The day did not start well for PV who arrived at Aldershot station without his festival ticket. It was largely redeemed by the unselfish loan of KOC’s and PV was only half an hour late in arriving at the Maltings and meeting up with TC. The remainder of Mengo arrived around midday.
The feel of the festival was different. Mike was absent and you were under no pressure to vote for B&T Golden Fox as beer of the festival. However, most did give in to the pleasant charms of the Crooked Hooker.
This being the start of the 2010 Festival season it was time to reacquaint ourselves with the usual crew. Jem and Satan were happy enough, even though Leeds had eventually succumbed to the superior football of Spurs; Ken was enjoying the final binge of the condemned man as he had recently been informed of his imminent redundancy while Doug was bemoaning the lack of support for CAMRA social evenings.
The beer list was fairly safe but perfectly acceptable given there were four Dark Star beers available and a new breweries beers to try with two from Concrete Cow. The Havant Stopped Dancing was cloudy and smelled like manure and made one wish you Havant Started, which was also rubbish.
PV tried (in alphabetical order)
Brewery | Beer | % |
Banks & Taylor | Crooked Hooker | 4.7 |
Blindmans | Golden Spring | 4.0 |
Concrete Cow | Fenny Popper | 4.0 |
Concrete Cow | Cock n Bull | 4.1 |
Dark Star | Over the Moon | 3.8 |
Dark Star | American Pale Ale | 4.7 |
Dark Star | Winter Meltdown | 5.0 |
Downton | Marynka Magic | 4.1 |
Hop Back | Winter Lightning | 5.5 |
Isle of Purbeck | Wrecked | 4.5 |
Otter | Amber | 4.0 |
Saffron | Blonde | 4.3 |
Skinners | Ginger Tosser | 3.8 |
PC tried (in drinking order)
Brewery | Beer | % |
Bowmans | Swift One | 3.8 |
Skinners | Ginger Tosser | 3.8 |
Ballards | Golden Bine | 3.8 |
Oakleaf | Quercus Folium | 4.0 |
Concrete Cow | Fenny Popper | 4.0 |
Havant | Started | 4.0 |
Concrete Cow | Cock n Bull | 4.1 |
Stonehenge | Heelstone | 4.3 |
Banks & Taylor | Crooked Hooker | 4.7 |
Bowmans | Nutz | 5.0 |
Then it was back to The Railway Arms (for one via The Kings Head and Eight Bells) for some Triple fff before the train back home to The Garden Gate.
Attended by:-
TC, PV, KOC, TM, ROC, RN, PC and SH