Wed 26 Oct 2011	Social trip to Countryman Cider. A group of us travelled out to Felldownhead for a tour around the cider mill with Vernon followed by some welcome food and cider in the barn.
Sun 18 Sep 2011	Walking Group trip to Birch Tor and the Warren House. On the last day of the Transmoor Link bus service for 2011 we alighted at Bennett’s Cross. Andy led us around the boundary of the warren and up onto Birch Tor. We dropped down to Headland Warren Farm and then on to the disused Vitifier tin mine, stopping at a stone row en route. After scrambling up through some more old workings we crossed the leat and climbed up to the shelter of the Warren House Inn.
Wed 24 Aug 2011	General update. Later in October 2010 we had a well attended minibus trip to Holberton, Yealmpton and Brixton and a similar trip to Horsebridge, Milton Abbot and Lamerton. Our Branch Christmas Meal was held at the Artillery Arms in Stonehouse early in December we rounded off 2010 with a Barbican Bimble between Christmas and New Year. Our first meeting of 2011 was at the Union Inn in Plympton. Now a freehouse the new owners made us very welcome. We had a wintery minibus trip to California Cross and Modbury in late January and a busy programme of events followed in February including a Branch Meeting at the Clovelly Bay Inn, our Good Beer Guide Selection Meeting at the Fortescue, a minibus trip to Avonwick and Ugborough and a Regional Meeting hosted by our branch at the Plymouth Hoe Club. March started with a Branch Meeting at the Imperial in Ivybridge followed by a quick tour of some of the town’s other pubs. There then followed a minibus trip to the three pubs in Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo and at the end of the month a Saturday minibus trip to Kingston, Ringmore, Bigbury and Burgh Island (report and pictures further down the page). Our AGM was held above the Thistle Park Tavern on Saturday 9th April with a subsequent meeting in June to accept the audited accounts at the Walkhampton Inn. In May there was a public transport trip to Bere Ferrers and Bere Alston, our Branch Meeting at the Artillery Arms was well attended and the inaugural walking group event took place on a typically wet Late May Bank Holiday Monday on Dartmoor (report and pictures further down the page). During June we presented our Pub of the Year certificates to the Clovelly Bay Inn at Turnchapel and the Foxhound at Brixton, were invited to the launch of St Austell’s new beer at the brewery and made our annual pilgrimage to the Tom Cobley at Spreyton, calling in at the Plume of Feathers in Princetown for their beer festival. Our annual beer festival at the Pavilions in mid July was very successful with more than 3,000 people attending over the two days. This was preceded by a Branch Meeting on a Thursday at the Boringdon Arms. With no Branch Meeting in August our social events have included a wander taking in the Brass Monkey, Swan, Notte Inn and Minerva and a trip by public transport around Yelverton and Princetown (report and pictures further down the page).
Sat 13 Aug 2011	Public Transport Trip Around Yelverton The cuts to the timetables for the circular bus routes around Yelverton in April 2011 forced some amendments to our tried and tested route. First stop was the Royal Oak at Meavy, which opens at 11am. With almost an hour gap in the service at lunchtime we opted to stay on the bus as it made its way to Tavistock and alighted at the cattle grid near Horrabridge. After locating the path up onto the moor we made our way across and down to Buckland Monachorum with just enough time for a quick pint at the Drake Manor. Lee joined us as we jumped onto the bus over to Milton Combe for a more leisurely alfresco stop. An hour later we headed back to Yelverton and from there straight to Princetown where we had enough time to visit both pubs briefly. We caught the next bus back as far as Dousland and descended to the Walkhampton Inn, which opens all day on Saturday and Sunday in the summer. We climbed back up the hill to Dousland where we enjoyed our ales in the Burrator Inn’s beer garden. Just as we were making our way down to the front of the pub the bus flew past a good 10 minutes early so we walked along the road to Yelverton where only a brief stop in the Rock was available before the bus to Plymouth departed.
