Bedfordshire Pub Through to the Final Stage in National Pub of the Year Competition
The Engineers Arms in Henlow which is East Bedfordshire Branch, Bedfordshire County and East Anglia Regional CAMRA Pub of the Year has now made it through to the final stage of the competition. The Engineers now just have to beat the three other finalists to be crowned national champion. Weather they make it or not, this is still a huge honour to get to this level. Congratulation from all of us in the South Bedfordshire branch to Kevin and Claire and all of their thier extremely helpful staff. If you haven't been to the Engineers Arms recently then you must go soon. There are usually ten real ales including some from local breweries and also several real ciders and perries. They also hold a beer festival and a cider festival annually. The winner will be announced in February.

Pub News (added November 2011)

In WOBURN SANDS the Fir Tree is holding a "Christmas Warm-up Weekend" from Fri 25th to Sun 27th November to coincide with the Woburn Sands Christmas Carnival. A Christmas Ale, Rum Cider, Mulled Wine and Turkey Rolls will be available.

In TODDINGTON, the Oddfellows Arms will be holding their annual Beer Festival from 10th to 13th November with 16 ales available (12 at a time). The Toddington to Timbuktoo charity bike ride leaves there on the evening of Friday 11th at 8pm so have a beer and say goodbye!

Beer list is:  Tirril - Red Barn, Titanic - Engine Room, Wylam - Haugh Porter, Box Steam - Chuffin Ale, Cumbrian - Dickie Doodle, Golcar - Mild, Great Orme - Great Welsh, Highhouse - Auld Hemp,Humpty Dumpty - Little Sharpie, Otley - O1, Outstanding - Red, Palmers - Tally Ho, Atlas - Wayfarer, Elgoods - Pageant, Green Jack - Hop Harvest

In ASPLEY GUISE, Dave & Sharon at the Anchor have recently added a Northamptonshire Skittles table in the Public Bar and it is believed to be the only one in the South Beds CAMRA Branch area though as you head further north they become a little more common. It is a good and noisy pub game that involves throwing 'cheeses' at skittles on a specially designed table (check out the web for more details). Go along and have a game and a pint of Eagle or Youngs Special while you're there. The Wheatsheaf, which previously was our only pub to have a table, is still closed with its future uncertain. There is a glimmer of good news in that it is believed Charles Wells were refused a change of use.

In BARTON LE CLAY Reg is now the permanant tenant at the Waggon & Horses. There has been a re-furb and re-fit of the bar/cellar with new lines, pumps etc. Good news is that there is now a 4th handpump which means 2 guest ales alongside Eagle and Bombardier.

In EVERSHOLT the Green Man was named Runner-up in the 2011 Best Sunday Lunch category for the South and West region by the Sunday Observer Magazine. Congratulations to James & Louise and all at the Green Man.

At the White Horse In HUSBORNE CRAWLEY the guest ale for the next month or so will be Castle Rock Harvest Pale. It was the CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain in 2010 and it's good so go and drink it and Angie may be persuaded to keep it on longer!.

In LEIGHTON BUZZARD the Red Lion continues to promote its real ales and held a mini beer festival at the end of October. Additional ales were from Titanic, Old Bear, Adnams, Cains. On a 'normal' visit expect Black Sheep, Greene King Abbot and a guest ale. Well done Gynnie!

In LUTON, the Greene King owned Boater re-opened its doors under the new name of The Jolly Milliner on 27th October after being closed for around six weeks for a major refurbishment. Real ales available were GK IPA IPA, Abbot and Old Speckled Hen - IPA was £2.40 and Abbot at £2.95. The Wyvern had been closed briefly for a re-furb but was expected to re-open on 3rd November. At the London Hatter (Wetherspoons) London Pride and ESB are now regulars alongside Ruddles and Abbot. They also have 3-4 guest ales often including a cider/perry.

In SHARPENHOE the Lynmore is currently closed and was being boarded up on 3rd November. Any news about the pub's future would be welcome.

Pub News (added October 2011)

In TODDINGTON, a planning application has been made to Central Bedfordshire Council to convert the Sow & Pigs into apartments and to build several new houses in the grounds. This once great pub has been closed for some months with Greene King signage removed in September and metal shutters placed on the windows. If you feel suitably aggrieved at this prospect then write to the council quoting application reference CB/11/03523. Details of the plans can be found at their website. ...and yes we know it's in the 2012 Good Beer Guide, but in our defence it didn't close until after the final proofs had been signed off.

In WESTONING, new owners of the Bell plan to make significant alterations to the pub/restaurant - but importantly keep it as a going concern. They also plan to build three new houses in the grounds but there will still be room for a car park at the Bell. Details can be viewed at the council planning pages and search for application CB/11/03239.

In MAULDEN the George is closed. It has been boarded up, fenced-off and all exterior signs removed.Enterprise Inns have sold the pub, unconfirmed reports say to a local housing developer. No application for change of use has yet been posted but this is expected. The George is a perfect example of a pub squeezed out of business by dis-incentive rents and drink supply contracts. With the right ownership, allowing a good landlord appropriate freedoms, this pub could yet thrive - provided that it isn't changed into a house!

Late october update: the pub's future is not known but the new owners quoted as an "investors" are awaiting the results of a structural survey.


Pub News (added September 2011)

In DUNSTABLE, the Mulberry Bush had an August refurbishment and is now believed to be selling 3 real ales (it had been real ale free for many years). As you may have read in the local papers, the Grade II listed Norman King has been virtually destroyed after a serious fire in early August with just the outside walls remaining. The Sugar Loaf has resumed selling real ales after years of being in denial with Brains Bitter/SA were available on a visit a few weeks ago. The Pheasant increased its range of real ales a few months ago and we're delighted that they are continuing to sell 6 real ales with some good guest ales too. The Nags Head is selling London Pride and with their voucher scheme you can get 4 pints for £10. The Winston Churchill, which has been closed for many years, has a planning notice outside referring to a change of use to a restaurant and some structural changes to the frontage.

