N www.liverpoolcamra.org.uk email [email protected] Circulation 11,000 O The MerseyAle CAMRA Liverpool and Districts Branch

MerseyAle Editor 67 Moorfields Liverpool L2 2BP Telephone 0151 236 1734 John Armstrong MerseyAle Contacts The Lion Tavern (Grade II Listed) is Liverpool’s Comments/news/letters/photos FOOD [email protected] finest Edwardian Pub. It is an extravaganza of See the board for etched glass, carved wood and beautiful tiling. selection of good MerseyAle Advertising Welcome to MerseyAle It has a wonderful ornate wood carved bar plus value food Cost - Full page £200 two cosy side rooms one with a fantastic QUIZ NIGHT Half page £100 and ManxAle stained glass dome. The Lion Tavern is an every Tuesday at 9.30pm Contact award winning pub serving excellent cask [email protected] Our cover is a revision of the famous of the Magnificent Seven pubs, the conditioned ales, cider and a large selection of Barack Obama “Hope” election Roscoe Head, one of only seven BOARD GAME MerseyAle the finest malt whiskies. You can also enjoy a poster. Our title, “ No Hops”, refers nationwide to have been in every fine selection of tasty food from our new menu. CLUB Read online at Meet every Monday at www.merseyale.com to the story on page 11, about the edition of the GBG since the first 6.00pm worrying outlook for English hops edition in 1974. and the threat to their place in our Liverpool and Districts CAMRA The Roscoe Head is a Punch brewing tradition. The English hop Main Branch Contact Taverns pub and on pages 13 you ACOUSTIC industry is facing possible extinction NIGHT Jean Pownceby can read why the Radio Four “File HANDPUMPS [email protected] unless a concerted effort is made to on Four” programme described supply a varied selection of prize Second Thursday of the save it, and along with it would go Punch as a “Zombie Company” . At Month 8pm some of our distinctive beer styles. winning Real Ales (including at least one Contact for Socials and long last there are signs that the A similar crisis is besetting cider locally brewed ale) plus hand pulled Cider Coach Trips only Coalition Government might take BOB DYLAN makers, see page 49. 2012 saw the Ian MacAdam 07521 741 586 action to curb the excessive power of 8 worst harvest of cider apples in SOCIETY the PubCos, which between them Liverpool Branch Chair fifteen years, with some makers Meets first Thursday of the own 51% of the nation’s pubs. The Geoff Edwards more than 50% short of the quantity Month 8.30pm excessive financial demands of the Over 80 Malt [email protected] of apples they require. So both our PubCos have been responsible for national drinks are facing major MEET THE BREWER driving many pubs to closure. Whiskies Web Sites problems in obtaining essential Third Thursday of the The Lion Tavern has one of the largest Liverpool and Districts ingredients. Another major factor in pub closures Month 8pm CAMRA Branch selections of malt whisky on Merseyside MerseyAle does also bring you some is the impact of Government Beer www.liverpoolcamra.org.uk POETRY GET good news. Real Ale is now Duty on driving up the price of beer. TOGETHER QR Codes page 55 outselling Keg beer and more people Beer duty has risen a tooth sucking Fourth Thursday of the are drinking it. The Cask Report 42% in four years, with more to Isle of Man CAMRA Branch come due to the Government’s Beer Month 8pm www.isleofmancamra.org.uk story on page 4 paints a positive picture for real ale and the economic Escalator. Read the latest events in V6 Adventure CAMRA national site benefits to pubs that stock it. Real CAMRA’s “Stop the Escalator” Club www.camra.org.uk Ale is the unique selling point of the campaign on pages 43. pub. You can only drink cask beer On page 53 we reveal “Why You Meet every Wednesday Cover at 8.00pm in the pub and that is the key to pubs Can’t Afford NOT to Join CAMRA” “No HOPS” by Dennis Jones attracting customers. given the great financial benefits of A revision of the famous Barack membership. The current 146,975 Obama election poster “HOPE” Liverpool CAMRA is continuously promoting our local pubs. On pages members of CAMRA can’t all be 33 to 37 you can read about the wrong! exciting events held during the 2012 So don’t delay - Join CAMRA WEEKLY CAMRA Liverpool Real Ale Pubs Today! LOCALE CAMRA DISCOUNT Festival, which is designed to See Board Card carrying CAMRA members 10 pence showcase our pubs and draw people for future to visit them. Real Ales off pint of real ale We celebrated an important birthday with the Launch of the 40th “One of the Hundred Best Pubs in the country” The opinions expressed in MerseyAle are not Anniversary edition of the CAMRA necessarily those of the Editor, the CAMRA Good Beer Guide – see pages 28 to Liverpool Branch or CAMRA Ltd. John Armstrong Daily Telegraph 31. Liverpool is proud to have one Editor PUB OF EXCELLENCE 2012 BEST QUALITY ALE 2006 CASK MARQUE CAMRA NATIONAL INVENTORY PUB 3 Good News for Real Ale Cask Report 2012/13 Shows Real Ale Now Outsells Keg Report Headlines tried’ rate among UK adults and increased the frequency with Pete Brown • Cask Beer now outsells which it is drunk by existing cask customers. Keg Beer and promoting them effectively Report author Pete Brown says, to encourage existing customers • Cask sales are growing “The Cask Report has been to drink more cask, and bring with a 1.6% increase analysing the sector for six years new drinkers into the category. in 2011 now and while cask has been Any pub with outperforming the beer market for • Cask outperforms the most of them, this is the first full overall beer market year of actual growth. Sales growth • More pubs are stocking during a recession is an impressive real ale achievement, doubly so against a Who Drinks Real Ale? background of declining overall • Try Before You Buy is beer volumes and a shrinking element of their business. Cask “The typical cask drinker is into key to attracting new number of pubs.” Try Before You Buy champion pubs rotate at least discovery, diversity, trying new “This excellent performance speaks people to cask beer and one of their ales weekly, and are things - so it’s not surprising that is Key increasing the number of volumes for the increasing keen stockists of microbrewer they drink across a wide number of “Try before you buy” is the single popularity of cask among most effective way of introducing cask drinkers beers, but crucially they also other drinks categories.” consumers, as well as a growing recognise the need to offer well- Despite this, cask drinkers are new drinkers to cask. It has long realisation among licensees that known names. drinking more cask: around 28% been encouraged by cask The annual Cask Report analyses cask, as an ‘only in pubs’ drink, can are drinking more cask ale than the brewers as a way to introduce the market for cask beer and the more than help them drive footfall and sales. Who Drinks Real Ale previous year, while only 18% are new drinkers to cask. profile of real ale drinkers and two or three handpumps Pubs that sell cask are less likely to While cask drinkers remain drinking less – and most of these Brown says, “It’s a big ask to pubs. Written by Award Winning should be looking to introduce predominantly male and are reducing their overall alcohol expect someone who doesn’t National Beer Writer Pete Brown, close than non-cask stockists – as some less familiar brews, to upmarket, interest from younger consumption rather than cutting drink cask ale to choose from a it paints a very positive picture of witness cask’s increasing share of appeal to more adventurous cask and female drinkers is holding cask specifically. line up of handpumps that mean demand for real ale and the the declining pub market.”" drinkers. steady after significant Among drinkers who have never nothing to them and spend £3+ benefit it brings to pubs. Community, wet-led pubs still The average number of recruitment from these groups. tried cask ale, the biggest reason on a pint they might not like. A The report uses the term “cask form the backbone of cask’s handpumps on the bar, among 58% of cask ale drinkers say they cited – by 28% of respondents - is free taster removes the risk ale” favoured by the brewing distribution base, but it also pubs that sell cask ale at all, is 3.1, first tried it when aged 18-24, “I don’t know” . A further 16% factor, and starts a dialogue industry instead of “real ale” . increased its penetration in café rising to 4 for ‘cask champions’ – a proving its appeal to emerging “don’t know where to start” or say between drinker and bar staff.” The report finds that; bars and town centre circuit research group of licensees for venues, demonstrating its whom cask ale forms the core drinkers. they need more information. Unsurprisingly, in those ‘cask Cask is Growing growing appeal to Over 50% of cask drinkers choose Brown says, “This means that 44% champion’ pubs, ‘try before you Cask ale volumes grew in 2011 for younger drinkers. it as it offers “more variety and of current non-cask drinkers are all buy’ heads the list of sales- the first time in 20 years, flavour than other mainstream potential drinkers: they don’t have building tactics. Over 95% of recording a 1.6% uplift. How Many drinks”, while its heritage, natural any dislike or prejudice about cask these pubs offer tasters to new Beers to Have ingredients and local provenance and are effectively waiting for a customers, while 90% describe Around 2.2 million barrels of are also cited as strong reason to try it. All we need to do the taste of the beers and around cask, equating to some 633 on the Bar influences. is give them that reason.” 80% use chalkboards or posters million pints, were sold last year. For all pubs and The fact that cask appeals to to promote their cask offer. bars, the key to a drinkers seeking variety and Persuading these drinkers to buy In summary, cask ale is the Over the same period, cask also successful cask novelty means that many of those two pints of cask ale per month – unique selling point of the pub overtook keg as the most popular business lies in who drink it, enjoy it as part of a conservative estimate - would and is outperforming the rest of format for draught ale, increased stocking the their repertoire rather than their add some 70 million pints to the beer market, making cask a its penetration of the pub market optimum number main drink. Brown says, annual cask volumes. very attractive option for to 56%, achieved a 53% ‘ever and styles of ales publicans.

