Greater ManchesterCider & PerryFestival – see centrepages

2 OPENING TIMES June 2011

The Crown Inn, Heaton Lane16 Handpumps

Real Cider Guest Lagers Foreign BeersLunches Served

12 - 3pm Monday - FridaySpecial Occasions Catered For

Folk & Acoustic night

every Tuesday from 8.30 pm

Come along and have a sing or strumOpen every day from Noon

http://thecrowninn.uk.com/

Proud to be a CAMRA NationalPub of the Year 2008 finalist

June 2011 OPENING TIMES 3

THE Bulls Head has seen many owners and changes oflayout over the years. I first knew it as a fairly drearyWilsons pub. Burtonwood Brewery then came and went

with little discernable change. However the pub is now ownedby Marston’s and several years ago it underwent a dramatictransformation.

The pub was knocked through and this is one of the rareexamples where removing the internal walls has worked to apub’s benefit. It’s a stylish yet traditional place the wholedominated by the bar counter facing the main entrance onLondon Road. And on the bar is a cluster of handpumpsdispensing beers from the large portfolio of beers produced byMarston’s and its various subsidiaries. Quality is consistentlyhigh – as you would expect in a pub that now seems to be afixture in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide.

There is also a popular food offer here with both a regularmenu and daily specials available at lunchtimes and earlyevening. Add in a legendary quiz night on Tuesdays and youhave the makings of a great pub.

Of course what makes any good pub is the people. Those whouse it and those who run it. While the Bulls Head attracts its fairshare of passing trade (being opposite Piccadilly Station itcould scarcely do otherwise) it also has a loyal band of regularswho ensure it has that “local” feel that belies its city centrelocation. The bar staff are welcoming, knowledgeable andefficient. And of course all this is made possible by the hardwork and commitment of business partners Mui-Heng andKeith William who have been running the Bulls Head for aboutfive and half years now. It is their attention to detail andcommitment to quality that has made the Bulls Head theundoubted success it is today. This well deserved award willbe presented on Thursday 30 June from about 8pm.

The Pub of the Month award is sponsored by Stephensons, alocal family firm that has been supplying the local pub andcatering trade for over 140 years. Check out their advert on thispage.

The Stockport & South Manchester CAMRA Pubof the Month for June is the Bulls Head on LondonRoad, Manchester. Here John Clarke sings itspraises.

4 OPENING TIMES June 2011

Floral Dance3.6%

A pale and fruitysession beer, withbody that is morethan a match formany stronger

beers!

Hameldon Bitter3.8%

An unusually darktraditional bitter,with a dry and

assertive characterthat develops in

the finish.

Sunshine5.3%

A hoppy and bittergolden beer with acitrus character.

The lingering finishis dry and spicy.

Pitch Porter5%

A full bodied, richbeer with a slightlysweet, malty start,counter-balanced

with sharp bitternessand an obvious roastbarley dominance.

Rossendale Ale4.2%

A malty aromaleads to a complex,

malt dominatedflavour, supported

by a dry,increasingly bitter

finish.

Railway Sleeper4.2%

An amber, uniquelyintense bitter andhoppy beer, stillbrewed with our

Stockport drinkersin mind.

Our ales can all be sampled at The Griffin, Haslingden;The Railway, Portwood Stockport or The Sportsman, Hyde.

June 2011 OPENING TIMES 5

Opening Times - InformationOpening Times is produced by the Stockport & South ManchesterBranch of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale. Additional material issupplied by the High Peak & NE Cheshire, Trafford & Hulme, NorthManchester and Macclesfield & E Cheshire Branches. The viewsexpressed are not necessarily those of CAMRA either locally ornationally. 7200 copies a month are printed by Phil Powell Printing ofFailsworth. All articles copyright CAMRA unless otherwise stated.

News, articles and letters are welcome to the editorial address – 45,Bulkeley St, Edgeley, Stockport, SK3 9HD. E-mail –stocam@btinternet.com. Phone 0161 477 1973. Advertising rates onrequest.

Postal subscriptions are available at £9.00 for 12 issues (make chequespayable to Opening Times). Apply to John Tune, 4 Sandown Road,Cheadle Heath, Stockport, SK3 0JF.

Trading Standards – for complaints about short measure pints etccontact Consumer Direct (North West). Consumer Direct works with allthe Trading Standards services in the North West and is supported bythe Office if Fair Trading. You can email Consumer Direct using a secureemail system on their website ( www.consumerdirect.gov.uk ) which alsoprovides advice, fact sheets and model letters on a range of consumerrights. Their telephone no. is 0845 404 05 06.

Opening Times – CommentThis was written before Stockport Beer & Cider Festival. I hope you allhad a thoroughly good time. We will have a review next month. Howeveras one festival finishes, more come over the horizon.

First up is the inaugural Greater Manchester Cider & Perry Festival.This is a brand new venture and there is more information on pages 10and 11. We think this might currently be the only CAMRA festival solelydedicated to cider and perry so we are keen for it to succeed. It’s in acentral City Centre venue so please do try and call in.

Early next month (Friday 8 and Saturday 9) is the Chorlton BeerFestival held, as usual, at St Clements Church on Edge Lane. This isalways a very enjoyable event with a great range of beer and cider.Again, well worth making the journey.

Finally – you will see on page six the list of contenders for this year’sGreater Manchester Pub of the Year. I think it’s fair to say that this timeround there is one of the strongest fields we have had for some years socompetition will be particularly fierce. We will bring you news of thewinner later in the year.

Copy Date for the July issue is Wednesday 15 June

Contributors to this issue: John Clarke, John Tune, Dave Hanson,Peter Butler, Robin Wignall, Peter Edwardson, Frank Wood, PhilBooton, Jim Flynn, Mike Rose, Mark McConachie, Caroline O’Donnell,John O’Donnell, Beverley Gobbett, Andy Jenkinson, John Sutcliffe, JonGobbett, Steven Swain, Rob Lea, Jim Flynn, Dave Burston, Adrian Palmer

Opening Times 322 - ContentsPub of the Month 3Regional POTY finalists 6Stagger 7High Peak Pub Scene 9Cider & Perry Awards 10Cider Festival 10The Moss Cider Project 11

Curmudgeon 13Clubbing Together 14Farewell to Studio 7 14Trafford & Hulme 15Brewery News 16Pub News 17