In HOUGHTON REGIS, the Chequers hit the local news headlines when a lorry hit the pub in mid-August. Work was underway in mid September to repair the damage. It has been real ale free for a year or two and expected to be absent when it re-opens. 

In LUTON, the Wigmore Arms has contacted us and to say that they will be holding their next beer festival from 20th to 23rd October. Away from the beer festival, they have a good ale policy with four beers on handpump regularly available. The Balcony Bar (Vauxhall Recreation Club) did have a few ale-less days in August, but is now back serving the real stuff with GK IPA, Tribute, Bombardier and London Pride (?) available in early September. A few visits to the recently opened London Hatter (Wetherspoons) have been rewarded with some interesting and well-kept beers and is a good addition to the real ale scene in central Luton. The other JDW pub the White House will be closed for a couple of days w/c 19th Sept for a quick makeover/paint job. One of the most reliable pubs in our branch is the Bricklayers Arms in Hightown and they will be holding an "On the Job" Beer Festival from 24th - 26th November to celebrate landlady Alison's 26 years in charge. Would you be surprised to know that there will be 26 beers? 

In MILTON BRYAN, the Greene King owned Red Lion has re-opened after being closed for a few months (updated 6th October 2011).

In FLITWICK, we finished out late July social at Charles Wells' Wheatsheaf which closed a couple of days later. This was expected to be a permanent closure and another lost pub, but there have been some feint whispers that there may still be some hope. Can any local residents provide any confirmation of this?

In PEGSDON, the Live & Let Live was still closed at the end of August. Again, any updates welcomed.

In UPPER SUNDON, the Red Lion which has a recent open/closed history was again closed in August (and possible earlier) with its future uncertain.

In LEIGHTON BUZZARD, the Golden Bell is to be congratulated for holding a "Beer Festival of Champions" in late August and offered some interesting ales four-at-a-time from its regular handpumps. The Litten Tree is under new ownership and four very reasonably priced ales including two from Tring were available on a late August visit. Wetherspoons have done an excellent refurbishment job on the Swan Hotel and it is worth a visit.

In UPPER GRAVENHURST we recently held our September Branch Meeting at the Green Dragon and were delighted to find three local beers from B&T, Potton and Buntingford available (as is their policy). It is a pub that has struggled over recent years so give it your support and ensure that it doesn't become another closed pub listed in this column

In TOTTERNHOE, the Fullers owned Old Farm Inn is doing well after a change of landlord according to our Branch Chairman.

In PULLOXHILL, it's not new news that the Chequers is losed as it has been for all of 2011. However, a recent check on the pub has indicated that it is likely to be converted to residential with three other houses built on the land.

In STREATLEY, the Greene King owned Chequers will still be regularly serving 5 ales from the GK portfolio, but sadly no longer in oversized glasses. We have been pleased to report over the years that this is the one pub where full pints i.e. no short measures, have always been guaranteed.

In WINGFIELD the Fullers owned Plough, which has looked colourful all summer with its fine display of flowers held a beer festival in mid-September with about 10 beers available on gravity in the outside barn. Beers were from Dark Star, Oakham, Rudgate + others and the Springfield Roaring Meg at 5.5% was particularly highly recommended by one local branch member! 

Pub News (August 2011)

Barton-le-Clay
The Grove (formerly Speed the Plough) is now a restaurant serving "English and Lebanese" food.
The Waggon and Horses is now serving a regular guest ale alongside the two regulars from Wells & Youngs, Eagle and Bombardier. Landlord Reg says they're all selling well. On a recent visit he was serving the excellent Castle Rock Screech Owl. Sunday lunches are currently served and he's hoping to get food going during the week sometime soon.

Flitwick
The Crown is under new management with Lorraine and Graham taking up the helm. They've had a successful start with St.Austell Tribute going down very well with other ales such as Shepherd Neame Spitfire due to take a turn after our last visit.
It is with great sadness that we report the closure of the Wheatsheaf. Yvonne & Andy gave it a good go but unfortunately they couldn't make enough to satisfy their landlords so now the pub is empty and for sale.

Leighton Buzzard
The Swan Hotel has been bought and refurbished by the J.D.Wetherspoon chain. Local Tring ales were available during a visit shortly after opening. Expect the usual Wetherspoon's value and service.

Luton
The London Hatter is the name given to yet another Wetherspoon aquisition and refurb job on Park Street. For those who were wondering, the name is after a pioneer of the hat industry in Luton who came there from London. The pub is decorated with lots of locally historical pictures and interestingly, the prices are everso slightly higher than those in the other Wetherspoon outlet in the town, the White House.

Pegsdon
The Live and Let Live is currently closed. If anyone has any further information that would be most welcome.

Shillington
The Musgrave Arms has changed hands, still owned by Greene King but now run by Lucy and Darren. They continue to serve three GK ales and the food is very good. Note: Lucy is the daughter of Bobbi & Ian of the Good Beer Guide regular the Jolly Coopers in Flitton.
The Noahs Ark has recently had Westons Old Rosie real cider available - this is a real bonus to the area which is otherwise pretty sparse for the proper stuff, it also goes some way to make up for the removal of Abbot Ale from the bar.

Toddington
After months of rumour & speculation, the Sow & Pigs is most definitely closed. This is a sad occurrence for this once great pub where the South Bedfordshire CAMRA branch was formed. Greene King say that the future of the pub is currently 'under review'.