Promoting our Countryside as Part of our National Identity

Promoting our Countryside as Part of our National Identity

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has come up with a list of what defines our National Identity and it is interesting that many of these represent traditional values that will lie close to the hearts of most pub walkers.

The charity has created its "National List of Shared Treasures" as it wants to lobby Gordon Brown to promote them in his environmental policies. The list comprises:

• Classic countryside
• High quality food production
• Our finest landscapes
• A rich historic heritage
• World renowned cities towns and villages
• Access to local shops

For each one, the CPRE has defined the factors that make each item important to the nation, as well as key tests that will help us all to judge whether Mr Brown is serious in any stated intent to promote environmental policies. For example it cites the long-awaited formal confirmation of National Park status for the South Downs as a key test for "Our Finest Landscapes".

To read more about each of these "national icons", visit Countryside as part of our National Identity.

Today's pub walk: The King & Queen in Hamble, Hampshire.

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Walking for Exercise is Replacing Gym Membership

Walking for Exercise is Replacing Gym Membership

It seems that twenty and thirty-somethings are turning their backs on the gym in favour of keeping fit in the great outdoors. An incredible 72 per cent of 20 to 39-year-olds surveyed this month by the Ramblers' Association (RA) would rather go for a walk than work out in a gym.

And this is against a back-drop of another recent Sport England survey that confirmed walking as the most popular recreational activity with over 8 million of us walking at least once a month.

Pub walkers already know that walking is a great way to meet new friends and an excellent way to keep fit while enjoying fresh air and scenery instead of staring at a dull gym wall. And some of those savings on gym fees can be spent on enjoying some wholesome pub food and real ale as a "reward" for all that exercise. All in moderation of course!

To read more about the Ramblers Association's survey, click on Walking for Exercise is Replacing Gym Membership.

Today's pub walk: The White Hart (walk 2) in Campton, Bedfordshire.

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Pub Design Awards 2007

Pub Design Awards 2007

Do you know a pub that demonstrated real style and imagination in its recent refurbishment? Then why not nominate it for The Pub Design Awards 2007? There is much more to the pub experience than friendly service and high quality fayre, and the surroundings make a real contribution too.

CAMRA's Pub Design Awards, in association with the English Heritage and the Victorian Society, were first launched in 1983 to award pubs of innovative and imaginative design. The awards celebrate sympathetic preservation and restoration of remarkable historical interest interiors, as well as applauding new contemporary builds.

Information on how to nominate pubs, as well as names and pictures of last year's winners, can be found at Pub Design Awards 2007.

Today's pub walk: The West Bay in Bridport, Dorset.

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Coastal Access - Right to Roam our Coastline

Coastal Access - Right to Roam our English Coastline

Yesterday saw the start of the public consultation over coastal access. The question is whether the right to roam should be extended to grant uninterrupted public access along the length of the English coastline.

Natural England first presented their proposals to Defra earlier this year and I wrote about this then at Coastal Access is on its Way. Public support is very strong for a continual coastal corridor which would bring England into line with Scotland and shortly Wales. However it is strongly opposed by landowners and the battle is not yet won. Read more at Coastal Access and the right to roam our English coastline

To help maintain public and media focus on this initiative, MyFavouritePubWalks.com has decided to add a special "Favourite Coastal Pub Walk" category in its search for The Nation's Favourite Pub Walk. The additional prize will be a copy of "The Walkers Companion", published and donated by The Ramblers Association who have been strong campaigners for coastal access.

Today's participating pub: The Inn with the Well in Ogbourne St. George, Wiltshire.
Prizes offered: 1st - Meal for 2 with wine; 2nd - Bottle of Chianti or Pinot Grigio.

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Download Pub Walks Free until 30 September 2007

Download Pub Walks Free until 30 September 2007

The competition to find the Nation's Favourite Pub Walk has been extended following popular demand from pub walkers wanting to continue their search over the Summer holiday period.

With so many of us exploring new areas of the UK for our holidays and discovering new pub walks, as lead sponsors MyFavouritePubWalks.com felt it was only right to take this feedback on board. Pubs and walking feature high on the list of leisure activities on holiday and we often return having discovered some new gems that we love to share with others visiting the area.

