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Friday 17 October 2014

Indy Man Beer Con

Hello again! I'll start by asking you a simple question. Have you ever been to the land of beer? Sadly this land is fictional, however the Independent Manchester Beer Convention (IMBC) acted as an embassy for four days last week. Taking place in the Victoria Baths over 9th-12th October, the IMBC brought together the most progressive breweries to show off their wares in the most impressive of surroundings. As a volunteer, I got to have a wander around and try a "few" beers.

What was it like inside?

The food hall. There were balloons everywhere.
Using the full space of the Victoria Baths, along with part of the car park outside, breweries clamoured to get your attention with their newest ranges. Any flavour of beer, you could probably find it. Want music and strobe lights? Just head to the Turkish Baths. Thought of a bizarre name for a beer? They've already got a stranger one. You could forget about traditional alcohol content as well, with certain stouts and ales reaching the lofty heights of 11 per cent. These weren't beers you'd find in Sainsbury's, these were boundary-breaking thirds, ready to blow the cobwebs from your tastebuds and dull your other senses.

What kind of beer was there?

Music! And more balloons.
Snazzy glass.
There was a plethora of different beers, more than you could even imagine. However, you probably worked that out already! But what was my favourite beer? Well that would have to be the "Earl Phantom", a 'lemon iced tea sour' beer, served up by Beavertown Brewery. Upon first taste you were greeted by a jolt of lemon zest, immediately followed up by the soothing taste of a cup of Earl Grey, all finished off with your body screaming for more. Either that or "Rapture" from Magic Rock. An incredibly hoppy red beer, with an intensely colourful flavour, it was another which really made you stop and appreciate what you were tasting. With drinks being served in the traditional one-third pint glasses, it was easy to try a wide range before you were ready to collapse down onto the bean bags in front of the music stage.

How much was it?

Tickets were £10 for a session, which would be approximately six to seven hours long. I must admit, as I was volunteering, I didn't buy a ticket, so I can't tell you what exactly was included in the ticket price. However, I do know you at least got entry, a fancy one-third pint glass, IMBC pencil, programme and the opportunity to sample dozens of beers! IMBC has been running for a few years now, so tickets are moving increasingly quickly. However, increasing ale awareness means that this will soon be an event on any beer drinkers calendar.

Tuesday 2 September 2014

The Big Feastival

Hello and welcome back! I recently got the chance to spend a day at the Big Feastival, Sit back, relax and let me regale you with tales from Alex James' farm...

What? Alex James' Farm?

Yes, the Big Feastival was a food/music festival taking place on Alex James' farm in Oxfordshire. You'll know Alex James as the blur bassist turned cheese-man, who teamed up with Jamie Oliver to bring top quality food and music to the masses.

What Was There?

Ducks! Ducks, ducks ducks!
The festival had a whole host of different stalls, for all tastes. Obviously there were the food vans and music stages, which I discuss below. For those who wanted to improve their cooking skills there were cooking demonstrations with top chefs, or you could go to a Q&A sessions with food and drink experts (including Adam Henson from Countryfile), or you could even just go to the petting zoo. There were also market stalls where you could buy a range of items, including hot sauces, brownies and cooking utensils. For fans of cooking and food, there was almost everything you could wish for.

What Kind of Food?

Cheese! Clockwise from top: Little Wallop (Goats),
Blue Monday, Farleigh Wallop (Goats), Goddess Geu
There was food for all, of all shapes and sizes! From paella to dumplings via ice cream and cider, there was something for everyone. The traditional festival food had also been elevated to new heights. For example, at the Barbecoa stand (a Jamie Oliver venture), you could get short rib burgers along with double beef burgers. There wasn't a bottle of burger sauce in sight, this was a much "classier" affair. 

For fans of cheese, there was an entire tent dedicated to the cheese of the feastival co-founder Alex James. You could buy a sample plate of four of his award winning cheeses (I didn't check which awards they were), which were delicious. They were so good that I didn't even realise Alex James was standing about 10 feet behind me while I was eating them! If that's not a testament to their quality, I don't know what is.

And The Music?

As a food and music festival, there had to be a careful balance between the two. Focus too much on one and you risk losing the audience for the other. However, with several stages for new artists and a main music stage, all with different acts throughout the day, you couldn't go anywhere without hearing something good. The whole weekend had some big names, such as Fatboy Slim and Laura Mvula on Saturday, but on the Sunday I was able to see De La Soul and Jamie Cullum perform to the crowd. De La Soul gave an incredible performance, with tonnes of audience interaction. Seeing an Oxfordshire crowd all bouncing their hands to De La Soul is a sight I won't forget in a long time. 

