issue 43 December 2006 - January 2007

the Drinker A revived venue and a local brewery - perfect match! The revival of a name The restaurant prices are Let us hope this venture has traditionally associated with reasonable for the area. For more success than "Roots", Oxford, and revered and example, roast beef with all the which traded for barely three respected by all born and bred trimmings for £9.95. months then folded. The Oxonians - the rebirth of the intention to make a go of it is Jam Factory. It is basically the www.thejamfactoryoxford.com certainly in evidence with former Marmalade Café and enthusiasm in bucket loads! The Jam Factory is the only Gallery refurbished, with the central Oxford outlet for the addition of a newly fitted A visit to this is included whole range of Cotswold purpose built bar. However, the in the itinerary for the Oxford Brewing Company beers. The building in was Drinker crawl on Friday 19 Brewery is based in Foscot. originally the famous Coopers January. See Branch jam factory. It has an Art deco Diary/website for further There are currently two style with low-level cool details. Cotswold draught beers on jazz/easy listening background hand-pump: Three Point Eight, music. 3.8%, at £2.80 a pint, and

Cotswold Premium Lager, The new proprietors are 5.00%, at £3.00 a pint. Lined Andrew Norton, a former glasses are used. Beers to manager of the Loch Fyne follow include Cotswold Dark - restaurant in Walton Street with a Bock style dark lager - and an arts background, and Tom Cotswold Wheat, which will Buswell, who comes from an arrive this month and next. art development company.

They also have Innis and Gunn Oak Aged Beer, 6.6%, and inside this issue: Deuchars IPA, in bottles. beer styles part 2 www.cotswoldbrewingcompany.com oxford beer festival

new database all the local pub news community pubs week the free newsletter of the abingdon road pub crawl Oxford City Branch of CAMRA updated membership form www.oxfordcamra.org.uk old bookbinders beer festival issue 43 oxford beer festival 2006 Tony Perry Once again, the Branch took in Oxford, attracting a wide out to about 9pm, leaving just over the Town hall for the selection of people, which is the bottled beer. Strangely, the annual beer festival in October. always a good feeling. It bottled beer stand became This year saw 160 casks of seemed to ease off early on very popular! beer delivered and racked up Thursday, with it being on the Wednesday. noticeably quieter after 10 Sunday morning saw the Unfortunately, I missed this job o’clock. Not so on Friday dedicated bunch of volunteers this year, as I was moving though - the place was packed taking down the equipment, house! full all night, with people and loading it into various vans queuing on the street to get in. and cars, before returning a The Thursday set up went well, We had to resort to a ‘one out, few empty casks through the with just a minor hitch when we one in’ system in order to streets of Oxford to the Turf realised we had set up one of manage numbers. Tavern, to the inevitable jests the bars too close to the of having had a good night last stillage. I thought that was A lot of beers had sold out on night! going to be a major headache the Friday night, but once to move, but I turned round a again we had planned our At the Turf, we relaxed with a few minutes later and it was all reserve casks for Saturday, Sunday lunch and a few beers. finished. Well done! bringing on line another 40 new We then moved on to the Kings barrels. This gave customers a Arms for few more beers. At We opened on time on decent choice throughout the which point I left, but some Thursday evening, and were day, with the beer finally were still going strong! soon doing a roaring trade to running out at about 9pm. The the usual selection of perry ran out earlier in the So, once more a successful customers. We always do well evening, but the cider lasted festival. A very big THANK YOU to all the volunteers who gave their time and effort to make the festival run so well. And, of course, thanks to all our customers: we hope you enjoyed yourselves!

The Hook Norton Shire horses and dray outside the Oxford Town Hall during the Oxford CAMRA Beer Festival.

page 2 the Oxford Drinker december 2006 beer festival credits.... diary Friday 1 – Sunday 3 December The Oxford Drinker is the newsletter of Oxford 2006 CAMRA, The Campaign for Real Ale. It is published South Hinksey Beer Festival bi-monthly in February, April, June, August, October General Elliot, Manor Road, and December. 2000 copies of each one are distributed South Hinksey, Oxford Live music – folk from 8.30pm free of charge to pubs and other drinking establishments Friday, rock from 8.00pm across the city and its surrounding area. Saturday. 01865 739369 editor: Wednesday 6 – Saturday 9 Sam French December 2006 [email protected] Far From The Madding Crowd valuable contributions have been Friars Entry, Oxford 01865 240900 received for this issue from: Winter Beer Festival Matt Bullock, David Hill, Neil Hoggarth www.maddingcrowd.co.uk Tony Perry, Richard Queralt and others

Wednesday 17 – Saturday 20 advertising January 2007 is available at excellent rates from CAMRA National Winter Ales Graham Baker 01865 439 664 Festival [email protected] New Century Hall, Corporation

