2017 marks the 40th anniversary of Sunderland & South Tyneside CAMRA.
An event we intend celebrating at this years Sunderland Beer and Cider Festival.
Branch Chair & Festival Organiser Michael Wynne reminisces on the period in the following article:
“The Sunderland branch of CAMRA was formed at a meeting in the Salem Hotel in Hendon in 1977.
Sadly, we have no information about the early days as the records have not survived.
In the early days, the branch structure was quite loose and the Sunderland branch was formed as a breakaway from the County Durham branch. South Tyneside joined us from Tyneside and Northumberland sometime in the 1980s.
My own personal involvement dates back to 1998 when I attended my first meeting, an AGM at the Grey Horse in East Boldon when it was still a Vaux pub run by the late Albert Coombes.
The Grey Horse
In those days, we had no magazine, website or beer festival, the old Sunderland beer festival last took place at Wearmouth Hall in 1992. Unfortunately, it was the same season as Sunderland went to the FA Cup. Final 1937, 1973 then 1992 was not something you could calculate.
Two years after my first meeting, I took over the chairman’s role and have been there ever since!
When I started, we had a membership of around 160. Now we have over 600 and hope to reach 700 at this year’s beer festival.
In the absence of any other information, let’s look back at some major events in the last 25 years…….”
The full article is printed in the Autumn edition of our magazine “CAMRA Angle” currently being distributed to the real ale pubs in the branch area. You can also download it from HERE
CAMRA Angle 49, Autumn 2017