Local CAMRA branches organise regular events in pubs across theregion – members of other branches & general public are welcome toattend except some Branch business meetings (contact branch contactif in doubt). Organising branch in brackets.JuneSaturday 11th – Hulme Social: 1pm Salutation, Higher Chatham St; 2pmJunction, Rolls Crescent. Finish Britons Protection (TRH)Saturday 11th – Saturday Dawdle: Marble Arch 2pm; Angel 3.15pm; DucieBridge 4.15pm (NM)Tuesday 14th – Meet the Brewer: Oddest, Chorlton – meet the peoplebehind Bollington Brewery. From 7.30pm (TRH)Thursday 16th – Carrington/Flixton Social: 8pm Windmill, Carrington; 9pmChurch, Flixton. (TRH)Saturday 18th – Trip to Leeds – provisional – contact branch for details(TRH)Sunday 19th – Mild Magic Awards Evening; Crown, Heaton Lane,Stockport. From 7pm (SSM)Wednesday 22nd – Gardens Crawl 1: Marble Arch 7.30pm; Bar Fringe8.30pm; Port Street Beer House 9pm (NM)Friday 24th – Gorton Stagger: 7.30pm Pineapple, Garratt Way; 8.30Plough, Hyde Road (SSM)Sunday 26th – Chorlton Bring & Share BBQ: St Clements Church, EdgeLane, Chorlton. Starts 1pm (TRH)Wednesday 29th – Gardens Crawl 2: Ape & Apple 7.30pm; Cask 8.30pm;Rain Bar 9pm (NM)Thursday 30th – Pub of the Month presentation to the Bulls Head,Manchester (SSM)Thursday 30th – Stretford Social: 8pm Melville, Barton Rd; 9.15 MetroClub, Moss Rd; finish Trafford Social Club, Moss Rd. (TRH)

JulySaturday 2nd – Independents’ Day Treasure Hunt – Starts Crown &Kettle, Oldham St, 12 noon. (All)Saturday 2nd - boat trip from Bollington (4pm) to Marplewith food at pub afterwards. Beer will be for sale on the boat.Contact 07986 458517 to book (HPNC)Monday 4th – Pub of the Season presentation: Egerton Arms, Chelford.From 8pm (MEC)Wednesday 6th – Social at Trackside, Bolton. From 8pm (NM)Friday 8th–Saturday 9th – Chorlton Beer Festival, St Clements Church,Edge Lane. (All)

CAMRA Branch Business MeetingsWednesday 15th – Unicorn, Church St, Manchester. Starts 7.30pm (NM)Thursday 16th – Shortened Branch Meeting and New Faces Event.Meeting ends at 9.30 followed by social and buffet. Free pint for newfaces. Arden Arms, Millgate, Stockport. Starts 8.30pm. (SSM)Saturday 18th - AGM & Social: Ramsays Bar, Buckingham Hotel, Buxton.Starts 1.30pm (HPNC)Thursday 7th July – New Lloyds, Wilbraham Rd, Chorlton (upstairs room).Start 8pm (TRH)

Your Local CAMRA Branches:

SSM: Stockport & South Manchester www.ssmcamra.org.ukContact: Mark McConachie 0161 429 9356, mark.mcconachie@o2.co.ukNM – North Manchester www.northmanchestercamra.org.ukContact: Phil Booton 0161 957 7148, phbooton@hotmail.comHPNC – High Peak & North Cheshire www.hpneccamra.org.ukContact: Mike Rose 07986 458517. mikewrose@gmail.comMEC – Macclesfield & East Cheshire www.eastcheshirecamra.org.uk

Contact Tony Icke 01625 861833, contact@eastcheshirecamra.org.ukTRH – Trafford & Hulme www.thcamra.org.ukBranch Contact: John Ison 0161 962 7976, enquiries@thcamra.org.uk

What’s OnComment, Notes& Contents

6 OPENING TIMES June 2011

Regional Pub of the YearJudging will soon be underway to decide the winner of theCAMRA Greater Manchester Regional Pub of the Year title. Ourregional pubs of the year have a very good track record in thenational Pub of the Year competition with many finalists andone overall winner in previous years. Which pub will carry thecounty flag this year? There are eight contenders.

The entry from Stockport & SouthManchester CAMRA is the Magnet,Wellington Road North, Stockport. Thepub has been transformed from a dull,pub company outlet with no cask beerinto a thriving multi-beer freehouse.There are up to 24 beers on handpump,traditional cider and a growing range offoreign bottled beers. Shortly to be thehome of Cellar Rat Brewery.

The Trafford & Hulme Branchentry is the Marble Beer Houseon Manchester Road in Chorlton.One of three Marble Brewery “tiedhouses” this bar is a popular localwith a distinct pub atmosphereselling a wide range of MarbleBrewery beers alongside guestbeers and traditional cider

The South East Lancs Branch entry is the Boars Head, MarketPlace in Leigh. Opposite the parish church, this imposing red brickbuilding is a true free house selling two Moorhouse’s beers and twoever-changing guests.

The Rochdale Oldham & Bury Branch entrant is the ever popularHare & Hounds at Holcombe Brook, north of Bury. This is a large,rural community pub with a bright and friendly atmosphere. Thereare ten cask ales on handpump and these include guest beers fromacross the UK. Two beer festivals are held each year (March andSeptember) and these feature a huge range of beers.

The North Manchester CAMRAPub of the Year is another MarbleBrewery outlet – the famousMarble Arch on Rochdale Road inManchester. Known also for itstiled interior and excellent food,the wide range of Marble beers (onboth handpump and in bottle) isaccompanied by guest beers andtraditional cider.

The High Peak & North EastCheshire Branch has chosen theWhite Lion in Disley. The pub hasbeen transformed over the pastfour years. Eight handpumps nowdispense ever changing guestbeers, many sourced from microbrewers. In addition a popularbeer festival takes place everyAugust. There is also excellentpub food

Bolton CAMRA has chosen the Bank Top Brewery Tap. This is avery new pub in its present guise. As the name implies this is the firsttied house run by the local Bank Top Brewery which has taken overand transformed a previously run down pub. It now features the fullrange of Bank Top beers plus guests from around the UK.

The final entry, from Wigan Branch, is the Masons Arms on Carr MillRoad in Billinge. This pub has been run by the same family for manyyears now and this welcome continuity has gone to make a cosy,welcoming pub. The beer range changes all the time with guestbeers from local breweries and those further afield.

June 2011 OPENING TIMES 7June 2011 OPENING TIMES 7Stagger….The Delights of DidsburyWith John Sutcliffe

Our March stagger started at theGateway at Parrs Wood at 7.30p.m. on Friday 18. This was a large

multi-roomed building with a central darkwood bar serving on one side into a largefunction room with raised stage area, wherea band was tuning up for a performancelater. This went on for some time and was abit loud, especially when the drummernearly gave a member of our party a heartattack with a sudden outburst. There was asmall function room upstairs. A rather moreSpartan vault, with dart board and largetelevision was at the rear and on theopposite side of the bar to the main functionroom was a rather luxurious pool room withbookshelves and a real fireplace. Therewas another small room at the front.

At the time the Gateway was owned byHydes Brewery but it has now been sold toWetherspoons. The beers were Hydes,Manchester’s Finest, a good pint andO’Finnegans Irish style stout, brewed byHydes, that was even better.

