Imagine a pub the size of an aircraft hangar that serves every type of beer you can think of, and even some you probably won’t have. It’s staffed by people who are knowledgeable and passionate about their beer, who can recommend the perfect drink for both connoisseurs and the enthusiastic amateur. That’s according to Camra, the campaign for real ale, and it would say that, wouldn’t it? Camra runs The Great British Beer Festival, which takes over Earls Court, in London, once a year, and turns it into a beer lover’s paradise with rows of gleaming pints that have names like Moose Drool and Fiddler’s Elbow. The festival spans August 5-9 and day tickets cost from pound;8 for non members.

Entertainment comes from Treebeard, with a style described as “heavy wood” (think guitars, mandolins, violins and accordions), the Peter Donegan Band (Lonnie’s son) and The Bogus Blues Brothers.

www.camra.org.uk.