Category: Branch News

Meet at Winckley Street Ale House at 1.00pm. There are trains from Bolton at 12.08 and 12.22 arriving in Preston at 12.35 or 12.58. Please check the price depending on the type of ticket you need. There is the 125 bus from Bolton to Preston which runs regularly. The journey time from Bolton is just over 90 minutes. Bolton 10.59 (11.14), Horwich Ale House 11.25, (11.40), Preston 12.38 (13.11).

Here is a selection of the pubs we can visit.

Winckley Street Ale House, 8B Winckley Street, PR1 2AA, 4 cask ale, 10 keg. Food available

Black Horse, 166 Friargate, PR1 2EJ. Robinsons pub, 9 cask ales including 6 changing. Range of pies

Orchard, Earl Street, PR1 2JA, 3 cask, (food available on the market)

Guild Ale House, 56 Lancaster Road, PR1 1DD, 7 cask ales

Plug & Taps, 32 Lune Street, PR1 2NN, 4 changing cask ales

Chain House Brewing Taproom, 139-141, Market Street West, PR1 2HB, 2 cask ales, 8 keg

If you need any further details or need to contact on the day, please contact social@bolton.camra.org.uk or call Gill on 07967585670

There is a rail strike on 6 April. The social has been changed to Chorley.

The 125 bus runs from Bolton Interchange every 15 minutes. 125 buses leave Bolton Interchange from stand P every 10 minutes with the journey taking just under one hour.  A Central Lancs Day Rider costs 5.90. which would allow a stop off in Horwich on the way home if required. Bus times 11.59 (12.14) arriving in Chorley at 12.53(13.08). Catching the bus in Horwich outside the Ale House the times are 12.25 (12.40)

Meet at the Malt’n’Hops at 13.00 where sandwiches and pies are available at very reasonable prices.

Malt’n’Hops, 50-52 Friday Street, PR6 0AA – 7 changing ales

Shepherd’s Hall Ale House,  67 Chapel Street, PR7 1BS – 8 changing ales

Ale Station, 60 Chapel St. PR7 1BS, 6 changing ales

Nelipots, 53 Chapel Street, PR7 1BU – 2 changing ales

Bob Inn, 24 Market Place, PR7 1DA –  3 real ales, 1 real cider

Flat Iron, (formerly Market Tavern), 21 Cleveland Street, PR7 1BH – 3 real ales, 1 cider

If you need any further details or need to contact on the day, please contact social@bolton.camra.org.uk or call Gill on 07967585670

There is a rail strike on 6 April. The social has been changed to Chorley.

The 125 bus runs from Bolton Interchange every 15 minutes. 125 buses leave Bolton Interchange from stand P every 10 minutes with the journey taking just under one hour.  A Central Lancs Day Rider costs 5.90. which would allow a stop off in Horwich on the way home if required. Bus times 11.59 (12.14) arriving in Chorley at 12.53(13.08). Catching the bus in Horwich outside the Ale House the times are 12.25 (12.40)

Meet at the Malt’n’Hops at 13.00 where sandwiches and pies are available at very reasonable prices.

Malt’n’Hops, 50-52 Friday Street, PR6 0AA – 7 changing ales

Shepherd’s Hall Ale House,  67 Chapel Street, PR7 1BS – 8 changing ales

Ale Station, 60 Chapel St. PR7 1BS, 6 changing ales

Nelipots, 53 Chapel Street, PR7 1BU – 2 changing ales

Bob Inn, 24 Market Place, PR7 1DA –  3 real ales, 1 real cider

Flat Iron, (formerly Market Tavern), 21 Cleveland Street, PR7 1BH – 3 real ales, 1 cider

If you need any further details or need to contact on the day, please contact social@bolton.camra.org.uk or call Gill on 07967585670

April Branch Meeting

The next branch meeting will be held on 4 April 2024 at the Spinning Mule Nelson Square, Bolton. The meeting will begin with a presentation by a member of the team at Lord’s Brewing Company  of Huddersfield who are brewing some ales exclusively for J D Wetherspoon. Members should have the opportunity to taste the beers and hear about how they are made. This will be followed by a short branch meeting. Please note the earlier starting time of 7pm.

Awards Season

With the Oscars out of the way, it’s now the turn of Bolton CAMRA Branch to hand out its awards for the Pub, Cider Pub and Club of the Year. The winners this year are:

Pub of the Year

Winner – Bank Top Brewery Ale House, Horwich.
Runner-up – Blackedge Brewery Bar, also in Horwich.

Cider Pub of the Year

Winner – Beer School, Westhoughton.
Runner-up –   B33R@33, Horwich.

Club of the Year

Winner – Bolton Ukrainian Social Club, Bolton.
Joint Runners-up – Bradshaw Cricket Club.
                               Heaton Cricket Club.

Congratulations to the winners and finalists. Presentations are being arranged and everyone is welcome to come along and celebrate the best real ale outlets in the Bolton branch area. Check the branch website for details. 

Spring Budget

The Chancellor delivered the Spring Budget on 6th March 2024. 
 
