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Dream Festival debut for George’s special brew


ST HELENS' new landmark sculpture Dream has captured the imagination of townsfolk and art lovers around the world... and now a new ale inspired by the iconic figure is set to make its frothy debut this week at the town’s beer festival.

Real ale fans at the St Helens CAMRA Beer, Cider and Pie Festival this week (October 1-3) are in for a real treat with the launch of Dream, a hop flavoured real ale brewed by Keith Wright, owner of the George Wright Brewery in Rainford.

George believes the ale is one of the best he’s ever made and will be a future award-winner.

“I’m really proud of St Helens and we created a new beer that was something different, we decided to call it Dream in celebration of the fantastic artwork and the way it has captured the imagination of people from St Helens and across the world!”

In the unique setting of the North West Museum of Road Transport, the festival will bring together more than 50 real ales, ciders and perries.

Following on from the tremendous success of last year’s event, the Festival has been expanded to include a wider range of drinks and local foods. The three-day event from October 1 - 3 is also adding to the Be Local Buy local campaign providing a taste of local foods with bakers from across the Borough offering their pies and produce for sale as well as produce from across the region.

Organiser Tony Biggs, Chairman of the St Helens sub branch of CAMRA and Festival organiser, says: “We are pleased to premiere the launch of the new Dream ale at the Festival. We are sure it will generate a lot of interest from real ale devotees and will be a fabulous way to celebrate our landmark sculpture in the Borough.”

Dazzling entertainment is also on the menu with performances from Hoochie Coochie Man and The Lazy River Jazz Band.

The event will also be raising money for two good causes, Breast Cancer Awareness and the St Helens Mayor’s Appeal.

Opening times are:

Thursday 1st October - 6.00pm - 11.00pm

Friday 2nd October - 12 noon - 4.00pm & 6.00pm 11.00pm

Saturday 3rd October - 12 noon - 4.00pm & 6.00pm - 11.00pm

Admission is strictly limited to over-18s and under-21s are advised to take ID along. Entry will cost £5 with concessions available for CAMRA members.

  • For more information about the St.Helens Beer, Cider and Pie Festival, please visit sthelensbeerfest.co.uk and for further information about events in St.Helens please visit visitsthelens.com

Your Say Your Star

plain-truth, realville says...
4:29pm Wed 30 Sep 09

St Helens and alcohol, alcohol and St Helens... is this all that the town now has to offer ?
One minute the council is demanding the price of the stuff is pushed upwards in order to stop people drinking, , the next it is applauding a 3day drinking binge.

Davv0, st.helens says...
9:27pm Wed 30 Sep 09

LMFAO, st.helens is so predictable, I really should have seen this coming, though I suppose 'the dream' would look better when your drunk. Is their any other town so obsessed with alcohol like ours? I doubt it.

kv, st h says...
10:59pm Wed 30 Sep 09

A beer festival in a road transport museum because drinking and driving goes together like.....erm, matches and petrol, homicidal maniac and fire arms.
Yet again without fear of contradiction you can count on St Helens to once again portray our town as idiotic. Why not put a big top tent over the whole town so we can be one big happy circus full of clowns.

A4, St Helens says...
11:23pm Wed 30 Sep 09

Wow guys... quick off the mark again on another harmless feel good story about raising money for breast cancer... I’m trying to work out what pleases you.... and failing miserably.... Thank goodness Thomas Beecham, Richard Seddon or Alistair Pilkington are not starting their careers off now.... you'd be saying ' Headache Powders...Politics ...Float Glass... what good is that for the town !'

plain-truth, realville says...
9:36am Thu 1 Oct 09

It's amazing how something wrong becomes right in the eyes of some people if it's raising money for charity.

The few bob they will throw in the charity box is just a small side line .

As for the Cider aspect, you don't need a festival for that. You can see it everyday in St Helens. Why not find some old clothes, don't wash or shave for a week and join in. The venue... outside B&M.

kv, st h says...
10:42am Thu 1 Oct 09

A4 wrote:
Wow guys... quick off the mark again on another harmless feel good story about raising money for breast cancer... I’m trying to work out what pleases you.... and failing miserably.... Thank goodness Thomas Beecham, Richard Seddon or Alistair Pilkington are not starting their careers off now.... you'd be saying ' Headache Powders...Politics ...Float Glass... what good is that for the town !'
Have not for one minute being critical of raising funds for such a good cause as breast cancer, it's the involvment of beer.

Beecham, Seddon and Pilkington where to the best of my knowledge never linked with one of the most influential aspects of antisocial behaviour in our town .ie "booze".

jed123, St Helens says...
9:55am Sun 4 Oct 09

Went to the beer festival on friday night and had a great time. Really nice to taste something that isn't just cold and fizzy in a chain pub.

Congratulations and many thanks to CAMRA for organising this.

Those of you whinging about the beer festival find something to complain about everywhere. Are you actually victor meldrew in disguise? If you dont like it then dont go to it and dont let it upset you so much.

plain-truth, realville says...
4:08pm Sun 4 Oct 09

It's the double standards that I am unhappy with. It's OK to drink alcohol but only if it is expensive, ie, sold at a festival or licensed premises but not by a Supermarket. Thats the message I'm getting from St Helens Council. Some of us can only afford a drink thanks to supermarkets and guess what- we drink it at home which means we aren't weeing in a shop doorway at 2.30 am or trying to start a fight at a town centre taxi rank.

happy drinker, st helens says...
6:47pm Tue 6 Oct 09

can i just say a brilliant thank you to the st helens branch of camra. What a brilliant three days, good beer ,good food, and good entertainment.
And NO TROUBLE well done guys see you next year, perhaps the local papers could join us and support a organised event to show that there are people who can drink sensibly.

Comments are closed on this article.

TONY Biggs (rear) toasts the new Dream ale with Gary Conley (the former miner who helped shape the vision for Dream) and Keith Wright at the brewery and, inset, the Dream sculpture TONY Biggs (rear) toasts the new Dream ale with Gary Conley (the former miner who helped shape the vision for Dream) and Keith Wright at the brewery and, inset, the Dream sculpture

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