A parting of the ways

This is the post I thought I’d never have to write. The article I waited six months before writing; the action I never mentioned at the time, but last November (2019), I took the decision not to renew my membership of CAMRA - the Campaign for Real Ale.

After 45 years continuous membership, it wasn’t an easy choice to make, but during  the last few years, I’d felt increasingly disillusioned with the direction the CAMRA had been taking. I’d been a member since my student days, having joined in 1975 at the relatively young age of 20. 

Unlike today, CAMRA was very much a young persons' organisation; although there was a healthy mix of older members as well. It was good talking to them, as many had been drinking beer before the advent of keg and top-pressure dispense, back in the days when virtually all draught beer was cask-conditioned “real ale.”

There was still a healthy sprinkling of local independent brewers spread throughout the country, and whilst this number had slowly dwindled, there were still quite a few family-owned independents plying their trade when CAMRA first came on the scene in the early 1970’s.

Fast forward to the present day, where the beer scene in the UK has changed beyond all recognition. There are now almost 2,000 breweries operating in the country, many producing a range of beers that would have been unimaginable 45 years ago. The beer scene in these islands would certainly have been far poorer if CAMRA hadn’t have come along. Furthermore, there has been a massive upsurge of interest in beer which has spread right across the world.

In its four and a half decades of campaigning, CAMRA has achieved far more than its founders, and early members, could ever have dreamt of, so it’s no exaggeration to say that CAMRA acted as the catalyst for the creation of hundreds, if not thousands of new breweries, all over the world. Drinkers in countries such as the United States, as well as many other parts of the world, owe the campaign a huge debt of gratitude for showing them the way forward, and inspiring them to re-create long-lost beer styles and start up new breweries.

Times change and success too, sometimes comes at a price. CAMRA has increasingly become inward looking and lost its overall focus. More and more it seems like a ship adrift. This loss of purpose has accelerated  in recent years, with people aged sixty and over now accounting for most of the membership. We now have a situation that is almost the polar opposite of that prevailing when I first joined the campaign.

Like many older members I warned that the shortage of young and enthusiastic volunteers in their twenties or thirties would have a detrimental effect on CAMRA activities, and unfortunately these dire predictions have come true. The campaign’s inability to attract new blood onto its ranks has led to many local CAMRA branches struggling. Some are dying on their feet.

My disillusionment with CAMRA set in several years ago, when the group had already arrived at a crossroads in its existence. After 40 years of dogmatically using cask-conditioning and dispense methods as the sole yardstick of quality, CAMRA had backed itself into a corner. Things had changed and time had move on, there were plenty of  excellent beers on the market that, whilst not cask-conditioned, were every bit as good.  The well-intended, “Revitalisation Campaign,”  set up to re-dress this in-balance, proved a disaster and ended up making matters worse.

As the campaign softened its approach to beers which didn’t meet their definition of real ale, the reformers within the campaign were met head-on by the “dyed in the wool,” old-school, diehard CAMRA stalwarts, who refuse to accept any beer which has so much as looked at a cylinder of CO2. This effectively drove a stake through the heart of the organisation, despite the best endeavours of the national executive to try and patch things up. 

It really did seem like it was time for either the Campaign to call it a day, or for CAMRA and me to part company. However, there was still something deep in my unconsciousness which didn’t want to let go of an organisation which had been part of my life for four and a half decades. The fact I had put my heart and soul into the campaign, made any decision to quit even harder, and at times, I agonised over what to do.

In the end, I knew what my answer would be, so I cancelled my direct debit mandate and wrote to the campaign’s membership secretary, explaining my decision. You can read my full resignation letter, at the end of this post. 

Had I been a life member, then things might have been different, but when this facility was made available to members, I couldn’t afford it. Life membership, costing ten times the annual subscription rate came at a time when I was financially embarrassed. I had recently changed jobs; a move which involved a long commute into work. We’d bought a bigger house, with a larger mortgage and my wife had given up work owing to birth of our son.

Instead, I continued renewing my membership annually, by direct debit paying considerably more over the past quarter century than life membership would have cost, but that’s just the way of things. To be honest, I didn’t expect CAMRA to be around for as long as it has, so I was wrong on that score too!

To wrap up, there are many more things I don’t miss from not being a CAMRA member, than the handful of things I do miss. Top of the “don’t miss” list are Good Beer Guide surveys and GBG selections meetings. The later are often divisive and can be biased as well. The guide itself is now way past its sell-by date and, despite claims to the contrary, exists primarily to generate income for the Campaign.

CAMRA committee meetings come a close second, as do being involved with organising local beer festivals – an unbelievably stressful and time-consuming occupation, especially when you’ve got a full time job as well..

I also don’t miss the CAMRA Discount Vouchers; Wetherspoon or otherwise. Back in the day, I only used a fraction of them and besides,  I don’t agree with CAMRA supporting large pub chains at the expense of small, independently run locals. Tim Martin isn't exactly my favourite person either.

The social side of the Campaign has always been for me, one of the most important aspects of CAMRA, but despite no longer being a member, I still keep in touch with what is going on within the branch, either via friends or by means of the various WhatsApp groups set up to keep people informed as to what is going on at a local level.

The one thing I really do miss is receiving copies of CAMRA's award-winning, quarterly Beer magazine. This publication is a real credit to the campaign and is an asset which should be exploited by being made more widely available.

 Finally, here is the letter I wrote to CAMRA, tendering my resignation.

Dear CAMRA

It is with regret that after 45 years as a member of the Campaign, I have decided not to renew my membership.

It's been a lot of fun along the way, I’ve met scores of interesting people, made many good friends and got to drink some amazing beers in some equally amazing pubs, but all good things come to an end.

Had I been a life member my decision might have been different, but I feel that CAMRA has lost its way and is no longer relevant in today's fast changing world.

CAMRA can hold its head up high though, for providing the spark which led to the totally unforeseen rise in interest in beer around the world, and the creation of hundreds, if not thousands of new breweries, producing an unprecedented and ever expanding range of different beers.

I'm proud to have played a part in this incredible achievement, and for this reason alone I think it's best to go out on a high. With this in mind, I have instructed my bank to cancel the direct debit mandate, in respect of my membership.

Wishing the Campaign all the very best for the future.

Best Regards

Paul Bailey