31st July - Atherstone - 2nd Angel Pub Beer Festival

... and so the 4 of us and the "imposter" set sail for Atherstone - roughly translated that means that there were 5 of us on the train for the short trip to Atherstone with a group 4 ticket seeing as the "imposter" had made his own arrangements.

After a tedious 8 minute journey we set foot in the market town and headed for where I thought the Angel was (as I had told the "imposter" several times it was where we had sheltered from the rain on a previous typical summer trip out this way, except that it wasn't.

Fortunatly it was another pub near the market square and on arrival we were greeted by a large sign and an excellent selecction of some 20 plus beers on the outside bar. I noted some ciders and given the mid life crisis of an earlier posting was nearly tempted but wasn't.

The "imposter" selected first and to my surprise went for a Tunnel offering (Hop and Bothered) - I say surprise since on the aforementioned trip which had took in the Tunnel brewery itself he had noted , and repeated numerous times since, that Tunnel beers were not for him. "I'm going to give them another chance!" he remarked shortly followed by sip, sip, sip, sip "no don't like it much" but went on manfully to finish the half.

Old Cottage Pattische, Wirksworth Sunbeam, Milestone Rich Ruby and Idle Sod all followed as we sat outside listening to some pretty dreadful racket coming from inside the pub - some might have called it music.

Time to move on and acroess the square to the Market Tavern albeit several hours too early for their own festival also starting that day. Godiva and Bear Bitter, both from Warwickshire Brewery were sampled in the garden.

Onwards along the aptly named Long Street (home of the Atherstone Ball game) to the New Dolphin where Holts Golden Glow was to be had.

Back towards the startion for a choice of two Church End beers (alas not noted) before heading back to Tamworth and a rather long walk to the Bole Bridge (again beers not noted) before finishing at the Globe for one of their regulars Holdens Mild.