lunesdaledrinkermagazine of the lunesdale branch of the campaign for real ale

I n s i d e . . .

Issue 00

Mission PossibleWe profile Nick Taylor, Head Brewer at Cross Bay Brewery.

Keeping Us In The DarkAnother festival has come & gone but Julian Holt thinks the dark habit is here to stay.

Issue14 - May-July2012

WWW.LUNESDALECAMRA.ORG.UK

IIIssue 00FREEpleasetake a copy

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3Issue14 |

ChairmanJenny Greenhalgh

Vice ChairmanBob Smith

TreasurerAnn Tanner

Media & Publicity Officer Julian HoltT: 01995 600848

Branch SecretaryMartin SherlockT: 01524 66131

Email: drinker@lunesdalecamra.org.uk

The Editor reserves the right to amend or shorten contributions for publication.

All editorial copyright © Lunesdale CAMRA 2012.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in articles are those of individual contributors and are not necessarily the views of the Lunesdale Branch, The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. Lunesdale CAMRA accepts no liability in relation to the accuracy of advertisements; readers must rely on their own enquiries. It should also be noted that acceptance of an advertisement in this publication should not be deemed an endorsement of quality by Lunesdale CAMRA.

© MMXII Capital Media Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be transmitted, reproduced, recorded, photocopied or otherwise without the express written permission of the copyright holder.

Branch Contacts

Published By

I’m delighted to welcome you to the re-launched, full-colour Lunesdale Drinker. There are a host of new contributors (as well as some old ones!) but the focus

remains the same: cask ale and the people that produce it, the pubs that sell it, and you, the drinker.

The re-launch reflects our optimism about cask ale. There is an undeniable crisis affecting the trade, but real ale is growing in popularity and good pubs thrive. In the Drinker we’ll always try to present topics from a positive angle, while not dodging the problems.

We welcome contributions from readers on any topic likely to be of interest or concern to beer drinkers and pub users. The magazine will appear quarterly, and my copy deadline for the next issue is Monday 25th June. You can contact me at editor@lunesdalecamra.org.uk - I look forward to hearing from you.

Finally, a huge vote of thanks to our new partners, the production company Capital Media who are responsible for bringing the Drinker to you in its new form. We think it looks great, and we hope you agree.

Cheers!

Julian HoltEditor

Capital Media Midlands LimitedAura Business Centre | Manners Road | Newark-on-Trent | Nottinghamshire | NG24 1BS | United Kingdom

T 01524 220 230 F 01636 302 303E lunesdaledrinker@thisiscapital.comW www.lunesdalecamra.org.uk

Welcome to your NEW-LOOK DRINKER!

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4 | Issue14

Our yearly treat of darkly delicious ales and warming winter brews is over,

but the memory lingers on. For a fortnight we feasted on some of the finest beers this country produces. How can we stop now?

The 3rd Lunesdale Dark & Winter Ales festival took place across 27 pubs (more than double the number in 2011) and saw upwards of 120 different beers on sale. Held in that grim hollow of the trading year that follows the Christmas season, it boosted spirits and stimulated discussion as well as the palates of drinkers from the locality and beyond. It may even have lifted sales.

This year we had sponsorship from breweries and a pub company, special festival beers brewed by local firms, a launch event, a hike and pint and a closing session at which the Beer of the Festival was declared (this year it was Kirkby Lonsdale’s Dark Arts).

A newsletter (Swift Halves) went out every couple of days with reports, reviews and recommendations from festival goers and updates from participating pubs.

For me the festival resembled an outrageous indulgence, but without the guilt feelings often associated with such things. I could wander from pub to pub stuffing myself on milds or porters or stouts – or a mixture of all three. The novelty of this experience is underlined elsewhere in this issue of the Drinker, where Mike Steinberg notes that usually almost 80% of cask ales on the bar are bitters of one sort or another.

Two snap shots that capture the fest experience. The first is a buzzing Gradbar (Graduate College, Lancaster University) where on just one night I encountered Ulverston Fra Diavolo, Orkney Red McGregor, Acorn Old Moor Porter and Titanic Black Ice. What an education for young and seasoned drinkers alike!

The second setting is the White Cross, recipient of the branch’s Quality Pub of the Year award, with the biggest selection of cask ales in the area. Here on one night was the smoothly quenching Naylor’s Black & Tan, and the rich yet dry-ish Lytham Dark. Stars, though, were the outstanding Copper Dragon Black Dragon Porter and the totally stunning Kirkby Lonsdale Jubilee Stout, a 5.5% masterpiece from a brewery that seems to brew masterpieces to order.

