The headline is that we have chosen not to hold a festival of our own in 2021, as we typically would, towards the end of the year. Instead, we plan to organise and support vigorously a celebration of real ale and real cider that is based in pubs and clubs. Over the coming months, as the practicalities become clearer, we shall link with publicans, brewers, and drinkers to decide the timing, format, and finer details of this.

As part of our campaign to support local pubs, brewers and drinkers in the current lockdown and immediate future, a group of CAMRA members met with Kevan Jones MP, the representative for North Durham. In a wide-ranging discussion, Kevan emphasised that he had opposed the 10pm curfew, recognised the central importance of pubs to communities in County Durham and recognised the severe impact that current public health measures are having on all concerned.

On January 22nd, CAMRA Durham hosted a Zoom chat with Richard Holden, the MP for North West Durham, so that we could discuss his stance on all things pub-related and what could be done to promote and protect the industry, particularly during the current pandemic situation.

We have decided that in view of the response to Covid-19 still preventing us from meeting in person, we will hold an AGM Meeting using Zoom on Tuesday 22nd September 2020, at 7-30pm. A link for this meeting will be made available closer to the time.

In these times of physical social distancing it's important to try and remain connected, so we'd like you to join us at our virtual pub "The Dunelm Arms" on a Tuesday evening from 8pm staring from April 28th.

The Dunelm Arms is being hosted on Zoom, so you just need to visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86547461566?pwd=NzI0TDhmeUFja1VkYUpFRTBRVFRYUT09 after 8pm to join us (mobile/tablet users will need to install the free Zoom app).