Full Pints Volume 14 Issue 3

FULL PINTS Inside AYRSHIRE AND WIGTOWNSHIRE CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE

Full Pints 14 Issue 3 Winter 2011 Volume 13

Autumn 2012 FREE FREE

It’s festival time!

Inside News P3 Festival Preview P12 Festival Volunteering P13 Ray’s Round Up P14 Map P18 Dumfries Folk ‘N’ Ale Festival P24 Scottish Real Ale Festival P25 CAMRA Raffle P28 IT’S BACK. CAMRA’s Ayrshire Real Ale Festival returns to Troon Concert Hall next month.

Quiz P29 This year, the festival will once again stock more beer Join CAMRA P32 and cider than ever before.

Ken More P34 There will be a choice of over 125 beers, similar to last year but many will now be in double-sized kilderkin casks, meaning the volume of stock is hugely increased.

Because real ale is living, breathing beer that must be allowed to settle for two days before serving the festival staff cannot simply run out and get more stock that is ready immediately ready to serve.

The stock is limited to what can be racked in the hall before opening but thanks to a lot of careful planning there should be enough to last until closing on Saturday night.

The advice from organisers is - as always - come early.

FESTIVAL PREVIEW PAGE 12 1

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FULL PINTS CAMRA Scotland and Northern Ireland surpasses 4,000 members MEMBERSHIP of CAMRA in Scotland and Northern Ireland has reached the 4,000 mark for the first time.

Douglas Wilson of Edinburgh signed up to join the campaign at the recent Scottish Real Ale Festival in Edinburgh, one of 92 new members recruited.

At the upcoming festival in Troon, Ayrshire and Wigtownshire branch could well exceed 400 members.

Across the United Kingdom, Douglas Wison receives a CAMRA membership is over complimentary copy of the Good Beer 143,000, cementing the campaign’s Guide from CAMRA national chairman position as Europe’s largest, and Colin Valentine. some would say most successful, Scottish Real Ale Festival report by Graeme consumer rights organisation.

Watt on page 25 To join CAMRA, see the membership form on page 33 or go Membership report by Bob Wallace on page 32 to www.camra.org.uk.

MINUTES OF MEETINGS are available from the branch secretary Ray Turpie: rturpie@hotmail.co.uk (members only)

Contact Editorial: Graeme Watt meatgriller@gmail.com 07535 990531

DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view and policies of the editor or of the Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. © Campaign for Real Ale Ltd 2012 3

Advertising: Bob Wallace bobwallace.1869@yahoo.co.uk 07929 990972 TRADING STANDARDS OFFICES Ayr - 01292 616060 Irvine - 01294 324900 Kilmarnock - 01563 521502 Stranraer - 01776 703260

FULL PINTS Swannay Brewery’s Orkney Best takes Champion Beer of Scotland.

Rob Hill of the Highland Brewing Company said: “It's a good honest bitter, and it's a fantastic achievement for us that it's been recognised.”

Owen Bell, Scottish Real Ale Festival organiser, said: “Highland are regular winners of CAMRA awards and the island breweries are really showing the mainland breweries how it’s done.”

HIGHLAND brewery’s Orkney Best was crowned Champion Beer of Scotland at the Scottish Real Ale Festival in June.

Orkney Best is described in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide as a ‘traditional bitter, with light hop and fruit flavour throughout.’

Capping a fine day for the Orkney-based brewer, Highland also scooped the Runner up prize, with their Orkney IPA finishing second. In third place, Fyne Ales impressed judges with their best bitter, Maverick.

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FULL PINTS Lake District ale is Champion Beer of Britain.

AFTER a year of local tasting panels and regional heats leading up to the finals, CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, is today proud to announce that Coniston brewery's ‘No.9 Barley Wine’ has been crowned the 'Best Beer' in Britain at the Great British Beer Festival, Olympia, London.

No.9 Barley Wine, which has an ABV of 8.5% was described by the judges as ‘having fantastic finesse, reminiscent of a fine cognac.’

The Coniston-brewed real ale was judged the supreme champion over a host of other finalists in seven beer categories: bitters, best bitters, strong bitters, golden ales, milds, winter beers, and the speciality class, including.

Roger Protz, of the final judging panel, spoke in praise of the winner.

He said: “The judges in the final tasting were overjoyed by the tremendous quality of the beers this year. There wasn’t a poor beer in the competition, and they were all of the highest quality. It was a tough choice, and the final results were very close.”

