MINUTES OF REGIONAL MEETING HELD AT 12.00 ON SATURDAY 4 MARCH 2017

At the Greyhound, Hinckley, Leics LE10 1HN

Summary of key points  Attendees updated on mailouts, current campaigns plus other regional matters including various matters

concerning beer festivals

Actions  Branches to ask for volunteers to a) work on a regional

mapping project, b) become the regional finance officer; assistance is also needed with regional website.

.

East Midlands Regional Minutes 1 2.22.3 Branches to ensure pub closure data is kept up to date – as this is now 1. MEETING ARRANGEMENTS used by CAMRA for pub closure statistics. Transferred to Standing Orders. 1.1 Standard - The Regional Director (RD) welcomed all to the meeting and 2.22.4 Branches to ensure activation is a named item on branch meeting reminded those present that all mobile phones should be silent during the agendas – Moved to Standing Orders. meeting. 2.22.5 RD to contact Northampton branch re non reporting BLOs - Steve 1.12 Local - Hinckley & Bosworth CAMRA outlined the lunch arrangements. Westby had successfully contacted – ID. 1.2 Apologies for absence: Steve Westby, Brewery Liaison Co-ordinator (BLC); North Notts branch; Loughborough branch; Melton Mowbray branch; 2.3 Matters arising Dickie Bird, Peterborough; Mark Grist, Ashbourne & District; Mick Portman, 2.3.1 Re 5.3.2 - Bill Woolley (Leicester) is keeping in touch with the Little Chesterfield; Bob Foulger, Lincolnshire Area Organiser (AO); Ray Kirby, Britain Pub Company. Nottingham; Paul Edwards, Andrew Brett, Mansfield & Ashfield; Mandy 2.3.2 In response to the query on beer festival entries on WhatPub (3.6.1) – Stephensen, Leicester; Julian Tubbs, Derby; Aaron Joyce, Lincoln. RD had established that beer festivals can be entered onto WhatPub as an entry – but open/closing dates need to be carefully recorded.

2. ATTENDEES 2.1 Present Branches Represented - 14 - (numbers present - 36): Amber 3. BRANCH & REGIONAL MATTERS Valley, Burton & S , Derby, & District, Grantham, Hinckley 3.1 Regional Matters inc mailouts, ACVs, activation & Bosworth, Leicester, Lincoln, Mansfield & Ashfield, Matlock & Dales, 3.1.1 RD briefly ran through the numerous memos that had been published Newark, Nottingham, Rutland and . since the last meeting, commenting where appropriate (various subjects were East Midlands Officials – Carl Brett, Regional Director (RD); Alan Ward, addressed later in the agenda). Deputy RD; Rhoda Waygood, Regional Secretary. Nik Antona (NA) 3.1.1.1 The memo from Ken Davie re year end financial statements was represented the National Executive (NE). Three members from the West discussed – branches must comply with this or financial support for beer Midlands region were also present by invitation. festivals will be withdrawn – six branches in the East Midlands have not yet complied. The new online branch accounting system (COBAS) has been 2.2 Minutes of previous meeting designed to make this task easy for branch treasurers. 2.21 Accuracy The meeting accepted the minutes as a true record. 3.1.1.2 Branches must ensure that their AGMs are published on What’s 2.22 Action Minutes Brewing – one branch recently did not inform RD or publish it (Standing Order 2.22.1 Branches to ask for volunteer(s) to assist with new regional website – 2). ongoing. A new regional website has been set up and needs populating with 3.1.1.3 There was some discussion as to branch committee members getting content. memos - to avoid overloading them they should only receive those pertinent 2.22.2 RD to report to meeting progress with revised Good Beer Guide (GBG) to their roles (Branch contact should receive them all, and should ensure allocations – RD reported that there would be no changes for the 2018 Guide. relevant members are aware of matters concerning them). This should work if A timetable has been agreed with Books Committee for 2019 which includes a the branch committee is up to date – the branch Chairman and Secretary can complete review of GBG structure. David Finn (Hinckley & Bosworth) felt that update online. RD to check all branch committees are up to date on the online this was unsatisfactory as this matter had been going on for some years now. system. NA explained that the revised allocations down to county levels had been put 3.1.2 Thanks were awarded to Nick Molyneux (Nottingham) for the help he has to the RDs but had been rejected as those with fewer allocations felt this would given to branches applying to Newark and Sherwood council for ACVs. be unpopular. Wide changes in demographics and pub numbers have occurred since the original allocations – in the most extreme cases currently 3.2 Branch matters branch reports appended one branch has an allocation for 1 in 4 pubs whereas another, only 1 in 20. 3.2.1 The tasting training course to be held in Burton-on-Trent on 25th March is The officially agreed timetable is circulated with these minutes. – item now to be held at the Burton Bridge Inn (relocated from the Coopers Tavern, discharged (ID). owing to the uncertainty as to when the Coopers (currently undergoing refurbishment) will re-open). East Midlands Regional Minutes 2 3.2.2 It was noted that, under the Melton Mowbray report, it should have stated resulted in duplicate WhatPub entries. As HQ defines branch boundaries by that the beer festival returned a surplus – CAMRA is a not for profit postcode this often differs from branch opinion (rural postcode areas are often organisation. very large). An electronic solution was sought and worked out using open 3.2.3 The National AGM & Conference is to be held at Bournemouth in April. source software and maps (the Ordnance Survey have open availability of Members should note that voting for the NE candidates must be done online or certain maps as long as copyright is acknowledged) and eventually a map of by post by 25th March and will not be available at Conference. There is also a the complete West Midlands region was created with branch boundaries, Special Resolution (details in What’s Brewing) which members can vote on in which could be used to add e.g. county boundaries as well. The current advance or at Conference. membership system is a commercial system so unfortunately access cannot be granted to its database so plotting of member locations cannot be done. 3.3 Tasting Panels Jim is willing to train a group of volunteers to undertake a similar project in the 3.3.1 A brief report from Terry Lock, the regional tasting panel co-ordinator, East Midlands, where numerous queries over branch boundaries have been appended. Any queries please contact Terry directly [email protected]. raised. Branches to ask for interested volunteers. 3.3.2 The tasting training to be held at Burton on 25th March is fully booked. Norman Hall (Hinckley & Bosworth) is now a fully accredited taste trainer and 3.5 Branch Publication Awards Nothing to report this time. is planning a course to be held in the region in early May. 3.6 NBSS and WhatPub 3.4 Pub of the year (POTY) and Club of the year (COTY) 3.6.1 Development of WhatPub is ongoing. RD is on the steering group, any 3.4.1 The National POTY has been announced as the George & Dragon, queries can be sent to him. Hudswell – a pub saved from closure by the local community. Extensive media 3.6.2 Important to keep pub closures up to date, as the data is now used by coverage was generated. CAMRA for pub closure statistics. 3.4.2 Branches need to announce their POTY by 12 March by informing the 3.6.3 Important to inform CAMRA if any plagiarism is taking place of the data RD plus the relevant AO and publishing it on the regional yahoo group. The on WhatPub. Perfect Pint has now closed down, but action was being yahoo group is to be replaced by a regional group on Discourse and branches considered against it as it was using information from WhatPub. As WhatPub must ensure at least one member joins this new group by requesting RD or is the leader in this area, keeping entries up to date will help keep it so. Andy Shaw to add them. Data protection is stronger on Discourse and it can be set so as to send emails to members. Several attendees agreed that At this stage of the meeting RD invited the West Midlands Regional Finance Discourse was difficult to understand and more explanation was needed – RD Officer, Steve Edwards, to explain the role and its background. to ask Alexander Wright to issue more guidance for users. CAMRA has made a loss for the last two years and needs to get back to a 3.4.3 Jon Whowell (Rutland) stated that his branch were unable to find judges break even situation. Branches need to ensure that surpluses are remitted to to travel the considerable distances required in order to judge the other HQ (they can always be recalled if needed). The new online branch accounting candidates in the county round, and therefore their POTY would not be system (COBAS) has been set up to enable branch and festival treasurers to entered. This is not a new problem. Derbyshire was split into north and south keep accurate records in an easily accessible format. Year end accounts as regions for similar reasons. RD to look into this to see if it can be made easier. requested by HQ are very easy when using this system West Midlands region have created their own suitable groups (not necessarily The regional finance officer helps treasurers and branches run their financial following county boundaries). affairs (information as to the remit of the role can be found on the national 3.4.4 Branches are asked to inform RD and the relevant AO if they do not have website). Volunteer(s) for the East Midlands are needed, help and mentoring is a COTY, so that this does not need to be checked. available. Steve can be contacted [email protected], 07518 3.4.5 Branches are reminded to send RD a photo of their entry. 065668. As finance is important, it will be an agenda item in future under regional matters. At this point in the meeting RD invited Jim Witt to give a presentation on the West Midlands mapping project which he had instigated. He explained that he 4. CAMPAIGNING found that many branches did not know their own boundaries; some areas 4.1 Current Campaigns were covered by more than one branch and other areas, not at all. Often this 4.1.1 Current key campaigns are ongoing.

