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The branch at the beginning CAMRA’s oldest branch celebrates 50 years of campaigning, Roger Protz reports The dramatic changes in
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the brewing industry over the past half century for the benefit of beer drinkers have been largely brought about by the passion and commitment of CAMRA members. That inescapable fact is highlighted by the success of the Campaign’s oldest branch, South Hertfordshire. The branch was formed in 1972 and it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Steve Bury, one of the founding members and still active today, says in the 1970s, CAMRA was part of the radical, Ban the Bomb, anti-establishment mood of the times. For CAMRA, the establishment was represented by giant national brewers known as the Big Six, who were axing cask ales and replacing them with such keg beers as Double Diamond (4.5 per cent ABV), Red Barrel (3.9 per cent), Tankard (5.8 per cent) and Tartan (3.5 per cent). The awesome grip of the Big Six was all too evident in St Albans. When the Hertfordshire branch – as it was first called – was launched in the Farriers Arms, it was the only pub in a city with 55 outlets that sold real draught beer. The majority were owned by Ind Coope, part of Allied Breweries, and Whitbread.
Above: Strong links – McMullen and South Herts Right: Bob Norrish played a key role
Both companies were intent on filling their pubs with keg beer and such apologies for lager as British-brewed Heineken and Skol. The situation was no better in the wider county. Hertfordshire at the time had 1,000 pubs and only some 90 of them sold cask beer. To make matters worse, the county’s major brewer, family-owned McMullen of Hertford, served its beer in many of its pubs using applied carbon dioxide – a method unacceptable to CAMRA.
Fortunately, the Farriers Arms in St Albans, while owned by McMullen, served AK Mild (3.7 per cent) untainted by gas pressure. It acted as a beacon for beer lovers in the area, though drinkers entered the pub with some nervousness. The landlord was an irascible eccentric called George Vardy, who had the habit of barring customers for the slightest indiscretion. He banned several CAMRA members working at the head office based in the city and he even
‘Bob Norrish discovered some handpumps in an antiques shop and offered them to publicans who were interested in serving cask ale’
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barred a window cleaner in a bizarre dispute over how many rungs there were on the cleaner’s ladder. But his pints of AK were always impeccable and its popularity encouraged him to add McMullen’s Country Best Bitter (4.3 per cent) on the bar. CAMRA member Bob
Norrish discovered some redundant beer engines and handpumps in an antiques shop. Bob was given the pumps free, refurbished them and offered them to publicans who were interested in serving cask ale. There were some encouraging responses. Les
