Issue 198 of Norfolk Nips

Welcometoourfourthand finalNorfolkNipsof2022.

Youmayhavenoticedafewchangestothemagazineduringthepastyear orso.We'veupdatedthedesignandaddedsomenewfeatures,likeour regularcentrepagepubcrawlsfromaroundNorfolk,andahumorouslook atpubsinLastOrders.Haveyouenjoyedthechanges?Isthereanything elseyou'dliketosee?Letmeknoweditor@norfolknips.org.uk

Lotsofchangestoowithourpubsand breweries.Newfacestakingoversome familiarvenues,relocationandexpansionfor someofourbreweriesand,sadly,thelossof somepubs.Readmoreaboutwhat's happeningacrossourfourNorfolkCAMRA branchesinPubNewsonpage6and BreweryNewsonpage16.

Ahugethankyoutoeveryone whogotinvolvedwithNorwich andBeyondPubFestivaloverthe summer.Asourcoverphoto showsitwasagreatchanceto explorenewpubs,andrevisitsome oldfavourites.

Nowmorethanever,pubsneedyoursupport. Onewayyoucanhelpistovolunteerwith yourlocalCAMRAbranch.Thatmightmean helpingplanbranchactivities,beingapoint ofcontactforpubsorbreweries,orsigning upnewCAMRAmembers.Whateveryou choosetodo,it'srewardingandsovaluable tothefuturesurvivalofpubs.Togetmore involved,checkoutthebranchcontactson page5andsocialeventsonpage44.Taking thefirststepisaseasyascomingalongtoa branchmeetingorjoiningapubcrawl!

Itwouldberemissofmenottosayanother hugeWELLDONEtotheteamattheKings HeadinNorwichwhohavemadeitthrough anotherroundofjudgingandbeencrowned EastAnglianPuboftheYear2022.Thelast timeaNorfolkpubheldthishonourwasin 2004!Readmoreaboutthe competitiononpage38.

Forfansofbeerfestivals(surely that'severyone)wehaveinsights fromafirsttimevisitorto PeterboroughBeerFestivalon page30.Andofcourseourvery own44thNorwichBeerFestivalis comingupthismonth!We'veadded apubcrawlyoucandobeforeorafter yourfestivalvisitonpage22andtheBeer Festitselfispreviewedonpage26.

Whateveryougetupto,enjoytherestofthe yearandIhopetoseeyouinthepub.Cheers!

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PubNews

Openings,closingandhappening.

EastNorfolkCAMRA Announcementof2022AGM.

BreweryNews

Whoandwhat’sbrewinginNorfolk.

NorwichBeerFestivalPubCrawl Wheretogobetweenfestivalsessions.

44th NorwichBeerFestival

Everythingyouneedtoknow.

AnhistorictourofKingsLynn Pubspastandpresent.

Myfirstvisitto… PeterboroughBeerFestival.

YourGuidetoBeerFestivals FromOctobertoFebruary.

DebenhamDownsandUps Pubsofapicturesquevillage.

PuboftheYearCompetition

We’vereachedthefinalstages.

CAMRAMembership Aspecialofferfornewmembers.

RealAleintheUSA Pintsfromacrossthepond.

SocialEvents

Datesforyourdiary.

LastOrders Horsingaroundinpubs.

BRANCHCONTACTDETAILS

NORWICHANDDISTRICTBRANCH

Chairman IanStamp

k chairman@norwich.camra.org.uk

Socials

k socials@norwich.camra.org.uk

PressOfficer JennyBach

k pressofficer@norwich.camra.org.uk

K norwich.camra.org.uk

E NorwichCAMRA

D @NorwichCAMRA

Q NorwichCAMRA

EASTNORFOLKBRANCH

BranchContact DavidTibbitts

k secretary@eastnorfolk.camra.org.uk

Chair PaulHodgson

k chair@eastnorfolk.camra.org.uk

K eastnorfolk.camra.org.uk

E ENorfolkCAMRA

WESTNORFOLKBRANCH

Chair AndreaBriers

k contact@westnorfolk.camra.org.uk

Secretary&BranchContact IanBailey m 01553766904

K westnorfolk.camra.org.uk

E wncamra

MIDANGLIABRANCH

Chairman DavidWilliamson

k judaslane.78@gmail.com

9 midanglia.camra.org.uk

E midangliacamra

MIDANGLIA

MidAngliaisarelativelynew CAMRAbranch,centredon Diss.Thebranchareaextends for12to15milesaroundthe townandstraddlesthe countyline,encompassing pubs,barsandclubsfrom bothSouthNorfolkandNorth Suffolk.

Thelnethamcontinuestohold communitygettogethers. ChecktheirFacebookpage foropeningtimes.

Thesaleofthe CrossKeys, Redgrave,isinprogressand likelytobecompletedearly autumn,perhapswith restrictedopeninghoursuntil thingsaresettled.

Thesummerhasseenvarious comings,goingsandbitsof news,coveredhere approximatelyfromwestto east.

The FoxInn, Garboldisham,is oneofthearea’smost successfulcommunitypubs. AWinterBeerFestivalis plannedfor2to4December tocelebratethepub’ssixth anniversary.Thisisa‘real’ real-alehubandwellwortha visitifyoufindyourselfonthe A1066betweenDissand Thetford.

AmpersandBreweryand BrewTap inDisscontinueto gofromstrengthtostrength, withregularin-housefood, pop-upfoodieevents,DJs andlivemusic.Thisisan especiallyconvenientsitefor visitorstakingthetrainto Diss,being10ishminuteswalk fromthestation,comparedto themaintowncentrepubsat nearer25minutes.The brewingequipmentiseasily viewableandthereisalsoan oldbarfavouritetokeepyou entertained-tablefootball!

wasespeciallyfamousfor Sundayafternoonmeetings attendedbyfolkwithhorses, ponies,wagons,carriages, trapsandsimilarequine vehicles.Afterseveralyearsof closure,ithashadarecent refurbishment,thankfullynot obscuringthebuilding’s much-admiredrustic character.Reopeningis plannedfortheautumn,with localalesverylikely, especiallyAdnams Southwold.

Afterreopeningafewmonths ago,the WhiteHorse,

The Swan, Worlingworthwas formanyyearsoneofthe area’smosthistoric, traditionalandactivepubs.It

The IvyHouse, Stradbroke haschangedhandsandis nowalsothevenuefor Roscoe’satTheIvyHouse,an eaterienamedfornewownerchefJasonPennellier’sson. Jasondescribedthe makeoveras‘moderncountry cottagestyleshabbychic. Casualwithafinedining twist.Gastropubby.’Beers aregenerallyfromtheMighty Oakrange,alongwiththe verylocalBruhaBrewingand EarlSohamBrewery.

The TrowelandHammer in

Cottonhascloseduntil furthernotice.

Pubnewsinthevillageof Debenham,includingthe Woolpackandthe(Red)Lion, iscoveredinourfeatureon page42.