Street, Manchester Opposite Manchester Victoria contributions and bribes accepted by the editor at: Station and the Metrolink. 5 Broadhead Place Headington Opening times and prices: Oxford Wednesday 17th 5pm - OX3 9RE 10.30pm £3 - NUS, OAP & or call 07905 212318 other concessionary £2 Thursday 18th 5pm - 10.30pm please share this magazine with other interested people £3 Friday 19th 12 noon - 5pm £3 and dispose of your Drinker carefully. (Note - no access to downstairs bar) ALSO Don't miss a single copy of the Oxford Drinker. Why not Friday 19th 5pm - 10.30pm £4 subscribe to the Oxford Drinker? To do this, send some Saturday 20th 12 noon – A5 size stamped addressed envelopes to: 10.30pm £3 Oxford Drinker, 20 Victoria Road, Abingdon OX14 1DQ and we will send you as many different issues The Champion Winter Beer of as you send envelopes Britain competition takes place on Thursday. CAMRA members £1 off at all times. please send any pub news for inclusion to Entertainment Thursday & [email protected] Saturday evenings. 200 British & foreign beers, bottled real The views expressed in this publication are ales plus ciders & perries. those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of the branch or CAMRA limited. www.winterales.uku.co.uk © Oxford CAMRA 2006 01727 867201 the Oxford Drinker page 3 issue 43 beer styles - part 2 Richard Queralt

STOUT and PORTER strong pale ales which were The mash is the malted bar- beginning to find their way ley to which has been added This short series of articles into the city from breweries in hot water to form a sort of looks at the different styles other parts of . thin brown porridge. The beer native to Britain. Part 2 objective is to dissolve the looks at stouts and porters. The brown beer was the sugars from the malt into the The illustrations are of beer product of London’s well water, which will then be bottle labels, mainly from water and the dark-brown drained off leaving the malt Oxfordshire breweries. Not all malted barley available at the behind. This brown sugary are referred to in the text. time. Part of the malting water, now known as wort, is process involves heating the then ready for the next stage Both these styles have their barley in a kiln. This was of the brewing process. roots in London, with one done using various types of evolving from the other. fuel but usually wood and the smoke from the fire invariably tainted the malt. This left the finished beer with an unwanted smoky tang.

Porter came first, around 1720, As mashing wasn’t very effi- and was the result of attempts cient at extracting all the to improve on the heavy, sweet sugar, it was common prac- brown beer native to the capital Trial and error led to a proc- tice to add hot water to the at the time. ess being developed whereby malt a second and third time, extra hops were added to the with each mash to be brewed beer, which was then matured separately. This resulted in in wooden barrels for several three beers of different months, resulting in a sharper strengths: the first being the flavour without the previous strongest and the third the smokiness. A lot of the resid- weakest - usually known as ual sweetness had gone and, small beer. as a bonus, the beer had become ‘bright’ or clear, as This new beer was a mixture opposed to the original ver- of all three mashes brewed sion which tended to be as one beer, highly hopped cloudy. and matured, initially, for some four to five months. The The main reason for the The other aspect of porter’s final version wasn’t arrived at change was the pressure on development came about overnight, though, and took at the sales of London’s brown- during the first stage of the least 15 years to perfect, with beer brewers caused by the brewing process, known as the maturation period now mashing. stretched to over a year. page 4 the Oxford Drinker december 2006

of three different types of beer. These were usually a ‘stale’ brown, a pale and a mild beer, and were mixed from three different barrels when served in the pub. (Stale would originally have meant a beer that been matured over several months rather than ‘not fresh’ as it does today) Porter was made from the three different mashes brewed together as one beer. Three threads was three different brews delivered to the pub in three different barrels. Portering was an essential Thus, finally, was born porter, Porter has come to be seen as part of the city’s commercial or to give it its original name, a replacement for three life and the term porter was entire butt - entire because it threads; which it wasn’t as the used to cover a variety of was made from the entire set two styles continued to be sold unskilled labouring jobs. of mashes, with butt being alongside each other. Thousands were employed another term for a barrel. loading and unloading boats and ships at docks and wharves, or carrying goods around the city to shops, factories, businesses and homes. And it wasn’t just goods that needed carrying. Sedan chairs, sometimes with two people in them, would require at least two porters.

Some businesses, such as the docks and markets, and Three threads did eventually not forgetting breweries, disappear, while porter went on employed their own full-time to the capital’s favourite beer. porters. These brewery Soon, all of London’s brown- This was mainly because porters, besides fetching and beer brewers were making porter was cheaper – it was a carrying around the brewery porter, and it wasn’t long single brew and didn’t have to site, would also have before it was taken up by be mixed by bar staff, saving delivered beer from door to breweries in other towns and time at the brewery and in the door. cities. These ‘country’ pub. Also, as London’s water brewers, as they were known wasn’t suitable for brewing pale There was also an army of to Londoners, would originally beers, they had to be bought in freelance licensed porters, have bought porter from the from country brewers, further usually dressed in some sort capital to satisfy demand adding to the cost. of basic uniform complete from their customers. with identity badge while The usual story used to explain hundreds of others did the job To muddy the waters, how a beer called ‘entire butt’ on a casual basis if they another, earlier, style of beer came to be known as ‘porter’ is became unemployed or were has also come to be known that it was a popular drink laid off from their usual jobs. as entire butt. This was ‘three among 18th century London’s threads’ which was a mixture working classes. the Oxford Drinker page 5 issue 43 Undertakers, for instance, by well as darker ones. From the Towards the middle of the th the nature of their business, mid-17 century the adjective 18th century, the London hired porters as and when stout had come to mean porter brewers began needed, to carry coffins, both ‘strong’. Similarly, the weakest exporting their beer to Dublin, full and empty. (Not everybody beers were known as ‘slender where it became so popular could afford a hearse and four ales’. that a number of Irish black horses complete with breweries went out of ostrich feather plumes.) It was towards the end of the business. In 1759, Arthur th 18 century, long after the Guinness took out a 9,000 ‘invention’ of porter, that the year lease on one of these word stout came to be used as ailing breweries, the St a noun in a shortened version James’s Gate Brewery in of ‘stout porter’ and was no Dublin. longer used to describe beers of any other style. Likewise, the Initially, the company’s main use of slender fell from use The porter’s job was hard, products were ale and beer when describing the weaker thirsty work. Calories were but by the 1780s porter had beers. burnt off and had to be been added. The hard spring replaced. Just as the water used by the brewery The original porters, stout or agricultural workers in the was ideally suited to porter otherwise, were a deep, rich country and on the farms would brewing and, with the brown in colour and it wasn’t slake their thirsts with cider or addition of unmalted roast until around 1800, with the beer, so too would manual barley, a style of beer known discovery that roasted malt workers like the porters in today as dry Irish stout had could be used as a flavouring towns and cities. been created. material, that they began to

