Norfolk Nips and Cask Force issue 161

Newsletter of the Norfolk Branches of the Campaign for Real Ale

No.161 Summer 2012

FREEAlso inside:NORWICH BEER FESTIVAL LOGONORFOLK’S TRUE HERITAGE PUBS PUBAND TRADE NEWS

A Golden Summer?A Golden Summer?

Trafford Arms

Chris and Glynis invite you to the Trafford Arms - 61 Grove Road, Norwich 01603 628466

www.traffordarms.co.uk [email protected]

Raising money for Big CRaising money for Big C

We are not a ‘virtual pub’REAL Time!

REAL People!REAL Ale!

A royal welcome awaits.

The Norwich & Norfolk branchof CAMRA (Campaign for RealAle) have selected The Fat CatPub as their 2012 Pub of theYear. It is the third time thatLandlord Colin Keatley’s iconicpub has won. The Fat Cat nowgoes head-to-head with theWest Norfolk Branch’s winner,The Union Jack at Roydon. Thewinner goes through to theRegional level of the competi-tion, where Colin may well facecompetition from his brother,who owns The Fat Cat inIpswich, The Suffolk Branchwinner!

At the award ceremony, Colinwas clearly delighted to win.The previous two times that hewon the award, the pub wenton to become CAMRA’sNational Pub of the year.

The Norwich & Norfolk Pubof the Year is chosen from thewinners of the Branch’s Rural

and City Pubs of the Year. The2012 Rural Pub of the Year waswon by The Green Dragon inWymondham, beating stiffcompetition from the KingsArms, Reepham and theWindham Arms, Sheringham.And the City Pub of the Yearwas won by The Fat Cat, fromthe other two Norwich pubsshortlisted – The King’s Head,Magdalen Street and The Dukeof Wellington, Waterloo Road.

Just as were going to press, itwas announced that The FatCat has beaten off the opposi-tion from The Union Jack andhas now been declared as TheNorfolk Pub of the Year!

We wish Colin and The FatCat team well as they progressthrough the next roundtowards CAMRA National Pubof the Year. It’s happened twicebefore...

SUMMER 2012 | 3

Norwich & Norfolk BranchChairman: Graham FreemanTel: 01603 687495Email: [email protected]: Warren WordsworthTel: 01603 665557Email: [email protected] Secretary: Michael PhilipsEmail: [email protected]

Pubs Officer: Ian StampEmail: [email protected]

West Norfolk BranchChairman: Steve Barkeremail: [email protected]: Ian BaileyContact: Bruce WardTel: 01485 609107 Branch websites:www.norwichcamra.org.ukwww.camra.org.uk/wnorfolk

Branch mailing list web page:groups.yahoo.com/group/CAMRA_Norwich

Published every 3 months by the Norwich,Norfolk & West Norfolk branches of theCampaign for Real Ale © N&N CAMRA2012 Norfolk Nips is produced and distrib-uted by members of the branch in theirown time. Views expressed in Norfolk Nipsare not necessarily those of the editor or ofCAMRA.

Edited by:Mike BaldwinEmail: [email protected]

Chris LucasEmail: [email protected]

Design & Production:Daniel Speed - Orchard House MediaEmail: [email protected]

Distribution:12,000 copies / four times a yearNorwich and Norfolk District: Tony Miles [email protected] Norfolk District : Ros Harre [email protected]

Advertising:For advertising enquiries pleasecontact Jane Michelson or ChrisShilling on: 01778 420888 / [email protected]

Front Cover:Dray image courtesy WoodfordesBrewery

Hat trick for TheFat Cat, Norwich!

Graham Freeman, Branch Chair, presents the awards to Fat Cat Landlord Colin Keatley

One course for £5.502 courses for £6.953 course for £8.95

SUNDAY CARVERY

Function room available for all occasions including parties, birthdays, christenings, wedding receptions and wakes

ALL EURO 2012GAMES SHOWN LIVE

Live Music most weekendsCheck our web site or Facebook page for whats on.

PASSPORT TO VIP AREA AND AFREE MEAL FOR THE FINAL!

Collect a ‘passport’ from behind the bar and watch a minimum of 20 games before the final (Games to be signed by a member

of staff, see rules in pub and on back of passport).

Prize is an area with tables and seating for 15 will be available atthe front near TV’s and a two course meal provided for the final.

Table service for the night will also be included!

SUMMER 2012 | 5

NORFOLK NIPS | Cider Pubs Awarded

The Railway Arms in DownhamMarket has been awarded thirdplace in CAMRA's East AngliaRegional Cider Pub of The Year2012 competition.

Ian and Lesley Ann Pinches,who have been running theRailway Arms for nearly threeyears regularly sells cider fromnearby producer Pickled Pigwhich is based in Stretham nearEly. The small cosy bar on theplatform at Downham MarketStation also sells two beers andis one of the town’s entries in

CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide.

Ian Pinches said “We are veryhonoured to receive this awardand wish to thank our customersand our cider and beer suppliersfor supporting us. Particularmention should be given toElgoods, The Small Beer Companyand of course, Charles Robertsat Pickled Pig, but there aremany others as well. We carepassionately about our cidersand beers and we are pleasedthat many people from far andwide appreciate our efforts”

Andrea Briers, CAMRA's EastAnglia Regional Director said,"With the increase in thenumber of pubs selling realcider the competition is gettingtougher each year. Well doneto Ian and Lesley Ann on theirachievement. "

The winner of the competitionwas the White Lion in Norwichand second place went to theOdd One Out in Colchester,which was the previous holderof the award.

West Norfolk Pub Wins Award

The White Lion in Norwich,has been awarded the titleCAMRA's East Anglia RegionalCider Pub of The Year 2012.

It is run by Ben Ackers andBecky Lakerman-Turner, whohave only been running thepub for 7 months. They regu-

larly have over 15 real cidersand perries available fromNorfolk, East Anglia andbeyond.

Ben Ackers said “We aredelighted to win this award.Becky has always been a ciderdrinker, volunteering for the

cider bar at the CambridgeBeer Festival for a fifth consecu-tive year. I have grown toappreciate how popular realcider is from my previous expe-rience at two other pubs. TheNorfolk and Norwich branch ofCAMRA has been so friendlyand very welcoming to us, andwe'd like to thank them fortheir constant enthusiasm andsupport. We would like tothank our staff who havecommitted themselves fully topromoting real cider andhelping customers with recom-mendations.”

Chris Rouse, CAMRA’sRegional Cider Co-ordinator forEast Anglia said, “it is sorefreshing to see new landlordsgetting into real cider andperry in a big way.”

White Lion Takes Cider Crown

The King’s HeadOpen 12.00noon - 11.00pm Monday to Saturday

12.00noon - 10.30pm Sunday

Keg Free Zone 14 Hand PumpsNorfolk Ales and CiderMild always availableWorldwide Bottled BeersBelgian BeersTelevision-freeBar Billiardswww.norwichbarbilliards.co.uk

KEG FREE HOUSE

The Kings Head, 42 Magdalen Street, Norwich NR3 1JEwww.kingsheadnorwich.com

CAMRA Norfolk

Pub of the Year

2006 & 2008

Run by enthusiastic drinkersand CAMRA members.

WE ARE

IN IT!

SUMMER 2012 | 7

That is what is happening to theprice of your pint. The Govern-ment's “duty escalator” ensuresthat beer duty automaticallyincreases by the rate of inflationplus 2% every year until 2015.So when in George Osborne'sBudget he said there will be notax increase on beer we still endup paying an extra 10p on theprice of our pint. We alreadyhave to pay a third of our pint tothe Government in tax whichmakes us the second highest inEurope. Our beer tax has risen astaggering 42% since 2008. Sowhat can CAMRA members anddrinkers do about it? Well wehave set up an e-petition and wewould urge you all to sign this aswhen we get 100,000 signatureswe can force a high profiledebate in the House ofCommons. The e-petition can befound atwww.camra.org.uk/saveyourpintand we intend to distributeposters and beer mats

throughout Norfolk in the nextfew weeks. I know we can counton your support.

I recently attended theMembers Weekend and AGM inTorquay with our team and wewere able to promote thedelights of Norwich and Norfolkfor next years Members Weekendwhich will be held here in April2013. Some delegates evenbooked their Norwich hotelswhilst we were there. We willhave a handover meeting in Juneand then there will be regularupdates on our progress as wewill be looking for your help toassist in this national event.Another key event is the NorwichCity of Ale Festival running from31st May until 10th June. Atpresent I believe 44 Pubs andmany local Breweries are partici-pating so please give them yoursupport by drinking all theirbeers, ciders and perries. I willcertainly be making an attempt

myself and hope to see youaround.

We recently made a number ofNorwich & Norfolk Branchawards. I congratulate the FatCat on winning our Branch Pubof the Year 2012 and hope itdoes well in the future competi-tion. We also gave an award tothe Green Dragon, Wymondhamfor becoming our Branch RuralPub of the Year 2012. Further-more this year we gave our firstever award to the White Lion,Norwich for our Branch CiderPub of the Year 2012. A goodnight was had by all at thepresentations. Well summer willsoon be here and I think there'snothing better than sitting in apub garden with the sun shiningand a pint of Real Ale in yourhand. Enjoy.

Graham FreemanChairman Norwich & Norfolk

CAMRA

NORFOLK NIPS | Chairman’s Letters

Up, Up and Up But Never Down

Chairman ChangeoverAs winter draws to a close, so thepost of West Norfolk Chairmanhas changed. I have taken overfrom Buff – a hard act to follow,but I will do my best.

Spring is officially here, butthe weather does not seem tohave noticed that fact.Everyone is longing for thewarm barmy days to enjoy an

excellent pint of real ale,possibly with the addition ofburnt offerings that masqueradeas a Barbeque! This is just apipedream as I sit here lookingthrough the window at thepouring rain.I would like to bring to your

attention the E-petition thatCAMRA has set up to persuadethe Government to modify its

position on Beer Duty, if youhave not signed up please doso. In excess of 50,000 peoplehave already signed, but itneeds 100,000 to have thecommons debate. Go to theCAMRA website to sign up now.Have a very happy real ale

drinking summer. Cheers

Steve Barker - W.N. Chairman

Subscriptions and West NorfolkBranch information

8 | SUMMER 2012

When some of the contribu-tions for this issue werereceived it was still unseason-ably cold, this situation haschanged recently and willhopefully lead to Olympicefforts to catch up on oursummer drinking regimes.

I have personally beentraining despite the weatherand am ready to go for Gold…Brewer’s Gold, A Limp Pig Goldetc, etc! I have also beenchasing aeroplanes around theUK and Europe recentlyallowing me to check out a fewdifferent venues and vary mynormal beer intake.

I confess in Northern Hollandit tended to be beers producedin the south or a nearbycountry with a very similarlanguage!

Tim and I have been to a fewplaces too, highlights includinga summer crawl recce in andaround Norwich involving theuse of one or two busses, noless, plus the excellent DragonHall beer fest and Cambridgeas recounted in this issue.Jeff has contributed one of his

stories from his increasinglypopular “Barman” series in theLynn News, plus a tale of crimeand punishment (No, not thatlong Russian one!).

With the departure of PhilBuffham as Chair, Steve Barkerhas kindly agreed to be care-taker Chair until the AGM inOctober, in his absence ViceChair Bruce Ward will stand in.

Congratulations to all at theFox brewery at Heacham fortheir Tenth Anniversary in thebusiness. Thank you for your

kind invitation to West Norfolkbranch members to attendyour celebration. Also duecongratulations are the goodfolk at The Railway in DownhamMarket for their Third place inthe cider awards, coveredwithin. The Norfolk CAMRApub of the year is the Fat Cat(Free Mouse), well done toboth pubs who achieved thebranch nominations. Now tosee if the cat can win theregional and national competi-tions!

I wish all our readers a goodsunny summer with a shadyplace to watch theJubilee/Olympics/Europeanfootball championship, or justto mardle away a few hourswith a pint.

Cheers, Stig

Stig’s Words

We have a growing number of postalsubscribers to Norfolk Nips and Cask Force,and I would like to send my thanks for thekind comments and best wishes from thosewho have renewed their subscriptionsrecently. If you would like to join them inreceiving the next 4 issues by post, send 12 first class stamps to Norfolk Nips andCask Force, 91 Tennyson Road, Kings Lynn,Norfolk, PE30 5NG.

I also send out occasional emails tomembers with details of forthcoming meet-ings and Branch events. All are welcome atthese meetings so if you wish to add yourname to my mailing list, send your emailaddress to [email protected].

As I write this, sitting at mydesk in the suite of offices onthe top floor of NIPS Towers, Ican see through the panoramicwindows that Norfolk is bathedin glorious sunshine. Before Inip off up to the roof tounwind in the hut tub, may Iwelcome you to this SummerEdition.

We’ve crammed a lot inagain, so there is even more toread as you enjoy a cool,refreshing pint of fresh real aleor cider or perry, in yourfavourite watering hole.

The last three months havecertainly been hectic, so muchhas happened and the reallygood news is that the nexttwelve months should be

exciting times for the real alescene in the County.

By the time you read this, the2nd City of Ale Festival will beover and planning will havestarted on the next one. Whatwill they come up with nextyear?

