CAMRA members converged on one of our best real ale flagship pubs on Monday 26 February 2024 for a farewell social. Following the sad passing of landlord and brewer Pete Elvin (see News article on 11 January), the owners of the Star at Crowlas have decided to close the pub on 29 February and put both the pub and the brewery out the back up for sale. In the meantime the brewery will continue to operate and supply pubs with Pete's excellent Penzance Brewery beers.

The Star has been a brilliant real ale drinkers' pub for many years, and the shining row of handpumps draw the attention to those walking in the door. They are not disappointed. Pete produced a wide range of all beer styles from the nutty Mild to the powerful Scilly Stout. He also stocked an ever-changing and interesting range of other brewers' beers, clocking up 2,454 beers as shown on the beer menu board by the bar.

See the impressive collection of pumpclips from past beers decorating the walls.

Pete won many awards from CAMRA both for the pub and for his beers, especially in the Beer of the Festival competition at the Falmouth Beer Festivals. The walls are decorated with many such certificates. The Star was Cornwall CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2007, 2008 and 2013.

From my own perspective, the Star had established itself as the ideal pub to hold Tasting Panel training meetings. There was always a range of different styles and always in excellent condition which is what we need. I ran the last course in 2022. Pete provided a room (actually it was the former dining room) and whatever we needed.

So, with all this as a background, we made the most of this last chance to get together and enjoy good company and good beer. I had several planned bus journeys to get home. I was one of the last to go home and had to fall back on Plan C!

Let us hope that a new owner emerges and runs the pub as Pete left it so these memories are not the last ones. Here are some happy memories of the event, both cheerful and reflective.

Cheers, Steve Barber

On Saturday 13 January 2024 a group of CAMRA members made their way to the far north of the branch area. We travelled by a combination of bus, train and a coach which was arranged by Roger Webster, our Social Secretary East. The weather was dry and cold but clear.

Our first port of call was the Buller's Arms in Marhamchurch where landlord Sam, or more precisely his mother, opened four hours earlier than normal to welcome us. There are six handpumps and on our visit we were treated to Tintagel Arthur's Ale, Tintagel Harbour Special and Tintagel General Buller Gold, a house beer which is Castle Gold.

The Buller's Arms has a food van calling regularly. For our benefit, plates of sausages were provided gratis and very nice they were too. This is a really welcoming community pub with all sorts of events going on and if only it was not so far from where most of us live. Sam arrived to say Hello just as we headed for the coach for our second pub.

Our second pub was the Preston Gate Inn at Poughill, a few miles to the north which we reached via Bude town centre and Flexbury. We were welcomed with a gleaming row of six handpumps offering four beers on all the time. Sharp's Sea Fury is always on and on our visit were Sharp's Atlantic, Firebrand Patchwork Rocket and a surprising new beer Bude Coastal Perfect Wave.

The Preston Gate is a hive of activity; open all day every day with extensive food offering and music sessions. We were well settled in to the cosy corners when we were overtaken by time again and rejoined the coach for the short hop back into Bude town.

Our last call was the unique Barrel at Bude micropub where we sampled beers on gravity under psychedelic blue and green lighting. Ian opened early for us due to our long travel times from west Cornwall. A more dynamic free house would be difficult to find with regular live music.

I went for one of my favourites - Cloud Cuckoo from the distant Treen's Brewery - well it is from here! Also on were Firebrand West Coast Session IPA and Driftwood Spars Experimental Hop Pale and three others (I think - memory failing me by now). The tiny pub has various nooks and crannies including a little haven of peace upstairs.

Finally the coach home beckoned and we reflected on a fantastic jolly day out, thanks to Roger for organising it.

Cheers, Steve Barber

Cornwall CAMRA celebrated the end of the calendar year with our now regular Twixmas social pub crawl in Falmouth on Friday 29th. A good crowd turned up by foot, bike, bus and train (a bit late due to cancellations). Dan got the prize for furthest travelled from Cardiff, no Plymouth really. Geoff came second from Trelawne near Pelynt. As usual, we started at the Seven Stars which had a good range of beers on gravity including Treen's Cloud Cuckoo, a yummy strong mild.

It was quite strange to see the bar empty as we arrived at opening time. That was soon to change.

We raised a glass to our good friend and expert brewer, Pete Elvin of the Star Inn at Crowlas, who passed away after a long illness on Christmas Eve. Cheers, Pete.

After more beer and more chat, we moved on to the Moth and the Moon, run by Matt Reay formerly of the 'Front.

Matt had a tempting range of beers on handpump including Firebrand Patchwork Rocket, Tintagel Castle Gold and Treen's Kelyn which is a stronger festive version of the scrumptious Krowsek brown ale.

After much jollification and banter, it was onward to the Beerwolf Books up Bells Yard. Another super range of cask beers were offered to spoil us. I went for Penzance Scilly Stout at 7%ABV, rather silly on a long pub crawl but I could not resist it.

Then it was along and up to the hillside Oddies, or Oddfellows Arms to be correct. This small pub was fairly packed, not least because the pool table takes up much of the back room.

More lovely beers on offer, including Sharp's Special, sorry Sea Fury. More banter, more beer. Twixmas is probably our best event for talking to as many members as possible because people never get settled down for too long and can reform into new groups at the next pub.

Fortunately a downhill stagger to the 'Front for our last pint or two of the crawl. Another, even bigger, range of lovely beers. My choice this time was Wye Valley Butty Bach, a sensible 4.5% bitter.

Then we made our way home through the December gloom, full of memories and beer!

Thanks to Jan and Vince for leading the trip.

Blydhen Nowydh Da!

Cheers, Steve Barber

Lostwithiel is an exceptional place for several reasons. Founded not long after the Norman Conquest it was built by the lords of nearby Restormel Castle and became the capital of Cornwall in the 13th century. Today it still contains several historic buildings and the pack-horse bridge over the River Fowey at its tidal limit. It is one of the five Stannary Towns in Cornwall and was the scene of an important battle between the Roundheads and Cavaliers in 1644 (the Cavaliers won). An unusual fact of Lostwithiel is the coincidence of the St Michael and St Mary currents, or ley lines, at the church which itself contains some intriguing features. These currents course from near Land's End all the way to the Norfolk coast. St Michael runs along the road over the bridge and past the Globe Inn while St Mary goes right through the King's Arms and runs across the railway station.

Members of Cornwall Branch converged on the Royal Oak in Duke Street on Friday 8 December 2023 by train and road, hoping that the ASLEF overtime ban and A30 road closure would not stop us. They didn't.

Once there, we enjoyed an excellent three-course Christmas lunch with all the trimmings.

At our request, the landlord put on an extra beer of a festive winter nature - Tintagel Harbour Special, which is an Old Ale at 4.8% ABV. Lovely!

Three cheers for the hard-working staff!

After the meal, we retired to the bar for another pint and a chat.

Thank you Roger for organising a jolly day out. We look forward to next year!

Cheers, Steve Barber

Regulars of the pub and members of Cornwall CAMRA recently gathered at this idyllic pub – reputedly the only one in Cornwall situated on a village green – for this much deserved award presentation on Wednesday 22 November.

The pub has been in the safe hands of Gary and Margaret now for an amazing 29 years and thanks to them is thriving in spite of being in a “hard to get to” remote location. Under their stewardship it has been a regular entry in The Good Beer Guide and is even a former winner of the most prestigious award of all – National Pub of the Year!

The Blisland is a permanent mini beer festival and this day was no exception with traditional classics Theakston Old Peculier and Fuller's London Pride available alongside house beers from Sharp's and Tintagel, the welcome return of Betty Stogs from the revived Skinner's Brewery, the spectacular Zennor Oatmeal Stout from St Ives and a pale ale all the way from Bowland in Lancashire.

With lots of great beer and excellent food being consumed Chair of Cornwall CAMRA Vince Curtis still managed to find time to present Gary and Margaret with their award.

