Retired Not Out, Paul Chappell's Journal

Posts About the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)

I’ve been a member of CAMRA since January 1974 when I discovered the difference between Keg beer and Real Ale. I joined when I was eighteen years old, this post covers my discovery of CAMRA. This year, at the age of seventy I decided to leave, this post explains why.

Leaving the Campaign for Real Ale

I’ve been a member of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) for over 50 years, today I left.

1st February 2026

Read More

CAMRA's Good Beer Guide

About the Camra Good Beer Guide; and the Victoria Inn in Durham, a grade two listed pub with a historic interior. The interior of the pub is largely unchanged since it was opened in 1899.

30th June 2025

Read More

Joining the Campaign for Real Ale

In 1974 I discovered real ale and the campaign for real ale (CAMRA). I became a member in 1974; I’m still a member in 2025, over 50 years later.

7th June 2025

Read More