The branch has recently been informed of the sad loss of one of its long-standing members, Mike Kerr, who lost his fight with cancer on Wednesday the 18^th July. 

Mike was most active with the branch during the branch’s early 2000s renaissance under the chairmanship of Neil Worthington and Beverley Gobbett but continued to keep in touch right up to this year.

Some may remember him best turning up at St Clements Church with the volunteers food in his wonderful old green sports car.  It didn’t have much of a boot so he would have a box fastened in on the passenger seat.

Before his health began to deteriorate, he was a very active in surveying pubs, keeping the branch up to date with news of pubs at the southern end of our area, and generally banging the drum for good ale in good pubs.

Mike was one for doing things by the rule book, especially when we'd written the rule book ourselves. Many a meeting was put back on track by Mike reminding the meeting that the branch had responsibilities to CAMRA nationally.

Former branch member Dominic Driscoll, now brewer at Thornbridge Brewery remembered Mike thus: “Awkward sod that stuck to his guns but very much a believer in the cause. He was a kind man though, I liked him a lot. Always had time for me, even though I was the young whippersnapper."

Mike is pictured in 2007 with Jackie Bardsley at the Quarry Bank in Timperley. The branch were invited to have a membership stand at the pubs own beer festival so that we could introduce ourselves to the local residents and Mike stepped up to a weekend in the pub.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Liz and their family.

Friday 23rd & Saturday 24th November 2018

The Chorlton Challenge is the annual survey of Chorlton's 24 pubs and bars which serve cask ale.

Spread over two days, the challenge is to visit all 24 pubs but if you can't make the full weekend just drop in when you feel you can to support your local pubs. If you know the area then it may be a chance to visit pubs you don't regularly go to.

The final itinerary for 2018 is below.

All times approximate. If need to check where we are up to, call 07957 157292 or 07879 880972

Click here for map of pub locations

The following changes were reported at the August Branch Meeting.

• The Gardeners Arms in Timperley has re-opened.

• Two Sam Smiths pubs, the Windmill in Carrington and the Red Brook in Partington are both s boarded up and the car park entrance blocked.  

• The Imbibe in Urmston is still being refurbished 

• The Num6er in Sale is all keg

• Greene King have opened the Bramley Farm, a new Harvester style pub on Sinderland Road in Broadheath

• The Fox and Hounds in Flixton has cask ales.

• The Old Plough in Ashton on Mersey offers a Hydes Loyalty card, with 10% discount, to those over 60 years of age.

• Also  in Ashton on Mersey the Buck has a loyalty card whereby the 8th pint is free.

•  Marble Beer House in Chorlton has been sold and is now operating as the “Beer House”. It continues to sell Marble beers and has the same manager as previously.

• The Three Legs of Man in Hulme and the Temple Inn in Sale are not selling real ale.

• Co-op and M&S are promoting “local” beers including some bottle conditioned examples.

If you have any pub news please e-mail it to pubnews <at> thcamra.org.uk

The 24th of July saw the inaugural branch midweek trip to an out of town destination namely Chorley.

Of course midweek trips had been a regular thing for some time but this one was more inclusive to all members of the branch, members whose circumstances meant an afternoon trip on a weekday was possible. 

A good half dozen of us turned up and all managed to be on the same train but wouldn’t you know it after weeks of unbroken sunshine the rains finally came and we were met at our destination with a light drizzle, no matter the pubs we visited were all within a short walk of the station.

Passing various places we would be gracing with our presence later we homed in on the Bob Inn guided by Bev who had been on the previous ladies day trip, after claiming not to remember where it was she soon picked up the scent and zoomed straight there.