Mine's a Pint - Summer 2018

THE MAGAZINE FOR READING AND MID 

BERKSHIRE BRANCH OF THE CAMPAIGN 

FOR REAL ALE 

IN THIS ISSUE... 

PUB & BREWERY NEWS 

GOOD BEER GUIDE BELGIUM 

SMALL BEER 

FESTIVAL ROUNDUP 

REVITALISING CAMRA 

& MORE... 

CHEERS TO ANOTHER GREAT 

FESTIVAL! 

FREE 

ISSUE FORTY SIX SUMMER 2018 

FREE - PLEASE TAKE A COPY

Branch Diary 

All meetings and social events are relaxed and friendly. 

Non-members are welcome to all events except branch meetings. 

Please check the website before setting out in case of any 

last-minute changes. 

June 

THURS 7: (20:00) First Thursday of the Month Social. 

Fisherman’s Cottage, 224 Kennet Side, Reading RG1 

3DW. 

SAT 9: (13:00) Twyford Beer Festival Social with 

Berkshire South East Branch. King George V Playing Field, 

Twyford, RG10 9JA. Social details www.seberkscamra. 

org.uk/diary.shtml 

THURS 14: (20:00) Branch meeting. The Swan (small 

window room at front of pub), Basingstoke Road, Three 

Mile Cross RG7 1AT. CAMRA members only, please. 

SAT 23: (11:00) Mid-Summer Social: Bermondsey Beer 

Mile. Meet outside Bermondsey Tube Station. Details and 

registration: https://fbb-bbm18.eventbrite.co.uk 

SAT 30: (11:00) Walk and Beer Festival. Meet at the 

Swan, Basingstoke Road, Three Mile Cross RG7 1AT. We 

will walk via Farriers Arms, Spencers Wood, RG7 1AE to 

Bell & Bottle, 37 School Green, Shinfield RG2 9EE (2.25 

miles walk). The plan is to arrive c. 13:30 for their beer 

festival and barbecue. 

July 

SAT 7: (11:30) East London Ale Trail (Fair Weather 

Rerun). Meet outside Whitechapel Station. Details and 

registration https://elat18rerun.eventbrite.co.uk 

TUES 17: (20:00) Branch meeting. Bell & Bottle, 37 

School Green, Shinfield RG2 9EE. CAMRA members 

only, please. 

August 

THURS 2: (20:00) First Thursday of the Month Social. 

Park House, University of Reading, Whiteknights 

Campus, Reading, RG6 6UR. The bar is open to all. 

This is a guide only and Reading & Mid Berkshire CAMRA 

cannot be held responsible for any loss due to the alteration 

or cancellation of any of these events. 

See www.readingcamra.org.uk for more details of events. 

Mine’s A Pint 

3 

Contact Us 

Useful contact details for this 

magazine, CAMRA and other 

important things… 

Mine’s a Pint Circulation: 3,000. 

Outlets: Over 70 across the region. 

Editor: Phil Gill 

editor@readingcamra.org.uk 

0771 455 0293 

81 Addison Road, Reading, RG1 8EG 

Magazine published on behalf of 

Reading and Mid Berkshire CAMRA 

by: 

Neil Richards MBE at Matelot 

Marketing 

01536 358670 / 07710 281381 

n.richards@btinternet.com 

Printed by Portland Printers, Bartley 

Drive, Kettering, 

Northants, NN16 8UN. 

01536 511555 

Reading & Mid Berkshire CAMRA 

www.readingcamra.org.uk 

Social Secretary: Chris Hinton 

social@readingcamra.org.uk 

Contact for all other branch matters: 

Katrina Fletcher 

contact@readingcamra.org.uk 

0779 401 9437 

Local Trading Standards 

Reading Borough Council: 

www.reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3737 

West Berkshire Council: 

www.westberks.gov.uk 01635 519930 

Royal Borough of Windsor & 

Maidenhead: 

www.rbwm.gov.uk 01628 683800 

Wokingham Borough Council: 

www.wokingham.gov.uk 0118 974 

6400 

The next issue of Mine’s a Pint will be 

published in early September. Please 

feel free to submit any copy or ideas 

by 1 st August. 

The opinions expressed in Mine’s a Pint 

are not necessarily those of the editor or 

the Campaign for Real Ale. © Campaign 

for Real Ale 2018.

7TH GREAT YEAR! 

CRAFT ALES & CIDERS FROM 

TOP INDEPENDENT BREWERS 

GREAT LIVE MUSIC 

HOG ROAST AND BBQ 

01483 369350 

GLive.co.uk

From The Editor 

Welcome to the latest issue of Mine’s a 

Pint. 

If you’ve read any previous issues you’ll 

know that CAMRA has been going 

through a Revitalisation project, to 

decide its future role, direction and 

purpose. Those are pretty fundamental 

matters and people have rightly taken 

their time with the discussions. The final 

proposals were debated at CAMRA’s 

annual conference and AGM in April and 

the membership have spoken … and you 

can find out what was decided by reading 

the article inside. 

Contents 

BRANCH DIARY 3 

FROM THE EDITOR 5 

GOOD BEER GUIDE BELGIUM 6-7 

PUB & BREWERY NEWS 9-17 

FESTIVAL ROUNDUP 18-19 

REVITALISING CAMRA 21-23 

SMALL BEER 25-27 

REAL ALE TRAINING 28-30 

JOIN CAMRA 31 

Alongside the regular pub and brewery 

news and other features you’ll also find 

suggestions for pubs you can get to by 

train in the Thames Valley, and a review 

of the new Good Beer Guide Belgium, the 

ideal companion for anyone heading off 

on Eurostar to the continent. 

There’s also a roundup of the Reading 

Beer and Cider Festival with some 

great photos of the event. It was fun to 

volunteer this year and the excellent 

weather certainly helped. 

Next year will be the 25 th beer festival as 

well as its 25 th anniversary (if that makes 

no sense, it’s explained by the fact that 

we missed a year in the early days of 

the festival).So put 2 nd to 5 th May 2019 

in your calendars now and we’ll see you 

there! 

Cheers! 

Phil Gill 

Editor 

editor@readingcamra.org.uk 


5

Good Beer Guide 

Belgium 

Do you visit Belgium frequently? Do you 

enjoy trying out new bars and beers? Then 

the Good Beer Guide to Belgium is a must 

buy before your next trip. 

Now in its 8 th edition, it’s an indispensable 

companion for anyone visiting Belgium. Not 

only is it packed with information on the 

breweries and bars from around the country 

but it gives you the low down on the beers 

as well. It even gives you advice on what to 

eat, where to stay and what to bring home. 

A group of friends and I are just organising a 

trip for later in the year to Gent so I took the 

book along for ideas. It’s so well put together 

with separate areas for Breweries and Bars 

and information on Belgian bars in the UK. 

I love the fact that the pages in each section 

are a different colour of the Belgian flag! 

Nice touch. 

The book makes it easy to find your way 

around, giving you some general information 

on each province before listing the best bars. 