Gary keeps a score of the number of different cask ales served at the pub and as you can see we are up to 4178 which is roughly an impressive 144 a year!

We enjoyed a good social as always at the Blisland and look forward to more beers!

Our next Cornwall CAMRA Pub of the Season will be “Winter” and will be chosen going into 2024.

I wonder who it will be? There are so many great ones to choose from.

Words by Russ Durbridge. Photos by Steve Barber

On November 12th 2023, news broke of the demise of Branch member Tony Davis at the age of 92 years.

Tony was a real character, a born raconteur, staffing Branch beer festivals between 2004 and 2014 at the Bodmin, Falmouth and St Ives venues. Tony would be found on the beer token sales desk, he would enjoy banter with the customers ensuring they purchased the correct amount of tickets for their visit. A plumber by trade, he would regale his sales partners with tales of the events in the building trade and of course the impact he had on decisions made. His sales partners at the venue, such as Gray Sanders, Shane McLaughlin and Geoff Puddephatt amongst others would attest to this and enjoy.

With his striking, white hair and beard, he was referred to by other staff members affectionately as Father Christmas.

Those of us that had the good fortune of being accommodated with Tony and his late lamented son Rob were entertained at each breakfast with comical banter between the two of them. This would also happen at various times throughout the beer festival when their paths crossed.

Industrious, efficient and totally reliable, Tony enjoyed the festival to the full. Tony leaves a widow Betty and their three surviving children. Tony and Betty enjoyed 67 years of marriage at their home at Lansallos.

Tony’s funeral will be a family only one on 8th December; our thoughts will be with them.

Tony will remain in the folk lore of Branch beer festivals for those lucky to have known him, I’m so glad I was one of them.

Gerry Wills – Former Beer Festival Organiser

Photo of Tony having a break at Bodmin Beer Festival, February 2008 (Steve Barber)

Saturday 14th October 2023 was a unique day in CAMRA Kernow’s history. Branch members from all over the County, locals and visitors gathered at the Seven Stars in Falmouth just after noon. Even Betty Stogs turned up during the proceedings!

Not only was the pub’s second annual beer festival an attraction, but our Chairman, Vince Curtis, was also making a very special presentation to Amy, the current landlady. The Seven Stars in Falmouth has been listed in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide publication for 50 consecutive years!

The first year the pub was mentioned in the publication was 1975 and you can read the description in the photo! See all the GBGs that the Seven Stars has been in.

According to history, the reason why it was not listed in the 1974 publication was that there was no Cornwall CAMRA branch and our friends from Plymouth, who attempted to cover the pubs in Cornwall, were unaware of the pub’s existence! On accepting the certificate, Amy mentioned that she did not take the entry for granted and was delighted to receive this special accolade. As the first listing describes, this pub has been in the same family for five generations. Let’s hope that Amy’s children, George and Evelyn Rose, will want to continue this tradition when the time comes!

After the presentation we all enjoyed choosing an ale or two from the beer festival selection from both Cornish and national breweries. The beer festival was organised to coincide with the Oyster Festival being held in the town. Chief barman, Ben, had selected, sourced, racked and tapped over twenty casks in the former Vicar’s Retreat at the back of the pub and ciders were also available in the Old Tobacconist shop next door. An enjoyable time was had by everyone that attended. The good weather also meant that the outside area was also very popular. A beer in the sunshine on an October afternoon. What’s not to like! A visit to this historic pub is highly recommended.

Words by Jan Curtis

Photos by Steve Barber

On Saturday 9th September members of CAMRA Kernow headed west to the mining village of Botallack for the Beer Festival at the Queen’s Arms. A few of us congregated at Penzance Bus station in order to catch the “Tin Coaster’ service to the village. After leaving St Just, the bus soon arrived in Botallack and conveniently the bus stop is opposite the pub! We purchased our beer tokens at the bar and proceeded to the back garden, where the beer festival was already in full swing! It was lovely to see local branch members already there and enjoying the ambience. Visiting members from Exeter and East Devon branch and Surrey Hants Borders branch also swelled the support from CAMRA. It was also lovely to meet a member of CAMRA who had only moved to the County the day before! Welcome Alan to Cornwall! There were 16 beers and 5 ciders to choose from – the beers all from Cornish breweries! What a showcase! A particular favourite with many being ‘Zennor’ from St Ives Brewery – a creamy, chocolatey oatmeal stout with a velvet mouthfeel. Doesn’t this go to show that dark beers are not just for winter? A lovely afternoon was had by all whom attended as the photos show! If fact, the first two days of the festival had proved so popular that the pub needed to replenish some stock for the Sunday session! Support a beer festival near you in the coming months. It’s a great way to meet new friends and to sample some different styles of beer.

St Austell Brewery has launched a campaign to fit defibrillators across its pub estate. The company, which has more than 180 sites across the South West, is hoping the campaign will ensure as many communities as possible have access to a lifesaving device. The Heart of the Community campaign was launched after the brewery identified 55 of its pubs in places which don’t currently have access to a defibrillator. The campaign aims to raise money through its Charitable Trust to buy and install them. To kick off the campaign, St Austell Brewery has already installed defibrillators on the wall outside the County Arms in Truro and the Borough Arms in Bodmin. Pub goers can help save lives by purchasing a portion of fish & chips (25p per portion will go towards the defibrillator campaign) or by scanning a QR code on posters. St Austell Brewery will match fund every £1 donated by the public. In the UK as many as 100,000 hospital admissions each year are due to heart attacks - that's 260 admissions each day or one every five minutes. It’s estimated that around 1.4 million people alive in the UK today have survived a heart attack - around one million men and 380,000 women. The brewery has partnered up with the Ronnie Richards Memorial Charity (RRMC) to buy the vital equipment. Co-founders Paul and Liz Williams set up the charity in memory of Liz’s brother Ronnie who sadly died from sudden cardiac arrest whilst playing his beloved game of football at Penzance Leisure Centre. The charity has been fundraising for defibrillators to be installed in schools and public places all over the Duchy for many years and train young people how to use the devices. Piers Thompson, St Austell Brewery’s External Relations Director, visited the Borough Arms in Bodmin last week to mark the installation of one of the first defibrillators. He said: “We’re really excited to be working with the Ronnie Richards Memorial Charity and launching this campaign to ensure public access defibrillators are available to many of our pub’s local communities. “We have sites in some of the most popular places in the South West and often in remote locations, whether that be in the countryside or on the coast. Installing lifesaving devices in over 50 of our sites is very important to us and more importantly it will increase the likelihood of lives being saved.” Paul Williams, from the Ronnie Richards Memorial Charity added: “It is a privilege for the RRMC to work with St Austell Brewery on such an essential lifesaving campaign. One person dies every five minutes in the UK from sudden cardiac arrest which can be greatly improved by using a readily available public access defibrillator (PAD). “A defibrillator shock administered in the first minute has up to 90% chance of survival depreciating by at least 10% every passing minute without delivery. The RRMC targeted closely linked PADs in our towns and villages and a high intensity CPR & AED training program including our secondary schools, increasing the chance for lives to be saved. “RRMC supplied outdoor 24/7 Community PADs at St Ives’ Lifeboat Inn, which PC James Perkin used to help an eight-year-old girl. He was shortlisted for Lifesaver of the Year in the UK Heart Safe Awards. St Ives Pedn Olva Hotel staff Josh Bond was given the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Lifesaver Award for saving a man’s life after he collapsed at St Ives Railway Station. “It speaks volumes for St Austell Brewery’s commitment to protecting their staff, community, and visitors. Everybody working together can - and are - saving lives when every second counts in cardiac arrest.” For more information on the campaign, visit: staustellbrewery.co.uk/charitable-trust/heart-of-the-community

On Saturday 19 August 2023 members of Cornwall Branch converged on Par in mid-Cornwall for a branch business meeting. Most came by train, which was somewhat fraught by cancellations due to industrial action. We all got there, eventually.

