no. 137 may-july 2006 free may is why not try mild a pint today? · 2006. 8. 9. · railway,...

Email: [email protected] 1

No. 137 May-July 2006 FREE

In this issue: 2 May is Mild Month • 4 Steady Pints • 6 YoungMembers’ Meeting • 8 Round The Houses • 10 Charity Cycle Ride• 13 GBBF • 14 Branch Beer and pub awards • 16 CAMRA snippets• 20 On the trail of Real Ale in California • 23 Gales Brewery closes

• 24 Letters • 28 Music and Real Ale • 24 A jug in the snug with a fug• 30 Peter Webb retires • 32 Music and Real Ale • 34 Branch Diary

Newsletter of the Norwich & Norfolk Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

May isMild

Month

Why not trya pint today?See page 2 formore information

Great BritishBeer FestivalAug. 1st-5th

See page 13 for details

2 Web: www.norwichcamra.org.uk

Try a pint of Mild this MayMay is Mild Month and the Campaign for Real Ale(CAMRA) is asking licensees and breweries to jointhe celebrations by stocking this fantastic beerstyle and encouraging customers to try it.

Mild is a beer that is lesshopped and usually of alower alcohol content thanmany other styles. It getsmuch of its flavour frommalts or roasted barley andhas long been regarded asa refreshing ale.

Best timeTracy Saunders, chair of

CAMRA’s Light and DarkSupporters Group, whichcampaigns specifically forBritain’s endangered beerstyles, said: “Some mildsare brewed seasonally andso the best time to findthem is in May. We areasking licensees to stock atleast one mild during themonth of May and takeadvantage of the freepacks from CAMRA thatcan be used to promoteit.”

The focus of Mild Monthpromotional activities willbe Saturday 6th May,which CAMRA labels“National Mild Day”.

Focus eventsThis is when local

CAMRA branches willundertake campaigningactivities at a local level,organising events such asmild trails, mild tastingsand other mild focusedevents.

A listing of theseactivities will be availableon the CAMRA website.

Tracy continued: “Lastyear we conductedresearch that revealedthere are more varieties ofmild being brewed thanever before. However webelieve that few breweriesdo enough to promote it.We urge them to get onboard and do all they canto put Mild back on themap.”

Over 150 MildsCAMRA research in 2005

found thatthere are154 regularlyavailablemilds and 20seasonalbrewscurrentlyavailable inthe UK.

Norfolk is well served byour local brewers, whoprovide a range of milds,most prominentlyWoodforde’s Mardlers andElgood’s Black Dog, plusseveral from the smallerbreweries that you may belucky enough to find (butthey might not be labelled“Mild” on the pump clip, soyou may need to ask thebar staff if they have a mildavailable).

Promotional packTo order a mild month

promotional pack, which isavailable from CAMRA HQfree of charge, call 01727867201 or place yourorder online atwww.camra.org.uk/mild

Each pack contains:leaflets about mild; “emptybelly” posters for licenseesto display which milds totry; promotional advicesheets; Press Releasetemplates; ideas for mildthemed events.


Steady Pints

CAMRA Beer Festival DiaryMay 22nd-27th (Mon.-Sat.). 33rd Cambridge BeerFestival. Jesus Green, Cambridge. Open Mon. 5-10.30p.m., Tue.-Fri. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5-10.30 p.m.; Sat. 11 a.m.-11.30 p.m. www.cambridgebeerfestival.com.May 23rd-27th (Tue.-Sat.). 21st Colchester Real Ale &Cider Festival. Colchester Arts Centre, Colchester. OpenTue. 6-11 p.m.; Wed.-Sat. noon-11 p.m.www.colchestercamra.org.uk.June 29th-July 2nd (Thu.-Sun.). 10th Festival of Beer &Brewing. Museum of East Anglian Life, Stowmarket.Open Thu. 6-11 p.m.; Fri. noon-11 p.m.; Sat. 11 a.m.-11p.m.; Sun. noon-3 p.m. Tel. 01449 612229 for more info.Aug. 1st-5th (Tue.-Sat.). Great British Beer Festival.Earls Court, London. Open Tue. 5-10.30 p.m.; Wed.-Fri.noon-10.30 p.m.; Sat. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. See page 13 for moreinformation. www.gbbf.org.uk.

Pub news● Landlord Richard Gibbsand his wife Angie, of theThree Pigs, at Edgefield,were the subject of anarmed raid just aftermidnight on March 24th,when robbers with ashotgun and bayonet burstin to the bar. They stole anecklace before fleeingand it is thought they weretargeting the pub’s cashmachine, which wasempty. Contact NorfolkPolice on 0845 456 4567 ifyou have any usefulinformation.● The George & Dragon,Thurton, has been boughtby the owners of theRailway, Wymondham, andwill be developed in thesame vain. It will be closedfor a short time forrefurbishment.● The Railway Tavern, atReedham, looks set to be

converted into flats.Current landlord JamesLunn says it is unviable as apublic house and isresubmitting revised plansfor five flats on the site.● Billingford Forge, whichhas been closed for somemonths, will be convertedfor residential usefollowing approval byBreckland District Councilof a planning applicationfor change of use.● The Mill Tavern,Norwich, is also likely to beconverted into flats,following approval ofchange of use by NorwichCity Council, despiteprotests from Norwich &Norfolk CAMRA that thiswould lead to the loss of alocal amenity.

