Sun shines and business booms for Garstang's Bank Holiday trade

Beer festival at Garstang Cricket Club. Ian Walling in charge of the tokens. Photos by Martin Bostock.

Over at Garstang Cricket Club, the Garstang Beer Festival brought around 1,000 people to its three days of sun, sport, live music and of course, beer, at the Riverside Sports Ground.

Organiser of the festival, Ian Walling, said: “It was a really good event. Turnout was amazing with more than 1,000 people there over the weekend.

“The Saturday especially was extremely busy from around 3pm to 11pm.”

Beer festival at Garstang Cricket Club. Travis Pieters serving up the beer.

Ian, who plays for Garstang CC first team XI, said: We had about 30 cask beers, three ciders and a couple of lagers.

“We also had 15 different gins and 10 different wines. It wasn’t just your standard beer festival that you might have been to in the past.

“We actually sold out of gin it was that busy. We had to go to Sainsbury’s to get some more!”

The club also raised £1,600 for cancer charity Sarcoma UK in memory of a club member’s family who has passed away.

Each day brought a different kind of cricket, with a Legends match between Garstang and Longridge on the Friday, a first XI match-up between Garstang and Leyland on Saturday, and a T20 bash between Garstang and Fulwood & Broughton on Sunday.

Down on the High Street The Crown pub saw a spike in trade, something owner Matthew Myers said is common for Bank Holiday.

And while he couldn’t put his finger on the numbers through the door, Matthew said: “It’s been buzzing. We’ve had a really good weekend.”

And with May having two bank holidays, Matthew added: “We’re usually very busy and with the second being the same day as Garstang Children’s Festival, it should be good again.”

L-R George Dunne, Edgar Nicholls, Danny Hill and Rob Swale.

The Children’s Festival returns to Garstang on May 28, bringing processions packed with colour and fancy dress.

Those with a sweet tooth were also out in force if trade at Sweets of Garstang was anything to go by.

Owner of Sweets, David Brewin, said: “It’s been a really good Bank Holiday Weekend. The weather has been so nice and a lot of people, families, children, have come out and about. We always look forward to the May bank holidays.”

James Hewitson, manager at the Royal Oak, said: “We are consistently busy but food on Monday was really high in demand. A lot of people came for the weekend and must have stayed a little longer.”

Regarding the second May Bank Holiday, James said: “I’d say the Children’s Festival is the biggest day of the year in the town. It should be great.”