News From The Wood Brewery

Lands End to John O'Groats

BREWERS’ BIRTHDAY BIKE RIDE EARNS £11,500 FOR CHARITY

Bicycling brewer Edward Wood has presented Midlands Air Ambulance with £11,500 from his Land’s End – John O’Groats bike ride and sales of a special beer which marked the brewery’s 30th and his 60th birthdays.

To mark his 12-day completion of the near-1,000 route between Britain’s south and north extremities, Edward, MD of the Wood Brewery at Wistanstow, Shropshire, mounted the cheque on a bike wheel to present it to Stef Langford-Brown MAA Fundraising Manager at the MAA flying base at Cosford, with air crew Kerry Penn-Ashman and Andy Bowden.

“I set an original target of raising £6,000 for Air Ambulance, but the tremendous generosity of people who sponsored my ride, and good sales of our 30-60 Challenge beer, mean we’re able to give nearly double the total. That makes all the effort of the ride seem so worthwhile, so thanks to all who gave,” said Edward.

Stef Langford-Brown said: “We’re all in awe of what Edward has achieved,” said Stef Langford Brown. “Midlands Air Ambulance prides itself on being able to provide a rapid response but I’m not sure many of us could cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats in 12 days. Edward is a marvellous supporter of the charity and the sums he has raised for us are as impressive as his stamina.”

On the bike ride itself, Edward said: “I can honestly say my body has never been so sore as after all those hours of pedalling! But the ride did have great compensations, especially seeing how fantastic our countryside is in the late spring, particularly going through Scotland.”

Other highs were the camaraderie that developed between the 18-strong party as they cycled north and the well-earned stops for picnic lunches.

While Edward undertook the ride to mark the double birthday, there was an extra reason for doing so: last year, Air Ambulance had to whisk his son Jonathan from Shrewsbury for life-saving emergency brain surgery in Stoke following a freak cricketing accident. Jonathan has since made a full recovery.

“It’s not until situations like that hit you that you realise just what an indispensible part that Air Ambulance plays in all our lives – and it relies entirely on voluntary donations,” said the brewer.

The Air Ambulance provides the primary response to counties including the West Midlands, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Hefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, dealing with over 3,500 callouts each year. It operates from Tatenhill Airport in Staffordshire, RAF Cosford, near Wolverhampton, and Strensham North Services on the M5. The cost of running and maintaining current level of operations stands at £5.6 million

Thursday 13 May: Celebrated my 60th birthday when co-riders presented me with a cake and a bottle of fine malt whisky just after breakfast... we're saving it for tonight! In the meantime we have to cycle 83 miles and climb around 2,300 metres on the way to Dingwall on the Firth of Cromarty. It's blowing a gale as we head towards the home of Ross County, who play Celtic in the Scottish Cup final on Saturday. The finish is getting closer!!

Wednesday May 12: Made it from Kilmarnock to Inverary on Loch Fyne yesterday (Tuesday), stopping at the Loch Fyne Brewery for a quick introduction to a fellow brewer. What a fantastic location. Less saddle sore after I’m wearing 2 pairs of shorts and a pair of cycle tights! And the weather was kinder with the wind dropping and sun coming out.

Apprehensive about today’s marathon – 96 miles and 3,700 metres of climbing. This will be a tester…

Now well into Scotland, having encountered some tough cycling through northern England, up from Shrewsbury to Preston, and then on over Shap to Carlisle. Northerly headwind continues to make life difficult – and I'm saddlesore! Overall, though, going well.

Wood's Parish voted top regional beer

Wood’s Parish took the Gold Medal for bottled beers below 4.9% at the Small Independent Brewers’ (SIBA) Wales and West Regional Championships held during the Ludlow Spring Food and Drink Festival at the weekend.

“Parish is a tremendous bitter, one of our oldest established beers, and we’re delighted with the recognition that this award brings,” said Wood’s Sales Manager Mike Turner, pictured on the left receiving the certificate for the brewery, which is currently celebrating 30 years of brewing.