WESTNORFOLK

continueasnormalfornow. However,itseemsthatthe annualbeerfestivalwhichhas beenheldtherefor25years willcometoanend,although theKingsLynnVancouver RoundTablehavebeen exploringalternativevenues.

beeravailable,goodfoodand plentygoingon.Notfaraway inTilney,JohnandPaulhave takenoverthe Coachand Horses, anElgood’spubwith guestbeersandgreatfood.

GarethRaynerhasbeen appointedastheheadchefat the GinTrap inRingstead, wherethereisanambitionto seethepubbecomeoneof thetopgastropubsinthe country.

There'smixednewsaround theTuesdayMarketPlacein KingsLynn.Therebranded andrefurbished MaidsHead, nowaCraftUnionpub,seems tobedoinggoodbusiness, butthe LatticeHouse around thecornerhasclosedand AdmiralsTavernsarelooking fornewtenantsforthis historicpub.Closeby,we hearthatthe Crownand Mitre isclosedandchanges areafoot.

Ontheplusside,thereislikely tobeaneweventin Hunstanton,wherecouncillor DaveNiceisorganisingan AleandMusicFestival inthe townhallontheweekendof 11to13November.

InHockwoldanapplication hasbeenmadetoturnthe Chequers, whichclosedin 2017,intoflats.Andthe New Inn seemsdestinedto becomeahotelattachedto HockwoldHalltobeusedfor weddingguests,withno regularpublicbar.Thiswill leavethe Wellington asthe onlypubinthevillage.

The CoachandHorses at Dersingham,winnerofthe WestNorfolkPuboftheYear onmultipleoccasions,ison themarketduetotheill healthofthecurrentowner.It isexpectedthatthepubwill continuetooperatewith somerefurbishmentand alterations.

The JollyBrewers at ShouldhamThorpeisonthe marketandhasbeenclosed.

Inthesouthendoftown,the Crossways hasbeen advertisedonceagain.Advice hasbeensoughtfrom CAMRAaboutapplyingforan ACVlisting,butit'sunclear whetherthishasgoneany further.

The StuartHouseHotel in KingsLynnwasdueto changehandsatthe beginningofAugust,however thebuyerpulledoutatthe lastminute,sothings

The Wildfowler inTerrington StClementhasnew management-MikeDaisleyis theheadofateamthatmade usverywelcomeforabranch meeting.Thereisinteresting

Stratton’sHotel inSwaffham hasneverbeenarealale outlet,butitisbeing advertisedasforsaleand surelyhaslotsofpotential!

Theownerofthe Houseon theGreen inNorthWootton hasbeenrenewinghisefforts todevelopthesite,withplans thatincluderefurbishingand reopeningthepub,butwith residentialunitsonsomeof thesurroundingland.

Inotherplanningmatters, permissionhasbeengranted tocompletethedemolitionof

the Ark inThetfordand replaceitwithacarehome. Querieshavebeensentto planningenforcementofficers aboutthe BerneyArms at BartonBendish,the White Hart atFouldenandthe Woolpack inKingsLynn,all ofwhichseemtohave undergoneadefactochange ofusewithoutplanning permission.

NORWICHAND DISTRICT

Newsfromthecountyfirst thistime…inLoddonFrank andJoButt,bothretired teachers,havebigplansfor the Angel, whichtheyintend torefurbishwitha‘crafted’ interior,aswellasconverting thecoachhouseattherear intoamicrobreweryand addingfouren-suitedouble bedrooms.

The CanaryandLinnet at LittleFranshamclosedin August,andthe GreenMan at Rackheathhasclosedagain, andisavailableforlease.

Another Crown, atColkirk, reopenedinApril,andisnow servingthreeales,fromWolf andotherlocalbreweries.

The Anchor atMorstonhas beenboughtbytheowners ofTheHarper,aluxuryhotel inLangham,andwasopen untiltheendofsummer.Itwill berefurbishedoverthe winterandreopennextspring with,accordingtothehotel website,a'top-notch selectionoflocalales'.

pandemic,andwaspreviously acocktailbar.

The Crown atTrunchhas takenoverthefunctionsof thelocalnewsagentsand PostOffice,whichclosedin August,andtheownershope toconstructasmallshopat therearofthepremisesto stockgroceries.

Inthelastedition,we understoodthatthe Vernon Arms atSouthreppshadbeen sold,howeveritturnsoutthat thesalefellthroughatthe lastmoment,andPauland DebbieBriggsremainin charge-apologiestoall concerned.

Inthecity,WarwickStreet SocialwastakenoverbyNick De’AthinAugust2022and reopenedunderitsoriginal name,the WarwickArms, as a'straightforward'pub.It closedinlate2021dueto issuescausedbythe

The CoachandHorses, ThorpeRoadnowhasapizza ovenintheyardattherearof thepub.OnourvisitinJuly,in additiontotherangeofChalk Hillbeers,therewasalsoa guestalefromThreeBlind Mice.

4+realales,4+traditionalciders 6+craftbeersontap Greatselectionofcraftcans&bottles Woodburner&beergarden 98-100BullCloseRd,NorwichNR31NQ Tel01603631111•www.leopardpub.co.uk

The Wildman onBedford StreetclosedbrieflyinJuly fora£5,000refurbtospeed upcocktailservice.The SteamPacket hasbeensold foraround£325,000,having beenclosedforseveral months.

TheGatherers,formerlythe WoolpackYard,haschanged itsnameto Garden andis nowacocktailbarandeatery, servingavegantapasmenu.

DavidRoylance,whotook overthe Stanley onMagdalen Roadin2020,hastakenon the CrownPointTavern in TrowseNewton,justoutside thecity.Thepubclosedfora refurbforacoupleofweeks

|NorfolkNIPS

inJune,andreopenedwitha newin-housekitchen.

Anapplicationtoconvertthe Grillhouse restaurantonSt StephensRoad,formerlythe TrowelandHammer,to housinghasbeenrefused.We fearthepubhasalreadybeen lost,throughaloophole whichallowspubstoadd someformof accommodation,oftenusing whatwouldhavebeenthe landlord'sflat,andthen converttoarestaurant,on thebasisthatthey'rean'inn' andnotapub.Thisthen makesiteasiertoconvert completelytoresidentialuse, asthereisnospecial protectionforrestaurants.(In thecaseoftheGrillhouse,the applicationwasonlyrefused ontechnicalgrounds,andwill nodoubtsucceedonce modified.)Thisalsoappears tobehappeningatanother pubontheNorthNorfolk coast,andunfortunatelythe

localcouncilappearhappyto colludewiththispractice,by refusingtopreventtheclear changeofuse.

Planningpermissionto converttheupperfloorsof the HeathHouse onGertrude Roadtoahouseofmultiple occupationhasbeen withdrawn.

