#ISBF9 - It’s A People Thing
“We all wanna know what nobody knows,
What the nights of wine and roses hold,
For the wine and roses of our souls
So we down our drinks in a funnel of friends
And we burn our blends right down to the end, we don't cry for those nights to arrive
WE YELL LIKE HELL TO THE HEAVENS”
“Nights of Wine & Roses” - Japandroids
WELL! That weekend was quite the surprise, whilst also being - in large part - just the usual ISBF. Quite the contradiction?
What you - the guest - see is almost the diametric opposite of EVERYTHING that happens before the doors open. The pure chaos. Things coming together almost at the the very last minute…..
But enough of that. That's the boring stuff…..
It's difficult, truly difficult, to put into words what ISBF is. What it means. To me (Jim), to the ISBF Family…..
But - and this is no exaggeration - I lost count of the number of times that I was approached by people (some I know well, others not), saying truly lovely things about the event.
The truly heartening things : about how friendly everyone was, how welcoming…comments about Mike and the magnificent Rebellious Jukebox, The “feels”.
The love for the beautiful Hemsley House - we're so lucky to be able to call this venue “home”.
It’s difficult to get a handle on how the event is going at the time, but people kept saying nice things. Yet it’s only after the event that you can put all of the pieces together, discard the “recency bias” and get a true feel for how things really went.
The only word that springs to mind is, WOW.
I know the beer line up was good. That bit’s actually quite easy. It's easy, because over 13 years of blogging - and 10 years of this event - you form a clear understanding as to who makes the good stuff. And they SO do. This year (as I was told, repeatedly) more so than ever.
But the “feels” are what matter. The people matter. And - over the last 10 years - I've been so lucky to meet the most lovely humans who turn up every year. Lovely humans that “get” what this, our thing (Cosa Nostra) IS. And come back each and every year to make this special.
They get why we do this. They're the heart and soul of this event.
They're the #ISBFFamily. And we love them dearly. Without them, this wouldn't be what it is. They’re the friends that create “the feels”.
They are
Rob Shorten
Alison Boast
Mark Boast
John O'Donnell
Caz O'Donnell
Nick Clarke
Richard Hargreaves
Ann Packwood
Andy Packwood
Bevis Maun
Tina Ambury
Jeff Nixon
Maxine Silcock
Mark Reeves
Lesley Dunkley
Steve Hewitt
Linda Baxter
Chris Airey
Jo Dewsnip…
Mike Dewsnip
Loz Fernandez-Moreno
Gavin McCloskey-Lambert
Chelsea McCloskey-Lambert
Christine (aka The Boss)
Gerry Stone
Paul Shaw
Paige & Simon (Thank you so much for giving up your time to be First Aiders! Stars!)
Take a Bow. Thank you. All of you. Without you, this could never be what it is.
To the loveliest sponsors. Individuals, small businesses, bars. Again, these people GET WHAT WE ARE ABOUT.
We were fully sponsored. All beers. Ciders. Posters. Programme. Glassware.
All of it. Thank you all. Take your flowers. Because what you will see below - and today's 3pm Zoom call - doesn't happen without YOUR generosity, both of spirit and finance.
Alison & Mark Boast
Alun Williams
Andy Parker
Ann & Andy Packwood
Beerhouses
Bob Dunbar
Bob Longworth
Bob Preece
Brewery Jewellery
Brian Dickson
Chris Airey
Chris Chatwin
Chris Dixon
Colin & Sue Murphy
CSK Building Services
Daisy Turnell
Darren Berry
David & Emma Marchment
Des Fisher
Eliot Jones & Owen Gallagher
Gavin & Chelsea McCloskey
Glenn Johnson
Grant Maconachie
Heaton Hops
House of Hops
Howard Crook
Iain Peacock
Ian Sutton
James Mawson
Jeff Nixon & Maxine Silcock
Jo & Mike Dewsnip
Jo & Nick Payne
Jo Whalley (Wigan Central)
Jock Joyce
John & Caroline O'Donnell
John Broadhead
John Clarke
John Jackson
John Tweedie
Katie Sutton
Kev Fenton (Joule Bar)
Marc Prill
Maree Bruce
Mark Hush
Mark Pursey
Martin Gunning
Mary & John Durkan
Mick Potts (Free Trade Inn)
Mike & Hannah Bell
Mike Jones
Mike Pevitt
Nick Clarke
Nick Moss
Old School Taphouse (Clowne, Derbyshire)
Paul Birkett
Paul Delaney
Paul Flint
Paul Harland
Paul Spencer
Paul Tomlinson
Pellicle Magazine
Pete Ryan
Peter Bull
Phil Greenwood
Phil Kyte & Kate H
Podiatry Clinics Yorkshire
Rebecca Nicholl & Martin Clarke
Reich Insurance Brokers
Rich Jepson
Richard Hargreaves
Rob Shorten
Roy & Joanne Bennett
Sarah Millington
Simon & Sarah Gare
Simon Turner
Steve Hewitt
Stuart Neilson
The Molly House
The Petersgate Tap
Tom Stapley (People Make Beer)
“We dream but now we know….” “Fire’s Highway” - Japandroids
And to YOU. The paying guests.