‘Pub’ beer festivals● The 2006Wymondham BeerFestival is being held atthe Wymondham & District

Ex-Servicemen’s Club, onFriarscroft Lane, on April28th to May 1st. It’s openFri. 5.30-11 p.m.; Sat. 11a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun. noon-10.30; Mon. noon-3.30p.m. Admission £2.50 incl.refundable festival glass.● The Mattishall BeerFestival is on July 30th.See the advertisement inpage 12.● The Rosary Tavern,Norwich, is holding a beerfestival on May 27th to29th.● The Rose, Queens Road,Norwich, will be holdingits Summerfest from July7th to 16th.● The Deepdale Food &Drink Festival is on June10th and 11th.

Lifeboat Open DaysJuly 23rd, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Wells RNLI Lifeboat.Aug. 6th. Caister

Volunteer Lifeboat.


On Saturday April 1st there was no fooling aroundwhen the National Young Members’ Group came toNorwich for a meeting and pub crawl, and werejoined by local young members and some whowere younger minded but not so young bodied.

We started with ameeting at the RosaryTavern, and over severalbeers we talked about theimportant role of youngmembers, and how tomake CAMRA moreaccessible for peopleunder 30 (ish).

We moved on to theCoach & Horses for a bit toeat, and to give youngmembers from across thecountry the chance to visitNorwich’s oldest brew-pub.

Then up the hill (“whathill??!!” said those who hadcrossed the Pennines toget here) to the KettsTavern, where a fewpeople had a go at beertasting, using Norfolk’stasting cards.

Others decided this wasfar too technical, andsimply enjoyed the beerand conversation.

Sunshine on the patioThe next stop was the

Wig & Pen, where weenjoyed a bit of sunshineon the patio, tried morebeers, and reminisced thegood times we’d had atbeer festivals.

“So many pubs, so littletime” is a good phrase touse when visiting Norwich,so we pressed on to theKing’s Head, MagdalenStreet, Norwich & Norfolk

CAMRA branch’s Pub ofthe Year.

This pub causedproblems for some of thevisiting members – there’stoo many beers to choosefrom, especially if youcome from an area wherea good real ale pub is onewith more than two beers!

Large choiceThe large choice of local

brews meant that severalhad to be sampled tomake an informed choice,which led on to aninteresting challenge: seeif the locals can guess thebeer just from having a sip.

Tom, you are qualified togrow a beard and expandthe beer belly!

Shopping trolleys arebuilt with a mechanism tostop the wheels fromturning if a customer triesto take the trolley out ofthe car park.

Jon and Roland, of theKing’s Head, seem to havebeen installing thesedevices on to theircustomers’ shoes. Onceyou get in there, it can bevery hard to leave.

In most big towns andcities you will find someshopping trolleys havedysfunctional anti-theftdevices, and they willappear a mile or two awayfrom the shop. Like these

shopping trolleys, some ofthe group managed tobreak away and head awayfrom the pub, but unlikeshopping trolleys theydidn’t end up in the river,but made it to the Shedand the Duke ofWellington.

The Shed was acompulsory pub to visit,being the Fat Cat’s sisterpub and home ofNorwich’s newest micro-brewery.

Its wide selection ofquality ales makes itworthy of the Fat cat nameand it’s unique interior isanother reason to make itworth the walk, as is itsbrilliant pub sign.

The Duke of Wellingtoncaused another quandarywith its large selection ofbeer. However certainmale members of ourgroup were debating thequalities of the female barstaff long after the beerwas finished.

Wanderers returnedFinally Jon and Roland’s

supermarket shoes kickedin and the wanderersreturned to the King’sHead, where Norwichyoung members werefound enjoying a free pintkindly provided by thebranch.

Thanks to the Rosary forproviding a meeting roomand to all the pubs wevisited during the day fortheir hospitality.

Helen Nightingale,Young Members Officer

Young Members’ Meeting


Our “First Friday Fives” have been going strong forseveral years now, visiting five pubs in the Norwicharea on the first Friday of each month. We nearlyalways manage to come across something new ordifferent, so the effort is usually worthwhile.

Continued on next page

Round The Houses

Our April Friday Five tookin pubs in the city centreand in easy walkingdistance of each other.

We started at the SirGarnet Wolseley, where16 members met tosample the Greene KingIPA (£2.50) and AdnamsBroadside (£2.80), both ingood condition.

Moving on to the BellHotel (J. D. Wetherspoon),which we found was fairlybusy with pre nightclubbers.

I had a pleasant pint ofDragonfly at an even morepleasant price of £1.65,the others chose from thefive other ales on offer,again in nice condition.

A couple of hundredyards and into theMurderers, a bit noisy andcrowded and again withsix real ales ranging from£2.00 to my excellentTindall’s Resurrection at£2.50. Always a goodselection here.

A short walk to theShirehall (Marquee),which I had not visitedbefore, only to find onlyone real ale (Bombardier)at £2.50 which only thefirst few could try as it ranout before I could sampleit and no more was put on.

