A Kidderminster Festival Foray

I haven't been to all that many beer festivals this year but those I did grace with my presence (namely Burton, Stratford and Shrewsbury) have been routinely excellent - can Kidderminster's offering maintain such high standards?

- Hitting the Headlines at the Severn Valley Station -

Trip Log: Saturday 11th November 2023 - Armistice Day in fact - whereby I'm all bound for sunny Worcestershire courtesy of the 10:26 train down from Smethwick Galton Bridge. The beer festival opens its doors at noon so I've an hour or so beforehand to indulge in a spot of photography. There aren't any prizes for guessing that Kidderminster's Severn Valley Railway station will be among my top targets, even though there aren't any heritage steam services in operation today. The main concourse and the museum are however welcoming visitors, hence I can ponder the various 1930s headlines on display at the W H Smith news stand.

- Preserved Bristol 314 PFM -

Making sure to pay my respects as part of the nationwide two minute silence at 11 o'clock - We Will Remember Them - I survey additional SVR terminus features such as the Wrangaton Signal Box which has been dismantled and rebuilt from its original Devon location. As luck would have it, a preserved Bristol Lodekka bus just happens to be minding its own business on the far car park; 314 PFM is the vehicle in question, presumably resting up after wedding duties. During its working life it saw active service with Crosville and Western National.

- Kidderminster Harriers Social & Supporters Club -

Aside from Severn Valley matters, my explorational instincts take me on a loop of George Street and Offmore Road for pictures of the Golden Lion, Offmore Stores and a local garage. Hoo Road is then press-ganged into action for my approach towards Aggborough Stadium, home of Kidderminster Harriers Football Club (who have been plying their trade at the top of the non-league pyramid again this season after a well-earned promotion). The adjacent Social & Supporters Club is the festival's host venue and has the kind of flat-roofed appearance a certain Mr D9 would no doubt be drooling about. 

- The Festival Necessaries -

Joining an expectant queue as the clock ticks around to midday, I can soon hand over the £15 readies in exchange for glass, programme and tokens. The beery action awaits in the function room, a large space with stage and dancefloor (although nobody needs to see me busting a groove, ever). Some of the ales have already sold out although there's plenty still pouring to keep me satisfied, starting with 'South Pointing Fish' from Copper Beech, a hazy pale from a local nanobrewery I can't say I'd heard of until now. The hoppy bite of my opening half means I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for their wares in future!

- Plum Pig -

You all know I love my darker beers and the programme comes up trumps with a couple of absolute crackers: 'Anvil Porter' from the Nailmaker Brewery based somewhere near Barnsley (chocolate malts to the fore with this one), followed by Brothers of Ale's 'VVD Oatmeal Stout' served chilled via the craft keg racks. In between times, I can't resist the fruity prospects of Black Country Ales 'Plum Pig', a variation on their Pig On The Wall Mild - I've had this a few times previously but it never disappoints! Keeping half an eye on the Wolves v Spurs score from Molineux, I spend up with a satisfying half of 'Gornal Gold' whilst digesting news that Tottenham have taken an early lead - oh dear!

- The Chester Tavern -

As is customary whenever I'm in a beer festival frame of mind, I like to pair the main event with some studious sampling of nearby watering holes. Two Kidderminster contenders I'd yet to frequent are the Viaduct (sited in the shadows of the famous Hoobrook railway structure) and the Chester Tavern; the first of those is merely an average Marston's establishment plying its trade in family dining and sports screens, whereas the latter seriously impresses me with attentive service and excellent cask quality. Bewdley's 'Red Hill' is amber nectar of the highest order when accompanied by a cheese and onion cob, and the Fixed Wheel 'Mild Concussion' to follow was of a similar level of eminence. Just when you think life can't get any better, Wolves score two very late goals to grab victory and it's been a perfect afternoon. Cheers!