Cotswold Beer Festival Trip

30th July 2011

It was sunny when we left Hinckley bus station at 9.43 and I am sure it was sunny when the second bus left 15 minutes later. It was still sunny when we arrived at Winchcombe at 11.24 and it was probably sunny when the second bus arrived at the beer festival.
Our trip was to the 35th CAMRA Cotswold Beer Festival organised by the Gloucestershire branch – with 96 beers and a good selection of Cider and Perry all together in the historic tithe barn all promised to be a “grand day out”.
The beers, as usual, were around the outside of the hall and the picture on the front of the programme showed testament to its ageless magnetism. The beer notes were precise and apart from the reference to “a caffeine fuelled bunny on a bouncy castle”, quite informative.
Two, or was it three, beer voucher cards later and it was time to leave – at this festival they have sessions and ours was the afternoon, ending at 3.00 P.M. A very pleasant walk back to the village where we met up with those who took the bus back and some of those who were attending the evening session.
With a stop on the way back at the well known Fleece at Bretforton this made a very enjoyable day out – and the sun was nowhere to be seen on our return to Hinckley!

Click for larger images

The crowd inside the tythe barn	The crowd outside the tythe barn	Tewkesbury Town Band	Some of the gang outside the Corner Cupboard, Winchcombe	The Chairmen get together...
The Fleece Inn, Bretforton	Behind the Fleece	Atmospheric rooms in the Fleece - everyone was outside enjoying the sun		Supper time

Words by Chris Davies
Photos by Alan