After three build-up days, when the racking was put up, the beers all arrived, the bar was built, Thursday soon arrived when we were due to open at 1pm. The morning was spent getting the tables and chairs out, getting the big screen slide show to work and numerous other minor tasks.
I was allocated to the entrance area where I spent the next three days handing out glasses and applying wrist bands to an ever changing selection of wrists.
There was a sizeable queue before 11am, causing an initial panic, but that soon passed and all was well
It was interesting watching our visitors arrive; it cost £8 to get in, £4 entry plus £4 for the programme and glass. The £4 entry was reduced to £2 for residents of Totnes and to zero for CAMRA members. The easiest arrivals to deal with were the ones who had pre-paid with Tickety, just a matter of scanning a QR code and giving them a glass and programme. We also had a small selection of 'visitors' who, despite the banner over the entrance (see below), walked in to 'have a look round' or 'see what you are doing' and didn't see why they should have to pay...They soon choose to leave.
In addition to the payment table and the glass table there was also a membership table, manned by our Membership Secretary Dave. After three days Dave had something like sixteen new members enrolled. Well done Dave.
We were able to sample the beers, we even had table service from one or two members, which was very welcome.
Over the three days there was a selection of events taking place. On Thursday the judging of CAMRA South West Regional Champion Beer of Britain, Session Pale, Blonde and Golden Ales took place. This was won by Arbor's, Shangri-la. Also the judging of the Festival Regional Hampshire Beer, was won by Steamtown Stout. On Friday Tim Webb led a tutored beer tasting of Belgium's best modern beers. Over the three days there were 'Meet the the Brewer' talks by John Lawton, Head Brewer of Teignworthy Brewery, Tom Davis, Black Bear & RCH Brewery and George Langabeer, Bridgetown Brewery. There was also a quiz by 'Mr Cheese'.
I thoroughly enjoyed the festival, but by the end of Saturday I was feeling a bit weary and glad the festival was finishing. It just left Sunday, we had to be out of the building by 2pm, fortunately it is a lot easier, and quicker, to knock down a festival than to build it, so by 2pm you wouldn't have known we had been there.

It was a successful festival, we received numerous very positive comments:
A submission to CAMRA from a member:
My wife and i attended our first live festival at totnes last Saturday. wow - in the past we have restricted our CAMRA activities to visiting The Thatched house near where we live. We would just like to put on record our thanks to all of the volunteers who we met. We shared our table with some fellow members , who we had not met before. what a wonderful experience. We are not normally "pub quiz" people , but we really enjoyed the humour on the man in yellow on the stage. Again a big thank you everyone

Thanks

2026 banner

Our next festival will be the same weekend in 2027, see you then, planning will start in a couple of months time.

Alan Cooke
A festival volunteer

Ready to open About 3pm on Thursday getting busy