East Midlands Regional Minutes 3 4.1.2 The Neighbourhood Planning Bill is currently going through Parliament. A 4.4.1 New rates will apply from 1 April. Membership Secretaries should have clause to remove permitted development rights for pubs (where pubs don’t had order forms for new publicity. need to go through a planning application for e.g. demolition) was defeated in 4.4.2 The next membership seminars are to be held on 11 and 18 November the Commons but the bill is now in the Lords and CAMRA is lobbying for its at various venues around the country. Ideally the Membership Secretary plus inclusion. one other from the branch should attend. 4.1.3 The government is currently conducting a review of business rates in and increases are likely to have a big impact on pubs this year. 4.5 Pubs Campaigns – inc. Public Transport Campaigning 4.5.1 There was a meeting of the Public Transport Support group at Bristol 4.2 Publications – inc GBG recently. The emphasis is now on getting people to use the facilities that are 4.2.1 GBG branch entries needed to be submitted to the relevant AO by 6 currently available. Only 54 branches nationally have appointed Branch Public March, followed by submission to RD by 20th. Proofs will be sent out to Transport Officers (this does not have to be a committee role). branches as soon as available. The only way of achieving a shorter deadline 4.5.2 Best practice – branches are reminded to have bus timetables available before printing is if all current deadlines are met – which has never yet at beer festivals; ale trails should include public transport information; useful if happened. pubs have copies of local timetables. 4.5.3 Local news – the 747 bus service Leicester/Uppingham has been 4.3 Beer Festivals – inc Champion Beer of Britain (CBOB) confirmed for a further 12 months (was threatened with withdrawal owing to 4.3.1 There are now official guidelines set out as to how branches should lack of full fare paying customers); East Midlands train franchise soon up for approach joint event festivals and a template agreement has been published. It renewal; proposed Leicester city circular bus service. is important to ensure CAMRA receives an appropriate financial reward. 4.3.2 The new Alcohol Wholesalers Registration Scheme (AWRS) comes into 5. INDUSTRY force on 1 April. From that date anyone ordering alcohol for festivals must ask 5.1. Brewery including BLC Report. the suppliers for their registration number and check that the number is 5.1.1 Branches are asked to recommend BLO candidates to Steve Westby. genuine using the HMRC website from April 1st. Non-compliance carries the Many vacancies listed last time have been filled but more are required. risk of prosecution, fines and/or custodial sentences. Only certain small cider Branches are also asked to look at BLOs that have not reported for two producers (production of less than 70hl/year) are exempt – these should be quarters, to ensure they report next time. asked for their exemption reference number. Any stock sold on at the end of a 5.1.2 Gillian Hough (Derventio BLO) referred members to her report, where it festival will need CAMRA’s registration number to sell on legally. states that Derventio use Complete Bottling, a company based in Derby 4.3.3 The new Beer Festival Business Plan must now be used for festivals. www.completebottling.co.uk. Often small breweries bottle by hand, a time This is still being updated so branches should always download the latest consuming process, so knowledge of this company might be useful to them. version from the beer festival hub on the members’ website. 5.1.3 A query was raised as to whether Bass Mild, encountered recently in a 4.3.4 Regional CBOB (report from Gillian Hough appended) – six categories pub in the Grimsby and North East Lincs branch being served via handpull, have been judged since the last meeting and those certificates will be available could be real ale. It was not known if so, where it could be brewed. (Note: this for branches at the next regional meeting. Certificates for eight categories was subsequently found to be a keg beer). were available at the meeting and were distributed. 4.3.5 Local upcoming beer festivals include: Leicester 8-11 March; Burton 30 5.2. Cider Matters March-1 April (a special limited edition glass will be available at £3 6.2.1 Branches have been requested to submit candidates for regional cider commemorating the 300th anniversary of William Bass); Newark – end May; POTY by 12 March. Three Valleys, 3 June. Nottingham BF will be held for the last time at the 6.2.2 May is a promotional month for cider. Castle 11-14 October (the Castle is undergoing refurbishment after this). The 6.2.3 Nottingham are organising a Cider trail in June/July, along the lines of BF will in 2018 likely relocate to the Goose Fair site. the stout/porter and Mild trails that they already do. 6.2.4 Important to encourage pubs to stock at least one East Midlands cider – 4.4. Membership – inc Young Members also at beer festivals

East Midlands Regional Minutes 4 6.2.5 Dee Wright (Nottingham) is standing down from her cider roles at their 1 Monthly what’s Brewing branch diary entries. Very important that next AGM, including the East Midlands regional cider judging event held at branches should get monthly diary entries into What’s Brewing as this is the Nottingham Beer Festival. This event could be held at another festival - or first point of contact with members. Branches should aim to arrange meetings another person could run it at Nottingham. three months in advance, to achieve this. 2 Inform RD/Deputy RD/AOs of meetings to attend and also any changes 5.3. Pub Chains in date or venue. RD must be informed directly and at earliest possible 5.3.1 Nothing new to report from Pub People Company. opportunity, to avoid diary clashes. 5.3.2 The proposed takeover of 1,900 Punch pubs by Heineken is being 3 Copies of branch minutes to the RD – Best sent regularly rather than investigated by the Competitions and Market Authority as to the impact on several together. choice of products available. Many landlords are alarmed at the prospect of 4 Branch committees to discuss HQ mailouts at meetings. Following e.g. having to replace Carling lager, which in some cases could threaten their discussion, relevant items can be reported to the branch meeting. survival. CAMRA will duly make submissions to this investigation and has 5 Branches to ensure all committee members have seen the Code of already published an open letter to Heineken on the subject. Conduct. This should be sent to all committee members on an annual basis, to remind. 6. ANY OTHER BUSINESS 6 All branches are required to appoint a Public Affairs Officer (this is a 6.1. Three members from Hinckley & Bosworth had undertaken the bar role distinct from press & publicity and involves dealing with e.g. MPs manager’s training course recently at NWAF and had all passed. and local authorities), a Pubs Preservation Officer, a Clubs Officer and a 6.2 Thanks were given to Konrad Machej and his team at the Derby Winter Young Members branch contact, and to inform HQ who they are. Branch Festival, who signed up a record number (243) of new members committee details can be updated directly online by the Chairman and/or 6.3 An invitation is extended to East Midlands members to a Regional Mild Secretary. Day Social to be held in Burton-on-Trent on 13 May. Further details to follow. 7 All branches to send quarterly reports, plus representative(s) to 6.4 RD is open to suggestions/requests as to guest speakers (a certain regional meetings (expenses can be claimed). Not all branches are member of the National Executive or member of staff) at future regional represented each time, though some attend regularly. meetings. 8 All branches to have at least one member joined to the new regional 6.5 NA gave a brief update as to the findings of the Revitalisation group. The Discourse group. steering group has now stepped down and the results have gone to the NE, 9 Report access problems with membership system. No known current who is now looking at the recommendations and their possible impact. There problems. will be workshops at Bournemouth on the subject and any proposed changes 10 Branches to contact new members. Letters should be sent to new will be voted on at the 2018 Conference. members welcoming them and inviting them to forthcoming events. Suggested that, for those joining at beer festivals, they be invited to a new members social 8. Dates & Venues of future meetings ASAP afterwards, which should be planned in advance of the festival. 10 June – Railway Club, Grantham; 2 Sep – Wheatsheaf, Bingham (Vale of 11 Newsletters to contain membership details inc DD form. This needs to Belvoir) and 25 Nov – Erewash (venue TBC). be legible. It must also be updated when membership details change. 12 Inform members via newsletters to check that their membership entry includes DOB. Many longstanding members have not had their DOB recorded Thanks were given to Hinckley & Bosworth CAMRA for the arrangements. at HQ. There being no further business the meeting closed at precisely 4p.m. 13 Branch magazines to be sent to the RD – checked for libel and also assessed for Branch Publication Awards (four copies needed). To be continued to be sent by post (not in electronic format) as any questions as to Standing Orders content can more easily be referred to. These (previously minuted under Action Minutes) are ongoing actions 14 Branches also need to send one copy of magazines to St Albans – to with which it is expected that all branches will continue to comply, and Claire-Michelle Taverner-Pearson. Copies also need to be sent to the Agency should be seen by all on the branch committee. for Legal Deposit Library (one copy) as well as the British Library (one copy).