4 5 MerseyAle news

Pub News opposite Liverpool Cricket Club Parr Street. This cafe bar and arts continues to sell Thwaites real centre is now selling a cask beer. Pub News Now On Line ales, including Original and This is supplied by Liverpool Craft, As an experiment Liverpool Wainwright . The adjacent Travel who also produce a bottled beer CAMRA will be placing full details Lodge would be a good place to 'Mello Mello' for the bar. However, of Pub News on line on stay if you need a hotel before beers from other breweries that www.liverpoolcamra.org.uk as flying from Liverpool Airport and you may not have heard of, are also soon as it is received. MerseyAle want access to real ale, plus a stocked. There is also a 'left field will be printing just the main pub handy bus stop outside with guest tap' that sells keg beer from headlines such as new real ale frequent buses to the Airport from around the world. Mello Mello is a outlets, pub closures and openings 06.45. Community Interest Company that plus major pub events. This policy operates art facilities for the local is to be kept under review and A new Toby Inn is being built on and grass-roots communities of comments are welcome to Speke Boulevard, not far from the Liverpool. There is a programme of [email protected] Dobbies store, but it will not have a live music events in the bar. Check bar and will be for diners only. It is South Liverpool out their website mellomello.co.uk. due to open in February. Council support for such Garston The Fulwood Arms on Aigburth organisations is under threat due to Road opposite Sefton Park, is government cuts, so please show serving real ale again after a change your support by visiting their bar. of ownership. There are two hand pumps. Sharp's Doombar appears We’re also very excited to be a regular with the second Liverpool about 2 new festivals, changing guest ale having featured, beers such as Cameron Strongarm Organic the first being and Wye Valley Dorothy Liverpool St.George’s Goodbody's. Brewery Beer Hall New Real Ale Outlet The Masonic on Gladstone Road Garston village. The City Centre. from the 26th - 29th Festivals The pub has been bought freehold New Real Ale Outlet The Rose & As well as keeping busy with September . St George’s Hall by Tony Murray, who has Crown on Cheapside off Dale The Clove Hitch is a restaurant on our new brews we’re also is an iconic Grade 1 listed previously been at the Gardeners Street. This is now selling real ale, the part of Hope Street close to the planning building. This festival will in Woolton. There are two hand adding to the real ale scene in the 4 beer festivals Metropolitan Cathedral. Cask beers pumps in the bar, one selling beer this year. see over are available for those who prefer from Liverpool Craft and the other beer to wine while eating, and there Waterloo Beer 300+ Real Ales and featured beers mainly from the is a small bar area for people who Festival will take place Marstons stable, but here is no tie. Ciders. Up to 8,000 just want a drink. There is normally from the 18th - 21st Apri l as Initially there is a promotional a cask beer from Liverpool Craft visitors. price of £1.75 a pint. Tony has also well as 24th - 27th Oct 2013 . and on my last visit a beer from the ordered a real cider. Buxton Brewery was also available. Liverpool I hope CAMRA members will The end of 2013 support a local pub in Garston New Real Ale Outlet Bar 23 at the St.George’s will see our village which is selling real ale Clove Hitch Hope Street including LocAle beers. Two more Hall Christmas This is a new bar in the basement of hand pumps will soon be installed Dale Street area. Wychwood the Clove Hitch serving real ale + Real Ales Festival in the lounge, and beers from Hobgoblin and a Jennings beer are 300 from Liverpool Craft Brewery . The at the Black-E Liverpool One brewery will then usually available. Bar 23 can be booked for private and Ciders. Up to from the also be stocked. functions. It has four hand pumps 5th - 9th New Real Ale Outlet Mello Mello 8,000 visitors Aigburth and the Airport at 40-42 Slater Street, although the serving real ales from the Liverpool December. ww.liverpoolorganicbrewery.com Black-E by Athanasius The Toby Inn on Aigburth Road entrance is round the corner on Craft Brewery, alongside six keg F 6 7 Welcome to the www.vernonarms.co.uk fonts selling the “craft beers” which adds to the long list of pubs on the The Flute on Hardman Street is are now being produced by Edge Lane corridor that have been regularly selling beers from brewers in Britain and the USA. closed over the last few years, Liverpool Craft alongside those of This juxtaposition of cask and keg partly as a result of the road Verno nAr ms beer demonstrates the confusion widening and area clearance that can be caused to the consumer policies. Cheers from Jimmy and Barbara Monaghan by the use of the word “craft beer”. The Falstaff The Vernon Arms, Dale Street, Liverpool Pity the impact on Liverpool Craft on Gateacre Park Drive Brewery which has built its is closed currently. This pub always business reputation on quality real sold cask beer in the seventies and Handpumps (4 Ever-changing) ale. The controversial issue of the eighties, but had not done so for a 6 meaningless term “craft beers” number of years. With other pubs Regulars: Rev James & Johnnie Handsome was discussed in MerseyAle Spring in the Gateacre/Childwall area 2012 edition. Craft beer is posh selling real ale, perhaps this is the reason for its demise. I Guest Ciders I Big screen football (and usually expensive) and is not Liverpool One . This pub operates a I I real ale. cask beer loyalty card for a free pint Belgian bottled beers Private functions The Royal on Smithdown Road is and offers a CAMRA member I another pub currently closed and Food Mon-Thurs 12- catered (Lathom Lounge) The Abbey on Hanover Street discount. 7pm, Fri- Sun 12-4pm I 10% student discount continues to offer CAMRA for sale. The pub has historic blue and gold tiling on the frontage, members a 10% discount. This is Most Stonegate pubs that sell real Check out Great Meal Deals off food menu plus other features that should be ale encourage people to drink the preserved. If they are lost it will be product with signs on the bar 'ask another reason to prosecute for cask'. An excellent idea which The Vernon Arms offers all of the above in a friendly and safe atmosphere plus: members of the government for other pubs should copy. Live entertainment Friday and Saturday cultural vandalism. Oakwell Brewery Pubs Pub News by Tony Williams Opening Times Mon-Thurs 11-11.30pm; Fri & Sat 11.30-2am depending on The brewery is reducing its tied customer demand; Sun 12-11pm Tel: 0151 236 6132 pub estate, including the closure of Woolton Pub News the London in Southport. Their two The Coffee House - New Real Outlet prominently advertised both The Coffee House on Woolton outside and inside. With the Road has returned to cask ale. The discount this might be the cheapest pub had a recent refurbishment pint in the city centre. and two hand pumps were installed. On offer initially was Ye Hole in ye Wall , Hackins Hey. Tetley Bitter and Sharps Doombar Liverpool Craft has produced a at a very reasonable £2.00 per pint. Golden Ale as a house beer for Ye Woolton now has eight real ale Hole in ye Wall which claims to be pubs making the village an the oldest pub in Liverpool. Liverpool pubs, the Strawberry on interesting pub crawl. Breckfield Road South and the Falcon on Oakwell Drive in The Gardeners Arms Netherley, continue to trade. The Gardeners Arms in Woolton People should visit these pubs to continues to offer an interesting ensure the distinctive and good range of guest real ales. The pub value Oakwell beers continue to be can now have three beers of their available in Liverpool. own choice alongside three regular beers. The licensee is open to any Stonegate Group Pubs suggestions for future beers The Brooke House , on Smithdown to stock. Road, reopened in the summer after a refurbishment and now sells The County Court in Woolton has Closed and Lost Pubs real ale. There is a house beer changed management. The pub is The Gardners Arm s at the junction brewed by Liverpool One named continuing to sell three cask ales of Broadgreen Road and Edge Lane Brooke House IPA , This is a and also has introduced live music Drive has been demolished after stronger beer more like a proper acts at the weekends. A full report being purchased by the NHS trust India Pale Ale than other IPAs. A will be in the next issue. that operates the nearby hospital.. different Liverpool One beer is It is a great pity that such a usually served when the IPA is not Woolton Pub News by Neil Lloyd distinctive pub has been lost. It available.

8 9 that English hop production English hops are still important to The Refurbished is becoming uneconomic, the nation’s brewers but the Georgian Quarter and the English varieties are perilously small size of the British Community Pub increasingly hard to source. hop industry is a big worry . Caledonia Many classic British beer styles are based on the “We need to do something about distinctive flavours of this. Much less than 2,471 acres HANDPUMPS English hops, and their loss and the industry becomes less 4 could see the extinction of viable.” – Ali Capper hop grower Taylors Golden Best these beers. Varieties such as Stocks Farm plus 3 changing Guest Beers from English Fuggles and Goldings are intrinsic to The challenge is clear. Can we find Micro and Regional Breweries English beer styles and their an answer to save the English hop? loss would be a sad day for Live Music our beer heritage. Also at risk is the English Friday & Sunday Richard Frost, the Head NO tradition of Green Hop beers. Brewer of Kentish brewers These are brewed with fresh hops Loose Moose Bluegrass Shepherd Neame, the oldest within twelve hours of them being brewery in the UK, picked. The beers are seasonal to Sundays fortnightly at 8pm commented; the hop harvest in September and “It would be a tragedy if October. Green hops give the beer FOOD Homemade FUNCTION this part of our history and a light and fresh flavour because Meals Mon -Fri 12- ROOM heritage was to be allowed they retain oils usually lost in the 3pm Sat & Sun 12-6 to just disappear.” traditional drying process. The Available for hire English Hops Of the 100 commercially grown green beers are often attractively hop varieties in the world, bitter and full flavoured. Catharine Street Tel 0151 708 0235 Open 12 – 11 Sun – Thurs; 12 -12 Fri and Sat Under Threat a remarkable 20 varieties are Without a supply of English hops Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/caledonialiverpool these beers cannot be brewed and Opening times Sat-Mon 12-12, Tues - Thurs 12-11 Friday 12 - 1pm British hop farming could die out English. within a decade as brewers turn 95% of the hops used by brewer another feature of English brewing away from English hop varieties to Shepherd Neame are grown heritage will be lost. imported varieties from countries in Kent. such as the Czech Republic. The USA and New Zealand. These The Hop Decline in Numbers imported varieties have become popular as brewers experiment Acres of English Hops International Comparisons with beer styles and look for 1872 72,000 acres England 2,500 acres increasingly fragrant hops. 2011 2,500 acres Consequently the sales of English In 1950 there were 400 hop New Zealand 840 acres hops have been declining. growers in Britain Germany 44,973 acres The consequences of this decline is In 2013 there were just 55 USA 29,653 acres

Whatpub – Liverpool, and you will see some of the pubs require the new more details to complete the entry, particularly; CAMRA pub opening times, beer range and a brief description. Just database and press the Add/Edit Detail button and follow the screen guide prompts. We will then be able to amend the CAMRA has launched an all new Pubs website, information for that pub. Whatpub. The aim of Whatpub is to provide a Not seeing your pub? If you unclick the “Must Serve comprehensive on line guide to real ale pubs on an Real Ale” button and search again, more pubs will area basis and eventually to act as a database of all the appear. If you know any of these pubs serve real ale nation’s pubs. You will be able to search Whatpub by let us know and we can change the pub’s status. area and by pub name. Photographs of the exterior or interior of pubs can also The site is now live to members. Public access will be be submitted. granted later. To view go to www.whatpub.com enter your CAMRA membership number and your unique It’s over to you now! We will endeavour to upload password (if you have not yet set up your CAMRA amendments promptly. Please send amendments and account your default password is your stated postcode pub information to [email protected] in uppercase with no gaps) and get looking. Now this is where we need your help. Search for Ian Barton 10 11 Punch Taverns is a Says company

Government to take action on the PubCos and to rein in their power much higher than on the open to milk their licensees through market. unrealistically high rents and the PubCos Driving Greg Mulholland MP, Chair high prices for beer charged of the Parliamentary Save the Pub through the beer tie. the British Pub Group commented that PubCos Meanwhile the future of the British were no more than property pub hangs in the balance. Liverpool CAMRA Pub of the Year Out Of Business speculators PubCos own an estimated 51% of and that their all the pubs in Britain and are “File on Four” on 13th November e c o n o m i c therefore central to the future and 2012 reported that Punch Taverns 2010 and 2011 model was survival of the British pub as a vital was a “Zombie Company” and in ruins. It part of British life. Two PubCos that its economic model was was the pub between them, Punch Taverns driving its licensees into despair licensees that and Enterprise Inns, own 25% of and the closure of their pub as were paying British pubs economically unsustainable. the cost of The definition of a zombie the PubCo Government Beginning to Act company was one which had failures and to Curb PubCo Power overvalued its assets, had were being Proposal to Introduce Statutory borrowed large amounts of money driven into insolvency and closure Code of Practice on the back of this valuation, had of their pub. “PubCos (are) exploiting and seen a collapse in value of those “File on Four” reported that this squeezing their publicans by unfair assets and was now unable to excessive borrowing was a major practices and a focus on short-term sustain the debt, being barely able crisis facing a number of British to repay the interest owed let alone profits.” Vince Cable, Secretary of companies, with between 80,000 State for Business the debt. and 150,000 companies being classed as Zombie Companies, Vince Cable The programme reported that this unable to afford the interest owed definition of a on their borrowing and unable to Z o m b i e repay the debt. This left them in a A Warm Welcome to the Dispensary (CAMRA Liverpool & Districts Pub C o m p a n y position in which they did not have of the Year 2010 and 2011) from Pauline, Dave and all their staff precisely fitted the resources to invest to grow and Punch Taverns develop, and were as a result facing and also other a cycle of decline. BEER FESTIVAL FEB 21st - 24th PubCos. Punch’s pub estate had This Zombie Company crisis also been valued at a high level some posed a major threat to the banks years ago and large loans in the which had made the loans, with as order of £2 billion had been taken much as £100 million at risk of Up out on the strength of this valuation default. There was a direct parallel to Since then the property values had with the credit crunch bank crisis BEERS collapsed. The PubCos then found when toxic loans brought banks to themselves unable to repay the the verge of collapse. The analogy Ava5ilable ov0er the period of the festival large debt and were struggling given was that of a pack of cards The Dispensary provides a varied and interesting selection even to pay just the interest on the collapsing. of real ales from the best Micro Brewers in the country. debt. Their only avenue was to A spokesperson for Punch Taverns Photo by You will be surprised at the choice bleed their lessees/licensees dry denied that it was a Zombie Steve Punter with high rents and the Company, claiming it was highly controversial Beer Tie. This profitable and that it was able to RENSHAW STREET, LIVERPOOL On January 8th 2013 Vince Cable, required licensees to buy their invest in its pubs. the Coalition Government (Formerly The Grapes) 0151 709 2160 beer through the PubCo at prices Pressure is growing on the Secretary of State for Business, F 12 13 However in a letter from Vince Association, Jonathan Neame. The Cable dated 9th January which was BBPA has a record of acting as the forwarded to MerseyAle by Louise cheer leader for the PubCos. He Ellman MP for Liverpool Riverside, said; he indicated that he was “In the consultation we will be NOT going to act to change the urging the Government to ensure highly controversial Beer Tie used that any statutory process is light by all the PubCos. This is touch and cost effective, to protect 3 Rotating Cask Beers very disappointing as most the consumer from bearing the brunt plus one Moorhouses on commentators have called for of unreasonable additional costs.” announced in the House of action on the Tie, especially the permanently Commons that he proposed to introduction of a right for all So you have been warned about introduce a statutory code of PubCo licensees to be able to order what is coming! Large selection of World Beers practice to regulate the actions of at least one beer free of the tie. In the letter he wrote; It is important that at long last there Warm and Friendly PubCos. This would be policed by appears to be recognition from an independent adjudicator. Government that a voluntary code Atmosphere However this code would only “I would also like to be clear of practice will not work and that Free Juke Box apply to PubCos that own more that I am not proposing to there needs to be legislation to than 500 tied leases. This would abolish the beer tie. The introduce a statutory code. The limit the Code to just the six largest evidence strongly suggests that Code adjudicator would arbitrate 1-3 Sir Thomas Street L1 PubCos in the UK ; Punch Taverns, the tie, per se, is not the issue: any disputes between PubCos and Opening Times 11.00am - 11.00pm Mon - Fri Enterprise Inns, Greene King, the lessee publican, and he/she Marston’s, Admiral Taverns and when operated as envisaged and 11.00am - 12.00pm Sat would have powers to impose Star Pubs and Bars. fairly, it is a valid business sanctions and fines on PubCos that In making the announcement Vince model being used responsibly by fail to comply with the code of fair Cable stated that; companies both large and small practice. However we will have to and, were it to be removed, the await the publication of the draft “Pubcos (are) British brewing industry could Bill to know what the code will say Statue exploiting and be significantly disadvantaged. and the proposed level of fines and commissioned financial sanctions that can be by Tom Murphy squeezing their What is clear is that it is the applied. As always the devil is in abuse of the tie, like the abuse of the detail. publicans by unfair rent calculations and other It is therefore vital that the practices and a focus factors, that is causing problems supporters of curbs on the powers in certain circumstances.” of the PubCos maintain pressure on short-term profits.” on the Government throughout the consultation period and the He also recognised It should be noted that the drafting of the Bill, so as to ensure proposals for a Statutory Code that, “there is some that the Code that emerges has are subject to a government some real teeth. real hardship in the consultation in the Spring of this Then there is also the sobering Southport Golden year which could lead to changes There are 3 pubs sector, with thought of how many British pubs or even the emasculation of the Sands, George will close in the meantime before a hand pumps many pubs going to Code. Further, any legislation is Wright and the meaningful Statutory Code comes serving a unlikely before the end of this year Famous Draught the wall as publicans into practice. or later in 2014. We will have to Bass plus variety of Further the economic failure of the struggle to survive on wait to see if the Code has any real 3 rotating PubCo business model and the Local and teeth to control the PubCos. It is ongoing crisis of the Zombie Guest Ales Regional Ales tiny margins. Some of important to bear in mind that the Companies will remain the PubCos are a strong lobby which We are one of the least this is due to PubCos elephant in the room. The Richmond is a has repeatedly headed off any expensive pubs in traditional family-run pub trying to retrieve their effective Government action to in the heart of the city Liverpool. So come own financial curb their powers, and doubtless centre and has been inside and enjoy a good they will similarly seek to influence PubCos own an situation at the trading as a pub for over pint in a friendly local this consultation. estimated 51% of a hundred years. atmosphere expense of their An early and predictable warning of what to expect from the pub all the pubs in THE RICHMOND 32 WILLIAMSON STREET L1 1EB THE LORD WARDEN LONDON ROAD tenants” industry came from the Chairman of the British Beer and Pubs Britain