Coniston’s David Smith, said: “We were delighted to win the competition in 1998 with Bluebird, and we are delighted to win again! We’ve always been at the top and we’re glad to regain the recognition we deserve. It’s an all-British beer using solely British ingredients.”

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With Coniston securing the Gold award for 2012, this year's silver went to Green Jack brewery's Trawlerboys Best Bitter, whilst the bronze award went to Dark Star American Pale Ale. Coniston’s No.9 Barley Wine is available at the Great British Beer Festival this week, and is best supped in small or half pint measures. Barley wines go perfectly with aged or blue cheeses.

Mike Benner, CAMRA chief executive said: “It’s great to see a rare beer style being championed. Obviously it’s a fairly strong beer, therefore it is a great opportunity for pubs to try third pint glassware so consumers can enjoy this wonderful ale in moderation.”

FRASERS BAR - MILLPORT QUALITY CASK ALES SERVED ALL YEAR MEALS SERVED12-2.30 & 5.30 - 7.30 EVERY DAY FULL PINTS

7 CARDIFF STREET - ISLE OF CUMBRAE - KA28 0DS

On the A736 Irvine to Barrhead Road, at Lugton Manager, Frazer Dunn, invites you to visit for great food and local real ales from Arran, Houston and Kelburn breweries Tel:01505 850510 www.thecannyman.co.uk 6

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FULL PINTS Committee meeting. Poosie Nansie's, Mauchline 8pm North Ayrshire social. Largs, venue Thursday, September 20 to be confirmed Wigtownshire social. Blue Peter, Thursday, September 20 Kircolm 7.30pm East Ayrshire social. Poosie Wednesday, September 26 Nansie's, Mauchline 7.30pm Tuesday October 9 and Wednesday, Beer festival set up. Troon Concert October 10 Hall Thursday, October 11 to Saturday, 13th Ayrshire Real Ale Festival.

Troon Concert Hall October 13

Monday, September 17

Sunday, October 14 and Monday, October 15

Beer festival take down. Troon Concert Hall North Ayrshire social. Salt Cot, Saltcoats 8pm Beer festival staff outing. Strathaven brewery North Ayrshire social. Venue to be confirmed Branch meeting. Venue to be confirmed Ayrshire Real Ale Festival. Troon concert Hall Christmas crawl. Troon. Details to be confirmed

Thursday, October 18 Saturday, October 20 Thursday, September 20 Tuesday, November 13 Thursday, October 11 to Saturday, October 13 Thursday, December 27

Any member wishing more information about social events or to book a place on trips is encouraged to contact the branch social secretary Donald Clark at mound_spotter@yahoo.co.uk

www.ayrshireandwigtownshirecamra.org.uk 8

FULL PINTS Design award for Fyne Ales

Cask ale still on the rise in Scotland

Fyne Ales have been named as one of the UK’s most effective brands.

From Cairndow at the head of Loch Fyne, they beat a host of household names to win the gold award at the Design Business Association’s awards for design effectiveness.

The redesign packaging and labelling for its specialist beers was judged to be more effective than those designed for the likes of Guinness, Fairy Liquid and Cadbury’s Buttons.

After a redesign of the packaging and labelling – on a budget of less than £7,000 – the company has won distribution deals with Waitrose, Oddbins and Wetherspoon’s.

Sales more than doubled to £820,000 last year.

Cask beer sales in Scotland have been growing at a faster rate than anywhere else in the UK. However,there is still much to do as Scotland accounts for eight per cent of the UK population but only four per cent of cask beer sales.

In contrast, people in the south and east of England account for 19 per cent of the total population but 24 per cent of cask sales.

More pubs are trying to tempt new customers with cask ale, and those customers are willing to try real ale Moreover, cask beer is being drunk by more people in more pubs but that a lack of knowledge remains the biggest barrier to trial.

Do what you can to introduce others to the delights of real ale.

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FULL PINTS Getting Around Buses:

Success for Ayr and Arran breweries in SIBA awards

Stagecoach West Scotland Customer Services 01292 613500 Disability Helpdesk 07736 892253

AYR Brewing Company and the Isle of Arran Brewery both won multiple awards in this year’s Society of Independent Brewers competition.

Arran Milestone won the gold medal in the bottled bitters (5%+) category and took bronze in the overall bottled beers category.

