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CELEBRATE! - Leicester CAMRA
theleicesterdrinker www.leicester.camra.org.uk FREE Issue 105 June / July 2016 The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch Circulation 5,000 throughout Leicestershire & Rutland C E L E B R AT E ! Riders do the double - Out and About p16 Leicestershire & Rutland Cookbook p19 INSIDE Scotland driving limits. . . . . . . p4 Local brewery/pub news. . . . p6/7 Beer trip to Birmingham. . . . . . p9 2016 Pub of the Year . . . . . . . . p13 Beer fit for an Empress?. . . . . p22 Jim’s Jaunt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p24 Facebook/leicestercamra @LeicesterCAMRA Designed & Printed by AnchorPrint · www.anchorprint.co.uk leicestercamra EDITOR Rob Macardle Please send contributions to drinker@leicester.camra.org.uk Website: www.leicester.camra.org.uk Facebook: Leicester Campaign for Real Ale The Drinker welcomes letters, news, views and articles for possible publication. Please keep it brief and to the point and supply your name and address (this will only be published with your permission). The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Editor, Leicester Branch, or CAMRA. ADVERTISING RATES 1 /6 page £ 35 + VAT 1 /4 page £ 50 + VAT 1 /3 page £ 66 + VAT 1 /2 page £ 85 + VAT 1 page £160 + VAT Back Page £190 + VAT Series Discounts available on 1/4 page and above VAT Registration Number: 102 0964 57 CAMRA Recommends that if you are in any way dissatisfied with the measure of your pint in any of Leicestershire & Rutland’s pubs, contact the Trading Standards. Details below. • City of Leicester Council has now moved from New Walk. All Weights & Measures enquiries should be referred to Citizens Advice 03454040506 or www.citizensadvice.org.uk • Leicestershire County Council 2000, E-mail: trading-standards@leics.gov.uk • Rutland County Council Offices, Catmose, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6HP. • Trading Standards are part of Environmental Health. All initial enquiries to Rutland County Council can be made through the customer services team. 01572 722577 Leicester CAMRA makes every effort to publish the Leicester Drinker on time, however sometimes due to lack of copy being received it may be a few days later than advertised. Leicester CAMRA cannot accept any responsibility for advertisements taken that feature a dated event that has occurred before publication is published. Postal Copies can be obtained from S. Collier on 07504 829830 or email: membersec11@gmail.com 16 South Drive, Leicester LE5 1AN (Please supply stamps) www.camra.org.uk 2 FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the June/July edition of The Leicester Drinker. By the time you read this you’ll no doubt have collected more than a few stickers on our 3rd Mild Trail, which, by all accounts has been well supported once again. With awards galore to present and lots of things happening in the local area most of the past eight weeks seems to have been a blur, not least because of the sporting successes of Mark Selby, Leicester Riders and Leicester City (and Leicester Tigers were in the hunt for silverware until late in the season). The breadth and variety of events that now inhabit our pubs is endlessly entertaining, so much so that I’m actually doing less drinking. Out and About gives you a flavour of the last two months. On a personal note, I’d like to thank all those who have taken the time and trouble to e-mail, phone or speak to me about Kimm Wainwright’s obituary that appeared in the last issue. He was clearly much more popular than he probably ever imagined and it’s nice that several dozen of you found my words caught his character and spirit so well. I’m still smiling at the Frankfurt pinball incident, but that’s another story... RM ADVERTISE IN THE LEICESTER DRINKER! With a circulation of 5,000 and an estimated readership of three times that number, The Drinker reaches licensees and pubgoers alike and is available free of charge in almost 200 outlets. The newsletter is published every two months by The Campaign for Real Ale, prices to advertise start from £35 plus VAT. Contact Drinker@leicester.camra.org.uk in the first instance. LEICESTER DRINKER ADVERTISING/COPY DEADLINES 2016 LD106 Aug/Sep LD107 Oct/Nov LD108 Dec/Jan June - July 2016 Recommended 13/07/2016 14/09/2016 16/11/2016 Absolute 20/07/2016 21/09/2016 23/11/2016 The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch The Stamford Arms, Groby 10% CAMRA DISCOUNT ON ALL CASK ALES • New Play Area for Under 12s • Family Garden • Tuck Shop • No Smoking Area • 5 Star Accommodation • Available for Bed & Breakfast • WiFi • Holiday Lets Available BEER FESTIVAL • Thursday 9th June Sunday 12th June • 20+ Real Ales & 10 Real Ciders • BBQ and Other Hot Food Available • Live Music on Saturday 10th • Shires Magazine Pub of the Year • CAMRA Pub of the Month February 2015 • 7 Cask Ales & Cider Always Available • Food Served from 11am - 10pm The Leicester Drinker www.leicester.camra.org.uk 3 Tourist warning in Scotland Those of you thinking of a trip to Scotland in the near future need to be aware of just how restrictive the new drink-drive limits can be. Since December 2014 the legal limit has been 22 micrograms/100ml of breath. A sheriff has warned motorists that one drink can put them over the legal limit in Scotland after issuing driving bans following two cases at Dumfries Sheriff Court where both drivers involved claimed they had consumed just one pint. Donald McCallie, 66, of Annan, admitted driving on 19 April with a reading of 35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath and h is solicitor Liz Dougan said McCallie had had one pint of cider and if he had been just 10 miles down the road in England, where the limit is 35mg, he would not have been committing an offence. Ashley Medicks, 62, of Kirkgunzeon, pleaded guilty to driving in Dalbeattie on 21 April with a reading of 32, also over the 22 microgram limit. He too stressed that he had had just one pint. Sheriff Scott Pattison fined them £450 each and banned them from driving for a year, saying “That’s the lesson in Scotland, just one drink can put you over, it’s as tight as that.” A quick “back of the envelope” calculation suggests that anything over a single pint of 4.3% probably means you shouldn’t drive for an hour or so after in Scotland, so don’t overdo it in Carlisle either…. STATS AND DAMN LIES “Too much alcohol will kill you” As a saying this is undoubtedly true. The clue is in the first two words. Firstly how much is too much and secondly ‘too much’ of almost anything is bad for you and possibly ultimately fatal. Exercise is good for you but you can ‘run yourself into the ground’. How much effect and harm alcohol does has been discussed since it was first discovered when primitive man ate rotting fruit and the truth is nobody really knows. Both short term and long term it treats everybody differently. We all know people who get drunk on a wine gum and others who down teens of pints without noticeable effect. It depends on untold numbers of different factors; there are different types of alcoholic drinks with different absorption rates and those rates depend on the size, fitness and metabolism of the individual. It also changes depending on when you last ate and indeed what you had to eat. I understand there is also a genetic factor and some races have less of the enzyme which handles alcohol, for example the early peoples of the North Pacific Rim (Native Americans, Japanese and some Chinese). 