ESP April 2018 by ESP Magazine

APRIL 2018 Issue 224

Your best guide to what’s on in Greater Peterborough Bringing you the best of local Leisure and Lifestyle in Greater Peterborough for 19 years!

Stamford Corn Exchange celebrates 10 years

Nadine Coyle

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Editor Sharon McAllister sharon.mcallister@espmag.co.uk

ADVERTISING Head of Sales & Marketing Sean McAllister sean.mcallister@espmag.co.uk Sales Manager Charlotte Lewis charlotte.lewis@espmag.co.uk

DESIGN Tony Mayer tony.mayer@espmag.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY Andy Vernum, Emma Bothamley, Mike Harris, Chris Brudenell, Andrew James, Tim Steele

COLuMNISTS Pep Cipriano pep.cipriano@espmag.co.uk Darren Grigas darren.grigas@espmag.co.uk Keith Dalton keith.dalton@espmag.co.uk Phil Adlam phil.adlam@espmag.co.uk Karen Devine karen.devine@espmag.co.uk

REPORTERS Mikey Clarke mikey.clarke@espmag.co.uk Sarah Tempest sarah.tempest@espmag.co.uk Sarah Slack sarah.slack@espmag.co.uk

CONTRIBuTORS Gavin Miller gavin.miller@espmag.co.uk Marc Hernandez marc.hernandez@espmag.co.uk Rachael Church rachael.church@espmag.co.uk

ESP MAGAZINE LTD Directors Sharon McAllister sharon.mcallister@espmag.co.uk Sean McAllister sean.mcallister@espmag.co.uk

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ESP is a totally independent publication, not linked in any way to any other Peterborough publications. ESP is written, researched, designed and published by ESP Magazine Ltd. The views expressed in this magazine are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. All design and artwork is the copyright of its respective owner. Reproduction of any part of this publication is strictly prohibited unless prior written consent is given by the publishers.

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Peterborough band Idolising Nova have secured a major gig and we couldn’t be more pleased for the guys! Just as we went to press it was announced that they’re supporting The Vamps on their Night And Day Tour in Amsterdam, Paris & Cologne this month. The Amsterdam and Paris shows have already sold out. The guys told ESP – "We are so excited to play these shows with The Vamps. We're just three lads from Peterborough who play music in their spare time, so being given an opportunity like this is just crazy!" We have been following the band since their launch on the local circuit and they’ve already clocked up some great appearances. Following their recent sold out hometown show, they're playing at The Met Lounge again on Friday May 4 supporting Airways. Tickets are available from www.idolisingnova.com.

BACK TO LIFE ON THE MOVE Vintage and retro fashion store Back to Life is on the move. From April 9 the shop is relocating out of the Westgate Arcade, but not far, just outside onto Westgate itself between North’s Shoes and Smart Fone. If you love retro styles and accessories this is a treasure trove of goodies!

GREAT ORMOND STREET FESTIVAL CHARITY DAY They’re a charitable bunch over at The Bull in Newborough and they’re staging a special charity day to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. The Mayor will be opening the event on Saturday May 5 at 2pm and it’ll run through until 9pm. There’ll be plenty of family fun throughout the day including a bouncy castle, tombola, face painting and lots more. You can belt out some tunes on the karaoke in the bar and enjoy a disco. There will also be live music from Frenzy Unplugged, Black Hawk Down, Bewildered, Pegler, DB5 and Car Park Rendezvous.

ACOUSTIC CAFÉ OPEN MIC SESSION If you’re an acoustic musician and would like to share your talents at an out of town venue here’s an unusual one to try. The Café at the John Clare Cottage in Helpston is offering a chance to play your instruments, sing or listen to other performers. Reverend Dave Maylor will lead the session on blues guitar and there’ll be refreshments, including a licensed bar. Entry’s free but any donations will be divided between the John Clare Trust and St Botolph’s Church. For more details call the Clare Cottage on 01733 253330 or visit www.clarecottage.org/ pages/whats-on

BURGHLEY EASTER EGG HUNT If your garden just doesn’t cut it when it comes to sending the kids out hunting for Easter eggs, supersize their Easter fun with a trip to Burghley House in Stamford. The popular Burghley Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday April 1 should do the trick! It’s all taking place in the Gardens of Surprise, from 11am to 5pm (last admission 4.30pm) with a treasure hunt and riddles to solve to claim a full size chocolate egg from the Easter Bunny. You can also test your own Easter knowledge to try and win an afternoon tea in The

Orangery Restaurant. All entries will go in to the prize draw for a giant chocolate Easter Bunny. www.burghley.co.uk.