Avoiding the keg only Bell House on ParrsWood Lane we made our way into Didsburyvillage. The Fat Loaf, that used to be theSteak & Kebab House sometimes has realale but not on this occasion so we took ourcustom to the Didsbury, a Chef & BrewerHouse and a past Pub of the Month winner.

It was busy, with a largely youngishclientele, if you discount the eight or soCAMRA members on the stagger, for whomthe first blush of youth has passed. Therewere a few people waiting for a table as thefood area was full. This is probably in theupper range of chain dining but is quitedrinker friendly for a food orientatedestablishment. There is a room upstairs butthis was closed for a wedding the next day.Opposite the bar are tables set aside fordrinkers and there was an adequate choice.Three people had the Youngs bitter whichwas good at £2.68 a pint but the Adnams

Broadside although £3.10 was scoredhigher by the other five. There was alsoCourage Directors bitter.

A seasonal beer festival ran from 15February until 29 March with five changingcask beers on each week. A leaflet listingthe beers was available and also gavetasting notes and a guide to matching beerstyles to food types.

We bypassed the Olde Cock, Loch Fynethat had no real ale and continued into thecentre of Didsbury village, to the Crown, atraditional pub with low ceiling.

Emphasis here is on providing excellentquality, cask conditioned real ale. Five of ustried the Wee Shimmy brewed by Sadler’s,at Lye, Stourbridge while the rest favouredBoondoggle. Both scored well. WellsBombardier was also available but no onetried this. An informative leaflet quoted theCyclops scheme tasting notes and a mapon the back showed the location of thebreweries.

Our next venue, although not strictly on thisstagger was the Nelson, perhaps a moreworking class pub, with a lively atmosphereas it was karaoke night. Beers wereJennings Cumberland and Copper Dragonbest bitter. We missed out the Dog andPartridge which is also on another stagger.

The Fletcher Moss, formerly the Albertwas sampled next. There are small roomsand alcoves at the front but the main room

extends on either side of a central bar andthere is a seating area in a largeconservatory at the rear. As it is a very busyand popular Hydes establishment, wefound room to sit outside in the covered,heated area, suitable for smokers. OnMondays, a quiz night alternates with live

acoustic music, mostly folk. One persontried the O’Finnegans Irish style stout, goodbut perhaps not quite as good as in theGateway. The York bitter had just gone offand no one tried the Hydes Original bitter orthe 1863, the alternative to the caramel richdark mild. Hydes have now discontinuedtheir standard mild. So the Manchester’sFinest and the Allgates, Super Alpha werethe beers of choice. Both were very good;well over Good Beer Guide standard. TheFletcher Moss does not do food but hot piesand bar snacks are available.

And so to end the stagger we finished theevening at the Royal Oak. Famous for itsgenerous lunch time ploughmans andvariety of cheeses, it was just as busy andlively on Friday night. Four had the Paddy’sTout that scored highly, as did theMarston’s Pedigree, while the JenningsGolden Host tried by three people, scoredslightly lower but was still good.

Altogether this was a great convivialevening with a very high standard and goodvariety of beers. This is not surprising asthere were at least four places that havebeen Pub of the Month in the last few years.

8 OPENING TIMES June 2011

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Pale Moonlight, Midsummer Madness, Bantam,White Monk, Black Shadow, March Hare,

May Fly, Sticky Wicket, Double Gold,Flash Flood, Black Bee, White Tornado,

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June 2011 OPENING TIMES 9

Peak PracticeWith Robin WignallThe May edition of Cheshire Life, that glossymagazine with adverts for very expensivehouses and articles about society weddingsand hunt balls, had a supplement, theCheshire Life Pub Guide Summer 2011. TheGuide is a brief and select collection of a scoreof pubs. The only Peak District pub with anentry is the Ryles Arms at Sutton,Macclesfield. This little A6 size guide is goodon food and facilities. All the pubs chosenserve real ale, but there are no details of beersavailable. Pubs with ‘excellent ales and tastyfood’ have been chosen. These seem to bethe criteria for selection for this little guide. Nochance of selection being subject to thevagaries of branch democracy which soenhance the Good Beer Guide. Neither isthere a great need to rush out to buy May’sCheshire Life.

Sutton has featured in recent editions ofOpening Times and Out Inn Cheshire as thehome of Red Willow Brewery. Good to seeanother new brewery on the fringe of the PeakDistrict. Red Willow beers have been at theOld Hall, Whitehough, where Feckless andWreckless were available, and at New MillsBeer Festival. They are very recommendable.

The spring edition of Potters Bar reports onthe short move being made by the WincleBrewery in the south west of the Peak District.These are also beers worth seeking out.

The latest information from Birch Vale is thatthe Grouse may have re-opened, contrary toexpectations. This is a bit of good news. Workis continuing towards the re-opening of theSoldier Dick in Furness Vale. On the downside comes the confirmation that the longclosed Navigation in Whaley Bridge now hasplanning permission for conversion to fourflats.

Special event and seasonal beers have beenwidely available. The various breweries in theMarston’s empire are usually well representedat the Shepherds Arms in Whaley Bridge.Marston’s Perfect Union was a royal weddingbrew. Wychwood have produced a springbrew, Elderwych. Ringwood Lovey Warne is atribute to the Australian cricketer ShaneWarne. This was a good pale, hoppy beer.Jennings Golden Host, their WilliamWordsworth tribute beer, and WychwoodPaddy’s Tout were available in March andApril. It was also the time of year for Marston’sDouble Drop, also available at the ShadyOak, Fernilee. This is hoppier than Marston’sBitter.

The White Hart, in Whaley Bridge, in commonwith other Punch pubs, has been able toaccess Wadworth St. George and BrainsBread of Heaven. Brains have also produceda Dylan Thomas tribute beer, Mikwood, a4.2% nut brown ale, a good brew of its style

but would it have been the poet’s favouritetipple? The White Horse in Whaley often hastwo guest beers. A recent good brew wasWold Top Voluptuous Vicki, pale and hoppy.

The Navigation at Buxworth continues tosource unusual beers. In April beers fromFlipside Brewery, Nottingham and fromClark’s at Wakefield were available.

At the Cock in Whaley Bridge up to fiveRobinson’s beers are available, including theseasonal. The once unusual Old Stockporthas been selling well. The promotion of foodcontinues to be successful and has beenextended into a Breakfast Club at 11.00 onSaturday and Sunday. Seems to be a goodchance to feed up for a good day in PeakDistrict pubs

High Peak Pub NewsWith Frank WoodThe latest new brew at the Globe brew pub inGlossop is Toby Porter 4.3%, named bylandlord Ron after his grandson, who is alsothe regular weekend food waiter at the pub. Arecent line up of beers brewed on thepremises and on sale at the bar in mid Maywas: Globe Wheat Beer 3.9%, Comet 4.3%,Blondie 3.9%, Vulcan 4.5% and Amber 3.9%along with the porter. All beers range from£1.80 to £2.00 pint; excellent value. Rosie thechef has added further choice to the menulately, now including a home made ice creamselection and also prepares her own samosasand spicy veg rolls.