4 It does make the strict application of driving limits seem hard to justify but I know that the authorities think that an arbitrary limit with draconian punishment is the best deterrent. Most countries publish recommended limits for consumption supposedly based on scientific evidence that should on the face of it at least allow drinkers to make informed judgements. The great fault in this though is that almost every country has different suggestions and, WOW don’t they differ! This is not at first as apparent as it actually is because none of them even use the same units of measure. The World Health Organisation talks of units of 10gms but few countries use this. Even within Europe I have seen figures from 8gms (the UK) to 20gms (Austria). Beyond this the advice on numbers of units per week differs widely even if you do the sums as to what the numbers mean converted from units into grams. In units terms a US study of 37 countries showed a range from 14 units a week to 35 units a week. It is a can of worms. There really only are a few incontrovertible facts to my mind. June - July 2016 Being drunk is not a statistical situation or a chemical analysis. It is not being able to carry out normal functions safely. The liver and kidney have to process what you put into your body so it must be good to give them rest days and as far as longer term health is concerned remember the body is like a savings bank; it stores your savings as fat to be available as energy later. Put in more calories than you use and you save additional fat so exercise or hard work is essential to use it up. A little alcohol reduces stress which itself can be a killer and drinking socially in a pub can reduce loneliness and depression. Some wines contain anti-oxidants that are good for the arteries and heart and help fight off cancer. It has long been known that the French suffer a fairly low incidence of heart disease, despite having a diet high in saturated fats. Nothing can ever be checked in complete isolation and you will find ‘experts’ on both sides of all arguments but you probably know your own body best. I would just suggest that you remember that you CAN have too much of a good thing. Roy Denney The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch SPBW trip to Belfast Mark Hutchinson, Chairman of SPBWNI is trying to get members of Society for Preservation of Beers from the Wood branches to visit Belfast to see the changes taking place there, mostly in the microbrewery section. As many SPBW members are also in CAMRA the invitation extends to CAMRA as well. The event will run for the penultimate weekend in July and the adjacent box pretty much says it all. More information can be found at: spbwni.co.uk/events2016 or contact Mark at: admin@spbwni.co.uk SPBWNI BELFAST WEEKEND BREAK JULY 22-24 2016 The Northern Ireland branch is extending an open invitation to all SPBW branches to come visit us for the weekend. The province now has close to 30 micro breweries out of some 100 micros across the island. We feel this is an opportunity to sample a good range of their beers, see the changes to the city and help a fellow branch expand. The branch also needs a high profile event to bring onboard new members and to achieve as much publicity as we can in a concerted campaign. This will include a couple of local brewery visits, pub crawls and, as SPBWNI members do get benefits, we hope to be able to get discounts on national membership cards. An effort would be made to try to get a good hotel deal in the city centre. Obviously a lot of things need to be organised so this is just a pre-date notice. We really would like definite numbers to help us plan events. Details, maps etc will follow here: spbwni.co.uk/events2016 EVERY LAST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH Demons ?? 3RD Jun Blues 4TH Jun FREE ENTRY: 7.30 - 11PM TH TH & Bob Smashing Jun Club Dayfield Jun 9 11 Wilson TH Al Shotter 16 Jun Kenny 18TH Jun RD Jun Steve Parker 23 Highly Strung TH Jun TH 25 John Fryer 30 Jun Open Mic TH 2 ND Jul Howlin’ Matt Summers 7 Jul Graham TH 9 TH Jul Hewick Kevin Smashing Jul 14 Club 16 TH 21ST Jul Jul Riley CarltonCole RD TH 28 23 Jul Jul ?? Open Mic TH Chris Chambers 30 Jul The Leicester Drinker www.leicester.camra.org.uk 5 BREWERY NEWS The big brewery news this time is from Everards. An application for a new development, located adjacent to their current brewery, has been approved by the Blaby planning department. This is in addition to the new distribution centre currently being constructed in Glenfield. The new development will comprise a new brewery with offices, brewery tap and restaurant along with a temporary events marquee. The application also approved the erection of a footbridge over the River Soar with cycle paths linking to the Grand Union Canal Conservation Area, leading to Leicester City Centre through Riverside Park and Aylestone Meadows. Meetings with Everards during the consultation stage in regard to these new links indicate that they should give much improved recreational opportunities in the area alongside parking by the pub and restaurant providing facilities. The move should be completed by late 2017. Further info details on the application can be found through the planning search system via www.blaby.gov.uk, using the reference “15/1524.” 6 LOCAL BREWERY WEBSITES Charnwoodcharnwoodbrewery.co.uk Dow Bridgedowbridgebrewery.co.uk Elliswood theelliswoodbrewery.co.uk Gas Dog gasdogbrewery.co.uk Golden Duck goldenduckbrewery.com Grainstore grainstorebrewery.com Great Central gcbrewery.co.uk Long Lane See Golden Duck Market Harboroughwww.facebook.com/beerhouseuk Parish n/a Pig Pub piginmuck.com/brewery Q Brewery qbrewery.co.uk Shardlow n/a Très Bientresbienbrewery.com West End Brewerywww.facebook.com/WEBLeicester June - July 2016 The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch PUB NEWS PUBS The CAMRA discount at The Malt Shovel, Barkby has been amended; it is now 10p/pint on Real Ales & Traditional Ciders. The West End Brewery now has real cider, a pizza night on Tuesdays and a monthly music night. Leicestershire County Cricket’s Pavilion Bar at Grace Road now has its first hand pump in many a year, albeit a fast cask version of Marston’s EPA. Opening hours at Syston Sports & Social Club have changed, now 6pm-11pm Monday to Thursday, weekends unchanged. Hogarths has now settled on four varying national Real Ales. The Dove, Evington, which re-opened on March 24th has 11-11 opening hours and five Real Ales, Everards Original, Tiger & Sunchaser and two changing guests from the Everards list. The new micropub, The Blue Boar at 16 Millstone Lane, now has planning approval and is set to open by the end of July. In the last issue we announced the re-opening of the Freemasons Arms, Market Harborough. Now open with four hand pumps, its early offerings included Oakham JHB and Inferno, Langton Inclined Plane and Market Harborough Red. The Crown, Anstey has re-opened again after a refurbishment, with a new all-day, every day menu, live BT and Sky Sports and a Monday Cask Ale Club with 20p a pint off all day. Before closing there was a 10% CAMRA discount in place, but no indication as yet whether that is still available. For more details visit www.crownanstey. co.uk or e-mail info@crownanstey.co.uk. The Bridle Lane Tavern appears to have given up selling Real Ale completely according to recent reports, though there are still hand pumps in place. Leicester City Council has confirmed acceptance of CAMRA’s nomination of the John O’Gaunt as an Asset of Community Value, have written to the property owners to this effect and will be fulfilling all the regulatory requirements over the coming weeks. News also of two refurbishment plans, The Queen of Bradgate is to extend upwards to create an upper floor and Pub of the Year The King’s Head is to receive a makeover that will improve the servery and significantly enlarge the floor area. Don’t forget that pubs will stay open for an extra two hours until 01.00 on both 10 and 11 June to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday. The longer opening hours also coincide with the European Football Championships and on Saturday 11 June, Wales play Slovakia at 17:00 BST and England play Russia at 20:00 BST. Now and Then... It’s all too easy to dismiss Leicester’s real ale credentials. There are probably not enough free houses, admittedly, but the choice of beers has never been greater and no doubt the beer census on June 11th will confirm that, but it’s interesting to see it with fresh eyes. A Manx CAMRA member recently visited the city and posted the following on What Pub? Swan & Rushes: Quiz still Thursday. Highly unusual and very detailed pricing board strictly based on ABV with fine demarcations. Never seen that exactly before, and have travelled widely in U.K. Ale Wagon: Dog friendly, [a] local just walked in with [a] hound [and] was welcomed by all locals [and the] landlord didn’t bat an eyelid…what an excellent pub, yet again an excellent range of styles and strengths. You are very lucky to have such a good [selection here], all different but in short range. Swan & Rushes, Kings Head. Seldom see such a range of styles and strengths elsewhere…on a bog standard May Thursday evening. Criterion: Eclectic mix of young clientele at last orders, with highly unusual [jukebox] selection. Pub far more appealing than the exterior photo suggests. Range of ales…also very good, highly unusual selection. Refreshing to recognise only one of six on, Oakham JHB, [which is] hardly a national regular. The Leicester Drinker Pub News relies greatly on input from the public and the trade. CAMRA members will generally visit premises with an existing real ale commitment so information on new stockists and outlets is particularly welcome. Thanks on this occasion to Philip Tiplady, Martin Adcock, Roy Dennehy, Steve Peck, Shawn Collier, Josh Gray, Mick Buglass, Nigel Cash, Pete Loveday & Anthony Sharman. 