The Brodick-based brewery also took bronze medals for Red Squirrel in the standard mild ales section and Arran Blonde in the strong bitters section.

ABC won three silver medals: Dr Hornbrook in premium strong bitters and bottled speciality beers and Leezie Lundie in the standard bitters section.

Trains: Scotrail Customer Services 0845 601 5929

Ferries: Caledonian MacBrayne Enquiries 0800 066 5000

All: Traveline Scotland www.travelinescotland.com

Microbrewery for Kenmuir Arms?

Outlets news

The new owners of the Kenmuir Arms in New Luce have hinted that they may one day open a microbrewery at their country pub.

The Kenmuir was bought recently by the Willoiughby family form West Yorkshire.

Paul, Alison and their daughter Helen searched for three years to find the perfect business before settling in Galloway.

Helen said: “The Kenmuir Arms will bver open all day, every day and wil serve food at lunch time and for dinner.

“We hope to have our riverside camp site open soon and my dad hopes there will even be time to set up a microbrewery.”

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Gain: The Clashwannan, Drummore is now serving real ale.

Losses: The Hunting Lodge, Kilmarnock no longer sells real ale Cheeky Charlie’s in Troon has closed.

Mac’s bar in Brodick no longer sells real ale The Eden Lodge Hotel, Whiting Bay no longer sells real ale

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By Stuart McMahon

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his year’s Ayrshire Real Ale Festival will be held in Troon Concert Hall from Thursday 11 to Saturday 13 October 2012.

After running out of beer last year early on Saturday evening, we have ordered extra supplies for this year’s festival and over 120 Real Ales plus Ciders and Perrys will be available to sample, with wine and soft drinks also available.

Entertainment on Friday evening will be provided by The Hoodoo Crew, and on Saturday afternoon by Troon Blackrock Pipe Band, and Saturday evening

by Steerach. The Walker Hall will be available on Friday and Saturday for those who wish a seat in a quieter part of the premises.

Our logo this year commemorates the bicentenary of the opening of the Kilmarnock and Troon line and features “The Duke” which was the first steam locomotive to use the line.

NEW FOR 2012: On Friday and Saturday afternoons we will be holding Tutored Beer Tasting sessions at 4.30pm. Do you want to tell the difference between an IPA or a Mild, a Bitter or a Blonde – we’ll try to tell you, with some samples from the festival ales. Numbers are strictly limited to 10 people per session and early booking at the CAMRA Product Stall will be essential. The cost of the sessions will be £5. www. ayrshirebeerfestival .co.uk

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By Graeme Watt

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olunteers are the heart and soul of any CAMRA beer festival. However as this year sees the 13th festival at Troon, the need for volunteers is greater than ever.

When the festival began all those years ago, most of the volunteers were in their mid 40s. They are no longer so young.

We urgently need new people to come in and help out as much as possible.

This is particularly important in the two days it takes to set up the festival. This year that is Tuesday, October 9 and Wednesday, October 10.

When the festival is open there are a range duties. As well as working behind the bar we need people to act as stewards, man the cloakroom, collect admission money, man the products and membership stalls Volunteering is great fun and we do not ask you to work entirely for free - there will be payment in beer and a subsidised outing to the Strathaven brewery for those who work four hours or more.

To volunteer it essential that a staffing form is completed. These can be found on the festival website: www.ayrshirebeerfestival.co.uk or from staffing officer Marie Grant: mariegrant1@hotmail.co.uk

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By Ray Turpie

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arlier in the summer a few of us went down to Lancaster for the weekend.

We picked this location for historical interest and selection of pubs. On both counts we were not disappointed.

Tours are available at certain times of the historic castle which also hosts a prison. With twelve pubs on the Lancaster City Ale Trail we were spoilt for choice. My favourites were the White Cross on the canal where I enjoyed a pint of Sharp’s Doom Bar and the Three Mariners where my tipple was York Guzzler. Of course, we had to have a traditional hotpot served with chunks of brown bread and beetroot. I would thoroughly recommend a visit if you get the chance and I hope to visit again sometime.

Another visit I managed recently was to the new Scottish Real Ale Festival venue at the Corn Exchange in Edinburgh. The layout was similar to the Belfast festival with the bar in the centre of the hall and tables all round. I was judging beers for the SIBA competition but none of the ones I tried were outstanding. One of the first people I met when I arrived was Gerald Michaluk from Arran Brewery who introduced me to his new brewer, a young Spaniard fresh back from brewing in America. You can Lancaster

probably expect his new brew, Brew Dug at 5.5%, to be quite hoppy, in the American style.

