- Banbury Station Sign -
Yes Banbury is our destination once more as the Chiltern train takes the strain, Nick and I boarding at Warwick Parkway and Solihull respectively. After an enlightening chat about USB memory stick storage, we alight at Banbury Station ready to survey the facility. The platforms still look a little shabby in places (nothing a touch of paint couldn't fix) then I dodge queuing taxis to get my shots of the main glazed frontage.
- Certainly a Fine Lady! -
The festival opens at mid-day so we have an hour or so beforehand with which to tour the town centre. Certain features are familiar from our previous visit - the Town Hall (a Victorian Gothic landmark dating from 1854), the Market Place and Parsons Street among them. Nick is keen to get our bearings as regards a couple of micropubs we have in mind for later, then Horsefair leads us past St Mary's Church, Grade I listed and distinctively constructed out of ironstone. Banbury Cross beckons next as we keep our intended date with a certain famous maiden, not forgetting her white horse of course.
- Our festival awaits -
The Army Reserve Centre off Oxford Road is today's festival location, meaning Nick has adopted the name 'T.A. Turpin' for the day (albeit resisting any calls to become enlisted). We join the eager throng gathering at the entrance gate as the clock strikes noon, then in we all troop to collect the all-important glasses and tokens. Perusing the programme, the array of ales includes several milds (CAMRA celebrate this traditional beer style every May) plus some tempting stouts and porters to keep us occupied.
- Mandarina Bavaria -
My first sample however is an amber concoction, Mandarina Bavaria from the Turpin Brewery while our own 'Turpin' concerned himself with Salopian's Morning Glory (breakfast in a glass apparently). I couldn't resist the milds for long though and soon availed myself of Hook Norton's Special Dark Mild (a satisfying festival special) followed by Wilfred's Mild (courtesy of Loddon Brewery and named after the war poet Wilfred Owen). Nick's other early selections are Merula Stout and Thornbridge Lucaria, staying firmly on the dark side as we take residence in whiteboard corner.
- T.A. Turpin? -
An extra sheet of tokens is required if we are to cover all the beers that interest us, so with ration reinforcements purchased we proceed through Mr M's Porter (CAMRA's 2018 Champion Porter of Britain) and The Panther (oatmeal stout promising hints of Irish whiskey). We take turns on the tombola - Nick maintaining his winning custom but I emerge empty-handed - then vote for our festival favourites. The decadently nutty edge of Mad Squirrel's De La Nut wins out for Nick whereas I'm most impressed by Phipps' Golden Mild, recreating a recipe from the 1950s. The festival has certainly been fun and T.A. Turpin carries out an impromptu transport inspection as we leave.
- Bailiff's Tap Micropub -
The remainder of the afternoon is given over to our micropub mission, starting with Bailiff's Tap on Southam Road; Salopian's Midnight Express and some swivel chairs are the order of the day here as we discuss how history might ultimately judge the Brexit referendum. Our political ponderings continue in the Old Town Ale House, Church Walk over a half of Surrey Hills Albury Ruby - this micro boasts a commendable range of real ciders too. In between times, there is continental cuisine to consider whereby Nick and I show European solidarity by tucking into some Dutch pancakes at Little Amsterdam. A memorable first ever encounter with schenkstroop ensues, a sugar syrup that works surprisingly well with the bacon, cheese and mushroom pancake topping.
- Bridge 166 -
Those Dutch delicacies prepared us nicely for a final drink in the Banbury Cross, a Charles Wells pub half-hidden on Butcher's Row round the back of the market. Youngs Bitter accompanies T20 cricket from the Indian Premier League here, Nick admiring the hitting power of Joss Buttler. Back to the station we then must go, finding just enough time to note Bridge 166 on the Oxford Canal before catching the 18:48 train home. Hopefully there will be more beer festival moments to come during the rest of 2018 - cheers!
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