West Berkshire CAMRA Best Community Pub 2011.

Winners - The Lord Lyon, Stockcross.

Lord Lyon wins Community race

The Lord Lyon is named after a famous thoroughbred racehorse which won the three prestigious races that comprise the Triple Crown in 1866. After a close run contest, the pub has now won the 2011 West Berkshire CAMRA race to be voted Best Community Pub.This is the fourth time a Best Community award has been presented with previous winners being the Fox & Hounds, Donnington, the Ibex, Chaddleworth and the Castle in Cold Ash.

Congratulations go to Mark Genders and his dedicated staff at the Lord Lyon, Stockcross. Customers nominated the Arkell’s pub for an impressive 24 distinct reasons. Although too numerous to list in full, an idea of the pub’s community role can be seen in these examples: making the pub’s garden available to local schools for projects (including ‘meet the chicken’ and vegetable gardening); hosting a party for the last night of the Stockcross pantomime; providing a venue for the village’s book group, bridge, guitar and knitting clubs; supporting the local cricket and football clubs; aiding charities including the Sutton (village) hall.

Mark Genders outside the Lord Lyon garden

On hearing that the pub, which he has been running since April 2010, had won the award, Mark said ‘We’re very pleased, it’s marvellous! It recognises all the team’s hard work.’

Adrian Bean, Chairman of West Berkshire CAMRA, said of the Lord Lyon, 'What impressed me about the pub was the range of local events that were mentioned as happening at the pub or being supported by the pub. These included the village book club, the Guitar club, children’s parties and prizes for village events. The fact that people felt that the pub acted as the hub of the village was also very important.'

In 2010, Nick and Maggie Hex at the Castle, Cold Ash, won the award. The pub received many nominations again this year. Another pub to challenge strongly for the award was the Bowler’s Arms, Wash Common, with its annual bonfire night party and Falkland Cricket Club links. The Lion, Newbury and the Spotted Dog, Cold Ash were also in the running with multiple nominations.

West Berkshire CAMRA would like to thank everyone who took the trouble to nominate a pub for the award. The new form, for West Berkshire CAMRA Best Community Pub 2012, will be available on our website in April. This allows plenty of time to nominate your favourite community pub for the next year’s award.

Hazel Munro, the West Berkshire Pubs Officer said 'Now is a good time to go out and find more about your local and it's ties to the community. We will be opening nominations for the 2012 award within the next two months. So do your research and keep an eye on the website so you can put your pub forward for the next award.'