Cheers as Oak hits Th’ Heights for 20 years

Landlords Michael and Sheila Fancy with Ken Holt of CAMRA (centre).

RAISE a glass to the Royal Oak Inn which has been rated one of the country’s best for 20 years on the trot.

The cosy Delph pub — known as Th’ Heights to locals — has been included in the CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Good Beer Guide every year since 1991.

Landlords Michael and Sheila Fancy received a special award and Michael said: “We are really pleased. It has never been done before in the Oldham, Bury and Rochdale CAMRA area.

“It is quite an achievement, really, and it is testament to the condition that we keep all our ales in.

“They asses us annually and we never know who it is.

“We have a number of regular customer who are members of CAMRA.

“If you are a member you can go to the annual meeting to vote on whether to include or exclude a premises.”

Sheila has been in the trade for many years and runs the Broad Lane pub which dates from 1767. Former motor-cycle racer Michael helps out but his main job is building single-seat racing cars.

They rear all their own meat for the menu and battle to keep open the isolated pub, which is 1,200ft above sea level, during winter. Michael grits the road with his son so customers can reach them and added: “We are a nice cosy pub. We have no jukeboxes, no Sky TV.

“We have three open fires, one in each room, and it’s a proper old, traditional, country pub where you can go and have a proper conversation.”