The magazine from the Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead branch of The Campaign for Real Ale Issue 34 - Spring 2014 | www.swmcamra.org.uk FREE Please take one Inside... > MAIDENHEAD CONSERVATIVE CLUB Last 3 times Branch Club of the Year winning duo to retire after 26 years. > PUBCO REFORM CAMRA petition calls time on the great British pub scandal. Supporting Real Ale, Real Cider & Real Pubs in East Berkshire & South Buckinghamshire > Page 2 | Supporting Real Ale, Real Cider & Real Pubs in East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire www.swmcamra.org.uk WELCOME The fi rst choice for pub news in East Berks & South Bucks > FROM THE EDITOR EDITOR UK beer sales have increased for two consecutive quarters – the first time Allan Willoughby in 10 years – although pub beer sales were down by 2.2%. Total sales were [email protected] up 0.8% in Q4 for 2013 and there was a big boost for off trade, with sales up ADVERTISING 3.9%. This increase in sales follows the chancellor’s cut in Beer Duty in last Capital Media Group Tel: 01628 203 203 year’s budget and the scrapping of the Beer Duty Escalator driven by CAMRA. [email protected] Although the news on pub sales is depressing, a small comfort can be taken CONTRIBUTORS that sales declined at a lower rate than for some time. Alan Molloy, Allan Willoughby, CAMRA has welcomed the chancellor’s pledge that more would be done to help Delia Allott, Kevin Phillips, small businesses, such as pubs, with business rates. He added: ‘I want to help those who Greg Davies, David Jackson have struggled hard on our high streets – often working long hours for not enough IMPORTANT CONTACTS in return. So I can announce today that for the next two years every retail premises in Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. England with a rateable value of up to £50,000 will get a discount on their business 230 Hatfi eld Road rates. This discount will be worth £1,000 off their bills.’ The chancellor also extended St. Albans Hertfordshire, AL1 4LW the current small business rate relief provisions until April 2015. We sincerely hope he Tel: 01727 867 201 will continue his commitment to beer and pubs and the million jobs they support by Email: [email protected] freezing beer duty in this year’s Budget. www.camra.org.uk In this issue we highlight this summer’s Maidenhead Beer Festival, we have a new Trading Standards mascot, Magnus, and the festival takes place 18th to 20th July at Maidenhead United www.tradingstandards.co.uk or ask at your local council Football Club. The club is creating a football club ‘at the heart of the community’ with a new 500 seater to improve its historic York Road stadium. Over 80 Ales will be available ADVERTISING RATES and a pre-season friendly will take place on the Saturday afternoon as before. Full Page: £225.00+vat Mixed fortunes for our local campaigns! After more than a year on hold the Half page: £125.00+vat tescoisation of The Golden Harp in Furze Platt is going ahead. The Furze Platt Action Quarter page: £65.00+vat Group has detailed their response in this issue. Planning laws must change. The Book all four editions and receive a further 10% discount. Free design. granting of an Asset of Community Value (ACV) should automatically cancel whatever Call today on 01628 203 203 to book development rights would otherwise exist for the category of property in question. A CIRCULATION Tesco Express in an ACV is a mockery to common sense. On a slightly brighter side, The Bull in Iver, is still selling great beers. As seen from their latest Press Release, although Circulation: 5,000 copies Estimated Readership: 6,000 the share issue is currently short of what is required, the so called ‘mystery buyer’ has Distributed to pubs and other outlets evaporated. The owners, Punch Taverns, are in disagreement with their senior Bond in Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead. Holders. The latest re-financing deal has been rejected, even after the Board threatened Published quarterly to put Punch into administration if they did not agree to the deal. Hang on in there Printed on a 135gsm silk FSC stock guys! PUBLISHED BY A couple of firsts in this issue: we list those pubs in our branch that offer discounts Capital Media Midlands Ltd. to CAMRA members for beer and/or food. For any pubs or clubs that want to extend 2 Halifax Court, Fernwood Business Park, this list please drop me an email and the details will appear in subsequent issues. Also, Cross Lane, Newark-on-Trent, we have our first pub quiz, with the first 2 winners enjoying a brewery tour for 2 at Nottinghamshire, NG24 3JP our very own Windsor & Eton Brewery: have a go and email me the answers. Also, we Tel: 01628 203 203 Email: [email protected] distribute this magazine