In The Sticks JULY 2020 Free CopyWelcome to the latest issue of “In theSticks” the newsletter of RuRAD, Rural RealAle Drinkers. We hope you enjoy reading it.

If you want to receive a copy electronically,e-mail s nugdave@mail.com.

For current & previous issues log on towww.dgmhall.me.uk/rurad. You can also findc o p i e s o f t h e n e w s l e t t e r o n t h eL o u g h b o r o u g h C A M R A w e b - s i t e(www.loughboroughcamra.co.uk/newsletters)along with digital copies of other local beer-centric publications.

For the third time (and hopefully the last!),this edition is available on-line only.

At the time of writing, Uncle Boris hasannounced that pubs & restaurants can re-open on July 4th. It will be a voyage ofdiscovery for all concerned as to how this willwork out in reality given that a certainamount of social distancing must bemaintained. Pubs with gardens will probablybe able to manage the situation rather betterthan a micro-pub! Let's hope for an extendedperiod of fine weather (although it can rain atnight as the gardens need it).

In an article published in the Guardiannewspaper on 23rd June, the new guidelinesas they apply to pubs were summarised asfollows (reprinted without permission – oops!):

Pubs and restaurants in England can reopenboth outdoors and indoors in what thegovernment calls a “covid-secure way” withmore hand-washing, ventilation and tableservice indoors, rather than customersstanding at a shared bar. People may beasked to give their names but pub landlords

will not check the exact makeup of anindividual household that comes into thevenue or request to see identification. Theywill not be asked to wear face-coverings. Ahousehold will be able to meet with one otherhousehold at a time in a pub or restaurant,then choose another household on anotheroccasion.

Government officials and the media alwaysrefer to “households” and “bubbles” (no. notthe well-known establishment on RailwayTerrace, Derby) but rather forget about men“of a certain age” who often live alone andlike to meet their mates in the pub and have afew pints. Natasha Kemp at the Dead PoetsInn, Holbrook mentioned that many of herlocal customers match this descriptionexactly and they seem to have been left outof the equation.

There has been a lot of talk about orderingdrinks via an app (or text, WhatsApp etc.)but with phone reception being decidedly iffyin some rural areas, this is not always going tobe an option. How about shouting “Oi! Servingwench! Bring me a flagon of your finestfoaming ale!”. I might try that in the OldOak, Horsley Woodhouse – whaddya think?

Meanwhile in Guernsey & the IoMThe governing body of Guernsey – officiallycalled the States of Deliberation (thank youWikipedia) - gave permission to reopen pubson 1st June although because they only madethe announcement 3 days before, only ahandful of establishments were able to do so.

The Isle of Man reopened its pubs andscrapped social distancing on 15th June

having recorded no cases of coronavirus in 28days. Lucky old Isle of Man eh? I imagine theentire population is getting bladdered andhugging each other although I have noevidence whatsoever to support this theory.

Beer & Pub NewsThe application (AVA/2019/0855) by BespokeInns Cross Keys Ltd. to convert the CrossKeys at Turnditch into dwellings wasapproved on 16th June 2020. Under theproposal, the fabric of the building, built in1796, will be converted to three 3-bedroomed houses with an extra dwellingattached at the back. The site will alsoaccommodate a block of four 2-bedroomedapartments. The original application todemolish the building was turned down on17th April 2019.

The documents which are available to read onthe Amber Valley Council web-site make forinteresting reading. Apparently, the pub wasdeclared as an Asset of Community Value on13th July 2018 but by the end of that year,the pub was closed having failed to attractanyone to take it over (although there were186 enquiries and 12 site visits). The previoustenants left in September 2016 and it's notclear to me who was actually running the pubfor the two years after.

An application (AVA/2020/0247) has alsobeen submitted by Marston's Estates Ltd tobuild 4 detached dwellings on part of the carpark at the side of the Railway Inn at CowersLane. Mind you, it is a huge car park – youcould land a plane on it!