take on the jet-blackness we’re As a beer, porter would have To start with, most of the used to today. This colouring is been refreshing and filling. It company’s output was sold in arrived at by adding some wouldn’t only have been drunk the Dublin area, but by the malted or unmalted barley after work but during as well 1820s the porter was also which has been left in the kiln and several pubs provided being exported to England. and roasted until it is black. tables outside their premises By the 1840s this market Besides the black colour, for porters to rest their loads accounted for more than half barley treated this way - then on. of the brewery’s total sales. known as patent malt - also

gives the beer a bitter taste. As with other trades, some Stronger versions of porter pubs were named after the were also brewed, called porters. For instance, there are double stout and triple stout. several Market Porters still in existence around Britain and The double was marketed as the last Ticket Porter in London Extra Stout and was sent in was still trading up until 1973. bulk to breweries both at The ‘ticket’ was the porter’s home and in England, where badge. it was bottled. The triple became Foreign Extra Stout Getting back to the beer, the and was destined for bottling stronger versions of porter companies in Liverpool and were known as stout porters, London, from where it would as the early Guinness label on then be shipped abroad to the left, shows. To the brewers Europe and the furthest of the day, a stout beer was a reaches of the British Empire. strong beer regardless of its colour. There would have been pale-coloured stout beers as page 6 the Oxford Drinker december 2006 Today, Guinness is brewed in 45 countries, mostly with a concentrate from Dublin, with another 30 or so selling beer brewed at St James’s Gate, Dublin. Altogether, Guinness is sold in over 150 countries. Almost every pub in Britain sells Guinness, as does every supermarket and off license.

Almost every brewery in the A few years after the merger, land would have been involved the company produced Extra in bottling Guinness. Some Cold Guinness to sell Oxfordshire examples from alongside its usual Draught various eras are shown here. Guinness. It was almost On the previous page is an tasteless and didn’t sell, either early 1930s one from Morrell’s in Ireland or the UK, causing in Oxford. The label above is great damage to the brand. from Hook Norton Brewery. This, along with other factors Though not very legible in such as the smoking ban in black and white, the band Irish bars, has seen sales fall across the middle shows the each year since, with an 8% Foreign Extra Stout, once only figures 390831. These fall in 2005 and in 2004 the st sold abroad but now available represent the date: 31 August Park Royal brewery was at some outlets in Britain and 1939. This and the later Garne closed. All Guinness sold in Ireland, is probably the best & Sons of Burford, right, now the UK is now imported from way of getting some idea of have the company’s trade mark Dublin. what Guinness originally tasted of a harp. On the far right is a like. 1970s example from Abingdon But there’s a lot more to stout brewer Morland. This is similar than Guinness. In 1997 Guinness merged with in colour and design to today’s a company called Diageo. This bottle labels. The main was the name Grand difference is that the beer is Next issue: more on stouts & Metropolitan gave itself when it now called Guinness Original. porters decided to sell off its brewing And it’s weaker and, sadly, no longer bottle conditioned. operations to concentrate on brand name drinks it had By the 1930s the Guinness acquired, such as Smirnoff, brewery had grown from its Bushmills, Baileys, Bell’s, "I feel sorry for people original four-acre site to cover Captain Morgan and many who don't drink. When more than 60, becoming not others. See its website at they wake up in the only the biggest brewery in the www.diageo.com for the full morning, that's as good world but also the world’s roll. seventh largest company. In as they're 1936, Guinness built a new Grand Met had spent the going to feel all day. " brewery at Park Royal, London previous thirty years buying up to supply the south of Britain. and closing dozens of ~Frank Sinatra breweries in Britain and was also responsible for producing the dreaded Watney’s Red. the Oxford Drinker page 7 issue 43

