November 2023 news
Here's an update on the latest news and information from West London branch of CAMRA.
Branch and other local CAMRA events
Why not join us on one of our branch socials or meetings? We'd love to see you! Here is a list of our events:
- November
- Tues 14 (7 for 7.30pm) Branch Meeting: Antelope SW1W 8EZ
- Tues 21 (2pm) Afternoon Social , Jackalope W1G 7EQ
- December
- Tues 5 (2pm) Social; Latymers, Hammersmith Road W6 8BS
- Mon 18 (2pm) Social; Feathers, 18 Broadway SW1H 0BH
- January
- Wed 10 (2pm) Belgravia Social: Horse and Groom, Groom Place SW1X 7BA; 3.30pm The Grenadier, Wilton Row; 4.30pm The Star, Belgrave Mews West.
- Tues 16 (7/7.30) Branch Meeting The Bear, Spring Street, W2 1JA.
- Mon 22 (7pm) Covent Garden Social: White Swan, New Row WC2N 4LF; 8pm Lemon Tree, Bedfordbury; 9pm The Harp, Chandos Place.
Branch and regional CAMRA news and events
- Pigs Ear Beer Festival (East London and City CAMRA) in Hackney is on 28th November to 3rd December 2023. For more information see http://www.pigsear.org.uk/pigs%20ear%20festival.htm.
- London Pubs Group continues its tours of historic pubs - for information see https://londonpubsgroup.camra.org.uk/events. Upcoming events: Wednesday 6 December 2023 - Evening Tour of Paddington and Maida Vale; 15 June 2024 - Daytime tour of Rotherhithe and Bermondsey.
- The October/November issue of London Drinker is now available in pubs across London and online at https://londondrinker.camra.org.uk/wordpress/ with details of CAMRA and beer related events across London, pub and brewery news, and more.
Pub and brewery news
- The White Horse, Parsons Green is having its Old Ale Festival on 16th to 19th November. It's the 40th year of this beer festival! For more information see https://the-white-horse-parsons-green-events.designmynight.com/64f0a31cf221b12f3858f433/40th-old-ale-beer-festival.
- The Defectors Weld, Shepherds Bush is due to reopen on 30th November after a refurbishment.
- The Devonshire, Denman St, Soho (former Devonshire Arms) reopened on 3rd November as a pub with a restaurant upstairs. It became a Jamie's Italian restaurant a few years ago and then a Coqbull chicken and burger restaurant. We're glad to see it's now a pub once again with real ale available.
- The Walmer Castle, Notting Hill has reopened.
- Planning permission for change of use of the Neeld Arms, Harrow Road was refused by Westminster Council. However it is still closed as a pub and has been in use as a food shop without permission.
- The Tom Cribb, Panton Street has reopened after a refurbishment.
- The former KPH (Kensington Park Hotel) has reopened as Knight of Notting Hill. It's the second free house pub from Zora Singh, who also opened Three Falcons in St John's Wood. At time of writing, it doesn't appear to serve real ale.
National CAMRA news
- More national CAMRA news and events can be found in CAMRA's online newspaper What's Brewing available at https://wb.camra.org.uk/.
- CAMRA also regularly produces a podcast 'Pubs. Pints. People' available at https://camra.org.uk/podcast/.
- The Good Beer Guide 2024 is now on sale at https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product-the-good-beer-guide-2024/. There is also a mobile friendly online Good Beer Guide app available at https://goodbeerguide.org.uk/.
- The Great British Beer Festival Winter will be held in Burton-on-Trent on 15-17 Febuary 2024. See https://winter.gbbf.org.uk/ for more information and tickets.
For the latest news check out our Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) pages. Also for news from CAMRA across London see London Drinker, and the London CAMRA Facebook page.

Silver award for the Victoria
On 19th June the West London branch attended the presentation of the runners up award for West London CAMRA branch pub of the year to the Victoria, Strathearn Place, Paddington. Chris enthusiastically accepted the award, in a very busy pub, and proudly announced he was going to add it to the collection of second place awards the pub has already been awarded. It had previously been runner-up in 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2022!
The pub is also one of CAMRA's Real Heritage Pubs with a very rare and wonderful mid-Victorian interior. It offers a selection of Fuller's beers plus a guest beer and meals, and a warm welcome!

New chairman
We welcome a new chairman of the branch, Wanda Piontek. She was elected at our annual general meeting held in May at The Star Tavern, Belgravia.
She told us about how her love of real ale began: "My introduction to ale started with Ruddles County and the funny shaped bottles. At university I moved to the Marstons heartland and innumerable pints of Pedigree were sunk. Moving to Japan Yebisu became the drink of choice. My return to England coincided with a vast improvement to the range of ales available and I have been able to indulge my love of stout and porters".
We'd like to also thank our previous chairman Alex Langford for all his work for the branch. He'll continue to play an important role supporting the branch as our vice-chairman.