September 2013

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irral CAMRA Night
Thursday night is W
Volume 5, Issue 2
What’s happening at
your local?
September 2013
Hoylake Beer Festival Review
by Rob Shaw
Over the August bank holiday
Peerless Brewing Company
staged their first beer festival
on behalf of Hoylake
Community Centre. Over 800
paying guests enjoyed the 3
day festival featuring over 60
ales, ciders, perries and wines
and over £3,000 was raised for
the charity who are currently
campaigning for a lift at the
centre to help improve
disabled access.
Have you found Real
Ale somewhere new?
What do you want to
see Wirral CAMRA do?
Let us know your
thoughts and views!
By emailing us:
wirraledrinker@
WirralCAMRA.co.uk
Thirsty Thursday!
Once a month the good people down at Peerless Brewing
Company open their doors to ale lovers far and wide for
their increasingly popular Thirsty Thursdays. Offering at
least 8 cask ales including new beers such as Peninsula IPA.
All are very reasonably priced and with free samples of
experimental brews, it’s a fantastic opportunity to meet
Steve, Rose and the team. No tickets are currently required
and the bar is open between 4:30pm and 10.00pm.
A little tricky to find, you will find
Thirsty Thursday located up the
stairs in the function room above the
brewery, 8 Pool Street, Birkenhead,
CH41 3NL. Please check the Peerless
events page of their website for all
updates. Why not Join us there for
our social on Thursday 26 September.
Page 2
WirrAle Drinker
Steam Trains, Classic cars, Motorbikes and Real Ale!
A review of the Langollen Railway 1960’s Weekend by
David Pearson
I was up early Saturday morning
to pilot my 1961 Ford Pop to the
classic show at Glyndyfrdwy.
There was already a good turnout
of classics and more arrived as I
was putting my tent up. Camping
and a travel pass are included if
you enter a classic in the show.
Having pitched camp we caught a vintage bus to Llangollen for the main event stopping at
the Bridge End, opposite the station, where we had a couple of pints of Unicorn while
waiting to meet friends. Then it was back to Dr Beechings bar for the station’s beer festival.
As this was going to be a long session I stuck to 3.9% Stonehouse station bitter until it ran
out and I was forced onto Llangollen Brewery’s 4.2% Holy Grail. Also on offer were
Cambrian Gold, Ludlow Brewery’s Gold and Boiling Well and finally Glaslyn ale and Dark
Side of the Moose from Purple Moose. The background muzak of 1960s hits completed the
scene. Only drawback was the horrible plastic cups beer was served in – must remember to
bring a tankard next time!
Late afternoon we got the train back to Glyndyfrdwy to get a bite to eat
and have a look round the hippy market before returning to Llangollen
where the entertainment was now underway and the platform thronged
with people, many in 60s fancy dress ranging from Beatles to hippies! A
succession of solo singers were followed by Harry Barber’s band who
kept everybody rocking until we had to catch the last train at 2230. We
just had time for a bottle of Station bitter in the beautifully-restored
1930s Gresley buffet car before we disembarked into a monsoon at
Glyndyfrdwy. The stationmaster let us finish our drinks in the station
cafe and even cooked us bacon butties for supper while we were there!
I was reliably informed that the train crew had finished off the last cask
of ale when they got back to Llangollen to stable the train for the night so on Sunday it was
bottled beer only. We had a trip in a diesel multiple unit down the railway’s extension to
Corwen which is nearing completion, then packed up and called it a day, although some of
the hardier classic car buffs were camping for three nights.
Next year’s event is
on 26/27th July so
make a note in your
diary – they have
promised to get more
casks in so hopefully
won’t run out!
Page 3
CAMRA groups up and down the country have been
hard at work surveying pubs and scoring beer to come
up with a definitive list of great pubs serving up Real
Ale as it is designed to be.
Back for it’s 41st publication and with over 4500 pubs
listed, this is the only pub guide worth getting. Brilliant
for city centres, motorway lay overs and country
getaways, you will find all types of locations listed.
The Good Beer Guide 2014 will be released on 12
September 2013. Why not reserve a copy and find out
which of your locals made it in?
Pub News!
The Willows, Saughall Massie is now serving real ale.
This popular pub has installed one hand pump serving
Sharps Doom Bar, with plans to add more later. Handy
bus stop right outside.
Fresh from the ashes of the Moby Dick in West Kirby,
opened Hickories Smokehouse, offering a great
selection of bottled beers and one Weetwood Ale hand
pump along side a delicious range of smoked food.
Recently reopened after a dispute between the owners
and its operators Doctor Duncan’s has reopened in
Liverpool city centre, serving a range of main stream
national real ales. Sadly Cains casks are not available.
Currently serving from up to fourteen hand pumps, the
Freshfield Hotel in Formby has been voted as the North
West Pub of the year for 2013. Keep checking our website
or facebook page for details of the award ceremony.
If you spot anything new or interesting, please let us know at [email protected]
WirrAle Drinker
September & Upcoming Socials
Sat 21st
Find us on the web at
WirralCAMRA.co.uk
Coach trip to Bridgnorth. The coach will leave from the
Ship and Mitre, Dale St, Liverpool at 9:45, then pickup at
the Brass Balance, Argyle St. Birkenhead at 10.
Bridgnorth is an historic Shropshire town of 12,000 people
on the River Severn with 26 real ale pubs, including 6 GBG
entries. Tickets are still available. Book soon to
guarantee a space by emailing:
[email protected]
CAMRA-Wirral-TheCampaign-For-Real-Ale
Thu 26th
Thu 26th Sep “Thirsty Thursday” - Meet upstairs in
peerless Brewery, 8 Pool Street, Birkenhead. The brewery
bar opens from 4-10, up to 8 cask ales available, all beer
£2 / pint. Brewery Tours may be available for anyone
interested.
September Meetings
Thu 5th
Committee meeting followed by a social in The Three
Stags, Spital crossroads at 8pm. Why not come along and
see how we work!
Thu 12th
Branch meeting at Gallaghers Barbershop and Pub at
8:30pm, downstairs in the bar .
Please Check our website for any last minute venue changes!
You don’t need to be a CAMRA member to come along to our
meetings or socials! Why not come along and see what we do!