The Oxford Drinker
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Issue 106 June - July 2018 FREE please take one the Oxford Drinker Inside: Oxford Beer Week reviewed; Two departures in Witney; Black Country Minibus Trip; Church Hanbrewery; plus all the regular features, pub and brewery news The free newsletter of the Oxford and White Horse Branches of CAMRA www.oxford.camra.org.uk www.whitehorsecamra.org.uk June - July 2018 106 106 June - July 2018 FRONT COVER PICTURE : The Plough in Wolvercote, as visited by Pete Flynn. Read about it on page 14. Welcome ...to a not-so-different CAMRA, and why we all need CHAPS SO THE BIG CAMRA vote has hobby horse to decry the anti- come and gone, bringing some alcohol lobby, which has necessary changes to our become relentless that it has got constitution but failing, by a some landlords seriously small margin, to establish our worried. When our publican organisation as the champion of columnist Paul Silcock talks in The Oxford Drinker is the newsletter all pub goers, whatever they this edition about opening a fruit of the Oxford and White Horse might drink. smoothie bar, I’m not sure he’s branches of CAMRA, the Campaign joking! for Real Ale. The national papers greeted this 5000 copies are distributed free of news with headlines such as The most ridiculous thing I’ve charge to pubs across the two “Trouble Brewing”, predicting seen so far from dear old Nanny branches’ area, including Oxford, that modernisers might cut up State is from that inferior outfit Abingdon, Witney, Faringdon, Cambridge University. One Eynsham, Kidlington, Bampton, their membership cards as we’re Wheatley and Wantage and most of not going to embrace quality David Spiegelhalter, Winton the villages in between. beers however they might be professor for the public served, including keg. But understanding of risk (who funds PDF downloads of past issues are frankly, as you will read shortly, these people – surely not available at the Oxford CAMRA taxpayers?), has published a webiste, www.oxford.camra.org.uk . I’m more concerned about CHAPS. paper in The Lancet arguing that Editorial team: over the age of 40, every drink A 75% majority of those who you have above the very low Editor: Dave Richardson “safe drinking” limit cuts your life [email protected] voted – and there were 18,000 of us – was needed to achieve expectancy by 30 minutes. Advertising: Tony Goulding this change, but only 72% voted [email protected] in favour meaning the proposal I’ve never been any good at Tony: 07588 181313 was narrowly lost. Although it maths, but I reckon that as I Layout/Design: Matt Bullock was agreed that CAMRA turned 40 some years ago, then Valuable contributions have been festivals can serve non-real ale if that was true I should have received for this issue from Richard including keg if they so wish, that been dead long ago. So my life Queralt, Dita Kolomeyevova, Paul won’t be happening at our expectancy could be reduced – Silcock, Dick Bosley, Michael Oxford festival in November. bring it on, if that means not Cadilhac, Dennis Brown, Tony ending up in a care home. With Goulding, Pete Flynn, and Graham Personally I backed the change, care home providers going bust Shelton. Photographs for Black as although I don’t drink much and Brexit threatening their Country article by Michael Sibbald. keg beer myself, I recognise that already perilous supply of staff, that would suit me just fine. Please send contributions to the nearly all breweries are now editor at the above email address. making quality keg ale and lager and we should respond to that The problem with this sort of Pub news can be sent to trend. Who would have thought thing is that while there might be [email protected]@oxford.camra.org.uk that Hook Norton would ever a serious message in there, it The views expressed in this brew a lager, but it is as you can only encourages most people to publication are those of the individual read in this edition. Although disregard it. My own CHAP contributors and not necessarily cask ale sales overall are falling, includes continuing to drink beer, those of Oxford or White Horse as with all beer sales, you have as you might have guessed. Branches of CAMRA, or of CAMRA Limited. only to look around at the huge choice of real ale everywhere to As ever, your news, views and Printed by MRD Digital Print know that it is safe. contributions to the Oxford www.mrddigitalprint.com Drinker are welcome – just drop On to CHAPS then – not male me a line. persons of any persuasion, but DAVE