Shrewsbury & West Shropshire CAMRA Pics

Vicky and Keith - Prince of Wales Winter Ales Festival 11 February 2011

2011-02-13T15:00:00.001-08:00

Vicky and Keith - Prince of Wales Winter Ales Festival 11 February 2011, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Photos on my Flickr Photostream from a very successful Prince of Wales Winter Ales Festival.

Shrewsbury and West Shropshire CAMRA Dinner 14 Jan 2011

2011-01-16T07:33:00.000-08:00

This is only one of the many photos which can be seen on my Flickr account:

Norrie's Flickr Photos

The dinner was held at Rococo in Shrewsbury - the food and service were first class. Beers were provided by the Salopian Brewery (Oracle) and Stonehouse Brewery (Station Bitter) Both superb. [I tossed a coin to decide which to list first]

Shropshire Brewers' Challenge

2010-11-07T07:53:00.001-08:00

Shropshire Brewers' Challenge, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Norman Pearce receiving the Shropshire Brewers' Challenge Trophy from Keith Davies and Shrewsbury and West Shropshire Branch members, at the Sun Inn, home of the Corvedale Brewery. The Shropshre Brewers' Challenge is awarded by a panel of judges at the Shresbury Beer Festival in September. Corvedale Brewery won in 2010 with St George's Stout

Shrewsbury & West Shropshire CAMRA

2010-07-28T02:56:00.001-07:00

Shrewsbury & West Shropshire CAMRA, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Branch members after the AGM

Three Fishes, Shrewsbury and West Shropshire Pub of the Year, 2010

2010-06-07T14:54:00.001-07:00

Three Fishes, Shrewsbury and West Shropshire Pub of the Year, 2010, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Now it's official - the photo's been in the Star!

Shrewsbury and West Shropshire CAMRA voted The Three Fishes, in Fish Street, Shrewsbury, Pub of the Year for 2010. Here's Keith Davies (Branch Chair) presenting the certificate to Dave Moss, the Landlord (on the right).

Salopian Brewery, Mytton Oak Road, Shrewsbury

2010-04-25T05:55:00.001-07:00

Salopian Brewery, Mytton Oak Road, Shrewsbury, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Managing Director Wilf Nelson holds forth to the CAMRA branch at a recent brewery tour. The Salopian Brewery range has won many awards and covers the whole range of beer types, (except mild). There are regular seasonal beers. Blackwater Brewery beers are also brewed here.

The Loggerheads, Church Street, Shrewsbury

2010-04-25T05:54:00.001-07:00

The Loggerheads, Church Sreet, Shrewsbury, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

The Loggerheads is Shrewsbury's own CAMRA National Inventory pub because of its ancient layout and unspoilt interiors. In addition to this very small public, and a rather larger lounge, there are two small rooms served from a hatch in a passageway.

The brick frontage covers a stone core which dates from at least the 16th century. There has been a pub here since at least 1780, and it has been known as The Loggerheads since 1831

A Banks' house, it carries a wide range of Marston's products. It always has a good pint of Draught Bass and Jennings Snecklifter along with standards and seasonal beers.

Callow Inn

2010-04-25T05:53:00.003-07:00

Callow Inn, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Taken on a recent CAMRA monitoring trip, the Callow Inn gave us a warm welcome. In the deep west of rural Shropshire, and you can tell it's a hilly part!

Unfortunately, the pub only had one real ale on when we visited, but at least it was well kept.

Stables Inn, Hopesgate

2010-04-25T05:53:00.001-07:00

Stables Inn, Hopesgate, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

A deeply rural pub in Shropshire, well placed, like the Callow Inn, for many lovely walks. The Stables carries three and sometimes four ales. The small mountain in the corner of the bar turns out to be the pub dog!

Three Fishes, Shrewsbury

2010-04-25T05:52:00.003-07:00

Three Fishes, Shrewsbury, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

The Three Fishes in Fish Street in Shrewbury is in the visibly oldest part of the town, in the shadow of the 15th Century tower of St Alkmund's Church. It is itself a historic building, pprobably from the 16th Century, and carries 8 real ales and a real cider.

Like the Loggerheads, the Three Fishes was first recorded as an inn in 1780, but might well have been one before its official recognition.

Wheatsheaf, Frankwell, Shrewsbury

2010-04-25T05:52:00.001-07:00

Wheatsheaf, Frankwell, Shrewsbury, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Lee (formerly of The Salopian) has now taken over this historic pub in the Frankwell area of Shrewsbury, just over the Welsh Bridge from the town centre. Lee has already made a significant difference to the quality of the beer, and I expect the improvement will continue!

There are two Wheatsheafs in central Shrewsbury. If you aim for one but get the other it's not a disaster, as they both serve good beer.

POTY

2010-04-25T05:51:00.001-07:00

POTY, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Shrewsbury and West Shropshire CAMRA branch voting for our Pub of The Year (POTY). I won't tell you the result yet, but you might have seen that The Salopian was a runner up.

