Newsletter of the Leeds Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

3

New Full Measure is pro-duced by the Leeds Branchof the Campaign for RealAle. The views expressed arenot necessarily those of the

editor, CAMRA Ltd or its branches.Copyright © Leeds CAMRA 2014. Nopart of this magazine may be repro-duced without express permission.

NFM Towers Address: Leeds CAMRA c/o 46 West GrangeGreen, Leeds LS10 3BB.Email: editor@newfullmeasure.org.ukWeb: www.leeds-camra.com

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Publication Dates:The next issue of NFM (#131) will bepublished on February 20th 2015. NFM #131 copy deadline is 15thJanuary 2015.

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Welcome to issue #130 of NewFull Measure, the newsletter forthe Leeds Branch of CAMRA. Wehope you find something inter-esting and informative inside.

Just as this magazine wasgoing to press, MPs from all parties voted in favour of a newclause to the Small Business Bill.This bill will empower PubColicensees to choose between atied agreement and a marketrent-only agreement that willallow them to buy beer on theopen market.

This result shocked the industryand the share prices reflectedthat. Enterprise Inns led the fall,losing 15.3 per cent in mid-morning trade. Punch Tavernsalso shed 12.5 per cent. Sharesin Marston’s and Mitchells &Butlers were down 3.14 per centand 1.8 per cent respectively.

Articles have already appearedfor both sides of the argumentwith CAMRA calling this a victoryand their detractors accusingthem of massive naivety. So whathappens next? What will thePubCos do to balance the booksonce they have lost their ‘wetrent’? Rather than saving theindustry and preserving theGreat British pub, some com-mentators fear that this is theend of cheap entry in to the mar-ket for prospective tenants.

To quote anti-prohibition campaigner Chris Snowdon“PubCos currently own 19,000pubs in the UK. Enterprise Inns

and Punch Taverns, in particular,are in enormous debt. What doyou think they are going to dowith their property portfolio nowthat the government has torn uptheir contracts and destroyedtheir business model?”

Elsewhere in this issue we havecontributions from Rick Lamb, onhis tour of the Isle of Wight andglobetrotter Warren Yabsley, withthe second part of his reportfrom Asia. Nigel Halton reportson the latest from WharfedaleBrewery; David Litten goes backto University to talk Cider withthe Leeds Real Ale Society andthis month’s pub of the momentis the Friends of Ham, Leeds.

My thanks to all who contributed this month.

ContentsNews 4-5

Beer Festival Diary 5

Wharfedale Brewery 7

Leeds Beer Festival 2015 9

Letters Inn 10-11

NWAF 13

Pub of the Moment 15

Isle of Wight Tour 16-19

Leeds University Union

Real Ale, Cider

and Perry Society 20-21

Branch Contacts 22

Awards 25

Where’s Warren 26-29

Diary Dates 30

Welcome!

News

4

Landmark victory .....for beer drinkers, pub goers and licensees asGovernment defeated in Commons vote.

Tim Page, CAMRA Chief Executive said:"Today's landmark Parliamentary vote helpssecure the future of pubs. CAMRA is delightedthat, after ten years of our campaigning, MPshave today voted to introduce a market rent onlyoption for licensees tied to the large pub compa-nies - a move that will secure the future of theGreat British Pub.

“The Government was defeated by 284 votes to259 with MPs from all parties voting in favour ofa new clause to the Small Business Bill that willempower pubco licensees to choose between atied agreement and a market rent only agree-ment that will allow them to buy beer on theopen market. Allowing over 13,000 pub tenantstied to the large pub companies the option ofbuying beer on the open market at competitiveprices will help keep pubs open and ensure thecost of a pint to consumers remains affordable.The large pub companies will no longer be ableto charge their tenants prices up to 60 pence apint higher than open market prices.

“This simple choice should spell the end ofpubco licensees being forced out of businessthrough high rents and tied product prices.

“Thank you to the 8,000 CAMRA members andcampaigners who lobbied their local MP to helpmake this happen and to those MPs that voted tosupport pubs. CAMRA are now urging theGovernment to accept the outcome of the vote.”

In other newsThe area within close proximity of Leeds rail sta-tion is seeing several new pub openings and newinterest in existing property.

The Griffin opened on Boar Lane and offers 6different ales (CAMRA discount) with a menu offairly priced pub food.

The Friends of Ham on New Station Street is

5

now a much larger venue after the extension,there are numerous bottled beers, 4 real alesand tasty cheeses and hams.

The Black Prince on Boar Lane is the latest toopen and is one of the “Sizzling Pub” chain withfairly priced sizzling dishes and a choice of 6 realales. On Mill Hill, what was Spencers is tobecome one of the Head of Steam pubs due toopen in December. A short distance away fromthe Station on Call Lane, a new bar called theBlack Swan has recently opened. There aresome craft keg beers on tap.

Also within walking distance of the Station isthe newly opened Northern Monk Brew CoRefectory based above the brewery situated onMarshall Street off Water Lane (just past MidnightBell). 12 craft keg taps dispense 6 of their beers,2 of which are cask conditioned and 6 craft alesfrom guest breweries. Bottled beers and food isavailable.

The Tarn in Yeadon and the Dog and Gun inGipton are reported to be closed at the time ofgoing to press.

Sunbeam Ales brewery are now filling 8 casksper week since scaling up production. Look outfor their beer in Leeds at Brewery Tap and MrFoley's this month.

ANDY FEDDENAndy was a long stand-ing member of the WestRiding Branch of SPBW(Society for thePreservation of Beerfrom the Wood) andhad been on the com-mittee for many years.He worked in theaccounts departmentsat Daleside Brewery for a number of years beforejoining Kirkstall Brewery in Leeds. He was activein the Harrogate and Ripon CAMRA branch andworked each year at the CAMRA beer festival inLeeds and at many Great British Beer Festivals.

His sudden passing from a pulmonaryembolism at the age of 56 in late October cameas a great shock to everyone. Our sincere condo-lences go to his family and many friends. He willbe sorely missed.

Graham Hewitt

News

CAMRA Branches hold beer festivals across thecountry throughout the year. They are organisedand run by volunteers who give up their own time topromote Real Ale and Real Cider to the public. Themajority of the beer festivals admit card carryingCAMRA members free of charge or offer discounts.Remember to do your homework and check detailsbefore you travel!

