Today we’re off to the Shiiine weekender in Butlins at Minehead. It has become THE platform for the ultimate indie party over the last 9 years. Alongside the weekenders they have also hosted boat parties along and cruises, all with live music and DJs. The weekender though is the ultimate for true indie fans.
Great line up this year as we’re on with The Lightning Seeds and Echo & The Bunnymen!
It’s a long journey to Minehead so we planned a trip to Frampton on Severn for lunch…
The journey called for two films so first off was this Will Ferrel comedy…
Very funny
Then after a short stop we plumbed for this favourite…
Probably cancelled nowadays
On route we found out the ‘three horseshoes’ pub we’d planned to visit was shut but fortunately there was another one in the vicinity…
The Bell is a welcoming village pub serving traditional food, real ales and charming accommodation overlooking the longest village green in England. Situated just minutes from the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal and a short drive from both Stroud and Gloucester, The Bell is a favourite for locals, walkers and visitors exploring the local area.
The otter beer is one we’ve had a few times…
Otter Ale is a very well balanced beer that delivers the flavours of quality floor malted barley and finishes with a combination of fruit and some bitterness.
And this one was a decent alternative…
Butcombe Gold, a golden ale brewed by Butcombe Brewery, is a well-balanced and full-bodied beer with a subtle floral and herby aroma. It’s described as fresh and fruity, with a robust apple taste and a slight bite to finish.
The food was very good…
Chef’s homemade shortcrust pie with fresh mixed vegetables & choice of potato £14FRESHLY BATTERED COD FILLET, CHIPS & GARDEN OR MUSHY PEAS | £18WHOLETAIL BREADED SCAMPI, CHIPS, SALAD & TARTARE SAUCE | £18All Together Then
Time to head off to Minehead…
Still a way to go…
At last we arrived…
Straight to the dressing room…
Peroni Nastro Azzurro is a widely popular Italian lager known for its crisp, refreshing taste and light-bodied profile. It’s a favorite for those who enjoy easy-drinking, flavorful beers.
Today we are playing at The Heal Music & Wellbeing Festival in Shrewsbury which is returning for its third year with over 100+ acts and performers at the iconic DMOS West Mid Showground, Gravel Hill Lane.
We had to be in Shrewsbury for 4 so we arranged to meet up at 1:30 to give us plenty of time to stop off at a pub…
No sign of any of the band yet and just two crew members because of illness…
Eventually after about 35 mins Carl & Peter arrived, their cab had been stuck in traffic due to road closures near the Strand. The Labour Party conference was being held near the waterfront and the surrounding areas were the location of a huge pro-Palestine march.
Meanwhile ‘Team Mullin’ had gone on earlier and avoided any traffic…
They stopped off for lunch in the village of Broxton…
The Egerton Arms is a traditional pub with a modern twist, situated in the delightful landscape of the Cheshire Plains. It offers a warm and welcoming atmosphere, a delicious menu, and a wide selection of drinks.
We picked up Alex in Toxteth but ended up being caught in match traffic trying to get to the Wallasey tunnel – it was a perfect storm😖
It took us another half hour to get to the tunnel as we were ‘en route’ to the Wirral to pick up Roy in a Starbucks on the M53…
Eventually…
As it was now 3pm the idea of stopping off at a pub became unrealistic. Thankfully Roy had brought a beer…
CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain – Triple Finalist 2009,2010,2019 A refreshingly hoppy session beer. Golden ale, providing a mouthful of fruit zest, with hints of orange and grapefruit.
Our ETA was about 4.20pm…
Back in Broxton, Team Mullin we’re sampling the delights…
A renowned beer with a 17th-century Three Tuns Brewery recipe, XXX is our premium pale ale. ABV 4.3%
Let’s give a big hand for…
‘Bastion’ by Big Hand Brewing is a dry, malty best bitter, mahogany in colour with a full mouthfeel. Biscuity flavours and faint roast notes feature throughout.
As the Mullins bade farewell to the Cheshire Plains…
Back on the bus the weather outlook was grim…
At least we had the bottle of Trapper’s Hat…
To make things worse we got stuck behind a tractor…
We toyed with the idea of watching a video but no one could summon up any enthusiasm…
Then Jim our driver for the day decided he’d had enough of following the tractor and put his foot down…
E I…E I…O!
Next stop Shrewsbury!
River SevernShrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in western England. It sits inside a loop of the River Severn, and its Tudor centre is lined with half-timbered houses. The medieval, red-brick Shrewsbury Castle houses the Shropshire Regimental Museum, where military artefacts include uniforms and weaponry. St Chad’s Church is defined by its unique circular nave, and St Mary’s Church has elaborate stained-glass windows.
We were very near the venue, just a few more narrow roads to navigate…
At last we arrived at the festival…
At Heal we love music, culture, art. From pumping techno beats to soothing folk vocals, howling guitars and feel-good reggae rhythms – we appreciate good music. We believe there is a shared heritage in music, helping to unite all of the different parts of our community together – that community being the human race.
We can see the stage now…
Everybody out…
Keith was already in the dressing room…
We had a quick look at today’s line up…
Then went out front to have a look around…
Mungos Hifi ft. Aziza Jaye were great!Aziza Jaye
Craig Charles was just finishing another great set…
Carl had arranged to meet his friend from school days, Kev…
What3Words?
A fingerpost…
Gillian Thomas who came to our gig in Leeds earlier this year travelled to see us again. Seen here with Kev’s sister Tracy.
A farm fan showing us his tattoo’s…
Dumbo & Dumber…
Time to ‘head’ back…
In the dressing room, Carl had put his foot in it …
Apologies for these abysmal jokes 😫
Featuring in our rider today…
Brooklyn Pilsner is a crisp lager inspired by Brooklyn and brewed for all. It layers clean malts with a balanced wave of bright hops, crowned by an instantly refreshing finish. Light toasty flavours and spicy, subtle citrus hop notes make it an instant classic.
Our driver Jim was the hero of the day in many ways, after getting us to the venue on time after all the delays. Knowing we were a man down he offered to look after and tune the guitars on stage during our performance. Big thanks 👍
Time to go on stage!
The star of the show was this lad with his bubble machine…
The rest of the crowd weren’t bad either…
Caught Carl taking the snap above…
We got a great reaction from the crowd…
The official Heal Festival trailer…
After the show we stayed a short while and had a drink with our guests…
Team Mullin headed off first with the remains of the rider setting their Sat Nav to the nearest food bank 😀
Soon enough it was time for us to leave so we headed back to the van in search of petrol and something to eat…
We stopped off at a garage in Prees Heath…
Little did we know that it concealed a fish ‘n’ chip restaurant round the back…
With a fully licenced bar!!!
Birra Moretti is a low fermentation beer, made from a blend of fine hops, giving it a pleasant taste that is finely bitter and balanced, with floral notes and initial aromas of barley malt.
Fish n chips were delicious as was the beer 🙂
Cod & Chips £8.50
What a fantastic way to finish our summer season of gigs.
Our latest festival takes us to Cumbria for the 20th annual Solfest festival.
Solfest is a music and arts festival on the Solway Coast in the North West of England.
It is held annually at North Lakes Country Park on the August Bank Holiday weekend.
It has grown from a 1,800 capacity event in 2004 to a 10,000 capacity festival.
This year, acts due to perform at the first day of the festival had been cancelled due to the bad weather. Heavy rain and high winds which battered Cumbria on Wednesday night meant the organisers had to make the decision to delay opening the stages until Friday morning.
We set off around midday – boots, umbrella’s and cagoules all packed…
Back in the gold bus today with the crew going in Mick’s van…
The plan was to travel to Keswick for our lunch…
First video today was very funny…
The weather was brightening up and in no time we were up amongst the fells…
Team Mullin had gone on ahead in their camper van and arranged to meet us in Keswick.
Here is Keith trying out his new gimbal…
Some sort of tripod😀
Meanwhile we’re on to our next video…
Prefer Tommy…
Just passing Penrith…
The film finished as we were just entering Keswick…
Keswick is a market town in northwest England’s Lake District National Park, surrounded by mountains like Skiddaw. In town, The Cumberland Pencil Museum documents the history of pencils, and the Keswick Museum & Art Gallery displays local artefacts. On a hilltop east of town, Castlerigg Stone Circle dates back to the Neolithic era. Vast Derwent Water lake is south of town, with boat tours and the Theatre by the Lake.
Our pub of choice is…
The Wainwright is a traditional pub on Lake Road in Keswick town centre. We refurbished the old ‘Four In Hand’ over the Winter of 2014/15 and opened at the end of April 2015. We are dog friendly, having oak floors throughout, and hope to provide a relaxing atmosphere for the casual tourist as well as the committed user of the Fells.