East Midlands Regional Minutes 5 15 Branches to have Locale page on website. Wherever appropriate. ACTION MINUTES from E.M. Reg Meeting at Hinckley 16 Circulation of BLC report and any other items deemed relevant, to N Min/Ref. Action Whom committee members inc newsletter editors by branch contact. Branch o contact has important role in ensuring relevant items are circulated. 1 6.15/4.6.1- Branches to ask for volunteer to assist with Branches 17 BLO appointments should be reviewed at least annually. BLOs are 9.16/2.22.1 new regional website required to send in a quarterly report or ‘nothing to report’ if applicable. If the 2 3.17/3.1.1.3 RD to check all branch committees are up RD BLO is not reporting regularly the branch should consider recommending a to date on online system replacement. 18 Branches to inform RD of any contact with the major pub chains. e.g. 3 3.17/3.4.2 Branches to ensure at least one member Branches Punch, Enterprise, Wetherspoons. Marston’s and Greene King have good BLO joins the regional Discourse group contacts and pub issues are covered as well as brewing. 19 Branches to send details of ale trails to RD and Andy Shaw (Key 4 3.17/3.4.3 Branches to ask for volunteers to set up Branches Campaign 4). and implement a regional mapping project 20 Branches to include cider activity in their regional reports. To include 5 3.17/3.6.3 Branches to ask for volunteers for the post Branches e.g. cider sales at beer festivals, any new pubs reported selling ciders. of Regional Finance Officer Recently there has been a large increase in interest in cider. 21 Branches to endeavour to get at least one pub listed as community asset. Branches to publish pubs so listed on the regional yahoo group. RW/15.03.17 22 Branches to ensure all Heritage pub details are uploaded into WhatPub, even if they don’t currently sell real ale, so that they get a pub ID. 23 Send a list of pubs converted to supermarkets in last 2 years to RD - Branches to continue to send. Any updates need to be recorded via Pubzilla or equivalent. 24 Branches must send in copy of end of year returns to RD & CAMRA HQ (Finance). 25 Branches must have a copy of the Branch Constitution logged at CAMRA HQ. 26 Branches to ensure pub closure data is kept up to date on WhatPub. 27 Branches to ensure activation is named item on branch agendas.