The destination was the Royal Inn right next to the station. This pub, also known as the Par Royal, offers drinks, food and accommodation.

There were three beers on handpump for our delectation; Doom Bar from Sharp's, County Best from Exeter Brewery and, when we arrived, Darkness from Exeter Brewery. Unfortunately for me the Darkness ran out before I had bought one but Treen's Classic came on as the third beer so panic over. All the beers were in great form. One little mystery was why the Exeter pump clip showed a Cornish flag (black and white) rather than a Devon flag (green and white).

We had an enjoyable meeting which included voting on our Pub of the Season - Summer. Our Chair, Vince Curtis, will no doubt announce the winner after he has had a chance to inform the winning pub.

We were sad to learn that the Royal Inn is likely to close as a pub in late September.

Words and photos by Steve Barber

On a glorious summer's day Saturday 1st July, CAMRA members from three branches: Cornwall, Plymouth and Exeter and East Devon alighted at St Germans station in South East Cornwall, or travelled across the Torpoint Ferry, for the Rame Beer & Buses day.

This was the second year that this event has been organised. Historic buses operate a network of services across the Rame Peninsula for the day. The intention of these services is to provide a connection between the various pubs, bars and attractions available in South East Cornwall. Programmes were available at Torpoint for those arriving via the Torpoint Ferry and luckily some of our Plymouth Branch members were able to give us some pointers. However, for many of us arriving at St Germans station, we decide to travel in different directions; some catching the Red bus route clockwise; others catching the Red bus route anti-clockwise and a few of us deciding to walk to the Eliot Arms at St Germans itself!

How you plan your day is entirely personal depending on the attractions or pubs you wish to visit. The event buses are free of charge, but purchasing a programme for £5.00 helps to support the cost of maintaining and fuelling the buses. All the vehicles are historic, privately owned and maintained by volunteers who give their time and money to keep them on the road. Photographs and information about the buses in service on the day are also provided in the programme along with route maps and timetables.

The Red routes both pass the Halfway House at Polbathic at which a few got off to sample the delights before catching the next Red bus. Polbathic is at the head of Polbathic Lake, a tidal inlet off the St Germans River. Dark Star Hophead and Salcombe Pride of Polbathic were on offer.

The anti-clockwise bus carried some strangely-clad passengers who looked remarkably like members of the Wreckers Border Morris side heading for St John, of which more later.

Another pub on the Red route was the Copley Arms at the picturesque village of Hessenford in the deep valley of the River Seaton. The Copley Arms is named after Sir Joseph Copley, Bt, who owned the local village in the 18th century! St Austell Vista was on offer, a new St Austell Small Batch Brewery beer.

From Hessenford, the B3247 winds its way down the wooded Seaton Valley, which is a Countryside Park, arriving at Seaton itself on the coast. Some of our party left the bus to visit the Smugglers Inn, a seaside pub/restaurant just right for a summer's day with Sharp's Solar Wave, a modern hazy IPA.

Travelling slowly along the narrow coast road eastwards, the bus reached the village of Crafthole, where more of our party disembarked for the Finnygook Inn, offering St Austell Anthem, Tribute and Fuller's London Pride.

Eventually after a long journey through coast and countryside we reached the bus hub at Antony, right outside the Carew Arms, formerly named the Ring O'Bells.

A couple of miles away is Antony House, now National Trust owned, where the Carew family still live since 1724. The pub takes its name from this venerable family.

St Austell Tribute, Dartmoor Best and Firebrand Beast of Bodmin were on offer and very nice too after a long bus journey, relaxing in the pub watching various tour buses come and go.

Eventually it was time to find the Green route bus to St John.

The Blue route bus was not what we wanted, neither was what looked like an ice cream sales trike! A confusion of buses came and went.

At last, a green bus for a Green route! Bad luck struck as this bus was going the other way and the bus that we wanted passed by.

So back in the Carew for a quick half before the next bus. More problems as the green Green bus did not materialise as expected and there was a rumour that it had broken down. Panic set in as we were two hours late getting to the St John Inn. So three of the Exeter and East Devon members and your author Steve decided to walk to St John.

It was not that far and we had some lovely views across the fields to the Tamar and Plymouth beyond.

We also had a view of the back end of the "broken down bus" which was nothing of the sort as it passed us on the way to the pub!

Desperate for a pint in the hot weather, and some lunch, we arrived at the St John Inn. The Morris dancers were all there, having long finished their performance.

Never mind, we made it. Although we all journeyed on different buses and routes, many of us met up again mid-afternoon at the St John Inn, St John. This former Cornwall Branch ‘Pub of the Year’ was extremely busy both inside and out, but many people chose to enjoy both the front and back gardens in the sunshine. The St John Inn was also a CAMRA 'Lockdown Hero' for opening a village shop in a shed which is still operating. We had the choice of Courage Best Bitter, Draught Bass, Firebrand Beast of Bodmin and Summerskills Bunker Hill - all very nice! Food could also be purchased and many of us chose an afternoon snack to keep us going! Two of our members were camping in the field at the back of the pub.

Unfortunately the day passed rather too quickly and we were aware that we needed to return to St Germans station for services both east and west. Back at Antony, this time via the bus, we boarded an express bus back to St Germans via Polbathic.

We split into the Devonians heading east and the Cornish heading west.

A fantastic day was had by all of us that attended this unique event. I very much hope it will be organised again next year!

Words and photos by Steve Barber and Jan Curtis

Wednesday 14 June 2023 was a glorious sunny summer's day, just right for Cornwall CAMRA's Summer of Pub event in the extreme west of the Branch area. No, not the Isles of Scilly but the West Penwith peninsula.

Jan Curtis, our Social Secretary West, had organised a pub crawl by bus - the Tin Coaster - from Penzance to the St Just tin mining area. Members gathered in anticipation at Penzance bus station and boarded the Tin Coaster which unfortunately was not the open-top variety.

We passed through the lush Penwith countryside through Newbridge which would be visited on the way back. Leaving St Just bus station, we had to make a detour via a devious route due to a road closure at Truthwall south of Botallack because of a mine shaft opening up.

Only slightly late, we arrived at the mining village of Trewellard, near Geevor Mine Museum and Levant Mine Museum.

Our first pub was the Trewellard Arms, a granite free house that was formerly the home of the owner of nearby Geevor mine. Offering a large single bar with open beams, it also has a pleasant restaurant and a snug.

Licensees Martin and Gill Hutchings had a range of real ales on handpump: Exeter Ferryman, St Austell Anthem, Tintagel Pendragon and Treen's Classic. The Trewellard was also our lunch stop. The crab was very nice!

The large patio in the sunshine, or under an umbrella, was ideal for enjoying our beer in this traditional Cornish tin mining village. Cheers!

Back on the bus to St Just, again via the detour. the most westerly town in Cornwall and England, through narrow, old streets where two buses cannot pass and pedestrians walk in single file!

Walking from the bus station through the busy town centre, we arrived at our second goal, the historic Star Inn, the oldest pub in this tin mining town.

A classic locals' traditional pub, comfortable and full of character and characters! The Star interior is of outstanding national historic interest on CAMRA's register of heritage pubs.

In addition to the regular St Austell beers on the bar under the Celtic flags there was a Small Batch Brewery beer - Grisette. This is a saison (farmhouse ale) that is very tasty for 3.6% ABV and quite different to malty or citrus hoppy beers. The main flavours are spices of various sorts.

We took over the suntrap patio out the back surround by the solid granite walls for another lazy pint. Happy days (or happy daze).

The time came to drag ourselves away from the Star and head for the bus again. Through the Penwith mining district in the direction of Penzance, this time stopping in Newbridge, which is a small hamlet where the St Just to Penzance road crosses a stream.

