A pub in Cornwall that had an award revoked for displaying Nazi memorabilia has had the award reinstated after a U-turn. The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) had revoked the award for best pub but has now changed its mind.
The Hole in the Wall in Bodmin was named the county’s best pub by Camra Kernow last month – partly because of its unique decor. The quaint pub is filled wall to wall with curiosities, including a stuffed lion, old guns and a picture of Winston Churchill, to name a few.
However, landlord Steve Hall came under fire after a complaint was received about a “swastika armband” on display in his pub – even though it was a World War II souvenir that a British soldier had brought back from his regimental town and given to the pub as a gift to add to its collection of curiosities.
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After a single complaint from a Truro resident, Camra officers withdrew the Hole in the Wall’s award, saying it was against national policy to display offensive items. Steve said at the time that the armband had been in the pub for 80 years and needed to be considered in its historical context. He said it was certainly not Nazi propaganda, adding that he had removed the armband as soon as he heard about the complaint.
Steve, who has been behind the bar at the Hole in the Wall for 20 years and has employed more than 100 people during that time, told CornwallLive at the time that the Nazi armband, measuring around 10cm by 2.5cm, had been lying in a glass case on a pillar in a dimly lit part of the pub among a variety of curiosities for decades. It had been brought back from the front by a returning soldier from the Duke of Cornwall’s Regiment. Twice in the last two decades, the famous Bodmin pub has been named Pub of the Year by Camra Kernow while the armband was on display.
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Following a nationwide backlash and thousands of people supporting Steve and his team at Hole in the Wall, Camra UK has now done a U-turn and returned the well-deserved award.
On its website, Camra said it had listened to the appeals of members of its Cornwall branch, adding: “Following a review by Camra’s national awards committee, the Hole in the Wall in Bodmin has been reinstated as Camra Cornwall Branch Pub of the Year.”
“The award was initially withdrawn at the end of March following a complaint about an offensive item on display. Following an appeal by the Cornwall branch to Camra’s awards committee, the committee agreed that the Cornwall Pub of the Year award should be reinstated. Camra appreciates the licensee’s prompt action in removing the item and apologises for any inconvenience this may have caused.
“We are committed to ensuring pubs and clubs are welcoming to all, with nationally agreed policies and guidance. This includes a policy that excludes pubs and breweries from awards ceremonies and other promotions if they display discriminatory or offensive material.”
A spokesman for Camra Kernow said: “In times of Partygate or the Post Office scandal, it is very refreshing to see an organisation get something wrong and then put it right very quickly.” Vince Curtis, chair of Camra Kernow, added: “Cornwall Camra is delighted that our appeal was successful and that the right decision has been made in relation to the Hole in the Wall.”
