Boycott the Great British Beer Festival

[essbee]

Allegedly more seating at earls court , (I had to stand with all my mates most
of the evening)
Allegedly more room at earls court (getting to the bars was a nightmare -much worse than olympia )
Allegedly more toilets at earls court (I waited for 10 mins and I'm a bloke -
I never waited at Olympia)....

Earls' court is a cost saving PR disaster. CAMRA = you are a disgrace.

Bring back olympia - it had character!

signed
former CAMRA member

 

[essbee]

Oh and I never mentioned:

having to pay for the hitherto free programmes,
the long queues outside (the queues were never bad at olympia)
the cloakroom..which at Earls Court seems to pack up when there are
more than six items.

CAMRA = DISGRACE and a complete dis-service to it members and the
general public

 

[essbee]

sadly populated this year by people who know no better!

 

[clapham_gull]

See what happens when they downgrade Real Ale to a Class C Beverage ?

 

[Wozza]

I heard it full of bearded old men, too. Nightmare!

 

[Gwylan]

I'm not going this year: i had a miserable time last year at Earl's C, it's no place for a festival.

I think Wozza's a bit out of touch - there are a surprising number of young people who go and a very surprising number of young women.

Not as many as the pages of What's Brewing would have you believe though.

 

[Badger]

I shall be in attendence this year and I'm only 23. I'm not fussed about whether they have many seats, I went to Olympia twice and never really bothered sitting down, too busy finding the next beer!

 

[Grendel]

Bring back olympia - it had character!

It also flooded horrendously during the trade session in 2004, leading to the closure of half the festival. I imagine that had something to do with the decision to relocate.

I'm not sure how you come to the conclusion that the move was a cost-saving exercise, seeing as it's costing them MORE to stage it at Earls Court.

 

[essbee]

Hi Grendel,

That's what we were told!

I am suggesting that we were led to believe it cost more so that
we wouldn't whinge when we saw the dire state of Earl's Court...
under the belief that 'oh it has to be better - it cost more'

absolute rubbish.

........(btw, blokes were using the ladies toilets in the end it got
so bad.......now that is not right......although having seen the
ladies predicament at most football stadiums, it was the boot on
the other foot for once.....)

 

[REDLAND]

The one in Hove is generally a winner mind

 

[Woodchip]

Eastbourne Beer Festival is great. Don't bother going to the smoke, when you have the same thing on your doorstep.

 

[Grendel]

Hi Grendel,

That's what we were told!

I am suggesting that we were led to believe it cost more so that
we wouldn't whinge when we saw the dire state of Earl's Court...
under the belief that 'oh it has to be better - it cost more'

absolute rubbish.

........(btw, blokes were using the ladies toilets in the end it got
so bad.......now that is not right......although having seen the
ladies predicament at most football stadiums, it was the boot on
the other foot for once.....)

I didn't think it was any better or worse than Olympia, to be honest. My main gripe was that it didn't seem as "friendly" as Olympia, but in terms of facilities it didn't strike me as being noticeably worse. I didn't see any guys using the the ladies toilets but as I always go to the trade session and the first couple of hours of the public session on the Tuesday that may be why, as they're generally not as well attended as the sessions later in the week (the trade session in particular).

 

[Superphil]

Eastbourne and Hove Beer Festivals are great. The GBBF was great when it was in Brighton, back in 87, 88, or 89 I think. Then it moved to London and it has always been souless there IMO.

As it says above, forget the London one, get to Eastbourne or Hove.

 

[The Oldman]

This isn't about Geoffrey then?

 

[dougdeep]

Wait for the Lewes one, always the best.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

CAMRA are just too SERIOUS to be taken seriously.

It's beer. Drink it. Don't drink it. Nobody cares.

 

[Dandyman]

Will be going this with several GDC cadre. IMO Earls Court is a definite improvement on the Olympia barn.

 

[The Auditor]

No air con in the Corporate at Earls Court !