“In The Sticks” subscriber, Mark Gray sent

LEADMILL BREWERYand BOTTLE BROOK

BREWERYProducers of TraditionalHand Crafted Real Ales

me the following message on 14th June:

“The New Inn [Milford] has been primarily arestaurant in recent years but was closed andboarded up several months ago. I wassurprised to see a guy carrying a box ofglasses into the building earlier today andasked whether he planned to open up theplace. Somewhat surprisingly he told me heintends to open as a pub once the currentrestrictions are lifted. Food will probably beavailable at certain times but won't be themain focus. No info on beers yet.”

An article in the Derby Telegraph from April2019 reported that a mother & son (Marina &Kyle Petts) were going to take it over so Iasked Mark for more information. Hereported back...

“Kyle was a chef at the New Inn when it wasbetter known as Angelo's. When Angelo'smoved their business to the Kings Head inDuffield in March/April 2019 , Kyle and hisMum took on the lease. Unfortunatelycustomer numbers declined and the businessceased trading some time around Januarythis year.”

Many thanks to Mark for the story.

T h e Tom Said micro-pub, Ripley will behosting an Imperial Stout Festival from 9thto 13th December. The first hint that peopleare thinking about beer festivals again?!

The landlord of the Feather Star i nWirksworth has been delivering beer to hislocal customers by strapping two firkins (9gallons) to his motorcycle and taking the beerto them. The story was picked up byWirksworth local Rod Kirkpatrick and postedon his own Facebook page (Midlands News &Stunning Views), complete with terrible puns– he suggested that the bike was an Ale-y-Davidson, a Keg-asaki, or perhaps a weeDram-aha. Rob insists his bike is called aDouble Barrelled Honda.

Progress is being made on the new micro-pubon Church Street, Belper which is to be calledBelper House. Darren Hartshorn informs methat the floor has been laid in one room withwindows and doors expected by the end ofJune. When that room has been plastered,work can then start on the second (alsoknown as the “other”) room. Expected opening

is now September 2020, all being well.

Bald Eagle and Sir Galavant held their firstreal ale picnic at Dumbles Pond, Denby. Threereal ales were sampled and various snacks.We started off with Pacific a 4% pale hazythirst quenching beer brewed in someone'sgarage in Belper. We then washed it downwi th Wild Childe Gimme S'More a lusciousVani l la Stout and fina l ly had PentrichLandslide Milk Stout. Lavly. Thanks to CousinNidge, Holly Bush Inn (Makeney) and Furnace(Derby) for supplying beers and some of thesnacks. Bald Eagle.

Pub Reopening PreparationsWith pub reopening day fast approaching, Icanvassed a few of the local outlets to seehow the publicans had been spending theirtime and what plans had been put in place forreopening. Please be aware that any plannedarrangements mentioned below may have tobe changed in the light of experience and arevision of the rules.

Bespoke Inns, Willington

Steven Copestake, cellarman at the Boot inRepton, one of three Bespoke Inns pubsbased in Willington, passed on the followinginformation.

T h e Dragon (W i l l i n g t o n ) a n d Harpurs(Melbourne) have been doing a carry-out anddelivery service for beer which has beengoing well. The Dragon has also been offeringfood on a collect or delivery basis –breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and eveningmeal – which has proved popular.

On the beer side Chris has been down to theRoebuck at Draycott in the Clay - Steve thebrewer there was instrumental in setting upt h e Boot Brewery and has been providingsome very acceptable beer. The Brewery atthe Boot reopens the first week in July, andChris said that he would be going in to givethe lines a good clean - “whilst they have beendry during lockdown, better safe than sorryeh?”. All staff are in for two days next weekfor training and cleaning [I suspect he meantcleaning the pub, not the staff – Ed].

All three of the pubs will reopen on Saturday,4th July but with table service only.

Burnt Pig, Ilkeston.

