Gosberton Public Hall is staging its first-ever beer festival this weekend.
The event is being held to raise funds towards the upkeep of the High Street venue which has recently undergone a much-needed revamp.
Mick Pell, chairman of the Gosberton Public Hall trustees, explained that there was a certain amount of irony surrounding the event as the hall was originally built in 1872 by prominent local members of the Temperance Movement – an organisation who are against the consumption of alcohol.
He said: “I was looking into the history of the building and discovered when it was built and who had first funded it.
“There were restrictions on the sale and consumption of alcohol until the Temperance Movement gave up the covenent on the building in 1905.
“The restrictions were then lifted, allowing many years of entertainment where people have been allowed to enjoy a drink.
“The hall had become a bit decrepit recently, but we have spent a lot of money on it with a new boiler, new heating and new emergency lighting.
“We needed to do some fundraising and, as a member of CAMRA, I thought it would be a good idea to have a beer festival.
“It’s quite ironic considering what I had discovered about the Temperance Movement funding the building in the first place.
“We believe though that this is the first beer festival to have been arranged in the 111 years that alcohol has been permitted at the hall.”
A selection of real ales and ciders from local breweries will be on sale at the event along with a small selection of wine as well as non-alcoholic drinks, including tea and coffee. Hot snacks will also be available.
The festival’s opening times are: Friday – 11am-11pm, Saturday – 11am-11pm, Sunday – midday-4pm.
