Pubs for Families by Adrian Tierney-Jones, Camra, £9.99

Room at the Inn by Tim Hampson, Camra, £9.99

Don't get me wrong, I love being the father of young children. But it does have its drawbacks - like sleep deprivation and shirts ruined by infant snot. Another big problem - one that can taint a day out, or even a whole holiday - is being barred from pubs and restaurants because you have kids in tow.

Which is good reason to welcome a new book from Camra, the Campaign for Real Ale, on pubs with a positive attitude to children. Who would have thought an organisation associated with middle-aged men of a certain waistline would champion young families, too?

Pubs For Families is a directory of nearly 250 establishments in England, Wales and Scotland with child-friendly features, from ordinary garden and play area to baby changing facilities in the gents.

Handy extras include a brief list of tourist attractions in the vicinity of each pub and, should you tire of reading listings, an essay or two on eating and drinking with kids. Landlords of little imagination can even bone up on what children like to eat.

It's no secret that family-friendly pubs are thin on the ground in Britain, an idea that seems ludicrous in mainland Europe where children are more integrated into social life. But flicking through this book, you would think they hardly exist.

The only explanation for this is a zealous real ale campaign behind the book. Why else are only 250 pubs out of the thousands of pubs across the land mentioned? Come off it. There are definitely more child-friendly pubs out there; it's just they don't sell beers with daft names like Badger's Tackle. This is a huge limitation to the book (the same goes for the sister publication, Room At The Inn) and leaves you thinking that, despite the obvious desire to promote a more fluffy, family-friendly Camra, the bearded old image still holds sway. But you've got to start somewhere - and beggars in the family way can't be choosers.