Three festivals to date, then. What has been achieved? First, for two weeks a year drinkers get a concentrated exposure to some of the finest examples of these often overlooked beer styles. Second, and in the end more significant, is the longer term influence on punters and publicans. There is tangibly more interest in dark beers now, and you’ll find more of them, and more frequently, in local pubs.

So hearty thanks to everyone for your efforts over the two weeks. And on-going thanks to the pub managers who insist on keeping us in the dark for the rest of the year too.

KEEPING US IN THE DARK

Own or manage a pub or bar?The Lunesdale Drinker is the only local magazine to reach more than6000 discerning real ale drinkers and pubgoers in North Lancashire.Best of all, advertising costs as little as £3.45 per week.

Call 01524 220 230or visit www.lunesdaledrinker.com

Another festival has come and gone but Julian Holt thinks the dark habit is here to stay

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5Issue14 |

WHAT’S ON?

The Ring O’ Bells

A traditional, historic pub. Enjoy real hospitality. • Home-cooked food • Music Sessions• Quality Cask Ales • Fantastic Beer Garden

52 King Street, Lancaster, LA1 2RE • Tel: 01524 61777

For further information about any of these events, contact secretary@lunesdalecamra.org.uk

CAMRA EVENTS:

MAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tuesday 8 : 8pm Branch Meeting, Robert Gillow (Lancaster).

Monday 14 : 8 pm Relaunch of Lunesdale Drinker, White Cross (Lancaster).

JUNE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Monday 4 : Hike & Pint, Ribblehead to Ingleton (Catch bus 832 at 0915 from Lancaster bus station).

Thursday 14 : 8pm Branch Meeting, Borough (Lancaster).

Thursday 21 Visit to beer festival, Graduate College Bar (Lancaster University).

OTHER EVENTS:

MAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Saturday 19 – Sunday 20 : Beer festival, Bull (Sedbergh).

JUNE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Friday 8 – Sunday 10 Beer festival, Strickland Arms (Sizergh)

Thursday 21 – Sunday 24 Beer festival, Graduate College Bar (Lancaster University) Open during some of the daytimes.

Friday 22 – Sunday 24 Dent Music & Beer Festival.

JULY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Thursday 19 – Saturday 21Hawkshead Brewery Summer Beer Festival (Staveley).

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As seen on ITV1’s The Dales

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7Issue14 |

Running a beer festival - even our first one ever - can’t be all that hard -

surely? Well, not back in December when I sat down with my Mitchell’s rep and first discussed it. But turning a good idea into reality soon involved concrete action.

Glasses, a good selection of beer, cooling equipment, advertising, beer tokens, extra staff, a bar - it all mounted up but eventually we came up with a plan to serve eight casks in a temporary bar in the dining room and three more on the main bar. What could go wrong?

Mitchell’s cellar guru, David Caldwell, arrived the Monday before the festival setting up a fantastic bar for us in the dining room and explained the cooling system to me. The beers turned up the following day, well some of them. The cask calendar told me one thing but the brewers in some cases were not playing ball and substitutions had been made - time to amend the tasting notes!

After tapping and venting all the beers we set up the dining room as a bar and on the Friday waited for the hordes to arrive. Well actually we had showcased two of our beers on the main bar the night before (quiz night). Two Hoots by Holts and Old Speckled Hen went on as “early bird” specials giving my regulars a taste of things to come.

Friday was by far the busiest night with good representation from Lunesdale CAMRA who toasted nicely in front of our open fire. Most of them made a dive straight for the Bank Top Dark Mild which

at a cheeky 4% proved to be a good seller.

Roosters YPA took an early festival hammering as did our home grown offering from Cross Bay Brewery. Their award-winning 5% India Pale Ale, Zenith, took many plaudits and was one of the first to run dry. The entertainment by Blue Juice was excellent and the night finished off later than usual with many punters propping up the festival bar.

Come Saturday and come Shrewsbury Town football fans, who are quite a discerning bunch, revelling in some of the beers new to them such as Bowland Hen Harrier and York Brewery’s First Light. Coniston Bluebird also went down well with them as did the Two Hoots on the main bar. The homemade pies sold out that afternoon - real ale and pies - the perfect combination!

