No small beer: Lights, CAMRA, action at Barkisland

I don’t drink beer so an email dropping in about award-winning real ales initially didn’t set the pulse racing.

Sorry, Dave at Barkisland Cricket Club, you’d have reeled me in with a press release about Irn-Bru.

And yet…

I got to thinking about how cricket clubs become a point of difference, particularly in the many areas of Yorkshire where you can lob a half volley and hit dozens of grounds in any direction.

Being inclusive, offering terrific facilities, opportunities to play and socialise are some of the obvious greatest hits.

But, if we’re honest, many cricket clubs tick those boxes. What certainly can’t hurt is awards.

Foamy accolade

Thinking about ways to stand out, offer something different, inventive or in this case, go above and beyond to those thirstily seeking to sup real ale.

Beyond foamy accolades, Barkisland Cricket Club are a success in themselves. Based in the Calderdale village between Halifax and Huddersfield, they field firsts and seconds in the Huddersfield League, a third team in the Halifax Sunday League, five junior age groups and two women’s teams.

To their on field successes, they can now toast becoming Club of the Year 2024 by Halifax and Calderdale CAMRA members.

FYI: CAMRA are the CAMpaign for Real Ale, founded in 1971, to campaign for Real Ale, pubs and drinkers’ rights.

In Hipperholme, there is another Calderdale camera club (Halifax Photographic Society) but now I’m being mischievous.

I am reliably informed when the CAMRA award was given, there were five real ales on tap at the cricket club: Coach House Innkeeper’s Special Reserve (4.5%), Abbeydale Moonshine (4.3%), Craven Blonde (4%), Moorhouse’s White Witch (3.9%) and Saltaire Blonde (4%).

Richard Lee, Halifax and Calderdale CAMRA’s Branch Chair, congratulated Barkisland Cricket Club “for its commitment to real ale, the range of other alcoholic drinks available, the friendliness of the bar staff and the welcome Halifax and Calderdale CAMRA members had received.”

Beer-fuelled ambitions

Beer is actually important to many cricket club coffers. Over years, quenching the thirst of members and visitors has helped many to fund different projects.

I lose count of the times I’ve been told that selling pints has transformed the fortunes of a club and got the cash tills ringing (or should that be the debit cards tapping?).

How much that is just down to real ale artisan appetites in clubhouses and pavilions across Yorkshire is perhaps left to someone who knows their ABV from their LBW.

The only hops of which I’m familiar are the many long ones I’ve bowled in a career in the lower reaches of leagues cricket across the country.

If you do like beer then Barkisland – pronounced ‘Bark-is-land’ rather than an island for barking dogs – is surely your destination.

Barkisland CC Beer & Pie Festival (8-10 November 2024)

In 2024, the hope is that there will be 24 hand-pulled beers available (give or take) – along with a mountain of pies for the festival, provided by Doherty’s Traditional Pork Pies.

Last year’s festival went down a storm with almost all the beers being sold, plus 700 pies were hoovered up.

So, it’s official, folks. Barkisland are the real (ale) deal.