It definitely gave us some good ideas on bars 

for our hit list. The maps do let it down 

slightly as they aren’t that clear to help you 

easily find one of the bars but that’s easily 

solved with the smartphone in your pocket. 

You can tell it’s put together by enthusiasts 

who aren’t afraid to tell you what they really 

think. 

What better place to arrange a trip to 

Belgium than at a bar that serves Belgian 

beer – the Castle Tap. We thought we would 

put the book to the test. My choice was 

a St Bernardus Tripel. I’d describe it as a 

blond, hoppy beer with plenty of punch. The 

book’s words are “blond, ever evolving and 

bitterish” - that seems fair to me! Next I 

looked up one of my favourite bars in Gent, 

Trollekelder. “Trolls Cellar” is described as 

“equal parts kitsch and class, a jumble of 


6


7 

lofts, beams and rafters”, and that’s difficult 

to argue with. 

Belgium is just two hours by train from the 

heart of London. Belgium is a mecca for beer 

aficionados looking to explore arguably the 

best beer destination in the world. Belgium 

is proud of its unique beer culture, not least 

the many diverse styles of beers, including 

Flemish Reds, saisons, lambics and gueuze 

beers. It’s a perfect place for a long weekend 

break. So buy the book and start planning 

yours today! 

Sandie Gill 

The Good Beer Guide Belgium is available 

from the CAMRA shop. Visit shop.camra. 

org.uk and search in the books section.


8

Pub & Brewery News 

Pub News 

ARBORFIELD 

It now looks like we have lost THE SWAN 

as a public house as the planning application 

for conversion to housing will have been 

decided by the time you read this and the 

view appears to be that most parties involved 

were in favour of conversion. It does seem a 

shame that this fine old pub could not survive 

especially when you see the numbers of new 

houses being built just down the road on the 

old army garrison site. It now leaves just The 

Bramshill Hunt and The Bull – with the latter 

being very food orientated (although there is 

a small bar area and a couple of beers on tap) 

BURGHFIELD COMMON 

Plans have been submitted which could see 

Burghfield Common’s last pub demolished 

and turned into flats. Developer The Keen 

Partnership has applied to West Berkshire 

Council to demolish THE BANTAM in 

Omer’s Rise and replace it with eight flats 

and 14 parking spaces. This is the latest in a 

series of planning applications for change of 

use or redevelopment, all of which have been 

rejected so far. 

KNOWL HILL 

THE NEW INN is on the market (leasehold) 

with an asking price of £199,950. The pub 

has been run by its current owners since 

2013 and offers bar / restaurant and B&B 

facilities. The bar offers real ales from 

Rebellion Brewery. There are 2 other pubs in 

the village both offering real ale (The Royal 

Oak and The Bird in Hand) 

PLAYHATCH 

Just outside our branch area but definitely a 


9 

friend of Reading CAMRA is the FLOWING 

SPRING on the Henley Road. This 

independent freehouse has been crowned 

Pub of the Year by our neighbours at South 

Oxfordshire CAMRA, and it’s a worthy 

winner. Check out their range of six real ales 

plus gluten-free and alcohol-free options, 

together with a great range of home-cooked 

food that includes meat, vegetarian, vegan 

and gluten-free offerings. 

READING 

We start with some good news concerning 

the long-closed CORN STORES on Forbury 

Road. This was once a Fuller’s pub and 

restaurant but after they gave up on it, the 

premises were shut and despite a few rumours 

about new owners taking it on as a bar again, 

nothing happened and it looked like it was 

destined to become a derelict building or be 

converted into offices or flats. 

Well, it now appears that the property 

has been bought by the people behind the 

Shurlock Inn at Shurlock Row and they plan 

to re-open it as a bar and restaurant once 

more. This company – Rarebreed Dining

– part of The Havisham Group - have built 

the Shurlock Inn into a well-respected bar 

and restaurant with locally-sourced food and 

beer, so this bodes well for The Corn Stores. 

Renovation works have not yet started 

and we don’t know when they will but we 

understand that all trading areas will be 

refurbished and an outside area at the rear 

is being planned. We look forward to seeing 

this lovely old building brought back to life 

again and to being able to sup a pint or two 

in one of its new bars. 

Down at Cemetery Junction, what was until 

recently The Abbot Cook, has now become 

THE HOPE & BEAR. This large prominent 

pub has had a bit of a makeover and the main 

entrance has moved to the Kings Road side of 

the building where there is also an enhanced 

patio/garden area. Up to 5 cask ales should 

be available and manageress Rachael Langley 

told us that Doom Bar and St. Austell Proper 

Job will be permanent. Oakham Inferno and 

Purity Mad Goose were also available on a 

recent visit with the 5 th pump not yet in use. 

Cider in a box is also on sale and the pub 

will feature an ever-changing selection of 

craft beers as well. Children are welcome 

up to 9 pm and the pub offers full disabled 

facilities. Food is available every day from 12 

– 10 (9 on Sundays) and the bar is open until 

midnight on Thursday/Friday and Saturday. 

Heading back into Reading town centre but 

still on the Kings Road and another change of 

name for one of our local pubs. This time it is 

the old Bali Lounge (previously The Warwick 

Arms) which now goes by the name of THE 

BISCUIT & BARREL. 

New owners have reverted to more of a pub 


10 

with food than an Eastern style restaurant 

with beer, so the Thai furniture and 

decorations have gone and it looks more like 

a proper bar again. There are boxed games 

and a TV (terrestrial only), wifi, piped music 

and a small patio area at the side. Kids are 

welcome and the pub does food from 12 – 9 

Monday – Saturday. On the beer side there 

are two handpumps with Doom Bar being 

a regular offering (£3.00 a pint Monday- 

Friday 4-7) plus a regularly changing guest 

ale (Bonds of Wokingham and Tring Brewery 

beers have been noted). Nice to see this bar 

open again and we wish them well. 

Another place with a new name but seemingly 

little else changed is the BROAD STREET 

BAR AND KITCHEN, which is what used 

to be Artigiano’s. There’s no real ale but a 

range of bottled beers is available. 

BREWDOG has opened on Castle Street and 

seems to be attracting plenty of customers. It 

extends the range of drinking establishments 

in town and that has to be a good thing. 

Twenty taps showcase Brewdog’s own beer 

plus that of guest breweries and there have 

already been special events including a 

tap takeover that featured two Berkshire 

breweries – Uprising and New Wharf. 

The owners of THE BUTLER in Chatham 

Street have submitted a planning application 

to demolish the old outbuildings and tyre 

centre and to create a number of new letting 

rooms at the rear of the pub. The existing 

toilets will then be moved upstairs inside the 

pub but the main structure and layout of the 

bar areas will not change so this Good Beer 

guide listed pub will continue with its beer 

and music.

The FISHERMAN’S COTTAGE on 

Kennetside have also submitted a planning 

application, this time to create a two storey 

extension for 6 bedrooms on the top floor 

of the pub. Works will include alterations 

to the car park and some of the interior and 

exterior sections of the building affected by 

the works. We think that these would be 

letting rooms. 

