A glance through our archives for the Autumn and Winter reveals that turmoil in the brewing industry is nothing new, and that CAMRA has been active locally for a quarter of a century, writes Paul Mudge.

Over 600 people attended the march that CAMRA organised through Stone in November 1973 to protest against Bass's plans to close the town's historic Joules brewery.

The first CAMRA meeting to be held in Stafford took place in the Eagle on Tuesday 18th December 1973. It was organised by Pete Linley, who in recent years has worked as researcher for Dennis Skinner MP.

Stafford and Stone CAMRA branch held its biggest and best beer festival ever in Stafford’s Borough Hall on the first two days of December 1978. There were 25 Real Ales from fifteen breweries, and the last of the 4064 pints was sold just a before closing time on Saturday night.

Soon after the festival the Borough Hall was renovated, making it no longer available for such events, and, with the demolition of the Borough Sports and Social Club a couple of years later, the Stafford town centre has since sadly lacked a suitable venue for a CAMRA beer festival.

The local CAMRA branch also bought a new handpump to loan to pubs, enabling them to offer Real Ale that they were unsure of the demand for. The pump, which was first used to serve cask M&B Mild in the Chains, is currently being refurbished by branch chairman Graham Bell.

The Wild Wood, an estate pub two miles South-East of Stafford town centre, was opened by Bass in late 1978. Given the company’s lack of commitment to Real Ale, it was a pleasant surprise to discover Draught Bass (then still brewed in the Burton Unions) on sale there. Cask Worthington Bitter is now also sold at the pub.

Bass sold the fox at Marston on 16th November 1978 for £48,000 (plus £4,550 for the attached land), which was well below the £58,000 they had hoped for. The pub, which is a mile North-West of Wheaton Aston, was considered by Bass to be unviable, but the new owners soon introduced a good range of Real Ales, and ever since it has been known as one of the best houses in the area.

In late 1983 and early 1984 Allied Breweries, having realised the demand for Real Ale, were re-introducing cask beer to numerous local Ansells pubs!

Handpumps appeared in the Cottage by the Brook, Stafford (then being taken on by keen licensees Pete and Lesley Boote), Royal Oak, Gnosall, Holly Bush, Seighford, Spot Gate, Hilderstone, Barley Mow, Milford and George & Dragon (now the renowned George Hotel), Eccleshall.

Planning permission was granted in November 1988 to Jack Hanby and Peter Simmonds for a new small brewery in Wem, Shropshire. Jack Hanby had been the head brewer at the Wem Brewery that Greenall Whitley had closed the previous February. Jack's "Hanby Ales" were soon to become popular in free houses, as they still are.

Greenall Whitley's local pubs, the Railway, Eccleshall, Red Lion, Great Chatwell, Royal Oak, Church Eaton and Staffordshire Bull, Stafford, had resented the loss of true Wem beers, the replacements from Davenports of Birmingham being a poor imitation.

Within a year, in January 1989, Greenalls announced that Davenports would close, with production moving to Shipstones in Nottingham. Predictably, Shipstones later closed, as did Greenall's original brewery in Warrington. Brighter news had been the introduction of all day opening (except between 3pm and 7pm on Sundays).

The Stafford Arms opened as Titanic Inn's second pub on 3rd December 1993. After spells floundering as Roosters and Stephenson's Rocket, the pub, which is opposite Stafford railway station, had been converted into a successful free house by Hayden Roberts. Under Mike Watkins management, and with Titanic's full range of beers supplementing the guest ales, the Stafford Arms has deservedly enjoyed an even greater reputation.

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