The Norwich Pub Surveytakes place at the end of Juneand all the signs are thatNorwich will be confirmedagain as THE City of Ale.

We will have reports of thesein the next issue, which willalso look forward to the 35thNorwich Beer Festival. If youhave any suggestions or ideasfor this year, then why notattend a planning meeting at

Take 5? Details of the meetingsare on the Whiteboard.

Next year the 2013 NationalCAMRA Members’ Weekendand AGM is coming toNorwich and Norfolk. A greatchance for our wonderful Pubsand Breweries to shine!

So, enjoy the magazine andhave a great summer.Visit acountry or riverside pub, orone on the coast or take in aBeer Festival –or two! Whateveryou decide, why not drop us aline and let us know yourfavourites. And don’t forget thecamera!

Enjoy!

NORFOLK NIPS | Words from the Editors

The Ed’lines

New Developmentsat Grain Brewery

Grain Brewery has undergonemany changes since it was firstlaunched back in 2006 by co-owners Phil Halls and GeoffWright.

Located in the beautifulsettings of South Farm in thesouth Norfolk village ofAlburgh, Grain was originally afive barrel per week plantwhich concentrated brewingmainly their then core beerswhich were Oak, (abv3.8%) asession bitter, Harvest Moon(abv4,5%), a hoppy pale ale,Blackwood Stout (abv4.8%),and ‘Ported Porter’ (abv5.2%)a creamy old style porter.

Since then demand for theirbeers has risen sharply as theircustomer base has increased.

Their range of beers has alsovastly increased and nowincludes around a dozendifferent brews most of whichare sold as cask but some arealso bottled. In the spring of2010 Grain opened their ownpub, the very popular Plough(current 2012 GBG listed) in StBenedicts in Central Norwich.

Two of their more popularnewer beers have gone on towin awards at recent SIBA(Society of IndependentBrewers) competitions alongwith numerous local awardsfrom our own Norwich &Norfolk CAMRA. Blond AshWheat (abv4.1%), based on aBelgian ‘witbier’ won silveraward 2011 in the ‘specialtybeers’ category in SIBA (east)competition. Redwood(abv4.8%) described as ‘A richred premium bitter that beauti-fully balances roasted malts

with sherberty grapefruithoppiness’, won overall cham-pion beer in SIBA (east) and inSIBA’s National 2012 competi-tion won bronze award in the‘premium beers’ category.

These increases in volume andrange left the capacity of thebrewery hopelessly inadequateso in order to cope with theirincreased demand and diversi-fication of their product rangethe brewery has just under-gone a massive internalupgrade replacing most oftheir existing equipment. Thisnew equipment was deliveredto the brewery last year andinstallation took place inFebruary. By March the newbrewery was up and runningand in April in my capacity asBLO (Brewery liaison Officer) Itook the opportunity to make avisit and see the brewery kit inoperation.

Firstly there is the new hotliquor tank that has a capacityof 3,000 litres. The hot liquor isthen mixed with the malt intothe new mash tun. After ‘sparging’ the wort thengoes into copper where it isboiled along with hops. Finallyafter cooling the beer goes intothe large fermenting vessels.

This upgrade has increased thecapacity of the brewery byaround three fold. As well asincreasing capacity the newplant is much more economicalon fuel, (propane gas) than the

| NORFOLK NIPS

Pub and Brewery News

10 | SUMMER 2012

previous plant and is more userfriendly being much easier toclean after each brew.

With the installation of the newplant Grain has recentlyproduced another new beer‘316’ (abv3.9%), a golden beerusing American Amarillo hopsto give a light hoppy citrusflavour. A great summer ale andhopefully we will get a goodsummer to enjoy it at its best!

Warren Wordsworth

Norwich

The Bridge House in Norwichhas just been re-launched asThe Lollards Pit.

Great Yarmouth

Kings Head in Northgate Stno longer seems to stockNelson’s Revenge. Wolf“Granny Wouldn`t Like It” andthe ubiquitous 4.1% abv Wells“Bombardier” seem in vogue.Probably a Norwich Inns thing,as at Hotel Wroxham andelsewhere. Wetherspoon`s TrollCart at Market Gates keepsfaith with Nelson`s and keeps itwell too. Recent Beer Festivaloffered up some unusual prod-ucts from as far afield as Norwayand South Africa. Zulu Blondewas particularly good.

Wroxham

Since my last offering, Wood-forde`s seems to have exitedthe King`s Head. Bombardier

and GK IPA on offer last visit.Shed still doing its “everyNorfolk Brewery” thing. HotelWroxham majoring on theCharles Wells products,Courage Best and Eagle, withAdnams Broadside. I spottedWolf Golden Jackal on onerecent visit.

West End, Feltwell, beerswere well kept on a recent visit.They expect to have a festivalin August.

Fenman, Lynn, good beerswere found on a recent visit,remarkably cheap as well.Elgood’s Snakeslayer andHobgoblin were available.

News from the West

White Hart, Downham Thelandlord’s wife, Theresa, sadlydied last month. He’s currentlycarrying on with little otherchange.

Jolly Farmers, Southery,now reopened with IPA andOld Speckled Hen.

Old White Bell, Southerywas selling Bateman’s Eggs B.The Landlord (Peter) has saidthat he’ll leave when thepaperwork is completed.

Red Lion, Hockwold, alsoreopened 19th March withthree ales including IPA anda house beer which seems tobe Ruddles.

Red Lion, Thetford (Wether-spoon’s) is due to reopen in thenext few weeks.

Chalk & Cheese,Shouldham, recently had twobeers: Elgood’s seasonal andtwo ciders: Old Rosie andanother Weston’s.

Victory, Clenchwarton,Another Elgood’s tied house.The landlord (Wayne) isenthusiastic.

Three Horseshoes, Roydonnow has a real ale, Wherry.

Old Bell, Grimston,although now open everyevening, the only lunchtime itis open is Sunday.

Anvil, Congham was servingLandlord, Abbot and XB recently.

Crown & Mitre, Lynn wasbusy when visited one Thursdayrecently. Lynn News’s Bar Mancolumn was spotted on thenotice board. House on theGreen recently hadWadworth’s 6X & Old Peculiar.

London Porterhouse, Lynn,reports are that it remains withtheir current managementunder a rolling contract fromGreene King and an agencylandlord is to look after it.

Out of Branch

Wetherspoon’s in Bury (theCorn Exchange) is expectedto open shortly after their Thet-ford pub.

Jeff

NORFOLK NIPS | News from the West

SUMMER 2012 | 11

Colin Keatley has now opened The Fat Cat andthe Canary. Formerly The Mustard Pot, this is adream come true for Norwich City fans – a Fat

Cat within walking distance of Carrow Road.New Landlord, Christian Hodgkinson, formerly

of The Walpole Arms and Adlards, explainedhow the former Adnams pub has been trans-formed. It is now much lighter and brighter andhas a more spacious feel than either of the otherFat Cats.

Reasurringly, though, the walls are adornedwith pub and brewery signs! There will bearound 17 real ales on offer, either on hand-pump or gravity from the tap room, which youcan see from the bar. There will also be cidersand perries and Christian is keen to introducefine wines. The transformation is not quitecomplete as a servery will be constructed tooffer food on match days. This is a Fat Cat pub,so the usual excellent rolls and pork pies will beon offer, plus sausage rolls!

There is also another first for the Fat Cat – thispub has a car park!

Pub News | NORFOLK NIPS

Third Fat Cat Pub opens

HEMSBY SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB

ANNUAL BEER FESTIVALAugust Bank Holiday Weekend

Starting Friday 24th until Monday 27th. Open Daily 1200 noon until close

Everyone is welcome to come and join us at our friendly and comfortable Hemsby Sports and Social

Club, Waters Lane, next to Playing Field, NR29 4NH. Tel. 01493 733543 / 07766616952.

A host of classic and unusual ales from around Great Britain.

Ciders available including award winning cider from Hog andVine. Live Music Saturday and Sunday featuring “The Wright

Stuff” (richardwrightmusic.com)

14 | SUMMER 2012

101 Beer Days Out

Britain’s brewing boom heraldsnew age of ‘beer tourism’Britain is enjoying a golden

age for brewing, with over 850breweries now operationalacross the country producingover 5,500 different beers. Tocelebrate this remarkableindustry, CAMRA, theCampaign for Real Ale hasreleased a new book, ‘101Beer Days Out’ to showcasehow Britain has beer and brewing experiencesto rival any in the world.

CAMRA’s 101 Beer Days Out, by award-winning author Tim Hampson (Chairman of theBritish Guild of Beer Writers), brings together themost exciting ways to take in the nation’s richbeer and brewing culture, whether throughconventional city pub trails and tourist brewerytours, or via more unusual – and eccentricallyBritish – events such as bog snorkelling or theWorld Marble Championships!

Listing attractions, events, and venues that aremust visit examples of Britain’s brewing heritageand modern beer scene, the book is burstingwith entries from the Orkney Isles to the southcoast of Cornwall.

With an estimated 30 million visitors to the UKin 2012, CAMRA hopes tourists will take theopportunity to experience Britain’s national drink.Tim Hampson, 101 Beer Days Out author, said:

‘Beer travel is a new form of tourism. Think aboutwhen you visit a town or region that you’ve not beento before, and the first thing most of us do is seek outthe best pub for a drink or something to eat.

‘101 Beer Days Out is much more than a bookabout pubs and breweries and their beers. It is a

travel book, which can help you explore the lengthand breadth of Britain. It is a history book throughwhich the reader can explore local traditions andheritage. It is a book which weaves all theseelements together to tell the story of beer from thegrain to the glass and its place in British culture.’

Great British Beer Festival 7 -11August, Olympia, London

Britain's Biggest Pub opens its doors for a fiveday festival on Tuesday 7th August. There will beover 800 different real ales, ciders and foreignbeers for the expected 50,000 crowd to try.This fun event is not all about the beer though.

There are a variety of different foods fromaround the world and music to enjoy.This event really is a beer drinker's paradise!Call 0844 412 4650 or go to

[email protected] for tickets

CAMRA- ‘Beer drinkers rockedby tax man swallowing a thirdof every pint’

Consumers fight back as CAMRA urges itsmembers to back e-petition to scrap beer taxescalator. Sign e-petition todayat www.camra.org.uk/saveyourpint

“New increases to push up price of a pub pintby 5-10p” CAMRA has lambasted the Govern-ment for its careless approach to one of Britain’smost valued institutions, the pub, as a furtherinflation plus 2% increase on beer will bringabout yet more price rises at the bar, and furtherjob losses in the sector.

With around £1 on every pint going to theTreasury in beer duty and VAT, CAMRA hasreacted to the news by urging its members andall pub goers to sign an industry backed e-peti-tion to remove the beer duty

Campaigning | NORFOLK NIPS

CAMRA NEWS

escalator-www.camra.org.uk/saveyourpint. The e-petition has today been backed by CAMRA, theBritish Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), and theSociety of Independent Brewers (SIBA). With the beerand pub industry supporting almost 1 million jobsand contributing £21 billion to UK GDP, CAMRA hascondemned the Government for imposing punitivesuccessive tax increases, which will impact bothbreweries at production level, and drinkers at the bar.

Mike Benner, CAMRA Chief Executive, said:‘The fact Britons are forced to pay over 40% of the EU

beer tax bill, but consume only 13% of the beer sold inEurope, is remarkable. British beer in a pub is so heavilyhit with duty and VAT, the tax man’s whirlwind hikestranslate to him guzzling a third of every pint served, ashadow cast over the beer drinker depriving people ofan affordable night down their local.

‘Such high taxes on beer are totally unsustainable, andtherefore CAMRA is launching a consumer fight back in a bidto make the Government see sense. We today urge all beerdrinkers to get behind this new industry-backed e-petition tohelp safeguard the future of the beer and pub industry.’

SUMMER 2012 | 15

2nd Summer Beer Festival

Fri 20th - Sun 22nd JulyOver 20 local ales & ciders plus the regular bar

Main Road, North Tuddenham NR20 3DJ01362 638466 www.thelodge-tuddenham.co.uk

July 20th open noon - 11pm. Live Music 8 - 10pm

July 21st Live Music all day &all night. Headline act - Againstall odds. Food stalls, Childrensbouncy castle and much more!

22nd July Noon - 11pm - justgood ole beer!

Win a Meal for Two!

Register your names in advance by email to

[email protected] confirm your attendanceon the day for a chance to

win a meal for two.

FREE ENTRY!

3rd Norfolk Ale & Music Festival22,23 & 24 June 2012Norfolk real ales • Live music all weekendBeer garden • Freshly cooked pub food

16 | SUMMER 2012

Guest Contributor | NORFOLK NIPS

Where Norwich leadsothers will follow...

When it comes to handing out gold medals forOlympian efforts to promote real ale Norwichshould get a gold medal, maybe two.

Not only does the Norwich and Norfolkbranch organise one of the oldest and best beerfestivals in the country but it is now workingactively to help promote the Norwich City of Aleinitiative promoting local pubs and brewers.Norwich is quite a city for beer and fine pubs.