This month sees the Hare & Hounds atSimmondley hold its annual beer festival on24th - 26th June. Buses stop on the way intoGlossop at the former Junction pub, by the twomini roundabouts and from there, it’s a 15minute walk all uphill to the top ofSimmondley. On a recent visit, the regularTetleys Bitter was joined by RobinsonsUnicorn, Draught Bass and Brains Bread ofHeaven.

The Grouse at Birch Vale reopened early inMay after a period of uncertainty. It now has aChinese food franchise operating and a workcolleague of mine stated it was excellent andhis family would definitely be going backregularly.

The Lowes Arms at Denton was the startingpoint for a recent Branch pub crawl. As isnormal, a Hornbeam beer was on offer, thepub being the nearest regular outlet of thebrewery, Voyager was 3.9% and was joinedby Brakspears Bitter, Ringwood Bitter andPhoenix White Tornado. No comments weremade that any of them were not in fine form.

In Furness Vale, the Soldier Dick on BuxtonRoad, has had lots of activity recently, as itwas being prepared to re-open and it did so inearly May, bought outright as a free housewith cask ale. More news on this next month.

The Queens Arms at Old Glossop has againchanged hands with Tetleys Bitter, RobinsonsUnicorn and guest beers available. Of late,the Wheatsheaf and Bulls Head, both only100 yards away, have been excellent andcontinue to be so, with all three pubs alsoserving food. Old Glossop is certainly a greatplace to drink real ale at the moment.

In New Mills, the Royal Oak, a Robinsons pubon the main street, had Unicorn, Hatters andthe seasonal beer on sale when I dropped inrecently. The Torrs across the road hadTheakston’s Black Bull but at the Pride of thePeaks, opposite the bus terminus, no real aleis served. In Poynton, the Kings on LondonRoad South has Black Sheep Bitter only, butplans to extend the range soon.

Over to Buxton, good reports continue tocome in about the Wye Bridge House(Wetherspoons) but the Mood Bar has shutand the Robin Hood on London Road isclosed, pending a new tenant. In Newton, Ipopped into the Railway recently, once a wellregarded Boddingtons pub near to Newtonstation. Disappointingly there were twohandpumps on the bar with pumpclips on, buton asking for a pint, I was told that this wasonly to advertise the beers and they wereactually a keg version of the beer. I declinedthis misleading advertisement and left.

Pub of the SeasonAt a presentation on the evening of Monday9th May, the Royal Hotel in Hayfield wasawarded the Pub of the Season for Summer2011.

The Ash family have been running the pub forseveral years and are very enterprising andpassionate in their choice of beers, using localbreweries wherever they can, as well as thestaple Hydes Bitter. On the Monday, beerswere available from Wincle Brewery, Ossett,RedWillow and Happy Valley when we arrivedand by the end of the night three of them hadbeen changed. Geoff Williamson (above right)presented the framed award that was pre-arranged after the Branch meeting. The Royalalso hold a very successful annual beerfestival each October and offer occasionalentertainment evenings from the concert roomat the rear.

High Peak Pub SceneFrank Wood with Pubs News from High Peak & North East Cheshire CAMRA plusRobin Wignall’s monthly round-up of the Peak District Pub scene

10 OPENING TIMES June 2011Cider & Perry NewsNational Cider & Perry ChampionsCAMRA’s National Cider & Perry Championship was held at Stockport Beer & Cider Festival for the firstfew years of its life. However it has now found a permanent home at Reading Beer Festival, held over thelast weekend in April. Here are the results from this year’s contest.

Cider – winner wasa relative newcomer“Hard Core” fromVirtual OrchardCider of Wolverton,Bucks. Silver wentto Gwynt y DdraigBlack Dragon whileBronze went toHartland’s SweetCider.

Perry – winner wasformer Stockportwinner Rathays forPainted Lady. Gwynt yDdraig got anothersilver for Two Treesand joint Bronzewinners were OliversMedium and Ralph’sOld Badland.

Greater Manchester Cider & Perry FestivalWITH the success of cider bars at beer festivals within the region, some of your

CAMRA cider representatives have got together to bring you the First GreaterManchester CAMRA Cider & Perry Festival. The festival will be held on 24 & 25

of June between the hours of 12.00 – 22.30.

It will be held at Copper Face Jacks in the Palace Hotel, Manchester M60 7HA. Theentrance is on the corner of Oxford Street and Whitworth Street, which is opposite OxfordRoad train station (and is pictured below). The admission prices are on the door at £2.00.£1.00 for CAMRA members.

We are looking for volunteers from within Greater Manchester CAMRA to work at thefestival both when open to the public and during set-up and take-down. Staff are requiredfor a variety of roles including staffing the bar, running the glasses stand, staffing the

CAMRA membership stall. For set-up and take down the majority of thework is manual labour but there are also lighter duty roles such as

putting up publicity - all help appreciated. If volunteering for set-upand take down, if you have your own safety footwear, pleasewear it. Gloves and high-visibility vests will be provided.

Don't think you have to be a cider or perry expert to help out!There will be informal training about cider and perry for the

volunteers who know a little but are enthusiastic to learn more andof course the jobs away from serving on the bar which need to be

filled for the festival to be a success.

Set-up starts on Thursday 23rd June. The festival will be open tothe public between noon and 10:30pm on Friday 24th andSaturday 25th June 2011 (Staff required 11am - 11pm), Take-down will take place on Sunday 26th June. . If you would like tobe a staff volunteer please contact Phil Moss onphil55494@gmail.com

There will be 60 tubs of cider and  perry so lots of choice,with  something for everybody. The list was still being puttogether as we went to press but expect to see award winnerssuch as ciders from Virtual Orchard, Gwynt y Ddraig, Broadoak,Hartlands, Pickled Pig and Rosie’s. On the perry front you canexpect to see products from the likes of Rathays, Olivers,Ralph’s, Hecks and Cromwell. There will be food to soak upsome of the cider and perry or if you are driving soft drinks areavailable.

This event is a first for the Greater Manchester Branches of CAMRA and indeed this maywell be the only dedicated CAMRA run cider and perry festival. We are keen to make theevent a success so if you are at all interested in cider and perry please take time to dropin, try a few glasses and chat about all things apples and pears.

