BEER pumps set up inside a church as part of a town’s cultural festival proved a success — but were a step too far for some members of the congregation.
The two taps were installed on the newly built coffee bar inside St Ia the Virgin, in St Ives, in Cornwall, which hosted ten music events over the resort’s fortnight-long September Festival.
But, when a picture appeared on the Cornwall Live website of the Vicar, the Revd Dr Nicholas Widdows, pulling a pint in his chasuble, some members of the congregation called “Time”.
One, Barry Lewis, told the news site: “As a long-standing member of St Ia’s congregation, I must protest in the strongest possible terms regarding the siting of a bar to sell beer close to the high altar and the most sacred parts of our church. Additionally, for the current vicar to be photographed pulling pints wearing vestments usually worn when celebrating the eucharist is simply intolerable.”
Dr Widdows described it, however, as “a bit of a fuss over nothing”. He said: “One congregant wrote a very strongly worded letter to Cornwall Live of his own accord. It wasn’t really reflective of the congregational view. We have just had a new coffee bar built by a local carpenter in a corner near the organ where we serve coffee on a Sunday, and at events during the week, and it also doubles up as an events bar.
“St Ives Brewery was a partner in the festival, and they offered to install the pumps, which was great from our point of view. We have been serving beer at the festival for a couple of years. I think some people didn’t love the vision of the beer taps, but most didn’t really mind. The events went really well. I did serve behind the bar at couple of times — some of our volunteers didn’t know how to pull a pint. We got through a few barrels.”
Up to 80 per cent of the takings went to pay the performers, and the rest was shared between the church and the festival organisers. He described St Ia’s involvement as a festival venue as a “positive thing” for the church. “Many people don’t come into the church building at all; but, if they do have a great time at a festival event, then who knows, maybe they’ll come in for something else as well.
“The media attention didn’t help — but it did increase the number of visitors. We will definitely run a bar next year. Whether we get beer pumps is up to the brewery. If they offer them, then I might as well take them.”