Happiness as popular beer festival returns to village

The Codsall Beer Festival was finally able to return to the village hall two years after the last event took place, following the cancellation of the 2020 event due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Those in attendance at the festival on Friday, October 1 and Saturday, October 2 were able to enjoy 55 ales and ciders, as well as a selection of craft beers and wine.

There was also a food stall serving roast pork and stuffing baps and stuffed nachos and live music played in both the hall and the marquee set up outside, with hay bales for people to sit on.

Organiser Andy Evans said the festival had been running since 2015 after he had attended a festival in Bishops Wood and decided to start running one himself.

He said he had been unsure about whether to run the festival in 2021 due to uncertainty about Covid restrictions, but reached a decision on a family holiday.

He said: "I wasn't sure about running as there were a lot of restrictions, then I saw that the local music festival had been cancelled and I was thinking we might have to do the same.

"It was while we were on holiday in Cornwall that I decided to go ahead with it, so I contacted the council to ask about what I needed to do and completed a temporary event notice and environmental plan.

"We've kept it as close to normal as we can, albeit with less seating and ales as I wasn't sure what attendance we'd have, but Friday was the busiest I'd seen for years and Saturday looks to be as busy.

"A lot of people like myself want to come and see live music and meet up with friends and try to have a normal life, so I think this weekend is just the thing for people to get out and enjoy themselves."

Wayne Colley was volunteering at the event and said it had been a big thing for the community for the festival to be back up and running.

He said: "I think it's what the community needed as a way of getting back to normality.

"We've only had good reviews so far in terms of the drinks we've been serving and I think it's been perfect for people who have wanted to go out and do something."

Keeli Hodgkiss was attending the festival with her sister-in-law Vanessa Forrester and said it was amazing to be back at the festival.

She said: "It's great to see this back up and running and it really involves the community as it's about real ale and tradition and having fun.

"I last came to one of these about four years ago and I think it's liberating to be able to go to something like this and have a day out."

Gary James had walked over from Perton with his wife Victoria and said it was a relief to be able to do something like this after such a long time.

He said: "I've really missed going to events such as this as although I'm not a big drinker, it's nice to be able to go out and be around people who like doing the same sort of thing.

"It's really important for the area to have an event like this with lots of nice drinks and good music and it's a very popular event."