotel and was beginning to panic. I needn’t have worried...

On my last visit to the Hillsborough Hotel evening meals had been scrapped, so considering those who need food before imbibing three or four cars hurtled towards a lunchtime appointment at The Victoria at Beeston, near Nottingham. I’d chosen this on the recommendation of one of the staff (One night whilst working at The Porterhouse said soul gave me the low down whilst sinking as much 49er as he could before being driven back up to his adoptive home). As we have all set out at different times from different start points I was not unduly surprised to find some of our party deep into pints and partaking of rather splendid looking lunches, which I am assured by Dawn are ‘excellent’; a fact that I was soon to corroborate. As for the beer sampled both York Stonewall and the Castle Rock Hemlock seemed in good condition, and as the Victoria always has a Mild and Stout or Porter available I was tempted to the Vale Black Beauty Porter. My appreciative comments did not go down too well with Dark beer aficionado Rachel, our driver for the trip, and all too soon it was time to move on. Verdict: fast, efficient and friendly service from the predominately young staff, great food and great beer. As we left I eyed the poster for the Victoria’s upcoming Beer Fest with a suppressed sob; its many rooms and large marquee making it an ideal venue for such an event. No wonder it was voted Nottingham CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2005! Located next to the local train station this is a pub that should not be missed if in the area. But now its time to start The Tour proper...

Somehow we all arrive at our destination at pretty much the same time. Unfortunately the Hillsborough isn’t due to open for another 15 minutes or so I take the opportunity to lead our happy band towards the New Barrack Tavern, the most northerly pub on our reconnaissance trip. Mindful of people wanting to book into the Hillsborough I take the most direct route (which I’ve never taken before) so that they can find their way back. Thus it is that our now not so happy band finds themselves negotiating an overgrown muddy path in the rain, whilst avoiding traffic from a dual carriageway at rush hour. Whoops! Sorry folks! Fortunately spirits are soon restored on arrival. Amongst the beers on offer in this roomy two room establishment are Acorn Barnsley Bitter, Mighty Oak Celestial Navigation and Burton Bridge Mild. Rachel gets her revenge by demanding a pint of Fullers London Porter, easily the most expensive pint all weekend at £2.80. There are more than a few shocked faces amongst our party at the other prices - which are all pretty much in the £1.70-£1.90 price range. (Yes, read that again). A quick survey of the group reveals beer of a very high standard, at a price that places our favoured locals less favoured than they were an hour ago.

We then all make our way to the Hillsborough Hotel. Rachel and I first visited here in 2001 whilst returning from Orkney (covered in a Purbeck Pint), and we were lucky to be invited to see the fledgling Crown Brewery in action. Hillsborough IPA and Stannington Stout were then added to the Porterhouse guest list on a regular basis as a result of subsequent visits. Sadly, the Crown Brewer had left just before our arrival (I hope not through fear of the southern horde!) but Wellington beers are still being brewed on site. Amongst the beers initially on offer here over the weekend are Phoenix Shamrock, Salamander Vestal Virgin, Wellington Heidi Ho and Durham Amarillo White. Added to this are clean comfortable rooms, a friendly atmosphere and a rather splendid conservatory, hence making this our base camp. Plus I used to live in literally the next road - truly a home from home...

After settling in tis time to move on to the Cask & Cutler, its unprepossessing exterior do nothing to prepare you for the riches to be found within. This two room local (next to Shalesmoor tram stop) is a real gem with a deserved reputation for good beer. Tonight beers available include Acorn Darkness, Durham White Gold, Hydes Heavenly Draft and Cottage Between The Posts (the C&C seems quite keen on Cottage as I recall). Pretty much all of the pubs we visit this week also have a good selection of foreign beers but the Cask’s is exceptional. On a previous visit Roger, Olympian legend extraordinaire, was seen crying into his Penguin after discovering a small supply of Westvleteren 12! My charges all seem to be having a good time and I start to relax. At least until Dawn informs me that I am authoring this little diary. I beat a hasty retreat to the Hillsborough, and let things get a bit hazy until the Bell from Hell. Come morning I’ve forgotten about this article. So, dear reader, do please forgive me for any errors of omission - or magically transporting beers between pubs!

The following morning is bright and sunny, a stark and telling contrast to the dutifully assembled battle weary. As its early I decide to get a breath of fresh air, visiting old haunts in Walkley and Crooks. The view over the Rivelin Valley from a previous abode is particularly impressive. Unfortunately, as Dawn points out, which ever direction I lead it’s always uphill. So by the time we get to see said view we are all hot, dehydrated and puffed out. Returning by a different route we pass an old local (and now GBG Regular) the Cobden View, but sadly tis too early for this and my fave offie, The Dram Shop, to have opened their doors. Never mind, its soon time for my fave Saturday lunch stop in the entire world: The Fat Cat. The two rooms and drinking corridor served by a single bar, a family room upstairs and pleasant beer garden, which is a little larger now that the Kelham Island Brewery has moved into a purpose built building next door, offers a warm welcome. The food is always fab, and the beer in excellent condition and often surprising. I had my first ever Palmers here!