30 Years Ago March 1986 – Everards announces the closure of its brewery on the Falkland Islands after its manager moves to Britain. The Penguin Brewery, which opened in Port Stanley in 1983, was said to be the most southerly real ale brewery in the world. 50 Years Ago A photo believed to have come from the early 1960s of The Western (right). www.leicester.camra.org.uk 7 Three Men on a Bus in need of comfort! There are problems being able to ride buses for free. You do get tempted to go long distances and there are no toilets on service buses. Last year we visited the National Museum of Brewing and took in a few pubs. Burton is viable from Leicester but it takes nearly 2 hours to get back. We caught the 29a (09.47) from Leicester and arrived just before noon. If you trot you can just make the breakfast at the ‘Spoons. It is important when returning to have earmarked places where you can break your journey back if in need of a comfort stop. You can normally count on getting as far as Coalville but if feeling the need, Whitwick offers a number of good relief points. If you can temporarily walk it off and fancy a bit of exercise 10 minutes from the bus stop will get you to the Hare & Hounds (Mary’s House) down the Dumps; probably the best of them. An honest local with good beers and good value food (and a toilet). If desperate, the Black Horse is also pretty good and nearer, as is Polly’s (Three Horseshoes). This throwback tiny Marston’s pub is a rare example of an unspoilt traditional pub. It is a Grade II listed building included on the CAMRA inventory of Historic Pub Interiors and well worth a look in. If you can last out to Markfield you can get off at the Queens Head another Marston’s local but if you hang on to Groby, the Stamford is the best of all these possible breaks. A range of good ales with CAMRA discount and a very wide range of all kinds of food. The 29 runs every half hour so it would be rude not to stop to have a drink. If you have time and wish to vary the routes back to Leicester you can always do a little 8 June - July 2016 village hopping. Coming from the west, if you switch to the 26 in Coalville you can take in Thornton where the Bricklayers offers good value food and Everard’s products and the upmarket Reservoir with Steamin’ Billy beers. If travelling south via Loughborough, the excellent White Hart is very convenient and, if breaking the journey there, another useful bus for a bit of village hopping is the 154 which runs hourly during the day visiting Quorn, Woodhouse Eaves, Swithland, Cropston, Thurcaston and Anstey. We recently used it the opposite direction; hopping between villages bearing in mind opening hours. The Griffin (Swithland) is a large charming village pub, patio & restaurant in heart of Charnwood Forest, and the Wheatsheaf, Curzon and Bull all in Woodhouse Eaves all have good choice of ales but are a bit pricey. In Loughborough we tried the new micro-pub, Needle and Pin, opened last Christmas in a former electronics shop, with CAMRA discount and well worth a visit. The owner also has the Wicked Hathern brewery. Picture (below left) shows the narrow bar and there is more seating upstairs. We then moved on to the bar within Charnwood Brewery (below centre and right), again a must if nearby. We might have stayed longer but needed to be catching the Skylink back to Leicester. The brewery bar is by the actual production site and has their standard Vixen and Salvation on all the time and every month two different extra ales from their range. They also offer an excellent 6% cider, Gladstone 101. Free Rider The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch M A H G N I M R I B N I T U O Y A DA by Chris Greenwood Daksha’s birthday had just passed, so she decided to lead us to the city of her birth and work, Birmingham. I hadn’t been to a lot of pubs in this city, so I was looking forward to the trip. Six of us got the 10.48 train to Brum and Dave met us on the train. Our first pub, the Post Office Vaults, was very near to the station, and one of Daksha’s regular haunts. The small sign outside doesn’t suggest it’s a pub and so you could walk straight past. It would be your loss, because it’s a really good pub. This cosy downstairs bar had a lot of wood features, hops on the ceiling, friendly staff and a good choice of beer on the eight hand pumps. There was a good variety, ranging from a mild to a 6% black I.P.A. I tried the Golden by the Crate brewery and the Brightside Doctor Rudi I.P.A. The Crate beer was one of Lynn and Mike’s favourite beers of the trip and I really enjoyed it too; refreshing fruity / hoppy beer with a long bitter finish. The Brightside was similar, but drier with a more tart finish. It was Dave’s favourite pub by the end of the trip. Most of our earlier pubs were near each other, so it didn’t take long to get to the Joint Stock, an impressive Victorian listed building with an island bar, marble and wood features and a glass dome ceiling. There was a good range of Fullers beers and a fair number of guests. I had the Silhil Joint Stock Best, a decent mix of malt and hops, though the beer was expensive here! You walk out of the back, and, you’re virtually in the next pub, the Wellington, famous for its large number of guest beers and it didn’t disappoint that day. I had a B&T Edwin Taylor’s Extra Stout to start. It had some bitterness and cold coffee flavours, but has lost some of its roastiness. I don’t rave about Purity beers usually, but the XPA was very good with a pleasant floral nose, good hop content and lasting bitter finish. Badger joined us and The Victoria he recommended the nearby Purity Bar, a modern place with very expensive snacks, meals and guest beers. The Purity range was pretty comprehensive, so I had another XPA. A little drier than in the Wellington, but still very enjoyable and a lot of flavour for a 3.6%. Andy had produced another good list and map, which included Cherry Reds, so we popped in. This was in the style of a café bar and Daksha liked the cake! There were three interesting beers on tap, including a roasty, bitter stout ›› continued on pg 10 ANNUAL BEER FESTIVAL 17TH 18TH 19TH JUNE UP TO 20 EXTRA REAL ALES AND CIDERS LIVE ENTERTAINMENT ALL 3 EVENINGS NOW OPEN 6pm to 11pm MONDAY TO THURSDAYAND ALL DAY FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WEBSITE OPEN BUT ‘WORK IN PROGRESS’ Cherry Reds The Leicester Drinker ‘Twitter’ @systonsocial CAMRA MEMBERS FREE ENTRY WITH CARD www.leicester.camra.org.uk 2015 2016 9 ›› from pg 9 by Fixed Wheel, which I really enjoyed. They had a Kinver beer on as well, which Andy tried and liked. The next port of call was the Victoria. The impressive entrance led into a large sprawling pub, with a strange mixture of décor! Busy and friendly, the pub had two Anarchy Brewery beers on, so Jamie and I tried the unfiltered 6% Anti – Venom IPA, both enjoying this moreish, hoppy ale and Glen liked the other Anarchy offering, Strait Jacket. So far we had seen the more attractive parts of Birmingham. There are some grand monuments and buildings, mainly from Victorian times and some of the pubs were attractive, listed buildings themselves. Next was the Craven Arms, another eye catching back street boozer, until they knocked the houses around it down, to build those massive blocks of flats! The pub had a good choice of beers and we stayed a bit longer here. I drank the Wishbone APA and the Undercurrent by Siren Craft, both to my liking, with an enticing hoppy nose with plenty of hops and bitterness throughout. The Siren Craft beer was in great nick, one of my favourite beers of the day. Daksha enjoyed the 5 Towns / Revolutions collaboration called Viva Cas Vegas. My final beer in the Craven Arms was Tiles at The Woodman by the Pig and Porter Brewery. Elusive Pig II was a really good black IPA with a good mix of roasted barley and hops and a pleasant dry finish. The gang seemed to enjoy the beer and the pub, however it was time to move on. I was looking forward to the next place the Lamp in Highgate, which Badger expertly guided us to. The pub was busy and there were a couple of beers from the Malvern Hills Brewery. I had the Roget mild, a decent malty beer with some fruitiness. Unfortunately the rare “regular” Stanway Stanney bitter was off. Mike asked for the sparkler off, to be met with an unpleasant diatribe from the landlord! We didn’t stay long. The next pub, the much loved listed gem, the Anchor, was also a little disappointing. It was very busy, but the service was quick. There was a long, interesting list of beers on the board, but when I looked careful there were only five on. Daksha kindly bought me a beer, but though it was a pleasant mix of malt of malt and hops, I don’t know what it was! Our next pub was the Woodman, another Grade ll listed pub, lovingly restored, with some pretty tiling. There were seven beers on, poured by a friendly landlord. I was pleased to see Mallinson’s 6.3% Spruce Goose IPA, perhaps my favourite beer of the day, with a lovely hoppy nose, hop leaf flavours in the mouth and a long bitter, hoppy finish. I also had Black Knight by Ludlow, a decent stout, a little thin, with some bitterness in the finish. We were enjoying the atmosphere here, so stayed a little longer for another half of the Mallinson’s IPA and a chat with the landlord. It was nearly time to get the train, so we popped into the Post Office Vaults for a quick half. As luck would have it, there was a Mallinson’s Deutscher Pale on. More in the style of a Northern German beer, it was quite astringent, with a pine needle finish. It was an enjoyable day out with some very good beer and company. 