We fancied the blonde beer…
This is a thirst quencher like no other, brewed with water from the heart of the Lake District, this ale certainly makes a splash. A Maris Otter Malt base is then double hopped with a careful blend of Goldings and Savinjski Goldings hops. The result is a delicious combination of delightful floral notes, followed by subtle yet zesty lemon and lime undertones, finishing with a remarkably clean final bitterness.
It was a popular choice…
The menu…
Some good choices…
Keith joined us in the pub…
Time to squeeze in another pint?
Some facts…
This little gem of a century-old, family-owned-and-operated traditional picturehouse boasts state-of-the art sound and projection in a gorgeously restored 157-seater auditorium, plus a new 28-seater Screen 2.
We had an Only Fools & Horses moment heading back to the bus…
We waited in one car park while the bus was in the other😫
Off we go again…
The beautiful Skiddaw…
Time for one of our favourite films…
The Likely Lads
Then…
Aggro in Baggrow…
There was only one road into the festival and we got stuck in a queue…
Fortunately we had a box of beer left over from the last festival…
Eventually we arrive at Solfest…
Everyone out…
Our dressing room…
Back stage…
Time to have a look out front…
The Solway bar stage looked interesting…
Great atmosphere in here and out of the wind…
Great band Colt 45
Decent beer on sale too…
Inspired by the famous Lakeland fell-walker Alfred Wainwright, our master brewers go the extra mile too. They search near and far for quality English malt and hops and tirelessly craft unique combinations worthy of the Wainwright name, like this delightfully refreshing Golden Beer. Lightly hopped with subtle sweetness, a delicate citrus aroma and a gloriously golden colour.
There was a bar backstage…
It wasn’t open
Time to go on…
Great photos by Andrew Simpson 👏
Great crowd…
The weather started to get worse and as the gold bus had gone early, we got ready to leave in Mick’s van only to find it stuck in the mud!
Disaster averted and as it was still too wet to go out and get food from the festival, we set off towards the motorway in search of KFC…
Two established and much-loved Scottish festivals have joined forces to announce a powerful new partnership for live music in Scotland! The festival is situated ideally between both Glasgow and Edinburgh in Linlithgow, making it easily accessible.
Taking place in the grounds of Bonnytoun Farm, across the loch from Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots.
The journey to our hotel in Yorkshire from Orpington took a good four to five hours arriving at about 3.30 am…
We got stuck in traffic at the Dartford tunnel…
Three hours later, we we’re back up for breakfast…
We checked out of the hotel and wondered what the commotion was…
A flat tyre…
That’s all we need!
Fortunately it was sorted…
We chose the scenic coastal route…
This was today’s film…
It was superb, kept us totally entertained all along the A1…
Holy Island
The border…
Nearly there…
Finally our dressing room…
Good to meet up with Ed Pope who’s playing sax today…
Ed was appearing at the Edinburgh fringe festival and came over to play and also sample some of our Groovy Grain beers…
The moment of truth…
This was also on the rider…
A celebration of new growth, New Shoots is a hop-forward, summery pale ale. Plenty of classic American West Coast hops, with the addition of freshly foraged conifer tips, makes for a refreshing ale with punchy citrus and pine flavours.
The dressing room was 15 mins walk from the festival site so we had to take all our ‘gear’ over in a shuttle bus…
We were allocated a cabin backstage and were joined by Nick and Rachel the owners of Let’s Rock Scotland…
Lovely to see them again after our 6 Let’s Rock gigs last year.
This weekend sees us doing two festivals, today we are heading to Orpington in Kent for Priory Live and tomorrow we are in Linlithgow, West Lothian for the Let’s Rock Scotland/Party at the Palace.
Priory Live, a family run business began in 2014 as a community festival designed to offer a platform for original artists and bands to perform to new and expecting audiences. It’s held at Priory Gardens a grade II listed park and gardens in Orpington, Kent.
The sight of the smaller silver bus waiting for us at Sort Rehearsal rooms filled us with trepidation as we already had a gruelling schedule.
Kent – Yorkshire – Edinburgh – Liverpool
Houston we have a problem…
The title of our film seemed appropriate…
We couldn’t watch it though, as none of us knew how to eject the previous movie…
Weather looking good today…
Thoughts immediately turn to our day out and where to stop off – Peter suggested Henley-on-Thames…
After getting petrol one of the younger tech guys fixed the video player…
We enjoyed watching the film and the accompanying documentary…
We were now two and a half hours into the journey…
We decided to watch another couple of episodes of Father Ted…
Getting nearer now….
