Real Ale, Real Issues
Discussion
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2805254
Speed Cameras Leave Brewery Boss Bitter
By Paul Watson, PA News
A brewery boss has named one of his ales Highway Robbery in a protest over speed cameras.
Dave Roberts, who has been caught twice by cameras, said the name reflected what many people thought about the controversial cameras being purely money-making gadgets.
The 38-year-old, who runs the independent Northumberland Brewery in Bedlington, said the new hand-pulled real ale was proving a hit with drinkers and his first batch sold out within a week.
It is now being sold across the North East, Scotland and the North West through the free houses he supplies.
The pump crest shows a speed camera dressed up as a highway robber, which he feels sums up the idea.
Mr Roberts said: ?Stagecoaches used to run from York to Edinburgh and highwaymen would rob them.
?Now you can get robbed and not even know about it until the letter comes through the post for £60.
?Both myself and my delivery driver have been caught and while I agree with speed cameras in built-up areas, it?s when they put them in places where traffic runs normally that I get annoyed.
?The vans are the main concern as people tend to slam the brakes on whenever they see a white van parked up and most of the time it is not even a camera van.
?People are really supportive of this beer and it?s selling out.
?We are brewing it week in and week out and it?s going really well.?
Ray King, project manager for the Northumbria Safety Camera Partnership, denied cameras were there to make money out of unsuspecting drivers.
?We don?t want to catch people out, we want to slow them down.
?The money goes to central government and we can only reclaim what is spent on camera enforcement and training and education initiatives.
?No money can be spent by the police and local authorities on anything other than that.?
He added that the siting of fixed cameras was determined by accident statistics over the years.
?Fixed cameras can only be sited where there has been at least four collisions in the past three years which have resulted in fatalities or serious injuries.?
======================================
I've been talking with Dave Roberts, the brewery boss. Here's the logo:
And I have already sent out the following supporting Safe Speed PR:
====================================
PR118: Real ale, real issues. It's Highway Robbery!
News: for immediate release
Northumberland Brewery have announced the availability of a new ale
called "Highway Robbery". This follows a couple of chance encounters
between the Dave Roberts, the brewery boss, and speed cameras.
Dave said: "This is my small protest against unnecessary and unwanted
road side mugging machines."
The pump crest shows a speed camera in Dick Turpin guise complete with
eye patch and twin pistols.
Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign said: "I
hope Dave's protest brings the real issues to a wider audience. It's
about time that the Government owned up to the fact that they have
destroyed the earlier excellent trends in UK road safety."
Paul continues: "It's great to see that the British spirit for light
hearted yet effective protest is alive and well and living in
Northumberland. We wish Dave Roberts and his team every success with
the new beer."
Dave said: "Stagecoaches used to run from York to Edinburgh and
highwaymen would rob them. Now you can get robbed and not even know
about it until the letter comes through the post demanding £60!"
========================================
Nice one Dave!
Best Regards,
Paul Smith
Safe Speed
www.safespeed.org.uk
Speed Cameras Leave Brewery Boss Bitter
By Paul Watson, PA News
A brewery boss has named one of his ales Highway Robbery in a protest over speed cameras.
Dave Roberts, who has been caught twice by cameras, said the name reflected what many people thought about the controversial cameras being purely money-making gadgets.
The 38-year-old, who runs the independent Northumberland Brewery in Bedlington, said the new hand-pulled real ale was proving a hit with drinkers and his first batch sold out within a week.
It is now being sold across the North East, Scotland and the North West through the free houses he supplies.
The pump crest shows a speed camera dressed up as a highway robber, which he feels sums up the idea.
Mr Roberts said: ?Stagecoaches used to run from York to Edinburgh and highwaymen would rob them.
?Now you can get robbed and not even know about it until the letter comes through the post for £60.
?Both myself and my delivery driver have been caught and while I agree with speed cameras in built-up areas, it?s when they put them in places where traffic runs normally that I get annoyed.
?The vans are the main concern as people tend to slam the brakes on whenever they see a white van parked up and most of the time it is not even a camera van.
?People are really supportive of this beer and it?s selling out.
?We are brewing it week in and week out and it?s going really well.?
Ray King, project manager for the Northumbria Safety Camera Partnership, denied cameras were there to make money out of unsuspecting drivers.
?We don?t want to catch people out, we want to slow them down.
?The money goes to central government and we can only reclaim what is spent on camera enforcement and training and education initiatives.