June 2011 OPENING TIMES 11

The Moss Cider ProjectThis is an interesting and exciting project which had its public launchat the Port Street Beer House on 24 May. It is, in short, a Manchesterbased community cider maker which at the same time aims to see asmany local people a possible planting apple trees and harvestingapples. The man behind it is Dan Hasler a native of Cirencester (inthe heart of traditional cider country) and now an adopted Mancunian.Boundlessly enthusiastic he has now been rewarded by the sight ofthe project’s cider – fruity, spritzy with a champagne–like echo –launched to public acclaim. Only limited quantities have beenproduced so far but this sounds like it will grow and grow. Check outthe website at www.themossciderproject.org

Greater Manchester Cider & Perry Festival

ITH the success of cider bars at beer festivals within the region, some of yourCAMRA cider representatives have got together to bring you the First GreaterManchester CAMRA Cider & Perry Festival. The festival will be held on 24 & 25

of June between the hours of 12.00 – 22.30.

It will be held at Copper Face Jacks in the Palace Hotel, Manchester M60 7HA. Theentrance is on the corner of Oxford Street and Whitworth Street, which is opposite OxfordRoad train station (and is pictured below). The admission prices are on the door at £2.00.

We are looking for volunteers from within Greater Manchester CAMRA to work at thefestival both when open to the public and during set-up and take-down. Staff are requiredfor a variety of roles including staffing the bar, running the glasses stand, staffing the

CAMRA membership stall. For set-up and take down the majority of thework is manual labour but there are also lighter duty roles such as

putting up publicity - all help appreciated. If volunteering for set-upand take down, if you have your own safety footwear, pleasewear it. Gloves and high-visibility vests will be provided.

Don't think you have to be a cider or perry expert to help out!There will be informal training about cider and perry for the

volunteers who know a little but are enthusiastic to learn more andof course the jobs away from serving on the bar which need to be

filled for the festival to be a success.

Set-up starts on Thursday 23rd June. The festival will be open tothe public between noon and 10:30pm on Friday 24th andSaturday 25th June 2011 (Staff required 11am - 11pm), Take-down will take place on Sunday 26th June. . If you would like tobe a staff volunteer please contact Phil Moss on

There will be 60 tubs of cider and  perry so lots of choice,with  something for everybody. The list was still being puttogether as we went to press but expect to see award winnerssuch as ciders from Virtual Orchard, Gwynt y Ddraig, Broadoak,Hartlands, Pickled Pig and Rosie’s. On the perry front you canexpect to see products from the likes of Rathays, Olivers,Ralph’s, Hecks and Cromwell. There will be food to soak upsome of the cider and perry or if you are driving soft drinks are

This event is a first for the Greater Manchester Branches of CAMRA and indeed this maywell be the only dedicated CAMRA run cider and perry festival. We are keen to make theevent a success so if you are at all interested in cider and perry please take time to dropin, try a few glasses and chat about all things apples and pears.

Cider & Perry News

12 OPENING TIMES June 2011

321 Deansgate, Manchester4 cask beers including guest ales

Home cooked food every day 12 noon - 8pm

Open 12 - 11 Sunday to Thursday12 - 2am Friday & SaturdayTelephone 0161 839 5215

The Deansgate

Roof Barand Terrace

Function Roomfor Hire

HOME OF ENGLISH FOODAND REAL CASK ALES

Banks of the Irwell,Opposite Peoples History Museum

Stanley Street, Salford M3 5EJPhone : 01618324080www.markaddy.co.uk

The Waters Green TavernLocal

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Cheshire SK11 6LHTel 01625 422653

Ever Changing Guest Beers including:Buxton, Off Beat, Thornbridge, Oakham,

Phoenix, Townhouse, Abbeydaleand many more.

Your Hosts, Brian and Tracey Bar Meals Served Mon to Sat Lunch

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June 2011 OPENING TIMES 13

Driving Customers Away

LAST year yet another official report was produced, this timeby Sir Peter North, proposing the reduction of the UKdrink-driving limit from 80mg to 50mg. This offered no new

evidence, and earlier this year it was rejected by TransportSecretary Philip Hammond, arguing that the vast majority ofdrink-related road deaths involve drivers well over the currentlimit, and cutting the limit by itself would do nothing to changetheir behaviour. For the first time, an official response on theissue actually acknowledged the potential effect on thehospitality trade. Licensees and customers of rural, suburbanand small town pubs will no doubt have felt considerably relievedby this decision.

However, it could be argued that many of the supposed benefitsof a lower limit have already been achieved, with a change inpublic attitudes over the past twenty or so years leading to agrowing reluctance to drive after drinking even within the legallimit. In the early years of the breathalyser law, this was widelyregarded as normal and responsible behaviour, and many pubsprospered on this “car trade”.  Indeed, the ultimate high watermark of beer sales in British pubs was not reached until twelveyears later in 1979. However, from the mid-80s onwards, therewas a distinct shift towards the view that drivers shouldn’t touchso much as a half of lager, which has become commonplaceamongst new entrants to the driving population.

There are still plenty of people from their mid-forties upwardswho continue to do what they have always done, although theirranks are steadily being thinned by advancing years. But,amongst their younger counterparts, the kinds of people who inthe 1970s would have routinely gone to the pub in the car anddrink a couple of legal pints haven’t, by and large, found analternative means to get there, they have simply stopped goingin that kind of regular, moderate way, although they may stillhave a weekend blow-out. Now it could be said that this isbeneficial to road safety, although whether much additional riskis caused by someone driving after a couple of pints of ordinarybitter is questionable. But, over the past two decades, thischange in attitudes has undoubtedly been a prime cause of thelong-term decline of the pub trade outside of major urban centres.

I Don’t Like the Taste

FROM time to time you hear people who don’t drink claimthat they simply don’t like the taste of alcohol. If peoplechoose not to drink because they are concerned about the

potential effects, then fair enough, although they are missing outon one of the great pleasures of life. They are entitled to theirview and I would not criticise them for it, although I would expectthe same tolerance to be extended to those who do drinkprovided they don’t make fools of themselves.

But “I don’t like the taste” always strikes me as being aparticularly feeble rationalisation. Alcoholic drinks cover a hugespectrum of different tastes, and many don’t really taste “ofalcohol” at all. For example, I recently tried some alcoholic rootbeer which was impossible to distinguish from the soft drinkversion. Have they really tried everything from Liebfraumilch tocask-strength Laphroaig and decided that nothing appeals?People may be vegetarian on principle, but you never hear themclaiming that they don’t like the taste of meat, especially when itspans such a wide range of flavours from venison to oysters.Non-drinkers would be respected more if they were honest abouttheir motivations.

Curmudgeon Online: www.curmudgeoncolumns.blogspot.com

14 OPENING TIMES June 2011

THE CRESCENT18-21 the crescent , Salford , Lancs

www.thecrescentsalford.co.uk01617365600

CURRY NIGHT EVERY WEDNESDAY 1700-2000CHOOSE UPTO 3 CURRIES FOR £5.00

Up to 9 Real Ales availableUp to 4 Real Ciders

Quiz night every Monday night for 21.30Curry night every Wednesday night 5-8

Car park & beer garden to the rear of the buildingFood served 7 days a week !!

