2011 Beer Festival

There were lot of machinations earlier this week as to where to put this years Beer Festival - the weather forecast was indicating fairly poor conditions for Friday and showers, so should it be in the garden on the main building?  In the end the tent went up in the garden and so did the beer racks and the festival started out Friday at 3pm with showers, gradually improving through the weekend to Sunday when it was windy but warm.   Lots of people coming and going and some great beers --  "Miss Whiplash" (Batemans) and "Mad Goose" (Purity) bothered us ducks a bit, as did "Dr Morton's Hare Straightener" (Sheffield Beer Works) which sounded more like a medicine rather than a beer. The first beer to go was the "Natural Blonde" (Birds Brewery -- Bromsgrove) which probably tells a tale about our customers!

16 beers on the rack with 5 ciders

 We had plenty of entertainment in the garden -- lots to watch beside the customers

Jo Lucas busking on her violin  Saturday and Sunday  - She is one of Violin Maker  William Piper's Customers.

One Step Beyond danced between the showers on Saturday.

The Ragtime Jug Orchestra from The Forest of Dean

Saturday evening we had local guitar player Mick Quickfall and his friend playing and singing for us, this was followed by the Ragtime Jug orchestra (above), they entertained us with a mix of blues and folk - they had the customers joining in shaking pill pots, what a lark!

In the middle of all this we also had skittles being played and the arrival of the "Big Dog" (below) collecting funds for the Guide dogs for the blind.  Mark Treverton of Marksman Leisure also kindly loaned his laser blast game to raise some funds for charity during the festival -- we were glad that this was inside though, as it meant we were safe on the pond.  Talking of the pond.... timing being all, one of my duck friends took the festival as an invitation to introduce her new duckings to the world - 8 mallard ducklings that showed no fear at all!

"Big Dog"  danced on the car park!