31st May to 4th June 2005

Why is this year special?

2005 is a big year for Colchester & N E Essex CAMRA. Firstly, it's our 30th anniversary - the first-ever branch meeting was held on 19th June 1975, in the now sadly-lost House Without a Name, in Easthorpe. But perhaps more importantly, two of our Beer Festivals approach milestones - the 20th Colchester, and 10th Clacton-on-Sea Festivals.

Beer Festivals are vitally important to our branch and CAMRA nationally. To many people they are the public face of CAMRA, the only real contact they have with the branch and the breweries we support. We are fortunate in North Essex to have a number of pubs which offer guest ales from smaller breweries - but it's actually a pitifully small percentage of the 350 or so licensed premises in our region. The festival allows the drinking public to sample brews from all over the country, many of which are rarely seen outside their home patches. This also applies to local brewers. Did you know that there are over 25 commercial breweries in Essex and Suffolk? How many of their beers do you see in your local? The same 2 or 3 if you're lucky, and you can probably find them almost anywhere in the country!

But Festivals are equally important to us at local level. They act as a forum, enabling us to meet members who cannot, or choose not to, participate in other branch events. They are a major source of new members, many of whom sign up at the festivals to take advantage of the incentives we offer (a couple of free pints, discounts on books and products and, of course, free entry to festivals up and down the country), and some who will hopefully become active in the branch. It's also a good reminder for lapsed members to renew their membership. And, of course, it is by far our single biggest source of revenue. Whilst everyone working at the festival does so unpaid, there is a small staff at HQ who co-ordinate CAMRA's national campaigning and other activities from which we all benefit.

The 2005 Colchester Festival

Firstly a few facts. The festival will again take place at the Colchester Arts Centre.

For those who don't know, the Arts Centre is a beautiful deconsecrated church situated just off Head Street in the heart of the town centre. Apart from its historic connections (it played a major part in the Siege of Colchester, 1648, allegedly the source of the "Humpty Dumpty" nursery rhyme), it is in my view one of the best beer festival venues in the UK - and I've visited a few!

This Year's Features

We plan a couple of extra features this year. As a branch, we're fortunate that a number of younger members are becoming increasingly involved. To try to promote this further, we will have a separate bar this year, run by our younger colleagues. They have selected beers and ciders which they feel will appeal to the younger palate - lighter beers which will hopefully attract lager drinkers, stouts for the Guinness lovers, and a few in between. They promise, however, that the over 30's will still be served!

We are delighted to announce that Adnams of Southwold Adnams

have kindly agreed to sponsor this year's festival. Their logo will appear on our full-colour souvenir glasses, and we will be featuring a brand-new beer from them (available at our festival the day before their official national launch!)

To celebrate our various anniversaries, we have commissioned a festival brew from the new Mersea Island Brewery. Named Twenty Thirsty, a refreshing golden ale around 5% abv, and unique to this festival.

Branch brewing guru Colin Miller (who created Mersea's "Skippers Bitter") has assisted with this, and also another Mersea Island beer "Mersea Monkeys". Monkeys was brewed by Colin, Trevor Johnson and our Chairman Nigel Mullender, the trio responsible for "Wise Monkeys" - last year's Champion beer of the Festival, brewed at Nethergate. Can they repeat the feat?

And for those planning to come to the Clacton festival in August, we're planning another festival special - this time a classic English IPA, strong (hopefully 6.5-7%), hoppy and bags of flavour. To commemorate all three milestones at one go, this will be named "Ten Twenty Thirsty". Clever, eh! More details on all this in the festival programme.

For the inside story, read the report of the 2004 festival.

Hope to see you all at the festival, whichever side of the bar you may be!

Cheers

Dave Nunn
Beer Festival Organiser

Beers

Obviously a key element of any beer festival!