Opening Hours:Mon – Thurs:- 1200-2300

Fri & Sat:- 1200-2300Sun :- 1200-2230

Clubbing TogetherIN the first of a new feature, Opening Times takes a look at the

often forgotten alternative to the pubs and bars – the privatesocial club. While to many private member clubs may conjure up

one of two images – a group of workers in work wear supping pintsof bitter at the end of a hard days toil or that of suited toffs sittinground a roaring fire with glasses of brandy. However, in reality mostclubs aren't as polarised.

We start the series with aclub that may be familiar toSouth Manchester drinkers -St Catherine's Social Clubon School Lane in Didsbury,the home of Didsbury BeerFestival since 2009. Openevery evening from 7.30pm(and 12-5 on Sundayafternoons), the club issituated a short walk fromDidsbury Village about halfway between Wilmslow Road andKingsway. St Catherine's was established 36 years ago by theparish priest of the Catholic church next door but was and still is anon-denominational club open to all regardless of faith.

Guests are welcome into the club at any time – in fact it is club policyto give potential members a chance to try the club before joining. Allthey ask is that by your third visit you join the club – at the princelysum of £3 a year (£2 for OAPs).

Like many clubs, offers a range of drinks at keen prices. The houseale is Sam Smiths Old Brewery Bitter at just £1.88 a pint – anabsolute bargain for Didsbury. As well as Sam Smiths, there isalways at least one guest ale on, usually selected from eitherBollington or Dunham Massey breweries and sold at £2.32 a pint.On busy weekends there is often a second guest.

Live sports are shown on the two big screens in the lounge bar –although the club is often at its busiest during big matches, it is stillpossible to get a seat when the other local pubs are packed. Theclub hosts a quiz night on Wednesdays with cash and drinks prizesand on Thursdays there is bingo from 9pm with prizes including a£50 "snowball".

St Catherine's is a friendly welcoming club. With good quality caskale at keen prices and plenty of seating, it is a real alternative to thehustle and bustle of Didsbury village.

St Catherine's Social Club, School Lane, Didsbury, Manchester,M20 6HS (0161) 445 0577 http://saintcatherines.org.uk/

If you would like your club to feature here – please feel free to submitan article to the editor – contact details on page 3.

Farewell to Studio 7When the BBCPhilharmonic left Studio7 at Oxford Road, whereit has rehearsed andrecorded for 30 years,for pastures new atMedia City, they threw aparty to mark theoccasion.

Percussionist, andCAMRA member Rob

Lea, pictured left above, purchased a couple of casks of Bank TopBrewery’s Flat Cap which drew praise from everyone, includingChief Conductor Gianandrea Noseda. He found that although, as anItalian, he normally drinks wine, he thought this beer to be very goodindeed. Our photo shows orchestra members enjoying their beerwhile the Maestro pulls a pint with a suitably dramatic expression.

June 2011 OPENING TIMES 15

Pubs, Supermarkets, Offices, Hotels

WHO cares? We do. In CAMRA all members are encouragedto assist their Communities to keep Our Pubs as CommunityPubs and a service to all.

Just in the last few months Trafford & Hulme CAMRA have heard aboutthe Huntsman in Sale becoming a Londis. The Bridge in Altrinchambeing under compulsory purchase to make way for a new developmentto include a hotel, shops, ice rink and flats. Corbans in Hale is tobecome a locksmiths, officeand apartments. The Hope inHulme (pictured right) hasfeatured in the newspapers onnumerous occasions recentlyas it is has been lived in bysquatters, all the interior hasbeen ripped out and it isearmarked to become aChinese Takeaway. TheCommercial down Liverpoolroad in the City Centre ispurported to become a larger hotel than it is currently with a soullessbar not selling cask beers. Hopefully, we can believe the rumour thatthe Landlord has a seven year lease and intends to go nowhere. Alsothe Salutation in the City Centre is purported to have been bought byMMU and may become a car park.

Over the last few years this branch has seen the Railway in Altrinchamdemolished and replaced by offices. The Cheshire Cheese inBroadheath has become a heating engineers and the Old Cock inStretford has become a builders merchants.

If you know of any pubs near you that are under threat and need anyassistance with a campaign to Save the Pub or need assistance to offeradvice on how the locals can purchase their own pub and turn it into aco-operative, then contact your local CAMRA branch and give them allof the details. All contact details can be found on our HQ website atwww.camra.org.uk and follow the link to CAMRA near you.Alternatively, see the diary at the beginning of Opening Times and goalong to one of our branch meetings or socials and speak to someoneabout your concerns.

Don’t just sit around and hope that the developers out there maychange their minds. Lets work together to keep our Local and maintainthe community service that they all provide for us.

Timperley Taverners Presentation

ON Thursday 19May, TimperleyTaverners Club

(Park Rd, Timperley)  waspresented with Trafford &Hulme Branch's Club of theYear award for the secondyear in a row. Pictured inthe club's newly renovatedgarden are (L-R) Trafford &Hulme branch ChairBeverley Gobbet, clubmember Veronica Hough  and joint managers Ron Smith and JayneBlackshaw

Trafford & Hulme Cider Pub of the YearTrafford & Hulme Branch have awarded their Cider Pub Of The Year toOddest on Wilbraham Road in Chorlton, this follows on from theirrecent Pub Of The Season award. The bar asked the Branch how to goabout selling cider in June last year and started selling cider the nextmonth with Black Dragon and Broadoak Perry. Nicola the bar GeneralManager is delighted with the award and is trying to get the other barsin the "chain" Odd & Odder to stock real cider and perry as well. Theaward will be presented on Sunday 12 June with the festivities startingat 2pm

TRAFFORD & Hulme Branch have voted Costello’s Bar, GooseGreen, Altrincham as their Pub Of The Season for Summer2011.The presentation will be made on the evening of Thursday

21 July 2011 from 8pm.

This is a great accoladefor a pub that has onlybeen open since earlyDecember but even in thatshort time it has becomefirmly established on theAltrincham real ale circuitand already embraces thelocal community withcycling clubs and vintagemotor cyclists meetingthere. Recently they have had the local Bollin Morris dancers andvisiting Rostherne Morris doing a wonderful display in Goose Greeninviting all onlookers to join in. Watch out for them dropping in againin November.