Here we found the Fountain Inn; a granite roadside cottage pub which has had a chequered history over the last 20 years or so. Closed as unviable by the owning brewery, CAMRA fought to save it as a pub. A respected real ale licensee from Stafford took it over and traded for a while but then turned it into a B&B with the bar open only to residents. He retired and we are pleased to welcome new licensees Tracey and Ian, I believe, who are providing good ale, food, accommodation and community events such as traditional acoustic music sessions and bingo.

We were delighted to sample Penzance Potion No9 and Mild.

Yet again we made good use of the patio for al fresco drinking in the afternoon sunshine or inside for those who wanted to cool off a bit.

All good things come to an end, at least for the day, as buses and trains beckoned, although I believe that a few hardy souls visited a few pubs in Penzance.

Photos and words by Steve Barber

Saturday 20 May was a beautiful summer's day in the ancient capital of Cornwall, Launceston, or colloquially Lanson. CAMRA members converged from west Cornwall, east Cornwall, Plymouth and even Hampshire through the old town centre to the 16th-century Bell Inn.

Tucked away behind St Mary Magdalene's Church in Tower Street, this fascinating pub was originally built to house the stonemasons who erected the church, hence the ecclesiastical appearance. Its name relates to the eight bells in the nearby church tower.

The Bell is a honeypot venue for real ale and cider lovers thanks to the efforts of licensee Ivor. In addition to the attraction of the ever-changing range of handpumped beers and ciders, we were there to present the certificate for Runner-up in the Cornwall CAMRA Pub of the Year competition for 2023.

After settling in for some beer and a chat, Branch Chairman Vince Curtis presented the certificate to Ivor explaining that to be rated second out of nearly 600 pubs in the county is no mean achievement and the Bell was only short of the winner's score by one mark in the judging. So near... so maybe next year! The Bell has been runner up in Pub of the Year before, showing the consistent high quality maintained.

We eagerly tried to work our way through the beers and a good time was had by all, only saddened by the news that one of our active CAMRA members in past years, Larry Braithwaite, had recently passed away at the age of 92.

Eventually it was time to disperse home. Some of us couldn't resist trying to lodge stones on Mary Magdalene's back. Val succeeded!

Word by Steve Barber and Roger Webster

Photos by Steve Barber

Friday 7th April dawned a beautiful day and for CAMRA Kernow folk it was our ‘Multiple Hospitality Experience’ in the city of Truro.

Our meeting venue was the City Inn in Pydar Street, just beneath the railway viaduct. Here we assembled in the L-shaped traditional bar and sampled St Austell Brewery’s ‘Tribute’ ale. This pub has a lovely sunny courtyard garden and a few of us decided it was good to enjoy the sunny day.

From here we decided to try out the relatively new ‘Goodh’ craft beer bar. This venue in the Leats, tucked away behind Pydar Street, is worth seeking out. Here the selection of craft beers is vast and we all found a beer style to our tastes. The courtyard in front of the taproom was particularly sunny and we raised our glasses to Easter and the coming of Spring!

From here we strolled around the cathedral and made our way up Mitchell Hill to the Rising Sun. This bar had three ales to choose from: two on hand pulls and one available on gravity from the cellar. Although the front bar area is lovely, the sun again drew us to the courtyard area at the back of the pub. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here and it was good to see the Landlord, Tom and to engage in conversation.

Back down the hill again we ventured to the Barley Sheaf in Old Bridge Street. This pub’s facade looked particularly stunning; the green tiled exterior was gleaming. Again this pub has a river garden area and conservatory and we choose to assemble in these fantastic spaces.

A short stroll then brought us to the White Hart. This pub was busy with its regular clientele, but we were lucky enough to find space in the front bar area and sample from the three ales available on the bar.

Finally we headed for the Old Ale House. A former drapers and milliners this imposing building was also looking impressive. This pub has been famous for its peanuts and ales for many years and did not disappoint us! Being very close to the city’s bus station this was an ideal last venue for those travelling home by bus.

An impromptu visit to the William IV in Kenwyn Street was made by those of us heading home by train!

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Truro. The sunshine added to our enjoyment, but company, chat and a good selection of ales in a variety of venues made the day! This Good Friday outing was so well attended and enjoyed that it has been suggested that we make this a regular event in the diary!

Word by Jan Curtis

Photos by Steve Barber and Jan Curtis

It is regional Pub of the Year judging time, if you would like to take part please contact Vince at ku.gro.armac.llawnroc@namriahc for judging forms. Please remember you will have to judge all four of the pubs in the running for your vote to qualify (we don’t judge our own entry). The four pubs in contention are:-

Exeter and East Devon – Thatched House Inn, Exeter

North Devon – The Exeter Inn, Chittlehamholt

South Devon – The Queens Arms, Brixham

Somerset – Halfway House, Pitney

Forms will need to be sent back to me by Monday, 5th June 2023.

Many Thanks

Following on from the CAMRA Kernow visit to the Blisland Inn on Saturday 11 March, the group were conveyed in the luxury minibus to Bodmin and deposited outside the Hole in the Wall.

The entrance to this pub is literally via a hole in the wall. You go through the gated entrance with its large sign and walk, via the garden to the pub door. As we perambulated the gardens we noticed on our right hand side the white lion in his glass fronted cave in the wall. After that we came upon the old shop style double bay windows standing guard of the front door with yet another pub sign, this time in iron proclaiming we had arrived at the right place.

Entering the pub and walking past the table we were greeted with a very welcome sight of seven hand pulls proclaiming a delight full variety of real ales. Included in the range were Bass, Sharps Special, and Dartmoor Jail ale. Quickly served, in turn, we all gravitated to different areas of seating and imbibed our wonderful beverages and enjoyed some lively conversation.

The minibus had left us at the pub to make our own way back to Bodmin Parkway. Some people took the early bus from Shire Hall and others stayed a while longer to partake of more refreshment and chat and catch the later bus to the station. All having spent an afternoon in the company of like minded enthusiasts of real ale and enjoyed the hospitality of two proponents of the style.

Thanks to Branch Social Secretary (East), Roger Webster, for organising the coach.

Words by Dugg Polman

Photos by Steve Barber

The Cornwall Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, CAMRA Kernow, has announced its Pub of the Year for 2023.

Nominated by the membership and inspected individually by a number of undercover inspectors, 5 different pubs out of a potential 580 or so real ale pubs in the county made it to the final shortlist. Apart from the condition of the real ale on offer, pubs were scored on several other criteria, such as the welcome received on entry, service offered to customers, cleanliness, décor, atmosphere, whether beer prices are clearly displayed, and involvement in the local community.

At the end of the process and collation of the scores, it was found that the top three performers were very close in score totals, as might be expected in a survey of what CAMRA judges to be among the best pubs in the county. So it has been decided to recognise the two close runners-up as well as this year’s winner. The winning trio are:

CAMRA Kernow Pub of the Year 2023: The ‘front, Falmouth Silver Award: Bell Inn, Launceston Bronze Award: Royal Oak Inn, Perranwell

Presentation of the awards will take place at each pub on dates to be announced. Meanwhile, the winner now goes into the competition to find CAMRA’s Southwest Regional Pub of the Year, from which that winner is on the road towards gaining the national Pub of the Year title. Regardless of what happens from here, to finish in the top 3 of around 600 pubs (the second largest number for any CAMRA branch) is an exceptional achievement and we salute all three award winners.

On Friday 3rd March our ‘West First Friday’ event was entitled ‘A Penryn Wander’. The idea was a stroll around Penryn visiting some different hospitality outlets. We met at the new Verdant Brewing Company’s modern taproom.

This was a new experience for some of the group who attended, but it received very good comments. This modern venue is popular with all age groups and hosts a variety of community events.