Photo courtesy of the Allied Arms 

We’ve been getting good reports about the 

beer quality at GREAT EXPECTATIONS 

in London Street. The in-house brewing has 

stopped (many of our reporters didn’t rate it 

very highly anyway) and the beer range has 

been reduced to 4 cask ales plus cider but 

the quality had improved. The range of ales 

was quite interesting on a recent visit with 

the likes of Slaters of Staffordshire and Milk 

Street from Frome being available. This bar / 

restaurant / hotel is just across the IDR from 

the Oracle – a short walk from the town 

centre. 

Launched in mid-April 2018, the ALLIED 

ARMS now has 10 cask ales available on 

a regular basis. Dating from late Georgian 

times, the pub has built up a reputation for 

having excellent quality cask ales available 

at all times. The popularity of the monthly 

Payday festivals has prompted the team to 

bring us a wider choice on a more frequent 

basis, so we can enjoy up to 10 different ales 

from near and far every day. In addition, a 

new range of craft beers has been introduced 

which are available in bottles or cans. 

Alongside the ales up to six real ciders are 

served. So why not treat yourself to a beer or 

two after work or enjoy the award-winning 

garden – described as Reading’s best kept 

secret! 


11 

The multi-award winning NAGS HEAD in 

Russell Street has had a refurbishment: the 

old lino flooring has been ripped up and new 

timber flooring laid throughout the single 

bar area. All very smart. You probably didn’t 

notice it because the pub is usually so busy 

you can’t see the floor! 

SONNING 

By the time you read this, renovation works 

should have been completed at THE BULL 

in Sonning. This is a Fuller’s pub (although 

owned by the church) and hopefully the 

very pleasant interior areas will not have 

been spoilt – it’s the kind of pub that foreign 

tourists adore. Nearby – right by Sonning 

Bridge – is the COPPA bar which is a great 

place to be on a warm summer’s day as they 

have a large riverside garden with seating 

booths, deckchairs and its own bar (keg 

only). There is also a patio area for drinking 

or dining as well as the extensive indoor 

areas. Beers at the main bar are Doom Bar 

and Loddon Ferryman’s Gold and on a recent 

visit were in good nick and nice and cool. 

Pub news collated by Dave McKerchar

All images are courtesy of the breweries. 

BINGHAMS 

The big news from Binghams is the launch of 

Ricochet – a new label created to brew exciting 

and unusual beers that don’t have much in 

common with the core range offered by Binghams. 

The first beer was called American Amber and 

was launched at the Alehouse in Broad Street in 

April. The brewery team plus Stout the brewery 

dog were in attendance and, although Stout spent 

large parts of the evening asleep under a table, the 

beer was very well received. 

revamped Station Tap in Wokingham. Formerly 

the Molly Millar, the Station Tap has seen a 

£400,000 investment and features local and craft 

beers as well as a keg wall, a sports zone (pool, 

darts and screens) and a more low-key dining area. 

CHILTERN 

Summer is often the time to enjoy a golden ale, 

so watch out for two great examples coming up 

from Chiltern. First off in June is a limited edition 

Session IPA at 3.9% ABV. Tastes of mango and 

passionfruit combine with aromas of grapefruit 

and rich malt. Then in July and August it’s the turn 

of the appropriately named Gold, a balanced and 

refreshing citrussy ale also at 3.9% ABV. Here’s 

hoping for a summer in which we can enjoy them! 

If you’re looking for a gluten-free beer, it’s worth 

knowing that four of the range from Chiltern 

have been certified as gluten-free. These are 

John Hampden’s Golden Harvest Ale, Battle of 

Britain Old Ale, Monument Gold Pale Ale and 

Three Hundreds Dark Old Ale. All are available 

in bottles from the shop at chilternbrewery.co.uk 

and from the brewery itself at Terrick, south of 

Aylesbury. 

At 5.5% ABV, American Amber is (of course) 

red-amber in colour. A complex combination of 

coloured malts and a healthy dose of American 

hops both in the boil and dry hopped in the 

fermenter make for a balanced finish. As is 

increasingly common today, it’s unfined and 

unfiltered. The full range of Binghams ales 

continues to be available from the brewery shop in 

Ruscombe, online at binghams.co.uk and in good 

local pubs. 

BOND BREWS 

Mellow Velo, a 3.6% ABV dark mild, saw a 

welcome return for Mild Month in May. Bond 

beers can often be found on handpump at the 


13 

DOUBLE BARRELLED 

Reading has a new brewery! Double Barrelled 

Brewery was first launched at Craft Beer Rising 

in London in March. Set up by Mike and Luci 

Clayton-Jones – hence the Double Barrelled name 

– it’s inspired by the best of the world’s craft 

brewing scene. 

They’re in the process of moving to a unit on 

the Stadium Way Industrial Estate in Tilehurst in 

advance of a full launch in the summer and are 

only producing a limited range of beers as yet. 

But those beers have already been spotted in local 

pubs, with a collaboration with Elusive Brewing 

of Finchampstead called Diamonds on your 

Timepiece being available at The Nag’s Head, 

Castle Tap and Fox and Hounds in Caversham for 

a limited time earlier in the year.

THE LAUNCH AT CRAFT BEER RISING 

VP of EMEA & APAC – a super refreshing 

kumquat Berliner Weisse at 5.3% ABV – and the 

intriguingly named Two Storey Bungalow (6.3% 

ABV) also featured on the keycask bar at Reading 

Beer and Cider Festival this year. Tasting notes 

told the lucky drinkers of this exclusive beer “An 

increased oat and wheat profile brings a super 

soft mouthfeel to this IPA that has been liberally 

dry-hopped with a blend of Mosaic, Galaxy and 

Ekuanot hops.” 

Visit doublebarrelled.co.uk to find out more about 

the brewery, and read about Mike and Luci’s epic 

research trip to beer hotspots around the globe! 

Art the time of writing we were in need of a 

Brewery Liaison Officer for Double Barrelled. 

This is a CAMRA member who acts as the liaison 

point between CAMRA and a brewery, maintains 

a database of the beers produced and reports on 

brewery news. It’s a fun job and you might get to 

sample the new releases before they hit the streets! 

If it sounds like the job for you, please get in touch 

using the contact details on page 3. 

James Clarke, Managing Director said: 

“I would never have thought we would have been 

brewing a lager, a real departure for us. But then 

when I joined Hook Norton Brewery we didn’t 

have mobile telephones, the internet, brewed 

three different beers, records were handwritten, 

and 90% of beer drunk in the UK was drunk in 

pubs. Times and tastes change and we like to think 

down here at Hooky we can do the same. 

We are very pleased with our first brew and hope 

you are too. What would our forebears say? I 

think they would chuckle, and acknowledge that 

we are in a different world today and when it 

comes down to it, it’s usually the occasion more 

than the drink you’ll remember.” 