14 15 (3,000 square feet) then the retailer can bypass the Sunday Trading Act and remain open all hours on Wonderful early 19th Century a Sunday. Public House with It has become clear that some PubCos are giving supermarkets first refusal on pubs they are 6Handpumps intending to put up for sale, rather than openly advertising them on the open market. The first the Serving a varying range public or local councils will know is when the pub of Real Ales Plus a Real Cider Supermarket Sweep closes and the shop fitters move in. Not Just Beer – Now it’s the Pubs as Well! CAMRA is greatly concerned about the trend to REGULAR ALE THWAITES conversion to supermarkets and is pressing for a To date supermarkets have been notorious for using change to the planning law so as to require that the “HUNDRED BEST cut price beer and alcoholic drinks as a loss leader conversion of a pub would need planning PUBS in the COUNTRY” to get people into their shops. Now it is PUBS that permission. This would give communities and local 0151 709 4171 they are are sweeping up nationwide, as councils an opportunity to object and to make the 2010 2011 Daily Telegraph 12-11.30 midnight Fri & Sat supermarket companies buy up pubs to convert to case for the social value of the pub to the supermarkets. community. Have a drink in John Lennon’s Old Watering Hole Since 2010 more than 140 pubs have been turned Greg Mulholland MP and Chair of the into supermarkets, with another 33 currently under Parliamentary Save Our Pubs group has threat of conversion. challenged the supermarkets to halt the practice Unsurprisingly it is Tesco who are leading the way of what he describes as their predatory practice with 91 conversions. Sainsbury’s have accounted for of converting pubs. The 20 pubs conversions, the Co op 10, Asda 4 and He is pressing for the Government to step in and Costcutter 4. change the planning law so that planning permission is required for pub conversions. Forty pubs in London have succumbed to He is also pointing out that the current law is Crow ’s Nest conversion, 17 in Greater Manchester, Bristol 8, contrary to Government policy on localism, Leeds 5 and South Hampshire 6. 63 Victoria Rd, Crosby. 0151 924 6953 community and promoting small businesses. The attraction of pubs to the supermarket John Denham MP for Southampton has raised the Merseyrail - Blundellsands & Crosby station - 10 min walk companies is that pubs do not need planning need for action on this issue in the House of permission for conversion. Under current planning Commons and the Save the Pub Group has placed Four Regular law it is legal to change the use of the pub to a a Parliamentary Motion. supermarket as both are classed as retail use. This So far Liverpool has been relatively unaffected by leaves local councils powerless to halt a conversion. conversions, although one pub in Whiston, the Real Ales Additionally if the floorspace is less than 280 metres Horse Shoe Hotel, has been converted by Tesco. and constantly changing Guest Ales The Scottish Government has University that a minimum price Government Plan moved to introduce a minimum of 45p would reduce alcohol Minimum Price price of 50p from April 2013, but consumption by 4.3%, resulting Beers from breweries all over the country! this is being challenged legally by in 2,000 fewer deaths, 66,000 The Crow’s Nest is a charming grade II listed for Alcohol of the Scotch Whisky Association fewer admissions after a span of building with a cosy bar, tiny snug and comfortable and the European Spirits organis- ten years and 24,00 fewer crimes 45 pence per unit ation as being incompatible with per year. lounge. You’ll enjoy a warm welcome and great 2010 the European Union’s ”general beer in this beautiful old pub. The Coalition is planning to Opponents of the minimum price principles of free trade and introduce a minimum price per strategy challenge these figures unfettered competition” , and on unit of alcohol of 45 pence. This on price. They claim that Voted Best Community Pub 2004/5 the grounds that it is a matter for is higher than the 40p that the the policy would not deter Westminster not Holyrood. Pub of Excellence 2002/3 Government proposed in March problem drinkers but would Above awards from Liverpool and districts CAMRA. Recommended in the Good Beer Guide 2012. In addition multi buy The British Coalition Govern- penalise responsible drinkers on alcohol offers would be banned. ment quotes research by Sheffield lower incomes.

16 17 camra The National Winter Ales Festival is on the move Belvedere Last Orders for Manchester as Festival moves to Derby Traditional 2 room community pub Enjoy our Beer Garden area It was last orders for the Manchester venue of the Grade II Listed situated in the heart of The New Manchester Winter Ales Festival CAMRA National Winter Ales Festival in January. For Liverpool’s Georgian Quarter. Winner The decision to move to Derby has been somewhat of CAMRA pub of culture 2011 2014 the Festival is controversial. moving to Derby. CAMRA branches in Cask Ales from Local and After eight Manchester have Regional Brewers successful years at decided to run their Manchester, national One minut e from Philharmonic Hall own Winter Ales CAMRA has decided Festival in 2014, and Ideal for pre-show drinks to rotate the Festival this will be held in the The Only Liverpool Pub with to other cities. National Velodrome Lined Glasses for Cask and Centre on Thursday European Lagers The Derby venue is 23rd to Saturday 25th January 2014 . The Velodrome the former engine is a stunning building which is the home of the 18 different Gins available at the roundhouse of the Midland Railway company Team GB Olympic cyclists. The main bars will be at Football Free Zone locomotive works opposite Derby station. the central area of the Velodrome surrounded by No Fruit Machines The building is now a social and conference centre the banked cycling track, which will remain in use Real Fires run by Derby University, and is used for the Derby during the Festival. So if you see things flashing Real Conversation Beer Festival. Dates for the NWAF have yet to before your eyes they are for real! See Food Available be confirmed. www.manchesterbeerfestival.org.uk for details.

8 Sugnall Street (off Falkner St), Liverpool Champion Beers of the 2013 Stouts Gold: Marble Stouter Stout National Winter Beer Silver: Beartown Polar Eclipse Festival Bronze: Hornbeam Black OPEN SUNDAYS Coral Stout The opening day of National Stouts Porters Winter Ales Festival 2013 saw the Gold: Bartrams Comrade Bill’s Gold: Dunham Massey Dunham judging of the National E.A.I.S.S. Porter Champion Winter Beer Of Britain Silver: Marble Stouter Stout Silver: Pictish Porter Competition 2013 and the North Bronze: Hop Back Entire Stout Joint Bronze: Bank Top Port Liverpool World Beer Shop in the Centre of the City West Regional rounds for the Porters O Call Winter Ale categories which will Ship and Mitre’s Beer Shop Whitechapel Gold: Elland 1872 Porter Joint Bronze: Boggart Rum go forward to the 2013 national Porter competition. Silver: Blythe Johnsons 250 world beers and growing Bronze: Derby Penny’s Porter Barley Wines and Strong Old Ales The full results were as follows: Gold: JW Lees Moonraker plus 28 ciders Champion Winter Beer Of Barley Wines and Strong Old Ales Silver: Outstanding Pushing Out Home delivery within 5 Gold: Hogs Back A Over T Britain 2013 Bronze: Hawkshead Brodies mile radius 12-8pm Changing range of British, Belgian, German, Overall National Champion Silver: Heart Of Wales High As Prime USA and other World Beers Winners A Kite Gold: Elland 1872 Porter Bronze: Kinver Over The Edge 2014 Date Move for CAMRA’s Always new arrivals. We welcome suggestions Silver: Bartrams Comrade Bill’s North West Regional Great British Beer Festival for beers to stock E.A.I.S.S. Competition The 2014 Great British Beer Bronze: Kelburn Dark Moor Opening hours are; 10 to 6pm Monday to Saturday. Sundays 11 to 5pm (Winners Go Forward to the Festival (GBBF) will be a week National Category Winners Champion Winter Beer Of Britain later than usual. The new dates The Ship in a Bottle is at 45A Whitechapel L1 6DT 2014 Finals) are Tuesday 13th to Saturday 17th Old Ales & Strong Milds Old Ales & Strong Milds August. Advance tickets will go OTHER SHOPS GRANGE RD WEST KIRBY 10-8pm Monday - Saturday, 12-6pm Sun Gold: Kelburn Dark Moor Gold: Bollington Winter Reserve on sale in April – see New Heswall Shop 184 Telegraph Road Heswall Next to Heswall Bus Silver: Jennings Sneck Lifter Silver: Jennings Sneck Lifter www.camra.org.uk The venue Station 10-6pm Monday to Saturday, 12-6 Sunday Bronze: Purple Moose Dark Side Bronze: Marble Chocolate will be Olympia Of The Moose Marble

18 19 Mark Wilson - An Appreciation

Mark Wilson the Head Barman at the Dispensary died in October 2012. Before news of his illness was known Mark had won the Liverpool CAMRA Barperson of the Year Award. He was not well enough to be present at the Awards Night so his award was collected by his MARK WILSON father Brian. A ‘Gentle’ Man Here we present some of the appreciations of A Friend Mark expressed by customers of the Dispensary. Rest In Peace. He will be much missed by many and MerseyAle extends condolences to his family. Mark leaves a gaping hole in our lives. We’ll The speech at Mark’s funeral service by miss the banter, the cries of ‘OFF SIDE’ when the Dave licensee of the Dispensary opposing team scored! I just wanted to share a few memories with you The girls will miss the chats and the reassuring today about Mark. hugs. I’ve known Mark for over eight years; he was But our lives are all the richer for knowing him. always solid, dependable, reliable and a fantastic Bar Man. The Book of Condolence for Mark Mark was a friendly giant, proud of his work and A book of Condolence was set up at the doubly proud of his reputation as CAMRA’s Dispensary and many customers wrote their Barman of the Year, which had been awarded to appreciations of Mark. Here are some extracts him before his illness had been diagnosed. “Mark was someone who summed up what was Mark was a loving; good about this city.” Dave Hardman • Son • Brother • Partner • Step-dad But to us he was just Mark from The Dispensary “We come to the Dispensary, which is so far who kept the bar pristine and in order, and from home, because Mark made us feel like loved nothing more than to serve a busy bar locals. We are really going to miss you. The and return order out of chaos. place won’t be the same without you. I expect I will remember him for his fantastic there will be a pint of Fernandez waiting for me sandwiches. when we meet again.” Sarah and Andy His OCD with the glasses, they all had to be in perfect order. “I’ll remember you His betting slips showing us what he could have won if only! When I step in here His ready wit and dry sense of humour. I’ll remember you His quips like ‘Keep the change’ when When I drink the beer somebody handed him a £20 note. I’ll remember you Anyone who ever knew Mark, whether it was for 5 minutes or 5 years, would tell you he was a As Barman of the Year genuine good bloke. He had no side to him. But I’ll always remember you He loved his family, his bets, and his football As my son.” team. Dad – He loved to have a pint at the end of his shift and looked forward to going home to Donna Brian Wilson Lloyd and Georgia.

