Barrow Hill Rail Ale Festival

Members of our Dronfield & District sub branch got together for a working social at Barrow Hill on the Saturday of this annual festival, which was held in May as usual. The festival hosts 5 real ale bars, a cider bar and a craft keg bar as well as various food and goods stalls and railway attractions. Following a hectic few hours serving on the Derbyshire Brewers Collective bar members were able to enjoy a bit of social time, drinking the beer they had earned as well as sampling some of the foods on offer (Stalls sold options including burgers, liver and onions, hot dogs, noodles, curry, pies, cheeses, chocolate and fruit). They also had a go on the train ride – 4 old ex BR carriages hauled one way down the remains of the branch line by a diesel shunter then back into the platform by a steam locomotive. Once everyone had enough of this busy festival in the hot sunshine they made an escape by taxi to the Travellers Rest at Apperknowle for further beer and the end of the FA Cup final football match on TV with lifts arranged home from here!