On Sunday I reduced all beer to £2 a pint which kept all the ale drinkers happy and by Monday it was £1 a pint - it all went! The festival was a learning experience for all of us at the York but we will definitely be staging one again for the near future.

Right now I’m planning an ale trail round Morecambe on the open topped Heritage bus on Saturday 26th May and helping with the 1st Morecambe Beer Festival that will take place at the Winter Gardens over the weekend of August Bank Holiday.

Check out our website for updates on both events: www.yorkhotelmorecambe.co.uk

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BEER WE GO!Mike Dennison, landlord of Morecambe’s York Hotel,

on the thrills and spills of a pub beer festival

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8 | Issue14

CRAVEN HEIFERINGLETON

5 Cask Ales including Thwaites and guest beers

Delicious meals with a snack menuAccommodation & Free Car Parking

ONONBeer

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015242 42515Main Street, Ingleton, LA6 3HG

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• Outside Patio • Quality Food• Full Sky Sports/ESPN Package

• Free wireless internet

87 Lancaster RoadMorecambe

LA4 5QH01524 425353

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Westmorland CAMRA POTY 2011

Traditional Real Ales

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9Issue14 |

A university bar is celebrating a run of ten unbroken years in the “bible”

of beer drinkers, the Good Beer Guide. Lancaster University’s Graduate College Bar has spent the past decade in the prestigious guide, published by The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), which lists the best pubs in Britain.

The local CAMRA branch and Lancaster University Real Ale and Cider Society (LURACS) got together to host a “Perfect 10” party to celebrate this remarkable achievement and as a tribute to manager Gareth Ellis, who has run the bar throughout the entire period.

The GradBar has established a reputation for its range of top quality beers, with 8 hand pumps dispensing beer plus four real ciders. Its now famous beer and cider festivals in June and October attract thousands from the campus and beyond.

The party, held at the GradBar during the Lunesdale Dark & Winter Ales Festival organised by CAMRA, saw the presentation of two cakes baked by CAMRA member Ann Tanner, with tributes paid by representatives of CAMRA and LURACS.

Gareth Ellis, who holds Lunesdale CAMRA’s Outstanding Services to Real Ale award, and is also the co-founder and director of Lancashire Cider, said he was “delighted” with the ten-year

achievement, and when asked to identify the secret of success, replied, “Good cellar management, effective rotation and consistency of quality both in beer and service.”

Lunesdale CAMRA chair Jenny Greenhalgh, said “The quality across the board here is outstanding. When it comes to other university bars Gareth has set standards that are difficult to emulate.”

Beers on at the bar during the Dark & Winter Ales festival included Lymestone Stone the Crows, Ulverston Fra Diavolo, Acorn Old Moor Porter, Adnams Tally Ho, Youngs Winter Warmer, Hambleton Nightmare, Titanic Black Ice and Cappuccino Stout, Hawkshead Dry Stone Stout and Bank Top Dark Mild.

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CAMRA Chair Jenny Greenhalgh, Gareth Ellis & Jen Pope at the event celebrating the GradBar’s 10 years in the Good Beer Guide.

PERFECT 10Uni bar marks decade in ale “bible”

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Nick Taylor is a man with a mission. His consuming ambition is to brew

prize winning beers of great character and to ensure that drinkers far and wide identify with the tasty brands that are now emerging from this Morecambe brewery.

Talking to him, it is difficult not to be affected by his enthusiasm for the art and craft of brewing cask ale and by his no-nonsense, determined approach to the job. His experience and expertise shine through too. Put all these qualities together and one outcome is Zenith, the gloriously complex 5% IPA which won the Champion Strong category at this year’s Lancaster Beer Festival.

It was not always thus. Born and raised in Burnley, 32-year old Nick reached the ripe old age of 22 before catching the brewing bug. Prior to that appointment with a life-changing fate he was an apprentice plumber, upholsterer (he actually made Dorma bedding boxes) and qualified as a green keeper following a course at Myerscough College.

“I was a bit of a lager lout in those days,” admits Nick. “My life changed when my then girlfriend’s father, who worked at Moorhouse’s, told me there was a vacancy for a labourer at the brewery.” The iconic Lancashire brewery transformed his view of life’s possibilities

and introduced him to the rich and compelling world of cask conditioned beer. He was part of the team that gave us Pride of Pendle, winner in 2004 of the International Brewing Triple Gold award, and also brewed the multi-award winning Black Cat. (The link with Moorhouse’s persists: Cross Bay uses kit that belonged to the Burnley firm.)