In addition to their 16 keg beers, Verdant are brewing cask ales and on the day we were able to sample Penpol (3.8%), Lamanva (4.0%), Argal (4.4%) and Burnthouse (4.6%). We all agreed that there was something that appealed to everyone’s taste in this line up!

From the taproom it is easy to view the modern brewery through the glass wall. Pizzas are made to order if you feel like enjoying something to eat too!

After enjoying our time in this relatively newly opened space, we strolled through the Tremough Campus where those of us with an interest in horticulture could admire the spring shrubs and flowers. This short walk brought us into the centre of Penryn town and to the Seven Stars. This pub was closed in recent times but has been fortunately reopened as a brew pub with accommodation.

The brewery can be visited at the back of the pub where there is also a sunny courtyard. Brewer Tomasz Trzcinski is working to build the new brewery - the Hidden Brewery at the Seven Stars.

During the time this pub was closed it was refurbished and is now a clean and fresh environment yet retains a traditional feel. Three ales from the brewery’s own range were available: Citrus Pale; Pale Ale and Winter Ale.

We then headed down the hill, passing the famous Penryn Town Hall and Museum, to the Famous Barrel.

This lovely traditional pub has a welcoming traditional vibe. We were particularly lucky on this day to find space to all sit together and I know the Dartmoor Jail Ale is a favourite for many! There is also a large beer garden that can be enjoyed during the warmer weather.

Penryn is well served by local transport links and although we walked between our venues, this route could easily be followed using the local bus services. Many members and friends commented on how enjoyable the afternoon had been and particularly the fact that they had visited some unfamiliar and different settings. Keep an eye on the diary page of our website for future events.

Words by Jan Curtis

Photos by Steve Barber

On Saturday 18 February 2023 Cornwall CAMRA branch members converged on the Royal Inn at Par, also known as the Par Royal, for the serious task of selecting the 62 pubs for the 2024 Good Beer Guide which will be launched this autumn.

A long list of likely contenders had been nominated in January and surveyed by members in the meantime. The content of the GBG is complied afresh every year, but quite a few excellent pubs appear in every edition but only because they have earned a place. No pubs are automatically included.

To keep us going, The Royal Inn had tasty Exeter Ferryman and Sharp's Doom Bar and an enjoyable buffet half way through. A good day's work for CAMRA.

Cheers, Steve

To mark half a century of The Good Beer Guide Cornwall CAMRA honours pub with Special Achievement Award. You are cordially invited to attend a presentation at The Star Inn , St.Just, arrive 1630 on Tuesday February 28th.

We are delighted to announce that as CAMRA publishes the 50th Good Beer Guide Cornwall CAMRA is making some Achievement Awards to the Pubs who have made a great contribution to Cornish Real Ale scene for the last half century!

Special Achievement Award – The Star Inn, St.Just

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Not content with going globally viral when licensee for the past 17 years Johnny McFadden installed an electric sheep fence to ensure post lockdown social distancing, this atmospheric local is a hub of the St.Just community and has racked up 44 Good Beer Guide appearances including an unbroken run for the last 20 years! Prior to that that our hosts were Rose and Peter Angwin and many Good Beer Guide entries would have been down to the excellent condition of the St.Austell ales they used to dispense straight from wooden barrels!

On Thursday 5 January 2023 a good turnout of CAMRA members converged on St Austell Brewery by car and bus, some from considerable distances away, in spite of the train strike.

The purpose was to present a certificate to the Brewery in recognition of continuously brewing real ale during the 50 years of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide in this anniversary year.

We were welcomed by Kevin Georgel (CEO), Georgina Young (Brewing Director) and Rob Orton (Production Manager).

The certificate was presented by CAMRA Cornwall Branch Chairman, Dugg Polman, and CAMRA's Brewery Liaison Officer for St Austell Brewery, Russ Durbridge.

Good conversation accompanied by St Austell beer followed in the Small Batch Brewery bar. Before we left, a glass of black beer was produced for us to taste. It was Black Square, a 10.5% ABV strong stout (I should say so) which was about to be matured in wood for a year before being bottled. For those who have not tried Black Square, the CAMRA Tasting Note is "Powerful black stout with sherry aroma masking caramel malt. Strong smoky roast flavours with hints of toffee and stone fruits."

We then moved on to the New Inn at Tywardreath, a St Austell Brewery tied house, for a second presentation.

The New Inn has been in 44 out of the 50 Good Beer Guides, an achievement matched by only four other pubs out of over 550 in Cornwall that have had over 40 entries. The certificate was presented by CAMRA Cornwall Branch Chairman, Dugg Polman to the licensees. The Brewery was represented by Kevin Georgel, Georgina Young, Rob Orton and Adam Luck.

After the formalities, a good social ensued.

On top of the panelled bar counter there is a slotted brass plate for tokens issued by the group of five local copper mines collectively known as Fowey Consols. The miners would often collect their pay in a local pub and be part paid in tokens which they could only spend in the pub. This was not uncommon in Cornwall.

The miners who worked at Fowey Consols had a taste for draught Bass which is why it is still kept in the New Inn and covenanted to be sold there whoever owns it. So that is why this St Austell pub always sells Bass.

The mines were operated from 1822 by Joseph Treffry who made a fortune. He built Place in Fowey out of it. Although the drawer is still under the counter, there are no tokens in it. Treffry did not take contactless...

As dusk fell we dragged ourselves away from the New Inn to make our trainless ways home.

Cheers, Steve Barber

In 2022 Cornwall Kernow’s annual and popular ‘Twixmas’ event was held on Thursday 29th December. In advance of our scheduled meeting time, many members and friends chose to visit the newly refurbished Falmouth Wetherspoon pub the Packet Station.

This pub was officially re-opened on Tuesday 20th December 2022, after extensive alterations to include a roof terrace and a lift to the first and second floors. Although members congregated on the ground floor, the roof terrace has been designed to include different seating areas, some with a Mediterranean feel and I am sure this space will be very popular once the warmer weather arrives!

In contrast to this newly opened venue, members and friends walked down the road to the very traditional Seven Stars.

Here we gathered around the table near the fireplace and sampled from a range of eight beers mainly from Cornish breweries all served on gravity. As you can see from the photos we certainly filled this bar!

In smaller groups we walked into Market Street and Bells Court to visit the Beerwolf Books. We ascended the staircase to this real ale mecca and bookshop. Here the ping pong table was set up for those seeking a physical challenge and we sat in small groups as the venue was busy with groups of friends enjoying quality time between Christmas and New Year.

Our next venue was the ‘Front. Although this pub was also busy, we managed to find seats at the top end of the bar. There is usually a good range of both local and regional beers available here and it did not disappoint on our visit. Many members were particularly pleased to see three dark beers available. Stout Brummie an Oatmeal Stout from Birmingham Brewing Company was certainly one of my favourites. It was also lovely to have members from Surrey Hants Borders Branch and the Cardiff Branch join us.

From here we left the main thoroughfare and headed up the hill to the Oddfellows Arms. This compact pub is always very well decorated for the festive period with thousands of fairy lights. It certainly adds to the festive cheer!

With the light fading we climbed further to the Seaview Inn. The views from this large pub overlooking the town are fantastic and this pub usually serves up to three real ales.

Leaving the Seaview Inn, we walked along the terrace to the famous ‘Jacob’s Ladder’. Reported to be 111 steps, these are well lit at night by down lights beneath the hand rail. All members agreed that they were able to descend to The Moor via this route. Other routes are available of course!

Our final destination was the Moth & Moon on Killigrew Street. This venue always serves its beer in top quality and up to four real ales are available.

Our circular route had brought us back to The Moor and the bus terminal as many of the group had travelled by bus.

Those travelling by train returned to Penmere Station for the branch line services to Truro.

We all agreed that Falmouth has a fantastic range of pubs: big and small; modern and traditional. If you missed this event and would like to join us look out for the ‘Falmouth Real Ale, Beer and Cider Trails’ happening in various venues between Wednesday 25th January to Tuesday 31st January 2023. Leaflets will be in the participating venue shortly before the event and it will also be available as a PDF to download from our website. See you at the end of the month!

