I should have realised it won the local CAMRA PotY 2009 - I was there the night they were celebrating the award! D'oh. Strangely enough I used the pub more regularly 20 years ago when we used to play them at darts. It was a bog standard pub then. Now it is worthy of special praise and I rarely manage to get there.
I was a member of CAMRA years ago, but my involvement came to nought, I'm not much of a joiner and even less of a joiner-in, my fault, not CAMRA's. Nowadays, I'm afraid, it smacks too much of a 'one issue' lobbyist movement to attract me back.
That said, I usually, apart from this forum and the MA, only come across it via monthly newsletters left in pubs and they often give me a fresh slant on pubs and beer in my area. In that respect some local branches are doing exactly as you suggest, Mr B.
While I do not support the political aims of organisations such as CAMRA, I understand the frustration that motivates them, and recognise the effort that CAMRA has put into forwarding what I have to accept is a hobby.
Mrs 'rd' calls it an obsession, now and then she gets quite rude about it.
After that little lot I feel it's time to lift a Sneck.
Pubs are a hobby, real ale is a passion. Oh, and like me dogs, fear no evil..........