CAMRA last week launched its 45th Good Beer Guide.

The annual publication is dedicated to showcasing pubs serving consistently good quality real ale, and providing a useful snapshot for travellers to our area as to what beers, food and facilities are available in a small range of hostelries.

The pubs get into the guide by a rigorous voting system, based on beer quality scores made by CAMRA volunteers throughout the previous year. Pubs do not pay to be in the guide, and no pub gets in by default because it is part of a chain or has been in the guide before.

Looking back over the years however, things have changed in Keighley, – and to highlight some of those changes I looked back at a copy of the 1977 issue – now 40 years old and was surprised and delighted to see that some pubs listed then are still making an appearance today.

The Fleece at Haworth in 1977 was a Timothy Taylor’s pub, as it is today, but it only sold one beer – namely ‘Golden Mild’ on an electric pump and this was described as ‘light but wholesome’ and that it may also be known as Bitter Ale or Golden Best.

Nowadays the Fleece sells five of Taylor’s beers, still including Golden Best, and also has a changing guest beer – all of course now on the familiar hand pumps.

In 1977 six pubs were listed under the Keighley heading and happily five are still trading:- Fountain (now Red Pig); Friendly (now Percy Vere’s); Globe on Park Lane, New Inn at Bocking (closed 2009); Roebuck at Utley and Turkey at Goose Eye.

Only the Roebuck and the Turkey had beer on hand pumps, from Bass; Tetley’s, Youngers and Peter Rabbit Theakston’s; whilst the other four all sold either Taylor’s Golden Best or Bitter (Boltmaker) beers on electric dispense. None of the pubs did food but all offered pub games and music.

In 2017 the Turkey is still in the guide but now sells Goose Eye; Taylor’s; Settle Brewery and three changing guests. However the other pubs did not make it to the current issue and instead the Brown Cow, West Lane (seven beers); Livery Rooms, North Street (eight beers) and the Lord Rodney (four Taylor’s beers), the latter two offering food as well as beer.

If you want a copy of the latest guide the cover price is £15.99, but drop in to any of the events below and CAMRA members can pick one up for just £10 and non-members £13 per copy.