10 June - July 2016 The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch The Campaign for Real Ale also campaigns for Real Cider & Perry Joint Winners for Leicester CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year The popularity and availability of traditional cider and perry continues to grow and this year four nominations were received for Cider Pub of the Year: The Swan & Rushes and The Western in Leicester, The Black Horse, Aylestone and The Beerhouse, Market Harborough. In the end voters couldn’t split the latter two so this year we have two winners wresting the mantle from our inaugural winner, The Old Horse. There are now more pubs selling real draught cider in the city centre alone than can be visited in one day’s drinking, and competition is becoming intense, a state of affairs that would have been barely credible just a few years ago. Local cideries are springing up, too and this has helped stimulate interest in the drink. The Leicester Drinker CIDER SCENE The Beerhouse’s presentation (above top) coincided with the scheduled branch meeting on April 6th and The Black Horse (above) received their award on April 21st, the CAMRA VIP night at their St George’s Beer Festival. RM www.leicester.camra.org.uk 11 12 June - July 2016 The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch PUB OF THE YEAR 2016 For the second year running The King’s Head was the victor in the Overall and City categories with the Country Pub of The Year going to The Chandler’s Arms which has now won it for 8 years in succession. Last month we flagged up that four new or re-opened pubs featured in the top 10. The Bowling Green and The Coach & Horses at Kibworth were amongst those re-connecting with CAMRA clientele and, perhaps indicative of the new trends in drinking, Taps, the Exchange and Brewdog also garnered votes. The number of CAMRA members voting was under 5% this year; typically this has been around 8%. It would be interesting to know why more didn’t cast a vote, particularly as online is now an option. As for how votes were cast it was encouraging to see a good spread of pubs selected again with forty-nine pubs receiving votes. Twenty-five City pubs received a total of 338 votes and twenty-four County pubs received a total of 129 votes. Eyes Right for Football! Shawn, John & Mark at the King’s Head John Davis and Mark Sparry received the awards for the King’s Head on May 11th, celebrating in fine style with an excellent spread of food. Shawn Collier with Claire Harwood of LOROS . . . . . NAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TOWN . . . . . . . . . VOTES ...... 1 King’s Head Leicester55 2 Ale Wagon Leicester39 3 Chandlers Arms Shearsby32 4 Black Horse Leicester (Aylestone)29 5Charlotte Leicester28 6Beerhouse Market Harborough26 7Criterion Leicester23 8 Real Ale Classroom Leicester23 9 Old Horse Leicester19 9Salmon Leicester19 Leicester17 11 Swan & Rushes 12 Bowling Green Leicester14 12Western Leicester14 14Globe Leicester12 Leicester (Foxon St)10 15 Black Horse 16 Cow & Plough Oadby9 17 Golden Shield Fleckney7 17 Slug & Lettuce Leicester7 19 Stamford Arms Groby6 19 Coach & Horses Kibworth6 Award W inner Angus McMeakin was also in attendance representing the brewery, Black Country Ales. We also took the opportunity to invite along Claire Harwood, Fundraising Co-ordinator for LOROS, to accept CAMRA’s cheque for the donations received during the Leicester Beer Festival. Claire told us that as many as 2,500 patients per year use the respite and palliative care facilities of the organisation and the £697.64 raised was a welcome addition to the funds. The evening also coincided with a certain team’s penultimate Premier League match of the season and every time I took a photo they conceded a goal, much to everybody else’s amusement… That apart, it was a great night! RM ›› continued on pg 14 The Leicester Drinker www.leicester.camra.org.uk 13 ›› from pg 13 COUNTRY PUB OF THE YEAR ›› THE CHANDLERS ARMS Foreign F Getting the balance right in deciding what to include in The Leicester Drinker is often tricky, but, on the back of Leicester City’s success it appears that everybody in the world has suddenly discovered Leicester, and it seemed like the right moment to find a space for this article. BEER FESTIVAL THE MALT SHOVEL, BARKBY 5th & 6th AUGUST 16 REAL ALES + CIDERS BARBECUE FOOD AVAILABLE LIVE MUSIC ALL WEEKEND WE NOW OFFER CAMRA CARDHOLDERS 10p OFF CASK ALES 14 June - July 2016 Twelve months ago I was in Malta. Not a country known for its beer tourism, and true enough there was little Real Ale in evidence; a few bars in Bugibba, Qawra and St Julian’s advertised Bass, Bombardier, London Pride and Doombar, but early in the tourist season none of it was ready/available so I stuck to bottle-conditioned beers and found the occasional beer fridge with some decent Belgian and German products. The local brewery is Simonds Farsons who produce light, bock style beers under the Cisk label. I found the quality surprisingly good; not the gassy nondescript liquid so often found in Portugal, Spain or Greece but more akin to Italy’s Peroni or Drinks... ...and nibbles! The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch n Fields by Rob Macardle Moretti. Quenchers to be enjoyed not endured. I anticipated some more beer excitement in Floriana and Valletta but Cisk was pretty ubiquitous and I consoled myself with the fact that every beer seemed to come with complimentary nibbles. In particular I found the Café Jubilee especially pleasant; decorated in a French/Belgian belle époque fashion, crammed with interesting pictures and ephemera accompanied by traditional jazz and French café tunes through to Italian film soundtracks from the fifties and sixties. I fully expected Jeanne Moreau or Gina Lollobrigida to walk in at any time! The cheese and cracker nibbles were probably worth three times more than I spent on a couple of leisurely beers... A family voc ation The other bar I liked was The Ordnance Pub. Only established in 1979 in a former military building, it has the feel of the pubs you find in Portsmouth, Chatham and other naval towns, but it was the photograph at its entrance that was most intriguing. The family that run this place, now up to at least six generations, have been publicans in Valletta for longer than they really know and had a place called the Leicester Bar. The current licensee of the Ordnance was busy in the kitchen, but his father, now retired, was happy to pose next to the ancient photo (the small boy in the photo was his grandfather). He wasn’t entirely sure where that version of their pub was originally situated or why it was called the Leicester, but a little research revealed that the Leicestershire Regiment (or at least part of it) supplied garrison troops for the island in the mid-nineteenth century and a couple of other businesses also used the name. The rest of the world might just be catching up but in Malta, at least, Leicester is a name they know. Café Jubilee The Leicester Drinker www.leicester.camra.org.uk 15 OUT & ABOUT Peter & Julie Thursday 14th April: Peter Carroll celebrated two years as mine host at The Black Dog in Oadby. Winners of CAMRA Pub of the Month in June 2015, this Everards house goes from strength to strength. Despite Liverpool’s topsy–turvy performance against Borussia Dortmund on TV that left Peter with severely bitten fingernails, the mood was generally upbeat. The buffet was excellent and plentiful and music was provided by Ska-amanga who kept everyone entertained. It has been an eventful year of ups and downs,” said Peter. “When you presented us with the Pub of the Month last year my wife Joan, who was the one with the pub background, had not long been diagnosed with cancer and succumbed to the disease in August after a rapid decline. I was tempted to give up but Everards were very supportive as were Sanjay who has become my business partner and Julie who looks after all the admin. Friends, staff and customers have been great particularly those connected with Oadby Racecourse