I organised the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra)’s first national Pub Preservation Conference, which took place in Oxford in the 1980s. Our first speaker was Ian Russell, who opened the doors for us towards an understanding of the generational relationship between tradition, community, and the local pub.
Ian was an expert on his subject and a great communicator. Real ale, and the village carols of the Sheffield area, have remained on my personal agenda ever since.
