Branch 50th Anniversary

2025 sees the 50th Year of Rochdale, Oldham and Bury Branch. A small Sub Committee, chaired by Viv Cooper has a number of recommendations as to how we will mark this milestone. Monthly meetings are being held to discuss progress and as plans come to fruition, they are being publicised on the Branch Diary section of this site, and also contained in CAMRA Calling newsletter mailings. A commemorative logo was designed by our member Ken Lynch from Serious Brewing, and this has been used, in a variety of colours, in our Branch Magazine More Beer.

Branch Golden Anniversary Celebrations

Arguably the most important event of the year was our 50th Anniversary Celebration gathering with lunch, which was held at the Cross Keys, Uppermill on 25th March 2025. The date is significant here, as it was 50 years ago to the day that our branch was formed in 1975. This was a lively, well-attended afternoon get-together using three rooms at this classic village pub that has had many entries in CAMRA Good Beer Guide over the years.

Watch Branch Chairman, Peter Alexander address the members present. This video displays best in landscape mode if viewing on a handheld device such as a mobile ‘phone. NB The date in the corner of the clip simply reflects the date it was originally uploaded to YouTube. The true date of the event was, as mentioned, 25 March 2025.

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And below is a collage of a few stills from the afternoon.

Below is a list of other celebratory events:

• Commemorative polo shirts were commissioned and several members have already purchased these.

35th Oldham Beer & Cider Festival

• A Members only preview Social event on the evening before Oldham Beer & Cider Festival on Thursday 10th April. This included a big-screen showing of film taken at 12th Bury Beer Festival in 1992.

• A cask of Wakey Wakey 50 Winks, a Ruby Mild at 5%, celebrating our milestone anniversary was generously gifted to Oldham Beer and Cider Festival. Many Thanks to Anthony and Leanne at Wakey Wakey Brew Co.

• A display of memorabilia/records collected over the years by keen members was on display at Oldham Beer and Cider Festival. A very small selection is pictured here.

• A guest speaker from Runaway Brewery in Stockport was booked to talk at OBCF about KeyKeg beer, and allow comparison samples of the same beer in Cask and KeyKeg dispense. Regrettably, the speaker had to withdraw at the last minute, but sampling of beers still took place.

Branch Magazine “More Beer”

• Articles are being published throughout the year in “More Beer”, recalling memories of beer Festivals and other matters of interest gathered from the last 50 years. ​Additionally, a series of "pull-out and keep" booklets giving Names, Addresses and Operating Companies of ALL current Real Ale pubs in our Branch Area are being produced.
There is one for each of the three town areas, Rochdale, Oldham and Bury. This piece of work was inspired by similar content in a much earlier regular newsletter entitled “What’s Doing”. Click here What’s Doing to go to the archive of online issues.

Special Awards

• Two pubs in our Branch area have appeared in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide consecutively for the last 21 years (2005 - 2025 inclusive). Both pubs have also had the same licensees for those 21 years. Special award certificates were presented in recognition of this - Firstly, to Jo Potter of the Ashton Arms, Oldham on Friday 11th April 2025 at Oldham Beer & Cider Festival in Queen Elizabeth Hall, and secondly to Peter and Natalie Marney of the White House, Blackstone Edge, Littleborough on Friday 15th August.

Special awards are also being made to pubs with an entry in 2025 GBG where they had appeared in the guide in excess of 20 occasions within the 50 years of our branch existence. Cross Keys, Uppermill (46 years), Tandle Hill Tavern, Middleton (32 years), Puckersley Inn, Royton (24 years), Ring O’ Bells, Middleton (23 years), Pack Horse Inn, Affetside, Bury (22 years), Swan Inn, Dobcross (22 years) and White Horse, Lydgate (21 years). The Puckersley deserves special mention for being the only pub in our branch area that appeared in both the 1975 and 2025 editions of the Good Beer Guide. Deputy Chairman Mike Robinson presented the award to Jessica and Danny at the Puckersley on Thursday 17th July 2025.

Branch Chairman Peter Alexander presented the certificate to Roger Haynes of the Ring O’ Bells on Tuesday 15th July 2025.

The presentation to Tandle Hill Tavern took place in the pub on Sunday 26 October 2025. See photos.

Another Special award presentation will be made on Friday 21 November to the Kings, Heywood, (sadly no longer a real ale venue), to commemorate the pub where the branch first formed back in 1975.

Other presentations will be announced when details are available. Keep an eye on our Branch Diary.

Social events

• Members supported the IndieBaum Beer Festival in St Mary in The Baum Church, Toad Lane, Rochdale 13 & 14 June

• Members supported pubs in the area during the Saddleworth Rushcart weekend 22nd to 24th August

• A Metrolink Tram Trip took place on Saturday 27th September 2025. This started at noon at The Railway, Hollinwood,. moving on to the Crown near Freehold, followed by Bank Top Tavern, near King Street tram stop, and the Ashton Arms close to Oldham Central. The party re-joined the tram onto Shaw for Shay Wake and for those who wished to imbibe further, there were also the options of the Black Horse or Morning Star.

(Click the link to see the pubs listed together on the main CAMRA website. https://camra.org.uk/trips/a2c61327-b15e-42d7-baa3-42a55240e0c7 )

• A free to enter Pub Quiz night was held in the upstairs Court Room at The Flying Horse on Tuesday 23rd September

• It is hoped that Phoenix Brewery's Tap House will be open for business this year so that a Social visit can be arranged.

• A Tutored Cider & Perry Tasting was held at Our Gracie's in Rochdale on Tuesday 21st October. This was hosted by our Cider Representative Mike Robinson. Photo group shown alongside.

• A further Social outing by Tram has been arranged for Prestwich and Whitefield, on Saturday 15th November 2025, in which a visit will be made to selected pubs along the route.
(Details have been published under Socials on the Branch Diary page)

• A Christmas Social will be held after the December Branch Meeting Tuesday 2nd December