the Spring 2017 FREE tippler Please Take One The magazine of the Gloucestershire Branches of the Campaign for Real Ale GRANT COOK SANDFORD PARK NEIL WAY ALE HOUSE CHELTENHAM MOTOR CLUB DOUBLE TROUBLE? AS WE GO TO PRESS, HOLDERS OF THE NATIONAL PUB OF THE YEAR AND THE NATIONAL CLUB OF THE YEAR tipplerthe The magazine of the Gloucestershire Branches of the Campaign for Real Ale ©The Campaign for Real Ale 2017. Opinions expressed need not represent those of CAMRA Ltd or its officials Front cover: The fabulous Salutation at Ham, once contents: again in the top four pubs in Britain. “ONE I COULD ENJOY TIME Letters to the Editor & Editorial page 4 Spotlight on Donnington Pub page 34 AND AGAIN” The Hunter’s Column page 10 Brewery News page 36 JAMES KING Cheltenham News page 14 Blue Monkey in Nottingham page 40 PUB REGULAR, BRISTOL North Cotswolds’ News page 16 In and Out of W-ales page 43 News from Tewkesbury page 18 I Won a Brewery Tour page 46 In Search of Salvation page 22 Gloucester Prize Wordsearch page 47 Pub News page 25 CAMRA contacts page 50 “AN AMAZING Camra National Club Of The Year page 28 What’s Coming Up? page 52 PRODUCTION” BARRY NORMAN REAL ALE LOVER, GLOUCESTER CONTRIBUTION DEADLINES: THIRD FRIDAY OF FEBRUARY, MAY, AUGUST AND NOVEMBER “MAGNIFICENTLY INTENSE” JONATHAN ROSS have you any pub news? PUB LANDLORD, More details are posted regularly on the Facebook group 'Gloucestershire Pubs', an ideal forum BIRMINGHAM to keep other people informed of the latest pub developments in the county. We value feedback and news from around the county, so, if you’ve got something FOR DETAILS ABOUT THE HOPFATHER AND OTHER WYE VALLEY BREWERY PRODUCTIONS, VISIT: to say, want to make a contribution, compliment or criticise, then get in touch: The Editor, The Tippler, 23 Theocs Close, Tewkesbury, Glos. GL20 5TX WYEVALLEYBREWERY.CO.UK [email protected] 01684 439767 3 www.gloucestershire.camra.org.uk WVB ad Hopfather A5.indd 1 11/11/2016 14:21 for goodness LETTERS sake jeremy, can’t we just send an email like to the all those FRIGHTFULLY LETTERS to the EDITOR modern chaps? Dear Chris, EDITOR Greetings of a Real Ale Enthusiast from you may also be able to sunny Worcestershire. When I make one of experience new flavours from Somerset and Bristol’s fine real ale selection. Some of my rare forays south of the border, I never It is great that many pub chains such as us old codgers pass up an opportunity to sample some of are still happy to use the local tipples. Greene King and Wetherspoon are now opening the services of the Royal Mail, and we actively encourage all Ashchurch is but a 17 minute train journey up as hotels. This means that the ‘Staycation’ forms of (preferably printable!) communication. So get writing from my home town of Bromsgrove. As I was is a tempting option for real ale enthusiasts. and get your news, views and comments published! at a loose end over the Christmas period, I saw One can explore the country, take in the sights, this as an ideal opportunity to explore some sounds and tastes of an area without ever of the local alehouses in the Gloucestershire having to leave the comfort of the pub! area. [email protected] With the Malverns and Bredon Hill on the Nick Hatton doorstep, I could be forgiven for thinking that I The Editor, The Tippler, 23 Theocs Close, Chris replies: Many thanks Nick for making had not ventured far. However, when I began a foray into the pages of the Tippler, and the Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. GL20 5TX to explore the local pubs, I felt like I was in a glorious county we are so lucky we live in. A different world! nice scenic shot (above)of a view from the Gloucestershire Ale is not a completely Malverns is a good backdrop to your letter. alien concept to me. My local boozer regu- Personally, I have to work away at fairly regular this publication is edited, designed and created by larly sells out of Prescott’s ‘Chequered Flag’ intervals throughout the year and always when offered as a guest ale. My friend from ensure I stay in a decent real ale hotel, after University used to keep a keg of Wickwar ‘Bob’ all, why not? behind the bar at his house in Liverpool (he was from Wotton-Under-Edge). I am also a fan of Dear Chris, Cotswold Spring - although this does not make it into our county as often as I would like. I run a Facebook page called 'Cheltenham One thing that I am impressed with is the Past and Present’ using some of the historic amount of history in the pubs in this area. Cheltenham imagery I’ve put together over My own local ‘Ye Olde Black Crosse’ in the years. Bromsgrove dates back to the 17th Century. However, this pub has changed hands that https://www.facebook.com/Chelten- many times that it is difficult to know whether ham-Past-and-Present-1488507031433765/?