RECORD numbers of people flocked to Basingstoke Sports and Social Club as the annual OctoberFest event returned.

More than 8,000 visitors across the weekend descended on the Fairfields Road venue to enjoy a variety of real ale from across the region with nearly 220 different beers and ciders, and new for this year, craft ales which were sold in a new third quiet marquee.

For the ninth year the event was organised by the Wessex Heritage Trust and featured a range of stalls, live entertainment and a bouncy castle for the younger visitors.

Director of the charitable trust, Ian Smith said: “We had record numbers on the Friday works night out, and record numbers on the family day on Sunday. There was no trouble and everyone just enjoyed the atmosphere and had a really good time.

“The event has always been seen as a bit of a last hooray of summer for the people of Basingstoke and each year we come back the people of this town have really adopted it as their own.”

As previously reported in The Gazette, the trust is looking to hand over the ownership of the event to a more ‘professional’ company to take on the running of the weekend-long celebrations.

There had been rumours that this would mean OctoberFest leaving Basingstoke, but Mr Smith was quick to squash these suggestions.

He added: “I can assure everyone that OctoberFest will once again be returning to Basingstoke and will continue to be held at the cricket and sports club.

“It is a great location and families and business always enjoy the event, we just want to see it grow.”