Please see "Ale Cry" for the latest news

 in the West Lancashire Area,

and "Whats Brewing"

for national real ale news whilst we

get the site updated

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March 2009:
Good Beer Guide 2009 Amendments:

Deleted- New Hall Tavern, Salmesbury - closed.


The Euxton Mills, Euxton, closed  weekday afternoons,  opens at 5pm.
The Dolphin, Longton, closed weekday lunchtimes,  opens at 4pm.
The Olde Dog & Partridge, Preston, closed weekday afternoons, opens at 6pm.

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February 2009:
Latest edition (Spring) of Ale Cry available here...
<more>

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February 2009:
Please note that the New Hall Tavern at Salmesbury
has now been deleted from the 2009 Good Beer Guide
as it has closed.

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December 2008:
Latest edition (Winter) of Ale Cry available here...
<more>

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December 2008:

Congratulations to Anne Marie at the Black Bull in Penwortham,
who has been awarded the Cask Marque.
you can find out more by clicking the link below:
 

www.blackbull-penwortham.co.uk

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October 2008:

The New Britannia, Preston, will be holding a
Really Spooky Real Ale festival
this Halloween Weekend.
The beers on are:
 

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October 2008:

The New Continental are organising a beer festival that will run between
the 23rd and 26th of October.
They intend to have over 60 + cask Ales all at £2.00 a pint or £1.00 for half,
plus Ciders and Perrys, interesting bottled beers including those
that have been brewed specifically for the
Oktober Festival in Munich.
Live entertainment each night and foods including a Hogroast.


For info, email Warren McCoubrey (warren@newcontinental.net)
who is the bar manager (ex-Marble Brewery and winner of
Stockport Beer Festival for his first ale for Marble).
or see
http://www.newcontinental.net

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October 2008:
In 2006 Lancashire  welcomed 58 million visitors.
They contributed £2.5 billion to the local economy
 and helped support nearly 49,000 jobs.

Food for thought?

Lloyd Grossman, Patron of Taste Lancashire 08,
believes Lancashire offers world class foods.

Tuck in to www.tastelancashire08.com for starters.

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August 2008:
Latest edition (Autumn) of Ale Cry available here...
<more>

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August 2008:

A brewery chain employing 1,000 people
in north-west England has gone into administration.

Cains Brewery, based in Liverpool, makes a range of 11 ales and lagers
and runs more than 100 pubs nationwide.

Administrators, PricewaterhouseCoopers, are working with staff and landlords
to ensure the brewery and pubs stay open while it seeks a buyer for the firm.

The 158-year-old brewery went into administration after running into cash-flow difficulties.

Cains, which runs pubs largely in the North West, said it has been battered by rising costs,
the impact of the smoking ban and a disputed tax bill.

<more>

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July 2008:
Latest edition of Ale Cry available here...
<more>

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July 2008:

New Continental
The Continental Pub, long a desert of Real Ale, is undergoing a huge refurbishment:
Branch Press officer, J Mark Ashton spoke to the new people behind the refurb...

"The Continental is owned by Punch Taverns, however they have
negotiated a favourable deal, as they are having to fund the refurbishment,
which means the premises is completely free of tie for 10 years!

 The pub will be open from 11:00 through to midnight
weekdays and until 1AM, Friday and Saturday.

People who remember the Continental in recent years will notice a
huge difference, both inside and out.

The place has been taken back to the bare bones and put back together.
Out have gone the gaming machines, pool tables, alcopops, sky sports and the awful orange decor.

 The outside has been revamped with a new natural stone patio and covered
area, planting and seating. A new outdoor children's play area will be
erected in time for next summer.

They are promising  four or five cask ales available at all times,
plus a cask cider.

This will be complemented by an interesting selection of
Continental beers including Krombacker, Kriek and Schneider Weiss on
draft and a good range of interesting bottled beers.

They also intend to host twice yearly beer festivals, the first this autumn and a food and
drink festival next summer.  Also,  the possibility of
having an "Oktober fest" in a marquee on the car park complete with a
range of British and Continental Beers, entertainment, food and a
hog-roast, is in the planning stages, maybe for next year.

Food will be served through the day.
Stephen Kerfoot, ex of the Running Pump, has come on board as Head Chef
and the emphasis will be on fresh seasonal food from local suppliers.

The premises will be managed by Warren McCoubrie who has spent the
last eight years working for the Marble Beer company in Manchester,
with the last two years spent in the brew house.
Warrens beer won first prize at the recent Stockport Beer festival.

The ex-children's play area attached to the pub,
previously known as "Captain Coconuts"  is in the process of being taken down.
In its place will be a new eventsroom which will be available to host anything
from community groups and functions to touring theatre companies,
live music, comedy and children's events.

 As long as everything comes together they are hoping to be open the
first week in August. The official launch will be mid August.

They say it is giving them sleepless nights at the moment,
but we're sure it will all beworth it.

We just hope everybody else finds it as exciting as we do!
 

