Refurb means time is called on beer fest

After attracting more than 1,200 eager drinkers to its eighth staging at Lowther Pavilion last autumn, the event has been called off as a result of refurbishment work at the venue.

The fact the floor needs strengthening to support new seating has ruled out this year’s Festival, which was set for the first weekend of September – and organisers the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) are already searching for a possible alternative venue for 2017 in case Lowther’s ongoing refurbishment means it can’t be staged there then.

CAMRA branch spokesman Russell Cobb said: “We regret to announce that the Lytham Beer and Cider Festival will not be taking place this year.

“Blackpool Fylde and Wyre CAMRA and the Lowther Pavilion had agreed to stage the Festival over the first weekend in September but unfortunately, the floor will require strengthening work during this time, necessitating the Festival’s cancellation.

“The Lowther management has advised that no other dates are available this year as an alternative.

“We are extremely disappointed that we will be unable to put on a Beer Festival this year. Even if we ere to find an alternative venue now, it would count as a new festival and CAMRA stipulate they need six months’ notice for that to take place.

“Both the Lowther and ourselves are very keen to see Lytham Festival become a staple of the Fylde calendar, but with work planned for further improvements next year at the Pavilion, we may not back in 2017 either, so this is a real concern.

“If an alternative viable venue is made available to us for next year, we will look to see if it is possible to hold the event there, but so far none has been forthcoming.

“In the meantime, we apologise to the Fylde’s real ale lovers and crave their understanding, and we hope something may open up.”

Lowther general manager Roger McCann said: “We were originally planning to close for three months this summer and I told the Beer Festival organisers that the date they wanted was immediately after the proposed building period, so it could only be provisionally booked with the clear understanding that it may be cancelled at short notice if building work overran.

“When we were told that we wouldn’t have to close for the entire period as anticipated, it looked as though the dates CAMRA wanted would be available.

“We were also able to provide the Pavilion for both the Lytham Festival and the 1940s Weekend, both events that were originally thought to be impossible for us to be involved with this year.”