27/10/2022
Paul Soden - Obituary
Paul passed away last month, his funeral was on Tuesday 25 October.
Time and tide wait for no-one, and his name has largely faded into the background of the history of small scale brewing in the UK today.
He took the chair from 1985 to 1992 when SIBA, not then a national organisation, was in danger of collapse.
His charismatic personality helped energise SIBA, his pubs and brewery [Jolly Roger Brewing Co., Total Brewing Services]in Worcester and Hereford providing a vital focus for the organisation.
He saw the need for SIBA to become a political force, changing its direction from what was almost a purely social organisation.
With the efforts of the early pioneers, Carola Brown [Ballards Brewery], the late Jim Laker [Exmoor Ales] , Phil Freakly [Aston Manor Brewery] and David Roberts [Pilgrim Brewery], the foundations for the campaign for Small Brewers relief were laid by what was then known as “The Small Independent Brewers Association”, pulling a range of publicity stunts including petitions to No.!0, delivering casks of ale to the House of Commons, and Pauls constant efforts to get news items into the main stream, all achieved in the days when SIBA was about volunteering, a dream, and no money to spend to achieve their aims.
Without the efforts of this band of Brewers, with Paul very much in the vanguard, much of the industry as it is today, would not exist.
Paul carried on partying throughout his full life and SIBA survived in a different form and changed through several regenerations into the organisation which it is today, but would never have achieved without the efforts of its volunteer band of visionary brewers who wouldn't take no for an answer.
In recent years, Paul had established himself in Gloucester, taking on several pubs in the city centre, establishing several uniquely Paul style events (a local Notting Hill style annual carnival, the Famous Halloween Zombie Walk, and a major part in the Gloucester Blues festival to name just a few). He bought his usual drive and enthusiasm to these events,and Gloucester definitely benefited from his love of a good party and a high profile event.
The brewing industry will see few people of his style and calibre again, and his story deserves to be told.
