Community Pubs Week 2008 – Keighley & Craven Style
Local branch members began a week of special events supporting community pubs with a Ring the Bull competition at the Old White Bear in Cross Hills. The afternoon featured the antics of many keen but untalented bull ringers overseen by bemused pub regulars. Everyone enjoyed a superb session in this cracking community pub and the winning team headed by Fred Baker defeated all-comers which earned them a gallon of real ale brewed by the Pinnacle Brewery.
During the week pub-crawls were held in Keighley and Haworth during which funds were raised for Manorlands Hospice. A big thank-you goes to the following pubs for their hospitality and their customers for such generous support: the Vine, the Friendly Inn and the Boltmakers Arms in Keighley, also the Haworth Old Hall and the Old Sun in Haworth.
A Belgian Beer evening attracted a good crowd to the Brown Cow in Keighley. Belgium has a long tradition of interesting beer styles and the open tasting and discussion session was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Thanks to those who attended and to Barry and Carol of the Brown Cow for their support of the event.
The week’s final event began at the Elm Tree in Embsay. Quiz sheets were handed out and a crawl of Skipton pubs followed. Answers to a variety of quiz questions were sought in the ten pubs visited in town centre, with quizzical stares from locals as participants roamed through the pubs seeking clues! Congratulations to the winner of the quiz, a resident of Skipton, who has been sent a copy of the 2008 CAMRA Good Beer Guide. The quiz is still available, if you want to have a go. Please bear in mind that some of the clues may now be out of date!
Nationally CAMRA branches held hundreds of events in support of Community Pubs Week and locally we were pleased with the support for our events. But we must do more and we need everyone’s help to support pubs in our branch area throughout the year. Following the recent announcement of yet more beer tax increases it becomes even more important that we do our utmost to ensure the survival of the essential facilities that are our community pubs.
See you in a pub soon!
Colleen Holiday
Branch Chairman
