Wednesday 18 January 2012

National Winter Ales Festival



It starts today and runs until Saturday night. I'm very much involved, hence my radio silence.

Do come along. It will be great!

National Winter Ales Festival 2012
18-21 January 2012
Sheridan Suite, Manchester

13 comments:

Rob Nicholson said...

Visiting on Friday afternoon and looking forward to it.

Erlangernick said...

Wish I could.

Matt said...

Is this the last year it's in Manchester?

Rob Nicholson said...

No, next year is the last one then to Derby.

Cooking Lager said...

All the best with it fella. Hope it is a success.

I'd be interested in reading a blog post regarding the punter profile.

To what degree are you putting on a do for the faithful? A do for beeks by beer geeks.

To what degree is the event campaigning for cask beer? A do with numerous none beer geeks enjoying something they usually do not?

Matt said...

I'm a CAMRA member and I used to go every year when it was in Manchester city centre. I haven't bothered since the move up Oldham Road. Off the top of my head, I know about a dozen people who haven't been since either. I feel a bit sorry for people coming from outside Manchester having to find the venue.

Unknown said...

Yeah, it was a bitch to find. Five minute walk from the Marble Arch to a bus stop. Three minutes on a bus to right outside the venue.

As much as I want it to be in Derby - twenty-three quid more I can spend on beer rather than trains - I have the sneaking feeling that a little bit of the passion will be lost. There's good people involved at the moment. I'd hate to see that lost.

Matt said...

Simon, you obviously know your way round Manchester. Others have written on blogs about wandering around North Manchester looking for the place.

As a Mancunian living in Stockport, I cannot claim to be that familiar with the area, for outsiders it's even more of a challenge.

Of the dozen people I know who stopped going after the move, most are from Manchester. I know the CIS opposite Victoria station became unavailable but since then SIBA have held a couple of beer festivals, one opposite Oxford Road station and the other a stone's throw from Piccadilly.

Tandleman said...

Matt - You are talking unmitigated nonsense frankly. Fortunately 9500 or so people from all over found the place with ease. Can't find Oldham Road? Then you probably couldn't find your own arse in a blackout.

We didn't have one complaint this year or in any other about it being hard to find and we had folks from all over the UK and abroad too. And and nowhere in Manchester Centre is big enough or within our budget in any event. Do you really think we didn't try that one?

SteveF said...

Matt, you may find this little known yet handy website to be of some use:

http://maps.google.co.uk/

chriso said...

Or even use the handy link to the appropriate Google map provided right on the NWAF web page.

Matt said...

"We didn't have one complaint this year or in any other about it being hard to find and we had folks from all over the UK and abroad too."

Maybe they're still looking for it :-)

Keef said...

I came across from York for the first time and using the excellent NWAF website directions walked out to the venue in about 20 minutes. One of the easiest venues i've had to find with no prior knowledge of it's whereabouts.