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CAMRA events
BROMLEY COMMUNITY PUB OF THE YEAR
his year the Bromley Branch of CAMRA decided to
Trecognise the great importance that pubs and clubs play
in their local communities by introducing a Community Pub
of the Year award. In September 2015 Bromley’s thirteen
area representatives (the people who act as a liaison
between the pubs and clubs and the branch) evaluated each
of the borough’s pubs to come up with a shortlist of five
which they thought were worthy of competing for the
award. Branch members were then asked to vote
accordingly. Approximately 150 members (11% of the
Bromley’s membership) voted and the Bricklayers Arms in
Beckenham was selected as the overall winner.
Bob Keaveney, the chair of the branch said, “This award
has provided us with the opportunity to involve our members
in branch activities, which is something that we are always
looking to do”.
On 16 February John Middlemiss, the area rep for
Beckenham, presented Kim Marsh, the landlady of the
Bricklayers Arms with the award at an afternoon social. Well
done to Kim and all of those that helped the Bricklayers
Arms win this award. The pub’s full address is 141-143
Masons Hill, BR2 9HW.
Andrew Wright
A POINT PROVED
number of people, not least CAMRA’s Regional Pub
AProtection Advisor, James Watson, put a lot of effort
into saving the Chesham Arms. Was it worth it? I think that
this gives you the answer.
The Chesham Arms, 15 Mehetabel Road, Hackney E9
6DU, has received the accolade from CAMRA’s East London
& City branch that it deserves with it winning their East
London Pub of the Year award and going on to become
overall winner of the branch’s Pub of the Year award for
2016. The other pub in the competition is the City Pub of
the Year.
The Save the Chesham Arms campaign group started this
great story and manager Joe Gooding and his staff have
continued it by creating a great pub where the beer is
second to none and the atmosphere and reception is warm
and old fashioned. The presentation took place on Friday
26 February in a packed pub when CAMRA Regional
Director Geoff Strawbridge and a large number of ELAC and
members from other branches enjoyed a sing-along with Baz
and Dave on the piano providing the entertainment.
The photo, courtesy of George Ingleby, shows James
Watson (also ELAC Pubs Preservation Officer), Joe Gooding,
Speedy and Mary.
John Pardoe
THE PUB IN WINTER
n a recent dark wintry night members of CAMRA’s
OKingston & Leatherhead branch ventured to the
outskirts of Surbiton to visit the Royal Oak on the Ewell
Road. This was to present their Pub of the Winter Season
award to the Oak in recognition of its improvement over the
last year. The licensee, Kalin, who originates from Bulgaria
took the pub on last year after it was given a refurbishment
bringing it into more modern times in a stylish woody
design. The bar now has six handpumps serving real ales
plus one for cider.
Courtesy of Frankie, the general manager, we had a tour
of the cellars to see their new systems for keeping the beer
in good condition and at the right temperature. The pub
was built in Victorian times (1870). As we soon found out
those Victorians must have been somewhat shorter than
some of the current members as anyone over five foot tall
would be scraping their heads against the ceiling without
stooping down and that also applies to Kalin as he stands a
good six and a half foot tall.
Branch chairman Dave Oram with the magnificently
bearded Kalin, flanked by his staff
Kalin has been in the Surbiton area for some twenty plus
years now, working as a chef in some of Surbiton’s other
pubs, but now he is in charge of his own, so the food is of
top quality as well. He has already collected one award from
Enterprise, the pub’s owners, for Cellar Keeper of the Year,
so he was more than happy to receive another.
Clive Taylor
AWARD FOR SURBITON CLUB
AMRA’s Kingston & Leatherhead branch recently visited
Cthe Surbiton Club in St James Road. As well as holding
a branch meeting in the upstairs function room, they made
a presentation to the club for being voted joint winner of
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