Somehappynewstoendon! ClaireandDaleBrooks,who havebeenatthehelmofone ofNorwich'sfewremaining musicpubs,the WalnutTree

Shades inOldPostOffice Courtfor12years,willbe takingoverperhapsthebestknownNorwichmusicpub, the Brickmakers on SprowstonRoad,inJanuary. CurrentoperatorsPamand CharleySouthandEmma Rose,whohavebuiltthe pub'sreputationoverthelast 20years,announcedthatthey wereleavingonsocialmedia inAugust.Themovewillsee therangeofrealalesavailable atthe'Brickie'increasedas tradepermits,toinclude beersfromcurrentWalnut supplierssuchasMrWinter's, GrainandMoonGazer.The futureoftheWalnutistobe announcedsoon,butitis believedthatowners Stonegatearelookingfora tenantwithsimilarpassions formusicandrealale.

Whoandwhat’sbrewing

Andintheblinkofaneye, we'reinautumn,wheredid theyeargo?

Ourbrewershavehada reasonablygoodyearsofar, let’sseewhatautumnand winterbrings.Theincreasein energybillsdoesn’tlookvery goodatallforanyone,and harvestthisyearhasn’tbeen greateither,duetolackof rain.Let’shopeitisnottoo toughforthemandourpubs too!

Onthebrightside,wehave NorwichBeerFestivalatthe endofOctoberasusual, wherewe'llbeabletoenjoy beersfromNorfolk,therestof theUKandaroundtheworld. Andmanyofourbrewerswill beproducingsomething specialforittoo!

InthelasteditionIreported that S&P hadarevampon their4.4%mild,ShadySadie, whichhasbeenrenamedto Marsha’sMood.

ItseemsIliterallygotlostin translation,myapologies,as thebeerhasbeenrenamed

Marsha’sMoodinhonourof JohnMayall,notMayhallas reportedpreviously.

locationatChurchFarmin Smallburgh(NR129NB).Asin anymove,thisonehasn’t beenstraightforward,sothey hadtotransportwaterfrom theiroldsiteanduseachiller vanasthecoldroomwasn’t ready.Hopefullyeverything willsettledownsoon.

Thepumpclippicturethat featuresJohnMayall’sguitar wasphotoshoppedbyTom, Andy’sson,notJohn’s!

Movingon,backinMay, S&P and WILDCRAFT dida collaborationbrewcalled Esprit(4.5%goldenale)in honourofCarlNewellandit waspartoftheCityofAlefor theirnominatedcharityMIND.

Bothbreweriescommittedto giveMIND£25fromthesale ofeachofthe40Espritcasks thatwereproduced-sales havedonewellandsoon proceedswillreach£1,000. Thankyouverymuchto everyonewhohascontributed toit.

Wildcraftareattheirnew

Theyhaveproducedanew beercalledWildRainbow,a 4.8%hoppyandcitrusybeer availableinbottles.Itwas createdincollaborationwith NorwichAmateurBrewers, withthebarley,hopsand yeastdonatedbygenerous localsuppliers.Allprofitswill bedonatedtotheNorwich andNorfolkhospitalcharities.

RecentlyToby,Domand PoppyfromSirToby’sBeers visitedthebrewery,tocreate abrandnewcollaboration brew,acherrywheatbeer. Thiswillbeavailabletotry

OLIFERNANDEZ

soonattheirpub,Stanford ArmsinLowestoft.

Theyhavealwaysbeen interestedinforagingand they'rehappytogethelp fromthepublic.Soifyou happentohavelotsof raspberries,plums,sloes, blackcurrantsorblackberries inyourgarden,contactthem atwildcraftbrewery.co.uk

FATCAT nowhasfourbeers availablein500mlbottles(in additiontoprevious330ml swingtopbottles)-Norwich Bitter,Tabby,TomCatand IncrediblePaleAle.

Anew4.9%porterwas brewedatthebeginningof Septemberandwillbe launchedatNorwichBeer Festivalinwoodencask.At themomentofwritingthis,its namehadn’tbeenrevealed yet,butflavoursofcoffeeand chocolatefeatureinthemalts.

Theyhavedecidedtostop brewingLockdownIPA, howeveritwillbereplacedby asuccessionofone-offIPAsin theshortterm,beginningwith a6%RyeIPA,calledMaus Catcha,whichwillbe launchedalongwiththe porterattheNorwichBeer Festival.

The MOONGAZER team continuestosupportpubs withaseriesofmonthly specialbrewsthatyouwillbe abletosampleindifferent pubsacrossNorwichand Norfolk.Theyarecommitted tosupportingcaskandpubs astheirmainpriority,and

havealsobeenbusy searchingforadditional premises,sowatchthisspace withhowtheyhopetouseit!

MoonGazerarealsofocusing onusingnewBritishhops. Basedonthis,theirautumn seriesofspecialsbeganwith thewelcomereturnofFresh Hop,wheretheypickedand brewedwithSheringhamgrownhopswithinanhour.

OtherspecialswithBritish hopswillincludearedIPAfor Halloween,anall-newgolden MashUp,aswellasthereturn ofSkipperfortheFIFAWorld Cup!

Followingthegreatresponse fromhisbeerpushtoLondon fortesticularcancer awareness,Davidisbackout trainingwithhisbluebarrel foranevenbiggerchallenge nextyear.

Andwithautumnweseethe returnofBouchartMild, SkiddadlerMilkStoutand HazyHare,alightpaleale whichwillbebackincans.

Atthesametimetheyhave beenworkingonexpanding theirrangeofglutenfree options.Goodnews,aswellas Pintail,theywillnowbe brewingWhiteFaceIPA glutenfreetoo!Itsdebutwill beattheendofOctoberat NorwichBeerFestival.

Davidislookingoutforseven pubs,eachtohostaonenighteventinSeptember 2023,sopleasegetintouch withhimifyouwouldliketo helpwithhiscrazyadventure!

Everyfewweeks,the GRAIN teamgetstogetheratthe breweryandthey“grainstorm”orchat/discuss/argue aboutbeerstheyhavetried, beerstheywanttotry,and mostimportantly,beersthey wanttocreate.Thewinners (andsometimesthelosers) thengoontobecome scribbledrecipenotes,abitof internetresearchandafew phonecalls,andontothe nextstageofatestbrew. Somebeersmakeitno further,whilstothersare tinkeredwithanddestinedfor biggerfermenters.

Oneofthesebeerswason salethroughoutAugustandis

calledTheTaxman’sTakenAll MyDough.Thisisatablebeer, 2.5%,itisverylight,gentle andfruityandveryeasy going.

Theyhavealsodecidedto brewRedwoodtotheoriginal recipewhenitwas4.7%, whichwillbereadyfor NorwichBeerFestival.And forOktoberfesttheyare brewingaDunklesWeizen beerwhichwillbeavailablein caskandkeg.

HUMPTYDUMPTY havejust hadtheirthirdeventthisyear atthebrewery,followingNot theReedhamBeerFestivalin JulyandtheirStGeorge’s/ ShakespeareFestivalinApril.

ruby-brownwithclassicand newBritishhops,wasan additiontotheBroadland themedbeerlist.

