Thursday
After Wednesday nights merryment, Thursday was a much welcomed quieter day. The festival had gathered steam, and Thursday was set aside for unadulterated drinking. Responsibly, of course. I was joined by my friend Deita, who enjoyed a cheeky 'Idle Landlord', and a glass of the excellent Engish wines on offer. There's a good mixture of drinks available at the festival, and including the ales and wines, there's also many ciders, perry's, and a healthy stock of Belgian beers. Taking all that into account, I think I will stick with my quota of 66 real ales this week. Incidently I was through into the 40's now. I was starting to notice how the real ale differed from regular commercial beers I was so fond of. Real ale didnt make me drowsy, or aggresive (problems I have all to often with regular beer). It made me feel quite boyant, yet relaxed. Merchant stalwart John joined me for drinks in the evening, along with his friend Hannah, who I couldnt pursuade into drinkning the real ale. Hannah by the way has created a fantastic montage of caricatures of Merchant Staff which is framed by the bar, well worth a look.