and, hey! our skittle team has just won the knockout cup, so I’m getting back in the swing of things.” Friday 15th April Everards took away the signed match ball 16 Everards were the match sponsors for what turned out to be the BBL Championship decider between Leicester Riders and Newcastle Eagles. A pre-match meal and a few samples of Tiger were enjoyed before the main event. Now in their impressive new stadium on Charter Street, Riders turned on the style and, apart from a brief wobble in the latter stages, led for nearly the entire game to run out 84-73 winners and clinch the trophy in front of a noisy and enthusiastic crowd. June - July 2016 Thursday 21st April The Chartered Institute for Archaeology held their annual conference at the University of Leicester. One strand was the Archaeology of Brewing and I was invited to give a talk on “Beer as a Social Phenomenon” from a CAMRA perspective. With such a broad remit and only twenty minutes available I concentrated on the development of the pub and shifts in social mores and attitudes over the centuries. It seemed to go down well, as did the two nines of cask that Charnwood Brewery had contributed to proceedings! Other talks concerned research into ancient brews, the difficulties in reproducing beers using ancient recipes, preserving brewing heritage in Cumbria and archaeological research in New Zealand’s oldest brewery. What’s more, how about this for a bit of brewing archaeology? An early example of how to keep those casks cool – put them in some flowing water – this is at the Brookside Inn, Barkby. The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch w T with the Editor On Thursday 28th April... Silver Vine Arts launched its Points of Departure exhibition in the upstairs space above The Queen of Bradgate. This event ran through until 5th May and featured a combination of paintings, photographs, mixed media and several installation works. Part of the space used is to be incorporated into the main pub later in the year subject to planning approval and a good amount of building work. Wednesday 11th May... saw the launch of The Leicestershire & Rutland Cook Book. Charnwood, Everards and Langton Breweries feature in the publication along with a number of food orientated pubs including The Griffin (Swithland), The Forge (Glenfield), The Rutland & Derby, The Marten Inn and the hosts for the evening, The Queen of Bradgate. & Author Tim Burke Gillian Sanderson ›› continued on pg 18 Lawrence & Dave from Langton Brewery ›› The Leicester Drinker www.leicester.camra.org.uk 17 ›› from pg 17 Wednesday 11th continued... Tim Hart of Harts Nottingham, Hambleton Hall & Bakery, who wrote the foreword to the book, gave a brief introduction to proceedings, observing the pleasures and pitfalls of trying to source the best ingredients, concluding that the ideal should be to “Eat less but better”. (See also page 19 opposite) St George’s Festival at The Exchange on Market) Bobby Ananta & Andrea Hugh Brown (Melt Ha Ellerman of St Martin’s Ca & Tim rt fe Thursday 12th May Colin Brown of Belvoir Brewery laid on a “Thank you” day for Steamin’ Billy staff and other guests. Starting at The Parcel Yard and travelling by coach to the Brewery via The Dog & Gun (Syston) and The Horse & Trumpet (Sileby) (with pins of Belvoir brews helpfully located at each of the three pubs!) a hearty cheese and pork pie spread was followed by a tour of the Brewery before heading back to Leicester to finish once more on a glorious sunny afternoon back at The Parcel Yard. 18 Tuesday 17th May Out of the blue, Nisha Chopra of Radio Leicester arranged an interview with me to talk about the trials, tribulations and re-invention of the pub. It aired the next day and can be heard on the BBC i-Player until June 14th. June - July 2016 The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch The Leicestershire & Rutland Cook Book features a stunning collection of recipes and stories from some of Leicestershire & Rutland’s finest restaurants, cafés, delicatessens, pubs, producers and suppliers. The book is the 10th in the ‘Get Stuck In’ series of regional cook books by Meze Publishing, who were recently crowned Best Newcomer at the Independent Publishing Awards. Tim Hart, the owner of Harts Nottingham, Hambleton Bakery and Hambleton Hall has written the foreword for the book as well as contributing his ploughman’s parcel and focaccia recipes. “Great restaurants need great ingredients. Happily we are seeing more and more small producers growing vegetables, making cheese or charcuterie or raising animals for the table. I still sometimes envy our continental neighbours for their food traditions and great ingredients, but for game, beef, lamb, cheese and of course pork pies we are unbeatable!” he said. Food lovers are spoilt for choice by the numerous award-winning, fine dining restaurants and traditional country pubs that Leicestershire & Rutland has to offer. The book also highlights local producers and suppliers in areas including Loughborough, Melton Mowbray, Oakham, Market Harborough, Narborough, Newton Linford, Hallaton and Glenfield. Among the venues featured are John’s House, Leicestershire’s only Michelin starred restaurant, Leicester Market that was voted ‘Britain’s Favourite Market’ and Marquess of Exeter, run by chef and proprietor Brian Baker, the youngest ever chef to earn a Michelin star. Labour parliamentary candidate Matthew O’Callaghan OBE, and chairman of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, also contributes, sharing his love of cheese and pies. Contributors include Charnwood Brewery, Farndon Fields Farm Shop, Kayal, Gelato Village, Walter Smith and many more – readers will no doubt spot one or two of their favourite eateries, as well as find a few new haunts. Owner of interactive chocolatier Cocoa Amore, Pete Gardener enthused. “I love operating my business in Leicestershire with so many other complimentary foodie businesses on my doorstep and it is a privilege to be part of the Leicestershire cook book showcasing some of the best my county has to offer.” With a carefully selected collection of diverse recipes achievable by all home cooks, from Delilah’s French toast to Fox and Hounds’ monkfish with madras, vermouth and Granny Smith velouté, James’ Café Bistro’s lemon torte with strawberry and honey sorbet, Walter Smith Fine Foods’ chicken chasseur and Beautiful Pubs Collective’s duck rillette - there’s something to whet everybody’s appetite. The Leicester Drinker www.leicester.camra.org.uk The Leicestershire & Rutland Cook Book retails at just £14.95 and is available in all of the businesses featured in the book as well as select local gift shops, book shops including Waterstones and online at www.amazon.co.uk. For further information go to www.mezepublishing.co.uk or email office@mezepublishing.co.uk 19 PUB OF THE MONTH April 2016: The General Elliott, Willoughby Waterleys H eather & Keith took over the running of The General Elliott on 1st July 2015. Heather was used to dealing with the public and well suited for the job, having previously worked here for eight years as bar manager, and having spent almost ten years as a Police Special. Keith says that prior to joining Heather in their new venture, he was quite happy as a regular on the customer side of the bar, but decided to take the plunge and give up the day job as a Project Manager. Since Heather & Keith took over, there has been a threefold improvement in the pub’s opening times and the range of real ales. One of the first things they did was to almost treble the pub’s opening hours from a mere 17 to 49 hours a week. Within a month the solitary Bass hand pump was joined by a second real ale and after two months the pub’s available 20 June - July 2016 Award W inner real ales had trebled to three. Heather & Keith have also shown their commitment to CAMRA by introducing a discount on real ale for members (subsequent to POTM nomination) and by being first time participants in Leicester CAMRA’s Mild in May event. The General Elliott was packed for the event with just over a dozen or so of our members far outnumbered by pub regulars and village residents. Following the presentation generous hospitality was extended to one and all with a buffet supper laid on. JR The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch 2nd Annual Beer Festival Featuring guest beers from South Wales breweries Live Music Friday 8:00 The Happy Fridays Saturday 8:00 Two Gentlemen Play The Pops Sunday 12:00 – 5:00 - Open Mic Camping & Caravan field available. Pre-Bookings Essential Braybrooke Morris Dancers Saturday 12:30 Vehicle Display from Welland Valley Traction Club Great Food, Home-made from Burgers, Sausages, Curries Brewery located on Welham Road, Thorpe Langton, LE16 7TU Vehicle free cycle way