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The "Froth"
Wedmore Real Ale Festival 2004
2004 Beers and Esteemed Sponsors
Changes to
published list
2004 Photo Archive
Trevor,
sporting a fancy pink hook opened the doors at
6.00pm
to let the sponsors in, they came in droves and got stuck straight into
the beer. Never have I seen such a bunch of desirable human beings in
my life, good looking, honest, hilariously funny, we can only hope that
they sponsor again next year…..
Meanwhile Stoner was comatose in the Kitchen after bravely ignoring
calls from everyone else to let us help him check the quality of all the
beers he gallantly soldiered on alone and tasted all 36. After standing
to attention, saluting, for three minutes singing “God Save the Queen”,
which including three previous unheard verses including one about a
prostitute’s Yorkshire Terrier, he victoriously announced that the beer
was good and collapsed into the mop bucket.
In the
main hall Vince had organised pizza to help the sponsors soak up the
beer, bloody good stuff it was too and it was provided free by
Phillipios Pizza of Cheddar (01934 744445 if
your hungry). It didn’t last long especially the stuff near Evan the
Vet (we can only hope that the cow much under his finger nails didn't
detract for the taste) and eventually we realised that there was none left for the
organisers. Despite the weather he general riff raff turned up at
7.00pm, compared to our sponsors they looked like a bunch of spotty Herbert’s. But they drank like a bunch
of dehydrated donkeys and by 7.30 the party had really started.
Esteemed Sponsors
Getting Stick In
Our
specially commissioned beer fest banger (pork, stout and mustard –
there’s a mother-in-law joke in there somewhere!) appeared courtesy of
Jim Baker the Butcher, Beer from Glastonbury Ales and a mystery
benefactor provided the rolls and cooked
the sausages to perfection. The hot dogs were only complete when
emergency onions were cooked at HMPS Wedmore by Nosher Carver and
Fingers McTimms. They would have been on time but McTimms made a break
for it before they were finished and Nosher was left to do a long
stretch in solitary to finish them off.
Then
Loose Change turned up…….. Wow! Over the years we have had some pretty
good bands at the festival but this lot really did take it apart.
Dancing was wild, continuous and only interrupted to take on essential
liquids. The heat of the dancing lead many outside where the rain had
abated for a while, where plenty more beers were consumed and some
wanton snoggers were seen to cavort in the car park.
Feeling
frail and vulnerable it was off to the New Inn for a fine beer festival
breakfast on Saturday morning. Sausage, Egg, Bacon, Coffee, Tea, Toast,
Beans, a god send. With windy stomachs the organisers did an impromptu
acappella rendition of Paul McCartneys Frog Corus which led Angela to
open all the doors and the windows.
At the
hall Saturday got off to a wet start. No sooner were the table and
chairs outside than the heavens opened and the whole lot was soaked.
Traditional pub games inside saved the day together with the “Wedmore
Real Ale Festival Barrel Of
Balls
Free
Valuable
Price
Aladins
Cave Wordsearch Downword Tombola”. Many people were so over
awed with their prizes that they forgot to take them home in a daze of
joy.
Chess
was an early favourite, along with backgammon, crib, cards and draughts
during the afternoon.
Then
a bone of contention in the “Shove the Euro” final, between Festival
organiser Chris Perry and an organisors spouse Amanda Carver. The
competition had always been won by an organisor, the record hung in the
balance. Chris won to shouts of fix and the record was still in tact.
After a
proper all day drinking session Saturday night proved a bit too much for
the author of this who woke up with a ringing mobile phone stuck to
his forehead and a pile of dribble on the settee. Quick smart he was
back at the festival to witness the mighty Witchdoctor take the stage.
They
never let us down…… another fiery performance rattled the windows of
the hall with Rock and Blues. They risked playing some new stuff as
well which went down well with the revellers. Another fine performance
but shock, horror!! Some of the beer was beginning to run out! In
previous years we had run out but this year we planned things
differently and ordered 3500 pints of beer (not counting cider and wine!!)
Again
another successful night or beer, pig roast, rock and blues, what a fine
combination they make! People drank outside till very late and snoggers
were again sighted in the car park.
Ohhhh
Sunday mornings shouldn’t start like this. Blinded by the slightest
light and deafened by the smallest noise we all congregated in the New
Inn for breakfast. Angela busied herself by trying to get us to drink
brandies (an old landlords cure), no one accepted but the breakfast was
again fine and wholesome and just what we needed prior to mopping out
the toilets.
"Annnnddddd
another lucky winner on the Tombola!!" On account of everyone forgetting
to take home their prizes we wrapped them up again and ran the
competition for the second time. Plenty of beer was available to get
things moving and the sun came out to help as well.
Morris
Men and Live Jazz were the order of the day. Some punters turned up in
their dressing gowns clutching tea and toast (soon replaced by beer and
crisps).
The Morris Men were as good as I’ve seen….. and there was a
slight deflation in anticipation when no one missed during the stick
dance…… but to make up for it they did shave the beard off the ginger
one.
Sunday
is an important day for the WRAF. All the volunteers from the festival
come with their families and get some tokens for some free drinks, their
contribution is invaluable and the festival could not run without
them. As we still had beer left, closing time was extended with
people drinking on well into the afternoon, eventually everyone was
drinking for free (the best type of drinking in my opinion). A fitting
end to a great weekend.
OK, now
to the nuts and bolts. From the proceeds from this year’s festival we
are going to be able to donate a total of £4000 to local worthy causes;
£750 each to the Wedmore, Blackford and Theale Village Play Areas, £750
to the Village Hall and £1000 to the Childrens Hospice South West
Thanks
for coming to those that came, why weren’t you there to those that
didn’t. See you next year!
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