Eventually after 4 hours on the road we arrive in Henley-on-Thames…
Henley-on-Thames is a pretty riverside market town on one of the most beautiful stretches of the River Thames. The town’s prosperity goes back to the 12th century as river trade developed. Its position gave rise to Henley Royal Regatta, first held in 1839 as a local festival but now an internationally renowned competition.
Our pub of choice was ‘The Angel on the Bridge‘…
The Angel on the Bridge is an iconic pub. Dating back to 1728, this grade II listed pub is one of the most photographed and painted pubs in England, because of its architecture and the amazing riverside location on the River Thames.
It was heavenly😇
Jennings of course…
Jennings Cumberland golden beer acknowledges the rich heritage and tradition of the area. Its deep refreshing flavour is still very much in line with contemporary tastes. A supremely refreshing beer using carefully selected English hop varieties that are added at two points in the brewing process to give this beer its unique characteristics.
No need for sparklers here…
A sparkler is a small perforated nozzle that screws onto the tip of a beer engine thereby causing the beer to shower out of the pump. Without a sparkler, the beer is pulled out in a steady uniform stream. The sparkler acts as a diffuser, generating a pint full of beer with tiny uniform bubbles.
According to Jennings…
Floral notes…
The menu…
Brakspear beer battered haddock and chips with peas and tartare sauce £17.50Breaded scampi and chips with peas and tartare sauce £17.50
Food was fabulous…
Jennings Again
All supped up, we made our way back down towards the river…
Singers Park, next to the Angel on the Bridge pub, is probably the best spot on the river to sit down to stop and enjoy the view. It has now been transformed back to its former glory with a new lower hedge, cleaning of the paving stones and a new memorial bench.
Ales from the riverbank…
Some facts…
A flood in 1809, probably caused by snow-melt and high rainfall, damaged or destroyed bridges at Wallingford, Bisham, Eton and Windsor– allegedly preventing King George III from leaving the Castle.
Everybody back in the van…
A quick look at the map showed we still had a way to go…
Summer’s coming…
At last, 2 hours later…
Priory Live
What a great festival…
We touched lucky at the bar area…
Established in 2004 the Westerham Brewery Company is proud to bring brewing back to the historic town of Westerham. With a rich brewing heritage, Westerham can once again be proud of locally brewed, top quality craft beers.
A guy who’d seen us in Clapham Common in 2005 was at the bar and bought us both a pint of the Hop Rocket…
First brewed in 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11 mission to the moon. Loaded with 8 USA grown hops, this West Coast style session IPA delivers a huge payload of citrus and pine flavours.
It was a lovely evening…
Great light…
The festival site is only 5 minutes walk from the high street and the nearest pub ‘The White Hart’ was serving a popular beer…
Doom Bar is a perfectly balanced beer combining subtle yet complex flavours. This creates an amber ale which is both satisfying and deliciously moreish. AROMA: Spicy resinous hop, sweet roasted malts. TASTE: Balanced, succulent dried fruit, lightly roasted malt.
We chatted to a couple of regulars…
Cool place to have a few beers with the guys and girls. Nice range of beers, with sports shown on big screens. Staff are very friendly, cool environment all round. Anon.
Meanwhile back at the festival…
Peter Azzopardi
Backstage we met up with West Ham legend Bob Morris who volunteered to look after our rider…
The original and most widely known brand in Italy is Peroni Beer, at 4.7% alcohol by volume(ABV). From its early days, Peroni was considered refreshing and well made compared with other Italian-brewed beers. The beer is made in the modern “international lager” style and contains corn grits as well as malt.
Good to see some old friends…
Next up were the Rifles…
Great crowd!
We were on next…
Fantastic crowd!
Backstage Peter met the band Maze who’d played earlier…
It was a great festival and we played well and got a fantastic reception…
Scotland here we come…via Yorkshire!
Scroll down and click on the ‘Let’s Rock Scotland/Party at the Palace 2024‘ link to see how we got on…
Today we’re off to Colchester in Essex for the ‘80’s Calling!’ festival.
Castle Park is a large, scenic and well maintained Victorian park in the heart of Colchester’s city centre. As well as being a perfect location for a spot of fresh air, quick walk or picnic the park also provides a perfect setting for a huge range of events including shows, festivals and concerts.
We’re all up early today as we have to be in Colchester for 2.