EASTER EGG HUNT: WIN £50! From March 30 to April 13, Peterborough One is inviting shoppers to embark on an Easter Egg Hunt around the park for the chance to win £50. Simply hunt out the 5 Easter Eggs hidden in PE1’s shops at the centre in Eye (formerly Garden Park), each of which displays a letter. Find all the letters to spell out the secret word, and you could be a winner! Find out more via www.pe1.co.uk.

BURGHLEY HORSE POWER If you’re a fan of four wheels with looks and charm the TVR gathering at Burghley House should rev your engine! The TVR Car Club will be gathering in force at Burghley for their annual season opener. With a cross section of models, Club Shop and TVR related trade stands there’ll be plenty to see and do. Motor down there on Sunday April 8 and lust over the line up of gorgeous cars.

EASTER FUN AT SPRINGFIELDS There’s plenty of Easter fun lined up at Springfields Outlet Centre in Spalding so you can keep the kids amused while you grab a bargain. An Easter Egg Hunt runs from March 29 – April 2 and includes an activity pack, King Kong sunflower seed with pot, compost and instructions and chocolate egg. It’s £6 per entrant and there’ll be a prize draw with the chance to win a Nintendo Switch with Super Mario Odyssey game Other entertainment includes face painting on March 29/30, and April 3, 6 and 9. There’ll be lambs and handlers on April 3 and 6 and a mini farm with pigs, goats and alpaca on April 9 and April 13. There are also craft sessions to make wildflower seed bombs and paint a mug/plate which have a small cost and must be booked in advance so for more details call 01775 722249 or check www.springfieldsshopping. co.uk.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED TO HELP PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA If you have a little spare time the Alzheimer’s Society is appealing for more volunteers in Peterborough to help make a meaningful difference to those affected by dementia. From fundraising and administration to providing information and support in the community, there are a variety of opportunities available which you can learn more about at a local event. Just head along to their recruitment event at the Dementia Resource Centre on Lincoln Road on Friday April 20, 10am to 2pm to find out more. Anyone unable to attend the event but interested in volunteering for Alzheimer’s Society in Peterborough can email debbie.holmes@ alzheimers.org.uk or call the Dementia Resource Centre on 01733 893853.

NEW HAIR SALON @ ALWALTON HALL

The city’s newest spa and wellness centre, Alwalton Hall, now has a new hair salon. Now as well as pampering yourself with some lovely beauty and body treatments you can give your hair some TLC too at The Stables. There are two experienced Creative Designers in the new hair salon which has just opened as Alwalton Hall celebrates its first anniversary. Call 01733 391166 to book now!

FG4 NEW FASHION BRAND @ BEALES

Designer George Davies has brought his new range FG4 for women and girls to Beales on Westgate and it’s the first time the department store has stocked a range for young girls.

It follows on from the successful addition of Dorothy Perkins and Burtons to Beales’ fashion ranges. FG4 is billed as a high quality range at a great price and will react fast to the changing trends so you know you’re always in fashion.

TORNADO AND PADDINGTON AT NVR There’s plenty of fun coming up at Nene Valley Railway this spring including the celebration of the Tornado locomotive’s 10th birthday and the chance to meet Paddington. The events kick off with an Easter Egg Hunt March 31 – April 2 followed by a Diesel Gala from April 6 - 8 and the Mail by Rail weekend on April 28 and 29. The iconic Tornado is the record breaking locomotive which was the first to reach 100mph in 50 years in 2017 and also featured on the big screen in Paddington 2. The Tornado 10 celebrations run from May 5 - 7 and on May 6 there’s also the chance to meet Paddington at various intervals. To book visit www.nvr.org.uk.

EASTER PERFORMING ARTS WORKSHOPS The Eastern School of Performing Arts (ESPA) based in Stamford is offering the chance for teenagers to take part in special workshops over Easter. ESPA offers full time performing arts training for post 16 students on fully funded courses. This Easter they’re opening the doors to all young people aged 15+ for a series of intensive workshops with their experienced tutors. These are open to all and not just ESPA students. This is a great opportunity for young people to work in an exciting environment with professional staff who’ve worked across the industry in the West End, Cruise Ships and TV/Film. There are workshops in musical and physical theatre and various dance styles from April 10 – 13. To book into the workshops or find out more call 01780 767696 and find them on Facebook @EasternSchoolPA for videos of performances and their latest news.