The Fat Cat has sold some 6,000 beers to date but when here I always plump for Kelham Island Bitter, a hoppy 3.8% session beer that not only gets me over the previous night but puts me in the mood for more. The other K.I. beers on during our visit were Pride Of Sheffield and White Rider, whilst other beers tempting us included Holden’s Black Country Bitter, Derby Heritage and Salamander Warlock. I could happily stay here all day but this is supposed to be a guided introduction to Sheffield’s real ale pubs so after a good lunch and a few pints its time to move on.

When I used to live in Sheffield the Kelham Island Tavern was a half derelict place that my housemate and I would walk past en route to the Fat Cat, which is literally round the corner. On a trip back in 2002 we were directed there, much to our bemusement and subsequent delight, by other publicans. So it turned into the place to move on to when the Fat Cat shuts. Now the Fat Cat is open all day Saturday but The Tour takes priority. The KI Tavern seems to expand both beer range and size every time I visit. From small (but perfectly formed) beginnings it now has a very impressive beer range, a bit of a sun trap and an array of awards from City Pub Of The Year to Best In Bloom. Today’s range includes Black Country Pig On The Wall, Kelburn Dark Moor, Hob Ferret, Pictish Mistral, Vale Black Swan Dark Mild and Northumberland Sleekburn Stout. Needless to say we are in no hurry to move on! But eventually we do...

It’s quite a contrast moving from Sheffield’s old industrial heartland and into the City Centre. Robin looks particularly shell shocked at the hordes of unhappy shoppers wasting their Saturday.

Fortunately, we soon leave them behind for a pit stop at the Old Queen’s Head, as recommended by Graham. I couldn’t picture it before, which is a bit daft as its half timbered exterior sticks out like a sore thumb next to the Bus Station, and I’ve walked past it thousands of times. The interior seems split between an olde worlde restaurant and a more modern bar given over to football. To be fair it is Saturday afternoon. The Thwaite’s Dark Mild is acceptable enough but we move quickly on to our next port of call, obviously not having seen the pub at its best. This is borne out by the fact that it won local Pub Of The Month not too long after. Our destination is the Rutland Arms, always a fave food stop before visiting the Showroom Cinema. Attractively tiled and boasting an award winning beer garden it is clear that the Rutland has been busy - the only beers available are Deuchers IPA, Black Sheep and Greene King Abbot. I’m not complaining: there are many regions where this would seem an Aladdin’s cave - the interior certainly resembles one! Tis nice to be back!

We then move on to the Devonshire Cat, a new glass fronted student venue that I’ve only visited a couple of times. The prices remind me why. Still, the bottle store is pretty amazing and Rachel is pleased to find a bottle of one fave Kelpie, a dark seaweed beer. I stick to Abbeydale Moonshine. We’ve missed out on an old regular, the Fog & Parrot; Reckless (5%) being my preferred tipple rather than Roger & Out at 12.5%. The former has not been brewed for some time but I’d heard that Greene King had recently taken on the pub and suspended all brewing. Dan, in a spirit of adventure, dared its portals to discover that they still had a guest beer policy - hurrah! Meanwhile, Dusty catches up with us, having been in Scarborough all day. Though we are all obviously now unintelligible to him he is more confused by stopping a complete stranger to ask where the Devonshire Cat is. The response being Don’t I know your father? especially when it turns out that he does!

We have now moved on to an old regular the Bath Hotel, which is listed in the CAMRA National Inventory. A sort of S.S.S.I. for drinkers. Over recent years its two rooms, cozy fire and drinking corridor have suffered garish colour schemes and changes of regular beers but it now seems to have settled down nicely. Acorn Barnsley and Abbeydale Moonshine are good enough for me. Its then time to move on to the Red Deer and I’m glad Dusty has caught us up: I can’t remember its precise location! Whoops! But it proves worth finding for Timothy Taylor Landlord (which runs out when we arrive - and pints replaced without asking), Adnams Explorer, Wells Bombardier, Banks Bitter and Black Sheep. Here the tour is effectively at an end, some heading off for a sighted chippie (which closes at 5pm or thereabouts!), some of us head back to the New Barrack Tavern for food and beer, others to the Hillsborough.

The following day we sadly leave the Hillsborough (which has since changed hands and not suffered for it), but head for a lunch stop at the Olde Trip To Jerusalem in Nottingham. A regular tourist haunt but worth seeing its rock hewn rooms carved out of the Castle cliff face. Personally I am grateful for the half a gallon of Kimberley Mild given that as I write this Hardys & Hansons are now in the hands of Greene King. I suppose all things must end and, thankfully for our livers, here is where our trip finally ends (no pun intended).
Melvyn

Poole Beer Festival 2006

2007-04-10T17:45:00.000+01:00

When we arrive at St Aldhelm's Church Hall it is Wednesday, there is a pile of scaffolding and around a hundred barrels sat in the car park. Our challenge is to turn an empty hall into a festival in about 48 hours, give or take a tasting session or two!!! So scaffolding goes up, beers are gently positioned and, depending on the weather, we try to ensure they stay cool. We then tap and spile them and wait!

After a few tasters (just to make sure you understand), it is 11.30am on Friday and we throw the doors open to a thirsty public.

Bands kept us all going for all but the Friday lunchtime (quiet) session!