Completelydifferentto BreydonarePharosIPA,4.7% apaleandhazycoldstyleIPA, andRadshlaeger,4.6% DüsseldorfstyleAltbier, launchedattheUKTOBERFEST.

tookthemtotheBrookHouse HopFarminBromyard,where theydiscoveredacoupleof greatBritishhopsthatwill featureintheirbeersinthe newyear.

UK-TOBERFESTwasdesigned tobeaBritishtwistonthe traditionalOktoberfestwith plentyofgoodbeer,cider, musicandfood.Andasusual theirannualOpenWeekend willbe3and4Decemberat thebrewery.

TheHumptyDumptyteam arenowbusythinkingabout newideasandbrewsfor Christmas,sodon’tforgetto addtheiropendaystoyour calendar.

POPPYLAND hadavery busytimeatthebrewery,with plentyofvisitorsattractedby thelovelyweatherandagood selectionofbeers.Brewing continuedthroughthe summeralthoughata reducedpaceduetothe extremelyhightemperatures.

Theirnewcaskbeers SummertimeBoozeandLazy DayswereattheNorth WalshamandCromerbeer festivals.TheHopIn,North WalshamandtheRedLion Hotel,Cromercontinueto havetheirbeersondraft, wheneverPoppylandcan supplythem.

Threenewbrewsaredueto belaunchedshortly,Norfolk Jesterasinglehoppedbeer basedonthefabulousJester hop,Arthur’s100abestbitter, andAutumnLightasession beer.

2023willseethelaunchofa smallbatchHeritagerange, wheretheywillrevisitsomeof thegreatbeersPoppyland Breweryhavemadeoverthe last10years.

LACONS havestartedwork ontheirbreweryexpansion plans,havingrecentlysecured grantfundingandadditional buildingsattheirFalcon BreweryinGreatYarmouth. Theprojectswillallowroom forextratanksandthe additionofasmallpack canningarea,withfurther plansforakitchenand taproomtocomplementtheir museumandshop.

Theyalsohaveproducednew brews,BreydonBitter,4.1%

Theirsearchfornewhops

Thebrewersarebusierthan ever.Theirnew4.4%premium lager,calledlgr,cannowbe foundinpubs,barsand restaurantsacrosstheregion. Cove,CloudlessandDunes wererealthirstquenchersthis summer,andtheirnext seasonalreleaseisSundown, afull-bodiedradiantredale withnotesofcarameland toffee,closelyfollowedby Phantom,a4.6%palealewith acomplexsoulofripecitrus fruits.

BreweryNews |NorfolkNIPS

NorfolkNIPS| Welcome

Ontothepubs…

TheKingsHeadhasrecently wonEastAnglianCAMRA PuboftheYear2022andis fourtimeswinnerofNorwich andDistrictCAMRAPubof theYear.ThepubrunbyAli, Charlieandtheteam,dates backto1709hastwobarsthemainbarattherearhasa separateentrancefromthe courtyardatthesideofthe building.Itisatraditionalpub servingeightchangingcasks, twociders,awiderangeof Europeanbottledbeersand porkpies,butnokeglines.

includingtheYoungs, Crawshay&Youngswindows. In2018theownerofawardwinningbreweryGolden Triangletookoverthepub andcarriedoutafull renovation.Itnowhasan eight-handpumpbarwitha largeselectionofcraftbeers andrealciderinbottles,plus afoodofferingfromStoked veganBBQ.Theirlatest ventureisArtiCansand Bottlesintheoldpolice stationnextdoor,which servesaselectionofbottled beers,ciderandwinetoenjoy inthecourtyardortakeaway, alongwitharangeofdeli produce.

withalargeselectionofcraft beersonkegandincans.It hasaworkingWatneysRed Barreloftenusedtoserve sourbeers.This19thcentury pubwassoldbyBatemansin 2013andreopenedin2014 followingrefurbishment.

TheArtichoke'soriginal buildingwasa15thcentury leperhousebeforeturning intoapubinthe18thcentury. Thecurrentbuildingwasbuilt in1932byCartersintheArts andCraftsstyle,withflint walls,tworoundroomsanda pointedroof.Itstillhas originalfeaturesinside

ANorfolkCAMRAPubofthe Year,winningtheBranchand Countytitlesin2019,The Leopardisadogfriendlypub, runbyJustinandEmma,and dogDude,who'sthe inspirationfortheirhouse beer,ChinonBarfromMr Winter’s.Thepubboastsan openfire,underfloorheating andairconditioningmakingit comfortableallyearround. It'salightandairytraditional pub,withacornerbaranda courtyardtotherearwith ampleseatingandplentyof beerrelatedniknaks.It normallyservesuptosixales fromitseighthandpumps,

PLASTERERSARMS

Afreehousesince2011,this pubwasattheforefrontof buildingthecraftbeerscene inNorwich,helpingbring forwardcask,keg,cansand bottlesfromsmallbreweries aroundthecountry.Withup totwelvehandpumpsanda largenumberofkeglines, thereisalwaysawiderange ofbeersfromcraftbrewers. ThePlasterersalsoserves pizzaattheweekends,hasa weeklyquiznightandholds annualFem.Aleevents.It'sa cosy,friendlycornerpub datingfromthe19thcentury andusedtobeknownasthe KnackersArmsinthe20th century.

Ifyou'revisiting

KINGSHEAD

ARTICHOKE

LEOPARD

44th NorwichBeerFestival

NorwichBeerFestivalreturnstoTheHallsfrom Monday24toSaturday29October2022, celebratingsomeofthebest,mostcuriousand mostinterestingbeersaround.

Manyofthe400beersonoffer arefromlocalbrewers, representingstylesfromlight goldenaletostoutsand porters.Livemusicreturnsto thefestival,thistimein BlackfriarsHallonThursday evening,FridayandSaturday.

Aquicktour…

Asyouarriveatthefestivalyou'll enterStAndrewsHall,whereyou’ll pickupyourglassandbeercard. Themainbarhasbeerslisted alphabeticallybybrewery,there'sa sectionwithveganandgluten-free beers,asectionfeaturingbeers fromthewood,theCiderandPerry Barandwine.TheCuriosityBaris heretoo,forbeerswitha difference,featuringunusual flavoursandingredients.A selectionofclothingand merchandisewiththisyear’slogo, andbeerglassesfromprevious years,willbeonsaleatthe ProductsStand,andyoucanalso haveyourfestivalglassengraved.

AsyoumovetowardsBlackfrairs Hall,you'llfindameadbarand snacks,andinthehallitselfmany morebeersandhotfoodavailable. TravellingthroughtheCloisters you’llfindtheWorldBeerBar insidethemarquee,andthere's seatinginbothoftheseareas.

Openinghourswillbealittle differentthisyear,withlonger

lunchtimesessionsandanearlier startintheevenings.