Not only does it have one pub which has beennamed the best in the country for selling realale, but it has several others which could all beworthy contenders. This ale and hearty successis down to several factors, the hard work of thelocal branch, the passion of the city’s licensees

and the region’s brewers, support of the localmedia - Norwich’s Evening News’s Love YourLocal campaign highlights the role pubs play inthe community and warns punters to “eitheruse them or lose them” and a recognition bylocal politicians that pubs matter.

This collective effort has all helped putNorwich and its pubs and beers on the map. Foryears beer travellers have beaten a path toSheffield, Derby or even Burton upon Trent todrink a wide range of beers. Now beer travellershave added Norwich to the list of must visit aledestinations.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery thenNorwich should be proud that other citiesaround the country are planning their own Cityof Ale celebrations – London’s starts in July –

where Norwich lead others now follow.

Tim Hampson

Tim Hampson is the author of CAMRA’s 101Beer Days Out, which is available from theCAMRA shop and all good book retailers,(www.camra.org.uk/shop) priced £12.99(£10.99 for CAMRA members).

Our Guest Contributor in this Issue is the distinguished Beer Writer Tim Hampson,who puts the case forward for Norwich as THE City of Real Ale!

CompetitionTo win a copy of Tim Hampson’s new book, 101 BeerDays Out, simply answer the following question:Which Brewery features on the Front Cover?

Send your answer to [email protected] or 201 Kingswood Avenue, Taverham, Norwich NR8 6GJ.To arrive by Friday 17th August, please.

Congratulations to David Worsen-croft whose winning entry in theHumpty Dumpty competitionwas drawn out of the hat by SirIan Botham at Coltishall.

Please note – we do not collectnames and addresses ofentrants for any purpose, otherthan to verify entries and knowwhere to send the prize.

NORFOLK NIPS | West Norfolk Natter

In my small corner of South West Norfolk, weare very close to two other counties.Cambridgeshire is about ten miles away andSuffolk about a mile and a half!

So the news that new Wetherspoons pubs areopening in Thetford and Bury St Edmunds is ofsome significance to us. The Thetford one willbe the Red Lion on the market square, closed forsome time and infamously a Portuguese pubattacked after England’s failure at the EuroChampionships.

This will be a smaller Wetherspoons not alongthe “shop into night club” lines found in largertowns and cities The question which concernsme is what effect will there be on the other realale venues in Thetford?

As a member of CAMRA I guess I shouldwelcome a dynamic real ale outlet nearby butnot at the cost of losing local venues due to the“Tesco” effect. I shall put this point to themanagement at the new pub when it opens in afew weeks. Let’s hope that the presence of aWetherspoons just keeps down beer pricesalthough the Albion does a pretty good jobalready.

Bury is a different matter. The new venue is thewonderful Corn Exchange which used to hostthe excellent Bury beer festival! This will be alarge pub catering for a wider audience, abastion deep behind Greene King lines.

I’d like to have been a fly on the wall at GKwhen the new use of the Corn Exchange wasmade public! Strangely enough I suspect one ofthe major victims may be other food outletstrying to compete with JD’s famously economicmenu…

Choice is paramount to me I confess to deepsuspicion of the Locale doctrine which suggeststhat it is environmentally unsustainable to trans-port beers out of area.

Most CAMRA members enjoy variety and willjust travel individually to obtain it surely thisleads to thousands of miles being travelled toget the range of beers you might find at the FatCat in one day!

I was recently told that all most real aledrinkers want is their favourite beer well servedin one pub all the time. If that is the case whatwas the point of the whole movement in thefirst place and why do I hear this at beer festi-vals, which should be deserted if it is true!On the whole Wetherspoons have widened our

church and made many more aware of real alein its infinite variety, so I hope for the bestoutcome, time will tell…

Stig.

Wetherspoons cometh on apace

SUMMER 2012 | 19

20 | SUMMER 2012

Lord Nelson,Burnham Thorpe

The Lord Nelson dates fromc.1650 and was renamed inhonour of the great admiralHoratio Nelson who was bornin the rectory in this village in1758 and is said to have held afarewell party in an upstairsroom before leaving in 1793 totake command of theAgamemnon. From the frontdoor there is an uneven brickfloor passage. Turn left and youfind the splendid small originalquarry tiled Nelson's Bar. Thisstill retains one ancient settlewith an iron arch-shaped rodholding it in place. Sadly, asecond similar settle with iron-rod was removed in 2002when for the first time in thepubs history a bar counter andbar back were installed by care-fully cutting a hole in a dividing

wall. Prior to 2002 all drinkswere supplied by table service.To the right of the passage isthe Ward Room, now a diningroom, which up to the retire-ment in 1997 of long standinglicensee Les Winter, foundermember of the Nelson Society,contained many items of

Nelson memorabilia. To the leftof the bar there is a small snugwhich was originally a groundfloor cellar. Along apassageway on the right is theVictory Barn, a large roomconverted from a barn in 1996and popular with diners andavailable as a function room.Only available at the Lord

Norfolk’s True Heritage Pubs 14 | NORFOLK NIPS

This series of articles highlight the pubs whose interiors have been little altered inthe past 40 years or so. With summer in mind, this issue features a pub in NorthNorfolk and one in the seaside town of Sheringham.

The exterior of the Lord Nelson, Burnham Thorpe by Mike Jackson

The little altered public bar at the Lord Nelson, Burnham Thorpe

The new bar counter

Nelson is Nelson’s Blood, asecret concoction of rum andspices. The building is Grade IIlisted.

Lord Nelson, WalsinghamRoad, Burnham Thorpe PE318HN. It is open from 11.45 to3; 6 to 11 Sun 12 to 10.30; insummer holidays the pub isopen all day. Meals are servedfrom 12 to 2.30 and 6 to 9.Phone number is 01328738241. Website: www.nelson-slocal.co.uk. Real ales on saleare Greene King Abbot Ale andWoodfordes Wherry serveddirect from the cask.

Lobster, Sheringham

The Lobster is situated yardsfrom the sea front. A visit isrecommended to see the littlealtered lounge. There appearsto have been a refitting in the1930s when two small roomswere combined and fieldedpanelling to two-thirds heightadded throughout. The barcounter, and most of themirrored bar back with a set ofdrawers, looks like it may datefrom the 1930s as does theTudor arch shaped wood

surround of the fireplace - thecopper hood may be a 1960saddition. Look for the two raretill drawers in the bar backfitting. The public bar has beenrefitted in recent years but doesretains a ‘Bar’ etched panel inthe door and a parquet floorpossibly of the 1930s. A third‘Garden Room’ may well havebeen a pub room for sometime but looks as though it hasbeen extended back. Service toit is from a hatch in thecorridor. At the rear is a sepa-rate pebble fronted buildingnow called the Stables Fish &Oyster Bar and Restaurant.

The pub holds beer festivals atevery bank holiday weekendand also organises The Sher-ingham Classic Car & BikeShow with the 200 cars closingthe high street and sea front,and which raises money forSheringham carnival.

Lobster, 13 High Street, cornerWyndham Street, SheringhamNR26 8JP. It is open from 11 to11 (12 Fri, Sat); Sun 12 to11.Meals are served from 12 to 3;6 to 9; On Sat & Sun from 12to 9. Phone number is 01263822716. Website: www.the-lobster.com. Real ales on saleare Adnams Bitter, Greene KingAbbot Ale, Sharps Doom Bar,Woodfordes Wherry and a guestbeer. It is ‘dog-friendly’ and chil-dren are welcome until 9pm.

Text and photographs by MickSlaughter of CAMRA’s PubHeritage Group.

The wood panelled Lounge Bar atthe Lobster, Sheringham

If you require photographs ofyour pub interior / exterioryou can contact Mick on01733 390598 or [email protected] discuss your requirements.

SUMMER 2012 | 21

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12noon to 11pm

Sundays 12noon to 10.30pm

Come and enjoy our TapRoom with a selection of

Belgian bottled beers, Budvar,Erdinger and Riegele all on

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Enjoy your favourite takeaway with apint of real ale and friendly company!Just order your food to be delivered to the pubor bring it in and we provide plates, knives,

forks and environment.

We even have the menu’savailable - Indian,

Chinese, Fish and Chips etc.

Wednesday Special (12 Noon – 11pm)FOUR guest ales, changing every

week, just £2.00 per pint!

Bank Holiday BeerFestival 2012

Friday 24th August - Saturday 1st September

70 Real Ales from across thenation plus ciders

BBQ throughout the Beer Festival

plus BBQ June, July and August every Friday

and Saturday starting 6pm weather permitting

Try our new range of Belgian Bottled Beers!

On a less than sunnyEaster Saturday we set offon a 5½ mile circularwalk (source Ramblersbooklet - West Norfolk

Walkaway-3) starting at Oxborough. Parked onthe ample green beside the newly re-openedBedingfeld Arms, we intended to return with athirst. Along county lanes, cross-field footpaths,open country and historic hedge lined tracks atabout ¾ way around the route we arrived inGooderstone with 15 mins. to spare beforeopening time and so entered Gooderstonechurch. There we read the sad story of a localman, Lord Aymer. In a bit of a brawl after hiswedding ceremony he was killed and Lady Maryde St Paul was a maid, wife and widow all in oneday in year 1343!

But wait…. The church clock signalled middayand The Swan had opened. Inside this oldcottage style pub is a traditional warm andwelcoming bar / dining with bright pool / dartsroom behind and large back lawn. Here indeepest Breckland we found Lincolnshire beers,Bateman’s XB, Oldershaw and Newby Wyke‘HMS Queen Elizabeth’ (6%), a wonderfulJubilee special hoppy blond with hint of fruit.Mmm, time for another of those please yourmajesty and note to self to plan a visit toGrantham. The Swan serves lunch only onSundays so a 20 min walk took us back toOxborough.

OK, maybe I should have guessed the recentlymodernised and re-opened Bedingfeld Arms onan Easter Sat lunchtime beside National TrustOxburgh Hall is destined to be busy – and it wasso. We are glad to see any pub being wellattended and we resolved to visit another time.

Instead we drove to the oft passed-by FoldgateInn at Stradsett where we enjoyed a good lunch- meals all day weekends - and a choice ofGreene King IPA, Speckled Hen and LondonPride in a very nice, comfortable and populartraditional bar / dining room.

A couple days later at the local CAMRA groupmeet / social we saw that no-one was scheduledto deliver Nips to Gooderstone Swan so wesigned up and the following Saturday we againparked at Oxborough and opted for the 3 mileround walk (source Norfolk County Councilcountryside access) carrying a Nips delivery tothe Swan at the halfway point. As an individualthat likes to try any beers not previously experi-enced Norfolk’s Humpty Dumpty BroadlandSurprise was enjoyed, with an option ofBateman’s XB. Should have been there yesterdaywe were told, for the popular Quiz night. TheSwan holds weekly quiz or music nights.

Back at the Bedingfeld Arms the Easterweekend rush was reduced and we found atable in the choice of nicely decorated diningrooms with eclectic furniture. On handpumpwere Adnams Broadside, Wells Bombardier andWells Eagle IPA and our delivery of Nips waswelcomed. A modern selection of lunchtime barfood was available, with a la carte in theevenings I am told.

A sad end to this Nips delivery round was thecontinued closure of the Blue Bell at Stoke Ferry.Here’s wishing good fortune to the villageproject to re-open it.

J&J

Boots & Beer - Oxborough

SUMMER 2012 | 23

NORFOLK NIPS | West Norfolk Ramble

Some readers may rememberthis article from the Lynn News,but I felt it deserves a wider audi-ence. Look out for more from theBarman in the Lynn News everyTuesday – also available on theinternet atwww.lynnnews.co.uk/news/columnists/the-barman

I read a column in a localnewsletter recently calledsomething like Mr Grumpygets very Grumpy, which wasvery good, but a bit one sided,so I thought that I would put afew happy things in mine aswell as grumpy things. Just sothat you can tell the differencegrumpy things are marked (G)and happy things (H).

Last week I went to a localpub beer festival, which had agood selection of excellentbeer (H), but when I went outthe back I noticed that thetoilets did not have men andwomen markings, so it was abit random which door tochoose (G). It was also inter-esting, wondering who wouldcome in next (G or H,depending on who it was).

Next evening we took somefriends who were staying withus out west onto the Fen, andvisited a pub that was new tome. When we walked in thelocals at the bar mistook us forJehovah’s Witnesses, and gaveus a gentle ribbing (G) I canonly assume that this wasbecause we were not wearingbaseball caps, had no visible

tattoos and managed to stringtogether a few words withoutswearing. Still, the landladywas pleasant, and the Elgood’sCambridge bitter about asgood as it gets (H).

Next day we went down toLondon on the train with ourfriends to go to the Brentford vBury game. Thanks to engi-neering works and the BoatRace crowds, (G), we wererather late reaching the Magpieand Crown in Brentford wherewe were to meet two of the barwife’s nephews who werecoming to the game. The pubwas great, with a fantasticselection of beer and lots ofRobert Rankin* memorabilia(H). However a bottle of watercost £2.20 (G). Quickly passingover the result of the game, weheaded back home and due tothe engineering ended upspending half an hour onCambridge station. There is nowaiting room, and the barwhere you could once get adecent pint is now Marks andSpencer’s, so it meant standingthere in the cold for 30 minutes(G) being entertained by theantics of a hen party (H).

