Sussex Drinker Issue 16
Christmas 1998

Greene King is bad news for Sussex! It has sadly become apparent recently that Greene King do not intend to maintain the excellent beer range that many of the former Beards pubs used to have until recently, when Beards was bought by Greene King.

Currently, these pubs enjoy the freedom to purchase a very wide range of beers from a number of

sources - Greene King plan to abolish this freedom and will force a smaller range of beers, which may only be bought through them, onto all Beards landlords. This is not just bad news for the pubs, but also for local Sussex brewers who will not be able to sell direct, and ultimately bad news for you, the real ale drinker.

As if this wasn't bad enough, Greene King plan on wrecking the very character of some of these pubs by converting them into "eateries" with a greatly reduced beer range and an emphasis on food rather than the friendly atmosphere of a local pub.

They have shown a total disregard for the wishes of Sussex's real ale drinkers with this decision - a decision which the SE Sussex branch roundly condemns.

It is vital that we do not allow a Suffolk-based brewery to destroy an important part of Sussex through ignorance and a disregard for local feelings. It is thus very important that we all make our views known. Protecting the consumer from bad decisions by the brewery's "men in suits" is the very foundation of CAMRA's aims. The more people who express their displeasure at Greene King's plans, the greater the chance that they will listen. Please send your letters of protest to:

South East Sussex Branch

Well, not literally, of course - but the J D Wetherspoon chain has gone back to brim-measure glasses after a recent attempt at making lined glasses mandatory was torpedoed by MP Eric Forth (Con).

The chain's head, Tim Martin, explained that they could not afford to "go it alone", and added that complaints about short measure had gone up since the glasses were introduced.

The rise in complaints can be attributed to the fact that people were noticing that their beer, even with the head, did not reach the top of the glass. This shows that, contrary to the claims made by some parts of the industry, customers do notice when they are served short measure, and they do care about it.

CAMRA's research shows that 84% of people think that a pint of beer should contain a full pint of liquid - yet 80% of British pints fall short of this. The industry's own guidelines state that 95% of the pint should be liquid, but 25% of pints served can't even manage to come up to this standard.

Wetherspoon pubs may not be festooned with posters trumpeting "5% less beer", despite the claims that the lined glasses gave you 5% more (surely not an admission that they routinely served short measure when using brim glasses?) but you should remember that industry guidelines say that reasonable requests for top-ups should not be refused.

If you're served a short pint in any pub, ask for a top-up. If they refuse, you're probably better off finding somewhere that will - but do tell not only CAMRA, but Trading Standards as well. Pubs have been prosecuted in the past for serving short pints, especially when well below the magic 95% figure, so a complaint could stop others from being ripped off.

And the watch in the picture? Available from CAMRA (01727 867201 for details) just in time for Christmas. Alas, it doesn't conveniently grind to a halt at 10:45, but it does send an important message to landlords and fellow drinkers alike - that you won't settle for less than a full pint!

Footslogger has now been confirmed as a permanent summer seasonal beer, while Old Knucker will now be available in the winter only. Following the recent change of hands, the brewery is continuing as normal (and I know we said we'd have more on this in this issue, but nothing's come in yet... sorry!)

K&B's Old Ale was voted as Beer of the Festival at the recent Erewash Beer Festival.

Blues, the 5% winter beer, has once again been available, with the 4.8% Christmas Tyme due in December.

Genius Stout (4.6%) is currently available; the Christmas beer is White Christmas (6%).

1066 Best Bitter is now being brewed more frequently.

The Gun at Findon, after a two year campaign, has been saved by a compromise deal with the developers, although many villagers remain opposed to any development at all on the site. The stable buildings will go, as will half the car park, and housing will be built on the site; the pub and remaining parking area were put on the market on October 23. A village consortium is believed to be putting a bid in.

Sussex landlord Wally Vaughan has died of cancer, aged 70, after over 40 years behind the bar. Wally ran the Fortune of War for 19 years until 1995, when he moved to the Countryman at Shipley. His widow Betty will continue to run the pub.

The ABC cinema in Brighton's East Street may become a nightclub and two bars, but the plans are facing stiff opposition. Sussex Police have already stated that they will oppose all future superpub plans, especially in the area between Western Road and the two piers. The area already has more incidences of violence than other parts of the town, with gangs roaming the streets after closing time. The plans to turn Marlborough House into a Fullers Ale & Pie House have already been rejected, along with the attempt to convert Pinnochio's into a Slug & Lettuce. Both plans are currently subject to appeal.

