Wolverhampton CAMRA newsletter - July 2002
Slater’s Brewery from Eccleshall in Staffordshire scooped first place for the second time in three years in the “West Midlands Beer of the Year” heat held at the Wolverhampton Festival.
In 2000 Slater’s took the award in the Bitter category. It’s stronger stablemate, Supreme taking the 2002 Strong Bitter title in a blind judging held at the end of May. Runners up were local favourite Holden’s Special from Woodsetton and Olde Swan Bumblehole from Netherton.
Supreme, the Overall Regional Champion in 2000 now moves into this years final tasting, the results of which will be announced at the end of the year.
Beyond the Pale, from the West Yorkshire Brewery in Luddenfoot, near Halifax was voted “Best In Festival” at this year’s Wolverhampton Beer Festival, holding off challenges from festival favourites RCH with their Jubilee special “Golden Years” and Roosters well-established “Yankee”.
As it turned out, the winning cask was one of the last to come out of the Luddenfoot Brewery. In June it was announced that Dave Sanders, of West Yorkshire and John Eastwood of the Barge & Barrel Brewery were joining forces to form Eastwood & Sanders, which will operate from a new site on an industrial estate in Elland.
The new partners informed CAMRA’s newspaper “What’s Brewing” that “The brewery will produce eight regular beers from the two breweries’ existing portfolios, as well as thirteen seasonal ales”. Arrangements are in hand to organise a branch visit to hand over the award to long-time CAMRA activist Dave.
“A look back at some pubs I used to frequent” by Jim Laws.
The pubs featured in this issue differ from those included in previous articles. All of them are still trading, however the years have brought their changes.
The Wheatsheaf Hotel, Market Street was a place I drank in on a regular basis, as well as for a quick drink before or after attending the nearby Clifton or ABC cinemas. It was run at that time by Clive and Beryl with assistance from cellar man supreme Arthur, and excellent quality Banks’s beers they were too. Of an evening I used the lounge, where the push of a bell on the seat back behind you would bring the bar staff to take your order, bring your drinks and take your money. As far as I am aware, this was the last city pub to offer this service. You could also get your beer at the hatchway yourself, as is the arrangement these days.
Unfortunately my patronage of the pub ended one Christmas Eve in the early 1980’s when, although the pub had the usual licence extension, I was deemed not to be a regular enough customer to remain drinking and I have seldom visited the pub since. Although the waiter service has long since gone the pub itself is little changed and still retains its public bar, a rarity for a City Centre pub.
The Giffard Arms, Victoria Street was built in 1929 in a style of a previous century to replace the previous pub on the site. I used this pub mainly on Saturday evenings entering by the right hand door, which is now closed. The front room was used mainly by students and had a bar billiards table, with the rear used by older customers. An upstairs room was the venue for regular Folk music evenings, and I remember seeing Lancashire folk couple Gary and Vera Aspey one evening. Unfortunately in their wisdom the owners decided to do major alterations to turn the pub into one large room, the effect of which was to kill the atmosphere and to lose my custom. I have not drunk in the pub since.
The Greyhound, Princess Street (or Little Berry Street as it was known when the pub was built) was a pre club venue on Friday or Saturday evening with its public bar (entrance in corner) and lounge. This 1880’s pub had changed little and offered beers from Mitchell’s and Butlers at that time. However, it suffered a down turn in trade and closed its doors to drinkers in 1990. After a short period of closure and building work to knock the rooms into one it reopened as Little Austria Restaurant; this lasted two years prior to becoming Cadillac’s, an attempt at an American style diner. It appeared that the building was lost forever as a pub until the Firkin revolution saw it converted back into a pub The Feline & Firkin in 1995. As it had no on-site brewery, the beers were supplied by others in the chain. The pub was well run and served excellent ales including Dogbolter and occasionally a mild, which led to its appearance in the Good Beer Guide and regular visits from me. However, the change of ownership, which included the closure of all the Firkin Breweries, caused a drop off in availability and quality of the Real Ales on offer and saw my visits end. In my opinion the take over of the brand helped its decline, the pub finally closing in November 2001. After alterations the pub reopened in 2002, no real ale or pub atmosphere and as far as I am concerned the Greyhound has now gone down ‘The Tube’.
The Prince Albert, Railway Street - I used this Mitchell’s and Butlers pub for a while in the 70’s, The pub, built in 1900 to replace a previous one had a bar and lounge each with separate entrance doors. I used to drink in the bar and often stayed late on Saturday night during the football season to watch Match of the Day on telly. I remember one midweek late session after watching Manchester United defeat Wolves 3-2 in a 1976 FA cup replay.
You would often see railway staff having a quick drink between train arrivals at the nearby station. The lounge was used of an evening by people with alternative lifestyles, although in those days it was not policy to advertise the fact.
The landlady left to re launch the old Club 67 in Pipers Row as Mary’s Moustache. The Prince Albert is another pub which I have seldom visited in the last twenty years, unfortunately internal alterations has seen its rooms knocked into one and the original bar counter has been moved.
My article in the last edition caused a large amount of comment regarding the Squirrel, and after more investigation it appears I may have had brain fade. It was a Banks’s pub at that time not Ansells. I apologise for this error.
This year’s “Country Pub of the Year Award” goes to the Station at Codsall. The pub is an excellent conversion of the old railway station buildings by local brewers Holden’s. It serves the range of Holden’s beers, along with a regularly changing guest beer, and a great range of good food.