When we finally reachedLynn, the ladies went home tosort out supper (H), whilstRoger and I went for a quickpint in the Fenman, oppositethe station. The atmospherewas jovial, the beer £2.00 apint and the Elgood’s GoldenNewt sensationally good (H).

So in the final analysis, the (H)s narrowly outnumber the (G) swhich is how life should be.On the other hand this doesnot include the match result.*A local author

[email protected]

Phil BuffamUnfortunately Phil Buffam hastaken the decision to resign asChair of West Norfolk CAMRA.This is I understand for personalreasons.

I would like to say on behalf ofmyself and the rest of the activemembers, that Phil did a greatjob as Chair. He made goodheadway with recruitment for abranch which does not run itsown beer festival by negotiatingthe presence of CAMRA stands atlocal independent events. Healso, most often staffed thesehimself with the help of others.

Phil was always a keen followerof beer events around the areaand produced a lot of informa-tion on them which will be sorelymissed.

Personally I’ll miss his humour,and steadfast insistence on a beermug at every venue. He is alsothe only CAMRA member I’veever written a poem about!As Phil is no longer able to

attend our meetings, this soundsa bit like an obituary.But he’s out there somewhere

at this very moment relishing amug of something hoppy. Hopeto see you around mate, Stig.

West Norfolk | NORFOLK NIPS

24 | SUMMER 2012

Happy Days Are Here Again

We are in it!

The ONLY Thai Restaurantfor Norwich in

THE GOOD FOOD GUIDE!

A great real ale pub in thecentre of the City

Exceptionally good Thai Foodlunchtimes and evenings

www.vinethai.co.uk

Small but Perfectly formed Summer

Beer Fest 25th - 30th June 2012.

Small but Perfectly formed Summer

Beer Fest 25th - 30th June 2012.

The Smallest Pub in Norwich • Open Monday - Saturday • Families welcome

26 | SUMMER 2012

Sir Ian Botham has vowedto carry on walking untilBlood Cancer has beenbeaten. This year, his GreatBritish Walk took in 10venues, from Edinburgh to London. Thisincluded a pleasant “stroll” along the Bure ValleyRailway on 19th April, finishing at the Girl GuideCentre in Coltishall.

I was there to meet him, together with David“Pugs” Rackham and Lesley George from theHumpty Dumpty Brewery , which had a stall setup in the somewhat muddy field. They weredispensing their Commemorative Ale for thisevent – Give it some Humpty – in return fordonations to the charity, Leukaemia &Lymphoma Research.

We didn’t have long to wait. Sir Ian crossed theline in style. He had set a cracking pace, leavingmost of his supporters some way behind. I wasglad that I had ditched my original proposal tointerview him as we walked!

Business at the Humpty Dumpty Dumpty stallwas just as brisk as thirsty walkers made abeeline for the beer after crossing the finish line.

Eventually, we caught up with the great man.With his left knee hidden by a massive ice pack,he sat by the support vehicle chatting andsigning autographs. He signed Lesley’s PumpClip and a copy of Norfolk NIPS. But although SirIan is a cider man, and these days is more intowine (he has his own Wine Company) we couldnot resist the opportunity to ask him to try Give

it some Humpty.He took a large sip, licked his lips andsaid “There’s nothing wrong with that!”Praise indeed!

If you wish to donate to this worthycause, please go to beatingblood-cancers.org.uk/beefywalk2012.

Beefy gives it some Humpty!

SUMMER 2012 | 27

NORFOLK NIPS | Beating Blood Cancer

The Real Ale Shop is a unique off-licence offering over 50 bottle conditioned ales

from 15 Norfolk brewers.

We are located on a beautiful arable farmclose-by Wells-next-the-Sea, which provides

much of the malt used in brewing the ales we sell.

The Real Ale Shop, Branthill Farm, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1SB.

Tel: 01328 710810

28 | SUMMER 2012

This warm and friendly 17th century Freehouse is to thenorth side of Norwich cathedral. Owned by Craig & LynneMcLaren since 1993. ‘The Wig’ as its affectionately known,has built a reputation for fresh, fast, affordable British cuisine.

6 St Martins Palace Plain,Norwich NR3 1RN

01603 625891www.thewigandpen.com

Look out for our Cask Marque Plaque. This guarantees beer qualityin the Wig & Pen and theopportunity to TRY BEFORE YOU BUY.

For the 16th successiveyear, the Wig & Pen hasbeen included inCAMRA’s Good BeerGuide. We are very proudof this achievement.

• Good Ale • Good Food • Heated smoking area • Comprehensive Outdoor Dining Area • Late Night Opening

D is for Drays

SUMMER 2012 | 29

NORFOLK NIPS | Norfolk A - Z

Working for the Brewery. It was hard going, workingfrom Dawn to Dusk. As ayoungster, you were pairedwith an old hand, who knewthe ropes. In time, you wouldbe that old hand and ayoung’un would have theopportunity to learn from you.But at least you had a summerholiday – in a nice field some-where.

When you retired, if you werelucky, someone would give youa good home, otherwise – itwas off to the Knacker’s Yard!We are, of course, talking

about the magnificent horsesthat pulled the Brewery drays.In Norfolk they were usuallyeither Shires, distinguished bytheir feathered, white, lowerlegs or Percherons, a cleanlegged horse (no feathering).

They were looked after by theBrewery Draymen, who madethe deliveries. They were not aswell paid as the other workersin the Brewery, and workedlonger hours. But the job didhave compensations, free beerat the pubs that you deliveredto. Fortunately, the horsesknew the round and the wayback to the Brewery!

Loading the drays, whichwere maintained by theBrewery Carpenters, was easy,because the barrels were puton from a platform the sameheight as the dray, but off-loading was a different matter.

Typically, there were 15wooden barrels in each load,and they could weigh consider-ably more by the time that theywere delivered if it was raining.Each dray had a skid, or ramp,which was pulled out fromunderneath. This was made ofwood, reinforced with a metalstrip and was bowed in themiddle. The Barrels would beslid down the ramp, so thatwhen the hit the coconut matat the bottom, they stoodupright. If, by chance, yourolled a barrel down the ramp,there was no way of stopping it!

Drays were a common sightand made a fine marketingtool, advertising both theBrewery and it’s beers, as theymade their rounds.

However, many horses werecommandeered during TheGreat War and few returned.Motor deliveries began in the1920’s and for a while lorriesand horse drawn drays workedin tandem.

Today, you can still see a drayin Norfolk, thanks to DerekSpanton, whose family haveworked with horses for over100 years. In 1988, he boughthis first Shire horse and later adray, which he found in an oldbarn at Worstead. In 1994, hewas approached by RayAshworth of Woodfordes totake the Dray over to theopening of The Billy Bluelightin Norwich.The rest is history.

If you want to read moreabout Horses and Drays or thelife of a drayman as recountedby Derek Spanton, then pleasesee Norwich Pubs and Brew-eries Past and Present, theexcellent book by Frances andMichael Holmes, who kindlygave permission for material tobe used in this article.

What is the biggest footballmatch in the world? The FIFAWorld Cup Final? Or perhapsthe EUEFA Champions LeagueFinal? These are the answersyou will get from fans today,but it used to be The FA CupFinal or the final of The FootballAssociation Challenge Cup togive it the proper name. It’s theoldest competition of the sortin the world, with Wanderersbeating The Royal Engineers 1-0 in front of 2,000 fans at theKennington Oval in the firstfinal in 1872.

Fans still talk about theromance of the FA Cup, many

have their treasured memories,and giant killing feats are nowthe stuff of legends.

But in recent times, the glosshas worn off. The removal ofunlimited replays until a tie wassettled, replaced by a singlereplay with extra time andpenalties; permission grantedto Manchester United to beexcused to play in a meaning-less tournament in SouthAmerica, etc, etc. have all takentheir toll.But in my view, the biggest

culprit has to be the CorporateSponsorship Deals. It may havebeen inevitable, but from 1871

– 1993 it was The FA Cup.Nothing more - and certainlynothing less.

But all that changed in 1994when it was sponsored byLittlewoods. But at least it wasa British Company, synony-mous with Football. The UKcame to a halt at 5pm on aSaturday as millions tuned in tothe radio or TV to check theirLittlewoods Pools Coupons(other Coupons were available –Ed). But then came AXA, andE.ON after a four year break.

You can see where this going,from 2011 – 2014 The FA Cup

The Rant | NORFOLK NIPS

The Rant – Brought to youby Blogg’s Best Bitter

will be known as The FA Cupwith Budweiser. They hadsponsored the 2010 World Cupin South Africa. It’s all part ofthe globalisation of fizzy alco-holic rice water in my view. Butit is not just them. As the worldspins in financial meltdown,the Financial Institutions nolonger have the readies formega sponsorship, it seems.Are the major Brewers aretaking over?

The main sponsor of theEngland Football Team isCarling; the main sponsors ofthe 2012 Euro Finals in Polandand the Ukraine are Carlsberg.At least in the Ukraine Carls-berg brew an 8% stout. Willthat be the beer of choice athalf time? Probably not.And it’s not just football, take

the 2012 London Olympics.Official (and the only) BeerSupplier - Heineken!

But the good news is thatthey are not just selling “lager”,there will be bitter and cider onoffer. The bad news is that“British Bitter” is rebrandedJohn Smiths Smooth and“Cider” is rebrandedStrongbow. There are no alter-natives available at any of theOlympic venues!

Even at Lords, where theArchery is taking place.Marstons have the franchisethere, but during theOlympics, all references toMarstons and it’s productsincluding Pedigree and life sizecut outs of Matthew Hoggardare to be removed.

But these are the LONDONOlympics! Where is LondonPride? The Olympic Organisersshould hang their heads inshame. They say that withoutmajor sponsorships, theseevents would not take place.Hang on, we are supposing tobe showcasing to the world thebest that London and the restof the UK has to offer, surely adeal could have been struck tooffer a “guest beer” at thevenues? London Pride inLondon, Robinson’s DoubleHop in Manchester, etc. Sadly,Breweries in the UK do nothave sufficient financial clout tobid to become a sponsor for amajor event.

Is this where IndependentBreweries should cometogether to form a syndicate topromote their beers at events?Could SIBA take the initiative? And of course, there is always

CAMRA. CAMRA Branchesmust take the opportunity towork with Real Ale Pubs andBreweries in the areas whereevents are taking place to raiseawareness of what delightsthey can expect to find outsidethe venues. “British Bitter” isNOT the best the UK has tooffer. The Real Ale or Craftmarkets are flourishingthroughout the world, manyvisitors will come and hope tosample some decent Britishales and ciders, they may bedisappointed with what theyare being sold.

Surely, CAMRA must bepromoting the Great BritishBeer Festival to visitors to theUK for the Olympics? Probably.the best ticket in town!

SUMMER 2012 | 31

Hi, and thanks for helping in lastyear's Pub Survey, which really putNorwich on the map nationally!

Because it was fun - and becausethe data is actually quite useful,and not just for annoying otherCAMRA branches! - we're doing itall again at the end of June, onSaturday 30th to be precise(although please keep that datequiet for a little while).

I hope you'll all be able to helpout again, and join in the eveningparty when we announce theresults - this year we'll be at TheReindeer in Dereham Road fromabout 2pm until we get all theresults in - last year I think it wasabout 9pm. If so, please could youget back to me as soon as possible,and let me know whether you'dlike to do the same pubs as lastyear, or have a change and surveya different area. As last year, therewill be prizes for the closest esti-mate of the number of uniquebeers (215 last year), so please alsolet me know your guess. Only oneperson can have each number, soget in quick or yours may be gone.If the actual number is equidistantfrom two guesses, e.g. actualnumber 205, two nearest guessesare 204 and 206, then the highestof the two, 206, will be the winner.Thanks in advance for your help!

Cheers,Ian

Pub Survey 2012

An ApologyIn the Spring edition, we stated thatthe telephone box at The Nelson’sHead in Horsey was a smokers’facility. The landlord, John Uff, hasasked me to point out that thiswasn’t the case and could never beso, as it does not conform to currentregulations.

Sorry, John, for any inconveniencecaused.

32 | SUMMER 2012

Try our Award Winning Norfolk Ales

Available All Year RoundAvailable in bottles and 5 Litre Mini Casks

on-line or from our brewery shop

The Wolf Brewery Rookery Farm, Silver StreetBesthorpe, Attleborough

Norfolk, NR17 2LDTelephone: 01953 457775

E-mail: [email protected]

www.wolfbrewery.com

SUMMER 2012 | 33

NORFOLK NIPS | Competition

As usual we had many fineentries from all ages, includingseveral newcomers who pittedtheir designs against ourcompetition regulars. With alarge number of entries, thejudging process was againlengthy and difficult with manylogo designs having significantmerit. After due deliberation, afinal short list of two designswere selected, with one partic-

ular design really standing outfrom the others.

Anthony Miles’ design of adragon on a diamond finallywon through and was declaredthe winning design, aftercareful consideration as to howthe designs could be workedup to promote the festival onits usual range of merchandiseof glasses and t-shirts.

