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Newsletter of Scunthorpe & District Campaign for Real Ale F F F F F F R R R R R R E E E E E E E E E E E E S S u u m m m m e e r r 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 F F R R E E E E H H H H H H I I I I I I G G G G G G H H H H H H L L L L L L I I I I I I G G G G G G H H H H H H T T T T T T S S S S S S I I I I I I N N N N N N T T T T T T H H H H H H I I I I I I S S S S S S I I I I I I S S S S S S S S S S S S U U U U U U E E E E E E Page 3: Pub of the Season Page 4: Another Classic Album Reviewed Page 5: Grafter's Brewery Visit Page 6: Great British Beer Festival Page 8 - 9: Scunthorpe Beer Festival Makes a Comeback! Page 13: Mild Social at Malt Shovel Free ! 1/3 pint cask ale Branch Diary Branch Diary Branch Diary Branch Diary Sat July 10 Trip by rail to Rising Sun Sunfest, 10 am Sheffield Sat 24 July Trip to Hawkshead Brewery Time TBA Beer Festival, Staveley Cumbria. Meet at venue Sat 7 August Trip to Toad Brewery, Doncaster Time TBA (Note: other dates being considered) Tues 31 August Pub of the Season presentation and 745 pm Branch Beer Festival Meeting, Wheatsheaf, Barton 16 – 19 Sept 13 th Scunthorpe Beer Festival Thurs - Sun Campbell’s Bar, Scunthorpe Conservative Club Scunthorpe Beer Festival Returns! After a hiatus of five years, the Scunthorpe Beer Festival is due to return this Autumn! The festival will take place from 16 – 19 September (Thursday – Sunday) at Scunthorpe Conservative Club in the centre of Scunthorpe, located in the Campbell’s Bar function room on the first floor. The festival will feature about 30 handpicked real ales, plus cider and perry, with the selection comprising LocAle beers plus others from East Anglia, the North East, the East Midlands and Yorkshire. In addition there will be hot and cold food at all sessions, a festival tombola for all those ‘must-have’ beery prizes, and live acoustic music on the Friday and Saturday evenings. It all points to an enjoyable festival weekend, which we in Scunthorpe CAMRA are looking forward to. Why not put the dates in your diaries and join us at the festival? The Bird in the Barley Northfield Road, Messingham: Tel 01724 764744 Email: [email protected] Traditional Country Pub serving traditional home-cooked food, made from the finest ingredients from local suppliers 30-seat Conservatory Dining Area – Fully refurbished Bar Area Bar Hours: Food Served: Tues-Sat 1130am-3pm & 530-11pm Tues-Sat 12noon-2pm Sun 12noon-3pm & 6-11pm & 6-9pm Sun 12noon- 230pm & 6-8pm Menu from Snacks to Full Menu: Lunchtime/Teatime Specials free free free free Tues-Sat £5.45 1/3 pint cask ale Cask Pedigree, Jennings Snecklifter with this ad! plus 2 rotating guest ales

Iron Brew Summer Edition 2010 - Campaign for Real Alescunthorpe.camra.org.uk/.../Iron_Brew_Summer_2010.pdf · Don Van Vliet, nicknamed Captain Beefheart by his buddy Frank Zappa,

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Newsletter of Scunthorpe & District

Campaign for Real Ale

FFFFFFFFRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE SSuummmmeerr 22001100 FFRREEEE

HHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHTTTTTTTTSSSSSSSS IIIIIIIINNNNNNNN TTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIISSSSSSSS IIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEE

Page 3: Pub of the Season Page 4: Another Classic Album Reviewed Page 5: Grafter's BreweryVisit Page 6: Great British Beer Festival Page 8 - 9: Scunthorpe Beer Festival Makes a Comeback! Page 13: Mild Social at Malt Shovel

Free ! 1/3 pint cask ale

Branch DiaryBranch DiaryBranch DiaryBranch Diary

Sat July 10 Trip by rail to Rising Sun Sunfest, 10 am Sheffield

Sat 24 July Trip to Hawkshead Brewery

Time TBA Beer Festival, Staveley Cumbria.

