The 35th Strawberry Faire was a free festival which appears to take as its inspiration ethnic food, music, hippies, Goths, chavs and semi legal narcotics. Chris from the Dove asked me to come along to the faire and as we weren’t going to Epsom for the horses this year and I had nothing on for the weekend I thought it a good idea.
We met up at 9 AM at Ipswich station and after procuring tickets went on a food hunt in the deli. I selected a Chicken samosa and a sausage and mash pie and Chris went for some strange veggie tart or other. We then got on the train and munched our way through the fodder 1 because we were hungry and two because we wished to get some grub in before the drinking started as we new it would. Chris also pulled two large smoky sausages from his knapsack so these were also crunched.
The train arrived in to a boiling hot Cambridge on time and we pushed and sweated and snuffled our way through the crowds to emerge on Station Road for a walk to the park in which the event was to take place. It was rather nice as most people were bussing it so the roads were relatively quiet for our walk through various parks across Cambridge.
The faire was setting up as we entered the Midsummer Common ground but Chris purchased a strange looking rollup from a man selling alternative high products legally in the hippy area. We then chanced on our first beer tent and I was horrified that it was a GK place but I purchased a pint of Reverent James from Wales and we drank our ale in the sun. Nothing was happening so we walked out of the faire via a strange couple telling us about composting and purchased half’s of Budvar dark and standard from the St Rad and had a bit of banter with the landlord Terry.
The parade fetched us out of the pub and we watched the St Johns Ambulance go by along with many made up people and drummers and noisy buggers in general.
We then headed off to the faire once more and looked at many of the food vendors. They were really diverse including huge BBQ prawns in the Spanish style with paella, Jamaican food like plantain, jerk chicken rice peas and curried goat, hog roasts burgers and much more.
The acoustic tent was next on our list so after necking a quick half of Summersault in the Charles Wells beer tent we found it. Oh, joy, though the first band were piss poor the bar was an oakum franchise and pints of that brewery’s hoppy beer were just what the doctor ordered.
The second band to come on or should I say girl and piano in the Tori/Jony style was Kara Winter and though good she didn’t hold our attention for long and we started chatting to some spacers from Lincolnshire until Beth Walthew came on with her jazzy funky acoustic sounds which I took to at once. She’s worth checking out.
We then headed off to the lav and to find jerk chicken which was rather good. It was then back through cannabis smoke and half naked sun worshipers to the acoustic tent for more beer and music, and a much larger crowd.
We should have really made the effort to get down and try out the reggae tent with the yooff and stoners but it was hot and packed so we left it. Honest, I’ve never spelled so much weed in one place, as Chris would say, “Totally Rad”
We headed off at around 5 to get lost in Cambridge, no I didn’t have the GPS, and to find Paul Cody who assured us that a pint was in order.
After much swearing and miss navigation we met up with Paul and had a pint in the Kingston Arms. It wasn’t its usual self so Chris and I then made our way to the Cambridge Blue and the local beers on offer went down well.
I forgot but moving back slightly we had another pint in the St Rad which was again smashing and the pub was busy with real ale types and people going to the faire. Some lady called Amanda told us that she was 36 and that this would be her last one. We ignored her ageist remark, after-all, make it 86 before you stop love, then told her about the good beer in the acoustic tent.
The Live and Let Live was our next stop and I had an interesting conversation with the local rep for the area from Oakum brewery. I’ve yet to follow it up but he offered me a free tour of the place.
Chris and I then went to the Salisbury Arms and this is the point my recollections get a little vague. I had a pint of something rather good and Chris purchased some bottles of Chocolate Stout for the train but to be honest after that I hit a little blank spot. I left the pub somehow and walked to the train station with Chris. After sitting on a bench and us both missing the last train to Ipswich Chris went to carry on partying at the faire but I just wanted a bed and bless his cotton socks Paul came to the rescue.
The fleecing taxi driver charged me 8 quid for a short drive just because “it was faire day and the punter tourists will pay” and then I had a beer or two with Paul’s brother in law and sister. The music was good and I fell asleep with the pounding of Faith no more running through my head. I’m rather glad Paul took the beer out of my hand and I thank him mucho for the couch.
Sunday was also hot and after two cups of tea Jaid and I went to the station thanks to a lift from Tina and got back to Ipswich without incident. Clare was excited as I came in since she had just purchased a 42 inch LCD TV for the front room, but I just wanted to go to bed which I gratefully did.
I’m now travelling down to Bath with a stop off in Swindon this afternoon.
|a bit later and I have finished demos for the day. Fantastically one of the roundabouts in Swindon is called the ‘magic roundabout’ on the navtech maps. Wonderful.
Labels: beer, beer review, general, work
