We moved to the village of Yapton, West Sussex, in July 1997 and it was the following year when I realised what a really great village it is. The village hall is only a couple of hundred yards from where we lived and it was in the Spring when I noticed the CAMRA Beerex posters going up. A beer festival at the end of our road in the middle of May. Sounds like heaven.
Yapton Beerex is run by my local CAMRA branch and now that I have become an active member this should be the first festival I volunteer for except that I have been struck down with this bloody vertigo and the very slow healing process is threatening to cause my exclusion from the event this year. However, that is no reason for you lot not to go. The festival normally coincides with the FA Cup final and in the late 90s and early 00s I would enjoy a pleasant lunchtime at the festival before falling asleep in front of the big match. As the years went by we would suddenly have friends wanting to come and stay with us in the middle of May for some strange reason and the festival became more sociable. Even my mum still vividly remembers her first Yapton Beerex.
The Saturday lunchtime is the time to go if the weather is good. You simply have to catch a train to Barnham station and then hop on the vintage open top bus which will transport you to the festival just over a mile away and when you have spent a pleasant few hours drinking whilst soaking up the sunshine on the village playing field you can get the bus back and go home to sleep it off. Until I moved away from Yapton in 2006 I could obviously just stagger home and then be ready to go again in the evening. Perhaps this is the reason why I was so enthusiastic when we decided we needed to move back to the area. This moment in time coincided with the new owner of our old cottage phoning us up and asking us if we wanted to buy back the house from her. The move has not gone through in time for the festival this year but next year I am looking forward to the event very much indeed.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of this splendid festival and a few of the local brewers have brewed special anniversary beers for the event. Arundel brewery have brewed a 4.6% beer appropriately called Silver Jubilee. Ballards have come up with the 4.3% ABV Jubilee and Langhams have produced the 3.9% ABV Hopburst Jubilee. So there we have three very good reasons for going this year. As well as many local beers though you will also come across beers from Magic Rock, Tiny Rebel, Mallinsons, Revolutions, Great Heck, Fyne, By The Horns, Purple Moose, Bristol Beer Factory and many many more.
One unusual aspect is that the beer glasses are just half pints so you are forced to enjoy more of the 60+ beers that will be available. Yapton Beerex has the slogan 'Every May Be There'. So if you are thinking you would maybe like to go then it is the place for you. Make yourself a definite and head off to Yapton next weekend (16th-18th). I could list here all the details about how to get tickets etc etc but I'm having to limit my time on the computer with my illness so just click on this link instead as this tells you all you need to know.
One unusual aspect is that the beer glasses are just half pints so you are forced to enjoy more of the 60+ beers that will be available. Yapton Beerex has the slogan 'Every May Be There'. So if you are thinking you would maybe like to go then it is the place for you. Make yourself a definite and head off to Yapton next weekend (16th-18th). I could list here all the details about how to get tickets etc etc but I'm having to limit my time on the computer with my illness so just click on this link instead as this tells you all you need to know.
Cheers.