page 8 the Oxford Drinker december 2006 abingdon road pub crawl Matt Bullock It’s more than four years since pounds. Nevertheless, the beer needs to survive. we last did this crawl, and I’ll was in good nick, even if I be honest, there are some admit to not being a fan of the pubs here that I have not ubiquitous 6X, and the pub was visited since then. The busy at this early hour. The Abingdon Road is, of course, food portions looked huge, but the main road from our fair city there was no time to eat on this to the town of Abingdon, once occasion, as John and I moved the county town of Berkshire, on once we were sure no and the majority of our route latecomers were going to join used to be in this county until us on this national brewery the reorganisation of beer extravaganza. The Berkshire House, now boundaries in 1974. Our just known as the Berkshire, destination did not seem to takes its name for the times inspire many takers for this when it was the first pub in the crawl, so just two of us met at county when you left Oxford. the first pub, the Fox and Berkshire pubs in the days Hounds, to wait in vain for the when this was built (1860s) expected crowd. were allowed to open for half an hour longer than Oxford The Fox and Hounds hasn’t pubs. There’s one large, long changed much since our last room here with a pool room at visit for the Oxford Drinker. It’s the back and a lounge off this, one of very few pubs still but it all bears the scars of a owned by Morrells of Oxford Our next destination was the Morrells Ale House Limited, the new company that Duke of Monmouth, a Greene “refurbishment” that was sold much of its estate to King pub that is currently up for inflicted on the place a few Greene King. This pub, like all let (around £700 a week, I years ago. The attempt to its others, has been retained believe). The pub shows some make this the Bookbinders of for its property potential rather fine remnants of previous the South failed miserably, and than its qualities as a pub, and ownership, namely a Halls all that remains is the peeling the Fox occupies a huge site plaque and a fine Halls Oxford paint, panelling, rakes of old on the corner of Weirs Lane, Brewery motif on the wall. It’s a books and a motley collection the road that leads to very large pub, built in 1930, of old furniture. Donnington Bridge. The pub is and has a large back bar, and a massive half-timbered affair a lounge at the front divided built in 1926, and this mock- into several areas. It’s very well Tudor décor continues inside, presented and decorated, and supplemented by many old the pictures here are of Morris photographs of military aircraft cars. Greene King IPA and and the men who flew them. Abbot are the beers, and I can There’s also a picture of the report that the Abbot was very pub taken recently when it was good, served in a lined glass, marooned in the middle of a albeit with a Budweiser logo, big lake during a flood. The though there did not seem to interior is split into several be many takers here. Hopefully There’s a definite Irish theme areas at several different a new tenant will be able to to the pub, and seems to have levels, but there is only one build this up into a nice local; attracted a good local group of large bar, and only one beer, bear in mind several pubs regulars, who occupied the the less mighty Wadworth 6X, around here have closed in bar stools when we passed priced at a moderate two recent years so this one really by. the Oxford Drinker page 9 issue 43 Greene King IPA is the only Sheep, and I’m glad to report to the riverside in the old gal- beer, but once again it was a that it was good; Deuchars IPA lery that was a fine spot to decent pint; something you is also sold here, but was un- enjoy a pint whilst watching the couldn’t always say when it available on this night. Salters steamers and many offered eight beers in its Ale badly controlled punts. The House days. Fullers beers here are usually good but very cold, and today The final pub on the main road was no exception - there was is the Folly Bridge - a fine also Gales HSB on draught, late-Victorian building set back Fullers current seasonal, from the road in its own though of course now one of garden, designed by H.T. Hare, their own brews. The Head of who was responsible for the the River is in my opinion a bit richly detailed Town Hall, home bland and uninspiring inside of the Oxford Beer Festival. now, and is really a summer Having spent many an hour pub with its fabulous patio marvelling at his Town Hall garden on the banks of the design whiling away time at the Thames and under the shadow festival, you can pick out some of the old bridge, the “Grand similarities in what he did at the Pont”, built in 1825. Upstairs Folly Bridge. Quite appropriate, has been converted to a hotel, then, that this used to be a and breakfast cereals were venue for beer festivals run in Live musical entertainment being laid out in the bar long the city a few years ago. The greeted us as we walked before last orders was called. pub is owned now by through the door, though the Oh, for those that care about Wadworth, and we plumped longer we stayed it became these things, the toilets are this time for the Henry’s IPA more apparent that most of dreadful. having has 6X earlier. The the audience were in some stronger Bishop’s Tipple is also way involved in the perform- sold here. A lively atmosphere ance, as several took turns to prevailed, and although it was sing, play, or just adjust the a bit smoky, it’s not a bad old sound and fiddle with the place to have a pint; the microphones. We stood a garden is very nice in summer, safe distance from the action, too, I can vouch for that. and watched proceedings through a thick smoke haze, which was not the reason for two fire engines appearing on the scene, though at one stage we were a bit unsure. We’ll never replace the Wharf House, of course, but this place had something of the Our next crawl is on 19 atmosphere and feel of the January 2007, 'Around the old place, a conclusion both Railway station'. of us came to immediately From here we deviated off after leaving on our walk back the route to the Marlborough Please feel free to come up to Folly Bridge. House, on Western Road. along and take part. This place has changed a lot since I used to visit: the two And so our final destination rooms at the front are just was nigh, the Head of the one, the back room is closed, River. This is the newest pub and the whole place looks a we visited, being opened first bit worn and tired. The beer in 1977, and the interior has we took a half of was Black been extended recently right page 10 the Oxford Drinker december 2006 old bookbinders festival David Hill

The Old Bookbinders in the with the remaining being Power Station, a beer from Jericho district of Oxford taken direct from the cellar the local Appleford brewery, hosted a mini-beer festival on and on the two visits I made which is gaining a reputation Friday 20th and Saturday over that weekend were in of being slow to clear. At the 21st of October, with live great condition. Oxford Camra beer festival music on the Friday evening. we received it on a Wednes- They were allowed to source day and it still wasn’t in a fit five of the ten festival beers condition to serve when the locally, so beers from the festival closed on the Satur- excellent West Berkshire and day. The Bookbinders got Butts breweries were on theirs on the Tuesday before along with products from the the festival and eventually now extensive Greene King served it on the evening of brand portfolio. These in- the following Tuesday, when cluded Olde Trip from the it all went in one session. The festival was very suc- recently acquired Hardys and cessful with many positive Hansons brewery near Not- Landlord Matty Marren was comments and all the festival tingham. They also served very pleased with the festival beers and the one cider were Upton Cider. and is hoping he can run gone by the end of Saturday. them bi-annually and that GK

The beers were served from will let them get a wider se- The one slight glitch was with the pub’s six hand-pumps clection of beers in the future.