WOW.
You were lovely. Friendly, smiling, fun (apart from the heinous Saturday “Sing-a-longa-Jim” to that AWFUL song! 😂), just the best.
There's a reason we tell security that this will be their easiest gig.
YOU.
Thank you SO MUCH. YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE. As you will see later.
Thank you to George Fell for his beautiful playing. We wouldn't be without him.
Thank you to the Heritage Double Act that was Al Wall (Heritage Brewing) & Henry Kirk (Sunken Knave) for the fabulously entertaining talk on Heritage Brewing. They put on a show. And know their stuff.
The feedback was tremendous - as were the beers - I just wish I could have stayed for all of it!
Thank you also to Nick Smith (Steam Machine) & Sean Ayling (Tom's Tap & Brewhouse) for the fabulous tasting and discussion on Beer & Community.
2 exemplars of how to centre a business around people. Open. Inclusive. Welcoming. And again, Great Beers!
2 lovely humans with 2 lovely businesses. Go see them.
Special Hugs to the following :
Andy - For the beautiful designs. For the lovely work on the programme. For answering the phone EVERY DAMN TIME SOMETHING CHANGED in that final fortnight. You were so patient. And kind. 😘
Rich Andrew and the entire team at Blackjack. The Jack Rose Again. Again, as I said - through the tears - last week, the last 10 years wouldn't have happened without you fabulous people. (Special thanks to Aaron for being calm, when my head was exploding!) Lovely humans all. 😘
Joe Ince and the team at Marble - For taking good care of the Casks. Thank you SO much.
Jock & Jaz - Without you two, getting to opening time would have been a humongous ball of stress. You were brilliant.
Chris & Tim - for telling me to Sod Off whilst you ran the bars (and thank you to Sepultura for selling out!).
Jo - For doing pretty much everything. 😘
Mike - Tunes. The amount of work you & Jo put in….) But more than that, you set the mood. (I'll never forgive you for Starship though 😘)
John & Caroline. Max & Jen. That bloody raffle effort was simply stunning. Watching John & Caz drain every last penny from pockets on the Saturday night was simply jaw dropping. 👏👏👏
Stan Jackson, Sue & Mark - For the beautiful venue, your patience and the tasty grub. Thank you so much.
Barry Shaw and the team at Beerhouses & the beautiful Stalybridge Buffet Bar for their generous glassware sponsorship. Thank you so much.
John Tweedie & Playhouse 2 for their generous programme sponsorship.
Clare Moore at Brewery Jewellery for both the fabulous jewellery and her generous sponsorship of the posters 💐
Sean & Jacqui Ayling for supplying the beautiful Ciders & Perries! Thank you so much!
Charlie Hooson-Sykes for being my Gin Muse. 🙏
So. To business.
The feedback on the beer list was overwhelming. The feeling from many who came - both drinkers and those from within the industry was that this was the best line up we'd ever had.
Who are WE to argue?
For the first time in YEARS, we had a clear 1. 2. 3. for Beer of the Festival!
3rd Place : Marble Brewery - Good Times Aged Stout
2nd Place : Lakes Brew Co - Broken Algorithms WC IPA
1st Place : Steam Machine Brew Co x Craft Beer Newcastle - Look Down, Look Down (Chocolate / Cherry Dubbel)
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
And now, to the serious stuff…. It’s 17:03 and I’m crying as I write this…..
At 3pm this afternoon, myself and Jock had a Zoom call with Michelle Dennett from Start Inspiring Minds. We chatted about how warmly the event was received by you, the guests. How relaxed, friendly and fun it was. YES, even I had some fun. But the truly awe inspiring stuff, is how generous you all were.
I’m quite sure that, when I say - just prior to the raffle on each session - how much impact YOU, the guests, have. The difference that YOU make to the lives of so many in this City of Salford. That you think it’s just words.
It isn’t.
Times are hard in the Charity sector, as they are in so many other areas of life. Fund raising for small charities, like START, is damn hard. They don’t have the wherewithal to employ people to fundraise (unlike larger charities), they rely on grants, donations and goodwill.
What YOU did, was enabled me to have the joyous task of transferring £14,250 into the accounts of START. Michelle’s reaction told me all you need to know. The sense of gratitude…..
That - by some distance - is the most we’ve raised at a single event in 10 years.
YOU did good. Thank you.
To finish, I suppose I must ask a question.
Shall we go again?
#ISBF10 : 6-8 November 2025
See you then?
Until next year….Be kind to one another.
Love from Jim & The Entire ISBF Family