Fenman took to the rail tracks again recently and visited what used to be Central Station, Manchester, where he last alighted from a train in the 1960s, when he worked in the City.

The building is now known as Manchester Central and the venue for Manchester Beer Festival.

Fenman's main reason for the visit, other than pure nostalgia, was the fact that there were 70 beers from the wood on offer. This was in addition to 18 brewery bars and the Coast to Coast Bar which covered breweries from Merseyside to East Riding and which had the longest line of handpumps ever seen.

The first sight to greet Fenman was the Beers from the Wood Bar which suited him especially as there was adequate seating with tables close at hand.

Selection and sampling, in no particular order, included Brass Castle, Hazelnut Mild (4.2%), Cheshire Brewhouse, Lord Flame (4.2%), Fernandes, Malt Easy (4%), Half Moon, Dark Masquerade V (3.6%), Rat, Rat in Black (4.5%), Runaway, Farmhouse Pale (3.9%), Three Kings, DarkSide of the Toon (4.1%) and Shield Maiden (3.9%). All in top condition, flavouresome and many full bodied given the fact of fairly low ABVs - well Fenman is a bit of a lightweight these days! To finish off the session he moseyed up to the Coast to Coast Bar and selected one of his old favourites - Moorhouses Black Cat (3.4%), ah those were the days!

A beer festival that Fenman recommends - plenty of space, seats, and beers of course. The natives (from Lancs, Yorks, Shrops, and as far away as the deep south) are very friendly.