Talking about Edinburgh, I seem to have been over to the capital a few times recently using the Panda Express from Ayr twice and Dodd’s of Troon once. The first was to the above mentioned SRAF and then a trip with the grandchildren to the zoo for the pandas and the second mentioned was to the Military Tattoo. Both venues are well worth considering. That is another two things ticked on the bucket list.

The other item on my list for this year is a trip to Orkney in the autumn. No doubt there will be more about that in the next issue.

Before then, however, several branch activities have been available to enjoy over the summer.

In keeping with one of this years campaigning targets, the first public transport ale trail was blazed to Stranraer, Port Patrick and Kirkcolm.

This branch social was organised mainly

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FULL PINTS to support the rail service which is under threat.

During September and October a day return from Ayr can be had for ÂŁ7.50.

Local bus services were used for the rest of the journeys.

Optional pubs on the visiting list were the Grapes, Stranraer the Crown Hotel, Portpatrick, and the Blue Peter, Kirkcolm although some managed extra.

One of the main summer activities I have to report on, however, is the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF), the other big event in London during August.

Actually, the city centre was the quietest I can remember for a long time.

The GBBF moved from Earls Court to Olympia this year and, in my opinion it was better, mainly because a lot of natural daylight comes in through the glass roof.

Although smaller it was a lot easier to get

around the venue.

The venue consisted of eleven CAMRA bars and ten brewery bars along with the various food and product stalls. Our team were on the Champion Beers of Britain (CBOB) bar which contained all the beers submitted for the various competitions.

My choice beer from our bar was Kelham Island Pride of Sheffield.

From the brewery bars I had to try the iconic Worthington’s White Shield as I have never seen it on draught, only in bottle.

My favourite beer of the festival, however, was the unforgettable Birds Amnesia from the staff bar.

Lastly, it will soon be time to choose our own beer of the festival so make sure you get along to Troon Concert Hall from October 11 to 13.

Cheers.

The Village Inn Dunlop

Only a two minute walk from Dunlop railway station.

Raymond and Carol will be delighted to welcome you at The Village Inn. Located at Dunlop Cross they are pleased to offer real ale from The Houston Brewery and other Scottish Breweries.

Tel 01560 483130 15

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*CAMRA members have noted that real ale is not always available at these pubs.

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Prestwick Pioneer photo special published in lieu of an advertisement that was purchased but not included in the last issue of Full Pints.

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FULL PINTS PLEASE SIGN THE E-PETITION CALLING FOR THE BEER DUTY ESCALATOR TO BE SCRAPPED. PEOPLE power caused the government to uturn on the damaging, unpopular pasty tax - we can do the same for beer.

Every year the price of your pint increases by 5 to 10 pence down your local because beer tax rises an additional 2% per cent above inflation annually this is called the Beer Duty Escalator.

Around ÂŁ1 of your pint now goes to the taxman.

This high rate of tax means pub going is becoming unaffordable and contributing to a closure rate of 12 pubs a week.

www.saveyourpint.co.uk

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FULL PINTS Catacol Bay Hotel, Catacol, Isle of Arran

Owned and run by the same family for over 30 years, the Catacol Bay Hotel is a small, friendly, licensed hotel nestling in the Arran hills 1.5 miles from the Lochranza ferry terminal and approximately 16 miles from Brodick The hotel boasts stunning views across the Kibrannan Sound.

We serve an extensive range of real ales, draught beers, wines, meals and snacks in the bar daily from 12 noon to 10pm, or enjoy our famous Sunday buffet served 12 noon to 4pm throughout the year.

Outside there is a large beer garden with children's play area, the perfect place to watch the sun go down.

01770 830231 www.catacol.co.uk

The Waterside Bath Street, Largs Tel: 01475 672224

Two ever-changing REAL ALES now available Live Music Saturdays Poker Wednesdays

Karaoke Fridays

Open Mike night Sundays

Food available every day, except Monday 22

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By Lindsay Grant his annual event, organised jointly

by CAMRA’s Dumfries and Stewartry Branch and the local Baw Bee Folk ‘n Blues Club, features over 60 real ales in 10 of the town’s pubs along with concerts, street buskers and jam sessions in the pubs.