LocalEntertainment

Men United In Song

More Great Theatre in Platform8 Festival The fourth season of the Platform8 Festival got off to a good start last month and continues into April with more great theatre. After the sell out performance of Live Before You Die at the Brewery Tap last month the next show, Ugly Chief is at the Key Theatre on Friday April 20 and Saturday April 21. This is the latest show by award-winning British artist Victoria Melody. She’s teamed up with her dad, TV antique dealer Mike Melody, for her most ambitious show yet. Ugly Chief is a comedy based on true-life events, performed by a real-life father and daughter. In 2013, Mike was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease and given five years to live. Victoria was put in charge of planning the funeral (complete with eulogies, a New Orleans jazz procession and a congregation dressed in Blackpool FC tangerine). But a year later the doctors realised they’d misdiagnosed him. Victoria and Mike decided to go ahead with the funeral anyway. Ugly Chief plays out two funerals – the one Victoria planned and the one her dad really wanted. And Mike is guest of honour at both. As the show unfolds, it unpicks the complicated relationship with a parent whose opinion you don't always agree with. Mike will be running his own version of the Antiques Roadshow during the show. You’re also invited to bring along your heirlooms, curiosities and collectables for him to value during the show. No promises but if he likes it, he might even buy it! Musicians James Gow, Steve Pretty (Hackney Colliery Band), Kieran Rafferty and Gemma Storr provide the appropriate live accompaniment for the funeral – including Soul classics and more! Also part of Platform8 is a groovy show for under 4’s and their families, Sponge by Turned On Its Head. Babies, young children and families are invited to roll, squeeze and pop themselves through this new squidgy dance show for very young children, set to original disco music, straight from the Car Wash. Two friendly dancers play along with the children to explore squishy, squashy sensations, experiencing shape, texture and touch to meet Splegs, a leggy character who needs a bit of help walking. There’ll be seven daytime performances at St John’s Church, Cathedral Square between Thursday April 19 - Saturday April 21.

The Importance of Being Earnest Peterborough Mask theatre group are set to take the main stage of the Key Theatre for their latest production this month. Following the recent successes of Jerusalem and Pygmalion, they’re bringing us Oscar Wilde’s timeless comedy The Importance of Being Earnest poking fun at the upper classes of the day. It follows the exploits of Jack and Algernon, two sophisticated menabout-town, as they pursue the ever dwindling affections of Gwendolyn and Cecily under the keen eye of dominating matriarch, Lady Bracknell. Throw in a whole host of flamboyant characters, lashings of charm, a dash of wit and it’ll be a great show. The show is running every evening from April 11-14 at 7.30pm, with a matinee on the 14th at 2pm. Tickets are selling fast, so grab yours now on www.vivacitypeterborough.com or 01733 207239.

Join the Men United In Song choir as they perform live on stage with Peterborough Male Voice Choir in a charity concert in support of Prostate Cancer UK. This concert is the culmination of a 10-week project and features a varied programme of choral favourites, ballads and songs from the shows. See it at the Cresset on Saturday April 14. Tickets are £17.50, concessions £16 on 01733 265705.

Rock For Heroes

Rock fans won’t be disappointed by this live and loud music experience with Rock For Heroes! There’ll be anthems from David Bowie, Queen, Status Quo and many more, performed by a full live rock band and superb singers. It’s a must-see show for any rock fans at the Cresset on Thursday April 12 and is in support of Help For Heroes. Tickets are £21.50, concessions £19.50 on 01733 265705.

For more info on all of the Platform8 shows visit www.jumpeduptheatre.com.

Menopause The Musical

Rhythm of the Night

For the ultimate girly night out this hilarious show at the Cresset is the one to see! After a sold-out show in 2017, Menopause The Musical returns on Saturday April 21. With an all-star cast including Cheryl Fergison (Eastenders), this hysterical show is packed with one-liners and parody songs about hot flushes and memory loss! Tickets are £29 on 01733 265705.

Here’s one for all those fans of sequins, fake tan and Strictly glamour. Strictly Come Dancing professionals Ian Waite and Oti Mabuse partner up for this evening of high-intensity dance in Rhythm of the Night, performing a fantastic dance showcase with plenty of glitter! There are also meet and great packages available ideal for those big Strictly fans. Enter the ballroom at the Cresset on Thursday April 26 – ticket packages vary so book now on 01733 265705.

www.espmag.co.uk

Si Cranstoun Twisting the Night Away If you like a little Doo Wop, Rock n’ Roll and Rocking Rhythm & Blues Si Cranstoun and his band are the ones to see. The distinctive tenor highs of Si Cranstoun’s voice echo that of Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke and the great black American singers of old. This amazing show is a highly charged toe tapping journey, driven by retro dance rhythms and spearheaded by his ability to write songs that could have been hits in the fifties. Si has established himself as a regular attraction at the major Swing and Blues festivals in the UK and Europe and BBC Radio 2 presenter Chris Evans is a fan. See him for yourself on Friday April 27 at the Key Theatre. Tickets are £19.50 on 01733 207239.

