The 2016 Tynedale Beer Festival will be up and running once again this year between Thursday 16th – Saturday 18th June at Tynedale Rugby Football Club in Corbridge set within the delightful countryside of the Tyne Valley. Last year the Beer Festival was a resounding success with all three days attracting large crowds of beer and cider lovers, families and friends from the local community and beyond. Many visitors return year after year to enjoy the festivities such is the pulling power of this now well-established regional event.
Last summer the friendly Beer Festival attracted some 6,500 visitors who sampled a staggering 20,000 pints from the 140 draught beers and ciders on offer, all in tip top condition. Some 230 bottles of Prosecco wine and 75 bottles of Pimms were also consumed. Also available were a selection of table wines, soft drinks and a wide range of good food from the onsite caterers. Throughout the Festival, as always, there was a great variety of live music to generate a party atmosphere from rousing local bands to the more gentle swing of jazz. For families on the Saturday afternoon there was an emphasis on children’s entertainment, magicians and face painting to please not just the smaller ones but adults too. Those wishing to remain reflective could also enjoy watching a sedate game of cricket on the adjoining site on Saturday afternoon or a rather more energetic rugby sevens competition on the first team pitch. The aim of the Festival is simple – to ensure that everyone who comes has a really great time.
The event is a joint venture between Tynedale Lions Club based in Hexham and Tynedale Rugby Football Club and has grown steadily since it first began in 2002. The Festivals have now raised over £450,000 along the way and 2015 was, as anticipated, a record-breaking year after the biggest attendance ever. Tynedale Lions Club is a community service organization made up of men and women from the Tynedale area and is part of the world-wide Lions Clubs International. The Festival is however just one of its fund raising activities. Every penny of profit from the Festival goes to benefit charities and projects in the local area and further afield. The Club members really do enjoy the Festival as much as the visitors do as they join force to raise funds for charitable purposes and good causes in general. Much more information about Tynedale Lions Club can be found on their website www.tynedalelionsclub.org
Many will know that later in 2015 Tynedale Rugby Club was seriously flooded. Almost six inches of rain fell over the River South Tyne catchment on December 5th as Storm Desmond struck following a very wet November. This was the most devastating flood event in living memory and statistics released subsequently by the Environment Agency indicated that this was indeed the most catastrophic flooding incident since The Great Flood of 1771 which affected the whole of the North-East. At Corbridge river levels reached 5.76m (19 feet), the highest recorded by the EA at Corbridge since meters were installed there in 1996. It is no surprise therefore that with the whole of the Rugby Club area submerged for 48 hours that much of the Beer Festival equipment which was stored there has had to be scrapped. The Beer Festival Committee is, however, undertaking an ambitious programme to build new bars and to purchase new beer pumps, coolers and ancillary equipment as required. Although the Rugby Clubhouse will remain out of bounds for this year’s event a bigger than ever marquee will ensure that there will be plenty of room for everyone.
The 2016 Beer Festival will be ready in June and will be bigger and better than ever. The Beer festival achieves so much with the support of its sponsors and many visitors alike. The named charities which will benefit this year are Northumberland County Blind Association, St Oswald’s Hospice and Northumbria Blood Bikes. You can learn much more about the 2016 Festival by going to www.tynedalebeerfestival.org.uk which includes directions on how to get there, many images plus a video. Please support the Beer Festival. Come along and join in the fun. Once again visitors can take the opportunity to use the Festival as a camping, caravan or motor home base from which to explore the attractions of Northumberland. Tickets for the Festival can be purchased in advance online or at Corbridge or Hexham Tourist Information Offices.