Simon & Lesley have been seeing a steadystream of customers to the Burnt Pig overthe past three months buying cask ale, mini-kegs, ciders, wines, cheeses & pork pies.Their experience running a deli for all thoseyears has stood them in good stead and whenI called in, the place seemed to be runninglike a well-oiled machine (although Simonmight say that, like a swan, all was serene andcalm above the water but.... well, you know therest). The interior of the pub has had a lickof paint and Simon has prepared forreopening as best he can by rearranging theseating to accord with the social distancingrules. He hopes that the pub will be able toaccommodate about 30 people. The frontroom will be kept for off-sales at least for awhile. Orders will be placed by texting thebar and drinks will be brought to the tables.

Dead Poets Inn, Holbrook.

Natasha Kemp, manager at the Dead PoetsInn, told me that she was never furloughedherself because the pub was offering a take-out service (although it was an on-off-and-on-again situation in the early days), and thenthere were the plans for reopening to put inplace. She reported that the take-out servicewent well although the mid-week sales diddrop off when people started to return towork.

The opportunity offered by the enforcedclosure has allowed a deep clean of the pub tobe carried out including the stone floors andthe soft furnishings, al l done by aprofessional Derby cleaning company. Theoriginal underground cellar has beenrenovated which had needed attention sinceit was flooded during Storm Dennis.Apparently the kitchen extension was builtover an old well and the groundwater wasliable to rise into the cellar during periods ofexceptional rainfall.

In order to get permission to open, Natashacompleted a 5-page risk assessment reportcomprising some ±25 questions! She had todescribe (in some detail it looks like) whatmeasures had been put in place to ensure thesafety of both staff and customers. She didtell me (with a wry smile, admittedly) that

three people only (well, men I presume) willbe allowed in the gentlemen's toilet at onetime.... although this won't be policed!

Seating arrangements inside the pub havebeen carefully reorganised to maximisecapacity while maintaining social distancingrules and extra bench seating has beeninstalled in the car park. Perspex screenshave been erected along the bar but due topoor signal reception in the pub an app cannotbe used to order beer. Customers will begreeted upon entry and taken to a table, onemember of the group will go to the bar toplace their orders and an extra member ofstaff will be on hand to clear the table andclean up after they leave. All tables arenumbered and customers will be asked forname and contact details which will be keptfor 21 days. Natasha is very much lookingforward to getting back to work now that allthe preparatory work has been done.

Dewdrop Inn, Ilkeston.

Tony Fletcher, who only took on the lease ofthe Dewdrop Inn in March sent me thefollowing message via e-mail:

“We have been very busy during the lastthree months! Completing work that couldonly have been done when a pub is shut. Thecellar has been completely sealed andrepainted, the toilets have been brought upto a much better standard etc. One of thethings that we have been concentrating on isthe outside area. The Dew Drop now has abeer-garden! The scruffy old smoking shelterhas been removed and the area painted andrefreshed ready for outside sales. We willnot be opening on the 4th July as there are acouple of essential jobs not quite finished.We will open the following week, most likelyit will be Friday 10th.”

Holly Bush Inn, Makeney

Chris Wilbraham, owner and landlord of theHolly Bush Inn together with his wife Alex,told me that due to the, let's say “odd”,government rules, they were not entitled toclaim any grant money to support thebusiness. It was therefore imperative tooffer a take-out service which, he says, hasbeen a great success. That's not to say thatit was the same as keeping the pub open

(“down quite a few zeroes”) but it was a greathelp and they are both grateful for thesupport they received. He quickly establisheda contract with Duffield Dairy to supply 4-pint milk containers and was getting through300-400 per week. He admitted to selling 127casks (firkins) of Thornbridge Jaipur in Mayalone.

Like other pubs, he has taken the opportunityto do some spring cleaning around the placewhich included painting the toilet walls andsanding and revarnishing the main bar countertop which hadn't been done in many years.The problem is that the varnish takes threedays to dry and the pub only ever closes onone day a year - Christmas Day!

As for reopening, social distancing rules willbe followed with extra seating being installedin the car park. I asked Chris about futurebeer festivals and he said that the Octoberevent is still scheduled to take place. I alsonoted on their Facebook page that Oakham,Thornbridge and Timothy Taylor have all beendelivering this week (end of June).

