Yes, there’s going to be a slimline Good Beer Guide 2022. We’ll (we are all CAMRA) use “best endeavours” to identify 3,600 pubs that are actually open and serving cask, and use a late October launch to promote pubs and real ale, and bring a bit of cash into CAMRA coffers.
It’s all kicking off on Discourse (“What a mess !”) and Twitter (“Basically going to be GBG21 with some minor amendments and some extra micros to replace the proper pubs that won’t reopen. I can’t wait“) and the Society of Guide Tickers Forum (pictured below) on t’Dark Web (“What the hell is wrong with Livingston’s pitch ?” *).
Friendships made over decades have been ended, 50th anniversary bottles of Doom Bar smashed in anger, questions (no doubt) will be asked in Parliament.
I applaud the decision to publish a Beer Guide with 20% less entries in late October.
It would be nice to feel I can get some more use out of the current Guide first of course. If pubs DO open in, say, May (2021 for the avoidance of doubt), I’d get five months worth of ticking done.
I started GBG21 with 713 ticks needed to complete the Guide and join Pubmeister as a true completist (as opposed to someone who picks the 1987 Guide to tick and waits till all the pubs in it close).
But I’d only knocked 35 off those 713 off by the time Lockdown 2 put a stop to the fun; I can’t really see me doing 678 pubs in 5 months, particularly if the Manxmen won’t let me travel there to do their quintet.
Selfishly, a reduced GBG22 would make it easier to tick the Guide. Though only marginally; actually most of my travels are likely to be into the wilds of northern Scotland and deepest Devon. And to Herm.
The argument against reducing the Guide by 20% (“But, but, ALL our pubs are going to re-open, AND we’ve got a dozen brand new micro/bottle shops/gin bars to include“) seems rather at odds with the earlier messages of doom and despondency, often from the same correspondents.
If, on the other hand, there’s a shortfall of entries to make up the Guide numbers, I’m sure there’ll be a few niche “clubs” to take up the slack.
*Nearly all pub tickers are also groundhoppers.
retiredmartin 
Groundhoppers? Do they rub their legs together to make a chirping sound during the mating season?
LikeLiked by 2 people
During the pre-season, certainly.
LikeLike
If you complete with this guide, does it count as true completion? Kind of a weird time isn’t it?
LikeLike
Duncan will claim not, of course. He’s a generous man, but not THAT generous.
Actually, if a GBG22 had been scrapped it’s probably I’d have got close to finishing GBG21 before September 2022, if that makes sense.
BRAPA will contend that only pints count !
LikeLike
Technically it would be done, but I’m guessing you would feel less than satisfied.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll worry about that feeling of immense hollowness when I get there ;-0
LikeLike
Agree with BRAPA on this one – less than a pint counts only in very rare circumstances. One of my very very few instances is a place in Gloucester where I (plus my friend and two Scotsmen) were given the worst pint I have ever been served. I did fight down about half so count this on the basis that I would then never feel the urge for a re-tick. My friend and myself hurried off to find somewhere to wash our mouths out leaving the Scotsmen banging on the bar to try and get the staff to come out from wherever they were hiding. Perhaps one was Duncan? It would have been early 80s.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oooh, which pub was that then ? New Inn ?
LikeLike
Given that most of the reductions are likely to be from potential newcomers, I’d expect most of your counties to be virtually complete when your GBG 22 arrives. Judicious travelling and you could complete it before your next birthday. Then spend next year finishing off the 21 edition.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess it was just a light hearted quip about Herm but it is a lovely place to visit -we dropped in a few years ago & kept it quiet that we had just come off the cruise ship moored within sight -what a monstrosity .Have to add that it was only a 3 day trip from Southampton -we are not completely stupid
LikeLiked by 1 person
Only ever glimpsed it from a Brittany Ferries boat, Pauline.
(I thought that Martin had just gone “posh Yorkshire” for a moment, sorry, merment.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Actually, I have been to Herm, boat from Guernsey 22 years ago. Walked the island, did the pub (I assume there’s only one !). Yes, lovely place.
LikeLike
yes we went from Guernsey too -the rest of the cruise passengers stayed there -en mass & we escaped to Herm -we had a lovely lunch in the pub
LikeLiked by 2 people
What did you think of Guernsey ?
I enjoyed the beaches (and coastal walks om Jersey recently). There’s some lively pubs !
LikeLike
“GBG 22 – IT’S HAPPENING !”
Will it be virtual? 😉
“I applaud the decision to publish a Beer Guide with 20% less entries in late October.”
Keep the home fires burning, what? Or, don’t let the tradition be deterred!
“If pubs DO open in, say, May (2021 for the avoidance of doubt)”
(slow golf clap) – (and doesn’t THAT say something!)
“Selfishly, a reduced GBG22 would make it easier to tick the Guide.”
Nothing selfish about that. At least CAMRA is being realistic.
“*Nearly all pub tickers are also groundhoppers.”
The above comic is a classic RM! 🙂
Cheers
LikeLike