East Midlands Regional Minutes 6 BRANCH & OTHER REPORTS: REGIONAL MEETING a pub since it closed. Neither assertion is true". Although the branch has not 4th MARCH 2017: HINCKLEY participated to date, it is considering an objective response in support of the Holbrook Community Society's campaign to retain it. 6. Hot Topics, Successes & Best Practice Some 306 members submitted entries to our POTY initial nomination stage covering 35 different pubs - both this and the 2nd judging stage were 1. News / Awards published to the membership using HQ COMMS tool as was the AGM POTY was won by The White Hart at Bargate (1st timer), runner up The Holly notification which was issued to 608 members with known e-mails and was Bush, Makeney; presentations take place on 13/3/17. The Winter Ale Trail run read by 42% of them. The communication alternative, Mailchimp is used for jointly with Derby Branch and featuring 16 pubs in Amber Valley was won by beer festival matters and receives a far higher open rate from a smaller The Talbot, Ripley, a great win by new landlords Steve & Angela who took audience (up to 79%), reflecting interest by those much more actively over the license from Amber Ales in early October last year. The branch also involved. decided to award a copy of GBG'17 to the 3 members who had made the 7. Anything else ? highest contribution to beer scores in What Pub. HQ's Membership Dashboard:- the branch contact has expressed frustration at 2. Beer Festivals (CAMRA festivals or those that have CAMRA-involvement) trying to locate particular items in the various listings on CAMRA's website. For The branch received budget approval for running the real ale bar at Belper example, there are 7 full pages of branch memos and 3 pages of Beer Festival Goes Green eco-festival, 3-5th June - one of the rugby club changing rooms is documents, none of which are in alphabetic order nor with any search facility, racked out for beer stillages and this year a one-way system will be tried out to leading to questions of whether it is member-and-user-friendly. Has any other prevent queuing in front of the counter. Last year's AVBF generated a surplus branch encountered similar difficulty? of £4521 and planning is underway for this September's event again at Strutt Nora Harper, Secretary [email protected] Community Centre, Belper. 3. Membership activation/Young members - our AGM on 23rd Feb was attended by 23 members. Fortunately 2 members Ashbourne & District stepped forward to fill the roles of (a) Webmaster (Sean Mckeown replacing We have just completed our Pub of the Year voting and the two award winners Phil Marshall) and (b) Luke Bettison nominated as Yong members rep - are the Barley Mow at Kirk Ireton in the country category and Artisan in welcome to both and also to 2 further members who volunteered to become Ashbourne in the town category, with Artisan gaining the highest overall mark BLOs (Andy Darlington - Shottle and Ben Simons for Hairy Brewers). This and the overall Pub of the Year title. Membership is creeping up towards the success in filling positions was massively encouraging to our committee, and 100 mark and we are seeing a welcome increase in new faces attending the very positive news for the future. Membership reached 881 on 16/2/17. monthly meetings as well. Our 5th beer festival has been set for Thursday 21st 4. What do you do to promote beer scoring? to Saturday 23rd September, returning once again to Ashbourne Town Hall. Monthly beer surveys re-started in early February changing over to Friday Mark Grist, Chairman [email protected] nights due to minibus availability and fully booked on this occasion. Last year's 8 minibus surveys generated 730 beer scores at 55 different pubs by 36 different people of whom 7 joined for the 1st time There were 3800 beer scores (a record high)submitted Burton & South Derbyshire over 12 months on What Pub allowing the selection of GBG'18 entries from a substantial database. 1. News / Awards 5. Pub preservation news (including ACVs) Still no news of any serious offers being made for the Burton Bridge The Spotted Cow in Holbrook, subject to a community-led ACV in the face of Brewery and its pub estate. housing development, last month succeeded in raising over £200k by After 10+ years in charge, the landlady of the classic Coopers Tavern, combined share offer and crowdfunding, and its future is rapidly coming to a Burton, left in January to take on the Craven Arms, Birmingham. Prior to a conclusion at the local council's committee. "The applicant for change of new licensee taking over, the Coopers Tavern has closed for 3-4 weeks for use/development is claiming not only that there is no interest in the village in ‘improvements’, but there have been numerous contradictory rumours saving it, but also that there has never been any interest in buying the Cow as regarding the extent of these changes, particularly to the “historic pub interior East Midlands Regional Minutes 7 of national importance”. Concern has been expressed by the Branch and Based on 2016 beer scores, a GBG2018 short-list was drawn up and official others (including the local MP) that the very essence of the pub could be surveyors were appointed at our January Branch meeting. The ‘final destroyed, and articles on the subject have appeared in the local press. While decisions’ meeting and the submission of our selections are imminent. these fears have been partially allayed by the owners, Joule’s Brewery, we The judging of our Pub-of-the-Year short-list is still underway, using the remain vigilant. national criteria to assess and score the contenders, and should be completed The Tollgate Brewery’s second micropub, the Tap at No.76 in Ashby-de-la- shortly. Zouch, opened in November as expected and is reportedly doing very well. Two local breweries have won regional Champion Beer of Britain 2016 5. Pub Preservation and ACV Nominations awards. In the East Midlands, the Leatherbritches Brewery won both the Gold The ACV nomination of the Royal Oak, Barton-under-Needwood, has been and Silver Awards in the RAIB Light Category for Scary Hairy and Hairy submitted to East Staffordshire Borough Council. Helmet respectively. In the West Midlands, the Blythe Brewery won the Admiral Taverns, the owner of the Derby Inn, Burton, has raised objections Bronze Award in the Porter Category for its Johnson’s. to the pub’s ACV registration by East Staffordshire Borough Council. These objections are essentially spurious and irrelevant, and ESBC have been 2. Beer Festivals advised accordingly. The organisation of the 2017 Burton Beer & Cider Festival at Burton Town Hall is progressing and staffing forms have been widely circulated. Following 6. Hot Topics, Successes & Best Practice AB InBev’s approving our use of the Bass red triangle logo, there will be a Nothing to report. special souvenir glass to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the birth of William Bass. Posters and flyers are already being distributed. 7. Other Information The dates for this year’s event are Thursday 30th March to Saturday A Branch ‘Heat Map’ of activities has been generated and can be viewed on 1st April. the CAMRA West Midlands website under Branch Data. A Taste Training Course in Burton is planned for Saturday 25th March, 3. Membership Activation / Young Members probably at the Burton Bridge Inn, but other details have not yet been finalised. Nominal Branch membership has increased to ~650, including 67 under- The Branch is hosting the West Midlands Regional Mild Trail on Saturday 35s, but despite continuing extensive publicity and the prospect of discussing 13th May and a small Sub-Committee has been set up to plan this event. the GBG2018 short-list, average attendance at recent monthly Branch meetings (8) has been even more dismal than usual. Mike Gibson, Chairman [email protected] The Branch rolling pub survey programme has virtually ground to a halt for the time being, with the few active Branch members concentrating on PotY judging, GBG2018 surveying, and Burton Beer Festival organisation. Chesterfield Recent social/campaigning events have included a Xmas dinner/social, a We’ve held yet another very successful Winter Beer Festival with lots of trip to the annual West Midlands Regional Awards ceremony, the annual ‘Sinai customers – old and new, young and old enjoying an excellent selection of Stagger’ New Year’s Day pub walk, and a presentation social (for the Blythe beers. Brewery; see News/Awards). Due to the proximity of the Burton Beer Festival, We’ve chosen our 2017 Pub of the Year, the Arkwright Arms a past Branch there are no planned social events in the near future. However, a post- and Regional and Regional Cider Pub of the Year winner. Festival trip to Bishops Castle in early May has been arranged. Our Winter Pub of the Season is the ‘Taphouse’, Brampton where excellent There have been no recent Young Members activities. Barlow Brewery beers are always available. We had an interesting and highly participative Good Beer Guide selection 4. CBoB Voting, Beer Scoring Promotion, Good Beer Guide and Pub-of- meeting where members we had not seen before took part fully. the-Year Mick Portman, Chairman [email protected] Nothing to report on CBoB voting or beer scoring.

East Midlands Regional Minutes 8 By this meeting, all presentations will have been made / arranged. Derby ‘Peel Ale’ continues to thrive, with issue 3 available soon, and we’re 1.News/ Awards- As you may be aware we have just had our Winter Ales about to establish the Locale scheme within our branch. We’ve also festival, which gave us the opportunity to present, in a public forum, our branch chosen our GBG 2018 entries. pub and club awards. Presentations were made at the opening trade session. 2) We’ve helped at the Winding Wheel Festival in Chesterfield, and Cider Pub of the Year: Babington Arms, members of our branch also visited the recent Manchester Festival. Club of the Year: Victory Club, Allenton, We continue to look for a suitable venue for the first Dronfield Festival, Overall Pub of the Year: Brunswick Inn which will hopefully take place in 2018. Beer festivals taking place in th City Pub of the Year Winner: Brunswick Inn our branch area include one at Hilltop Sports and Social Club (28 st City Pub of the Year Finalist: Alexandra Hotel, April – 1 May) and the always popular 3 Valleys (3rd June) – we look City Pub of the Year Finalist: Falstaff, forward to seeing some of you then! Country Pub of the Year Winner: Royal Oak, Ockbrook, 3) Membership continues to grow, currently standing at 149. We’ve Country Pub of the Year Finalist: Town Street Tap, Duffield, enjoyed a variety of socials, including a branch trip to Doncaster, a trip Country Pub of the Year Finalist: Chip & Pin, Melbourne, to pubs in the Amber Valley area, a ‘43’ crawl round Whittington Moor, 2. Beer festivals. We have just had our Winter Ales festival under the a trip to Wakefield, and a well - attended potter around the town centre leadership of both Winter and Summer chair, Russ Gilbert. This has been a pubs. Future planned events include brewery visits, a visit to the resounding success, in this it's first year return since the NWAF moved to Brampton pubs and a joint social with members of Mansfield and Norwich. All beer was sold. Ashfield and Doncaster branches. We’re also in the early stages of 3. Membership/Activation - The recent festival would not have taken place had planning our first lady member’s day trip, with a day in York planned it not been for an input from a number of newly activated members, who were for June. previously enthused by our campaigns coordinator, Tim Williams. 4) At a recent meeting members were encouraged to use the NBSS as At the festival itself 243 members were signed up. Congratulations to our often as possible, and we’re happy to report greatly increased membership secretary Konrad Machej and his team for their sterling efforts. participation in the scheme. We intend that this will play a greater role We hope that at least some of them may become active members in the in selecting pubs for branch awards / GBG entries in future. future. 5) Mixed news on the pubs in our area. We now have our first ‘micro pub’ It was noted that the percentage of under 26 people signing up was declining. – Smiffy’s – and a previously keg only music bar – 10A – now serves There is a continuing committee discussion about how we can rectify this locally brewed real ales. In contrast, the Fleur De Lys is up for sale situation. with planning permission granted for houses, and the future of two 4. Beer scoring. We have had a new volunteer, Anne Crawford, who is taking others seems uncertain. There is an ACV in place for the Coach and our vacant post as social secretary. As part of her brief she will be organising Horses. surveys and will be encouraging members to participate by scoring pubs on Graham Hall, Secretary [email protected] such visits and their wider social lives. 5. Pub Preservation/ ACVs. Pub preservation officer Mark Fletcher is keeping abreast of planning and alteration details. Erewash Valley No report received Ian Forman, Derby Branch Secretary [email protected]

