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No. 144 March-May 2008 FREEPhoto: The Straw Bear atWhittlesea says “Where’s mypint?” (Warren Wordsworth)Email: Newsletter norfolknips@yahoo.co.uk of the Norwich & Norfolk Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale 1

Chairman’s letterThe past few months have seen a number of changes in the Branch; wehad an incredibly successful Beer Festival, but at the same time we havelost the services of a number of Branch stalwarts, who have steppeddown from important roles.One of my objectives, on becoming Chairman, was to get our youngermembers involved in the Branch, so this might be a good time tomention that if you don’t fancy the way we are doing some things – thenget involved even if only at a minor level. I don’t expect to see a newChairman or Secretary banging on our door, but your ideas and viewsare the future of our branch, and you will be made very welcome.Further success was achieved at the beginning of the year by CAMRAand local residents, when the local planning authority decided againstapproving plans to convert the village local at Pulham Market forresidential use. Meanwhile the only remaining pub in the King Streetarea of Norwich has been subject to plans from Greene King tometamorphose it into a Restaurant / bar. The fight is on to save the FerryBoat!DesNorwich &Norfolk branchChairman: Des O’BrienTel. 01603 270588. Email chairman@norwichcamra.org.ukSecretary: Graham FreemanTel. 07800 690048. Email secretary@norwichcamra.org.ukSocial Secretary: Tim MacDonaldTel. 01603 865505Email socialsecretary@norwichcamra.org.ukBranch website:www.norwichcamra.org.ukBranch mailing list web page:groups.yahoo.com/group/CAMRA_NorwichPublished every 3 monthsby the Norwich & Norfolkbranch of theCampaign for Real Ale© N&N CAMRA 2007-2008Norfolk Nips is produced anddistributed by members of thebranch in their own timeEdited by:Andrea KirkbyTel 0794 856 9652Fax 0871 661 6367Emailnorfolknips@yahoo.co.ukViews expressed in NorfolkNips are not necessarily thoseof the editor or of CAMRAPrinted by:Gallpen Colourprint, Norwich2 Web: www.norwichcamra.org.uk

From the editorIt’s all change in Norwich& Norfolk CAMRA at themoment – not only do wehave a relatively newcommittee, I’ve now takenover as editor of NorfolkNips.Nips is already a muchloved publication. Somuch loved that half thetime, I can’t actually find acopy of it in my local asthey’ve all disappeared bythe time I get there.But it’s difficult to put Nipstogether without a lot ofhelp – I can’t write it allmyself.So I’m looking for newcontributors both to thenew ‘Pub Post-its’ featureand to Nips generally. Ourfocus is quite simple –good beer that’s brewed,served, and drunk inNorfolk – where it comesfrom and where to get it!You don’t have to be aCAMRA member tocontribute. You just haveto have something to say.For instance we’ve gotgreat coverage of real aleand music from KeithChettleburgh and JonKnight on jazz and folkrespectively – but I stillneed someone who cancover the rock and real alescene. We don’t offerpayment. But you mightget bought a few beers.Any volunteers?Before I sign off I’d like tosay thanks to AdrianHennessy for looking afterNips for so many years. I’mjust discovering what hardwork it is... I don’t quiteknow how he managed it!Now he may have a bitmore time for seriousactivities like getting apint in.Andrea KirkbyContact Norfolk Nips atnorfolknips@yahoo.co.ukor on 0794 856 9652Email: norfolknips@yahoo.co.uk 3

Steady PintsPub news● The Kings Head,Pulham St Mary.Following an appealhearing last December,the appeal against SouthNorfolk District requestingpermission to convert partof the public house intodwelling units and makealterations to the kitchenand storage units hasbeen refused.● There are now newtenants in The StAndrews Tavern,Norwich● The Vine. It has beenreported that The Vine inNorwich which has beenclosed for over a year nowhas been gutted andrumour has it that a newrefurbishmentprogramme is to takeplace.● The Viking, Sprowstonhas been closed for sometime, and is now beingconverted into an Indianrestaurant.● The George & Dragonat Thurtonwill host its firstbeer festival on 23-27April.● The Ferry Boat - seethe separate article furtheron in this issue of Nips.● Croppers Bar, aka theEast Suffolk Tavern, inYarmouth, is now stockingthree real ales includingbeer from Greene King,Hobgoblin and Oulton, atremarkably keen prices!● The Reindeer isholding its annual beerfestival from February 29to March 8th.● The Mariners inYarmouth will hold anEaster beer festival from231st to 24th March.● The Locks Inn,Geldeston will becelebrating May Day (orBeltane if you’re that wayinclined) on May 4th, withMorris dancing,Mummers, a Maypole, andfolk music from 1 pmonwards. Oh, and beer...● The Wherry atGeldeston has closedsuddenly. However,Adnams states the closureis purely temporary andthe pub is to reopen afterrefurbishment has beencarried out.● .The Woodman, OldCatton, will host a beerfestival for the weekstarting March 12th,featuring Wolf beers. A“global” sausage menu ispromised as well as a midweekbeer tasting session.● .The Black Lion, LittleWalsingham, will have abeer festival on the 3rdMay .Local beer festivals● The Wymondham BeerFestival will be held at theWymondham and DistrictEx-Servicemen’s Club inFrairs Croft Lane on 2-4thMay. (Times; 2nd May17.30-23.00; 3rd May11.00-11.00, and 4th Mayfrom 11.30 until the beerruns out!● Aylsham Round Table isrunning a charity beerfestival on April 4th and5th, at the Aylsham Youthand Community Centre.The £10 entrance feeincludes tokens for threepints.Brewery news● Tipples Brewery hasopened a beer shop oatnumber 32, Elm Hill,Norwich. The brewery hasalso announced threenew beers for 2008 -Barley Twist, an 11%barley wine, andRapsberry Velvet fruitbeer, as well as a premiumbitter called Brewer’sProgress at 4.6%.4 Web: www.norwichcamra.org.uk

● The Wolf Brewery hasjust won two awards inthe SIBA East regionalfinal, held at ElgoodsBrewery on 17th January.Coyote won Gold in theBest bitters (4.0 to 4.5%)class, and goes through tothe national final. GoldenJackal won Silver in theBitters class (up to 3.9%).The SIBA event included atasting of all the beers inthe brewery cellars as wellas a guided tour ofElgood's. Wolfe Witham ofWolf Brewery appears tohave enjoyed the day,judging by his commentto Norfolk Nips - "ThankGod for paracetamol!!"CAMRA BeerFestival DiaryMarch 12-14 (Wed-Sat)London Drinker BeerFestival. Camden Centre,Bidborough Street,London WC1. 12-3 and5-10.30 Weds and Thurs,12-1030 Friday.www.camranorthlondon.org.uk/ldbfApr 18-20 (Fri-Sat)CAMRA Members’Weekend and AGM,Cardiff.Apr 23-26 (Wed-Sat)East Anglian BeerFestival. CornExchange, AbbeygateStreet, Bury St Edmunds.12-11 Weds/Thurs, 11-11Fri/Sat. Run by WestSuffolk CAMRA.May 19-24 (Mon-Sat) 35thCambridge CAMRA BeerFestival.www.cambridgebeerfestival.comEmail: norfolknips@yahoo.co.uk 5