Suddabys Winter Beer FestivalThurs December 11th to Mon December 15th Suddabys, 12 Wheelgate, Malton, North Yorkshire,YO17 7HPSee website for details www.suddabys.co.uk/

Manchester Beer & Cider Festival (CAMRA)Weds January 21st - Sat January 24th 2015National Cycling Centre, Stuart St, Manchester

Over 500 beers, ciders and perries. As well as amassive selection of cask conditioned craft ales andtraditional ciders & perries there will bottled anddraught beers from around the world and the returnof the real ale in a bottle bar to drink at the festivalor take home.manchesterbeerfestival.org.uk/

National Winter Ales Festival, Derby (CAMRA)Weds 11th – Sat Feb 14th 2015The Roundhouse, Roundhouse Road, Derby, DE24At least 400 Real Ales will be available spanningMild, Bitters, Best Bitters, Strong Bitters, GoldenAles & Speciality Beers. The UK's very best Winterbeer styles will be judged against each other inorder to crown CAMRA's Champion Winter Beer ofBritiain. nwaf.org.uk/

Beer Festival Diary

6

Real Ales from: Brown Cow, Theakston,Timothy Taylor, John Smiths and now

Leeds Brewery

The Chequers InnLedsham, Leeds LS25 5LP Tel: 01977 683135

Beer Garden • Bar MealsRestaurant • Open Sundays

Food served 12noon - 9.15pm

Leeds CAMRA BranchRural Pub of the Year 2014

Follow Us on Twitter

Permanent beers supplied by Ellandand Ridgeside breweries plus a variety

of guest beers and ciders

Open Fires • Friendly Atmosphere Dog friendly • Quiz Night and Openthe Envelope on Weds 8.30-9.45pm• Only 2 mins from the bus and train

station

Live bands most Fridays contact us for details

OPENING TIMESMonday & Tuesday 2pm to 9pm.

Wednesday & Thursday 2pm to 11pm. Friday to Sunday 12noon to 11pm.

Tel: 01977 278867www.thejunctionpubcastleford.com

Postcode: WF10 1EE

S.P.B.WPub of

the Year

2013

Wakefield

CAMRA

Pub of the

Year 2012

Wakefield

CAMRA

Pub of the

Season 2013

Our group visiting the Wharfedale Brewery waswelcomed by Stewart Ross, technical director ofthe brewery, in the Flying Duck pub in Ilkley. Webegan the tour by sampling some of the 9 realales on the bar whilst we waited our turn to lookround. Refurbishment of the Grade 2 listed build-ing began in March 2013 and the pub opened inNovember of that year. Work on constructing thebrewery began that year and it was in late Nov2013 that the first brew from the brewing kitbehind the pub appeared on the bar. The brewerycan be viewed externally from a gallery via adecked beer garden area upstairs.

The kit was manufactured in Fort William byOban Ales and is a 2.5 barrel plant. There are 2fermenters which can yield just under 1,600

pints per week and brewing takes place twice aweek. Three permanent beers are brewed byStewart and his assistant Michael Allan.

These are- Wharfedale Blonde, which has a blend ofChinook and Cascade hops to give citrus andgrapefruit flavours. Blonde is the best sellingbeer in the Flying Duck, they get through around10 firkins a week. Blonde is also available in bottles at some outlets.

Wharfedale Best is a traditional Yorkshire Bitterwith a floral spicy hoppiness. Wharfedale Black isa dark mild with a blend of seven malts givinghints of chocolate, coffee and liquorice.

Currently there is not enough fermenter spaceto brew any additional beers but a good stronghoppy IPA would be top of the list if they could.

Having looked round the brewery and eatensome food we made our way round a few of theother pubs in Ilkey. The Crescent, Bar t’at andLister’s Arms all had a good selection of ales tochoose from and rounded out a great afternoonthat was enjoyed by all.

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Wharfdale Brewery

Visit toWharfedaleBrewery

Leeds Beer, Cider and Perry Festival 2015

WHERE Pudsey Civic Hall, Dawson’s Corner, Stanningley,LS28 5TA, (5 minutes walk from New Pudsey BRStation, Caldervale Line which serves Leeds,Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Yorkand Manchester)

WHEN

Thursday 12th March11am - 3pm & 5pm - 11pm

Friday 13th March11am - 3pm & 5pm - 11pm

Saturday 14th March11am - 11pm

WHATNearly 200 Real Ales from Yorkshire and

beyond - this year’s theme is rugby. Leeds has agreat rugby heritage, and now we have linked itto beer. Look out for the beers with a connectionto the game, and prepare yourself for some terri-ble puns!

Traditional Real Cider and Perry from aroundthe country, including lesser-known producingareas. The best range in the North with some-thing for all tastes.

Global Beer Bar featuring a great range of U.S.craft beers, fruity favourites and a world of otherstyles! The Mild Trail – drink this quintessentialEnglish ale and get a freebie!

Don’t forget – we’re now open all day Saturday

Glasses lined at one third and two thirds only -no half measures!

Local musicians performing, plus some quietsessions

Hot & cold food, beery stalls, snack emporium, tombola

Full disabled access

Over 18s only – please bring ID if you lookyoung!

HOW MUCHThursday am session FREE; pm session £4.00,FREE to NUS membersFriday am session FREE; pm session £5.00Saturday £5.00 before 17:00 then £3.00

CAMRA members FREE at all times (except Fridayevening, £3.00) and can gain admission 15mins earlier at all sessions

HOW TO GET THEREServices within 5 minutes’ walkTrain: New Pudsey Station, on the Caldervale LineBuses: 9, 16, 16A, 72, 508, X6

Staff are most welcome – you’ll get free beer, aglass, food tokens and a staff T-shirt. Pleaseemail us at beerfestivalstaffing@gmail.com

Date for your Diary

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Letters Inn

“Dear EditorIt's been a long timesince I was in touch - lotsof reasons why which Iwon't bore you with butthis note serves two pur-poses: to tell you that Iam no longer taking partin Reuters; well I am 81

and I deserve a rest; and to say thank you foryour cooperation in sending me your magazinesover the years. I have thoroughly enjoyed readingthem all and keeping in touch with what's goingon in the Yorkshire region. It's amazing to thinkthat it is 40 years since I was the RegionalOrganiser!”

As his parting shot across the bar, Barrie has leftus a small selection of his favourite writings on hisfavourite subjects, Pubs and Beer!

In 2003 I wrote a book called The Landlord’sTale based mainly on my father’s experiences inrunning a Whitaker’s pub in Sowerby Bridge.Here’s a short extract:

“I was introduced to Norman’s inner sanctum,as he liked to call the cellar, one Saturday morn-ing while he was going through the chore ofcleaning the beer lines. It was an essential buttiresome job but one which could be done mucheasier and quicker with two people. I became aregular. First we would empty the beer lines oftheir overnight water, then one of us would goupstairs to the bar and pull cleansing solutionthrough them followed by lots of cold water. Wehad a system and we could move from one hand-pump to another without verbal contact. Thenwhoever was downstairs in the cellar would

reconnect the pipes and we would pull throughbeer which needed the combined approval of thetwo of us before we could inflict it on the unsus-pecting public.

