The 9th Essex Beer guide, Essex's last publication proved to be a huge success, and quickly sold out. We're hoping that the new edition does equally well.

We need your help to achieve the same success, though! Colchester alone has over 360 pubs, clubs and bars that all need surveying for the new guide. This amounts to 50 a month, to meet the mid-summer deadline.

We're not asking for the Earth, Moon and Stars, just for you to complete a simple one page form for a pub in your area. If you'd like to help, then download the form here. Contact any of the committee members, and we can also point you in the right direction for any pubs that still need surveying.

The guide in it's simplest form will list all the pubs in our branch area, some 380 of them. We've started with the top 50, but will soon be adding the rest.

The benefit of the online guide it that we can update it at will, without having to 'reprint the whole thing' as with a book.

If you're interested in subscribing, visit this page for more information.

For those of you that would prefer the printed version, G2 will be out early next year.

Mark Whybrow tells us how the day panned out in our 'Hampshire Report'

We've Moved!

For the past year or so, the Colchester CAMRA website has been hosted by Seem Internet. Although very cheap, we found they couldn't offer the kind of service our users have come to expect.

So, the treasurer dipped his hand in his pocket and paid for the move to ASP-Hosts. What this means to you is that you can view the pages without the horrific delays sometimes experienced.

New Services
It also means that we can now offer you new services. I won't give too much away here, but by the start of December we hope to have an online pubs guide.

We will also be setting up a members only section, where you can get information that relates to the Colchester branch. You can also pass us vital information on pubs in your area. The new year promises to be an interesting one for the whole branch, so stay tuned.

If you think you have a good idea, or there's something you'd like to see on the website, then let us know. You can send us a message here. The monthly website competition came from a young branch member, so I'm sure everyone can come up with something they'd like!

2004 Pigs Ear Beer Festival Cancelled

This is as a result of insurmountable difficulties with the new venue. We have decided that to cancel at this stage would be preferable to causing unnecessary inconvenience to both our staff and members of the public and also running up additional costs for CAMRA.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those CAMRA members who have assisted with the smooth running of our festival for the past 22 years and we reassure you that it is our intention that Pigs Ear will be back in the future.

For further information please contact Robyn Parr-Ferris on 07966 513 243"

CAMRA Launches New Quiz Book

With winter nights drawing in, there's little excuse for not visiting your local pub at least once a week and settling in front of the welcoming fireplace to take part in the weekly pub quiz. Pub quizzes are a great way of getting together with a group of friends and helping to keep your brain ticking over. Help is at hand for all those who need a little enlightenment in the shape of CAMRA's latest publication the Book of Beer Knowledge: Essential Wisdom for the Discerning Drinker, priced at £9.99 and written by Jeff Evans.

What are hogsheads, kilderkins and firkins? In which country is there a beer purity law called the Reinheitsgebot? The Book of Beer Knowledge answers these questions and many more; it is a complete miscellany with over 200 entries from the world of beer, pubs and brewing.

Test your readers' knowledge and give away free copies of the Book of Beer Knowledge. Here are some sample questions, written by Jeff Evans that are answered within the book.

1. Which famous author of detective stories created the Guinness toucan character?
a) Arthur Conan Doyle
b) Colin Dexter
c) Dorothy L Sayers

2. Which of these is not a traditional pub game?
a) Bat and trap
b) Knur and spell
c) Chalk and cheese

3. What are hogsheads, kilderkins and firkins?
a) Beer casks
b) Types of hops
c) Flights for darts

4. What did German landlord Peter Inselkammer invent in 2002 and sell for £95 a bottle?
a) Lager champagne
b) A perfume smelling of stale beer and cigarette ends
c) A completely tasteless beer

5. Who once remarked: 'You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline.'?
a) Richard Branson
b) Frank Zappa
c) George W Bush

6. With what did John Milkovisch, a Texas railroad worker, decorate his Houston home?
a) 40,000 beer cans
b) Wallpaper made from waste beer
c) The labels of every bottled beer he drank

7. In which film did Burt Reynolds try to smuggle a lorry load of beer from Texas to Georgia?
a) Deliverance
b) Smokey and the Bandit
c) The Cannonball Run

8. Lenny, Carl, Charlie and Barney Gumble are four of whose drinking buddies?
a) Norm Peterson
b) Homer Simpson
c) Fred Flintstone

9. Which nation drinks the most beer per head of population?
a) USA
b) Australia
c) Czech Republic

10. Where would you find all the following watering holes: Annie's Bar, Bellamy's Bar and The Strangers' Bar?
a) Blackpool's Golden Mile
b) On the Pennine Way
c) The Houses of Parliament

Author Jeff Evans is best known as eight times editor of the best-selling Good Beer Guide, and is author of its sister companion the Good Bottled Beer Guide (£9.99 ISBN 1852491973). He writes regularly about beer-related matters for newspapers and magazines both in the UK and the USA and was judged Beer Writer of the Year in 2001.

His other books include the acclaimed Penguin TV Companion, selected as one of the 'ten best reference books' by The Independent newspaper.

The Book of Beer Knowledge is a beer buff's dream, a fact-checker's delight, and a fantastic drinking companion at home or in the pub garden. It is a must-have for the bedside and a great stocking filler!

How To Buy
The Book of Beer Knowledge ISBN 1852491981 is available to buy from all good books shops or direct from CAMRA, http://www.camra.org.uk/books or telephone 01727 867201.

* Limited number of copies available.

Thirteen Get Lost In Hertfordshire!