Costello’s Bar is the brewery tap for the Dunham Massey BrewingCompany and takes it’s name from the family name of the headbrewer, John, and his two sons, Anthony & Jason, who own and runboth the brewery and the pub. Costello’s Bar is a LocAle havenhaving six handpulls on the bar with Big Tree Bitter being a constantfeature and a mild, either Dunham Dark or Dunham Light, alwaysbeing available. On the subject of mild, Costello’s have taken part inMild Magic with an extra hand pump dispensing the infamousChocolate Cherry Mild. There is even talk of this perhaps becoming apermanent feature in the cellar so if you want to keep it there, go inand tell the person behind the bar.

The remaining handpulls dispense an ever changing selection fromthe extensive brewery portfolio. A real lager is also available,Altrincham Pilsner served using cask breather, which is also brewedat the brewery and is neither filtered or pasteurised and is very tasty.So please come along on July 21st and help us celebrate this award.

CAMRA helps landlord to serve his customers

VISITORS looking topartake in CAMRA'sMild Magic trail in April

found themselvesdisappointed when visiting theFamous Trevor Arms onBeech Road in Chorlton.Despite having successfullyparticipated in Mild Magic inprevious years due to thepopularity of mild with  hiscustomers, owners PunchTaverns  had  told managerKevin Moores that cask mild was not available to him.

When local CAMRA members got wind of this, they quickly took upthe matter and used CAMRA's considerable influence to get Punch tosee the error of their ways. Punch are Britain's biggest pub company,with over 6,000 pubs, but after  local activists and CAMRA HQcontacted Punch management at a local  and national level, theyhurriedly backed down.  The Trevor received a delivery of Bank's Mildwithin the week.

Kevin told Opening Times that it was proving very popular with hiscustomers - marking a small but significant success for CAMRA instanding up for pub customers rights to be served what they wouldlike to drink, not what somebody in an office many miles away decidesthey should drink.

16 OPENING TIMES June 2011Brewery NewsNew from RobinsonsThis month Robinsons launch the latest in thisyear’s seasonal beer range, and it promises tobe a cracker we think.Robinsons Crusoe (yes,we know) is a 3.9%session strength beer andis described as a“refreshing pale amberlager style ale witharomas of sweet malt andfine hop. Brewedtraditionally using a blendof pale barley and wheatmalts this crisp, clean tasting beer has a fullybitter and citrus palate with a lingering greenhop finish”. Sounds good – and ideal forsummer. Worth seeking out

Marble CollaborationOne feature of today’s vibrant micro brewingscene is collaboration brews whereby brewersfrom two (or more) breweries get together adevise a beer between them. Thornbridge andDark Star have been notable exponents of this.However somethingof a lead is beingtaken by MarbleBrewery which hasseveral of these inthe pipeline. Acollaboration withWhim resulted in asuperb IPA and nowthey have landed areal big fish. Lastmonth Fuller’s headbrewer John Keeling (a local lad as he hailsfrom Droylsden) travelled up from London tocreate a beer with Marble’s James Campbell.John (pictured above left) told us that he metJames at the 2010 National Winter AlesFestival trade session and this sowed theseeds of the brewing get together. He had toget the permission of the Fuller’s board andthey were happy for him to get involved – so abrand new beer is born.It is a hoppy “ESB-style” beer based onMarble’s bottled Tawny 5 but with an entirelydifferent hop regime (geeks will want to knowthat this involves bittering with Goldings,Mitueka and Galena, with Amarillo, Simcoeand a touch of Motueka used for aroma). Thefinal ABV should be about 7% and with 60bitterness units it should be quite a beer. It willbe released in about three months - mainly inbottle but some in cask.In another move it’s the end of an era asbrewing is to cease at the Marble Arch pub. Allproduction is to be concentrated at the newbrewery “down the hill” on Williamson St.While no firm decision has been taken aboutwhat will occupy the space currently used bythe brewery, we do know what will happen to

the equipment. It’s been bought by RobHamilton (a familiar face behind the bar at theMarble Arch) who will be installing this at hisnew brewery to be situated between Stockportand Levenshulme. He’s currently seekingpremises and we will let you now more aboutthis project in due course.

All ChangeA new era is dawning at Robinsons as headbrewer Chris Hellin hands over the mantleafter 24-years. Martyn Weeks who joined thecompany as quality assurance manager backin January 2010 is to be appointed as hissuccessor, and will officially take on theposition on 8 July when Chris retires.Having been in thebrewing industrythroughout his thirtythree year careerMartyn Weeks islooking forward tohelping Robinson’sin the developmentof their new multi-million poundbrewhouse facility.Martyn told us: “Thisis an exciting time totake up the position. There are going to besome great opportunities here for innovationand product development, both for our ownbrands and as a contract brewer.”The move follows Chis Hellin’s distinguished42-year career in the industry. He joinedRobinson’s in 1987 where he became headbrewer in 1994. During his time with thecompany he has played a leading role inbrand development and a number of qualityinitiatives. Most recently Chris has also beeninstrumental in the planning and design of thenew brewhouse which will re-position thecompany for the future.Chris said: “The brewing industry is constantlyevolving to meet changing demands. It hasbeen a real pleasure to play my part withinRobinson’s where an increasinglyexperimental and adventurous approach tobrand development looks set to continue.“The greatest pleasure though has been thefriendships that have grown and the sharedpassion for the brewing and pub trade. I wishthem all the very best for the future as theymeet the exciting opportunities ahead.”

Le Trappiste TripleLe Trappiste, Altrincham’s specialist BelgianBeer Café on Shaws Road, has announcedthat they are now brewing their own housebeer. ‘Le Trappiste Triple’ is a Belgian inspiredgolden ale brewed especially for Le Trappisteat the Bollington Brewery. Le Trappiste ownerMartin Matthews, who is brewing the beerhimself, explained the reasons behind the newbeer. ‘‘Since opening in 2003 Le Trappiste has

been proud to offer the largest range ofspecialist Belgian beers anywhere in the UK,at present that total number is approaching1,000. I wanted the 1,000th beer to besomething really special, something thatembodies Le Trappiste. Therefore I decided tomark the occasion by creating our own housebeer. It was only natural that we should turn toBelgium for inspiration. Le Trappiste Triple isa Belgian style beer which is a slightly bitterand hoppy cask ale, it has a good body,golden in colour with a strength of 7.5% ABV.It will be available at Le Trappiste from the 27of July on draught and in bottles.’’The beer will also beavailable at theAltrincham Bottle &Cask Beer Festival,held by Le Trappistein AltrinchamMarket, over theAugust bank holidayweekend.Martin went on toadd, ‘I would like tothank Lee and KimWainwright at the Bollington BrewingCompany for their expertise, assistance anduse of their brewery, for without their help wewouldn’t have been able to create this beer.There are several more Le Trappiste beers inthe pipeline; we hope to brew more in thecoming months. The beers will all have aBelgian influence and they will be available incask and in bottles.

