Issue 43 – Winter 2010 FREE – Please take one Newsletter of North Oxfordshire Branch of CAMRA Use Them Or Lose Them Over the last 15 years or so A sign of the times – 28 pubs in the Branch has permanently our Branch are currently up for lost about 12 pubs; roughly sale … and that’s just the ones we know about one every 15 months. Some old favourites like the White still working with locals Hart, Charlbury; King’s Head, in Leafield to save The Tackley; and Chequers, North Fox (see page 3) and Newington – places where past monitoring the Albion, generations had their first legal Chipping Norton which pint or wet their first-born’s head has had an application are now gone forever. There for demolition submit- are about half a dozen pubs ted to the planning that are shut, but have not been department. The Bishop on November 4th and some granted change of use, like the Blaize, Burdrop is now up for local knowledge, there are cur- Marlborough Arms, Banbury and sale, but that situation still needs rently some 29 pubs out of the the Plough, Merton. This last to be watched. The Cricketers, total of about 235 pubs closed. year though has seen a change Banbury will almost certainly These include The Swan, Ascott- with the loss of the Blacklock become housing next year hav- under-Wychwood and Off the Arms to Tesco and the Branch ing had an application to convert Beaten Track, Chipping Norton. locked in four battles to save to flats approved. A few hours one morning spent pubs; with the Whitmore Arms In addition to this, according surfing the net found 28 iden- now safe (see page 29), we are to the local CAMRA website tifiable pubs for sale, including the Red Lion, Cropredy, both Our Popular Periodical Perused Middle Barton pubs (The Fox and the Carpenters) and the In Phuket Dun Cow, Hornton. There are almost certainly more as I only We seem to be picking used a handful of web sites and up regular contribu- many pubs are only identified as tions in the challenge ‘Oxfordshire pub’ or other vague for a well-travelled references. That said, some Beer on Tap. Here we of the closed pubs are also up see Richard Moylan for sale like the The Woolpack in the Jamaican Bar (which already has permission in Phuket, Thailand, to change to flats) and the Three checking up on the Pigeons in Banbury. beer festival list. So what is causing this sig- I am reliably informed that and friends from far (or nificant increase in the Pubs although it looks overcast and not so far) away to send a Officer’s workload? It has been a bit gloomy it was damned hot photo of Beer on Tap being well reported about the tough … just right for a pint of cooling read in far off or unusual trading conditions for pub land- ale then! places to the Editor (see lords, with above-inflation duty Please remember to get family Branch Contacts list). Continued on page 3 Visit the CAMRA North Oxfordshire Branch website – http://www.northoxfordshirecamra.org.uk Future Of Local Pubs In Our Hands Continued from front page fire with a pint, meet friends in whose pub is facing permanent increases for the last two budg- a convivial environment and put closure or change of use can ets (also planned for the next the world to rights, celebrate use CAMRA’s Public House two), many paying high rents life’s milestones, just let your Viability Test in their campaign and being forced to buy beer hair down – or risk losing them. as well as enlist help from the at inflated prices through their Much will depend on the local branch of CAMRA. You pub companies. Add to this the Government’s attitude to pubs can do this by contacting the buying power and loss-leading in the budget and whether they Pubs Officer or Chairman, tactics of supermarkets and the will freeze VAT on alcohol or using the contact details below, smoking ban in pubs – it is easy blindly continue taxing pubs via the website or by turning to see why 40 pubs are shutting until they are no longer viable, up at a CAMRA meeting and up shop for good each week. forcing them to close and taking introducing yourself and the Pubs in our Branch area have the tax revenue with them. This cause you represent. fared well in recent years com- is depriving our children and ‘Use it or lose it’ is an over- pared to many cities and areas future generations of a valuable used phrase; but it has never further north, however, things community asset; a modern day been more relevant to the pubs are unlikely to remain so. The version of Dr Beeching’s railway of North Oxfordshire. signs are ominous and the time cuts. Once gone, they are nigh is fast coming