This year we are aiming to provide over 90 different beers from brewers all over the UK, and including a good representation from East Anglia. The full range is listed below. Obviously not all beers can be "on" together, as some take longer than others to settle, but not even I can drink 90 beers in one session! We aim to feature several choices of each "classic" style every day. Bitter lovers will find everything from light refreshing "quaffing ales" to potent, full-bodied strong ales. Aficionados of dark beer will be in heaven with our range of milds, stouts and porters. And with "golden" ales increasing in popularity, we will offer an excellent selection at various strengths. Lager drinkers? We even look after you, with several beers brewed to lager recipes in traditional real ale style - all the flavour, with none of the fizz! And for the truly eclectic, we have beers flavoured with fruits, honey, elderflowers, ginger etc.

Last year's experiment with cooling was a tremendous success, and this year we hope to have all the beers professionally cooled. Apart from maintaining beer quality, this also allows us to open the blinds to show off the Arts Centre's fantastic stained glass windows in all their glory.

We know that not everyone at the festival likes real ale. If we can't convince you with the range above, we offer a wide selection of Belgian bottled beers, from standard Pils to fruit beers and sour Lambics. Beware, though - many of these are seriously strong!

In recent years, CAMRA has championed cider and perry, two of the most traditional styles of British drinks. This year we will be changing suppliers, and hope to offer around 15 ciders and perries, mainly from Essex, Kent and the South-West. Again, some of these should probably carry a health warning on the grounds of strength!

Finally, the ever-popular wines from the Mersea Island Vineyard will be on sale, and we also provide free soft drinks for drivers. Children are welcome during the afternoons and early evenings (accompanied by well-behaved adults!), but on no account will alcohol be served to anyone under the age of 18 - proof of ID may be requested.

Staying on the important subject of beer, we had a few complaints last year (and in 2003) that choice was limited on the final day of the festival - and indeed, we ran out of real ale at around 8.30pm on both Saturdays. Apologies to anyone who was unhappy, so this year we're taking the risk of a fairly substantial increase in our beer order. Obviously many beers will sell out quickly, but with music on Saturday night this year, we aim to have enough to keep everyone happy through till closing time.

