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FREE DRINKERDRINKER Volume 41 No. 1 February/March 2019 End of an era – see page 12 (photo by Roy Tunstall) Editorial London Drinker is published on behalf of the unsustainable rent increases from such Greater London branches of CAMRA, the landlords, the Dispensary in Aldgate Campaign for Real Ale, and is edited by Tony Hedger. It is printed by Cliffe Enterprise, and the Telegraph on Putney Heath Eastbourne, BN22 8TR. have already closed this year. CAMRA is a not-for-profit company limited by An aggravating factor, well guarantee and registered in England; documented in this magazine, is the company no. 1270286. Registered office: 230 Hatfield Road, St. Albans, DRINKERDRINKER entitlement of a property company to Hertfordshire AL1 4LW. dictate which beers and other supplies Material for publication, including press a tied publican can stock, from whom releases, should preferably be sent by e-mail to [email protected]. to buy them and at what price – The deadline for the next edition, for beer typically twice the price of April/May 2019 is Friday BACK ON THE buying from a brewer directly. This is 8 March an historical anomaly that operates All contributions to this magazine are made on a CAMPAIGN TRAIL voluntary basis. against the interests of small brewers, To advertise in London Drinker, contact appy New Year! Coming out of publicans and customers alike. My John Galpin on 020 3287 2966 Hhibernation in the second week of young interviewers were intrigued or mobile 07508 036835; January, I find CAMRA’s comparative E-mail: [email protected]. as our host publicans verified the Prices: whole page £345 colour or drinking programme of Pub of the Year facts. £275 mono; half-page £210 colour or £155 voting and Good Beer Guide selection mono; quarter-page £115 colour or £90 mono. To help save pubs, CAMRA is calling well under way. Pubgoers should use for urgent reform of the Pubs Code The views expressed in this magazine are those of any such excuse to combat the their individual authors and are not necessarily (under which tied tenants of the largest endorsed by the editor or CAMRA. predictable if unintended consequence of the ‘Dry January’ fad: the threat pub owning businesses should be no © copyright the London branches of the worse off than if they were free of tie), Campaign for Real Ale; all rights reserved. of closure of yet more community for a comprehensive review of business Subscriptions: please send either £9 for the pubs. mailing of six editions or £17 for 12 editions to Successive statistical surveys towards rates – pubs with a rateable value Stan Tompkins, 52 Rabbs Mill House, Chiltern the end of last year, the more between £51,000 and £100,000 are View Road, Uxbridge, Middx UB8 2PD. Please make cheques payable to CAMRA London Area. compelling coming from the Office of now worse off than before the autumn These prices apply to UK mail addresses only. To National Statistics, highlighted the 2018 budget – and for consideration of arrange for copies to be sent overseas, please proportion and the sheer number of lower duty rates on draught beer. We contact us. London pubs – thousands – that had lobbied our MPs on these three counts closed since the Millennium. Not in November. CONTENTS surprisingly, I was contacted by student This month I’ve been looking again journalists among others wanting to Branch diaries 4 at the draft New London Plan. What know what was going on. I agreed to The end of an era 12 the planning system can do is make two or three evening interviews; pubs CAMRA events 14 need customers and, for that matter, clear that applications for change of CAMRA appoints new chief executive 15 CAMRA needs young members. use from pubs will now be approved News and views 16 Nationally I see two main reasons only exceptionally. Policies in place Pub news 22 for continuing pub closures. In the need to be enforced by Local Planning CAMRA Pub Saving Awards 26 countryside, there’s the lack of late Authorities and the Planning Trade news 28 evening public transport. In the cities Inspectorate, to whom developers but Real ale in bottles 31 and larger towns, the value of most not local communities can appeal, pub sites for alternative use is the Bow Belles pub crawl 32 should respect LPAs’ enforcement major threat, especially here in London Brewery news 34 decisions. The draft Policy HC7 and with such high residential property the related explanatory paragraphs Matters of taste 37 prices. should establish a much stronger The best Bockbier 2018 40 Within living memory, local breweries strategic planning regime for London Health and welfare 43 owned clusters of pubs and their pubs. For the Examination in Public I