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The Thoughts of Chairman Mick
by Mick Lewis
As we go to press, it seems that Old English Inns - who have both pubs and hotels - are about to be taken over by Greene King. Presumably, Greene King now has too many beers and not enough pubs. And it seems like only yesterday that they were just an average-sized regional.
Innovation has once again reared its ugly head. Scottish Courage has invented a system for spraying Miller lager with a tight creamy head that lasts to the end of the pint. This will be done at the bar, after the glass has been filled. Next, they're going to find a way of putting some flavour into it but that might take a bit longer.
If you want to make any comments about pubs in the North London CAMRA area (N, NW and WC1), a new discussion group on the Internet has just started. Just go to NorthLondonPubs@yahoogroups.com and let us know what's going on in your local - good or bad.
CAMRA'S annual cider trip takes place on Saturday 13 October. Leaving Bristol at 11am, it will visit three cider makers - Wilkins, Hecks and Burrow Hill. Cost is £12 (incl. lunch) and further details can be obtained from CAMRA HQ. It's usually a very quiet, sedate day (?).
The lease of the Salisbury in Harringay is currently up for sale. Anyone who wants to turn a magnificent building into a decent pub will need around 200K. It's about time that somebody took on this pub and actually did something constructive with it.
For Once, EU legislation has done something useful. The owners of a village pub in Fife, who were planning to turn it into two houses, have been told that it would contravene the human rights of locals who drank there. I'm not sure how it would work in London though but three cheers for the European Union anyway (never thought I'd ever say that).
Woodpecker Cider has a new label design, described as funky and full of character. That's the label, not the cider.
I see that a landlord in Lancashire has lost his appeal after being convicted of showing Sky Sports without a contract. Now if only he'd stuck to Orient matches, he wouldn't have had a problem!
Mick Lewis
Reproduced from the Full Pint, Issue 12.
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