RICHARDSON Care Home Avoidance Plans. Now I’m getting back on my June - July 2018 106 BELOW : The Beacon Hotel (upper) and the Britannia (lower) RIGHT: The Beacon itself (built 1846) on the pub sign, and inside Fixed Wheel Brewery Back to Photographs by Michael Sibbald Black Dave Richardson joins a branch minibus tour to the renowned Black Country in the West Midlands MY ONLY PREVIOUS “drinking” visit to the Black Country was in 2014, so I welcomed the opportunity of a return match. It’s not unusual to come across another CAMRA group as you go around, such is the Black Country’s popularity. First stop was a pub that I must have passed hundreds of times on the train, but never knew existed as it sits right by the viaduct on which the former Wolverhampton High Level station was built. Since 1972 this has been the town’s only railway station, but part of the listed Low Level station has now been adapted as a meetings venue. The railway which operated Low Level gave the pub its name – the Great Western . Railway memorabilia – some of it probably valuable – covers the walls, but it is even more popular with beer drinkers than rail enthusiasts. This former National Pub of the Year is owned by local brewery Holden’s, but in addition to a full range of Holden’s beers it also serves several guests. Today’s choice included Black Country Bitter and Black Country Mild (I had a half of each, a great way 4 the Oxford Drinker 106 June - July 2018 to start the day), Golden Glow Sarah Hughes tower brewery conservatory with palms, and and Black Country Special from which was re-activated in 1987 the practice of all beers being Holden’s, plus Bathams Best having been closed for 30 served in jugs rather than Bitter, Enville’s Ginger (both years. This is home to the glasses. local); and Kelham Island Pale eyeball-rattling Dark Ruby Mild Rider and Cask Lager, from which, at 6%, is not a beer to It was hard to tear yourself Sheffield. get stuck into so early in the away from here but the whip day. Most of our group ignored was duly cracked after 45 You can really soak up the this advice – but at least I minutes and we moved on to atmosphere in this historic pub, sampled a half of its Pale another pub in this book, the and try the pearls of Black Amber (4%) before succumbing Britannia at Upper Gornal. This Country cuisine such as to Ruby’s charms. Sedgley lovely old pub is owned by Faggots, Chips and Mushy Surprise (5%) is also brewed on Bathams brewery whom I Peas (I didn’t). The Great site; while guests included an greatly admire for not Western dates from 1830 when unfined beer by Fixed Wheel embracing “trendy” names for converted from two cottages, called Lady in a Hat, Shiny the beers which are called, when it was open 18 hours a brewery’s unfined Belgian IPA simply, Best Bitter (a great pint) day, seven hours a week except Code Breaker (6.7%!), and Hop and Mild. Here we caught up “during divine service”. and Stagger’s Triple Hop (5%). with former Oxford CAMRA Apparently there were 170 pubs member Dave Hill who now in Wolverhampton by 1851, and The Beacon is named after a lives in the West Midlands, the beers sold hereabouts were local hilltop landmark, and it is settling down in the rear room the second strongest in England said many visitors start which has a rare surviving “to resist infection”. gibbering because of the example of hand pumps not altitude – I suspect another situated at a bar or counter, and With three distinct bar areas reason! This was one of three still used occasionally. plus a conservatory for food, the pubs we visited in the CAMRA Great Western is a handy book Britain’s Best Real The Perry family ran the stopping off point if travelling by Heritage Pubs , by Geoff Britannia from 1864 until 1991, train through Wolverhampton. Brandwood, as it has a layout with the rear bar being called With a Premier Inn next door, I long since swept away by many Sallies’ after the lady who ran it plan to make a night of it one hostelries of similar vintage. It from 1942. It really is a lovely day. has a small snug, a larger old place, and my eye was Smoke Room, small Tap Room caught by a press cutting on Our second stop, just 15 and more modern extension, display from 1967 which painted minutes away, was the with beer served from a hatch a picture of a long-gone wonderful Beacon Hotel at rather than at the bar. Other industrial age, with regulars Sedgley, home of the historic quirky features are a engaged in pastimes such as the Oxford Drinker 5 June - July 2018 106 homing pigeons.