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Friday 29 October 2010

Bribery and Beer at the Didsbury Beer Festival 2010

It has not escaped my husband's notice that there is quite literally a beer festival happening right now, just feet away from his own front door. The third annual Didsbury Beer Festival actually started last night at 7pm, just down the road from us at St. Catherine's Social Club on School Lane, and his excitement was almost palpable. Is he home from work in time? Yes. Does he know where the festival is? Yes. Does he have the £2 entry fee? *quick counting out of coppers* Yes. Does he like beer? Hell yes. Has his wife invited friends over for dinner, who are due to arrive at seven, exactly the same time the ribbon is cut and the thirsty masses surge into the marquee? Oh. Yes, she has.

Still, there's always tonight. Unless you've already made plans. Or tomorrow, unless your wife is forcing you to attend a Vintage Fair at The Whitworth Art Gallery (I suspect many a glum-faced boy will be in evidence at the fair, dragging their feet like a truculent child, being nagged into admiring various bits of shiny tat while wife or girlfriend says "ooh, see how it sparkles" at regular intervals.)

But wait! All is not lost, for tomorrow (Saturday) the beer festival goes on all day, from 12 noon until 11pm. The line-up promises to be better than ever, with over 100 different beers and ciders, as well as food and live music (CheesyWeasel play tonight, but I fear they could never live up to their magnificent name, which makes me imagine a small smug rodent-type creature sitting down to an enormous cheeseboard with a selection of pickles). Girly lightweights like myself will also be pleased to know that the beers are available in pints, half pints and thirds-of-pints; I shall be going for the latter, so that I can sample more than a couple without falling over and taking the whole marquee with me.

So tomorrow is what is officially known as "compromise" but is in reality good old-fashioned bribery: Vintage Fair followed by the Didsbury Beer Festival. Husband doesn't know it yet, but the deal involves being home in time for Strictly - I will save this as a lovely surprise/wait until he's too beered-up to care.

- for more details about the beer festival, visit www.didsburybeerfestival.org.uk
- for more details about the lovely shiny Vintage Fair, see http://whitworthadultprogramme.wordpress.com

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