Pub Post-itsPub Post-its is a new feature to help members keep up to date with localpubs. After all, we can only cover so many on a First Friday Five. If you’vevisited a Norfolk pub and had a great time - or, unfortunately, not such a greatexperience - write and let us know.All opinions in the Post-its are of course those of our correspondents - not ofCAMRA.The Globe, Shotesham (Adnams Bitter) -A friendly pub in the very pretty village of Shotesham,there is an outside drinking area bordering a stream; 6 miles South of Norwich, off the CaistorSt.Edmund and Stoke Holy Cross Road. Several good walks to be had around the village, waymarked from the church car park is a circular walk which takes in part of ‘Boudica’s Way’ whichruns between Norwich and Diss.The Chequers, Thompson (4 changing ales) - Quintessential thatched country pub situated inthe Breckland area of Norfolk. The pub has an excellent menu (£9.95 for two courses) but foodhas not taken over the whole pub, a very low beamed simply furnished bar area serves severalwell kept ales. The Pingo trail is amongst several good walks that are possible from the village.The pub has B&B accommodation available, and several other B&B’s are located nearby.The Nelsons Head, Horsey (Woodfordes, normally Wherry and Nelson’s Revenge) - AnIsolated pub, owned by the National Trust, serves good food either in the bar or restaurant area,and has a well kept beer garden, dogs are welcome. This pub is close to Horsey Corner, and analmost always deserted wide sandy beach.Windham Arms, Sheringham Funny little back street pub but with a great surprise, a reallygood menu of Greek food including pheasant casserole with local ingredients. Decent (local)beer too.Feathers, Aylsham. A thriving real boozer, with three real ales including Humpty DumptyPorter, nice and busy on a Saturday afternoon. While I was there someone was trying to sell a fewtins of Spam he’d got cheap - he didn’t have much luck but did manage to get a great littleMonty Python singaround going!The Horseshoes Warham - The only Norfolk pub in the National Inventory (Pub interiors)register it is a little (if much extended) gem. OK you don’t drink here for the vast beer rangebut there are 2~3 on hand pump or gravity (and they are locally produced beers) or properlemonade or cider, the food is seriously moreish and the portion size is just right. Whenever wehead for the north coast we tend to wind up here, I wonder why?The Wig & Pen. Palace Plain. Norwich - Flying visit one Saturday afternoon in Feb; the bar wascomfortably full with a lot of attention being paid to the Rugby on the television. Despite thevolume of business being done I got quick service from the bar staff and enjoyed a couple ofwell-kept pints (Buffy’s Norwich Terrier & HD’s Little Sharpie) in a friendly atmosphere. Food wasstarting to be served as I left in a pub that seems to tick all the right boxes.Rose Tavern, Norwich - An interesting selection of beers at the beer and sausage festivalincluding several from Felstar brewery and Buntingford. But the sausages took forty five minutesto turn up, which isn’t my definition of fast food.Our correspondents this months; Jon Knight, Roland Coomber, Warren Wordsworth,Andrea Kirkby.6 Web: www.norwichcamra.org.uk

Beer and cultureOnce upon a time it wasassumed that if you were intofolk music you’d drink beerbut if you were into classicalmusic or theatre, you’d be awine drinker or want a ginand tonic.Fortunately those dayshave gone, and culturalcentres in Norwich are nowoffering an increasing rangeof decent ales - some onhandpump and others inbottles.The MaddermarketTheatre for instance now hasAdnams on handpump - itwas Yuletide at Christmas,and most recently Broadsidewas on the pump as well asThe Bitter in bottles.The Theatre Royal’sextensive refurbishment isnow over and the venue isback in use – and here againyou can get a pint of Adnamson draught.Cinema City apparentlystarted off after its reopeningwith no real ale at all, and stillhas none on draught. But itoffers St Peter’s andWoodfordes beers in bottledform. It’s particularly nice tosee local beers being wellsupported rather thanproducts from the largebrewing conglomerates.The Assembly House has arather uninspiring choice ofsmoothies and lager on thepumps. However, thebottled beer selectionincludes Old Speckled Henand Spitfire.The venue with the mostinteresting range of beersthough is the NorwichPlayhouse. Here you can getLicher Weizen, KoestrizerSchwarzbier, Zywiec andBudvar in bottles. On pump,the range changes; the barwas recently serving GrainOak Bitter and Tamarind IPA.And Norwich Arts Centre isthe star of the cask ale scene,with a varied selection ofguest beers on gravity.Andrea KirkbyEmail: norfolknips@yahoo.co.uk 7