Mon 30 May 2011	On the morning of the Late May Bank Holiday Monday a few of us set out on the inaugural Plymouth CAMRA Walking Group event. The original plan was revised due to the poor visibility so we left the Transmoor Link bus at the top of the drive for Powder Mills Pottery. Andy Bull guided us on a short walk around the ruins of the gunpowder mills and across farmland to the road, where we crossed into the plantation. He shared with us some recent history of the area as well as that of the more ancient sites in the clearings. We reached Postbridge at lunchtime where after a brief visit to the Tourist Information Centre we retired to the East Dart Hotel. There we were joined by a few non-walkers for lunch and a couple of us ventured up to the Warren House before heading back to Plymouth on the bus.
Sat 26 Mar 2011	On the last Saturday in March we went on a campaigning trip to the South Hams. First stop was the Dolphin at Kingston and then on to the Journey’s End at Ringmore. From there we visited the Royal Oak at Bigbury (only the one ale here) before crossing the sands to the Pilchard on Burgh Island (where 3 ales where on offer). On our way back into Plymouth we stopped off at the Volunteer in Yealmpton and the Foxhound at Brixton.
Sat 9 Oct 2010	On Saturday 9th October a few of us caught the bus to Yelverton, then the 82 Transmoor Link bus to visit the Beer and Food Festival at the East Dart Hotel in Postbridge. This featured 11 or 12 beers from Dartmoor, Gidley’s, Otter and Teignworthy breweries and cider from Countryman. Despite the rather gloomy weather there were plenty of people coming and going. Sadly we couldn’t get back on Sunday for Mad Dog! The following Saturday several of us again caught the bus up to Yelverton and then travelled on to Milton Combe, Buckland Monachorum and Princetown using the 55, 56 and 98 buses. The glorious weather allowed us to bask outside the Who’d Have Thought It and enjoy the garden at the Drake Manor. It was somewhat colder in Princetown so we ventured inside for a few games of pool at the Prince of Wales and some warmth in the Plume of Feathers. On Saturday 30th we mustered sufficient numbers to travel by minibus towards Tavistock and the edge of Dartmoor. First stop was the Castle at Lydford where we started Lee's birthday celebrations. Taking a slightly odd route we called in at the Trout n Tipple to say goodbye to Shaun and Julie on their last weekend at the helm. From there we went to the Peter Tavy and by the back road to the Elephant’s Nest at Horndon. Sadly the Mary Tavy had closed for the afternoon so it was straight down to Tavistock and the Tavy Inn, Cornish Arms and finally the Bedford Hotel before heading back to Plymouth.
Mon 31 May 2010	Beer Festival at The Who'd Have Thought It in Milton Comb 29th-31st May 2010. A good range of well kept beers where to be found in the centre room on a busy bank holiday Monday. All casks where cooled by evaporation and offered up Draught Bass; Otter Ale; Exmoor; Gold; St Austell Tun 50, Black Prince, Tribute, and Proper Job; and Skinners Pheasant Plucker. Also from the bar were Dartmoor Legend; RCH Old Slug Porter and Teignworthy Martha's Mild. The half pint glasses, with pheasant logo, where sold in aid of Dartmoor Rescue and enabled a discounted price on beer purchases.
Sat 22 May 2010	On Saturday 22 May, a lovely early summer day, a group of us travelled to Spreyton and spent an enjoyable lunchtime in the beer garden of the Tom Cobley. On the way back to Plymouth we called at the Taw River in Sticklepath and back within our branch area, the Mary Tavy Inn and the Royal Oak at Meavy. We have been fortunate enough to visit some of our outlying pubs by minibus on very pleasant summer evenings recently. On Wednesday 2 June we visited the Royal Inn at Horsebridge, the Edgcumbe Arms at Milton Abbot and the Blacksmiths Arms at Lamerton. On Wednesday 16 June we headed off to the South Hams, enjoying the beer gardens behind the Royal Oak at Bigbury and the Journey’s End at Ringmore and the bars of the Dolphin at Kingston and Modbury Inn.