Nick learned his trade on the job. “I’ve been privileged to work with some of the best in the industry, including Peter Goldsborough and Peter Curran who taught me how to brew.”

This collective brewing experience explains his enthusiasm for team work. “Nobody brews solo – good results come from team efforts, which is certainly the case with the Zenith award. I value the freedom I’ve been given to build my own team, which presently includes a complete apprentice.” The other team members are his brother Billy Taylor, and Arthur Livesley, who used to work for Bryson’s. A fourth member was about to be taken on as this piece was being written.

The Cross Bay story already looks like a phenomenon. Launched less than a year ago, in July 2011, the brewery has built a fine portfolio of regular beers and seasonal specials that have won

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MISSION POSSIBLEWe profile Nick Taylor, Head Brewer at Cross Bay Brewery

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11Issue14 |

accolades across the North West and beyond, including an email from a pub at Loch Ness and another from Southend-on-Sea singing the praises of Winter Moon, a porter brewed initially for the Lunesdale Dark & Winter Ales festival.

The 30-barrel brewery is producing 28 barrels of ale a week and has 9 sales reps covering the north, with hopes of expanding south and east. Meet-the-brewer trips are being organised, a reflection of Nick’s commitment to the customer. “I’ll go anywhere to promote our product. People see the beer name on a pump clip but meeting the producer gives the beer a personal identity.”

There are also plans to convert the current shop into a brewery tap which would be open to the public as a bar as well as serving as a venue for tutored tastings.

Cross Bay’s energetic Head Brewer is not only uncompromising in his dedication to his craft – he pulls no punches on issues affecting the industry. “The rate of duty is not what is killing pubs,” he says, though he blames “greedy government” for the £3-plus pint, “the smoking ban killed the trade. People are persecuted for doing something that is completely legal.” And pub companies have made landlords into victims of their “pricing and profiteering,” while he insists that Cross Bay and its owners MBW are doing their best to keep prices competitive. He also believes that supermarkets have no business to be selling beer, especially at prices that threaten the future of pubs and independent brewers alike.

When it comes to his own favourite tipple (apart, that is, from Cross Bay products) he is, like most brewers, a confirmed hophead. “Hawkshead New Zealand Pale Ale (NZPA) would be a beer of choice, along with Coniston Infinity IPA.” Not for the faint hearted, both beers weigh in at 6% abv, with the former achieving its particular character from the 4 varieties of New Zealand hops used.

Cross Bay may be a youngster on the brewery scene but under his guidance it behaves like a veteran. In under a year its three core brands - Sunset, Dusk and Nightfall - have become established and well-liked locally and further afield. Six other beers are or will be available on a two-monthly basis throughout the year, one of which (Zenith) is already an award winner.

Earlier reference was made to Nick Taylor’s ambition to brew great tasting beers, a portfolio of styles and flavours that discerning drinkers could identify with. Mission possible? Decidedly.

The evidence is out there.Nick Taylor was talking to Julian Holt.

Reach 6000+real ale drinkersand pubgoersThe Lunesdale Drinker is the only local magazine to reach more than 6000 discerning real ale drinkers and pubgoers in North Lancashire.

Best of all, advertising costs as little as £3.45 per week.

Call 01524 220 230or visit www.lunesdaledrinker.com

Measuring beer gravity in the brewery

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12 | Issue14

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13Issue14 |

The great thing about a mystery trip is that no one - apart from the coach

driver, hopefully - knows exactly what to expect. With any luck there will be beer involved at some point...

On this particular Friday evening we set off to explore some of the interesting pubs in the north of our area which normally we would have to take a trip by car or public transport to access. Heading north-west, up the Lune Valley, the first stop was to leave the diners in the company to enjoy a meal at the newly refurbished, and very modern in style, Castle in Hornby. The rest of the coach party went to explore the delights of Wray.

The Inn at Wray is now very much a pub for eaters. The small waiting area can be used by drinkers, otherwise, one has to enjoy the beer at a table laid for a meal. The upstairs rooms, however, were very pleasant. If we could have added a couple of big leather armchairs next to the lovely old bookcase full of interesting tomes, and a little table for our beer, we would have been quite at home there, enjoying a nice crisp citrusy pint of Kirkby Lonsdale Stanley.

Onwards to the George & Dragon, which is more drinker-friendly (and full of friendly drinkers), we were welcomed by a nice fire and a warm and inviting atmosphere with some lovely beers including the light and refreshing Acorn Yorks Pride and nicely kept Everards Beacon. Those interested in brewery memorabilia spotted some Mitchell’s centenary trays, in mint condition. This is as much a community centre as a pub, and even has an internet point with a resource about Wray, in the corner.