20 21 BBrreewweerr yynneewwss

60 Roscoe St (corner of Knight St ) L1 9DW 0151 708 6870 Liverpool CAMRA rec - ruited through the Branch Snowball campaign were 9Handpumps set to assist with the brew as an insight into the Serving constantly brewing process, but in the circumstances this had to changing cask ales be cancelled. in the strong bitters class, Storr You can read about the always at least one LocAle from lager won Silver in the bottled beer Liverpool CAMRA Get class, and the spicy ginger Liverpool Organic Brewery Together at the Baltic and flavoured Jinja Ninja which won Wapping Brewery the tour of the Wapping Brewery Opening Times; Silver in the bottled speciality beers There was a worry in January that which took place during the 1p m -12.30pm Sun, Mon , Tues, Weds class and Bronze in the speciality the award winning Wapping Liverpool Real Ale Pubs Festival in 1pm -1.30am Thurs, Fri, Saturday beers cask ale class. Brewery might close and be put into the article on pages 33-37. mothballs. Owner Simon Holt The win came just before the third LIVE JAZZ EVERY wanted to concentrate on his other New Real Ale Brewery birthday of the Peerless Brewery . SUNDAY NIGHT 10pm -12 business, the Baltic Fleet pub, which for Merseyside – the is the main outlet for Wapping Liverpool Organic For further details of music and events visit: thegrapesliverpool.co.uk Melwood Brewery beers. He has plans to enhance the Brewery pub and felt it was not possible Knowsley to do that in addition to the Liverpool Organic Brewery has This new brewery opened at the brewery business. been busy brewing adding 3 new end of 2012. It has chosen the same additions to the range. The first is Thankfully second thoughts led to a location as the former Cambrinus the new Cask Ale Lager, Liverpool rethink and Wapping is to continue Brewery , in the Home Farm Pilsner 4.5% abv. This is a crisp, brewing. A significant factor was business units at Knowsley. This light and hoppy lager. the offer of Wirral CAMRA Chair puts the brewery in the St Helens LOB is really proud to be Dave Goodwin to come on board at CAMRA branch area. launching the new Liverpool Stout Wapping on a part time basis to Cambrinus was absorbed into 4.7% abv. A strong, dark and dry help with sales and operations, the Liverpool Organic Brewery stout with a smooth spicy finish. thereby freeing Simon to company , and LOB have continued The final addition to the range is concentrate on the Baltic Fleet to brew the Cambrinus beers at ‘Bier head’ Best their Liverpool Bank Hall brewery, business. Dave had until recently Bitter. This is a having bought the rights to the been undertaking a similar role at 4.1% abv. golden beers from Cambrinus owner Brimstage Brewery on the Wirral. bitter with a bitter brewer John Aspinall, who had spice and floral Wapping’s award winning brewer decided to retire. aroma. It is sharp Stan Shaw had indicated that he Information about the Melwood and hoppy with wished to carry on as brewer for the Brewery can be seen at crisp malt tones. next two years before possible www.melwoodbeercompany.co.uk Liverpool retirement. During this time he had Organic full offered to train a new brewer to take Peerless Brewery 2013 Product over from him when he retires. Birkenhead Win SIBA Range is available So Wapping beers will continue to Awards to view at be brewed by Stan and to be http://issuu.com/liverpoolorganic Following on from their success at available at the Baltic Fleet. Dave is brewerydocs/caskrange2013 looking at extending the sales of the 2011 Society of Independent Wapping beers in the free trade. Brewers Awards (SIBA), Peerless Liverpool Organic Brewery have won more Awards at the SIBA A casualty of the hiatus was the sponsored Beer Festivals plan to brew the CAMRA Liverpool North West Regional competition Beer Festival 2013 special Festival held in Manchester in November. See the exciting news on beer at Wapping in early January. A The winning beers were their new page 6. group of new young members of All American IPA which won Silver 22 23 Classic Liverpool Gem GLOBAL VISION Tastefully Refurbished

The Globe in Cases Street and the brass plaque on the imagination and your has received a very tasteful wall commemorating the senses are not deceiving and successful first meeting of what was you! refurbishment. The Punch then Merseyside CAMRA The range of real ale is Taverns owned pub is one on January 18th 1974, has served from six hand of that special breed of not only been retained but pumps including at least Liverpool pubs which are polished to a gleaming two changing guest beers. not found in many other shine. The pub has a loyal city centres nationwide – Importantly the many clientele who greatly value Shiverpool Tours the small, cosy, unspoilt photographs and artefacts the place, and it is also an local in the City Centre. that give the Globe its very handy waiting room The pub has been historic character and visual for those en route for Shiverpool run a wide range of redecorated throughout interest have been retained trains at Liverpool Central with a sensitive colour and made prominent. You station. palate of browns, golds, a can read about “Why the So make sure you visit one tours. Check their website subtle bronze metallic Globe’s a World Class Pub” of Liverpool’s classic gems wallpaper and a few and that “Kitty is the Cream and discover why this is a www.shiverpool.co.uk splashes of colour. The of the Crop”, whilst World Class Pub. bench seating has been admiring the many historic reupholstered in tan photographs of brown, and a new bench Liverpool and the and table has been installed famous Liverpool in the window alcove, women flower sellers thereby providing welcome that traded from market additional seating. The stalls nearby. back room now has a wall And yes, the floor does length mural of the world still slope upwards from globe in black and white, the door – it is not your Tours can be booked on line Tours are £13. Concession rate for Under 16s, students and OAPs £10 Shiverpool 0151 709 2030

24 25 Liverpool CAMRA runs a busy programme of social events of many sorts. Pub evenings, coach CAMRA is a trips to interesting pubs around the country without the worry of having to drive, guided Campaign of Two Beer Tastings, brewery visits, real ale walks, music nights, talks by guest speakers and the Halves - and One of monthly Branch Get Togethers that bring members together with the accent on the social.

Them is Social ! There’s something for everyone to enjoy and to have a good time in good company. The Yes there is the campaign activity, but activities are well supported and greatly enjoyed. alongside that and of equal importance, The message is that “Real Ale is FUN !” is the social activity and having fun in So read the Why You Can’t Afford NOT to Join good company and good real ale. CAMRA” article on page 53 and then, Don’t Delay, Join CAMRA Today!

26 27 several representatives of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ , the event Licensees at the GBG Launch Liverpool CAMRA Branch was also an opportunity to Praise CAMRA for Saving Real Ale boarded a train to London for the celebrate 40 year of the Good The Magnificent Seven licensees event. Situated a stone’s throw Good Beer Guide Celebrates Beer Guide, and in addition to praised CAMRA’s efforts over away from Buckingham Palace, the current editor Roger Protz, the years to save and promote the Buckingham Tavern is a there were many past editors real ale. traditional London pub, very present, including the first Editor David and Robert Short, a father 40 Up with 2013 Edition ornate and adorned with brass from 1974, John Handscombe. and son team who run the and mirrors. A small portion of This was emphasised during the Queen’s Head Newton, near the back of the pub had been speech given by Roger in which, Cambridge, spoke about the vital reserved for the event and we as well as congratulating the role they believed CAMRA had were greeted by CAMRA’s licensees present, he also played in saving real ale from National praised all those involved in the extinction in the 1970s. David Director, Nik Guide including the CAMRA stated that CAMRA “had Antona. branch members, who via beer transformed the brewing It was scoring and writing pub industry” and had brought about pleasing that descriptions, make it possible to “an absolute sea change” and a Carol Ross’s continue to produce the guide “rolling wave that went through Member of year after year. the country” . He expressed his Parliament , Following on from his speech, opinion that CAMRA had done a Louise Carol Ross both Roger Protz and the vital job in “looking after Ellman, had Pub descriptions and photos of National Chairman Colin traditional English beer.” arranged for her Parliamentary the “Magnificent Seven” can be Valentine, presented each David has Merseyside roots as he Assistant, Becky Rowland to found on Page 10 of the 2013 licensee with a glass plaque. was born on the Wirral. Good Beer Guide. attend. Becky has a Merseyside Photos were taken, one of which Paying tribute to the ‘Magnificent connection being from can be seen on the front of the A Star Licensee Seven’ pubs, Roger Protz said: Southport. Liverpool CAMRA October edition of ‘What’s Vera Morton – Wilson the 2013 GBG headlines was particularly pleased as none September 2012 saw an Brewing’. In fact one of the pull- Licensee of the Star Inn, The 2013 GBG lists 1,009 real of the other six pubs had important CAMRA milestone ‘It’s a remarkable achievement ups pictured behind the Netherton, Northumberland ale breweries in UK, the received a positive response with the publication of the for the publicans of these pubs licensees can now be found in Vera was born in the pub which highest number for 70 years. from their MPs, all of whom had fortieth edition of the nationally to have maintained an the back room of the ‘Roscoe she has run since 1987. Her l 150 breweries have opened been invited to the Launch. renowned Good Beer Guide. Head’. Thanks must go to grandfather bought the pub in in the last twelve months exemplary standard of beer over The celebration represented a This edition showed how far National CAMRA for sending it 1917 and ran it until 1928 when l There is one brewery for all these years. The special great opportunity for all the CAMRA, real ale and Britain’s to Carol. Vera’s father took over. So the every ten pubs in the UK. licensees to share experiences, pubs had come in the last forty thing about these seven pubs is A few weeks later Liverpool pub has been owned and run by l The 2013 Guide includes and the fact that three of the years. that they vary so much in their Branch organised our own the same family since 1917. 4,500 pubs of which 1,033 are location, size and heritage, celebration in the Roscoe Head It is easy to see why the pub has new entries. The “Magnificent Seven” Pubs showing how brilliantly diverse to present Carol and her mother, been in every edition of the l The Breweries Section of the As part of the anniversary Margaret Joyce, with two our pub industry remains, even GBG. The Guide describes it as 2013 GBG lists 1025 breweries celebrations, the Good Beer plaques; the original glass plaque “Entering this gem .... is like and runs to 213 pages. In Guide has heralded the few pubs through weathering the high from National CAMRA which we comparison the 1974 GBG which have made it into all of its profile storm of closures in have had mounted on wood and Breweries Section was just two forty editions. These ‘Magnificent recent years.’ also a celebratory plaque from pages. Seven’ are; Liverpool Branch. Our Branch l Famously the 1974 GBG Chairman, Geoff Edwards, made l Buckingham Arms, 62 Petty Celebrating 40 years of the described Watney’s beers as licensees were woman was a short speech before the France, London SW1 Good Beer Guide - the “avoid like the plague”. Threat particularly heartening. I must presentation emphasising the l National Launch in London of legal action by Watney’s led New Inn, The Hill, Kilmington, give a special mention to Vera significance of this award and the To celebrate this momentous Vera Morton-Wilson to massive publicity for CAMRA Devon Morton-Wilson, the licensee of achievement it represents. The occasion CAMRA organised a and the GBG. The wording was l Queen’s Head, Newton, ‘The Star Inn’ in Netherton, award is made even more celebration event in one of the amended to “avoid at all costs.” Cambridgeshire Northumberland, who is in her significant by the fact that the entering the private living room ‘Magnificent Seven’ pubs, the CAMRA had taken off as a l Roscoe Head, 24 Roscoe 80’s yet travelled down to London pub has been in the same family of a big house” with the beer Buckingham Tavern in London, national campaign. Street, Liverpool on her own to collect her award. for all of those 40 years. served on gravity from the cellar and invited all seven licensees, l The 1974 GBG sold for l Square & Compass, Worth Many stories were swapped Why not pay the Roscoe a visit, at a hatch in the panelled M.P’s and CAMRA branch Matravers, Dorset between the seven licensees take a peek at the pull-up and entrance hall. The bar area is 75 pence and was 96 pages. representatives from each of the l Star, Netherton, over a pint or two, and everyone enjoy a pint in a pub which has basic with benches round the The 2013 Guide is 946 pages seven areas. Northumberland seemed to relish the opportunity remained in the Good Beer wall. On the walls are the pub’s and costs £10 for CAMRA And so on a bright, crisp l Star Tavern, 6 Belgrave Mews to socialise away from their Guide for 40 years – long may it many awards.” If visiting it is members and £15.99 retail. September morning the Roscoe West, London SW1 individual pubs. continue to do so! wise to phone to check opening Head licensee, Carol Ross and As well as celebrating the Sonia James-Henry times as these are “flexible”. F 28 29 Beer It is certainly significant that three of “the Magnificent Seven” pubs are family run pubs which have been in the same family for many Festivals years being run by successive generations; Feb– Real Ale 20th - 24th David and Robert Short at the Queen’s Head, April – Belgian 15th - 21st Liverpool’s own Carol Ross at the Roscoe Head, and outdoing even them is Vera at the Star May – German 4 Inn, she being the third generation since 1917. 20th - 26th 1 It was notable that Carol and Vera found LIVERPOOL’S PREMIER FREEHOUSE theshipandmitre.com much to talk about during the afternoon of the Launch. “Community” is a word much used in EVER CHANGING REAL ALES + DRAUGHT CIDERS connection with pubs. We should also be 15 The Ship and Mitre has the largest selection of Belgian and German Draught and Bottled Beers in Liverpool 5 using the word “continuity” as this is an important element in creating great pubs. Liverpool can be proud to be one of the Quality Pub Food Magnificent Seven. cooked to order including Gourmet Burgers, Wraps, Scouse, Helen McCall Tapas style dishes food served from 12-9 daily 2 1 Buckingham Arms, 62 Petty France, log onto www.thegalleyliverpool.co.uk follow us on facebook London SW1 (the galley) & twitter @the_galley 2 New Inn, The Hill, Kilmington, 6 Devon 3 Queen’s Head, Newton, Cambridgeshire Monday Darts - Wednesday Scouse on the House (from 6pm) Thursday - Quiz Night 4 Roscoe Head, 24 Roscoe Street, Liverpool 5 Square & Compass, Worth Matravers, Art Deco ‘Higher Room’ for hire Holds up to 55 people Catering available Dorset Ship & Mitre133 DALE STREET Tel: 0151 236 0859 6 Star, Netherton, Northumberland 3 7 7 Star Tavern, 6 Belgrave Mews West, London SW1