After such a short staywe made an unscheduled

call at the Steam Packetwhere we chose eitherAdnams Bitter, Broadsideor Fullers London Pride, allserved in excellent order.

Our final port of call wasKings, a modern-interiored pub full ofyoung and trendy people(where I felt very much athome) and we all sampledthe one ale on offer,Adnams Bitter at £2.50,which was in great form.

A good turnout on a dry,clear night consideringthat some of our memberswere away in Blackpool atthe CAMRA AGM.

A special thank you toour friends who travelledfrom Sheringham to joinus. Bernard Hale

February MysteryCoach TripOur February Mystery Trip,the first of the year, tookus through the Broadlandarea of Norfolk.

We headed off toWroxham and then turnedtowards Horning beforefinally arriving at our firststop, which was at theKing’s Arms, in Ludham.

This pub interior consistsof one large L-shaped barwith a pool table at oneend plus a separate diningroom.

Real ales available here

were Greene King IPA andAdnams Broadside.

The pub displayed twofood menu boardsadvertising verycontrasting cuisine, thefirst had exotic dishes suchas frogs legs with garlicbutter, ‘moules mariniere’and Skates wings, whilstthe other had a muchmore basic menu of mincebeef pie with vegetablesand gravy, cod & chips,roast turkey and apple piefor desert.

I suppose it depends onhow adventurous you arewhen deciding from whichmenu board to order from?

On to our next pubwhich was the Falgate, atPotter Heigham.

When we arrived therewere many peopleenjoying a Friday eveningmeal at this fairly foodorientated establishment.

On sale here were tworeal ales: Greene King IPAand Adnams Broadsideagain.

Another short drive tookus to the Greyhound, atHickling. On entering thepub we found there was apub quiz taking place inthe main bar so we wereall ushered into theirspacious dining room thatwas not being used thatnight.

Real ales on offer herewere Young’s SpecialBitter, Adnams Bitter andGreene King IPA.


Cont. from previous pageAs a friendly gesture the

landlord came into thecoach just before wedeparted and thanked usall for coming to his puband hoped he would seeus again some time in thefuture.

Next it was anothersmall distance to the Swanat Ingham. This lovely oldpub, situated adjacent tothe parish church, offeredWoodforde’s Wherry andNorfolk Nog.

Normally when I havebeen before it has a largerrange of Woodforde’sbeers on but as it was outof the tourist season onlythe two were available butthey were dispensed infine condition.

Our last pub of theevening was the Star, atLessingham, a real gem ofa pub which we have notvisited for along time.

The beer range includedBateman’s XXXB, Buffy’sBitter and Greene King IPA.

After we had been in thepub a few minutes, to thedelight of many of ourparty, Mauldon’s BlackAdder appeared. The pubalso sold two real ciders.

Behind the bar was aportrait of the landlord thatbore a stunningresemblance to the sadlylate Freddie Mercury.

Tonight’s visit was agood trip round Broadlandtaking in some pubs thatwe do not often visit.

Warren Wordsworth

March MysteryCoach TripIt was a small butdetermined group that setoff on the March trip.

Heading to the west ofNorwich our first stop wasthe King’s Head, atBawburgh. This obviouslyfood orientatedestablishment offeredthree ales all in goodcondition.

Adnams SouthwoldBitter (£2.60), Woodforde’sWherry at (£2.70) and, forthose who complained atpaying £2.80 a pint on ourFebruary trip, NethergateAugustinian at a pocketcrippling £2.90 a pint.

Our second stop was atthe Marlingford Bell, awarm, welcoming dogfriendly pub offeringBuffy’s Terrier and Buffy’sBitter, both at £2.30.

Third port of call was theBarford Cock, home ofBlue Moon and Spectrumbreweries.

This is an example of apub offering a good rangeof food and achieving abalance which keeps thefood trade away from barthus catering for bothdiners and drinkers.

On offer was Blue MoonSea of Tranquillity (£2.00)and Hingham High (£2.30).Unfortunately we had justmissed the Easy Life(£1.90) but this was themost reasonably pricedrange of beer we found allevening.

Moving on to theBarnham Broom Bell, wewere made very welcomeby Liz and Tony who hadonly been in residence forthree weeks and wereworking hard to rebuildtrade and establish a rangeof real ales.

The Norwich match hadjust finished on a not tooimposing wide screentelevision and the pub wasvery busy.

Friday evening foundthem offering Greene KingIPA and Greene KingAbbot (£2.40) andpromising to increase therange when time andtrade allowed.

Our final stop was theWicklewood Cherry Tree.On the outskirts of thevillage, this outlet forBuffy’s beers was offeringBuffy’s Bitter, NorwegianBlue and Hopleaf.

Although trying thebeers was our mission, itwas good to find that theywere still serving foodrather than closing thekitchen after CoronationStreet which is notuncommon for a lot ofpubs.

Generally it was agreedthat the evening offeredthe opportunity to try avaried range of beers at aselection of pubs whichmaybe sometimesoverlooked because theydo not sit on the mainarterial routes from thecity.

Ray Parker


This year our chosen Branch Charity is BUILD,which promotes self help for adult and youngpeople with learning difficulties.

With a view to swellingour contribution, whichmainly relies on yourgenerosity at NorwichBeer Festival, we havedecided to organise acharity cycle ride.

