Spring 2009 Edition 36 LLAKESAKES && AA LELE Free WATERMILL I NN , I NGS CAMRA WESTMORLAND P UB OF THE Y EAR 2009 Newsletter of the Westmorland Branch of The Campaign for Real Ale www.camrawestmorland.org 1 Hawkshead pdf done 2 Editorial This edition of Lakes & Ale as a slightly redesigned cover with a change of font, but it still contains all the usual reports and articles that regularly appear. Congratulations to the Watermill, Ings for being voted Pub of the Year 2009 and to Tweedies Bar, Grasmere for gaining the runner-up place. Both awards, voted for by Branch Members, are very well deserved. As summer????? approaches there are a good number of Beer Festivals (page 35) so lets hope the weather treats them all kindly. The Branch AGM was well attended, (report page 7) and most officers were return unopposed. We should give our thanks to all concerned for their past efforts. Without such volunteers we would have no beer festival; no social trips, no one to help support & promote our wonderful local real ale outlets. There is much to do and we could do with a few more active volunteers to help out, so do contact us if you can spare some time to help maintain CAMRA’s aims in Westmorland. Enjoy reading this Spring Edition. If you have any particular views, some moans. groans or interesting real ale stories please do send them in for publication. (contact details below). Finally an apology from the last issue when in the Station Hotel article I missed out the name on one of the pictures so here it is again, with Vicky (not ????) in the middle at the POTS pres- entation. Cheers ED L&A Contact: David Currington, Editor (01539) 732599 or [email protected] Annual Subscription Advertising Rates To have a copy of Lakes & Ale sent to 1/4 page £25 per edition you quarterly by post, please send 1/2 page £40 per edition your contact details to: £135 for 4 paid up front Alan Risdon Full Page £75 per edition 4, St. Anne's Court Ambleside ADVERTISING EDITOR Cumbria CONTACT LA22 9ED Alan Risdon Together with £3 to cover the cost of Tel; 015394 33912 postage for four issues. www.camrawestmorland.org COMPLAINT/COMMENT? The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Editors, CAMRA Ltd., Westmorland Branch or any other branch of CAMRA, but of the individual contributor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission. Cumbria Trading Standards Office: County Hall, Kendal. Tel: 01539 773577. Westmorland Branch of CAMRA : Editorial (01539) 732599 ; Advertising: (015394) 33912. 3 From The Chair……. Dear Reader • Westmorland Beer Festival Kendal We thought you might like to know Town Hall 14th –17th Oct, over 50 about Westmorland CAMRA’s current Ales and 10 + Ciders/Perries help us news and future events. by volunteering to make this years Ale by Rail (Oxenholme to Windermere) event an even greater success. We and Beer by Bus (Ambleside - Langdale begin setting-up Sun 11th Oct. Valley) leaflets; take advantage of dis- counts on food and beer that 11 of 15 • Cumbria Real Ale Guide (CRAG), you pubs featured are providing until may already know Cumbria is a real 31/03/10. Available at gem for real ale pubs and local brew- www.camrawestmorland.org local Tour- eries. If you would like to visit more ist Information Centres or send a great pubs and also find out about stamped addressed envelope to West- the 23 breweries plus, we have in morland CAMRA C/O 84 Shap Road the County, then buy a copy of the Kendal Cumbria LA8 9LN Cumbria Real Ale Guide (CRAG). Available from many good real ale • Our Westmorland membership has pubs or by contacting the editor, by increased to 230. We are keen to post: Jim Chapple, 33 Castlegate recruit more real ale drinkers and to Drive, Cockermouth CA13 9HD receive fresh ideas and interest from (Cheque for £5.95, incl. P&P, payable new and existing members. to “CAMRA Local Guide”) • We now transport ourselves using • As an income generator for the Cum- Community Transport minibuses and brian Branches and HQ we are devel- have a set charge of £3 per trip, we oping an attractive Cumbrian Brew- are looking for someone to act as eries Poster, look out for this on sale Transport Co-ordinator, if you are June onwards. interested please telephone branch For more information on CAMRA meet- contact David 01539 732599 ings, Social Calendar, Beer Festivals please refer to our web site • Recent increase in CAMRA activity in www.camrawestmorland.org the Appleby area has raised the po- We are keen to increase activity in West- tential for a sub-group; the Midland morland CAMRA, if you have any ideas Hotel and members are organising a or would like to gain more information Beer Festival 19th to 21st June pro- please contact me by phone on 01539 moting 18 Ales and 2 Ciders. 