Mr Miles was quite shockedwhen he was told that he hadwon. After thinking of enteringthe competition for a fewyears, he finally put pixels ontoscreen and submitted a verytopical design in the year of theQueen’s Golden Jubilee, as wellas it being the branch's 35thfestival making it one of thelongest running CAMRA BeerFestivals in the country. Although planning is at an

early stage, as in previous years

we aim to provide an excep-tional range of quality real alesand ciders from not onlyNorfolk, but other outstandingbreweries around the country,plus maybe a few anniversaryspecials!

This year's beer festival runsfrom Monday 29th October toSaturday 3rd November at itsusual venue of St Andrews &Blackfriars Hall's, Norwich.

For further information aboutthe festival, please see our webpage at http://www.norwich-camra.org.uk/festival/festival.htm

Contacts: Martin Ward, Festival Organiser Tel: 07833971894e-mail:[email protected]

35th Norwich BeerFestival Winning logo

Jazz UpdateFirstly, on Saturday 14th July there will be anothersession at the Recreation Centre, Bridewell Lane,Acle, and the band appearing this time will be theYerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band. This isan eight piece 'Frisco Style' band playing manyoriginal Lu Watters arrangements, with the line-upfeaturing several band leaders in their own right,and this return appearance at Acle should prove tobe another popular event.

The venue has a good selection of real ales,including Adnams and Theakstons Bitter.Enquiries -Brian Davis 01493 701880.

Secondly, following on from their additional shorttour of the area to mark the Queen's DiamondJubilee Weekend, the Water Rats Jazz Bandwill be embarking on their 48th annual week-longtour of the Norfolk Broads on Saturday 21st July,generously sponsored as always by Woodforde'sBrewery. The final itinerary is not yet available, butshould be in the local press in due course, or onthe Water Rats web-site at www.water-rats.co.uk

It is also understood that the Water Rats are againdue to appear at the Reedham Lord Nelson's beerfestival on August Bank Holiday Monday.

34 | SUMMER 2012

Norwich and North Norfolk Branch

Saturday 16 Jun 2012Grain Brewery visit – our Summer OutingVisit to Grain Brewery at Alburgh (2pm) thenonwards to Harleston to visit a few pubs. Coachleaves John Lewis bus layby, All Saints Green,Norwich, at 1.15pm. To reserve a place, pleasecontact Michael Phillips, tel 07851923554 oremail [email protected].

Tuesday 19 June 20:00 - 22:00Branch Meeting (Windham Arms, Sheringham)Our monthly branch business meeting, thismonth at the Windham Arms, 16-17 WyndhamStreet, Sheringham NR26 8BA. There is nocoach to this meeting -- make your own way tothe meeting. Cost of train/bus travel will bereimbursed on the evening.

Friday 29 June 19:15 – 23:00Campaign Coach TripA Campaign Coach Trip, visiting pubs outsideNorwich including the 2 at Geldeston. Tickets£5 for CAMRA members, £7 non-members.Booking is ESSENTIAL (as we are using a 24-seatvehicle), contact Michael Phillips, [email protected], tel 07851923 554.

Saturday 30 Jun 2012Norwich Beer and Pub Survey 2012Norwich (map)The Norwich Beer and Pub Survey aims to visitall the pubs in Norwich on one day and recordthe beers on ale. If you would like tohelp,contact our Pubs Officer, Ian Stamp - email: [email protected] more details.

Friday 6 July 20:00 – 23:00First Friday Five46 Yarmouth Road, Thorpe St. Andrew (map)Visiting 5 pubs in Thorpe St. Andrew and Thorpe

Hamlet, starting at the Rushcutters, 46 YarmouthRoad, then the Buck, Rivergarden, Town HouseHotel and finishing at the Fat Cat & Canary.

Saturday 7 July 19:30 – 23:00Beer Festival Staff Summer BarbecueAt the Beehive, Leopold Road, Norwich.

Tuesday 17 July 20:00 – 22:00Branch Meeting Our monthly business meeting, to be held at theUncle Stuart Brewery, Wroxham Barns, TunsteadRoad, Hoveton, Norfolk NR12 8QU

Saturday 21 July 2012Trip to NottinghamVisit to Nottingham for their Beer by Tram Trip.We are hoping to meet up with members ofNottingham branch and visit a number of pubsalong the tram route. This event will be byreturn train between Norwich and Nottinghamand we will endeavour to book Groupsave4tickets where possible. Final details will followbut please could you confirm your interest/avail-ability on this date to obtain an indication ofinterest for this event - please contact our SocialSecretary, Michael Phillips on 07851923554 ore-mail to [email protected]

Friday 27 July 19:15 – 23:00Campaign Coach TripA Campaign Coach Trip, visiting pubs outsideNorwich along the A11. Tickets £5 for CAMRAmembers, £7 non-members. Booking is ESSEN-TIAL (as we are using a 24-seat vehicle), contact Michael Phillips, [email protected], tel 07851 923 554.

Friday 3 Aug 2012First Friday Five (TBA)Visiting 5 pubs in Norwich, route to bearranged.

Wednesday 15th August 2012Beeston Brewery VisitDetails to be confirmed

CAMRA Calendar

The Crown Inn at Catfield scoops awardFollowing the Winter Ale Trail, organised byBranch members Peter and Susan Wells, a pres-entation was made to The Crown Inn atCatfield. The village pub was nominated bythose who completed the task of visiting all thepubs as the Pub of the Trail.

Licencees Pauline and Nando Sappia wereclearly delighted to receive this accolade. Theincrease in footfall and sales was very welcomein the winter months and the pub would like tobe involved next year. It will however, be undernew management as Gail and Scott Whittletonare taking over soon (it is still being kept in thefamily, though).Peter and Susan Wells said that they were

pleased with the way that the trail had run. The

response had been good and drinkers hadventured to pubs that they would not otherwisehave visited.

Those who attended the ceremony foundsome cracking ales awaiting them – includingHumpty Dumpty’s Jubilee Mild and tasty nibblesmade by Nando.

SUMMER 2012 | 35

NORFOLK NIPS | Dates for your diary

Tuesday 21st AugustBranch Committee MeetingOur monthly business meeting to be held atCounty Hall, Norwich

Friday 31st August Campaign Coach TripDetails to be confirmed, but is likely to be fivecounty pubs in the Great Yarmouth/Gorleston area.

Sunday 2nd September 2012Bowls Match v Suffolk BranchesBranches compete for The Rowly Bowly Cup.To be held at the Caxton Club, Beccles.Coach from the John Lewis layby, All SaintsGreen, Norwich at noon. To book a place,please contact Michael Philips

Tuesday 18th SeptemberBranch Committee MeetingOur monthly business meeting to be held at TheHumpty Dumpty Brewery, Reedham 8pm

Apart from the AGM, you do not have to be amember to attend any of these events, but ifyou do and you enjoy it, you are more thanwelcome to join. Just come along!However, for coach trips, please contact Michael

Philips to book your seat on the coach and let usknow where you want to be picked up.

Pick up points: 6.47pm junction of SouthwellRoad/Grove Road, 6.55pm junction of OldPalace Road/ West End Street, 7.10pm Heart-sease Roundabout (Harvey Lane side) 7.15pmRailway Station (Thorpe Road Bus Stops).

For more details and updates, please check thefull calendar on www.norwichcamra.org.uk

NEW – Updates on the First Friday Fives can alsobe found at Firstfridayfives.blogspot.com

All Branch Meetings start at 8pm.

West Norfolk Branch

Branch meetings (All include social)

12th June West End, Feltwell10th July Victory, Clenchwarton28th July Trip by public transport around pubsSouth East of Norwich. To be finalised, contactTim (07950-823270) nearer the date for details.

left to right -GrahamFreeman, landlady andlandlord Paulineand NandoSappia.

Beer Festival Planning meetings:When: Thursdays 28 June, 30 August, 27 Se

ptember

Where: Upstairs room, Take 5, 17 Tombland,

Norwich NR3 1HFTime: 8 – 10pm

Great British Beer

Festival

When: 7 – 11 August

Where: Olympia, Londo

n

TICKETS ARE AVA

ILABLE TO PURCH

ASE FROM

http://gbbf.org.uk/

PURCHASE ADVA

NCE TICKETS

TO RECEIVE A £2

DISCOUNT !

Norwich BeerFestival StaffSummer BBQWhen: 7.30pm, Sat 7 JulyWhere: The Beehive, LeopoldRd, Norwich

You are not alone!The Norwich and Norfolk Bra

nch

2,523 members, of which:

276 are under 301,776 are male715 are female-and there are 3 “others”.

Next issue of Norfolk Nipsand Cask ForceCopy to editors by Monday August 6thOn the streets by: Friday September 14th

38 | SUMMER 2012

Beer Festivals16-17 June 4th Gibberd Garden

Beer FestivalThe Gibberd Garden, MarshLane, Old Harlow CM17 0NAContact:[email protected]/gg

22-24th June 3rd Norfolk Ale & Music FestJolly Sailors, Brancaster Staithe

June 14-16The 8th Braintree RealAle Festival

The Bocking Arts TheatreBocking End, Braintree CM7 9AANorth West Essex Branchwww.braintreebeerfestival.co.uk

25th - 30th June Small but Perfectly FormedBeer FestVine Thai Cuisine, Norwich

28 June – 1 July The 16th Festival ofBeer and Brewing

The Museum of East Anglian Life,StowmarketIpswich and Suffolk Branch

6th -8th July South East Essex Ciderand Perry Festival

South East Essex Branchwww.seecamra.org.uk

13th - 15th July 11thAnnual North NorfolkRailway Beer Fest100 brews including cider andperry, Sheringham Station

10th – 14th JulyChelmsford SummerBeer Festival

Chelmsford and Mid-Essex

Branchwww.chelmsfordcamra.org.uk

19-21 July 2nd Rutland‘Multum in Parvo’ BeerFestival

Rutland County MuseumCatmose Street, OakhamLE15 6HWContact:www.rutlandcamra.org.uk

20th - 22nd JulyCrusaders Beer FestivalBeckhithe, Little Melton

20th - 22nd JulyLodge, North Tuddenham 2nd Summer Beer FestivalOver 20 Ales and Ciders

26th – 28th JulyBishop’s Stortford BeerFestival

Herts and Essex Borders Branchwww.heb-camra.org.uk

26th - 28th JulyStuart House, Kings Lynn15th Kings Lynn BeerFestival

10th - 12th August3rd Ranworth Beer andCider Fest20 plus Real Ales and cidersRanworth Village Hall, Broad Rd

14th August Bedingfeld arms, Oxborough

16th – 19th AugustIpswich Beer FestivalIpswich and East Suffolk

Brancheswww.ipswichcamra.org.uk

21st -25th AugustPeterborough BeerFestival

The Embankment, BishopsRoad,Peterborough PE1 1EF

Peterborough and District Branchwww.real-ale.org.uk

22nd -25th AugustClacton-on-Sea Real Aleand Cider Festival

Tendring Branchwww.tendringcamra.org.uk

24th - 27th AugustHemsby Sports and SocialClub annual Beer FestivalWaters Lane, NR29 4NH

24th August - 1st SeptDuke of Wellington,NorwichBank Holiday Beer Festival70 Real Ales plus ciders, BBQ

4th - 8th SeptemberChappel Beer FestivalEssex Branches

24-27th AugustWest End, Feltwell

25th - 27th AugustMid Norfolk Railway Real aland Music FestivalDereham Station

7th - 9th SeptemberWymondham Rugby Club40th Anniversary SeasonBeer Fest20 Local Ales and Ciders, BBQand Hog Roast

Beery dates for your diary | NORFOLK NIPS

SUMMER 2012 | 39

See www.kingsarmsnorwich.co.uk for details

Everchanging 13 Real Ales, Cider and Mild.Fruit Beer also served

BEER GARDEN • Popular Quiz Night last Wednesday of every month

Texas hold-em poker played Thursdays and Sunday 8pm start

Food served: 11.30 - 2pm Monday -Fri 12-30- 3pm Sunday

Michaela and Rik welcome you to

The Kings Arms 22 Hall Rd Norwich NR1 3HQ Tel: 01603 766361

See all of Norwich

City’s matches

(Home and Away!)

Eat your takeaway in the pub - plates and cutlery provided!

Issue no. 103 June/July 1999

“CAMRA believes that consumer power is theway forward in the campaign to persuade pubchains to stock a wider range of real ales”. Talksbetween CAMRA, SIBA, and some of the biggestPubco’s had revealed that retailers were keen tostock a wider range, but that they wanted to besure that there was genuine customer demandfor “little known cask beers from micros andsmaller regional Brewers. The Office of Fairtrading had ruled out statutory action to forcepubcos to stock guest ales.

Price was thought to be an issue as Pubco’ssought to drive down costs and went for biggerdiscounts on major brands. Iain Loe, CAMRA’sResearch Manager felt that they had to bepersuaded that there was added value instocking a wider range and that was worthpaying a premium for. But customer demandwas recognised as the key to getting microbrew-eries into Pubco Estates.

“CAMRA members have to educate publicansthat there are hundreds of quality real ales beingproduced by small brewers all over the UK andthat there is a demand for them”, said Mr Loe.

A fake handpump had been spotted by aneagle eyed CAMRA member at the LetheringsettKing’s Head. But fear not, dear reader was not a

handpump at all, but a trophy awarded to TheKing’s Head by The publican and BRITVIC forbeing the Family Pub of the Year.

