Back in 2007 I started this beard blog after attending the World Championships held, that year, in Brighton, where I happened to be visiting a best friend... I met lots of wonderful folks including this guy Jack, who was then Full Natural Beard Champion, and was instantly sucked into the fabulous world that is beard contesting!!!
In Liverpool in 2012 on a dreary mid-week December night I held my first BeerdFest, a direct reaction to the UK contest being hosted in the South East, I wanted to make bearding fun for northerners! I discovered a wonderful organisation called The British Beard Club were the people to know and David Dade the President was kind and welcoming of my event... (He even came up to judge a couple of times all the way from Brighton).
More folks than I could have ever imagined showed up - clearly this was what everyone had been waiting for! A chance to show off their glorious follicle prowess on my catwalk! So we did it again the following year and that time around somehow I organised giving Brian Blessed a Lifetime Achievement Award... which he accepted in a way only Brian can ^_^
Beerdfest 2014 - Life time achievement award - Brian Blessed from Beerdfest Liverpool on Vimeo.
Henceforth, Brian became patron of the festival - who better to fly our flag?! We supported men's mental health campaigners C.A.L.M. and helped to promote #SaveTheMale in 2014 - by this time word in the beard community (yes that's a real thing, and it's filled with lovely awesome sorts of folks) had spread, Beerdfest was on the map! People loved it! People came from far and wide - Brighton, Essex, the Midlands, Yorkshire, Blackpool - even the Wirral! (local joke there kids) #wow !!!
Then in 2015 I stalked Seasick Steve to give him a Lifetime Achievement Award which I'm sure he still keeps in a safe place...
THEN in 2015 the maddest thing happened!!! Remember, if you will, how I started this fun to give northeners some beard-glory? WELL thanks to the local beard club (who met each other and formed at Beerdfest 2012) the national contest is being held this year.... (drumroll) ... IN LIVERPOOL!!!
Surely am now deserving of some kind of blue plaque for bringing awesome beards to the city?! Very proud of my efforts and long may fabulous beards be welcome in the beautiful north ^_^
So - THANKYOU to everyone who has supported, attended, competed with us along the way... Without you it simply wouldn't happen!!! 2016 here we are, year FIVE of the fest... Let's do it all again on World Beard Day, Saturday September 3rd - come along! You might love it as much as I do ^_^
Ps. Look for us in these exciting places should you feel the urge:
www.facebook.com/beerdfest
www.twitter.com/beerdfestlpool
www.instagram.com/beerdfest
No comments:
Post a Comment