Meet at venue Sat 7 August Trip to Toad Brewery, Doncaster Time TBA (Note: other dates being considered)

Tues 31 August Pub of the Season presentation and 745 pm Branch Beer Festival Meeting, Wheatsheaf, Barton

16 – 19 Sept 13th Scunthorpe Beer Festival Thurs - Sun Campbell’s Bar, Scunthorpe Conservative Club

Scunthorpe Beer Festival Returns!

After a hiatus of five years, the

Scunthorpe Beer Festival is due to

return this Autumn! The festival will

take place from 16 – 19 September

(Thursday – Sunday) at Scunthorpe

Conservative Club in the centre of

Scunthorpe, located in the

Campbell’s Bar function room on

the first floor.

The festival will feature about 30

handpicked real ales, plus cider and

perry, with the selection comprising

LocAle beers plus others from East

Anglia, the North East, the East

Midlands and Yorkshire.

In addition there will be hot and

cold food at all sessions, a festival

tombola for all those ‘must-have’

beery prizes, and live acoustic music

on the Friday and Saturday

evenings.

It all points to an enjoyable festival

weekend, which we in Scunthorpe

CAMRA are looking forward to.

Why not put the dates in your

diaries and join us at the festival?

The Bird in the Barley Northfield Road, Messingham: Tel 01724 764744 Email: [email protected]

Traditional Country Pub serving traditional home-cooked

food, made from the finest ingredients from local suppliers

30-seat Conservatory Dining Area –

Fully refurbished Bar Area Bar Hours: Food Served:

Tues-Sat 1130am-3pm & 530-11pm Tues-Sat 12noon-2pm

Sun 12noon-3pm & 6-11pm & 6-9pm

Sun 12noon- 230pm

& 6-8pm

Menu from Snacks to Full Menu:

Lunchtime/Teatime Specials freefreefreefree Tues-Sat £5.45 1/3 pint cask ale

Cask Pedigree, Jennings Snecklifter with this ad! plus 2 rotating guest ales

IIIRRROOONNN BBBRRREEEWWW Published quarterly by Scunthorpe & District Campaign for Real Ale.

Edited by Mark Elsome 29 The Dales, Bottesford

who would be pleased to receive comments for publication

e-mail: [email protected]

Copy date for next issue

25 September 2010 Web Site:

http://www.scunthorpecamra.org.uk

Opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the author,

and may not be the views of CAMRA locally or nationally

Advertising Advertising Rates are: -

Full page £50 Half page £30

Quarter Page £20 Discounts available for adverts placed

in 4 consecutive issues or more.

Contact the editor for further details.

Branch Committee

Branch Chairman: Mark Elsome (Tel: 01724 331056)

Branch Treasurer: Chris Lyon (Tel: 01724 761217 )

Branch Secretary: Bev Branton (Tel: 01724 357009)

Membership Secretary: Paul Williams (Tel: 01673 818109)

Social Secretary: Sarah Wullink

(Tel: 07840155637) (m)

PUB & Brewery news

TRADING STANDARDS

If you are concerned about short measures or any other

aspects of pub service, contact: -

SCUNTHORPE TRADING STANDARDS

TEL: 01724 297664

COMMENTCOMMENTCOMMENTCOMMENT CAMRA, has predicted that the

impact of a VAT hike to 20%

in January 2011 will force the

rate of pub closures to increase

above the current devastating

rate of 39 a week.

Mike Benner, CAMRA Chief

Executive, said, “In the New

Year, many pubgoers will be

hit with a VAT increase that

will push up the combined

taxation on a pint of beer to

over £1! This sad moment for

the nation's 15 million pub-

goers is compounded by the

knowledge that this increase

will cause yet more well run

community pubs to shut their

doors unless the Government

acts. Relentless tax increases on

the nation's pubs are

contributing to pub closures,

job losses and a decline in

community spirit.