Words by Jan Curtis

Photos by Steve Barber

On Saturday 3 December some CAMRA members from the length of Cornwall converged on the Blue Anchor in Helston to celebrate achievements in this 50th anniversary year of the Good Beer Guide.

The Blue Anchor is a flagship among pub breweries, and a survivor whose great claim to fame is that it is the only one of four home-brew pubs left at the time CAMRA was formed in 1971 that has had a continuous brewing history since. It is a rambling, unspoilt 15th-century granite building with thatched roof, slate floors and its own brewery above. There are no distracting jukebox or bandits, only lively conversation in the two small bars. There are two snugs on the other side of the central corridor. There is also a rare indoor skittle alley out the back with its own bar, which can be activated during group functions, and the garden also has a separate bar and barbeque for special events such as beer festivals. Dogs on leads are welcome in all areas and accommodation is in adjoining premises. The occasional seasonal beer may be a winter warmer as on our visit or some other commemorative brew - a 'bragget' or honey- and herb-based beer may appear to commemorate the 800-plus years of Helston's town charter.

Branch Chairman Dugg Polman presented certificates to Ben Stone and his girlfriend Jenine Williams who run the pub and brewery.

The first presentation was to the Blue Anchor pub for being selected for the Good Beer Guide for over 40 out of 50 years, 47 to be exact. Only five out of over 550 pubs in Cornwall have managed over 40 years.

The second presentation was to the Blue Anchor Brewery for being one of only two breweries to be continuously brewing beer in Cornwall over the first 50 years of the Good Beer Guide. The brewery is quaint, quite unique and famous for its Spingo beers.

The Christmas Special was superb. Three members of CAMRA Cornwall Tasting Panel did tastings of this Strong Ale and also of some of the other unique Spingo beers.

Cheers, Steve Barber

Our Social Secretary East, Roger Webster, organised a jolly day out for 23 of us on Saturday 12 November visiting three excellent pubs in Bodmin, Edmonton and Wadebridge by using the No11 bus route.

The first pub was the Hole in the Wall at Bodmin where Steve the landlord had agreed to open early at 10.30 and had put on some extra beers for us. Yummy! The idea was that, apart from those few lucky souls who lived with walking distance, members could arrive by train at Bodmin Parkway station and get the 10.15 bus up to town, arriving at opening time.

For those coming from the east, including Liskeard and Plymouth, this went to plan. For us poor souls coming from the west, we had a problem. The railway west of St Austell was closed for the day for engineering work. So we had to get to St Austell by rail replacement bus before getting a train to Bodmin Parkway. The double-decker from Penzance to St Austell was packed and when we got to Parkway we knew that we would miss the 10.15 bus but the next one didn't turn up at all! So we westerners waited an hour for the next bus and arrived at the Hole at 11.50. The pub's Gate Guardian (lion) was not amused.

The latecomers did manage a pint and had the choice of Wadworth Swordfish, Dartmoor Jail Ale, Marston's Draught Bass, Sharp's Atlantic, Ossett Silver King and Old Mill Red Goose on handpump, plus Thatcher's Stan's Cheddar Valley cider in box.

The record for determination to get to the social goes to Dave who took about five hours to get to Bodmin from St Just via three buses, a train and a 1-hour wait admiring Bodmin Road station!.

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After an enjoyable period of conviviality, it was time to get the bus to Edmonton, or at least to the Royal County Show Ground before a brisk walk to Edmonton.

At the Quarryman, we had the choice of Firebrand Bootleg Billy, Padstow Padstow May Day and Otter Bitter on handpump.

Here we enjoyed an excellent lunch and plenty of time to socialise with good beer.

The time came to make our way back to the bus stop on the A39 and take the No11 into the ancient port of Wadebridge.

Then it was over the bridge on wool up the hill to the Ship.

Formerly a pub tied to Devenish Brewery of Redruth (which closed in 2004), the Ship is now a Free House. For our delectation on the day were Sharp's Sea Fury (yes, I know, Special), Sharp's Atlantic and Wychwood Hobgoblin Gold on handpump.

So, some more conviviality and beer!

Eventually, as dusk fell, it was time to leave Wadebridge and get the No11 bus back to Bodmin Parkway for the journey home. At least we got a proper coach west from St Austell!

Thanks to Roger for a most enjoyable day out getting to some of the excellent Cornish pubs in the area. We could have tried to visit more, but experience has shown that packing too many in spoils the enjoyment of socialising. Perhaps we can get to others on another jolly day out. We were made most welcome by all the licensees and staff. A win-win situation I think.

Steve Barber

Saturday 27th October saw a contingent of CAMRA members visit the Seven Stars pub in Falmouth to launch the 50th Anniversary Good Beer Guide (2023 edition) and present a certificate to the pub.

The Seven Stars is a timeless and unspoilt town-centre local that is recognised by CAMRA as having a nationally important historic interior.

The off-licence, "bottle and jug" hatch still exists and carries the 1976 GBG window sticker!

We met in a room upstairs that can be used for meetings or further drinking space.

The main bar is a narrow taproom with beers served on gravity with two quieter rooms at the rear.

Some regulars and the CAMRA members gathered in the main bar to see CAMRA Kernow chairman Dugg launch the Guide and explain that the Good Beer Guide is a publication of the Campaign for Real Ale and is totally independent of any commercial beer publication organisation.

It is entirely researched by volunteers, who also inspect a large number of pubs, with only a few making it into the publication every year. For those lucky enough to make it into the Guide, it is a great accolade. Unlike other beer publications no money is paid by any of the pubs to be entered in it. The Guide is available to buy from CAMRA at a price of £16 plus postage.

The Guide launched, it was on to the second part of the proceedings, the presentation of a Certificate of Excellence to the Seven Stars for being in 49 of 50 editions of the Good Beer Guide. Only 5 pubs in the country have made it into all 50 editions, so to manage 49 is a big accomplishment, even more poignant as it was the only one of our pubs in Cornwall to manage this.

The certificate mounted in a gold frame was presented to Amy Bennetts, the latest member of the Bennetts family to hold the licence for the pub. It has been in the same family for 170 years. Amy was very pleased to accept the certificate and thanked Cornwall CAMRA and her son even got in on the photos.

The presentations over, there was a little imbibing of the excellent real ale along with some comestibles, provided by Amy and her staff.

Thank you Amy and your crew for your hospitality.

Dugg Polman and Steve Barber

The Campaign for Real Ale publishes its 50th Good Beer Guide

We are delighted to announce that as CAMRA publishes the 50th Good Beer Guide Cornwall CAMRA is making some Achievement Awards to the Breweries and Pubs who have made the greatest contribution to Cornish Real Ale scene for the last half century!

Exceptional Achievement Award – St.Austell Brewery

As one of only two breweries to have supplied Cornwall with Cornish made real ale for all of the last 50 years this award is much deserved. In particular the arrival in 1999 of the late Roger Ryman as Head Brewer energised St Austell to become one of the exceptional family brewers of Great Britain. His legacy is continued by Georgina Young and the company remains dedicated to the creation and production of quality real ales.

Exceptional Achievement Award – The Blue Anchor, Helston

Our second brewing award goes to a much smaller but just as iconic brewery. Blue Anchor is the oldest continuously brewing brew-pub in Britain and is well known throughout the nation, and indeed the world, for its Spingo Ales. The brewery and beer have much improved since the Stone family took charge over 25 years ago. It is now in the steady hands of Ben Stone.

Exceptional Achievment Award – The Seven Stars, Falmouth

Out of 50 Good Beer Guides this unspoilt local has appeared in 49; every one except the very first. This is a truly remarkable achievement as only five pubs in Britain have made more appearances. For 50 years until his death in 2012 it was run by ordained Anglican clergyman Barrington Bennetts (one of only a handful of real people to ever feature in the comic Beano). The licensee is now his granddaughter Amy.

