Selection

It's hard to understand what people find enjoyable. Pubs are closing all over the country. Sales of cask beer have been falling for a long time. People still drink beer, but more often at home, from cans and bottles. The function of the pub as a place where views are exchanged and gossip is shared has been usurped by social media

But if you organise a beer festival, or a 'Festival of Fine Ales' as this one has called itself for many years, people turn out with their garden chairs and their gazebos, they meet friends and exchange gossip. They listen to live music. They recreate the social conviviality of the pub, but just for a day

A beer festival is a terrible place to try new beer. The firkins have often travelled a long way; they may be put into racks by inexpert volunteers; the time available for the beer to settle and clear is limited; the cooling system - if one exists at all - is seldom adequate to reduce the brew to cellar temperature; the 'glasses' are plastic. Almost any pub will serve a superior product

But beer festivals are a big success and increasingly common. They fill the need for an event that does not seem to be met by the music festival, the produce show, sports events or market. I understand, but I don't understand; I can't quite pin down the itch that it scratches

The menu listed 99 beers, so this picture shows three-quarters of them. Our entry fee included two tokens for a half-pint each, so we tried four. We met friends and acquaintances and chatted about nothing consequential. I'm not sure why, but it felt like time well spent