when people will on impossible to resurrect. North Oxon have to make choices whether Is there an alternative to this they want their local pub to be dark prediction? Yes, of course Contacts List the focal point of the communi- – use your pub! If it does close, ty’s leisure time – a place where Email addresses are followed by all is not lost, but it will require northoxfordshirecamra.org.uk you relax in front of a roaring some effort. Communities CHAIRMAN Lynne Baldwin- Kramer Tel: 07790 118341 Leafielders Fight For The Fox chairman@ VICE-CHAIRMAN In Leafield an ad hoc group vey to gauge support was set up Paul Montague vicec@ called “Save the Fox” has formed and which also incorporated a BRANCH SECRETARY in the village in an attempt to petition to support the contin- Caz Jewell secretary@ save its last pub from being con- ued operation of The Fox in its TREASURER Nick Faulkner verted into a house. current location (which faces treasurer@ MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY So far they have held three the village green and dates back community meetings. At the nearly 200 years). To date some Yvonne Hallows membership@ first meeting a community sur- 325 signatures have been col- BRANCH CONTACT lected; the population of Leafield Chris Darke contact@ Cask Marque on is about 800 in about 400 house- Tel: 07852 251300 iPhone And Android holds. The most recent meeting SOCIAL SECRETARY was a ‘pub night’ in the village John Devlin socials@ Cask Marque now have their hall on 17 September which Tel: 07711 257716 free application on the iPhone raised almost £400. BEER ON TAP EDITOR AppStore and the Android A loosely-structured steering Steve Lympany bot@ Market – to help you quickly committee has been working to Tel: 01869 340174 and easily find the nearest get all the elements lined up to PRESS & PUBLICITY CONTACT Cask Marque-accredited pubs, fend off the planning proposal, Position vacant press@ beer festival dates and loca- which could be submitted any PUBS OFFICER Dick Palmer tions, a list of & Brian Wray pubs@ day now. One member has acted PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER beers available as chief negotiator/community John Bellinger public@ (with Cyclops representative who, with various YOUNG MEMBERS tasting notes) members of the committee, has COORDINATOR Simon Raynor and much more. met with one of the investors young@ More than and the local planning officers. WEBMASTER Chris Darke 5,000 apps were CAMRA is working with webmaster@ downloaded for the Save the Fox group in an the iPhone with- Trading Standards: Oxfordshire attempt to save this valuable County Council, Electric Ave, in eight weeks local pub for the benefit of Ferry Hinksey Road, Oxford of its launch. future generations of Leafielders. OX2 0BY 2 Beer on Tap – Winter 2010 Newsletter of CAMRA North Oxfordshire 3 Branch News The Chequers, hope you can be sure of a well- tional but the pub will close on Chipping Norton kept ale at any time. We have a Mondays for the winter period. fantastic new chef who is excited Hopefully the locals will show Tuesdays are traditionally the about preparing fresh local food support and visit on a regular days for pub hand-overs, and both for the traditionalist and basis. The loss to the village next the last day of August saw the for those who want to try some- time could be permanent! James Chequers in Chipping Norton thing a bit different." With land- and Ante also currently run the change hands with the tenancy lords called Hopcraft and a chef White Lion at Tredington, near transferring from John Cooper, called Tuckwell, the Chequers Shipston on Stour. landlord since taking over from is already on the right road. We Josh & Kaye Reid in October welcome Jim and Indra, wish Fox & Hounds, Ardley 2006, to Jim and Indra Hopcraft. The Hopcrafts have been them every success and look for- Congratulation from all at Beer in Chippy since the late 90s, ward to many more meetings in on Tap to Clive & Kelly on the when they moved to the area this pleasant venue. birth of their son, Sean, born while working for Wychwood The Harrow, Enstone mid-September weighing in at Brewery. They had managed 7lb 9oz. Mother and baby are some Hobgoblinns around the The Harrow reopened its doors both doing well. country before becoming part on 7th November after having of the management team in been shut since January before The Fox, Westcote Barton Witney. Jim is a CAMRA mem- being put on the market. James The Fox has changed its opening ber and you may have met him & Ante Charlesworth are the times on Saturdays.