The Dolphin in the Old Town is a welcoming pub which has a full programme of evening events which attract members of the local community and beyond in impressive numbers. It is very fitting therefore that the pub was voted Community Pub of 2024 by CAMRA branch members, to add to the previous awards gained by the pub. Our pictures show Vice Chair Roger giving the thumbs up to the pub’s family in front of the bar and particularly Mark, Maureen, Laura, Louise and Frazer who are with him behind the bar.

Already the Branch and Sussex Cider Pub of the Year, branch members were pleased to vote the Robin Hood our Country Pub of 2024 and were delighted to make another visit to Icklesham to see Cider Rep Angela present landlady Carly with the award. Our pictures show the two of them with the certificate, Carly with the branch members present and branch members enjoying their beer or cider and the pub’s hospitality.

LocAle Pub of the Year Presentation.

The Picture Playhouse, Bexhill’s Wetherspoon’s, was voted branch LocAle Pub of the Year 2024. Members gathered to witness the first branch award for this pub, as branch vice chair Roger presents the award to manager, Sonia. We were pleased to find three LocAle beers available that evening among the large varied offering on the bar.

A coach party of members went to the Roger Daltrey’s family’s Lakedown Brewery at the site of his Trout Fishery, to present the Sussex Beer of the Festival at Eastbourne 2023. Our pictures show members in both the brewery with Head Brewer, Clark and relaxing in the brewery bar by one of the lakes

The multi award winning pub, the Tower, was Branch Pub of the Year Runner Up for 2024. In our picture, Peter Page-Mitchell, pub regular and ex Branch chair, presents licensee Louisa Gover (centre) along with staff member Maisie.

The Waterworks received its seventh CAMRA award in six years when branch members once again met up in the pub with landlord David, from whom we received the usual effusive welcome. The pub has been cider pub of the year or runner four times in the last five years, this year having been judged runner up. Vice Chair Roger (left) is shown presenting the certificate to David who expressed his enthusiasm for CAMRA awards.

South East Sussex Branch of CAMRA was formed in 1974 and one of our previous Branch Chairmen, Peter Page-Mitchell, proposed, organised and acted as Master of Ceremonies at a lunchtime celebration event at the White Rock Hotel. Our first pictures show Peter standing at the corner of a table welcoming over 50 past and present members and introducing the guest speaker, John Williams, the founding Chairman.

In an interesting and entertaining talk John described how he and some other like-minded young people advertised a meeting in the Prince Albert pub, Hastings and were amazed to find a room full of real ale enthusiasts and so the branch was formed. He continued to describe the early years of the branch and was given a rousing round of applause at the end.

The event was hosted by Laurence and Catherine, proprietors of the White Rock, who very kindly provided an excellent buffet ‘on the house’, with no charge for the use of the large room. Pictured below, standing to the left of Peter P-M is Laurence, who was also shown our appreciation with prolonged applause.

In return we kept the four handpumps busy throughout the event, one featuring a couple of casks of a celebration ale, ‘CAMRA South East Sussex 50th Anniversary Beer’. This was conceived and brewed by Rother Valley Brewer and a past Branch Chairman, Colin Smith, who was in attendance; it went down extremely well with those present, more applause, and also in the other local pubs which sold it.

The picture above shows a couple of documents being read, copies of our complete record year by year, of all the pubs in our branch area, including the Sub Branch, which have ever appeared in the Good Beer Guide since the first small booklet in 1972, along with a listing of pub and brewery awards, as far back as we have records.

While (above) some found the distractions of the outside world unmissable. There was plenty of time for socialising …

and for going to the bar, especially for the celebration ale as seen here, is that an empty glass I can see?

All in all an excellent and worthwhile event, particular thanks to Peter P-M, as expressed in the usual manner by the participants. Thanks to all who attended and notably to John, Laurence and Colin. In reply to Peter’s thanks to John after the event, John wrote a reply including: ‘I thoroughly enjoyed myself and the welcome. ... It was much appreciated. It was lovely to see the branch in such good health and in such good hands’. Copies of the two documents referred to above can be found in the members’ area of the branch website or by following these links.

Congratulations to Club Chairman Dorothy, Steward Emma and Cellerman Peter for the club winning Branch Club of the Year 2024. Pictured are Dorothy (centre) with Emma and Branch Chairman Matt.

A group of Members from the Branch visited the Robin Hood on Tuesday 7th May to present the Cider Pub of the Year Award for 2024. The first picture shows outgoing Branch Cider Rep Phil Packham presenting the Award certificate to licensee Carly D’Arcy. Other pictures show: Carly with members of her family and staff proudly displaying the Award;

Branch Members enjoying the extensive range of cider and perry available.