Wigan Beer Festival 2010

Our biggest event of the year is rapidly approaching - the 23rd Wigan Beer Festival starts on Thursday, 4th March at 5.30pm. As usual, it is being held at the Robin Park Indoor Sports Arena, directly opposite the DW Stadium (home to both Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors).

We have increased our beer order from last year and have more real ales than ever before (60 at last count). By popular demand, we have also increased our range of draught and bottled foreign beers. Fruit wines wll also be available. As such, it remains one of the north-west's premier and most popular beer festivals.

Prospect Brewery, one of our local breweries, will be launching a new beer at the festival called 'One-Twenty' - in commeration of the former brewery-in-a-garage at 120 Wigan Road in Standish, which was also home to the recently-deceased Beth Slevin, without whom Prospect Brewery would not exist. To celebrate this launch, up to 120 pints of 'One-Twenty' beer will be available at £1.20 a pint for up to 120 minutes upon the opening of the festival and from 1.20pm on each day of the festival.

After the festival, why not visit The Berkeley in Wigan town centre where you can exchange your unwanted festival wristband and, in exchange, get a pint of LocAle for the price of a half. This offer is valid throughout the festival until end of trading on the Saturday.

For full information about the festival, click on the 'Beer Fest' link above. Alternatively, click on the 'quick links' below :-

• Opening times and admission charges
• Beer list
• Foreign and bottled beers
• Ciders and perry
• Sponsor a barrel

Wigan CAMRA would like to express its thanks to the following sponsors of Wigan Beer Festival 2010 :-

• The Crown at Worthington (festival glasses)
• The Anvil, Wigan (festival t-shirts and donation towards cost of courtesy bus).

CAMRA Price Survey 2010

It's that time again - the annual survey of prices in our pubs. This year's survey form (see attached form) has been simplified from previous years. We are however particularly keen to find out if there are significant price differentials between those pubs that are tied for their beer purchases and those that are free to buy their beer supplies from whomsoever they wish (see summaries). It would be beneficial if all our branch members could conduct at least one survey prior to our next Branch Meeting. However, all surveys must be conducted before 28th February 2010 and final submissions are required before 8th March 2010.

Managed Pub : A managed pub is one where the person running it is an employee of the operating company (brewery or pub co) and is not allowed to buy beers apart from those on the company approved list.

Tied Pub : A Tied pub is one where the tenant or lessee is only allowed to buy beers through the brewery or pub co approved suppliers.

Free of Tie Pub : A Free of tie pub is one where the person running it is not limited in any way as to the beers he or she can buy. This may be a "genuine" freehouse or a pub co leased pub which is leased free of tie. The pub can be a freehouse but have a manager installed to run it. In which case the pub should be designated as a freehouse.

Company operating the pub : This will generally be the name of the owner i.e. Fullers, Punch etc; but in some circumstances the owner of the bricks and mortar may be a bank (Royal Bank of Scotland) or other financial investor and then the running of the pub has been delegated to an operating company - this is the name that should be stated in this case.

Branch AGM on Wednesday, 12th May 2010

Our AGM is scheduled to take place at The Orwell, Wigan Pier. All current members are welcome to attend and refreshments will be provided. Can those planning to attend please notify Carol or Ken Worthington by 30th April so that we can assess the catering requirements.

Nominations are sought for the following branch positions for 2010/2011:

• Branch Chair
• Branch Vice Chair
• Branch Secretary
• Branch Treasurer
• Membership Secretary
• Social Secretary
• Brewery Liaison Officer
• Media Officer
• Swiggin Editor
• Auditors

All nominations to be made to the chair Ken Worthington either in writing to 95 Greenfields Crescent, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan WN4 8QY or by email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   to arrive by 30th April so that nominees can be contacted to confirm their acceptance of nomination.

The meeting will also vote on our Pub Of The Year for 2009/2010 – our last year’s winner was the Crown at Worthington which went on to be a national finalist.

What's New

• 18/02/2010 : 'Booze News 54a' added 
• 18/02/2010 : 'Booze News 54' added 
• 07/02/2009 : Local Pub News updated
• 07/02/2009 : Local Brewery News updated  
• 06/02/2010 : 'Booze News 53' added 
• 09/11/2009 : 'Booze News 52' added
• 05/10/2009 : 'Booze News 51' added
• 24/09/2009 : By request, pink style sheet added
• 24/09/2009 : 'Next Events' module added (see right)
• 24/09/2009 : Use of Google Calendar for Branch Diary
• 24/09/2009 : Use of Google Calendar for Festival Diary
• 06/09/2009 : Local Pub News updated
• 06/09/2009 : Local Brewery News updated  
• 06/09/2009 : 'Booze News 50' added
• 06/09/2009 : 'Booze News 49' added
• 06/09/2009 : 'Booze News 48' added

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CAMRA NEWS - latest updates from www.camra.org.uk

BREWERY NEWS - latest updates from www.quaffale.org.uk

REAL ALE NEWS - latest updates from www.realalenet.co.uk