Latest news with #pubcrawl
Telegraph
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Real ale fan's world record pub crawl surpasses 24,000 bars
A real ale fan who has spent more than 40 years on the world's longest pub crawl has reached his 24,000th establishment. Peter Hill and his friends vowed to broaden their drinking horizons in 1984 and have since travelled 400,000 miles in search of new pubs. The West Bromwich-based Black Country Ale Tairsters have cemented their place in the record books by ticking off every pub in Wales, having a pint on 69 islands around the UK and visiting an average of 11 pubs every week. Mr Hill, who toasted his 69th birthday by raising a glass in the Elephant & Castle, in Dudley last month, said the pub crawl had been a 'great adventure'. He said: 'I'm not sure if I'll ever stop, as I still really enjoy it. There's still hundreds of pubs to go, so I'll keep on going while I can. 'There's a little group of us who go, the numbers have gone up and down as people have got married, sometimes I just go by myself. 'We used to get a little drunk in the early days but it's more of a mature hobby now and I always take it easy and pace myself. We don't drink to excess.' The group was formed 41 years ago when they set out to visit 300 pubs listed on a map handed out by the local Banks brewery in Wolverhampton. After completing the feat, the friends decided to carry on with the added incentive of raising money for charity – devising challenges each one more ambitious than the last. Mr Hill has kept 280 arch-lever files logging every pub, including pictures, menus and other memorabilia. The retired engineer said: 'We just got a bit bored of going to the same old place and it was my dad's idea to start visiting 300 from a Bank's map of Wolverhampton pubs. 'Then we sort of said 'shall we get to 1,000?' Then it was 2,000, then 3,000 and it just never stopped from there. 'We set a world record for the longest pub crawl but it was never about that. I'm just enjoying my life while trying to raise a bit of money for charity. 'I prefer the old-fashioned traditional boozers, just a couple of rooms and a warm welcome is very important.' Mr Hill has raised £35,000 for good causes over the years, including his local children's hospital and the Air Ambulance. When Mr Hill and co reached their 20,000th pub in 2017 they set a new Guinness World Record for the Longest Pub Crawl. 'Its sad to see so many pubs struggling, the price of the beer doesn't help – you can pay £7 a pint and even over a tenner for some of these fancy craft ales,' he said, adding: 'I'm trying to do my bit to keep the pub scene alive. 'I'll keep going until the beer runs out.'
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Plans to make Otley Run in Leeds safer proposed by councillors
More police officers, extra toilets and "better" queuing systems have been proposed as part of plans to make Leeds' Otley Run pub crawl a fancy dress rite for passage for students who visit around 18 pubs on the route through the Headingley and Hyde Park areas, the crawl's popularity has boomed since the end of lockdown and now attracts older drinkers has led to concerns from locals who have complained about rising anti-social behaviour, public urination and dangerous road use from some a letter to residents, the area's Labour councillors said they and local MP Alex Sobel had met pub bosses to suggest "solid steps" to tackle the issues. The councillors, Jonathan Pryor and Abdul Hannan, described the meeting as "productive" and said the bars had been "willing to explore" their suggestions. Under proposals put forward, pubs would provide "direct funding" to pay for additional police officers along the route - an idea first mooted earlier this year. The letter said "better queuing systems" which moved people away from blocking pavements were also being developed and pubs were being encouraged to join a Otley Run "project group", which brings stakeholders together to monitor toilet facilities "where these could be accommodated" and support for the White Ribbon campaign to end misogyny and violence against women were also proposed, the councillors added. Two women were injured in a crossbow attack on the route in April before the suspect fatally injured himself. Pryor and Hannan said the discussions were aimed at helping Headingley cope with the "sheer numbers" of people now doing the Otley Run. They added: "We believe these could be solid steps, and go some way to tackling the issues."When the idea of pubs paying for police was raised in May, one bar owner said he was against the Waugh, who runs Sixes Social Cricket in Headingley, said: "I understand there's a lot of people that come to do the Otley Run on a Saturday and that the services must be stretched. As empathetic as I am with that, we are also stretched as a hospitality business."Month after month, there seems to be more cost layered into our business." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
I'll cheers to that! Pub crawls boost happiness and trigger a sense of exploration, research reveals
