Without wanting to spark a debate about who drinks what I just wondered if anyone on here is a member of Barnsley CAMRA? I notice on the latest newsletter on their website that reference is made to finding good pubs on away days so I presume that there are a number of Red's fans who are members. I am considering joining and wondered what the set up is like - branch meetings, social events etc ...
Not actually a member but in contact with a few who are. Non-members are welcome to most of the events, so go along to one and see what you think. They do seem to do plenty of social stuff, the sponsored walk they do is good. I know who does the reds away stuff, not personally but have met him at beer festival, not sure he goes all the time, but they look in the latest Camra guide for pubs in the own we are playing and try to select a different one each year.
I know a couple of Barnsley CAMRA members,one of which regularly goes on Brewery Trips with them, I'm a member of Wakefield but although I know a few of them have never been involved other than going to the beer festival. Joining is £22 a year but you get £20 in Weatherspoon vouchers (50p off a pint), Harrys Bar in Wakefield has 80p off a pint on Mondays for CAMRA members,not sure if other pubs are part of this promotion. I joined because I go to a few CAMRA run festivals a year and you generally get discount on the admission fee if a member, and most members aren't all tickers and scoopers !!
No but they have some sort of smoothy beer think its Greene King, but the Grey Horse on Kirkgate near Chantry Bridge traffic lights does a not bad hand pulled John Smiths and its quite cheap as well
I'm a member of Burton on Trent branch as I live near there. I'd say the benefits are worth it, you get a load of vouchers for 50p off a pint in Wetherspoons for a start, plus you get into any CAMRA beer festival for nothing - they usually cost up to £5 at Burton in the evenings when there's a band on. I do volunteer work at the Burton beer festival, usually serving the punters. They give us 6 vouchers per session (worth half a pint each) and you have to taste each beer on your section so that when asked you can tell the punters what's what. Also the Burton branch do beer festival and brewery trips (free for volunteers). The one this year was a fortnight ago to Doncaster beer festival calling in at Kelham Island (Sheffield) and The Arkwright Arms (near Chesterfield) on the way home. Membership is £20 a year by direct debit and they are currently offering 3 months free. Bargain
i prefer the electric pump mass produced stuff..... real ale is generally amateurish produced muck hth
I have been in there tonight, only about 500 yds from here. The Smiths is a cask ale , not smooth *****!!
Wakefield CAMRA now since I moved over that way but still more in touch with the Barnsley lot. I've worked as a volunteer, plumbing up and serving at the beer festival at Elsecar for the past couple of years and might do this year as well. The Wetherspoons vouchers are sheets of 10 x 50p off a pint, each sheet valid against cask ale for a 3 month period. If you drink enough ale in spoons to use all your vouchers, it's effectively free to join so try it for a year and see.
Cheers for the info guys, appreciated! I think I will join and give it a go, getting quite into my real ale these days so joining CAMRA sounds like a good idea to me.