This year’s festival ran from July 12 to 15. Six of us visited the festival on the Friday. My wife Karen and were joined by Jon and Patsi Mansell, Mick Lee and Ray Turpie at Kilmarnock. We arrived in Dumfries mid-afternoon.

Our first stop was the Waverley Bar which overlooks the railway station. Fyne Ales Avalanche was the only beer on offer, Sulwath Waverley Steamer having run out the previous evening. The Avalanche was very good.

A short walk took us to the Ship Inn in Staint Michael Street. This long-standing real ale pub, opposite the cemetery in which Robert Burns is buried, offered six beers. I tried the Taylor Landlord and very nice it was too. One criticism of this pub was that the ‘Cask Ales On’ blackboard advertised McEwans 60/- and Carlsberg Cool Draught, neither of which are cask ales.

We next visited the Globe in a close off High Street. It can be difficult to find. This historic pub, with strong Burns connections, offered Scottish Borders Game Bird and Caledonian Deuchars IPA. Again the Game Bird was a good pint but served in a Theakston’s glass.

Continuing up the High Street, we turned left down Bank Street to reach the riverside and another long-standing real ale pub, the New Bazaar in White Sands.

Unfortunately the beer range here was quite uninspiring, all national brews with

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the beers from Cumberland, Geltsdale and Scottish Borders breweries,listed in the festival programme, not on. We decided to move on.

Next was the Cavens Arms. This pub habitually wins the local CAMRA branch’s pub of the year competition and ten beers were on offer. However, this pub is very food orientated and this suited us well on this visit as it was time for a meal break. Beers sampled were Thornbridge Wild Swan, Upham Stakes Ale, Maulden’s Blackberry Porter and Black Hole Cyborg. All were very good.

Here we met up with some CAMRA Fife branch members, along with some local branch members.

Further up Buccleuch Street we came to the Robert the Bruce.

This Wetherspoon’s conversion of a former Methodist church had 12 beers on offer, mostly, if not all, Scottish. The Strathaven Summerglow was probably the poorest pint I had all day.

Heading back towards the railway station we made the Tam O’ Shanter in Queensbury Street our final port of call.

This is yet another long-standing real ale outlet which has undergone a bit of a resurgence recently.

Of the five beers available Broughton Clipper IPA and Andrews Wee Willie Wonky were sampled. Both were fine .

Pubs also taking part in the festival, but not visited by us, were Pleuchie’s Howf Broons Bar and Queensberry.

This was an enjoyable day out, an excellent pub crawl with convivial company. However, it did lack the festival atmosphere. There seemed to be little local CAMRA input and the folk side of it was totally non-existent.

Perhaps we visited on the wrong day or time.

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By Graeme Watt

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AMRA’s flagship event is Scotland, the Scottish Real Ale Festival, was held at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange at the end of June.

Over 180 beers from more than 40 Scottish breweries were on offer when the festival moved to its biggest ever venue.

Attendance remained stable despite the larger Behind the scenes. A view of the cellar at the venue although some people Scottish Real Ale Festival might have been reluctant to travel to the west ends of the city to what had always been a city-centre event in the past.

However the modifications to the Assembly Rooms mean that holding the festival in the city centre is now impossible.

Poor weather and the knockout stages of the Euro 2012 football championship area also thought to have affected attendance.

Highlights of the festival …but but but. Real ale is only for middle-aged included the Champion Beer of men who have beards and wear sandals Scotland final, see page 4, and a CAMRA unique cider from Edinburgh’s national Abundance project. The cider was made chairman for apples foraged in the wild and from Colin gardens around the city by a group of Valentine volunteers - and very nice it was too. enjoys a Talks as underway to hold the festival drop of at the Corn Exchange again next year. Abundance See the website www.sraf.org.uk to keep cider up to date.

SRAF updates can also be found on Facebook “Scottish Real Ale Festvisal” and Twitter @SRAF 25

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FULL PINTS Tickets will be available from all CAMRA members from July at £2 each.

CAMRA is donating the proceeds of this year’s raffle directly to Pub is the Hub. CAMRA’s figures suggest that 12 pubs are closing per week, four of which are rural pubs. In total, 4,500 pubs have closed since 2008 with the loss of around 78,000 jobs.

In addition, almost 70 per cent of villages no longer have a pub or a shop, Post Office or other services. These worrying figures have contributed to the launch of Pub is the Hub. What is Pub is the Hub? Pub is the Hub (PITH) is a not-for-profit advisory group that encourages local communities and pub owners to work together to support, retain and locate local services within the pub. They encourage pub diversification to support local services that are either under threat or may have ceased trading.