The announcement of a

review into alcohol pricing and

taxation this Autumn, gives the

Government an opportunity

to avoid the harm that this

VAT increase will impose on

pubs. CAMRA will be pressing

for targeted measures to

support well-run community

pubs. These could include a

new class of business rate relief

for community pubs and a

compensatory reduction in

beer duty” [2]

The Forest Pines Hotel near Scunthorpe has recently installed a handpump

in the main bar to dispense Tom Woods Harvest bitter.

An update on the beer at the Dying Gladiator in Brigg, where Black Sheep

Bitter and a Tom Wood house beer are now available. Our roving tasters

report that the beer quality is good, so worth a visit.

Scunthorpe’s newest real ale pub is the Bar Babylon (formerly the Parkinson Arms, Wild Coyote etc), on Mary Street, a night spot designed for

the over 25’s. Rotating cask ales will be featured, plus

world bottled and draught beers.

A new microbrewery has just started up in Doncaster called the Toad Brewery. They currently brew three beers – Tadpole (3.8% ABV), Golden Angel (4.0%) and

Mature Toad (4.5%). Tel: 01302365508 for details.

The Black Bull at High Levels on the A18 has just recently started to stock a real ale from Thorne Brewery.

Although disguised as Black Bull Best Bitter, this is we believe rebadged

Thorne Best Bitter, but good nonetheless.

Spring Pub of the Season – Butchers Arms, North Kelsey

Beer Joke # 2

Pub of the Season Summer 2010

The Wheatsheaf, Barton-upon-Humber

Our Pub of the Season for summer goes to the Wheatsheaf in Barton-

upon-Humber. Jim & Sarah Woodhouse took over the pub in the

early summer of 2008 and were awarded the Winter 2008/9 Pub of

the Season award after significantly turning the pub round in a very

short space of time. Jim is an experienced licensee of 25 years

standing, with Sarah joining him for 16 of these. They have run

several traditional pubs in London, the Home Counties and North

Lincolnshire, all serving cask ales.

Not content with their initial success at the Wheatsheaf, Jim and Sarah

are constantly striving to improve the pub. After immediately

refurbishing the kitchens in conjunction with Enterprise Inns, Sarah &

Jim have invested personally in redecorating throughout, creating a

very attractive outside seating and patio area and their most recent

improvement being a very impressive hand carved wood-panelled

fireplace and log burning stove in the main room of the pub.

On the beer side they have now increased the selection of hand-

pulled ales to six and are making full use of the SIBA scheme, enabling

pubs to access ales from small independent brewers. Jim has also

worked very hard on temperature control in the cellar enabling the

Wheatsheaf to be awarded the Cask Marque accreditation.

There are three regular cask ales: Theakston's Best, Wells Bombardier

and Theakston's Black Sheep, plus 3 rotating guest ales which have

recently included Deuchars IPA, Woodforde’s Wherry and Everard’s

Tiger. The pub also hosts a beer festival over the August Bank holiday

weekend. It has an unspoilt, traditional atmosphere, with regulars

enjoying classic bar games of dominoes and crib. There’s a bar, snug

and a large drinking/dining area, plus a summer beer garden and

private car park. The couple have secured a 10 year lease, and

regulars and visitors to the pub can look forward to quality beer and

food for a long time to come. The presentation is scheduled for Tuesday 31 August at 8pm.

Sarah Wullink

Branch Chairman Mark Elsome (right), presents the Spring award to licensee Steve Cooper (behind bar)

An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman walk into a bar and each orders

a pint of beer. When the drinks arrive they notice that all three pints have a

fly in them. The Englishman just looks at his pint in disgust and pushes it

away.

The Irishman picks out the fly with his fingers, throws it on the floor and

proceeds to drink his beer. The Scotsman picks the fly out of his pint, and

holds it over the drink saying, "Come on ya little swine, spit it oot!"

[14]

Classic Albums No. 32: Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band: Trout Mask Replica (Reprise)

Mild Social at Malt Shovel

This double album, released in 1970, divided critics and fans alike. If you like

‘difficult’ records, which require some effort on the part of the listener to

engage with the music, in preference to the mostly vacuous outpourings

from the pop charts, then ladies and gentlemen, this album could be for you!