Norman and I enjoyed our Saturday sessionsand regarded the pint we drank at the end as justreward for our labours. He took great pleasure onoccasions in allowing customers to wait while wegave the various draught beers our nihil obstat.

‘Mild OK, Wilf?’ he would query.

‘OK, Norman,’ I would reply joining in his game.

‘What about the Best?’

‘Not sure about it. A bit yeasty,’ was my com-ment showing I was picking up the jargon.

‘Well we’ll just pull another through then,’ andso he would while the thirsty punters shuffledtheir feet and looked daggers at the pair of us.‘Make the buggers wait,’ he would say and afterpulling a pint for a bus conductor he wouldretort: ‘He always makes me wait for his bus.’The fact that Norman had not ridden on a bus forten years or more was not material.”

There is a rumour that if you drink you get drunk.Whether it is true or not a goodly amount has beenwritten about drunkenness and here are a fewexamples:

John B Keane the Irish author kept a pub inListowel and used his customers as characters –for example:

There was an impecunious old gentleman of my

110

Receiving mail from readers is a rare thing here at NFM Towers, so it waswith some excitement that we tore the wax seal from the following mis-sive. Imagine our dismay at reading the subsequent announcement fromvenerable local author, and friend of NFM, Barrie Pepper;

acquaintance who confessed with utter sincerity:‘I spent most of my money on porter, and therest of it foolishly.’

There is an apocryphal story of a formerForeign Secretary who, on a diplomatic visit toPeru, attended a government reception at whichhe got rather the worse for drink. He approacheda tall person and asked if ‘the beautiful lady inred would allow him the pleasure of this waltz?’He was told: ‘I shall not dance with you for threereasons. First, because you are drunk, second,because this is not a waltz but the Peruviannational anthem and third, because I am not thebeautiful lady in red; I am the CardinalArchbishop of Lima.’

Here are three poems:

Readers Letter

111

The pig got up andslowly walkedaway by B Hapgood Burt

One evening in October,

when I was one-third sober,

An’ taking home a load with manly pride;

My poor feet began to stutter,

so I lay down in the gutter,

And a pig came up an’ lay down by my side;

Then we sang It’s all fair weather when good

fellows get together,

Till a lady passing by was heard to say:

You can tell a man who boozes

by the company he chooses

And the pig got up and slowly walked away.

Machine age by Les Baynton

I don’t give a jotAbout hi-tec computers,Robotic production,Or nuclear motors.But the simple machineThat distributes good cheer,Is the beautiful handpumpThat brings me my beer.

Birth of aplastic pub by Dave Dutton

First they tore out the original oak beams,

And slapped in olde plastic facsimiles.

Then they rooted out the jovial

red-faced shire-horse of a landlord,

And replaced him with a surly glove-puppet,

with a carved-in snarl.

Then they flushed out the good

strong draught ale down into the sewers,

And piped in what had previously been in the

sewers.Then they booted out the old concertina man,

And installed a head-throbbing juke-box

(To stop people talking about what was happen-

ing).This forced out all the customers with any

characterAnd in their place, came. . .

Well; suffice it to say that one night

A member of the new clientele stood too near

a lampAnd melted.

Thank you, Mr Pepper, enjoy your retirement.

12

CAMRA’s National WinterAles Festival 2015Where: The Roundhouse, Derby, DE24 8JEWhen: Open from Wednesday 11th – Saturday14th February 2015

In 2015 CAMRA’s flagship National Winter AlesFestival will be held in Derby for the second yearrunning, with over 400 beers available theFestival will showcase some of the very best ales,ciders, perries, bottled world beers and mead in3 separate areas.

Located beside the Pride Park exit of DerbyRailway Station (just 87 minutes from Leeds)Derby’s historic Roundhouse could not be in amore convenient location.

Four Brewery Bars have been agreed: multiaward winning Blue Monkey from Nottingham;innovative North Star from Derbyshire, both inthe main hall, Derby’s very own BrunswickBrewing Company in the Music Marquee andYorkshire’s shinning gem Brass Castle in theCarriage Room.

The National Winter Ales Festival is home toCAMRA’s prestigious Champion Winter Beer of

Britain Competition which sees the 4 winterstyles of beer (porters, stouts, old ales/strongmilds and barley wine/strong old ales) beinggathered from across the UK to be judged and awinner declared. The festival itself has lots ofpale beers and golden ales to choose from too.

The website www.nwaf.org.uk will be updatedregularly with details of admission prices, liveentertainment, tutored tastings and special hotelrates thanks to our partners atwww.visitderby.co.uk. There are no advance tickets as this is a pay on the door event. Well-behaved and supervised under 18s are welcomeduntil 19:00 each evening, after which they mustleave due to a licensing requirement.

The feedback from 2014 revealed that our cus-tomers loved the building, the beer quality andselection as well as the hot and cold food whichwas available. So why not join them and comeand see Derby at its beery best!!

Cheers!Gillian Hough

Organiser National Winter Ales Festival

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14

ABBEY INN99 Pollard Lane, Newlay, Leeds, LS13 1EQ

DUCK & DRAKEKirkgate, Leeds, LS2 7DR HUNTERS INN

Harrogate Road, Pool in Wharfedale, LS21 2PS

NEW HEADINGLEY CLUBSt Micheals Road, Headingley, LS6 3BG

OTLEY TAVERNNewmarket, Otley, LS21 3A

STATIONHenshaw Lane, Yeadon LS19 7RZSTICK OR TWISTMerrion Way, Leeds, LS2 8PDTHREE HULATS

13 Harrogate Road, Leeds, LS7 3NB

TROYDALE CLUBTroydale Lane, Pudsey, Leeds, LS28 9LD

WHITE SWANHigh Street, Yeadon, LS19 7TA

WOODS5 Steinbeck Corner, Chapel Allerton, LS7 3PG

WOOLPACK18 New Road, Yeadon, LS19 7SE

pub of the moment

I remember going to Friends of Ham during the firstweek trading and thinking “No, this’ll never work,not in Leeds” I may also have said it once or twice(maybe more…) to my fellow drinkers, all whilstsampling the excellent beer on offer.

I was wrong, I admit it.