LODDON 

Loddon have been returning to some old favourite 

recipes for their recent seasonals with Gorgeous 

George (April – a 4.3% ABV traditional English 

bitter brewed to mark St George’s Day) and 

Wilfred’s Mild (May – a 3.6% mild). Wilfred’s 

Mild is named after Wilfred Owen, the war 

poet who lived in Dunsden where the brewery is 

based, and commemorates the centenary of his 

death. 10p from every pint sold was donated to 

the Dunsden Owen Association. This group has 

the aim of honouring Wilfred Owen, recognising 

the importance of the years he spent in Dunsden, 

and raising the profile of this Great War poet both 

locally and nationally. 

NEW WHARF 

Breakfast Stout (7.5% ABV) was crowned 

Champion LocAle at the Reading Beer and Cider 

Festival. See the Small Beer section for the full 

competition results. Breakfast Stout is made with 

six malts and three hops. The creaminess of the 

HOOK NORTON 

Established in 1849 in a small village deep in the 

Oxfordshire countryside, Hook Norton is one of 

the country’s oldest and most traditional breweries. 

Perhaps not the most obvious choice of place to 

brew a lager. Yet that’s just what’s happened with 

the launch of Trial #1. The brewery were looking 

for a beer style that would compliment their 

existing award winning range of both cask and 

keg beers, and this trial was brewed in their pilot 

plant using a special lager yeast. At 4.0% ABV It 

delivers a crisp clean continental style – not overhoppy, 

but very drinkable. 


14


15 

oats and cacao nibs coat the inside of the palate, 

leaving way for a light coffee bittersweet bourbon 

finish. As with all the brewery’s products it’s 

unfiltered, unfined and unpasteurised. 

You can now buy this and other award-winning 

New Wharf beers direct from the brewery or via 

their website at newwharfbrewing.co.uk. New 

beers launched just after the festival included 

Vanilla Sky (4.0% ABV American Cream Ale with 

Vanilla), Transatlantic (6.3% ABV New England 

Black IPA) and the limited edition Raspberry 

Cream Ale (4.0%, and available in six casks and 

six keykegs only). 

REBELLION 

As well as real ale, Rebellion also offer weekly 

wine tastings at the brewery. Every Saturday from 

10 to 5pm they select wines from their range 

for you to discover. It’s a casual tasting with no 

pressure and not guided so you can sample whilst 

browsing the shop. If you needed to know more, 

the staff are on hand to offer advice. Why not pick 

up some beer for the weekend while you’re there? 

SHERFIELD VILLAGE 

SVB beers have featured at local festivals including 

the Bracknell Ale and Cider Festival at the end of 

May, and also our own Reading Beer and Cider 

Festival at the start. Two bank holidays, two 

great events. Sandy’s IPA was particularly lovely 

at Reading – a 5.8% ABV full-bodied and fruity 

IPA made with English and German hops. This is 

a brewery that’s good for vegans, with all beers 

unfined. 

SIREN CRAFT 

White Tips, the 4.5% ABV White IPA is back for 

another spring / summer season, and available 

in cask, keg and bottles. Mixing the haziness of 

a witbier with the fruity punch of an IPA, it’s 

brewed with grapefruit, lime and orange peel. A 

traditional wit yeast works in harmony with the 

citrus peel and a healthy hop dosing of Centennial, 

Cascade, Motueka and Simcoe to create a 

balanced IPA. White Tips is refreshing, hazy, zesty 

and is described as the perfect accompaniment to 

barbecues. 

Following on from a hugely successful and much 

appreciated 2017, the “Barista Project” has 

returned, bringing four more coffee beers to the 

party. They’ve been available to the trade from late 

May, following a launch at the Tap Yard tasting 

room. The Tap Yard – now with extended opening 

hours of Thursday to Sunday 12 to 8 pm – has an 

event with interesting street food every week, and 

plenty of outdoor seating. 

Here are the Barista beers: 

Cold Brew: 5% Cold-Steeped Coffee Schwarzbier 

Breakfast Shake: 9.5% Imperial Wheat Stout 

with Coffee and Cacao 

CapHeine: 6.2% Coffee Sour with Hibiscus 

Affogato: 6% Coffee & Ice Cream Ale 

Talking of coffee beers, Home from Home Coffee 

IPA is a collaboration between Siren Craft and 

Reubens Brews of Seattle. Following a US-brewed 

version in 2017, Reuben’s UK-born founder 

Adam Robbings visited Berkshire this spring to 

join up with Kyle Larsen of Siren to brew a UK 

batch. A true collaboration, Home from Home 

combines ingredients and ideas from both sides of 

the Atlantic, including unique house yeast strains 

and favoured grain combinations. The partnership 

sourced Ethiopian Biftu Gudina coffee for sweet, 

fruity and almost hoppy notes for the UK version, 

complemented by Mosaic, Galaxy, Motueka and 

Citra hops. 

From coffee to tea, yet still not leaving beer … Yulu, 

the loose leaf pale ale brewed with Earl Grey tea, 

can now be found in more Waitrose stores across 

the UK. Together with stablemates Undercurrent, 

Sound Wave and Calypso, it’s part of an exciting 

expansion of the supermarket’s speciality beer

ange. Sarah Hammond of Waitrose says: 

“This new range reflects the changing tastes of our 

customers. We’ve got sour beers, innovative fruit 

beers, new emerging cider brands and a whole 

host of exciting breweries changing the way we 

enjoy beer and cider in the UK.” 

WEST BERKSHIRE 

The brewery has launched a quality cellaring 

scheme to help educate landlords in the importance 

of keeping and serving cask and keg beer in perfect 

condition. 

As part of a new partnership with Day One 

Training, WBB are offering the scheme to 

permanent stockists of their beer which includes 

Good Old Boy Best Bitter and the Renegade keg 

range with a view to extending to other customers 

in the future. The one-day course includes topics 

such as line cleaning, the workings of a cellar, glass 

care, dispense and product presentation. After 

successful completion of the course, publicans will 

be awarded the recognised industry BIIAB Award 

in Beer and Cellar Quality (ABCQ) certificate. 

The training will take place at the brewery in 

Yattendon. Attendees will be able to experience 

a tour of the new state of-the-art brewery and 

packaging line as well as a tasting of WBB beers 

and lunch in their taproom. If you’d like more 

information about the course then email Clare 

Candy, Marketing Manager, on clare.candy@ 

wbbrew.com. 

WINDSOR & ETON 

The full title is “Royal Warrant of Appointment 

as Brewer to Her Majesty the Queen.” The award 

allows the brewery to display a designated Royal 

Coat of Arms on its products, stationery, premises 

and vehicles. To become a Royal Warrant Holder 

a business must have supplied goods or services to 

a Royal Household over a period of at least five 

years. Windsor & Eton Brewery, which celebrated 

its eighth birthday on St. George’s Day on 23 rd 

April, brews beer using barley grown on the 

Windsor Farm – and the spent grains are returned 

to the farm to feed their cattle. 

Director Will Calvert said: 

“We’re a very fortunate business. To be Windsor’s 

community brewery working with all our local 

suppliers and customers including the Royal 

Household is a real privilege. With this award 

comes responsibility – and we’ll never forget how 

we serve Windsor & Eton, and that we’re only 

ever as good as the quality of our last pint of beer 

and how we treated our last customer.” 

