Day Rover tickets for Nicky and Si – check; KWVR membership renewed – check; KWVR tickets – check; cameras – check… I think this was probably the most organised I’d been in years and to cap it all we’d managed to get the kids babysat so on came two days of lovely lovely freedom up at Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Beer & Music Festival 2009.

We were joined by Si, Nicky’s Dad and his partner Sue, as well as obligatory appearances by Lee, Jerry and Jem. I did note Lee and Jerry’s unhealthy obsession with a loco, and as the night wore on sheer comedy came in the shape of rousing choruses of Cwm Rhondda (I’m pretty sure Lee doesn’t really know the Welsh words – it’s damn close to Klingon): so good the girls refused to even sit in the same carriage as us. Altogether now, Arglwydd, arwain trwy’r anialwch…

Music was provided by Fevertrees, The Bluekings and Dr Busker & The Dorset Rats.

Beers, all at Oxenhope shed (aka ‘Festival Bar’) unless noted otherwise:

  1. Goose Eye (Ingrow): ‘Keighley & Worth Valley’ (on-train bar)
  2. Bob’s (Ossett): ‘Pomona’
  3. Goose Eye (Ingrow): ‘Hobgoslin’
  4. Oakham (Peterborough): ‘Bishops Farewell’
  5. Naylor’s (Cross Hills): ‘Standard 4’
  6. Dark Star (Ansty, Sussex): ‘Festival’
  7. Acorn (Barnsley): ‘Yorkshire Pride’
  8. Inveralmond (Perth): ‘Independence’
  9. Mallinsons (Huddersfield): ‘Festival’
  10. Timothy Taylor (Keighley): ‘Golden Best’
  11. Millstone (Mossley, Cheshire): ‘Tiger Rut’
  12. Newby Wyke (Little Bytham, Lincolnshire): ‘HMS Revenge’
  13. Withens: ‘IPA’ (on-train bar)
  14. Old Spot (Cullingworth): ‘Inn-Spired’ (Keighley platform)

And after all that, Nicky and I popped for a curry en route back through Wakefield, getting in at about half past midnight. Hurrah!

Photos are here.