However, I also remember going back to Friends ofHam many times since and thinking “It’s just toosmall!” On this I was right, a view that appears tohave been shared by owners Claire and AnthonyKitching. They approached Nicola Moxon at PureDesign Consultancy to assist with the design of theextension and concept development for their bar, aconcept drawn from the ‘Jamon Bars’ of Spain, thegrowing London café culture and the craft beer barsof the USA. After a short closure, this month hasseen the reopening of the new and improvedFriends of Ham, and what an improvement it is!

Gone is the narrow upstairs bar where the throngsof eager customers would jostle for position at thebar, ever mindful of being in someone’s way. In itsplace, a sizable space with seating for around 50patrons, converted from the shop next door (a CashStore, the loss of which few will miss). The expand-ed bar area, with its new retail counter, gives theFriends team more room to create lovely platters ofmeats and cheeses. An extra hand-pull tap (alongwith another three keg) brings the number of tapsto a respectable 14, a mixture of interesting caskand keg beers from all over the UK and beyond.Recently awarded the Observer Food Monthly Best

Place to Drink 2014, Friends of Ham has beaten offserious competition to show that it’s a destinationpub and well worth a visit.

Other local places include Tapped, with its mixtureof cask and keg ale it also houses its own micro-brewery; Bundobust, no real ale here but a crackingselection of Indian snack food and bottled beers andthe newly opened Griffin, Taylor walkers attempt torecreate a London boozer in the heart of Leeds,maybe a little too accurately, I’ll let you be the judgeof that.

Friends of Ham4-8 New Station Street, LeedsLS1 5DL

Photos kindly supplied by Justin Slee

15

Friends of Ham

A WhistlestopTour Of WightAlthough based in Shanklin, a couple of tours ofthe island were included in the holiday. The firstsaw me head west along the south coast to thesouthernmost town, Ventnor, one of the steepestand most sheltered towns in Britain and dubbed‘England’s Madeira’. I followed the coast roadacross the ‘Back of the Wight’ through Chale,Brightstone, Freshwater, (with the island’s onlythatched church, built in 1908,) to Alum Bay fora tea break and view of the West Wight cliffs andthe Needles.

The shingle beach and multi-coloured sands ofthe cliffs of the bay are well worth a detour andaccessible by chairlift. From here a short hop tothe ferry port and yachting haven of Yarmouth,sitting at the mouth of the river Yar. The town isthe island’s oldest, founded in 1135, and wasraided a number of times by the French and othersuntil a castle was built in 1547. The pretty har-bour contains a 700 foot timber pier as well asthe castle. Just off the harbour, on Bridge Road, I found my first pub, the WHEATSHEAF.

This is a plain, two-roomed pub with bare-boarded floors and simple wooden furniture. A brick fireplace with iron stove features in thelounge and there is a display of photographs ofthe town and port. The beers were; Purity MadGoose, Ringwoods bitter and Goddards Fugglede Dum. Around the corner in The Square is themulti-roomed old coaching inn, the BUGLE, richly carpeted throughout, with wood and stonewalls and lashings of brass and copperware ondisplay. There’s six beers to choose from, mainlyRegionals, including; Taylors Landlord, DraughtBass, Brakspeares bitter, Sharps Doom Bar andRingwoods bitter. Straight across from the Bugleis Quay Street and the KINGS HEAD. This is acharacter, old harbour-side inn, carpeted, low

ceilinged and with stone and wood in profusionand solid wood tables, chairs and benches, andphotographs and prints of a maritime and townnature. This was to prove to be my most expen-sive pint on the island at £4. Three beers; Otterbitter, Sharps Doom Bar and Goddards Fuggle deDum. There was a fourth pub across the road,the George, but time didn’t permit.

From here it was a drive through Newport, (witha Classic Boat Museum, Bus Museum, Romanvilla and Museum of Island Life,) passingCarisbrooke Castle, through the villages ofBlackwater and Rookley to the charming village ofGodshill, one of the most visited places on theisland, with its thatched cottages, medieval hilltopchurch and numerous tearooms. The first pubhere is the GRIFFIN, a large, stone-built, familydining pub with kid’s playground and expansivelawned beer garden to rear. Beyond the beer garden is what must be a unique feature for apub, its own maze, shaped like a griffin. I didn't try it out for fear of getting lost and miss-ing the coach. I instead contented myself with apint of Goddards Ale of Wight (others wereSharps Doom Bar and Ringwood bitter). Passingthe Cider Barn and the Old Smithy and numerousother thatched buildings I came to the TAVERN-ERS. This is a stone-built, multi-roomed pub withstone, flag and brick floor. The bar is an unusualbrick and wood style with slate roof and the mainlounge contains a brick fireplace with iron grate.For the reader, there is a small library. Furniture isa combination of rustic tables and chairs, leatherarmchairs and padded benches. There is a pavedbeer garden to the side and at the rear is apetanque court. Outside the front door is acoloured tiled pavement. The beers, SharpsDoom Bar, Island Nipper bitter and Yates Tavern-ers Own Ale. From here it was back to base.

Isle of Wight

16

In this issue Rick Lambconcludes his tour ofthe Isle of Wight.

The second day was a free day to explore atwill, but as my camera had packed up inGodshill, the previous day, I decided on a tripinto Newport, the island’s capital and home ofthe only retail park on the island where I mightbuy another camera, so my course for the daywas decided. (I know how much you like pic-tures). Bus riding is not a cheap pastime onthe Isle of Wight, with a day ticket costing£10 and there are only about 12 routes. Still,needs must. The Southern Vectis no. 2 isquite a scenic run, hugging the coast, head-ing as it does into the centre of Ventnor withits narrow, twisting streets, HeritageMuseum and botanic gardens. In the centreof the town I spotted an old sign on anunused building bearing the legend‘Ventnor Brewery,’ once the home of BurtsBrewery.

Another half-hours run, through theDowns and quaint tiny villages, brought meinto Newport. Newport is built around theriver Medina and is bang in the middle of theisland. It was founded in 1180 as a port andits favoured position soon made it theisland’s main settlement. It is now a mix ofbustling streets, narrow lanes andGeorgian buildings, (the Guild Halland Minster being particularlyimpressive.) There is a fair smat-tering of pubs, including twoWetherspoons, one recentlyopened, the Man in the Moon, ina beautifully converted stonechurch. I only tried one, a large,imposing residential hotel in StGeorges Square, adjacent tothe Minster. This was theWHEATSHEAF. The internalwalls are red brick and palegreen plaster with stoneflagged and carpeted floors.Solid wood furniture andleather armchairs surroundthe brick fireplace in thelounge. At the back of thelounge is an exquisitelypanelled games room

Isle of Wight

17

WHEATSHEAF

with red baize pool table. The entrance lobby iscolourfully tiled. Three beers; Greene King OldSpeckled Hen, Sharps Doom Bar and GoddardsWight Squirrel. Taking the no. 3 and a moredirect route, I by-passed Shanklin and made forthe neighbouring resort of Sandown.

