Hi all
Well, it’s been another topsy-turvy summer with the weather, but it’s been a fairly busy season at Beeses with more music but fewer Coldplay jokes, fewer menu specials but more roast Sunday lunches, and more Ma but less Pa. Seasoned regulars, favoured friends and the barely-tolerated may already know that Ma Beese left her job in March to commit full-time to Beeses. Straining to be heard above the cheers emanating from Newbury, where Sovereign Housing Association, the previous beneficiaries of week-long doses of undiluted Ma are based, Pa was heard to mutter that it had really been rather pleasant at Beeses for the last few years, although things were clearly going to change. As it turned out, one of the biggest changes was to the size of Ma’s, ahem, profile, which just goes to show that running up and down thirty steps several times a day can really, er, lead to, er, someone beginning a sentence they can’t safely finish.
The season so far is otherwise mainly notable for Pa Beese’s strangely compelling (and not a little scary) re-imagining of Beyoncé’s Glastonbury appearance on the annual staff trip (sadly, Pa’s version was not captured for posterior, er, posterity, as the onlookers were paralysed with awe. Or something). It would be unfair to say that strong drink had been taken, suffice it to say that strong drink was taken away from Pa following the performance, although that was mainly to prevent him spilling it on himself while he temporarily closed his eyes to picture Ma prancing around in Beyoncé’s shorts. Mmmmmm, Beyoncé’s shorts...
And Beyoncé’s shorts lead very neatly into Beeses 6th Beer Festival, obviously. As you can see in the picture, Ma Beese takes the research of this event so seriously, she travelled up to that London for the Great British Beer Festival. Ma’s the one on the left.
Many beers were sampled, a shortlist compiled, second interviews arranged and final presentations ignored. Ma has decided to stick with her fairly regular beerfest theme of local-and-not-so-local ales, with maybe one or two from further afield just because she likes them. So this year you can expect to see a few familiar favourites and some new ones too, with Dawkins from Timsbury being (a) a random selection from Ma’s shortlist, and (b) a cracking new local brewery.
You probably know by now that this year’s BeerFest will be on Friday 9 - Saturday 10 September, and tickets are now on sale at the bar. We’ll also take orders over the phone with a credit card, or cheques in the post, and we’ll either hold on to them for collection at the gate, or post them out to you for an unreasonable administration fee. See, the banks can teach you something...
The prices are £7.00 for the Friday, £10.00 for the Saturday or £15.00 for a weekend ticket, and every ticket comes with a free pint, so canny weekend Beerfesters will get TWO pints! But only if they’re consumed responsibly, obviously. There is music on both days, and what a bargain that is - a tenner for a free pint and three bands on the Saturday? Michael Eavis has been on the phone to find out how Ma does it!
You can see who is playing and when on the Beeses calendar.
As with last year’s festival, entry to Beeses on Saturday 10 September will only be possible with a beer festival ticket. We try not to have closed events, but the numbers that we have attracted on the beerfest Saturday for the past three years means it is essential that we have some controls. So spread the word - it’s a long way back up that lane after being turned away!
Once again, The Bristol Ferry Boat Company are running public trips from Bristol city centre on the Saturday, departing Welsh Back at 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Contact the Bristol Ferry Boat Company by e-mail or on 0117 927 3416.
If you need a reminder of last year’s beerfest, or you want to know what all the fuss is about, head on over to the Beerfest page on our web site, where you can see a slideshow from last year’s bash.
OK, we’re outta here. Pa Beeses will be exercising his blues gland as a warm-up for the Beerfest with Rattlesnake Shake at Beeses on Friday 26 August. The Texas-style boogiefest will kick off at about 8:30, so if you like your ZZ Top lowdown’n’dirty, bring your cowboy boots (but please remove your spurs before dancing on the tables).