If you needed any more of an excuse to get your friends together for a few drinks this weekend, science now has the answer. Pub crawls can boost happiness, promote exploration, and foster a unique sense of community, according to new research. This is because these marathon drinking sessions bring people together in a way that is difficult to replicate elsewhere. Professor Victoria Wells, a researcher from the University of York dubbed the 'Professor of Pubs', told MailOnline: 'For pub crawlers, the benefits go beyond the buzz. 'Crawls offer a blend of novelty, excitement, and camaraderie, a temporary break from routine that fosters emotional highs and shared rituals. 'Our research found they can boost individual happiness by creating opportunities for social interaction, promoting a sense of belonging, and encouraging exploration of local areas and perhaps venues they haven't visited before. 'With themed events, costumes, and travel between locations, participants can engage in a more immersive, festive, and often unforgettable experience than a night at a single local.' Professor Wells even says that experiencing a hangover together the next morning can be part of a unique shared experience. And, with an estimated UK 50 pubs closing every month, the researchers say that pub crawls could help to save the classic British boozer. Large, organised pub crawls are often rowdy affairs with hundreds of drunk partygoers spilling out onto the streets in the early hours. This has led many famous pub crawls, such as the Otley Run in West Yorkshire, to receive strong criticism from the local community. But this new study, published in the International Journal of Hospitality Management, found that a rowdy night on the town is often just what people need. The key to a pub crawl is that it makes drinking just one part of a bigger social, emotional, and geographic experience. Co-author Professor Kathryn Arnold, also of the University of York, told MailOnline: 'What makes a crawl unique is its experience joined with movement and variety. 'A pub crawl is like the tasting menu of nightlife - it's not just about one venue but the journey through several, each offering its own atmosphere, crowd, and drink choices.' As anyone who has been on a big pub crawl will know, different groups moving through the various pubs can form 'instant communities' with the people they meet. 'By moving together through venues, groups form bonds through shared experiences, whether it's singing on the street, toasting in unison, or navigating a tricky costume,' says Professor Arnold. In some cases, traditional pub crawls like the Transpennine Ale trail and Leeds Heritage Pub Tours become local rituals which help create a sense of belonging. Although this might sound a bit like an excuse for a night on the town, the role that pubs play in our communities is extremely important. Studies have shown that pubs foster community connections, support local economies, and help to preserve local traditions. However, pubs are now facing extreme economic pressures which is pushing many into closure. Around 50 pubs close each month, with the Campaign for Real Ale reporting that 303 pubs closed in the first three months of 2025 alone. Introducing a new pub crawl can prove 'transformative' for local economies and breathe life back into these dying drinking spots. Pub crawls increase footfall in quiet times, such as the winter, and build hubs of economic activity through collaboration with other venues. According to their study, investing in pub crawls or pub trails in towns and cities across the country could help protect the one million jobs supported by the drink industry. Co-author Dr Nadine Waehning told MailOnline: 'For pubs, crawls can be lucrative in attracting new customers, boosting revenue, and showcasing what makes each venue special. Think of it as a hospitality open house.' Although big pub crawls often attract criticism for fostering antisocial behaviour, the researchers say that well-managed pub crawls can bring benefits for everyone. 'It is about working out if a pub crawl is right for the venue and if so what type,' Dr Waehning said. 'Done right, a pub crawl can be a real win-win for both patrons and pubs.' WHEN DID HUMANS START DRINKING BEER? Humans have had a long history of consuming alcohol. It is believed the primitive cultures of Mesopotania could have been brewing malted barley scraps as far back as 10,000BC but there are no records of it. The earliest proof of beer-drinking dates back to Northern China 9,000 years ago. This ancient brew was made using hawthorn fruit, Chinese wild grapes, rice and honey, and is the oldest known fermented beverage in history - older even than wine. To make it the corn was milled and moistened in the maker's mouth to convert starches in the corn into fermentable sugars - before it was 'spat' into the beer. Throughout history, the consumption of alcohol may have helped people become more creative, advancing the development of language, art and religion. This is because alcohol lowers inhibitions and makes people feel more spiritual. It is believed the Egyptians started brewing beer around 5,000BC, according to the papyrus scrolls. They were brewing things like dates, pomegranates and other indigenous herbs. At around 3150 BC, the Egyptians used industrial-scale breweries to provide beer for the workers who built the pyramids of Giza. Eventually beer made its way from the Middle East to Europe where an abundance of barley crops provided lots of raw ingredient for brewers. Experts have now found evidence of brewing in Greece during the Bronze Age. Researchers believe that these prehistoric people enjoyed getting merry with alcoholic drinks for feasts all year-round and not just when the grapes were ripe. Not only was it considered nutritional it was also a safe alternative to drinking water. It was in the Middle Ages that malted barley became the main source of fermented sugar and beer became the beverage we are familiar with today.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- BBC News
Otley Run: Bar crawl venues could have to pay for policing