MONDAY

4pm-5pm CAMRAMEMBERSPREVIEW 5pm-10pm

TUESDAY

11.30am-3pm/5pm-10pm

WEDNESDAY 11.30am-3pm/5pm-10.30pm

THURSDAY 11.30am-3pm/5pm-11pm

FRIDAY 11.30am-3pm/5pm-11pm

SATURDAY 11.30am-9pm

Asmallpercentageofticketsare soldinadvanceforeachsession, butyoucanalwaysturnupand queuetogetinwithoutaticket. Howeverifyouwanttoskipthe queue,graboneofthelastfew advancetickets(oryourglassand beercardstarterpacks).

EntrytoallsessionsisFREEto CAMRAmembers,andyoudonot needtobuyadvancetickets.

Ifyou'renotalreadyaCAMRA member,youcanchattoour membershipteamandjoinatthe festival.You'llreceivetwofree pints,freeentryfortheentire festivalandloadsofmember benefitsthroughouttheyear.This offeralsoappliestoanyonewho joinsduringOctoberat join.camra.org.uk.Justshowa screenshotofyourmembership numberandjoiningdatetothe membershipteamwhenyouarrive.

ADVANCE TICKETS

VOLUNTEER

AnHistoricTour ofKingsLynn

OnawarmJulyevening,a smallgroupofusgathered outsidetherailwaystation forawalkaroundoneoftheoldest partsofKingsLynn,tolearnmore abouttheareaandthepubswhich usedtooperatethere.

BlackfriarsRoadwhenImovedtoKingsLynn inthelate1980s,wastheCozen’sTemperance Hotelin1905.ItwastakenoverbyHelena Andersonandherhusbandinthe1960s,who calledittheHotelMildenhall.Helenaisthe daughterofPeggySpencer,thefamous dancer.Itisnowaresidentialareacalled Parkview.

remainingtoday.Concreteonlybecamean acceptedmaterialforexteriorswhen WembleyStadiuminLondonopenedin1923. Thebuildingisnowinabitofasorrystate but,hopefully,someonewillcomeforwardto saveitoneday.

andLizzieWenntookoverthepubin1877.

Standingintheforecourtoftherailway station,Jeff,ourguidefortheevening, mentionedsixpubsorhotelswhichonce stoodclosetothatpoint.TheyweretheOld TownWall,ReinDeer,DukeofEdinburgh,East AnglianHotel,PortlandArms(theRailway Hotelfrom1892)andtheFenman(formerly theTapRoomoftheEastAnglianHoteland formerlycalledTheGreyfriarsTavern). Unfortunately,theonlyonenowopenisthe Fenman,directlyoppositethestation.

Movingacrosstheroad, ournextstopwasby GreyfriarsTower,which isoneofonlythree Franciscanmonastery towersinEnglandand isGradeIlisted.Itis onlystillstanding becauseitwassaved fromthedissolutionof themonasteriesdueto itsuseasanavigation mark.

Anotherpubthatwewouldhavebeenableto seefromthisviewpoint,untiltheearly1980s, wastheRummer,namedafteratallcylindrical glass,withoneoriginallyfeaturedonthepub. Passingthebingohall,Jeffexplainedthatthe buildingonthesitenowhadbeenbuiltasa theatrein1938,toreplacetheoriginal,which hadbeenbuiltin1814butdestroyedbyfirein 1936.Beforethefirethetheatrehadbeen showingfilmsandthenewonecontinuedto doso,withthefirstfilmtobeshownbeing thePrisonerofZendawithAnthonyColeman, andthelastone,SummerHolidaywithCliff Richardin1962.

Inaddition,overtheyears,otherpubsinthe areaincludedtheThreePigeons,DukeofFife, RecruitingSergeantandCrownHotel,which stoodonthesiteofthecarparkonChurch Street.BeforeLondonRoadopenedthiswas themainrouteintotownandtheCrownwasa majorcoachinginn.Itsufferedfromthe openingoftherailwaysin1846,which changedthewaypeopletravelled,andin1852 wasadvertisedas'offeredtoletwith immediateoccupation'.Itwasclosedby1891.

Thetourfinishedatthequayinfrontof Marriott’s,whichishousedinabuildingbuilt in1580,withsomestonecomingfrom demolishedreligiousbuildings,possibly Whitefriars.

OurnextstopwasTheWalksoutsideSt. John’sChurch,wherewelearntthatthePark ViewHotel,whichIrememberedbeingon

FromherewecouldseewheretheAdmiral TaphadbeenonSt.JamesStreet.Itopened in1997butonlysurvivedforacoupleofyears. Althoughitmaynotstandoutmuchnow,the buildingitwasinisnowlisted,asitisoneof theearliestreinforcedconcrete-framed buildingsinEngland.Itwasbuiltin1908and similarbuildingsdidnotcommonlyappear untilthe1920s,withveryfewexamples

Itcameasnosurprise thattherewerealotof pubsaroundthe SaturdayMarketPlace, twoofwhicharestill open.TheWhiteHart, builtinthemid-17th centuryandalmost completelyrebuiltin the19thcentury,claims tobetheoldest continuallylicenced premisesintown.Thenorfolkpubswebsite (www.norfolkpubs.co.uk)tracesthelandlords backto1791,althoughthefirstreferenceto thepubis1623.TheotherisWenn’s,which wasknownas‘TheRestaurant’whenit openedin1872andbecameWenn’sHotelin 1961,whenanewlicencewasissued.James

Itwasnowstartingtorain,sothegroup returnedtotheSaturdayMarketPlaceto enjoyapintortwoatWenn’sandthankJeff fortheinterestingtour.I’msurethatweall lookatsomepartsofthetowndifferentlynow thatweknowmoreaboutitspast.

■ AndreaBriers

Tuesday23August

2022sawamilestone, myfirstmajorUKbeer festivalotherthan Norwich.It'sonlytaken 45yearsof(legally) drinkingtogethere!

Agroupofadozen,organised bySimonDaveyofthe TraffordArms,caughtthe trainfromNorwich.Onarrival inPeterborough,themajority ofthegangheadedforthe BreweryTaponWestgate (offeringafullrangeof OakhamAles).AlanandI decidedeatingwasasensible option,sowefoundalocal Italianofferinghalfpizzaand chipsforafiver,what’snotto like!

Werejoinedthegroupatthe BreweryTap,whichhada greatsettinginsideandout.It wasagoodchancetomeet theothers,astherewerea coupleoffamiliarfacesbut mostlynewacquaintances.

NextstopwastheOstrichon NorthStreet,anexcellentpub

withawiderangeofbeers andciders.Asyou’dexpect,it wasverylivelyandwe bumpedintoafewother Norwich&DistrictCAMRA members.

Ourfinalstopbeforethe festivalwasChartersBar,a wellknownfloatingpubon theRiverNene(I'dpreviously visitedonaNorwichCityFC tripafewyearsago).We founditatmosphericand enjoyedgreatbeersagain, withplentyofoutsidespace toenjoythesunshine.

Thentothefestival,ashort walkbackacrosstheriverand ontoTheEmbankment.

Myfirstimpression….thisis big!Twolargemarqueesanda massiveoutsideseating/ standingarea,surroundedby foodandtradestalls.

