On a bitingly cold day we met in Shaldon. We visited the following pubs:
The London Inn - We arrived a bit early, the pub lines were being cleaned, so we were rewarded with a fresh pint of Otter Bitter. Other beers on were St Austell Proper Job and Dartmoor Jail Ale.
After suitable refreshment, 11 of us (a mixture of South Devon and Exeter and East Devon branches) walked to the Ferry Boat Inn which had Dartmoor Jail, Teignmouth Deckhand and Salcombe Gold available.. The Deckhand was in fair condition and at this point the decision was taken not to brave the minus 5C wind chill across the bridge and to visit The Ness instead. The Ness is a Hall and Woodhouse pub which appears to have been neglected by the branch in the recent past.

On arrival at The Ness we were allocated an area in the lounge and sampled the three beers on offer. Tanglefoot, Badger Bitter and Fursty Ferret, all in good condition.

I had arranged for the Shipwrights Arms to open early at 3pm. We presented them with their Good Beer Guide (GBG) Landlord pack and explained what the GBG was all about and its benefits. Beers on offer were Red Rock Breakwater, Platform 5 Coaster, and Bays Jingle Ale. The pub intends to stock two beers from Bays or Platform 5 and a further beer from another local brewer. Beers were in good condition, but a bit too cold and also at £5.00 a pint, the most expensive of the day.

After a suitable time at the Shipwrights, the group split up with some brave souls heading over Shaldon Bridge to Teignmouth and the rest heading homewards as the weather was getting colder. Stagecoach were running late so after a bit of a chilly wait , the 22 bus arrived and on reaching my part of Torquay, I popped into the Kents and had a pint of Dartmoor Dragons Breath, which was in good condition.
All in all a successful day with the exception of not getting to Bishopsteignton.
Lawrence Stringer (Branch Secretary)

The London Inn Bar at the Ferryboat Inn Shipwrights Bar Bar at the Kents