Newsletter of the Potteries Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

Anyone who thought that the New Year would bring some relief to the beleaguered cask beer drinker would be sadly mistaken.

With Wolves at Mansfield's door, Greene King about to close Morland, and, and 17 million pints being paid for but not served during the Christmas period, it only goes to show that CAMRA's work is far from over.

There is great concern in the East Midlands that Wolverhampton and Dudley's (Banks's) take-over of Mansfield Brewery will lead to its closure, the loss of jobs and the loss of Mansfield's fine brewing tradition. W&D are already reviewing Marston's beer portfolio, so it seems inevitable that some Mansfield beers will also be lost.

Greene King are expected to close the Oxfordshire brewery of Morland, brewers of Old Speckled Hen, in February, just six months after taking them over.

CAMRA estimates that 346 million pints of draught beer were drunk during the 12 days of Christmas. By using the industry's own 95% short measure guidelines, it means that drinkers paid for 17 million pints that were not in their glasses. It's a sobering thought....