Dick and Lin welcome you to the WHITE HART

ST ANDREWS ROAD OLD HEADINGTON TEL 01865 761737 EVERARDS REAL ALES PLUS CHANGING GUEST LARGE WALLED GARDEN HOME COOKED FOOD AVAILABLE 12-2, 5-7 MON-FRI 12-3 SUN NO FOOD SAT FIND US OPPOSITE THE CHURCH MON-THURS 12-2.30 4-11 FRI AND SAT 12-11 SUN 12-10.30 page11 the Oxford Drinker issue 43

NEEDS YOU A Pubs Database has been set up on the Oxford City CAMRA website which shows all the pubs and bars listed in the region. This can be searched by pub name, town or postcode. The information on each pub is very limited at the moment and this is where you come in.....

We would love to hear from you about your local pub or any you visit in our region. Just look up the pub on the database and click on ‘Send a comment’.

We try to visit pubs across our region as much as we can, often visiting hard to reach pubs in one of our car trips - see page 19 - but we always on the look out for great pubs in our area which we may have missed or not visited for some time.

www.oxfordcamra.org.uk/pubs.php

page 12 the Oxford Drinker december 2006 oxford city pubs database Neil Hoggarth The Oxford City branch of choosing a branch pub of the publicans and members of the CAMRA covers a large area - year, fighting pub closure public, to keep us informed much larger than the name campaigns, or just staying up about what is going on with "Oxford City" would tend to to date with general pub news. pubs across the area. We want suggest. As well as the city to know which pubs you think itself, we draw our membership The Pubs Database was added are good (or bad!), which from surrounding towns and to the Oxford branch website in places serve the best pint (or a villages such as Abingdon, September. The first aim of this dreadful one!), when a pub Eynsham, Kidlington, Wheatley project was to publish a gets an interesting new beer, and Witney. As anyone who definitive list of all the pubs and when the publican changes, has been reading the reports of bars in the branch area, etc. We would also like to hear rural pub survey trips will have including all the contact details from anyone if they think that realised, we are responsible for that we have for them. Using the information in the database areas like Otmoor and villages the pub lists that searching the is outdated or incorrect. Have throughout the west of the database can provide, it is now any of the pubs closed? county, right up to the easy for everyone to see which Changed names? Have we Gloucestershire border. towns and villages we cover accidentally missed any of the and to figure out which pubs pubs in our area off the list? It is often unclear to people fall in the branch area. The more information we get, (even those of us who are Although the database does the better we can: make the active branch members!) not (yet) give much information Oxford Drinker; make the where the branch boundaries on each individual pub, we branch web site; select pubs lie, and there is confusion over hope that even in its current for the Good Beer Guide; and whether particular pubs are the form it is a useful resource for the more effectively we can responsibility of the Oxford branch members and the campaign on behalf of real ale branch or one of the other general public. It can be used and real pubs in the local area. Oxfordshire branches of the to find all the pubs in a campaign: North Oxfordshire, particular town/village, or all Personally, I would very much South Oxfordshire or Vale of the pubs in a particular like to include more details for the White Horse. The formal postcode prefix - useful for each pub: opening times, beers definition of the branch planning crawls! It also served, pub descriptions, membership area is based on contains a number of aliases available facilities, photos, etc. postcode areas - OX1, OX2, and old names for pubs, which In an ideal world we would turn OX3, OX4, OX5 (except OX5 might be helpful (for example: the database into something 3), OX14 (except OX14 4), Looking for a pub in Jericho resembling an online pub guide OX18 (except OX18 4), OX28, called the Prince of Wales? It is for the whole area. However, OX29 (except OX29 0, OX29 8 the pub on Walton St that we having helped to survey for pub & OX29 9), OX33 and OX44 9. now call Jude the Obscure). guides in the past, I am conscious that this involves a The other difficulty that we face Our next big hope is that we very large amount of work. is one of sheer scale. There can use the Database as a tool Worse, "guide" type are about 320 pubs and bars in to gather news, views, and information is only really useful the branch area, and some 140 information about pubs from a if it is updated regularly. The of those are outside Oxford. much wider circle of people. viability of a richer, more With only 15 or 20 activists Anyone can onto the website, feature-full database in large within the branch who attend find a particular pub in the part depends whether or not meetings and social events, database, then click on the pub-goers and publicans most of whom are Oxford- "Send a comment" link to send across the area can feed us based, you will appreciate that us a short note about that pub. enough information to make it we are spread pretty thin when We would very much like worthwhile. it comes to surveying pubs for everybody with an interest in the Good Beer Guide, pubs, CAMRA members, Over to you, folks ... the Oxford Drinker page 13 issue 43