The occasion was one of the rare HQ open days, a chance to see what actually goes on, and meet some of the names we read about in What's Brewing.

The lucky 13 boarded the Battlebus in brilliant sunshine, and managed to get out of Colchester without a hitch. In fact we made it all the way to Hertfordshire in good time, before spotting the "road closed" sign on the M25. Had we missed it, and left the motorway at the following exit, all would have been OK. But no, we took the advice of the bright yellow sign, and a wonderful tour of Hertfordshire towns, villages and countryside followed - most of the time we were actually heading away from St Albans but, when we worked out the logic of ignoring any roadside advice and following the map, we finally got into town only 40 minutes late. Trev's inbuilt radar guided us to our final destination, where it was a bit of a surprise to be greeted by Chief Exec Mike Benner - he must also have been delighted as we all rushed past him in search of the nearest loo!

Open day at HQ is an informal affair, allowing small groups to chat to staff in most departments. I'm not sure whether they normally work on Saturdays, but everyone we met was cheerful and willing to answer just about any questions. Malcolm Harding and his colleagues Gary and Jean gave us a fascinating insight into the membership process, and for the tecchies, a detailed explanation of the new computer system. With membership now over 70,000, this really is a vitally important function, and the team seem to be well in control of things.

After a brief view of the reception areas and stores area, it was upstairs to meet the team which produces What's Brewing. Tony Jerome and the lovely Cressida Fielder (sorry, Tony - I don't mean you're not lovely as well, but...!) were particularly helpful when I explained my "mission" for the day - to discover when the Colchester Branch was actually formed. They were both busy, and official records date only from 1985, but Cressida directed me to a pile of yellowing newspapers and an empty desk "they're not in order, and a few are missing" she said - "but you may be lucky".

And lucky I was. The second copy of What's Brewing I opened contained the words "Colchester & North-East Essex (inaugural meeting): Thursday June 19, 1975 - House Without a Name, Easthorpe; 8pm. Contact Mike Keating." Given that 2005 heralds the 20th Colchester and 10th Clacton Beer Festivals, I was hoping to prove that we could also celebrate the 30th anniversary of the branch, and now we have the proof. I have spoken to a number of CAMRA "old stagers", some of whom were around at the beginning, but nobody could actually remember when or where. I wonder if this has anything to do with excessive consumption of real ale?

Unfortunately the HWAN closed a couple of years ago following an unsuccessful conversion to a restaurant, and is now a private house. Unless the new occupiers are willing to let us take over their front room, we'll have to find another venue to celebrate (and celebrate we will - more about that nearer the time). I did, however, dig through some more old papers, and discovered that the second branch meeting was held at the Horse & Groom, Wivenhoe, and the third, in August 75, at the British Grenadier, Colchester, so we won't be short of an authentic venue.

Branch members had to wait until October 1975 for the first "Social", held at the Sun, Maidenburg Street, followed by the first brewery trip, to Tolley Cobbold in Ipswich. Again sadly, neither now exist.

Anyway, back to HQ. Next stop was Tony Jerome, Press & PR supremo. An Essex boy himself, but not, as far as he knows, related to Brian "BJ" Jerome at the Stockwell Arms, Colchester. Again, an informative chat about press relations and future promotions, and thanks to Tony for supplying an excellent contacts list, which we can pass to our new Branch Press Officer.

Due to my time whizzing through the newspapers, most of our party were on to their third pint by the time I got to the Boardroom, although I still managed to down a pint of Butcombe Bitter (slightly disappointing, to my mind) and a superb Dark Star Wheat Beer. Just time to say thanks and goodbye to everyone, a quick team photo, and back onto the Battlebus. Having assured Trev that I had enough maps of St Albans to paper a wall, we immediately got lost and caught up in the High Street traffic! Eventually we found the M25 again, and headed for the Grand Union Brewery in Hayes, Middlesex.

As with so many other breweries, the industrial estate location of Grand Union is less than inspiring. Greeted by Tom Madeiros, Head Brewer, we were led upstairs to a beautifully constructed hospitality room, complete with fully-fitted bar, leather sofas, and free run of the Sales Manager's office. "No questions before the first, pint please", said Tom! And the first was a light, fresh, Autumn Ale, containing three varieties of German hops, just right at 4.2% ABV.

Tom has an unusual background. An engineer and keen home brewer from Cape Cod, near Boston Massachusetts, he has always loved British-style ales, and learnt the art of commercial brewing at Iceni in Norfolk and Oakham, Peterborough. He joined Grand Union when it was established in early 2002, and has been producing award-winning ales ever since - including GU Stout, overall Champion at the 2003 Colchester festival. With only a 10 barrel plant, distribution is normally limited to the London area but, following many successes at festivals, the beers are now increasingly appearing throughout the home counties, and expansion into the Midland, South East and East Anglia (hooray!) is planned. In the early days, GU were making their name primarily for their "real" lagers. Whilst they will still feature in the portfolio (Pilsner as a regular, Kolsch on occasions, both of which went down well at our festivals), traditional British ales are now the mainstay of the company.

Next we were offered a pint of the topically named "WMD" - it actually stands for West Middlesex Draught - at 5.3%. Much more malty than the Autumn Ale, but still with GU's characteristic hoppiness - I suspect Oakham's predilection for super-hoppy beers has continued with many of Tom's brews. Then the big one. Last year, Tom brewed Old Ale, a strong winter beer which immediately won awards. This year, to a different recipe, we have the imaginatively-named Old Ale 2. Who cares about the name when you can drink a smooth dark beer with notes of caramel liquorice and sherry - oh and at 6.7 ABV! Went very well with the cheese and biscuit selection kindly provided.