Brewery	Location	Beer	ABV	Tasting Notes
Abbey	Bath, Somerset	Bellringer	4.2	Clean, dry, hoppy session bitter
Adnams	Southwold, Suffolk	Explorer	4.3	Clean and light with a citrus tang
Adnams		Regatta	4.3	Light, crisp & refreshing summer beer
Adnams		Flagship	4.3	Brand new, launched at this festival!
Alcazar	Nottingham	New Dawn	4.5	Soft and lightly hopped - like a pale mild
Alcazar		Alhambra Evening	6.1	Dark, hoppy and strong "extra special bitter"
Blanchfields	Rochford, Essex	IPA Twist	3.7	Brewed with a mystery spice - smooth, not bitter
Blanchfields		POTY Ale	4.2	Brewed with coriander for a spicy finish
Breconshire	Brecon, Powys	Golden Valley	4.2	Single-hopped thirst quencher
Breconshire		Brecon County Ale	3.7	Beautifully hopped amber brown bitter
Burton Bridge	Burton-on-Trent, Staffs	Pullmans Pride	4.5	Well balanced golden beer with lemony citrus tang
Burton Bridge		Damson Porter	5.0	Complex hops and fruit, faintly liquorice
Cheriton	Cheriton, Hants	Village Elder	3.8	Award-winning session bitter with elderflowers
Bushy's	Braddan, Isle of Man	Ruby Mild	3.5	Award-winning easy drinking mild
Bushy's		Piston Brew	4.5	Red-brown ale brewed for the Isle of Man TT Series
Cheriton		Diggers Gold	4.6	Full-bodied golden bitter with grapefruit notes
Crouch Vale	S Woodham Ferrers, Essex	IPJ Mild	3.7	Smooth dark mild, bags of malt and fruit
Crouch Vale		Brewers Gold	4.0	Multi-award winning floral hop explosion
Crouch Vale		Anchor Street Porter	4.9	Full flavoured dark ale with hop and roast malt notes
Crouch Vale		Amarillo	5.0	Intense aroma and a spicy floral finish
Dark Star	Haywards Heath, W Sussex	Espresso Stout	4.2	Full flavoured stout with real coffee beans!
Dark Star		Landlords Wit	4.1	Light golden lager-style wheat beer
Dent	Dent, Cumbria	Rambrau Lager	4.5	German-style real ale lager
Dent		Aviator	4.0	Medium-bodied mid-brown ale with real flavour
Felinfoel	Llanelli, Carmarthenshire	Cambrian Bitter	3.9	Light and hoppy quaffing ale
Felinfoel		Double Dragon	4.2	Malty, fruity, multi-award winning premium ale
Felinfoel		Dragonheart	4.3	Well-balanced malt and hops, easy-drinking
Felstar	Felsted, Essex	Crix Forest Mild	4.0	Full-bodied, malty dark mild
Felstar		Shalford Bitter	4.0	Traditional southern bitter, reddish & hoppy
Garton	Driffield, East Yorks	Old Buffer Mild	4.5	Styled on a First World War recipe
Garton		Liquid Lobotomy Stout	8.0	Oh dear! 8% despite no added sugar or extracts
Grand Union	Hayes, Middx	Kolsch	4.8	Award-winning Cologne-style lager
Grand Union		Fuggles	4.5	Clean, crisp, single hopped bitter
Harviestoun	Dollar, Clackmannanshire	Navigator	4.3	Seasonal special with American Mount Hood hops
Harviestoun		Schiehallion Lager	4.8	Award-winning cask lager, very refreshing
Iceni	Mundford, Norfolk	Raspberry Wheat	5.0	Straw coloured wheat beer with real fruit
Iceni		Ported Porter	4.2	Rich and full-bodied, with added port wine
Itchen Valley	Alresford, Hants	Bishops Crest	3.9	Mid-brown hopy session bitter
Itchen Valley		Hampshire Rose	4.3	Golden amber ale with bags of hops and fruit
Itchen Valley		HMS Warrior	5.0	Easy drinking and lightly hoppy premium ale
Kelham Island	Sheffield, South Yorks	Bitter	3.8	Pale brown, clean & crisp with bitter dryness
Kelham Island		Fat Cat Mild	3.6	Traditional mild brewed for CAMRA's mild month
Maldon Brewing Co	Maldon, Essex	Blue Boar Bitter	4.0	Flavoursome bitter with good malt/hops balance
Maldon Brewing Co		Pucks Folly	4.2	Highly quaffable golden ale. Light & refreshing
Mauldons	Sudbury, Suffolk	Maybee	3.9	Soft, gentle flavours with a hint of local honey
Mauldons		Moletrap Bitter	3.8	Well-balanced session beer
