Great year for real ale in Dorset, CAMRA chairman tells AGM in Dorchester's Colliton Club

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"It has been a great year for real ale nationally," chairman

Dave Harris told the annual meeting of the West Dorset branch of the Campaign

for Real Ale [CAMRA,] held at the Colliton Club in Dorchester.

"Sales of real

ale are on the increase in Dorset, where we have gained two more breweries- the

Town Mill in Lyme Regis and the Royal Standard brew-pub in Upwey, making eleven

breweries in Dorset at the moment."

"West Dorset CAMRA has run three highly successful beer

festivals this year, at Dorchester Corn Exchange in February, at Wykefest in

July and more recently at Weymouth’s Brewers Quay but

we need more volunteers to help at these important events. We estimate 860

drinkers visited Octoberfest and we know they drunk some 3,000 pints of ale and

cider during the two days of the festival."

The 2011 Octoberfest will be held at Weymouth Pavilion’s Ocean

Room on 7 and 8 October next year. "We do want to thank Roger Dalton and Brewers

Quay for their kindness and hospitality over eight happy years," comments CAMRA

spokesman Michel Hooper-Immins, "but it is clear that the proposed redevelopment

would prevent us from using the building next year. We do however thank them

sincerely for all their valuable help over the years."

The LocAle scheme will be expanded in Dorset- a national CAMRA

initiative where real ales brewed within 30 miles or so of a pub are specially

badged as LocAle. There are around 300 pubs in the West Dorset branch area, many

of which do sell real ale. The branch newsletter has been revived by Dorchester

member Kevin Launder, who had also updated the West Dorset Pub Guide, last

produced in 2004.

The brand-new West Dorset Pub Guide is available online for

only £5 [including UK postage] from:

www.camrawdorset.org.uk/guide.htm   

Alternatively, send a cheque for £5 with your name and address to: West Dorset

CAMRA, 32 Mellstock Avenue, Dorchester DT1 2BQ.   CAMRA members pay only £4!

Harris was unanimously re-elected as Chairman of the West

Dorset CAMRA branch. Other officers elected were Tony Egerton [Secretary,]

Alastair Tillotson [Treasurer,] Richard Gabe [Social,] Michel Hooper-Immins

[Public Relations] and Allan Swannell [Committee.] A Membership Secretary is

required.