Round The HousesOur “First Friday Fives” have been going strong varied mix of people, youngfor several years now, visiting five pubs in the and old.Norwich area on the first Friday of each month. There were six or seven realWe nearly always manage to come acrossales available on handpump,something new or different, so the effort is usually including Wolf Goldenworthwhile.Jackal, which I found to bevery pleasant.DECEMBER 2007subbed-in the adjacent – and We left, some reluctantly, toThe final First Friday Five for lively - Blueberry, where I move on to the Unthank2007 saw us in the northern doggedly remained seasonal Arms, just off Mountoutskirts, where we enjoyed and opted for Woodforde’s Pleasant.an extensive beer selection Tinsel Toes. Then it wasand some healthy exercise.This was definitely less busyacross the road and into theWe kicked off in thePlasterers where, doing anthan a visit on a previousFirst Friday Five, but it wasunusually named Angel Adrian, I chose the not-onJanuary 4th. The UnthankGardens. Here the beer offer Taylor’s Landlord in responseincluded Adnams’ Yuletide to its pump clip vying for myhas a separate restaurant,Hannisons, upstairs, butand Everards’ Sleigh Bell, attention. Hmmm.there were also some peopleensuring a welcome seasonal Undeterred I, and I suspect,start to proceedings. With several others diverted toeating in the high-ceilingeddownstairs bar area.Martin blazing the trail, our Adnams’ Broadside.goodly number of crawlersDespite being a bit foody,The last (unscripted butthen took an incongruouslookingcobbled street to the “keg-free zone” itself, thethe pub has several ales onwelcome) port of call was theoffer: Wolf Golden Jackal (atDuke of Wellington. The£2.70 a pint), Fullers LondonKing’s Head. Choice was veryDuke was doing brisk tradePride and Unthank Bittermuch back on the menu hereeven early on and boasted a and mine was St Peter’s(from Courage).sizeable beer board from Spiced Ale, Iceni’s Honey Mild We moved on to the Yorkwhich to choose. Sadly,and Spectrum’s Black Buffle. Tavern, another highceilingedVictorian cornerAdrian’s choice had justThe FFF came up trumps‘gone down’ - ironically frompub, where we foundagain. A splendid eveningthe Titanic brewery!another Wolf Brewery beer,spent drinking someSwitching to halves I stayedthis time Straw Dog (£2.50)wonderful beer in goodseasonal before getting inplus Adnams Broadside andcompany, from which eventouch with my dark side, byWoodforde's Wherry.Warren’s sniffles did notplumping for Humptydetract. My ‘Beer of the Five’: As our quite large groupDumpty’s Christmas Crack,North Brink Porter.arrived mostly together theIceni’s Brendan Stout andbar staff took a while to serveElgood’s North Brink Porter. Bob Michel (our Londonus, but took the mass influxThen the walking kicked in. correspondent)of ale drinkers (mostlyThe Epicentre was charging JANUARY 2007wanting the same beer!) inThe January First Friday Fiveat the door for live music sotheir stride.started in the city's "Goldenwe binned that one. Next upTriangle", at the EatonThe York has a generallywas the Queen’s Arms, whichCottage, on the junction of youngish clientele, obviouslywas devoid of real ale andUnthank Road and Mount drawn by the pool table andnearly devoid of customers. ItPleasant.televised sport.failed to attract our customtoo.This corner pub still has a Next up was the Coach &very traditional feel and is Horses, on Union Street. ForReeling from this doublejustifiably popular with a quite a while, this pub serveddisappointment, a few of us8 Web: www.norwichcamra.org.uk

no real ale, but that situationhas now been rectified.There were two handpumpsbut only Adnams Broadside(£2.50) available, served bythe welcoming and friendlystaff.They were so pleased to seeus that they even providedsome free crisps for us tosnack on while chattingaround tables in the diningarea.It is understood that theowners are planning to makesome changes to the style ofthis pub, so we might haveto make a return visit to seewhat they've done.We finished the evening atthe Champion, onChapelfield Road, now aBateman's tied house, whichhas recently been externallyredecorated to reflect this.I didn't note the beer rangeavailable that evening but itis usually a selection ofBateman's beers plus one ortwo guests.The selection certainly keptseveral of us there a bit laterthan was probably sensible,but it was Saturday the nextday!Adrian HennessyWarren Wordsworth was alsoon this trip. He notes that theCoach and Horses intends toincrease its range to five realales, and notes: “It was agreat start to 2008 to have allfive pubs on our route sellingreal ale!”Next NipsJune-August2008Advertisement deadline:Friday, May 9thNews and articles deadline:Friday, May 9thPublication date:Friday, May 30thPlease provide advertisingartwork as a tiff or jpgfile - we can’t take anyresponsibility for word(.doc) documentsdisplaying correctly inour page makeupsoftwareEmail: norfolknips@yahoo.co.uk 9

The Ferry Boat SagaThe Ferry Boat Inn, in KingStreet Norwich was apopular local and live musicvenue before it was closedby owners Greene King inJuly 2006, says WarrenWordsworth. Norwich &Norfolk CAMRA becameconcerned about the loss ofthis 300 year old innparticularly as it was the lastleft in this old historic street,which in Victorian timesboasted over twenty pubs. Atour Branch AGM of March2007 the matter was raisedand it was decided to launcha campaign to try and getthis popular local pub reopenedagain.My first action as Pubs Officerwas to write to Greene KingBrewery expressing ourconcern at the length oftime it had been closed (9months at that time) andask what they intendeddoing with the site. In April Ireceived a reply assuring usthat it was not their intentionto close the pub permanentlyand that their “architects hadproduced some fairlyimpressive proposals for there-development of the site tofully exploit its riversidelocation as a quality publichouse”.We were very pleased to hearthat they were intending todevelop the site as a publichouse and not as we fearedto close it permanently butwere still concerned as towhat type of establishment itto be. As their reply was alittle vague, attemptswere made by me andvarious other CAMRAofficials to try toascertain more specificdetails of theirintentions. No furtherinformation howeverwas forthcoming fromthe brewery.We also approachedNorwich City Councilexpressing concernover the graduallydeteriorating state ofthe building. A replywas received in June oflast year assuring usthat the site wassecure and that theowners had placedsteel shutters across all10 Web: www.norwichcamra.org.uk

the openings. They alsoinformed us that they were indiscussion with ownersGreene King regarding thereuse of the site as a publichouse and that applicationsfor listed building consentand planning permissionwere due to be submitted inthe near future.Despite us lodging numerousenquiries to both the Counciland the brewery over the latesummer and early autumnwe still received no moreinformation. Many rumoursstarted floating aboutsuggesting that it maybecome a trendy wine bar oreven a licensed restaurant. Asautumn turned to winter thewall of silence from thebrewery continued.Meanwhile the externalappearance of the pubcontinued to deteriorate, andthe pub’s riverside mooringarea became home to someuninvited guests in the formof three dilapidated looking“houseboats”, and theoccupants of these boatswere using the pub gardenas their own tipping area,much to the disgust of thelocal residents’ association.Eventually, in January 2008after a wait of nearly 18months Greene King revealedtheir plans by submitting anapplication to Norwich CityCouncil for re-developmentthe site.The plans proposed byGreene King are bold andambitious. Greene Kingintend to double the size ofthe pub by using much ofthe extensive car park andgarden space to create anextension which will be twostoreys in some parts, glazedat each end. This extensionwill effectively wrap aroundthe existing 300 year oldgrade II listed building whichwill remain largely unaltered,with accommodation formanager/staff on the firstsecond floors. The groundfloor area of the old pub(with the exception of theboat house which is to beincorporated into the newextension) will be usedmainly for private functions.We have submittedrepresentations to NorwichCity Council making twomain comments. Firstly, werequest that the old front bar,which Greene King intendusing as a private diningroom, be retained as apublic bar, thus preservingat least a small part of theold community pub.Secondly we have asked forassurances from Greene Kingthat the lounge/bar areadesignated in the newextension will remain adrinkers’ only area and willnot be used for diners.Assuming Greene Kinghonour this request we will atleast be assured that TheFerry Boat will remain apublic house albeit foodorientated rather than alicensed restaurant.As this article goes to presswe do not know when theapplication will be heard byNorwich City Council. Sowatch this space in nextedition of NIPS! - by then theapplication will have beenheard and the outcome willbe known.Email: norfolknips@yahoo.co.uk 11