On our return to the Castle to collect the diners and sample their beer, we found, to our surprise and the embarrassment of the management, that they had temporarily run out of beer. The Black Sheep had all gone. I understand that some more real ale did materialise, I think it was Coniston Bluebird, but by then we had adjourned to the Royal Oak to wait for the diners to finish their meals.

The Royal Oak has a nautical theme

with some very interesting items on display, and a nice coal fire. It is a cosy and welcoming place with a traditional feel, and we enjoyed some Wainwright’s and Thwaite’s Original. We also enjoyed a good chuckle at the expense of one of our number who purchased a can of Mackeson , being a stout he had not yet tried (and he likes to try new things). His comments were amusing but not quotable. Personally I don’t understand the fuss he made. My grandmother used to drink the said stout regularly with a good dash of limeade. It was her favourite tipple. It is good to see a community pub catering to all tastes, not just those of the “cognoscenti”. Not that CAMRA members are ever beer snobs, of course.

Our next stop, the Redwell was very different in character, an interesting mix of modern with traditional features (lovely pile of logs and a stylish wood-burning stove), and a big restaurant, but still room for the drinkers to congregate. Beers included a nice pint of Tirril Old Faithful. One of the party commented that not only did they keep their beer well, but they also provided moisturiser along with the soap in the gents. A classy place indeed.

The Bay Horse in Arkhome was heaving with locals having a good time. We found our way through to the pleasant little back rooms fortified with Black Sheep and Guzzler.

I have to admit that my memory of the final stop at the Dragon’s Head at Whittington is a bit hazy. I remember Black Sheep, a great collection of brass items on the wall, a display case of interesting china and electronics, and the kindness of the landlady in making me a nice cup of tea. What a friendly place.

Whilst at the Dragon’s Head, someone in our party commented on the quirkiness of British pubs. We certainly saw a variety, from modern to traditional, from gastro-bistro to community centre, from traditionally themed to minimalist. What a rich treasure trove we have. It would be good to welcome more of our members and friends on our mystery trips to share the treasure with us.

ON THE ROADAnn Tanner describes the delights of a trip to “destination unknown”

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14 | Issue14

OK, I admit it. I’m a ‘beer ticker.’ There is nothing I enjoy more than visiting pubs

and seeking out and sampling new brews. Having said that, like all of us, I have many personal favourites, none more so than Robinson’s Old Tom (abv 8.5%).

Whilst on the subject of confessions, I am also an incomer. A born and bred Devonian, (lived there for almost exactly 50 years), who moved to Morecambe in December 2002 - so I’m about to ‘celebrate’ ten years here, and have not regretted one moment being ‘up north,’ not that I was a stranger to the area prior to that.

I quickly realised what a diverse range of real ales was available in the Lunesdale area, and even more if you are prepared to venture a little further afield to the Lake District, or ‘down south’ to Preston and beyond.

Having set off on various daily ‘beer staggers’ (as I call them) tasting so many superb ales (and a few not so good), in February this year I decided to share my ‘exploits’ in the form of a blog, which covered any news stories from breweries in the North West as well.

I was inspired to start the blog after sending in daily reports to Julian Holt for his Swift Halves newsletters throughout the Lunesdale Dark and Winter Ales Festival.

Being a freelance writer for more years than I care to recall, it is something I have greatly enjoyed doing, and the feedback has been most encouraging.

I do, of course, frequent all the usual well known hostelries in the Morecambe and Lancaster area, but particularly like The Royal, Palatine, Sun, Water Witch, and White Cross.

Being almost entirely reliant on public transport, I do venture further afield by bus and train, and recently spent four nights in Inverness where I was able to enjoy some fine ales (even one from Somerset!) during my stay.

I also like to attend the occasional beer festival (Kendal, Hawkshead, Ulverston, Skipton, Southport, Lytham etc - and Morecambe’s very own soon!) and hopefully ‘tick off’ a new ale or three that I haven’t tried before.

With my bus pass due in September - Yes I am old! - this, along with my Senior Railcard which I already have, will enable me, in my semi-retirement, to travel around sampling even more ales throughout the North West visiting many fine pubs that deserve our support.