Whilst some of our party were happy to lounge around in the comfy chairs, the rest popped over to the second industrial unit, which houses the brewery. This was also a surprise. Light, airy, and full of silver and fluorescent orange brewing vessels, purchased from the ill-fated Mash & Air "theme pub" in Manchester. (I never did quite work out the theme - reasonable, but overpriced beer brewed on the premises in a big glass box full of Mancunian yuppies!). For the technically inclined, they have also purchased a Fulton Boiler which produces steam used at every stage of the brewing process - from initial liquor boiling and subsequent boils, through to steam cleaning and sterilisation of vessels and casks. Very environmentally friendly, and stonking beers at the end of it.

Before we were allowed to go, Tom insisted on giving us a couple of lemonade bottles - full of Old Ale, which kept our spirits up on the next leg of the journey. For any policemen reading this, we were actually drinking fizzy pop. Honest.

Reverting to my previous life as Social Sec, I had produced detailed maps to guide us home via an assortment of rural GBG pubs but, having heard the news that we may shortly be losing one of our favourite local publicans, agreed to rearrange the route to include The Swan at Little Totham.

In between sips of Old Ale (sorry, fizzy pop) the GBG showed the ideal stopping point, the Forest Gate, near Epping. More than one bladder-full away, so a quick break at South Mimms - queues for burgers and pizza, no-one at the "healthy eating" shop - not surprising at £4.50 for the worlds smallest pitta bread with 2 lettuce leaves in it! We only got slightly lost on this leg of the journey, having to turn round once.

The Forest gate is a great find, being so close to the M25. A proper pub, no music or fruit machines, the beer range was a little disappointing, but the Ridleys IPA and Adnams bitter perfectly acceptable. I stated that the journey to the Swan should take about 45 minutes. No chance said Rob, who promptly arranged a sweepstake. £1 each, anything less than 45 went to the driver, anything over 60 to charity. Then back on the bus, watches synchronised, and towards The Swan. 59 minutes later, Trev was the proud owner of a £13 bonus, and the little children in Africa will have to starve.

Whilst Little Totham is just outside our Branch area, The Swan has become one of our favourite pubs. John & Val Pascoe have turned a run-down boozer into the 2003 CAMRA National Pub of the Year. If there was ever a couple who deserved this acclaim it is they. For serious real ale drinkers, there are usually 8 "house" beers, expanding to 15 on some weekends - it would be churlish to complain that there were only 12 on when we visited!. Microbreweries are well supported, especially those from Essex and East Anglia, and there are up to 5 ciders and perries available. The pub runs beer festivals, supports CAMRA, and has also developed an excellent reputation for food. Perhaps more important, however, has been John & Val's interaction with the local community. The pub allows local groups to meet free of charge, supports village life in numerous ways, and has recently purchased a minibus for local charity use.

We are always assured a warm welcome, and this visit was no different. By the time we had bought our first beer, a table was covered in hot nibbles and John was off to the kitchen to get even more. A landlord who has time to chat to locals and strangers alike is a true "Mine Host", and John spent much of the rest of the evening laughing and joking with us at what must be a difficult time.

Unfortunately Val's health has deteriorated considerably over the last few years, and has just got out of hospital. John has decided to put the pub on the market and the couple will spend their retirement messing about on boats. This is unlikely to happen for a few months, however, so we all still have the chance to sample their hospitality . On a brighter note, they will probably not be moving too far away, and John is insisting that he will not sell the Swan to anyone who he feels will not continue his commitment to real ale and the community.

In summary. A great day was had by all. If you get the opportunity to visit HQ, take it. Ditto the Forest Green at Epping. Look out for Grand Union beers. If you have never visited the Swan before, do it before it's too late. And if you've been there before, return to say thankyou. Here endeth the lesson.

Dave Nunn

Change The World...For Just A Fiver!

OK, not strictly CAMRA, or Real Ale, but we all need something else to do, don't we?

The idea behind the book is simple. By carry out one of the 50 actions, you will feel better yourself, knowing that you have brought a little happiness to someone else in your life.

The book, which contains a number of inserts to support or illustrate the actions, including a packet of seeds and a piece of fake chewing gum, was created by pulling together a team of photographers, illustrators, cartoonists, writers and designers, all of whom have given their time and talents for free.

The book is being published by Short Books and is being sold on a no profit basis by retailers. It is available at Sainsbury's, WH Smith, Waterstone's, Amazon, Ottakar's, Borders and other independent booksellers.

To promote the We Are What We Do movement, an exhibition illustrating the actions is touring the UK, with its next port of call at the Metro Centre in Gateshead from Saturday 30 October to Monday 8 November 2004. In addition there will be a series of short films on Channel Four, every day at 7:55pm from Monday 25th till Thursday 28th October, giving young filmmakers the opportunity to show their impression of how a simple everyday action can really help to change the world.

Many businesses, schools and voluntary organisations including Vodafone, 3, Channel Four, BUPA, the Inland Revenue and Coca Cola are encouraging staff to back the movement. In addition numerous celebrities have agreed to carry out an action from the book in support of the movement:

• The Duchess of York volunteered to 'Bake something for a friend' (Action 30), by preparing 200 gingerbread men for the movement's launch party on 30th September last.
  
• Leader of the Opposition Michael Howard MP has planted a tree (Action 7) and Leader of the Liberal Democrats Charles Kennedy MP is going to turn off unnecessary lights (Action 21).
  