I’m on the train…
Carl & Peter are in a cab…
Roy got dropped off…
And Keith was already there in the ‘Team Mullin’ motorhome…
Today we are in the gold bus…
With a few snacks to munch on…
And maybe a nip of this later thanks to Roy…
A sweet, full-flavoured mead with rich, deep honey flavours and a moreish honeycomb finish. A great accompaniment to strong cheeses and full-flavoured casseroles.
There’s a good 4 and a half hour journey ahead of us…
So time for a video…
We enjoyed the film and also these excellent cloud formations…
After a while we decided to stop at a services…
Newmarket…
Lunch was now very much on our minds and Peter had found a pub in Great Henny, very near to where we played our gig the other week in Sudbury…
Just time for some daftness…
Can’t be long now…
At last…
A highly-revered, perfectly-situated and inviting pub and restaurant in Great Henny, a short drive from Sudbury, Suffolk.
Four pints of your finest ale please landlord…
Well rounded malty brew with sweetness and a fruity mix of orange and kiwi. Well balanced with a smooth mouthfeel and a gentle grainy woodiness in a long mellow finish.
We took our drinks outside while looking for a table…
The pub backed on to the River Stour…
The River Stour is a major river in East Anglia, England. It is 47 miles long and forms most of the county boundary between Suffolk to the north, and Essex to the south. It rises in eastern Cambridgeshire, passes to the east of Haverhill, through Cavendish, Sudbury, Bures, Nayland, Stratford St Mary and Dedham.
It was a great pub and pint…
Time for some food…
Cumberland sausage sandwich in a soft white roll with homemade brown sauce £6Skinny fries £4
Just time for another pint…
We finished our drinks and headed outside where Quinnie our driver for the day was waiting for us…
Still a way to go…
Some beautiful scenery…
Eventually we arrived at the festival gates…
And pulled up inside…
We collected our passes and headed over to the dressing room…
We inspected the rider…
Pours a mild straw with white fluffy head. Yeast esters on the nose with hints of bready notes behind. Medium body with mild carbonation. Soft toffee and biscuit forward with hints of caramel and a yeast Ester finish.
Here’s the running order…
Keith had watched The Christians earlier on…
We managed to have a quick chat with them before they left…
Time to go out front and have a look around the festival…
Straightaway we bumped into huge Farm fan Jon…
The festival was busy and especially the bars…
It was an hour queue for the bar!
Eventually after 20 mins!!!
This big, bold, bitter IPA not only shows off a super hop kick but a depth of orange, apricot and tropical fruit flavours that are both refreshing and complex. Crammed full of four aromatic hop varieties, a fantastically tasty beer.
Carl arranged to meet up with former colleague Sophie…
Next we went to watch Hue & Cry…
We were on stage soon so we headed back to the dressing room…
Last minute preperations…
On we go…
Great photo’s from Jon RatheGreat backstage photos by Team Mullin
Today we’re travelling to Suffolk for the Smile Festival in support of ‘The Smile of Arran Trust’.
The venue is in the grounds of AFC Sudbury in Suffolk…
As we weren’t on till 9.40pm we decided to meet up in town about 1.30 as it was quite a drive…
We have a new front of house sound mixer today…
Harley here on the left with our Karl
And a new look Keith…
His scales are more minor than major nowadays
Gold bus today so hopefully some videos…
Off we go…
Roy had been to the farmers market and bought Scotch Eggs and a Dickensian pie…
Just need a bottle of brandy and a file!
Weather was changeable…
Time for a video…
We enjoyed the film
I’m really enjoying this pie…
Peter suggested for dinner we head to Huntingdon, the birthplace of Oliver Cromwell…
Still a way to go so we stuck on an old favourite…
Timeless
After a while we started seeing signs…
Soon enough we arrived in Huntington…
Huntingdon, founded by the Anglo-Saxons and Danes, prospered successively as a bridging point of the Ouse, as a market town, and in the 18th and 19th centuries as a coaching centre. Light engineering is now important. The town was the boyhood home of Oliver Cromwell.
We were heading for the Brampton Mill on the River Ouse…
We’ll be in deep water with the festival organisers if we stay here too long…
The pub is situated in a picturesque setting…
It was an old corn mill…
The mill was used for grinding & dressing wheat
Time to see what was on offer…
Doom Bar is inspired by its namesake, the treacherous sandbank at the mouth of the Camel Estuary near Sharps’ home at Rock. Accomplished and precise, Doom Bar is the epitomy of consistency, balance and moreish appeal and is now the UK’s no.1 selling cask beer. An enticing aroma of resinous hop, sweet malt and delicate roasted notes. The mouth feel is a balanced, complex blend of succulent dried fruit, lightly roasted malt and a subtle yet assertive bitterness. The finish is dry and refreshing.