As Stuart Maconie says in Cider with Roadies, this album was ‘fully out there,

with it’s growls, discordant riffing and broken-backed time signatures’.

Don Van Vliet, nicknamed Captain Beefheart by his buddy Frank Zappa,

who produces here, was encouraged to be experimental and innovative on

this record, and boy did he deliver! Melding blues, rock and free form jazz

and several other musical forms along the way, Beefheart runs the gamut of

American music, but the fusion of styles is

not always easy to appreciate. For

example, on the opening track

Frownland, the Magic Band seems to be

playing a different song to the one the

Captain is singing!

After a few listens, the music starts to

make more sense, and is shot through

with Beefheart’s playful sense of humour.

There are some great tracks here – the

brooding Dachau Blues contrasts well

with the straight country blues of China

Pig; there are great rock songs like

Moonlight On Vermont and Ant Man Bee, the acappella poems The Dust

Blows Forward ‘N The Dust Blows Back and Orange Claw Hammer, old work

songs such as Well, and lots of jazzy riffing as in When Big Joan Sets Up, Wild

Life and She’s Too Much For My Mirror, with Beefheart often demonstrating

his rudimentary skills on the saxophone!

Not all of it works though – Pena with its absurd falsetto vocals, and Neon

Meate Dreams Of An Octafish, a jumbled mess of not very interesting ideas,

could easily have been left on the studio floor. The look of the album, with

Beefheart wearing a fish mask on the cover and the Magic Band looking like

the original space cadets inside, imprints it with the trappings of the hippy

era, but the music was way ahead of its time, and influenced other musicians

for years to come. So music as art, or an exercise in self indulgence?

The former I think, and fully deserving of its ‘classic’ status. Mark Elsome [4]

On Saturday 8 May, members of Scunthorpe & District CAMRA gathered at

the Malt Shovel in Ashby for a mild social, the object being to celebrate mild

beers on CAMRA’s national Mild Day. The licensees at the pub, Simon Hall

and Belinda Fisher had kindly agreed to put on two draught milds for the

occasion – these were Rudgate Ruby Mild (4.4% ABV) and Acorn Darkness

(4.2%) – and to feature mild beers throughout May. Both were delicious,

with the Ruby Mild having a sweeter edge compared to the Acorn mild,

which had a more bitter finish. Snacks and dips were also provided for our

consumption.

The pub’s customers also tried

the milds, and there are a

number of regulars who

enjoy the darker beers.

However they have still to

make the leap to the more

usual mild strength of

between 3 – 4% ABV, so

Simon tends to stock the

stronger milds. But as

Confucius say (or was it

Jackie Chan?), each journey

begins with a single step …

The picture above shows the CAMRA

group displaying their commitment to mild

with some CAMRA mild posters and a few

draughts of the dark stuff. On the right, the

picture shows licensee Belinda Fisher

pulling another pint of Rudgate Ruby

Mild, which is currently CAMRA’s

Champion Beer, voted for at last year’s

Great British Beer Festival.

With thanks to all at the Malt Shovel for

taking the time and trouble to promote

CAMRA’s Mild In May campaign. We had

a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, and

look forward to next year’s Mild Day. [13]

Trip to Grafter’s Brewery

The Malt ShovelThe Malt ShovelThe Malt ShovelThe Malt Shovel Ashby High Street Scunthorpe DN16 2JP Tel: 01724 843318 ‘The Country Pub in the Town’

Open: 10am – 11pm, Sun – Thurs, 10am – 12pm Fri & Sat

Serving in tip-top condition Tom Wood’s Best Bitter & Dark Mild, Exmoor Gold, John Smith’s

Bitter + 4 ever changing guest beers from UK

microbreweries Leffe Blonde, Erdinger & Belle Vue Kriek

At least 4 real ciders served straight from the cellar

Real Italian coffees Over 30 malt whiskies Extensive wine menu

Real home-cooked food served: 12 noon – 2pm & 4 – 8pm (Mon – Sat),

12 noon – 7pm Sun (including Sunday lunches) Teatime Specials available 5 – 8pm Mon – Sat

(try our homemade steak pie!)

