Beer-Jing Ale-lympics Beer Festival [long]

Could do with it being on on 14/6/2008 as we'll be popping in for an all day breakfast on the way to the airport to catch the plane to Prague for even more beer.

Very handy is the new Leeds via Dewsbury train gets us to the cellar bar as well!

Yes, but it doesn't run when I want to use it (evenings and Sundays).

Because the weather was so bad yesterday, the live band planned for the West Riding was moved to the Cellar Bar, and a very good time was had by all.

Yes well it would be welcome. As it was I might have come to Dewsbury on Friday evening if it had run at that time, but was unable to do so. As\it was had another appointment on the Saturday (though my spies were there) and of course Sunday no train again.

See you feathure quite a lot (with the hat!) in Innspeak this week

I guess I was one of the spies. I left a few staffing forms for the Keighley and Worth Valley Festival at the bar for the attention of Mike Roebuck.

"Who?" the youth behind the bar asked

"Mike Roebuck, CAMRA Heavy Woollen district" I explained.

"Oh, you mean Mike the Hat!" he beamed

"That's the one!"

Anyhow, Mr Hat - if you didn't get the forms, we'd still be grateful if you could twist a few arms at your local branch for volunteers. The festival is on June 27, 28 and 29th. As with most CAMRA festivals, there are certain staff incentives!

Haven't seen this week's Innspeak yet, however, its redoubtable journalist John Grey was spotted at the festival bar over the weekend, so there might be a report in the next edition.

Sounds about right - was it the long-haired James or the short-haired James you asked? :-)

Haven't seen them yet, Andrew - I'll follow up soon. We have a branch meeting tomorrow. I'll put your staffing request on the agenda.

Definitely long-haired. I also asked the manager, who doesn't have much hair at all.

My good friend Paul Rigg from the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is emailing you with a staffing request form. Hope to see you and/or your colleagues at some point during that weekend.

OK - understood.

E-Mail received and responded to. Thanks. I'll let Paul know once I've put it to the branch.

snip

Well, the calculations have been done. The West Riding sold 5,081 pints of real ale last week, slightly less than half of them on the festival bar. A new record.

And, of course, there's no demand for real ale, oh no.