• Neil Morrissey will try watching less TV (Action 17) and Jack Dee will be smiling (Action 5).

Why not show that you share the belief that together we can change the world by using your simple actions to change the world? Let 'We Are What We Do' know what you're doing and register the action you are taken by visiting the website www.wearewhatwedo.org or by texting the word "Action" followed by a space and then the number of your chosen action to 07786 200505*.

Results achieved so far can be viewed on the We Are What We Do website.

Why not pick one of these 50 tasks, and make a difference to your life.

01 Decline Plastic Bags Whenever Possible
02 Read A Story With A Child
03 Fit At Least One Energy-Saving Light Bulb
04 Learn Basic First Aid
05 Smile And Smile Back
06 Take Public Transport When You Can
07 Plant A Tree
08 Have A Bath With Someone You Love
09 If It Says 30mph, Do 30mph
10 Turn Your Thermostat Down By 1º
11 Get Fitter, Feel Better
12 Turn Off Appliances At The Mains
13 Recycle Your Mobile Phone
14 Spend Time With Someone From A Different Generation
15 Register Online As An Organ Donor
16 Give Your Change To Charity
17 Try Watching Less TV
18 Learn To Be Friendly In Another Language
19 Learn One Good Joke
20 Find Out How Your Money Is Invested
21 Turn Off Unnecessary Lights
22 Use Your Will To Good Effect
23 Have More Meals Together
24 Put Your Gum In The Bin
25 Use A Mug Not A Plastic Cup
26 Give Blood
27 Pay More When You Buy At Charity Shops
28 Seize The Moment
29 Recycle Your Computer
30 Bake Something For A Friend
31 Turn Off The Tap Whilst Brushing Your Teeth
32 Do Something You Think You Can't Do
33 Recycle Your Books
34 Buy Fairly Traded Products
35 Write To Someone Who Inspired You
36 Take Time To Listen
37 Let At Least One Car In On Every Journey
38 Don't Overfill Your Kettle
39 Shop Locally
40 Join Something
41 Hug Someone
42 Recycle Your Specs
43 Grow Something With A Child
44 Report Dumped Rubbish To Your Council
45 Give Your Phone Number To 5 People In Your Street
46 Use Both Sides Of Every Piece Of Paper
47 Buy A Copy Of This Book For A Friend
48 Send Us An Action
49 Learn More, Do More
50 Do Something For Nothing

* Texts are charged at the normal network rate, the system has been donated by Vodafone and is not a premium rate number, We Are What We Do does not profit from these calls

CAMRA HQ Open Day

The CAMRA offices in St Albans opened it's doors recently, to allow members of the campaign a unique view into what goes on at HQ. As you can see, the Colchester branch was well represented on the day, and everyone enjoyed themselves, even those who've been many times before! Read more about what we got up to here.

Colchester CAMRA 2004 AGM

The meeting saw updates from the various committee members before reelection votes took place. The following people were then voted onto the new committee :-

Chairman - Nigel Mullender
Treasurers - David & Elizabeth Martin
Branch Secretary - Lorena Colledge (replacing Dave Nunn)
Membership Secretary - Alan Wareham
Webmaster - Robert Atkinson
Pubs Officer - John Tweed
Branch Contact - Richard Hartwell (elected after vote - replaces Simon Foulds)
Brewery Liaison - Brian Crockford
Essex Liaison - Mark Whybrow
Social Secretary - Post vacant; Dave Nunn & Trevor Johnson will co-ordinate on a temporary basis, whilst a permanent person is found.
Beer Festival Organisers - Dave Nunn (Colchester/Clacton); Richard Oxborrow (Harwich & Dovercourt)
Press & PRO - Steve Munn (no previous post-holder)
Young Members Coordinator - Jonathan Bennett (no previous post-holder)
Co-opted by the Committee: Trevor Johnson; Derek Hamilton

Special thanks go out to our new committee members, Jonathan, Lorena and Steve. With their help we are able to fill the new posts created by the Campaign some time ago.

These new elections bring the committee to a record high in terms of numbers, which proves people are concerned about what happens to Real Ale in Colchester.

Remember, if you are interested in becoming a member of the committee, you don't have to wait until next years elections to voice you interest. Contact one of the committee members, and we will gladly enlist your help where it's needed.

Charles Wells Competition Winner

Ian correctly said the Charles Wells brewery is based in Bedfordshire, and they are campaigning for St Georges Day as a national holiday.

25 Years At The Stockwell Arms

Last night, they were in good form, celebrating this massive achievement with some of their regulars. Brian is already an institution in the Dutch Quarter of Colchester, as anyone who knows him can testify.

We popped in to congratulate them, and wish them well for the next 25 years! If they continue to sell a similar range of beers to those on offer last night, I can't see them ever retiring, and a good job too....

Good Pub Guide Via SMS

Step forward the Good Pub Guide, which as of right now is offering to point you in the direction of the nearest approved hostelry for a mere 50p plus network charges. That's right - you simply text GOODPUB to 85130 and in a jiffy you'll receive the location of the most proximate public house as recommended by in The Good Pub Guide 2005. What's more, if you've got a WAPtastic colour display mobe, you can access street maps which will lead you to liquid salvation.

And it gets better. Reply to the original message within two hours with the word NEXT and you'll be sent details of another nearby inn - thus enabling the SMS pubcrawl.

