Is that pub all that?

[Soup Dragon]

I ask myself the same question, why do Spoons and Embers so frequently get in the GBG? It is kind of up there with UFOs, ghosts and the Loch Ness Monster. I have done a fair few of them, as i will visit near any pub. The quality in these places fluctuates enormously. I have had good pints in them, but have had as many poor ones. I believe that the answer to many mysteries will evetually be proved in time, but somehow i think this one is beyond mortal man.

[Quinno]

Regarding CAMRA logic, My local The waggon and Horses,The Waggon and Horses , was CAMRA North Hants pub of the year 2012,and runner up last year and yet failed to appear in the last G.B.G's yet was a regular before that,but will return next year, it appears to be where the pub is ,i.e. available votes and not how good the pub /beer actually is.

Has there been a change of licensee? General policy is to pull a pub if there is a change of licensee with no discernible track record of GBG history. We had to do it to The Foresters Arms the other year. We knew that the new landlady was a good egg but the proof of the pudding etc.

With Spoons, we know that the beer policy and external checks will always remain in place regardless of management. Even so, we rather favour those with continuity and low staff turnover, like The Baron Cadogan (JD Wetherspoon)

[Mobyduck]

Has there been a change of licensee? General policy is to pull a pub if there is a change of licensee with no discernible track record of GBG history. We had to do it to The Foresters Arms the other year. We knew that the new landlady was a good egg but the proof of the pudding etc.

With Spoons, we know that the beer policy and external checks will always remain in place regardless of management. Even so, we rather favour those with continuity and low staff turnover, like The Baron Cadogan (JD Wetherspoon)

Same Landlord for 35 years (sign of a good pub) The issue is I believe , Because the pub comes under North Hampshire CAMRA ,A rather small branch,the Waggon and Horses is right on the border between North Hants and Surrey/Hants borders ,a much larger branch and public transport being what it is nowdays there isn't the through traffic of members using it on a regular basis to vote . May be barking up the wrong tree,but it seems rather strange.

[oldboots]

Same Landlord for 35 years (sign of a good pub) The issue is I believe , Because the pub comes under North Hampshire CAMRA ,A rather small branch,the Waggon and Horses is right on the border between North Hants and Surrey/Hants borders ,a much larger branch and public transport being what it is nowdays there isn't the through traffic of members using it on a regular basis to vote . May be barking up the wrong tree,but it seems rather strange.

The size of a neighbouring branch shouldn't make a difference, the pub will be in a particular branch's area and that branch will make the decision be it based on beer scores, mates of the landlord, state of the runes etc. Sadly the beer scoring system isn't used enough by members to be useful and objective. There also seems to be a built in bias for GBG pubs within the scoring system (more visits - more scores), the same effect can be seen on pub review sites, I perceive a connection between scores/number of reviews and being/been a GBG entry.

Which branch the pub is in is a rather weird aspect of CAMRA and best not delved into by mere mortals.

[Pubsignman]

While we're on the subject of long standing GBG regulars dropping out of the guide for a while - does anyone know why the Blue Anchor in Helston, which had been in every edition of the guide until a few years ago, dropped out for one year recently? Was it a change of ownership?

[Mobyduck]

Which branch the pub is in is a rather weird aspect of CAMRA and best not delved into by mere mortals.

Amen to that.

[Spinko]

Which branch the pub is in is a rather weird aspect of CAMRA and best not delved into by mere mortals.

I'm interested..

I'm amazed there's no Manchester city centre branch.

[gillhalfpint]

Re the Blue Anchor.

We think beer quality went down. Believe there is a new brewer in there now and the for the last 2 - 3 years the Spingo has been brilliant again. We were in there supping it after our walk to Porthleven today. Great beer. There are more beers out now too and rumour is they may need to expand.

[Wittenden]

Which branch the pub is in is a rather weird aspect of CAMRA and best not delved into by mere mortals.

Yep,out here in the boondocks it's to do with bus routes and leylines.

[Mobyduck]

The Palm Tree in Mile end was always a pub I enjoyed going to ,not for the beers which although no usual suspects ,fail to excite,but for the pub itself with its slightly eccentric feeling of timewarp in the interior and pleasant setting on the exterior.But after yesterdays antics as documented in Strange goings on at the Palm Tree on Chit Chat, I may not return.