Bier-Traveller

The Day began with a better than expected Curry was served at Dakhin in Candleriggs, a short walk from The Briggait where the First Glasgow Real Ale Festival in Yonks was being held. The Majority of The Company had agreed that today we would be Paying Customers, and enjoy what was left of the Bier. There was Plenty of Ale left. Dark Star’s (Partridge Green, West Sussex) American Pale Ale had finally come on, that would keep The Company amused for a while.

Craig had decided to work another full day at the Fest. Neil too turned up for Duty. Howard, Dr. Stan, Jonathan and Kenny were Duty-bound to work. Euan was working too. Tracey would keep Howard Happy. Where was Robin?

Mr. Holden and Mr. Boyd were hard at work at The Cider Bar, though Ricky would have to leave us mid-afternoon. There was a chance this Festival might now make a Profit. This left Hector, Yvonne and Mags as The Three until the arrival of The Reasonable Club, Craig’s – Other Company.

Has Bernard gone yet?

Today Neil and Stewart both had a shot at Pulling their First Hand-pumped Ale. A Handy Skill at a Beer Festival. Next Year…

From the Conception of G-RAF it was decreed that there shall be no Live Music, indeed it was felt that No Music was required at all. In Bayern where The Majority are seated by The Thousand, Bands make the day. We have all observed that at British Beer Festivals as soon as The Band starts, the Punters leave the Main Room. It is also Profit straight out the door paying for a Band. I had previously congratulated The Organisers for letting us Chat and not be Blasted.

Imagine my Shock when the Caledonian Brewery Pipe Band emerged from The Toilet Corridor to entertain The Assembly. At least The Sets were short and the Tunes were different form the Standard Hampden Park Fayre.

Scapa Flow (Highland Brewing, Swannay, Orkney) replaced the American Pale Ale. Oakham’s (Peterborough, Cambridgeshire) Scarlet Macaw was wiped out and Citra never appeared. Kenny may have more to say on this.

Once more, over Five Hundred Peeps had crossed The Threshold, and probably more. The Organisers were well-pleased. Taking over all off the SECC next year was mentioned. Olympia! said someone who was getting carried away. Yes indeed – Hector offered – and lets get a Sponsor to Fly Everyone down to London. The Briggait is an Excellent Venue and held the Numbers in relative Comfort. More Benches and Tables could surely be provided, but this Fest already had more than the Norm at a Scottish Beet Festival.

Time flies when One is Having Fun. Hector always had One Eye on The Clock. An early rise, a flight.

When the Festival was Officially Closed, my Staff Badge was put to good use. However, I declined the offer of Pizza, Italia calls…

The Plan today was to work a Split Shift: 14.00 – 18.00 then 20.00 to Closing Time. This would permit Hector to satisfy his other Source of Pleasure on the First Full Day of the Summer Vacation. Arriving in Candleriggs just after 14.00, both Dakhin and Dabba were found to have open doors but were in fact – closed. I tried two more Venues selling British Fayre but walked out having been totally ignored. This was not a great advertisement for Glasgow Hospitality.

As it happens, the Festival was not opening its doors until 15.00 due to the fact that other Businesses were in operation within The Briggait and we were in effect blocking their access. Well that’s more or less what I was told. There was time for a Swift Half before the Shift began. Oakham’s Scarlet Macaw (Peterborough, Cambridgeshire) a Favourite Ale in The Company was now on. Green Devil, also Oakham, was still on but would not last much longer.

The Man Who Knows confirmed that we had used only 20% of the Stock yesterday. There would be plenty of Ale left for Saturday. Surely by the end of this evening Everything would be tapped?

Yvonne and Tracey were manning the Reception with Dr. Stan. Mags and Neil turned up for their First Shifts, they too were set to process the Arrivees at the Door. A Glass, a Festival Programme with a page commemorating Dr. Rick who is no longer with us, and a Colour-coded Wristband were issued to each Customer. I believe People had to pay to enter for the second time, with a reduction for bringing their own glass (from Yesterday).

Euan was also in the building and joined Alan, Craig and Hector at Bar A-K. Rob of Forth Valley CAMRA was also with us, a First for Hector and Rob to be behind the same Bar. At opening time there was Ten of us behind the Bar, nobody could see the Ales. Time for a Break. Howard (Bar L-Z) a Half of Scarlet Macaw please. Ricky and Alistair were on their Break already. With Jonathan and Kenny on The Floor complete with Cyborg Communication Devices and Stewart allocating Staff, The Company was almost complete. Where was Robin?