The service is offered in conjunction with iTAGG, which apparently uses triangulation to pinpoint your mobe's position to within one cell. Instructions are then dispatched accordingly. We have received assurances from iTAGG's PR representative that the company will not be offering a parallel service by which enraged spouses will be informed as to which pub their giddy partner is most likely to be at that moment warbling Scottish crofters' laments to a backdrop of lutes and bodhrans.

BBC4: Time Gentlemen, Please

The programme is accompanied by The Philpott File: Another Little Drink, a documentary looking at the rise and rise of the brewing giants.

The pub is a British institution. In fact a good 'local' is as important to some as a post office, supermarket or place of worship. The image of a warming fire and a jovial landlord, chatting to a core of regulars is certainly enough to entice me out for a pint of 'Old Bob' and a bag of pork scratchings!

While such a romantic image is still a reality in many public houses, others have had to react to changing times. In the 1950s and 60s, pubs tended to be working-class male establishments, but as restaurants flourished and supermarkets increased their off licence capabilities, pub attendances fell.

When brewery giant Bass Carrington bought up many of the 3,000 UK smaller breweries in the early 60s, change was inescapable. But for the campaigning of the real ale groups (CAMRA), many of our traditional ales would also have disappeared in favour of the more profitable designer beers.

Kate Thomas' programme, narrated by Arthur Smith, looks at the transformation of the British pub over the past 50 years."

Clacton Beer Festival

The event was a resounding success despite the poor weather, with only 40 of the 3,600 pints of real ale ordered remaining at 11pm on Saturday night. Needless to say, everyone who helped clear up made short work of the few pints left!

The risk we took increasing the cider & Perry order also paid off, with nearly 200 pints sold. Other records broken included the overall turnout of 1,088 customers, and 37 new members signed.

Two things were particularly gratifying. Firstly, the number of "first-timers" who do not normally drink real ale, but who indicated they will be doing so in future. Let's hope they take the message back to their local publicans, and that we see an increase in choice in some of the Clacton pubs.

Secondly, the support we got from members living in and around Clacton who helped out at the festival - setting things up, working behind the bars, and finally knocking everything down on the Sunday.

Whilst the numbers weren't great, those who helped made a real difference. As mentioned in our last mail-out, it is becoming increasingly difficult to run the festival wholly from Colchester, but your support convinces us that we can continue next year, and the hall has already been booked for the end of August 2005.

Incidentally, all members are invited to our next Branch meeting, which will be held at 8.30pm in The Plough, North Road, Great Clacton on Tuesday 14th September. There will be a free buffet for all and a couple of free drinks for everyone who worked at the festival. Hope to see you there.

Dave Nunn - BFO

British Food Fortnight

The idea of the competition is to encourage pubs to reconsider their children's menus - to think 'beyond the chicken nugget.' The aim is to show how pub menus can give children an insight into the diverse and delicious range of food available in Britain, and the pleasures of eating healthy, fresh, seasonal and regional produce.

CAMRA is asking consumers and licensees to nominate the pubs they think serve the best children's food and to submit the best menu ideas for children. So if you have seen - or you offer - a children's menu that is particularly imaginative and makes good use of local and seasonal produce - we want to hear from you. Pubs can be one of the most fun environments for a family to eat together, and eating out is a good way of introducing children to new tastes and foods. For more information, please visit the CAMRA National Website.

Tips For Landlords

Keen to offer more children-friendly choices but don't know how? Try these:

• Real pizzas with smiley faces (tomatoes and strips of carrot for the features)

• Humus with chunky crudites for dipping

• Home-made fish cakes or fingers (grilled, not deep fried)

• Soups: most children will eat soup if it's pureed - no bits!

• Real burgers with crunchy salad.

• Pasta (interesting shapes such as spirals work well) with fresh Bolognese or tomato sauce.

• Home-made potato wedges or chips

• Salad bars: kids love making their own choices

• Fresh fruit salad

• Smaller portions of main courses

Harwich Charter Ale

In 1852 four ships commanded by Captain Sir Edward Belcher left Harwich heading North to the freezing waters of the Arctic searching for the North West Passage and trying to find out what had become of an earlier expedition
led by Sir John Franklin. Belcher's expedition had a secret weapon in the form of Arctic Ale a strong and nourishing ale brewed specifically for the trip.

The beer will mature in cask until the festival and is likely to top 9% ABV. There will be a limited run of bottles but to guarantee a tasting you will need to come to the festival early to avoid disappointment.

Richard Oxborrow

Ridleys Competition Winner

Following quite unbelievable interest from the public, I can now confirm that we have a winner for the first website competition. Andrew Shaw in Cambridgeshire will be picking up a crate of Old Bob. Runner up was David Mummery, a Colchester branch member, who has won a Ridleys t-shirt.

Congratulations to our winners, and look out for the next competition - sponsored by Charles Wells - starting next week.

New Committee Members Wanted!

Secretary
We've been without a secretary for some time now, and the job has fallen to the BFO to do (an excellent job, I might add). It's high-time we filled this post properly, so if you're interested, let us know.

Clacton BFO
We're also looking for a Beer Festival Organiser for next years Clacton Festival. Hopefully, someone in the Clacton area will come forward for this position, but it's currently unfair to ask the Colchester BFO to organise both festivals.

Of course, you would be given all the support and help you need, so don't feel that you're being thrown in at the deep end.

Again, if your interested, contact a Committee member or come along to the AGM.

Other Posts
There are a number of other posts either filled or available, so if you'd like to try your hand at any of them, do come along to the AGM at YE Olde Albion, Rowhedge on October 20th.

Cherry Tree, Little Oakley Sold!