from Great Bowden, right to the brewery info@langtonbrewery.co.uk 01858 540116 info@langtonbrewery.co.uk The Leicester Drinker www.leicester.camra.org.uk 21 PASS FIT FOR AN EMPRESS? The new craft beer created by a Great Glen working dad is set to take London by storm after receiving two high profile seals of approval. From 18 May, Surj Virk’s Empress Ale was featured as a guest beer at the House of Commons after receiving a ringing endorsement from Sir Edward Garnier, MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston. Surj explained that Sir Edward had tasted Empress Ale at one of his constituency surgeries and went on to nominate it as a guest ale for the House of Commons Strangers’ Bar. “Thanks to this kind gesture, it will be served in the Strangers’ Bar … a very prestigious accolade which I’m extremely proud of, especially as the ale was only launched seven months ago.” Sir Edward said: “I was very impressed to hear about Surj’s entrepreneurial spirit, working alongside his full-time job to create Empress Ale from scratch. It’s an excellent product and I was more than happy to nominate it … I’m sure my fellow MPs will very much enjoy it.” It was also showcased at a tasting event on May 16 during the Khaadraas Club Dinner, with 75 paying guests in attendance, at Café Spice Namasté in Whitechapel run by celebrity chef Cyrus Todiwala. Surj gave a talk on how the beer was created to complement spiced food as an alternative to gassy lager. Surj said, “the beer has been on the menu at Café Spice Namasté for some time, and it’s been really well received … I’m really grateful to Cyrus’ support of Empress Ale.” It’s not the first time that Empress Ale has received a ringing endorsement from a celebrity chef. The beer, which is brewed at The Langton Brewery, was chosen by Atul Kochhar to sit on the drinks menu at his Michelin-starred Benares restaurant in London. “I’ve also been getting some fantastic reviews of Empress Ale from high profile beer writers [including] Roger Protz and various beer reviewers across the country” said Surj. “I’ve been blown away by the success of the beer so far and will continue to work hard to grow this even further.” For more information about Empress Ale, visit www.empressale.com or email hello@empressale.com 22 June - July 2016 End game... A bloke, who just moved to Leicester from Leeds, walks into a pub and orders three pints of bitter. He sits in the back of the room, drinking out of each one in turn. When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more. The bartender approaches and tells the bloke, “You know, a pint goes flat after I pull it, and they would taste better if you bought one at a time.” The chap replies, “Well, you see, I have two brothers, one is in Arizona, the other is in France. When we all left our home in Leeds, we promised that we’d drink this way to remember the days when we drank together. “So I’m drinking one beer for each of my brothers and one for myself.” The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there. The bloke becomes a regular in the pub, and always drinks the same way. He orders three pints and drinks them in turn. One day, he comes in and only orders two pints, all the regulars take notice and fall silent. When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, “I don’t want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on your loss.” The chap looks quite puzzled for a moment, then it dawns on him and he laughs. “Oh, no, everybody’s just fine,” he explains, “It’s just that my wife and I joined the Methodists and I had to quit drinking. “Hasn’t affected my brothers though!” The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch PASSIONATE 148mm x 210mm:Layout 1 5/6/13 15:30 Page 1 Are you passionate about running a pub? Join Everards, we put you at the heart of everything we do. Can you picture a great future with Everards? To find out more, contact us today. Call: 0800 056 4111 or visit: www.everards.co.uk @Everards1849 facebook.com/everards JIM’S JAUNT Swithland, C ropston & Thurcaston by Jim Reay With the exception of Sunday, pub and bus times combine to allow this walk on any day of the week. It commences by catching the 10.15 bus to Swithland from St. Margaret’s Bus Station (Monday-Saturday Centrebus 154 from Bay SE). As the final destination closes at 14.30 Monday to Thursday, those wishing to proceed at more leisurely pace may prefer to go on Friday or Saturday. I alighted opposite the traditional red telephone box, on Swithland Main Street, shortly before 10.50 and I turned left back along Main Street, crossing over the Leicester Lane junction, and carried straight on until I arrived, early doors, at The Griffin Inn. Opposite to the pub was an unusual two storey circular granite and slate rubble stone tower with a pointed Swithland slate roof; one of a pair, the other one is at the corner of the boundary wall of Hall Farm. Grade II listed buildings, they are thought to date from the eighteenth century, and believed locally to be have been used as lock-ups. They are described in the Register of Listed Buildings as gazebos with the probable use as folly boundary towers. Swithland wasn’t referred to as village in its own right until 1209 although a settlement in this location certainly existed prior to this. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was One of two gazebo folly towers in Swithland 24 June - July 2016 The Griffin at Swithland categorised as Swithellund and described as part of the manor of Groby. The name is of Viking origin and means a grove cleared by burning, referring to the common practice of peasants adding to their holdings by grubbing up and setting fire to woodland. Words commonly linked with Swithland are Wood, Slate, and Reservoir. Swithland Wood is now part of the Bradgate Estate, managed by the Bradgate Park Trust and is a remnant of the original Charnwood Forest. The Wood was gifted to the people of Leicestershire in 1931 by the Leicester Rotary Club and is frequently referred to as Bluebell Wood, due to its annual profusion of springtime bluebells. Swithland Slate quarrying dates back to Roman times and was an important activity within the village between the 13th and 19th centuries. The distinctive slate was hewn from the two quarries in the wood, which have since flooded and reverted back to nature. Swithland Reservoir was one of a series of reservoirs constructed in the latter half of the 19th century to supply water to Leicester’s rapidly growing population. The Griffin Inn occupies the site of a former hostelry, however the present building itself dates back to the 17th century. At various times it has been used as a bakehouse, a brewery, a mortuary and a public house, part of Everards estate since 1947. The Local Authority describes the inn as a Key Unlisted Building and the open form of the village at this point means that it is indeed a prominent building within the village street-scene. On my first visit, I entered the bar where the row of seven hand pumps reminded me of one of the most poignant moments in modern British history, reminiscent of when crane jibs bowed their heads in silent tribute to Sir Winston Churchill, as his coffin passed down the River Thames aboard the Havengore launch. Seeing all the handpumps set at an acute angle, I was fearful that no real ale was available. The Bar Manager (known to one & all as J P) explained, he always cleans the pipes on a Monday morning. Observing my disappointed expression, he kindly offered to do a cellar run and bring me a pint straight from the The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch cask. Smile restored, I gratefully accepted his offer. The establishment consists of a main public bar to the front of house, to one side of which is the lounge bar and to the other side across the corridor is the drawing room, whilst to the rear of house is the restaurant. Across the back yard are the Old Stables function room, which occupies the former skittles long alley, and Odd John’s Kitchen Café/Deli which first opened to the public in 2015. Real ales available were Everards Tiger & Original, Adnams Southwold Bitter, Brampton Tudor Rose and Wells Eagle IPA. The Real Ciders were Westons Old Rosie & Family Reserve. Leaving The Griffin Inn I turned right along Main Street, past a row of bungalows and right again, as directed by the signpost “Bridleway to Hallgates/ Footpath to Cropston”. I stuck to the bridleway, which was well trodden and easy to follow. When it joined Leicester Lane, I turned left and walked along the road until I arrived at the junction with Bradgate Road, where I went straight over onto the public footpath to Cropston. The path ran more or less in a straight line before emerging on Station Road where I turned right. The Bradgate Arms was on