There are a number of beer festivals on over the forthcoming Bank Holiday weekend and full details of these and future events are given in the activities listing below.

A reminder that The New Inn on Havelock Street, Canterbury are having a Bank Holiday beer festival; please note that this starts this Thursday 31st May and not on the Friday as quoted in my last news sheet. It carries on until Tuesday 5th June. There will be 25 different beers available during the festival period, with about 10 on at any one time. There will be a BBQ, bands and Morris Dancing on the Saturday. Please note that the branch will be holding an informal gathering at The New Inn on Thursday night, 31st May from about 8:00 onwards and we will be pleased to see as many of you as can get along there that night.

A reminder, too, about the Haywain Beer Festival which runs from Friday 1st to Tuesday 4th June. There will be 32 real ales and ciders, live music and a barbecue. Opening times are Friday 7 p.m. to 11.30; Saturday 12 p.m. to midnight; Sunday 12 p.m. to 10.30 and Monday 12 p.m. to 6. For further information, please contact Kevin on 01227 720676. I plan to be there on Friday night, which is always a good time with good music and all of the beers generally available. There is a regular bus service between Sandwich and Canterbury which stops outside the door and runs until late at night. Please check the Stagecoach East Kent web site for times.

The CAMRA Branch Beer Tent in aid of charity will be at Tunbridge Wells Cricket Week next week between Wednesday 6th and Sunday 10th June with Kent matches against Hampshire (4 days) and Northamptonshire (Sunday). Charities are: Age UK, Arthritis Research, and Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. For further information or if you would like to volunteer to help, please contact Gill Keay by telephone 01227 463478 or email: gillandgerrykeay@btinternet.com

The mini coach tour of the branch country pubs on Saturday, 16th June is fully booked. If any seats become available through cancellation, I will let you know.

The Stagecoach Explorer day out has now been confirmed and will be on Saturday 4th August; we will probably be visiting Hythe, Folkestone and the Elham Valley. The itinerary and timings will be given shortly.

The updated list of all known local activities is below. Please keep me informed of any other local beer festivals and beer related activities and I will add to it as the summer progresses.

Thursday 31st May to Tuesday 5th June: Beer Festival at The New Inn, Havelock Street, Canterbury

Friday 1st to Monday 4th June: Whitsun Holiday Beer Festival at The Haywain at Bramling.

Friday 1st to Monday 4th June: Crabble Corn Mill 8th annual beer festival.

Friday 1st to Tuesday 5th June: Queen’s Jubilee Beer Festival at The Chequers Inn, Stone Street, Petham

Wednesday 6th to Sunday 10th June: Cricket beer Tent at Tunbridge Wells (Kent v. Hampshire 6th to 9th & Kent v. Northamptonshire 10th)

Friday 8th to Sunday 10th June: Beerfest at The Duke of Cumberland at Barham

Saturday 16th June: Luxury Mini Coach Tour of the Branch Area.

Saturday 16th June: 4th Kent & East Sussex Railway Real Ale & Cider Festival at Tenterden Town Station.

Wednesday 20th June: Branch meeting at The Prince of Wales, Mortimer Street, Herne Bay

Thursday 5th to Sunday 8th July: Summer Beer Festival at The Frog & Orange at Shatterling

Friday 13th to Sunday 15th July: SIBA Beer Festival at Tonbridge Juddians Rugby Club in the centre of Tonbridge; free entry and free souvenir glass for all card carrying CAMRA members. There are trains between Canterbury West and Tonbridge.

Saturday July 14th: CAMRA Beer Tent at Hambrook Haymaking Festival just outside Canterbury between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m..

Thursday 19th to Saturday 21st July: Kent Beer Festival 2012 at Merton Farm off Nackington Lane, Canterbury.

Wednesday 25th July: Branch meeting at The Four Horseshoes, Borstal Hill, Whitstable

Saturday 4th August: Stagecoach Explorer day out in Folkestone, Hythe and the Elham Valley

Wednesday 8th to Sunday 12th August: Cricket beer Tent at Canterbury (Kent v. Essex 8th to 11th & Kent v. Derbyshire 12th)

Wednesday 15th August: Branch meeting at The Parrot, 3 Church Lane, Canterbury

Saturday 25th to Monday 27th August: East Kent Railway Beer Festival at Eyethorne.

Saturday 1st/ Sunday 2nd September: Faversham International Hop Festival (and CAMRA Beer Stall).

Friday 28th to Sunday 30th September: Late Summer Beer Festival at The Haywain at Bramling.

Please get in touch if you require any further information on any of the above events. You can contact me by phone on 01227 711019 or by email: John.Hedington@btinternet.com

John Hedington Social Organiser
CAMRA Canterbury Herne Bay and Whitstable Branch

Details of branch events are also on our Facebook Page

http://www.facebook.com/CAMRACanterbury

We are also on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CAMRACanterbury