Well its less than two weeks to go to the big day - The Great British Beer Festival at Kensington Olympia in London. My entry ticket has arrived in the post , saving me a massive £1. Now CAMRA make out you're saving £2 when buying on-line then sneak a £1 transaction fee on at the end of the process.(hmph)
This will be my 12th consecutive visit and every year the queues to get in are longer and longer. I usually pay at the door so this is the first time I've paid up front, largely as a result of my experience last year.
I had travelled down alone to meet up with the guys inside the venue. I arrived early at 1145, opening time being at noon. I gave up looking for the end of the queue as it snaked westbound towards the M25 . Then I discovered it was for ticket holders only, so I had to find the queue where the great unwashed without tickets were queuing, to go in a seperate entrance. This didn't get opened till the ticket holder queue was gone. So for well over 15 minutes I stood there impatiently, bursting for a pee, and conscious of the fact that beer, seats and tables would be disappearing fast.
Once in, glass and program in hand, I luckily managed to secure a table upstairs ready for when my drinking mates would appear later.
My thoughts now turn to food ; to be honest I'm always thinking about food. Now the eats in the festival, curries, pasties, hot dogs ,and other take away fare, are quite pricey. Last year I took a pack of four out of date mini pork pies ( 50p from Morrison's). Boy did I get the piss taken out of me , although I wasn't bothered, as it meant more money for beer!
This year , after extensive market research, I have invested in a single larger pork pie ( pictured ) , going slightly upmarket at 62p.
The next newsworthy item will be the announcement of the Champion Beer of Britain on August 11th.
The next newsworthy item will be the announcement of the Champion Beer of Britain on August 11th.
Click here for Episode 3 :- GBBF Episode 3
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