Sandown is situated in the middle of SandownBay, with Culver Cliff to the north. A Victoriantown with a wide seafront promenade, large vil-las, gardens and magnificent pier and grandVictorian and Edwardian hotels. I only knew ofone pub from reading material of the town anddidn’t know where it was, until the bus turned acorner and hurtled past it. I walked back to thismid-terrace pub and entered to find artefactsthat echoed the pub’s name - the CASTLE. Thebare stone walls were covered with swords andshields, suits of armour and a surprising numberof dragons. A stone fireplace, leather sofas andwooden benches added to the feel. On the bar;Hydes Castle Ale, Itchen Valley Pure Gold, Otterbitter and two guests, (the Castle Ale only £2.50a pint.)

Whilst walking back from the bus stop I hadalso noted another pub down a side street andexiting the Castle’s beer garden, a short strolllater I entered through the large, lawned andpaved beer garden of the OLD COMICAL. This isan old, traditional pub, formerly the Commercial,

with two rooms. The walls throughout were acombination of half panelled and fuschia washed.The front bar/ lounge was wood and stoneflagged floor, with furniture of a rustic woodstyle, old benches and beer barrels. The bar waswooden, battered and plain. On the walls werepictures of 2nd World War aircraft and there wasa collection of bottles and jugs. Shelving con-tained a small selection of books. The reargames room, with darts and pool table, was bare-boarded with iron fire range and a stunning collection of porcelain plates. Interesting pub,not such an interesting beer range. Three beers;Greene King Old Speckled Hen and Golden Henand Sharps Doom Bar.

A couple of mile walk along the seafront, with abackdrop of sandy cliffs and verdant flora,brought me back into Shanklin. An early startafter breakfast took me up the eastern side ofthe island, through Lake, Sandown and Brading,then across to Newport and north to Cowes.Cowes, at the mouth of the Medina river, claimsto be the world’s most famous yachting resortand dates back to Tudor times. It is a commercialcentre with lively harbour and is home to half adozen yacht clubs, including the Royal YachtSquadron, a palatial manor sitting on the Parade.The 22 golden cannons to the front of the clubwere being primed ready to signal the start of arace.

Isle of Wight - continued

118

Cowes Ale House Painters Arms Royal Yacht Squadron

22 cannons

A walk up Bath Road brought me to the HighStreet, a narrow, part pedestrianised thorough-fare. As the sun was almost over the yardarm,(12.00pm,) beer was on the agenda. As I slowlysauntered along the High Street I found the SunInn, on the corner of Watchouse Lane, then, in aclutch, the Fountain, Vectis Tavern and Pier ViewInn, shortly after, the Anchor Inn, behind which isthe Painters Arms and 20 yards up Shooters Hill,the Cowes Ale House. For no particular reason Ichoose the PIER VIEW INN. This is an old, tow-ered, street corner pub with wood being theorder of the day; bare floorboards, wooden furni-ture, huge barrels and tall stools and old woodenbar. Photos and pictures of a nautical theme,yachts and sailing boats adorned the walls. Notthe greatest of beer choices with Sharps DoomBar, Fullers London Pride and Jennings CockyBlonde. From Cowes we passed by OsborneHouse, through the villages of Wootton andFishbourne, Quarr Abbey and entered the town ofRyde.

Although not the main town of the island it isthe biggest, with a population of 30,000. A trueseaside resort with many entertainments for theholidaymaker; putting green, ice rink, ten pinbowling etc. It also has many elegant Georgianand Victorian buildings, especially on the mainstreets leading from the sea up into the town,Union Street and High Street being the main

arteries. There are a number of pubs on thesetwo streets, including a Wetherspoons, S. Fowler& Co, but after walking to the top and back downI settled in the KING LUD opposite the pier. Thisis a narrow, black & white timbered, mock Tudorinn. It has one large room, with slightly fadeddécor, a stone fireplace and daffodil-colouredwalls. Seating is a combination of padded benchesand wooden chairs. Three beers on; Gales HSB,Skinners Cornish Knocker and Yates GoldenBitter. So concludes my tour of the Isle of Wight.A fine selection of pubs, inns and taverns of varyingstyles and periods, but, to my mind, unfortunatelynot complemented by the varieties of beers.

Isle of Wight - continued

19

Royal Yacht Squadron

22 cannons Griffin maze

Old Comical front barPier View

Cider Society

20

Leeds University Union Real Ale, Cider & Perry Society

An ever-present face on the Yorkshire Beerscene, there aren’t many out there who do moreto spread the word of great ale and cider. Youmay know him as David Litten, we know him as“Bloke from Hull.”

Many moons ago (well mid-April) I received an e-mail message from Alessandro, the newSecretary of the Leeds University Union Real AleCider & Perry Society. We had previously metbriefly in the Reliance at a gathering for KatieMarriot prior to her departure to northern lands.He told me that as part of the group’s missionthey would like to provide more cider relatedevents in the next year, starting from a “basics”of cider and perry to be hosted in the Union inOctober to fit in with CAMRA’s cider month activities. The intention was to follow this up inthe second term with a visit to the Pure NorthCider House.

He said “It would be a great pleasure to haveyou as the speaker of the night, telling us moreabout cider and perry and leading a tasting session”. Well, flattery will get you everywhere,even though I have never done anything like thisbefore, I agreed. I enlisted the help of Nicola and

Richard from Craft Cider who just happened tobe available for the chosen evening of October24th. Nicola liaised with Alessandro re the cidersfor the tasting session and he also got theUniversity jungle drums up and running to generate interest.

And so the evening eventually arrived and wemet in the Old Bar in the Students Union. Whatan impressive place, I can remember my daysdrinking rotten old stuff from rubbish plasticdrinking vessels in Spartan drinking areasdesigned for damage limitation. Things have certainly changed. The bar has a pleasant atmos-phere, sofas, 7 real ales and a couple of realciders at good prices. The Old Bar is also openaccess to the public so I feel a pub crawl aroundthe area coming on.

Having supped a couple of liquid measures ofDutch courage we made our way to meet the students. A roomful (well - around twenty) await-ed us. I went first and explained what real ciderand perry are according to the current CAMRAdefinition and why CAMRA supports these tradi-tional products. I also informed the attendeesabout the Leeds branch of CAMRA and how they

could use the internet to discover where pubsselling real cider could be found via theCAMRA website using the “Cider Pubs nearyou” section. Following a ripple of applause Ithen handed over to Nicola and Richard forthe tasting section.