Our experienced and professional volunteers helped our 1500 customers drink a staggering (probably) 5,848 pints. That means they served an average of 376 pints per hour,or 6 pints per minute. However as most festival goers prefer the half to the pint, so they can taste a greater range of ales, this is actually 12 halves per minute (one every five seconds). Thirsty Work!!

Our customers are also asked to vote on who should win the coveted Beer Of The Festival award. The winner this year was Garton's Chocolate Frog, an 8% ale brewed in a Victorian style to strict specifications. Runner up is our favourite 'Beer!' from Milk Street Brewery (as sold in The Brewhouse on Poole's High Street). Third place was another old favourite, Hopback Summer Lightning. However all the beers were great, and out of the range of 89 ales, 57 different ales received votes - so no-one really lost out.

By the end of it we were all shattered but happy. Even Branch mascot Stephen the Penguin was feeling a little worse for wear and fell asleep while we finished off the last few beers.

ONE NIGHT OUT IN WIMBORNE

2007-04-10T17:34:00.000+01:00

Previously I wrote of the joys of the pub crawl and Winchester was the location. This time, much closer to home and in our own region, we ventured to Wimborne. A good bus service from Poole made Saturday night a perfect time to venture onto the Wimborne Flyer.

Walking from the Square, our first port of call was The Rising Sun, a comfortable and roomy Badger inn with wood panelled rooms and an L-shaped bar. Two ales were on offer, Firsty Ferret and First Gold, both served rather cold and lacking in flavour: a shame! Just two minutes away is The Bell. A traditional looking pub with the original Strongs of Romsey etched windows, this pub has an airy feel, aided by the two room set up with their own bars. It is clearly thriving and serves two real ales, Ringwood Nest and Bombardier; this pint was much more like it.

Our third stop was the White Hart by the old corn market. A 17th century inn very comfortably furnished with a separate public bar. An Eldridge Pope house, they serve the new Southern Glory ale brewed for the chain (but by whom?) at 3.7%. It is a rather caramel flavoured beer and I’m afraid that the barrel that night must have been getting old as we all detected a faint hint of vinegar creeping in.

Five minutes stroll took us to the Green Man on Victoria Road, a Grade II listed small bustling pub with lots of small rooms and nik-naks hanging everywhere. Owned by Wadworth, they sell IPA, 6X and the current seasonal, Malt & Hops a beer made with autumnal green hops; all were very enjoyable though £2.70 for Malt & Hops seemed a little excessive.

Next, and just over the River Allen is The Crown and Anchor, a regular in the Good Beer Guide serving some of the best Badger ale in the area but equally popular for its good food this pub comes highly recommended.
With time running out before the bus home there was just enough time for a swift half in The Kings Head Hotel in the Square. A Greene King house so the choice was IPA or Abbot Ale, surely a weak and strong version of the same beer! There are a number of pubs we didn't have time to visit: The Cricketers Arms, Olive Branch, Oddfellows Arms, a tiny little pub that was too packed as we passed, The Albion, Pudding and Pye and Coach and Horses—maybe next time!

We found Wimborne a lovely little town, quaint and interesting, with some friendly pubs serving some good beer, we recommend a visit. Robin Garrett

FERRY ACROSS THE SOLENT

2007-04-10T17:23:00.000+01:00

On a cold, but awfully bright (especially after sampling the Vintage Porter in the Porterhouse the previous night!!), November morning 35 intrepid explorers set off on a mission to explore the mystical lands of the Isle of Wight. There should have been 36, however one fell by the wayside en route to the coach rendezvous: the previous night’s sampling taking a very sorry toll! (He reckons it was a cold, but we think otherwise!!)

After several pickups and almost a full compliment on board (sorry – had to get another dig in there Matthew!), the coach started winding its way towards Lymington. The on board entertainment (or should I say torture), a medley of canned musical hits to drive us all insane, kept us awake and longing for a beer. Our numbers increased as we found 2 stowaways smuggled aboard in Roger’s rucksack. Anyone looking on may have thought that this was an odd looking ‘Tinsel and Turkey’ do, the inflatable penguin and dolphin adding to the bewilderment. (At least they didn’t try to do a moonie out of the rear window!!)

We arrived in perfect time for the ferry and all dived aboard, the less adventurous raiding the bar for tea and coffee; the brave ones sampling the beers on offer: bottles of Goddard’s Ducks Folly and Fuggledeedum, Ahhh breakfast !! After debating whether we could re-enact the entire Titanic film in 30 minutes, we were back on board the coach and on the island.

Our first port of call was The Yarbridge Inn at Brading,. This is currently the local branches Pub of the Year, and easy to see why. A menu of beer greets you as you walk in detailing the 8 on offer including Theakston’s Paradise 4.2%, Rebellion Pickled 4.4%, Hampshire Bewitched 4.5%, Ventnor Golden 4.0%. The smiles of appreciation from all proved that this was an excellent first stop. Beer in hand, we sat back and admired our surroundings. The whole pub had a railway theme running through it, and easy to see that the landlord was a bit of a railway buff. Suspended from the ceiling was a miniature railway, featuring all of the Island’s stations, but sadly not working on our visit, (we did wonder if this was due to leaves on the line!!). A huge amount of railway memorabilia adorned the walls, and above the single bar, beer mats from all over the country highlighted some of the remarkable guest beers that must have been served here over the years. The beer flowed and it was soon time to head off on our somewhat merrier way!

