Darlington Drinker 157

 Darlington Drinker 157

Newsletter of the Darlington Campaign for Real Ale - Aug/Sep 2005

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And The Big Get Bigger

THE CAMPAIGN for Real Ale is calling on the Government to reinstate controls over large brewers.

The demand follows the news that Britain’s two fastest-growing brewing companies, Wolverhampton & Dudley and Greene King, have each taken over smaller rivals.

Both companies now own more than 2,000 pubs - enough for them to have been defined as ‘national brewers’ under the Beer Orders, legislation which was designed to moderate the power of large breweries but which was revoked in 2002.

The latest take-over by Greene King is of the Essex brewery Ridleys, and their 80 pubs. The classic, traditional-style, 163 year old brewery at Hartford End is scheduled for closure in the autumn - the third brewery Greene King have closed in eight years, if they do not relent.

CAMRA’s Mike Benner said: “This acquisition follows hot on the heels of the takeover of Jennings of Cumbria by Wolverhampton & Dudley in June.

“A new generation of national brewers has been created and is a threat to consumer choice. Takeovers rarely lead to benefits for consumers and invariably lead to erosion of consumer choice - breweries close and beers are axed.

“Ridleys has been family owned since 1842, brewing excellent local beers. Greene King should reconsider its decision and take steps to sell the brewery as a going concern.”

Longer Langdon

ONE OF the most remote pubs in England has become the first in the North East to be granted a 24-hour licence to serve alcohol.

The homely Langdon Beck Hotel, high up in the Pennines between Middleton-in-Teesdale and Alston (1,059 feet high up to be exact) was granted the licence by Teesdale Council.

The owners, Glen and Sue Matthews, can take advantage of their freedom under the Government’s long-promised new Licensing Act when it comes into force from 24 November.

Glen told us they wanted to end the anomaly whereby guests taking one of the pub’s seven letting bedrooms could legally drink into the early hours - but everyone else in the bar had to be shown the door at 11pm. “We certainly don’t plan to open for 24 hours a day. We want to be able to open when we wish”.

Glen also told the Northern Echo: “We wanted the freedom to serve a rather special band of customers. These include local farmers, walkers, cyclists and grouse shooters, who book in for breakfasts”.

“We will be able to give them tots of brandy at 7.30am to warm them up. Similarly, we will be able to cater for walkers who may drop in at the hotel at odd hours. It's been an expensive process, costing about £1,000, but one we think that will prove well worthwhile.”

The pub had already become a lot more attractive following the arrival of Glen and Sue last year, with the introduction of cask beer. “Normally a choice of three. All of which are proving more and more popular as the keg beers struggle to keep up!”, says Sue.

They even held a beer festival over the May bank holiday with twenty beers “to establish themselves as a true real ale pub”. Just don’t hold your breath for a 24-hour festival quite yet.

VAUX HAVE released details of their new policy of taking ‘guest’ real ales in some of their pubs.

The number of pubs being allowed to sell non-Vaux ales now stands at 23 and is rising. All are managed houses, including in Darlington not only the Pennyweight and Humphry’s but also - somewhat surprisingly - the Copper Beech. The latter has not sold handpulled beer for some considerable time, if ever.

The ‘guests’ are produced by independent breweries. The Copper Beech has been offering its real ale at only 65 pence.”  

Darlington Drinker 37, August 1985

Save Those Pubs

A NEW organisation has been launched to help communities save their pubs.

The Community Pubs Foundation (www.communitypubs.org) will provide support for people fighting to save their local from being demolished, turned into houses or any other use.

It has been estimated that 26 pubs a month are closing for ever across Britain - and Darlington seems to be accounting for more than its fair share.

See right for details of the renewed threat to the White Horse. On page 6 we tell of developer’s plans for the historic Forge Tavern. The Rise Carr, the most ornate Darlington pub in modern times to be lost to residential development, has now been demolished. Fellow Whessoe Road street-corner boozers the Globe and the Locomotive have been converted to residential use. While the monumental Bridge Inn on Northgate appears to have been de-licensed, we know not for what alternative use.