12 Web: www.norwichcamra.org.uk

Whittlesey Straw Bear and other outingsThe Whittlesey Straw Bearfestival takes place on thefirst or second weekend ofJanuary every year, and it’sone of those lovely old folktraditions which isassociated (almostinevitably) with beer.A contingent of Norwich& Norfolk CAMRA memberstook the train to Whittleseyto see the Straw Bear andsample the beers providedat Whittlesey’s numeroushostelries. As Whittlesey isin Elgoods’ territory adecent pint of beer can beguaranteed.The next Straw Bear isalready scheduled for 9-11January 2009 . Make a datein your diary now!By the time you read this,Norwich CAMRA will havevisited Adnams Brewery inSouthwold (February 23rd).This should be aninteresting trip as Adnamsreally set out its ‘green’credentials with a newbrewhouse radicallyaltering the usual brewingmethods. Its green-roofed,eco friendly distributioncentre at Reydon has alsoattracted positivecomment.Trips like this one takeplace regularly, but it’s notalways possible to advertisethem far in advance. Keepin touch over the internetby looking at the branchand pubs calendars onwww.norwichcamra.org.uk,or come to the branchmeetings to find out hat’sgoing on!Norwich CAMRA’s regularcoach trips to county pubswill start again this April -dates are still to beconfirmed, but they’re likelyto resume the traditional lastFriday of the month timing.These trips are a greatway to discover the manyexcellent pubs we have inthe county, withoutworrying about having todrive, catch the last train,or get a taxi back. Checkthe branch calendar on thewebsite for moreinformation.Email: norfolknips@yahoo.co.uk 13


In Flanders Fields (and beyond)It was an indecent hour ona Thursday morning that sawa group of mainly CAMRAmembers boarding the busto take us on our eighthannual trip to Belgium. Atleast we think it is the eighthbut nobody seems able toagree on exactly where wewent and when.Early Thursday afternoonand we were in Franceheading towards the villageof Esquelbec and theBrasserie Thiriez. I had visitedthis former brewery about 10years ago but it has sinceexpanded from a basic fivehectolitre to a moderntwenty hectolitre plant. Theowner Daniel gave us theguided tour before wesettled into the bar tosample some of the beers.We had a choice of La Blonded’Esquelbec 6.5%; Ambree5.8%; La Rouge Flamande5.8% and a wheat beerEsquelbecquiose 5.6%. Inaddition to these we wereoffered two beers which Ihad not tried before, a 5.8%black beer La Maline and a5.5% extremely hoppy blondEtoile du Nord.Leaving Esquelbecq weheaded for the Palace Hotelin Poperinge which was tobe our base for the weekend.Although it was still early inthe weekend there was adistinct rattling of bottles aswe bounced along theconcrete roads of westFlanders.The Palace is a populardestination for Belgian beerdrinkers as it is about onehour from Calais and boastsa range of over 100 differentbottles. Run by Guy andBeatrijs Osteux-Beernaert formany years it has recentlybeen sold, but the beerrange has been maintainedand our host Olivier made uswelcome.Thursday evening saw ageneral drift to thePoussecafe, a modern caféserving snacks, beer andwarm drinks. For those whohave not been to Belgium donot get confused with theoffer of “snacks” as these canvary from the basic to a fullblown meal. I settled for aspaghetti dish washed downwith a selection of beersfrom the St Sixtus AbdijTrappist brewery atWestvleteren.Supplementing the range ofabout thirty bottled beers, allthree Westvleteren Abdijbeers were on offer.Feeling the need forexercise we strolled the 200metres to the OudVlaanderen situated on theGrote Markt. This imposingbuilding with a dark woodinterior boasts a beer rangeof about forty bottles and arange of snacks. We sampledthe local Hommel beer, ahoppy pale ale 7.5% brewedby van Eecke at nearbyWatou, Rodenbach a darksomewhat acidic beer whichgoes very well with food andWestmalle Triple, a smoothpale amber 9.5%; anotherTrappist classic.As the evening was nowdrawing to a close wewandered back to the Palacefor a nightcap. The moresensible settled for coffee, Iordered a Hapkin, a palespicy ale 8.5% and retired alittle hurt after just midnight.Those amongst us whopressed on later retired veryhurt and were not a prettysight at breakfast thefollowing morning.Friday is market day inPoperinge and morning wasa time for culture. Somechose the National HopMuseum whilst others visitedTalbot House, a refuge fortroops during WW1.Unfortunately the weatherwas not very kind and I thinkwe all ended up seeking arefuge of a different kind. Atmidday we boarded the buscontinued on p16Email: norfolknips@yahoo.co.uk 15

Contiunued from p 15and headed for Het Peenhofat Westouter for lunch. Thissmall café bar offers twentyeight bottled beers plus StBernadus Tripel on tap. Towash down our croques(toasted sandwiches) wesampled de Koninck aquaffable pale ale 5% andBoerinnekin a full bodied8.5% triple.It was then time for moreculture as we headed toBayernwald to look at someWW1 German trencheswhich have been restored bythe local archaeologicalsociety It was here that AdolfHitler won his Iron Cross in1915.On leaving Bayernwald theobvious choice should havebeen idiosyncratic HetLabyrint at nearby Kemmelbut it had closed the daybefore for annual holidays.Undeterred we pressed onto Het Blauwershof atGodewaersvelde. Thistraditional café offers a goodrange of beers, a limitedrange of local specialitydishes and some verydifferent bar games. Wesampled Blanche de Watou,a slightly lemony refreshingwheat beer 5%, Hommel andRodenbach all from the tapplus a snack of local cheeseand sausage.Our next stop wasl’Hazewinde (formerly Etoiledu Jour) at St SylvestreCappel. This is the nearestbar to the Brasserie de StSylvestre and we sampledthe Trois Mont a pale 8.5%from the brewery, namedafter the three hills whichstraddle the French/Belgiumborder in this area. Alsoavailable were about twentyother beers including LaLa Chouffe on tap.Our final stop was in thetown of Cassel at T’ KasteelHof which is situated in theshadow of the windmill andchateau which overlook thetown. This was mainly a foodstop but we selected theChi’ti Brune from a list ofabout fifteen beers. Thiswent well with the localcheese tart and duck incream sauce with pears andpotatoes.With the bus threateningto turn into a pumpkin wereturned to Poperinge forlast orders at theHommelzak. I had nevertried this bar before andalthough the beer list wasquite acceptable the décorreminded us of a social club.We stayed for one drinkbefore returning to thePalace for a final nightcap.Continued on p2216 Web: www.norwichcamra.org.uk