Residents opposing Bass's plans to turn Brighton's former Astoria cinema into an It's A Scream have held a public meeting to plan their protests. Planning permission has already been granted, but the licensing application was not due to be heard until November 30. The residents have organised a petition, and will present it to the licensing committee.

The new Bar Med, in Church Road, Hove, has failed to get a public entertainment licence after protests from local residents. Councillors agreed that the bar was too close to homes.

The Cissbury Tap, in Findon Valley, will be open by the end of November, as a "local shopping centre pub". Owned by Ray and Caroline Dumbleton, of the Fletcher Arms, Angmering (Arun & Adur branch Pub of the Year) it will specialise in real ales from micros and independents.

The former Court's furniture store in Littlehampton is due to open as a Wetherspoon pub by January 12.

The Bull at Goring (cue "gored by a bull"-type headlines) has closed for a major refurbishment, apparently including a cellar enlargement. The George is apparently also being refurbished. Over in Wick, the Locomotive is having a facelift with a new restaurant area, a children's area and a slightly redesigned front. Apparently Railtrack are thinking of building a halt at Wick, which would be right outside the pub and "dead handy", to put it mildly! (If you want to encourage Railtrack, your local station should have the address...)

Brighton's Pump House has been closed recently for a major refit; the work was still underway in mid-November, but the pub should hopefully be open again soon. Also being refitted is the bar at Brighton station, which is being turned into a "Bonaparte's Bar", whatever that turns out to be, the Royal Pavilion Tavern which is being redecorated and refurnished, and the Victory, which is having a new patio built, and has plans for an upstairs restaurant.

More an anti-refit, this, as Whitbread have cancelled plans to close the children's play area at the Devil's Dyke Inn after parents protested. The company (we can scarcely call them a brewery these days!) wanted to make room for more diners, claiming that alternative children's facilities were available at the Sportsman in Withdean (so conveniently nearby, don't you think?)

The Hart at Salehurst, which was due to be turned into a private residence, has gained a reprieve and is still trading.

The Arundel Arms, by Ford station, is now the Shaky Do, and is now a free house selling Young's Bitter and Special, plus a guest. Littlehampton's White Hart is now the Swan and Cob, a restaurant-styled pub selling Courage Best, Directors, Marston's Pedigree and Draught Bass.

The Richmond in Brighton is now called Pressure Point, following a take-over by local company Zell; also, the Somerset is now called the Dragon.

Over in Hastings, the Royal George is now Grace's Wine Bar, selling Harveys Best and one guest beer.

Tony, manager of the Vine in Tarring, has handed in his notice after Hall and Woodhouse apparently changed their minds about allowing him a free choice of guest ales; it appears that, despite the customers wanting Summer Lightning back again, H&W don't want it on. Surely not scared that people might prefer it?

Alun and Rose have left the Golden Lion in Brighton to return to the Midlands, having been offered a pub up there.

The Globe in Worthing has just changed hands, with a noticeable increase in beer quality. Over in Littlehampton (and not a change of hands as such), manager Tim is buying the Steam Packet, while the Locomotive (in the town - not the one at Wick!) was closed for a week following the eviction of the landlord. It has now reopened, pending a possible sale. Also in Littlehampton, the Spotted Cow has changed hands, the Smugglers is now open all day, with greatly improved beer quality and choice, and the manager of the Arun View, helped by a brewery loan, has bought the pub. He is selling Draught Bass (presumably the lender in question) and two beers from independents; an extension by the river is possible. The Dewdrop at Wick has also been bought, this time from Gales, and is now a free house.

The Jolly Sportsman at East Chiltington, as featured on past Ale Trails, now has new owners. Apparently beers from Rectory Ales are featured quite often. Past Good Beer Guide regular the Fountain, Plumpton, is now being run by a new couple - hopefully we'll be seeing the Fountain back in the good book soon... The Six Bells, Lyminster, is open again under new management. Evening Star regulars Terry and Esther Pullen have taken over the Ark at Newhaven.

Philip Strong is the new managing director of Allied Domecq's southern division, after five years running the northern division. He said that he "wanted to make sure that all our pubs in Sussex are offering the best to their customers... successful pubs are the ones which ask their customers what they really want, but act on their suggestions." Sadly, we don't seem to have an address to send them to, so let's hope he reads Sussex Drinker...