CAMRA Discount at the National CAMRA Nick and the staff welcome you to the Lion Tavern famous Swan with its unique atmosphere Since January the Lion Tavern has been Membership Now offering card carrying CAMRA members a and great range of fine cask ales. ten pence discount on real ales. There were Best Rockers jukebox in town! no prominent signs to advertise this and in 146,975 the early weeks bar staff appeared unsure Always available: about the discount, so do ask for it and WOBBLY BOB - HYDES BITTER show your card. The Lion now has Plus ROSIES TRIPLE D CIDER Members. an agreement with Punch Taverns for PLUS A GREAT SELECTION OF GUEST BEERS Don't Delay - Join Today page 53 four of the eight FROM A WIDE RANGE OF BREWERIES hand pumps to be free of tie, so that Large stock of Belgian Bottled Beers licensees Sean and Mike have a free Student VIDEO JUKEBOX ON TOP FLOOR rein to buy their Friendly Open until 2am on Friday and Saturday beers of choice for those four hand pumps. The other 3 FLOORS - FAMOUS HEAVY ROCK JUKEBOX - FREE WI FI four hand pumps 86 Wood Street Liverpool Tel 0151 709 5281 are beers from the main Punch list. 30 31 CAMRA Liverpool RRoossccooee HHeeaadd Real Ale Pubs CAMRA Liverpool & Districts PUB of the YEAR 2012 Festival2012 Liverpool CAMRA Campaigning There were so many great events Heritage Walks to Save and Promote the during the Festival that MerseyAle These walks, which were led by British Pub will be running two articles. Committee Member Steve Downing, This edition reports on the overall explored the architectural features The CAMRA Liverpool Real Ale programme of events and and history of some of our classic Pubs Festival began seven years the innovative and scary pubs, from the highly ornate and ago and has developed and grown “Shiverpool/CAMRA Pubs Tour”. spacious Philharmonic and the year on year to the point where it is a The next edition will cover the Crown on Lime Street, to smaller but major annual event designed to highly enjoyable Pub Games event no less interesting gems such as the promote our pubs both with local and the L1 Brewery Tour. White Star and Peter Kavanagh’s . people and visitors. It is part of John Armstrong Liverpool CAMRA’s commitment to campaign to save and promote the British Pub as an essential part of The Programme of community life. Festival Events The Festival is notable for the www.roscoehead.co.uk extensive programme of special pub The Beer Festivals events designed to encourage people This year saw again the excellent one to visit the pub and enjoy real ale. day outdoor ‘Why Don’t We Do It in Real Ale is the Unique Selling Point the Road?’ festival, organised by of the pub, for it is only in a pub that Carol Ross, licensee of the Roscoe you can fully enjoy the joys of cask Head, across the road from the pub Most people had been in the pubs conditioned beer. and serving 60 beers sourced from before, and some many times, but all over the country. This festival has the focus on their heritage, and become a regular feature of the Hope really observing how much there is Street Feast and attracts many to admire, proved to be quite a people to the small side street where revelation! The Roscoe Head is a true English tables and chairs are provided, Morris dancers entertain and a public Tetley’s Bitter and Jennings Bitter Pub rambles general party atmosphere prevails. Real ale and exercise do go together! house with lots of character. One of Unfortunately, afternoon rain In conjunction with Dave Dent from the few pubs in Liverpool and PLUS dampened a few of the punters, but the Brisk Walker’s group, Sonia and indeed Great Britain to have not their good spirits, and Carol is to Mel James-Henry led two very CONSTANTLY CHANGING Alongside the events Liverpool survived the onslaught of the super be congratulated on yet another very enjoyable walks during the festival, CAMRA publishes the free successful and enjoyable event. one in South Liverpool and the other pub chains and remains unspoilt. GUEST BEERS! Liverpool Pubs Map (previously in the Waterloo and Crosby area, Several other city centre pubs The Roscoe Head is a very special known as the Pubs Passport), which each of which involved visiting four organised Beer Festivals, including watering hostelry. now includes 125 real ale pubs not or five pubs, but feeling you’d Try our delicious home- the Ship and Mitre , the Richmond only in the City Centre but in the earned your pint by the time you and the Lion , and Wetherspoons outlying area and suburbs. got there! The Roscoe Head is a town local cooked food incorporated all their pubs, both in with customers from all walks of served Mon- to Fri 11.30am - 2.30 pm The 2012 Liverpool Pubs Festival the city and beyond, in a Real Ale life, the backroom debates are spanned the months of September, Trail over a whole month! always entertaining whether it be Popular Quiz Nights October and November, providing a special celebration of the great pubs The ”Beer Festival from the Other politics or football on the agenda Tuesday, General Knowledge and in the city of Liverpool. Crypt” held in the Crypt of St the banter is always good. Thursday Music Quiz If you would like to help with or take Anthony’s Church Scotland Road has become an established part of Cribbage on Wednesdays part in the 2013 Liverpool Real Ale the Liverpool social calendar. Pubs Festival please email Winner of many awards and one of only SEVEN pubs to feature in every edition Proceeds from the Festivals have [email protected] and/ helped pay for a memorial statue to of the Good Beer Guide. That’s 40 years of Good Beer Guide entries! or come along to a Branch Get the many thousands who died in the Volunteer Canteen Waterloo 24 Roscoe Street L1 2SX Tel: 0151 709 4365 Together (see diary at the back Scotland Road typhoid epidemic. of MerseyAle). F 32 33 CAMRA Liverpool evening, and thanks to Mark Hensby Stan Shaw - the Award Winning wended our ways home after a great with a host of thirsty tour goers. haunted pub in Liverpool with a of Liverpool Organic Brewery for Wapping Brewer night. Many thanks to Stan and to This was my first Shiverpool Tour history of body snatching and Real Ale Pubs donating the prizes. Stan explained that the brewery had the bar staff for making it so. and I honestly did not know what to dissection as well as violent death. Festival2012 contd Other events recently celebrated being on the site expect. I had never heard any Here we heard tales of the pub’s of the pub for 10 years, with the first Stan says he is happy to do brewery Liverpool ghost stories and knew previous existence as a private Music and drama A cider tasting evening, a Shiverpool ghost tour and a pub games night brew dating back to late January tours by appointment and he can nothing about the city’s ghostly past. residence, or residences as it was Many of our Liverpool pubs feature were other major Festival events. 2002, and he has been at the helm be contacted by email The first thing that struck me when originally two separate houses. music of all [email protected] or we met our three ghoulish guides kinds Jean Pownceby phone 07580 984 815. was how ‘in character’ they were, all On the way to our next stop, the throughout He particularly asked me to remind black teeth, white faces and gothic Roscoe Head , we made a stop at the year, but Some More Highlights of the Pubs Festival Events people who were there, and to black outfits. The humour with St Luke’s Church or ‘the bombed out there was a mention in this article, that he will be which they guided us between pubs, church’ as it is known, for ghostly special The CAMRA Get Together at retiring in two years time, and that if bantered with locals and fended off tales of the graveyard. The tour addition to the Baltic Fleet there are any budding brewers out some ‘hecklers’ really helped to involved negotiating many main the regular Branch Get Togethers are held on there, then please get in touch with make the whole experience roads which our guides amiably got second the third Wednesday of every month him! (see the Wapping Brewery entertaining and fun. us across, with lots of friendly Thursday of and are our new style version of article page 23) banter, on one occasion standing in the month Branch meetings, altered in order to from the start. His smiling face We began outside the Belvedere the middle of the road and folk music Jean Pownceby move away from too much clearly indicated that he loves his where we were told ghostly stories demanding a taxi to stop! night at the ‘business’ and to allow people to work, and he proudly passed round Understandably, the Roscoe Head Lion Tavern Moorfields, featuring The Shiverpool and Liverpool interact and socialise as well as to tasters of his 8 year old Porter that Belvedere did not want to dwell on any ghostly an enthusiastic performance of CAMRA ‘WALE ALE’ Tour find out put a smile on other people’s faces past goings on (if indeed there have Helen McCall’s adaptation of what is too! There was a low but been any) so here we instead heard a traditional Mumming play, Shiverpool is an organisation which going with appreciative buzz of ‘note tales of the area, and as we made our ‘The Punishment of Perfidious runs Ghost Walks around Liverpool. regard to comparing’ as people savoured it As part of the Pubs Festival, way to our last stop, the Dispensary, PubCos’. This was previously CAMRA before moving on to a more recent Liverpool CAMRA and Shiverpool we were regaled with tales of performed at February’s Liverpool and real Porter, brewed just last year. worked together to develop a new ‘Springheeled Jack’. This was Beer Festival and reported in the ale, both Stan then set up an impromptu Pubs Ghost Walk another moment of audience Spring 2012 and late Summer 2012 taking in four real locally and brewery tour. We followed him participation which adds some extra editions of MerseyAle. Seeing it ale pubs in the Cultural Quarter of nationally. They are open to both down into the small but rambling humour to the proceedings, performed in a pub owned by one of the city. members and non members. cellar that amazingly is the especially at this point in the evening the featured PubCos had a special The event was organised by ‘birthplace’ of all the Wapping beers CAMRA Committee member Jan of women disappearing through when the ‘wale’ had been well and resonance!! On this occasion, we had a special we know and love! Rumour has it Sorsby in conjunction with Lucy of walls and other tales of eighteenth truly flowing. CAMRA also supported events Baltic Fleet added attraction, as the Shiverpool. century Liverpool. In order to organised by the Liverpool Irish is the city’s only brew-pub, with the ensure the tour ran vaguely to time Festival . These included an Wapping micro-brewery housed in we were introduced to the bell which incredibly popular Saturday night its cellar, and the brewer, Stan Shaw, was to be sounded when it was time Irish music session at Peter had agreed to join us and to bring to leave and to the ‘fingers’ which Kavanagh’s , Egerton Street, which samples of some of his special beers were to be ‘wagged’ at those who no one wanted to end ! – and a very for us to taste! were the last out of each pub. impressive one-man drama show on For those who don’t know, the Baltic Unsurprisingly these tactics did the life and work of Irish poet and Fleet is situated close to the Albert keep the tour moving. Next we novelist, Patrick Kavanagh, that was Dock and is a Grade ll listed building stopped briefly at ‘the luggage’ near performed on two occasions at the of nineteenth century origin. It has a the bottom of Hope Street, here we Fly in the Loaf , Hardman Street. distinctly nautical theme, as its name learnt about ‘Body Snatchers’ and might suggest, with its flat iron that there was a myriad of tunnels one ‘lucky’ tour goer was asked to Quiz night structure giving it the shape and feel down there and there has been much place his hand into a sack – filled The October Get Together, held at of a ship. speculation about associations with with what…now that would the Old Bank in Waterloo, featured a smugglers and press gangs. Stan The Event be telling. In addition to regular members, the Dispensary special quiz himself is obviously quite unfazed It was a fascinating tour around meeting attracted new members and Our next pub was the Grapes in compiled by by all this and we were soon some of Liverpool’s most historic members from other areas, including Knight Street, reputedly the most CAMRA distracted from the rather spooky pubs, with a few ales thrown in. All in all the evening was very Committee one person from Norway. We were feel of the place, as he launched into enjoyable, not only did I enjoy some As we all congregated outside the member Huw very impressed, but he then told us his talk about the brewing process great beers in some of Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall, we were Jenkins. This he does now live locally! He was and the beers he brews, followed by best real ale pubs, but I also learnt a introduced to our ‘beer runners’, tested our most welcome, nevertheless! There a lively question and answer session. lot about the city’s grisly past, those brave people whose job it was general knowledge plus questions were also non members and visitors Upstairs in the pub the tastings of whether it was factually accurate or to ensure a beer was waiting for us at on beer and pubs, breweries and to the city and, after the usual Stan’s beers continued and not does not really matter. The each of the first three pubs we music. There were some cleverly CAMRA announcements, we all remarkably these included porters stories were entertaining and visited. This was a great idea and devised questions, including settled to listen to Stan the brewer, from 2003 and 2005 as well as a brought to life by three wonderful ensured that everyone had time to pictures of pubs from unusual angles whose beers from the adjacent bar recent smoked porter. Everyone tour guides. enjoy their drinks and that the bar for us to identify! It was a really fun we were already enjoying. mingled and chatted and finally staff in each pub were not overrun Sonia James-Henry F 34 35 CAMRA Liverpool Reflections on the Festival When it comes to pubs the old The Festival provided a showcase of adage applies, “use ‘em or lose Real Ale Pubs all that is best about pubs. If you ‘em.” Festival2012 missed out, don’t forget that good things go on all the time in pubs. It’s Jean Pownceby Comments by Tour Participants a question of getting out there to explore what’s on offer, doing “Great pubs and scary stories – who something different in convivial could ask for more!” surroundings and company whilst enjoying real ale and supporting our “It was great to be able to order our much cherished pubs. beer in advance and know it would If you would like to help with the be waiting on the bar for us when 2013 Festival please email we reached the next brilliant pub.” [email protected] “What an eye opener. Why haven’t The latest CAMRA surveys show I been in these pubs before? I’ll be that pubs are closing at the rate of back!” eighteen a week, with great damage “A fearfully good evening!” to community life in Britain.