They also advise on scheme funding and the best way to progress projects.

Benefits of Pub is the Hub Ÿ By diversifying a pub to support local services, the pub is able to share overheads. Ÿ Additional staff can be recruited helping to support local people Ÿ Raises awareness of pubs and services which increases footfall in pubs and enhances pub sustainability Ÿ Encourages communities to use local services which in turn supports local businesses As a not-for-profit oranisation funds are not easily available which limits the amount of free support that PITH can provide. PITH needs to ensure that they have the funding available to continue supporting local services, pubs and communities.

By purchasing raffle tickets you are helping us to rise to the challenges that rural pubs are facing. We need your support to secure a future for Britain’s pubs.

The raffle will close on Friday, October 19, 2012.

For more information, see: www.camra.org.uk/raffle 28

FULL PINTS Beeragrams

Pub Quiz

Rearrange to following into the names of real ales including - just the beer.

1 Oh dog lips

1 How many wire rings are on dart board?

2 Four of what made up an old penny?

3 When was the battle of Bannockburn?

4 What animal lives in a lodge?

5 Who was Queen Elizabeth II’s grandfather 6 What game was originally called lotto?

7 Which American singer starred in the Wizard of Oz? 8 What birds are known for stealing shiny objects?

9 What comes first: Boxing Day or New Year’s Day? 10 On which island is Tobermory?

2 A goatherd’s donut 3 Iron cart 4 Painted plan 5 Lava done 6 Aw do lollygag 7 Jokier pa 8 Broken stye 9 Have canal 10 My falcon stings

Sudoku 9 4

7

6

5

1

2

3

6

3

6

4

A real cider, a ‘mouthy’ journalist and Rudyard Kipling?s

2 9

6

1

6

2 8

What Links…

2

6 5

5

8

3

3

2

5

8

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FULL PINTS Pub Quiz 1 Seven 2 Farthings 3 1314 4 Beaver 5 George V 6 Bingo 7 Judy Garland 8 Magpies 9 New Year’s Day 10 Mull Sudoku

Beeragrams 1 Goldihops 2 Dragonhead Stout 3 Cart Noir 4 Pentland IPA 5 Avondale 6 Galloway Gold 7 Joker IPA 8 Orkney Best 9 Avalanche 10 Flying Scotsman

2 4 6 1 3 7 5 9 8

What Links?

Janet’s Jungle Juice: Brewed by Westcroft , Janet Street-Porter, wrote the Jungle Book

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1 3 9 8 6 5 4 2 7

8 7 5 2 4 9 1 6 3

4 8 1 9 5 6 7 3 2

5 2 3 7 8 4 6 1 9

9 6 7 3 1 2 8 4 5

7 1 2 6 9 8 3 5 4

3 5 8 4 2 1 9 7 6

6 9 4 5 7 3 2 8 1

FULL PINTS CAMRA Membership is the perfect gift for any beer lover!

Gift membership includes £20 worth of JD Wetherspoon real ale vouchers, a copy of our new quarterly magazine BEER and monthly newspaper What’s Brewing, reduced or free entry to beer festivals, discounts on all CAMRA books, and more!

How the CAMRA Gift Membership works 1. Order the Gift Membership Online (We can send the pack to you or to the recipient.

Amend the delivery address accordingly).

2. The initial pack will contain the full membership pack, plus any books additional items if ordered, plus a covering letter containing a unique voucher code to activate the membership.

3. The choice is yours. Take delivery and present it to the recipient or have it sent straight to them.

4. The recipient will then be able to go online and activate their membership with the unique code supplied and their Membership card will be sent to the member.

CROWN HOTEL 9 NORTH CRESCENT PORTPATRICK WIGTOWNSHIRE DG9 8SX TEL 01776 810261 wwwcrownportpatrick.com crownportpatrick@btconnect.c For the last nine months we have been serving real ale in our hotel bar. Two different ales are available daily with 5 or 6 different ales appearing weekly. Please pop in the next time you find yourselves in Portpatrick.

The Crown offers bar meals all day from 12-9 and our restaurant menu is available from 6pm daily.

Seafood is our speciality (AA awarded seafood pub of Scotland past winner).

We also offer daily specials alongside our extensive menus.

We offer bed and breakfast and dinner packages with 5 of our 12 en-suite rooms offering sea views. Bed and breakfast is available from £40 per person.