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May 2008:

Making Mine a Mild in May

To promote the Mild Month of May,
The Corporation arms in Longridge has teamed up with
The West Lancashire Branch of CAMRA
to offer real Cask Conditioned Mild for sale at £1
(Yes, one pound) a pint. (whilst stocks last)

All proceeds will go to Derian House Children’s Hospice.

The Sale of the century starts on Monday the 19th May,
and the Management of the Corporation arms think they
have enough stock to last a week, but at that price,
I wouldn't bet on it lasting till Tuesday...

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May 2008:
Clitheroe Beer Festival runs 17-18th May.
click here for more info...
<more>

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22nd April  2008:

The beers for the New Britannia St.George's Beer Festival are :


1648                    St. George                      4.5%

Arundel                 St. George's                    4.6%

Blakemere               Dragon's Lair                   4.2%

Blakemere               English Rose                    3.9%

Coach House             St. George's Heritage           4.9%

Goose Eye               Pride of St. George             4.2%

Manns                   St. George and the Dragon       4.5%

Maulden's               George's Best                   4.4%

Phoenix                 St. George's Flag               4.3%

Salamander              By George                       4.4%


"Dragon's Pie" will also be served throughout the festival.

Dates to follow..

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April  2008:
Several local clubs and pubs are
running Beer Festivals next month,
see the adverts on the right
of this website for details...

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March 16-18th  2008:
The New Britannia (Heatley Street) is holding a mini-festival this weekend
The theme will be that
There's more than one drink to celebrate St.Paddy's Day with.'
 
Start date: Sat 15th March,to Mon 17th, St.Patrick's Day itself.
 
Beer list:
 
Beartown               Blarney Bear                4.8%
Bradfield                Irish Dexter                 4.8%
Coach House          Leprechaun                 4.7%
George Wright        Patrick's Black Gold       5.1%
Hilden                   Scullion's Irish              4.6%
Lodden                 Life of Riley                  4.5%
Phoenix                Shamrock                     4.4%
Salamander           St.Patrick's Ale             4.4%
Springhead           Drop of the Black stuff    4.0%
Blakemere             Paddy's Girl                  5.0%
 

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March 6- 8th  2008:
Lancaster Beer festival is being held
in the Town Hall (Dalton Square) this Thursday, Friday & Saturday
All Proceeds to Charity (run by the Round Table)

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March 2008:
Latest edition of Ale Cry available here...
<more>

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February 10th 2007:
 

Grindleton Brewery Trip - Re-arranged

The Date of the Grindleton Brewery Trip has had to be changed.

It will now be on 10th April.

If your names down, please confirm

you can still still make this date at the next meeting.

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January 25th 2007:
 

Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) has agreed to be bought

by Heineken and Carlsberg for £7.8bn.

S&N started talks with Carlsberg and Heineken over the

proposal last week, having rejected three previous offers.

The company, the UK's largest brewer, makes Newcastle Brown Ale,

Foster's and Kronenbourg 1664. S&N employs about 3,300 staff in the UK,

with breweries in Manchester, Reading, Dunston and Tadcaster.

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January 2008:
CAMRA's nation WInter Ales festival runs 16-19 January
in the New Century Hall, Manchester.
Link to Poster

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December 2007:
Read about our Pub Crawl
(Sorry, Ale Cry distribution trip)
to Houghton...
<more>

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December 20007:

The New Britannia, Heatley Street, Preston
is having a Mini Beer Festival,

"The 12 Ales of Christmas"

Starting Thursday 13th December

Serving the following:

Castle Rock -  Robin  4.2%
Hambleton -  Festive Folly 4.0%
Goose Eye  - Santa Gander 4.2%
B&T  - Santa Slayer 4.0%
Hydes  - Rocking Robin 4.6%
Fuzzy Duck  - Christmas Quackers 5.2%
Old Mill  - Midnight Moonshine 4.5%
3B's  - Santa's Skinful 4.0%
Acorn  - 5th Noel 5.2%
Rebellion  - Santa's Surprise 4.2%
Springhead  - Rudoph's Ruin 4.2%
St. George's  - Bar Humbug 4.4%

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November 2007:
Latest edition of Ale Cry available here...
<more>

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November 2007:
Read about our Branch Trip to Rufford...
<more>

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October 2007:
There is good news and bad news to come from Longridge on the real ale front...
<more>

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October 2007:
GBG 2008 – Copies of the 2008 Good Beer Guide
            will be available to purchase at West Lancs Branch meetings at the special
            discount prices of £9.50 for CAMRA Members and £10.00 for non-members

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October 2007:Branch trip to Rufford
Using the excuse of delivering our branch newsletter "AleCry" to the pubs of Rufford, the members had a
swift half in most of the areas real ale pubs...
<more>
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September 2007:Fancy a taster?
A Man walks into a pub..
<more>
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September 2007:An Idiots guide to Ale Cry -
So how do you achieve column space in this publication?..
<more>
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