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Tributes have been paid to lifelong real ale campaigner John Armstrong, the former editor of award-winning magazine MerseyAle, who has died.
John, who was well-known in Wirral's pub community, died on August 7. Back in 2019, he suffered a stroke, but by this time the Liverpool native was living on the Wirral. He returned to Merseyside in the 2000s and became a member of the Campaign for Real Ale's Liverpool branch, serving on its committee and as vice-chair alongside Geoff Edwards as chair.
CAMRA is a popular resource online, providing reviews and information about pubs across Merseyside. As well as being a campaigner for ale, Mr Armstrong served as editor of MerseyAle Magazine, up until 2015. He began the role around 2003.
As reported by the Wirral Globe, John was a regular around the Wirral, reportedly meeting friends at the Bow-Legged Beagle in Upton while living nearby, before later hosting at the Black Toad in Hoylake with his wife Helen, also a lifelong CAMRA supporter.
Jean Pownceby, a local organiser and founding member of Liverpool and Districts CAMRA, described John as a "fervent campaigner and innovator".
She said: "He will be best remembered as the well-renowned editor of the award-winning MerseyAle magazine, a role he undertook for many years until 2015."
Jean added: "Friends old and new from both sides of the Mersey would gather to enjoy a few pints with him, and he will be sadly missed by us all. RIP, John, and sincere condolences to Helen and daughter Katherine."
Tributes poured in for John online, reflecting on his life and work.
Liverpool and Districts CAMRA was formed more than 50 years ago in 1974.