DARLINGTON CAMRA has joined Harrowgate Hill residents in re-submitting its objections to the proposed demolition of the White Horse. The owner, Jay Patel of Leeds, who bought it at auction in 2003, hopes to sell the site to Premier Homes Limited for housing development.  

The original planning application to build 64 apartments was withdrawn - but only to replaced by one for 55 apartments. CAMRA says that the proposal would lead to the loss of a valuable local amenity. There are no other pubs within a reasonable walking distance of the White Horse - and it is a round trip to of two miles to the next one that serves real ale.

Full Time at Forge?

A PUB WHICH played a key role in the history of Darlington FC is the latest local to be threatened by housing developers.

The Forge Tavern, in Nestfield Street at Albert Hill, is the subject of a planning application by Surdev Limited of Middleton-in-Teesdale to demolish it and erect housing. Another potential victim of the rise in residential land values.

The Darlington branch of CAMRA has lodged an objection on the grounds that no assessment of the viability of the pub use has been carried to justify its loss.

Chris Lloyd of the Northern Echo told a couple of years ago* how in 1919, after the end of the First World War the pub’s football team, Darlington Forge Albion, represented the town in the reformed North Eastern League alongside Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, South Shields, Scotswood, Durham City and Hartlepools.

They inflicted the first defeat of the season on Newcastle United at St James’ Park. It wasn’t until the 1919-20 season that the boss of the team, Forge landlord Mr JB Haw, reverted to calling the club Darlington FC. Mr Haw was regarded as a saviour in the town until his death in 1960.

*Echo Memories, Northern Echo, 10/9/03

Golden Evensong

DURHAM BREWERY of Bowburn have struck gold. One of their beers, Evensong, has been judged the best bottled real ale in Britain.

Evensong, is a 5%-strength, deep-ruby, bitter. Brewery-owner Steven Gibbs based the recipe on a beer made by Whitakers of Halifax in 1937. He describes it as full flavoured with a traditional English character: “very satisfying on its own but try it with dark meats and strong cheese”.

Evensong is often stocked, with other Durham beers, at Binns in Darlington. Bottles can also be bought direct from www.durham-brewery.co.uk.

Brewers Gold, from Crouch Vale of Essex, was named the overall Champion Beer of Britain from all categories.

In its style category (golden ales) it pipped Jarrow Brewery’s Rivet Catcher. We told in DD156 how this started as a home-brew of Darlington CAMRA member Pete Fenwick !.

Category winners:

*Milds: 1st, Grainstore Rutland Panther (Rutland); 2nd, Brains Dark (Cardiff); 3rd, Elgood's Black Dog (Cambs).

*Bitters: 1st, Woodforde's Wherry (Norfolk); 2nd, Holdens Black Country Bitter (W. Midlands); joint 3rd, RCH PG Steam (Somerset) and Belvoir Star (Leics).

*Best Bitters: 1st, Harveys Sussex Bitter (East Sussex); 2nd: Mighty Oak Burntwood Bitter (Essex); joint 3rd, Tim Taylor Landlord (W. Yorks) and Olde Swan Entire (W. Midlands).

*Golden Ales: 1st, Crouch Vale Brewers Gold (Essex); 2nd, Jarrow Rivet Catcher (Tyne and Wear); 3rd, Oakham JHB (Cambs).

*Strong Ales: 1st, Hanby Nutcracker (Shropshire); 2nd, Bullmastiff Son of a Bitch (Cardiff); 3rd, Fuller's ESB (London).

*Speciality Beers: 1st, Cairngorm Tradewinds (Inverness-shire); 2nd, Young's Waggledance (London); joint 3rd, Daleside Morocco (North Yorkshire) & Ridleys Rumpus (Essex).

*Real Ale in a Bottle: 1st, Durham Evensong; 2nd, Young's Special London Ale (London); 3rd, Titanic Stout (Staffs).