Themainmarqueecontained theale,onecontinuousbar alongthefarside, alphabeticallybybrewery. Interestinglypaymentwasby cashorcard,nottokensasI'm familiarwith.Weboughtour

festivalglassafterentry,with theoptiontoreturnitatthe endofourvisit.

Therangeandqualityofbeers wasexcellentasyou'dexpect, andwetriedfartoomanyfor metolist!Theoverall ChampionBeerofthefestival wasThornbridge'sCocoa Wonderland,withNoMan fromIVOBreweytaking secondplace,aswellas winningtheBeersfromaNew Brewerycategory.

Astheweatherwasglorious, weventuredoutsideand luckilyfoundabenchseat, veryniceandcivilised.Allin all,agreatdayout,highly recommendedandwe've alreadybookeditinour calendarsfornextyear-22to 26August2023.

Cheers!

October

Friday7andSaturday8October

OKTÖBYFEST2022

SirToby’sBeers,NorwichMarket sirtobysbeers.co.uk

Friday14toSunday16October

DARBYFEST2022 DarbysPub,SwantonMorley darbyspub.co.uk

Monday24toSaturday29October

TheHalls,Norwich FreeentrytoCAMRAmembers orjoinonarrival norwichbeerfestival.org.uk

November

Wednesday9toSaturday12November

WINTER

cambridgebeerfestival.com

Friday11toSunday13November

Debenham Downs andUps

TheMidAngliaCAMRAbranchextends about15milesaroundDiss.Oneofthe area’smoreoutlyingvillagesis Debenham,tothesouthofDiss,about halfwaytoIpswich.

‘Picturesque’isoverused whendescribingourvillages, butinDebenham’scaseit's extremelyaccurate.Itsgreat varietyofbuildingsand architecturespanmany centuries,withanimpressive churchandsome20shops, fromathrivingCo-opanda classyporkbutchers,to variedcraftandvintage outlets-‘Webuyjunk,wesell antiques’.

Whataboutpubs?Old-timers say(oftenatlength)thatin formertimes,Debenham boasteddozensofpubs,inns, tavernsandbeerrooms. Today,insuchalargeand expandingvillage,onepub remains,plusabaratthe LeisureCentre.Itisafamiliar talethatresonateswithmany villagesandsmalltowns acrossthecountry.Sowhat happened?

About25to30yearsago, therewerefourpubsspread throughoutthevillage,each withadistinctivecharacter andclientele.Approaching fromDiss,theRedLionhad realalesandfood,awellusedfunctionarea,meetings ofvarioussportsandsocial groups,andaregularsetof customers,somefairlywellto-do.Opposite,theAngel wasespeciallybusylate afternoonwithtradefolk,and againintheeveningswith music,dartsandsimilar. Fartheralongtheroad,the Woolpackwasalsobusy,but perhapsmoreaplacefor maturedrinkersandpub grub.AttheIpswichendof thevillagewastheCherry Tree,frequentedespeciallyby youngercustomers,with music,discosandsimilar entertainment.Perhapsa

ABOVE (Red)Lion,Debenhamispredictedto reopen,thesignwillbeback.

ABOVE Wingsclippedandasorrowfulpicture ofdecay.

ratherclichéddescription, butthat’showitwas.

TheRedLionwasfirsttofall, boughtin1999asa residence.Somevillagers pointedtothefactthat anotherpubwasopposite, andthatthevillagewas(in thosetimes)wellsupplied withalternativeeateries.Also in1955ithadbecomealisted building,GradeII,with accompanyingbenefitsbut alsorestrictions.

TheCherryTreebeganto fadeafteranumberof problemswithmanagement, disturbancesandlateor under-agedrinking.Ittried rentingoutonebarforThai/ Chineseeat-insand takeaways.By2008itwas closed.Afteraprotracted seriesofplanningideas, includingrenovationasapub anddemolitionforhousing,it wasextensivelyredeveloped. In2014itbecamethenowthrivingDebenham VeterinaryPractice.

TheAngelwastwoandahalf largebarsandagoodallrounddrinkingandeating venue,withvariousrealales. Whennewownerstookover in2011,therefolloweda seriesofchangesthat puzzledmanyvillagers.The barareawasgreatlyreduced. Allegedonerouslimitations wereplacedonvarious aspectsofrunningapub, suchasplayingmusicand generalopeninghours. Facingsuchdifficulties,the Angelstuttered,staggered, andthenclosedinabout 2018.Itiscurrently

languishing.InFebruary2022 aplanningapplicationto becomeacommercialunit withmoreresidentialroom wasrejectedfollowingan appeal.

Whichleftopen,ofthefour, onlytheWoolpack–the smallestpubinwhatisa rapidlygrowingsettlement.A homely,characterfulplace, the‘Woolly’changedhands in2022.Itisnowopenfrom 11ameverydaywithfood sessionsgraduallybuilding up.Realalesarewellkept, keenlypriced,andmainly fromEarlSohamBrewery–whichhappenstobejust aroundthecorner.

Acommonstoryofrecent villagepubdestinies?Butthe taleisnotquiteover.TheRed Lion,nowtheLion,isbeing convertedbacktoalicensed premisesforeating,drinking, functionsand accommodation.Itopened brieflyfortheQueen’s PlatinumJubilee,andshould reopenfullyinthenear future.Debenham’spubgoersofallpersuasions eagerlyanticipatetheevent.

formoreinformationcontact kevin@outlineonline.co.uk

ABOVE TheWoolpack,Debenham:Lively, friendly,comfortable,reliablelocal.

ABOVE Woolpackales:Wellrespected,the breweryisjustroundthecorner.

BELOW FormerCherryTree,Debenham:Now athrivingveterinarypractice.

ThingsarehottingupintheCAMRAPuboftheYear2022 competitionasitentersthesuper-regionalstage.OurNorfolk countywinner,theKingsHeadinNorwich,hasbeatenthe winnersfromfiveothercountiestotaketheregionaltitle -EastAnglianPuboftheYear.

Pubsinthecompetitionarejudgedontheir atmosphere,decor,welcome,service, inclusivity,overallimpression,butmost importantly-thequalityoflivebeer,real ciderandperry.

Butwhatdoesthatreallymean?Andhow doesthewholecompetitionwork?Check outourhandyguideandseewhichpubs havemadeittothenextround.

ROUNDONE-BRANCH

JanuarytoMarch

EachofCAMRA’s300+branchescanselect theirPuboftheYear,CiderPuboftheYear andCluboftheYear.Fortherestofthis guide,we'lltalkaboutthePuboftheYear competition.

CAMRAmembersfromeachbranchvotefor thepubtheyfeelbestmeetsthecriteriaset outineachcategory.Thehighestscoring pubbecomestheBranchPuboftheYear and,alongwithanyrunners-up,ispresented withacertificate.