Special Achievement Award – The Blue Anchor, Helston

Having already been recognized as a brewery this award is for its 47 appearances in the good beer guide. It is recognisable in the town as it has an anchor woven into its thatched roof.

Special Achievement Award – The Star Inn, St.Just

This atmospheric local is a hub of the St. Just community and has racked up 44 Good Beer Guide appearances including an unbroken run for the last 20 years!

Special Achievement Award – The New Inn, Tywardreath

44 appearances for this village local built by mine owners in the mid 19th century. Alongside St.Austell ales it is covenanted to Sell draught Bass in perpetuity.

Special Achievement Award – The Blisland Inn, Blisland

This is our final pub with over 40 Good Beer Guide listings and has made it 42 times. Set on a village green on the edge of Bodmin Moor this pub has served over 3000 different Real Ales and was CAMRA National Pub of the Year in 2001.

Congratulations to the St John Inn, St John, Torpoint for having the distinction of being the best pub in Cornwall. The pub was voted for by CAMRA members, who are all volunteers, and is crowned CAMRA Kernow Pub of the Year 2022. A great achievement for Rob and Gill Berry, the licensees.

There will be a presentation to the St John Inn, St John, for a belated pub of the year, on Saturday 24th September at 2pm. All are welcome.

The Campaign for Real Ale asks for MP’s support to stop community pubs from closing for good

Chairman of Cornwall CAMRA Doug Polman recently wrote to all 6 Cornwall MPs, namely George Eustice, Scott Mann, Derek Thomas, Cherilyn Mackrory, Sheryll Murray and Steve Double asking them to lobby for a support package for pubs. 
The plea was in response to and in support of publicans’ fears that soaring energy prices could make it unaffordable for their vital community assets to turn a profit.

Cherilyn Mackrory (MP for Truro and Falmouth) passed the letter on to the Rt Hon Greg Hands MP, Minister of State for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change whose response is attached.

Doug was grateful to receive this but said “ Many heartfelt thanks go to Ms. Mackrory for passing on our concerns and campaigning message to the Minister. That said I am disappointed with the response which seems to me to say not much at all, or offer any immediate respite to hard pressed pubs and clubs as their energy costs spiral into the forthcoming winter heating season. These traditional British establishments are, particularly in rural areas, cornerstones of their communities combatting loneliness and having a positive effect on collective well-being. The impact of rising energy costs will hit them hard now and positive government action is needed now! “

We have sourced a 29 seater coach from Camborne and it is £400 picking up at set stops on the way up and return.

So, I have booked the coach pending up take.  

I have included the itinerary below. It is not set in stone but may change slightly depending on all pick ups being needed.

If you would like a place on the coach, please send an email and payment of £13.80 to the treasurer, Jim Gordon, ku.gro.armac.llawnroc@rerusaert and add the subject Bodmin.

Account details: Cornwall Camra  Barclays  Number: 73951421  Sort: 20-74-20 

As this is so late, I need to know if you are coming by 8pm on Monday 28th August, please.

Proposed coach to The Bell Inn, Launceston. Saturday 3 September 2022

Pick ups Camborne Station 10.15, To meet 9.50 From Pz 10.02 from Hayle train – Roundabout bus stop Threemilestone 10.31 Threemilestone 10.31 – Rail Station Truro 10.37 Truro 10.37 – Victoria coach park Truro 10.41 Truro 10.41 – Opp. Wheel Inn Tresillian 10.51 Tresillian 10.51 – Bus station St Austell 11.09 St Austell 11. 09 – Bodmin Parkway 11.34 To meet 10.08 – 10.58 from Looe train Bodmin Parkway 11.34 – Bodmin Shires 11.44 Bodmin Shires 11.44 – Launceston Square 12.09

Return Launceston square 16.15 – Bodmin Shires 16.45 Bodmin Shires 16.45 – Bodmin Parkway 16.55 to meet 17.35 – 18.27 to Looe Bodmin Parkway 16.55 – St Austell Bus Station 17.20 St Austell Bus Station 17.20 – Tresillian Wheel Inn 17.38 Tresillian Wheel Inn 17.38 – Truro Victoria Coach Park 17.48 Truro Victoria Coach Park 17.48 – Truro Station 17.52 Truro Station 17.52 – Truro Threemilestone 17.58 Truro Threemilestone 17.58 – Camborne Station 18.15 To meet 18.20 – 18.27 train to Hayle, PZ

Since the freedom to hold meetings after the COVID restrictions, Cornwall Branch has held a variety of socials and presentations at pubs plus online committee meetings and an AGM. At last we have been able to have a branch business meeting.

Some of us took the local 36 bus while others started at Perranarworthal down in the River Kennal valley and walked along footpaths following the same route as our event on 1 October 2021, Lockdown Heroes Presentation - Norway Inn, Perranarworthal and walk to Royal Oak, Perranwell.

The venue was the pretty village of Perranwell and its pub the Royal Oak.

The pub features a plaque explaining how a messenger from Falmouth was in such a rush to report the victory of the Battle of Trafalgar to the Admiralty that he rode past the Royal Oak without stopping. We did not make that mistake.

Being COVID-responsible, we met in the marquee in the garden and fetched our beer from the bar.

We covered a range of topics and welcomed members taking on tasks and responsibilities to help us campaigning going forward. A pasty lunch halfway through was most welcome.

After the business we relaxed for while enjoying the Padstow Windjammer, Penzance Mild, St Ives Alba and Skinner's Lushingtons. Thanks Tim and Lizzie.

Cheers, Steve Barber

Our ‘West First Friday’ social on 3 June coincided with The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and the long bank holiday weekend. Fortunately we were blessed with many pub based beer festivals to attend. However, the Trewellard Arms Beer Festival was chosen for our social to show our support for rural pubs in the far west of the county. The sun shone as a good number of CAMRA Cornwall branch members met up at Penzance bus station having travelled by both train and buses from various parts of the county. We made our way across the beautiful Penwith peninsula via St Just and Botallack to Trewellard on the Tin Coast.

Arriving at the Trewellard Arms the outside area of the pub looked delightful. Companion seats and colourful parasols had been placed in groups and six beers were available on stillage in the tent in addition to the four on hand pulls in the pub itself. We received a warm welcome from Martin and Gill as always.

The new St Austell beer called Anthem was one of the festival beers, along with Salcombe Seahorse and St Ives Hazy Meor. Beast of Bodmin by Firebrand brewery was also available outside. On handpump in the bar were Keltek Magik, Skinner's Lushingtons, Tintagel Merlin's Muddle and another new St Austell cask club beer Ros an Bucca, so there was a good variety of beer styles on offer.

During the afternoon we were joined by members of Exeter and East Devon Branch and several of us sampled food from the special menu chosen specifically for the beer festival. The Chilli Beef Nachos were delicious! Later in the afternoon, we caught the open top ‘Tin Coaster’ bus service back to Penzance. A fantastic finish to a lovely afternoon.

"Proper ansom" some would say!

Words, Jan Curtis

Photos, Steve Barber

Cornwall CAMRA had intended to present a ‘Lockdown Heroes' certificate to licensees Alan and Sarah Collings of the Caradon Inn, Upton Cross, on 24 November but unfortunately the pub was temporarily closed due to the consequences of a flood in the kitchen.

So on 28th April 2022 a return trip took place with Chris Ham and Roger Webster presenting the certificate for going the extra mile during the COVID restrictions. The only village shop had closed a couple of years previously and the only alternatives were at least five miles distant so an extremely well stocked shop was built to the rear of the pub which was much appreciated and is well used by the local community.

Photos by Chris Ham.