The Horse & Groom in Singleton became a classroom for a day on October 10, when the 17th century coaching inn was used for a course on the history of inns in the Chichester area. Janet Pennington, the archivist at Lancing College, decided that a pub would be most appropriate place to use, saying that hundreds of years ago, pubs were used as "courts, banks, tax offices and all sorts of things".

The Griffin Inn, Fletching, has been named Sussex Dining Pub of the Year by the Good Pub Guide, while the George, in Brighton's Trafalgar Street, has exhibited photography, paintings and sculptures by the bar staff. Sadly, the exhibition has now finished, but the work of artists from the nearby Phoenix Gallery will be featured in December and January.

Local author Graham Holter is writing a book about the history of brewing in Sussex, and is particularly interested in material about the following breweries: Albion, Amber Ale, Bedford, Black Lion, Cannon, Gloucester, Kemptown (not the current one, probably), North Street, Phoenix, Portslade, Temple, and West Street, as well as any others that people can remember. He can be contacted on (01323) 646508.

O'Connor's in Worthing, after its recent change of hands, will shortly be getting lined glasses, so you'll be guaranteed a full pint - which is more than you'll manage at Wetherspoons these days (see article elsewhere).

Wychwood Brewery's pub company, Hobgoblinns, was fined £500 plus £822 costs after breaching a noise abatement notice from October 1997 by playing music late at night.

Pete Watson is to resign as South Eastern Regional Director, while Karen Burchell is standing down as Sussex Area Organiser, both citing pressures of work. As we went to press, there was no news on who was to replace them; anybody wanting to stand should contact Pete (details on Page 2) to find out more information.

Sussex CAMRA would like to thank Pete and Karen for all the hard work they've put in over the past few years.

Beer is not made of "sugar and spice and all things nice"; neither is it produced from "slugs and snails and puppy dogs' tails".

German purity laws permit only water, yeast, malted barley and hops to be used, although the list has now been extended to include malted wheat. In the UK virtually anything not illegal or toxic can be used which has resulted in many strange and exciting brews over the past few years. Beers containing such ingredients as coriander, ginger, heather, honey and even chilli have either titillated or irritated our taste buds recently.

As most beers contain around 95% water (always referred to as liquor by brewers) it has to be important. Soft waters, as found in London and Dublin, make fine dark milds and stouts, whereas hard water produces some wonderful pale ales. The water at Burton on Trent contains high proportions of gypsum (calcium sulphate) and magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts, for "regular" drinkers). Many brewers "Burtonise" their water supply by adding gypsum to increase the hardness. Some waters have an unsuitable pH - they are either too acid or too alkaline and the pH has to be adjusted.

Malted barley is prepared by allowing barley grains to germinate before they are heated in a kiln. Pale malts are kilned for a short period, darker malts for longer. The germination causes insoluble starch molecules to convert into sugars upon which the yeast can feed and ferment the beer. The darker the malt. the more it produces toffee and caramel flavours.

Hops have been used in British beer since before the Norman Conquest, but have only been used regularly in what is now the UK since the sixteenth century. They not only give beer bitterness, but also they impart wonderful hop flavours and aroma. They tend to fall into two groups being either high alpha which means they contain a high proportion of bittering agents (alpha acids) and low alpha which are noted for their flavour and aroma. Hops also act as a preservative. They can also be added as "dry hops" straight into casks of freshly brewed beer to produce both aroma and extra anti-oxidant qualities.

Yeast, once known as "God is good", converts the sugars from the malted barley into alcohol. It is a micro-organism that can exist as single strains (varieties), but often multi-strain yeasts are used. Single strain yeasts tend to be used when a brewer wants a beer to clear, or "drop bright", quickly but often they cannot feed on all the sugars in the beer. Multi-strain varieties take longer to drop bright, but can convert more sugars into alcohol. Most brewers claim that it is their particular yeast that makes their beers special.

Water, yeast, malted barley and hops - I'll let you decide if they are better than sugar and spice or slugs and snails.

CAMRA's years of campaigning for sensible licensing laws have not been in vain. In May, George Howarth, the Government Minister responsible for liquor licensing, announced that there is to be a ground-up review of our archaic licensing laws. Things have moved on since then and CAMRA is hoping for a new Licensing Act by 2001. But we need your help...

The Government review is great news for pub-goers throughout Britain and for the many thousands of foreign visitors who are baffled by restrictions on our pub opening hours. CAMRA campaigned very successfully in the late 1980s for pubs to be allowed to open all day during the week and again in the early nineties for pubs to open on Sunday afternoons. Despite widespread predictions of drunken chaos on our streets there has been no significant effect on alcohol consumption or abuse, or indeed the social problems attached to them.