Back to the music torture on the bus – but not as imposing now as we had had our first beer of the day. We headed round to Northwood and our next stop The Traveller’s Joy. Aptly named as we walked in and found another 8 beers to choose from, some of these were Goddard’s Special Bitter 4.0%, Dark Star Original 5.0%, Thwaites Liberation 4.5% and Ringwood Fortyniner 4.9%. This multi-roomed pub, including 2 rooms dedicated to pool, was very welcoming, especially as 35 of us (and 2 inflatable animals) descended upon them en masse!!! The pub is a very deserving 5 times winner of Isle of Wight CAMRA Pub of the Year, and also boasted an excellent home-cooked food menu, sampled by many of our hungry travellers. Again we whiled the time away in here, sampling the range, sadly I was so engrossed trying to build a scale model motorbike from wood that I only tried the one (Thanks Rog – it took me a whole day to complete when sober!! Let alone without alcohol added in!!). Then it was time to move on.

We were working on a tight schedule to make sure that we timed it right for the 5.30pm ferry back as we had been forewarned that the 6.00pm one was fully booked out by Parkhurst prison. (Hmmm maybe some of us would have been allowed on!) So as time ticked on, we bundled back onto the coach and onwards to Carisbrooke and The Waverley. You may have already spotted the one thing that we were having problems with. That 35 thirsty people and 1 bar, doesn’t work too well! By the time the last person had been served, the first had drunk up. This hit home in The Waverley.

Although Steve had pre-warned them that a coach load of people were coming, I don’t think they had planned for it. The bar boasted 4 real ales when we walked in, HopBack Quadhop, Springhead Oliver’s Army 4.4%, Archer’s Negotiator and Cameron’s Fireside Ale. These all disappeared very very quickly!! Eventually barrels got changed and everyone finally got served! But almost as soon as everyone got served it was time to leave. The Waverley was a huge pub, adorned with local memorabilia, and a large U-shaped bar and I don’t think we saw it in its best light. I would recommend a visit here, but maybe not with as many in tow!! I also think that something quite drastic happened to the penguin whilst we were in here as he seemed to develop a leak (Rog – I hope you have a puncture repair kit!) and then it was time to hit the road again.

The final stop of the day bought us to Freshwater Bay and the Fat Cat Bar. Before the coach had stopped those at the back made a dive for it in an effort to get served first. This would have worked if only they had tried to get in through the right door! The Fat Cat is tucked away in the Sandpipers Hotel (though I didn’t see a fat cat anywhere!) and has 2 small bars and many rooms. It had a great atmosphere and it is, as described in the Good Beer Guide, a ‘real gem’. Amongst the beers on offer here were White Horse Bitter 3.7% and Hampshire Fallover 4.4%. I would recommend a visit at the end of March as they hold the island’s biggest beer festival offering 60+ beers.

After a short time here it was back onto the coach and off for the ferry home, luckily we avoided the prison journey! Thanks to you all for your rendition of happy birthday (much appreciated, but you are a set of tuneless so and so’s). The day was rounded off merrily back in the Porterhouse and much more Vintage Porter. I would strongly recommend a trip over to the island, next time I’ll take a few days and make it really worthwhile.

Cheers to Steve for organising a great trip. Tree

Bamberg Day 3: Hangover cure!!!

2007-04-10T17:19:00.000+01:00

After 2 days drinking in Bamberg a hardy 8 decided on a trip to the nearby town of Forchheim a 15 minute train journey towards Nurnberg. Arriving in a strange town with only the names of streets to go by meant we needed to purchase a cheap map at the station. Our destination found we had to navigate across the town square which was holding a sale of children's toys, a kind of blanket sale where youngsters sell of their surplus/used toys to younger kids. The buildings abounding the square have a distinctive Swiss charm with steep roofs and shuttered windows.Our first stop is the cafe of the Brauerei Greif with wooden tables and chairs outside. By now the sun is shining bright so we seek the shelter of a brewery umbrella. A large range of beers, pale and dark unfiltered wheat beers, pale and dark lagers and Pils (5.3%) the latter seems the popular choice as a hangover cure. The beer was pleasant and a great first drink of the day. Founded in 1848 the brewery is still in the same family, the cafe is nothing special inside but we decide to stay for a glass of Dark Lager (5.2%). Our next stop was a literally a short hop and we had only moved approx 20 yards when we found ourselves outside the Brauerei Hebendanz. The colourful outside is a bit misleading as the cafe is basic with minimal decoration: a local's hostelry. Again we decide to sit outside and order Pils. Established in 1579, so should know what they are doing, the beer was hoppy and refreshing just what was need after the long two strides we took! If the last cafe was a short hop away the next stop was next door: the Brauerei Neder. No tables outside so we ventured inside the bar which was well populated but we found a large table, the bar had unusual lamp fixtures with plants lining the windowsills. We ordered from the friendly landlady the house beer direct from a wooden barrel. Either our taste buds had woken up or this was the best beer so far. Stephen joined us but fish was off the menu. Before we could order a second beer the wooden barrel ran out but using a sort of dummy waiter a new barrel was in place within minutes. The landlord was called over and he tapped the new barrel before returning to his card game. A second beer was ordered and enjoyed before we decided to move on as hunger was calling. The fourth call was a stroll away so with map in hand we set off to find the Brauerei Eichhorn a large frontage with a wooden door which led to a small courtyard with the bar on the right with a typical wooden franconian decor. Pils was ordered whilst we tried to make sense of the menu and with the help of our fellow drinkers lunch was organised. The Pils was pleasant but not as tasty as the beer from the previous brauerei's but the food was just what was required to satisfy 8 + 1 hungry travellers. Whilst in Forchheim we were curious as to the reason some of the houses had the names of the 3 wise men, Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar and the year chalked over their doors. This we discovered was a local custom and done as sign of good luck to the inhabitants of the house. We leave Forchheim a delightful town with a great brewing heritage as it is time to head back to the station and return to Bamberg.

