Winter Ales vs BBBB

- A
- Amanda Finnegan
  
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posted
19 years ago

Thu, Sep 16, 2004 2:22 AM

The hierarchy at CAMRA have told the organizers for Bents n Bongs Beer Bash that they have to put back their festival to the beginning of Febuary because the Winter Ales Festival to be held in Manchester clashes with BBBB and that the Winter Ales fest is more important and can't be changed. So why did they choose the same date as a festival that's just as popular in the North West? Is it because BBBB's not a full CAMRA function? Is Liverpool Beer Festival at the beginning of Febuary? I'm thinking of boycotting the Winter Ales Fest, and is there a North /South divide at CAMRA?

- C
- Christine
  
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posted
19 years ago

Thu, Sep 16, 2004 7:58 AM

Yes: most of the Great British Beer Festival working party live in the north.

- N
- Neil Worthington
  
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posted
19 years ago

Thu, Sep 16, 2004 10:06 PM

NWAF is a lot bigger than BBBB. And this year it will be twice as big as it was last time (2002), because the only hall that's available is big and expensive, which means a much more significant commercial risk. Being twice as big also means twice as many staff are needed.

I don't know if it's true that BBBB organisers were actually instructed to change their dates. But it must surely be in their interest not to clash with a major national event.

It has been very hard work getting NWAF up and running again. Combining it with Burton Festival didn't really work, either for NWAF itself or for the locals in Burton, who had space problems anyway and wanted more freedom to choose their own beers.

BBBB is a joint event with the local Round Table AIUI. I don't think that's the reason for the change of date though. It's just easier to change the date of a purely local event than it is for a national event whose staff travel from all over the country.