page 14 the Oxford Drinker december 2006 around the county Tony Perry On 1st November, Alistair months, and was keen to traditional feel with exposed Pitman, John Mackie and I met engage us in conversation beams. Therefore, we up at the Lamb and Flag for an about CAMRA matters eventually settled on evening’s drive around West generally. We swapped contact 'Refurbished Traditional'! Oxfordshire. details and promised to let him know more about the activities Our final pub of the night was First port of call was The Swan of the Branch. Bear in mind the Five Alls at Filkins. This is at Radcot, where Ray Borritt this is a pub with a GL7 a Brakspear pub, and on the joined us. The Swan is a postcode, so often falls night of our visit, they had Greene King pub, with a very between stools in terms of Brakspear Bitter, Special and pleasant modern interior. The CAMRA branches! This pub Hobgoblin. The beers sampled beers available on handpump was my personal favourite of were all in good condition. were GK IPA, Abbot, Old the night, so I’d like to think it Speckled Hen and Ruddles comes under our branch! The pub’s name comes from County. Both Alistair and John the motto on the sign, which went for the Ruddles, which The village has connections has five figures: was in very good condition. In with the artist and writer, • A king in his regalia, I fact John waxed lyrical about it, William Morris, as he rented govern all. saying it was at just the right Kelmscott Manor as a summer temperature, with bags of retreat. The village has a • A bishop in his pontificals, I flavour. I was driving, so settled museum in his memory, and he pray for all. for a lemonade and lime! I did is buried in the churchyard. • A lawyer in his gown, I try the toasted sandwiches More recent famous locals plead for all. though, having the mozzarella, include Kate Moss who, we • A soldier in his regimentals, tomato and basil, which was were told, is a regular in the I fight for all. very tasty. Plough. • A labourer with his tools, I Ray was the font of all local Next up, we headed to pay for all. knowledge for the evening, and Langford and The Bell. Beers apparently the bridge at Radcot on handpump here were Tim However, the pub sign at the is the oldest over the River Taylor Landlord and Hooky Five Alls has the alternative Thames. Best, plus they had lagers from design, with the King replaced the Cotswold Brewing by the Devil, and his motto, I Moving on, we drove to Company. Ray and John had Take All! Kelmscott to visit The Plough. the Premium Cotswold Lager, This is a very friendly local pub, and Alistair had the Hooky, Filkins won the Oxfordshire with Hobgoblin, Tim Taylor which he said was in very good Small Village of the Year Landlord and Hooky Bitter on condition. This pub had a Award in 2006, and Ray told us handpump. Most of us had the bustling atmosphere and was this was the village home of Sir Landlord, which was absolutely popular with diners. In fact Stafford Cripps, Chancellor of superb (yes, even I had a Ray’s local anecdote was to tell the Exchequer, 1947-50. half!). However, Alistair had us of the omelettes that you the Hooky, the last one out of used to be able to get at the The pub itself features quality the barrel, which he thought Bell years ago. Apparently they accommodation, having won was a bit sour. Mind you, he were the best he has had numerous awards for guest didn’t say anything to the anywhere. accommodation. We sat in landlord, and managed to force comfortable leather sofas next it down alright! We debated how to describe to an open fire, which was a the interior of this pub, as it very pleasant way to end the The landlord had been at the looked like it had been evening. pub for about five and a half refurbished, but retained the the Oxford Drinker page 15 issue 43