in taxes on beer and pubs. Beer tax has gone up more than 40% in Britain’s Pubs four years. More than a third of the price of a pint is now duty In Numbers and VAT. 5,800 pubs have closed in the last four years. “Tax is ripping the heart out of communities. 16 the number of pubs that Every community pub that is lost is a tragedy. are closing every week We are shooting ourselves in the foot.” Charlotte Leslie Conservative MP 8 the number of suburban The £120,000 – the Annual Social Value of the Pub pubs closing every week The think tank, the Institute for public Policy Research (IPPR), estimates that the social value 5 the number of rural pubs of the British pub to its local community closing every week is up to £120,000 per Globe year, yet this is not 2 the number of high street taken into account Th Globe is a small, very cosy traditional two roomed local opposite when decisions Central Station and close to main shopping area. pubs closing every week about pub closures It is a very lively pub and is popular with both locals and vistors alike. are made. Watch out for the sloping floor! “Suburban and rural areas are under threat as IPPR identify that wholesale pub closures deprive local people of pubs are vital social centres not just places to Opening times 11 (10 Sat) -11 a centre of community.” Mike Benner, Chief drink. IPPR want to see 12-10.30 Sun 0151 707 0067 Executive, CAMRA • Business rate relief for pubs which act as “Pubs are vital for social cohesion and cultural centres for the community. integration and therefore the Government must act swiftly to repair the damage inflicted • Reform of planning laws to prevent pubs on local communities by offering genuine being demolished without planning support for enterprising and hard working permission. licenses.” Mike Benner Three Million Lost Customers • PubCos offering their lessees/licensees a Britain’s pubs have lost three million customers guest beer option and a free of tie option 5 because of price rises stemming from increases linked to an open market rent review. Handpumps 17 CASES STREET L11HW 36 37 Manx Ale

in 2013 is have been low, and the current scheduled to plant at Okell’s is unable to appear in produce sufficiently small May. Again, a quantities to sustain quality lot of flavour between batches. For some time comes behind the scenes there had been a through for significant effort by head brewer the strength, Dr. Cowbourne and the team to with fruit retain the Mild, including trialling flavours variations on the style, but the dominating. original Mild’s demise had been Major Developments at The official feared for some years. notes describe the aromas as the Island’s Breweries tropical fruit,mango, passion fruit Four Okells Bottled Beers and papaya, which should prove Okells will also be producing the Major Heron & Brearley (H&B) popular in the warmer months (if 1907, the IPA, the MacLir and Aile Okells Brewery Rebrand plus the sun ever returns!). in bottles. New Beers and Seasonals The well regarded Dr Okells IPA The Rebranding The Island’s largest brewer H&B continues in the permanent beer Although H&B report double digit has launched a full rebrand of the range under a percentage growth in beer sales Okell’s beer range. The news is new name last year, the group increasingly very positive. In addition to Okells IPA at needs to look across the water to completely rebranded pump clips, 4.5% the U.K market for the medium glassware and labelling for bottled term, in order to secure the future beers, there are two brand new Finally in a competitive market. brews, plus a published schedule Okell’s Red The rebrand is designed to do that, for production of a dozen seasonal has been with emphasis on three core ales. This is a massive renamed Jiarg values, namely; commitment to cask ale and its (Manx Gaelic • independence of the brewery, promotion. for Red), and • purity (in view of the Manx beer along with purity law of 1874) The New Beers - Okells Olaf, the Okells Bitter, Olaf, Manx MPA • and the unique nature of the Okells MPA and Jiarg and IPA these ales will now Manx location. A new dark beer has been constitute the core range, with the launched, Okell’s Olaf , to be part dozen seasonals unaffected. Accordingly the pump clips and of the core range available all year. signage is of a clear uniform theme With coffee The seasonal will be; January – throughout. and liquorice Aile; February – Castletown; On Island aromas, the March – Spring Ram; April – the links beer was Okells Steam; May – Okells MPA; with the surprisingly June – 1907 and MacLir; July – former flavoursome Olde Skipper; August – 1907 and Falcon on first Saison; September – Autumn brewery will tasting, given Dawn: October – Alt; November be missed, the relatively and December – St Nick. (see the low ABV of photo left 3.9%. The sole casualty, but both of the significant and sad, has been the enormous The second new brew is Okell’s Okell’s Mild , which for the time Okell’s sign featured on the Peveril MPA (Manx Pale Ale), coming in a being has been mothballed. For Hotel in Peel), along with the relatively low 3.6%ABV. This is to five to six years now the sales of colourful Celtic splendour of some be produced as a seasonal beer and this classic northern style mild of the former seasonal pump clips. F 38 39 The availability of an February 2012, when Paul However on the plus side, Paul Undoubtedly there will be more to IS the TT and it provides the social completed a Brew Lab course on reports an excellent and report in the coming months, and heart of the event. Bushy’s RAM2. The CAMRA Okell’s product will be the brewing process. cooperative approach and mind set MerseyAle would like to wish association and support for the TT Isle of Man Beer instantly recognisable at by the Isle of Man authorities in Paul well in the new venture. With motorbike races over the years has Festival Returns in the bar. A separate pump The brewing equipment was assisting with the paperwork four breweries now on island been second to none, and the sourced by Paul himself, from April clip worded ‘specially technicalities of the start-up, and there is plenty of competition, but relaxed atmosphere of the TT plant used by the Freedom an open and enthusiastic response there is certainly scope to replace complements that of Bushy’s as a Following on from last year’s imported to the GB’ will be brewery in London, and consists of from the first wave of Island free some guest ales from the UK with company. For those not aware, the inaugural success, the second used off Island, and all 5 fermenters with a ten hectolitre houses approached, with repeat locally produced ales or ‘LocAle’. tent is in fact a large marquee, Isle of Man CAMRA Beer products will prominently capacity. The unit in Jurby has been orders already received. Such a move would further featuring bars, seating and live Festival named RAM2, has been largely adapted by Paul himself, feature the distinctive enhance the Islands reputation as bands. It is the focal gathering announced and is to take place using his knowledge of The Doghouse Beers. a prolific producer of locally point for Islanders and TT fans between 4th and 6th April 201 3. Manx three legged emblem. engineering. Initially a single generic pump brewed ale. alike; a place to relax in over a beer (see advertisement on page 38). clip sign has been used, with a and muse over the day’s racing One hundred beers and ciders Initially, Paul’s approach was to handwritten note denoting the The Legendary Bushy TT Tent whilst enjoying the unique will feature, and there will be a produce three separate brews, a Overall the new signage is crisp, beers and strengths. The beers Under Threat. atmosphere. So synonymous has planned increase in the capacity clear and promotes the Island well. bitter, an IPA and a golden beer. were not named at first, as the first In Douglas the Bushy’s TT tent for the Bushy’s Tent become with the at the venue, the Freemasons There is nothing out there of a Wisely for a first start up, the series of brews were tweaked over 2013, situated at the end of the TT period, that it is simply known Hall in Dougla s. similar style, and as with the approach was to sell the brews the initial period to maximise promenade, was under threat as Island wide and globally as ‘the through a limited number of Thwaites recent rebranding and flavours and establish a house tent,’ and to a man Falcon Festival Flies Again on outlets, (around fourteen to sixteen breweries like St Austell, the style. and woman everyone Friday 3rd to Monday 6th May design will stand out in the U.K. initially), mainly in the Island free In the first batches, the knows exactly what is 2013 market very clearly amongst the bitter (3.4% ABV) was meant by ‘the tent’- The Falcon’s Nest Real Ale Festiva l competition. It must be made using Challenger, the Bushy’s TT is to appear for the third year at remembered that with the uniform Fuggles and Progress marquee at the end of the GBG listed pub in Port Erin. nature of the new range of signage, hops with a European the promenade. The dates will be 3rd to 6th May, although a row of Okell’s pump Bitterness unit (E.B.U.) and as in 2012 the hotel is clips may initially take a little rating of 36.The It is to be hoped that participating in the Steam Railway scrutiny to differentiate between Doghouse IPA was a common sense Rail Ale even t with free entry to the beers, when in the U.K. the darker IPA in style prevails and the the Beer Festival for people beers will most frequently feature coming in at 3.9% ABV situation is looked at showing a valid train ticket. The as a single Okell’s product and 40 E.B.U., using in the round, trains will be serving real ale en alongside the rest. In these settings Northdown and including the route from Douglas station. See the ‘Okell’s clarity of design will be Challenger hops. importance of promoting local on www.iombusand rail.info for seen at its best. The golden beer , Island industry for the general details. good. The Festival beer range will be According to H&B their real ale trade and (which some landlords further expanded, such has been sales to the U.K. this year are with a broad reported as being the most popular Bushy’s Ruby Mild the success of this event in already predicted to be up six geographical brew), was made from Styrian Mild drinkers disappointed by the previous years. fold on last year and H&B’s spread. Goldings hops and came in with a mothballing of Okells Mild can commitment to cask When asked about the trials and 3.6% ABV and an EBU of conditioned Okells appears to tribulations of setting up the around 20. The Bay View Hotel be resolute. microbrewery from scratch, it For subsequent brews, Paul is Port appears that the greatest difficulty minded to increase the percentage New Brewery Opens strengths slightly. A house brew, St Mary Reopens specifically for an individual pub Now it’s Four! on Island. may be developed in the future. MerseyAle went to print. The site Doghouse Brewery Jurby House brews remain relatively rare has been put up for tender, with The Isle of Man now has a fourth on the Isle of Man, with Okell’s the Island authorities concerned brewery, with production having Jough available in The Mitre about loss of car parking revenue commenced on 8th September (Ramsey) and Albert (Douglas), during the TT fortnight, when the 2012. with Ravens Claw-again Okell’s - tent is in situ. The Bushy’s Tent Named Doghouse Brewery, by specially brewed for the Raven provides a significant part of the owner Paul Mercer, it is situated in (an H&B pub on the TT motorbike modest sized Bushy’s brewery a unit on the Jurby industrial estate course at Ballaugh Bridge). revenue, and owner Martin in the north of the island. Whilst Recently Paul has produced a mild Brunnschweiler has expressed his concern in the Island media, Excellent news from Port St Mary Paul is new to the brewing has been bringing back into which proved particularly popular, including acknowledging that a still enjoy a classic IOM brewed where The Bay View has industry, he has long held an production brewing kit that had and plans are underway for a large corporate player could put in mild in the shape of Bushy’s Ruby reopened, having been thought interest in beer. The brewery has been out of use. This took more bottled IPA to be produced around a massive bid for the site. Mild which is a permanent beer at been in the planning stages since time than initially thought. February/March time. to be lost as a pub. For many TT goers the Bushy Tent Bushy’s Rovers Return in Douglas. F 40 41 Licensee Tony Waitland is hoping News in Brief Douglas New Real Ale Outlets for a long term lease, and there Many H&B landlords have Real ale is now available in have already been significant changed pubs in the last quarter; Brendan O’Donnell’s, Bar George, works to the dining areas with there will be an update in a future and The Pinewood . Jaks Bar has tasteful refurbishment and edition of MerseyAle. increased its offering to three decoration, Fresh local produce is cask ales. now being served lunchtimes and The Waterfall in Glen Maye (on the evenings along with Sunday coast south of Peel) was closed Okell’s Aile has lunches. The intention is to have a with a for sale sign up in January won the 2012 European Best special emphasis on locally 2013. Smoked sourced seafood. The pub features Flavoured Beer live bands at weekends. The The CAMRA Isle of Man Branch celebrated forty years of the Good Award. outside terraced garden Beer Guide with a special night in overlooking the sweeping bay and The Rovers Return Douglas, Sulby Glen Hotel for Sale working harbour offers what is The Island’s longest serving perhaps the most spectacular view IOM GBG40 Launch licensee, Rosie Christian , has on the Island, and is now being decided to retire and has put the renovated. Real ale will feature hotel and its GBG listed bar up for significantly, and there will be sale with a £1.3 million asking accommodation available. The price. The estate agent has layout lends itself to catering for advertised it as a profitable many different types of clientele, business but has also suggested and it is great news to see the pub that it could be converted into a reopened. Tony has a wealth of residential care home. experience in the trade and MerseyAle wishes him well with featuring a 40th birthday cake and Dave Halliwell a beer related quiz night-see photo. his new venture. MerseyAle IOM Correspondent Stop the Escalator Campaign