- to expect a hearty welcome or a Glasgow kiss. fref=ts Pubs in Tewkesbury such as the Black Bear (opened 1308) and the Royal Hope Pole (15th I’m currently creating a selection of images Century) show that this is a county that is of the Brewery Quarter to put on this page for everyone to enjoy. Whilst reading 'the Tippler’ ready to embrace tradition. (Winter 2016) recently, I saw your brewery As the Editor in last season’s Tippler points news photo on page 36 and would like to know CHARISMATIC MARKETING LIMITED out, some of the best preserved pub interiors To find out about our design, advertising, sales and promotional if I could have a ‘clean’ version of it for the are courtesy of JD Wetherspoon. Leaving Facebook album I’m working on please. literature services, and how we can help your local business history aside, the stunning windowed interior call Chris on 01684 439767 at Gloucester’s The Regal is reason enough to David Hanks 4 [email protected] visit the city. When you journey further south [email protected] 5 www.gloucestershire.camra.org.uk LETTERS to the EDITOR... LETTERS to the EDITOR... Chris replies: Hello David, Many thanks for Hello Chris avoid producing cask-conditioned versions of This makes it a worthy contender, along with your email, very interesting indeed. warm (or bottom) fermented beers, ales and Worthington White Shield, for the title of the The brewery image with the horse came Just a note from the current Tippler concerning stouts. best bottled beer from Burton (and therefore from our great friend of CAMRA and all things the article about the new micropub the ‘Little I see no problem, for example, in helping to the World?). old and pubby, Geoff Sandles, who has a George’ in Stroud. There were a couple of defend Czech Budweiser against the American Anyway, I’ll try to shut up for now and stick mountain of images and knowledge. I am sure inaccuracies (surely not? - Ed) with reference rice beer manufacturers of the same name to drinking real ale. he can help and I would suspect is a member to the ‘Dog House’ in Coleford. It was formerly of your FB page, if not I’m sure, like many a carpet shop, and ‘Cobblers’ in Cinderford is but CAMRA’s idea of supporting “high quality members and readers, would be interested in now the ‘Dog House’, Cinderford...things beers” suffers from the same problem of definition Vic Ellis subscribing. change swiftly in the Forest. As a regular of as “craft” and runs the risk of corruption by the Dog House wonder why it is not listed in the big brewers who will turn good beers into the CAMRA locale list? new versions of Red Barrel. Insisting on the Via email, name and address withheld: Dear Chris, On a sadder note, there is now a strong method of storage, conditioning and dispense Dear Editor, SO I SAID TO possibility that the ‘Ship’ in Newnham may is just as vital in the future as in the past if ‘IM, LISTEN LUV, IF YOU CAN’T come ‘ere and APPRECIATE a fine example of BRUNEL’S close together with the Black Pig micropub in The pub you BARREL VAULTED CAMRA is to ensure that high standards are CONSERVATORIES, YOU’RE NOT THE MAN its outbuildings. I was totally FOR ME… illustrated next properly maintained. the Autumn 2016 Keep up the great work. disgusted to see FREE to the editorial Incidentally, I’ve just conducted my own tippler Please Take One the cover on the The magazine of the in the Winter comparison of the old style bottled Pedigree Gloucestershire Branches of the Martin Green Campaign for Real Ale 2016 Tippler with the new bottle-conditioned version. The front of the autumn 2016 issue of The is the Imperial Chris replies: Hello Martin, many thanks for improvement is wonderful as the new version oh I don’t blame Tippler, depicting in Exeter. It is you, although I prefer has far more depth of flavour with a smoother a man who can appreciate your email, and the update on who’s who in the early 20th century art deco school of the (so called) Iron a short (uphill) architecture myself… the Forest. I’m always pleased to get updates taste more akin to a cask-conditioned beer. walk from St on changes in the real ale pub scene from Man.