Oxford City CAMRA Pub of the Year 2001 Listed in the Good Pub Guide 2006 www.rose-n-crown.co.uk page 16 the Oxford Drinker december 2006 cape of good hope? Neil Hoggarth The former Scream pub on The Deuchers IPA, Charles Wells want them, but the fonts for Plain (where the Cowley and Bombardier and Timothy these are discretely hidden Iffley roads separate) Taylor Landlord. The away inside wooden underwent a major manager tells me that he enclosures on the bars refurbishment in September, plans to keep the Caledonian (similar in approach to the re-opening on 4th October as a permanent beer, but disguise that the Morrell's Old under its original historic name, may experiment with the Alehouse pubs used). "The Cape of Good Hope". The other two once things have pub is still owned by Mitchell & settled down (a few weeks In 2002 (Oxford Drinker 16) I Butlers, but has undergone a later Adnams Broadside was wrote about the wave of pub major change in style. The spotted as substitute for the refurbishments along the changes are similar to the Landlord). Cowley Road which seemed metamorphosis that the former to be sweeping away real ale. Scream in Jericho underwent There is also an impressive Is it possible that the last year: upmarket pub/bar array of imported draught pendulum is swinging back? style, subdued lighting, beers: Czech - Staropramen, The Cape is just one of candles, extensive wine list, Budweiser Budvar; German - several recent refurbishments and fancy menu (without being Becks Vier, Erdinger which give cause for hope: overly food-orientated). Weissbier, Paulaner Lager; further up the road the Exeter Belgian - Belle-Vue Kriek Hall has also recently The big news from CAMRA's (cherry flavoured lambic), undergone an extensive point of view is that the pub Fruli (a strawberry flavoured refurb, and now serves three has gone from being keg-only white beer), Hoegaarden, beers on hand-pump where establishment to serving three Leffe; Italian - Peroni; and a previously there was only real ales on hand-pump, along Japanese brand brewed one. Now, if only M&B can be with a Weston's Organic under license by Charles persuaded to do Vintage cider also on hand- Wells - Kirin. A few of the UK something about the City pump. The beers on offer "big brand" lagers are also Arms! initially were Caledonian available, for those that really what's on december 2006 - january 2007 Tuesday 12th December, Friday 19th January Tuesday 30th January 7.30pm 7pm 7.30pm Branch Meeting Oxford Drinker Crawl Branch Meeting Waterman's Arms, South "Around the Railway Station". Cape of Good Hope, The Street, Osney Island, Oxford Meet at the Honeypot, Plain, Oxford. (note: mid-month rather than Hollybush Row. end of the month, for obvious The branch normally meets on the seasonal reasons). Tuesday 23rd January last Tuesday of the month, but will 6.20pm vary the pattern in December. Monday 18th December Wantage outing by bus 6.30pm Service 33 leaves Oxford (St Members and non-members are Christmas Social Aldates, stop H4) at 6.20pm, welcome at all events. Further Pub crawl starting at the details are available at branch calls at Abingdon (High St) at meetings, on our website Lamb & Flag, St Aldates, 6.43pm and arrives at www.oxfordcamra.org.uk or by Oxford Wantage 7.17pm. contacting the Social Secretary [email protected] the Oxford Drinker page 17 issue 43 inn and around oxford The Jolly Postboys at Flor- ues it's usual trade, including Owners of the Trout Inn at ence Park recently acquired IPA and Abbot ales on offer. Godstow, Mitchells and But- new tenants and recently lers, have announced that a reopened. They new tenants Antiquity Hall has been re- new look is planned for this are Michael Drysdale and branded and reopened as the historic and very popular Glynis Thorp. Although they Oxford Retreat. On visiting riverside pub. They claim it have no previous business the pub, a mystery beer was has become a victim of its experience of the licensed found. This turned out to be own success, and that a trade, Glynis has done London Pride but there was “gastro pub” is planned, pre- bar work at Carterton Social no pump clip. There are no sumably with higher prices to Club. We wish them both structural changes and the keep the crowds to a man- every success in the venture. design is just a basic bar with ageable level. restaurant area. There is, Also, a belated welcome to however, a designer graffiti The pub has featured many Thea Stewart, who has been gents! For central Oxford, times in the Inspector Morse manager of The Honeypot in restaurant menu is very rea- TV series, but regulars fear Hollybush Row since May. A sonably priced, with every M&B’s proposals will create former Morrell's pub known main dish under £10. The the type of environment as The Albion it fell to the menu does go over the top Morse would have hated: hands of Greene King who with absurd phraseology. Colin Dexter has even lent renamed it and only offered How about, "a bed of wilted his support to their campaign. their IPA as a real ale. It is spinach" or "served in an now owned by Admiral Tav- iceberg lettuce nest". Some Licensee Bob Maher will be erns, a growing pub company "daily changing market fresh leaving the pub once the with an enlightened real ale sausages" were tried but for refurbishment gets underway policy which Thea has taken a real classic of pretentious in the New Year, a job that is advantage of by stocking nonsense sample this: "Herb expected to take eight weeks. Timothy Taylor’s landlord as battered fish and chips with Presumably the work is in the regular beer along with a broken garden peas and response to alterations made frequently changing guest. homemade tartare sauce. to the nearby White Hart at Again we wish them all the Please ask your waitress for Wytham, which changed from best. today’s fish". Does it take a a village pub into a gourmet sledgehammer to break a restaurant a couple of years The William Morris, a JD pea? The pub is owned by ago - a move very successful Wetherspoon pub in Cowley, Mitchell and Butlers but still for its owners but to the detri- has recently been refurbished has some way to go before ment of the village itself. and reopened. On visiting it it’s in the same league as the appears to be a very popular Reading Retreat. The Dew Drop Inn in Sum- eating place for local families. mertown is currently closed for major refurbishment but is The Duke of Monmouth on planned to reopen in early Abingdon Road is to move to December. a new tenant after a relatively short tenure by Phil and his family. It is hoped that new tenants will be in place before Christmas. Otherwise the pub More across the page.... may go into management for a short time. The pub contin- page 18 the Oxford Drinker december 2006 inn and around useful oxford... trios camra Meeko Oates, who runs the already being considered. contacts Vale of the White Horse Pub of This trio took over on Monday Aylesbury Vale and Wycombe the Year, the Shoulder of 20th November and so far David Roe Mutton in Wantage, has taken have stuck to the plan, with 01296 484 551 on the lease of the Plough in two Butts beers already on [email protected] Witney, with two partners: Luke sale. Raimbach, landlord or North Oxfordshire Arbery's, also in Wantage, and We hope they live up to their Mike Parker Guy Ripley who has managed other promise - not to serve 01869 347762 clubs in London. Guy will run Greene King beer! contact@northoxfordshire the pub from day to day, while camra.org.uk Meeko will be in charge of beer The Ampleforth Arms in www.northoxfordshirecamra. orders, the cellar, etc. He will Risinghurst is now under new org.uk continue to run the Mutton as management. The team, this his main priority. time a trio from Essex, have Vale of the White Horse two real ales on handpump - Lawrence Rogers The Plough is owned by Adnams Bitter and Deuchars 01235 832 288 Admiral Taverns, who have IPA on visiting - but they Lawrence.Rogers@ an enlightened micro-brewery promise to vary the selection btinternet.com policy. Meeko plans to buy only on offer and build from this www.camra.org.uk/vale from micros, just as soon as solid base. Pub opening the inherited stock (Marstons, times are now back on track - South Oxfordshire Flowers and Arkells) has been all day everyday from 12 Roy Denison consumed. onwards. Keep up the good 01491 873313 work! [email protected] The pub has a small function room, and a beer festival is Oxford City Neil Hoggarth 01865 794438 [email protected] some words www.oxfordcamra.org.uk

