REAL ale enthusiasts will be sampling some of their favourite local ales at a five-day Easter beer festival at one of their chosen watering holes.

The Surtees Arms, at Ferryhill Station, County Durham, is staging the event in conjunction with its in-house brewery, The Yard of Ale, from Thursday (April 2) to Monday (April 6).

Joint licensees Susan and Alan Hogg have established a name for the pub and brewery after taking over at the premises in the last decade.

They have gone on to become multiple award winners in the Pub of the Year category of the Durham branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra).

The festival menu will feature beers from the Yard of Ale range, plus several guest ales from other breweries, while there will also be hot food, plus live music entertainment on the Saturday evening (April 4).

Further details are available via the pub website, on www.the surteesarms.co.uk, or by ringing (01740) 655724.

** Meanwhile, the Durham Camra branch annual meeting will be held at The Ship Inn, at Middlestone Village, near Spennymoor, on Tuesday April 14.

It will feature the election of the new branch committee to serve until April next year.

Nominations for committee posts must be submitted by the start of the meeting, at 7.30pm.