After a period of quiet, in which he'd said he'd he was 'just testing the waters', it now comes to light that he has in fact sold the Cherry Tree.

For those of you who don't know, the Cherry Tree is a particular branch favourite, having won many CAMRA awards. Just this year saw the POTY Rural Pub certificate head towards Oakley.

As for the pub - well rumour has it that it's been sold to a chain, but we'll keep you up-to-date as the events unfold, right here.

By all accounts, it will be a quick exit for Steve and Julie, but we're hoping to give them a proper sending off from the branch, and will let you know the details as soon as we have them.

Bruffs Bitter Launched

Richard Oxborrow

Colchester vs Ipswich Cricket Match

After battling through the rain and some very 'iffy batting, Colchester came out victorious.

Read the full story here

Local Hero Goes On Pub Crawl

So - to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Manningtree to Harwich railway branch line on 15th August the old chap is going on a bit of a pub-crawl around the area.

In fact the organisers of the Harwich & Dovercourt Bay Winter Ale Festival - all members of the Colchester & NE Essex Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale - have teamed up with the Humpty Dumpty Brewery of Reedham, Norfolk to launch "Bruff's Bitter" a refreshing 4.4% cask conditioned ale. The beer will be on sale in pubs around the area on and around the anniversary of the line opening. The event itself is being celebrated with a recreation of the actual opening ceremony coordinated by Harwich Town Centre Manager, Lesley Chambers.

The Harwich organisers have also hinted that something extra special is planned for the Winter Ale Festival this year to help round off the Town's Charter 400 celebrations.

Essex POTY Winner

The Swan, Little Totham

Congratulations go to John Pascoe, the landlord of the Swan.

John is certainly no stranger to this award, having been voted Essex POTY on a number of occasions. In 2002 he won the National Pub-Of-The-Year, raising him into the highest ranks any establishment can receive from CAMRA.

1st - The Swan, Little Totham (Dengie Hundred)
2nd - The Viper, Mill Green (Chelmsford & Mid-Essex)
3rd - Three Horseshoes, Duton Hill (Essex North West)
4th - The Odd One Out, Colchester (Colchester & NE Essex)

I can tell you that the voting was extremely tight, with only 1 point separating 1st and 2nd, and 10 points across between the first 4! So, well done to those that just lost out, and I for one, hope to see you again next year - if not sooner.

The Swan now goes forward into the next regional round of voting, so good luck from all of Essex.

Six Go Mad In Suffolk

First surprise of the day was that our new train company 'ONE' has now abolished the 4 for 2 offer to Ipswich, and the previous cheaper great eastern fare, so we had to pay a whopping £12 for our return fare.

Arriving at Wickham Market, and our first pub, The Dog & Duck at Campsea Ashe, strangely enough almost opposite the station, which is about 2 miles outside Wickham Market. This is Suffolk!

Very pleasant pub, and Woodfordes Mardlers Mild and Wherry were on offer, the Mild straight from the barrel. I think Adnams was also on offer (some of the days recollections are a bit Vague!!)

A swift pint here and then the first ride of the day to The Ship Inn at Blaxhall. Arriving here we deposited our Bikes in the seated area outside to be greeted by the Landlord, not with a cheery 'Good Morning' but a "Can't leave your bikes there, move 'em round the side". This we did to be confronted by a manic female accusing us of being on private land before bursting into tears on finding out we were going to the pub, and informing us she had "some personal problems".

We found Woodfordes Wherry and Nelsons Revenge on offer here, and the Revenge was the best pint I had all day. Nice country pub with a good looking menu but sadly only one other customer apart from us. There were rumours about its apparent closure.

We then headed off to The Lion at Little Glemham. Myself and Richard were in the lead so it seemed a good idea to go down the road signposted 'Little Glemham ',but our esteemed leader Jules decided otherwise, and as he had the map who were we to disagree??

After a couple of miles with no signs to Little Glemham it was obvious we were lost. Jules grudgingly admitted his mistake, so took us a roundabout way via the A12 (!!) to The Lion. Just before the pub was a road signposted Blaxhall!! Still, we did have the bonus of passing a Llama farm. This is true, unfortunately nobody had a Camera.

The Lion was a large pub, a bit foody but Adnams and Earl Soham Victoria were on offer, the Earl Soham being very good. I think Wherry was on sale here as well. Jules was still flustered and managed to spill his pint into a packet of crisps.

Next came the longest trip of the day, to the Three Horseshoes at Charsfield. This involved some off-road action for the first time, but amazingly enough we did not get lost. We also had the first rain shower of the day. I had been here before, last year, so I was surprised when I walked in to find the pub changed.

The basic drinking Bar had been replaced with a wine bar look, and the other bar seemed to be just for eating. The new owners have decided to go more foody, and the prices have gone up as well! Peter had a good moan about the tables and other things, but at least they still had decent beer - Woodfordes wherry again and also Woodfordes Horseshoe Bitter. The latter was brewed specially for the pub, apparently. I believe Adnams was on offer as well. The beer was very good, and still no GK!!

We were now heading southwards to Ufford, where the White Lion lay in wait. This actually proved a waste of time, as it was closed, Jules positive they had told him they were open all day. So,we carried on to Eyke and the Elephant & Castle. A nice looking pub with 2 bars and a small snug away from the pool table. Here we encountered our first evil of the day, GK IPA. Thankfully Adnams Best and Charles Wells Summer Solstice were on offer here, the Solstice being sampled by everyone, and it was very good. Amusing to watch the Germans efforts at breaking down Latvia's defence.