Email: norfolknips@yahoo.co.uk 17

The price of a pintIn recent months, the press has been full of articleslamenting the poor hop harvest, the soaring price ofbarley, the rising cost of energy, steel, glass. It’s enoughto drive one to drink. Especially if you make drink, saysStephen George of the Humpty Dumpty Brewery.An article in the Guardian last November predicted the arrivalof the £4 pint, with costs forecast to rise by up to 60%. I wasincredulous. Until it happened to me. I had a pint of Leffe atLiverpool Street the other night and it cost me £4.60! Whatthe heck is going on?Marketing, I think. And I think I just paid for it.But honestly, it just isn’t as bleak as it’s all made out to be. Tobe sure, prices are up, in some cases by quite a lot. This year’smalt is up by nearly 40%. Stainless steel firkins have risen by20% in the past year. The price of some popular hops hasdoubled. But to judge from that Guardian article, you’d thinkbeer was just hops in a glass (pace , Dark Star Hophead). Thetruth is, beer is mostly water. And so far, thankfully, the priceof water has remained relatively low!Let’s put these rises in perspective. A 40% rise in the price ofmalt equates to 2p in the price of an IPA. It’s about the samefor a doubling in the price of hops, depending on how hoppythe beer is. But bear in mind not all hops are in short supply,and not all have doubled in price. Now, there’s not muchrationale for lager prices soaring on the back of rising hopprices, is there? Maybe more so for some of the hoppier beersout there.Energy might add a penny or two to the price. Staff costs.Packaging costs. Prices are rising across the board.What does it all boil down to? Well, inevitable price rises.We’re not in business to buy the world a beer. I doubt manybrewers are prepared to absorb rises on this scale, especially ifthe chancellor does his annual dance on our graves comeApril.We suspect the net impact will amount to about 10p in thepint over the bar at your local. That’s 10p attributable to thebeer, mind you. What impact pub operating costs andupward-only rent reviews have on beer prices is another story.But if you’re seeing a £4 pint, let’s be clear - it’s not about thebeer.While reports of the demise of real ale are happilyexaggerated, the rise of production costs is cause for concernto most UK producers.Brewers have choices about how they position themselves inthe marketplace, and no doubt some will see opportunities inthese price rises. For bigger breweries, there may be moreswitching to other adjunct crops such as maize, wheat or riceto alleviate the price rises caused by last season’s poor barley3 1/2d a bottle! Wouldn’thappen these days, wouldit?Beer prices in Norwichover the ages make aninteresting study. In the1960s for instance you couldget Bullards Brown Ale for ashilling a bottle (5p in realmoney).Going further back,Steward Patteson charged32 shillings a barrel for X ale,and 46 shillings (just over £2)for the strong XX ale.However, if you thinkthat’s a bargain, you need toappreciate that the averagewages for a brewery workerin the 1890s were just 16shillings a week.One thing we do know isthat the government is doingwell out of us, though.Currently, according toCAMRA figures, thegovernment gets 39p a pintout of us. In France, drinkerspay only 5p tax a pint andin Germany, only 4p.harvest. Some smaller brewers are opting to buy cheapergrades of malt - Pearl instead of Maris Otter, for example. Thischoice alone can cut about half the price rise out of the maltcomponent.On the hop front, there are two factors: finishing hops (foraroma and flavour) and bitterness. In the area of finishing18 Web: www.norwichcamra.org.uk

hops, we are likely to see a retreat from some of the popular citrusy American hops like Cascadeand Amarillo as supplies are short and costs have soared. Some of the German and Czech noblevarieties are also in short supply after hailstorms ruined nearly 2/3 of their acreage last year,although these are not so common in British beers. Look instead for some new varieties tomake their way into recipe formulations. Look for new beers, too. If a brewer doesn’t want toreformulate a classic, he can always roll out a new beer.For bittering, we expect there may be an embrace of some new high alpha-acid varieties thatcan bring more punch for the same kilo of hops. This can help to cut cost to an extent,although there are signs in the market that hops are pricing more according to their alphapercentage than before.Ourselves, we are changing relatively little. We’re sticking to Maris Otter from Teddy Maufe’sBranthill Farm for most of our base malt. One of the real benefits of brewing in Norfolk is accessto such top-quality malt. Many of our beers rely on traditional British hop varieties such as EastKent Goldings and Fuggles, which are not in especially short supply. Where there are shortages,we have made efforts to lay in supplies sufficient to get us through this season. We’re hopefulthat this year’s harvest may be better than last year’s.So, are these higher prices here for good? Sadly, we think they probably are. Realistically, whendo prices ever drop? We can see structural changes in supply that should keep prices high.Competition for arable land between barley and wheat (or other crops) for bioethanolproduction should keep markets tight for malt. Hop acreage has been in decline for years, andthough idemand is recovering, hop gardens take at least two seasons to produce a good yield.Varieties with low yields are likely to continue to demand high prices to keep farmers fromgrubbing them all up and planting high-yield, high-alpha varieties.We oughtn’t complain too loudly, though. Higher prices are good for British farmers, and thatshould ensure high quality ingredients remain available to produce excellent local beers.Email: norfolknips@yahoo.co.uk 19

Make mine mildMay Day is always worthlooking forward to –particularly for those of uswho’re looking forward toMay as CAMRA’s Mild Month.Mild became an endangeredspecies in the 1970s and1980s, seen as a desperatelyuncool drink for pensionerswho hadn’t kept up with thelatest beer trends. Recently,it’s seen a resurgence as beerdrinkers have come to valuethe roasty, malty flavours of agood mild – but it’s still notthat common a style to findin your neighbourhood local.Many pubs either don’t do amild, or offer only a keg mild.(If you’re a mild drinker youmight want to do your bit inpromoting the attractions ofa decent cask mild to yourlocal landlords.)While the title ‘mild’ mayimply a low alcoholicstrength, and many occupythe territory around 3.5-3.8%,don’t take that as gospel. Thename ‘mild’ refers to the beerbeing relatively lightlyhopped compared to aregular bitter – not to anyshortfall in alcohol.Several brewers havestronger milds – perhaps thebest known of these beingSarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mildat 6%, a regular favourite atthe Norwich Beer Festival.Most milds are dark beers –but again, there areexceptions. Hydes ofManchester brews a LightMild at 3.5% which isextremely drinkable.Milds brewed or widelyavailable locally include:Elgoods Black Dog,Batemans Dark MildBlackfriars mildBuffys mildChalk Hill Flintknappers MildGreene King XX MildGreen Dragon strong mildIceni – mild, honey mild ,Old Chimneys Military Mild,Oulton Mutford MildSt Peter’s MildSpectrum Dark FantasticWaveney East Coast MildWinters MildWoodfordes Mardlers.That’s not a bad list for asingle county. However manylocal breweries still don’thave a mild in their range.,and Adnams no longer brewsone. The battle to ‘makemine mild’ still needs to befought!20 Web: www.norwichcamra.org.uk