WhatPub update 30 44 tenant publicans could make a living have written a supporting statement on Idle Moments 50 from selling plenty of their beers. Nowadays property companies seem behalf of CAMRA. News extra 52 to own most pubs, often with a view Geoff Strawbridge Tribute 53 to their conversion or replacement CAMRA Greater London Regional Crossword 54 for greater profits. Faced with Director 3 Branch diaries elcome to our regular details of London CAMRA Tavern, 375 Kilburn High Rd, NW6 7QB; (3.15) Black Lion, Wcontacts and events, where branches say what is 274 Kilburn High Rd, NW6 2BY; (3.45) Sir Colin Campbell, happening in their areas that might be of interest to drinkers 266 Kilburn High Rd, NW6 2BY; (4.30) Queens Arms, 1 across London. Events for February and March are listed Kilburn High Rd, NW6 5SE; (5.15) Clifton, 96 Clifton Hill, below. Meetings, visits and socials are open to all – NW8 0JT. Public transport will be required at times. everyone is welcome to come along. A complete calendar March – Wed 13 (7.15 for 7.30) Mtg: Royal Oak, 44 Tabard listing of CAMRA events within Greater London is available St, SE1 4JU (upstairs). All CAMRA branches and members at www.london.camra.org.uk. interested in pub research and preservation welcome. If you want to check on the areas covered by the branches www.londonpubsgroup.camra.org.uk shown below, please go to www.london.camra.org.uk/ viewnode.php?id=20208. YOUNG MEMBERS GROUP Email group: http://groups.google.com/group/london- REGIONAL EVENT camra-ym Regional Secretary: Roy Tunstall, February – Wed 13 (7.15) Sambrook’s Brewery, Yelverton [email protected] Rd, Battersea SW11 3QG. Tutored beer tasting with March – Wed 27 (7.30) London AGM and Liaison master trainer and accredited beer judge Christine Cryne. Committee (regional co-ordination mtg for London branch This session will explain just how the ingredients in beer reps). Royal Oak, 44 Tabard St, Borough SE1 4JU. impact on its aroma and flavour and give you a chance to Website: www. london.camra.org.uk put this knowledge into practice. Tickets will also be available for non-members/guests but spaces are limited LONDON PUBS GROUP Jane Jephcote, [email protected], 07813 The print run for this issue of London Drinker is 47,000. 739856 It is distributed by CAMRA volunteers to some 1,200 pubs February – Sat 23 Willesden Green, Cricklewood, and clubs in and around Greater London and is supplied Brondesbury, Kilburn and St John’s Wood: (12pm) direct to all of their outlets in the area by J D Wetherspoons. Queensbury (formerly Green), 110 Walm La, NW2 4RS; A link to the on-line version is e-mailed to all CAMRA members (1pm) Clayton Crown Hotel (formerly Crown), 142-152 in Greater London for whom we have e-mail addresses. Cricklewood Broadway, NW2 3ED; (1.45) North London Ye Olde Mitre No. 1 Ely Court, between Ely Place and Hatton Garden, London EC1N 6SJ Tel: 020 7405 4751 Historic and Traditional Ale-House London Pride, Gales Seafarers, Oliver’s Island and 4 guest ales every day plus a traditional craft cider We are now on Untappd for business, so our beer list is now available online Check out what’s on at: yeoldmitreholborn.co.uk BRITAIN’S BEST REAL HERITAGE PUB GUIDE 2017 MASTER CELLARMAN 2016 East London & City Pub of the Year 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2014 SPBW London Pub of the Year 2013 CAMRA GOOD BEER GUIDE 2019 4 M@TwickenhamAles GRANDSTAND CLASSIC AMBER SESSION BITTER 3.8% ABV A REFRESHING AMBER SESSION BEER FROM THE HOME OF RUGBY Twickenham-昀ne-ales.co.uk 020 8241 1825 Branch diaries and so, to avoid disappointment, please sign up and pay Croydon CR0 6BR. - Sat 23 Tramlink crawl (with Bromley as soon as possible (just £11 for young members) via Branch): start (12.30) Elm Tree, 116 Croydon Rd, Elmers Greater London Young Members Facebook group or email End (see Bromley entry for details). - Tue 26 (8.30) Mtg. [email protected]. Join the Facebook group Dog & Bull (upstairs, 24 Surrey St, Croydon CR0 1RG. to keep up to date with all our events. March – Thu 7 (1pm) Soc. Green Dragon, 58 High St, Croydon CR0 1NA. - Wed 13 (8.30) Carshalton soc. LONDON CIDER GROUP Windsor Castle, 378 Carshalton Rd, SM5 3PT. - Thu 21 February – Sat 9 (2.45) Wassail at One Tree Hill (8.30) S. Norwood soc. Shelverdine Goathouse, 7-9 High Allotments, Honor Oak Park SE23 3LB. Bring drinks, noise St, SE25 6EP. - Thu 28 (8.30) London Drinker pick-up. making instruments and wrap up well! For details, visit Hope, 48 West St, Carshalton SM5 2PR. www.ianwhite.info/Wassail.html Website: www.croydon.camra.org.uk BEXLEY EAST LONDON & CITY Branch contact: Rob Archer, [email protected] Branch Sec: Andy Kinch, 07757 772564, February – Fri 1 (6pm) Hop Stuff tap takeover soc.