It was now onto Woodbridge, and the Thomas Seckford. This was far and away the nicest pub of the day, a small old building with two bars and a fine choice of six ( I think!!) beers. I can only recall Tolly Mild, Taylors Golden Best and Ridleys Old Bob. The Mild was superb.

Jules and Richard decided to dash to the Cherry Tree, as we thought we did not have much time left before the train back to Ipswich, but in fact I had read Sundays timetable rather than Saturdays, so we all had time to get to the Cherry Tree. This was another lovely pub, very old building and Adnams beers on offer. Very busy, lots of people eating and impeccable Adnams.

Sadly, we made our way back to Essex without to many problems, Jules only falling over once I believe. Into the Bricklayers to see the Czech republic beat Holland 3-2 and cap a great day. Six (and one closed) pubs in Suffolk, only one selling the Evil and good to see so many local brews, all kept in good order. Worth noting not all the pubs were GBG entries, thanks to Nigel Smith of Ipswich branch for his tips.

30 miles approx on the bikes, we look forward to the next trip......come and join us!! "

Mark Whybrow

Essex POTY Voting

• In 3rd place was The Three Horseshoes, Duton Hill
  
• Runner up was The Viper, Mill Green
  
• And our chosen winner, The Swan at Little Totham. The Swan won National POTY in 2002, so is a worthy pub to go forward from the Essex region.

If you would like to read more about the POTY voting day and find out how we got on, then click here to read Richard's entertaining report.

Colchester Beer Festival BOTF Awards

The beers are voted for purely by the festival goers, with categories for Best Bitter, Strong Ale, Cider and Perry.

Champion Strong Ale - Crouch Vale Amarillo (5.0%) South Woodham Ferrers, Essex

Runner-up Champion Best Bitter - Sharps Doombar (4.0%) Wadebridge, Cornwall

Runner-up Champion Strong Ale - St Peter's Old Style Porter (5.1%) Soth Elmham, Suffolk

Champion Cider - Delvin End Cyclone (7.0%) Sible Hedingham, Essex

Champion Perry - Hecks (6.0%) Street, Somerset

The above selections were made from 102 different real ales from all over the UK, along with 13 ciders and perries

Nethergate Wise Monkeys (4.2% abv) was conceived and first brewed as an occasional beer in 2001 by three members of Colchester & N E Essex CAMRA; Colin Miller, Nigel Mullender (Branch Chairman) and Trevor Johnson. It has since been brewed annually at the Nethergate Brewery, Clare, Suffolk, under the guidance of Tom Knox, Head Brewer.

It is important to note that there was no "monkey business" involved in the voting - Wise Monkeys was a clear winner even when votes cast by the brewers' families and close friends were discounted!

The Delvin End Cidery are comparitively new on the scene, having moved up from "hobbyists" to small-scale commercial producers. They produce two ciders: Storm (a blend which, incidentally, came joint second in our awards) and Cyclone, a single-varietal Cox product at 7% abv, both from local apples. They are totally unfined (therefore vegan-friendly) and gin-clear. Both are very dry in character and use a champagne yeast.

Remarkably, both our Champion Beer and Cider winners are based only 6 miles apart, which should make it a lot easier when handing out their awards!

Monkey Business

These 3 wanna-be brewers decided that another trip to the Nethergate brewery in Clare, Suffolk was called for, to brew a batch of the now famous Wise Monkeys Real Ale. Nigel tell's us how they got on.

"Wise Monkey's are go! - that was the message Colin, Trevor and I were waiting for from Tom, Head Brewer at Nethergate Brewery, as the three of us made our annual pilgrimage to Clare.

Mashing- in done, we then retired back to the Hotel to enjoy a traditional Brewer's breakfast and when we returned found that Bob, who provides us with plenty of welcome guidance and advice, had arrived.

After sparging the mash, basically spraying it with hot liquor, the sweet wort was pumped over to the copper to be boiled. I then had the job of digging the spent grains out of the mash tun. Later in the day we took the grain to a local farm for the cattle to feast on, before taking a slight detour to view the new Brewery premises at Pentlow, which should be operational by early autumn.

The digging out took minutes but the cleaning took me another hour during which time a whole host of people took the opportunity to stand and watch me sweat buckets. Colin and Trev were most amused claiming it was the first time they had ever seen me work up a sweat.

Whilst this was going on Colin and Trev were in the lab checking temperatures and PH's before adding a good helping of Challenger hops to the boil. Having finished the mash tun (eventually) Colin and I raced over to the fermenting room where we hoped to catch Trev cleaning the fermenting vessel.

This arduous task had been carried out by Colin and myself the previous two years so we wanted to go and gloat a bit. No such luck! The fermenter had been cleaned the previous day and we found a very smug Trev working his way through his second pint (allegedly) in the sample room. We thought it would be rude not to join him.

As the copper came to the end of its boil we added our second batch of hops, the well known Brewers Gold, before the wort was passed through the heat exchanger into the fermenting vessel. Here the yeast was pitched in and before long fermentation was underway.

The next thrill of the afternoon was watching Colin cleaning the copper. After bottling out two years ago with the excuse that he was unable to get his leg over (the top of the copper that is) it was left to the sprightly Bob, several years senior to Colin, to do the job for him. This time Trev and I decided Colin was going in, even if we had to drop him in ourselves.

Our job was almost complete and after taking some temperature and gravity readings, we reluctantly left our 'baby' in the fermenting vessel, retired to the Hotel for a quick shower, and joined the Nethergate crew for a bit of a pub crawl to celebrate.