The Smile Festival is in support of ‘The Smile of Arran Trust’ and in memory of Arran Tosh. We met Arran’s sister Abbie who made us all very welcome and explained to us how the trust came about after losing her brother to a brain tumour at the age of 13.
This year’s event will mark 10 years since the Smile of Arran was created and also 10 years since Arran passed away.
This was the running order of the festival…
Time to have a look around the site…
We found a bar and ordered the Ice Breaker…
Greene King’s ‘Ice Breaker’ is triple hopped with Citra and Simcoe to deliver citrus and tropical fruit aromas and tastes, complimented with fresh pine resin and a crisp bitterness. Pale and amber malts give balanced sweetness and the addition of carapils malt and torrefied wheat contributes body and mouthfeel.
Carl loves ice cream vans…
Chimes with Grimes
We had a lovely chat with the sponsor of the festival and ‘Happy Monkey Drinks’ boss…
Cheeky monkey
The festival was busy…
Toploader were performing so we popped into the arena to watch them…
There was a great atmosphere but we couldn’t stay too long as it was time for us to go back stage…
Wise words…
Time for Abbie to introduce us…
Great pics!
Stage Invasion…
The gig was brilliant and what a crowd!
Many thanks to Kevin Rogers & Roger Cuthbert for their fantastic photographs!
After the show we signed t shirts for the trust…
And spent time with the family and their friends back stage…
Everyone flowed back to the dressing room amid rumours of more ale…
Todays festival takes us to the Chiltern Hills in Hertfordshire for the annual Chilfest.
It takes place at Pendley Meadow near Pendley Manor, Tring.
We were needed at the festival about 2 so we arranged to meet at 9.30 at Sort with the band travelling in the people carrier…
The gear was going in a van so that gave us more time to stop-off somewhere for lunch hopefully in one of the home counties…
Outside No 9
More horrible weather is forecast…
Alas no films today so conversation and pub research is king…
About 11 o’clock we started thinking about lunch…
Peter suggested we head to the ‘Kings Head Inn’ in Aylesbury as it ticked all the boxes…
Still over an hour left to amuse ourselves…
To save time when we get there, Peasy downloaded the food menu from the pub…
Aptly named😀
The circus has come to town…
Eventually we arrive in Aylesbury…
Aylesbury is a bustling market town located just north of the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, in the rich agricultural area known as the Vale of Aylesbury.
The pub was in the old quarter and was over 500 years old…
Here we go…
Great selection of beer from the ancient Chiltern Brewery…
Carl & Peter had the Pale Ale…
“I call this beautifully balanced ale an “unsung hero” as whilst its character is modest and its flavours are subtle on the palate, it is consistently satisfying in its refreshing finish at whatever time of year one drinks it. In short it is a proper beer.” Anon.
I went for the session IPA…
Session IPA 3.4%, is a light gold, fresh-tasting and low-strength IPA that is brewed with Bucks malt and English hops.
We quickly gave in our food orders and found a table…
Carl and I ordered the beer sausage…
And the beer pickles…
Peter and Roy ordered the Scampi…
Most satisfactory…
Dish of the Day Alex’s sandwiches👏
Time for another pint surely…
That was great fun…
Beer class
Back to the people carrier and it’s a short journey to Tring…
We arrive in no time…
The dressing room is situated in the nearby Tring Rugby Union Club…
We all got a lift over in a courtesy van…
Tuning up…
Gearing up…
Birra Moretti pours a golden-amber with decent carbonation and a finger of creamy head that slowly dissipates by about half leaving a smattering of lacing on the glass. The aroma is fairly light. There are a few grains and a touch of grassy hops with a hint of sweetness. but nothing overwhelming. The mouthfeel is light with the carbonation helping to bring out the flavours. A lot of macro lagers can err on the watery side but Birra Moretti avoids this without becoming too heavy.
Quick look at the running order…
We decided to walk back over and have a look around the festival but it was very muddy…
Can’t go on stage with muddy boots
Instead we travelled over in style…
The Tring Tuk Tuk 😀
Front of the stage…
East 17 were performing…
Easty Boys
We walked over to one of the bars and enjoyed the local Tring Brewery’s ‘Side Pocket For A Toad’😳
SPFAT 3.6% Golden Ale Unmistakable citrus notes from only the best Cascade hops balanced with a floral aroma and crisp dry finish.
