Few will know the name but many regular beer festival attendees would recognise Elspeth, who was a CAMRA steward at a number of London beer festivals and the Great British Beer Festival over many years. She and her husband, Mike, a CAMRA first aider, regularly travelled from their home in Bradford to volunteer all around the country. Sadly she has passed away after a short illness. Elspeth was one of those entirely dependable volunteers who are CAMRA’s backbone. We send our condolences to Mike and daughter Angela, also a CAMRA volunteer. Elspeth will be missed.
Service held at St. Wilfrid’s Parish Church, Lidget Green on Monday 7th October at 1:00 p.m. prior to a private cremation.
Elspeth remembered
Firstly, I should explain that stewards at CAMRA beer festivals are known as Team Tango because of their orange shirts. I was on Elspeth’s team at both the Twickenham and Wandle beer festivals. She was an absolute rock of generosity, morale boosting, stoicism and that classic Yorkshire wisdom in succinct snippets. To the occasional young female steward who had been made vulnerable just for being female, Elspeth (and other females in orange) gave them back their confidence and helped them continue to contribute to CAMRA as a vital ‘dry’ volunteer. This may partly explain her being universally known as Moma Bear. Elspeth was a truly handsome woman, easily identifiable by her Team Tango orange accoutrements, such as an orange hairband, orange ankle socks, orange hair decorations etc. The extravagant vegan cakes that she made for Tango volunteers were to die for; it was worth being a steward to try them. She and husband Mike (a CAMRA first aider) rather roughed it at London festivals in their camper van, often in pretty cold weather. She simply appreciated a container of cider after closing time for her efforts involving long autumnal days on duty. I knew from her how scientifically talented her two adult children were but she never crowed about their skills in any way; a rare skill. She simply rejoiced in other people’s talents. Her kindness and support to the retired and rescue dogs that she took on was another phenomenon. I have felt at ease with rottweilers ever since meeting her prized dog Promise (ex-US Air force trained). Max, her late lamented labrador retriever, who was horribly abused until she and Mike rehabilitated him, loved travelling with them and was well known at Wandle Beer Festival, although Elspeth struggled to keep him from jumping in the nearby Wandle! Everyone has said how loyal she was to her CAMRA branches, Luton and then Bradford, their home turf.
Helen Toomey