A Real Deal

DARLINGTON’S 24th annual beer and music festival is brewing up a real treat.

The largest number of real ales, real ciders and real imported beers to be ever assembled in the town will be on sale at the Rhythm ‘n’ Brews Festival at the Arts Centre, 15th-17th September.

To be sampled and savoured to the sounds of real good rhythm and blues.

Four dozen British cask-conditioned beers from small breweries near and far, fifteen bottled classics from Europe and the USA and a clutch of farmhouse scrumpies will be lovingly-nurtured by members of Darlington CAMRA.

The cask ales will come from all corners of Britain and will represent as many different styles as possible, from milds to barley wines, from stouts to bitters, etc. There will be familiar names - and others brand new, and not only to Darlington.

Commemorative glasses will be available. And a great offer to anyone signing up to CAMRA membership: two free pints of any beer or cider.

‘Smoke’ will be a topic on many lips too. One of the bands performing (see panel, right) has ‘smoking’ in its name. Another has ‘smokehouse’. We hope to stock a fine German Rauchbier - or smoked beer.

But for the first time ever this will be a smoke-free festival as the owners of the Arts Centre, Darlington Council, recently declared it a no-smoking building.

Finally, we say it every year but some still don’t hear. The evening sessions are very popular and usually sell out. So reserve you tickets - or come along to the free Friday and Saturday lunch sessions.

 A Belgian Corner

IT’S OFFICIAL: a corner of Darlington is really a slice of beery Belgium.

For the best bit of Binns’ department store on High Row - the bottled beer section, of course - has made it into the Good Beer Guide to that country. And the authoritative tome has special praise for the enthusiastic John Taylor, whose creation and passion it is.

In a chapter picking out quality beer outlets in the UK which stock Belgian beers, the “insufficiently famous” off-licence hidden away in the basement is featured at some length.

The authors describe it as: “An unlikely location for the best range of Belgian beers in the North East… Well over three hundred beers from around the world include about 80 from Belgium... Clearly the creation of its manager who cultivates his customers carefully.”

To celebrate the international recognition, Binns’ is, for probably the first time in history, currently promoting beers in a small part of its famous window!

*Good Beer Guide Belgium, edited by Tim Webb, published by Campaign for Real Ale. Available from bookshops at £12.99 or direct from CAMRA on (01727) 867201.

BELATED THREE cheers for intrepid adventurer, real ale fan and erstwhile DD contributor Alan Hinkes who recently completed the remarkable feat of climbing the world's 14 highest peaks, all over 8,000 metres - the only Briton to have done so. Alan hails from Northallerton and can occasionally be spotted just 150m above sea level in some of our area’s better pubs.

Eating Inn

In every Darlington Drinker a couple of readers who dub themselves ‘Mr and Mrs Toolay’ (too lazy to cook) share their better experiences of local dining pubs which serve good beer. Mr T reports…

THE LATEST in our sequence of recommended eating establishments which also serve real ale was visited on Sunday afternoon.

The pub was the George and Dragon in Heighington. On arrival we went to the bar to find a selection of five ales.

Mrs Toolay's personal favourite, Caledonian Deuchar’s IPA, was available - she's so much easier to please with an IPA in front of her. In addition, Black Sheep, Charles Wells’ Bombardier and North Yorkshire’s organic Fools Gold were on tap, along with a particularly nice Whistle Stop from Wylam.

Clutching beers tightly to chest we moved through the packed pub to the restaurant for dinner.

Mrs T chose not to have a starter whereas I devoured a (very) giant Yorkshire Pudding with onion gravy. Main meals consisted of roast pork and apple sauce and roast chicken with lemon stuffing - novel but very tasty. The portions were definitely man-size and a couple of hours asleep on the sofa after returning to Darlington was the order of the day.

The evening menu looked interesting with frog's legs as one of the starters. We look forward to visiting again one evening in the very near future.

