On Tuesday 10th December 1974 several members of CAMRA Stafford and Stone Branch went up to the Sneyd Arms, Newcastle-under-Lyme for a pub crawl with "the nascent Potteries Branch".

Nine days later the Stafford and Stone Branch Christmas Party at the Red Lion, Stone gave Tony Thorndyke an excuse to dress up in a plastic Father Christmas outfit!

In December 1979 Bass announced plans to convert the Baths Hotel in Bridge Street, Stafford into a wine bar.

Bass knocked the town centre pub into one room, renamed it Pitchers Wine Bar and had great faith in their new concept, featuring a photo of it in their annual report. Stafford drinkers weren't so enthusiastic about the keg-only Pitchers and it didn't last long.

It has since changed ownership and name at least three times and is currently a mock-Irish pub.

Some distinctive northern beers have been lost from two local pubs following the closure of two breweries, Vaux of Sunderland and Wards of Sheffield.

The all too familiar Worthington Bitter is now sold at the Navigation, Gnosall and Grapes, Bridge Street, Stafford. Marston's Pedigree is also usually available at the Grapes.

Stafford's Firkin Brewery closed in September following Punch Taverns' takeover of Allied Domecq's 3600 pubs, 600 of which are being sold on to Bass.

The 600 managed pubs include most of the 180 Firkin pubs (58 with breweries) which Bass are expected to convert into theme bars.

The first Firkin brew pubs were opened in London by David Bruce twenty years ago and they helped revitalise interest in craft brewing.

The Firkin chain rapidly expanded after being taken over by Allied in 1991 and it has recently claimed to be "Britain's Biggest Student Friendly Pub Chain".

The brewhouse at the Forester & Firkin in Eastgate Street opened in May 1994 and was Stafford's first brewery since Dawsons closed in 1952. The beers initially brewed by Anna Stewart and more recently by Steve Harrison have also been supplied to several other Firkin pubs. Firkin beers including Best Bitter, Forester and Dogbolter have attracted quite a following and their loss will significantly reduce choice in Stafford.

The Forester & Firkin now awaits its fifth name, having originally been the Sheridan, with brief spells as Dappers and the Pen & Wig.

Manageress Helen Willis left in late August after a year in the town centre pub.

PUNCH'S DOUBLE WHAMMY FOR STAFFORD

- Stafford Arms Bought

Punch Taverns bought the Stafford Arms from Titanic Inns during September, as reported as Late News in the last Potters Bar.

The Stafford Arms has, without doubt, been the best pub in Stafford for beer throughout most of the 1990s and its loyal customers see a reduction in the choice or quality of beers as inevitable.

A partner wishing to withdraw his investment from Titanic Inns prompted the sale, but many see disposal of the company's flagship pub as unnecessarily drastic. The Stafford Arms is the only pub to have won the prestigious CAMRA Stafford and Stone Branch Pub of the Year Award twice (in 1994 and 1996) and custom has increased substantially during nearly six years as a Titanic Inn.

Being opposite Stafford Station, many rail travellers as well as Staffordians have enjoyed the full range of six Titanic beers from Burslem plus four guest ales from other small independent brewers. Good straightforward food, twice yearly beer festivals and, more recently, accommodation have added to the Railway Street pub's appeal.

There have been assurances that some Titanic beers will continue to be stocked at the Stafford Arms, but given Punch Taverns' beer supply contract with Bass, many customers are pessimistic.

The addition of Titanic to Punch Taverns' guest beer portfolio is little consolation to Stafford drinkers.

Ian Casson, manager of the Stafford Arms for the past year, took on Manchester's renowned Beer House pub on 4th October. A smoke-free area was established at the Stafford Arms in August as part of the South Staffordshire Health Authority's 'Smoke Free Staffordshire' initiative.

CODSALL STATION

 Holden's Brewery have converted the railway station building at Codsall into a pub which stocks their Black Country brewed Mild, Bitter, XB and Special.

With good food, railway memorabilia, a conservatory and outside drinking area, Codsall Station now has much in common with Holden's Great Western pub, behind Wolverhampton Station.

Codsall Station was built in 1849 and is served by about thirty trains a day (fewer on Sundays) on the line between Wolverhampton (just ten minutes away) and Shrewsbury.

In time Codsall could become as well known as the legendary station buffets of Stalybridge and Manningtree.

METROPOLITAN GATE

These dozen words from the pub sign of the Gate Inn are familiar to many users of the A518 in Stafford.

Situated at the junction of the Weston Road and Tixall Road, the pub got its name from the gates across these two roads last century.

Now, however, the Dorbiere pub company has abandoned the historic Gate name in favour of the Metropolitan bar.

The separate bar and lounge have been lost during extensive refurbishment work carried out in September and October, but some wood panelling has been retained.

The former Ansells pub reopened on 5th Novemeber with two real ales Mansfield Gray's Best Bitter and guest such as Batemans or Morlands

HOGSHEAD

Alistair Choat is the new licensee of Stafford's Hogshead pub, which was opened by Whitbread in October 1998.

Since moving from Surrey in July Alistair has worked hard at developing the Earl Street pub's range of real ales.

Beer festivals are held twice a year and there is now a 20p a pint discount on guest beers for card-carrying CAMRA members.

Slaters Eccleshall Brewery opened a pub in West Street, Crewe on Monday 6th September. After extensive refurbishment the ex-Greenalls Wolverton Arms has now officially adopted its former nickname, the Monkey.

With no juke box, television or pool table, the emphasis at the Monkey is on good beer and good food.The full range of six Slaters beers is supplemented by three guest ales from other micro-breweries, initially Beartown, Shraley Brook & Fenland.

The Monkey is run by Vicky Slater and is open all day, every day. It is quite a distance from Crewe railway station but isn't far from the town's bus station. The Monkey is already being recognised as an oasis in a district of Crewe with many pubs, very few of which are worth a visit.

The free house at Lea Heath once again has its familiar name, The Wicket, after four years as the Tolk Inn. Originally the Gate Inn, the pub was renamed a century ago as the Hanging Wicket, which in time got shortened to the Wicket, a term for a small gate within a larger one.

The pub, two miles east of Hixon, has been kept since April by Mary and Glyn Evans. Three real ales are now on sale and these usually include Castle Eden Ale and Wadworths 6X.

The George and Dragon at Meaford has won Burtonwood's regional Pub of the Year award. The Good Beer Guide pub just north of Stone is kept by Robert and Valerie Quinn who have thirty years experience of the licensed trade.

With sadness we report the death, at the age of 81, of Bill Dugmore.

Bill had been a CAMRA member since the early 1970s and was involved with Stafford and Stone branch from its beginning in 1974, serving on the committee for many years.

Thinner and quieter than most CAMRA members, Bill will be remembered sitting in a traditional pub with a handled pint glass of real ale (preferably mild or Bass) in one hand and his exuberant pipe in the other.

CAMRA Stafford and Stone Pub of the Year 1999

ARTICLES IN ISSUE 90

Front Page Pub of the Month Potteries Pub Preservation Group Belgium in a Bottle Titanic News Pub News

Soft Drinks Survey Results Beer Stoke Beer Festival 1999 Other Items

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