There, proof I was there!
Jamie Cullum was the headline act and his performance truly earned that slot. He was electric and full of energy, blasting out classics with his band. He was unafraid to get the audience truly involved, which culminated in pulling up one man to play piano with him on stage. Luckily the man knew his piano, which saved Jamie Cullum from a very embarrassing moment. 


Summer-y

Sorry for the awful pun. As it was a festival, the cost of the food was inflated, along with the fact you were paying for top quality stuff, so it was a event where your wallet could take a significant hit, if you let it. The whole event took place on the 29th-31st August near Kingham in Oxfordshire and if this year's impressive show was anything to go by, then it will be back next year! So all in all, the Big Feastival managed to bring together brilliant food and great music in a way that many other events would fail to, all in the Oxfordshire sunshine.

Thursday 21 August 2014

Just So Festival

Hello and welcome back! Yes, it's not just a welcome back for you, but for me as well. I'll admit I neglected this blog recently, it's been waiting for the day I could come back and wow you all with my recent adventures. So, like a man blowing off the cobwebs from his favourite suit, it's time for me to dust off this blog and give it a new entry. With no further ado, it's time to relay my thoughts and opinions about my most recent venture, to the "Just So Festival"...

Why was I there?

Just like my visit to the Towersey Village Festival, I was volunteering with the Institute of Physics on their "Physics In The Field" stand. On this stand we used everyday objects (bottles, marshmallows, handkerchiefs, etc) to demonstrate principles of physics. I was on the stall on the Saturday and Sunday of the event for most of the day, meaning I didn't have much time to explore the festival, but I gave it my best shot!

Tell me more...

The Rode Hall Estate. Lovely.
As you wish, the Just So Festival was a family arts festival taking place at the Rode Hall Estate in Cheshire over 15/16/17 August. As a family festival, it aimed to provide something for the kids to remember, but also something the parents would take pleasure in. A difficult balance, as too much of a focus on child-friendly content can leave a parent bored and the inverse, well, can get a bit inappropriate. But clearly a lot of care had been put in to get the programme right, with child-friendly performances galore during the day and more adult themes later on.

Oh no!
Talking of themes, the festival theme (from what I could guess) was one of general fantasy and wonderment. This theme presented itself everywhere, from the festival areas ("Lazy Days Glade", "High Seas", etc) to the events taking place (Circus acts, wandering tea ladies, a mirror maze). All around the festival site there were posters saying of the disappearance of the "Fairy Queen", who could only be brought back with the help of festival-goers all around the site! Now, I'm not sure on the details, but I believe families could tie bells to trees to help bring her back. The bells showed children still believed in her and sure enough, Sunday evening she had returned! Hurrah!

    
  

Yep, it's a frog.

Animals of all shapes...

The festival-goers were split into various tribes, which competed against each other to win the "tribal tournament". However, the real competition was definitely in who had the best costume, with some people putting in ridiculous amounts of effort to transform themselves into foxes, fishes, frogs, stags or lions (I might have missed one).

Spot the odd one out. I know, purple?

Performances

Time for a song!
During my brief time at the festival, my highlight was wondering into the "Spellbound Forest" and seeing a performance entitled "The Story Giant". A tale about a dying giant desperately trying to find the last unknown story, with his 4 companions. A whirlwind story full of other tall tales ranging from that of a woman with a magical bag to the wise man who came to dinner. Taking place on a stage in the "Spellbound Forest", the performance of the Shanty Theatre Company was thoroughly impressive, with the surroundings also lending themselves to the mystery and fantasy elements of the story. I would definitely recommend seeing any performance of theirs if they're at a festival near you!
Guess which one is the giant. No, it's not a trick question.

Information (Or lack of)

The one disappointment that springs to mind is the lack of information available about and from the festival. For example, on Saturday I asked the information centre if they had the number of a local taxi company. This is information a festival should have listed down. After a brief discussion between the two women on the desk, I was told they didn't know and that I should 192 it, as I didn't have internet available. I was unable to find basic information on their website about their programme, or even their festival map. This is basic info that I'd expect from a festival.

Finishing Touch

To finish off, apart from the information issue, the festival itself was a enjoyable experience. However, it must be noted that I spent little time there, so I will have missed a fair bit, but from what I saw, it seems like a great weekend for the whole family. It's perfect if you've got a flair for fancy dress!

Watch out!



Saturday 31 May 2014

Pint Of Science

Hello, I'm back! Yes, exams are over and I'm free to write up posts to my heart's desire! That means I can tell you all about my latest escapade, which included a pub, pints and a lot of science!

Fancy a Pint of Science?

Yes, the event I attended was the "Pint of Science" festival. The aim of this event was to bring science to the masses, in a laid-back environment. But where can you find an environment that is laid-back, but serious enough that people will pay attention? The pub of course! By having researchers and academics talk about their work in a pub, the gap between the universities and the general public shrinks. Plus, by going to one of these events, you might even learn something!