Harry & Meghan’s Windsor Knot was the perfect 

beer to mark the wedding. Weighing in at 4% 

ABV in cask and 4.5% in bottles, the design on 

the bottle and pump clip featured a tie made out 

of the Union Jack and the Star & Stripes, with two 

interlocking male and female symbols. It generated 

a huge amount of media coverage for the brewery, 

including on BBC’s The Travel Show and ABC’s 

Good Morning America. 

Windsor Know also showcased the brewery’s new 

branding. The new logo focuses on both the Round 

Tower and Eton Bridge – two key landmarks of 

Windsor and Eton. For the same reason, the “&” 

is bigger and a different font to the other letters. 

Both these things draw attention that one of the 

things that makes Windsor & Eton special is that 

they are very much two joined towns. 

They’ve also moved away from gold in the 

branding and instead are using copper. Copper 

is traditionally a beer colour and by using copper 

the brewery hope to emphasise that they are “beer 

led”. 

With the eyes of the world on Windsor for the 

wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 

May, it was perfect timing for Windsor & Eton 

to announce they are now the proud holders of a 

royal warrant. 


16 

XT / ANIMAL 

Another brewery to unveil their new branding 

recently has been XT. The new designs for the 

pumpclips and bottles across the range gives a 

fresh new look on the bar, while keeping with the 

colour themes and graphical designs that have 

become the signature of the XT brand. It shows


17 

the solid commitment XT have to the long term 

future of cask beer whilst also wanting to promote 

their beer in keg, bottle and can – reflecting the 

brewery’s support of CAMRA’s own revitalisation 

proposals. 

There will be a new semi-permanent summer ale 

available from XT – named XT-18 it’s a 4.2% 

ABV golden beer that’s freshly and generously 

hopped with mellow English and American hops 

for a perfect summer refresher. The Animal beers 

are joined by the latest creation Animal Stag. This 

is a 4.6% ABV pale ale filled with multi layered 

New Zealand hops.

Festival Roundup 

All images are courtesy of our official photographer 

Nick Alexander, except where noted. 

Where to start with this year’s Reading 

Beer and Cider Festival? Why not begin 

with the weather – it was glorious! Some 

rain during setup but then sunshine 

every day the festival was open, and it 

certainly drew the crowds. The people 

of Reading obviously like a party and 

a massive 12,220 people came through 

the gates over the four days. 

Thursday kicked off with the trade 

session with local brewers, cider makers 

and suppliers showing their wares to 

the trade. Then from 4.30 the gates 

were opened and the first of our visitors 

eagerly made their way towards the 

beer. First task – to decide which of the 

552 available to try first! 


18 

So what else was on offer across the four 

days? A pub quiz, facepainting, games 

traditional and new, over 160 ciders and 

perries, singers and bands, a brand new 

keycask bar, cosplay Disney princesses, 

foreign beer, a Scottish pipe band, a 

sunny beer garden, English country 

wines, Morris dancers, a fine array of 

food … oh, and a man with a parrot. 

Innovations this year included: 

• The keycask bar (or keykeg as 

just about everyone called it) that 

offered 80 real ales over 20 rotating 

taps. 

• Two new games - Shaky hand / beat 

the buzzer built by Paul Wynn, and 

a shooting gallery designed and 

engineered by Keegan Neave.

Image courtesy of Kath Lilley 

• A new tent with the Reading branch 

of the National Childbirth Trust, 

for feeding and changing babies, or 

just collapsing on a beanbag. 

Many thanks to our sponsors including 

the support we received from Reading 

Buses and a plethora of local breweries, 

cidermakers, pubs and other businesses. 

In particular thanks go to Wild Weather 

Ales for sponsoring the glasses and to 

the Alehouse, Allied Arms, Castle Tap, 

Fisherman’s Cottage, Greyfriar and 

New Wharf Brewing for sponsoring the 

staff T shirts. 

And above all, thanks to the volunteers 

who made it all possible! 

Phil Gill 


19

Revitalising CAMRA 

Images from CAMRA AGM via Twitter @ 

CAMRA_AGM 

For the last two years CAMRA members 

have been debating what the campaign is for, 

and what it should focus on going forward. 

It’s been called the Revitalisation Project, 

which references CAMRA’s original name 

of “the Campaign for the Revitalisation of 

Ale”. 

CAMRA undertook a huge consultation 

exercise involving a series of surveys, 

meetings and proposals, all with the 

intention of finding out from its members 

what they thought the priorities for the 

campaign should be. Of course, a huge 

variety of opinions were expressed, which 

is only to be expected in an organisation of 

190,000 people. 

We all care about the future of CAMRA 

but we all have different reasons and think 

that different things are the most important. 

Should the priority be to support and 

campaign for: 

• Real ale served from the cask, because 

that’s what CAMRA fought to save 

when it was first formed? 

• Cider and perry, because they’re 

traditional drinks served in a similar 

manner to beer? 

• Good beer of any type, because driving 

up quality is what’s most important? 

• Consumer choice, because CAMRA 

is a consumer organisation and we 

want people to be able to choose for 

themselves? 

• Pubs, because without them we won’t 

be able to enjoy our favourite drinks? 

• Clubs, because they can provide a social 

environment for communities that have 

lost their other facilities? 

• All breweries, because without them we 

won’t have any real ale? 

• Small breweries, because otherwise we 

will see restricted choice? 

• Or maybe some of these can co-exist in 

a diverse campaign? 

The Revitalisation Project team analysed all 

the consultation responses and presented 

proposals to CAMRA’s National Executive 

(12 people who are like a board of directors, 

except that they’re all volunteer members 

and are elected by the wider membership). 

They considered the proposals and took most 

– although not all – forward to CAMRA’s 

Members’ Weekend, held in Coventry this 

April. The weekend included the AGM and 

Conference, as well as a bar, events and trips 

to local pubs and breweries. 


21

AGM 

At the AGM the membership as a whole, 

either in person or by proxy, could vote 

on the changes. The technical bit is that 

this needed a series of votes on Special 

Resolutions to change CAMRA’s Articles of 

Association, which set out what its role and 

powers are. Under company law, 75% of 

those voting needed to vote in favour for any 

given change to take effect. After a series of 

heated debates the results were in. 

The first resolution was to delete the part of 

the Articles of Association that sets out what 

CAMRA is for, so that they could then be 

rebuilt in a new form. 

1. Delete Article 2 other than the following 

wording: “2. The objects for which 

CAMRA is established are:” – 84.1% in 

favour – PASSED 

The next six resolutions were to add things 

to the new Articles of Association. 