Cont. from p16Saturday morning andimmediately after breakfastwe set our for LijssenthoekMilitary Cemetery on theoutskirts of Poperinge, thesecond largestCommonwealth Cemeteryin Belgium (9,900Commonwealth plus 880other nationalities). Fromhere we went to Wervik atown the south east of Ieperand the Grooten Moriaen, atraditional café just 50metres from the Frenchborder, sandwichedbetween the NationalTobacco Museum and animposing windmill. Offeringa list of about 70 beersincluding house beersBruynen (brown) Moriaen9% and Bleeken (blond)Moriaen) 10%.From here we headednorth to Beselare and apromising bar called Reutelfor lunch. Unfortunatelydespite all of the researchthis was also closed forholidays, undeterred wecarried on to Zonnebekeonly to find all three bars inthe town closed. At thispoint flying by localknowledge and a degree ofdesperation we headed forDe Koornbloem atLangemark which to ourrelief was open and offeringfood. To accompany theextensive range of snackswere Ciney Bruin, MortSubite Kriek, Rodenbach andGrimbergen Blonde andBruin on tap plus about fortybottled beers.Rested, refreshed and withthe days schedule totally lostwe bypassed the MemorialMuseum in Zonnebeke withits reconstructed dugouts inthe basement and pressedon to Ieper for our final stop.Totally rebuilt after WW1 thispopular tourist destinationhas a number of bars andrestaurants around, and on,the streets radiating fromthe Grote Markt.We visited Klien Rijsel inthe shadow of the Rijsel(Lille) Gate. We tried thehouse Peace Beer and RoseHoegaarden a raspberryvariation of the popularwheat beer. But we weredisappointed to find TerPosterie closed indefinitely.Instead we ate at theStadhuis.Continued on p2522 Web: www.norwichcamra.org.uk


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Continued from p22The Stadhuis is tuckedaway in the corner of theGrote Markt in the shadow ofthe Cloth Hall. Choosingfrom the large selection offilling snacks we drank ananniversary beer from deKoninck. Early evening wewalked from the Grote Marktalong Meensestraat to theMenin Gate an archwaybearing the names of 54,896Commonwealth soldiersreported missing between1914-17. The ceremonyconsists of the playing of theLast Post by members of thelocal Fire Brigade. Apart froma period during WWII whenthe Germans occupied Iepersthe ceremony has takenplace every evening since1928. From here we returnedfor last drinks in Poperinge,some choosing to stay inIepers for the eveningreturning later by train.Sunday morning we leftPoperinge stopping at the18 th century t’Boeregat atHoutem. This farmhouse(with Jack Russell terriers) issituated at the end of anunmade track offers aselection of freshly madelocal dishes and about thirtybottled beers. Moving on toVeurne for lunch we ate atthe Taverne Flandria one ofseveral cafes and restaurantsaround the Grote Markt.Substantial platefuls werewashed down withWestmalle Dubbel andCorsendonk Blond (thismonths’ guest beer) fromthe tap.Our final stop in Belgiumwas at De Verloren Genoarein Adinkirke. Just across theroad from the station, thebus stop and the westernterminus of the coastaltramway it is an ideal basefor those wanting to exploreBelgium on public transport.The café offers thirty beers,hearty snacks and goodaccommodation. Wesampled the Augustijn an 8%strong blond ale from thetap and the house specialcoffees. With time passingwe boarded the bus forCalais and our returncrossing.It was a sleepy group whodozed their way back toNorwich on the bus.Wendy and Ray ParkerEmail: norfolknips@yahoo.co.uk 25

Odd newsHealthy ale?It’s been reported that aFilipino inventor hascreated a vitamin Benhanced beer.‘Billy’ Malang says theFilipinos are the fifthbiggest beer consumers inAsia, drinking 45 pints percapita every year.So he has added extravitamin B in the hopes theywill see beer as a healthydrink.Anyone remember“Guinness is good for you?”The end of 25p lager?There’s been some talkrecently that thegovernment might legislateagainst loss leader beersales from supermarkets.This might not be such abad thing for local brewers.Stupidly cheap prices forsix packs of lager may haveencouraged lager louts -but they’ve alsodiscouraged good brewerswho can’t make a living atsupermarket prices.Drinkers who rely onGreene King for beer intheir local will be glad toknow that even though itscosts have gone up, GK isholding back price rises tillMay. Its insurance ontenanted pubs hasrocketed by 20%, but it hasdecided to help its tenantsout by delaying theincreases which had beendue to come in on the firstof March. (Source:Morning Advertiser)Mailing ListIf you have internetaccess, why not jointhe branch’s emailmailing list, a lowvolume informationlist (not a discussiongroup).Sign up atgroups.yahoo.com/group/CAMRA_Norwich26 Web: www.norwichcamra.org.uk


CAMRA Club ofthe YearcompetitionThere are thousands ofclubs across the countrythat offer a chance toenjoy real ale. CAMRA isnow holding its annualcompetition to find theCAMRA Club of the Yearfor next year -2009.If you want to nominateyour club, the deadline forentiries is 31st March.Nominations should besent to Ian Charlton, 11Ocford Road, St Johns,Wakefield, West YorkshireWF1 3LB, orian.charlton@blueyonder.co.uk.Unlike the Pub of the Yearcompetition, whichjudges pubs on theirgeneral attractiveness,friendliness and servicdeot the community as wellas their range of beers,the Club of the Yearcompeition is judgedpurely on the club’scommittment to qualityreal ale.The winner of the 2008competition will beannounced in May. Lastyear, the GreetlandCommunity and SportingAssociation in WestYorkshire won the award.MailingListIf you have internetaccess, why not jointhe branch’s emailmailing list, a lowvolume informationlist (not a discussiongroup).Sign up atgroups.yahoo.com/group/CAMRA_Norwich28 Web: www.norwichcamra.org.uk