Enter The G-RAF

John from The Far East entered The Briggait suitably attired for the occasion. I did hear someone ask – Why is he wearing a Giraffe Costume?

Hawkshead’s Five Hop (Stavely, Cumbria) was one of the first Ales to go. Their Lakeland Lager disappeared quickly too, its lesser strength suiting many. The Lakeland Lager made a quick reappearance. I found myself standing mostly on the extreme right of Bar A-K and so poured little of Derek’s Kelburn range, and even less of Orkney, but plenty of Highland. Marg and Hector visited both Orkney Breweries last year. Our allegiance lies in Swannay, not Quoyloo.

Derek Noon Bitter

Say it aloud! Derek has been brewing Dark Moore for some years. Those who know, get it. Hector dreamt up Derek-Noon-Bitter and gave Derek immediate rights to use this, on one condition – Derek brews a Pale, (New Zealand/American) Hoppy Ale at over 5.0% with a Citrus finish. He insists his family would kill him if he did. Today I offered Derek a new Opperchancity to corner the market – Ale Brewed with Methi. Now imagine how Dry and Flavoursome this would be? Derek admits to being Too Traditional. Are there any Brewmeisters out there wishing to try? Let The Hector know.

A Taxi for 4 at 6

Mr. Holden managed to prize himself away from his Post long enough to announce that he had arranged a Taxi to take us to The New Karahi Palace, A Bridge too Far for He and Alistair to walk. In the end, Dr. Stan stayed at his post for Kenny’s predicted Five until Seven o’clock Rush, which never came. Business had been steady all afternoon. There were no queues a la Paisley. The Briggait was continually proving itself to be Spacious, Bright, Airy, a Perfect venue.

I returned from an Excellent Curry to meet up with a Couple who had arrived just as I was departing for Dinner. Scarlet Macaw was still the Ale of Choice. Howard and Tracey joined us and then Neil who was discovering Breaks were Mandatory.

Alan and Stewart had realised that many of those who were there at The Start of the Day were packing it in and so my 20.00 scheduled return was beneficial. We had been well staffed over the Two Days so far.

Still, many of the Casks were held in reserve. At times it felt like a certain chain who advertise Ales as – Coming Soon. However, at times they don’t even have the Ale in the building and usually don’t have the staff capable of putting it on. We had The Man Who Knew, and he was still saying nothing. Chaps were asking about the Allendale Casks. Surely they would be on tonight? Indeed they were, but The Chaps had gone. The Man Who knew explained his Mathematical Approach to Tapping and Venting. If the Festival is overloaded, then all unsold Ale gets poured down the sink at the end. Once Vented, that’s it, the Ale cannot be sold on, Profit oot-the-windae’. After The Arches Beer Festival there were no risks being taken at this Fest. There was plenty of choice of all Ale styles, maybe not Everyone’s Favourite. Dark Star’s Revelation (Partridge Green, West Sussex) was keeping The Company in Bar A-K more than Happy. The American Pale Ale would hopefully be – Available Soon.

By the end of Day 2, over Eight Hundred People had entered The Briggait in addition to yesterday’s Five Hundred. The Festival was a Success, there was still Another Day, and there was plenty of Ale. Kenny was indeed The Cat who got The Cream. Jonathan and Howard were in Modest Mode. How Happy were The Company? Never have so many Happy Chappies been Blogged.

When Jonny Met Kenny

Eighteen years is the number bandied about since the Glasgow CAMRA Branch last held a Beer Festival. So, the 1997 Winter Ale Festival in the Old Fruit Market doesn’t count? Back then Hector knew few CAMRA Members, this would change when I started working at the Foreign Bar at the Annual Paisley Beer Festivals thereafter. It was here that Howard first became aware of Hector, – so knowledgeable at The Foreign Bar. So Knowledgeable that an Irish Chap wrote to What’s Brewing singing the praises of ‘Hector’ and Alistair Boyd at the Cider Bar. But which Alistair Boyd? There are Two of them!