So now everyone has until Sunday 9th September 2007 to enter their favourite pub walks into the competition, with the deadline for voting also extended by two monthts to 30 September.
See Update...

Today's pub walk: The Blue Bell Inn in Flintshire, Wales.

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EBLEX English Steak Pie Competition 2007

EBLEX English Steak Pie Competition 2007

As gastro pubs sweep the country, there remain some traditional English dishes that we will always associate with our true pubs and surely the steak pie must be one of those. It is therefore no surprise that pubs account for 16 of the 18 semi-finalists in the competition to find the National Steak Pie Champion.

As the competition moves to its next stage, judges will be turning up unannounced at the pubs' doors to sample the pies, making it also an ideal time for anyone to do the same! If these pies are usually excellent, just think what they could be with judges expected...

For a full list of the semi-finalists plus previous winners, go to EBLEX English Steak Pie Competition 2007.

Today's participating pub: The Crown Inn in Taunton, Somerset.
Prizes offered: A champagne dinner for two.

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The Publican Pub Food Awards 2007

The Publican Pub Food Awards 2007

I always keep my eyes open for award-winning pubs that could be candidates for a future pub walk and The Publican often features these.

This award-winning magazine is clearly targeted at publicans but often has articles of interest to the pub-going community. The latest item I noted was the launch of their 2007 search for Pub of the Year with a deadline for entries of 3rd August 2007.

The magazine is encouraging entries across the board from country freehouses to inner city gastro pubs and food focused pub companies large and small. The 14 categories include seafood to alfresco and you can see further details and last year's winner at The Publican Pub Food Awards 2007. I shall look forward to seeing the winners later in the year and will include them here.

Today's pub walk: Sailor's Return in East Chaldon, Dorset.

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Open Farm Sunday - 10 June 2007

Open Farm Sunday - 10 June 2007

Anyone who appreciates the English countryside knows that farms are important and play a critical role as custodians of our landscape. However we often have very little understanding of what farming today is all about.

Open Farm Sunday is a national day organised by LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) with the aim of showing how farmers have to balance their care of the environment with their fundamental need to produceing safe, wholesome and affordable food.

We often have a distorted view of the farmer's life and this is an ideal opportunity for farmers to help change that. It is also a great way for children to be introduced to the countryside and all the pleasures of walking (farm walks are a common feature on the farms).

Last year was a pilot for this event and involved nearly 300 farms. This year LEAF have high hopes that it will be even bigger. To find out more, as well as details of an event near you, click on Open Farm Sunday.

Today's participating pub: The Cyder House in Shackleford, Surrey.
Prizes offered: £40 meal voucher, 2-course meal for two and bottle of champagne.

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Real Ale as Cartoon Characters

Real Ale as Cartoon Characters

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has done huge amounts to promote survival of the community pub and I'm right behind them. Sometimes though I think they can seem a bit intense about their cause so its great to see them displaying a lighter side with their latest promotion.

Entitled "Find your perfect drinking partner", they have commissioned the creation of a set of clever cartoon characters, each one representing a different type of beer. For example, imagine:

CHARACTER OF A DARK MILD: Usually tall, dark and mysterious. Smooth, suave and effortlessly tasteful.

Got the picture? To see the cartoon and the other descriptions with their cartoons too, click on real ale as cartoon characters.

Today's pub walk: The Queen's Head in Brandeston, Suffolk.

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Easy to download, share and review pub walks

Easy to download, share and review pub walks online

OK, we didn't get it right first time. But just take another look at MyFavouritePubWalks.com now! We listened to the feedback we received from our fellow pub walkers (thanks everybody!) and have made the whole site simpler to use. The main changes include:

• one-time registration - whether you are submitting your favourite pub walks, just downloading pub walks or even becoming a participating pub.

• email your own favourite pub walks to us - no longer any need to access the secure area of the site to upload the details (we do that for you now).

• the instructions on how to submit your favourite pub walks are now much simpler.
  

So with only 4 weeks left to submit your entry for The Nation's Favourite Pub Walk, why not join in and go for one of the prizes...

Today's participating pub: Live and let Live in Whitbourne, Worcs.
Prizes offered: A meal for two.

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