the left towards the end of Station Road, just after passing the wall-plaque, to my right, showing the site of the former Brewers Arms. Cropston lies within the civil parish of Thurcaston & Cropston with the parish church and village hall both located in Thurcaston. The earliest part of the village with the older properties, including the two village pubs, grew around the crossroads of Reservoir and Station Roads. Cropston first appears in the 1130 Leicestershire Survey with the spelling of Cropeston. Other name spellings have included Cropstone and Crapstone. Early residents were farmers or workers on the Bradgate Park The wallplaque on Station Road, Cropston The Bradgate Arms, Cropston Estate but over subsequent centuries they also worked as framework knitters or in the boot and shoe trade at Anstey. Appearing in the earliest baptism records of the parish are the Burchnall family, whose family home was almost opposite The Bradgate Arms. The Burchnalls had a brewery behind their house, where they brewed beer to be sold in the adjacent alehouse called the Brewers Arms. Richard Burchnall, who was born in 1784, had about ten children and one of his sons went on to run the Fish & Quart in Leicester. Cropston is probably best known these days for its reservoir, constructed in 1866 by flooding around 200 acres of land. I suspect that a certain Joseph Reeves, who was Bradgate Park’s Head Keeper at that ›› continued on pg 26 Leicester’s first Micro Pub. A micro beer festival everyday... Real Ale straight from the Cask 22 Allandale Road, Leicester, LE2 2DA. 0116 319 6998. The Leicester Drinker www.leicester.camra.org.uk 25 ›› from pg 25 time, was none too pleased with the development as his cottage was submerged by the waters. The Bradgate Arms dates back over 400 years and for 100 consecutive years, until relatively recently, the Jackson family were landlords. The latest Mr Jackson proprietor is said to remember elderly ladies coming in on an evening for a swift half and a good gossip, whilst having their white jugs filled with either pints of beer or milk at tuppence ha’penny, from the herd of cows kept in a field behind the pub. The pub’s interior is rabbit warrenlike with various individual adjoining areas including bars, a snug and a dining area in the comparatively newer rear extension. The rural ambience is enhanced by original exposed ceiling beams & joists throughout. To the rear is a large enclosed lawned garden with paved areas and open-sided octagonal summer houses, picnic tables and garden furniture. The pub also has a skittles long alley and Cropston Cricket Club’s ground is in a field behind the pub. Folklore reminiscences tell of a once notorious local umpire who could always be relied upon to raise his finger in response to an appeal as opening time approached. This Marston’s house had Pedigree & Burton Bitter plus Ringwood Boondoggle on offer. I turned left out of The Bradgate Arms, soon followed by a right turn at the crossroads, The Badgers Sett, Cropston Coffin Bridge 26 June - July 2016 into Reservoir Road, to find The Badgers Sett immediately to my right hand side. The Badgers Sett was formerly known as The Reservoir Hotel, and it could be said it owes its very existence to the reservoir that was constructed by a workforce of Irish navvies. Local entrepreneur Billy Booten set up a hut near to the then Manor House to keep the navvies supplied with food and drink. This became known to the Irishmen as The Shant, a name probably derived from shanty (literally, a crudely built hut). Billy’s enterprise flourished and relocated into the Manor House itself when it became known as the Reservoir Hotel, although The Shant is a nickname still used locally to this day. The pub now trades as part of Mitchells & Butlers’ Vintage Inns Estate. The entrance leads into the main public bar and leading around to the left of this is the lounge bar with an adjoining snug type room. To the right of the main entrance is a very large restaurant area, subdivided into smaller intimate dining areas. The pub also has a spacious garden furnished with wooden garden tables & chairs. Available real ales were Marston’s Pedigree, Brains Reverend James, Sharp’s Doom Bar & Atlantic Pale Ale. From The Badgers Sett I retraced my steps back to The Bradgate Arms and turned right down a jitty between the pub and a bungalow at 13 Station Road. At the end of the jitty I turned right and followed Ridley Close round the slow bend to the left then went left into Waterfield Road and almost immediately right onto a public footpath. Again the route was easily followed as it was effectively directed by yellow way-marker posts and well trodden. The footpath soon merged with a bridle path which itself had been diverted around the edge of the field, but easily discernible. Before long I arrived at the very ancient looking Coffin Bridge that spans Rothley Brook. This grade II listed stone bridge is believed so named because the route was used for carrying the dead from the hamlet of Cropston to Thurcaston Church. If any Cropston residents are wondering why I call it a hamlet, the literal meaning of hamlet (in Britain) is “a village without its own church”. About 150-yards on from the bridge, I diverged from the bridleway by veering onto a footpath to the left following the way set by the yellow way-marker post. The footpath ended adjacent to Thurcaston’s All Saints Church, which would have been quite handy for erstwhile Cropstonite pallbearers. I turned left along Anstey Lane at the end of which The Wheatsheaf was directly opposite on the corner of Leicester Road and Mill Road. Thurcaston is derived from merging the Danish name of Thorketi with the Anglo-Saxon word The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch aston Wheatsheaf at Thurc ton, meaning settlement, and appeared in the Domesday Book as Thurkiteleston. The village’s most famous son was probably the Protestant reformer known as Hugh Latimer who was born into a Thurcaston farming family in 1487. He became a Fellow of Cambridge’s Clare College and, before the Reformation, was ordained Bishop of Worcester. After Mary I came to the throne, he was arrested in 1555, tried for heresy, and burned at the stake, becoming one of the three renowned Oxford Martyrs of Anglicanism. The other two were Thomas Cranmer and Latimer’s friend Nicholas Ridley. Latimer’s last words are quoted as having been: “Be of good cheer Master Ridley and play the man, for we shall this day light such a candle in England, as I trust by God’s grace, shall never be put out.” Traditional employment within the village was typically associated with agriculture, mostly sheep and cattle with a smaller amount of arable. In the mid-19th century some local villages diversified into framework knitting although this was relatively limited within Thurcaston. The Wheatsheaf is a former coaching inn originating from the early seventeenth century and has traded as an Everards pub since 1919. For 105 consecutive years the tenants were the Wright family, who still live in the village though no longer at the pub. I can well remember visiting this pub with my dad, many years ago, and both of us being greatly amused by the antics of the resident mynah bird which lived high up in a cage behind the bar. The bird would mimic the noise made by the entrance door’s squeaky hinges with uncanny accuracy. This, in turn, would attract the attention of the pub’s dog that would seem bemused that no one had actually come in and start barking. The bird would then start calling the dog’s name, impersonating the pub landlord’s voice, which stimulated the stupid canine to bark even louder giving much entertainment and causing laughter from the pub’s patrons. The dog never seemed to learn it was the bird that was winding him up. The pub consists of a public The Leicester Drinker bar, nearest to the car park entrance, and to the other side nearest Mill Road, is the lounge bar that was clearly once two rooms. These were most probably a smoke room and lounge, now combined into one open plan area with a snug type space adjacent to the way into the public bar. Genuine oak panelled walls, exposed ceiling beams and joist throughout augment a pleasant warm ambience. Out the back is a skittles long alley, and adjacent to the car park are a paved area with picnic tables and a tarmacadam area furnished with iron garden tables and chairs. The real ales were Everards Tiger, Adnams Southwold Bitter and Shardlow Mayfly. Follow my footsteps for a really pleasant 2.5 miles walk taking in three villages and four pubs offering twelve real ales between them. The bus stop to begin my journey home was just outside the pub. Cheers, Jim Reay EDITOR’S NOTE – The Fish & Quart was a popular former coaching inn on Churchgate. Converted into