Parish was blind-judged alongside dozens of other bottled beers by a panel of independent experts and will now go on to be considered for a SIBA national award.

Around 160 beers were available at the Festival.

Lands End to John O'Groats

Friday 7 May: Got drenched on the 96 miles to Tintern yesterday. The reward was waiting in the Royal George at night – a pint of bitter from Severn Vale, one of the first fellow brewers to sponsor me - thanks to Steve at that brewery.
So far today I'm getting very cold on the 90 miles towards and through home territory to Shrewsbury. Hope the weather warms up! Looking forward to a pint of Wood's at the Lion in Shrewsbury tonight!

Thursday May 6: Onwards to Tintern today with grey skies and showers forecast

Wednesday May 5: Finished the 70 miles from Liskeard to Tiverton, including going over Dartmoor (pictured). The northerly wind was less severe than we had feared, which made cycling easier, and I was feeling much better at the finish than on the first day.

End of Day 1 (4 May): Absolutely knacked!! First to finish because we kept to the right route, unlike some others in the party who took a wrong turn somewhere. Tortoise wins again! Not looking forward to tomorrow over Dartmoor and into northerly headwind again.

4th May 2010

Wood's MD Edward Wood this morning embarked on a near-1,000 mile bike ride to John O'Groats from Lands End to raise over £9,000 for Midlands Air Ambulance. We'll keep you posted via the website on his progress."

April 2010

Businesses make air ambulance fund fly

Donations from South Shropshire businesses have helped ensure that Wistanstow brewer Edward Wood will sail past his target of raising £6,000 for Midlands Air Ambulance by cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

“Pledges from local businesses have taken me past the target already, which is tremendous. It’s been a great response – especially with trading conditions as they are,” said Edward, who is doing the ride to mark the Wood Brewery’s 30 years of trading and his own 60th birthday.

Among South Shropshire businesses to have donated are: AT Lloyd Electricians, Cyril Bason, Sign Workshop, Station Inn Marshbrook, Newington Garage Craven Arms, Fieldfare Wild Bird Foods, Manear Design and Construction and Simon Brown Architects.

 Edward added: “The aim now is to go as far over that £6,000 target as we can. Our special bitter, 30-60 Challenge, is selling well and the brewery is donating 10p for every pint sold, so that should add substantially to the total. I’m also expecting contributions from several people in the brewing industry, so it’s looking very good.”

Edward’s near-1,000-mile ride starts on 4 May and should take 12 days, including his birthday on 13 May. He is presently training hard.

He chose Midlands Air Ambulance as the charity after an emergency airlift helped save the life of his son, Jonathan, who suffered a potentially fatal head injury in a freak cricketing accident in Shrewsbury last year.

Anyone wishing to donate should contact Edward Wood on 01588 672523 or emailing Edward@woodbrewery.co.uk

April 2010

30-60 Challenge pledges to charity top £4,000

Wood's are set to launch a new cask beer, 30-60 Challenge, to boost efforts by MD Edward Wood to raise more than £6,000 for the Midlands Air Ambulance service that saved his son’s life last year after a freak cricketing accident.

The 3.6% bitter has been named to mark the brewery’s 30 years in business and the MD’s 60th birthday, which he is marking by undertaking a solo Land’s End to John O’Groats bike marathon in May. Licensed trade response to his fund-raising has been tremendous, with over £4,000 pledged so far.

“We’re donating 10p to the Air Ambulance for every pint of 30-60 Challenge we sell, so with the beer launched I’m confident I will exceed my initial £6,000 target. I’d like to thank all the brewers and suppliers who have pledged money to date,” said Edward, whose son Jonathan was airlifted from Shrewsbury to undergo emergency brain surgery in Stoke after being hit in the head by a cricket ball. He has made a full recovery.

 Sarah Hughes, Purple Moose, Bathams, Wye Valley, Ludlow, Uley, Severn Valley, Holdens, Chiltern, Lymestone, Exe Valley, Purity, Rebellion, Timothy Taylor and Burtonbridge are among contributors to date.

