CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE FREE FREE FREE BRANCH DIARY • Tuesday 12th August - Open Meeting, • Tuesday 7th October, Open Meeting, Unicorn, St Ives (ex Greyhound - Unique White Horse, Eaton Socon (Enterprise - Inns - PubCo) PubCo) • Friday 29th August - Real Ale Ramble • Friday 24th October, Social and Branch around Fenstanton - Crown and Pipes Pub of the Year Presentation, Cock, (Charles Wells) at 8:30pm, George (En- Hemingford Grey (Free) Issue 116 terprise - PubCo) at 9.15pm finishing at HUNTINGDONSHIRE BRANCH NEWSLETTER Autumn 2003 • Friday 7th November, Friday Four tour of the King William IV (Greene King) 10pm. Huntingdon, starting at the Market Tav- • Tuesday 2nd September - Open Meeting, ern (8.30), Cromwell (Wizard Inns) (9.00), FLEXIBLE PUB HOURS A HUNTINGDONSHIRE Prince of Wales, Hilton (Free) Samuel Pepys (Free) (9.30), Old Bridge STEP AWAY NAME CHANGE FOR • Thursday 11th - Saturday 13th Septem- (Free) (10.15) CAMRA ber - St Ives Beer Festival • Saturday 22nd November, Tour of National CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, has wel- • Friday 19th September, visit to Inventory Pubs in London, details to follow comed the progression of the new Licensing (check branch web site or What’s Brewing). The Campaign for Real Ale is changing the Letchworth Beer Festival, via train from Bill through both Houses of Parliament. The name of its local branch to ‘Huntingdonshire Huntingdon and St Neots. 19:34 from • Tuesday 2nd December, Open Meeting, Bill will now go forward for Royal Assent. Branch’. The branch agreed to make the Huntingdon, 19:42 from St Neots, via Hitchin Oliver Cromwell, St Ives (Free) Mike Benner, CAMRA’s Head of Campaigns, change from the old ‘St Neots and District to Letchworth. Returning either on 22:30 or • Friday 12th December, Social, Real Ale said “After years of campaigning we’re only one Branch in April this year at its annual general 23:21 from Letchworth. Ramble of Eaton Socon, starting at the Bell step away from dumping Britain’s archaic li- meeting and CAMRA’s National Executive • Friday 26th September New Members (Charles Wells) (8.30), White Horse (En- censing laws and moving to a more flexible agreed the change at its meeting on June 28th. Social A Real Ale Ramble around St Ives, terprise) (9.00), Millers Arms (Greene King) system. Pubs will soon find it easier to extend A founder member of the branch, George starting at the Aviator (Free) (at 8:30pm), (9.30), and Rivermill Tavern (Free) (10.00) their opening hours to meet the needs of their Cottam said :‘When the branch was formed in continuing at the Floods Tavern (Elgoods) customers.” All meetings start at 8:30pm unless otherwise 1974, Huntingdonshire had recently been abol- (at 9:15pm), and finishing at the Oliver stated. Further information: Kathy Hadfield, CAMRA is calling for all sectors of the beer ished as a political area, and the name ‘St Ne- Cromwell (Free) (at10pm). A free pint for Social Secretary, tel 01480 496247, e-mail and pubs industry to embrace the Bill and work ots and District’ was chosen, although it was all new members who join at the St Ives Beer [email protected]. with the Government and Licensing Authori- agreed for the new branch to take the old Festival! ties. For updates check on-line at http:// Huntingdonshire county area. Now only 50 of • Wednesday 1st October, Branch visit to www.stneotscamra.org.uk (select News from Benner added “It’s essential that the transition our 300 branch members live in St Neots and Bedford Beer Festival, via mini bus from the menu). to the new system is made as smooth and pain- the name ‘Huntingdonshire Branch’ reflects the St Ives, Huntingdon and St Neots. Contact less as possible and this will require a partner- branch area and its membership more accu- Kathy Hadfield to book your place! ship between the authorities and the trade.” rately.’ The Branch organises annual beer festivals in OPENING TIMES WHAT’S INSIDE St Neots and St Ives. The St Neots Winter Ale festival is currently looking for a new venue in Page Page the town. The ‘Booze on the Ouse’ event in St Opening Times is published by the Hunting- Advertising Rates 2 - Branch Diary 10-11 - 25/10 Years Ago Ives at the Burgess Hall, St Ivo Centre runs donshire Branch of CAMRA, the Campaign for Full page - £75, ½ page - £50, ¼ page - £30 Real Ale (Copyright 2002). Views or comments 3 - Pints Sunk 13-15 - Shaws Stroll from Thursday 11 September to Saturday 13 Special discounts are given to regular adver- expressed in this publication may not neces- 4 - Brewery Visit 19 - McMullens Saved! September. Last year’s event was so success- tisers. These rates exclude cover ads which sarily be those of the Editor or of CAMRA. 