Mersea Island	East Mersea, Essex	Yo Boy	3.8	Golden, well-balanced session bitter
Mersea Island		Mersea Monkeys	5.0	Dark porter, brewed by branch members
Mersea Island		Mersea Mud	3.8	Old-fashioned mild, lightly hopped and smooth
Mersea Island		Skippers Bitter	4.8	Dark and full-flavoured premium ale
Mersea Island		Twenty Thirsty	5.0	Zinging golden special - see programme feature
Mighty Oak	Maldon, Essex	Oscar Wilde Mild	3.7	Smokey, gently-hopped and easy-drinking
Mighty Oak		Batsmans Bitter	3.8	Slightly spicy amber ale with hints of orange
Mighty Oak		Burntwood Bitter	4.0	Tawney bitter with roast coffee notes
Mighty Oak		May'd of Ale	4.7	Strong mild brewed for CAMRA's mild month
Nelson	Chatham, Kent	Admiral's Bitter	3.8	Well-balanced quaffing ale
Nelson		Trafalgar	4.1	Lovely malt & hops mix, easy drinking
Nethergate	Pentlow, Essex	IPA	3.5	Clean, crisp session bitter
Nethergate		Painted Lady	4.2	Seasonal special, hoppy with fruit notes
Nethergate		Augustinian	4.5	Pale, refreshing but rich best bitter
Oakham	Peterborough, Cambs	JHB	3.8	Multi-award winning classic quaffing ale
Oakham		Inferno	4.2	Complex fruit with a lingering dry finish
Oakleaf	Gosport, Hants	Maypole Mild	3.8	Sweet, full-bodied with a hint of bitterness
Oakleaf		I Can't Believe It's Not Bitter	4.9	Because it's lager! Brewed as a real ale
Orkney	Sandwick, Orkney	Red MacGregor	4.0	Beautifully balanced tawney ale
Orkney		Dragonhead Stout	4.0	Dark and malty with hints of chocolate
Orkney		Skullsplitter	8.5	Dangerously smooth. Not for the faint hearted
Oulton	Lowestoft, Suffolk	Bitter	3.5	Easy drinking, with a good malt-hops balance
Oulton		Sunrise	4.0	Light and summery, brewed with elderflowers
Railway Tavern	Brightlingsea, Essex	Crab & Winkle Mild	3.7	Award-winning vegan mild, a festival favourite
Railway Tavern		Heritage Nettle Ale	5.0	Vegan bitter, back for a second year
Ridleys	Hartford End, Essex	Tolley Original	3.8	Smooth, malty and slightly sweet
Ridleys		Old Bob	5.0	Full-bodied, fruity premium ale
Ridleys		Pale Island	5.2	Contract-brewed version of Kelham Island's Pale Rider
St Peters	Bungay, Suffolk	Honey Porter	5.1	Warming traditional English porter
St Peters		Lemon & Ginger	4.7	Spiced ale with ……… lemon and ginger in it!
Stonehenge	Salisbury, Wilts	Sign of Spring	4.6	Smooth, well-balanced - and bright green!
Stonehenge		Danish Dynamite	5.0	Dry, slightly fruity, award-winning golden ale
Titanic	Burslem, Staffs	Anchor Bitter	4.1	Fruity aroma, dry finish. With classic bitterness
Titanic		Stout	4.5	A true old fashioned stout, great malt/hops balance
Vale	Haddenham, Bucks	Notley Bitter	3.3	Amazing malt and hops taste for it's strength
Vale		Black Beauty Porter	4.3	Wholesome porter with strong roast malt flavour
Westerham	Edenbridge, Kent	Grasshopper	3.8	Dark session beer, superbly hopped
Westerham		British Bulldog	4.3	Full-bodied best bitter with big hop aroma
Winters	Norwich, Norfolk	Mild	3.6	Light malt with sweet roast overtones
Winters		Golden	4.1	Refreshing bitter with citrus notes
Wissey Valley	Stoke Ferry, Norfolk	Old Wobbly	4.2	Classic Old ale brewed with dark malt
Wissey Valley		Khaki Sergeant	6.7	Strong black stout, bags of flavour
Wolf	Attleborough, Norfolk	Woild Moild	4.8	Rich, smokey, heavily roasted malt classic
Wolf		Granny Wouldn't Like It	4.8	Complex dark red fruity award-winning bitter
Woodfordes	Woodbastwick, Norfolk	Wherry	3.8	Light, hoppy session bitter. Simply superb
Woodfordes		Great Eastern	4.3	Beautiful sweet-dry blend, easy drinking bitter
York	York	Guzzler	3.6	Crisp, refreshing quaffing ale
York		Centurions Ghost	5.4	Dark ruby bitter, full bodied and mellow