CAMRA’s key ask was a significant 20% reduction in the duty charged on draught beer and cider to help consumers, pubs and small brewers. We also used the opportunity to push our other messages including a VAT cut and changes to the rules around draught takeaway sales from draught duty-paid containers. 

There were three relevant announcements made by the Chancellor: 
•    Alcohol duty will be frozen until February 2025 for all types of alcohol.
•    New funding for community ventures – which we are hoping will include pubs.
•    Increase in the VAT registration threshold for small businesses – though this may not help the majority of breweries, cider producers and pubs.

Whilst these measures were welcome, the general feeling was that this was a missed opportunity to give real support to the hospitality industry during these difficult times. CAMRA’s press release can be read here.

Save Your Local Pub

CAMRA has recently released data on the number of pub closures during 2023. The headline figures show that 1293 pub businesses closed last year with 194 either demolished or converted to other uses. Bolton is not immune from this trend with a number of pubs closed, either waiting for new tenants/managers or in the worst cases, being the subject of planning applications for a change of use. On the positive side, there continues to be a steady stream of new openings – 296 across the country in 2023 – but the overall picture is still pretty gloomy.

If you find your local pub is in danger of being lost forever and you want to take action to stop it becoming another of these statistics, CAMRA may be able to help. Nationally, CAMRA has guides that can provide  in-depth support and advice on the practicalities of campaigning to save a pub, options available, and how to use the planning system to combat unwanted change. The CAMRA branch also has local knowledge of the relevant contacts to help you get in touch with the right people. The branch can be contacted at pubs@bolton.camra.org.uk whilst the national guides can be accessed here.

The thing to remember is that in order to keep drinking quality real ale, we need places to drink it. The best way to make sure your local pub thrives is to keep supporting it, so, as the first signs of Spring appear and the evenings get lighter, why not head out to your local pub or club and enjoy a pint or two. 

Cheers!

Thanks
John Mitchell
Chair 

April Branch Meeting

The next branch meeting will be held on 4 April 2024 at the Spinning Mule Nelson Square, Bolton. The meeting will begin with a presentation by a member of the team at Lord’s Brewing Company  of Huddersfield who are brewing some ales exclusively for J D Wetherspoon. Members should have the opportunity to taste the beers and hear about how they are made. This will be followed by a short branch meeting. Please note the earlier starting time of 7pm.

Awards Season

With the Oscars out of the way, it’s now the turn of Bolton CAMRA Branch to hand out its awards for the Pub, Cider Pub and Club of the Year. The winners this year are:

Pub of the Year

Winner – Bank Top Brewery Ale House, Horwich.
Runner-up – Blackedge Brewery Bar, also in Horwich.

Cider Pub of the Year

Winner – Beer School, Westhoughton.
Runner-up –   B33R@33, Horwich.

Club of the Year

Winner – Bolton Ukrainian Social Club, Bolton.
Joint Runners-up – Bradshaw Cricket Club.
                               Heaton Cricket Club.

Congratulations to the winners and finalists. Presentations are being arranged and everyone is welcome to come along and celebrate the best real ale outlets in the Bolton branch area. Check the branch website for details. 

Spring Budget

The Chancellor delivered the Spring Budget on 6th March 2024. 
 
CAMRA’s key ask was a significant 20% reduction in the duty charged on draught beer and cider to help consumers, pubs and small brewers. We also used the opportunity to push our other messages including a VAT cut and changes to the rules around draught takeaway sales from draught duty-paid containers. 

There were three relevant announcements made by the Chancellor: 
•    Alcohol duty will be frozen until February 2025 for all types of alcohol.
•    New funding for community ventures – which we are hoping will include pubs.
•    Increase in the VAT registration threshold for small businesses – though this may not help the majority of breweries, cider producers and pubs.

Whilst these measures were welcome, the general feeling was that this was a missed opportunity to give real support to the hospitality industry during these difficult times. CAMRA’s press release can be read here.

Save Your Local Pub

CAMRA has recently released data on the number of pub closures during 2023. The headline figures show that 1293 pub businesses closed last year with 194 either demolished or converted to other uses. Bolton is not immune from this trend with a number of pubs closed, either waiting for new tenants/managers or in the worst cases, being the subject of planning applications for a change of use. On the positive side, there continues to be a steady stream of new openings – 296 across the country in 2023 – but the overall picture is still pretty gloomy.

If you find your local pub is in danger of being lost forever and you want to take action to stop it becoming another of these statistics, CAMRA may be able to help. Nationally, CAMRA has guides that can provide  in-depth support and advice on the practicalities of campaigning to save a pub, options available, and how to use the planning system to combat unwanted change. The CAMRA branch also has local knowledge of the relevant contacts to help you get in touch with the right people. The branch can be contacted at pubs@bolton.camra.org.uk whilst the national guides can be accessed here.

The thing to remember is that in order to keep drinking quality real ale, we need places to drink it. The best way to make sure your local pub thrives is to keep supporting it, so, as the first signs of Spring appear and the evenings get lighter, why not head out to your local pub or club and enjoy a pint or two. 

Cheers!

Thanks
John Mitchell
Chair