Rather, this more relaxed approach to permitted hours has led to a more responsible attitude to day time drinking. People are no longer forced to 'get a last one in' before the 3pm bell tolls and in many pubs can sit back and take their time.

But the biggest problems remain. Every evening at about 11:20pm our town centres turn into no-go areas. It's an exaggeration, but it's true to say that increased circuit drinking round theme pubs targeted at younger drinkers has worked against the raison d'être of licensing controls. Hoards of tipsy teenagers do pour onto the streets all at the same time. Feelings are high, public services, other amenities and taxi firms are stretched to their limits and the result is tension and often public disorder.

It is for these reasons that CAMRA believes that pubs should be able to open when they please. That's not as controversial as it sounds. There have to be suitable nationally set systems in place to prevent public nuisance. It does not mean that all pubs will be open 24 hours a day. What it does mean is that pubs can gear their opening hours to suit their customers and their businesses. Some pubs will close at 11pm, some at 11:30, some at midnight and some beyond. This will reduce disorder and other problems as people are able to take their time with their final drinks of the evening and travel home at different times.

Opening hours are, of course, only one aspect of licensing law. But it is the important aspect for you, the drinker. It's therefore of great importance that you make your views known to the powers that be over the coming months. Write to your MP and to the Home Office and support our calls for a ground-up review of licensing law.

Remember the positive lessons of extended pub hours during the day. There is nothing to fear by change - relaxed opening hours with proper conditions to prevent public nuisance will benefit everyone.

I drink at The Dewdrop in Peacehaven. For the first-timer, it's like walking into a Chas 'n' Dave video! There's a dart-board (local league) but no pool table, 2 one-arm bandits, both public and saloon bars, and only Jerry's late '50s cassettes played very low for music.

Jerry himself is an amiable character, who's been there for over 25 years. During that time, he's never bought anyone a drink or had a lock-in - really!

However, the best thing about the pub is the beer. He only offers three: Flowers, Pedigree, and London Pride. My choice is the Flowers which he serves just below room temperature, but when it's off, either of the other two are perfectly adequate substitutes.
I strongly recommend a visit.

Oh... the locals are friendly too.

Stuart Elms of the local Arun & Adur branch has seemingly done the impossible and found seven pubs worthy of a crawl in the town oft regarded as a bit of a beer desert for choice. His little wander starts and finishes at Worthing station.

Exiting through the main booking hall on the south side of the railway station, Worthing welcomes you with a fine example of a Victorian railway hotel.

Sadly, Chapmans (Morland) - once a revered free house in the eighties but now a nondescript part of a hotel and night club complex - is notable only for its architecture, so quickly head south down Oxford Road turning right into Teville Road and then left into Clifton Road.

Passing by both the Clifton and the Jolly Brewers on the right hand side of the road you will eventually reach the Richard Cobden (Inn Business), a convivial street corner locals' pub serving Brakspear Special, Whitbread Fuggles Imperial IPA, Greene King IPA and Wadworth 6X.

Continue due south and then turn left into Richmond Road passing by the Wheatsheaf. At the main Post Office turn right into Chapel Road and down on the left hand side you will come to the Fathom & Firkin, where James the brewer will happily show you round his brewing plant. Continue down Chapel Road; turn left at the Clock Tower into Warwick Street past the Vintners Parrot to the Warwick (Whitbread - until recently a Hogshead), where an interesting selection of guest ales is usually available.

Turn left back into Warwick Street, then left into the High Street and then right just past the Safeway superstore into Lyndhurst Road. Opposite the gasworks is the Selden Arms (a genuine freehouse) whose enthusiastic new owners offer a selection of three ales from local micros such as Arundel, Brewery on Sea, Dark Star and Hop Back.

Continue along Lyndhurst Road past the hospital until you come to the Alexandra (Punch), a traditional two bar local where the beer quality is rarely less than excellent. Since the recent change from Bass, the beer range varies but you are assured of a fine pint of Harveys Best.

Retrace your steps back along Lyndhurst Road and at the Jack Horner turn right and cross over the road where you will find the Swan Inn (Inn Business), one of the oldest pubs in town, usually offering four ales including Fullers London Pride, Harveys Sussex Best, Young's Special and a guest.

