Flintshire Ale Trail revellers left stranded because of shortage of buses

Flintshire Ale Trail revellers were left stranded after organisers failed to put on enough buses.

Shelley Barratt who helped organise the event for the Flintshire Tourism Association acknowledged there was not enough coaches to ferry the 1,000 or so people who attended around the nine pubs on the trail.

For £10 drinkers were supposed to be able to get on and off buses at leisure between 11am-11pm on Saturday to sample real ales.

But a decision to cut the numbers of coaches in a bid to keep prices down meant there were “bottlenecks”.

Four 70-seater buses were available to make pick-ups every 45 minutes at each stop – but some were full leaving drinkers stranded at remote pubs in the Flintshire countryside.

Ms Barratt said: “In hindsight we maybe should have put more buses on and raised ticket prices

“We were trying to keep ticket prices down and it’s a brand new business now for us.

“The pubs were really disappointed and they got some abuse. We will do it again and we will put more buses on.

“Listening to what the customers say we would have to put more buses on but we will probably have to put the price up.”

The trail’s aim is to support publicans in outlying areas of the county.

Zac Savva, who owns the Piccadilly in Caerwys, thinks the Ale Trail is an idea which may need refreshing.

“I think it’s had its time really,” he said. “I think it’s that simple really.

“It’s been a good event over the years but like anything it’s had its time.”

However Shelley Barratt thinks it still has a role to play in promoting local businesses.

She said: “As long as we are bringing people to this area that’s what it is all about.”