CAMRA celebrates 'most successful' Pubs Week

The Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) is celebrating its most successful National Pubs Weeks yet.

More than 10,000 pubs received promotional packs from the organisation, with many putting on activities and events to promote the week, which ran from February 18 to 25 and linked with The Publican's Proud of Pubs campaign.

At the Royal Oak Inn in Cheltenham a reunion was organised, with a host of past licensees - including former England cricketer Tom Graveney - being invited back behind the bar to serve for a day.

Royal Oak licensee Mary O'Rouke said: "The old licensees were well up for it.

"Some of our locals have been coming in for years, and many of them remembered the old landlords."

Elsewhere, the Crown Inn in Oakengates, Shropshire, organised a competition to find the town's best fruit cake (pictured)​.

Licensee John Ellis said: "We do about half a dozen baking competitions throughout the year, and the fruit cake competition always coincides with National Pubs Week.

"We had a great response. If somebody - in this case CAMRA - is providing us with an opportunity to put events on, then we should take full advantage of it."

CAMRA used the week to launch its Pubs In Time scheme (The Publican, February 20), recognising pubs of historical significance, and also received a favourable response to its Pub Doctor scheme, helping over 100 revellers find their ideal pub.

The organisation also announced its Pub of the Year. The winning pub - the Swan in Little Totham - was featured on BBC, ITV, and Sky News.

l Have you got a National Pubs Week story to tell? Email news@thepublican.com or call the newsdesk on 020 7955 3710.