Quiz nights Tues & Thurs

Live music every Saturday We look forward to welcoming you!

Recently the branch hopped on the 100 service bus to Lincoln, alighting at

Willingham-by-Stow in order to visit Grafters Brewery, based at the Half

Moon pub. We were met by owner Phil Troop and brewery assistant Aaron

Taylor, and quickly ordered a pint of a Grafters beer to slake our thirst. Once

refreshed Phil split the group in

two, and gave a very interesting

talk on the history and workings

of Grafters Brewery, which was

located in a small outbuilding

next to the pub. Phil gave due

credit to fellow brewer Phil Ellis

of Fulstow Brewery in Louth,

who had helped to set up the

brewery and assisted in the early

brews.

Although the brewery is small,

Grafters have sufficient capacity to brew a range of around eight beers. Their

biggest award winner is Moonlight (3.6% ABV), a pale, citrus flavoured

bitter brewed with Bobek hops, although Traditional (3.7%), is the biggest

seller in the pub. Once back in the pub, we partook of the four Grafters

beers on the bar, before sitting down to a hearty lunch of fish and chips. Phil

kept bringing through jugs of other Grafters beers that were conditioning in

the brewery, so in the end we got to sample much of the range! All the beers

were in excellent order, and based on our tastings we decided to order two

Grafters beers for the upcoming Scunthorpe Beer Festival.

All too soon it was time to catch the bus to Gainsborough and visit a few of

their pubs – to our surprise Phil and Aaron decided to join us! Our expanded

group then set off for the Eight Jolly

Brewers on reaching Gainsborough,

and their selection of eight real ales,

before trying out the R Bar, the town’s

newest real ale pub, also offering a

discount to CAMRA members. Finally

we pitched up at Canutes, a pub

clearly modeled on Wetherspoons,

before catching the evening bus back

to Scunthorpe. A great day out! [5]

Great British Beer Festival 2010

Paul & Carol would like to welcome old & young to one of the oldest pub sites in

England

The Sun &The Sun &The Sun &The Sun & Anchor,Anchor,Anchor,Anchor, ScotterScotterScotterScotter

Tel: 01724 763444

Two Guest Beers, Good Cheer Welcoming Atmosphere Beer Garden

NO FOOD, JUST A PUB

WITH GREAT

REAL ALES!

Beer Joke # 1

NNeelltthhoorrppee aarrmmss

SCHOOL LANE

SOUTH FERRIBY

DN18 6HW

01652 635235

(OFF THE A1077)

AT THE HEART OF THE VILLAGE

GAVIN RICHARDS - LANDLORD

� REAL ALES

(Tetley as standard, plus a guest)

� LIVE MUSIC SATURDAYS FROM

9 PM (RING FOR DETAILS)

� OPEN MIC 1ST THURSDAY OF

THE MONTH

(half price drinks for those playing)

� TAKEAWAY AVAILABLE

� FUNCTION ROOM AVAILABLE

FOR HIRE (ANY OCCASION)

� OUTSIDE CATERING

AVAILABLE

� OUTSIDE BAR AVAILABLE

� EN SUITE ACCOMMODATION

Ancient Beer Recipes

Found in Syria

CAMRA will be staging their annual flagship event, the

Great British Beer Festival, at Earl’s Court, London, from

3 – 7 August. It will showcase over 450 real ales, ciders

and foreign beers from around the world. The range of

beers is truly staggering with 13 CAMRA regional bars, Bar

Nouveau offering beers from some of Britain’s newest

breweries and

a Real Ale in a

Bottle Bar,

Several UK

breweries will have their own

bars, and Bières Sans Frontières

Bars continue to provide a

showcase for the best beers from

around the world, including

beers from Germany, Belgium,

Italy, USA, Czech Republic and

The Netherlands. There will also

be up to 100 ciders and perries

served by gravity direct from the

cask.

