THERE will be a lot of raised eyebrows when specially brewed ale goes on sale at this year's Village Pump Festival in Trowbridge later this month.

Wadworth Brewery in Devizes has sponsored the event for six years and this year has created an ale just for the festival, calling it Rumpy Pumpy.

The added bonus of drinking the beer is for every pint sold, 10p will be donated to Dorothy House Hospice in Winsley. The idea for the name came from Christine Briars, the wife of festival organiser, Alan Briars, who said with a smile: "She just thought of it in bed one morning".

Mr Briars also liked the idea of people coming up to the bar staff and asking Can I have some Rumpy Pumpy please?' The festival has close links to Dorothy House as the organisers also put on a concert in aid of the hospice each December, raising £1,300 at last year's event.

So it was a natural decision to choose the hospice to benefit from each pint of Rumpy Pumpy bought at the festival. Pump Festival bar manager, Don Pilliner, also had a hand in creating the ale, being the best person to know what the customers want after running the bars for 15 years.

Although he now lives in the south of France, Mr Pilliner still returns to Trowbridge for a couple of weeks each year during the festival.

He said: "I just think it is a lovely family event."

Trevor Holmes, brewing director at Wadworth, took a great deal of pride in creating an ale that was just to Mr Pilliner's liking.

He said: "It's a pale colour and is fresh and fruity with hints of citrus and it's also pleasantly hoppy." Wadworth has brewed almost 650 gallons of the 3.9 per cent ale for festival-goers to enjoy and Mr Holmes says he hopes to continue the tradition if it is a success this year.

The festival, which celebrates its 33rd birthday this year, features folk and roots music but also dancing, workshops, street entertainment and a children's programme.

Folk singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega will be the headline act.

It will be held at Stowford Manor Farm in Wingfield, near Trowbridge, from July 20 to 23 and this year, there will also be a Guinness World Record attempt at 7pm on the Sunday for the most amount of people playing the spoons at any one time.

Record attempt organiser Sean Price is appealing for an adjudicator to come forward, as to be classed as a Guinness World Record it needs to be validated by someone of standing within the community, for example a doctor, policeman or councillor. Call Mr Price on (01373) 675390 if you can help.

  • For more information about the Trowbridge Village Pump Festival visit www.trowbridgefestival.co.uk