Special bus service for Vale of Clwyd beer festival

Jun 24 2009 by Andrew Davies, Denbigh Visitor

REAL ale and cider fans can get ready to hit the road when a bus will take them from pub to pub next month.

As part of the only mobile beer festival in Wales, each of the six pubs taking part has a bus stop placed outside and a special bus service is being laid on to transport punters between them.

On July 11, the annual Vale of Clwyd Festival of Real Ale and Cider will be able to choose from a selection of 60 different real ales and 12 ciders.

The participating pubs, the Kinmel Arms, White Horse and Golden Lion, in Llandyrnog, Golden Lion, Llangynhafal, Griffin, Llanbedr DC, and Three Pigeons, Graigfechan, will also have a full menu of food, music and activities.

The 76 bus from M and H Coaches, of Denbigh, covers the route and thanks to the support of Denbighshire County Council, there will be a specially extended service on the day.

A rover ticket, priced £3, means passengers can get on and off whenever they please throughout the day between the bus terminus in Denbigh and the last stop on the line, the Three Pigeons.

The idea for the Festival was dreamt up by landlords Colin Garner, of the Golden Lion, Llangynhafal, and Jim Short of the Three Pigeons.

“The first festival last year was a real success and very popular and we’re hoping to do even better this year,” said Jim.

The pubs are all putting on quizzes and prize competitions on the day and there will be a printed programme of events backed by local sponsors.

Two buses will be running all day on the route so there should never be more than a half hour wait for the next bus with the final buses leaving Morrisons in Denbigh and the Three Pigeons at about 10.30pm that night and terminating in Ruthin at 11.15pm and Denbigh at 11.30pm.