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Landlords to launch their own beer festival
Reporter: Ken Bennett
Date online: 01/02/2010
Oldham is to have its own charity fund raising beer festival this year thanks to a campaigning pub landlady.
Jo Potter is spearheading the launch of the event which will be held across key town centre pubs in March.
She has already recruited The Royal Oak at Rhodes Bank, The Three Crowns, Upsteps, Whittles and Jackson’s Pit to join the venture.
And now she in planning a meeting with landlords to decide on local charities which will benefit from the event which will take place from March 19 to March 26.
Jo (40), landlady of the Ashton Arms in Clegg Street, said: “I was absolutely determined that we should have this celebration. Everyone is very excited about the project.
“The idea is already snowballing and we are getting tremendous support from everyone who wants to be involved.”
And her efforts have been praised by Mike Robinson, a leading CAMRA official who had organised The Oldham Beer Festival since its inception 23 years ago.
He said: “Oldham’s town centre real ale pubs are to be congratulated for working together to help fill the void left by the cancellation of the CAMRA-organised beer festival at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
“This was caused when the council withdrew concessionary use of the venue by the Mayors Appeal Committee.”
Phil Woolas, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, claimed the council were scrooges by pricing the traditional charity event, out of business.
He has written to council chief executive Charlie Parker demanding answers under the Freedom of Information act to issues regarding charges, bookings and hire of the hall.
Mr Woolas said today: “I am delighted town centre landlords have come together to organise a beer festival raise money for local charities.
“Oldham Council’s decision to price the annual beer festival out of the QE Hall is a disgrace.
The Mayor, Councillor Jim McArdle, is liaising with council chiefs and local charities to define details for the new event to form the centrepiece of his fundraising activities.
Have Your Say
Well done to Jo Potter and the other publicans in Oldham who have stepped in to organise a real ale festival in aid of local charities. Oldham Council are a disgrace. The Council Tax Payers of this Town pay the running costs and debt charges on the QE Hall not high powered Howard our Council Leader. Not to allow CAMRA free use, once a year, for the Annual Beer Festival to raise money for Dr Kershaw's Hospice just shows how out of touch with local people Charlie Parker and Howard Sykes are.
Sykes and Parker should go, and take that electioneering plank Woolas with them!! They have to claw back at least £5m from somewhere, but this isn't the way to do it.
Superb ! At last some good news, lets stick two fingers up at the council killjoys by turning out in force to support this initiative. Good luck to all involved. See you in March.
alcock won't be pleased about this one........
By Keith @ 01/02/2010 13:36:59
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