News & Features

Sadly The Trafford and Hulme branch recently lost a long standing member John Ison.

John along with other like minded Cask Ale enthusiasts re-invigorated the Trafford and Hulme Branch in 2003/4.
From this time on the branch increased the number of socials and attendances at meetings also began to rise, the Chorlton Beer and Cider Festival took off around this time and John was an enthusiastic volunteer.

John was an old school pub surveyor, doing the rounds of branch pubs and reporting back his findings in the pre-digital age.

Many members would receive a Christmas card, hand delivered, from John and his wife Janice wishing us all the best right up to 2023.

Rest in peace dear friend.

A (very) small contingent of the branch travelled to the Old Post Office in Lymm on Wednesday February 7th to join North Cheshire branch at their presentation to brewer Mark Dale of the North West Regional Silver bottled beer (4.3% and below) for Lymm Bitter.

Our trip was to present, what turned out to be the 'other half' award, bottled beers 4.4% and over (silver again) but to sister brewery Dunham Massey (where Mark also brews) for their Dunham Porter.

Gary Chester, regional Brewery Liaison Coordinator & National Executive member presented the Lymm award and North West Regional Director Ralph Warrington presented the Dunham Massey award to a very surprised and delighted brewer!

We sampled many of the draught ales including Dunham Dark, Lymm Bitter, Chirotherium (specially requested for the night) and Dunham Winter Warmer and all we're on fine form

Lymm brewery is currently not on operation due to Mark brewing at Dunham but he hopes to get it up and running again soon (quote 'a few hours').

Pictures

Ali Warrington (Brewery Liaison Officer for both breweries, left), Mark Dale (right, brewer) and the Lymm Bitter award

Ralph Warrington (left), Mark Dale (right, brewer) presentation of the Dunham Massey award 

Ralph Warrington (left), Mark Dale (centre, brewer), Gary Chester (right), pictured with both awards 

At present Pubs enjoy significant protection in the Planning System. The government plans to remove this for some pubs. It is proposing to use "High Street Rental Auctions" to bring disused commercial properties – including pubs – back into use, by letting Councils auction off a lease for between 1-5 years.

These leases would allow pubs to be converted to other uses, divided up into multiple units, or gutted of their bars, cellars or other integral features. Concerningly, there would be no obligation to reinstate the pubs fittings at the end of the lease – in fact developers would be able to apply to make the conversion permanent.

This would be a significant loss of protection for urban pubs, and CAMRA is calling for the Government to think again on these plans.

You can use the CAMRA campaigning tool here 

E-Mail Your MP 

to e-mail your MP about the campaign. You can find more out here:- 

https://camra.org.uk/pubs-and-clubs/pubs/high-street-rental-auctions/

and the official goverment page is here :- 

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/high-street-rental-auctions/high-street-rental-auctions 

The Branch visited the J.P.Joule in Sale for the first meeting of 2023 where we were welcomed by Kev Muldoon, the new Manager and Eric Fulham, Assistant Manager. Here are the members checking the quality of his cellar keeping...