Wednesday 6 August 2008

Bloggers Abound at the GBBF



The first thing that hits you as you come down the escalator from the hidden from the public staffing area, is the sheer size of the place. When it just has the staff scurrying about, it really is huge. CAMRA is getting sorted Health and Safety wise. We all wear hi viz jackets until we open. On BSF this year we have relocated. I find this disorienting and spend the whole day getting lost.

I always drink too much on the first day. I know why. It is because you meet so many old friends and of course, you have a drink with them. It isn't too bad though. Not pissed, but as our Yankee chums might say, buzzed!

I meet loads of people and watch the Champion Beer announcements, having enjoyed the opening speech by a Liberal Democrat MP, whose name nobody catches. I am delighted that Lees Bitter wins a silver medal. Not bad. I celebrate with Lees Head Brewer Giles Dennis who is pleased and disappointed in equal measure. All brewers rate their beer highly I reckon.

Among those I meet are old CAMRA and non CAMRA chums and of course bloggers. I'll stick to blog names. The Beer Nut is there and is a delight, Stonch too, all effervescent and a vision in purple. YCC sport two of their number and the thoughtful Maeib is there too. Tom Fryer, an old mate drops by also. Tom runs the Oxford Bottled Beer Database. Zak Avery who runs a splendid beer shop in Leeds and writes on beer dropped by too.

I'll do a bit more tomorrow, but now I need to get washed and take my aching feet back there. Was it busy? Yes, but more so in the trade session. That's good I think.

13 comments:

The Beer Nut said...

Maeib and I were convinced that you didn't exist as no-one at the BSF bar had heard of you. CAMRA's very own Keyser Söze.

Great to meet you (eventually) and discover that you're not a myth but definitely a legend.

Sat In A Pub said...

Most people think Tandleman is a Camra invention. But, as you discovered, he does exist, and once met, never forgotten!

Dubbel said...

Not easy to go round surreptitiously checking the BSF barstaffs' name tags without looking like a complete weirdo! Great to meet the mighty Tandleman and to confirm that you're as friendly and personable as anticipated.

Keep up the hard work for the rest of the fest!

Anonymous said...

Good to see you again, Peter. I caught the CBOB announcement too - I'm sure I'm not alone in my disappointment that Greene King IPA failed to win anything this year ;-)

Zak Avery said...

Nice to see you, Tanders. Sorry I didn't pop back - I unaccountably got waylaid.

I think the MP might have been Greg Mulholland, one of our Yorkshire MPs. He's a nice man, a very nice man. In fact, he's so nice that he awarded our shop a "Beautiful Beer" certificate. Well, it's actually for beer and food, but I'm sure that the bags of crisps and pork scratchings don't really count.

jefffrane said...

Good god! Some of you think Peter's a figment? Haw! Larger than life is more like it.

I could tell you stories . . .

At any rate, I'm hoping Stonch finally gets himself a face full of Lee's Bitter.

Anonymous said...

Yeah I thought he was made up till I got there.Is Tandle Man the guy who looks like Robbie Coltrane?

Tandleman said...

No!

Anonymous said...

Robbie Coltrane, eh? Hmmm, now that you mention it...

jefffrane said...

I would have said he looked like Ricky Gervais, but after looking up Robbie Coltrane's picture . . .

Anonymous said...

Or maybe Ewan Macgregor. :-0

Mark Edwards said...

It was great meeting up, and an odd coincidence how we may well have worked at close proximity to each other over the years.

I'm curious about your use of the word thoughtful to describe me. My wife doesn't recognise that description!

Gazza Prescott said...

Sorry I couldn't be there, but I was drinking top beer in Leeds and Sheffield. Actually, I'm not sorry at all, there's no way you'd have got me there.