By the way, this is the back room of the Admiral Benbow in Swan Hill, itself no mean real ale supplier, and always a ready outlet for Bishop's Castle beers(and real ciders) in Shrewsbury.

Spotted

2010-04-21T13:02:00.001-07:00

Spotted, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Nigel Bevan holding forth in the back bar of the Coach and Horses in Shrewsbury. In fact, we heard Nigel's dulcet tones in the other bar first, and then spotted him on the CCTV above the front bar. I like the idea of this photo.

In the Coach

2010-04-21T12:59:00.001-07:00

In the Coach, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

On a walk round Shrewsbury, Sue and I bumped into CAMRA's illustrious Branch secretary and Simon, off duty from the Salopian, in the Coach and Horses, which was serving Mud CIty Stout in addition to its usual beers and some other guests. We walked on for a bit, but this is the last photo worth showing. If Nigel's mouth seems a bit blurred it's because he didn't stop talking...

Salopian IPA festival

2010-04-18T14:12:00.001-07:00

Salopian IPA festival, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

The steep angle of most of the barrels in this shot shows that the Salopian's first IPA festival has gone well. The badges show a mixture of local beers and those from a little further away. After the festival, there will still be seven real ales available!

Salopian Presentation

2010-04-18T14:11:00.003-07:00

Salopian Presentation, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Ollie Parry, owner of the Salopian Bar in Smithfield Road, Shrewsbury, with his certificate for Runner Up in the Shrewsbury and West Shropshire CAMRA's Pub of the Year competition 2010.

Salopian Presentation

2010-04-18T14:11:00.001-07:00

Salopian Presentation, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

The Salopian has won Shrewsbury and West Shropshire CAMRA's Pub of the Year for the last two years. In 2010, it has been pipped at the post by the Three Fishes in Fish Street, but still managed Runner Up with distinction. Here Keith Davies presents owner Ollie Parry with his certificate at the end of the pub's IPA festival (18 April 2010)

Nelson Inn

2010-03-28T14:05:00.003-07:00

Nelson Inn, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Don't forget the Eaaster Beer Festival at the Nelson over the Easter weekend - good beer and lots of charity events.

Salopian Brwery

2010-03-28T14:05:00.001-07:00

Salopian Brwery, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

McHugh's Later

2009-08-23T03:21:00.001-07:00

McHugh's Later, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

It was a week night, so it wasn't too busy, but they did have music on in the side room. There's a restaurant upstairs, so if it wasn't for the John Hewitt and the Crown there's be little incentive to go anywhere else...

The Bar in McHugh's

2009-08-23T03:19:00.001-07:00

The Bar in McHugh's, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

The caption to this photo references another GBG pub - The Kitchen Bar. We went in, and the only one of three pumps actually connected to something was serving beer which must have been either really badly treated or tapped a week or more ago. The barman was quite off-hand about the whole thing.

McHughs - Side Room

2009-08-23T03:17:00.001-07:00

McHughs - Side Room, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

This is also where they have music in the evenings.

McHughs, Belfast

2009-08-23T03:16:00.001-07:00

McHughs, Belfast, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

OK, this isn't a Branch trip either, but I was in Belfast and visited the GBG pubs in the city centre. McHughs is in Queen's Square, at the bottom of the High Streeet and close to the Customs House. The staff were friendly, the beer was a marginal 3 and they had two taps, Whitewater's Belfast Ale and Copperhead, that month's seasonal. I was surprised to hear that it had been substantially refurbished in the 90s, as it had an uspoilt, authentic ambience.

Sue @ Frankwell

2009-08-15T08:15:00.001-07:00

Sue @ Frankwell, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

We did get down to the Frankwell Beer Festival, but we only saw Kevin there. He'd nipped off for a refill when I snapped Sue enjoying one of the many fine beers on offer.

Nelson Inn

2009-08-10T14:42:00.001-07:00

Nelson Inn, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Still catching up - this one's from June 2008, and trip to Ludlow, stopping in Dorrington (the Horseshoes), Onny (The Apple Tree), and here - the Nelson, Rocks Green, Ludlow, before hitting the town centre.

Calanda Brewery, Chur

2009-07-18T04:27:00.001-07:00

Calanda Brewery, Chur, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

No, this isn't a branch trip out. In late January 2009, a couple of friend and myself whent off to Switzerland to visit some sites associated with the artist HR Giger (including two Giger Bars). On the way to the bar in Chur, we passed the Calanda brewery. I've just uploaded the photo so though't I'd stick it on the blog. Swiss beers are brewed to purity laws, but we only found one cask conditioned one, from a micro in Basle

Cider Makes You Happy

2009-07-14T12:40:00.001-07:00

Cider Makes You Happy, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

I was asked last year to shoot some photos for the Cider and Perry Trail publicity. One pint lasted for the whole shoot, which it makes it even more remarkable that Ian and Clive found something as funny as this. Needless to say, this one didn't make the portfolio for the newspapers (which didn't use them until the last week of the Trail in any case).

