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From: 9234dwz@houxf.UUCP (The Rev. Peak)
Newsgroups: net.wines
Subject: Re: English Beer--Real Ale campaign
Message-ID: <952@houxf.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 18-Jul-85 11:02:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: houxf.952
Posted: Thu Jul 18 11:02:43 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Jul-85 06:42:02 EDT
References: <4004@alice.UUCP>
Organization: The Porcelain Pulpit
Lines: 53

CAMRA (CAMpaign for Real Ale) was formed as a 
grass roots organization in the mid-late 60's
to protest the increasing lack of traditional
draught ale/beer.
  In the 50s & 60s most of the small breweries
were being bought buy a small number of large 
breweries. This was done to gain control of
the public houses [bars] which are either
affiliated to one brewery or are termed "free
houses". Once the brewery gained control of
the smaller breweries supplies generally what
happened was that the major brewery gradually
(sometimes not so gradually) introduced their
beers to replace the existing beers.         
  Around the same time pressurised kegs of beer
become more economic than traditional wooden
kegs, less upkeep, longer life etc. and so
over a relatively short period of time the
types of beer & ale being served in your 'local'
changed pretty dramatically.
  
  Back to CAMRA, founded I believe by college
students searched out the smaller breweries 
who still served beer in traditional wooden
kegs and promoted them through newsletters 
and eventually a magazine(I believe). 
Bus trips to distant pubs were a frequent part
of activities by the group I was associated 
with.
     From these modest roots, these traditional
breweries got a new lease of life and some even
expanded operations. It didn't take long for the
major breweries to spot a good thing and soon most
of them were offering a superior traditional
type of draught beer along with their usual
swill.


NB - my favorite ale from CAMRA days was Gales
Prize Olde Ale from Gales Brewery,Horndean,Hants.
available at Gales pubs in SE England.
 

    ex- CAMRA member
    (admitedly not terribly active,
    I just went along to party ! )

    Dave Peak
    @  ihnp4!hotel!dxp

"All the net's a stage and all the men and women merely ham actors !"
- Rev Peak (apologies to Bill S.)