If you’re planning to visit (and

it’s heartily recommended), there

will be plenty to occupy you,

with traditional pub games, live

music, a wide variety of food

and tutored beer tastings. Over

500 beers, ciders and perries

were drunk at last year's festival

by 64,000 visitors. CAMRA

welcomes families and provides a

family room with unparalleled

views of the Festival. The family

room is open every lunchtime

until 9 pm, and caters for all those under the age of 18 (and their parents of

course). Tickets for specific sessions can be purchased in advance from

CAMRA – just visit the CAMRA website at: http://gbbf.camra.org.uk/home

On a cold winter’s day, a drunk wobbles out of a pub after a heavy session,

and decides that he wants to go fishing. He packs up all his tackle and sets

out in search of a suitable spot. Eventually, he

stumbles across a huge area of ice and decides that

he'll give it a go. Taking out a saw from his tackle

box, he starts to saw a hole in the ice.

Suddenly, a loud voice booms out at him, "There's

no fish in here." The drunk looks all around him but

can't see anyone. He decides to ignore the voice and

carries on sawing.

Again, the voice booms out, "I've told you once, there's no fish in here!" He

looks up again but there's still no sign of anyone so he returns to his task.

"Stop it!" shouts the now very angry

sounding voice, "You'd better pack

up your stuff and get out of here or

there'll be trouble."

"Who are you?" shouts the drunk,

"you don't scare me!"

"Who am I?" replies the voice, "I'm

the manager of this Ice Rink!"

A Syrian-Belgian-British

archaeological mission has

unearthed 3,800-year-old

Babylonian beer-making instructions

on cuneiform tablets at a dig in

northern Syria. The Hassakeh

Archaeological Department said the

92 tablets were found at a site 400

miles northeast of Damascus. They

showed the earliest beer-making

methods and tallies of beer

produced. [11]

CAMRA Man Completes Charity Bike Marathon

Gainsborough CAMRA Page

The Wheatsheaf Twice local CAMRA Pub of the Season and listed in the Good

Beer Guide

Traditional pub dating from the 18th century. 6 cask ales always available all kept in excellent condition.

Excellent value quality home-cooked traditional food

Opening hours 12.00 – 11.30pm 12.00 - 12.30 Friday & Saturday Food Served 12 to 1400, 1730 to 2100, Monday to Saturdays 1200 to 1500 Sundays Booking advisable at weekends

Holydyke, Barton-upon-Humber

DN18 5PS

Congratulations go to

Scunthorpe & District

CAMRA Membership

Secretary Paul Williams, who

completed a marathon bike

ride for the Sue Ryder

charity, riding from Venice,

following his son’s wedding,

to Brigg.

The picture shows Paul and

trusty traveling companion,

outside the Sue Ryder shop

in Brigg town centre.

Hi all, doesnt time fly when there’s beer to be drunk? We are pleased to

announce that another bar selling real ale has opened in Gainsborough, since

the last issue of Iron Brew.

The Maltings is situated next to the Bridge House B&B, which is adjacent to

Trent Bridge. Starting out with just one beer the manager, James, has hastily

added a further pump and has said that if sales continue there is a possibility

of more pumps being added.

Plans for the second Gainsborough Beer Festival in October are well on the

way, and we look forward to seeing you all again soon.

We are having a meeting at the Royal Oak in Snitterby on the 20th of July if

any Scunthorpe Branch members would like to come along.

Well that’s all for now. Kev T.