Presenting the ward at a social evening in April Branch Chair Chris Colley said that the Station was a real credit to managers Alan & Carol Johnson who took over the pub almost exactly one year before. The Station is on the Wolverhampton - Shrewsbury railway line, and is not far from the 535 bus terminus in Codsall village. It has become a very regular award winner, having previously won the Country award in 2000 and the Overall accolade last year. Why not give it a visit or take in it’s 3rd Beer Festival over the weekend of August 30th to September 1st. Opening hours are 11 - 11 Friday & Saturday, 12 - 6 Sunday.
Overall Pub of the Year is the Olde White Rose, Lichfield Street, Bilston. This pub is a true free house with 12 beers on tap, many not normally available in the area. The beers are always in excellent condition, and the attraction of the pub is further enhanced by its growing reputation for good quality and good value food served in large portions.
The pub is a testament to owner John Denston’s tremendous commitment to real ale and to creating a drinking environment which aims to meet the differing needs of his clientele. Since moving to the “White Rose” in 1987 John has worked tirelessly to create a traditional pub atmosphere, whilst also adding a “Bistro” type drinking area, a downstairs “Cellar” bar, an upstairs function room, and a superb garden with children’s play facilities. The pub features two very popular quiz evenings each week and there is also regular live music.
The excellent Somer’s Sports and Social Club in Halesowen has one CAMRA’s National Club of the Year Award for 2002. This is the first time that a club have won the award for two years in a row, and is just reward for the hard work of steward Peter Russell
News from USA brewers Adolf Coors, owners of part of the former Bass empire is that they will be closing the last remnant of M & B, the Cape Hill brewery in Smethwick. Over the last few years Cape Hill has only produced keg and bottled products, Cask ale brands M & B Mild and Brew XI have been produced under contract at Highgate of Walsall and Brains of Cardiff respectively. Although never amongst the most popular of brews, they nevertheless featured in many pubs in Birmingham and the Black Country. Locally, they had to compete with stable mates Highgate Mild and Springfield Bitter. In the late 70s / Early 80s a very palatable drop of Brew XI could be sampled at the Heart of Oak, a regular CAMRA meeting venue on the Newhampton Road, now the premises of the Samaritans. If you have any other recollections of great pints of Brew XI or M & B Mild in Wolverhampton please let us know, as we see the final vestige of M & B disappear into our rich brewing history.
Real evidence of the end result of the Government’s reduction in duty payable by smaller brews has come in the shape of a 4p per pint reduction in the cost of a pint of Holden’s beers in their tied estate. This reduction took effect from 1 August and you can make the savings in our local Holden’s houses - The Great Western, Station at Codsall, Trumpet in Bilston, and Brittania in Bradley.
Wolverhampton CAMRA celebrated the successful end of one of our longest standing campaigns on the day the duty reduction was officially implemented, June 1st. The Branch teamed up with local microbrewer, Paul Bradburn, to offer drinkers Goldthorn’s “Out of Darkness” for £1.50 per pint on the final day of this year’s Beer Festival
Local charity “The Haven” was delighted to receive a cheque for £726.78 from Festival Organiser Dave Powell at a presentation held at the Newhampton in July. The money was generated from the income of the Festival Tombola stall and the generous donations of unused beer tokens by festival visitors. Haven Chief Executive Kath Rees thanked all concerned for the donation that will help to provide safety, shelter, stability and support to homeless women and children.
As part of CAMRA’s National Mild Day on May 11th a number of Wolverhampton branch members took part in a crawl of some of our Staffordshire pubs. The aim of the exercise (!) was to check the availability of mild ales in the rural part of our branch area.
In Codsall, we found Banks’s in two pubs with Ansells, Highgate and Holdens appearing in one outlet each. Over in Coven were again in evidence in one pub each. This certainly suggests that mild is alive and well in Staffordshire and well worth seeking out.
Why not join us on next year’s crawl? Although this years event involved a fair amount of walking the ages of participants varied between early 30s and early 60s, all with the common passion of a love for good real ale. Our favourite mild on the day was the Leeds - brewed Ansells in the Harrows on the A449 at Standeford, near Coven.
For the third year running GBG stalwart the Chindit on Merridale Road held a Beer Festival over the May Day Holiday Weekend. 30 Beers drawn mainly from Midland microbrewers were on offer together with the Indian Snack Bar and a Pork Pie tasting on the Saturday. Once again, good beer and a good time were the order of the day(s). Well done Jake & Mick, how are you going to top that next year?
Support for CAMRA’s campaign against Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt’s plan to legalise short measure has come from the local council officers who have to enforce the law. . The Local Authority Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services, which represents all Trading Standards Departments in England and Wales told CAMRA’s newspaper What’s Brewing that they are urging Mrs Hewitt to go back to the Government’s original proposal and legislate for a 100% liquid pint.
It appears that there may have been a change of policy at local Wetherspoon’s outlets. The “Moon under Water” in the City Centre has recently sprouted an external sign advertising “Families Welcome to Eat Here”. However, the pub still retains two signs stating “No children. Over 18’s only”. Beerwolf thinks some clarification is required, particularly as the Moon is one of the first pubs visitors reach on leaving the City’s railway station.
In an effort to ensure that only the best of Real Ale pubs in the Wolverhampton area are recommended for CAMRA’s National Good Beer Guide, the branch have agreed a new system for initial nomination of contenders. This will be launched at our September Branch Meeting, which will be held at the Olde White Rose, Lichfield Street, Bilston on September 5th at 8pm. All card carrying CAMRA members are welcome to attend. The final selection process, a postal ballot of all local members, remains unchanged.