The logo was a pint glass with glasses and a brain!
The nights I attended were part of the Manchester physics and chemistry branch, being held in the English Lounge, in the Northern Quarter. However, there were nights running simultaneously across Manchester, on a variety of topics. The main set up of the evening was that there would be a introductory talk about the subject at hand, followed by the main talk of the evening. These were always followed by a Q&A session, which could get a bit dynamic, especially later on in the night!

Dr Jon Hargreaves giving the introductory talk about
acoustics. Look at how captivated the audience are!
The first night I attended was all about acoustics, with the main talk from Professor Trevor Cox of the University of Salford. He spoke about his travels across the world, finding and recording the strangest sounds he could find. This ranged from the call of seal (recorded underwater) to a record-breaking echo! The second night was about nuclear waste, with a talk all about the subject, the stigma and the issues surrounding the topic, given by Matt Gunther, who runs a blog all about the subject (here). His Q&A session quickly became a discussion, amongst the audience, all about nuclear power. This really showed how passionate people could get about science and it was fantastic to see.

How much?

Each night was ticketed, at a cost of £2 a ticket. This fee wasn't to make a profit, as any money gained is reinvested back into future events and the nights are organised and run by volunteers. Taking these facts into account, you can see that the each night was very good value. 

Where and when?

Pint of Science was an international event, held in 8 countries over 3 nights. This was the 19th-21st May. In the UK it was held in Cambridge, London, Oxford, Manchester, Bath, Bristol, York and Glasgow, but it has plans to expand further into more cities and countries, so watch this space!

Sunday 13 April 2014

Chester vs York

Hello! Long time no see! Well, if I could see you that is. Or can I? No, don't worry, I can't. Anyway, stumbling away from the political thriller theme that I seem to have fallen onto, over the last few months I have been able to do indulge in a few day trips. I say a few, I mean two. Yes, two trips from Manchester. One to Chester and one to York, but which one is better value? Well, relax and I'll tell you...

Size

Does size matter? Well it does if you've only got a day and you want to cram in all of the sights.For fans of Roman architecture and ruins which have survived the test of time, then Chester is the one you want. While both cities have Roman origins and boast impressive sights, Chester manages to pack these sights densely within the complete city wall. It also manages to pack in a racecourse and a riverside right by the city walls. Having these sights so close to each other makes it very easy to visit them all within a few hours.

Cathedral or Minster?

Yes, the inside of the Minster. I won't charge you for this.
Yes, both cities are famous for their places of religious worship. You can't go to these cities and not see the cathedral/minster, they truly dominate the cities. The Gothic York Minster, a truly impressive sight, requires payment to enter. £9 for students, £10 for adults, however the ticket does allow re-entry for 12 months after your visit. The Minster itself is massive, and contains various exhibitions and a museum underneath, all about the Roman occupation of York and the Roman origins of the Minster. All very interesting, but if you are like me and have a short attention span, then the re-entry feature of the ticket will come in handy. 
Boom! Chester Cathedral.

Chester cathedral is free to enter (they do like a donation), while it is still impressive, is not as large as York Minster. As a result, there isn't as much to hold your interest beyond the stained glass windows and the impressive pieces of art.


Shops

Yes, shops. Not my speciality, but I suppose they deserve a mention. Both cities had the traditional high street, that you can find in many other places. The famous York shambles is always worth a look, playing host to several cafes and souvenir shops. The surrounding area also contains several tea rooms. the most famous of which is "Bettys", which looked like you would have to queue up for hours on end, just to get a scone. 

Chester hosts the well-known Chester Rows, which are unique in Britain. Shops on two floors, which is an incredibly novel way of making the most of the space you have. There are pubs and coffee shops galore, the most eye-catching of which was "Central Perk", modelled directly after the famous coffee house from "Friends". New York, Chester, peas in a pod.

Chester Rows.

Yes, Central Perk. I wasn't kidding.











So Chester or York?

So you only have a day. If you are leaving from Manchester, both are pretty much the same distance on the train. If you want to see Roman history, go to Chester. The remains are a lot more intact, with a full city wall, amphitheatre amongst the sights. If you want a religious experience, go to York. The Minster, with it's exhibitions and museum will prove to be a more enjoyable time. If you want random shops and tea/coffee houses, then flip a coin. It really doesn't matter, you'll have a good day at both.

All pictures taken using the Nokia Lumia 1020 41MP camera. Impressive huh?

Saturday 8 February 2014

Poets and Players

Hello! Just a quick post this evening, to do with an event I went to earlier today. It was called "Poets and Players" and took place in the historic reading room in the John Rylands library in Deansgate, Manchester. Let's go!

