Past News 2007

DECEMBER

Party on down ...
Darlington Snooker Club received its certificate for North East Club of the Year for 2007 at the recent Christmas social held there on Thursday 27th December. Regional Director Nick Whitaker, left in picture, presented proprietor Peter Everett and mother Rita the certificate and commented on the excellent hospitality of the family run business, which back in September fought off an application to turn the club into flats. Successful beer festivals plus the appearances of professional snooker stars including recently, the six times World Snooker Champion Steve Davis, made the club a worthy winner of the award for the fourth time running.

Peter Everett, pictured, with mother Rita thanked all the people who visit the club, not just the members who come to play snooker, but those who come and try the real ales on offer which include local micros as well as ones from further a field. Peter also thanked everyone for their support shown during the application to convert the club into flats.

Our congratulations go to Peter, Rita and all the staff on their success in this competition for the fourth time running. There are plenty of clubs in the North East which can qualify for the award, and it is great seeing one of our own succeeding in the competition.

Click on any of the images for a larger view.

A tale of two horses ...
The branch has welcomed two horses back to the fold recently. The White Horse in Harrowgate Hill re-opened its doors on Tuesday 11th December after over a year, while the Bay Horse in Great Smeaton re-opened its doors on Friday 14th December after closing in early August this year.

In the summer of 2005, the branch voiced concerns along with other protestors against the proposed demolition of the White Horse after it was bought at an auction by Mr Jay Patel from Leeds and was seemingly being run down. Further protests continued including a rare parish referendum which opposed the conversion into flats which could have led to a High Court challenge to Darlington Borough Council's decision to grant planning permission.

The pub, pictured left, closed its doors in September 2006 due to a "lack of trade", this after a year of campaigning against its closure and despite an insistence six months earlier that it would remain open for at least two years.

However in spring this year, national pub group Mitchells and Butlers wanted to open the White Horse as part of its "Sizzling Pub Company" chain and owner Mr Patel, despite having plans for the site for housing was happy to "give the pub back to the people of Darlington", in the hope that they could support it. A spokesman for our branch said, "Companies like M&B aren't daft. They know they can do well here, and good luck to them. Now we hope they can reintroduce real ale to make this a complete pub again". When the White Horse reopened these were Boddington's Cask, Taylor Landlord and Old Speckled Hen.

Meanwhile in Great Smeaton, the Bay Horse, pictured left, reopened after being closed for just over four months. Previous tenants Dave and Julie Mash left the pub in early August and as new tenants could not be found in time the pub remained closed until recently.

The new licensee Jeff Ferrier is a well-known and popular member of the village community and is chairman of the Village Hall Committee. At the reopening Taylors Landlord and St Austell Brewery's Christmas Ale were available at Darlington CAMRA's 1998 Country Pub of the Year winner.

Our best wishes go to both the Bay Horse and White Horse in their returns to the fold.

NOVEMBER

Steve's Snooker Show
Darlington Snooker Club recently welcomed six times World Snooker Champion Steve Davis on Saturday 24th November for a fundraising charity event. The event organised by club proprietor Peter Everett was in aid of Diabetes UK and attracted a huge audience with nine lucky people having the opportunity to play a frame with the snooker player affectionally known as the "Nugget". The night was made even more special by an auction for a fan to play a frame with Steve which resulted in George Burnside winning with a £400 bid and then allowing Luke Duckworth to take his place.

The whole event was a big success with over £600 was raised for Diabetes UK. The charity was chosen as Peter Everett, pictured with Steve, has diabetes and receives support from the charity.

With Steve also being a big real ale fan, he was thrilled to see two local brewers produced special beers to mark the event. Rob Wiltshire, left in bottom picture, from Yorkshire Dales Brewery had an "Interesting" tipple at 3.7%, while Wear Valley went "Snooker Loopy" with their 4.2% concoction. However, being unable to sample the beers on the night, Steve has promised that on his next visit he will be able to, as the next Booze 'n' Cues Festival is rumoured to be fitting in between Steve's other commitments.

So watch this space for details of the next Booze 'n' Cues possibly with celebrity status !.