ROUNDTWO-COUNTY

ApriltoMay

Branchwinnerswithineachcountycompete againsteachother.InNorfolkwehavefour branches,somemberswhowishtotake partinthejudgingvisitallfourpubsand voteagain.ThisyeartheNorwichand

Districtbranchwinner,theKingsHead, cameouttopandbecameNorfolkCounty PuboftheYear.

ROUNDTHREE-REGION

JunetoJuly

Countywinnersaregroupedwithintheir regionandcompeteagain,withmembers votingjustasbefore.Thereare16regions andeachcontainsseveralcountiesorareas. EastAnglianincludessixcounties-Norfolk, Suffolk,Essex,Cambridgeshire,Bedfordshire andHertfordshire.Inthelasteditionof NorfolkNipswecoveredthisstageofthe judgingandplannedanepicroadtrip!We endedupdoingacombinationofdriving andtrainstovisitallsixpubs,ahuge undertakingbutweweresopleasedtotake partinthejudging.Evenmoresowhenwe sawtheresult!

Wherewe arenow…

ROUNDFOUR-SUPERREGION

AugusttoSeptember

The16regionalwinnersareputintofour groupsforthesuper-regionalstage. CAMRAregionaldirectorscarryoutthe judgingthistimewiththeresults announcedinearlyOctober.

ThelasttimeapubfromNorfolkgotthis farinthecompetitionwaswhentheFat CatinNorwichwentontowinthefinal roundandbecomeCAMRAPubofthe Year2004!

FINALROUND

OctobertoNovember

Bythispointthere'llbefourfinalists remaining,onefromeachsuper-regional group.Thisiswhereitgetsserious!Which pubwillbenamedtheoverallwinner?The judgeswillcompletetheirscoringandthe resultswillbeoutattheendofNovember andwe'llbesuretoletyouknowwhothe winningpubis.

Who'sintherunning?

Regionalwinnersincludeeverythingfrom micropubsinconvertedshops,to traditionalalehousesandbreweytaps. There'sapubsetupbyCAMRAmembers in2015andahalf-timberedpub, bequeathedtovillagersin1608.Whatthey allhaveincommonisthechanceto competeforthecovetedtitleofCAMRA PuboftheYear2022.

CentralSouthern Bell,WalthamSt.Lawrence

ScotlandandN.Ireland CommercialInn,Dunfermline

SouthWest PelicanInn,Gloucester

SurreyandSussex HornetAlehouse,Chichester

MoldAlehouse,Mold

REAL ALEUSA INTHE

In2016,PeteWellswroteinNorfolkNipsabouthisexperience ofthebeersceneinNorthAmericaandthebirthofcraftbeers. HeandhiswifeSusanrecentlywentbackforanothervisit andhavegivenusanupdate…

Onmypreviousvisittothe US,hand-pulledbeerwasstill quitehardtofind,soitwas withinterestwecrossedthe pondtoseehowthingshave changed.

Itwasnotanauspiciousstart whenwediscoveredthatour Washingtonhotelbarwasan Irishthemepub!Aquicktrip downstairsthoughdiscovered threereasonablypricedlocal beersonthetaps–so immediatelythingsstarted lookingup.Nohandpump thoughbuttwodays(and severalbreweries)laterwe struckgoldattheBluejacket Breweryintheheartofthe restorednavalshipyards.The lonerealalewasanEnglishbittercalledLove Language–andverygooditwastoo.This beersetthetoneforthenextthreeweeks,as

Hand-pullsamongsttheshinybrewingkitat BluejacketinWashingtonDC.

mostofthehand-pulledbeers weencounteredwereEnglish stylebeersofonesortor another.

ThehandpumpatBluejacket turnedouttobetheonlyone wesawinanyoftheten Washingtonbrewerieswe visited.However,aswehad littleinfoonthebeerscenein Washington,wedidn’tthink we’dmadetoobadastartin theUSA.Outstanding breweriesformewereOther HalfBrewing(theirdouble dryhoppedForeverEverhit thespot)andAtlasBrewery–thebarrel-agedSaisonde Brettblackhoneybeerwasto diefor!Onethingwedidnote wasthatmostbarssoldatleastonelocal beer,soeveninanon-beercitylike Washingtonthingsarelookingup.

NextstopwasChicago–ofwhichIheard muchfromfriendswhohavebeentherefor theannualBluesFestival.Again,localbeers wereeverywhere–eveninthefamousblues barBuddyGuy’sLegends,wherewealso admiredtheexpensivesignedguitarsnailed tothewallhighupbehindthebar!Ouronly hand-pulledbeerinChicagowasatAlarmist BreweryTapwherethePantslessGrapefruit andPapayawasdescribedasanEnglishPale Ale!Whatwehadn’ttakenintoaccountin Chicagoisthatalthoughthereare50plus breweries,Chicago'spopulationisfivetimes thatofNorfolk!Usingtheantiquatedelevated railway(probablyscarierthanstandingina glassboxhangingoffoneof theworlds’tallestbuildings–whichwealsodid!)andthe excellentbusservices,we managedtogettothirteen breweries-alongwithafew barsofcourse.

BreweryhighlightswerePilot Project(abrewingkitshared byfivedifferentbrewers)and RaviniaBrewerywhereIhada veryunusualmilkbrownale! Sadly,wedidn’tgettothe famousGooseIslandBrewery astheywererunningaticket onlyStoutFestthatweeksoldoutneedlesstosay!

Wehadleftthebesttolast,as oneshould.Portland,Oregon (thelocalscallitBeervana)is thehomeofcraftbeerinthe

USA.Beingamuchsmallercitythenthetwo wehadvisited,mostofthebrewerieswere withinwalkingdistanceofeachother.Herewe foundoutthatclosecompetitionhasforced manytoseekauniquesellingpoint.

Cascade,forexample,specialisesinsour beers(wehadajobtodragourselvesoutof thisone)andmostofthebreweries,andeven manyofthebars,featureahand-pump.Of thesixteenbrewerieswevisited,sixhad handpumps,AwayDaysandUprighteachhad two!WayfinderandBinarybrewerieshave bothditchedtheirhandpumpsandwere sellingstraightfromacask.

Youdon’tgetmany brewerieslikethis!Stained glassandbeerinPortland. Well,Steeplejackisinan oldchurch!

ForusPortlandwillbe rememberedforeverforthe afternoonwespentat Cascade,immersedin Brettanomyces,andthereal darkmildatLevelBrewing wassuperb,butforsheer atmosphere,thehand-pulled AlewifeDarkMildatthe SteeplejackBrewerytapwill behardtoforget.

Tosumup–yes,thereisreal aleovertheAtlantic.Andit seemstobeontherise.Craft breweriesintheUKtake note...

Autumn2022|

■ Peter&SusanWells

EnglishstylecaskbeerattheAlarmistinChicago.

BeerthewayitshouldbeservedatWayfinder,Portland.

SOCIAL EVENTS

Datesforyourdiary

THURSDAY17NOVEMBER

Norwich&DistrictBranchMeetingand Social/7.30pm VenueTBC.

SATURDAY19NOVEMBER

AfternoonCampaignTrip/1pm NorwichCastleMeadow,booking essential.