Elsewhere in this issue, there was an advert forThe Railway at North Elmham, announcing theirfirst Beef Festival over the August Bank Holidayand one for The Billy Bluelight advertising Gold-light Summer Ale (3.5%) Bluelight Bitter (3.7%)and Lakenham Special Bitter (4.7%) plus “allyour regular Woodforde’s favourites”.

The May First Friday Five was reported. Itstarted at The Griffen, then took in The RedLion, The Buck and The King’s Head, beforeending up at The Mustard Pot. There were onlya couple of Adnams beers on in this tied house,but there was “plenty of choice of seats… as itwasn’t very busy”.

From the ArchivesFrom the Archives | NORFOLK NIPS

SUMMER 2012 | 41

CAMRA PUB OF THE YEAR 2011(NORWICH AND NORFOLK BRANCH)

01263 822609 or 01263 82600315-17 Wyndham Street, Sheringham Norfolk NR26 8BA

www.thewindhamarms.co.uk

Function Room available - Licensed Bar • Catering up to 65 people, 35 seated• Ideal for meetings, parties and special occasions • Parking Available

Only NORFOLK Cask Ales

** Try Our Greek Specials **

Homemade Locally-Sourced Food

Come and sample our ever changing draught real ales, as well asour wide range of bottled lager and cider.

Try our delicious, locally sourced a la carte menu, good qualityclassic bar food and weekly specials.

Why not visit us on ‘Real Ales Tuesdays’ and pay just £2.60 a pint!

... and for something a bit different, join us on

Friday 15th June for a night of

Stand Up Comedy!Book now and wrap up warm on the night.

On a not very spring like day, it was cool andgrey but never mind, the masses assembled inthe university city of Cambridge for a pub stroll(posh way of saying crawl!). Despite a disap-pointing turn out those who made it enjoyedsome great pubs and some great real ale, here’sthe story of our day, yay!

After arriving by train we caught the Citi8 busoutside the station and headed for Histon, pintand breakfast at the Red Lion (as featured onTV!), a nice fry-up washed down with MansionMild and Purbeck Fossil Fuel, two of the eightales on offer. Back into Cambridge (with someF1 style bus driving!) and the Maypole, tuckedin next to a multi-story car park, a fine pub witheight real ales and good food, we tried Nether-gate Flaming Dame Blonde and BuntingfordImperial Chocolate Wheat (6.8% ABV & fourand a half quid a pint!). Also featured were beersfrom Blackfriars, Milton, Ridgeway and more.

Around to Bridge Street and The Mitre, a busyNicholson’s pub which caters for beer lovers aswell as food fans, again a good choice of eightreal ales from which we tried Vicious AmericanWheat IPA and Thornbridge Frank As Apollo(wonder where they got that name from?!),pleasant staff I have to say considering howhectic it was other ales from Adnams, St Austell,and Kirkstall. Next up was the Pickerel Inn whichwas okay but not brilliant, again very busy (I think there was events going on local collegeswhich may have caused the extra customers), 5 real ales here from which we had Charles WellsBombardier (Hurah!!!), and Potbelly “A-Limp-PigGold” (geddit?!). As the Pickerel was snowedunder food wise we stopped at Bridges Patisseriefor a ciabatta and a coffee, very nice but a tadexpensive, it is an expensive city. Most pints onthe day were well over three Pounds. On to thetiny pub with a big heart, the Saint Radegund of

course, I think five ales on offer but the memoryis slightly vague (can’t think why!), had CrouchVale Golden Duck, bit of a cricket themepossibly. The Hopbine followed, CambridgeCAMRA’s “Most Improved Pub” winner, a brightred outside gives way to warm welcome insideand a choice of around eight ales, couple ofcracking Oakham beers in Citra and Black HolePorter, the Hopbine had some really interestingbeers, a great pub. I was a demon on the pooltable; Twister Tim won 3-1, Rocket Ronniewatch out!!! Where next? The Elm Tree, fine pubwith games and books to enjoy, someonebrought their huge Italian hunting dog in, woof!Beer, oh yes, we had Milestone Tuck’s Tipple andFry’s Ruby Chough (a bird perhaps?) (A memberof the crow family associated with Cornwall whereFrys originate, Ed). One final stop, and the bril-liant Live & Let Live, everyone knows this superbbackstreet venue is my fave Cambridge pub,from the usual great choice we double Oakham-ed again, with Midnight Mild and Tranquility IPA(both top notch).

Home time, it was a great day out, goodquality real ales and great pubs. Shame thatsome more people couldn’t make it, you missedout, but maybe this article will give you someideas!

Timbo

SUMMER 2012 | 43

NORFOLK NIPS | West Norfolk Cambridge Tour

Springtime in Cambridge (A Timbo tour)

44 | SUMMER 2012

I didn’t know Kings Lynn before 1980, so I amfascinated to learn what the town was likebefore the redevelopment of the 1960’s. InMichael Winton’s excellent book ‘Kings Lynn As ItWas’ there is a picture of the High Streetshowing a decorative wrought iron arch, one offour that traversed the street supporting lights.Next to the arch was the Queen’s Head that wassituated, as near as I can tell from the photo-graph, somewhere close to the present locationof Primark. It was demolished, along with thearches in July 1960, so there will be plenty ofpeople around who will remember the street asit was, and be able to put me right.

None of them, however, will be able toremember the events of 1731, when a landladycalled Ann Wright was running the Queen’sHead. She must have been doing well as shehad a servant called Mary Taylor. One nightMary admitted to the premises a fellow namedGeorge Smith who strangled the landlady.Smith was caught and convicted of the robberyand murder of Anne Wright and was sentencedto death by hanging. The servant, Mary Taylorwas also tried on the charge of ‘petty treason’for her act of letting Smith into the pub. Hersentence for this seemingly less serious offencewas to be burned alive at the stake. It wouldseem that Smith had an air of reckless bravadoabout him and Smith was a foolish youngwoman who was his lover.

Many executions took place in a field outsidethe South Gates, and it would seem that thiswas the first hanging to take place in TuesdayMarket Place for over 20 years. The burning wasto take place at the same time, so it was clearly ahigh profile case that captured the imaginationof the public. Indeed the accounts for theghastly event include payment for 10 consta-bles, presumably to control the crowd.

I wonder how many spectators went backalong the High Street to the Queen’s Head andraised a glass to justice being done. It would be60 years before the burning of women at thestake (which was considered a more dignifiedform of execution than hanging) was abolished.This was probably the last and maybe the onlyjoint execution ever to take place in TuesdayMarket Place.

High Stakes

SUMMER 2012 | 45

NORFOLK NIPS | West Norfolk Historical Feature

Summertime is HereWhat’s to do on a summer’s evening in Norfolk?The quintessentially English thing to do isto take a trip to a beautiful local pub. Sunshine cannot be guaranteed but good beerin convivial surroundings most certainly can.And on a Wednesday evening at certain pubsthe beer comes with more hops than normal,these being provided by Kemp’s Men ofNorwich. Kemps are named after Will Kemp,colleague of Shakespear, fellow shareholderin the globe theatre , Europe’s most famouscomic actor and Morris dancer extraordinaire.We are proud to continue his legacy with ener-getic and enthusiastic dancing and music,and by raising the beer glass in honour of all theother local heroes who have kept thetradition alive in the intervening years. We shallsalute you all with beer and Morris dancingat the following pubs (7.45pm) this summer:

June 20 Wreningham Bird in HandJune 27 Chedgrave White HorseJuly 4 Norwich Playhouse BarJuly 11 on Riverside with Golden StarJuly 18 Neatishead White HorseJuly 25 Surlingham Coldham HallAugust 1 Ludham Dog InnAugust 8 Winterton Fishermans ReturnAugust 15 Coltishall Rising sunAugust 22 Old Buckenham GamekeeperAugust 29 Adam and EveSeptember 5 Wig and Pen

And thank you to our current sponsor, Themighty Beeston Brewery whose beers containexquisite hops that complement our own!

Norris Winstone MBE (Win to his mates) was a stalwartof the Morris and a beer drinkerof many year’s experience, R.I.P.

Peter Blake and his Hog and Vine cider won thecompetition that was held at the Norwich BeerFestival last October. The presentation wasmade in front of a full house at the Kings Armsin Fleggburgh on a Sunday afternoon in Apriland the celebration continued well into theevening with both local and Welsh cider flowingfreely to the accompaniment of the excellentVagaband.

Blakey himself joined the band on tea-chestbass thus demonstrating how country roots ofcider and music make for the perfect hoedown.

A special mention also needs to be made ofthe part played by the Kings Arms in hosting theevent. Since its rescue from oblivion by a local

man, the last three years have seen renovationand extension of the building and a completerenaissance of life at the pub. It is now resplen-dent in solid oak with flagstone floors and awood burner for the winter, and a large gardennext to the village church for the summermonths. As well as cider, six hand pumps offer arange of beers with Sunday’s Swallowtail fromHumpty Dumpty a personal favorite.

Under the helm of enthusiastic managementthe pub has been brought back from the brinkand transformed into the thriving centre of thevillage. All involved in this success deservehearty congratulations and the pub stands asashining example of the pub as the hub of a localcommunity.

NORFOLK NIPS

46 | SUMMER 2012

The East Anglian Cider of the yearaward for 2011

The Wroxham Barns are home to a collection oftraditional craft businesses including theproduction and sale of traditional English bever-ages.

The Norfolk Cider Company is now the oldestestablished cider maker in Norfolk following theclosure of Gaymers and Sons.The Kingfishercider is made only from pure fresh Norfolkapples and the dry sweet and medium versionsthat come in at 7% can be purchased from theApple Shop at Wroxham Barns. The draft cidersare also currently available in the MundesleyShip,the Stalham Grebe and , in Norwich, theKings Head Magdalen Street, the Ribs of Beefand the Trafford.

The Norfolk Cider Company produces its cideron a farm near Attleborough but can also beseen pressing apples at agricultural showsthroughout East Anglian the summer, using anoriginal 19century mill and press, when thehead cider maker Stephen Fisher can be seenkitted out in traditional smock and hat. Thismakes for excellent publicity and the companyhas won several awards. It is a past CAMRArunner up and must be congratulated forcontinuing a living traition, making Proper Cider.Do visit the Apple Shop with empty containers,where free samples will help you decide on yourchoice. You can also buy on-line (www.the-Apple-Shop.com).

And whilst at the Barns, just opposite the AppleShop, is Uncle Stuartʼs brewery, bar and beeremporium. he brewery is located in a convertedcattle stall and the bar (open daily 10.30am to4.30pm) serves draft Wroxham bitter and oneother, along with a Kingfisher cider. StuartEvansʼ output is mostly bottled. A range of eight

is normally available, with labels reflecting localscenes, but a special has been produced in indi-vidually numbered swing top bottles that isworthy of any collection. Natureʼs Best Extremeis a Belgian style ale that comes in at 11.5%. Aswell as at his own bar his beers have been seenat the Strumpshaw Huntsman and the KingsHead next door to Lingwood railway station.

With summer on its way the Barns can providea fun day out - for every member of the family!

One Stop for TraditionalEnglish Beverages

SUMMER 2012 | 47

NORFOLK NIPS | Cider

Makers of a range of award-winning organicciders, including our User Friendly, Original,

Owld Norfolk (voted East Anglia’s best cider),Special Reserve and our Rum Cask.

Also our Norfolk Perry (subject to availability)

Tel: 01379 687687www.crones.co.uk

Range of organic juices also available

48 | SUMMER 2012

26 St Leonards RoadNorwich NR1 4BL01603 618734

A real gem,well worth a visit.

Eight real ales to choose from, two ofwhich change regularly.

Two pooltables upstairs.

Pork pies and other light snacksavailable all day.

Hog roast available sundays.

Lovely enclosed beer garden withlarge sheltered smoking area.

Only a ten minute walk from thetrain station and city centre.

Open all day from 12 noon everyday.

Sky Sports and ESPN

ENJOY THE SUMMER WITH A FINE ALE IN OUR BEER GARDEN

Large beer garden, traditional games, lunchtime menu and a good selection of real ale, spirits and soft drinks

Listed in the Good Beer Guide every year since 2000.

Queen’s Head and Waveney Brewing Company

Traditional Village Pub with a breweryproducing permanent and seasonal

ales on site

Station Road, Earsham, NorfolkTel: (01986) 892623

How would you describe your ideal Britishpub? Your response might well feature wordslike “unspoilt”, “traditional” and “old”. Yourpub might be an ancient country inn repletewith beams, panelling and inglenook fire-places. Or perhaps a huge Victorian city pub,all mirrors, mahogany and ornate tiling. Oreven a basic back-street boozer of the kindnow so hard to find. If you enjoy pubs withcharacterful historic interiors, then CAMRA'sPub Heritage Group can help you locateexamples all over the country.

The Group is dedicated to promoting andpreserving pubs whose interiors are of historicor architectural importance. Their workconcentrated initially on finding those pubinteriors which are nationally precious, eitherbecause they are essentially intact from whenbuilt or, whilst altered, contain exceptionalfeatures or rooms. The number of such pubsis sadly small – less than 300. The Group has

gone on to record a second tier of interiorswhich are less intact or remarkable but stillhave significant historic or architectural merit– and are therefore also well worth a visit.

