After our August break the next branch meeting is Tuesday 10th Sept @ The Tram Inn, Market Place, South Shields (was Rosie Malones). Starts 20:00. All branch members welcome.

Next NE CAMRA Regional meeting is Saturday 31st August @ Durham University Students Union, Old Elvet, Durham. {NB This is also the last day of the Durham Beer Festival at the same location.}

The Dark Side of the Half Moon. 

For years a bunch of mates have drunk in their local pub The Half Moon - a traditional fleapit of an English pub. But all is about to change when the landlord, Trevor, decides The Half Moon is to become a trendy café bar. The locals, Jesus an ageing Pink Floyd fan, Harry a journalist and Tommy an allotment holder, are appalled by this and decide to revolt.

Add to the mix the huge tensions between Trevor and his brother Rob, an ex-footballer; something obviously going on between Trevor and Shelagh, the cleaner; Tommy's nephew Stan, who is a few sandwiches short of a picnic; and Trevor's missing wife Maria, and you have a perfect combination of hilarious laughs with more than a hint of mystery.

Written by National TV Comedy Award nominees Brian Walsh & Neil Armstrong, this is a great comedy for one and all, especially if you harbour an affection for the traditional old boozer! 

We are pleased that we can announce the support of Jarrow Brewery for this production.
The brewery is creating a special dark ale (which will be named "Half Moon") which will be available to all real ale pubs.
The brewery is also providing us with a hand pump for the actors to use on stage as well as allowing us to use its various pubs to film a variety of short vignettes where the characters will rant about weekly topics as well as having a real ale recommendation.

From Gareth Hunter of ION Entertainment.

“WhatPub.com”, CAMRA’s own online guide to real ale pubs will be launched to the public at the end of September/beginning of October.  (Currently only CAMRA members have access.)

Several branch members have already put in a huge effort, with the help of fellow members at Tyneside branch's "SPILE" team to get our entries to the stage they are currently at.....but it is a big demand on the volunteer’s time & what we currently have is still very much a work in progress!

None the less, your help so far & in the future is very welcome.

Please keep amendments & comments coming....Although it may seem nothing happens for quite a while do be assured that every comment is logged, available to the whole team & will be acted on at some stage. Also don’t be afraid to send negative criticism as well as positive, at the end of the day this is all about CAMRA providing the public with a pubs database that is useful and reasonably accurate.

See also the guide to using WhatPub in CAMRA Angle 32. (Which can be downloaded now from http://camra-angle.co.uk/)