The CAMRA The January 2013 edition of What’s campaign to Stop the Brewing reported on the biggest Beer Duty Escalator rally ever organised by CAMRA reached new heights thus; on December 12th , Some of the 1,200 attending when 1.200 CAMRA travelled by trains or boats and members travelled to even, one member, by plane. the House of South Herts’ Ian Boyd had flown Commons to lobby into London from Taiwan to see his 1,200 attend CAMRA House of their MP to scrap the escalator. MP. And 10 coaches brought Commons Rally and Create a Over 300 MPs were lobbied on the members from around the country “Real Buzz in Parliament” day with the strong message that to Emmanuel Hall, Westminster, the escalator was killing pubs CAMRA created a real buzz in where activists gathered before around the country. Members Parliament. heading to parliament to see hammered home the point that This was the largest and best their MP. organised lobby that I have seen” beer duty has risen 42% in the Observations of one MP. period 2008 to 2012, with 5,800 pubs closing since 2008. F

42 43 www.wappingbeers.co.uk Some were licensees and brewers beer tax escalator contributed to In truth the most fitting response but most were CAMRA members, making his business unviable. would be for the Government to who had taken a day off, to ensure realise the escalator is an MPs got the message that over the Reflecting on the success of the ineffective out of date policy which Baltic Fleet past 40 years there have been few day CAMRA national chairman is damaging the beer and pub threats to the UK pub industry as Colin Valentine said: industry and scrap it, but the severe as the beer duty escalator. “What you have done has been very purpose of the debate was to special and you have made a propose a review and so we must Baltic Fleet Beers More than 300 MPs met with difference. You’ve brought to be happy with that result. Liverpool’s only Brew Pub - The Home of CAMRA members from their parliament’s and the general Unfortunately the Treasury Wapping Brewery constituency as part of the largest public’s attention the nonsense of Minister Sajid Javid gave a luke campaigning event CAMRA has the duty escalator.” warm response at the end of the Award Winning Beers ever organised. debate, wheeling out the usual e Petition Makes Government rhetoric, but the Winners of Champion One MP said CAMRA important part is the vote and that the Magic Beer of Britain Awards had created a real buzz in the will of Parliament should be parliament and it was the 100,000 Target adhered to. All your favourites plus our own largest and best and Triggers To ensure this happens our Wapping Brewery Beers Stan Shaw, organised lobby there Parliamentary campaign cannot stop here: we Wapping’s Award Winning Brewer must keep the momentum going. he had seen. Debate on the Food available every day MUSIC SEA SHANTIES Even Labour leader Ed Beer Escalator Colin Valentine, CAMRA WE SERVE SCOUSE Last Saturday of the Miliband wanted to get in on The e Petition to Stop National Chairman, said: & LOCAL PIES the act, as his office contacted month More Live Music 10 years the Beer Duty Escalator ‘CAMRA was delighted to see the CAMRA to find out if anyone from made the magic target of 100,000 (Johnsons Toxteth) coming soon and a Million Pints! ground swell of support from MPs his Doncaster North constituency signatures to become only the was attending. The Baltic Fleet Pub and Brewery, Wapping Liverpool twelth petition to meet the target from all parties in today’s debate that triggers the right to a for a review of the damaging beer opposite the ECHO ARENA North Oxfordshire CAMRA branch Parliamentary debate. Many thanks duty escalator. Passing a motion chairman John Bellinger said the to all the people who took the time for the Government to conduct a day was the “greatest opportunity, to sign the e petition, and to those possibly ever, for ordinary people thorough review of the economic who encouraged people to sign. and social impact of the escalator to have a positive effect on the In the ensuing debate over 58 MPs decision makers of this country, to from all parties unanimously is a major step forward for the address this ridiculously unfair tax”. backed the call on Government to industry and sends out a clear review the beer duty escalator and message from inside Westminster Society of And John knows first-hand about present back before Budget 2013. that enough is enough. Independent the crippling effects of the tax. A This is a fantastic step in the Brewers former licensee, he used to run the campaign and a fitting response to Awards ‘At a time when Britain’s pub Bell in Adderbury, Oxfordshire the 100,000 signatures on the Winners closure rate is back on the rise, until April last year. He says the e-petition. (see below) any review must take into account the 5,800 plus pubs which have closed since the Government’s punitive escalator system was introduced in 2008. It must also be reinforced that further planned increases will bring in no additional revenue for the next three years, and will only serve the purpose of harming many communities across Britain when their local pub is no longer able to run a viable Peerless All American IPA won Silver in the Strong Bitters class, Storr Lager won Silver in the Bottled Beer class, and the Jinja Ninja won Silver in the Bottled Speciality Beers Colin Valentine and business.” class and Bronze in the Speciality Beers Cask Ale class. Greg Mulholland MP

44 45 The one pictured is for Winter 2011, and consists of 56 full colour pages. It states it has a circulation of 11,000 and is a highly polished and professional publication.

In this issue there are a whole range of articles, features and photographs, even with a separate section for CAMRA Isle Of Man.

Articles include:- ‘Bringing New People To The Real Ale Campaign’; ‘MerseyAle News,’; ‘Damning Report on PubCos,’; ‘Wetherspoons Chairman Challenges Tax on Pubs,’ ‘Brewery News,’; ‘Merseyside Regional Pub of the Year.’; ‘Manx Ale,’; ‘Tasting French Ciders,’; ‘How Others See Us. ’

It is literally packed with quality comment, news and features, and is certainly the CAMRA branch magazine to beat as far as I am concerned.

I’ll feature another magazine in How Others the future and it won’t necessarily See Us be from the North West! Read All About It: So keep looking. Beer North West Website Reviews MerseyAle Anyone who would like a copy of their branch magazine to be reviewed on this Blog can do so, by The Beer North West website run by Mike Blackstone contacting me firstly at [email protected] and I is running a series on CAMRA Branch magazines and will happily forward more details. the first to be reviewed was MerseyAle. Mike writes: “No matter what part of the country it covers, I always Mike Blackstone is a freelance writer living in find the local CAMRA branch and area magazines and Heysham, Lancashire who tours the North West newsletters of great interest. writing about pubs and beer. He writes a regular blog under the name Beer North I find them at beer festivals, pubs and occasionally West - see http//beerstagger.blogspot.co.uk His some are passed on to me to read. I’m not bothered interests are beer, pubs, photographing villages and whether they are current or otherwise. There is towns and public transport. He is “very much a cat always something of interest within their pages. person”. It's great that members of various branches leave copies of their magazine at pubs when they are visiting well outside of their area, for I for one am glad to pick them up and take home to read, then MerseyAle – Now pass them on again. We’re a Beer! Therefore, I felt it would be a good idea to highlight some of the varied and professional looking MerseyAle is the name of a beer magazines that are published by CAMRA branches brewed specially for the Ship in a that I have come across in recent months. Bottle shops by Liverpool Organic The first such magazine to get a mention is the quite superb ‘MerseyAle’ which covers CAMRA Liverpool Brewery. Appropriately it described and Districts. as a strong 5.3% ruby coloured ale Quite honestly, this particular publication never with a rich malty taste and a sweet ceases to impress and would not look out of place amongst the magazines for sale in places finish. Sounds like us all right ! like W.H. Smith.

47 Cider Apples - Poorest Harvest in fifteen years

The wet weather throughout 2012, the severe The apple shortage threatens the growing market frosts and the consequent inability of bees to for real cider which relies on traditional cider pollinate the apple trees, has led to the poorest apple varieties – see Cider Tasting article below. cider apple harvest in fifteen years. In some cases the trees only produced a tenth of the 2011 The number of traditional cider makers has more harvest, the worst figures in the last thirty years. than doubled since 2005, with a current total of 300 Cider maker Julian Temperley of Somerset cider makers, including 40 in Herefordshire and 35 commented; in Somerset plus an increasing number in less “This has been a very bad year. I suspect we are expected areas such as Wales. Norfolk, Yorkshire, looking at 50% of the apples that we need.” Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man.

A Professional all we needed someone who knows to see how the cider got its flavour. cider well and would be willing to It takes a ton and a half of cider Cider Tasting at the stand in front of a room of eager apples to make 1,000 litres of real CAMRA Liverpool cider students. cider. Nook’s Yard Cider Northwich Other ciders sampled with apples Real Ale Cheshire during the evening were Hecks Pubs With all plans in place thirty eager Kingston Black, a single varietal Festival drinkers gathered at the Crown cider, one from Ben Crossman, one Hotel to meet Mathew Veasey from of Mathew’s own from Nooks Yard, With October Cheshire. Mathew is the cider (which most of the tasters said was being cider maker and owner of Nooks Yard the best!,) and a perry from Severn month in the cider at Northwich. He hails from Cider which was a beautiful farming Steve Berks Somerset, so was more than example of the pear drink. A cheeky community , qualified to sample of Gaymers non-real it’s also the month that CAMRA lead ou r Blackthorne cider was offered, celebrate all things cider. Real tasting however the room of new experts Cider can only be made when the evening. The soon spotted the impostor. cider apple varieties are ready for evening Non real cider such as Magners and pressing in a cider press to extract began with a Bulmers uses apple concentrate not the juice. This is then left to ferment discussion of freshly pressed apple juice and is naturally in wooden barrels until the types of bulked out with water and the following Spring when the cider special preservatives. will be ready for sale. apples used in cider making, the bitter-sharps and bitter-sweets and The evening was a great success In the Liverpool CAMRA Branch an explanation of how these are and the Branch would certainly we have celebrated cider month in blended to create the taste that the repeat it in future. Of the thirty many different ways over the past cider maker wants, be that dry, tasters around a half were new faces few years. Perhaps the most medium or sweet. to a CAMRA event and many of memorable being cider festivals them were young people. The At this point our first sample was held at the Everyman Bistro and Branch would like to thank the presented. Thatchers Heritage is a Belvedere pub, and as successful as Crown Hotel, Lime Street for the dry cider and most of our tasters they were, we felt it was time to try use of their upstairs room and most reckoned it was a fairly acquired something different this year. of all Mathew Veasey for giving us taste. With each sample that was Several ideas were discussed and his time and a most enjoyable offered Mathew distributed a the most popular idea was clearly a evening. Find out more on sample of the type of apple that was cider tasting. All well and good you www.nooksyard.com may think but we needed a venue, likely to be in that cider. The sample several varieties of cider and perry that went with the Thatchers was Steve Berks to sample and most importantly of very dry and bitter and it was easy Liverpool CAMRA Cider Officer 48 49 Cider News

