News & Features

Regulars at the Marble Beer House in Chorlton were shocked by the sudden announcement in early June that sisters Vicky and Helen Creer had resigned from the Manchester Road bar. Vicky and Helen had become synonymous with Marble Beers having held numerous positions across the brewery and pub empire over the past 15 years including two separate stints as managers of the Beer House. Vicky also managed the city centre's Marble Arch while Helen spent many years holding the organisation together as office manager.

Locals need not fear for the future of the Beer House - it is in safe hands with Marble Arch manager Gaz Bee having moved from the city centre pub to Chorlton as the new permanent manager. Gaz told T& CAMRA that customers are not likely to notice any significant changes, invoking the simple edict of "if it ain't broke…."

Trafford & Hulme CAMRA has recently submitted an application to list the Salisbury Ale House in the city centre as an asset of community value. If approved this will officially recognize the valuable community role that is played by the pub and offer some protection should the pub come under threat of redevelopment. The application builds on an on-line petition entitled ‘Save the Salisbury Rock Pub’ that attracted over 1800 signatures.

The application is currently being considered by Manchester city council and a decision will be made on 21 August. “Asset of Community Value’ status would mean that the community will have 6 months to consider buying the pub should it be put on the market and it also requires the need for planning permission to be obtained for some changes previously allowed without having to do so.

The Branch is currently preparing further applications for ‘asset of community value’ status and details of these will follow shortly. If you feel there is a pub where you live that either fulfills a valuable role in the community and/or is under possible threat from redevelopment then please contact Tim Field at public_affairs <at> thcamra.org.uk

At the Chorlton Beer & Cider Festival, we were delighted to welcome the 1000th & 1001st member of Trafford & Hulme CAMRA.

Kelly & Aleks signed up to the campaign as joint members at the festival completely unaware that the branch sat on the precipice of the milestone in our membership.

Branch chair Paul King rushed from working on the cider bar to welcome Aleks and Kelly as the 1000th & 1000st members. They were presented with a special certificate, a copy of the Good Beer Guide and a voucher for beer to be spent at the festival.

It was with great sadness that the Trafford & Hulme branch learnt of the untimely passing of John Glover from the Old Market Tavern in Altrincham. He passed quietly in his sleep on 21^st June. John had always loved this pub in its various guises going from The Unicorn to the Hogs Head and latterly to the Old Market Tavern.

John was abroad with his wife Linda, when he heard that the OMT was up for sale in 2005 and he wasted no time in finding out how he could acquire the pub. He and Linda moved in in April 2006 where he soon established a bar full of 11 hand pumps and an ever changing list of local bands playing you out every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. He won the Trafford & Hulme Pub of the Year in 2008 and has remained in their top 5 ever since, narrowly missing getting this coveted award again.

He is pictured here being presented the Pub of the Season, Summer 2014.

John was from an engineering background so if he couldn’t get what he wanted he would just design and make it for himself. I had the privilege of him proudly showing me his self made stillaging system in the cellars of the OMT. Very impressive. He not only designed his own equipment, but he also helped George Wright’s brewery design a few of their beers, the most famous one, and one of my own favourites, is George Wright’s, Northern Lights.

I attended his funeral service at Dunham Crematorium on Monday 6^th July along with Roger Wood, John Ison, Mike Ginley, Francis Ginley and  Caroline O'Donnell from Trafford and Hulme branch. He would have stood proud to see all the people that turned out in the pouring rain to show their love and respect for John. There were family, friends and customers of the OMT. There were bikers, rockers and musicians of all kinds. Standing room only, we just about made it into the lobby and out of the rain.

The pub is now being admirably run by one of his Grand daughters, Amy Glover with cellar assistance from 2 of John’s sons. Next time you go in there, raise your glass and say a big Thank You for the OMT to John Glover.

Beverley Gobbett – Trafford & Hulme branch CAMRA