For a modest entrancefee of £2.00 you will havethe services of anexperienced cycling guide,enjoy some fresh air andviews of the stunningNorfolk countryside whilstworking off those extrainches gained on officialCAMRA business.

Starting at theHeartsease at 10.00 a.m.

on Sunday May 28th, wewill be heading in thegeneral direction ofWroxham, Buxton andAylsham, returningthrough Frettenham to ourfinal destination which isthe Duke of Wellington, onWaterloo Road, Norwich,where refreshment will beprovided.

The total route will notexceed 35 miles but there

will be opportunity alongthe way to take on liquidand dependent upon theconsensus of opinion andprevailing weatherconditions reduce theoverall distance.

Some indication as tonumbers would beappreciated, if only to helpwith arranging roadclosures along our route.

We look forward toseeing you.

Please telephone 01603300292 or send £2.00entrance fee to 34 GorseRoad, Thorpe St. Andrew,NR7 0AY.

Ray Parker,Social Secretary

Join our Charity Cycle Ride

www.buildnorwich.org.uk


The Great British Beer Festival will be hosted thisyear at Earls Court between 1st and 5th August,following 14 successful years at London Olympia.

Over 47,000 peopleattended last year’s“Showcase of British Beer”.This event has nowoutgrown the LondonOlympia venue and willmove to Earls Courtallowing more choice,variety and beer than everbefore!

Tony Jerome, CAMRAMarketing Manager, said:“We are all looking forwardto moving the Great BritishBeer Festival to Earls Court.We have had some verysuccessful festivals atOlympia over the recentyears and following lastyear’s record attendancewe felt this was the idealtime to move to a biggervenue.

1000 volunteers“This success is a

testament to how hard the1000 volunteers work atthe Great British BeerFestival.”

Over 700 tasty tipplesfrom the smallest micro-breweries and largeregional brewers havebeen hand-picked forvisitors to try. More thanever before!

These include wheatbeers, ciders, golden ales,stouts, porters, bitters,milds, bottle-conditionedbeers, perries and reallagers from all over theworld.

The festival is not only

about the ale! You will alsobe able to enjoy food, livemusic, entertainment,games, tombolas, andquizzes in the comfort of afamily friendlyatmosphere.

Why not catch up andsocialise with friends orjust soak up the festivalatmosphere?

Other festivalhighlights

Tutored Beer Tastings– why not learn toappreciate the differenttastes and flavours beattending one of ourtutored beer tastings. Butbe warned - places sell outfast!

Corporate Hospitality– For work colleagues orclients, we are able tooffer a variety of packagesto suit most tastes andbudgets. Please [email protected]

Family Room – allthose under the age of 18must remain in the FamilyRoom throughout the

festival and must besupervised by a familymember

Opening times andprices:

Tue. 1st Aug., 5 p.m.-10.30 p.m., CAMRAmembers £5, non-members £7

Wed. 2nd Aug. to Fri. 4thAug., 12 noon–10.30 p.m.,members £5, non-members £7

Sat. 5th Aug., 11 a.m.–7 p.m., members £4, non-members £6

For more up to dateinformation on the GreatBritish Beer Festival pleasevisit www.gbbf.org

Win a pair of GreatBritish Beer Festivaltickets!CAMRA is offering 25lucky winners a pair ofGreat British BeerFestival tickets. All youneed to do to enter thiscompetition is email orpost your answer to thissimple question byFriday 7th July:Where is the Great BritishBeer Festival moving to inAugust 2006?Please email youranswers [email protected] post to Tony Jerome,Marketing Manager,CAMRA, 230 HatfieldRd, St Albans, Herts, AL14LW. Winners will benotified and sent theirtickets before FridayJuly 14th.

Great British Beer Festival 2006


Hingham High, a robust5.2% brew from the BlueMoon Brewery, has beenselected as “Beer of theYear” by the Norwich &Norfolk branch of theCampaign for Real Ale.

Branch chair WendyParker enthused:“Hingham High is a classicstrong bitter. It has richcolouring and a warmfilling mouth feel.Although it is a malty beer,those who prefer ahoppier beer will not bedisappointed.

“The beer is available inthe brewery tap andselected outletselsewhere. We hope thatby promoting it as our

champion beer newoutlets may becomeavailable.”

Branch Taste Panel co-ordinator Alan Edwardsadded: “The beer achievedthe highest marks awardedduring last year’s tastingsessions. It is an all-roundbeer which has attained alevel of consistency thatbefits an established andrespected local brewery.

“These scores, and thebranch selection aschampion, should help thebeer when the selectionsare made for theChampion Beer of Britaincontest.

The Blue Moon Breweryis situated behind the Cock

Inn, at Barford, and,uniquely, shares the plantwith the SpectrumBrewery.

Brewery owner andlandlord Pete Turner iswell known in the licensedtrade for his efforts inreopening the Golden Starpub in Norwich andrunning the brewery of thesame name.● The King’s Head,Magdalen Street, Norwich,has been selected asCAMRA Norwich & NorfolkBranch “Pub of the Year2006” and will now go upagainst West Norfolk’schoice of the Old WhiteBell, Southery, as the“Norfolk Pub of the Year.”

