Hilden Beer Festival

BP assures me that it wasn't as busy as usual this evening at the Hilden Beer Festival. Hilden is on the outskirts of Lisburn, County Antrim.

We both took the train to the Hilden halt, which is conveniently located several minutes' walk from the Hilden brewery.

We Belmonts know when to exercise restraint, so I stuck to orange juice throughout the evening (readers should be aware that I overindulged on the red plonk last night). BP was in ecstasy, being an aficionado of Real Ale. 

The ambiance was jolly and lively, though. There was a fair number of characters, judging by some of the attire; and the large wigwam tent or tepee atmospheric with its hay-bale seating.

The slightly unseasonal weather was unkind and it was quite cool, so a few of those outdoor heaters would have been welcome.

We had burgers with a salad garnish, cheese and bacon (£5) and a small portion of exceedingly greasy chips (£2).

Overall I'd say it was a jolly enough evening and event, marred by poor weather. The conductor on the train from Hilden to Great Victoria Street was a comedian and cracked jokes every time he made an announcement.