AWARD-WINNING No. 64 Winter 2004/2005 CAMPAIGN CAMPAIGN FOR FOR REAL ALE REAL ALE www.camrabristol.org.uk IIINNNTSTSTS WWWEEESSS PPPAward-winning newsletter of the Bristol & District Branch of CAMRA, the Campaign forTTT Real Ale Bristol Beer Festival returns to Temple Meads THE EVER-POPULAR Details of how to get Bristol Beer Festival is yours can be found on all set to make a the back page. reappearance at the And what will we be Brunel Shed at Temple offering at the festival? Meads this coming A fantastic range of well March. over a hundred real ales, While the original Bristol that’s what. And for venue, the Council lovers of all things apple House at College and pear, there will be a Green, was always Beer great selection of very popular, the around forty ciders and Brunel Shed offers Festival perries. almost double the Updates regarding capacity, allowing for the beer festival will lots more seating and 2005 appear on the CAMRA greater comfort. branch web site at The festival will take www.camrabristol.org.uk place on the first Friday nearer the time so check and Saturday in March it regularly if you want to (4th and 5th), with know the latest tickets going on sale information. from early December. See you at the festival! ...............................................................................................................................PINTS WEST ....................... Can you meet the CAMRA Challenge? CAMRA wants 100,000 members by the end of 2006 CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, has vidual pubs and breweries under set the challenge of reaching 100,000 threat. members by the end of 2006 and is calling on everyone who loves real ale, pubs and CAMRA currently has 73,000 breweries to help us achieve this mile- members of all ages and interests stone. who, above all, enjoy celebrating How would you feel if all your favour- their favourite product – real ale. ite pubs closed, or your favourite beer As a member you also receive disappeared from the bar? You could some great benefits! accept it and find another pub or move on to a different beer or you could do Membership benefits include: something about it — join CAMRA! ! Monthly newspaper What’s CAMRA is a not-for-profit, volunteer- Brewing, with the latest news on led organisation and the biggest single- beer and pubs. issue consumer group in Britain today ! Free or reduced entry to over actively campaigning to protect local pubs 140 beer festivals in Britain and breweries as well as protecting pub- including the Great British goers’ rights. Beer Festival. So what would 100,000 members mean ! Book discounts – to CAMRA? money off our publica- tions, including our best- ! A more powerful campaigning voice selling Good Beer Guide. and greater political weight. ! Regular local and national social Already a CAMRA member? ! Increased funds to put back into events, brewery tours and city visits. Well you too can play a part in the valuable campaigning. ! Plus you will be supporting CAMRA CAMRA challenge. We are asking all of ! More activity in pub visits and sur- on issues such as full pints, extended our members to sign up one new member veys, producing guides and running beer licensing hours in England and Wales and – either a friend, a colleague, or a family festivals. helping to campaign for good quality real member. ! Greater resources to help save indi- ale and pubs. Stuck for a Christmas gift idea? Every single new member joining CAMRA membership is a fantastic gift CAMRA is a step closer to our aim. So for anyone who loves beer and pubs. Just The Victoria why not join and see what CAMRA is all call 01727 867201 to find out more or visit (next to the Clifton Pool) about? our national website at www.camra.org.uk. Joining couldn’t be easier. You can use the form inside the back page of this Butcombe Bitter copy of Pints West, paying either by WARNING cheque or by direct debit; you can call From the Management of the Wadworth 6X CAMRA HQ on 01727 867201; or you can HOPE & ANCHOR join on-line at www.camra.org.uk. Exceptional Public House guest ales planned BEER SPILL If you join by direct debit you get 2 Southleigh Road, Clifton three months’ membership free for the first DON'T 0117 - 9745675 year. So that’s fifteen months’ member- ship for the price of twelve! 