Fenland Dronfield & District The last few months have been taken up with researching pubs for the GBG. 1) Since last meeting we’ve made several awards, including Winter This is now complete. POTS 2016 -17 (Rutland Arms, Holmesfield), Cider POTY (Traveller’s As with other branches, a lot of miles have been covered to do this with a very Rest @ ), and Branch POTY 2017 (Miner’s Arms, few members. ). Ena Woodburn [email protected]

East Midlands Regional Minutes 9 branches we still seem to find getting members to turn out to meetings or Gainsborough social gatherings difficult. It's our AGM on the 13th of March when the CAMRA Gainsborough Branch has now started making preparations for the 9th beer members will learn who are in the winners in the POTY. festival, now the use of the usual venue, Gainsborough Old Hall has been Dawn Nielsen, Chairman [email protected] confirmed. Elm Cottage, Gainsborough were awarded the branch pub of the year, for the second year running and the certificate was presented in January. 8 Jolly Hinckley & Bosworth Brewers, Gainsborough was voted winter pub of the season with the News – Planning is underway for our two BFs; the 2018 GBG entries were nd presentation taking place on 22 February. decided and submitted and results of POTY, COTY and Cider POTY voting th Several branch members attend Derby Winter Ales Festival on Saturday 18 are imminent. Market Bosworth Brewery is currently bottling beer while the February and had an enjoyable day out. A coach trip took place on Saturday owner is unfit to fill casks. Elliswood Brewery is producing Fosse 107 IPA for th 25 February to Chesterfield for the beer festival wash up trip and this was Leicester BF to celebrate 50 years of local radio. Some members will take part well attended. in Beer Appreciation course at Coopers Tavern Burton 25 March. Unfortunately, the only brewery in the branch, Grafters stopped brewing CAMRA BFs – Market Bosworth Rail Ale 21-23 July with a new BFO Bex around Christmas time and then the pub next door to the brewery closed down Oakes; Hinckley BF with Three Brewers Theme 14-16 September at the Atkins th on 11 February. Discussion has taken place about applying for an ACV on Building and Hinckley Museum. the pub. At this time it is not known what the future holds for the pub and the Promoting Beer Scoring – Is encouraged at each branch meeting. Membership brewery. is now 572. Hot Topics, Successes & Best Practice – A must-read new Half Pint is Helen Warburton, Secretary [email protected] available; our Quarterly Accounts are approved and planning for our Three Brewers Project moves on apace. Socials included Mystery Trips, a Xmas Walkabout and Meal, the NH Trophy contest with Nuneaton CAMRA, BF trips Grantham to Manchester, Hucknall, Derby, Rugby and Amblecote in the Black Country Grantham Branch did not have such a bad year in 2016 as we increased our Average turnout at last three branch meetings is 45 with one record-breaking membership and held a successful Beer Festival. total of 59! The details are that we gained 25 new members over the year which is an Richard Lewin, Secretary [email protected] improvement of 10% over the previous year. As far as the Beer Festival was concerned our attendance was up, we sold more beer, our food consumption increased, we sold more glasses and our Leicester sponsorship was higher. So overall we were very pleased, so many thanks to The branch is in the midst of preparations for the Leicester Beer Festival at the all who supported us. Charotar Patidar Samaj on Bay Street, off St Margaret’s Way from 8th to 11th We will be holding another one this year at the same venue with hopefully March. One innovation this year is a gin and prosecco bar to provide an some improvements on last year for your further enjoyment. Please come and alternative for those attending who do not want to drink beer or cider. see us, all are welcome. Otherwise expect the usual mix of local and guest real ales, ciders, bottled Our pub of the year is The Green Man at Ropsley,our town pub is Beer Headz beers, curries and cobs. oand our club of the year is the Ancaster Sports and Social Club at Ancaster. All well worth a visit. Adjustments made to the process for selecting pub of the year, including Neville Lomas, Chairman [email protected] providing a short list and making online voting easier appear to have increased participation significantly. The result will be announced at the end of the beer festival. Grimsby & NE Lincolnshire Very little to report here in Grimsby & NE Lincolnshire, our beer festival looks Planning is starting for the annual Mild Trail in May. We are expecting the to have made a small profit but as usual and in a similar position to all number of pubs participating to increase, reflecting the growing number of East Midlands Regional Minutes 10 Free Houses and micropubs in the area. Conversations have taken place with Beer Scoring Hinckley & Bosworth branch about including pubs in their area, following a - Despite appeals, the number of members submitting beer scores request by a pub co to include their pubs in that area. remains low. Hot Topics We have published an updated version of our city centre real ale pub guide - A new Branch Treasurer volunteered at the AGM in November. which is widely distributed around the city and is available on the branch - Karl McCartney, MP for Lincoln, has asked to meet up with local website. Since publication the Charlotte has closed and the tenants at the CAMRA members. We will be having a drink with him at the Swan & Rushes have given notice that they are leaving. Cardinal's Hat on 24th February. Steve Renshaw, Secretary steve_ren@hotmailcom The branch chairman, the BLO and another committee member met with senior representatives of Everards brewery to discuss their plans for some pubs which are changing their character as they are refurbished and their plans for their future in brewing, with planning permission granted for a Loughborough & North Leicestershire shopping centre on the current brewing site and plans for a new brewery News / Awards nearby proceeding with a gap between the closing of the former and opening Branch News Our AGM in November went reasonably well, and the election of the latter. of officers and committee members was done with the slightest of ease, bar the post of treasurer, this seems a post people are less than enthusiastic Philip Tiplady, Branch Secretary [email protected] about, but luckily by the January we had someone come forward and he was voted in at the January meeting. The Gallery 20 Swan St, Loughborough LE11 5BL has been bought by a Lincoln chain, and is now called The Bell Foundry, but the venue still caters for the News clientele it always has, people who wish to watch live sport and drink larger. - The owner of Cathedral Heights Brewery and the Hop & Barley The Boat Inn, Meadow Lane, Loughborough, LE11 1JN, is still a Marstons, but micropub is working on a new project. The Craft Rooms will open under new management, with more than an eye to try and improve the image soon in central Lincoln, with real ales, craft keg and world beers. of the place. - The Penny Farthing at Timberland (on the edge of the Branch area to The Soar Bridge, 29 Bridge St, Barrow upon Soar, Loughborough LE12 8PN. the south-east of Lincoln) will reopen on 3rd March, having been is soon up for new management as the current tenant is retiring. closed since 2015. Planning permission to convert the pub to housing Awards December 2016 saw the branch hand over the award for Cider Pub of was refused. the year to the needle and pin, this was gratefully received as it coincided with - Anna, the landlady of the Strugglers Inn, was awarded Punch the Micro pub celebrating a year since it opened its doors. Regional Publican of the Year. Also December saw the branch vote for our Pub Of The Year Award 2017, - The Lincoln Imp, Lincoln, and the Chase, Market Rasen, have closed. which with little surprise it was awarded to the White Hart, 27 Churchgate, Lincoln Imp is becoming a food store and Chase a funeral parlour. Loughborough, LE11 1UD. The White Hart, Reopened in 2013 as a free house - The results of the Branch Pub of the Year will be announced at the after an extensive refurbishment. It regularly has changing guest beers from Branch meeting on 9th March. local breweries such as Leatherbritches and Charnwood. Sarah Hughes Dark Beer Festivals Ruby is also a regular. Since opening it has won various awards from us, as - The business plan for the Lincoln Beer Festival has been approved. the continued hard work by the owners doesn’t go unnoticed (Most Improved We managed to get it in just before the new format was introduced. Pub of 2013, Town Pub 2014, pub of the year 2016 and now pub of the year Activation 2017.) - A number of Branch members who had not previously been active have volunteered to sit on a Lincoln tasting panel. Beer Festivals The branch is all ready and raring to go as 2nd- 4th march sees - Some new faces have volunteered to assist with the distribution of The Loughborough’s 41st CAMRA Beer Festival, we are proud to be one of the ImpAle. longest running beer festivals in the country. This year we are featuring Beers

