Encouraging news for the beleaguered pub sector: if last weekend's Beer on the Wye festival in Herefordshire is any sort of bellwether, British boozers are still up for quaffing as much beer as ever.
The festival was scheduled to run from Friday to Sunday last weekend, but the final day had to be cancelled after the event was drunk completely dry by the end of Saturday night.
In total, punters downed 1200 gallons of beer and 300 gallons of cider and perry before the event organisers, CAMRA, had to call time.