Some interesting Spanish food was on offer…
Taste of Spain Mobile Caterer
Fancied a change when we sheltered from the rain in this cider bar…
Monkey House Tropical Cider “We ferment this in oak barrels from a juice that’s 80% Somerset and 20% tropical. Pressing the pineapple ourselves keeps the pepperiness of the fresh fruit, which marries well with a dash of passion.”
Ordered another one – it was really nice – then walked back through the crowd as we were on soon…
Back at the rugby club our dressing room had been moved to the bar area…
One for the stage maybe…
Overall Camden Pale is an excellent beer. It’s bright and clean, easy drinking, and at only 4% ABV hugely sessionable. It hides its 40 IBU’s well, managing to deliver plenty of fruity and citrusy hop flavour, without an intense bitterness.
Our fifth festival of the year and it’s the big one – Glastonbury!
Every year the festival is hugely populated with thousands of music fans thronging the place to watch their favorite bands perform. The festival site is located only a stone’s throw away from Glastonbury village in the county of Somerset…
Friday…
Roy came well prepared…
And was up early…
Or late to bed🥱
Everywhere people were loving the farm…
Even Toyah & Robert…
And of course Lulu…
Good to see our former agent Martin Horne…
Groovy times ahead…
Watching Paul Heaton…
With guest appearance by Fatboy Slim
Peter followed the directions…
To watch Billy Bragg…
Another fan…
I wasn’t due to arrive at the festival until Saturday so I was staying in a village nearby called Godney…
About a mile away in Lower Godney was the Sheppey Inn…
This place is a retro style pub, with tables to eat inside and out, with a small canal and great views. Children will love to see all the old toys dotted around …
Lovely quirky pub and my pint of choice was Notorious by the Bristol Beer Factory…
Notorious pays homage to the original US ‘C’ hops: 4 revolutionary – now classic – hops that helped the UK fall in love with citrusy, hoppy pale ales in those heady early days of the Craft Beer Revolution. Columbus, Chinook, Cascade and Centennial combine to make a legend of a pint: citrus, sherbet, black pepper, floral, tropical and piney flavours make this an epic pour.A very good beer
The food menu was great as well…
Boss fish stew!
Meanwhile back at the festival…
Ed, Alex & Ben…
The young ones
Ed’s band Mutant Vinyl…
‘Nu’s Model Army’…
Our front of house sound engineer Nu was playing keyboards with the New Model Army
Next on, LCD Soundsystem at the Pyramid Stage…
Then over to the West Holts stage…
To watch headliners Jungle…
Saturday…
My first day at the festival…
It had a great atmosphere…
Watched some of Cyndi Lauper
I was instructed to find the Cider Bus…
Had to try one…
Burrow Hill Sparkling Cider hails from the orchards of Somerset, England – the home of Somerset Cider Brandy. This limited-release medium cider was created to celebrate the nearby annual Glastonbury Festival by the team operating the famous ‘Cider Bus’ that has been part of the festivities for more than 45 years. A refreshing and fruity cider with woody dryness that is suitable for vegans and gluten-free drinkers alike.
We had a fantastic afternoon…
Earlier on, Jamie Webster was at the other stage…
He totally won the Glastonbury crowd
And the Skatalites were on at West Holts…
There were plenty of places to eat and drink…
“The Taphouse”Selling a thirst-quenching range of craft keg beers and real ales straight from cask, bringing great beer and tunes to the heart of thefestival!
It was a lovely sunny day…
Alex enjoyed watching the Staves…
And later on Little Symz at the Pyramid stage…
Top marks for Roy’s favourites, English Teacher…
Ed was performing and having a few pints at the Avalon Inn…
Fearless and refreshing, Brooklyn Stonewall Inn IPA is crafted for everyone. Brewed with unabashed notes of grapefruit and bright citrus peel, this is beer for all.
Coldplay were the headliners at the Pyramid…
Ed & Alex enjoyed Goldie…
And backstage Peter met Everton boss and huge Farm fan Sean Dyche…
Sunday…
At last the big day has arrived!