a nightclub in the early eighties and widely known as Brannigan’s it is now called Epsilon. THE CHANDLERS ARMS SHEARSBY 0116 247 8384 Country Pub of the Year 2 0 0 9 - 2 016 8TH ANNUAL BEER FESTIVAL JUNE 30th - JULY 3rd LUNCH WED - SAT 12 - 2 EVENING TUES - SAT 6 - 9 SUNDAY LUNCH SERVED 12 - 3 SEE WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS www.chandlersatshearsby.co.uk www.leicester.camra.org.uk 27 FESTIVAL DIARY 28 Month From To Ales Ciders Food Ents Ad/Details Where? June Fr 3 Su 5 15 Yes tbc - n/a The Charlotte (Welsh Ales) June Th 9 Su 12 20 10 BBQ, Music etc (Sat) page 3 Stamford Arms (Groby) June Fr 17 Su 19 20+ Yes - Yes page 9 Syston Sports & Social June Th 23 Su 26 40 10 Yes Yes n/a Rutland Beer Festival & Ale Trail June/ July Th 30 Su 3 Yes Yes Yes - page 27 Chandler’s Arms, Shearsby July Fr 8 Su 10 Yes Yes Yes Bands page 21 Langton Brewery July Fr 22 Su 24 70+ Yes Yes Yes page 29 Market Bosworth Rail Ale July Fr 29 Su 31 Yes Yes Yes Bands page 10 Samaritans, Aylestone Aug Fr 5 Sat 6 Yes Yes BBQ Bands page 14 Malt Shovel, Barkby Aug Th 18 Su 21 Yes Yes BBQ Bands page 20 Black Horse, Aylestone Sept Fr 2 Yes Yes Bands page 12 Off the Tracks Festival Su 4 70+ June - July 2016 The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch Leicester CAMRA Branch Diary 2016 Sat 4 Wed 8 Sat 11 Fri 17 Jun Jun Jun Jun Social Trip Branch Meeting Beer Census Club of the Year Wed 22 Jun Pub of the Month Thu 23 Jun Wed 6 Jul Re-vitalisation Forum Branch Meeting Wed 27 Sat 30 Wed 3 Jul Jul Aug Committee Meeting Social Trip Branch Meeting Norwich (City of Ale Festival) Oadby Royal British Legion see website for details 19.30 Syston Sports & Social Presentation Club 21.00hrs 20.00 Real Ale Classroom Presentation 21.00hrs 19.00 Phoenix Arts Meeting 19.30 prompt 19.30 Highcross (Guest Speaker) Tim Page CAMRA CEO 20.00 tbc Holmfirth & Huddersfield 19.30 Black Horse, Aylestone (stc) 19.30 sathve e date NOTES Branch Contact Shawn Collier: 07504 829830 or email: chairman@leicestercamra.org.uk For Saturday and Sunday trips Gary Akiens: 07815 825039 or email: socials@leicestercamra.org.uk For a fully up to date Branch Diary, please visit www.leicester.camra.org.uk and click on Diary on the left of the page. In conjunction with The Dove, Downing Drive, is just one of many local pubs to have had painters’ visits recently 16 20 2 3 4 70+ Real Ales Real Ciders Fruit wines + Pimm’s Bar Featuring: Steam trains•Traction engines•Dr Busker Fri & Sat Morris Dancers•Children welcome•Hot & cold food www.hinckleyandbosworthcamra.org.uk The Leicester Drinker www.leicester.camra.org.uk 29 CAMRA discounts available locally All locations are in Leicester unless indicated in brackets. Information given in good faith and liable to change. Some discounts may be modified or restricted where special promotions are on offer. (New additions in bold) The Anchor, Hathern Black Horse, Aylestone Bowling Green The Castle Hotel (Kirby Muxloe) Crown (Anstey) Dog & Gun (Keyham) Duffy’s Bar Exchange, Rutland Street The Friary, Hotel Street General Elliott (Willoughby Waterleys) Glenhills Sports & Social (Glen Parva) Globe, 43 Silver Street Golden Shield (Fleckney) Hind, London Road Malt Shovel (Barkby) Marquis Wellington, London Road Nag’s Head (Glenfield) Narborough Arms (Narborough) Old Horse, 198 London Road Parcel Yard Queen of Bradgate, High Street Queens Head (Saddington) Queen Victoria (Syston) Real Ale Classroom Red Lion (Gilmorton) Red Lion Inn (Rothley) Rose & Crown (Houghton on the Hill) Royal Standard Rutland & Derby, Millstone Lane Slug & Lettuce, Market Street Stamford Arms, Groby Syston Social Club (Syston) Western Winstanley (Braunstone Town) W - Corn Exchange, Market Square W - Highcross. High Street W - Lord Keeper of the Great Seal (Oadby) W - Last Plantagenet, Granby Street W - Sugar Loaf (Market Harborough) W - White House (Scraptoft) W - William Wygston (Wigston) The Yews (Great Glen) 10% off Cask Ales CAMRA discounts/privileges for specific events 10% discount on Cask Ales & Real Ciders 10% discount on Cask Ales 10% off Cask Ales 30p/pint on real ales CAMRA discounts on special events 10% off Cask Ales, Ciders & selected items 10% off real ales 10p/pint & 5p/half Real Ales Temporary Visitor Membership for 50p with CAMRA card 30p/pint 20p off Real Ales 10p off Cask Ales 10p/pint on Real Ales & Traditional Cider 10% 15p/pint on Cask Ales 10% off Cask Ales & Ciders 10% CAMRA card gives same discounts as a Steamin Billy Card. 10% discount on Cask Ales 30p per pint 20p off Guest Ales 20p/pint & 10p/half off Real Ales 30p/pint 20p/pint & 10p/half 20p/pint 10% off Cask Ales 10% off Cask Ales 10% 10% off Cask Ales Temporary Visitor Membership with CAMRA card CAMRA card gives same discounts as a Steamin Billy Card 20p/pint off guest ales standard 50p vouchers accepted and 20% off food standard 50p vouchers accepted and 20% off food standard 50p vouchers accepted only standard 50p vouchers accepted and 20% off food standard 50p vouchers accepted and 20% off food standard 50p vouchers accepted only standard 50p vouchers accepted only 10% discount on Cask Ales W prefix denotes Wetherspoon outlets accepting CAMRA vouchers. One voucher per visit rule generally enforced. Non-CAMRA loyalty card schemes available to all customers: 30 Black Horse, Aylestone “Cheaper by the dozen” - £5 voucher on collecting 12 stamps. Chandlers Arms (Shearsby) 1 for 10 loyalty card Exchange, Rutland Street £2.50 card gives a range of 10% discounts The Friary, Hotel Street “Love Cask Ale” - every 7th pint free Queen of Bradgate, High Street 1 for 10 loyalty card Sir Robert Peel, Jarrom Street 50p card, Visit www.sirrobertpeelleicester.co.uk for details The Steamin’ Billy Card £2 card gives various discounts. Details at www.steamin-billy.co.uk June - July 2016 The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch Fai r on dea b tax eer l now ! A Campaign of Two Halves 7EZI &VMXEMRW 4YFW Join CAMRA Today Complete the Direct Debit form and you will receive 15 months membership for the price of 12 and a fantastic discount on your membership subscription. Alternatively you can send a cheque payable to CAMRA Ltd with your completed form, visit www.camra.org.uk/joinus or call 01727 867201. All forms should be addressed to the: Membership Department, CAMRA, 230 Hatfield Road, St Albans, AL1 4LW. Your Details Title Direct Debit Surname Single Membership £24 (UK & EU) Forename(s) Joint Membership £29.50 £31.50 (Partner at the same address) Date of Birth (dd/mm/yyyy) Address For Young Member and other concessionary rates please visit www.camra.org.uk or call 01727 867201. Postcode Email address Tel No(s) Partner’s Details (if Joint Membership) Title Non DD £26 Surname I wish to join the Campaign for Real Ale, and agree to abide by the Memorandum and Articles of Association I enclose a cheque for Signed Forename(s) Date Applications will be processed within 21 days Date of Birth (dd/mm/yyyy) Email address (if different from main member) Campaigning for Pub Goers & Beer Drinkers 01/15 06/16 Enjoying Real Ale & Pubs Join CAMRA today – www.camra.org.uk/joinus Instruction to your Bank or Building Society to pay by Direct Debit Please fill in the whole form using a ball point pen and send to: Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. 230 Hatfield Road, St.Albans, Herts AL1 4LW Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society Service User Number To the Manager 9 2 6 1 2 9 Bank or Building Society Address FOR CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE LTD OFFICIAL USE ONLY This is not part of the instruction to your Bank or Building Society Membership Number Postcode Name Name(s) of Account Holder Postcode Instructions to your Bank or Building Society Bank or Building Society Account Number Branch Sort Code Please pay Campaign For Real Ale Limited Direct Debits from the account detailed on this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with Campaign For Real Ale Limited and, if so will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society. Signature(s) Reference Date This Guarantee should be detached and retained by the payer. The Direct Debit Guarantee This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay by Direct Debits. If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society - If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when The Campaign For Real Ale Ltd asks you to You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society.Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us. Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account. The Leicester Drinker www.leicester.camra.org.uk 31 Tiger Hops Advert 210 x 148 Portrait.qxp_Layout 1 09/03/2016 10:05 Page 1 Brewed with 100% British ingredients everards.co.uk facebook.com/Everards @everards1849