East Midlands Regional Minutes 11 from The Q Brewery, The Anstey Ale Brewery, And The Frame Work Brewery. After several months of branch uncertainty the AGM gave fresh hope for the Our Cider pub of the year The Needle and Pin has donated a box of cider for future of the branch. Key posts were filled with a local businessman Rob Short, the festival, the cider was made for their year anniversary by the Bottle Kicking [email protected], taking on the role of branch Chairman. Cider Company, and is called originally the Needle and Pin Medium. The branch POTY was won for their second time by the Druid Inn at Birchover, Membership activation/Young members GBG p 104, and a very pleasant presentation evening was held a few weeks Membership has been steady for the branch with little or no change. later. Branch Attendance Beer Festivals Our branch attendance is stable and we frequently get twelve or more Following on from the enormous success of the Matlock County Hall BF in members at meetings. 2016 the venue has been provisionally booked for Oct 20 /21st 2017 although Alexander Skerritt, Secretary [email protected] there are some key issues to be ironed out. Membership Now stands at 260 with 26 signing up at the Beer Festival. Louth No report received Beer Scoring Despite appeals at meetings and in member newsletters the number of beer scores is declining although scores from members outside the MAD Mansfield & Ashfield membership has increased. The branch held another very successful Real Ale and Cider festival at the AVC’s Post Mill Centre South Normanton and on the strength of this have the venue The owner of the Three Stags Head at Darley Bridge was successful in his rebooked fro the end of October this year for our fifth visit. A joint venture with appeal against the AVC and the branch awaits news on the Jug and Glass at Nottingham branch saw a very busy Hucknall festival which was practically Lea. sold out of beer and cider by close on Sunday afternoon. Several members Anything Else were on hand to help judging at Chesterfield ‘s festival, Derby Winter Beer The Remarkable Hare in Matlock is the latest pub to be LocAle accredited festival and the recent Champion Beer of Nottinghamshire where one branch bringing the number to 22 with the now opened Feather Star micro-pub in brewery, Kings Clipstone, managing to get into the runners up category with soon to be No. 23. Earlier reports that the Feather is a Shiny pub their Moonbeam. are not correct but their beers are regularly available there. The Old Bank Café Membership continues to edge ever closer to the 1000 mark but has yet to Bar, Matlock Bath opened its doors to good reviews in late January but has pass it! We continue to use Ale and Apple to serve as a reminder to all readers temporarily had to close whilst a licensing issue is resolved. to input beer scores and detail how this can be done and to campaign on Peter Boitoult, [email protected] branch issues, but still activation remains an unsolved feature of the branch for both new and existing members. Planning is well under way for the next Mild in May promotion and the branch Melton Mowbray is helping to set up a first Real Ale and Cider Festival at a local Industrial 1. News / Awards: The branch is busy surveying pubs for the GBG shortlist Heritage site, Pleasley Pit, to be held on the first May bank Holiday weekend. and POTY. In the main, all socials and survey evenings continue to be well attended. We as a branch have been asked to help nominate a pub for ACV status and this 2. Beer Festivals: The Branch has received its share of the Beer Festival is being looked into. profits. A healthy £1112. Planning is starting for the 2017 festival. Mick Bull, Chairman [email protected] 3. Membership:

Matlock & Dales 4. Promoting Beer Scoring: News and Awards 5. Pub preservation news (including ACVs): Previously it was reported that Melton Borough Council had rejected our ACV application (Bell at Frisby)

East Midlands Regional Minutes 12 on the basis that CAMRA branches cannot nominate pubs as ACVs. We Pubs in Newark Together (PINT) more organised and working well promoting had responded with evidence that a Judicial Review has already decided real ale. that we can in Lewisham. The challenge continues. In the meantime, an Winter beer festival, Drink for Ye Olde England, Gin in June, cider week, ACV is being prepared for the Boat in Melton Mowbray.” CAMRA IPA Trail July 28 to Aug 6th, Ale-Oween Beer festival in Oct. Newark CAMRA website used more for news. 6. Hot Topics, Successes, Best Practice: Andrew Birkhead, Chairman [email protected]

7. Other: The branch had an enjoyable outing to Ely Beer Festival. This is North Notts starting to become a regular event on the branch calendar. News / Awards Steve Bownes, North Notts Branch Chairman for the past 15 years, passed Nigel Wood, Secretary, 01664 562034. [email protected] away on 23rd January. The Mallard Worksop, wins the POTY. Beer Festivals No involvement with CAMRA festivals to report. Membership Activation / Young Member s Newark We currently have 367 members a net increase of 10 since our AGM in April 1. News / Awards 2016. A lack of young members seems to be a problem (3 members aged 26 POTY Newark Town is Just Beer Newark. Also goes forward to county POTY and 4 under 26). POTY Newark District is Final Whistle Southwell. Award day March 5th. Free After our AGM on the 5th April, the intention will be to concentrate on this area. coach. Beer Scoring Cider POTY 2016/17 The Vaults Newark. Now an agenda item at Branch meetings. 2. Beer Festivals (CAMRA festivals or those that have CAMRA-involvement) Report at each meeting on the number of reporters and beers scored since the Newark Beer and Cider festival Riverside Park May 26 to 28th. £3 per pint. previous meeting. Stress to members the relevance of beer scores for pubs to Charity MIND. be considered for the GBG. 3. Membership activation/Young members Recently invited members to join in on pub visits and scoring beers as we go New members on committee and coming to meetings. One young member along, guiding members who needed help with this. discussing Facebook Twitter and # Pub Preservation / ACV's 4. What do you do to promote beer scoring? Not had much branch involvement here, but will be supporting Nick We have started survey trips to far corners of our branch. Key aim all to do Molyneaux with pub protection in the Newark Area. beer scores. Hot Topics etc 5. Pub preservation news (including ACVs) Recent successes with beer scoring, visiting Town pubs on walkabouts and New ACV on The Chequers awarded Feb 2017. Owners closed pub early Jan car sharing on Village pubs visits. This activity got a number of members and want to convert to a house or sell. Funfair brewery ( behind pub ) not involved for the first time in beer scores. brewing at the moment. We used beer scores for the main qualification into the GBG by selecting 4 We have supported the application for ACV for The Crown Inn Bathley town pubs and 4 village pubs and had an open meeting of the members to Plough at Coddington has reopened. vote for a further 2 town pubs and 4 village pubs from a total of 25 put 6. Hot Topics, Successes & Best Practice forward by the committee. The results of which were not announced to keep Award to Bob Smith for 18 years continuous service to branch as treasurer. the confidentiality. New editor for BGP. Nigel Russell. Articles needed. This is the first time that we have involved the members in this process. Discussion of what craft beer is. Anything Else Should CAMRA be doing more to keep pubs open? Eg low cost loans, awards, Could we consider a poster to be displayed in pubs to help promote beer grants. scoring? Also leaflets to accompany these. 7. Anything else ? Terry Johnson, Secretary [email protected] Which branch is Brownlow Arms, High Marnham, Newark NG23 6SG in?