Keith’s former student and Lipa graduate Jalen Ngonda was playing at 12.30…
I went for a little walk around the site…
Lunch was Pazzo’s Pizza and Otter Ale…
“ Pazzo’s – it’s the wood that makes it taste so good ” “ Otter Ale – the malty aroma and hints of fruit provide a first clue to the flavour but the taste goes further and finishes in a strong combination of fruit and some bitterness.”
James were on at 3…
Shania Twain at 3.45…
At last Carl & Keith had arrived but it was so packed we couldn’t meet up…
We’d gone over to the Other Stage to meet up with our friends…
Watching Nothing but Thieves…
Took absolute ages to walk back from the Other Stage to the Left Field tent but eventually found Carl in a bar…
Finally met Keith and our good mate John Robb…
Alex is so excited…
And Jamie Carragher was spotted wearing a Farm/Glasto t-shirt…
The time has come…
Brilliant crowd, packed the tent and spilled outside into the festival…
Billy Bragg👏👏
All Together Now stage invasion!!!
It was a fantastic performance but everything has to come to an end…
A unique experience and one we all hope to replicate in years to come!
And finally a big thank you to Kelly, Kirsty, Andy and all their friends who helped make it all possible. ❤️
Our second Stone Valley Festival this year takes us to Thoresby Park, a beautiful country estate located near Newark in the heart of Nottinghamshire, England. The park is home to a stunning 17th-century mansion, a world-renowned art collection, and over 1,000 acres of parkland.
10 o’clock start today as we have to be in Newark for 2…
There was plenty of beer left from the last gig so we took it with us just in case…
Peroni 330ml bottle at 5.0%. Pours clear straw with a dissipating white head. Aroma of malt and grain. Grainy taste. Bittersweet. (Anon)
We were soon on our way…
Plenty of time to watch a film but the DVD player was past its best…
😉
Off the M62 and onto the M1…
We’d planned an interesting stop-off in a pub called the Muskham Ferry in the village of North Muskham…
A bit of family history
Next a pit-stop in Worksop…
Some nice scenery…
And eventually a signpost…
North Muskham is a village located between the river Trent and the A1 road, three miles north of Newark.
As a keen genealogist (see my other blog ‘Who Do You Drink You Are’), I’d always wanted to visit North Muskham as it was the village where my maternal grandad married his first wife…
My grandad’s father-in-law was a publican😳
At last we arrived at the pub…
Welcome to the Muskham Ferry, a friendly village pub with a relaxed atmosphere and great food. The village had a ferry across the Trent River to the village of Holme for centuries.
To save time, Roy had compiled a list of our choices off the menu…
The local security didn’t seem to approve of his efforts though…
Dog Day Afternoon
We leapfrogged to the bar…
And plumped for the Monterey Hop from the Maypole Brewery whilst handing over Roy’s list…
Light Hoppy blonde with slight bitter aftertaste 3.8% – it was very good😀
As it was a nice day we headed outside…
The parish church was only a 2 minute walk from the pub along the footpath…
St. Wilfrid’s Church, North Muskham is a parish church in the Church of England in North Muskham, Nottinghamshire. The church was constructed circa 1190 and was entirely restored in 1906.
He didGreat that the door was open
It was a very old beautiful church but we had to get back to the pub as we hadn’t got much time…
Food was great…
Still had time for another pint though…
We bid farewell to the pub…
And we’re soon back on the road…
Twenty minutes later we were there…
Wristbands collected…
Great to see James, the promoter of the festival here with our manager Peasy…
Welcome to the pleasure dome…
Inside was Keith – Team Mullin had gone on ahead this morning…
And on the way kindly picked up Carl’s lad Chay who was teching for us…
Because we were still in the pub😳
Quick look at the stage times…
Just time to go out front and check out the bar…
This was a great pint!
MAD JACK HA’ (SESSION IPA) – 3.8% Mosaic and Citra hops shine in the session IPA giving tropical and citrus flavours. Brewed with Marris Otter, caramalt and oats for a smooth and silky mouthfeel.
We went to the front of the stage to watch Peat & Diesel, a great band from the Western Isles in Scotland…
Alex was meeting her dad at the festival and they came over to listen…
Crowd were enjoying them…
They were great!
Another pint of Mad Jack then we headed back stage to have a photo with them as they were heading back to Stornoway…
Time for us to go on stage…
Fantastic crowd!
We got a great reception and went out front to return to the bar area…
After all these years we met up with one of the Grantham Three! Respect 😉
Enjoyed a good hour or so talking with fans and watching The Soup Dragons…
We met this lovely bloke from Pop Will Drink Itself…
sipadvisor 