Little Chester Ale House, Derby.

As was reported last month, the floor in thepub has been relaid and the walls given afresh coat of paint. The plan is to reopen on4th July and try to make maximum use of the(limited) space available. Plans are in place tomake use of the garden area for a few tablesalthough, due to objections from localresidents, this was not included in the originalplanning application. Darren hopes thatrelaxed planning rules will allow him to usethe space on a temporary basis but he will besubmitting a new application for future use.

Old Oak, Horsley Woodhouse

Tracy Creighton told me that she has beencreating a lot of mess in the Old Oak butexpects to have it all tidied up for when sheopens up again. The pub has undergone a deepclean with the stone floors having beenscrubbed and sealed. Tracy's mother Francestook away all the soft furnishings and hadthem washed, ironed & folded (I'm onlytelling you what Tracy said!). The cellar hasbeen cleaned and some repainting has beendone – including the gents toilet now that thepersistent water leak through the ceiling has

been fixed! And the benches in the gardenhave also been given a coat of paint. Tracysaid that she is looking forward to seeing allher regulars again and is aware that the OldOak is very much a community hub and thatpeople will want to gather and see theirfriends again. However, she has appreciatedhaving the opportunity to spend time with herfirst grandchild!

Brewer Richard (Leadmill) has been tickingover with off-sales so has been able to keepbrewing most weeks.

Talbot Taphouse, Ripley.

Landlord Rob Lindsey sent me the followingmessage via e-mail:

“The pub being closed has been difficultsince we [Rob & Sarah] had not been incharge very long. We had only just settled inand were getting to know everyone. Takeoutswent better than expected. I didn't do thisall the way through the lockdown but itdefinitely helped with the bills as they werestill going out of the bank at full whack andfunds were running low. The pub has beendecorated throughout with new carpet andI've had a wall size print of the buildinginstalled, dating from 1912, which I expect tobe something of a talking point.

“I can't wait to see everyone again - I can'tdeny it has been nice spending time with thefamily and my 7 month old daughter but I'mnow ready to get back on the pumps. Finally ,I would like to thank everyone for all the helpand support we've been given through thesedifficult times.”

I would like to thank all concerned for takingthe time to send me their stories or foragreeing to be “interviewed” when I called inwithout notice. I don't think I shall bewinning the Pulitzer Prize any time soon!

I also had a very enjoyable natter with Emily& Ben at the Smithfield, Derby who havebeen keeping themselves busy makingimprovements to their house in Belper (onlymoved in last year I think), setting puzzles ontheir Facebook page and writing philosophicaltracts (EmilY). The following from 25th Juneis quite typical (it's OK, I've askedpermission!).

Morning folks! What a difference a week canmake. I feel almost human again. Ben lovinglysponging his 100th layer of varnish onto thebar, Twinkle sat in the sunshine paintingtables, Claire pottering around withpaintbrushes covered in blue paint, Louise andSteve with the ghost busters hoover wagingwar on the sawdust. I’m in “the office” whichis currently upstairs so I can enjoy thecompany. Reading and re-reading guidance,ordering beer for the first time in months,catching up with beery friends, ordering allmanner of unusual shite I never thought we’dneed, and trying to concentrate withoutchuckling at the comings and goings of ourlittle family. Even sending emails is lovely, adaily task normally that I’ve barely touchedfor months. Hello Neepsend, hello Ashover,the list is endless. Brewing friends that arejust seeing publicans, blink their eyes andraise their heads into the sunshine.

Not so long ago I thought we’d never be thislucky again. When meeting another humanface was a treat for the whole week and itfelt like it stretched forever. When the newsdrummed our skulls and the world out therewas full of hollow frightened faces. I didn’tdare to think that we’d be together againworking, laughing. I didn’t dare to let thosethoughts enter my mind. It’s not even verylong ago, but the world started to speed uparound us and we had to take a deep breathand step back in. Now I feel like a child andan arsehole at the same time. That we haveso much and were thankful for so little. EmilyBowler.