?No money can be spent by the police and local authorities on anything other than that.?
He added that the siting of fixed cameras was determined by accident statistics over the years.
?Fixed cameras can only be sited where there has been at least four collisions in the past three years which have resulted in fatalities or serious injuries.?
======================================
I've been talking with Dave Roberts, the brewery boss. Here's the logo:
And I have already sent out the following supporting Safe Speed PR:
====================================
PR118: Real ale, real issues. It's Highway Robbery!
News: for immediate release
Northumberland Brewery have announced the availability of a new ale
called "Highway Robbery". This follows a couple of chance encounters
between the Dave Roberts, the brewery boss, and speed cameras.
Dave said: "This is my small protest against unnecessary and unwanted
road side mugging machines."
The pump crest shows a speed camera in Dick Turpin guise complete with
eye patch and twin pistols.
Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign said: "I
hope Dave's protest brings the real issues to a wider audience. It's
about time that the Government owned up to the fact that they have
destroyed the earlier excellent trends in UK road safety."
Paul continues: "It's great to see that the British spirit for light
hearted yet effective protest is alive and well and living in
Northumberland. We wish Dave Roberts and his team every success with
the new beer."
Dave said: "Stagecoaches used to run from York to Edinburgh and
highwaymen would rob them. Now you can get robbed and not even know
about it until the letter comes through the post demanding £60!"
========================================
Nice one Dave!
Best Regards,
Paul Smith
Safe Speed
www.safespeed.org.uk
m-five said:
If they're charging full price for this ditchwater than that's highway robbery too - got to be over 5% for a nice real ale brew.
Nonsense.
Real ale is a complex living product - lots of lovely real ales under 4%, never mind 5%.
Get down to your local CAMRA real ale festival sometime and give your taste buds a thrill.
dcb said:
If they're charging full price for this ditchwater
Nonsense.
Real ale is a complex living product - lots of lovely real ales under 4%, never mind 5%.
Get down to your local CAMRA real ale festival sometime and give your taste buds a thrill.
I do, and really enjoy it - can't wait for this year's Real Ale Festival in Liverpool (usually at the White Star), although some can be a bit bland and not all real ale is good ale (but even then usually much tastier than the big-names).
dcb said:
Nonsense.
Real ale is a complex living product - lots of lovely real ales under 4%, never mind 5%.
Get down to your local CAMRA real ale festival sometime and give your taste buds a thrill.
Real ale is drunk for the flavour, not to get hammered on. Perhaps I could suggest a couple of cans of Kestrel Super Strength m-five? 
m-five said:
If they're charging full price for this ditchwater
Don't normally rise to the bait and I assume you said this as a joke but it is a somewhat ignorant comment! My favourite, yes favourite bitter is Breakspear's Ordinary which at 3.4% you would presumably considerd to be too "sissy" to even bother washing your socks in
Fact is that it has an excellent flavour and... you can drink a couple of pints and drive without any worries. 
Rich... >> Edited by RichB on Thursday 22 April 15:12
Rich... RichB said:
If they're charging full price for this ditchwater
Don't normally rise to the bait and I assume you said this as a joke but it is a somewhat ignorant comment! My favourite, yes favourite bitter is Breakspear's Ordinary which at 3.4% you would presumably considerd to be too "sissy" to even bother washing your socks in
>> Edited by RichB on Thursday 22 April 15:12
It was, and hence the
in the post, but most people seem to be smiley-blind!safespeed said:
....He added that the siting of fixed cameras was determined by accident statistics over the years. "Fixed cameras can only be sited where there has been at least four collisions in the past three years which have resulted in fatalities or serious injuries."...
But we know this isn't true, don't we? Cameras can now be put anywhere they like with impugnity since the government rule-change. Perhaps some scamera partnerships aren't aware? Or perhaps they would rather we weren't aware....
Peter Ward said:
....He added that the siting of fixed cameras was determined by accident statistics over the years. "Fixed cameras can only be sited where there has been at least four collisions in the past three years which have resulted in fatalities or serious injuries."...
But we know this isn't true, don't we?
We do indeed. I didn't say it - I was quoting the Scotsman.
The Beeb have the beer story too btw:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/3642397.stm
Notice the name of the scamera spokesdrone? "Ray King".
So they are Ray King it in are they? (thanks to RD who pointed this out).
Best Regards,
Paul Smith
Safe Speed
www.safespeed.org.uk
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