Norwich & Norfolk Pub of the YearThe King’s Head, MagdalenStreet, has been votedNorwich & Norfolkbranch’s Pub of the Year -the second time it has wonthis award.The King’s Head will nowcompete against WestNorfolk branch’s pub of theyear, the Fox & Hounds atHeacham.It’s tough competition -because the Fox & Houndshas got something theKing’s Head hasn’t - abrewery.Branch members whowent on the trip to the Fox& Hounds last year wereshown round the Foxbrewery to learn about thebrewing process, beforeconcentrating on thebrewing product in the pubnext door.The King’s Head isbecoming as well known tobeer drinkers in Norwich asthe Fat Cat,. The pub iscommitted to thepromotion of local brewing;there are usually six ormore beers on handpumpincluding Spectrum, Wolf,Woodfordes, Grain, Tipples,Winters, and Blackfriars(and that’s not all!)The bar billiards table hasbeen a particular success.Now that the Rosary andGolden Star have alsosecured tables, there’s asmall but active bar billiardsleague.Previous winners of thePub of the Year awardinclude the Duke ofWellington, the TraffordArms, the Fat Cat, and theRoyal Oak, Poringland, lastyear’s winner.Email: norfolknips@yahoo.co.uk 31


On the trail of Real Ale in MexicoMany readers havecatalogued andCevecera Mexicana is notprobably heard ofvideotaped, theattempting to competeMexican beer or evenbrewing equipment and with the big boys ofsampled some.machinery wereMexican brewing. TheirCervecería Cuauhtémocshipped in 20 flat rail average lot is 16,000Moctezuma and Grupocars down to Mexico bottles, which is producedModelo are the two mainand rebuilt using the every two days in 10,000breweries, which produceoriginal blue prints. litre tanks. Lúpulo (hops)almost all of the beerCervecera Mexicana, are not grown in Mexico,made nationally, and thatpreviously one of the so have to been importedwhich is exported abroad.oldest names infrom Europe and the USA.Even though brewing canMexican brewing, had Their distinctive bluebe traced back to prenowbeen reestablished!Onmanufactured at the glassbottles, which are alsoColumbian times, modernbrewing here has beenSeptember 18, 2001, his factory on the Exheavilyinfluenced by thefirst batch of theHacienda, are 550ml,Germanic immigrants todelicious stout,Mexico, in the late 19 thinstead of the standardHacienda Cerveza Potroand early 20 th 325ml. The beers arecentury.(4.7%) was bottled. available locally and in aMost beers producedAfter the initial success few neighboring states,commercially are light,of Potro, the nextbut not throughout thelager types, with a fewproduct was Cheisy whole of Mexico. Bothambers and one dark as(2.5%) a light beer Potro and Caballeroexceptions.mixed with lemon-lime, Águila are being exportedThat may all be changinglike an instant shandy. to California, Texas andthough, because in 2001,Caballero Águila (5%)athe owner of the 18 thNew York, while Potro isdark, heavy bitter stout also available in Spain.century Ex-Haciendawith a stable head and If you do visit centralCorralejo, Leonardodominant malt flavours Mexico, an enjoyable dayRodriguez, decided tocame out afterwards, can be spent at thebranch out from makingand has been well brewery and distillery,boutique Tequila Corralejoreceived by the public. where individual tours are(which he had been doingWhen there is a tequila provided free, Monday –for over 10 years) and trydistillery on the same Friday. The originalhis hand at making beer.premises as a brewery, it hacienda buildingsHis goal was a darker,seems inevitable that provide a good glimpse ofheavier, bitter stout,the brewers might try a landed estate architecturedifferent from all the otherbeer/tequila mix.in pre-revolutionaryMexican beers, andHowever, instead of just Mexico (1910) and evenhandcrafted in an oldadding tequila to one of include a tienda de rayaworld style.their beers, they created (company store) whereHowever, before Señora special amber ale (7- the workers were paid inRodriguez could brew any8%), formulated to be goods, rather than coin, asbeer, he had to find amixed with whitewas typical of thebrewery. Serendipitously,Tequila Corralejo. Horus hacienda system of thatan unused brewery in(12%) hits your palate time. There is a smallChicago, Illinois came upwith the initial taste of museum, an antique clockfor sale and he bought ittequila and trails off and bottle collection, and“lock, stock and barrel.”with the taste ofbeer. a gift shop.Painstakingly dismantled,Not for the fainthearted!Alexis CiurczakEmail: norfolknips@yahoo.co.uk 33



Music and Real AleTraditional JazzAcle Recreation Centre,Bridewell Lane, AcleReal Ales include AdnamsBitter, Theakstons andTipples RedheadTuesday 4 th March RodMason and his Hot Five(including former localfavourite Sean Moyses)Tickets/enquiries Brian Davis01493 701880Oasis Sports and LeisureClub, Pound Lane, ThorpeSt. Andrew, NorwichAdnams Bitter availableTuesday 18 th March TheNew Orleans Serenaders ledby Clive Wilson (New Orleans)and featuring legendaryAmerican pianist ButchThompson. Tickets/enquiriesRod Playford 01263 805009The Crown Inn, ChurchRoad, Banningham (NrAylsham)Greene King Abbot Ale andIPA and Adnams BroadsideSundays 27 th April and 25 thMay (1.30 to 4.30 pm) - JustJazz Good Time Jazz BandFree admission but phone01263 733534 for speciallunch reservationsKing’s Arms, Market Place,ReephamGood selection of real ales asKing’s Head Hotel, Beccles,SuffolkSelection of Adnams beersplus Fullers London Pride andoccasional guest ales. EverySunday evening -Red Beans 36n Rice NewOrleans Jazz BandCrossways Inn, Scole (NrDiss) - Adnams Bitter, GreeneKing IPA and local Grain OakBitter. Sunday 30 th March(afternoon) Dixie JazzBandits with Mary LouLambertFeathers Hotel, MarketPlace, HoltGreene King Abbot Ale andIP. First Friday every month -Lumiere Rouge Ragtime BandMarsham Arms, nrHevingham (B1149Norwich-Holt Road).Adnams Bitter, plusalternating guests includingAdnams Broadside andWoodforde’s Wherry. ThirdFriday every month - LumiereRouge Ragtime BandIngleside Hotel, Mundesley(B1159 coast road betweenMundesley and Trimingham).Real ales include Greene KingOld Speckled Hen and IPA,plus seasonal guest beers.Also Weston’s DraughtScrumpy on handpump.Sunday lunchtimes 9 thMarch, 13 th April and 11 thMay - Just Jazz Good TimeJazz Band. Free admission,(but phone 01263 720530 toreserve table for special jazzcarvery).Ship Inn, NarboroughThursdays 27 th March, 24 thApril and 29 th May - Just JazzGood Time Jazz BandTally Ho, Mettingham (nrBungay), SuffolkTally Ho, Mettingham (nrBungay), SuffolkWoodforde’s Wherry andFullers London Pride. EveryThursday - Sole Bay JazzBand.Limes Hotel, High Street,Needham Market, Suffolk.Real Ales available. FirstSunday evening every monthand third Sunday lunchtimemonthly in Bugs Bar BandsvaryQueens Head, Stradbroke,Suffolk. 11 th Annual Real Aleand Jazz Festival Fri 9 th toSun 11 th May. Good selectionof around 30 real ales plustop class line-up of bandscomprising Bob Kerr sWhoopee Band, DownhomeJazz Band, Sole Bay JazzBand, Dixie Jazz Bandits,Rosie Val and the CambridgeJazz Company, Lord Arsenal(piano) and Anglia All StarsJazz Band.MAINSTREAM/MODERN JAZZGreen Man, WroxhamRoad, Rackheath.Woodforde’s Wherry,Adnams Bitter and Broadsideplus guests. Every TuesdayFull programme consisting ofvarious bands and musicians,Dereham Jazz Society,Lakeside Country Club,Quarry Lane, Lyng (nrDereham). Adnams beersplus Lakeside house bitter onhandpump. EveryWednesday Full programmeconsisting of various bandsand musicians, which usuallyincludes one 36traditionalsession each month.Zaks at the Swan, TheStreet, Poringland. GreeneKing IPA and guests.listed in CAMRA s GoodBeer GuideEvery Sunday lunchtime from11 th May to early Septemberin the courtyard at rear of thepub (weather permitting),the bands alternatingthrough the summer will beNene Valley Jazzmen, JustJazz Good Time Jazz Band,Climax Jazz Band and VintageHot Orchestra.36 Web: www.norwichcamra.org.uk