.

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By Bob Wallace

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embership of the Ayrshire & Wigtownshire has now reached 400 with roughly the same number of new members joining since Christmas, to replace the dozen or so who chose not to renew.

I thank you for your support if you are one of the latter but encourage you to keep drinking real ale and to consider rejoining at some point in the future.

If you are reading this article and are not a CAMRA member then you can use the form opposite or visit the ‘Join us’ page on the CAMRA website www.camra.org.uk.

As a member you will receive the following benefits: 1. What's Brewing, a monthly colour newspaper, delivered direct to your letterbox.

2.Beer, a quarterly magazine, also delivered direct to you.

3. Reduced admission to over 150 CAMRA beer festivals 4. Discounts on CAMRA books, including the Good Beer Guide.Discounts from a number of partners, such as. Cottages4you and Hire a Canalboat.

Remember also that every new, and renewing, member will also receive £20 of real ale vouchers from JD Wetherspoon, which equates to the cost of a single, full, direct debit subscription, and you are effectively getting a year's free membership.

Regrettably the only two of their 700+ outlets which still do not accept these vouchers are the West Kirk in Ayr and the Prestwick Pioneer. Come on South Ayrshire Council, surely a 50p discount 32

on one pint is not going to encourage binge drinking.

Indeed, should you not be encouraging drinkers, especially the younger age group, to drink alcohol in the controlled environment that is the pub rather than consume without such controls elsewhere?

Vouchers can of course be used at the Salt Cot in Saltcoats and the Wheatsheaf in Kilmarnock as well as all other JDW outlets in Scotland and beyond.

If you have any questions please contact me, Bob Wallace, branch membership secretary. My email address is bobwallace.1869@yahoo.co.uk and my mobile number 07929 990972.

Ayrshire and Wigtownshire CAMRA

Find us on Facebook

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He’s the man in the know!

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AMRA is about more than just getting more people to drink real ale.

As mentioned elsewhere in this issue of Full Pints, CAMRA is Europe’s largest and arguably most successful consumer rights group.

That means we undertake some very serious campaigns on behalf of the beer consumer.

One such campaign is the fight to reform the ‘beer tie’.

This is where a pub is locked into an agreement with a brewery or pub operating company (pubco) to buy beer solely from that brewery or pubco. While there is nothing wrong with this in itself, the prices charged for beer are often inflated, meaning lower margins for the licensee and a dearer pint for the drinker.

For years, CAMRA has been campaigning to have the beer tie rebalanced to enable a fairer deal in the pub - on both sides of the bar.

The campaigning targets are an option for lessees to become free of tie accompanied by an open market rent review and, for those that remain tied, the option to buy one real ale from outside the tie as a guest beer.

However, because the beer tie has worked successfully for over century, particularly with regional brewers in 34

England, CAMRA suports anexemption from the free of tie and guest beer options for companies with fewer than 500 pubs.

But change is slow. The House of Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee first expressed serious concerns about the conduct of large pubcos in December 2004. Other select committees have subsequently issued damning verdicts of pubcos and called on the government to intervene, passing legislation if necessary.

In June 2009, CAMRA used its status as a consumer organisation to submit a ‘super complaint’ to the Office of Fair Trading. This was rejected. CAMRA appealed and the investigation was reopened.

In March 2010 the Business Select Committee called for government intervention if satisfactory reform had not been delivered by June 2011. This was accepted by the then Labour government and later endorsed by the coalition when the business secretary said pubcos were ‘on probation’.

When June 2011 came, CAMRA gave evidence to MPs that self reform had failed and government action was now necessary.

Last November, the government announced a deal with the British Beer and Pub Association which offered some small steps forward but failed to address the key issues.

And in January this year MPs debating in the House of Commons unanimously passed a motion criticising to government’s lack of action on pubcos and called for an independent review of self regulation in the pub sector.

So what can CAMRA do now. We do what we always do and what we do best.

We keep campaigning.

FULL PINTS

steampacketinn@btconnect.com

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FULL PINTS

At Sulwath Brewers, we give you the chance to see the craft of brewing in action, and to taste our speciality ales, at our fully-licensed brewery tap visitor centre.

Open Mon-Sat 10am until 5pm Off-sales also available

The Brewery, King Street Castle Douglas DG7 1DT www.sulwathbrewers.co.uk

Telephone: 01556 504525 36