Poets and Players


The idea of Poets and Players is very simple, some people read their poetry and some people perform some music. The poets and the players change at each event, ensuring a difference blend of talents each time. 

The Poets!


The first poet, Jo Bell, was an archaeologist for 18 years and lives on a narrow boat (she’s the Canal Laureate). As a result, her readings were of poems based around those two subjects. However, do not be mistaken, her work was not entirely quaint and rosy. For every piece which was calm and content, there was another which used language probably not suitable for a public event at 3 in the afternoon. But it certainly went down well. One poem with fire in its belly was that of “Ducks and Gang Rape”. I’ll leave that for you to ponder. An overall humorous person, she showed that poetry really could be about anything you wanted. Even ducks.

Not really related, just a picture
I took in the library which I like.
Grevel Lindopp was the second poet and had the appearance of a more traditional poet, with more “traditional” language. His work was incredibly descriptive and at times very serious, none more than when he was describing the feeling of being alone at night. He relaxed towards the end of his time on stage, even though he used his last poem to exorcise and banish a supposed ghost from the reading room itself. You could tell he really put his soul into his poetry, painting vivid mental pictures which let you into his work.

The Players!


You can see what I mean by "cathedral of literature".
The players were Chris Davies and Beth Allen. They performed music which was based around the theme of “breaths”. An abstract concept, but one which nonetheless achieved in a remarkable fashion. This was through the use of several instruments, but none as effective as the simple act of breathing itself. These works reminded me of carols, which worked incredibly well in our Gothic location, an effective “cathedral of literature”.


Where and When?


The location and dates can vary, this time was in the John Rylands library. The full schedule can be found here. It's a free event, so if you feel like you want to get some top-quality literature in a brilliant location, then you now know where to go!

Sunday 26 January 2014

Secret Supper Club

Hello again and happy (belated) new year! I'm back and ready to blog, so lucky you! So what have I been up to recently? Well, I've been a little bit boring (revision) but don't worry, I've still managed to venture out of the norm and try something new out. Sit back and relax while I tell you all about it...

Secret Supper Club

A what? A secret supper club in one school of thought is having dinner with people you don't know, in a secret location, eating food from a mystery menu. When put like that, it sounds terrifying. However, let me assure it was quite the opposite, it was a delight.

Wendy's House Logo, if you didn't
guess.

Booking

There are several supper clubs spread around Manchester and spread around the country. The one I went to was "Wendy's House Supper Club". I found this particular one through the utilisation of tools such as Google and Twitter, you just have to search for "Manchester supper club" and enough results should appear. Anyway, Wendy's House is a vegetarian supper club, run by a lovely chef called Wendy (funnily enough). The event I went to was titled "Mexico Monday" and, being very true to its name, was on a Monday and consisted of a lot of delicious Mexican food.

Food!

Tortillas with dips, image from here.
Yes, food! Upon arrival I was treated to a tequila based cocktail named Paloma, which was dangerously drinkable. The dinner began promptly as soon as all the guests had arrived, with 5 courses being served in total. Even better, it was all home-made. It began with tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa and sour cream, all very tasty. We were then treated to a black-bean soup, with hints of chilli, which was one of the best things I've tasted. The main course was served up, consisting of rice, corn on the cob (cooked in chilli and lime), baked Mexican cheese, refried beans, a delicious salad with avocado and almonds. There were other items, but my brain was being subjected to such a pleasure overload from the food, it couldn't take in all the information. The pudding was served up soon after, which was mango cooked in tequila and chilli, served with ice cream and a Mexican sauce (once again, I apologise for the lack of information). It was all topped off with a hot chocolate. It was all luscious and I would not hesitate to eat any of it again, if the chance emerged.

People

Yes, a big part of the experience is dining with other people who you have never met. It may sound worrisome, but I found it to be a great way to meet a lot of people who you normally would never come across. For a student, it was a brilliant way to escape the "student bubble" for a little bit. The great bit is that you probably won't meet the same people twice, so it will be a different experience each time. If you are worried about who you might meet, then get a friend to go with you!

Somewhere in there.

Where?

That's another part of the experience, you won't know until you book the ticket! Rest assured however, it will be in Manchester. Wendy's House took place in, surprise surprise, Wendy's House. I'm not telling you where it is though, you'll have to find out by booking a ticket!

How Much?

The ticket for Mexico Monday was £25.00. Now this may seem expensive, but let's put it this way. You are being served top quality food cooked by a chef, in their house. You are paying for the company and for a experience which is out of the norm. You can take your own drinks, which was a nice touch.

Again?

Are you kidding me? Of course I will! As I mentioned earlier, secret supper clubs are spread all over Manchester and all over the country. They cater for several tastes and styles, so all you need to do is find out which one works for you. Good luck!