Perrys
Broome Farm	Herefordshire	Single Variety Dry	6.0
Gwatkins	Herefordshire	Single Variety Medium	7.5
Hecks	Somerset	Single Variety Medium	6.5
Little Red Rooster	East Sussex	Sweet Cider/Perry mix	8.4


Ciders
Biddenden	Kent	Dry Blend	8.4
Chiddingstone	Kent	Medium Dry Blend	7.5
Delvin End	Essex	Single Variety Dry & Dry Blend	7.0
Ermie & Gerties	Somerset	Dry Whisky Casked Blend	7.0
Gwatkins	Herefordshire	Single Variety Medium	7.5
Gwynt Y Ddraig	Glamorgan	Single Variety Medium Dry	6.5
Hecks	Somerset	Single Variety Medium Dry	7.5
Hecks		Single Variety Medium Sweet	6.5
Moles	Wiltshire	Medium Dry (Black Rat)	6.0
Winkleigh	Devon	Medium Blend	6.0
Winkleigh		Medium Dry Scrumpy	7.5
				List updated 20th May 2005

Please also note that CAMRA supports anti drink-drive campaigns, so free soft drinks will be available at our festival, to all patrons who would like them.

Opening Times

Monday 30th May (Special members-only preview night) - 7.30pm-10pm
Tuesday 31st May - 6pm to 11pm
Wednesday 1st June - 12 midday to 11pm
Thursday 2nd June - 12 midday to 11pm
Friday 3rd June - 12 midday to 11pm
Saturday 4th June - 12 midday to 11pm

Finding Us The Beer Festival will be held at the Colchester Arts Centre, just off Colchester High Street. The best way to find us is to look for 'Jumbo' the water tower!

Entry Fees

Entry costs into this years Beer Festival will be as follows :-
Tuesday - £2 (evening only)
Wednesday to Saturday - £1 before 6.30pm, £2 after 6.30pm

FREE ADMISSION to card carrying CAMRA members at all sessions (and your entry fee refunded if you become a member at the festival)

Food

One other complaint last year was the lack of hot food. In our defense, we were let down at the last minute, so had to make do in an emergency with filled rolls. So new caterers this year - quality filled baguettes for the afternoon sessions, and a choice of hot food every evening and all day Friday and Saturday.
There will also be crisps, pork scratchings and a selection of other snacks available from behind the bar.

Music

Some people say that the staff provide enough entertainment. Most of the staff say the same thing about the customers! We understand that not everyone likes music so we have three "quiet nights", but for the rest, we have two bands appearing this year, both kicking off at around 8.30pm:

Tuesday 31st May - Thud & Blunder.
Ever-popular, and returning for the ?th year, local musicians Keith & Nell will provide their lively mix of rock, 60s/70's pop, Irish folk and humorous covers, ranging from The Kinks and T-Rex to the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. Great for a singalong.

Saturday 4th June - Buckshee.
You may have seen Mick and Mo playing as a duo in pubs and clubs around Colchester. We are fortunate to have them as a three-piece this year, joined by their daughter Grace. Talented multi-instrumentalists, their style ranges from traditional and modern folk to swing, Cajun, reggae and rock. Perfect for a beer festival, guaranteed to get your feet tapping - or maybe even get up and dance.

An Appeal to all Members

Festivals do not run themselves. Months of planning and admin are needed, and we rely on volunteers for this, and to staff the festival itself.

The real work starts early on the morning of Bank Holiday Monday, 30th May, when everything gets delivered. There's a fair amount of heavy work here - setting up the bars, stillage and beers, putting up banners etc - but we also need more help for the lighter tasks.

The same applies on Sunday 5th June, when everything comes down and we attempt to leave the hall as we found it. If you want to see a grown man cry, this is the time to come along - if we've got the beer order wrong, we have to pour the surplus away!

And, of course, we rely on our members' help during festival opening times. The main need here is for people to work behind the bar. All this work is done by unpaid volunteers, but all agree that the camaraderie - and heavily subsidised beer - makes it worthwhile.

If you can help, even for a couple of hours, and especially during the quieter weekday afternoon/early evening sessions, please complete this Staffing Form and return it to Dave Nunn