Click any of the pictures for a larger view.

OCTOBER

Big Lamp turns twenty five.
Big Lamp Brewery recently followed in the footsteps of Darlington CAMRA in celebrating its 25th anniversary at a party held at the Wheatsheaf in Felling on Tyneside.

Starting in 1982 and being the oldest micro brewery in the North East, it began life in Newcastle's west end near the site where the Big Lamp was located, hence the name. They moved to their present site in a former water pumping station at Newburn on the banks of the Tyne, west of Newcastle and now brew many regular and seasonal ales. This year included an anniversary brew called "XXV" which appeared at the recent Rhythm 'n' Brews Festival at the Arts Centre in Darlington. On offer at the Wheatsheaf were Big Lamp's excellent range including Big Lamp Bitter which was available at 99p a pint. Good value indeed !.

Brewery Liaison Officer Ray Heelbeck and Wheatsheaf regular, left in picture, presented Big Lamp Brewers Lee Goulding and George Storey with a plaque marking the Brewery's 25th Anniversary. The Wheatsheaf in Felling is one of two tied houses run by Big Lamp Brewery and this year celebrates its 100th anniversary. 

Our congratulations go to Big Lamp Brewery in celebrating 25 years of Brewing.

Champions !.
Darlington CAMRA has won the inaugural CAMRA North East Games Night at the Surtees Arms at Ferryhill Station.

A team consisting of Peter Everett, Angus Gair, Colin Holmes and Ian Jackson competed in darts, dominoes and pool against members of Durham and Wear Valley CAMRA branches. The branch just pipped Wear Valley to the title with Ian Jackson winning his fair share of pools and darts matches along with assistance from Colin Holmes, a National Dominoes Champion in the dominoes games. 

Landlord Alan Hogg presented Team Captain Peter Everett with the trophy and the team drank to their success, in the form of Jarrow Red Ellen straight out of the trophy !.

Due to the success of the competition, it is now hoped that the first ever CAMRA North East Games Night will now become an annual thing. 

SEPTEMBER

Frame of the Day.
The future of Darlington Snooker Club is now again safe hands following a planning meeting at Darlington Borough Council on Wednesday 19th September which overwhelmingly opposed a plan to turn the first floor snooker hall into flats. 

The meeting voted in favour of the snooker club, pictured left, the oldest in town situated just off Northgate, citing the fact that the family run business was a vital core of the community. 

Regulars and club members played their part as a placard clad entourage outside Darlington Town Hall during the meeting in support of the club. Afterwards an ecstatic, and somewhat emotional proprietor Peter Everett emerged from the meeting and thanked everyone who helped fight the cause.

The snooker club is now able to continue being a focus for the community, and for also real ale drinkers as it recently won CAMRA North East Club of the Year again for the fourth year running, with up to four guest beers available from breweries countrywide.

Hitting the high notes once more.
The Rhythm 'n' Brews proved to be a successful event once again. The beer and cider choice and quality proved popular, and punters enjoyed the 25th anniversary theme with beers from breweries who started in 1982 on handpump along with beers brewed especially for the festival. 

Click here to the read the full details of how it all went down.

AUGUST

Four on the Spin (or right on cue ??).

Darlington Snooker Club has once more been right on cue when its comes to finding the CAMRA North East Club of the Year for 2007.

The first floor club, situated on the corner of Northgate and Corporation Road scooped the major prize after it beat off competition from the Pelaw Grange Greyhound Stadium near Chester-le-Street. 

An ecstatic Peter Everett said it was a privilege to win the award again, citing the fact that many clubs in the north east are eligible to enter the competition and to be the overall winner was a great achievement.

A presentation will be made in the near future, and in the meantime up to four guest ales from microbreweries both local and further a field are available in this family run establishment.

At the recent branch meeting at the Blacksmith's Arms, Preston-le-Skerne Peter, pictured left, received his much awaited branch Club of the Year Award from branch committee member Ian Jackson.

Another plaque for the infamous Awards Wall !. Click on the picture for a larger view

MAY

Happy 25th to us !!.