Branch beer and pub awards


National Pub of the YearCAMRA’s “National Pub of the Year 2006” was announced in February as the Swan,Little Totham, Essex. It’s the second time that the Swan, a 16th century cottage-stylepub, has won the coverted award (the last time was in 2002). The other finalists in thecompetition were the Check Inn, North Wroughton, Wiltshire; the Old Coach House,Southwell, East Midlands; and the Robin Hood, Jarrow, Tyne & Wear.

Champion Winter Beer of BritainA Over T, from Hogs Back Brewery, Surrey, was named as the Supreme ChampionWinter Beer of Britain 2006 by a panel of judges at CAMRA’s National Winter AlesFestival, in January. Second place went to Gale’s Festival Mild and third place to Goff’sBlack Knight. The category winners were: Old Ales & Strong Milds – Gold, Gale’s FestivalMild; Silver, Goff’s Black Knight; Bronze, Orkney Dark Island. Stouts & Porters – Gold,Bazen’s Knoll Street Porter; Silver, Fuller’s London Porter; Bronze, Bath Festivity. BarleyWines – Gold, Hog’s Back AOT; Silver, Isle of Skye Cuillen Beast; Bronze, Robinson’s OldTom.

New CAMRA book celebrates beer with foodCAMRA has released a new edition of the Good Pub Food, by Susan Nowak and JillAdam. The guide features 600 entries UK-wide, listing pubs serving excellent food and,equally important, excellent real ale. It is priced at £14.99, available from bookshops ordirect from CAMRA by calling 01727 867201 or by visiting www.camra.org.uk.

Father’s Day gift membership promotionCAMRA is offering a fantastic offer of gift CAMRA membership and a copy of the BigBook of Beer for Father’s Day for just £25, or £17 if he is over 60 years old. That’s asaving of £7.99 or £15.99! CAMRA membership has the following benefits: a monthlycopy of What’s Brewing; free/discounted entry to over 150 beer festivals; discounts onCAMRA books; access to the member’s area of the new CAMRA website; plus otheruseful benefits. So, before June 5th, ’phone 01727 867201 or visit www.camra.org.uk/join and make sure to quote “Father’s Day Promotion” to receive the discount!

Beer Duty rise is condemnedThe Campaign for Real Ale has slammed the Chancellor’s decision to freeze Champagneduty while increasing beer duty in this year’s Budget. CAMRA Chief Executive MikeBenner said: This increase is a blow to pubs and consumers. We have seen that even asmall increase in Excise Duty translates into a disproportionate cost for the consumer.”CAMRA welcomed the freeze on cider duty, which will help support Britain’s 150 smallindependent cider and perry producers.

Membership milestone on 35th anniversaryCAMRA celebrated its 35th anniversary in March by announcing that a record 80,000people have officially joined up to the Campaign for Real Ale – the highest number ofmembers since the consumer organisation began in 1971. Chief executive Mike Bennercommented: “CAMRA volunteers work tirelessly throughout the year to promote realale, cider and the traditional pub and ensure they have the healthy future they deserve.”

New CAMRA websiteCAMRA launched a new website in April, which makes getting information about realale and the consumer organisation’s campaigns easier than ever before:www.camra.org.uk

CAMRA snippets


“Taste it Once, Remember it Forever.” That’s themotto of the Green Flash Brewery, located in Vista,California, about 30 miles north of San Diego.

This small 15-personoperation is a relativenewcomer to the micro-brew scene, having beenfounded in 2002.

In 2003, their annualproduction was about1100 barrels, but that hasrisen to close to 4100barrels in 2005.

They use only naturalingredients and brew thebeer in small batches tokeep freshness and purity.Four ales are brewedregularly, with anoccasional seasonaloffering.

Extra Pale Ale isdescribed as a medium-bodied, American-style alewith a pale straw colour,balanced hop characterand a crisp floral bouquet.

West Coast IPA is fullof “hop attitude”, meaningintense hop flavour andfloral bouquet.

Ruby Red Ale ischaracterised by aglimmering red hue,medium bodied and richmalt flavour coupled witha clean crisp taste.

Nut Brown Ale is morein the English style,medium-bodied, with asweet, nutty flavour andmild hop character.

Seasonally they brewHefeweizen.

The brewery has won afew awards since its

inception.

In 2004, they took abronze medal in theStrong Ale category fromthe Association of BrewersWorld Beer Cup Awards,for their Green Flash 1stAnniversary Ale.

Created by the headbrewer, John Stewart, itcommemorated their firstyear in business. Johndescribes the beer as“American strong ale withcomplex malty flavoursand aromas of maple andmolasses, balanced bydiverse and generoushopping and a long,smooth alcohol finish.”

The brewery itself islocated in a smallnondescript business park,close to the PalomarAirport.

It is open to visitors onlyon Fridays, 3-7 p.m., andSaturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.,for tours, tastings andgrowler refills.

All their beer is bottledon the premises and it isavailable at many localrestaurants and otheroutlets.

Their websitewww.greenflashbrew.comincludes a Brewing 101glossary and you’ll bepleased to find CAMRAlisted and described. Youcan also find out what thegreen flash in their namemeans as well.

