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Beer walk is finally knocked on the head
Reporter: Lewis Jones
Date online: 09 February 2012
THE Saddleworth beer walk has been scrapped for good.
Months of intense discussions came to a head when organisers decided “overbearing responsibility” would make it impossible to continue the long-running tradition.
After initially cancelling the colourful event in November last year, beer walk fans rejoiced as it seemed it could be saved with the help of an army of volunteers.
But after much soul-searching, members of the Saddleworth Round Table made the decision to call time on the event that has run for 38 years.
Beer walk chairman Dave MacDougall said: “We had a raft of volunteers keen to support the day itself but sadly — despite terrific feedback right across the community — the walk is no more.
“It was very clear our small group of fundraisers would have to bear the full responsibility for the safety and well-being of all the marshals who had volunteered to supervise the event.
“The overbearing personal responsibility we were placed under on safety, public order and costs did not make it viable for us to manage.”
The decision is the culmination of a tough six months for the small team of volunteer organisers after last year’s event was beset with problems.
Drunkenness and violence saw one policeman injured and thousands of hangers-on descended on Saddleworth.
Some callous drinkers even conned locals out of their charity money by using bucket collections to fund their own drinking sprees.
In the end, the prospect of resolving such major issues became one committee members felt they couldn’t take on.
Organisers donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to good causes as the event grew from its humble beginnings.
In the last five years alone £100,000 has been dished out to local charities.
Members are now determined to carry on their fundraising efforts some other way.
Comments
And again we see the result of letting the public sector run out of control. There was no way GMP could justify the level of charges, but because they are a state monopoly provider they can get away with it. Of course a properly run system would have a body which oversees all this, but this is the UK so no chance of that. Yet more evidence that the only way is privatisation & competition if you want something to work properly.
well there you have it! well done greater manchester police.
i appluade fahy and forber for their greed at hiking up the costs of policing.
their excuses where petty and poor.
blame was pointed at the so called few that did the walk unofficially. and it was only a few. the numbers where blown out of proportion.
you dont just get rid of such a long standing event so easily.
GMP will still be busy on that saturday as an unofficial beer walk will probably still happen.
but out of pocket too now!
Perhaps a walk or run without the beer may be a way to do it. I know the Race for Life event was scrapped last year but perhaps a similar event could be held instead of the beer walk. It could be a walk / run around the Saddleworth villages in May or June - how about "The Great Saddleworth Run"
What a shame, as usual a few idiots spoil the fun for the majority, I cannot see them raising this kind of money for charity any other way. Many people such as myself and family return every year to spend one of the best weekends you can have enjoying the beer walk and the whit friday celebrations, not sure I will bother now
The comments above slating the police, show how little you know about trying to police events of this nature. The organisers have seen what was involved to marshall the event and have given up on the idea. Police officers have to police these events regularly. The people making the comments want to try and control hundreds of drunks, when you are vastly outnumbered.
Persuade Prince Harry and a few army mates it would be a great way to unwind after a tour of duty. You will have all the policing you could want and more besides for free!
The police seem to be getting some unfair flack for this.
Two comments criticising GMP.
One implies that we should have a privatised police force and another complains about the greed of the existing force in trying to balance its books.
Presumably if you can leave people equally outraged at both ends of the spectrum, you are striking a fair balance.
Its sad but I could never see them saving it. If the police could not control the drunks and gatecrashers how were volunteers going to do it? The grand council plan to help out seems to have been a councillor coming to a meeting telling the committee to do it themselves - How cynical!
Why not issue official charity collectors with those wrist bands people wear at music festivals. Someone waving a bucket at you with no wrist band? Tell them where to go. Sorted.
@ sjm and rochdalelatic.
the police should get alot of stick. it has been made clear with cuts in police funding that Peter fahy has been against the coalition government and has clashed with them on numerous occasions.
he uses these cutbacks as excuses to hike up costs which are destroying traditional events like this.
remember the gmp already got paid for policing this even and for 38 years its been fine.
and they can afford nice £100k + furnishing in their new headquarters!
not fooled!
dont put all the blame on gmp becouse you no longer have your beer walk saddelworth people sorry (incomers) like to think they or part of the west rideing of yorkshire if that is the case why dont you go and see if yorkshire police will police your beer walk.
Ive stood as a volunteer in front of hundreds of drunks who want to take over the road, stop vehicles, let off fireworks and damage property then leaving tonnes of waste, urinating in gardens plus assaulting the police - Glad its over
word on the streets say that it's still going to go ahead (unoffcially). It's not against the law to walk from pub to pub wearing fancy dress.
most people do it for fun and not for charity.
Hope the legal steps are taken to ban alcohol in the streets for the weekend similar to what is used in the town centre - that will solve the problem
Its a shame that the beer walk has to end, but I have seen so much trouble and bad anti social behavior over the years it must end. It also doesn't help that some of the steward although volunteers drink beer whilst on duty, this also happens on the band contest day. how can some stewards look after the people off Saddleworth whilst drinking?
Without doubt the event was a victim of it's own success. it does seem outrageoua that GMP can charge the fees they requested given the fact they are already paid for. Politicised too far as puppets of the last government.
Have Your Say
Yet another fine tradition ruined by an idiotic minority. My sympathy goes to Mr. MacDougall and his band of enthusiastic helpers.
By shaun mcgrath @ 09/02/2012 16:07:23