White Horse Inn, Clun

2009-07-14T12:36:00.001-07:00

White Horse Inn, Clun, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Out the back of the White Horse Inn last year at the Clun Valley Beer Festival. I can't remember which brew number this was, but it wasn't half good!

2008 Shrewsbury Beer Festival

2009-07-14T12:34:00.001-07:00

2008 Shrewsbury Beer Festival, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

The 2008 Beer Festival was a wonderful event, despite the weather on the Friday night. However, with the Butter Market up for sale, and the Music Hall now closed, finding a venue for a full scale festival might defeat us. Hopes are high for a smaller event later in the year, though.

There were few times in the festival when Keith and Baz could have their hands on the bar rather than pouring. I think this was just at the start of the Friday night session.

Danger! Brewer at work...

2009-07-09T07:06:00.001-07:00

Shane's Shovel, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

The Branch headed out on 19 June to Morda to see Shane Parr in his natural environment, brewing Stonehouse beers. Shane, wife Alison and father-in-law Iain (who turns out to have been born in Glasgow) made us very welcome. Shane did a tour of the brewing plant indoors, and the growing plants outdoors, but finally demonstrated that sometimes it just comes down to elbow grease to smooth the production process.

More power to Stonehouse beers!

Care for a drop, sir?

2009-07-09T07:02:00.001-07:00

Care for a drop, sir?, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Another photograph from the Stonehouse trip (16/6/09) As well as a few samples - in lovely nick, of course. Shane and Alison did us proud with a lovely ploughman's. We finished the night with a visit to some Oswestry pubs, which seemed to divide into the very busy and the very quiet, with beer quality not apparently the deciding factor.

A Sun(ny) Start

2008-06-12T11:55:00.001-07:00

2008_05160012, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

The first pub on the list for the trip on16 May was the Sun Inn at Marten. For some reason, this friendly pub with good quality beer has a beige carpet in the bar, but apart from that the decor is traditional and the menu didn't look too bad either.

The Usual Suspects

2008-06-12T11:52:00.001-07:00

2008_05160011, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Despite the unusual floor covering, the CAMRA stalwarts covering the floor were mainly the usual suspects...

Bad Moon Rising

2008-06-12T11:51:00.001-07:00

2008_05160013, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

The Anchor, in Anchor on the Welsh border (yes, there's not much else nearby), was only reached after a long climb through mist on narrow roads. I found myself keeping whistling "Bad Moon Rising", and if that had been a Morris sword star rather than a horseback lance above the bar, I definitiely would have kept off the moors.

The beer was good, though.

Living History

2008-06-12T11:48:00.001-07:00

2008_05160014, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

But when all's said and done, the Anchor is a historic pub and we would all be poorer if it wasn't there. Do drop in for a pint.

Half Way Round

2008-06-12T11:46:00.001-07:00

2008_05160015, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

The Crown at Newcastle on Clun was the middle pub of the evening. There's a truly spectactular games room, and an open fire as well as a postcard shop! (See next photo).

Hobsons' Choice

2008-06-12T11:42:00.001-07:00

2008_05160016, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Just as well the Hobsons was in good form, as it was all there was in the Crown on the night

Clun along for a good time

2008-06-12T11:40:00.001-07:00

2008_05160019, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

The last location of the evening was Clun, where the first stop was another Sun Inn. The original Victorian beer engine (kept for show not use) can be glimpsed through in the other bar.

The World's Smiliest Barman...

2008-06-12T11:36:00.001-07:00

2008_05160021, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

... Or so he was described by a local, a customer of the White Horse in Clun and the last stop of the evening where a number of members opted for the micro-brewery tour, and some ofr a last half pint.

The Salopian

2008-04-30T11:31:00.001-07:00

The Salopian, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

The Salopian is Shrewsbury and West Shropshire CAMRA's Pub of the Year 2008.

Thoroughly recommended with a good rolling selection of ales including local breweries and more exotic brews.

Pub of the Year 2008

2008-04-30T11:18:00.005-07:00

Pub of the Year 2008, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

The Salopian Bar in Smithfield, Shrewsbury, was voted Shrewsbury and West Shropshire CAMRA's Pub of the Year 2008.

Here are some photos from the presentation evening on Thursday 24 April.

Nigel presenting owner Oliver with his certificate, which I hope will have pride of place!

Salopian: Pub of the Year 2008

2008-04-30T11:18:00.003-07:00

2008_04280085, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Say what you like about Oliver, he listens carefully when CAMRA speaks...

Salopian - the Permanent Trophy

2008-04-30T11:18:00.001-07:00

Salopian - the Permanent Trophy, originally uploaded by NorrieP.

Keith (Branch Chairman) presenting the permanent Pub of the Year Trophy. The Salopian only gets to keep this for a year, so hurry in to see it!