Mike’s Beer North West Blog can be found at http://beerstagger.blogspot.com

MIKE’S STAGGERSFriends of Lunesdale CAMRA on Facebook have been entertained and informed by daily reports on his beer travels from Mike Blackstone, who also has a blog devoted to his ale adventures. The Drinker wanted to find out more.

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15Issue14 |

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16 | Issue14

The pub-centred culture of beer drinking in Britain is surprising from a Canadian

point of view, mainly because here nearly all drinking happens in a pub. Draught beers and the pub system seem to work in excellent unison and the cost makes a social gathering easy and affordable.

By contrast, in Canada, going out for drink is a planned, coordinated and costly event. Thus most beer will be drunk in a domestic setting. I much prefer the social atmosphere of a nice pub.

For clarification, it’s important to explain what I mean by the word ‘beer’. By ‘beer’, I don’t mean ‘Bitter’. For some strange reason in Britain the word ‘beer’ seems to be synonymous with ‘Bitter’ or some variation of it, like a ‘Best Bitter’, or ‘Premium Bitter’.

Occasionally, the word ‘beer’ is used to refer to ‘Ale’. “Beer is Ale and Lager is Lager” is an expression I’ve heard on more than one occasion. Actually, this is a fallacy but it is understandable given the beer drinking culture of the UK.

When I use the word ‘beer’, I am in fact referring to a huge variety of types. This essentially encompasses all forms of Ales, Lagers, Lambics and various styles mixing the three. The historical processes of beer-making in different countries have produced a wide range of beverages that don’t even come close to a ‘Bitter’.

Depending on which database you are using, there can be as many as 80 different types of beer in the world.(1) Many Britons have no idea what I’m referring to and understandably so.

Here in Britain, some people might be surprised to know that there are 12 styles of beers available: Pale Lagers, Premium Lagers, Pilsners, Porters, Stouts, Strong Ales, Milds, Golden/Blond Ales, IPAs, Old Ales, Bitters/Pale Ale, Best Bitters/Premium Bitters/Extra Special Bitter (ESB). (No one has yet been able to explain to me the differences in this last category and the terms seem synonymous.)

There may be some Barley Wines and other specialties but they are super rare. This list may seem impressive but the problem that I find is that nearly 80% of all beer that I come across is a Bitter, Golden Ale or Premium Bitter. Finding anything else can be a chore. These are usually the three core beers of any brewery.

Unfortunately, I find that my palate has become tired of drinking ‘Bitters’ and I crave more variety. Canada and the US are different: they have utilised brewing styles from all over the world, which keeps the market interesting.

Even with the limited range of styles, it must be said that most of Britain’s beers are quite good. The average beer is typically very drinkable and enjoyable.

TRYING NOT TO BE BITTERCanadian Michael Steinberg gives his take on the British beer scene. The controversial verdict: Not bad, could do better.

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But there is a certain level of mediocrity connected with this, as the average beer tends to be just that: although there are few terrible beers, incredible beers are just as hard to find.

Lastly, I wanted to say that Cask is generally hard to find outside of Britain. This is something that really defines the British drinking culture and I believe you have CAMRA to thank for that. A Cask variant or bottle-conditioned beer is highly unorthodox and incredibly uncommon in almost any other country where all beers are pasteurised.

I would love to see some of my favourite beers in Cask form. Cask is definitely my preferred way to enjoy beer.

(1) Japanese Sake is often translated as rice wine. However, unlike wine, in which the sugars present in the grapes are fermented, the brewing process of Sake is closer to that of beer. ‘Rice beer’ would actually be a more accurate term than ‘rice wine’.

AND A PINTJOIN US FOR A HIKE

... or is that a pint and a hike?

For those who've never been on a Hike & Pint before, on our trips the Pint is more important than the Hike, the pace is always gentle and we are definitely out for a good time rather than an endurance test.

The walk planned for Bank Holiday Monday (4th June) is something special. It starts at Ribblehead, passes under the viaduct on the way to the Hill Inn and them goes across a shelf of land beneath Ingleborough, with potholes and limestone pavement.

We can visit as many pubs in Ingleton as we have time and inclination for and probably end up in the Marton Arms with its famous range of ales (no longer a famous range of whiskies).

You don't need to be a member to join this walk, just turn up and you will be very welcome. In the event of bad weather, we will still travel, but the walking will be curtailed. See events section for further details.

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On a cold morning at the end of January a group of senior drinkers set

off from Lancaster by train to Liverpool clutching our railcards and bus passes. We make regular trips by bus or train to different towns and cities to explore the pubs and sample the real ales available.