Outstanding NewsThe Outstanding Brewing Company has seena massive increase in demand for its beersover the last 12 months and as a result it isnow investing to expand the breweryand  increase  brewing capacity. A new coldstorage facility  has been commissionedand additional fermenting vessels have beenordered to enable the brewery to keep up withdemand. On the cask ale front, a new yet to benamed 3.9% session beer is currently underdevelopment and will be available to the freetrade soon. Look out for Outstanding Mild at3.3%, a classic refreshing session ale.

More Brews NewsPoynton’s Worth Brewing Company didn’tmake its expected debut at Stockport BeerFestival due to some problems with the firstbrew. We are expecting the formal launchshortly – look for a full report in the near future.There were however no problems with JayKrause’s new Shaws . The first of the newShaws beers is EPA, a brand new EnglishPale Ale recipe using only pale malt along withEnglish First Gold and Northdown hops. Jay’sfirst Quantum beer is out, too. AAA (AmericanAmber Ale) is brewed using pale, crystal andamber malts along with Bravo and Summithops.

June 2011 OPENING TIMES 17

Chorlton UpdateDown Wilbraham Road into Chorlton, The Barfinally has ended a 10 month search for apermanent manager with the appointment ofTim Jackson, formerly a supervisor at sisterpub TheKnott. Theinterimperiod thatsawmanagementfrom theKnott helpingout theirsister hasultimately led to a decision by owner Vance deBechevel to strengthen the bond between thetwo pubs should see a new common identityand a number of cross promotional offers. TheBar have also just launched a new summermenu including a small tapas selection for thefirst time. On the other side of the Chorltoncrossroads, My Place has a new name – "MintBar & Grill".

Trafford LatestChristine &JamesHartley, thehusband &wife teambehind therejuvenationof Sale'sBulls Head have sadly left the pub. After twoyears during which they transformed thispreviously run down pub, introducing qualityfood and gaining a Good Beer Guide entry,they have decided that they have done all theycould with the pub. They haven't gone farthough – their new venture is the Spanishrestaurant next door! Owners Enterprise Innshave installed new management who told OTthat there were no major changes planned –by the time you read this the pub should bere-opened after a short cellar refurbishmentand OT was assured that real ale wouldremain.There is also new management at theSteamhouse in Sale. OT previously reportedthat manager Paul Scrimshaw had left the pubsuddenly in early February. He has now beenreplaced by the former manager of Urmston'sGreen Room, which shares ownership withthe Steamhouse. There remain four real aleson the bar (when OT called these were twofrom Hydes and two from Dunham MasseyBrewery) along with an impressive andregularly changing range of bottled beers fromaround the world.On Saturday 26 June, the TimperleyTaverners club on Park Road in Timperleyare holding an open day. The twice Trafford &Hulme Club of The Year will be open all day tonon-members and members alike, with arange of entertainment laid on.

City UpdateUnfortunately the plague of pub closures hashit South Manchester hard over recent weeks.First the Bowling Green in the shadow of theManchester Royal Infirmary on Grafton Streetwas closed and boarded in late April. It hasbeen followed by the former Good Beer Guidelisted Southern Hotel on Mauldeth Road inChorlton (OT believes this followed asuccessful application by the police to revoketheir licence). Northern Moor now has onlyone pub left after theboards went up at theYew Tree. A signoffering the site as a"developmentopportunity" wouldsuggest the loss maybe permanent, leavingThe Gardeners Armsas the area's only pub.The Mauldeth inBurnage has reopened after a refurbishmentbut at the moment there is no cask beer. Thedeputy manager (who used to work at theNags Head in the city centre) told OT that caskbeer will be put on in the next few weeks whenone of the lager taps is removed. We awaitdevelopmentsIn the City Centre, the Waterhouse’s KevinMuldoon has been moved to the Seven Stars,the Lloyds No.1 bar at The Printworks as partof his Wetherspoons career development.During four years at the Waterhouse, Kevinhas been instrumental in building the pub'sreputation for varied and excellent quality realales. OT wishes him all the best in his newchallengeRobinson's have recently completed a majorrefurbishment of the Tatton Arms at MossNook near Manchester Airport. In past years a"Good BeerGuide" regular,this was aclassic, largelyunspoilt pub thatmore recentlyseemed to haverather lost itsway. The core ofthe pub aroundthe bar is little changed, but it has beenextended at both ends to add a spaciousdining area finished by a huge picture window,and a striking timber-framed smoking shelter.The extensive wood panelling has mostlybeen retained, and although there is astronger emphasis on food the pub still has atraditional feel with a variety of interesting andcharacterful drinking spaces. The outdoordrinking area at the back of the pub facing theairport has also been extended andsmartened up. On our visit the beer range wasUnicorn, Hatters and Cumbria Way, theUnicorn at £2.55 a pint being quite reasonablypriced by today's standards

The Gateway in East Didsbury has nowclosed and is being converted to aWetherpoons, following its disposal by Hydes.In late May the plans for the new pub were ondisplay in the Milson Rhodes in Didsbury.In Withington, Solomon Grundy seems tohave hummed and hawed with cask beer butrecently both Black Sheep Biter and HoltsBitter have been seen on sale so hopefullythings have settled down now. There is still noobvious sign of cask beer at Bar 461, althoughthe sign outside includes "Well loved caskales" in a list of the bar's attractions.

Stockport SuppingThe ThatchedTavern inReddish has anew licenseeWendy Hunt. Thisis her first pub andshe hasimmediately putcask beer back on the bar with WellsBombardier and promises more beers to beadded (including potentially a mild whichwould mean that mild will be available onceagain in Reddish). She has also stopped theridiculous ‘members only rule’ so it is onceagain a true ‘public house’. Sanity is restoredat this classic street corner local! OpeningTimes will be again be available at the pub.There are some welcome real ale gains toreport in Stockport. In Edgeley the PrinceAlbert on Castle Street has had a veryimpressive makeover and now looks betterthan it has done for a long time. The goodnews is that handpumps have been installedand the pub nowsells cask BlackSheep Bitter andMarston’s Pedigree.Meanwhile on StPetersgate theEgerton Arms hasalso put cask beerback on sale – reports are Tetley Bitter andMarston’s Pedigree are the beers on offer.Two pubs currently for sale are the Town HallTavern on Wellington Road North (which wasalso closed at the time of writing) and theMidland on Wellington Road South. The latterhad also been closed but reopened at the endof May. A visit shortly afterwards revealedplastic bags covering most of the pumps andno real ale at all being sold.Elsewhere on the closed pubs front, we hearthat Sam’s Bar on Stockport Market Place isto be converted into flats. Meanwhile onLancashire Hill the long closed NicholsonsArms is being converted into an IndianRestaurant. Incidentally the Nicholsons hadone claim to fame as the sole Stockport entryin the 1974 Good Beer Guide. No, we don’tknow why either.

Pub News

18 OPENING TIMES June 2011

June 2011 OPENING TIMES 19

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