winner was the Graduate College £113 million a year. Over thirty Bar at Lancaster University. This varieties are now on offer, including came a joint third behind the pear ciders, berry fruit ciders, 4 HAND PUMPS Royal Oak. elderberry and lime flavoured Featuring ciders. The market leader is CHANGING GUEST The Next Marketing Ploy – Non Kopparberg which has launched a BEERS FROM LOCAL Real Fruit Flavoured Cider cloud berry cider. BREWERS Sales Boom by Eighty per cent A similar marketing push to that Retail analysts Mintel claim that the LIVE SPORT CAMRA National Cider which established non real Magners KARAOKE TUES NIGHT added fruit flavour makes cider as a leading cider brand, is now more attractive to younger drinkers THURS, FRI, SAT & SUN - LIVE MUSIC Pub of the Year 2012 being applied to the concept of and women. The parallels with the The winner of the 2012 CAMRA “fruit ciders”. On the face of it a OUTSIDE SMOKERS COURTYARD National Cider Pub of the Year was flavoured alcopops phenomenon of REFURBISHED FUNCTION ROOM contradiction in terms, the label the recent past are striking. announced in early October. fruit ciders refers to the practice of TRADITIONAL LOCAL FRIENDLY The Royal Oak in Wantage, PUB WITH GREAT ATMOSPHERE, adding different fruit flavourings to Oxfordshire beat a long list of However these fruit flavoured GREAT MUSIC AND GREAT ALES a basic non real apple cider. LIVE MUSIC national entries to win the ciders are not real cider as most are prestigious award. The first fruit cider brand was made from apple concentrate and WEDNESDAY NIGHT - OPEN MIC NIGHT 5 NIGHTS PER WEEK launched in the UK just three years concentrate fruit flavourings, with Regular MerseyAle readers will ago, and the marketing push which added water and preservatives. 43 SOUTH ROAD WATERLOO L22 5PE 0151 928 7020 know that the Augustus John was is mostly aimed at young drinkers, Real cider is made solely from the entered on behalf of Merseyside & has led to sales shooting up by 80%. juice of pressed cider apples which Cheshire, but as excellent as the AJ Fruit cider has become the UK’s are then naturally fermented in is, the northern super-regional fastest growing drinks sector worth barrels and left to mature into cider.

Liverpool CAMRA Coach Trips are CAMRA members and to This year, as in 2012, we are hoping to Programme 2013 incentivise people to join, the price of run two coaches to the Bishops Castle trips for NON MEMBERS is increased New Booking System Pubs Festival on 13/07/2013. This to £15 per seat. would enable NEW MEMBERS to The Branch Committee has received a If you go on a number of trips the £3 claim their free coach trip. Bookings number of comments that branch discount for members will soon enable for this trip from NEW MEMBERS members have been finding it difficult you to recoup your membership fee. ONLY are now being taken. Others to book a place on coach trips because See page 53 for a summary of the will be able to book for this trip from they were booked up a long time in benefits of joining CAMRA. You really Monday 1st April. advance. This was due to people can’t afford NOT to join! booking for several trips at once at the An additional incentive to join the For your diary coach trips are beginning of the year, leaving no seats Liverpool CAMRA Branch is the offer planned for the following dates: for later applicants. of one free coach trip which is worth 15/06/2013, 13/07/2013, 10/08/2013, Therefore the Committee have decided £15 for new members of the Branch. 07/09/2013, 12/10/2013 and that bookings for trips can only be The 2013 Programme of Coach Trips taken three months before the date of 16/11/2013. All trips depart from outside the Ship the trip. It is hoped that this will ease and Mitre on Dale Street usually at Trip organiser Tony Williams requests the problem and give more people the 10am with the return at around 9pm. members to check the Branch website, chance to book seats. Bookings are now being taken for the liverpoolcamra.org.uk , after the 1st of Thus the 18th June trip cannot be following trips; each month for details on the next booked until 18th March and so on CAMRA coach trip. Time constraints through the year. This new system 16/03/2013 East Lancashire, visiting could mean the website is not updated will be kept under review. Burnley and Clayton-le-Moor right away. If this is the case please New Prices – It Pays to Join departing at 10am. A few seats are send an email to CAMRA available. [email protected] . Good news is that the price of coach How to Book 18/05/2013 North Wales, visiting the trips for CAMRA Members is being Email [email protected] beer festival at the Welsh Highland kept at the 2012 price of £12 a seat. Phone Ian Macadam 07521 741 586 Railway at Dinas and Porthmadog. You will need to show your CAMRA At Branch Get Togethers (see diary People can travel by train between the card when on the coach. page 55 for details) In order to reward those people who two.

50 51 St helens CAMRA Pub of The YeAR 2009

A Traditional Friendly Pub with a Great Atmosphere, Real Fire and an Ever You Can’t Afford NOT to Beer Festivals Changing range of throughout the year Real Ale Join CAMRA! A Runner-up for the A C AMRA REGIONAL Membership Rates and CAMRA There has never been a better time PLUS if you opt to join Pub of The to join CAMRA, especially if the Liverpool CAMRA Concessions NATIONAL Pub Of The you choose to be in the See www.camra.org.uk to join, or YeAR YeAR Liverpool Branch. The benefits of Branch you receive fill in application form above, or membership will more than recoup further benefits. join online on www.camra.org.uk, your membership or phone 0845 0727 807. A free Branch coach trip for new 12 handpumps fee including; Membership rates for individuals members joining the Branch £20 worth of are £23, and for joint membership Serving Traditional Ales Wetherspoon Priority booking for the sell out £28, which includes the discount beer vouchers Liverpool Beer Festival for payment by direct debit. Other Ciders and Perry payment methods cost an Free or discounted Reduced ticket price on Branch additional £2. There are also Life I I entry to CAMRA beer festivals coach trips, saving £3 for members Draught continental beers Wide selection Membership rates. Discounts on CAMRA books compared with non members. of bottled continental beers and publications There are generous Membership of CAMRA branches concessionary rates I Tuesday - Quiz night 9-30 pm Special offers on a range of other is based on your post code, but you details on www.camra.org.uk products such as holiday cottages I can join any CAMRA branch you These include concessions for Thursday - Curry and Jazz Night Members’ discounts in a large wish to. Just contact the under 26 year olds £15.50; over 60s I I number of pubs nationwide Cask Marque Good Beer Guide 2011 CAMRA Membership Team by £15.50. There is also a concession Brewery discounts on beer offers phoning 08450 727 807 or visit rate of £15.50 for people with a Open Mon - Fri 2-11 Sat, Sun 12-11 Free monthly ”What’s Brewing” www.camra.org.uk/joinus and let disability, but this is not mentioned newspaper and the quarterly full them know which branch you on the website, so phone the colour “Beer” magazine. Cooper St. St Helens Tel 01744 751289 want to join. Membership Team to obtain this.

52 53 of Heswall at 184 Telegraph MerseyAle Wirral Road, just a few yards from Credits Heswall Bus Station (471/472 Wednesday 17th. April 8pm at Lady Editor Diary Wanderings Cross River bus from of Mann behind Rigby’s on Dale Liverpool), which is also John Armstrong Liverpool Branch Get Street. There will be a special Merseyrail Wirral Line and the adjacent to the Johnny Pye [email protected] Togethers performance by the Love History Cross River buses take you to Marston’s pub. Layout Design Every month Liverpool CAMRA group of The Love History, Love West Kirby and New Brighton Dennis W Jones holds a Branch Get Together Real Ale tour show, featuring in and both places have new real New Brighton which is an opportunity for drama and song the story of ale outlets. The sea front has seen a major Photographs members to come together for a Liverpool pubs, sailors and West Kirby regeneration project featuring Neil Lloyd pleasant evening in a pub. shipping., The Wro Bar on Grange Road a revamp of the Floral Pavillion www.neillloydphotography.co.uk There is some CAMRA news but A welcome addition to real ale theatre and new buildings [email protected] the main emphasis is on the social For further details of Get outlets in the centre of West including a Morrisons aspect and may include a themed Togethers see Kirby, the Wro Bar, is two supermarket, cinema and bars Contributors topic or a guest speaker. www.liverpoolcamra.org.uk minutes walk from the railway and restaurants. Two of these Dave Halliwell Get Togethers are normally held on station (turn right). Two hand sell real ale, namely; Steve Berks the THIRD WEDNESDAY of the CAMRA Members’ pumps were installed in The Sea Horse is a Greene Jean Pownceby month and start at 8pm. September and have been King Hungry Horse pub and Sonia James-Henry 2013 Get Togethers are scheduled National Weekend selling Jenning’s Cumberland restaurant which serves Neil LLoyd for the following dates; in Norwich Saturday 20th to and Wychwood Hobgoblin . Greene King IPA on hand Helen McCall Wednesdays - March 20th; April Sunday 21st April 2013 Tony Williams The bar does meals and has a pump. 17th; May 15th; June 19th; July 17th; Attend the Annual gathering and Michael Jackson daily programme of varied The Marino Lounge has one August 21st; September 18th; AGM of CAMRA members to Ian Barton events including live music, hand pump. October 16th; November 20th. discuss the Campaign, and to enjoy making it a popular venue. Nearby there are a number of one of Britain’s best real ale cities. Further out the Hilbre Court other positive real ale Printed by March 20th 8pm a t Peter Details and registration see on Banks Road has a new developments, enabling you to Printfine, Liverpool Kavanagh's Egerton Street, off www.camra.org.uk licensee and continues to offer follow a real ale trail around 0151 242 0000 Catharine Street. Arthur of PKs will a good range of real ales. the sea front. www.printfine.co.uk be giving a talk and a guided tour Next Edition of The Moby Dick on Village The Queen’s Royal Mariners of this eclectic arts pub which Useful Contacts Road, which served Jenning’s Promenade close to the bus features in CAMRA’s National MerseyAle May 2013 terminus and New Brighton Cumberland and was CAMRA National Office Inventory of 200 Unspoilt Pub Copy deadline is Monday 8th April station, is GBG listed and a extremely popular especially 230 Hatfield Road Interiors in Britain. A great – email news and articles to with older people for its strong supporter of Locale with St Albans AL1 4LW opportunity to hear the stories [email protected] reasonably priced carvery, Brimstage and Liverpool 01727 867201 behind the many special artistic Distribution in early May closed in October for a major Organic often appearing along [email protected] features in the pub. rebuild. It is to emerge as an with Hawkshead beers . There www.camra.org.uk American style Smoke House is a separate dining area with and it is not known whether an extensive menu and carvery. Southport CAMRA COACH TRIPS A new Wetherspoon pub, the Ian Garner 01704 876819 there will be any real ale. Email bookings at West Kirby can offer a pub trail Master Mariner , is due to open [email protected] www.southportcamra.org.uk [email protected] which includes Wetherspoon’s on April 23rd in the former RJs Nightclub premises on Union Phone Ian Macadam Dee Hotel on Grange Road Wirral CAMRA Terrace off Marine Promenade, 07521 741 586 opposite the station, the Dave Hutchinson 01516 440625 following a £1 million SEE IMPORTANT atmospheric White Lion a five [email protected] INFORMATION ON PAGE 51 minute walk up the hill on refurbishment. www.camrawirral.org.uk Grange Road – turn left from The Harbour 19 Hope Street. This was the former Isle of Man Branch Contact the station, the Hilbre Court on wwwfacebook.com/CAMRAliverpool Banks Road, which is en route Commercial which was a Cains Angela Aspin 01624 491613 - to the Greene King owned Ring pub. It has been refurbished mobile 07624 491613 o’Bells on Village Road close to retaining the layout of two [email protected] the Moby Dick . separate rooms and the bar has Merseytravel Line Ship in a Bottle on Grange an array of four hand pumps for public transport times Perch Rock 7 Grosvenor Road Road opposite the station. The 0151 638 5002 Liverpool CAMRA MerseyAle beer shop run by the Ship and has one hand pump offering 0871 200 22 33 Mitre continues to go from changing guest ales. www.merseytravel.gov.uk Advertising in MerseyAle If you wish to place an advertisment you should contact us by email at; strength to strength. Trading Standards 0151 233 3002 Indeed such has been its [email protected] you can send in your advert design and copy by Photographs success that a second Ship in a Opinions expressed in MerseyAle attachment, or ask us about design. By Michael Jackson are not necessarily those of the Bottle has opened in the centre Cost is £100 per half page, £200 full page payment in advance. Editor Liverpool Branch or CAMRA 54 55