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2^nd North Cotswold Moreton Beer Festival Report. September 25^th & 26^th2009

North Cotswold Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

The second North Cotswold Beer Festival at Moreton in Marsh held last weekend once again, in glorious sunshine, attracted record crowds of 850 who sampled 48 different real ales and 7 ciders from national and local suppliers. Beers available and attendance was 20% up on last year.
	The Saturday session was opened at noon with a 1927 vintage Bentley used by Festival Director Martyn Herbert and Branch Chairman Roger Price to sound the starting horn for the festivities to commence.
CAMRA members joined by local Moreton in Marsh residents turned out in numbers on Friday Evening and all day Saturday basking outside the two marquees in a music festival type atmosphere.
	The local Band Zool performed on Friday evening and Vinyl Daze on Saturday Evening, preceded by Irish Band The Roving Crows Sat lunchtime and James Drinkwater in late afternoon. An increased number of customers stayed for the whole weekend in tents and caravans enjoying a completely dry weekend (weather wise). There seemed more younger men and women this year. Some had come from as far afield as USA, Cornwall and Yorkshire including groups celebrating birthdays or forthcoming weddings.
One stag group scantily clad in red lycra hose arrived on bicycles consumed beer, cider and lager before a staged exit with a lap of the cricket ground. Not to mention the RAF from Lyneham who conducted a very low level flypast in a C130J Hercules. Another group of 45 arrived by coach from Burton on Trent as reward for helping at their Festival the previous week. 24 new members to CAMRA were recruited over the weekend, many from the North Cotswold area.
	All the Beer and Cider was consumed by closing time on Saturday evening allowing the organisers to clear up rather earlier than planned by Sunday Lunchtime. Two of the many helpers find time to pose for the camera, left. (Al & Daren)
Comment from many attendees was extremely positive in particular the variety and quality of the beers on offer and the good value food made and prepared by the Moreton Cricket Club caterers. We incorporated a number of improvements suggested on last years voting slips and our own critique, such as more music, better food, tent heating, a revised tent and stage arrangement and late transport on Sat Night. Thanks are due to Moreton Cricket Club who provided the venue with support from their staff and members stewarding the car parking and providing security. Also many thanks to the St Johns Ambulance for excellent support. We are very happy to report no accidents or incidents occurred and look forward to the third Moreton Festival next year.
	Beers of the Festival were voted as follows:- 1. Saltaire Blackberry Cascade 5% 2. Purple Moose, Dark Side of the Moose 4.6% 3. Stroud Organic 4% Click here for a full beer list

Report and photos by Roger Price