This was our third trip to Liverpool which has so many good pubs we just have to keep going back. On our previous trips we had visited several pubs in the city centre on the CAMRA heritage list such as the Philharmonic, the Ship and Mitre and the Lion as well as others which just have superb real ale like the Dispensary and the Baltic Fleet. This time we had decided to include some pubs to the north of the city before covering a few we had previously missed in the city centre.

At Lime Street Station, we boarded a bus for Crosby. Several people had recommended a pub called the Crow’s Nest to us and we arrived there just as it was opening. Inside we found a real gem, an unspoilt Victorian pub with four real ales. Formerly a Higsons pub, the most popular beer with the locals is Cains Bitter and they also serve Deuchars IPA and two guest beers. We drank Cains while we chatted to the friendly landlord who presented each of us with a Cains “Capital of Culture” souvenir glass before

our departure. I would recommend this pub to anyone visiting the Crosby area.

Now in possession of “City of Culture” glasses we decided to get some culture for ourselves so we walked down to the beach to see Antony Gormley’s statues. Unfortunately the tide was out so we did not get the best possible view but we followed the lines of statues along the beach to Waterloo where we were planning to visit a heritage pub, the Volunteer Canteen. However, when we got there it was closed so we continued on to the town centre where we found Stamps Bar which has a good selection of real ales.

It was now time to return to Liverpool city centre. The first port of call was Dr Duncan’s, a pub named after Britain’s first Chief Medical Officer born in Liverpool to Scottish parents. It is a Cains pub with the full range of their beers including the seasonal ones. We enjoyed an excellent (and reasonably priced) pint of Cains IPA. The pub has a Victorian interior and includes a superb large elaborately tiled room.

Nearby is the Poste House, a small old fashioned pub which claims to have served many famous people including a Jack the Ripper suspect, the Duke of Edinburgh, Bob Dylan and Adolf Hitler.

TANKING UP ON CULTUREGerald Glover explores the pubs of Liverpool

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However, it is unlikely that Hitler ever visited Liverpool despite the claims of his sister-in-law Bridget, who was married to his half brother Alois. They lived in Liverpool before the First World War and their son William Patrick Hitler was born there. If a Hitler did drink in this pub it is more likely to have been Alois or his son.

Anyone who is interested in genealogy can find the family in the 1911 census. The pub only serves one or two real ales so it is more interesting for its associations than its beers.

After this we decided that we needed some fresh air so we took a walk to the Roscoe Head which is near the University. This is a traditional pub still divided into small rooms and it is on the regional

heritage list. Several guest ales are served and we were able to sample another excellent local beer, George Wright’s Pipe Dream, a very hoppy 4.3% bitter.

Time was now going on and we headed to Lime Street Station to catch the train back to Lancaster, but not before having a final pint in the Head of Steam. This pub has been converted from an old Victorian hotel and has a very large high ceilinged bar featuring some original fixtures.

Appropriately, we were able to finish our trip with a pint of Liverpool Pale Ale from the Liverpool Organic Brewery before taking the direct exit from the pub onto the station for our return home.

Across the country pubs are closing at an alarming rate. For lovers of good

cask ale, this is very worrying: where else do we drink it than in pubs? Although we can’t stop every closure, we can certainly slow the rate of closure down - provided we go about it the right way.

The first thing to avoid is fatalism. It is easy to assume that once the owner of a pub has decided to close it, that is the end of the matter. Examples from all over the country show that this is far from the case. It is no straightforward matter to turn a pub into a home or a shop or a building site and in the delay and uncertainty lies our opportunity.

Another kind of fatalism is to blame economics - “the place was losing money, it’ll never be profitable”. Although there are cases of villages with more pubs than the population can support, or ones in locations where they can never get the footfall, they are rare. Most of these closed years ago.

Generally, “uneconomic” is the excuse of an owner who sees a way to make some easy money rather than go to the time and trouble of turning the pub into a place that people want to go to. Most pubs can turn a profit in the right hands.

CAMRA has long experience of fighting to save pubs, often successfully.

This doesn’t mean, however, that the pub regulars can leave it to us, if by “us” is meant the CAMRA activists, and not just because we are too few in number and have too much else to do. One of the things experience shows is that local support for a pub - a local campaign - is vital. If your pub is under threat, you have to try to save it, not on your own of course, but you must make the effort.