They began with Burrow Hill Dry cider, acomplex 6.0% ABV cider with a fruit finish,good enough to grace any dinner table. Thiswas followed by Westcroft Janet’s JungleJuice. At 6% ABV this refreshing, mediumbody thirst quencher got the students going.Next, was Crossman’s medium dry at 6.0%ABV– a delightful example of a traditionalsmooth “all-round” cider, being fruity with aslight sweet finish.

As the interest and conversation grew,Snails Bank Tumble down Apple Medium(5.2%ABV) was tasted, a more challengingdrink but moreish. The classy easy drinking,blended Olivers perry (6.5% ABV) was nextwith its rich feel and intensity. Yummy indeed.

The clock was sadly against us and it wassoon time to bring the session to a close.Enthusiasm abounded and several peoplebought some carry-outs. All that was left wasto take a team photo and say “thank you” toeveryone for attending. Unanimously, thecider of the night was Westcroft Janet’sJungle Juice – a good choice.

My thanks go to Allesandro for organisingthe event to spread the word about “RealCider” and to Nicola and Richard for theirexpertise in leading the tasting.

Wassail!

David Litten (CAMRA's Yorkshire Regional

Cider Co-ordinator)

Leeds University Union Real Ale, Cider & Perry Society

21

Located next to the old Greenside train station with a bus stop right outside, thisCAMRA listed Heritage Pub can serve you awide range of both cask ale, continental lagerson draught and a huge selection of bottled

beers from around the world.

A full menu available every Sunday including a traditional roast.

General knowledge quiz every Thursday with a £50 bar tab prize.

Live music every Saturday

Function room with private bar available for hire

For bookings call: 07923 383 282thenewroyalhotelpudsey @alehousepubco

The Royal HotelStation Street, Pudsey LS28 8PR

BranchContactsCommittee membersChairman: Mike Hampshire07763274454

Branch Contact: Nigel HaltonBranchContact@leeds-camra.com

Chairman: Mike HampshireChairman@leeds-camra.com

Festival Organiser: David DixonBeerFestivals@leeds-camra.com

Locale Coordinator: Steve StaindaleLocale@leeds-camra.com

Membership Secretary: Mike HampshireMembership@leeds-camra.com

Newsletter Editor: Tony ColtmanNewsletter@leeds-camra.com

Press and Publicity Officer: Sam ParkerPublicity@leeds-camra.com

Pub Database Holder: David AnsleyWhatPub@leeds-camra.com

Pub Preservation: Sam ParkerPubPreservation@leeds-camra.com

Public Transport Officer: Philip MullenPublicTransport@leeds-camra.com

Secretary: Warren YabsleySecretary@leeds-camra.com

Social Secretary: Charlie CavayeSocialSecretary@leeds-camra.com

Tasting Panel Coordinator: David DixonTastingPanel@leeds-camra.com

Treasurer: Keith SunderlandTreasurer@leeds-camra.com

Webmaster: Christine Jopling Webmaster@leeds-camra.com

Young Members: Waren YabsleyYoungMembers@leeds-camra.com

22

24

Two permanent ales: Leeds Pale, Tetley Bitter plus FIVE rotating guest ales.

Sky Sports and BT Sports on Four Screens

Beer garden with Plasma Screen and Car Park to therear

Main meals - Two for £9.00We are open Mon-Wed 12noon-11pm

Thurs-Sat 12noon-midnight, Sun 11am -11.30pm

Quiz nights:Monday – General Knowledge Tuesday – Music

Thursday – Entertainment

The Regent

15/17 Regent Street, Chapel Allerton, Leeds LS7 4PETel: 0113 2939395 Email: 6233unit@spiritpubcompany.com

LEEDS

CAMRA

Pub of the

Season

Autumn

2014!

The most improved pub award is a slightly unfor-tunately named award. The winner of this awardhasn’t necessarily been a bad pub, it’s just ourway of recognising a special effort or change thathas taken place. Whilst we don’t always see theneed to present the award, sometimes, as thistime, two worthy winners come along at thesame time.

Woodies Craft Ale House, Headingley and theWetherspoons, Leeds Station shared the awardthis time. Woodies for the new refurb and expan-sion in its ale offer and the station for it’s continued commitment to serving real ale.Congratulations to the both of them.

“Just as Chapel Allerton hasretained its village atmosphere ithas also retained many of its oldpubs. And they still have a placein the heart of the community.”So wrote Barrie Pepper whenasked about The Regent, ChapelAllerton, which scooped up our

Pub of the Season award. After narrowly missingout on two previous occasions, Pub general man-ager Barry McMillan was handed the award bybranch treasurer Keith Sunderland. Pub regularscited quality of the ales kept by Barry and hisstaff and also the warm friendly feel of the pub.

Two awards to mention just outside of ourregion. First off the Brown Cow in Keighley whichwas a runner up in the regional pub of the year

competition and the KelhamIsland Tavern which won theYorkshire regional heat for thePub of the Year. Congratulationsto both pubs from all at LeedsCAMRA, and good luck to theKelham Island Tavern, now in thelast 16 for the National Pub of theYear competition.

The Leeds Branch of CAMRA regularly recognises achievements by breweries and licensed premisesin the district which are worthy of special mention.

Where’sWarren?

The first part of my article about beer and cider onan overland trips between Turkey and India andNepal and Russia appeared in the last edition. I’d got to the point where the truck hadjust crossed into China from Kyrgyzstan.

Beer in China is very sweet and low in alcoholwith 2.8-3.5% the norm (£0.30-0.50). The oneexception was Xinjiang (4.3%) but this was onlyavailable in the far west around Kashgar. Beermainly comes in glass bottles, often 620 ml,which are unsuitable for the truck’s fridge.However, we found a suitable number of cans.

In western China, the small shops often keepbeer and soft drinks together in chest freezers. Insome cities they were ineffective, while in othersthe drinks were almost frozen. In a large super-market I found some dark beers includingSinkiang plus, in a smaller shop, Stout Beer fromYellow River brewery (£1.00; dark beers generallybeing more expensive). I was not able to storethe beers in the truck’s fridge so I waited for acold day to try them. Crossing a high pass inTibet presented the ideal chance. Additionally, at5,231 m/17161ft., I thought it was going to bethe highest point on the trip so I was planning ona celebratory drink anyway. A couple of days laterwe crossed an even higher pass at 5,248 m/17217ft., so another beer was in order. This wasan honest mistake and not just an excuse for abeer! Written on the somewhat grim toilet block

at the pass was the claim that it was the highestin the world.