The easiest way to get information aboutthese “Real Heritage Pubs” (CAMRA's collec-tive name for them) is to visit the website atwww.heritagepubs.co.uk where you cansearch for the pubs on a county-by-countybasis. CAMRA has also published bookscovering several parts of the country,including Scotland, Wales, Yorkshire andLondon. You may be able to buy these at theFestival products stall or, if not, direct fromCAMRA (https://shop.camra.org.uk)

Should you wish to contact Pub HeritageGroup (perhaps to recommend a pub forinclusion as a Real Heritage Pub of just to seekfurther information) please [email protected]

SUMMER 2012 | 49

NORFOLK NIPS | CAMRA Pub Heritage Group

Britain’s Real Heritage Pubs

50 | SUMMER 2012

SUMMER BEER FESTIVAL • 17TH - 19TH AUGUST

The Star InnSchool Road, Lessingham NR12 0DN

25 Real Ales & 4 CidersBBQ & Hog Roast Available £5 Wristband Admittance

(NO REFUNDS GIVEN)

Ample parking availableCamping available

(Donations accepted for The Happisburgh Lifeboat Appeal)

Friday 17th: Evening: Buster James Band

Saturday 18th: Afternoon: Lee Vasey BandEvening: Big Black Cadillac

Sunday 19th: Afternoon: Footfaulters

Entertainment:Entertainment:

Tel: 01692 580510 for more information

Opening Times:Friday 17th: 6pm - MidnightSaturday 18th: 12pm - MidnightSunday 19th: 12pm - 4pm

The 18th May was Elgood’sbrewery media day anddesigned to launch a newwebsite (www.elgoods-brewery.co.uk). Various peoplewere invited to the visitorcentre to meet the family andstaff. The brewery was estab-lished in 1795 and still remainsa very family orientated enter-prise. Amongst the guests werelandladies and landlords fromtied houses and the free tradeand a number of CAMRAbranches including Hunt-ingdon, Peterborough,Norwich and Norfolk and WestNorfolk. Also present wasRoger Protz (editor of the GoodBeer Guide) and beer writer,and also members of the pressand radio.

The day started with coffee,biscuits and a chat withElgood's friendly family andstaff. Brewery trips were avail-able to those who wanted to

see the brewing process, but Iand a few others took advan-tage of the beautiful and everchanging extensive gardens,including a walk round themaze. We of course finishedback at the bar to try the beerand inspect the newly designedpump clips. The green roomhad a buffet lunch laid out, anda bottled beer bar wheresamples could be obtained.

Not wishing to miss out ontrying some new beers I madefor this bar and first up was anew beer called Warrior, thiswas voted East Anglian Cham-pion bottled beer. This beer didnot disappoint at 5.5%,personally I would say it wasthe best that Elgood's haveproduced so far. Several otherbeers were sampled includingBlack Eagle 7.2% which is notavailable in the U.K. at present.Two special beers have beenproduced for the Diamond

Jubilee, one is only on sale atMarks & Spencers shops, andthe other is Diamond Jubileewhich is based on the DoubleSwan brew. This brew wasreleased as “Lovely Jub-e-lee”for the Portuguese market.

Many thanks to Elgood's fortheir wonderful hospitality anda great day out. I shall bereturning for their Beer Festival20th - 22nd September.

See you there!

Bruce Ward West Norfolk CAMRA

What a Lovely DayNORFOLK NIPS | Visit to Elgood’s Brewery

Club of the YearDo you know of a Club, which promotes RealAle to it’s members? Perhaps you run one or amember? If so, please get in touch with yourlocal Branch (see page 3 for details).

Why? Because in addition to the National Pubof the Year, CAMRA also makes an award to theNational Club of the Year.

Clubs are very different to Pubs in law, as theycannot admit the General Public. You have to bea member, so the Club would have to be willing

to allow CAMRA members who are not Clubmembers to gain admittance for judging.To qualify, Clubs do not have to offer a large

number of ales, just a couple will do. Qualityand commitment are the most important factorsto consider. Any type of club, whether run bymembers, individuals or organisations, andwhatever it’s affiliations can enter.

As a general guideline, if your Club meets theGood Beer Guidelines, it is eligible for Club ofthe Year (COTY).

SUMMER 2012 | 51

SUMMER 2012 | 53

OPEN12 NOON -11PMMONDAY TOSUNDAY

CAMRA NORWICH CITY PUB OF THEYEAR 2011

UP TO TEN CASK ALES REGULARLY AVAILABLEBAR BILLIARDS • GOOD SELECTION OF MALTSHOT SNACKS AVAILABLE ALL DAY EVERYDAY

ENCLOSED BEER GARDEN • SUNDAY ROASTS 12-3

LIVE MUSIC every Friday & SundayQUIZ NIGHT last Monday of the Month

TAPAS NIGHT first Thursday of the Month

Charity Treasure Hunt Sunday 15th July

Cider and Sausage Festival 10th-12th August

THE GREYHOUNDAn old Fashioned, traditional country pub.

Serving a selection of Real Ales and Fine food.Children’s play area and large car park.

A warm welcome from Rob and Fawnda to...

• THE STREET, TIBENHAM NR16 1PZ •

Tel: 01379 677676smithrjsmith@btinternetcom

Camping space &Electric hook ups forCaravans available

Dog FriendlyFor up and coming events

see or websitethe-greyhound tibenham.co.uk

OPENING TIMESMon: 12 - 3pm and 6.30pm - midnight

Tues: 6.30 - midnight.Weds and Thurs: 12 - 3pm and 6.30pm - midnight.

Friday: 12 - 3pm and 6.00pm - midnight.Sat and Sun: 12 midday -12 midnight.

Carvery lunch Sunday afternoon 1pm - 3pm.Booking advisable 01379 677676.

The pub with no bar, ales direct from cask.

Watch www.nelsonslocal.co.uk for forthcoming events.

Tongue twizzling food, and great value.

Huge garden • Summer barbecue

Victory Barn Function Room

for Weddings and Parties

Come & visit Nelson’s local.

Walsingham Road, Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk PE31 8HN

01328 738241

54 | SUMMER 2012

Norwich’s oldest pub

Norwich City of Ale FestivalBest Pub Award 2011

Open 11am -11 pm Mon to Sat 12 noon - 10.30pm Sun

Food served12 noon - 7pm Mon to Sat 12 noon - 5pm Sundays

17 Bishopgate, Norwich NR3 1RZ 01603 667423

Best Public House AwardNorwich in Bloom 2011

Telephone: 01379 898 445Email: [email protected]

www.thebellrickinghall.co.uk

The Bell Inn, The Street, Rickinghall, Norfolk IP22 1BN

Whether you are visiting us for business or pleasure we will endeavour to ensure your stay with

us will always exceed your expectations.

We are open all day every dayWe now serve food all day every day including breakfast

Sunday Lunch served all day 12:00 - 9:00

The Bell Inn is a family owned and run Country Hotelwith ample Free Parking and Patio Garden.

• 8 En-suited Bedrooms • The Chimes Restuarantseating up to 30 guests • Private Function Suite • Bespoke menus tailored to suit all functions

• Warm & friendly atmosphere • Five Real Ales

Heath HouseNorwich • Traditional Family Pub

BEER FESTIVAL18th - 23rd JUNE 2012

• Ales from near and far •

• Open from 12 noon every day •

The Heath House, 99 Gertrude Rd, Norwich,Norfolk NR3 4SG Tel: 01603 406417

SUMMER 2012 | 55

Simon and Karen welcome youall to their traditional family pub.

Great selection of real ales and wines, along withfine dining and excellent company.

Find your favourite local at your favourite local!

www.whitehorsechedgrave.co.uk

Last Night of the Proms extravaganza & Beer Festival Thurs 6th- Mon 10th September

FREE

56 | SUMMER 2012

I already knew that since Jimmy Carter repealedthe laws about brewing there had been anexplosion in “craft breweries” in the USA - therise of the bottled American beers at our ownNorwich Beer Festival gives evidence to this.However, I was unprepared for not only thegrowth in the number of breweries in NewEngland but the depth of knowledge of the folksboth serving and populating the bars. The rangeof beers brewed go from Vienna Reds (such asthe inaccurately named Boston Lager) through amyriad of Belgium style beers to the strong (6%or more) American style IPA’s. Most bars stock arange of light and dark beers and many alsostock a range of bottled beers – the Belgianshaving made huge inroads here. Oddly, Britishbeers and American brewed British-style beersseem to be very much in the minority.

From my observations craft beers in the USAare now talked about in bars in the samelanguage as fine wines – some restaurants evendo food and beer pairing events. Most bars haveat least three or four fonts dispensing one ormore local ales. These craft beers are all brewedto traditional recipes (no adjuncts being used)and, although filtered for kegging, are notpasteurised in any way. In the cellar a “g-mix” (amixture of Co2 and nitrogen) is used to bringthe beer to the fonts but as the beer is “real” theamount of gas needed is so small that the endresult is close to drinking a pint of British real ale.

As for being cold – all craft beers in the USA atleast in New England) seem to be served atroom temperature.

Beer in the U.S | NORFOLK NIPS

Beer In The U.S -All Cold & Fizzy, Isn’t It?

Hand pumps at Mudville 9

In some bars where they have an enthusiastic beerclientele the brewers have started to cask their beersand hand-pumps have sprouted up alongside thefonts! However, a word of warning here! As manybars are only used to using kegs, the cask beers notlaid down so are often served cloudy. Also bewareparticularly the last few pints from the cask – you’llprobably be served a beer soup with bits and all!

Enough of the generalities – what about the bars!To start with New York, the first bar we encounteredwas the “Oyster Bar” in the basement of GrandCentral station. Like many bars, the menu and beerlist are printed out daily with the beers state oforigin being stated too! For those (like me) whoalways want to drink LocAle this was a revelation.Only six or so craft beers listed here but theseincluded beers from Chelsea (a New York brewery wewere to visit later) and beers from Sixpoint and BluePoint (both in New York State). The food was goodtoo!

Any visitor to NY can’t fail to come across the pubsof the Heartland Brewery - a sort of USA version ofWetherspoons. At first each bar brewed on thepremises but as they have expanded the beers(including the house guests) are all now brewed “upstate” at their own dedicated plant. Heartland evenhave a pub at the foot of the Empire State Buildingand are all worth a visit as each has differing Heart-land “guest” ales alongside the normal range.

On the east side of Manhattan and not far fromthe USS Intrepid (a World War 11 aircraft carrier –worth a visit) is the tap of the Chelsea Brewery. Hereyou can sit at the bar with the serving tanks a fewfeet from you, the brewery behind a glass screenand gaze out over the East River. Naturally the fullrange of Chelsea beers are available including thedangerous Wheat Wine at 9.2%! Sadly, this was theonly one of the six or so NY breweries (including thewell respected Brooklyn Brewery) to have a tap.

Other bars of note visited in NY, where the “PonyBar”, “Rattle n Hum” the “Waterfront Ale House”(which is actually nowhere near a river!) and the“Ginger Man”. We also visited the famous “BlindTiger” in Greenwich Village but were (on this occa-sion) un-impressed. In fact the “Peculiar Pub”

SUMMER 2012 | 57

Traditional English Inn

Recently refurbished and re-open after three years

Selection of three Real Ales all the time including ‘The Red Lion Ale’

Senior Citizen Menu served Mon-Fri: 12-2pm £4.95

Full menu served daily lunchtime & evening

Monthly QuizzesMonthly Live Entertainment from local artists

Opening hours Mon-Fri 11-3pm & 5-11pm, Fri & Sat 11-midnight & Sunday 12-10:30pm

Food served Mon-Sat 12-2pm & 6:30-9pm Sun 12-8pm

Please call for more details 01842 829728continued overleaf

58 | SUMMER 2012

FOUR REAL ALESWednesday Irish Folk Music

Friday & Saturday Live Music Sunday Celtic Folk Music

Large garden overlooking the River Wensum

OPEN: Mon - Thurs 12-11Fri & Sat 12-12 • Sunday 12-11

The Gatehouse Pub 391 Dereham Road, Norwich NR5 8QJ Tel: 01603 620340 Earle Arms

Heydon

Traditional Norfolkfreehouse and restaurant

Three Real Ales always available

Good Food • Real Fires

01263 587376

Satnav: NR11 6AD(Just off B1149 Holt -

Norwich Rd)

Angel Gardens Free House

This independently run freehouse has been under theownership of Ian Warren since 1988 and is situated on

the north of the city near to Waterloo Park.

Homecooked and speciality meals Prepared by Ian - a qualified chef with

years of experience.

Up to SEVEN reasonably priced RealAles including THREE guest ales

Monthly Quiz & Darts • Live Music on Saturdays

96 Angel Rd, Norwich NR3 3HT

01603 427490email: [email protected]

www.norwichinns.com

Traditional Country Pub and Restaurant

5 Real Ales • Great Food

Sheltered Patio and Gardens

Colby Road, Banningham, Aylsham, NR11 7DY01263 733534

www.banninghamcrown.co.uk

THE BANNINGHAMCROWN FREE HOUSE

We are in it!