Being around the back of the train station when we arrive back in Bamberg, we decided to visit the Cafe Abseits to sample some Maibock's (spring beers). Great little beer garden, great selection of regional breweries beers. For details of what beers we drank please contact the waitress (seem to remember her asking me on the night without much luck!! ED). Our walk back to the hotel was slightly meandering and many thanks to the birthday boy who was visiting his second girlfriend of the night, but took time out from his schedule of indiscretions to make sure we did not get lost.

Micro-brewing in Belgium

2007-04-10T17:15:00.000+01:00

Brewery visits are always interesting and vary from the large multinational beer factory through to the regionals with their historic brew houses and now a new wave of purpose built micro breweries than are often little more than a brewery in a garden shed !!!

Picobrouwerij Alvinne is in the market town of Inglemunster, South West Flanders. As the name suggests, ‘pico’ means small, this is a hobby brewery run by Glen and Davy. The entrance is via an up and over door which apart from the small sign above looks like any other garage. The garage doubles as a store and the bottled beer is sold direct from the premises. Walk through the garden past the children's nursery on the left and you arrive at the brewery which is housed in a large wooden shed.

The brewery is like a visit to a model village, with the coppers and fermentation vessels all in miniature. However what is not in miniature is the impressive range of beers brewed. There are the Blond and Bruin at 6%, then came Extra and Tripel at 7% followed by Balthazar a spiced strong ale at 9%. Recently a special brew Podge (Intrepid Beer Traveller) Belgian Imperial Stout at 10% was brewed for Zythos Bierfestival and a Melchior at 11% is planned. What strength will Gaspar be? Who dares to guess?

In the corner of the brewery is a small bar and a chance for a taste. The established beers were typical full flavoured Belgian styled ales, although the stronger beers, which were spicy and fairly sweet would probably be better if laid down for a while. At the moment the brewery is run as a hobby with a commercial angle in that the beer is sold as off sales. What the future holds we must wait and see as Glenn and Davy are happy to remain enthusiastic hobby brewers.

PS chickens fed on spent brewery grain grow big and lay large eggs. Roger

The GBBF—A Mecca for ale lovers

2007-04-10T17:10:00.000+01:00

Imagine if you will finding somewhere that has a range of some 250+ UK real ales, as well as nearly 100 beers from around the world, not to mention the wide selection of ciders and perries; that is the Great British Beer Festival. In all there publicity claimed there was around 700 drinks to try, each handpicked to present the full range of ales available to the discerning drinker. More amazing is the fact that by the Saturday, only the foreign beer bar ‘Bieres Sans Frontieres’ had anything left—so if you are going, go early in the week!

2006 saw a change in venue from the Olympia, which I fondly remember for leaking like a sieve during a cloud burst in 2004, to Earls Court. This is a sound move, as there is a lot more space, though as this event expands you do wonder if there are venues big enough.

On entering the arena one is struck by the sheer size. There are so many bars, some dedicated to one brewery, my first stop was Theakstons to have a half of Black Bull Bitter, the only place they seem to sell it. Then there are the regional bars, even the bar covering brewers from our area offers a rare beer: Whittington Summer Pale Ale, never seen that before but very nice it was. Even supermarkets have a presence to advertise their bottled range. Wandering around it is easy at first to get lost but, despite drinking halves all the way, the geography of the place makes sense after a while. There is a lot to see: memorabilia, the customary amusing t-shirts, the book stall; and a lot to do: play a variety of games, bet on the tombola, eat, oh and drink if you really want to of course. Alongside this there is a variety of entertainment, including the classic Whitesnake guitar team and The Strawbs—anyone remember them?

The main function of the GBBF is to present everything that CAMRA is about, and this it does very, very well. It must have made a serious dent on drive for a target of 100,000 members by the end of the year. CAMRA also launched their new campaign ‘CYCLOPS’, see picture. The idea behind this, a concept developed alongside 14 brewers, is to educate pub goers how to tell how great real ale should look, smell and taste. So look out for definitions of the perfect ‘First Gold’ etc being rolled out across pubs this autumn.

Speaking of Hall & Woodhouse, special mention is deserved for their bar. Featuring a thatched roof, plastic cow and signpost informing customers the distance to Blandford, it is a thing to be seen!

This article may not give readers a true feeling of the GBBF, but it is only something you really understand by visiting. It is a great day / night out, though staying in London is expensive this option is worth it. It also solves the problem of being unable to find a train after trying to make an impact on all the samples.