22 

2. Add “2(a) to secure the long term future 

of real ale, real cider and real perry by 

increasing their quality, availability 

and popularity;” – 88.8% in favour – 

PASSED 

3. Add “2(b) to promote and protect pubs 

and clubs as social centres and part of 

the UK’s cultural heritage;” – 92.1% in 

favour – PASSED 

4. Add “2(c) to increase recognition of the 

benefits of responsible, moderate social 

drinking;” – 89.3% in favour – PASSED 

5. Add “2(d) to play a leading role in the 

provision of information, education and 

training to all those with an interest in 

beer, cider and perry of any type;” – 

78.2% in favour – PASSED 

6. Add “2(e) to act as the voice and 

represent the interests of all pub-goers 

and beer, cider and perry drinkers;” – 

72.6% in favour – FAILED 

7. Add “2(f) to ensure where possible that 

producers and retailers of beer, cider 

and perry act in the best interests of 

the consumer.” – 88.4 % in favour – 

PASSED 

Finally three other resolutions set out new 

details of how CAMRA operates and the 

powers that allow that to happen. 

8. Delete Article 3 and replace it with “3(a) 

CAMRA is formed as an independent, 

volunteer led, non-party political body 

to pursue its objectives. 3(b) CAMRA 

will operate in a transparent, inclusive, 

enthusiastic and welcoming manner, at 

all levels.” – 92.4% in favour – PASSED 

9. Delete Article 4 and replace it with 

extensive text to set out the legal 

powers of CAMRA – 87.5% in favour 

– PASSED

10. Add the following at the end of Article 

25 “…, and such written notice of 

intent has been signed by not less than 

50 Members.” – 89.1% in favour – 

PASSED 

a pub cellar that allows beer drawn 

from the cask to be replaced with the 

equivalent amount of sterile gas at 

atmospheric pressure), instead adopting 

a neutral position 

So the only one of the Special Resolutions 

not to be passed was the one that would 

have widened CAMRA’s remit to represent 

all pub-goers and all beer, cider and perry 

drinkers. The intention of this was to 

allow support for all pubs and drinkers of 

long drinks in general. But members were 

concerned that this would mean having to 

campaign for pubs and drinks that didn’t fit 

with CAMRA’s ethos. While the resolution 

was rejected, it didn’t miss the 75% cutoff 

by much and indicates that many CAMRA 

members have a desire for further change. 

CONFERENCE 

Following the AGM was the Conference, 

where CAMRA members could propose 

motions for debate. Here only the people in 

the hall could vote. Motions are designed to 

set a direction for CAMRA policy or instruct 

that certain activities are – or are not – 

carried out. 

This year’s highlights included that members 

attending Conference: 

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE 

Finally, the Members’ Weekend also featured 

the elections for the National Executive. All 

members could vote in person or by proxy 

and four people were elected to fill the 

vacant spots: 

• Lynn Atack – 8,491 votes 

• Gillian Hough – 6,608 votes 

• Ash Corbett-Collins – 6,083 votes 

• Nik Antona – 6,054 votes 

Overall the fact that all but one of the 

Special Resolutions was passed indicates a 

desire for change and modernisation among 

the (voting) membership as a whole. But 

the elections to the National Executive are 

particularly interesting as the successful 

candidates are a mixture of traditionalists 

and progressives with diverse interests. It 

illustrates the difference of opinions that 

still exist between CAMRA members and 

it’s likely to lead to some fiery meetings 

of the National Executive in future, with 

some fighting for change and others fighting 

equally hard to stop it. 

• agreed that beer festivals wishing to 

offer types of beer other than real ale can 

do so but should reinforce CAMRA’s 

belief in the superiority of real ale, and 

provide educational material about all 

beer types on sale 

• called for new diversity and equality 

policies within CAMRA 

• overwhelmingly defeated a motion to 

reduce tax relief for small breweries 

• agreed a policy that CAMRA members 

should not demand or expect discounts 

from pubs and breweries 

• removed CAMRA’s former opposition 

to “cask breathers” (a device used in 


23 

Whatever your views about the Revitalisation 

Project, the membership has now set the 

future direction of the campaign. If you want 

to be part of that, it’s time to unite and move 

forward. 

Phil Gill 

(all opinions are the author’s own)

us travel for night owls 

loads of our buses run late into the night 

and some routes are 24/7 

the perfect way to get home 

all night 

adult after 6pm 

all 

£3 

all night 

group after 6pm 

£6 

up to 

4 people 

travelling 

together 

after 6pm 

Readingbuses 

reading-buses.co.uk/night-buses 


24

Small Beer 

A round up of news and information 

PUB OF THE YEAR 

NATIONAL CIDER AND 

PERRY CHAMPIONSHIP 

Reading’s Nags Head is already a multiple 

award winner and this year it’s continued its 

success with a clean sweep of branch awards. 

Last year it won both Pub of the Year and 

Cider Pub of the Year for the Reading & 

Mid Berkshire CAMRA branch. This year 

it’s achieved an unprecedented “double 

double”, winning both awards again. 

Local CAMRA members visit pubs and score 

them against factors including the quality of 

real ale, cider and perry, the atmosphere, 

service and welcome received and value for 

money. After all the results were added up the 

Nags emerged victorious, with Caversham’s 

Fox and Hounds as a worthy runner-up in 

both categories. 

In the equivalent Club of the Year contest, 

the Wargrave and District Snooker Club was 

once again named branch champion. If you 

think your local club would give the Snooker 

Club a run for its money next year, please let 

us know! 

Watch out for our gala awards night in 

September, where you can meet the team 

behind the Nags, Fox and Snooker Club, 

enjoy some great real ales and see these plus 

many other worthy winners receive their 

awards. More details once available will be 

on our website. 

Reading Beer and Cider Festival is proud to 

host CAMRA’s National Cider and Perry 

Championship, and to offer one of the best 

ranges of cider and perry available anywhere 

in the country. This year we raised a glass 

to the supreme champions Nempnett Piglet’s 

Choice Perry (left) and Harry’s Scrummage 

Cider (right), both from Somerset. If you 

didn’t share the judge’s tastes, there were 

about 200 others to choose from! Full 

results: 

Cider 

1ST: Harry’s – Scrummage (Somerset) 

2ND: Whin Hill – Brown’s (Norfolk) 

3RD: Orgasmic – White Jersey 

(Herefordshire) 

Perry 

1ST: Nempnett – Piglet’s Choice (Somerset) 

2ND: Oliver’s – Perry (Herefordshire) 

3RD: Whin Hill – Perry (Norfolk) 

LocAle Beer of the Festival 

LocAle Beer of the Festival at Reading this 

year was judged by CAMRA volunteers and 

invited guests. The results of the categories 

and the overall champions were: 


25

Beers below 4.2% ABV 

WINNER 

RUNNER UP 

Ascot Ales, Gold Cup 

Elusive, Sunset Rider 

Beers from 4.2% to 4.9% ABV 

WINNER 

RUNNER UP 

Siren Craft, Undercurrent 

Wild Weather, King St 

Pale 

Beers 5.0% ABV and above 

WINNER 

RUNNER UP 

New Wharf, Breakfast 

Stout 

Siren Craft, Sound Wave 

Overall LocAle Beer of the 

Festival 

GOLD 

SILVER 

BRONZE 

New Wharf, Breakfast 

Stout 

Siren Craft, Undercurrent 

Siren Craft, Sound Wave 

Congratulations to New Wharf from near 

Maidenhead for their win, and to Siren 

Craft for scooping second and third place 

overall. In fact, well done and thank you to 

all our local breweries for the excellent ales 

produced in this area. 

