CAMRA was formed in 1971 by four brave founders to campaign against the increasingly concentrated ownership of pubs and brewing by “The Big Six”. It was something of a surprise both to the founders and to the pub and brewing industry when this upstart campaign for good quality cask beer in good pubs took off and expanded rapidly in its first few years. The need to campaign effectively soon outgrew what CAMRA could achieve centrally and branches were formed to take key campaigning to the local level.

Former Sow & Pigs Toddington

The original CAMRA Bedfordshire branch was launched in August 1974, after a meeting of active members from across the county at the Sow & Pigs, Toddington. After a couple of years, as CAMRA continued to grow, the original branch split into North and South Beds, based on the major population centres of Bedford in the north and Luton and Dunstable in the south. Members in the east of the county who felt their local campaigning priorities were being overlooked, eventually formed the East Beds branch in the early 1990s.

As campaigning experience developed, CAMRA branches across the country launched members’ newsletters and branch magazines that friendly pubs helped distribute, to take CAMRA’s message to the wider, beer-drinking public. South Beds launched Beer in Bed(s) back in the late 1970s, to be joined by Firkin Weakly in North Beds, later renamed The Firkin in 2000 when the format changed from A4 size to A5. East Beds later joined the party with The Casket, but sadly only The Firkin is still published and distributed to local pubs and clubs.

10th anniversary party August 1984

As the 21st century arrived, branches turned to the new internet and launched their own websites for local campaigning, soon to be joined by Facebook and other social media platforms. Although much has changed in the pub and brewing industry, CAMRA’s original campaigning message still stands: to promote good cask beer (and now also real cider) in good, well-managed pubs. Campaigning to secure a future for good beer and cider has to continue when there are so many other concerns. CAMRA nationally does its best to influence government, the brewers and major pub chains, while local branches are often more effective at making the case at local level.

All three Bedfordshire branches take time and effort to select their annual Pub of the Year and other awards for the most deserving pubs – North Beds branch has made five awards in 2024. The three branches work together to select the very best pubs for CAMRA’s national Good Beer Guide and work together, often out of the limelight, to make sure our campaigning message is heard.

Griffin Toddington

All three Bedfordshire branches have invested time and effort in local beer festivals, as a powerful way of showing the public the best real ales and ciders. South Beds ran a popular Luton Beer & Cider Festival for many years before losing its regular venue in Hightown, while the Bedford Beer & Cider Festival continues, reaching its 46th year in 2024. East Beds recently launched a smaller festival in Biggleswade, in partnership with the local Conservative Club.

Members from the three Bedfordshire branches met again in August 1984 and August 2004 to celebrate the 10th and 30th anniversaries of launching CAMRA in Bedfordshire, on both occasions at the Sow & Pigs where it all started. There was also a popular 25th anniversary party in August 1999, but this time hosted by the former B&T Brewery in Shefford.

50th anniversary social August 2024

CAMRA members from across the county met again to celebrate the 50th anniversary on 17 August this year, returning to Toddington where it all started. Sadly the Sow & Pigs is no longer a pub, but the recently reopened Griffin across the road offered an excellent venue and was even running a small beer festival at the time. Where could be more appropriate? Guest ales from Belhaven, Mad Squirrel, Oakham, Tring and XT were quaffed and old colleagues reunited in fine August sunshine. About 30 members of all vintages were there to raise a glass of ale to the foresight of those who decided to launch CAMRA in Bedfordshire all those years ago. Although the founders may not have known it at the time, CAMRA is still badly needed 50 years on if a choice of decent cask ales and ciders is to continue.