2008 Review

Written across the backs of the staff T-Shirts at this year's Blackdown Hills Beer & Music Festival was "The Next Generation". Many of the old faces were there, working away, but there's been an extraordinary takeover, and the festival this year was run by the original committee's sons and daughters.

It was for them that the festival began 13 years ago to provide for musical education and enrichment in the community.

The highlight of their summer holidays was always the beer festival, and they watched and listened and learned how it was done, gradually taking on more and more responsibilities and swelling the ranks of volunteers by bringing their friends along.

The organisation was impressive despite torrential rain, which turned the site into a swamp.

For the first time ever there was more water on site than beer, though there were enough real ales for even the most enthusiastic beer buff.

The music, all of it live, much of it local, was wonderful, and the crowd responded, singing along to small children playing steel drums, and dancing the nights away in an ever deepening mud bath to the Tree Frogs, Honest John and Groovalicious.

All might have been wet and muddy by the end but the verdict is that the festival is in safe and competent hands.

Sarah Samson