It is easy to imagine that opposing a pub closure is mainly about planning permission. Although the planning process should by no means be ignored, experience teaches us that keeping threatened pubs open is largely a matter of publicity. Unpopularity and derision, whether on the street, in the local press or on the Internet, are surprisingly effective.

One common reason for people not opposing a pub closing is that they don’t like the pub. This is very short-sighted. If you have a long enough memory, think of all the pubs you like now and then think of what they were like twenty years ago. Few have stayed good all that time. Bad pubs can and do improve and good pubs go downhill. Closed pubs, however, stay closed.

If you want to campaign to keep your local open, but want some support, contact the CAMRA branch in your area.

ALL HANDS TO THE PUMPS!Pub closures aren’t inevitable, argues Martin Sherlock

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• Six Cask Ales, soon to be eight!• New summer menu!

• Regular Folkfest evenings, first sunday of every month!• Open Monday lunchtime for food!

Small function room available on request

THE THREE MARINERS

Bridge Lane, Lancaster, LA1 1EE. Tel: 01524 388957

It seems an age or two ago since we sat in the Three Mariners and decided

it would be a spiffing wheeze to have a Morecambe Beer Festival, but it was only August last year. It’s been an eight month learning curve for all the committee members. So what’s the story so far?

The event is to be held at the Winter Gardens from August 23rd to 25th. There will be a precursor event over the late May bank holiday in the form of a real ale trail of Morecambe in an open topped bus, with a bit of a do to end the day at the York Hotel.

As for the festival itself, the trustees of the Winter Gardens have modified their programme of work to ensure that the

venue will be ready for us. We are planning to have fifty different beers to sample from all over the country, including a beer brewed for the festival. Real ale pubs in Morecambe will be invited to publicise their businesses and it is hoped that the local breweries will be involved in some way.

Full details of the main festival will be in the next issue of the Lunesdale Drinker. The Ale Trail event is being organised by Mike Dennison of the York Hotel, info@yorkhotelmorecambe.co.uk

Keep the dates free and we’ll see you all!

MORECAMBE’S FIRST BEER FESTIVAL Organiser George Palmer gives us the lowdown on the forthcoming CAMRA fest

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Dear EditorYour correspondent Geoff Simpson (Drinker No 13) wonders about the name “Fat Scot”. In fact as far as I can tell it was the original name of the pub which was just temporarily renamed the “Scotsman” during the 60s and 70s - there was a stained-glass window saying “Fat Scot” all this time, but it has now gone.

A “Fat Scot”, I believe, was not a human, but a sheep. Large numbers of these creatures walked from their homes to feed the burgeoning cities of England in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Some presumably passed through Lancaster. This does not, of course, explain why the pub had that name. Perhaps the first landlord was an ex-drover? Perhaps he hoped to attract the drovers’ custom? I doubt we shall ever know.

Martin Sherlock

PS - on the same page (Collectors’ Corner): the Yates’ pubs in Carnforth were the Carnforth and the Queen’s. I don’t remember a Yates’ window in that town, but it would have been in one of those pubs.

YOU WRITE...

WHEN OLD SCHOOL IS THE LATEST THING

If you see a wisp of steam and get a whiff of “Ovaltiney” maltiness from the

direction of the George Washington in Warton, it isn’t Tony expanding his trade with home brewing, but a new brewery just round the corner and up the bank off Crag Road.

The Old School Brewery, Warton, Lancashire, is finally in operation after months of planning, building and tentative test brews. Dentist Ian Walsh and builder Ren Wallbank announced their intention to set up a brewery back in August 2011. With advice from George Palmer (ex-Bryson’s) and help from the team at Lancaster Brewery, the Old School was set to launch the first brew in April with a tasting session at the George Washington.

Lancaster Brewery’s old kit has been installed on two levels in the barn and in the neighbouring forge a visitor centre is currently being added. No named brews have emerged, but we predict they will

have “school” themes. I’m sure CAMRA members will not be short of suggestions.

The building originally formed part of the sixteenth century grammar school and almshouses, founded by the Archbishop of York, Matthew Hutton (born in 1529 in Priest Hutton) who founded the school after he had been made Archbishop of York in 1595. Remains of the almshouses can still be seen in the village.

Planning permission was granted in May and the business benefited from an RDPE European grant scheme and support from consultants Futures North West Ltd and help from other local breweries.

We wish all concerned success in this venture as it is a great to see a local business providing employment in a village setting.

Jenny Greenhalgh reports on the area’s newest microbrewery

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