West Berkshire CAMRA honours Roy Bailey's 50 year service

WEST Berkshire CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) has described a stalwart member as "the heart and soul of the branch".

Now Roy Bailey has been presented with a National Golden Award for nearly half a century of campaigning for good beer, cider and pubs to drink them in across the district.

Mr Bailey, who lives in Great Shefford, organised many of the activities and events that put real ale in the public eye during CAMRA's early days.

He named the local quarterly CAMRA newsletter, Ullage, and served as its first editor.

A branch spokesman, Paul Worsley, said: "As well as reaching the final of Mastermind in 1988 and running the Lambourn Valley Cider Company for 20 years, no one has done more in West Berkshire to make CAMRA the acronym now universally recognised across a wide cross section of the British public.

"Few people over the years since CAMRA was formed in 1972 deserve this award more."

Mr Bailey is one of only two longstanding active campaigning members in the Southern Region to receive CAMRA's 50 year Golden Award.

He is pictured (right) being presented with his award by West Berkshire CAMRA chairman Andy Pinkard at a ceremony in The Catherine Wheel in Cheap Street, Newbury.