East Midlands Regional Minutes 13 Dates will have to change because of Goose Fair, to be confirmed, but may Northampton well be early September. The branch annual trip to London was very successful and well supported. iii) Hucknall B&C Festival (twentieth anniversary) took place Friday 10th to The Christmas meal was held at The White Horse, Old, a former Pub of the Sunday (lunch) 12th February, 2017. Season. It was quite an eventful evening and we still await the results of the 3. Membership activation/Young members quiz! Membership stood at 6046 as at 31st Jan 2017. Chris Farman has resigned as The weekend before Christmas saw a Pub Crawl around Towcester, a local Young Members contact and a replacement is currently being sought. town with Roman origins sitting on the A5. 4. What do you do to promote beer scoring/CBOB voting? A Twixtmas social meeting was held at the Coach and Horses, The Branch Newsletter has highlighted the need for people to vote for CBoB. Wellingborough. This was the branch Pub of the Year and went on to become Branch/Committee meetings are reminded of the need to do this and score Area Pub of the Year last year. pubs for consideration in the National GBG. There is also an article in ND138. The AGM was held at The Albion Brewery Bar, Northampton. It was very well Dylan Pavier, Tasting Panel chair, continues to organise tasting Panels. attended, and despite two resignations from the committee the committee was The Nottingham Facebook pages and twitter accounts continue to be well re-elected and two offers to fill the vacancies were made. The chairman used. reported a successful year for the branch and membership has grown by 10% 5. Pub preservation news (including ACVs) over the year. Nick Molyneux continues to promote ACVs in the Branch Area and beyond, A branch social at the Queen Adelaide, Northampton. one of our successful with support recently given to VoB and MMD in establishing their own Pub pubs, was planned to recognise the work of the landlord who was planning to Protection Programmes. There are currently 96 ACV protected pubs in the move on, but is remaining for the present. Branch Area. Later in the month we had our annual Curry Night. Newark & Sherwood continue to progress the consideration of an Article 4 The saddest news has been the closure of the Whistling Kite Brewery due to Direction to remove permitted development rights on pubs in their local personal reasons. This has been a very successful brewery winning awards at authority area. The support for this idea given by VoB, N Notts and Mansfield beer festivals. & Ashfield is gratefully acknowledged. Plans for Northampton Beer Festival continue, and a request for volunteers Central England Coop gave a presentation at the January Branch Meeting and from the membership to help has been made on the website. we are waiting to hear from the Coop regarding their Code of Practice re using The website continues to thrive, and Whatpub is being updated whilst beer pubs. RBS has responded to the query re applications for business loans scoring. The beer scoring is being used to help us select entries for the Good being made harder by ACV status and have confirmed that those who seek Beer Guide. business loans to run pubs as pubs should not find the ACV an obstacle to getting the loan. Anna Trimble [email protected] Considerable work has also been done to add details to the "Historic Interest" section of "Whatpub" for Nottingham Branch Area pubs, including listed status, ACV details, local authority and parliamentary constituency details.Work also Nottingham being undertaken with the Nottingham City Archaeologist, the British 1. News / Awards Geological Survey and the York Archaeological Trust regarding the location of Edition 139 of Nottingham Drinker is due out at the end of March, 2017 and will historic cave cellars beneath pubs. include the annual mild trail. Edition 138 now out includes the Stout & Porter 6. Hot Topics, Successes & Best Practice stroll. i) See ACV above. 2. Beer Festivals (CAMRA festivals or those that have CAMRA-involvement) ii) Champion Beer of Nottinghamshire (CBoN) fifth year event took place in i) The 2017 festival will again be held in the ground of Nottingham Castle – February. Wednesday 11th to Saturday 14th October, 2017. 7. Anything else? ii) The 2018 festival has to move due to major works at the Castle. This is Copies of ND will be brought to Regional meetings, where possible, and will be likely to be at the Goose Fair site, which will considerably increase capacity. also available for downloading from www.nottinghamcamra.org. Andrew C Ludlow, Secretary, Mobile 07775 603091. [email protected] East Midlands Regional Minutes 14 and 8th on the top ten scores for our branch's pubs. Scorers often will submit marks for a good beer but fail to record average or poor beers, thereby Peterborough & District skewing results. Latest news. All the branch committee members were returned unopposed to their roles. Pubs and ACVs. We welcome a new member, Mark Wroe, who has taken on the job of LocAle It was reported last time that the Fenman, Stanground and the Railway, Officer. Whittlesey had both re-opened. This unfortunately proved to be short-lived, as Our Branch PotY 2017 is the Jolly Brewer, Stamford, Lincs. Licencees Dean both are now closed again. On a brighter note, two more micro-pubs have and Jill have won this award before, in 2009, the first year they took on the opened in the city. Puzzles? (the question mark is part of the name) has pub. opened in the city centre, presently selling three Brewster's beers on gravity. Our Cider PotY 2017 is once again the Letter B, Whittlesey, Cambs. Landlord A long-awaited venture, the Frothblowers, has opened in Werrington, serving Bruce always has a minimum of 8 real coders and perries available. five hand-pumped beers and 5 ciders or perries. Both seem to have cornered Our LocAle PotY 2017 is the Heron, Stanground, Cambs a market that is unique to each pub. No new ACVs have been asked for or granted, although we have received an Brewery news objection from the landlady of one of our ACV pubs, that would prefer to be We were disappointed to find that Star Brewery, based in Market Deeping, taken off the register, as the pub is her own property and her home. Lincolnshire, has had to close. Simon Raines, the brewer, was finding it difficult to carry on, having had his business partner leave the business over a Cheers, Dickie Bird, Secretary, [email protected] year ago, with no replacement forthcoming, despite him trying. On a happier note, Angles Ales has been established in the Orton area of Peterborough and after a couple of hiccups, is producing ales that people are happy to try. Availability is limited at the moment. One more brewery, Rocket Rutland Ales has also been launched, as a cuckoo brewery at the moment, sharing 1. News / Awards facilities with King's Cliffe brewery. For the 2nd consecutive year The Fox at North Luffenham has won our POTY. We have also awarded a POTS to a club – The Empingham Cricket and Beer Festival 2017 Social Club. This has caused a certain backlash from one landlord – who is a Plans are already developing for the 40th Peterborough Beer Festival next lapsed CAMRA member – who said the club wasn’t a pub and it has restricted August. The committee have met twice already this year and hope to make hours of opening. So does him. The matter was discussed at our last branch this special anniversary event bigger and better than ever. This year, the logo meeting and we are sticking by our guns. has been designed by an Australian cartoonist. 2. Beer Festivals (CAMRA festivals or those that have CAMRA- Membership and socials involvement) Our membership has dropped, with over 100 lapses since Christmas, to Rutland invaded Derby, well there were 5 of us, for their excellent festival, around 2,670. Stats show that it's an ever-aging group too. what a great location, Delighted that an ex Rutland landlord won the POTY, we Thanks go again to Soc Sec John Hunt, for organising our regular social and trained him well. campaigning trips, which still prove popular with a hard-core of about 30 We are looking forward to invading Leicester’s festival and will probably bring members. The 'Mystery Tour' campaigning trip was an especially interesting our Hon International member a certain Mr Ranieri for an emotional reunion. tour of rarely seen village pubs in the Northamptonshire part of our branch. I can’t recall if I have said that this year we will not be holding our (much loved) NBSS beer festival and ale trail this year as our venue has been converted to a The inequities and inadequacies of relying on the NBSS system (for GBG and temporary library. The venue has been booked for late June 2018 – more PotY guidance and consideration) as the only way to prove a pub's beer details to follow quality has thrown up the embarrassing fact that two recent PotYs rank 7th 3. Membership activation/Young members