THE LONGEST-CLOSED 

PUB? 

Have you ever looked at the boarded up 

building on Duke Street in Reading, just over 

the bridge from the London Street Brasserie? 

Have you ever wondered why such a piece 

of prime real estate right next to the Oracle 

has been out of use for so long? So have we. 

The Lower Ship 

It might surprise you, then, to know that the 

building used to be a pub called the Lower 

Ship, built in 1889 to replace a previous pub 

on the site. It might surprise you even more 

to know that it’s owned by the secretive 

Yorkshire Brewery Samuel Smiths, who have 

owned it since 1988 following its closure a 

few years previously. We wonder if it’s the 

longest-closed pub where no other use has 

been adopted in the meantime. 

Astonishingly it’s not the only historic 

building that Sam Smiths have acquired 

and then left to rot. In Bath the former 

King Edward’s School building on Broad 

Street has been empty since 1986 when 

the school closed. Sam Smiths bought the 

building in 1989 and, a mere 21 years later 

in 2010, obtained listed building consent and 

planning permission to convert the upper 

floors into hotel rooms. That permission 

was renewed in 2013 but, almost 30 years 

after they bought the building, there has still 

been almost no progress in transforming the 

former school into a pub and hotel. 

The photo shows the Lower Ship in 2010. 

There’s not much point getting a more up to 

date picture because it looks pretty much the 

same year on year; just the graffiti changes. 

Will it ever reopen as a pub? 

UPCOMING FESTIVALS 

June: Twyford Beer Festival 

Now in its 9 th year, Twyford Beer Festival 

is an independent event but with strong 

support from local CAMRA members, that 

raises money for Orchid, the male cancer 

charity. It’s open Friday 8 th June (5 to 11pm) 

and Saturday 9th June (12 to 10pm). Head 

down to King George V Playing Field in 

Twyford and expect to find a tent full of beer 

and cider plus plenty of outdoor seating, 

food and live music. 

July: Maidenhead Beer and Cider 

Festival 

Our friends at Slough, Windsor and 

Maidenhead CAMRA have one of the 

highlights of their year coming up, as the 


26

Maidenhead Beer and Cider Festival returns 

to Desborough College. This is a return 

to the previous venue and should be more 

comfortable than last year, as well as being 

more accessible – close to the station – and 

hopefully good weather too! Over 100 real 

ales and 20 ciders are promised, and it’s open 

all day from Thursday 26 th to Saturday 28 th 

July. See the advert in this issue or mbcf. 

camra.org.uk for more details. 

August: Great British Beer 

Festival 

The Great British Beer Festival is returning 

to London this summer - 7 th to 11 th August 

at London Olympia - and tickets are now on 

sale. Organised and run by the Campaign for 

Real Ale, the Great British Beer Festival is 

one of the biggest, most exciting and wellknown 

events on the beer and cider calendar. 

With over 900 real ales, ciders and perries 

and one-off speciality brews, this year’s 

festival is not to be missed. Get your tickets 

at gbbf.org.uk. 

PUB QUALITY 

BEER 

...AT HOME 

Drink Rebellion cask ale 

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brewery shop 

Fresh beer, ready to drink 

1 litre bottles up to 72 pint barrels 

 

including 10% OFF beer 

Fresh cider 

Local produce 

Over 300 worldwide wines 

Free glass hire 

Call 01628 476594 

Shop opening hours: 

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Or visit our website: 

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@RebellionBeer 

RebellionBeerCo 

Rebellion Beer Co. Ltd. Bencombe Farm, Marlow Bottom, SL7 3LT 

A GOLDEN WONDER 

FRESH MIX OF HOPS FOR A DELICIOUS ALE 


27

TIME FOR SOME REAL ALE 

TRAINING! 

Reading is one of the South’s major 

railway centres with trains arriving 

and departing every few minutes 

for destinations right across the country as 

well as more local towns and villages. Years 

ago most larger stations would have had 

a buffet or refreshment room which often 

would have sold draught beer. Today many 

of these old rooms have been or are being 

renovated and returned as real ale bars and 

where not, there is usually a decent pub close 

by. 

So, let’s take a look at a few local stations 

and the Real Ale pubs which still serve 

them. We will start, as you might expect 

at READING station itself, where we find 

the recently renovated THREE GUINEAS. 

Three Guineas, Reading 

This is a Fuller’s pub but does offer a good 

range of guest ales as well as food and an 

underground function room. They have TV 

screens showing departures and there are 


28 

seating areas at the front next to 

the ticket barriers. The pub has a 

modern feel to it, but it once was 

the main ticket office for the entire station 

and the station clock still survives (this used 

to be cared for by local CAMRA members 

until recently). Nearby you may also like to 

try the excellent GREYFRIAR which has 8 

beers available or the unusual BISCUIT TIN 

which sells West Berkshire beers. 

From Reading we head east on a stopping 

service using one of the new Class 387 electric 

trains and our first stop is TWYFORD. Turn 

right out of the main entrance and at the top 

of the road you will find THE GOLDEN 

CROSS. This mock-tudor frontage pub 

dated back only to the 19th century and 

offers a couple of beers from Hampshire 

brewer Upham. There are a couple of bar 

areas and a garden/patio as well as a darts 

board and sports TV. It is open all day and is 

family and dog friendly. 

Our next stop is MAIDENHEAD which 

was once the home of Nicholson’s Brewery 

whose name lives on in the shopping centre. 

The nearest pub to the station is THE BELL 

which serves Doom Bar and/or Greene King 

IPA. You may, however, wish to walk a little 

bit further (about 5 minutes) along King 

Street and try the ROSE (one Rebellion beer 

plus Fuller’s London Pride) or the relatively 

new OFF THE TAP which offers pizzas and 

a selection of craft bottles and cans as well as 

two cask beers from Rebellion.

From Maidenhead we can now catch the 

branch-line diesel train to Bourne End and 

Marlow. The first stop on this pleasant little 

line is FURZE PLATT (I always thought that 

would be a great name for a rock band or a 

character from Harry Potter) but the nearest 

pub shut recently so (happily) we have to 

head up Harrow Lane and down Gringer Hill 

to the community run CRAUFURD ARMS 

which sells a selection of local brewery beers 

and is open all day – worth missing a train 

for. It was saved from closure by the locals 

and is a fine example of how pubs can survive 

when the will and the enthusiasm are there. 

Craufurd Arms, Maidenhead 

Next stop is COOKHAM where we have 

a short stroll down to THE OLD SWAN 

UPPERS – so named after the ancient activity 

of “Swan Upping” (or marking) of Swans 

on the Thames. The pub opens at 11.30 

but there is no food on Mondays. Beers are 

mainly well-known brands but often with a 

local guest ale. 

