We’re delighted to announce the launch of CAMRA’s LocAle scheme in Western Sussex. Currently we have five pubs signed up, but will be rolling the scheme out across the branch area over 2012. (Sadly, we weren’t able to get LocAle surveying classified as an Olympic event…)

Pubs that commit to keeping at least one local real ale available — where “local” is defined as “within a 25 mile radius of the branch boundary” — will receive posters and other material, and will be listed on the Western Sussex CAMRA LocAle page.

If you’re looking to reduce your “beer miles”, why not look for the LocAle symbol on the handpump?

The Globe Inn, Chichester (just outside the station) is having another beer festival, running from Thursday December 1 to Sunday December 4. We currently don’t know which ales are going to be on — based on experience with Yapton, any list this far out would end up changing anyway — but hopefully we’ll have more details nearer the time.

They’re also having a fifth hand pump installed to add to their current range of Brakspear, Hobgoblin, Doom Bar and Pedigree.

Congratulations to the Globe on the recent success in the Great British Pub Awards, too: it’s now officially Britain’s best sports pub!

The Globe Inn by Chichester railway station is having a beer festival over the Bank Holiday weekend (May 27–30) with 12 Sussex beers.

They’ve also got various entertainments lined up: a 70s/80s/90s pop disco on the Friday evening, Spirit FM broadcasting live from the pub from 10am to 2pm on the Saturday, followed by the UEFA Champions League final on their 103″ TV. Sunday from 6pm to 9pm will have music from Masterplan (an Oasis/Noel Gallagher tribute band) and Monday will have karaoke from 8pm.

The Western Sussex CAMRA Branch Pub of the Year for 2011 is the Maypole Inn, Yapton.

Congratulations to Kelly and Stuart on a well-earned win!

The presentation evening is Friday, May 20 (just enough time to recover from a certain beer festival…) All are welcome!

Also reopening under new management is the Olive Branch in Yapton, with local landlord Nick Botting. The plan is to turn round the pub’s fortunes by talking to locals and asking what they want from their pub.

Once the kitchen has been refurbished — hopefully in the next few days — the pub will be offering traditional pub food from 12:00 – 14:30 and 18:00 – 21:30, plus breakfast from 08:30 (no alcohol sales this early, though!)

Plans include a weekly pub quiz on Thursdays (with free food for participants), a poker league, darts and pool, plus karaoke on two Saturdays a month and a monthly open mic event on a Sunday. A Christmas raffle and New Year’s Eve party are also coming up.

An extensive range of beers, wines and spirits is promised, with up to four real ales — no word on what they might be yet, but Nick says the Olive Branch will accommodate your needs if you prefer a tipple “not traditionally sold and generally available in other pubs”. (Thornbridge Jaipur IPA always seems to sell very quickly at Yapton Beerex, so here’s hoping for some of that — Ed)

The pub’s has a website: the Olive Branch, Yapton and a Facebook page

The Bull in Chichester has reopened on a free-of-tie lease, currently with Harvey’s Best and Hepworth Prospect on handpump, plus Sharps Doom Bar and Hepworth Sussex on gravity dispense. Hopefully another Sussex beer will be joining them on gravity in the near future.

Keith Dixon (formerly of the Rainbow) and Bill O’Hagan (of sausage fame) are behind the reopening, so beer quality should be assured…

The Stag’s Head, Westbourne is having a beer festival over the August Bank Holiday weekend (that’s Aug 28–30 if you don’t have your diary handy) with up to 25 different beers and ciders. There’ll also be a hog roast, live music in the evenings, and a tug of war competition during the day, as well as limited over cricket and other activities.

Camping will also be available: handy since the nearest station is a fair walk away!

Contact Fred Gordon on 01243 372393 for more details.

The White Swan in Bosham closed earlier this year, but the locals aren’t taking it lying down: they have formed a campaign to buy the pub and run it as a community-owned facility. The meeting held last week was well-attended (and started half an hour earlier than the local paper said, so we missed most of it, alas) and showed strong support for the plan.

Details of the campaign to save the White Swan, Bosham are available at the Bosham Community website.

(The White Swan is a former branch pub of the year: another local example of a community-owned pub is the current branch pub of the year, the Duke of Cumberland Arms, Henley.)

The Olive Branch (formerly the Black Dog) in Yapton has been closed for a few months now, with occasional signs of work taking place. It has now opened again (on May 15, just in time for the Yapton Beerex!)

We’ve not had any reports so far (plenty of us in the area last weekend, but we were a tad busy) though it’s believed to be selling Greene King beers. (Update: last Sunday, the beer range was Greene King IPA, Fuller’s London Pride, and Courage Best, though the Best was turned around at the time.)

Down the road, the Shoulder Of Mutton And Cucumbers has an “under offer” sign outside. Whether the offer involves it staying as a pub is unknown…

The Stag’s Head in Westbourne is having a beer festival over the Easter weekend, starting at about 2 on Good Friday and going through until at least the Sunday evening (and possibly into the Monday if there’s any left!)

There’s a hog roast on Friday evening, and about 15 beers should be on sale — plus hopefully a few ciders, too…