The Beer Festival in the National Press

Mon 4 Aug 2008, 10:34

As Chairman, I feel I need the last word on this. We know that over 1200 paying punters came to the festival. We had 6500 halves of cider and ale for sale, so average consumption was 5.4 halves each or 2.7 pints. There was no-one evicted for being drunk and disorderly or simply being annoying. The cricket club had to cancel the car boot this weekend simply because cars churn up the field much more than people do and there's been quite a lot of rain since the festival. There was no damage whatsoever to the cricket field at the festival. There was slight damage to the car park area, which has since recovered and is being re-seeded. The News of The World are sensationalists. They got the number of punters wrong. They say 40 ales went in a few hours. I don't call 6-7 hours, a few. And as for irresponsible punters driving home after the event, what can I say? The website made it quite clear there was no parking and judging by the waves of punters that coincided with the arrival of a train, I can only assume that a lot more people came by train, or walked, than drove. Since the festival, I've been stopped by many people in the town and thanked for staging the best beer festival so far in Charlbury. Many have said the brave decision to go outside paid off. I believe the essential decision to go outside was the right one for organisers and punters alike. I cannot wait for the 2009 event.

Sat 2 Aug 2008, 11:53

Julie really no apology necessary its so nice to have someone say they are having a laugh about something they have read about Charlbury.It certainly takes things here a long time to recover after something goes wayward ,i think we need to join you in laughing at ourselves more instead of taking life so seriously so good on yer girl.

Thu 31 Jul 2008, 16:43

Sorry Roger being 100 miles away I haven' t been able to do a closer inspection.
It just made me chuckle.

Thu 31 Jul 2008, 16:39

Julie ,are you suggesting that it may have a bigger hangover than first thought ,or is there some other reason .come on Julie spill the beer OOPS sorry i of course meant the beans.

Thu 31 Jul 2008, 15:31

Interesting to read that the Bootsale has been cancelled,
due to the grass still recovering!!!!!!!!!

Wed 30 Jul 2008, 05:49

Well said Michael.

Tue 29 Jul 2008, 18:09

Lowlife reports indeed, as if anyone takes notice of the News of the World ! If anyone in the media cares to do any thinking, assuming all the barrels were of the 72 pint variety, times 40 barrels, divided by 1,000 attendees averages out at 2.88 pints per attendee. Hardly a binge-drinking story eh ? But since when did that stop some papers ???

As a regular to the festival over the last few years can I say that the move to the cricket club was inevitable and sucessful in my eyes. I enjoyed the festival immensely and am looking forward to next year already - many thanks. Finally, as a responsible out-of-Charburyite, I went home by train.

Mon 21 Jul 2008, 06:09

Can i clarify my earlier posting . When i read the first posting it made me frustrated at the thought of trivialising the drinking of the golden nectar . After a nights sleep i awoke and thought what have i written .Can i just say that the organisers of the beer festival do a sterling job of raising much needed money for Charlbury,it is just that some adults everywhere that seem to think that its ok to give their teenage youngsters alcohol when attending some functions within charlbury and see no problem with that .Having lived within spitting distance of the main playing area in charlbury we have seen what effect this has on the community and its park furniture ,as well as the behavior of the youngsters.So to see someone trivialising such an event as this in what can be only described at its best a national rag is i feel a slur on the beer festival and its organisers.Lets keep the beer festival as it should be ,a place that Charlbury can be proud of and not descend into lowlife reports in the papers.

Sun 20 Jul 2008, 23:17

Is this something that we should be proud of .It just shows how possibly irresponsible the adults can be, when we ought to be teaching our younger generation that its alright to do this as long as its called a beer festival.How many people attended this festival of drink that came from outside of charlbury and therefore had to drive home .

Sun 20 Jul 2008, 08:14

It has got a mention in today's News of the World newspaper - page 29.
Entitled 'No booze at beer festival', it says that...'Bottled beers had to be rushed to a real ale festival after guzlers drank the place dry. Back-up supplies were needed when all 40 ales on tap went in a few hours as 1,000 drinkers packed the event in Charlbury, Oxon'.