For information on Real Ales available on the bar NOW

go to yourround.co.uk

further along the same street had a better beerselection and an even greater range of bottledbeers than the “Tiger”. We were also advisednot to miss “McSorley’s Ale House”. Only twobeers (an ale and a porter) but both are servedstraight from the cask and in the true tradition ofa 100 year old ale-house - that is it! No wines,lagers, coffees or soft drinks – just real ale!

We thought Boston couldn’t possibly beat NY.Well maybe it didn’t but then it is a muchsmaller city. The day we arrived we were bookedin to the Boston Beer Summit – just join thequeue at 5pm, gain your plastic “third-of-a-pint”mug and drink away! Once you have paid to getin all the beers (50 or so breweries each with 3-4ales) is free although they throw you out at 9! Ican’t see that working over here.

Two of the breweries in Boston (Harpoon andSam Adams) both offer free tours daily whichinclude beer samples! We chose to go out toStony Brook to visit the Sam Adams brewery andit was well worth the effort. We were the onlyBrits of the 20 or so on our tour but all werekeen beer drinkers so good conversation ensuedin the sampling room afterwards. Of the bars inthe city, we enjoyed the “Jacob Wirth”, the“Cheers” bar (of TV fame but worth battlingpast the tourists) the “Boston Beer Works” (oneof a chain of brew pubs in the city – we visitedboth), the “Lower Depths” and “Rock Bottom,the latter being a brew pub although thebrewing plant is out in the suburbs. Sadly, wecould find no trace of the Boston-basedCommonwealth Brewery on the internet or onthe ground so can only conclude they haveceased trading.

We also ventured across the Charles River toCambridge where, amidst the glass andconcrete of the MIT, we eventually found the tapof the Cambridge Brewing Company. The headbrewer here is a lady and she (along with twoother female brewers, one from Stone and theother from Viking) have got together andproduced a hefty Belgian-style triple calledProject Venus. The results were rather splendid

but, like many other bars, because of thestrength it was only being sold in halves! Still itwas still lunchtime...

Also on this side of the water we took the T-train (the underground) out to Harvard to the“John Harvard’s Brew House” (where the housedbeer was on cask and served by hand-pump)and south of the Charles River we took the tramout to into the boon docks to visit (amongstothers) “The Squealing Pig”, the “Mission Barand Grill” and (the other side of the road) the“Penguin Pizza Bar” – imagine Domino’s with 30plus fonts (including a hand-pump) and over1000 bottled beers! We also visited the muchacclaimed “Sunset Bar & Cantina” at Brookline.It was here that while enthusing about the beerswe were advised to visit the “original” bar of thesame name in Allston – which of course we did.The place is a shrine to beer! Over 50 beers ondraught some on had-pump and some 2000bottled beers from around the world. Lifedoesn’t get better than this...

So next time anyone says to me “beers in theUSA? They’re all cold and fizzy aren’t they?” Iwill just smile and remember all the bars wevisited in ten days in New England.

Peter & Susan Wells

NB; For addresses of the above bars (and more)go to www.beeradvocate.com

SUMMER 2012 | 59

NORFOLK NIPS | Beerin the U.S - continued

Sunset Bar and Cantina

60 | SUMMER 2012

COAST ROAD, WALCOTT,NORFOLK NR12 OPE

Telephone(01692) 650371

Proprietor since 1989: STEVE BULLIMOREFREE HOUSE

OPEN FOR FOOD & DRINKS ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, 11am - 11pmFood available all day until 10.30pm10% off food and drink on production of CAMRA membership card

www.lighthouseinn.co.uk

FOUR REAL ALES & CIDER

The Street, Catfield, Great Yarmouth,

Norfolk NR29 5AATelephone: 01692 580128

Serving a good selection of local real ales.

Also serving home cooked food.

Small parties catered for.

Voted best

pub Norfolk &

Norwich CAMRA

2012 winter ale

trail

THE ANGEL INNFREEHOUSE

NORFOLK CAMRA PUB OFTHE YEAR 2010!

Open all day every day

Excellent home cooked meals available from our award

winning kitchen

Large Beer Garden with play area

En-suite accommodation

Camping and Caravanning availableLarling, Norfolk, NR16 2QU (17th Century former coaching inn)

Tel: 01953 717963www.angel-larling.co.uk

SUMMER 2012 | 61

Thursday 19th - Sunday 22nd July • 12 Real Ales

Heathlands Community Centre, Woodbastwick Road, BlofieldHeath, Norwich, NR13 4QH Tel: 01603 714164

Mob: 07818466473 www.heathlandscommunitycentre.org.ukRegistered Charity: 303909

Summer Fair and Beer Festival

SESSION TIMES:THURSDAY: 7.30pm until late

FRIDAY: 5pm until late, Family Evening from 6pm

SATURDAY: 2pm until late

SUNDAY: 12 noon until late.

Summer Fair and Beer FestivalENTERTAINMENT:

Thursday Evening - Blofield Heath Jammers

Friday Evening - The Rob Holmes Band on the field (Weather permitting) from 9pm

Saturday Evening - Live Music with Egypt on the field (Weather permitting) from 9pm

Sunday - Summer Fair & Beer Festival including large raffle, side shows, stalls, burger van, thai food, tea &

cakes, Pimms tent, bouncy castle, childrens rides, Ice Creams,Classic cars & bikes, dance demo, bottle tombola, and much more.

Fully licenced bar Light snacks available

62 | SUMMER 2012

That’s it! The planning is over and at the time ofwriting the eagerly awaited 2nd City of AleFestival is upon us.

The numbers are impressive:45 Pubs taking part35 Breweries supplying beer220 Beers on offer over 10 days150 events taking place across the city

We will have a full report in the Autumnedition but in the meantime here are somephotos from the launch event.

SUMMER 2012 | 63

City of AleUpdate

Specialists in niche publishing and design solutions for the on-trade.

We are proud to publish this magazine on behalf of the Norfolk CAMRA branches.

Orchard House Media | 01733 211001 | [email protected]

64 | SUMMER 2012

New Inn Hill, Rockland St Mary Tel: 01508 538403

Freshly-cooked foodA range of ales • Beer Garden

Situated beside Rockland St Mary staithe, The New Innis a traditional country pub offering a warm welcomein a relaxed and informal setting.

Our food is freshly prepared using locally sourced ingredients and cooked to order. We have a large selection of ‘All-time favourites’, plus a variety of Chef’s Specials. Our Sunday Menu is very popular.

Cask Marque accredited, we always have 3 or 4real ales on offer.

Families, children,dogs and walkingclubs all welcome.

Visit www.newinnrockland.co.uk or our page to keep up to date

SUMMER 2012 | 65

KINGS HEAD HOLT6 BRILLIANTLY KEPT REAL ALES

Including the ever popular Adnams Bitter, Broadside and Woodfordes Wherry. Proudly providing 3 guest ales (143 in one year and rising!)

Giving everyone a fantastic accompaniment to our ever growing grill menu. So why not try a deliciouslocally sourced steak cooked to perfection on our char-grill!

3 stylish, comfortable, yet affordable B&B self-catering single or double rooms.Recently re-furbished ‘George’ Lounge with Snugs and quiet corners

Come pull up a stool, grab an Ale at ‘The Question mark Bar’ and put the world to rights!

Live music throughout Spring, Summer and AutumnEnclosed Courtyard Beer Garden in the heart of the Appleyard

To find out more you can visit our website http://www.kingsheadholt.org.uk/, give us a call on 01263 712543, or just come on down and give us a try, you won’t be disappointed!

Summer

Beer Fe

stival

Thurs 28th June - Sunday 1st July

Over 25 Ea

st Anglian beers

66 | SUMMER 2012

Tel: 01603 721141 www.salhousebell.co.uk

Offering four real alesA traditional 17th Century pub,

how they used to be

From Norwich & Acle head to Salhouseand at the mini roundabout follow the signto Wroxham, we are 200yds on the right.

Open all day every dayfood is served:-

12-2 & 6-9 Tuesday to Sunday

12-3 Sunday for plated home cooked Sunday luncheswith homemade Yorkshire puddings and fresh

vegetables. Booking advised if dining.

Superb food using fresh, local, seasonal produceShoot dinners a speciality

Popular quiz every Wednesday from 8:30pmMeat raffle every Sunday at 4:30pm

Apollo Tavern | Northgate Street | Great Yarmouth | NR30 1BP

Good covered smoking area

10 mins walk from railway station

Ales from £2.00 a pint!

Up to EIGHT ever changing Cask Ales

Following the recent Branch AGM, the newBranch Committee is as listed below. GrahamFreeman announced that he would serve onemore year as Chairman and then stand down.However, this would mean a new Chairmanbeing appointed immediately before the 2013CAMRA Members’ Weekend and AGM. It wasagreed to defer the Branch AGM for threemonths to avoid changes to the Committeebefore this event.

ChairmanGraham Freeman

Vice-ChairmanMartin Ward

SecretaryWarren Wordsworth

Social SecretaryMichael Philips

TreasurerChris Thomas

MembershipDavid Rackham

Young Members Co-ordinatorDavid Rackham

Press OfficerEmma Pinder

Pubs OfficerIan Stamp

Pub Preservation OfficerMike Spivey

CommitteeDave Cleverley, Olivia Fernandez

NIPS EditorMike Baldwin

NIPS DistributionAnthony Miles

Beer Festival OrganiserMartin Ward

WebmasterAdrian Hennessey

Since the AGM, Olivia (Oli) Fernandez hasaccepted the new post of Brewery Liaison Officers (BLO) Co-ordinator

Contact details are on the Branch website.

Norwich and NorfolkBranch Committee 2012

SUMMER 2012 | 67

NORFOLK NIPS | Chairman’s Letter

68 | SUMMER 2012

A popular pub with locals and holidaymakersalike, the Crown Inn is perched right on theclifftop overlooking the beautiful sandy beachesof Sheringham in Norfolk.

Enjoy meals of snacks fromour extensive and popularmenu with a spectacularview of the seafront.

Tel: 01263 [email protected]

Lifeboat Plain, East Cliff Sheringham NR26 8BQ

Wednesdays and Saturdays - Live Local Band

Friday nights - Resident DJ plays your favouriteclub classics

Monday nights - Pub Quiz with prizes, refreshments and free entry

Wednesdays and Saturdays - Live Local Band

Friday nights - Resident DJ plays your favouriteclub classics

Monday nights - Pub Quiz with prizes, refreshments and free entry

7th Beer Festival August Bank Holiday Weekend

Great real ales, fine wines and spirits.Food Served: Monday- Friday 11am - 5pm

Saturdays 11am - 3pm Sundays 11am - 3pm

Attleborough’s only Good BeerGuide pub 2010, 2011 & 2012

Camra Discount Scheme & Local Ale

Parking, Disabled facilities, Baby changing,Smokers sheltered garden, and Beer garden.

Well behaved dogs on leads welcome.

Church St, Attleborough Tel :01953 457415

The LondonTavernFree House

Beer in the Boat ShedFriday 22 – Sunday 24 JuneFeaturing around 30 Real Ales and Ciders

Including Blackfriars, Humpty Dumpty, Panther, Wolf and Woodfordes

Music, Games and fun entertainment too!ENTRY JUST £5 INCLUDES FIRST PINT

• SOUVENIR PINT GLASS £2

Caister Lifeboat’s

At CaisterLifeboat ShedFri night: 6 to 10.30pmSat: 12 noon to 11pm

with The Scratch Band (pm)Sun: 12 noon til we’re dry (or4pm) with Annie’s Jazz Friends

All profits to Caister Volunteer Lifeboat Service

70 | SUMMER 2012

Situated on the edge of Thetford Forest

Four regularly changing Real Ales

Children friendly beer garden

Live Music, Karaoke and Disco on monthlyCall for further details

Steak Night every Wednesday

36 Hill Street,Feltwell,Thetford,Norfolk,IP26 4AB | 01842 827200

SENIOR CITIZENSLUNCHES 2 courses for £7.50available Thursday

THEMED FOOD NIGHTSevery Tuesday andThursday

We Don’t Have a Big Screen TV, Food Or a Juke BoxWe do have 17 handpumps, with Real Ale from far and wide,

2 Real Ciders and 2 Real Ales From gravity, a large car park, large beergarden With heated smoking shelter, darts, pool, quizzes And crib.

We now serve morning coffee from 11am, children are welcome.

The Royal Oak lies at the heart of the community and new customers are always welcome. Come along and get a real

welcome from a real pub selling real ale!!!!!! Nick, Delia And The Team would love to see you soon.

August Bank HolidayBeer Festival

Friday 24th - Tuesday 28th AugustMusic Friday Night with Murphys Lore

Music Saturday Night with Tosh

Norwich And Norfolk Pub Of The Year 2007

Norfolk Pub Of The Year 2007

13 years in the Good Beer Guide!

44 The Street, Poringland, Norwich, Norfolk NR14 7JTwww.poringlandroyaloak.co.uk

Tel: 01508 493734

Award Winning Real Ale Pub

A dream of a pub situated in the village of Poringland on the B1332 road to Bungay.

The main bus route from Norwich stops right outside.

Norfolk Nips and Cask Force issue 161

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Transcript of Norfolk Nips and Cask Force issue 161