So Paisley, Troon and Alloa can all run Annual Ale Festivals, even Aberdeen and Larbert have got in on the act. Not Glasgow, until Kenny introduced himself to The Company. First Contact was late one Saturday in the 3 Judges when Dr. Stan introduced Hector to Kenny. Weeks later at Loch Fyne Ales, Kenny approached this Commentator with the immortal introduction – You’re Hector who writes Curry-Heute! Instant Friendship.

Jonathan has been part of The Company for some Eight Years during which time he and Howard have discussed sporadically the need for a Glasgow Ale Fest. Bring in Kenny and there was Spontaneous Combustion. Jonathan and Kenny became the Catalyst which made today possible. Meanwhile Howard had found himself installed in The Chair of Glasgow CAMRA. FYI – Hector and Yadgar remain in the wings, awaiting the go ahead for the selling of Curry. Not this year.

The Next Generation

Capturing The Briggait (Bridgegate to non-Weegies) was certainly a Coup. The Municipal Halls do not have the raw potential this Cavernous Construction presented. It is also a building which has been under-utilised since its renovation some Twenty Years back into some sort of Artists’ Quarters. The installation of the Stillage began on Sunday, the Ales being Racked through the week. Without the Technical Expertise of our Paisley CAMRA Buddies the Festival could well have been a non-starter. Indeed, CAMRA Members from all over Scotland would be staffing the Three Bars, even The Man from Bradford would be there to, do, whatever he does, at Ale Festivals.

The Festival opened to The Trade at 15.00 this afternoon and at 17.00 to The Public. Hector was completing his last few hours before the Long Summer Break. Just the Eight Weeks in case anyone hasn’t heard. At 18.00 Dr. Stan and Ricky – The Man from Bradford – took a Break to meet up with Hector for a Curry at Charcoals Café. Hector was anticipating working behind the Foreign Bar, commencing at 20.00.

The Organisers had everything in place. They could not predict that Olaf would arrive at 14.00 today, days late and one hour before Opening Time, without the promised Kegs of Deutsche Bier. This left One Hour to chill the modest array of Bottles that had been brought. A Kick in The Teeth. I can imagine The Angst.

On entering The Briggait, Peter was on the Desk along with Yvonne. The necessary Paperwork was signed, then Tracey looked after me in the Staffroom finding my ID Card and securing a Staff Polo resplendent with the G-RAF Motif. Williams Bros. (Alloa) were sponsoring the event and so their Logo was also printed proudly. Volunteer– it said on the right hand sleeve. Yes, Everyone working at this Festival was doing so on a Voluntary Basis. Why? It’s Fun! One also gets to sample The Fayre, payment enough. All of The Company would be present except The Crawley Two at some point in the next Three Days.

All Our Favourite Ales

As The Organisers are part of The Company it should come as no surprise that many of the Ales on offer this week will be The Ales We Like! As many Hops in a Glass as possible. However, the Masses have to be catered for and other Tastes too. What is fair to say, particularly to Scottish Brewers, if your Ale was not here, you’re not doing it right. Take a lead from Oakham (Peterborough, Cambridgeshire), Hawkshead (Stavely, Cumbria), Ossett (Ossett, W. Yorkshire) and Dark Star (Partridge Green, West Sussex) Oh, these are all English Breweries. What will Ricky be having then?

Stewart was in charge of allocating Staff to their various tasks. The Foreign Bar was combined with the Cider Bar, the latter as ever under the charge of Mr. Alistair Boyd. Ricky was parked there too. There lies Madness, I would be happier well away from this. The Stillage was in two parts. The Casks were arranged A-K on the left and L-Z on the right. Dark Star and Hawkshead on one side, Ossett and Oakham on the other. Howard was working L-Z, Stewart led me to A-L where Alan had been appointed Bar Manager. Craig was there too. Three of The Company, plus others, behind the same Bar. Here we go…

No more words, other than these are the people I know who were there on Thursday. Even Colin Valentine, National CAMRA Chairman, in case you don’t know who is standing on Ricky’s right.  I saw Robin depart, the first and last time I saw him.

By the end of Day 1, over Five Hundred had crossed the Threshold. The G-RAF had been built and They had come. Despite holding back a considerable Stock of Untapped Casks, we wondered how there would be enough Ale left for Saturday. There was only One Man in the House who knew how the Stock Control worked, and he was saying nothing.