AT the time of year when we remember that there was no room at the inn, it seemed entirely appropriate that the column should be invited to the Darlington Traditional Brewers' Group's Christmas party. It was terrific.

They're folk who don't just brew beer but imbue it with devotion and discernment, don't just drag a cloudy bottle out from the cupboard under the stairs but hand pull it from their private pubs - the Oxymoron Arms - for around 5p a pint.

Backyard brewers, they call themselves. One bar's in an 8ft by 6ft garden shed, another in a garage, a third in a brick outhouse, a fourth in Dickie Beedle's barn, near Gainford. "The beer's usually pretty good," said Dickie, "but you have to pee against a tree."

By common consent the most wondrous is Pete Fenwick's, brick built and beautiful on the side of his house at Aldbrough St John, between Darlington and Richmond - that's where the party was, six hand pulled beers including Amos Ale, brewed specially for the festive occasion and with a computer generated pump clip by way of indelible illustration.

Amos Ale was a handsome beer, a refined beer, a beer you'd want to put a face to. Though someone suggested it was too sweet, that's been a family failing for generations.

The group was founded by John Winterburn, known to his friends as Wobbly John for reasons which can only be imagined, a man passionate about traditionally crafted beer and maker of a mean meat pie, an' all.

John, they reckon, brews around 500 gallons a year, most of it exquisite. "I've been doing it for 35 years, I should be getting it right by now," he said modestly.

It's based on Firth Moor in Darlington, where John lives, an activity considered so important in refreshing the parts of that housing estate which other community enterprise cannot reach that it's supported by the Single Regeneration Budget, the Community Investment Fund and the Workers' Educational Association. Most members still live there.

"People think it's just about seeing how many pints you can get down your neck, but there's very much more to it than that," said John.

"It's perceived as a boys' drinking club, but even at the social evenings I doubt if we have more than four pints," said someone else, called Ian.

Best of all, they reckon that by sharing expertise and bulk buying hops and malt, the price of a pint is the approximate equivalent of the price of a pipe cleaner. Wobbly John even reckons Darlington's water wonderful, and has been known to drink it neat.

Pete Fenwick's a transport manager, his dad a traditional ale man before him. His bar has everything, even a netty.

There were penny ducks and black pudding, corned beef pie and egg and bacon pie - what unreal men call quiche - wheat beer and bitter and a port which Pete had brewed specially and which, it was widely rumoured, had been fortified by liquorice sweets from Asda.

"What sort of liquorice sweets did you put in there?" someone asked.

"All sorts," said Pete, said to prefer brewing after he's had one or two already.

John Winterburn made a port, too. He called it Cole.

They'd arrived by mini-bus, lest too many penny ducks affect their equilibrium, discussed EBUs - the European bitterness unit, apparently - but most enjoyed the sheer pleasure of seeing off the end product. A very merry Christmas indeed.

* The Darlington Traditional Brewers' Group meets on alternate Thursdays and for the first time will have its own stand - giving the stuff away - at Darlington CAMRA's Spring Thing beer festival next year. Details from Sharon or Julie at Maidendale House, Darlington (01325) 264400.