A bar on the route of one of the country's biggest pub crawls has pushed back against a suggestion that venues should pay a levy for extra Otley Run sees about 4,000 people take part in the three-mile crawl between Headingley and Leeds city centre every have complained about anti-social behaviour, including violence and public urination, and politicians have now called for a voluntary payment from participating pubs and bars to fund police officers."We're getting slammed at every angle [financially] and I don't think we should be the ones expected to foot the bill," Andy Waugh, co-founder of Sixes Social Cricket, said. The pub crawl is not officially classed as an organised event, with drinkers walking between the 19 stops that are under separate leader of Leeds City Council, Jonathan Pryor, called the format a "loophole" and said the authority would be "looking to put pressure on the venues" to improve safety at a public meeting earlier this women were injured in a crossbow attack on the route in April, with a meeting being held to discuss the concerns of people living nearby. Mr Waugh added: "I understand there's a lot of people that come to do the Otley Run on a Saturday and that the services must be stretched, as empathetic as I am with that, we are also stretched as a hospitality business."Month after month, there seems to be more cost layered into our business. Whether it's National Insurance contributions increasing, minimum wage increases. I just don't know how they can justify a levy on an already struggling industry."On Saturdays, Otley Road is busy with thousands of people taking part in the crawl, many of them donning fancy dress costumes. Alfie Heale, who was dressed as a tiger, said it was "absolutely quality, best day out in Leeds"."It brings a lot of people to Leeds."Charlie Mack, a student in the city, said: "It's always good fun. The pubs are making lots of money, it's only one day a week so you can't really complain."Iona Taylor, who was with her friends in a beer garden of a pub, was celebrating her birthday weekend by doing the run."It's hilarious, I would recommend it to everyone. The camaraderie is amazing. It gets hectic. We've got here early to avoid the crowds but it's usually pretty full." In 2014, the city of Nottingham introduced a night-time levy for licensed premises, which covered was revoked in 2022 to ease financial pressure on local Sobel, MP for Leeds Central and Headingley, said he supported the concept."What would be best is if the pubs themselves voluntarily started to pay into a fund, to show willing."We know how much money, more or less, they make on a Saturday, it would be a very small amount of profit to contribute towards the policing of the event." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Beer we go! Otley Runners brave sizzling mini-heatwave to go on 19-pub booze crawl as Britain bathes in temperatures hotter than Ibiza
Revellers today hit the streets of West Yorkshire to take part in the infamous Otley Run pub crawl as Britain basked in temperatures hotter than Ibiza. The party animals were seen in an array of fancy dress outfits, with many taking inspiration from the newly-elected Pope Leo XIV. And as they travelled through the 19-stop journey in Leeds, the swathes of youngsters stopped to pose for photographs as the sun beamed down on them. Some of the most creative costumes on show ranged from attempts at Minnie Mouse to the cast of The Inbetweeners and full suit 'Minions' from the Despicable Me film series. Others, perhaps sensibly dressing for the warmer weather, opted for Hawaiian shirts which they paired with the traditional flower necklace known as a Lei. In Leeds, temperatures peaked at around 20C between 2-3pm, meaning the North Yorkshire city was as hot as parts of the Balearic islands. Meanwhile London was today one of the hottest cities in Europe, with its highs of 25C putting the likes of Lisbon, Barcelona and Rome to shame on the thermostat front. Though it is not all good news for the rest of the weekend on the UK weather map. Forecasters at the Met Office have warned that thunderstorms, hail and lightning could hit parts of Britain tomorrow. Most of this is said to affect South Wales and parts of the West Midlands, with Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey saying there could be 'heavy, short sharp' bursts of rain and hail and lightning. He told MailOnline this morning: 'As is the case with thunderstorms, they're often quite hit and miss. 'Obviously it has been a pretty dry spring so for many areas rain is needed, but because of the heavy nature of these showers, splashing onto hard surfaces, there is the potential for minor localised issues and flooding.' The wet weather could also see areas in Northern Ireland and Scotland over Sunday and Monday affected. But for British partygoers soaking in the Saturday sun, that news is tomorrow's problem, and it certainly didn't dampen spirits today. Some sun worshippers were seen enjoying the baking heat by going paddle boarding in the spring sunshine on River Nidd in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire - around 30 minutes from where the Otley Run takes place. Londoners also flocked to the Thames embankment by Putney riverside in south west London. Pictured: People relaxing in the warm sunshine on the Thames embankment by Putney riverside, south west London But for those who braved the Otley Run today, it showed another marker of defiance two weeks after an extremist tried to massacre youngsters on the route with his crossbow last month. Owen Lawrence, 38, shot two women - aged 19 and 31 - with a crossbow along the route of the pub crawl before turning the weapon on himself on Saturday, April 26. Just hours before Lawrence made the three minute walk from his flat to the Otley Road, he published a Facebook manifesto dubbed 'The Otley Run Massacre'. Under a post titled 'attack information', Lawrence listed his 'targets', which included 'students, night club goers, Otley Run participants', as well as 'neurotypicals, and the police'. Just hours before Lawrence made the three minute walk from his flat to the Otley Road, he published a Facebook manifesto dubbed 'The Otley Run Massacre' He went on to list what category the attack would fall under: 'Mass murder, terrorism, revenge, misogynyic [sic] rage, homicide/suicide.' Lawrence said in the post he would be using a range of weapons including four different types of guns, a crossbow, an 'unbreakable' baseball bat and two lollipop shanks. Lawrence later died in hospital as a result of his injuries.
