Towards Half A Million

Posted on October 20, 2023 by The Bent and Bongs Beer Bash Blogger
A banner at the 2023 festival shows the total raised by the event; £486,922

February 2023 was the 32nd Bent and Bongs Beer Bash.

Back then the festival had raised £486,922 over those previous 32 years.

We were all curious how 2023 would turn out. It was the first year back since the missing two years due to Covid. Would everyone still want to turn out on a winter’s night for the Bent and Bongs? Would we end up making any money to donate to local charities? Would the festival even have the same feel about it? Two years off seemed like a lifetime.

We shouldn’t have worried.

You came, you saw, you drank.

And the good news was that after we paid all the bills and settled all the accounts this gave us a total of £7,954 to give away to charity.

Which means that the total raised going into the 2024 beer bash is £494,876.

If we can raise the same again in 2024 this will be one heck of a milestone. It will take us passed the magic half million.

If you are wondering where all this money goes, the group of trustees who manage the festival try their hardest to route it all back into the local community. To give some examples this money has:

  • Helped support the Proms in the Park event
  • Supported a local brass band
  • Bought a portable de-fib unit
  • Supported Atherton food bank and helped them buy a new van
  • Paid for a venue and coffee and biscuits to help dementia sufferers
  • Helped with the costs of the Atherton Carnival
  • Supported the School Dinners initiative set up by the Atherton Business Partnership
  • Bought kits for local kids’ football and rugby teams and helped fix or replace their clubhouses
  • Helped with the costs of the Atherton nativity parade
  • Sent so many scouts to so many different places we’ve lost track of them (the places, not the scouts)

… and those are just some of the things that spring to mind from the last couple of years.

If you are a local charity and you need some help, catch one of the trustees at the next beer festival; or get in touch and we can take it from there.

And if you are one of the wonderful amazing people who come to the event … (almost) half a million Thank You’s from everyone you have helped to help over the years.

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ChatGPT

Posted on February 22, 2023 by The Bent and Bongs Beer Bash Blogger

It seems like the whole world is going ChatGPT crazy at the moment. So we thought hey, let’s give it a try. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

We asked ChatGPT:

Please tell me about the Bent and Bongs Beer Bash

Here’s what ChatGPT told us:

The Bent and Bongs Beer Bash is an annual beer festival held in the United Kingdom. The festival takes place in Atherton, a town in Greater Manchester, and is hosted by Bent and Bongs Beer Bash Ltd, a not-for-profit organization.

The festival was first held in 2011 and has since become a popular event for beer lovers, attracting visitors from all over the UK and beyond. The festival usually takes place over a weekend in August and features a wide range of beers and ciders from breweries across the UK.

In addition to the beer and cider, the festival also includes food stalls, live music, and other entertainment. The festival has a laid-back, family-friendly atmosphere and is popular with both beer aficionados and those simply looking for a fun day out.

The Bent and Bongs Beer Bash is organized by volunteers and is a non-profit event, with all proceeds going to local charities and community groups. The festival is known for its commitment to sustainability and uses eco-friendly practices such as compostable cups and waste reduction measures.

Overall, the Bent and Bongs Beer Bash is a fun and relaxed festival that celebrates the best of British beer and cider while raising money for good causes.

Remember this was written entirely by an AI. It is also likely the first time ever that this AI has been asked about the Bent and Bongs Beer Bash. It’s not bad. It’s not brilliant, and there are plenty of wrong facts in there, but it’s not bad.

It might be interesting to come back to ChatGPT in a year or two and ask the same question again. AI’s are constantly learning so maybe we’ll see some of the facts become more accurate?

One thing we do like is the last paragraph. That’s a nice summery of what we’re about.

Overall, the Bent and Bongs Beer Bash is a fun and relaxed festival that celebrates the best of British beer and cider while raising money for good causes.

We might adopt that as the tagline for the festival.

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The 2023 Six Nations Beer Trail

Posted on January 31, 2023 by The Bent and Bongs Beer Bash Blogger

We haven’t missed the fact that the Six Nations kicks off on Saturday 4 February. We thought it might be fun to put together a small Six Nations beer trail for the 2023 beer bash.

Beer trails are best followed with friends. Discuss the tastes. Discuss life. Laugh lots and make merry. As the Irish might say …

Let the winds of fortune sail you
And may you sail a gentle sea
And let it always be the other fella
Who says: Lads this drink’s on me.

Let’s go. Six Nations. Six drinks. A half of each surely can’t hurt.

Scotland – Fyne Ales – Jarl (3.8%) – On the Cask Bar

I mean what can we say? Jarl is an absolute classic single-hop blonde ale. It’s brewed with the Citra hop from which it takes a subtle, not overpowering, fruitiness.

At 3.8% if you are starting your Six Nations Beer Trail north of the border and want a pint to quench your thirst this is a great place to begin.

Wales – Purple Moose – Dark Side Of The Moose / Ochr Dywyll Y Mws (4.6%) – On the Cask Bar

This is a delicious dark ale brewed from fresh Welsh mountain water. It is brewed with a delicate blend of dark crystal malt (crystal malt, not crystal meth!), roasted barley and Bramling Cross hops giving a lovely balance of rich malty flavour and fruity bitterness.

Purple Moose are in Porthmadog, just up the road from Portmeirion, the iconic location where Patrick McGoohan was Prisoner Number Six. Be wary for the giant white balloons chasing you if you try to escape the beer trail early.

Ireland – Bullhouse – Rolling Papers (5.5%) – Craft Corner

Yes we do know that Bullhouse is in Belfast and that Belfast is in Northern Ireland. As any serious rugby fan will tell you the Ireland national team represents both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. We’re sure you knew this. We did too. Errrr but it didn’t stop us double checking on Wikipedia before ordering the beer.

Rolling Papers is a delightful hazy IPA from across the Irish Sea. Dry hopped with some sweetness and some citrus tastes. Sláinte.

England – State of Kind – Welcome to the Dark Side (8.4%) – Craft Corner

State of Kind Brew Co are just down the road in Ince. As well as tasting good you can also feel good about the low beer miles spent to bring you this brew.

At 8.4% we are thinking sipping rather than gulping this big lad. Enjoy the flavours of chocolate, hazelnut, and coffee. It’s terribly moreish but best not to order another; at least not until you’ve finished all Six Nations.

France – Brasserie 3 MONTS – Bière de Flandre (8.5%) – Foreign Bar

A wonderful beer coming from the Brasserie 3 Monts in St. Sylvestre-Cappel. 3 Monts has been an independent family-owned brewery since 1920. Over a hundred years of practice! No wonder they’ve got this brewing thing nailed on.

3 Monts brew to celebrate the richness of nature and this beer embodies this philosophy. Brewed by infusions this is an old fashioned rising beer. It’s brewed with strong and hearty Flemish hops and fermented with top yeasts. It’s also 8.5% so drink little, drink slowly, and enjoy every mouthful.

Italy – Birrificio Italiano – Tipopils (5.2%) – Foreign Bar

A refreshing and light beer in the pilsener style. It is matured for 2 weeks after brewing resulting in a dry, hoppy taste. A wonderful change of style if you try this beer between the stronger, darker brews.

A Parting Thought

We hope you enjoyed the Six Nations. Let’s bob back to the Irish wisdom for a parting thought:

There are good ships and there are wood ships
These ships sail and tame the sea
But by God the best ships are our friendships
And may they always be.

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