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Pub Guide

Opening Times

Issue 132 Autumn 2007

Download a copy of Opening Times 132 as a PDF file - 1.2 MB

A TALE OF RECOVERY

Around the end of the last millennium I suffered a serious illness which resulted in a number of long term disabilities, affecting my balance, speech, mobility and confidence.

To crown it all Jean Lowe and her staff left my favourite watering hole, the Hyde Park in St Neots and with her went the good bands, the good beer and the great times.

I stopped going out and made many attempts to replace what had gone with a selection of bottled ales, cans and even taking filling my old James Paine container at local pubs to drink the real thinghome. But none of this worked.

At the time my illness struck I had been rebuilding my life from my lost marriage – with some success. But now my social life had nose-dived to nought. I felt unable to drink in pubs because of my poor balance. Sometimes life seems unfair, but somehow you have to bite the bullet and go again.

With my walking stick, and bullet firmly clenched in my teeth, I went on my own to CAMRA’s St. Neots Beer festival in the spring of 2006.

As I entered what seemed a huge place – I felt it had grown - there was John Cryne in the foyer, there was Derek Giles in the fest (who I had a heart-to-heart with), Steve Leader, George Cottam (being his usual Cottamesque self), Clive Parcell and too many new and old faces to remember.

From this developed friendships with others within CAMRA which has, probably unbeknown to them, played a huge part in my recovery. I go to branch meetings (still not very confident to speak up), socials, beer festivals and I post onto the group website and so on. I can go into pubs on my own and at the branch visit to the Catworth beer festival I was first on the dance floor to dance with Sonia. And a week or so later I dared to get up and sing at a Karaoke.

All these things, and more, have been a snowballing process going back to that beer festival in 2006. And I mustn’t forget former girl friend Julie, who bought me my first ever CAMRA membership in the 1970’s.

Thank you all.

Chris Knowles

CAMRA is more than just a consumer organisation. For the active members it is a great social club and an opportunity to make life long friends. Why not join us?