{"id":5568,"date":"2025-07-28T09:22:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T09:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/?p=5568"},"modified":"2025-07-28T09:24:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T09:24:19","slug":"camra-news-and-events-july-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/2025\/07\/28\/camra-news-and-events-july-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"CAMRA news and events – July 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Regional Cider Pub of the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The winner of the award for 2025 is the Owl & The Pussycat<\/a><\/strong> in Northfields.\u00a0 We send our congratulations accordingly.\u00a0 Arrangements for the presentation of the award are in hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Croydon & Sutton branch winners<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Croydon & Sutton branch select a pub of the year in each of the boroughs that they cover.\u00a0 On Thursday 29 May, branch chair David Lands (right) presented the certificate to the Sutton borough winner, the Hope<\/a><\/strong> in Carshalton.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u00a0Frankie and Brock received the award on behalf of the pub.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Then, on 10 June, David presented the Croydon borough certificate to Matt and Maria, owners of the Golden Ark<\/a><\/strong> in Selsdon. \u00a0Their colleagues Ewan and Jonah also joined in the presentation.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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The branch\u2019s entry in the Regional Pub of the Year competition is the Hope.
Steve Thompson<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kingston & Leatherhead news<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CAMRA is reorganising its regional structure and, as a result, the Kingston & Leatherhead branch will split later this year.\u00a0 Before that happens however, the branch celebrated its 50th anniversary.\u00a0 On 10 July, fifty years to the day, the branch revisited the Victoria<\/a><\/strong> in Surbiton where its inaugural meeting took place.\u00a0 This was followed, on 12 July, by a visit to the Park Brewery in Kingston. \u00a0It was hoped to have some commemorative T-shirts available for order on-line.\u00a0 Check the branch website for details https:\/\/kandl.camra.org.uk\/<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That part of the branch outside Greater London will move to the Elmbridge, Epsom and Leatherhead branch and a meeting will be held later in the year to discuss the creation of a new Kingston branch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This edition\u2019s cover photo of the Victoria (also above) comes from the archive of photographs left to the branch by long-term LD contributor Clive Taylor who passed away last June and will be remembered on 28 August (see diary entry).
Keith Richardson<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richmond & Hounslow news<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members of Richmond & Hounslow branch recently gathered at the Victoria Tavern<\/a><\/strong> in Isleworth to help landlord Paul Andrews celebrate his retirement after more than 50 years as a pub landlord.\u00a0 Paul, a great supporter of CAMRA, has owned this iconic back street corner pub for many years but it has now been sold.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Paul has managed several pubs in the branch area, including the Red Lion, the Rising Sun and the Swan, all in Isleworth, the Hogarth in Teddington and the Hole in the Wall in Richmond. \u00a0Asked what he would be doing in retirement, Paul said he had no firm plans, but no more pubs to run please!\u00a0 The photo, with thanks to George Gimber, shows Paul in the pub doorway, surrounded by branch members.
John Austin<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

South East London<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s branch Cider Pub of the Year award has gone to the Victoria<\/a><\/strong> in Pages Walk, Bricklayers Arms, ten minutes from London Bridge.\u00a0 It is a lovely former Trumans pub dating from 1886 with traditional tiling.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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The pub rates two stars on CAMRA\u2019s inventory of pubs with interiors of national historic interest.\u00a0 It has been selling a range of cider for a number of years and is a worthy winner.\u00a0 The photo, with thanks to Steve Silcock, shows Ian White, the branch (and regional) cider representative presenting the award to Pat, the landlord.
Ian White<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

South West London Pubs of the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In June, South West London branch had two presentations to make in three days.\u00a0 The first, on 18 June, was for our Pub of the Year, the Sultan<\/a><\/strong> in South Wimbledon.\u00a0 We were delighted to have the Mayor of Merton, Councillor Martin Whelton, join us for the presentation.\u00a0 Local councillors Eleanor Stringer and Mike Brunt were also there.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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The photo shows the Mayor with our host, Niall Thielen (holding the certificate), branch chair Stephen Blann (on the right) and members of Niall\u2019s team.  Niall specifically asked for \u2018and team\u2019 to be included on the certificate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Two days later we assembled at the Trafalgar<\/strong><\/a>, also in South Wimbledon, to enjoy their Solstice festival and present them with the branch\u2019s inaugural Branch Cider Pub of the Year award.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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Once again, Stephen did the honours, with Karlis Pauzers accepting the certificate for the pub and with lots of customers and Morris dancers looking on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

London Young Members<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 22 June, our Greater London Young Members group visited the famous Bermondsey Beer Mile. \u00a0A core group started at Southwark Brewery before moving on to the London Barrel Project<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0Further reinforcements arrived at Anspach & Hobday<\/a><\/strong>, where we sampled the delicious Hop Pickers pale ale on both cask and keg for comparison. \u00a0Some members also took the opportunity to try London Black for the first time. \u00a0We then moved on to the Dutch Taproom<\/a><\/strong>, where a wide range of strong dark beers and punchy, hoppy IPAs was enjoyed.\u00a0 Unfortunately, on a Sunday some of the taprooms that we had planned to visit were closed.\u00a0 Cloudwater<\/a><\/strong> however was a super substitute.\u00a0 Although they had just one cask beer, most of us were happy to sample some of their 20 keg beers. \u00a0A surprising bar snack highlight was the Openshaws ploughmans lunch snack pack, which gave everything you needed in the one crisp-like packet. \u00a0A tap takeover at Mash Paddle Brewery<\/a><\/strong> gave us the chance to sample a range of beers brewed with experimental hops.\u00a0 My personal favourite was HBC 1019, for which I recommend people keep an eye out. \u00a0There were reports of some of the party continuing the evening with Lime bikes heading in the direction of the recently reopened Hand & Marigold<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 Thanks to Michael for organising an excellent afternoon. \u00a0Keep an eye on our Facebook Group and WhatsApp for our next event.
Byron Jaye<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Regional Cider Pub of the Year The winner of the award for 2025 is the Owl & The Pussycat in Northfields.\u00a0 We send our congratulations accordingly.\u00a0 Arrangements for the presentation… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5573,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camra-news","category-covery-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5568"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5568\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5578,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5568\/revisions\/5578"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}