Gold Citation

“Taste of Excellence”

BEST PUB MEAL AWARD

2009/10

Traditional Homemade Bar Food

Hand Pulled Real Ales

Children’s Menu – Vegetarian Dishes

Gift Vouchers Available

Homemade / Real Chips Served

3 Course Sunday Roast Special £10.99

Lite- Bite Lunch Menu Mon to Sat £5.99

Food Served 12-2 & 6.30-9pm Daily

THORNTON HUNT

INN

Thornton Curtis

Near Ulceby

North Lincolnshire DN39 6XW

Phone: 01469 531252 [email protected]

www.thornton-inn.co.uk

“Winner” Best Pub

Meal Award

2001 & 2007

“Gold Citation” Best Pub Meal

Award

2002/03/04/05/06/07 “Lincolnshire Life Magazine”

En Suite Accommodation

“4 Star” Visit Britain Grading

All rooms are non smoking & include

Central heating, tea & coffee facilities

& TV,

Full English Breakfast

is available

Scunthorpe Beer Festival Makes a Comeback!

The last Scunthorpe Beer Festival organised by the local branch of CAMRA

was way back in 2005. Since then we have been unable to find any town

centre venues (e.g. hotels, pubs etc), that would be willing to stage a beer

festival. However with the change of the function room at

Scunthorpe Conservative Club to Campbell’s Bar, we now

have an eminently suitable venue for the beer festival, and the

13th Scunthorpe Beer Festival will now take place there from 16

– 19 September 2010 (Thursday – Sunday).

We will be staying small, with around 30 real ales plus cider

and perry on offer, as Campbell’s Bar has a capacity of 180,

but we feel this provides an opportunity to concentrate on

quality rather than quantity. We aim to feature a selection of

local beers sourced within a 30 mile radius of Scunthorpe,

including DarkTribe, Grafters, Thorne and new micro Toad.

These will be dispensed by handpump from our LocAle bar, and

supplemented by a great selection of beers from breweries in four regions –

the North East, East Anglia, East Midlands and Yorkshire. Breweries

represented will include Allendale, Big Lamp, Durham and Wylam from the

North East, Buffys, Green Jack, Spectrum and Wolf from East Anglia, Blue

Monkey, Castle Rock, Derby, Spire and Thornbridge from the East Midlands

and Abbeydale, Bridestones, Little Valley, Ossett and Saltaire from Yorkshire.

These will include, bitters, golden ales, dark beers and fruit and spiced beers,

ranging from 3.4 – 6.4% ABV, hopefully with appeal to

most people.

Of course being our 13th festival allows us to play around

with a superstition theme, and so we’ve adopted black

cat logos for the festival and publicity material (e.g. see

above)). However the presence of Ace of Spades cards

and broken mirror pictures within this article does not

mean we believe any of it!

Other attractions at the festival will include live acoustic

music on the Friday and Saturday nights – Campbell’s Bar

has a proper stage to allow us to feature music – and a festival tombola, with

lots of beery prizes to be won. We will have a CAMRA products stall at the

festival as well for all those CAMRA goodies, including books, T-shirts and

collectables. To keep hunger at bay and to help soak up some of that beer,

there will be hot and cold food available at all sessions of the festival. A

festival beer glass will also be available for those who want to collect and

keep one as a souvenir.

Dates, opening times and entry charges are shown below:

Thursday 16 September: 530 – 11 pm (£2) Friday 17 September: 11 am – 4 pm (FREE); 6 -11 pm (£3) Saturday 18 September: 11 am – 6 pm (£2); (after) 6 – 11 pm (£3)

Sunday 19 September: 12 noon – 4 pm (FREE) Card-carrying CAMRA members are

admitted free at all sessions. Families

with children under-18 are welcome

for all the afternoon sessions and up

to 9 pm in the evenings.

Beer can be exchanged across the bar

for beer tokens, which need to be

purchased prior to imbibing. Each

token will represent a half of beer, and will be priced at or around

the average price for our area. Most beers will be priced at the same

level, with a small number requiring a cash supplement because of their

strength.

Well it’s great to be back, and all of us

in the branch are eagerly looking

forward to it. It’s hard work, but

worthwhile if people enjoy it. If the

festival appeals to you, why not

put the details in your diary or on your

calendar now. We hope you will be

able to come along, enjoy the beers

and have a thoroughly good time. The

venue is close to all major bus routes

into town, so there should be no need

in most cases to have a designated

driver, although soft drinks will be

available if you’re driving someone

else.

See you in September!

Mark Elsome [9]