Leaving strict chronology for a moment, I bring you my annual trip to the Cambridge Beer Festival, the UK’s most pashmina-friendly fest. It’s a compulsory trip, whatever I say about fests.
No Mrs RM (she’s in Pasmina Peckham), and no Simon or Kevin, workmates I’ve been bumping into since this was at the old Cambridge City ground.
And therein lies the problem. Without any company, beer fests can be a lonely affair. It’s much harder to get conversation started than it is in a pub, when questions about duck eggs or parma violets are acceptable conversation starters.
And I’m no fan of sampling different beers (but you’re CAMRA !). Unlike Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge has no Bass, no Pedi, not even Landlord.
Hundreds of beers, perhaps ten you’ve heard of, and ten you’ll come across on your trips to pubs over the next year.
At least there’s one constant on Jesus Green.
That’s no criticism. The students and seasoned drinkers come for the variety and flavours. Next to me a group of young Asian ladies were determinedly going through the list, and some Peterhouse Maths Undergrads were scoring their thirds.
“I’ll. Give. That. One. A…. 6”
“Uggh. It tastes like tea. 5.5.”
“Oooh. I’d say 8”.
“That averages out at 6.5” said the bright lass. She’ll get a job at Spoons.
That’s my little bit of ground. On a Wednesday at 2pm, all the tables were taken so it was stand or slump on grass. The students tend to form circles around an imaginary campfire, and designate a Hugo to go and fetch more thirds.
The beer was really good. I had a German Kolsch, that soon had a fly in it, some Lost & Grounded keg, a Brass Castle and a Wiper & True. All good stuff, as the head shows.
But I couldn’t get comfortable, particularly when folk kept stepping over my beer glass.
Then I noticed someone with the green beer.
I haven’t seen Sign of Spring for nearly 20 years, so I had a third. No sooner had I sat down than a hipster came over.
“Wow. What’s that !”
“Here. Have a some”.
And off he shot to the bar with “S” on it.
Stonehenge. It’s the future.
retiredmartin 
Very deft sign off Mr T. Assumed Cambridge City’s interesting old ground had gone to housing so was surprised to read it’s an open space. Wonder why they got kicked off it then.
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The site of the old City ground has now been developed. Flats and apartments I believe. And the address is Lilywhite Drive
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Thanks. Used to have a fine stand.
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I see you’ve been trying to bias Geordie planning committees.
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/fears-new-heaton-micropub-could-16313653?fbclid=IwAR0nNlNp1qsea-uGRJLQtcX0oePBcitzOJSmN-7Ggyef7fa3iv3ld0Ov4z4
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Micropubs scare me and I don’t even live in Newcastle.
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Always a highlight of my beer year. Not the Cambridge Beer Festival but having a pint of Sign of Spring.
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Wonder where you see it. I visit dozens of pubs down that way across the year and it never pops up.
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“Hundreds of beers, perhaps ten you’ve heard of” – so that’s ten short of hundreds of ‘strange’ beers.
That’s strange in the sense of unfamiliar although most also will be strange strange.
Beer festivals are too complicated at my age.
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Two beers named after the Irish bbc backstop. Consistency and continuity is what we need, not novelty.
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My two favourites so far this year have been Milk Shake by Wiper and True and Macchiato by Wylam both getting 9/10. Sold out by thursday evening.
Most disappointing was Sussex Best Bitter. Tasted a bit “green” and not up to it’s usual standard.
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Interesting, in the sense that W & T and Wylam are two of the newer breweries I always seem to enjoy (they sell their beers to good pubs, mind).
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