Alexis Ciurczak

Green Flash BrewingCompany,1430 Vantage Court Suite#104,Vista, CA 92083.Tel. 760-597-9012.

On the trail of Real Ale in California

If you have internetaccess, why not jointhe branch’s emailmailing list, a low

volume informationlist (not a discussion

group).Sign up at

groups.yahoo.com/group/

CAMRA_Norwich

Mailing List


The Campaign for Real Ale(CAMRA) has condemnedFuller Smith and Turner’sdecision to close Galesbrewery in Horndean,Hampshire, ascontemptible disregard forover 5000 people whosigned a petition to keepthe brewery open andmore than 150 years ofbrewing heritage.

CAMRA Chief ExecutiveMike Benner said: ““We areappalled at Fuller’sdecision. Thousands ofsupporters rallied behindthe Wessex branches ofCAMRA when a Save GalesCampaign was launchedfollowing the shocktakeover announcement in

November. But Fuller’s hassimply brushed theoverwhelming publicconcern aside andcontinued with its ownagenda.

“Fuller’s has madeassurances that the mainGales brands – HSB, Butser,Festival Mild and Prize OldAle – will remain. Howeverwe will be keeping a closeeye on the beers to ensurethey do not becomeseasonal or disappearaltogether.

“It’s questionablewhether ‘Horndean SpecialBitter’ (HSB) brewed inChiswick will appeal toHampshire drinkers, orindeed whether the beers

will taste the same.”Mr. Benner continued:

“Fuller’s justified theclosure by saying itexpects to make savings ofaround £3 million. This is asmall amount to gain inreturn for destroying acentury and a-half ofHampshire’s heritage anddealing a blow to all fansof Gales beers.”

● CAMRA campaignsagainst the consolidationand closure of breweriesas it reduces consumerchoice, quality and valuefor money, which isagainst the interests of allbeer drinkers and pubgoers.

Gales Brewery closure goes ahead


LettersDear Sir,Both my husband and Ienjoy reading your“Norfolk Nips”, eventhough we cannot get tothe vast majority of thepremises mentioned.

I thought you might beinterested to know that itis also enjoyed by thehusband of a friend inSunderland, and a copygets sent to him everyedition.

He loves some of thenames of the beer local tohere which he cannot getup there, also the articlesand the snippets about thevarious alehouses, andcheck “our” prices against

the Sunderland ones.My friend said once that

her husband was temptedto drive down and trysome of the beers, but ashe is 80, and she has gotvery ill health and needs alot of care, this isunfortunately not likely tohappen.

But at least your bookletgives him something todream about.

Mary Phillips,North Walsham

Dear Sir,I must say how much Ihave enjoyed the articlesby Alexis Ciurczak, “On thetrail of Real Ale inCalifornia.”

I have visited Californiaand have drunk some alebut I look foward to goingback and trying some ofthe breweries she hasrecommended The articlemakes me want to go backsoon!

Well done for a differentangle on real ale. Moreplease.

Jane Bushell,Hammersmith, London

● Please send youcomments(complimentary orotherwise!) to NorfolkNips, 1 Colmangate,Pottergate, Norwich,Norfolk NR2 1DY or [email protected]


A younger generation of drinkers might bebemused on seeing preserved or reproductionstained glass windows or screens in ourmemorabilia-furnished pubs bearing such letteringas “Public Bar”, “Saloon Bar” or “Smoke Room”.

Edwardian, Victorian andolder pubs invariably hadinteriors divided intoseveral rooms. In additionto those alreadymentioned you might finda “Bar Parlour” or “snug”and an off-sales hatch or“wicket”.

Even the large post-warpubs of the 1950s and ’60swere built with a variety ofrooms.

Thus there was ampleopportunity forsegregation of customertypes, classes and needs –and scope also for pricingdifferences such as thepremium charged in thelounge over the price inthe public bar.

Large, open spacesFrom the late 1960s

onwards the trend was toknocking pub interiors intolarge, open spaces. Thisenabled the likes ofWatneys, in the case ofNorfolk, to stamp theircorporate “style” on thedecor.

Fewer bars might alsomean that less bar staffwere needed to supervisecustomers throughout thepub.

In Norwich, a growingmistrust of pub customerswas not helped by thedelight that the newlyarrived students took in

“blagging” trophies fromevery pub they visited. Thegeneral air of suspicion hasdeveloped into agovernment-hypedparanoia about everyoneand everything.

Although I do not recallsmokers beingdiscouraged from lightingup in the Public Bar – “NoSmoking” signs weresometimes to be seen in alounge or restaurant area –the direction was clearlythat the place for smokerswas the designated SmokeRoom, where they couldindulge in the mutualbenefit of their sharedhabit.

Smoke Rooms were,almost universally, the firstcasualty when pubinteriors were opened out.

There used to beextractors mounted onpub walls or windows,simple fans which couldbe switched on to suck outcontaminated air.

Through draughtIn pubs with real fires,

the through draught helpsto clear unwanted smells,and the presence of achimney, even when thefire is not lit, helpsventilation.

Nowadays, some pubsseem to be hermeticallysealed, whereas opening

windows and/or doorswould keep the air fresh.

