Cambridge CAMRA in September

Here’s news of some of what’s happening in and around our branch area over the next few weeks.

Monthly meetings

Our September monthly meeting will be at the Three Hills, Bartlow from 8pm on Tuesday 11 September. Our monthly meetings, on the second Tuesday of the month, are open to all branch members. Feel free to attend, hear what’s going on and have a chat over a beer or two. October’s meeting will be at the Rose & Crown in Histon.

ALE magazine

The September edition of our ALE magazine will be out soon. Look out for it in your local. It has a picture of the Black Horse in Dry Drayton on the cover.

Goodbye to Jenna and Craig

After 18 years as licensees at the Free Press, Jenna and Craig are leaving. Whilst there, the Free Press has been a Good Beer Guide regular. We hope that their successors will maintain this wonderful pub is the manner to which we have become accustomed. Sunday 2 September is your last chance to say goodbye to them.

Branch coach trip

Our next coach tour visiting some of our rural pubs will be on Saturday 15 September. It will leave from the Station Road / Tenison Road junction at 11am and will return there at around 7pm. This tour will be visiting some of our pubs that lie North of the A14. It’s a mystery tour so you won’t know where we’re going until we arrive. We don’t charge for the tour but we do run a raffle (£5 a ticket) that contributes towards the cost of the coach. You will need to pay for the food laid on by one of the pubs we visit as well for your drinks. This event is restricted to CAMRA members. For more details and to book your seat email our Social Secretary, Clive. The coach tour after this will be on 19 January.

Elgood’s brewery trip

We are running a trip to Elgood’s Brewery in Wisbech on Saturday 22 September to coincide with their Beer Festival. We will be leaving Cambridge at 11am and should return around 7pm. The trip is open to CAMRA members and their guests and costs £15 per person. We need you to book your places by 13 September so that we can decide on the size of coach we need. For more details and to book your seat email our Social Secretary, Clive.

Good Beer Guide

The 2019 edition of CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide is released on 13 September. Look out for one of our locals on the front cover.

Local beer events

These are just some of the beer and ciders events taking place in and around our branch area over the next few weeks. Our own website and local blog Pints & Pubs have events sections that list these and more.

The Toft Social Club, People’s Hall, Toft. 14th Toft Beer and Cider Festival. 31 August–2 September. Free entry. £2:50 a pint. 14 real ales (including gluten free). Three local real ciders.

Soapbox Derby Weekend in Duxford. 1–2 September. Raising funds for Cancer Research UK. The Soapbox Derby takes place on Sunday. The John Barleycorn and Plough both have teams. The John Barleycorn has a casino night on Saturday. The Plough has a quiz, bingo and disco on Friday and live music on Sunday.

The Red Lion, Histon. 20th Beer and Cider Festival. 3–7 September. 60 cask ales, an extensive cider and perry bar plus draught continental beers. Raising money for charity and the local community.

The Blue Moon, Norfolk Street. 6 September. Tap Takeover by Little Downham based brewery, Three Blind Mice.

The Little Rose, Haslingfield Gin and Beer Festival. 14–16 September. 20 gins, 10 beers and 4 ciders. Food 12:00-21:00. Live music on Friday and Saturday night.

The Plough, Shepreth. 5th Shepreth Beer and Music Festival. 14–16 September. 16 cask ale Yorkshire v Lancashire comparison. Even more craft beers that normal and loads of real ciders. Food music and fun activities.

The Petersfield, Sturton Street. Oktoberfest. 21–30 September. German Biergarten themed room. German style beers on tap. Cured meats, German sausages and pretzels. Discount for CAMRA members and Petersfield card holders.

Thirsty Oktoberfest. 27–30 September. Calverley’s have brewed two Oktoberfest style beers in collaboration with Thirsty. They’ll be available at Calverley’s Brewery Tap, at Thirsty on Mitcham’s Corner and at an as yet to be announced central Cambridge location that will have Germanic fun and games in a marquee.

The Willingham Beer Festival. 28–29 September. At Willingham Social Clubin collaboration with Willingham Action Group. Beer, food and entertainment.

The Waggon & Horses, Milton 1st Birthday Party Weekend. 4–7 October. 17 ales, 6 ciders and a large variety of gins. Live music.

Looking ahead…

October strolling social

Our next strolling social will be on Saturday 13 October and will visit some of the pubs close to the route of the Citi 7 bus. More information in next month’s email.

Cambridge Beer Festival

Our next beer festival will be Cambridge Beer Festival Winter. It will take place in the University Social Club on Mill Lane and will run from 14–17 November. Put it in your diaries! The plan is that in future we will run two festivals a year with six months between them.

Pub news and beer scoring

We’re always keen to receive news about our pubs, breweries and cider makers. If you have some, please e-mail us. Members’ beer scores also help to keep us informed and influence our Good Beer Guide entry selection. It’s easy to do via WhatPub, either from your phone while you are in the pub or from home afterwards.

Cambridge and District CAMRA