East Midlands Regional Minutes 15 We have around the 185 mark and now have International representation with French, American, Irish, Scots and Welsh members. Even some folk have Scunthorpe & District come over from Leicester and Peterborough. I hope that discussions with our Our winter POS was awarded to The Wheatsheaf in Barton-on-Humber in neighbouring Peterborough branch will make it easier for those living in a January. certain Post code – PE9 - who are in Rutland will be offered the chance to Members have enjoyed trips to beer festivals in Manchester and Derby. consider joining us. Our active membership continues to decline. Beer scoring is an agenda item for our meeting scheduled for 22nd February. Sadly we don’t have very many young members. We tend to eat our young in The local press and a senior representative from Greene King have been Rutland. invited. The latest pub to become an ACV was the Ironstone Wharf in Gunness. 4. What do you do to promote beer scoring? A number of 'unsung' pubs have been identified as suitable for the LoCale scheme with the latest award going to The George Hogg in Winterton which David Laughton our Pubs Officer, we reserve the right to call our officers what has Tom Woods beer on one of its 4 handpumps. we chose to, works very hard to promote scoring. He has shown less IT Mike Sayers, Chairman [email protected] capable folk the way to do it and scores will increase. As the tourist season kicks in we tend to get quite a few scores for outside Rutland, which is nice Sheffield & District 5. Pub preservation news (including ACVs) We continue our push to get members more interested in the "and District" (Derbyshire) part of our branch area, the majority of which is rural Peak District We had our most recent meeting in a pub The Royal Oak in Queen Street territory! Our Winter District Pub of the Season award was recently presented Uppingham which had been closed for 18 months. The efforts of CAMRA to the Packhorse at Little Longstone, we've run a few minibus trips to rural members on pushing for an ACV resulted in at the last minute a deal being pubs and our RambAle programme of country walks with pubs resumes this struck to keep the pub open. It has been refurbished and we wish it well. It’s on month. What Pub. Sheffield Beer Week takes place 11-19 March with a very busy programme of 6. Hot Topics, Successes & Best Practice beery events across the City, this year the branch's participation will be presentations to brewers of our beer of the festival awards, a guided heritage Regional POTY, as a small branch we don’t have the human resource to visit pub walk and a launch of our first ale trail guide. More info on Beer Week at all the pubs required, we understand larger branches also struggle. Can we www.sheffieldbeerweek.co.uk. investigate a way to make the travelling less onerous?

7. Anything else ? Our 2017 Steel City Beer & Cider Festival planning is underway, subject to budget approval this will take place at Kelham Island Industrial Museum 18-21 An appeal has gone out by the Stoney Ford Micro Brewery in Rutland micro- October. Volunteer staff will be most welcome! brewery for any old Stamford Brewery beer bottles that people might have and feel they could loan to the brewery. They are hopeful that they might still As usual our newsletter editor and Dronfield branch's Chairman are organising contain some live yeast that may lurking and still live and useable and which the annual 3 Valleys Beer Festival in Dronfield, not a CAMRA festival but a they would like to use to replicate a new local brew. If you think you could help great bit of pub & club campaigning - this will take place on 3rd June across 12 then please contact either Simon or Tim by telephone on 01780 753747 venues with free buses from Dronfield Station. (please leave a message if they're busy brewing or delivering) or alternatively Andrew Cullen, [email protected] you can contact them by email to [email protected] Thanks to our almost neighbours and great supports Hinckley for hosting us today. Jon Whowell, Chairman [email protected] East Midlands Regional Minutes 16 Vale of Belvoir Regional CBOB Co-ordinator’s Report We have had a busy start to 2017, with several pub protection matters. Unfortunately, since the last meeting, the Gas Gorilla in Barkestone and the As the judging year draws to the end the last couple of categories were judged Red Lion, Stathern, have both closed; elsewhere, the Red Lion, Bottesford, the at Chesterfield and Derby kicked off the 2017/18 judging year with the four Marquis of Granby, Granby and the Windmill, Redmile, are known to be up for winter styles. Lots of certificates to give out on Saturday as well - (from sale but are still open. The branch has applied for Asset of Community Value previous winners not the ones listed below - these will come to the next status for the Red Lion (Bottesford) and has added support to a similar meeting!). application for the other Red Lion by residents of Stathern. We have also offered support and advice to residents in Barkestone and Granby, and are I will be asking all branches to consider hosting a category early in March. monitoring the situation in Redmile. As with our previous endeavours, we Please do consider judging, I will help and support you as much as possible. have had a lot of assistance from Nick Molyneux from Nottingham branch. Advance thanks to Lincoln who have already got their list for May!

In my last report I mentioned that the Chesterfield, Bingham was about to re- Thanks to Nick Boley (my Boss!) who for the support and guidance as the open. This did in fact re-open last November. Also in Bingham, Linear Director responsible for CBOB. Brewing Company has begun production. Currently they are providing bottle- conditioned ales to a local deli and to the Horse & Plough, Bingham. However, one of our other local breweries, Pickled Pig, based in Staunton in the Vale, Strong Bitter Judged at Chesterfield ceased trading in December 2016. Gold Blue Monkey Ape Ale At our February branch meeting we finalised our nominations for the 2018 Good Beer Guide. Our March branch meeting is our AGM, and we will also be Silver Dancing Duck Abduction officially determining our branch Pub of the Year. Further ahead, plans have Bronze Castle Rock Screech Owl just been finalised for our Mild in May events – 16 pubs are taking part, and we have several events laid on to ensure there is an official visit by the branch to Speciality Judged at Chesterfield all of them. The lineup features a good mix of Mild in May stalwarts and a Gold Derventio Cleopatra couple of pubs participating for the first time in a while. Silver Grafton Apricot Jungle While supporting Stathern, members were asked to show their support in the Bronze Leatherbritches Lemongrass and Ginger form of a testimonial about the Red Lion. More than 10% of the branch’s Barley Wine/Strong Old Ale Judged at Derby membership replied to the request, so we are hoping this will be a stepping Gold Boot Beast of Bloodstock stone towards encouraging more members to become active in branch Silver Parish Baz's Bonce Blower activities. Bronze Grainstore Nip Members can stay informed on branch issues through the monthly newsletter, our page in the Nottingham Drinker, and our Facebook page. This has almost Stout Judged at Derby doubled its number of followers over the past year. Gold Thornbridge St Petersburg Imperial Russian Stout Silver Dancing Duck Dark Drake Ed Taylor, Membership Secretary [email protected] Bronze Belvoir Oatmeal Stout

Porter Judged at Derby Gold Lincoln Green Tuck Silver Dancing Duck Indian Porter Bronze Batemans Salem Porter

East Midlands Regional Minutes 17 Old Ale/Strong Mild Gold Derby Brewing Quintessential Silver Potbelly Beijing Black Bronze Joint Brampton Mild Bronze Joint Falstaff Darkside

Gillian Hough Mobile: 07847 504074 [email protected]

Regional Tasting Panel Co-ordinator’s Report WELL DONE LINCOLN - we now have a tasting panel and some people attended the recent course (some did not manage it but I can forgive that for the chance to see their team achieve FA cup glory) We held a training course at Derby Winter fest (thanks to the branch) and 20 people attended. Several have already opted for the advanced certificate as well. Attendees from Derby, Lincoln, Newark and Matlock – well done all. There is another course also being held at Burton, but places for this have already been taken but I do believe some East Mids people will also be taking the course Norman from Hinckley branch (stand up Norman and be recognised!!) is now a fully qualified trainer and is looking at potential venues, dates and COST!!! (Nothing is free (TANSTAAFL) – for those Larry Niven fans!!)

Again keep up the reporting via the BIS and online tasting cards. I will try and get a full breakdown for the next Regional meeting.

If anyone wants to contact me - [email protected]

East Midlands Regional Minutes 18