A final special mention must go to all the volunteers, around 1000 CAMRA members that work their wotsits off in the cause of real ale. They keep it ticking along like a well oiled machine like swans—a clam exterior but paddling like hell underneath.

So put the first week in August in your diaries, the GBBF is not one to miss!!

Where Centurions Dare - A wander around York

2007-04-10T16:55:00.000+01:00

York is a wonderful city, steeped in history, full of monuments to English history, but also home to some very good pubs indeed. Armed with the Good Beer Guide, me and my faithful companion took on the challenge of enjoying all they had to offer or fall over trying - tough but we felt it was a worthwhile venture. The problem was where to start. After a 300 mile motorcycle ride on the Friday before a bank holiday, taking nearly eight hours, we arrived at the Roman Bath; a very reasonably priced hotel right in the centre. Starving and in need of a good pint we left our pub behind, they only sold John Smith’s best, we tried it later and failed to be impressed. We happened upon the Golden Lion on Church Street. This is not yet in the ale drinker’s bible but is sure to be, having won a pub of the season in 2005. The ale selection was impressive, we started with a Daleside Blonde to accompany a fine meal then I had a Wentworth’s and Teresa a Burton Damson Porter; impressed we ventured forth.

York Brewery owns three pubs within York’s city walls, we discovered the first ‘The Last Drop’ round the corner. York brewery brew some fine ales: Guzzler a very drinkable hoppy session beer, the hoppier Terrier, the very drinkable Decade but their most famous beer is Centurian’s Ghost, dark strong and multi-award winning most recently awarded Gold at the 2006 Great British Beer festival. The brewery pubs, the ‘Drop’, Yorkshire Terrier and Three-Legged Mare are similar in their atmosphere, friendly and welcoming, serve the full range plus guests, at the time of our visit Castle Rock was prominent. We sampled most York beers during our visit and heartily recommend them.

In between the York Brewery pubs we happened upon the Golden Slipper on Goodramgate. A modest range here and the loud music made chatting a little tricky, but not bad at all for a quick half. Friday was rounded off in a non-GBG pub ‘The Hole in the Wall’, a basic range but Young’s Samson finished off a very good night.

Many visitors to York arrive by train, possibly visiting the National Rail Museum, always worth a browse, and the new Yorkshire Eye, though views of York are not as stunning as could be expected, but one clear advantage is the proximity of the station to The Maltings: and it was here that Sunday truly started. The range here is truly interesting, Black Sheep Best is the standard but guests include real lagers and an Irish porter, and perries and ciders are always available. Teresa had a Hilden Molly Malone, I enjoyed a Rooster’s Yankee. Leaving here we sought out The Ackhorne, hidden down St Martin’s Lane off Micklegate. Another pub with a wide range including local brews from York, Cropton and Roosters and even good old Tanglefoot, though we did not succumb to that. We enjoyed a couple of local ales in the quaint and small beer garden while perusing our map. This was also the starting point for Monday evening when we discovered some of the real gems of the city.

Turning right we followed the roads towards the river, wandering past The Golden Ball which is well worth a visit I am told, but our destination was The Swan just on the Bishopsgate Street section of the inner ring road. Boasting a splendid range including Summer Lightning, and a unique West Riding lay out uncommon outside the old fashioned railway station pubs of West Yorkshire, this is a must. I enjoyed a very nice pint of Leicester’s Bridge Brewery Ratae’d Dow, Teresa a Deuchars IPA; great stuff to prepare us for a stroll around the wall.

Crossing the river and then following the wall all the way around to Bootham Bar at the end of Walmgate you find yourself on the corner of Lawrence Street. This is the home of the Rook and Gaskill, a real freehouse, currently York CAMRA Pub of the Year and offering a range of 12 ever changing guest ales. The pub is named after two sheep rustlers Mr Rook and Mr Gaskill, unfortunate to have been hanged on the location when such things were popular entertainment (the equivalent of soap opera probably). Teresa found a very nice mild, I tried out Abbeydale Restoration, which makes a change from their Last Rites, a good hoppy, blonde ale that set us up nicely for the walk along Walmgate.

After falling in and out of an Italian eaterie we found York’s smallest pub, The Blue Bell on Fossgate. An inventory pub with a real drinking corridor, with a fold down seat at the serving hatch, and offering Black Dick specials on the food menu (Black Pudding with brie included). Teresa tried a Tetley Dark Mild, regretted it as it tasted of nothing, and switched rapidly to perry. Despite a large meal I enjoyed an Ossett Silver King and sat back to enjoy York CAMRA’s current seasonal pub (well chosen guys!).

There are many more pubs, the Olde Starre Inn, the oldest in the city, and many heritage pubs, but for ale we think we got round all the best that were within staggering distance of our base. It’s a great city for ale lovers, with a festival 9-11 November but with the pubs all in on the act there is at least one festival almost every month of the year (check out York CAMRA for info or when next passing through find a copy of the Ouze Boozer).

So if you have never ventured to York make a few days of it, you definitely wont be disappointed.

