11 Aug
London News: New Cross local named best pub in Britain.

An eccentric local boozer in New Cross has been named best pub in Britain.
More.....

and a word of warning - Official: Beer goggles DO exist
More.....

8 Aug
Cains Beer Company calls in the Administrator

Around 1,000 jobs are under threat at Cains Beer Company after the brewer and pubs group went into administration.
The future of the group's historic Cains brewery in Liverpool and its 100 pubs now hang in the balance

More.............

Later........
Marston's tipped to take over Cains
More.............

Boot & Shoe, Barwell (see Aug 5 below)
M&B Mild has now arrived!

7 Aug
More Garments & New Colour choice for our Leisurewear Range!!
Updated Logo!

Order now for delivery prior to the Beer Festival.

Click here to see the range.

6 Aug
Alton's Pride is named Champion Beer of Britain 2008 at the Great British Beer Festival

Alton's Pride brewed by Triple fff Brewery in Hampshire was today judged to be the best beer in Britain by a panel of brewers, beer writers and journalists.

Full List of Winners

5 Aug
Boot & Shoe - a New Free House opens in Barwell!

Built & opened in 1964, the Red Hall eventually closed at the beginning of this year. However, it has now been completely refurbished, has a new kitchen & has re-opened as the Boot & Shoe. Situated in Moore Road, Barwell, it offers lunchtime & evening food. At present, the landlord, Kevin Bavister is offering beers from Charles Wells & Young's, however this may change due to customer requests. The first change will be the addition of M&B Mild. From H&B CAMRA's point of view, it's good to have another free house in our area & we wish Kevin, his wife & staff all the best in their new venture.
The Boot & Shoe can be contacted on 01455 840730.

30 July
HELPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you a qualified First Aider?
Do you have any spare time during the set up period of our Beer Festival (Sun 7th to Thurs 11th September 2008)?
Would you be prepared to come and help us?
If so, contact Alan on 01455 230872

19 July
A Butler from Burbage
Robert Butler was born in Hinckley 31st October 1807 and was christened at St Mary’s Hinckley. Sometime in July 1834 he married Mary Liggins at St Catherine’s Burbage. Their son, William, was born 11th August 1835, he was christened at Burbage.

 Robert and Mary first show up on the 1871 census living in New Buildings, Hinckley. Robert was a Worsted Hose Weaver. William has by now moved away. We then have a gap until 1901 when Robert is listed as living at 2 London Road, Hinckley aged 94 living on his own means, with Ann Ball as his Housekeeper (Domestic) she was from Stoke Golding. When he died in March 1904 he was reckoned to be the oldest inhabitant of Hinckley aged 97.

 In the Hinckley Times of 26th March 1904 there is a short article about his passing. It states that Robert was known to walk to Coventry once a week to sell his wares. He was also classed as an eccentric, as he was often seen walking around Hinckley in an old style chimney pot hat.

 We can see on the bottom of the grave mention of their son William, who is buried in Birmingham. William left home to earn his money in Birmingham, with just a halfpenny in his pocket. He worked as a Barman at the Crown Inn a Public House on Broad Street. In 1866 he took over the license of the London Works Tavern in Smethwick. Tens years later he moved back to the crown as the Licensee and Brewer. In 1898 he merged with Henry Mitchell to form Mitchells and Butlers.

 Burbage therefore has a link to Mitchells and Butlers, surprising considering we are now all Marstons.

Source: An extract from a talk given by Martin Mellor

13 July
CAMRA Members - Join the Good Beer Guide Privilege Club and save £3.50 on the CAMRA Members' price, paying each year by Direct Debit.
More....

More sad news - The Blue Lion at Witherley is currently closed & believed to be for sale.

10 July
Leicester Branch have chosen the Windmill at Brascote as their next Pub of the Month (PotM). Our congratulations to Chris James, who is, of course, a member of the H&B Branch. The presentation will be at the Windmill, on Wednesday 17th September, when Chris hopes to have all three Battlefield beers available.
Windmill website

Find Good Beer Guide pubs using satellite navigation!
Good Beer Guide 2008 now available as a Points of Interest (POI) file for TomTom Sat-Nav.

More details...

9 July
Sad news from (just) over the border
After nearly two years on the market it appears that the historic Four Counties Inn at No Mans Heath has been sold. A sign on the door informs that refurbishment is taking place at the Four Counties spice restaurant, This pub, for several years a GBG entry, has been owned by the family of the landlady, Sandra Pitch for many years and will be a great loss on the Real Ale scene. In years gone by it could well have been within the boundaries of  the Hinckley and Bosworth CAMRA branch. I have it on good authority, the landlady's and others, that a split stone in the cellar marks the original junction of Leicester, Stafford, Warwick and Derby counties, although I have not seen this myself.
Source David Drake

BBC article & video 

 4 July
Full Branch Status!!
The CAMRA National Executive has approved our application for full Branch status. This will become effective at the AGM to be held on Tuesday 16th September at Ashby Road Sports Club.

2 July
Another H&B CAMRA member ventures into the pub trade!

The Cross Keys in Burbage - a pub with the potential to be one of the best in our area - will, on Monday, be taken over by Jeff Parratt, a member of H&B CAMRA, and Johnny Malin, both from Burbage. This news comes within a month of members Tim & Lisa Brotherhood taking the Elephant & Castle in Thurlaston.  It is almost exactly 12 months since the previous Landlord, Les Pocock, moved in.
Jeff tells us the priority is to get the beers right & to get the pub back to the standard it achieved in years gone by.
Hinckley & Bosworth CAMRA wish Jeff & John the best of luck with their project.

30June

A new magazine has appeared, called Real Ale Heaven, it may be of interest. It offers a quarterly mag. + a bottle of Real Ale, delivered to your door

Check their website at www.realaleheaven.com

3 June
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has today announced the winners of its annual Pub Design Awards, which celebrate the very best in vision, imagination and restraint in Britain's pubs.
The Winners:
Refurbishment Award and CAMRA / English Heritage Conservation Award - The Weaver Hotel, South Parade, Weston Point, Runcorn, Cheshire.
Conversion to Pub Use Award - The Tobie Norris, Stamford, Lincolnshire.
New Build Pub Award - The Black Horse Inn, Walcote, Leics.
The judges said, "For the first time in many years, the judges are delighted to be be able to present an award for a New Buildpub. Local architects Twigg and Associates, working closely with the owner Andy Clipston, have replaced the pub that originally stood in this village. The old pub was deemed by the thoughtless local authority to be `too close to the road´ and in the way of a planned `executive housing estate´ - as blatant an instance of urban vandalism and detrimental `improvement´ as you can get. Then the White Knight rode in: a former pub regular, Andrew Clipston, intervened to buy the site and rebuild the pub - ensuring that the new building was now a regulation two metres from the main road. This pub has had both critics and defenders - but one which, we feel, on balance deserves an award, if only to celebrate the Phoenix-like rebirth of the village's social focus."