6 - Pub News ful that the beer almost ran dry on the Satur- have special rates that are negotiable. Please day evening. The Branch is ordering more beer Deadline for Winter 2003 issue (117) is 6 - Pub Design Awards note the deadline dates for each issue, as late to ensure a full range of beers throughout this Tuesday 18th November 2003. copy cannot be guaranteed inclusion. 8 - National Inventory of Historic Pubs year’s event. 9 - Prices Survey Contact Andy Shaw, on (01480) 355893, or [email protected]. OPENING TIMES 116 AUTUMN 2003 PAGE 1 OPENING TIMES 116 AUTUMN 2003 PAGE 2 PINTS SUNK MEDIEVAL BREWERY VISIT In June we had a meet- After the White Hart we called in at Great On a sunny the worts. The beers are fermented in four 400 ing at the Chequers, Staughton’s other pub, the Tavern. New land- Summer Satur- gallon vessels and five 800 gallon vessels. Eynesbury, a restau- lords Sue and Graham day a minibus Three conditioning tanks hold up to 1500 gal- rant and free house have continued to took local lons. An old storage barn has been re-thatched that always offers two make improvements CAMRA mem- and renovated with new beams fabricated from constantly changing since arriving in March, bers on a merry old ships’ timbers. guest beers, typically from small independent with a cellar refurbish- jaunt to Suffolk An automatic bottling line on site specially East Anglian brewers. On this occasion we ment already com- to visit St Peters made to cope with the characteristic medicine were treated to Elgoods Double Swan and pleted and a cellar ex- brewery. The bottle shape used by St Peters, is augmented Mauldon’s Moletrap Bitter. pansion to increase capacity planned for the medieval St Peters Hall at South Elmham forms by a manual bottling plant when necessary. The future. They have also started to experiment a dramatic backdrop to the brewery and opens Also in June we had a trip to St Peters Brew- bottled beers are filtered and heat pasteurised with guest beers, and alongside the Greene every weekend as a bar and restaurant attract- ery in Suffolk, reported on in a separate arti- in bottle. King IPA, Morland Old Speckled Hen, and ing locals and visitors to the brewery, which is cle. St Peter’s Best Bit- Courage Directors, they were offering the open for public tours. In July our meeting was held ter, which was on Greene King seasonal beer, Summer Suf- The brewery was set up in 1996 using water at the Chequers, Little draught in the bar, folk, which has a wonderful spritzy citrus char- from a natural deep water well on the site that Gransden. Landlord Bob is a quality drinking acter, perfect as a summer cooler. was the main attraction for the owners in lo- Mitchell’s regular, Adnams bitter with a full We have lots of interesting socials planned for cating their brewery there. In 1280 a priory ex- Bitter, is a yardstick for body and distinctive the Autumn, so we look forward to seeing you isted on the site, as well as a farmhouse that Adnams Bitter “as good as it fruit and caramel all! was extended in splendid style when the owner gets”, and Adnams Bitter gets notes. Grapefruit bought salvage rights to the priory and used pretty good, so this is no Beer was the pick of the bottled beers sam- the materials to extend the house. Parts of a mean accolade. Bob’s guests on this visit were pled. Wheat beer is the base, and the zesty, moat dating from the 11th century are also a Triple fff Pressed Rat and Warthog, and York pithy grapefruit is in complete harmony with feature of the site. Yorkshire Terrier – two beers that could not the hops and the malt. Another favourite was be more contrasting. “Pressed Rat”(the brewer Another attraction enjoyed by the party was Lemon and Ginger Spiced Ale, whilst Cream is a Cream fan) is dry, roasty red-black mild the ducks. Stout, with its aromatic dark chocolate charac- with a good body and hints of blackcurrant and A vast range of cask conditioned and bottled ter and satisfying bitter-sweet aftertaste and caramel (that’s what it says in the Good Beer beers is produced on the site, many using novel an alcohol content of 6.5% could be the per- Guide and I’m not going to disagree). York- brewing ingredients such as fruits or fruit juice fect end to the day. shire Terrier is an uncompromising hoppy bit- concentrates, honey, and nettles. Pale, crys- After the brew- ter – a classic “Northern” bitter. tal and chocolate malt are more conventional ery visit and the Also in July we enjoyed ingredients, although wheat is used in speci- session in the a Sunday stroll around ality beers.