What's Doing was probably the longest running of any of the scores of magazines published by different branches of CAMRA. It started back in 1975 and soon became a firm favourite of locals and visitors alike.

The magazine ceased publication in 2006 on the untimely death of its Editor, Printer and Publisher, Neil Richardson. Neil was a professional printer and the publisher of a wide range of books on local history. He produced What's Doing in his spare time and at very little cost to CAMRA - we just paid for the paper and ink.

We have since tried publishing a replacement, the Drinker's Alemanac, which was very different from the original. It was in colour for a start, it only came out every other month and it was free, being funded entirely by advertising. Sadly it has since become a victim of the recession, meaning that for now at least you have to rely on our website for local pub and club news. Otherwise, look out for copies of Opening Times, the magazine of Stockport & South Manchester branch, which sometimes covers news from our area too.

What the Alemanac didn't have was something that distinguished What's Doing from all other CAMRA magazines: its trademark articles from that bad boy of CAMRA, Rupert Periwinkle.

A few old WD articles are preserved on this website. From the September 2004 edition of What's Doing, there's a piece about the Hillary Step, a completely smoke free new pub in Whalley Range at a time when smoking was still allowed in most pubs. The next explains the significance of those mysterious numbers on pub glasses, 2043 And All That. Another wishes a Happy 40th Birthday to the Society for the Preservation of Beers from the Wood. And there's an account of the 2002 Treasure Hunt round Manchester city centre.

This page was last updated in January 2010

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