With its tranquil waterside location and historic name, The Boathouse is an idyllic pub, in the heart of the Nene Valley Country Park. • Riverside location • Outside seating • Outside play area • Dog walkers • Walking groups welcome • Car parking

• Lunchtime menu (Monday - Saturday 12-4) • Evening set menu (Monday - Thursday 4-10) • Tesco clubcard voucher + Gourmet society cards accepted

Buffets for:

Wakes • Weddings • Birthdays

The Ultimate Commitments & Blue Brothers Experience Two iconic films packed with brilliant tunes are celebrated and brought together in this show at The Cresset on Saturday April 28. It’s guaranteed to be a truly brilliant night out that’ll have you up dancing in the aisles and singing along. This double tribute show brings back the fantastic music and moments from the films that made these two cult classics – The Commitments and The Blues Brothers – get your trilby hat on, don your Raybans and see out April with a party. Tickets are £19.50, concessions £18.50 on 01733 265705.

Carpenters Gold – Live in Concert The look and sound of The Carpenters’ worldwide tours of the 70s is reproduced in this tribute show including a special highlight where 'Karen' plays the drums with her full live backing band. The show’s produced by the London West End Director of 80's Mania, The Abba Reunion Tribute Show and Abba Mania and International West End vocalist Vikki Holland-Bowyer sounds uncannily similar to the superstar with the iconic voice. Carpenters Gold supremely captures how they were ‘live in concert’ and is a must for all fans featuring their greatest hits, such as Goodbye to Love, Solitaire, We've Only Just Begun, Top of the World, Yesterday Once More, Superstar, plus many more. See them at The Key Theatre on Friday April 20. Tickets are £21.50 on 01733 207239.

Peterborough Arts Cinema The Thursday night film screenings at the John Clare Theatre inside the Central Library continue this month with another interesting line up for film fans. On Thursday April 5 it’s the incredible story depicted in oil painted animation Loving Vincent, the Nominated Golden Globe Best Animation Feature. On Thursday April 12 it’s Sally Potter's new dark comedy The Party starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Timothy Spall Next up Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem and Ed Harris star in Mother! screening on Thursday April 19. They see out the month’s film showings on Thursday April 26 with Daphne starring Emily Beecham, Geraldine James and Tom Vaughan-Lawler. For more details visit www.peterboroughartscinema.co.uk. www.espmag.co.uk

Thorpe Meadows, Peterborough PE3 6GA 01733 898469 | chefandbrewer.com

LocalEvents

Ladies Night @ The Races

Open Air Cinema @ Ferry Meadows Classic musical Mamma Mia will be the feature film when East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) hosts an open air cinema experience at Peterborough’s Ferry Meadows Country Park. The event on Saturday April 28 promises to be full of fun, with a live band to entertain until the film begins. There’ll be hot food and drinks, or why not take a picnic? Polly West, EACH Cambridgeshire Community Fundraiser, said: “We’re really excited to be screening such a popular film as Mamma Mia and have a fantastic night full of music, laughter and entertainment in store, so please do join us! “All money raised will help us continue providing care for children with life-threatening conditions across the region and support for their families.” Gates will open at 6.30pm when you can just grab your spot and settle down ready for the film around 8pm. Tickets are £12. To book and for more information about both the event and the charity’s care services, visit www.each.org.uk/cinema.

Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair If you love all things retro don’t miss Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair which returns to Peterborough Cathedral on Saturday April 21. The winner of Best Vintage Fair at The National Vintage Awards for the past three years, it’s a treasure trove of unique, handpicked quality goods with stalls of vintage fashion, accessories, home, 8

www.espmag.co.uk

Swing Back to the 1920s for Alzheimer’s Society

Time to get your glad rags on Flapper style at a Great Gatsby themed ball in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society. The volunteer fundraising group in Peterborough is inviting people to their second charity ball to unite against dementia on Saturday May 5. The event’s being held at The Fleet, in Fletton where food and drink will be provided alongside room for dancing. Debbie Holmes, Alzheimer’s Society Volunteering Officer in Peterborough, said: “We’re delighted to see this event return after its success last year. We raised more than £3,000 and we will be hoping to do even better this year. “Every pound from the charity ball will help provide information and support, improve care, fund research and create lasting change for people affected by dementia.” Tickets are £35 each and available through the Dementia Resource Centre, 441 Lincoln Road, Peterborough, PE1 2PE. To book a ticket call 01733 893853 or email graziella.ciniero@alzheimers.org.uk.