October

FRIDAY7OCTOBER

NorwichFirstFridayFive/8pm Vine,StAndrewsBrewhouse,Playhouse Bar,GoldenStar,WhiteLion.

WEDNESDAY12OCTOBER

LunchtimeCampaignTrip/11.45am NorwichCastleMeadow,booking essential.

WEDNESDAY19OCTOBER

NorwichLunchtimeStroll/12noon Coachmakers,Champion,Coach& Horses,Lamb,Bell,LastPubStanding.

MONDAY24OCTOBER

44thNorwichBeerFestival CAMRAMembersPreview4pm/Public opening5pm.

WEDNESDAY26OCTOBER

NorwichBeerFestivalSpecialStroll/ 2.30pm MeetoutsideTheHalls,thenKings Head,Artichoke,Leopard,Plasterers andbacktoNorwichBeerFestivalat 5.30pm(queuejump!)

November

FRIDAY4NOVEMBER

FirstFridayFive/8pm

WestEndRetreat,FatCat,BelleVue, AlexandraTavern,Reindeer.

MONDAY7NOVEMBER

EastNorfolkCAMRAAGM/7pm TombstoneSaloon,GreatYarmouth eastnorfolk.camra.org.uk

WEDNESDAY9NOVEMBER

LunchtimeCampaignTrip/11.45am NorwichCastleMeadow,booking essential.

WEDNESDAY23NOVEMBER

NorwichLunchtimeStroll/12.30pm GeorgeHotel,UnthankArms,Eaton Cottage,YorkTavern,RoseTavern.

December

FRIDAY2DECEMBER

NorwichFirstFridayFive/8pm Rosebery,AngelGardens,Dukeof Wellington,Stanley,ArtichokeorMalt& Mardle.

THURSDAY8DECEMBER

LunchtimeCampaignTrip/11.45am NorwichCastleMeadow,booking essential.

SATURDAY10DECEMBER

WestNorfolkBranchChristmasCrawl inNorwich

AngelGardens11am,Rosebery12pm, DukeofWellington12.45pm, Whalebone1.30pm,TheBreweryTap 2.15pm,Marlborough3.15pm,Artichoke 4pm,Leopard4.45pm,Plasterers 5.30pm,KingsHead6.15pm,WhiteLion 7pm,GoldenStar7.45pm.

FRIDAY16DECEMBER

Norwich&DistrictBranchChristmas Crawl

FatCat&Canary2.30pm,Coach& Horses(ThorpeRoad)3pm,Jubilee 4pm,LollardsPit4.45pm,Wig&Pen 5.15pm,WalnutTreeShadesorSir Toby’s6.30pm,Coach&Horses(Bethel Street)7.30pm,CoachmakersArms 8.15pm,Trafford9pm,KingsArms 9.45pm,RosePub&Deli10.20pm Feelfreetojoininandleavewherever youlike-wedon'texpectyoutovisit everypub!

WEDNESDAY21DECEMBER

NorwichLunchtimeStroll/12noon KingsHead,MerchantsHouse,Ribsof Beef,GlassHouse,MaidsHeadHotel Bar,LouisMarchesi.

January2023

FRIDAY6JANUARY

FirstFridayFive/8pm EdithCavell,BrewDog,Wildman,Franks Bar,BelgianMonk.

WEDNESDAY11JANUARY

LunchtimeCampaignTrip/11.30am NorwichCastleMeadow,booking essential.

WEDNESDAY18JANUARY

NorwichLunchtimeStroll/12noon GeorgianTownhouse,Coach&Horses (UnionStreet),Coach&Horses(Bethel Street)thenyourchoiceofSirToby’s BeersorVine.

THURSDAY19JANUARY

Norwich&DistrictBranchMeetingand Social/7.30pm VenueTBC.

FRIDAY27JANUARY

EveningCampaignTrip/7.15pm NorwichCastleMeadow,booking essential.

February

FRIDAY3FEBRUARY

NorwichFirstFridayFive/8pm Brickmakers,TheBreweryTap, Marlborough,Cottage,Leopard.

GLORYHAMMER

Thur

STARSAILOR

Sat 10th

EMBRACE

Sun 11th

ARKELLS

Thur

MIMIC STREET

Fri 16th

ADORE

Sun 18th

MARTIN SMITH

Tues 20th

THE

CLUB

Fri 23rd

Sun

Fri

HOWTOBOOK

PleaseusetheCAMRATckty sitetobookyourplaceonour CampaignTrips.Contact socials@norwich.camra.org.uk withanyquestions.

Sat

Wed

Wed

Ourtriptojudgethe countywinnersofthe CAMRAPuboftheYear AwardstookustoSwefflingin Suffolk.TheWhiteHorseturned outtobeafinepub,butdidnot servefood,sowewenthalfamile downtheroadtotheWhiteHorse atRendham,beforereturningto ouraccommodationforthe evening,theWhiteHorseat Leiston.

Bythistimeapatternwas emerging,reinforcedbyourshort journeytoFramlinghamnextday whichtookuspastanother coupleofWhiteHorses,maybe Easton,Badhamortheonein Framlinghamitself.Surelyitis coincidence,butmaybenot. TheWhatPub.comoraclerevealed thatthereareorwerewellover doublethenumberofWhite HorsesinthecountyasRedLions, consideredtobethemost commonpubname.Sure,Suffolk

isknownforitshorses,butwhen wecameacrosstheFramlingham HorseShowallthebeautiful SuffolkPuncheswere‘chesnut’,as theysaylocally.

AsIlayhalfawakeonthehot summernight,Iconjuredupall kindsofpossibleexplanations. Maybetheywerenamedin honouroftheheroofthefirst WembleyCupfinalin1923,the WhiteHorsethathelpedtoclear thepitchallowingtheone-time world’smostexpensiveplayer, DavidJacktoscorethefirstgoal inBoltonWanderers’triumph. PerhapsthereareWhiteHorses cutintothechalkhillsidesnearby, butifthereareIcertainlydidn’t seethem.

PerhapstherewasasuperWhite Horsefromwhichgenerationsof othersuperhorsesdescended,in thesamewaytheDurhamOx revolutionisedcattlebreeding?

MaybealocalWhiteHorsewon theGrandNationalandlotsof villagersmadeafortune.A generalofferingtobuyhis demobbedsoldiersapub providedtheycalleditTheWhite Horseafterhisfavouritemount?

Ajoblotofpubsignsgoing cheap?AreferencetotheWhite HorseofHanover,demonstrating supportforthemonarchsfrom thatdynasty?Wouldn’twantthe Kingtosuspectthatwesupport thosehorridJacobites,nosir! Convincedbyanyofthesewild theories?No,meneither.

WhatIcansayisthatEastSuffolk isabeautifulpartoftheworld. Visitit,meetyourfriendsthere. Butrememberthatifyouagreeto rendezvousintheWhiteHorse, youmayneedtobeveryclear whichoneyoumean.

■ JeffHoyle