The 6th Annual Longney Beer Festival

THIS year’s beer festival will take place on Saturday, May 20.

Based at Yew Tree Farm in Longney, the main event is inside the barn, where there will be patio heaters to keep people warm until the dancing kicks off!

There is also a large area of hard standing and paddock from where you can enjoy the sunset over the banks of the River Severn and views over rolling countryside to the Malvern Hills.

It promises to be a great event.

Live music courtesy of Jon Clare and the Dough boys and another acoustic act yet to be announced.

There will be food from locally reared pigs and rolls from the famous Hobbs House bakery.

And of course plenty of beer.

We are lucky to have a master brewer in charge of beer selection and every year there is a great choice in favourite and new craft ales.

Last year’s sell out beer was Beavertown’s Gamma Ray.

Another popular choice was Fubar from the Tiny Rebel Brewing Company.

Being a Gloucestershire event in site of May Hill we couldn’t be without some choice ciders too.

There will be plenty of the perennial favourite Stowford’s press and some quirky new tastes for you to try.

This event is held in aid of Longney Primary Academy.

A small village school of just over 100 pupils serving the villages of Epney, Longney and Elmore.

Last year this even raised £2,000 for the school.

The money was put to use in creating a new library for the children.

The space at the top of the old school building was redecorated and new furniture acquired as well as new books.

Parents came in to help put reference numbers on all books so that the children can learn to use the Dewy decimal system which should stand them in good stead for their future learning lives.

This addition to the school environment would not have been possible without the funds raised by the Friends of Longney school and is a real asset to the local children.

As part of the celebration of the new facility the children this year are taking part in the Readathon scheme which challenges pupils to do sponsored reading with money raised going towards storytellers for children in hospitals.

The bacon that we brought for last year’s festival was from Wick Court which uses profits to give deprived city children a chance to come and experience country life.

This cycle of community giving is a very important part of the ethos of Longney School.