Of course the best bit about this brewing lark is actually drinking the beer and two weeks after it was brewed we ventured out into local pubs where we ended up drinking a fair bit of it. Needless to say we think it's superb. Why not try one yourself? (If we don't drink it first!).

Colin Trevor and myself would like to thank Nethergate Brewery for their wonderful hospitality and for once again giving us the opportunity to brew the Wise Monkeys.

Nigel "

So - as you can see, this brewing lark is really hard work.

Incidentally, this years batch of Wise Monkeys was so good, that it won one of the the Colchester Real Ale festival "Beer Of The Festival" awards. As Nigel says, "Get it while you can!".

Harwich Beer Festival Presents Beer Of The Festival Award

As luck would have it the award was won by the Old Cannon Brewery conveniently situated a short stroll between railway station and festival venue. Their excellent Black Pig had overwhelmed the judges at the Harwich festival in December with its superb chewy dark malt and gentle hopping - it was also one of the first beers to be finished off. So it was then the Harwich Three popped into the Old Cannon with a jiffy bag.

The Old Cannon Best Bitter was also on top form - gloriously malty and bursting with flavour. Richard and Pete managed to restrict themselves to the 4% beers but Ken had to avail himself of his beloved Gunners Daughter which he reported to be on top form as usual.

So we came to the PR bit and having located Richard Eyton-Jones we handed the camera to a member of his bar staff and duly stood in front of the brewing equipment. We then put our name on a firkin of Black Pig for the Harwich & Dovercourt Festival this year, finished our pints and toddled off up the road to the Corn Exchange and more beer .. but that's another story!

National Pubs Week Winner

William Self of Dovercourt is now the proud owner of a years free CAMRA membership and Barrie Pepper's book, "50 More Pub Crawls".

Apart from being one of 60 local drinkers who won a free pint at the time, his details were entered in a prize draw for the competition.

With luck, William will be able to come along to the Colchester Beer Festival and claim his prize.

Sudbury Institute Beer Festival

This will include 26 beers from both local brewers and other beers from throughout the country, which you can use to fill one of the glasses, specially designed for the beer festival.

On Saturday evening there will also be live music and a BBQ.

You can find the Institute on Station Road, Sudbury, or click here for a map.

Pub Of The Year 2004

The pub caters for a wide age range, with an ever changing variety of real ales and ciders, not to mention the odd malt whisky (or 50!).

John said, "When you run a pub there are so many factors involved. The quality of the beer is one of the easiest to get right. Getting good staff who stay with you and the wonderful customers we enjoy here isn't as easy."

Awards also went to Simon Foulds & Linda Eldon at the British Grenadier for Town pub, and Steve & Julie Chandler, Little Oakley for Rural pub.

Royal Ale Tastes

Whilst taking time off from his studies, Prince Harry decided to try his hand at brewing and where better than his fathers brewery. The Duchy Originals organic range, owned by Prince Charles, is based in Oxfordshire, and brews a 5% strong ale, so of course, Harry had to give it a bit of a test run.

One insider said, "Harry tried his hand at making some and of course had to have a tasting session. He seemed to like that part the best. If only he could get on the payroll full time, it would be his dream job."

Well Harry, if your in Colchester in June, feel free to come and pull a few pints at our beer festival, I'm sure the Three Wise Monkeys could do with a few pointers!

January Pub News

The Salisbury Hotel, The Globe and Bugle Horn, all in Colchester, have now closed, all having applied for or received permisson to change to residential use.

The Blue Boar has closed again, following some incidents - it's future remains uncertain.

Colchester pubs, The Drury Arms and Leather Bottle, plus the Whalebone in Fingeringhoe all have new landlords. The Little Crown and Silver Oyster in Colchester are also expecting new management.

Rumors that the Goat and Boot, Colchester was due to close are unfounded, as Green King are investing in this historic pub, to bring it up to new EEC legislation standards.

Finally, planning permission for the White Hart, Wix, has been denied, thanks to the efforts of local residents and CAMRA members. This is yet another example of how important it is for us to continue the fight!

Mighty Oak February Ale

Following on from the popular January ale, With A Bitter Luck Mighty Oak's monthly themed ales continues with Head Over Heels in February. The beer is said to be pale blonde and in the style of a Central European wheat beer. At 4.1% this should be a popular drink with everyone.

White Hart Conversion Halted

The White Hart at Wix regarding application for change of use: The locals have whipped up a storm of protest on this one and the decision has been deferred until early January, to allow members to visit the site. The MD of the company that was to do the conversion (and, surprisingly, wants to build a load of houses on the land behind the pub) has stated that he won't now live there, even if the permission goes ahead, due to the strength of local feeling.

BFO's Thankyou

A belated "thank-you" to all those who turned out to work and drink at the 2nd Harwich & Dovercourt Bay Winter Ale Festival. The festival was a great success with 864 through the door over the 3 days and 2444 pints of Real Ale being consumed. Planning for next year has already started! - Harwich BFO

New Web Site Announced

Committee members of the Colchester CAMRA branch announced today that they had embarked on creating a new web site for the branch. A small portion of the branch funds has been committed to the project, and the go-ahead given.

The Committee hopes to raise awareness of CAMRA through the ever growing medium of the Internet and felt a revamp of the site was now required to offer it's members and the public a service which can be both useful and lucrative to the campaign.

The branches' sincerest thanks go to Mike Harvey for the efforts he's put into the web site over the years. Without his time and effort, there would have been no web site for us all to look at.

It is hoped that the new site will be fully operational by late spring, if not sooner.