Southport Camra’s news magazine has returned after a six-month break.

In charming fashion, gentleman editor Michael Hoey blames the ”world economy collapse” for the hiatus, admitting that Camra’s hopeful deal with commercial printers Gaynors has now gone sour and that the magazine has been forced to scale back its ambitions.

Without wanting to be rude, Ale & Hearty was on a hiding to nothing trying to ape Liverpool Camra’s Merseyale mag. It suits its new size.

Features like “Around the world in Ale-y-daze” may have been curtailed, but I doubt whether there will be mournful riots on the streets of Birkdale over this loss.  

Personally, I’m happier to see a slimmed down newsletter, with A. L Guzzler’s jokes intact and that dreadful column about “The Purse” gone for good.

One other matter involves a testimonial for Rednev’s REARM blog, calling it “THE local blog for information and views about real ale”.

The Southport Drinker must raise his game. This blog has not had mention in the Ale & Hearty in its whole blighted existence.

Seeing in the latest issue of Camra’s Ale and Hearty magazine an advert for the Railway of Ainsdale which promises “Cain’s Cask Bitter plus 2 guest bitters”, I toddled down there to sample the fayre.

So imagine my surprise when there was no guest beers on, the same situation as normal.

Sort it out Alistair and staff.

What is is about pubs that inspire such loyalty? Insult a person’s faith or football team and all you’ll get is a shrug of the shoulders. Bad -mouth their bar and you can expect a sterner response.

Just such a situation has reared its head recently in Southport. The Campaign for Real Ale’s excellent Ale and Hearty newsletter mentioned that Leo’s Bar on Nevill Street didn’t serve real ale and that fans of cask beer should look elsewhere. An innocuous comment you would have thought, and easily taken on the chin by Leo’s. They provide their customers with what they want, and if they don’t want cask beer, so be it.

However, the remark provoked a furious response from Brenda, licensee of the Mason’s Arms on Anchor Street. She wrote a furious letter to A&H saying accusing the newsletter of organising a boycott of the pub, adding that it was a “breathtaking and blatant attack on a legitimate and popular business”. The shellshocked editor replied that he was “mortified” to have caused such offence and promised to take “much greater care in future”.

Brenda rang me later to say Everyone had missed the point. What she was upset about was a decrease in comradeship among licencess in Southport. Hopefully the situation is sorted out now. I’m sure no one is “boycotting” the pub, especially as Leo’s is really making an effort for its punters, with good live music and impromptu Nintendo Wii tournaments.

Anyway, for the record, this blog will hopefully not become a “beer bore”. Lager drinkers are welcome, even those who enjoy pubs but drink nothing but Coca Cola. It’s about pubs and the characters that inhabit them. It’s to be taken with a pinch of salt, if not lime and tequila.