BISHOP AUCKLAND has a brand new micro-brewery. Wear Valley Brewery operates from the back of The Grand in South Church. It is the brainchild of landlord Simon Gillespie. The first beers are due to be launched at a festival there over 18-21 August.  

Guide Updates

IN DD156 we published a guide to Real Ale in and around Darlington & Teesdale. Listed below are the latest updates and corrections.

Copies of the guide are still available free on request from the editor, who would be happy to learn of other changes; see back page for contact details.

Darlington

Additional Real Ale Outlets:

Town Centre:

GOLDEN COCK

12 Tubwell Row, DL1 1NU

(01325) 468843

Guest beer.

West:

MOWDEN

Staindrop Road (B6279), Mowden DL3 9BE

(01325) 460386

Open all day, every day.

Black Sheep Best Bitter; John Smith's Magnet

Amendments to Beer Range:

RED LION

Delete Boddington’s Bitter (keg)

WHITE HORSE HOTEL

Delete Cameron's Strongarm

SPRINGFIELD

Real ales are Banks’s Bitter and Cameron's Strongarm

Deletions (real ale no longer sold):

LOCATION, Post House Wynd

Teesdale

Additional Real Ale Outlet:

Langdon Beck

LANGDON BECK HOTEL

Langdon Beck, Forest-in-Teesdale (B6277) DL12 0XP (01833) 622267

www.langdonbeckhotel.com

Cameron's Castle Eden Ale; two guest beers.

Amendments to Beer Range:

Barnard Castle

THREE HORSE SHOES

Real ales are Black Sheep Best Bitter and Caledonian Deuchar’s IPA.

 Ale Mail

I WAS IN Darlington recently and picked up a copy of Darlington Drinker while having a beer at the Quaker House. I do most of my drinking in London so was interested in the article about the North/South divide in beer prices. Although prices are, I think, higher in London there are some real bargains to be had, and not only in Wetherspoons.

At the Cock, a Sam Smith’s pub in Great Portland Street, a few yards north of Oxford Circus tube, I was charged £1.70 for a pint of Old Brewery Bitter, while a lager drinker being served at the same time was charged £2.60 for his pint of fizz.

Sadly most everyone else in the pub was drinking the lager! Regards,

DAVID WAKELIN, Letchworth, Herts

(Ah, but Sam Smith’s OBB is just £1.26 at the Glittering Star in Darlington! - Ed)

BREWS, NEWS AND VIEWS

THE MOWDEN on Staindrop Road has reinstated real ale after a gap of a few years. Black Sheep’s Best Bitter and John Smith's Magnet are the welcome bevvies on handpump. The 1960s-built estate pub, next to Mowden Hall, has had a new lease of life following a recent change of management. It now opens all day, every day and serves food lunchtimes and evenings.

WOLVERHAMPTON & Dudley Breweries are to build Darlington’s newest hostelry. ‘The White Heifer That Travelled’ is the somewhat ponderous name chosen for the planned family-friendly pub, which will open on the expanding West Park estate at Faverdale by next summer. It will be a managed house under W&D’s Pathfinder Pubs banner. It is likely to be similar in operation to the group’s Springfield pub on Whinfield Road, which stocks a couple of real ales, Banks’s Bitter and Strongarm.

W&D are apparently investing over £2m in the project.

DARLINGTON CAMRA DIARY DATES

Darlington Drinker is published approximately two-monthly (with the odd beer break) by the Darlington branch of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale. Circulation 2,500. News, articles and letters welcome. All items © Darlington CAMRA but may be reproduced if source acknowledged. Editor: Brendan Boyle, 6 Clareville Road, Darlington DL3 8NG; 01325 362092; email brendan@bjboyle.freeserve.co.uk. To advertise contact Fred Lawton 07710 493514, RedFred4@aol.com. Rates quarter-page £30, half-page £50, page £80; sixth insertion free. CAMRA HQ is at 230 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts AL1 4LW; ( 01727 867201; website www.camra.org.uk.