BEER MYTHS EXPOSED by Roger Mayhew

2007-04-10T16:53:00.000+01:00

1. Dark Beer is stronger
The only absolutely true thing to be said about dark beer is that it's, well, dark. The hue of the beer comes from the colour of the grain used to brew the beer. Therefore, pale grain produces pale beer, and so forth. The grain to make beer (mainly barley) gets its colour from the heat applied to stop germination, a step in converting barley grain to malt. Back in the days when this heat couldn't be well controlled, the roasting was uneven and most beer was darkish. With advances in technology, maltsters could produce malt that varied in colour from pale straw to black. These advances allowed brewers to choose the grains to produce beers with the colour and flavour characteristics they wanted. Therefore today a pale straw coloured beer can be just as strong as a dark ale.

2. Ale is stronger than lager
The world of beer can be divided into two families: ales, where the yeast performs best at warm temperatures and lagers, in which the yeast thrives at colder temperatures. The ale/lager divide has nothing to do with alcohol strength but with it's fermentation temperature. there are weak ales and strong ales, weak lagers and strong lagers. Cold fermentation produces a very clean beverage; warm fermentation allows for more fruity and spicy tastes that are the hallmark of ales.

A few beers in Winchester

2007-04-10T16:47:00.000+01:00

One of the best social activities your local CAMRA branch engage in from time to time is the pub crawl. We certainly don't visit every pub in an area but, using the Good Beer guide, we ensure that only the best beer is sampled. We have recently visited Bath, Salisbury, Weymouth, Sheffield, Southampton, Southsea and, of course, Poole. In the spirit of this, 19th August, we ventured up the railway line to Winchester. I have passed through (not out? ED) loads of times and I can vaguely remember trying to find the cathedral once, but I had never visited any of the pubs: more fool me!

The first pub we tried was a quiet back street community local with a glazed tile frontage called The Fulflood Arms. A comfortable pub, with bar billiards table, two Greene King Ales along with a guest, the lovely Tribute from St Austell brewery, were served by a very friendly and welcoming landlady.

The next pub was the St James Tavern, only quarter of a mile away on Romsey Road (though up a fairly steep hill I seem to recall, ED), a Wadworth house selling their range plus Butcombe Bitter as guest. The bar has plenty of tables, a good food menu, lofty ceilings and light wood panelling throughout. Leaving by the side street, crossing the railway line and walking down the old town roads we reached The Wykeham Arms near the old city Kingsgate. This is a many roomed, rambling pub with bric-a-brac everywhere and claiming to house 2000 pewter mugs. Formerly a Gales pub (Sob! ED), it is now of course owned by Fullers who seem to have matched the recipes well but the pump clips still claim the beers are brewed by Gales (Fullers did say they wouldn’t mislead people).

Passing the college and walking around the back of the cathedral we visited The Black Boy, a really amazing pub. Several completely different rooms house random artefacts, anything from a range of fire buckets, a huge old clock, bookcases, electric meters, enamel signs and a life size stuffed donkey etc etc (you really have to visit to appreciate it all). There is also a superb range of beers: Hopback Summer Lightning, Itchen Valley Pure Gold and Hidden Pint. We had a sample of all as we enjoyed a well earned snack.

Next was another Fullers house overlooking the Itchen river. The Bishop on the Bridge is spacious visited by swans, ducks and tourists in equal measure. Good beer was had by all and at least the Gales beers had the correct pump clips. After a lovely mile long walk down a tow path we visited The Bell on the outskirts of Winchester. This is a Greene King house with a real village feel. Their summer beer, Ale Fresco, was very nice. By this time we were lazy/tired/pissed (who us, never, ED!) so we took the bus back to town and stopped into The Exchange. There were two beers, Brakspear bitter and the wonderful Summer Lightning. This was a footy-friendly boozer where the outside water feature kept the urinal busy. Walking up Hyde Street we then visited The Hyde Tavern, another Greene King pub which is a classic medieval, timber framed building below street level. They served an unusual Belhaven Fruit Beer which was quite pleasant.

Just one more pub, phew! The Albion is right next to the station, and we found this a good place to have a last pint before catching the train. The choice was between Taylor’s Landlord, Youngs’ London Pride or Ringwood Best, all very good. And so to the train home, and we even managed to stay awake on the journey home somehow. So raise a glass to the pubs of Winchester, preferably in one of them!
Cheers, Robin Garrett

Bamberg—Day Two

2007-04-07T23:10:00.000+01:00

Day 2, dawned well if 9am is dawn, bright and sunny and after a stroll and a croissant by the river we all met at the Fassla which was already busy being open from 8.30am.The plan was to catch a local bus to the edge of town from the Zob (bus station) and after a bit of hokey-cokey we are on our way a friendly passenger shows us which stop we need and after 10 minutes we are at the Brauerei Greifenklau. With summer officially starting last weekend (1st weekend in May) the garden was open and being early we were able to sit in the perfect place to appreciate the spectacular view across the valley to the Altenburg Castle.

Steve was plane spotting in Frankfurt so his namesake stood in for him. The beer was served in Krug's (Stoneware mugs) and we soon noticed that most of the locals had personal lids which prevented seeds from the trees dropping into the beer. The indoor part of the complex was closed but looked like a typical wooden Franconian bar, however the toilet with automatic flush, handwash and towel was very modern. A second beer was required which we noticed was ordered by lying The Krug on it's side and a fresh Pils arrived swiftly. After a light lunch it was time to stroll down the hill and back into town.