Travellers TalesOnly space for one story this month and thisfrom the redoubtable Chris P Duck whotravelled up to Seahouses on 25th Februarythis year

I had been in Seahouses last summer so wasfamiliar with some of the pubs on this part ofthe Northumberland coast when I arrived on25th Feb. An early arrival enabled a visit toLow Newton-by-the-Sea, where after ashort but bracing coastal walk the GBG ShipInn was most enticing. With 3 of their ownales which are brewed on the premisesavailable I had time for their Emblestones

which was very good in this iconic pub withsea views. We met a man in a Glossop Rugbyshirt who after some discussion mentionedsomeone from Belper who I also knew (me andmy coincidences again).

After arrival at our hotel in Seahouses weheaded out to another GBG place, the ShipInn again, so I had actually been in the Shiptwice on the same day. Hadrian Border

offered the regular Farne Island but I wentfor their Copperfield followed by Allendale

Pennine Pale, both good but the latterprobably best of the trip. The other 7 ales onthe bar were all fairly routine national brandsso weren't sampled but it’s a great pub withloads of small panelled rooms and nauticalmemorabilia. We were staying at the LinksHotel which stocked a local ale plus BlackSheep last summer but sadly had no cask alesin the winter so I was obliged to haveGuinness with my meal.

Next morning we returned to Low Newton fora long walk taking in the impressive ruins ofDunstanburgh Castle to reach Craster withthe weather just warm enough to sit outsideat the Jolly Fisherman at lunchtime. I hadCamerons Sanctuary which was decent butonly 2 nationals otherwise. After concludingthe walk we made a further visit to the ShipInn (Low Newton) and in the evening the ShipInn (Seahouses) where the Allendale ale wasnow Golden Plover, again good.

Across the road I had been disappointed

previously with poor ale in the BamburghCastle but decided to give it another go. Thesole ale, Farne Island, was OK this time butnot worth paying £4-35 a pint for. Theaccommodation here was advertised as £89-90 which I thought was not too bad for aroom with BBEM but it turned out to be perperson. Elsewhere I found that the BlackSwan which last year offered some cask ales,was closed down and like a building site inside,a p p a r e n t l y h a v i n g a n u n n e c e s s a r yrefurbishment and then, even worse,becoming a gastro pub when reopening. Nextdoor the Schooner still had no real aleavailable which is disappointing as it’s a nicepub.

Next day was pleasant again so we walked theopposite way along the coast to Bamburghwhich was further than I recalled so arespite stop in the Castle Inn was in order.The beer garden was sheltered so we enjoyedanother drink outside in the sunshine, thistime Born In The Borders Foxy Blonde. Thefirst glass failed to clear so I had to waitwhilst the barmaid changed it and itultimately proved to be a reasonable drink.Later that day we drove to Beadnell and theBeadnell Towers Hotel with an extremelyexpensive looking menu (not tried of course)and the slightly cheaper Alnwick Bebbanburg

Gold which had a very strange taste but wasdecent enough. Nearby the Craster Arms wasalso very food orientated but we managed toget a small table for drinks only with theFarne Island not especially good. The otherales were Golden Plover and an Anarchy alewhere I could not read the pump clip due tolocals forced to lean on the bar because ofthe excessive number of meal tables.Sometimes a return visit to an area does notmatch perceived expectations and this wasgenerally the case here with a couple ofexceptions. Chris P Duck.

Beer Festival Diary – Near and Not so Near

Move along now! Nothing to see here!

Well that’s all for this issue folks. If you have any info or news which could be included in a future issue of “In the Sticks” please contactCharisma Bypass on 07891 365887 or Snug Dave at snugdave@mail.com by the 23rd of the month.

Edited by Snug Dave

Disclaimer: This product is meant for educational purposes only. Batteries not included. Contents may settle during shipment. Do not eat. Not atoy. No animals were harmed during the making of this product. Not recommended for children under 12.