Fold-down top-lightwindows are especiallyuseful, since they clear thesmoke as it billows up tothe ceiling, while notallowing in too much coldair at ground level.

These effective meansof coping with smoky pubshave largely beensuperseded by theubiquitous filters fixed topub ceilings. Thesegenerate a reassuringamount of din but still failto have much effect onsmoke levels.

Special smoking areasAssuming the

Government’s smokingban comes into force inSummer 2007, it seemslikely that some pubs willcreate special smokingareas outside the pub,perhaps with somerudimentary shelter andeating, but presumablywithout a bar and sospartan as to containnothing nickable, just a binfor the fag ends and aspittoon.

One might anticipatethat a closed circuit TVcamera lens will be thereto keep an eye on thosepartaking.

Doubtless our localcouncils will not be slow tosee here an opportunityfor additional planningbureaucracy – and moretax revenue.

A jug in the snug with a fug



But it’s not therecreation of the oldSmoke Room. We haven’tquite come full circle,because over the past 50years the relationshipbetween public andregulars has suffered, notleast due to breweries andpub chains regarding arapid turnover of tenantsas another milch-cow.

Neither are camaraderieand tolerance amongcustomers to be relied onany more. We can not getback the pubs we’ve lost.

For my part, I was notcampaigning for a totalsmoking ban, preferringseparate areas for non-smokers and smokers, andadequate means ofmaintaining a clean airsupply throughout thepub.

Cont. from previous page I look forward, however,to feeling able to makemore frequent visits tootherwise good pubs Ihave tended to avoidbecause of excessivesmoke levels, to nothaving to wash all myclothes after one visit tothe pub, and to waking upin the morning without ahacking cough and amouth like an ash tray.

Tubby Stout


Many people will knowPeter, who has beenworking for Buffy’sbrewery for the last fewyears.

Peter has been known tothe branch for all of its 31years, he always looks theperfect gentleman and hasworked hard to promotereal ale.

On behalf of allmembers of Norwich &Norfolk CAMRA I wouldlike to wish him and hiswife all the best in hisretirement. I am sure hewill still be a regular visitorto the Norwich BeerFestival. Good luck Peter.

Wendy Parker,Branch Chairman

Peter Webb and his wife Jilly, at Peter’s retirementpresentation at the Cherry Tree, Wicklewood.

Peter Webb retires


Traditional JazzWater Rats Jazz Band 41st

annual Tour of NorfolkBroads – Sat. 22nd July toSat. 29th July.

At the time of writing thesenotes the full itinerary wasnot available, but the tourwill commence at a venueto be confirmed on theevening of Sat. 22nd July,with the regular visit toWoodforde’s Fur & Feather,at Woodbastwick, on Sun.23rd July (lunchtime) andthey will again appear atWorstead Festival on Sat.29th July at noon. Watchout for the full itinerary inthe local press or pick oneup at one of the local jazzvenues.

Lakeside Country Club,Quarry Lane, LyngAdnams beers plus “Lakeside”house bitter on handpump.Fri. 19th May – Savannah

Jazz BandJune – TBATue. 18th July – Oriental

Jazz Band (from Holland)

King’s Arms,Market Place, ReephamA regular entry in the CAMRAGood Beer Guide, with a goodselection of real ales and food.Every Sun. lunchtime from

14th May to 3rd Sept. inthe courtyard at the rearof the pub (inside if wet),the bands alternatingthrough the summer willbe Nene Valley Jazzmen,Just Jazz Good Time JazzBand, Climax Jazz Bandand Vintage HotOrchestra.

Just Jazz will also beplaying at an additionalsession on Bank HolidayMonday (lunchtime), 28thAug.

Wheatsheaf,West Beckham (nr. Holt)Wide selection of Woodforde’sbeers plus guest ales.Sun. 25th June (lunchtime) –

Just Jazz Good Time JazzBand

Phoenix Hotel,Church Street, DerehamGreene King IPA and RuddlesCounty.Third Sun. every month

(7.30-10.00 p.m.) — JustJazz Good Time Jazz Band

New Rising Sun,Coltishall(new jazz venue)Real ales availableFirst Fri. every month – Just

Jazz Good Time Jazz Band

Feathers Hotel,Market Place, HoltGreene King IPA and Abbot AleFirst Fri. every month –

Lumiere Rouge RagtimeBand

Marsham Arms,Hevingham(new jazz venue)Third Fri. every month –

Lumiere Rouge RagtimeBand

Crown Inn, Banningham(nr. Aylsham)Selection of real ales availableSun. 28th May (1.30-4.30

p.m.) – Just Jazz GoodTime Jazz Band (freeadmission). Special 2-

course Sunday roastavailable during theafternoon – advisable tobook in advance

King’s Head Hotel,Beccles, SuffolkSelection of Adnams beers plusGreene King IPA and occasionalguest alesEvery Sun. eve. – Red Beans

’n’ Rice New Orleans JazzBand

Tally Ho, Mettingham(nr. Bungay), SuffolkEvery Thu. – Sole Bay Jazz

Band

Pykkerell, High Street,Ixworth, SuffolkGreene King IPA and Abbot AleLast Fri. every month –

