Community Pubs Week breaks record

A record number of events helped put British pubs back on the map during a highly successful Community Pubs Week 2008.

About 2,500 pubs took part in the week of events designed to attract people "back to the local."

The week was staged against the backdrop of 56 pubs across the UK closing their doors forever every month.

Organisers, the Campaign For Real Ale (Camra), says a further 1,000 pubs are at risk of closure at any one time.

Regulars were urged to "adopt their local" during the week and activity packs with ideas were available from the real-ale group.

Camra research and information officer Iain Loe said the rate of pub closures had continued at the same rate over the past 12 months.

"It was very much a 'use them or lose them' message that we wanted to put across during Community Pubs Week," he said.

The week began with a call to Government by Camra to reduce beer-excise duty by 1p to help pubs attract "stay-at-home" drinkers consuming cheap supermarket alcohol.

A Camra spokeswoman said: "We think that more events were organised than ever before - somewhere in the region of 200 events that we know about.

"That includes all kinds of things, from beer tastings to quizzes, and themed events to promotions.

"The week received lots of coverage in the national press - and for once it was reflecting on the good news about pubs."

The Old Spot Inn, Dursley, Gloucestershire was named National Pub of the Year by Camra to mark the start of Community Pubs Week.

Runners up were: Blue Peter Hotel, Kirkcolm, Dumfries & Galloway; Land of Liberty, Peace & Plenty, Heronsgate, Hertfordshire; Turks Head, St Helens, Merseyside.