March 2010

BREWER'S DOUBLE BIRTHDAY FUNDRAISER IS A LONG HAUL!

South Shropshire brewer Edward Wood is marking

TWO milestone birthdays in the next two months –

by cycling almost 1,000 miles from Land’s End to

John O’Groats for charity.

In celebrating his own 60th birthday and the

Wood Brewery’s 30th birthday, he aims to raise at

least £6,000 for Midlands Air Ambulance – the

charity whose swift airlift two years ago saved the life

of his son Jonathan when he suffered a life-threatening head injury in a freak cricketing accident.

In addition to the personal effort of cycling, the

Wood Brewery Managing Director is inviting pubgoers

to contribute in a more relaxed way – by buying a

special double birthday brew, Wood’s 30-60 Challenge.

The 3.6% ABV bitter will be on free house bars from April.

The brewery will donate 10p to the Air Ambulance cause

for every pint of 30-60 it sells.

 “These are big birthdays for me, so I wanted to

do something memorable by raising money for a cause that

I know, from close personal experience, is very worthwhile,” said Edward. “I often cycle the two miles from home to

the brewery in Wistanstow and back, so I thought it was

the right time to take on something more ambitious!”

Edward, who has previously run the London Marathon and taken part in other endurance events, has been training for the John O’Groats adventure since January and is aiming to complete the ride in 12 days, starting on 4 May. He will cycle an average of over 80 miles a day, celebrating his 60th birthday on 13 May somewhere in Scotland.

“So far people have been very good in sponsoring me, and I’ve got about £2,000 pledged to date from friends and from business associates and suppliers to the brewery,” said Edward. “I’m confident I shall raise the target amount, but there’s a lot of hard work in fundraising ahead before I get on the bike for the big ride. I just hope I’m fit enough to make it!”

Edward recently handed over a cheque for £1,000 to Midlands Air Ambulance after brewing Triple A (Air Ambulance Ale) to mark the lifeline service’s 18 years in the air.

The Air Ambulance provides the primary response to counties including the West Midlands, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, dealing with over 3,500 callouts each year. It operates from Tatenhill Airport in Staffordshire, RAF Cosford, near Wolverhampton, and Strensham North Services on the M5. The cost of running and maintaining current level of operations stands at £5.6 million, for which the organisation relies entirely on voluntary donations.

February 2010

Wood Brewery MD Edward Wood presents the money to Stef Langford-Brown, Air Ambulance Fundraising Manager.

Drinkers who tried Triple A, Air Ambulance Ale, a beer specially brewed by Wistanstow’s Wood Brewery, have helped raised £1,000 for the Midlands Air Ambulance charity. Wood’s Managing Director Edward Wood handed over the cheque to Stephanie Langford-Brown, Air Ambulance Fundraising Manager, at the MAA’s headquarters in Brierley Hill. The brewery donated money from every bottle or pint of draught Triple A that drinkers bought throughout 2009, and topped up the money to the £1,000 mark with a further donation. Edward Wood said: “At the beginning of the year, Wood’s chose the Air Ambulance as a very worthwhile cause for a donations campaign. It was an ironic coincidence that I found out a few months later just what a lifeline service it is – they had to airlift my son Jonathan to Stoke for emergency brain surgery after he suffered a sports accident at school in Shrewsbury. Thankfully, Jonathan has made a complete recovery, but without their rapid response it could have been hugely, tragically different.”

The Air Ambulance provides the primary response to counties including the West Midlands, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, dealing with over 3,500 callouts each year. It operates from Tatenhill Airport in Staffordshire, RAF Cosford, near Wolverhampton, and Strensham North Services on the M5. The cost of running and maintaining current level of operations stands at £5.6 million, for which the organisation relies entirely on voluntary donations.

Stephanie Langford-Brown said: “Corporate donations and fund-raising efforts by companies across the region are a very important source of income to us. But what started out as a much appreciated corporate donation scheme by Wood’s has turned into a very personal cause for Edward and his family. We are hugely grateful for the money donated by Wood’s and its customers.”

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