Dixie Jazz Bandits andguests

Community Centre,Magdalen Street,Eye, SuffolkTue. 11th July – Second Line

Jazz Band (Sweden).Charity event in aid ofDiss, Thetford & DistrictCitizens’ Advice Bureau

Queen’s Head,Stradbroke, Suffolk5th-7th May – 9th Annual

Real Ale and Jazz Festival.Good selection of realales plus top class line-upof jazz bands

Mainstream/Modern JazzGreen Man,Wroxham Road, RackheathReal ales includingWoodforde’s Wherry, AdnamsBitter and BroadsideEvery Tue. – Full

programme, bands vary


Music and Real Ale


FolkNelson, Nelson Street,Norwich, 01603 626362Tue. and Thu. evenings

Red Herring,24-25 Havelock Road,Gt. Yarmouth,01493 853384Folk jam session every Tue.

night

Dereham Jazz Society,Football Club, Aldiss Park,Norwich Road, DerehamEvery Wed. – Full

programme, bands vary

Zaks at the Swan,Poringland(new jazz venue)Real ales availableFirst and third Thu. every

month – Various bands/musicians

Keith Chettleburgh

Cont. from previous page Rock/BluesBlueberry, 20 Cowgate,Norwich, 01603 475001Freehouse with range of realalesThu./Fri./Sat./Sun. every

week (incl. Sun. lunch)

Brickmakers,496 Sprowston Road,Norwich, 01603 441118Thu./Fri./Sat. every week

Ferry Boat,191 King Street, Norwich,01603 613553Greene King beersRegular live gigs

King Edward VII,63 Aylsham Road, Norwich2 real alesFri./Sat. evenings every

week – Rock/blues bands

Next NipsAug.-Oct. 2006Advertisement deadline:

Friday, July 7thNews and articles deadline:

Friday, July 7thPublication date:Friday, July 28th

To receive the next6 issues of Norfolk

Nips by post, pleasesend 8 1st class

stamps to: NorfolkNips, 1 Colmangate,Pottergate, Norwich,

NR2 1DY, togetherwith your name and

address.


Branch Diary DatesPick-up times for coaches: 6.47 junc. Southwell Rd./Grove Rd.;6.55 junc. Old Palace Rd./West End St.; 7.00 Boundary Rd. (busstop nr. Whiffler); 7.02 junc. Mile Cross La./Eversley Rd.; 7.04Sprowston Fire Stn.; 7.08 Heartsease (Plumstead Rd. busstop); 7.15 Wig & Pen, Palace Plain.

Friday May 5thFirst Friday Five – Fat Cat,

West End Street (8 p.m.)then Reindeer, St.Andrew’s Tavern, Ribs ofBeef, King’s Head.

Tuesday May 16thBranch Meeting –

Gatehouse, DerehamRoad, Norwich (8 p.m.).

Sunday May 28thCharity Cycle Ride — See

page 10.Friday June 2ndFirst Friday Five – Romany,

Colman Road (8 p.m.) thenFarmhouse, Beehive,

Eaton Cottage, York Tav.Saturday June 3rdRegional Meeting –

Thurrock, Essex (1 p.m.).The branch will beproviding transport tothis, phone Social Sec. RayParker on 01603 300292for details.

Tuesday June 20thBranch Meeting – Hill

House, Happisburgh(8 p.m.). Free coach fromNorwich, usual pick-upsas above.

Thursday June 22ndBeer Festival Planning

Meeting – Rosary Tavern,Rosary Road, Norwich(8 p.m.).

Friday July 7thFirst Friday Five – Horse &

Dray, Ber Street (8 p.m.)then Surrey Tavern,Trafford Arms, King’sArms, Rose (Queens Road).

Saturday July 15thBrewery Visit/Summer Trip

– Visiting Mauldon’sBrewery plus pubs on theroute back to Norwich.Tickets £7.50. Phone SocialSec. Ray Parker on 01603300292 for more details.

Tuesday July 18thBranch Meeting – Venue to

be arranged. Check“What’s Brewing” orwebsite for details.


Norwich &Norfolk branch

Chairman: Wendy ParkerTel. 01603 300292. Email [email protected]

Secretary: Graham FreemanTel. 01603 687495. Email [email protected]

Social Secretary: RayParkerTel. 01603 300292. Email [email protected]

Branch website:www.norwichcamra.org.uk

Branch mailing list web page:groups.yahoo.com/group/CAMRA_Norwich

Published every 3 monthsby the Norwich & Norfolk

branch of theCampaign for Real Ale© N&N CAMRA 2006

Norfolk Nips is produced anddistributed by members of the

branch in their own time

Edited by:Adrian Hennessy1 Colman Gate,

Pottergate,Norwich, Norfolk NR2 1DY

Tel 0779 067 5057Fax 0871 661 6367

[email protected]

Views expressed in Norfolk Nipsare not necessarily those of the

editor or of CAMRAPrinted by:

Gallpen Colourprint, Norwich

If you are unhappy about the service you get in a pub,i.e. short measures, lack of a price list, or misleadinglisting of products, contact Norfolk County CouncilTrading Standards Department at County Hall,Martineau Lane, Norwich NR1 2UD.

no. 137 may-july 2006 free may is why not try mild a pint today? · 2006. 8. 9. · railway,...

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