The Cotswold Beer Festival has been run for over 40 years by Gloucestershire CAMRA (the CAMpaign for Real Ale).

The festival was first held in 1977 in Postlip Hall and the surrounding estate, where it has been held ever since.

Organiser Martin Parker said: “We believe it is the oldest CAMRA festival running continuously in the same location throughout its life and what a location!

“The Tithe Barn at Postlip is perfect for a beer festival – we like to think of it as a cathedral to beer – the thick stone walls keeping the beer at a perfect temperature on the hottest summer days.”

The Campaign for Real Ale is a national organisation, with branches all over the country including Gloucestershire.

The Gloucestershire CAMRA includes smaller branches in Gloucester, Cirencester and Tewkesbury amongst others, and hold various beer and cider festivals all year round.

“I was first involved with this festival 35 years ago as an ordinary helper behind the bar but was persuaded to join the organising committee three years later,” continued Martin.

“I have been there ever since and chairman for nearly fifteen years – though it all becomes something of a blur after so long.

“Credit should also go to long standing Gloucestershire branch member John Barrett who chaired both the branch and the festival for many long years and is still as closely involved as ever, the only active member involved in the first festival 42 years ago.”

The festival is run in partnerships with Postlip Society, who own the hall and tithe barn.

Martin said: “Without the enormous effort put in by the eight families who live there, as well as past residents and all their friends who turn up every year, we could not run this event.

“Postlip manage almost everything outside the barn, the beer and the cider, including the thankless task of organising the parking, the buses and the camping 1/3 of a mile away near the main road from Cheltenham – try asking CAMRA members to work that far away from the beer!”

While obviously including a great selection of drinks, the festival also hosts a variety of entertainment.

“The evening sessions in the Tithe Barn have a great atmosphere but the heart of the CBF for most people is lunchtime on the Saturday when the grounds of the Hall will be covered with people, mostly families, picnicking in the sunshine.

“A brass band will be playing on the stage in the barn and a morris side will be dancing on the drive in front of the hall. It has more of the feel of a country fair – just with very good beer and cider!”

The breweries on show at the festival will range from local makers to brewers from further afield.

Martin explains that when the festival first began there were two local breweries, but now that number has risen to over 20.

He added: “We always feature a large number of Gloucestershire brewers, but their number has grown so fast in recent years that we no longer have the space to cover them as completely as we used to.

“There are three this year alone that have never featured at Postlip before while one of last year’s newcomers has become one of our sponsors – Severn Brewing.

“Our main sponsor for this year is Goffs, just outside Winchcombe and the most local brewer to Postlip. Marcus Goff is celebrating 25 years of brewing in 2019 and will be launching a celebratory brew which we will have at the festival.

“Beyond Gloucestershire we showcase brewers from all over the country and we usually have a featured ‘theme’. This year it will be breweries from East Anglia – Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.”

The Cotswold Beer Festival takes place from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st July.

For tickets and more information on the Cotswold Beer Festival, visit www.postlip.camra.org.uk