Lhasa, Tibet’s capital, is situated at a height ofaround 3,500-3,650 m/11,500-12,000ft. andthe Lhasa Brewery has been reported to be thehighest brewery in the world. I liked the sloganon the oddly-sized 628ml bottles of Lhasa beer:“Beer from the roof of the world. At our finalcamp in Tibet I followed the example of ourguides in Kyrgyrstan and dammed the river tocool my last couple of beers, then sampled theStout Beer, which was delicious with tastes ofvanilla and burnt toffee that went down well withothers who had a sip. The breweries behind allfour beers mentioned have, in variable propor-tions, Carlsberg, which has a very large “behindthe scenes” presence in the west of the country,as a major shareholder. Where I mention themulti-nationals, it is not meant to be derogatorybut to highlight the extent of their internationalbusinesses.

Next was Nepal, a vastly different country interms of culture and scenery. I walked 16 km/10miles back to the Tibet border the next day toabsorb the local lifestyle then caught a packedlocal bus to where we were staying. A man alsogot off with a large sack of beer from Tibet tosupply the local shops/bars. It was a fair bitcheaper than Nepalese beer (£1.10-£1.50 for650 ml bottle) anywhere in the country so I presumed the tax was a lot higher in Nepal. Imuch preferred the local beer, however, becauseit was stronger, less gassy and bitterer. Typicalstrengths were 5-7% with names labels andwording aimed very much at the male market,though I’ve read that electronic advertising isbanned. Mount Everest (Everest and Golden

26

I only brought a little ‘duty free’...

Tiger), Chaudhary Group (Nepal Ice) and Himalayan(Iceberg, Commando and Kathmandu) are the threemain Nepalese breweries. I found it amusing thatEverest labels still state “Special Limited Edition”,10 years after it was first launched.

On my previous visit I trekked the three-weekmountainous Annapurna Circuit where the beerprice went up by about 10p each day the higheryou got because goods were carried by mules orif awkwardly shaped, such as a wardrobe, bymen. The locals, however, preferred the millet-based spirit of rakshi. After the summit(5,416 m/17,769ft.), in the area around Marphahomemade cider was available in the local “tea-houses” (very simple B & B accommodation) andit was some of the best I’ve ever had. The tastevaried with each place and one cider was almostliqueur-like; tasty apple brandy was also avail-able. I would like to have bought more cider thanI did but it had to carried for many miles. As itwas winter piles of apples were stored just insidethe building entrances and naturally kept justabove freezing point during the day and a littlebelow at night. I was surprised that apples grewat 2,650 m/8,700 ft because of the tempera-ture but further down the valley at Tatopani,where oranges were grown, it was like a summer’s day and it wasn’t anywhere near the -30oC (with wind-chill) at the summit.

Throughout India state law strongly affects beeravailability and price (typically £1.00-£1.30 for650 ml bottle) with bottles often labelled “Notfor sale in XXX state”. Labels also have on themthe slightly curiously worded “Consumption ofliquor is injurious to health”. Due to how tax isapplied spirits are very popular and strong beers(commonly 7.5-8%) have a much greater marketshare than standard ones (around 5%); Beer istoo expensive for many people. Kingfisher is boththe dominant standard (white label) and strong(red label) brand with other beers widely availablein certain areas whilst many were specific to oneor two states.

Kingfisher along with Kalyani Black Label,Zingaro and Bullet are part of United BreweriesGroup’s portfolio giving it approximately 50% ofthe market share. The Chairman of the company,Vijay Mallya, who owns a substantial share ofFormula 1’s Force India team, was the largestshareholder of the brewery but it is nowHeineken. Many other international brewerieshave entered the market in the last 15 years,largely through acquisitions, as in many quickly-developing nations with SABMiller (Haywards5000, Haywards Black [a stout], RoyalChallenge, Knock Out, Fosters, etc.) havingapproximately 25% of the country’s marketshare and smaller amounts taken by Carlsbergand Anheuser-Busch Inbev.

Mohan Meakin (Meakins 10000, Black KnightSuper Strong, etc.) is a long established Indianbrewery but according to a few reports seems tobe in financial difficulty. Similar branding to thatwhich is common in Nepal permeates the coun-try. However, in some large cities, new stylish,modern bars are brewing their own beers aimedat the growing middle class, as I was first told byBloke from Hull (David Litten). Delhi is a primeexample but the bars are primarily situated in thesouthern suburbs and unfortunately time did notpermit me to visit when I was in the city.

In Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), Oly Bar is a long-established institution where the air is smoky,women are not allowed in the downstairs bar and

Warren continues his trip through China, Nepal and India

27

Apples ready for sorting near Manali, India

Continued overleaf >

prices are dependent on whether you drink in thecheaper fan-cooled or more expensive air-condi-tioned rooms. As is common in many city barsservice is provided by smartly dressed if some-what gruff waiters who expect a reasonable tip.

Agra is home to the Taj Mahal but alcohol isrestricted in many restaurants. A few of us wentto a local eatery where you could eat on therooftop and the owner agreed to get some beerin from the off-licence but he had to carry it con-cealed it under his top. A similar story applied toJaisalmer in Rajasthan state.

Before going on a boat to tour the ‘backwaters’of Kerala state we visited an off-licence; a metal-barred window down a ginnel littered with brokenglass, where bottles were wrapped in paperbags. Surprisingly, given the covertness of sales,this was one of the cheapest states for beer.

In Chennai (formerly Madras) I visited a localoutdoor bar that was concealed behind a concrete wall where sachets of cold water (2p)were used as a spirit mixer. Whilst chatting to thelocals they said water was used because it wasmuch cheaper than carbonated (fizzy) mixers. In another very local bar my range of experiencewas extended to include witnessing one brutaleffect of severe poverty. I may be the only whiteperson ever to have been in there given thecuriosity I generated among the locals. But a fewwho came in and sat opposite did not evennotice me as they knocked back a quarter-bottleof whisky, neat, more or less straight off. Thesepeople work long hours at menial low-paid jobsand I expect it cost nearly all their day’s wages.For many of them what began as a release hadnow become a compulsion before facing anothernight sleeping on the streets with little chance ofescape whatever use they made of their money.Sadly, a similar situation occurs across the worldand often it’s very close to our own doorstep.