We are soon back in the town of Bamberg and after stopping to give Stephen a shower in the town's fountain we find ourselves outside the Schlenkerla the tap of the Brauerei Heller. The outside, half timbered with the pretty blue shutters is more like a picture postcard but once inside you soon realize you are entering somewhere special. Gorgeous dark wood everywhere we find a table in a large room on the right which we learn is called The " Klause, with a spectacular arched ceiling it was used as the house chapel when the building was a Dominican monastery. Closed down and nationalized by the state of Bavaria until 1678 when the brewery was founded. We order the speciality of the house Rauchbier straight from oakwood casks and brewed with the original smokemalt. We soon realize this smoked beer, with it's strong aroma of smokey bacon is an " acquired " taste, the surroundings however give the Schlenkerla a magical atmosphere, a second beer is ordered as we soak up the history.

The writer has arranged to meet Lorenzo Dabove, Italian beer nut and colleague from GBBF at the Mahrs Brau, half of the party decide to stay, so 6 set off for the other side of town a pleasant stroll along by the river.2 breweries in the same street Wunderburg mean a stop before we reach our destination we settle for a glass of Herran Pils in the courtyard of the Brauerei Keesmann whether it was the walk but the beer was excellent: a delicious pils!

We finally arrive at the Mahrs Brau to be met by a coach load of Italian beer enthusiasts who invite us to join them for a trip around the brewery. The brewery is modern and as you would expect clean as a whistle, however as the talk was in German and then translated into Italian so we decide to bale out half way round and sample the beer instead. Mahrs Brau is famous for it's Ungespundete (unfiltered lager) locally known as U we find a table in the biergarten surrounded by ancient chestnut trees and the beer quickly arrives in stone mugs, we soon see why the German people regard this as the best Bamberg beer. The inside is reached via a hall or standing drinking area the taproom with wood panelling and green tiled fireplace is very traditional. I bid a fond farewell to Lorenzo who is about to eat in the large dining room at the rear.

One more stop as we are at this side of town and only 5 minutes away is the Maisel - Keller which is attached to the largest brewery in Bamberg. The brewery has a full range of beers but we choose the Kellerbier and find a table in the very pleasant beer garden. Food is ordered and we settle down to eat when an American asks if he could join us.It turns out he is U.S. army chaplain this is his best posting after 2 middle east tours.A Pleasant end to a long day as we swap stories about the places we have visited that day, we bid farewell and he gives Stephen a dollar for some fish on the way home. Time to return to the Fassla and to meet up with the other half of the party and a nightcap.

Bamberg—Day One

2007-04-07T23:03:00.000+01:00

12 members left a cold dark Parkstone at 4am wondering if the decision to visit the town of Bamberg, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Franconia south west Germany seemed a bit crazy. We soon arrived at London Heathrow; it is amazing how quick the journey by minibus is when there is no traffic. Baggage check in well that's another story how many bags did we have? But eventually we were on the plane and flying to Frankfurt and enjoying the in flight food! On arrival at Frankfurt it was only a walk to the airport station a brand new building with a chance for the first beer of the day.

The next leg of the journey was by inter city train to Wurzburg a quick change onto a hot local train and we were on the final leg to Bamberg; Parkstone to Bamberg in 8 hours. On arrival the sky was blue and we could not wait to sample the highly rated beer and food, as most of the people were staying in the Brauerei Fassla we decide to meet there. After a cooling and refreshing shower we are soon crossing the river Regnitz for the short stroll to our meeting point. The impressive large door lead to a covered courtyard (Schwemm) with a mural depicting old Bamberg the bar is on the right with beer obtained via a serving hatch. Indoor or outdoor seated areas are available and the brewery entrance is at the far end of the courtyard.

Beers served directly from wooden barrels are Golden Pils clean dry with hoppy flavour and Lagerbier, additional beers namely Weizen (wheat) and Zwergla are served from the bottle. We find a large table in the outdoor part of the courtyard and the beers begin to flow. A variety of food is ordered mostly sausage based and what was in those dumplings? The beer was excellent and we soon realized why we had made the long journey.
Deciding to move on the we cross the road to the Braurei Spezial and a chance to sample our first smoked beer (Rauchbeer) a style of beer unique to Bamberg. The Spezial has a large tap room with long wooden tables. The service is swift and we are soon enjoying our first smoked beer the beer is certainly different with a aroma of smoky bacon crisps although the flavour is smooth and malty.

The verdict on the beer is mixed so we decide to take a stroll and a breath of fresh air we head for the Bamberger Weissbierhaus only 100 yards down the road.
This is the town centre tap room of the Brauerei Maisel. The brewery is situated on the edge of the town and Bamberg's largest, the Weissbierhaus has two of the breweries beers on draught Pils and Dunkel Premium. The compact bar with long pine tables, a stone floor and panelled walls is only part of a larger building housing a hotel, beer garden and skittle alley.
Finally we stop off for a last beer on the way to our hotel the long day is catching up with some of us so only a hardy few stay for a second beer it has been a long day but our first impression is we have a wonderful 3 days to come.