Isle of Man - CAMRA Members Weekend

I’m off to the Isle of Man in April, to attend the Campaign for Real Ale’s member’s Weekend The weekend, which includes the National Annual General Meeting, offers the chance for CAMRA members from all over the country to get together to discuss future policy, and also provides the opportunity to socialise, meet up with friends from other branches, visit local pubs and perhaps go on the odd brewery trip. In addition there will be a beer exhibition showcasing Manx beers, as well as some from further a field, which will be held in the conference complex.

This will be my first such event in over twenty-five years, and I’m really looking forward to it. Back in the early 80’s I attended AGM’s in Durham, Bradford, Reading and Edinburgh. I stopped attending them primarily because they seemed to involve a lot of hot air, but that's a comment that applies equally to AGM's held by other organisations. Looking back, I think I just got bored with the whole thing. This year’s event probably won’t be much different in the hot air respect, but the main reason I’m going is for the chance to visit the IOM; a place I haven’t been to before. I will also be enjoying the company of some fellow branch members, as there’ll be half dozen or so of us attending from West Kent CAMRA.

I’m planning to travel over to the island late during the middle of the week, allowing a full day to explore the place before the weekend’s activities kick off. The members' weekend has all the hallmarks of a really good event, so I hope it lives up to expectations.