to more than 200 outlets, not just pubs & clubs...if you have www.thisiscapital.com any suggestions for additional outlets, once again, let us know. Finally, the UK economy grew by 0.7% during the 4th quarter of 2013 and by 1.9% © Copyright 2014 Capital Media Midlands Ltd and CAMRA Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead. during the year, its best annual performance for six years. After the recent incessant All Rights Reserved. floods, with Spring just around the corner, it’s time to dust away those winter blues, get CAMRA Angle is published by Capital Media on behalf of the Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead down to your local and knock back a couple of pints of real ale....enjoy. Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale. The views expressed in this publication are those of individual contributors, and not necessarily those Allan Willoughby of the publisher, the Editor, the branch or of the Editor Campaign for Real Ale or Capital Media. The stocking and supply of and advertising in CAMRA Angle does not imply CAMRA approval of the outlet concerned. Printed using FSC recycled stock by Capital Media Group. Please recycle. www.swmcamra.org.uk Supporting Real Ale, Real Cider & Real Pubs in East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire | Page 3 < Thanks to Simon Smith for the festival images > MAIDENHEAD BEER FESTIVAL 2014 Flagship festival set fair for Friday 18th July through to Sunday 20th July > With more than 70 Real Ales and 20 Real Ciders this year’s On the Saturday the football club will be hosting a Beer Festival organised by the Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead pre-season friendly, more news later for the xture details. branch of CAMRA promises to be cracking event. Around 1,400 Entertainment starts with the popular local band, Skin & Blister people attended last year’s inaugural festival and this year on Friday evening and switches to Playhouse on Saturday at we are dedicating the Sunday as a Family Day. Entrance for 7.30pm. This year we have adpoted Magnus, a beer & football children will be free. Even if the weather turns against us, with loving magpie, as the festival mascot, he will look forward to ample covering, the 3-day bash will be sure to please. following The Magpies on the Saturday afternoon. A variety of Besides the convenience of holding the festival at food will be available throughout the festival including curry, Maidenhead United Football Club, literally 5 minutes walk from chilli con carne and a hog roast to help wash down the beer. the railway station, on the Sunday parking is free throughout Chris Brown, the Borough Town Crier, will open proceedings at Maidenhead lending itself to a fun packed family day out. 12 noon with his Festival Proclamation. Throughout the festival the entrance charge, which helps Last year everyone was so well behaved and it brought o set the costs of the entertainment is a modest £3 for the people from other areas into Maidenhead, which helped to public, £2 for holders of the Borough’s Advantage Card and £1 support local shops which is what everyone wants. for card carrying CAMRA members. Last year Hastings Porter from Hastings Brewery was named Beer of the Festival and, pictured alongside, Parklife from our very own Brewery, Windsor & Eton was runner-up. The Link Foundation is the festival’s charity for 2014, a Maidenhead based Children’s Charity committed to improving the lives of children and their families in the Maidenhead and surrounding areas. So why not put the dates in your diary and follow us on Facebook, Twitter or keep track of events on our website, www. maidenheadbeerfest. org.uk Town Crier, Chris Brown WEBrew win runner-up prize > Page 4 | Supporting Real Ale, Real Cider & Real Pubs in East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire www.swmcamra.org.uk > PECULIAR PUBS The Canal House, Canal Street, Nottingham > Based in the former canal museum, this bar actually contains a canal and visitors can see the resident narrow boats moored up inside. It is within walking distance of the city centre and close to the train station. There is a large outdoor covered area, which is perfect for warm summer evenings. The Canal House now has the largest world beer range in the Midlands, with over 150 world beers. They also serve 10 traditional ciders, 5 craft beers and 6 real ales, including Castle Rock. Tafarn Sinc, Preseli, Rosebush, Clunderwen, Sir Benfro, Wales > The highest licensed pub in Pembrokeshire, this zinc shed has traditional charm. Built in 1876 as a hotel, it now boasts woodburning stoves and a sawdust oor. Rosebush was once the terminus of the Maenclochog railway and the Tafarn Sinc has a reconditioned railway halt and platform in the garden.