.Fortnightly sessions have gotgoing again on alternateThursdays from 6 th Marchvarious bands and musiciansin a variety of styles.Holiday Inn, Cromer Road,Norwich (near Airport). RealAles available. Sat 3 rd May toMon 5 th May Norwich JazzParty. Following on from lastyear’s highly successfulevent, this year will againfeature a huge internationalline-up of top class bandsand musicians.. Tickets/information from Jerry Brownc/o Jazz 37n Blues Records01603 467777.Keith ChettleburghFolk musicMusic and pubs, pubs andmusic - it’s almost a symbioticrelationship althoughcertainly not a monogamousone. Music has been a part ofthe pub scene from earlydays; from the‘entertainment’ inns of themetropolis with theirtravelling musicians,exhibitions and theatreplayers which in time becamethe foundations for theVictorian music halls to therural pub which played hostto bell-ringers, choirs and thenascent village bands.For several years ‘Nips hasrecorded the Pub Jazz scenein Norfolk with the occasionalmention of other genres andhere is a chance for you, thecustomer, the manager(s),the landlord/lady to publiciseyour local’s contribution togood beer and good musicand allow the rest of us anopportunity to hear it!To kick off this edition’sentry can I make a plea forinformation on the folkscene? In the city we arefortunate to have a small, butperfectly formed, Arts Centre(with up to 3 beers on gravityin the café/bar) whichregularly hosts Folk gigs,while there are regular slotsat the Duke of Wellington(von Krapp Family on Tues),The Cider Shed (Irish style onWed) and the Nelson(onThurs). The Norwich FolkClub meets, on Fridays, at theWhite Horse at Trowse andI’ve seen mention of a club inSheringham that meet in thebar at the Burlington Hotel,which, when I last visited, hada couple of hand pumps inuse. That is not evenscratching the surface, theresult of a couple of momentsthought and it does notinclude those post practisevenues when Morrismusicians and the dancersoccasionally let off a bit ofsteam with an impromptuceilidh session.The 2005 licensing reformshave had an effect on livemusic in our favourite venuesso, with the dust and noisesettled somewhat, perhapsnow is a good time to findout what has been lost andwhat gained in Norfolk’schanging pub music scene!Jon KnightLocks Inn, Geldeston (01508518414). Every Wednesdaynight OPEN ACOUSTICSESSION - all styles welcome -9pm.Every Thursday OPEN FOLKSESSION with house bandsMurphy’s Lore ,The FolkCollective or bric-a-Brac. 9pmEvery Sunday ACOUSTICBANDS/ARTISTS - folk, bluesand much more - 2pmFolky Friday March 21st withMurphy’s Lore, TwistedRoutes and The FolkCollective - 8pm onwards22nd March - MAD BADNESSSKA 9pm23rd March - R4 - the EastCoast’s greatest pub singer ,2pmMonday 24th March- THERUM BROTHERS - folk,country and blues - 2pmThe Cider Shed, LawsonRoad, NorwichMarch 2 - Mollyhawk Irishmusic. 2.30March 5 - The Session - IrishJiggy Jobby 8.30March 8 - Murphys Lore - IrishVandals 830March 9 - Tinks and Selby -blues - 2.30March 12 - The session - 8.30March 15 - Crunchy Frogs -Ivan’s Irish mob - 8.30March 16 - Irish follow on -2.30March 19 - The session 8.30March 21 - Rag Masma Rag -early blues. 8.30March 26 - The session - 8.30March 28 - Simon YoungmanQuartet - jazz - 8.30March 30 - JB 117’s - 2.30Email: norfolknips@yahoo.co.uk 37

Branch Diary DatesFriday 7 MarchFirst Friday Five: Queenof Iceni, (Lloyds No 1), at8pm, then CompleatAngler, Red Lion(Bishopsgate), RosaryTavern, Coach and Horses(Thorpe Road)Saturday15 MarchTrip to Stamford. TBDTuesday 18 MarchBranch General MeetingThe Cottage. ThunderLane (Thorpe St Andrew),8pm.Friday April 4First Friday Five: Coachand Horses (Bethel Street),at 8pm; then Cafe BarMarzano (theForum),Walnut TreeShades, The Vine, StAndrews TavernTuesday 15 April -Branch meeting, venueto be arranged, 8pmThursday 24 AprilBeer festival meetingat the Rosary, 8pmFriday 25 AprilPossible campaigningouting - to be confirmedFriday 2 MayFirst Friday Five: EdwardVII, (at 8pm) then JamesI, via Dolphin Bridge toGibraltar Gardens,Nelson, Fat CatTuesday20 MayBranch meeting, venueto be arrangedFriday 30 MayPossible campaigningtrip, to be confirmedFor up-to-date information about branchevents visit the branch website atwww.norwichcamra.org.uk38 Web: www.norwichcamra.org.uk

champion full page adJoin CAMRA online at www.camra.org.uk/joinusEmail: norfolknips@yahoo.co.uk 39

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