Whilst details for our 2020 Programme of Events are being formulated, outline ideas mooted at the AGM are set out below.
Proposed:
'Reading Micro-brewery Taprooms' - Winter
'Yet More SE London Micropubs' - Spring
'Bill English Memorial Trip to Amsterdam & Antwerp (possibly including Ypres)' - Summer
'London Specialist Lager Micro-breweries' - Autumn
Further details will be posted here shortly.
Following a paper majority decision made by the Committee at the 2018 AGM, this website was expected to be defunct by Easter 2019 as the cost - little more than the two rounds of drinks bought for attending Committee members - was not considered to be worthwhile.
With the agreement of the Chairman, Simon Hosking (unable to attend the 2018 AGM), a survey of all members was sent out with the Annual Newsletter included as part of subscription renewal notices. Accordingly, this website continued on a de minimis basis until its future continuation had been ratified (or otherwise) at the 2019 AGM.
At that event, Minutes Secretary, Bryn Philpott (who had abstained in the November 2019 vote), disclosed the confidential survey results, and it was indicated that two-thirds to one-third of the membership wished to continue with existing benefits, including the website. As the response rate was around two-thirds of subscribers to the Campaign, the result was statistically valid.
A vote then taken by all attendees at the AGM was also in the same proportions, thus 'broadley' reflecting the wider membership, and continuation of the website through 2020 was therefore assured.
CAMAL badges should be worn by all participating members at every event.
You Have Missed:
Sunday, 1ST September, 2019
'And Some More SE London Micropubs'
noon - The Dartford Jug, 8, Market Street, Dartford, Kent, DA1 1ET then
1.30pm - The Penny Farthing, 3,Waterside, Crayford, Kent, DA1 4JJ then
3pm - The Bird & Barrel, 100, Barnehurst Road, Barnehurst, Kent, DA7 6HG then
4.45pm - The Hangar, 37, The Oval, Station Road, Blackfen, Kent, DA15 9ER then
7pm - The One in the Wood, 209, Pett's Wood Road, Pett's Wood, Kent, BR5 1LA.
The Dartford Jug is the most recent venue, having opened in July 2018, with The One in the Wood being the oldest on this tour which had opened in May 2014. The Penny Farthing, dating from September 2014, has already featured on at least one Ring so should be familiar to some attendees having already won the local CAMRA branch's 'Pub of the Year' award regularly since. The Bexley Brewery-owned Bird & Barrel opened its doors in April 2018 whereas The Hangar had not quite commenced operations at the time of our previous SE London jaunt in May 2018, opening within a month or so later.
Use of public transport was required throughout, initially taking the 1045 train from Waterloo East (Charing Cross 3 mins earlier, London Bridge 6 mins later) to Slade Green, and then the 428 bus to Dartford (closer to the first venue than the station). Then the 96 and the 428 buses took us back to Crayford, the 428 bus being used again onwards to return to Slade Green station for a change to a 99 bus on to Barnehurst. From the station there, we took a train to Welling and then a 51 bus to Blackfen. Finally, we then continued south on the 51 bus route to St. Mary Cray at which location we changed to an R3 for Pett's Wood before returning by the 2022 train which took 33 mins to arrive at Waterloo East around 9pm (London Bridge 6 mins earlier, Charing Cross 4 mins later).
Sunday, 14TH July, 2019
'Recent 'craft' beer bars in Hammersmith'
noon - The Draft House, 238, Shepherd's Bush Road, London, W6 7NL then
1.30pm - The William Morris, 2-4, King Street, Street, London, W6 0QA then
3.30pm - The Craft Beer Co., 17-8, Broadway Shopping Centre, London, W6 9YD.
Established in 2015 and formerly The Laurie Arms ph, the first is one of many Draft Houses throughout inner London, now owned by the BrewDog brewery, but still offers both cask & 'craft' ales. The second is a familiar Wetherspoons largely included should people have wanted to eat from a more extensive menu - they did! - whilst the third, formerly The Old Trout ph, only opened in its current guise in spring 2019 within the Hammersmith District & Piccadilly Lines station parade and offered 6 no. cask beers on the day plus many more artisanales besides together with a variety of burgers listed on its table menus.
Afterwards, we also visited The Swan, an ornate Nicholson's house at the junction of The Broadway with King Street.
Sunday, 28TH April, 2019
'Metroland Award-Winning Micropubs and Curry'
noon - The Hop & Vine, 18, High Street, Ruislip, HA4 7AN then
1.30pm - The Beer Asylum, 1, Red Lion Parade, Bridge Street, Pinner, HA5 3JD then
3pm - The Regency Club, 18-21, Station Parade, Queensbury, HA8 5NR.
The first two welcome additions to the diminished pub scene in West Middlesex had won their respective borough (Hillingdon and Harrow) Pub of the Year awards from the local CAMRA branch in 2018. The less than clement weather meant that we weren't able to make use of the Hop & Vine's recently-opened 'beer garden' but, at the Beer Asylum (originally opened as just a bottle shop off licence), the bar side of the outlet, having developed into a fully-fledged micropub, held our attention such that most were reluctant to move on. [The Beer Asylum has the additional distinction of being on the site of the frontage to The Red Lion ph which closed as long ago as 1963!]
The last-mentioned curry & lager venue needed no introduction to CAMAL members and was long overdue a revisit. Although advertising potentially all four lagers from the Cotswold Brewing Co., based in Bourton-on-the-Water, none of the two expected were available on the day but one of the Club's own badged, locally-commissioned, beers - an IPA - was supped as an accompaniment to curries at the usual high standard expected here.
Use of public transport was required throughout, Ruislip being on the Uxbridge branch of the Metropolitan Line. Buses H13 between Ruislip & Pinner and, then, the 183 from Pinner to Kenton with the 114 from Kenton to Queensbury were utilised. [The alternatives, the Metropolitan Line between Ruislip & Pinner, changing at Harrow-on-the-Hill, and the Metropolitan & Jubilee Lines between Pinner & Queensbury, changing at Wembley Park, were not taken.]
Saturday, 9TH February, 2019
'Berks (for) Beer & Bratwurst (3 Bs)'
noon - The Botanist, 1-5, King Street, Reading, RG1 2HD then
1pm - The Bierhaus (ex-Cock-a-Snook micropub), 8, Queen's Walk, Reading, RG1 7QF then
4pm - The Nag's Head, 5, Russell Street, Reading, RG1 7XD.
The first is a new pub in a former Barclays bank which has many bottled foreign beers, including local Siren Craft ales, available whilst the second specialises in both German and Belgian beers with authentic food to boot! The last-mentioned is already a Reading institution which has established itself within a former failing all-keg pub into a cornucopia for real ale over the last decade.
The main Reading station was used for arrival - a rendezvous outside the Three Guineas on the town side suggested at 1145 (but acheived inside instead!) - whilst Reading West station - tickets having been valid to All Stations there - was near to the final pub being visited.
Of the seven members who attended, four then continued on to The Castle Tap, Brew Dog, Zero Degrees and The Allied Arms with three even venturing into The Alehouse and The Greyfriars.