Onwards to BOURNE END which is now 

a sort of terminus station. Trains used to 

carry on to High Wycombe but they now 

reverse down another branch and follow 

the river to Marlow – sometimes you may 

have to change trains here. There’s a couple 

of options at Bourne End – turn left and go 

KEG, Bourne End 

up The Parade, past the shops and into 

Oakfield Road where you will find KEG (the 

owners initials!). This little micro-pub serves 

two cask ales and several keg/craft beers. It 

shuts between 9pm and 11 pm depending on 

the day and 6 pm on Sundays. If you turn 

right from the station you will find THE 

WALNUT TREE – a little pub with Greene 

King beers, a large garden and kids’ play 

facilities. It has the feel of a country pub 

and has a strong emphasis on good food. 

The final option is to walk over the railway 

bridge and then down onto the Thames 

towpath to find THE BOUNTY which can 

only be reached by foot or boat! Rebellion 

beers and a quirky riverside aspect (nautical 

theme; daft jokes and 60s music). 

From Bourne End the train heads along 

the Thames Valley until it terminates at 

MARLOW where the station has been cut 

back some distance from its origins. You 

will easily spot the nearest pub – THE 

MARLOW DONKEY – which was named 

after the little steam train that pushed and 

pulled along the branch in days gone by. 

This imposing street-corner pub is run by 

Greene King but does usually offer some 

guest ales apart from the brewer’s own beer. 

It does food, has a modern interior and a 

large garden and conservatory. Between the 

pub and the station is the RBL CLUB (Royal 

British Legion) which serves a range of guest 

ales – opening hours are restricted and you 

will need to show a CAMRA Membership 

Card to gain entry. 

From Bourne End we travel back to 

Maidenhead and catch a train back to 

Twyford so that we can visit the Henley 

branch. Upon leaving Twyford our first 

station stop is WARGRAVE where a short 

walk will bring us into the village centre 

and THE BULL and THE GREYHOUND. 

The Bull is a 15th century Brakspear’s pub 

with beams and brick & flint; brasses and 

an ingle nook fire in winter. Lots of dining 

but drinking areas are available and there is 

a secure garden at the back. Prices reflect the 

local house prices! The Bull shuts between 

2.30 and 6 pm Mon-Fri. Directly across 

the crossroads is The Greyhound which is a 

cosy and relaxed two-bar pub with a large 


29

collection of jugs in the Lounge and TV and 

games in the “Public” bar. One Rebellion 

beer plus a guest ale. Serves pizzas and the 

loos are still outside! If you fancy another 

short walk you could try THE SAINT 

GEORGE & DRAGON which is mainly 

a dining pub but does sell Doom Bar and 

one guest ale. There are areas for drinking 

including the garden which overlooks the 

Thames. This is the only so-named pub to 

use the full SAINT in its title. 

The penultimate stop on this little 

tour is SHIPLAKE where the imposing 

BASKERVILLE sits just a few yards from 

the single platform station. This a foodorientated 

establishment although the small 

wood-panelled bar is very popular with 

drinkers – both local and those who come 

for Henley Regatta. There are usually 4 beers 

available often featuring the local Loddon 

and Rebellion breweries. Dogs are welcome 

and there is a kids’ play area. B&B (4 rooms) 

is available. 

We eventually arrive at HENLEY station – 

much reduced since its heyday but still with 

a good, regular train service. You may want 

to spend some time in the town and explore 

the riverside etc. There are several pubs in 

the town centre - mostly Brakspear although 

the beer is no longer brewed here with one 

exception! – THE BULL in Bell Street is 

home to The Bell Street brewery at the back 

of the pub. It brews the likes of Brakspear’s 

Special and seasonal and individual beers as 

required. Worth a visit to see what’s on. To 

find the nearest pub then come out of the 

station and turn right at the end and follow 

the river round to Friday Street and THE 

ANCHOR. This a very pleasant little two 

roomed pub with a garden at the rear. It has 

Brakspear beers often including seasonals or 

guests from Ringwood. 

If you fancy a choice of beers you could 

head for the large CATHERINE WHEEL 

(Wetherspoons) or carry on up Friday Street 

and cross over into Greys Road where you 

will find THE BIRD IN HAND. This is a 

little Free house with a nice selection of local 

beers including Brakspear (the local still love 

it) and Hook Norton Mild as well as Fullers 

London Pride and a couple of guests. There 

is a very nice garden with a pond and aviary 

out the back, but note the pub shuts between 

2pm and 5pm Mon-Fri. 

So there’s a day or two’s outings with some 

train travel; some riverside vistas and some 

decent beer (local and not so local). You 

might find some pubs you didn’t know about 

or maybe some old favourites but this way 

you can enjoy a pint without the hassle of 

driving. 

Rover tickets for these lines are now available 

at very reasonable prices. Ask for a Thames 

Branches Day Ranger. 

Cheers! 

Dave McKerchar 

Baskerville, Shiplake 


30

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Instruction to your Bank or 

Building Society to pay by Direct Debit 

Please fill in the whole form using a ball point pen and send to: 

Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. 230 Hatfield Road St. Albans, Herts AL1 4LW 

Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society 

Postcode 

Name(s) of Account Holder 

Bank or Building Society Account Number 

Branch Sort Code 

Reference 

Bank or Building Society 

Service User Number 

9 2 6 1 2 9 

FOR CAMRA OFFICIAL USE ONLY 

This is not part of the instruction to your Bank or Building Society 

Membership Number 

Name 

Postcode 

Instructions to your Bank or Building Society 

Please pay Campaign For Real Ale Limited Direct Debits 

from the account detailed on this instruction subject to 

the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I 

understand that this instruction may remain with Campaign 

For Real Ale Limited and, if so, will be passed electronically 

to my Bank/Building Society. 

Signature(s) 

Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account. 

Date 

This Guarantee should be detached 

and retained by the payer. 

The Direct Debit Guarantee 

This Guarantee is offered by all banks 

and building societies that accept 

instructions to pay by Direct Debits 

If there are any changes to the amount, 

date or frequency of your Direct Debit 

The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd will notify 

you 10 working days in advance of your 

account being debited or as otherwise 

agreed. If you request The Campaign 

for Real Ale Ltd to collect a payment, 

confirmation of the amount and date 

will be given to you at the time of 

the request 

If an error is made in the payment of 

your Direct Debit by The Campaign 

for Real Ale Ltd or your bank or 

building society, you are entitled to 

a full and immediate refund of the 

amount paid from your bank or 

building society 

If you receive a refund you are not 

entitled to, you must pay it back 

when The Campaign Real Ale Ltd 

asks you to 

You can cancel a Direct Debit at any 

time by simply contacting your bank 

or building society. Written confirmation 

may be required. Please also notify us. 

†Price of single membership when paying by Direct Debit. *Calls from landlines charged at local rates, cost may vary from mobile phones. 

New Direct Debit members will receive a 12 month supply of vouchers in their first 15 months of membership.

Mine's a Pint - Summer 2018

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