2 Local CAMRA web site : www.camrabristol.org.uk ......................................................................................................................................................PINTS WEST CAMRA announces dates for National Pubs Week 2005 Encourage your local to participate in Britain’s biggest pub promotion — let’s celebrate the Great British pub! CAMRA, the Campaign for Real visit pubs more regularly at a time of year and pubs to promote National Pubs Week. Ale, has announced that National when trade can be slow for the industry. This is to include: Pubs Week 2005 will take place We have been delighted with the success of this campaign over the last few years ! A list of National Pubs Week events between Saturday 19th and Satur- and urge all pubs to start thinking of what and a chance for pubs to advertise their day 26th February as a celebration events they can run at the end of Febru- events for free, of British pubs. ary to entice more people into British ! Ideas for pub events, National Pubs Week was originally pubs.” ! National Pubs Week press releases, launched in February 2003 to encourage ! A huge selection of pub crawls to try in more people to visit pubs more regularly Pub Participation National Pubs Week, after research had shown that approxi- CAMRA will this year be offering free ! Competitions, mately 20 pubs closed every month. posters and beer mats for pubs to promote ! Press release templates for pubs to use 15,000 pubs have participated in the National Pubs Week. These can be to promote their National Pubs Week previous two years of the campaign. ordered on-line by visiting the web site at events to the media, Due to this success, CAMRA has now www.camra.org.uk/pubsweek and follow- ! Advice sheets for pubs. made National Pubs Week a calendar ing the various links, or by calling event. Mike Benner, CAMRA’s Chief Samantha Jones on 01727 867201. Mike Benner said, “We will be produc- Executive said, “National Pubs Week was CAMRA’s National Pubs Week ing the promotional material in the very an event created to encourage people to website is being set up to help the media near future and I would urge all publicans, whether they serve real ale or not, to get their orders in as soon as possible so that CAMRA can get the packs out in time for them to build up local interest in National Pubs Week.” Benner concluded, “In today’s competitive leisure industry, it is impor- tant that pubs become more marketing focused to attract and keep custom. They do not have to organise really imaginative events – pub quizzes, food promotions, themed nights, pub crawls with other pubs can all work if that is what their locals want.” The Bag O’Nails 141 St. George’s Road, Hotwells, Bristol BS1 5UW Tel: (0117) 9406776 A Real Ale Pub Bristol & District CAMRA Pub Of The Year 2000 At least 12 different real ales a week Imported German wheat beers There’s a pub for eveyone English bottle-conditioned beers 19th - 26th February 2005 Unpasteurised imported bottled lagers Web : www.bagonails.org.uk www.camra.org.uk/pubsweek Email : [email protected] National CAMRA web site : www.camra.org.uk 3 ...............................................................................................................................PINTS WEST ....................... READERS’ LETTERS Wickwar opens new brewery at the old brewery AS reported previously in Pints West, The venture has taken some time, but Gloucestershire’s Wickwar Brewing Wickwar founder and managing director, The Lawns, Yate Company has been building up to relocat- Ray Penny, says, “It has really been worth Dear Steve, ing their brewery – to a larger site all of a the two and half years it has taken to There are plans to close and demolish stone’s throw away across the road. realise this dream. It’s a wonderful the Lawns pub, Church Road, Yate and By the time you read this, the new building and I’m still awed as I gaze at the turn the site into elderly people’s accom- brewery, with its greater brewing capacity, incredible, vast stone walls that surround modation. As a resident of Yate and a should be up and running and all set to be the shiny new vessels glistening in the member of CAMRA, I feel my voice producing beer in time for Christmas. light that penetrates from the huge should be heard on the matter. The new location is actually a former brewery windows.” The demise of the Swan public house brewery building itself, once home to As production takes over at the new in the shopping centre car park has Arnold Perrett & Company up until 1924 brewery, the old site will not be lost. Plans highlighted the need to protect the few when it closed and subsequently became are in the making for it to become an outlet pubs left in Yate. Nearby, Sodbury high a cider factory. That too closed some 52 for Wickwar’s products – maybe a shop, street has plenty of bright, lively plastic years later and the building has remained maybe a bar. But more on that in a future pubs that appeal to the area’s youth, but empty ever since – until now, that is. edition of Pints West. the choice for the discerning drinker will SP soon be reduced to a few beers in front of the T.V.