Newark Beer Festival

Newark went off OK - in fact, it was a GREAT day! The weather just about held out for us, we managed to have a look around Newark, and Newark Castle, whilst the sun was still out and the rain that did eventually set in didn’t arrive until early evening, by which time we wanted to be inside the Beer Festival marquee anyway!

We arrived in Newark mid-morning, found the hotel, parked the car up and set off in search of the Beer Festival site, so that we knew where we needed to be later in the day. Newark isn’t the biggest of places so this proved to be no problem - find the castle, then the river and the Beer Festival is on the opposite bank, sorted.

The rest of the morning, and early afternoon, was spent exploring Newark, finding something to eat - we finished up having our own little picnic in the castle grounds (Cornish Pastie, Sausage Rolls and Pizza!) - and looking around the remains of Newark Castle.

Newark Castle.

At around 2:00pm we headed back to the Beer Festival and, after purchasing our beer glasses (we have them from all the beer fests. we’ve been to!) started to sample some of the drink on offer. The "Golden Duck" was a nice beer as was the "Hophead". As well as our first beer, the afternoon also gave us our first music of the day, a singer/songwriter by the name of Guy Maile. Lynda and I spent much of his set trying to figure out where we had seen him before - I thought I’d seen him at Off The Tracks, Lynda thinks it may well have been at Saul! Wherever it was, Guy Maile was great entertainment. I never knew that Tom Jones’s Green Green Grass Of Home could sound so good - or so funny!

After the Guy Maile set, we headed back to the hotel to check-in and unpack. A little over an hour and a half later we were heading back to the festival site. By now the rain had started - nothing very heavy, just the sort of stuff that gets you wet without you realising it!

Once we were back in the marquee, it was time to start on the drink again and claim a spot near the stage, before the music started again. The first band of the evening was a group called The Boatrockers, a four piece from just down the road in Stapleford. Now, I’m not the world’s biggest fan of cover bands, and that’s pretty well what The Boatrockers are, but this lot turned out to be quite good. The set they played was certainly lively, got the crowd on their side and was a good start to the evening.

After more beer, a tray of chips and a rather nice burger, it was time for The Reasoning to take to the stage. This was the second time we had seen this band in just over a month and once again, they proved to be well worth the trip. It would be hard for me to pick a highlight from the set they played as every single track was great but Awakening was stunning as was Aching Hunger.

The Reasoning.

The old Karnataka track After The Rain was another that stood out along with Sacred Shape. The set closed with a track that is now over 30 years old, the classic Deep Purple number, Stormbringer!

Roll on the next time I get to see The Reasoning.

There are a few more photos of the castle and also The Reasoning HERE!