1971 16th March - Campaign for the Revitalisation of Ale (CAMRA) founded [1]

1972 26th March - First National AGM held, in Nuneaton. A subsequent Special General Meeting was held on 28th October at which a National Executive was elected [1]

1973 17th March - Second AGM held, in London, when the name of the organisation was changed to the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). The first branches founded [1]

1974 October - Northampton Branch formed [9]

1975 - First edition of the Northants Real Ale Guide published [9]. 1980 4th edition published [12]

1975 12th April - First branch beer festival held in Brixworth village hall [13]

1976 10th April - Second branch beer festival held in Brixworth village hall

1976 April - Greyfriars bus station opens [2], Derngate bus station closes

1977 2nd April - Beer festival held in Northampton Drill Hall [9] [14](the 1998 festival is billed as the 22nd one in the Branch newsletter) [7]

1977 August - First edition of Branch newsletter, Pint Taken, produced, based on the numbering of scanned editions, which was produced monthly [4]

1978 25th-27th May - Beer festival held in Derngate bus station [9] [15]

1978 November - North Northants & Rutland Branch hold Real Ale Exhibition in Kettering [3]

1979 March - Change of Chairman. Outgoing Chairman thanked for "...running two successful beer exhibitions". [5]

1979 May - Northampton Beer Exhibition (provisionally arranged) [6]

1980 - East Northants branch formed due to size of existing branch [9]

1982 23-24 April - First County Cricket Ground beer festival. Held until early 2000s

1985 - East Northants branch remerged with Northants branch

1986 - Branch newsletter relaunced as Branch Lines

1991 6-8 June - First Nunn-Such Island (Becket’s Park) beer festival (the 1998 festival is billed as the 8th one in the Branch newsletter) [8]

1993 - Branch newsletter relaunced as Brew Print

1997 - First revamped Branch newsletter, Over The Barrel, produced as the Spring Edition [11]

2004 May - Last Nunn-Such Island beer festival

2006 5-6 May - First Delapre Abbey beer festival

2012 May - Last CAMRA beer festival in Northampton, held at Delapre Abbey. From 2013 run with support from Council, local breweries, publicans and event companies [10]. 2016 was the last festival at Delapre Abbey. In June 2017 it was held in Becket’s Park and, apart from 2020, is still held there

2016 February - Branch website created

In April 1982 the beer festival moved to the Practice Hall at the County Cricket Ground. Following refurbishment, and renaming to the Turner Suite, the hire costs became prohibitive so an alternative venue was sought. Nothing suitable/affordable was found and the autumn festival was dropped

Branch Chairmen

Based on information gleaned from Branch minutes, newsletters and beer festival programmes we have identified;

1974 – 197x Reg Anstey

197x – 1977 Fred Collins

1977 - 1979 Dave Pickles

1979 Brian Waller

1979 - 1982 Mick Bolshaw

1982 - 1983 Kevin Lodge

1983 Ted Bradley

1984 Mick Bolshaw

1986 Steve Broadbent

1987 Brian Bosworth

1988 Chris Jarrold

1988 - 1993 Richard Ashby

1994 - 1995 Sean Lever

1996 - 1998 Steve Rawlings

1999 - Mick Bolshaw

xxxx - 2013 Phil Greenway

2013 - 2018 Ian MacAulay

2018 - 2020 Dean Cornwall

2020 - date Bernie Peal

If you have any information that can help us fill in the gaps we'd love to see it. Please contact us at: ku.gro.armac.stnahtron@ocbew

References
1. Key Events in CAMRA's History
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyfriars_bus_station
3. Pint Taken No.16 - November 1978 (P.2)
4. Branch Archive
5. Pint Taken No.21 - April 1979 (P.2)
6. Pint Taken No.20 - March 1979 (P.4)
7. 22nd BF
8. 8th BF
9. The 40th Anniversary of Northants CAMRA branch – the First 10 Years
10. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-21463435
11. OTB No. 1
12. NRAG
13. Good Beer Exhibition - 1975
14; 1977 Beer festival notification
15: 1978 Beer festival