Dave Richardson looks back at the real ale scene of the mid-1970s
A Golden Jubilee has to be worth celebrating, but of course the local pubs and brewing scene has changed out of all recognition over 50 years. Some things remain the same, however, and some of the pubs we celebrated back then are still very much with us today. Only one brewery in Oxfordshire, however, can claim that distinction.
CAMRA itself dates from 1971, marking its own Golden Jubilee in a low-key way due to the pandemic and with the book 50 Years of CAMRA, by Laura Hadland. The Oxford branch wasn’t formed until three years later and initially covered the whole of the county. The inaugural meeting was held at the King’s Arms in Oxford in March 1974, this being one of 23 pubs listed in a modest publication (Read Draught Beer in Oxford, which cost 5p) which appeared the following year. Listing did not mean the beer was well served, however. National publication the Good Beer Guide listed pubs including the King’s Arms, Bear Inn, Turf Tavern and Wheatsheaf in Oxford, and the Queen’s Head in Eynsham, in its second edition in 1974.
Most of the 23 pubs listed in the Oxford guide in 1975 were owned by just two local breweries, Morrells of Oxford (closed in 1998) and Abingdon-based Morland (closed 2000), with many of their pubs being taken over by Greene King which had acquired Morlands but not Morrells, with some remaining with GK today. Ind Coope was a national pub chain and brewing giant whose local pubs in 1975 included the Bear Inn, the Chequers in Headington, the Marlborough House, the Royal Oak and the King’s Arms.
Morrells and Morland beers were often the only choice, although Ind Coope’s Burton Ale was well regarded, and even these two main local breweries had a very limited range compared to what you can find today. Morrells produced Bitter, the stronger Varsity Ale and Light Ale, with limited production of Dark Mild and College Ale. Morland responded with Bitter, Best Bitter and Mild. Other real ales you could find in Oxford (quoting from the 1977 edition of Real Ale in Oxfordshire, which covered the whole county) included Courage Bitter and Directors, Bass, Wadworth and M&B beers.
Hook Norton beers were then hard to find in the city, and although they are now more common it wasn’t until a few years ago that Hooky bought an Oxford pub, the Castle. It has the distinction of being the only brewery in Oxfordshire to operate continuously over the last 50 years, and this year celebrates its 175th anniversary.
There is now much more choice, with a CAMRA survey in September 2023 of 25 city centre pubs finding 100 real ales on offer, 72 being different, from 41 breweries. These include both national, regional and local producers, and there are now around 20 breweries, mainly small, operating in Oxfordshire alone. Although this survey found a 20% reduction in real ale availability since the previous survey in 2019, the number and choice remained impressive. That’s due in no small part to the campaigns mounted by CAMRA nationally and locally over 50 or more years, but as real ale takes a decreasing share, we must remain vigilant.
The 1977 guide brings to mind many Oxford pubs that are no longer with us – examples including the Carpenters Arms in Jericho, Coach & Horses in St Clement’s, Crown & Thistle in Headington, Horse and Jockey in Woodstock Road, Nuffield Arms in Cowley, Roebuck in Market Street and Seven Stars in Lake Street. Some have since changed their names but still operate, such as the Bulldog in St Aldates (now St Aldates Tavern), Gloucester Arms in Friars Entry (White Rabbit), Oranges & Lemons in St Clement’s (Angel and Greyhound) and Waterman’s Arms in Osney (the Punter). And back in the 1970s, no-one had heard of Wetherspoons, micro-pubs or bars converted from market stalls!
Oxford CAMRA founder members David Longrigg (first chairman) and John Rutherford (first secretary) spoke to the Oxford Drinker back in 2013, recalling that in the 1970s, the local branch mainly attracted university people – very different from today. “In the old days we had to persuade brewers such as Morrells and Morland to continue putting hand pumps on, but CAMRA has achieved what it set out to do,” said David then. “We were often described as anti-keg beer, but that was not the case. We were simply pro-choice, and choice is what we have today.”
Oxford CAMRA has itself developed considerably over the years, running its first festival at the Town Hall in 1998 and every year since, bar the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. Minibus tours are operated to outlying pubs, breweries and other parts of the country, courtesy of our driver and chairman, Tony Goulding, himself a member since 1977. Membership of this branch peaked at over 1,000 but is more like 800 today, mirroring the national trend of membership declining following the pandemic.
But we are an active branch with a busy programme of socials and meetings, and a high profile in local media including the Oxford Mail and Radio Oxford. Oxford Drinker magazine celebrates its own “significant birthday” in 2024 – 25 years – as it was in 1999 that the first, only two-page newsletter appeared. Following the pandemic the magazine returned as a quarterly publication, but the launch of a dedicated Oxford Drinker website in 2020 ensured that online readers are kept up to date with all the recent developments.
See coverage alongside of our annual Awards Night, with extra awards this year to mark the Golden Jubilee. Here’s to the next 50 years!