The
BEST party in town
It’s party time down at Magna this March as the Rotherham Real Ale and Music Festival celebrates its silver anniversary with baa’s, bands and a big birthday bash.
town to commemorate their continued success, sponsored by Best Solicitors in Sheffield. The original idea to host a beer festival came from Jan Charters and her husband Jim; after starting as Oakwood’s head teacher in 1991, she knew they needed to raise more money to improve the Moorgate Road school’s surroundings.
Jim and Jan Charters with Steve Burns
“I walked into the school and the walls were bare. There were no photographs up, no record of any student achievement,” Jan says. To coincide with the school’s 40th anniversary, Jan and a group of teachers and parents voluntarily organised the first beer festival in spring 1992, with 26 beers on offer to the 150 people who came. “We lost money in that first year which didn’t help the walls. We bought transfers for the glasses that came off in the dishwasher. But it was a learning curve. The following few years, we invested a lot of the money we raised into equipment which made a real difference year on year as the popularity grew.”
From Thursday 1st to Saturday 3rd March, thousands of revellers will be flocking down to mighty Magna to join festival mascot Baa’sil the sheep and his team of loyal volunteers as they celebrate 25 years of beer festivals. Since starting up in the dining hall at Oakwood School back in 1992, the event has gone on to become the largest indoor beer festival outside of London, with last year’s visitors amassing over 5,000 people.
Some of you may be a seasoned regular with a glass in the cupboard from every year, while others might have fond memories of beer festivals gone by; some might have met their significant other over a half pint, while others may have found a new true love in what’s inside the glass.
Having missed only one year since its inception, this year will be a huge celebration as the volunteers host the biggest and best party in
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At the third event, the volunteers decided to introduce music after facing backlash from parents and the local authority about holding a beer festival in a school environment. “Education has always been an important part for us; we’ve worked with so many students over the years – including musicians and technicians – who have helped with staging and production for the professional acts we’ve had on. Some have even gone onto having a career in the industry. “The equipment we bought also meant that we could host charity and community events all year round to continue to raise money,” says former health education co-ordinator and volunteer, Dave Homer.
By introducing the Battle of the Bands concept into the event, it has also meant up-and-coming local bands and young performers have had the chance to introduce themselves and their musical talents.
Each year, the event has always had a theme, with everything from a beach-themed Baa-Watch to last year’s cheers to the coal industry with
Rib Eye
After almost 20 years at Oakwood, the festival ultimately outgrew its venue and so moved to Magna in 2011. While the punters always behaved themselves in the school - probably in fear of corporal punishment - the huge volume of attendees meant that volunteers were concerned for the health and safety of the event. While the core involvement of volunteers is still ex-Oakwood students, the move to Magna has
Mines a Pint, with beers and real ales tailored around each theme. Baa’sil the sheep first appeared in 2004 and has been a main stay ever since; ewe will have probably seen his tasting notes and jokes around the festival. Local breweries have launched seasonal new ales at past events, while around six local breweries have used the beer festival as their inauguration; Masham’s Black Sheep actually first introduced themselves as a brewery at the second beer festival 25 years ago.
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