Issue 51 – Winter 2012 FREE – Please take one Newsletter of North Oxfordshire Branch of CAMRA 100,000+ Sign Up For shown in no small way by the Beer Petition overwhelming support for the escalator petition, which stood at Earlier this year CAMRA 105,751 on 25th November. launched a petition to raise Many thanks to those who took a debate in parliament about the time to sign the petition, but the high tax on beer in Britain, the job is only half done! Now and now it has hit its target you need to lobby your MP, don’t of 100,000 signatures (only 12 struggle to make ends meet. We assume someone else will do it e-petitions have ever reached were delighted when a motion and the more who do the better that total), CAMRA has planned for the Government to conduct a the message will get across. a mass lobby of Parliament on thorough review of the econom- The North Oxfordshire Branch 12th December to reinforce its ic and social impact of the esca- is laying on free transport to point. Coaches are laid on from lator was passed after the debate, London on 12th December all corners of the realm, includ- so we are now asking you to can- – to attend the rally contact ing North Oxfordshire, and we vass support from your local MP Chairman John Bellinger to book will carry news of this momen- to carry on the campaign. your place, now! tous event next issue. Pubs matter to the people of See online at http://www. The figure of 100,000 is signifi- this country and this has been saveyourpintlobby.org.uk/ cant as once reached it triggers an automatic debate in parlia- Andy Finds His Redemption In Beer ment. Tax on beer has risen by 42% since 2008 and is due to rise by 2% above inflation year on year, crushing pubs as they Banbury Beer Festival Bar Manager Steve Lympany (front left) hands over the BBF ‘Beer of the Festival’ Award to Andy Moffat, brewer at Redemption Brewery, Tottenham, London. Redemption’s Trinity was voted the best beer by festival-goers at the 2012 BBF, which is amazingly full and tasty for a beer of just 3% ABV. See the Helpers’ Trip article on page 3. Visit the CAMRA North Oxfordshire Branch website – http://www.northoxoncamra.org.uk The Gate Hangs High HOOK NORTON, OX15 5DF 01608 737387 www.gatehangshigh.co.uk Three handpumps with Hooky, Old Hooky and a seasonal Hook Norton Ale A menu to suit all tastes and pockets Open every day from 12 noon Four en-suite letting rooms Facilities for camping Traditional Sunday Lunch Large secluded beer garden with ample parking A fine selection of wines and whiskies • Open log fire in winter • Dog friendly Recently reopened with a new menu and new faces. Why not pop in and give us a try! 2 Beer on Tap – Winter 2012 A Day In The City For BBF Helpers In a break from previous trips room corner pub off the main this year’s Banbury Beer Festival drag, with a high ceiling and a Helpers’ Trip made best use of bank of handpumps. Windsor & public transport, with groups Eton beers were in abundance coming from Banbury, Oxford, and I tried Eton Boatman and Charlbury and Heyford. We Kohinoor; both excellent. all met up at Seven Sisters We were then off again on a tube station for the bus ride to tube journey to the Holborn/ Northumberland Avenue and Clerkenwell area and the best a short walk to Redemption pub of the day, the Craft Beer Brewery. Co – another corner pub The brewery is on an indus- stunning, rich smooth moreish with high ceilings, this time trial estate in Tottenham and ale with a heavy hop flavour. adorned with mirrors. A bank Andy met us there with a choice Here the rest of the group of 16 handpumps faced us with of three excellent ales –Trinity, grabbed food from the Thai another 20+ fonts for interesting Urban Dusk and Big Chief. After menu and very good it looked foreign beers. 99 Red Baboons a quick tasting we were treated too. Brian was even stuck for had an interesting title so I had to a very interesting tour of the choice with vegetarian options! one, and very nice it was too. brewery, another drink and an Another bus ride took us to We had time for a few pints here informative Q&A session. Did The Abbey, which was holding before heading to the tubes and you know that Redemption took a beer and meat festival, so our our respective stations. its name from Andy’s career small offshoot group had a good I was leaving from Paddington change (previously a banker)? chat with the barman while we and the quick journey saw me at Having sought redemption enjoyed an Adnams