A landlord was celebrating today after winning Camra's pub of the year award for the second year running.

Bill Arnold, who runs The Junction in Baildon Road, Baildon, Shipley, with his wife Christine, was presented with the award at the pub last night.

It was awarded by the Bradford branch of Camra, the Campaign for Real Ale.

"It's brilliant," said Bill, 55. "I am really pleased. Camra members decided the beer and pub are good - and they know what they are talking about.

"We have had lots of nice comments. It's great."

Bill, known as Brighton Bill, and Christine, took over the pub three years ago, having run a firm's canteen and the Albion café in Idle, Bradford.

"We came in here one day and the lady was telling us that it was for sale and it was a free house so we went for it straight away," said Bill.

"When it's a free house you're not tied to any brewery. It was very run-down but we fitted new windows, painted it and put some decking outside. We built it up and it's a nice cosy pub."

Since then they have also netted a Society for the Preservation of Beers from the Wood (SPBW) award and two Camra pub of the season awards.

The pub stocks seven guest beers and hosts an annual anniversary beer festival each July which will this year feature at least 25 beers.

Bill said: "We get some really nice people in.

"They like the beer and the family atmosphere. People bring their dogs in and they really appreciate that."

The award means a double celebration for the pub whose Sunday league football team, Shipley Town, has won the Sunday Wharfedale League for the first time. Other contenders for Camra's Pub of the Year were 2005 winner Haigy's, Bradford; the Bar T'at, Ilkley; Riverside Hotel, Ilkley; and the Fighting Cock, Bradford.

Each hopeful had been voted as a pub of the season by the branch over the last 12 months.

Michael Farrar, chairman of Bradford Camra, said: "The Junction sells good beer at a reasonable price and Bill keeps it in good condition.

"It's a local pub but it's picked up a lot of trade over the years from other societies. It's had visits by SPBW because of the quality of its beer.

"We are very glad that Bill has shown what can be done when a free independent man is running a pub. We wish the pub companies would look at that.

"It's possible to make a success of a pub if they give the landlord more freedom in deciding what ales they sell."

Camra is the only consumer group in the UK dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional pubs, independent breweries and real ale.