Click on any of the above pictures for a larger view.

The afternoon of Sunday May 20th saw a special event take place. Branch members past and present attended the 25th birthday party of Darlington CAMRA held at the Number Twenty-2 in Coniscliffe Road.

The party also gave the opportunity to present licensee Ralph Wilkinson with the Town Pub of the Year 2007 award, above left picture, by Branch Chairman Peter Everett. Brendan Boyle, the first ever Branch Chairman made a speech outlining the last 25 years of the branch, and a presentation was made to Brendan Boyle, second picture, to mark 25 years as a member of the Branch Committee. Presentations were also made to Brendan's wife Sue, and to current Branch Secretary John Magson for being a long standing member of the committee.

Many who attended the first meeting at the Collectors Arms, Houndgate on May 19th 1982 managed to make the party, including Ian Caig who now lives in New Zealand. Past and present chairman, third picture, were in attendance, plus a photo display of branch events over the years was displayed on the wall allowing quite a bit of reminiscing to take place !.

The branch would like to thank licensee Ralph Wilkinson and the staff of Number Twenty-2 for allowing this special event to take place, and we look forward to the next 25 years campaigning for real ale in Darlington.

Cheers !.

Crown Delight.
Branch members visited the Crown at Manfield en route to the Branch meeting at the Stanwick Arms on Wednesday 2nd May to present licensees Peter and Karen Hynes with the Branch's Pub of the Year award.

Pubs officer Pete Fenwick, right in picture, presented Peter and Karen with the Pub of the Year certificate and the Crown now goes forward into the Yorkshire Pub of the Year Competition for 2007, a competition it won back in 2005 when it also held Branch Pub of the Year. What price lightning striking twice ??.

APRIL

Branch AGM - Pubs of the Year.
The Branch's Annual General Meeting recently took place at the Hole in the Wall in Darlington. Branch members voted for their favourite Town and Country Pubs of the Year and the Crown at Manfield, left, took the Country Pub of the Year award for the sixth time in a row. The Red Lion at Cotherstone was runner up while the Bay Horse at Great Smeaton was third in the voting.

However, in town it was a third different winner in as many years with the Number Twenty-2 winning the Town Pub of the Year award for the first time since 2002, making it along with the Crown a "double" for the Village Brewer stable. Runner up was the 2005 winner the Britannia while last year's winner the Quakerhouse came third. The Crown beat the Number Twenty-2 to win the Branch Pub of the Year to go alongside its 2005 success.

As a result the Number Twenty-2 goes forward to take part in the North East Pub of the Year competition, a competition in which it has been a winner on several occasions. The Crown meanwhile enters the Yorkshire Pub of the Year competition, a competition which it won back in 2005 and finished joint third in the standings last year.

Our best wishes go to the Number Twenty-2 and the Crown in these competitions.

Branch AGM - Branch Committee.
The Branch's Annual General Meeting also gave Branch members to vote for their Branch Committee for 2007-8 and there were only a few changes, notably in the position of Branch Chairman with Peter Everett, left, taking over from Angus Gair.

However, Brendan Boyle took the opportunity at the AGM to stand down as a Branch Committee member, having been on the Committee for 25 years. Brendan became our first Branch Chairman at the first ever Darlington CAMRA branch meeting held at the Collectors Arms, Houndgate back in May 1982 and has held the position of editor for our newsletter 'Darlington Drinker' for a number of years.

The next issue of Darlington Drinker will be the 150th edition that Brendan will have helped produce and the branch would like to pass on its thanks to Brendan for the efforts he has put in over the last 25 years. 

Click here to see the Branch's Committee for 2007-8. 

MARCH

Skinners Tops the lot
Skinners Brewery has once again come out tops at one of Darlington CAMRA Beer Festivals. The Truro based outfit has this time triumphed in the festival voting with the 4.0% abv Ginger Tosser matching its previous success it had with Figgy's Brew. Ginger Tosser beat off approximately fifty other beers to win this award.

Runner up was Camerons 25 Monkey Mild and third in the voting was Matthews Davy Light.

FEBRUARY