Music and real ale fans are gearing up for a three day special event in the North Staffordshire countryside.
Carl and Sarah Smith who own The Gresley Arms are staging the first free FolknAle Festival, in association with John and Pauline Lovekin and their many local folk music friends and Titanic Brewery. The event will run from Friday, 20 May to Sunday, 22 May, at the Alsagers Bank pub, near Audley.
And the packed programme will feature the local launch of Burslem based Titanic Brewery’s own folk band, Nine Tenths Below – the Titanic Brewery Shanty Crew.
The group is made up of five well known faces on the folk music circuit who will entertain festival goers with sea shanties and ale drinking songs.
They are also keen to raise money for the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboats Institute) – a charity supported by Titanic Brewery over many years.
Keith Bott, Managing Director of Titanic Brewery, said: “We are always keen to support real ale pubs in our Staffordshire heartland and the Gresley Arm’s FolknAle Festival promises to be a great three days.
“We are linking up with the pub to provide some of the beer festival element and have also decided to support our own sea shanty crew Nine Tenths Below – their choice of name was inspired by the physical nature of an iceberg and we have named our popular new Titanic IPA ale. Nine Tenths Below after them. They perform at festivals across the UK and raise money for the RNLI.”
The festival will feature a variety of over 50 folk performers and bands including Glint of Life, Slippery Hill Boys, Acrid Hoof Smoke and Bird Scarers. There will be workshops featuring music and a variety of traditional dance styles.
Titanic Brewery has provided some of the 30 real ales and ciders from across the UK which will be on sale during the three day event.
Saturday will also see a performance by the well known Abbots Bromley Horn Dancers – who perform an ancient ritual dance in their home village in September each year.
ENDS
For further information contact Malcolm Hawksworth on 07702368989
Venue: The Gresley Arms, Alsagers Bank, Newcastle under Lyme, Staffs ST7 8BQ, Phone 01782 722469. owned by Carl and Sarah Smith.
Titanic Brewery is based in Burslem. Stoke-on-Trent. It’s full range of beer can be seen on the company’s website at www.titanicbrewery.co.uk Titanic Brewery was founded in Burslem in 1985 and has grown to produce more than 2 million pints of fine ale every year. It is owned by Stafford born brothers Keith and Dave Bott. Keith is Chairman of SIBA, the society of independent brewers. The brewery name is in recognition of Stoke-on-Trent as the birthplace of Captain Edward Smith, Master of the ill fated Titanic ocean liner.
Nine Tenths Below have their own website where their programme is shown and samples of their repertoire can be heard. See – www.ninetenthsbelow.co.uk .
The brewery provides a beer festival service for pubs, clubs, and other venues. Contact Dave Bott on 01782 823447 to find out more.