Topaz (4%) there with 30 minutes to spare, in real ale he’s certainly brewed all round. It was then a short so it was up to the Mad Bishop some great beers and the reason walk to the next stop, Tapping and Bear, a very good Fuller’s we’d gone there was of course the Admiral. On enquiring we pub in there, for a swift half of to present the brewery with were told it refers to Admiral Milk Street Zig Zag stout before the Beer of Festival certificate Nelson who didn’t want to be the train journey home. for its Trinity. This was duly buried at sea, so his body was Thanks to Tim Wilkins for a done by BBF Bar Manager Steve kept in a barrel of brandy for the very successful helpers’ trip and Lympany, whose speech was return journey to England. The remember if you’d like to help at mercifully short! crew would occasionally sneak the 2013 Banbury Beer Festival With the formalities over, a drink, which was ‘tapping the you’ll be eligible for a free place beers were drained and we start- Admiral’! This is a large one- on the next helpers’ trip. ed to drift away to the bus stop for a trip to Kentish Town to try CAMRA North Oxon Branch Contact List some north London hostelries. Arriving at Gospel Oak station Email addresses are followed by northoxoncamra.org.uk we had a short walk to our first CHAIRMAN John Bellinger PUBS OFFICER stop, the Southampton Arms – a Tel: 07427 677854 chairman@ Brian Wray pubs@ long narrow pub with the bar to VICE-CHAIRMAN SOCIAL SECRETARY the right as we entered and basic Paul Forrest vicec@ Eldon Taylor social@ PRESS & PUBLICITY CONTACT wooden furniture. The tiny gar- BRANCH SECRETARY den outside was full so we gath- Lynne Baldwin-Kramer Tim Wilkins press@ ered at a table at the rear of the Tel: 07790 118341 secretary@ PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER pub and supped from the range TREASURER Dick Palmer public@ Nick Faulkner YOUNG MEMBERS SECRETARY of ten ales and eight ciders. treasurer@ Jim Hopcraft young@ After a pint here and a bite MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY WEBMASTERS Martin Batts and to eat for most of us, we made Helen Jones membership@ our way to The Pineapple, a Geraint Jones webmaster@ BRANCH CONTACT BANBURY BEER FESTIVAL quick hike to the main part of ORGANISER town – a classily decorated pub Martin Batts contact@ Jerry Ward Tel: 07854 116408 bbf@ with a high ceilings and a bank BEER ON TAP EDITOR of handpumps. It was here that Trading Standards: Oxfordshire I had my beer of the day, Sharp’s Steve Lympany bot@ County Council, Electric Ave, Ferry Hayle Bay Honey IPA 6.6%, a Tel: 07811 667507 Hinksey Road, Oxford OX2 0BY Newsletter of CAMRA North Oxfordshire 3 Lower Heyford Road Caulcott OX25 4ND Tel/fax: 01869 343257 This charming, thatched 16th century freehouse, in a peaceful, rural setting, offers four real ales (over 200 different ales annually) with White Horse Bitter ever present. An interesting and wide ranging menu is available lunchtime and evenings (not Sunday evenings and Mondays), served in the restaurant, bar or garden. Choose from the daily specials board or the speciality sausage menu offering 12 varieties of O’Hagan’s sausages. Small parties catered for; booking recommended No children under 10 years old Voted Pub of the Year 2010 by North Oxfordshire CAMRA www.horseandgroomcaulcott.co.uk Opening times: Mon-Sat: 12–3, 6–11; Sun: 12–3, 7–10.30 Jerome Prigent 4 Beer on Tap – Winter 2012 Branch News Saye & Sele Arms, the reopening event is too late bar manager and the proprietor Broughton for this magazine, we’ll have is Peter Creed. more details in the next edition. They are offering up to six Danny & Liz are now in their real ales with a mix of local and eighth year at this lovely sixteenth Red Horse, national breweries – three will century pub, named after Lord Shipton-u-Wychwood be regular ales while the others and Lady Saye & Sele who reside We believe that the Red Horse rotate as they sell out. Recently in the famous Broughton Castle. Donnington SBA, Spitfire, A warm welcome is guaran- has been bought by Wychwood Inns who have submitted plan- Doom Bar, and Old Hooky were teed and their choice of four ales joined by an excellent drop is always worth seeking out, with ning applications to move the bar and kitchen and extend the of Bath Barnsey and Roosters North Cotswold and Adnams Yankee. beers as well as Doombar and a pub. It is hoped that it will re- regularly changing guest ale and open sometime in the New Year.