Tales on Rails The fight to save the S.V.R. all started with a pint. An Ale Ring A heart warming tale of a different sort of Booze Cruise. Beards Can too much facial hair cause your pint to go flat? 1 Issue 1. Spring 2014 www.bridgnorthcamra.org.uk 2 Hi, On December 31st 2013 Janet and Welcome to the first issue of I were in the Railwayman’s Arms Ale Sabrina. My colleague and waiting to see in the New Year. I have travelled a few miles We started to talk to two strangers (thanks to an old git’s bus pass) getting (Paul and Angie). After a while advertisements to pay for this magazine. We Paul needed to leave the bar and have received a lot of comments, some while he was away Angie said he was good and very few not so good, so in the in publishing. On his return I said to end we received enough good ones to be Paul you are just the man we need to able launch this issue. give us advice about starting a Let’s hope we can now get articles magazine for our area and and letters from you our readers and members. We need to get out there and Ale Sabrina was conceived. support our locals, especially the rural ones Come the 10th January 2014 we were which need your support more than the pub both at the CAMRA social in the round the corner that is easy to get to. We Railwayman’s Arms (again). We may not be able to get them all in the Good were talking to Sam & Bob from the Beer Guide, but we can add information to White Lion, and the magazine was What Pub, which is becoming a very useful discussed again. Ale Sabrina was tool for anyone not familiar with the area born. In the following weeks Major they are going to. It may also help to tell the publicans involved that you are sending and I travelled Shropshire to raise information to the CAMRA site. money via advertising to bring Ale Major and I would like to thank Ian Sabrina to adulthood. Garlick and Ian Stringer of Wolverhampton She is now mature enough to be let branch for their help and advice on setting out in the wide world although she is up this magazine, and the publicans and still young and innocent. So now it’s brewers for their financial help in the way of advertisements. up to you our readers, show her off to So having got the wettest winter on your friends, make comments to us record out of the way, let’s hope this spring via the letters page, send us your issue of Ale Sabrina finds us having a nice advertisement and if we missed you spring and summer so we can sit in beer on our travels we apologise. If you gardens, on station platforms and drink would like to advertise in future some of the best beers in the country - and c o p i e s , p l e a s e e - m a i l that’s from a southerner! Have a good [email protected] summer and happy drinking. The publishing team: Cheers Janet & Bill Sturt, Major Willmore, Bob Hayes & Paul Appleton. Bill Sturt 3 As chair of Bridgnorth CAMRA sub- Hello and welcome to our new branch branch I welcome you to the first edition magazine Ale Sabrina. I sincerely of the new magazine for Telford and believe that our readers will find it an East Shropshire CAMRA. The sub- interesting accompaniment to the real branch area covers pubs in the town as ale scene in East Shropshire and, well as those in the southern part of the hopefully, beyond. It was a very sad day East Shropshire area. Our membership when our previous incarnation, Ale currently stands at 124 and continues to Around the Wrekin, folded. Each and grow. We hold monthly meetings, in every AGM since I have appealed to our various locations, on the last Tuesday of membership to seek volunteers to each month (except for December). “stand up to the plate” and consider Everyone is welcome to attend our working on a replacement. Now, almost meetings where we arrange our activi- out of the blue, a dedicated small band ties and promote the various campaigns has risen to the challenge and I take my CAMRA highlights. The sub-branch is hat off to them! active in supporting real ale throughout CAMRA Telford & East Shropshire the county and regularly organises trips Branch covers approximately half of the to pubs and breweries in the whole of 3487 square kilometres that comprises Shropshire and neighbouring counties. the geographical county of Shropshire. As I write this, plans are well advanced Our patch extends from Woore, not far for the highlight of our year, the from Nantwich, in the north down to Bridgnorth Beer Festival. Held this year Burford near Tenbury Wells in the from Thursday 4th September to south. You will know from your first Saturday 6th September at the Severn reading of this publication that we have Valley Railway, we plan to increase the an active sub-branch centred on number of beers and ciders on offer. If Bridgnorth. By the time you read this anyone is interested in helping at this there will, most probably, be a second event please do not hesitate to contact sub-branch formed by dedicated mem- me. bers living in and around Market Dray- Finally, my thanks go to the editorial ton. CAMRA actively encourages mem- committee who have worked hard to get bers to get together locally but still this first edition to print. After many remain an integral part of the ‘mother’ years of talking about publishing a branch. magazine for the area it is nice to see it Not every worthy licensed premise can come to fruition. With our quarterly make it into the national CAMRA Good publications we hope to publicise our Beer Guide so a magazine like Ale activities which hopefully will lead to an Sabrina will go a long way to write about increase in membership and boost our and publicise the best in our area. I wish campaigning and social activities. it success. Eleanor Haddon Dave Tyler CAMRA Telford & East Shropshire 4 5 The brewery opened in 2006 in a renovated Malthouse, with an 8 barrel plant. During 2010 a move to larger premises, a former railway sidings shed on the same site, took place and installing a new 20 barrel plant. The premises also functions as a brewery tap and a visitor centre. To enhance the experience for visitors Rowton Brewery has been we have installed a wood burner and supplying the good people of a BOSE sound system in the bar / Shropshire with traditionally events area. Also, whilst doing this brewed real ales since 2008. we have been able to support Consistency is maintained by numerous local charities and getting the basics right every brew by using high quality Marris Otter organisations in a variety of ways. As malt, the finest hops sourced from we moved into 2014 our first major round the world and spring water event was our 3rd annual ‘Valentines from the local borehole. Ale Massacre’ which kicked off on Our range of ales includes bitters, Valentine’s Day itself and running on stouts and milds. We also brew Saturday and Sunday. This went very beers for every occasion, such as well and had a great atmosphere our strong Christmas beers and light within the old building. With beer, summer beers. Arguably our most music and food it was another famous beer is called Total Eclipse which achieved silver in the Stan- successful event. dard Bitter award in the 2013 Wales and West region SIBA awards. We supply public houses around Do You Have Some Shropshire and we can also provide Brewery News? beer for private parties. If you If you have any news please email would like any more information the editor to please visit our website www.rowtonbrewery.com [email protected] 6 Based at the rear of The White Lion We are a local brewery passionate in Bridgnorth we pride ourselves on about our craft and provenance. the fact that small is beautiful. With 20 years of brewing under our When we say small, we refer to the hat (or what we call our coke) we size of the brewery, rather than our have created a fine range of award- ambition to create flavoursome, winning beers which proudly sit interesting and eminently drinkable under the Hobsons name. Our recipe ales. of combining the very best locally sourced ingredients and traditional We haven’t won any award yet but brewing techniques is given a mod- who knows, given time and ern twist with the use of green sus- dedication we may one day find tainable technologies in all areas of ourselves in the company of some the brewery. of the other great breweries in the Things to watch out for... county. · Spring 2014 New Visitor Centre Don’t forget to pop in to The White Opening - visit website for more Lion to try our Simpson’s Original information. during Mild in May and while you · Mild in May Month - make sure are there you can try our spring special and tell us what you think. you try Hobsons Champion Mild, CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain Cheers in 2007. www.hopandstaggerbrewery.co.uk www.hobsons-brewery.co.uk Could this be your local watering hole? We need news of what’s happening to the pubs in our area.