733859 or by email chrisju- [email protected] • Interested in Brewing, as in 2007 we are going to brew a Festival Beer at Hoping to hear from you or see you at the Prince of Wales Foxfield 15/16 one of the above events, August, this will be a fun / educative Chris Holland event, we will able to taste the re- sults at the above. Westmorland CAMRA Chair 4 the mardale inn @ st. patrick’s well • £5 two course Farmer’s Meal on weekday Bampton, Cumbria, CA10 2RQ lunchtimes (please ring for a table) • Extensive bottled beer list (40 beers) • Fresh local food served all day • Early 18th century inn • Real fires • Fine accommodation • Dogs welcome (but please keep children on a tight leash at all times!) • Fantastic walking from Haweswater (only 2 miles) • No mobile phone signal or TV Cumbrian Ales Summer 2008 • Good Pub Guide 2009 listed Coniston Bluebird 3.6% • Transport to/from the pub can be arranged Scafell Blonde 4.3% Keswick Thirst Ascent 4.0% plus Northern Guest Ale: Timothy Taylor’s Landlord 4.2% tel: 01931 713244 website: www.mardaleinn.co.uk ...within reason! A warm welcome awaits you at Ambleside’s oldest Coaching Inn situated in the heart of the town. We offer first class en-suite accommodation together with a choice of superb home-cooked bar meals. We serve four Robinsons /Hartley's cask ales for your enjoyment in our traditional bar with oak beams and open fireplace. Live music weekly, musicians and singers welcome. Bookings taken on 015394 33216 5 DRIP TRAY NOTICE BOARD The L andlord of the Oddfellows in Kendal h The Ring O’Bells Kendal has reopened. as purchased the freehold and n There are up to four real ales all at £2.00 a ow serves real ale pint as at publication date. Open from 7.00pm for large good value breakfasts. Give it a try! The Eltermere Hotel, Elterwater, is in new The Ship at Sandside has new ownership ; has been renovated and is still tenants (see page 33) serving Cumbrian real ales. 42) (see p eers d Beer B shea wins Hawk brau closures; till up New Ram 9) g news on on both s ewery e p 3 Followin orse, Wint nt Br d (se & Bay H De awar Inn, Hoff West New North ction ed. for au ugh is clos leece, Bro e Golden F r sale. Th ay is up fo Keys, Teb The Cross 6 Westmorland Branch of CAMRA Annual General Meeting 11th May 2009 What a turn out! brau the NW regional winner! - there are The Branch AGM was enthusiastically now 27 micro breweries in the county. attended including the energetic Ap- A Cumbrian breweries poster is in de- pleby chapter and Ravenstonedale lo- velopment - which will raise awareness cals. The AGM followed by a regular of the excellent diversity of county branch meeting was hosted by the Black brewed ale and raise funds for the Swan in Ravenstonedale and the size of group. the turn out kept CAMRA committee members, other members and hotel Membership up, Publicity programme staff busy, collecting extra chairs increasing A year of notable achievements Membership continues to grow, up to 228 (10% growth!) members and the Chairman Chris Holland reported on a overall goal to continue to grow our year of notable achievements including membership is stimulated by the im- a record breaking 2008 Westmorland pressive publicity programme which has Beer Festival (re-designed bar area, soft developed two new leaflets - Ale by Rail drinks for the first time, an increased and Beer by Bus (plus posters promot- charitable donation and a major boost ing the leaflets), increasing frequency of from sponsors to the festival funds). newsletters and publicity to promote The surge in Appleby activity was en- beer festivals including the new couraging and Lakes and Ales readers 'Langdale' festival (focused around the in the Appleby area who want to get number 516 bus) and the recent West- involved including the forthcoming beer morland Shopping centre Festival. festival at the Midland (by the Station 20th June) should contact David Prickett All hard working officers on the com- on [email protected] or mittee have demonstrated their continu- 01768352548 ing commitment and accepted re- election to their posts plus the commit- A new Westmorland brewery tee welcomes a new worker Duncan Kirkby Lonsdale's 'Orange Brewery' has Crabtree who will begin work as the Branch Contact. Volunteers are always needed to help spread the workload - so if Lake and Ales readers would like to be part of the branch success do please contact Duncan ([email protected]) or our Branch Chairman Chris Holland on just opened and AGM/Branch meeting [email protected] delegates who have had the opportunity to see how your talents to try the beers spoke warmly in sup- can be put to best use! port of this new venture.