Oxford Drinker Editor of wisdom please send any material to [email protected] As explained by Cliff Clavin of Cheers: The Buffalo Theory CAMRA "Well ya see, Norm, it's like this..... A herd of buffalo can only move as 230 Hatfield Road fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the St Albans, Hertfordshire slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural AL1 4LW selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed 01727 867201 and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of [email protected] the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only www.camra.org.uk operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, Oxford Trading Standards as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and 01865 815000 weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers." the Oxford Drinker page 19 issue 43 community pubs week

CAMRA has announced plans local community rather than 2007. People need to realise for a national week of action in being predominantly targeted that their local is a valuable February 2007 to help at particular social or age asset that must be protected.” preserve and promote pubs groups. that serve as an irreplaceable “We know people care about asset to their local community CAMRA Chief Executive Mike their communities as, in a yet are closing at a frightening Benner said: “All soaps on TV terrific show of support, four rate. and radio have community million people recently signed pubs - The Bull, The Rovers a petition calling for the CAMRA research in 2005 Return, The Queen Vic, The Government to do more to showed that 26 pubs a month Woolpack - but sadly many real save rural post offices. The are lost in Britain . However, communities in rural and urban threat to the community pub is early indications from further areas are in danger of losing or extremely dire and unless we research suggests that current have already lost their do something to curb the figures may actually be much community pub. trend CAMRA fears many higher and it is not theme pubs communities will find their or chain bars that are under “Community pubs, particularly local pub torn from them.” threat but pubs at the heart of those in more remote rural the local community. areas, are often the hub of the Throughout Community Pubs lives of the local people. None Week, CAMRA members The first ever Community of us want to be in a situation across Britain will be asking Pubs Week will take place where the only way we speak local licensees to get involved from 17th February to 24th with our neighbours is through with the campaign and put on February in order to raise the a car window or a stolen events and promotions for profile and importance of pubs conversation at a supermarket people in their communities to in the community and many miles away. However an enjoy. These will feature on encourage people of all ages increasing number of these CAMRA’s website and backgrounds to support pubs are being permanently www.camra.org.uk/community this valuable community lost.” pubsweek. amenity. “The smoking ban in place or Further details of events CAMRA defines a community coming into force shortly in during Community Pubs Week pub as a pub which appeals to different parts of the UK means will be announced in early a wide cross-section of the pubs face a difficult time in 2007. and now for the science bit ...

According to government warnings we should all drink responsibly. And they're right! Yes really! Here are some of the reasons why.....

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may: • cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them • make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting • cause you to think you can sing • make you think you are whispering when you are not • leave you wondering what the hell happened to your underwear • create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people • lead you to think people are laughing WITH you page 20 the Oxford Drinker december 2006

the Oxford Drinker page 21 issue 43 give me some real cider!

What can you do to promote So what can you do? Well, you able to offer some cider but, cider and perry if you live in need to identify potentially at best, this is likely to be a one of the parts of the country good cider and perry outlets. very limited choice and only remote from cidermakers? At That will be less difficult than from large producers. There first glance it might seem a you might imagine: any are, however, two small daunting task. If there is no real committed real ale pub could distributors who are willing to cider or perry regularly be a good cider pub too. send surprisingly small available you might think there Practice shows that real cider quantities of cider and perry is no obvious customer will attract the same customers from traditional farm makers demand for it. as the real beer does – anywhere in the country: discerning drinkers who enjoy Merrylegs and Jon Hallam. Think again! – don’t they serve quality products and will treat keg cider in just about every them with the respect they Need help and advice pub in Britain? Of course they deserve. If you are trying to promoting the products? do and with the new vogue for think of examples of such pubs Even if you don't have access keg cider served with ice there have a flick through the 5000 to expert local knowledge, are new cider drinkers being or so currently listed in the CAMRA has appointed created every day. Some of Good Beer Guide. Regional Cider Co-ordinators them, at least, would relish the who will be only too happy to chance to try the real product, Potential cider publicans might share all the information that but never seeing it in local also need pointing towards might be needed. pubs are unlikely to ask for it. suppliers. Most major distributors of beer will also be So, what are you waiting for?

page22 the Oxford Drinker december 2006

the Oxford Drinker page 23 issue 43 Far From the Madding Crowd Friars Entry, Oxford Telephone: 01865 240900 www.maddingcrowd.co.uk

Independent, city centre free house

House ales: Good Old Boy, Black Sheep and Brakspear

Additional three rotating guest ales

Quarterly beer festivals

Quality food served all day

Open until midnight Thursday to Saturday

the Oxford Drinker is published by Parchment (Oxford) Limited Crescent Road, Cowley OX4 2PB Tel: 01865 747547