Cheers, Steve Barber

On Friday 5th November a small group of CAMRA Kernow members met at the Victoria Inn at Threemilestone to present the team there with a ‘Lockdown Heroes' certificate.

We assembled in the bar area of this busy pub which is popular with both locals and visitors for its food service and particularly its carvery. To begin with, Dev the Manager was out delivering food, the reason the certificate was being presented, but he soon returned having fulfilled his duty and he invited his Head Chef to join him to receive the certificate on behalf of the staff. Vince Curtis, our Chairman gave a short speech to recognise the service the pub had provided to locals during the lockdowns. Dev explained that the initiative had been so successful that the delivery service was now an integral part of the business. We enjoyed some real ales in a very convivial atmosphere both before and after the presentation.

Leaving the Victoria Inn we caught a bus along the road to Highertown, Truro. The County Arms, a large St Austell Brewery pub, was our next ‘port of call'. Here the pub accommodation had been let to NHS staff at RCH Treliske during lockdowns to assist the hospital and allow critical care staff somewhere to stay without the risk of further infection to families and house mates. Dan Marks the General Manager and his Head Chef received the certificate on behalf of the team at the County Arms. We enjoyed sampling the St Austell ales available; Proper Job was on particularly good form!

After the presentations, some members gathered in the Old Ale House in Truro. An early cask of Skinner’s Pennycomequick was available which for some members was ‘the icing on the cake' at the end of a very pleasant afternoon!

On Friday 1st October the sun shone on a small group of branch members as they ventured out to present a ‘Lockdown Hero’ certificate. The certificate was presented to Steven Hawke and his team at the Norway Inn, Perranarworthal, in recognition of the delivery service the pub provided during the national lockdowns. The delivery service which was instigated shortly before the first lockdown has now become an established sector of the pub’s business. Hot meals and beverages are delivered to local residents providing a much needed link between the pub and the community. The Norway Inn is also focusing on the local community by sponsoring a local football team. Branch members enjoyed Tribute, Proper Job and Hicks served in a convivial environment by friendly and attentive staff.

After the presentation, the group made their way by footpath over the hill to the Royal Oak at Perranwell. En route we stopped to visit the 15th century St Piran’s Well. We admired the crystal clear water used for baptisms in St Piran’s Church further up the hill.

A warm welcome greeted us at the Royal Oak. Tim and his team tempted us with four real ales from Penzance Brewery including Ale Conner and West Coast Pale. After a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon many of the group walked via the ‘Millennium Path’ up the hill to Perranwell station on the Truro to Falmouth branch line to catch the train home.

Cornwall Branch of CAMRA was grateful to St Austell Brewery for hosting our 2022 AGM on Saturday 2 April in their grand Visitor Centre, which was our first AGM since 2019 thanks to COVID pandemic restrictions. Members turned out from all over Cornwall and we welcomed our Regional Director for the South West Region, Pete Bridle.

After the AGM business, a hearty pasty lunch and the opportunity for members to raise branch business, we presented a certificate to the Brewery for achieving a finalist position in the 2020 CAMRA Champion Bottled Beer of Britain competition for their superb hoppy ale Proper Job.

Cheers, Steve Barber

Thursday 30th December saw the return of Cornwall CAMRA’S annual Twixmas event. The meeting point this year was the Packet Station, the Wetherspoon pub in Falmouth. Here, Thornbridge ‘Jaipur’ was one of several ales available and it was lovely to see CAMRA membership leaflets prominently displayed just inside the door.

Our second venue was the traditional Seven Stars. Here, expecting the event to be well attended, we had reserved the recently refurbished upstairs ‘old bottle store’. It was a great space for us like-minded ale drinkers to get together and sample beers served on gravity. The atmosphere was very convivial and numbers swelled as more folk headed up the stairs to join the group. It was particularly good to welcome some members who we have not seen since pre-Covid times!

In smaller sub-groups we then made our way around the corner to Beerwolf Books. The ping-pong table was set up on the day and some members took the opportunity to enjoy a game or two! As is often the case in Beerwolf Books, a range of ales styles was available. Several members took the opportunity to sample Penzance Brewery ‘Scilly Stout’ which had been aged in a port barrel especially for the festive season!

For some members the next venue was the Oddfellows Arms. This back street pub with a good local following had been popular on our Falmouth Ale Trails event. Due to the compact size of this pub, we had pre-booked the back room with the landlady, Vicky. Here Treen’s Essential was one of the three ales available and members enjoyed good conversation around the pool table. It was nice to find out that we had been joined by members from Plymouth, Cardiff and Surrey/Hants Borders branches.

Our final venue was the ‘front bar on Custom House Quay Although under new management, this bar is being run very much as it always was with a great selection of ales available. For those of us that enjoy dark beers, we were lucky to find two stouts available! Dividing ourselves between tables we all managed to find seats and enjoy the well served ales in the friendly environment. With the ‘front being a short easy stroll to Falmouth Town station it was easy for members to make their way home on the Truro to Falmouth branch line. A good day was enjoyed by all.

Giving consideration to the old adage about cider and beer drinking, the Arwenack Trail began in the Stable bar on Wednesday 20th October. Several branch members met in the bottom bar and tasted from the wide range of both still and sparkling ciders which were available. Moving on to the Chainlocker it was lovely to see a large group of branch members and friends already gathered in this St Austell brewery pub. A head count at this time resulted in twenty two attendees! The group took over the traditional bar area of the pub and the staff were very enthusiastic to see everyone enjoying socialising in a pub environment after 18 months of social distancing and group size restrictions. A selection of 5 real ales were available including a small batch brew. Crossing Custom House Quay, we visited the ‘front. After being closed for about 12 months, this pub has reopened under new management and ownership, but everyone was pleased to see that the selection of real ales and appearance of the pub was very much the same as before the closure. Like we had done at the Chainlocker, we took over a large section of this cellar pub and enjoyed the beers in the very convivial atmosphere. Moving on in smaller groups, we visited the Cutty Sark, Five Degrees West and the Windjammer bar. Unfortunately the inclement weather which had been forecast had set in by this time and members decided sensibly that getting home safely must be their priority!

Wednesday 13th October was the first organised event of the Falmouth Ale Trails. The chosen trail for this date was the ‘Old High Street’ trail and the first pub, the Packet Station, was the meeting point. A good number of branch members and some Plymouth branch members convened and beers were sampled and food ordered as suited individual members. Our promotional leaflets and membership forms were prominently displayed on a table just inside the door together with the forthcoming Wetherspoon Real Ale festival leaflets. Well done Aaron and ‘Team Packet’ for embracing our local venture.

We moved on to the Seven Stars and as it was a beautiful autumn day, we sat in the sun in the outdoor area to the front of the pub. Landlady Amy was on hand and was willing to show members the newly refurbished ‘Old Bottle Store’ of which many members were not aware as Covid restrictions had limited their travels. Treen’s ‘Local’ the ale brewed especially for the pub-based festival was one of the six ales available on gravity to sample.

We then crossed The Moor to the Palacio Lounge. This two storey building is very impressive and spacious, but the weather was so good that we chose to sit outside in the sunshine and under very blue skies. We could have been enjoying a beer in the Med! Skinner’s Porthleven was on offer at the time.

Moving around the corner we arrived at an already busy Prince of Wales. There was a good atmosphere in this traditional pub. We then walked up the hill to the Boathouse which had agreed to open an hour earlier than usual to accommodate our trail. Here we sat in a newly refurbished room with fantastic views across the river to Flushing and beyond. Four local ales were available on the bar to choose from and an enjoyable time was had by all. Finally we walked down to the Working Boat, the bar beneath the Greenbank Hotel. Three ales were available here including Driftwood Spars’ Spars. After a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon branch members made their way back into the centre of Falmouth to connect with public transport links home.

Suggested meet from 12:30 There is an hourly bus service (No. 47) from both Truro and Redruth stations. See you there! Cheers!