Sikkim, in the north and bordering Nepal’s east-ern edge, has a different feel to the Indian plainsand is populated by many with Nepalese origins.I went as far west as possible to the Buddhist-prayer-flag-fringed Khecheopalri Lake. In the

homestay where I settled for the night I dranktongpa, a traditional Nepalese and Tibetan millet-based drink served in an enclosed wooden vesselkept topped-up with boiing water. You drink itthrough a straw. Despite its sour, yeasty taste Iquite liked it in small amounts.

Tongpa was also available in laid-back Ladakh,an area in the far north where there are manyTibetans who fled when China invaded Tibet inthe 1950s. Godfather Strong (Devans ModernBrewery; less than 8%) was the main beer inthese parts and one of my favourite Indian beers.I’ve read that it’s increasing its prominence inneighbouring states and is fermented for 25days compared to the normal 12-15 days.

Availability of Godfather lessened heading weston stunningly scenic roads to friendly Kashmir, apredominantly Muslim area. The disputed andvolatile border with Pakistan is close by but thecrossing point is much further south. On my pre-vious trip we ventured into Pakistan and made

Where’s Warren - continued

28

Tongpa, alcoholic millet drink

our way to Rawalpindi. Here our driver boughtsome beer for the truck fridge and the local guideaccompanied him in a tuk-tuk to the off-licence.The police spotted the beer so stopped the vehi-cle because alcohol sales to Muslims werebanned in 1977 and said to the guide that hecould go to prison for buying the beer, not seeingour driver in the corner who stated that he’dbought it, which settled the issue as non-Muslims can legally buy alcohol. Heading northalong the mountain-lined, superlative KarakoramHighway a traditional music and dancing groupperformed for us and they had surprisinglysmooth home-distilled ‘moonshine’ whisky.

Whilst in Ladakh I hiked to the summit of StokKangri (6,120 m/20,078ft.) arriving around sun-rise and, in keeping with tradition, had a drink. Atthat altitude there was less than 50% of the oxy-gen available at sea level so it was just a coupleof sips of apple wine bought in Manali.

The road between Manali in Himachal Pradesh(HP) and Leh, Ladakh’s capital, is regularlydescribed as the best in the world and I can seewhy but I think you need a strong stomach toenjoy the exhilaration without fear of the bus (Itravelled independently in the north of Indiahence no overland-companytruck) hurtling off the road andplunging into the valley hun-dreds of metres below. HP is inthe hills, for example Manali issituated at 2050 m/6725ft.,and is apple growing countrywith thousands of acres devot-ed to commercial orchards.The size of trees is typicallybetween that of modern andtraditional sizes found in UKorchards. Apples are animportant money earner forthe state with 500,000tonnes grown annually, near-ly of all which goes for eat-ing. A couple of carbonatedciders and apple wines were available in Manalibut only in a specialist off-licence. One cider wasGold Home (£1.20; up to 8%) by Gold Wine of

Mandi, which was extremely sweet initially followed by a drier aftertaste, not dissimilar toBabycham. (That’s one word I never thought I'dsee grace a CAMRA publication! –ed.) Thesparkling apple wines were Santori Reserve(£3.20 for 750 ml; up to 12%) from GreenValley Cider of Shimla and Jolly Maker (£1.20 for275 ml; less than 11.4%) from Hygeia Fruit andVegetable Processors of Mandi. The latter had astrong apple smell and followed the same tastingpattern as the cider but not as pronounced. I wasnot surprised by the sweetness of the productsgiven the amount of sugar in Indian sweets anddeserts.

On a day walk from Manali I went through manyorchards that were being harvested with theapples carried by men and women of Nepaleseorigin in large baskets on their back but with theweight taken by the head, the normal carryingtechnique in their home country. The apples wereunloaded then sorted and boxed either in barerooms of houses underneath the living quartersor under a large tarpaulin outside. One traditionalvillage was a hive of activity with its apple sort-ing. Fully laden tractors or vans would take theboxes to small depots on the main road whereiconic Ashok Leyland or Tata (owners of Jaguar

Land Rover, Corus steel and Tetleytea) lorries would be loadedto breaking point and makethe slow onward journey.This seems an appropriatepoint to wind up my ramblingbeer and cider voyage.

Two positive features werecommon to all the countries,the friendliness and hospitalityof the people, and the smalldifference in the price of beer inshops, bars and eateries.However, there was no real aleso the first thing I did on gettingback to the UK was to settledown in a pub with a decent pintand think of all the absolutely

fantastic times from the previous six months.

Where’s Warren - continued

29

Appointment with BeerLeeds CAMRA holds a formalbusiness-style meeting on thefirst Tuesday of every month. Themeeting starts at 7:30pm andhas an approximate finishing timeof 9:00pm.CAMRA members are advised to

check "What's Brewing" for confirmation of meetinglocations and for details of other events. A full listing of events is also published athttp://www.leeds-camra.com/ where it is regularlyupdated. Leeds CAMRA is organised and run entire-ly by unpaid volunteers. All members are alwayswelcome at meetings and socials.

December 2014Tue 2nd Dec Open branch committee meeting,Mr Foley’s Cask Ale House, 159 The Headrow,Leeds. 7.30pm – 9.00pm

Sat 27th Dec Get the Turkey out of your systemSocial, The Palace, Kirkgate, Leeds. From 7.30pm

January 2015Tue 6th Jan Open branch committee meeting,The West Riding, 38 Wellington Street, CityCentre, Leeds. 7.30pm – 9.00pm

Feb 2015 Tues 3rd Feb Open branch committee Meeting,venue to be confirmed. Check website for details.

Tues 10th Feb City Centre Social, North Bar,New Briggate 8.00pm, Templar 9.00pm

Sat 21st Feb Oakwood Social, Preston 2.00pm,Stew and Oyster 4pm

diary dates

30

Thank You for Having Us!First off a big thanks to Veritas for hosting ourlaunch of the Good Beer Guide 2015, a greatevening was had by all. Thanks also to theGarden Gate, Hunslet and the Headly Verity,Leeds for hosting this month’s Open BranchMeetings. It's much appreciated.

Don’t be a Wazzock! Don’t Drink and Drive.Public transport information for the Leeds areais available from Metro offices and atwymetro.com There really is no excuse.

West Yorkshire TradingStandards Service Tel: 0113 253 0241 PO Box 5, Nepshaw Lane South, Leeds, WestYorkshire, LS27 0QP

Leeds CAMRA Members' NoticeboardFollow @LeedsCAMRA on Twitter or“like” our Leeds-CAMRA Facebook

page for up-to-date informationabout socials, meetings and pubs

info in and around Leeds.

Leeds-CAMRA

@LeedsCAMRA