3^rd Ale & Steam Weekend on 21^st & 22^nd May 2011

North Cotswold Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

North Cotswold GWR Beer Festival Sells Out Again

The Third Beer Festival held at Winchcombe Station, in conjunction with the Glos/Wark Railway on the weekend of 21st to 22nd May, was a great success. Once again glorious warm sunshine greeted the crowds who turned out en masse to drink their way through 24 barrels of beer and 3 tubs of cider and perry. Over 500 people visited the festival on Saturday with fewer on Sunday but sufficient to consume the remaining beer and cider, completely running out by closing time.

The beers were all served from just one platform this year using the new waiting room which held the entire stock. This caused some access problems on Saturday particularly on train arrival with new customers and this will be improved next year.

A marquee was erected next to the bar mainly as a wet weather facility but this was used extensively for comfortable seating with all tables and chairs occupied for most of the day on Saturday. The south facing grass bank with established fir trees was popular again but not quite as packed as in the heat wave conditions of 2010.

The Noble 600 a seasonal special, brewed by Kinver in Staffordshire was the first beer to run out so won Beer of the Festival and judged to be a worthy winner. Thanks to Festival Coordinator John Stocks, helped by Martyn Herbert for their excellent range of beer. They will be presenting a framed certificate to the brewery on Saturday 2nd July. For a full festival beer list, please select this link.

GWR were delighted with the major additional business ferrying mainly CAMRA members on the trains and provision of catering. They thanked CAMRA for the provision of sufficient Beer to last out for Sunday as well this year. This event will therefore run again next year with similar beer quantities. As last year we were constrained by another landslide that limited train operations but we hope for a full track next year to attract more passengers on the Sunday. The unused beer token cards donated by festival visitors were valued at £150 and donated to the GWR Landslip Fund.

Thanks to everyone who attended and to the magnificent helpers who sported very attractive Black Tea Shirts with a Mousetrap Logo, sponsored by the Mousetrap Inn at Bourton on the Water. Pint Glasses this year were sponsored by the Ebrington Arms at Ebrington with half pint glasses left from last years sponsor the Mousetrap Inn.

A trip for the Helpers is organised for Saturday 25th June to Gloucestershire Branch’s Pub of the Year , the Salutation at Ham for a skittle match.

Report by : Martyn Herbert, North Cotswold Branch Festival Director

Staff Photo
	Setting up shop
Untouched beer 1 to 16
	Untouched beer 17 to 24
Cider
	First train and customers on Saturday
Customers emerging on Platform 1.
	Crowd building up
Find a good spot on the bank
	Small Picnic
Platform Seats.
	Mr and Mrs Mousetrap
Well known local brewer and tippler editor, off duty
	Happy last orders Saturday
Town Crier welcomes first train on Sunday
	Turkish TCOO No. 45160 back again with more customers
Staff have time for an ale
	All beer gone, time to recover

For those interested in such things, more information about steam engine 45160 can be found on the GWR web site.

Home Page

Diary

Pub News

Walking

Contacts

Map

Links