Cross the road and turn left into Upper High Street, then left again at the Globe into Newland Road and a little way along on the right hand side just before the Co-op Superstore is the somewhat garishly painted O'Connors Bar (a genuine freehouse). Fear not, for inside the recent tasteful refurbishment has created a welcoming traditional boozer where the Harveys Sussex Best and Hop Back Summer Lightning are of the highest quality.

If you can tear yourself away from Jonathan's hospitality, carefully cross the road at the roundabout outside Flappers Bar and head back to the station through the near-derelict Teville Gate precinct.

The 1999 Good Beer Guide is now available, priced £10.99 (though local branches do discounts for members, so come along to your local meetings!) The book contains 5,000 pubs serving top-quality beer, plus details of over 2,700 real ales from 600 breweries.

Unfortunately, this year, some errors crept into the Guide. This year, the survey results were entered into a database which was used to typeset the book, giving CAMRA more flexibility and control and allowing reduced publication times in future years - meaning more up-to-date information in future Guides.

Due to problems in setting up the database, the final stages of production had to be compressed into a very short time, and errors crept in, including mistakes in the brewery listings and some missing town names in the main section.

CAMRA would like to apologise for these errors. We are producing a correction slip, which will be sent to every member in a future What's Brewing. Copies of the Guide sold from HQ will also have the slip inserted, as will copies sold by local branches. The corrections will also be put up on CAMRA's web site and in a future Sussex Drinker if possible.

Nov 26-28: 17th LUTON BEER FESTIVAL, Drill Hall, Old Bedford Road, Luton (2 mins from Luton station)

Thu 6-11; Fri 12-3 + 5:30-11; Sat 12-11. Prices unknown as we went to press.
Enquiries: Dave Oakley - (01582) 728779 (h), (01582) 401043 (w)

Tue 4-11; Wed-Sat 11-11. Tue-Thu £2 after 4; Fri £3 after 4; Sat £2 all day. Members free Tue & Sat, £1 after 4 other days.
Enquiries: Robyn - (0966) 513243 or http://www.pigsear.org.uk/

Fri 5-11; Sat 10:30-11 or when the beer runs out! £1.50 admission, members free. 45 winter ales, all 5% ABV or higher and all under £2 a pint.

Thu-Fri 12-11; Sat 11-6. £2 admission (members £1) - Friday evenings 50p extra.
Details: Chris Cobbold (0181) 674 0556.

Thu 6-10 (£2); Fri 11-3 (£1), 5-11 (£3.50, £3 adv); Sat 11-6 (£2.50, last entry 4pm), 6-10 (£3.50, £3 adv). Extra beer tokens for members (with card). Times not finalised as we went to press - check for posters!

Over 50 real ales, plus real ciders and perries, live music Fri & Sat eves, food, and all the usual joys. Staffing: Pete Coppard (01273) 683322.

More than 100 Members of Parliament have signed an Early Day Motion calling for a sliding scale of duty.

And Society of Independent Brewers leaders are jubilant at an unprecedented turnout at their lobby of Parliament on November 4 when more than 60 MPs and peers turned up.

Small brewers are beginning to hope the political tide is running heavily in favour of a sliding scale, which would enable them to compete in the free trade against heavily-discounted big brewers' beers, for the first time in more than a decade of campaigning.

They have been boosted by a surge of support from some of the smaller family brewers, harrassed by cross-Channel duty-paid imports and are eager for an edge in the marketplace.

According to former SIBA chairman Dave Roberts of Pilgrim Brewery, Treasury Minister Dawn Primarolo has said she is prepared to have a fresh look at the question, and both Customs and the Department of Trade and Industry have indicated they now accept the economic arguments.

"It's looking very hopeful but it's now a political battle," he said. "We don't want the sliding scale to go the same way as the Monopolies & Mergers Commission proposals, which were ruined by pressure from the back benches."

CAMRA Public Affairs Manager David Hawkins, who attended the SIBA lobby, said he was particularly heartened to see junior minister George Foulkes there, as Government representatives are barred from signing EDMs.

Senior Conservatives included Peter Ainsworth, the shadow culture secretary, and a crucial figure attending the event was Trade & Industry Select Committee Chairman Martin O'Neil.

CAMRA has pledged its support for the sliding scale, and is preparing a budget submission backing it. It will be the main campaigning topic at January's Great British Winter Beer Festival, and all members are being urged to write to their MPs.

Dave Roberts added: "Writing to MPs in support of progressive duty is a practical step every CAMRA member can take to help independent brewers win this time. Attending MPs surgeries will create an even greater impact to offset the fierce lobbying the big brewers are certain to carry out."

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