collectables and more from some of the UK’s finest vintage traders. There will also be a tea party with teas and delicious cakes served up on beautiful vintage china in the pop-up tearoom. If you fancy a retro makeover stop by the hair and beauty salon to get the oh so gorgeous look you’ve always dreamed of. For perfect pin curls, amazing victory rolls and sky-scraping beehives, a visit to the salon is a must. It’s all on from 11am – 4pm and it’s £2.50 admission on the door.

Get your hats at the ready girls for Ladies Night at Huntingdon Racecourse. You can bet on having a great time on Tuesday May 22 as there’ll be live music, a wine festival and of course exciting racing so you might also be a winner! Tickets start from £18, for all the details just visit www.huntingdon.thejockey club.co.uk.

Wedding Fayre @The Limetree

If you’re getting hitched pop Sunday April 29 in your diary and head down to The Limetree in Walton for a new Wedding Fayre. There’ll be the chance to check out their new wedding room and the opportunity to sort out all your wedding requirements in one place. There’s everything from catering to wedding cars, hair and makeup to stationery. There’ll be a welcome drink on arrival and it’s on from 10am - 4pm.

Gatsby Gin Festival If you’re a fan of gin, Peaky Blinders and good times The Burghley ticks all the boxes on Saturday April 21. They’re staging a Gatsby Gin Festival at the venue on Burghley Road with over 20 gins to try from 12 noon onwards. They’re encouraging you to don peaky Blinders style clothing if you want to get into the spirit of things, but it’s not essential. There’ll be live tunes throughout the day with Black Elvis performing in the evening at 9pm. There will also be a charity auction in aid of Help For Heroes and it’s free admission.

LocalEvents

St. George’s Day Celebration Celebrate England’s patron saint with a day of celebrations at The Burghley on Burghley Road in Peterborough. From 12 noon onwards on Monday April 23 there’ll be offers on British drinks, bangers and mash for just £3.99 and a raffle for Help For Heroes. In the evening there’ll be great live music from Arc Nation.

Glow in the Park for East Anglian Air Ambulance Are you ready to glow for it and help keep the East Anglian Air Ambulance in the air? Originally scheduled for last October but scuppered by high winds, Glow in the Park is back on Saturday April 14 so let’s get glowing folks! The East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) and Glow in the Park are bringing us this epic 5km, night-time, neon-lit run and glow party at the East of England Showground in Peterborough Dance, jog, walk or run on an epic voyage of six glow zones featuring a foam zone, paint blast zone and time tunnel. Events Manager for EAAA, Catrina Laskey, said; “We are really excited to be partnering with Glow in the Park for this fantastic event, which provides an exciting evening out for the whole family. Why not have a great time and raise funds for us in the process? You can set up a Just Giving page or download a sponsorship form from the Glow in the Park website. All funds you raise go directly towards helping us keep our helicopters in the sky, so we can continue saving lives.” EAAA is a charity providing a helicopter emergency medical service to us all across East Anglia. They receive no direct government funding so rely solely on donations to help them save lives. For all the event details and to book tickets please go to www.glowinthepark.co.uk or email catrina.laskey@eaaa.org.uk.

Cider For St. George! The Frothblowers in Werrington and The Blue Bell are celebrating cider and St George with their special weekend festivals. From Friday April 20 – Sunday April 22 it’s The Cider Monkeys’ St George’s Birthday Wassail at The Frothblowers. Head down just before 7pm for the presentation of the Peterborough CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year award. The Werrington Cider Festival is on at The Blue Bell in the village over that weekend and on Saturday April 21 there’s a joint event with The Frothblowers with a ‘ciderbus’ running between the two venues!

Deeping Summer Ball Announced It’s time to get your tickets for the luxurious annual charity Deeping Summer Ball, so don’t miss out. This popular event returns for a sixth year on Saturday June 10 and tickets are on sale now. It’s always a great occasion for getting dressed to the nines and enjoying a glamorous night out and this year it’s all in aid of Cardiac Risk in the Young in memory of Lucy Jessop. There’ll be around 300 guests in

the marquee at the Deeping Sports and Social Club enjoying fizz on arrival, a four course dinner and great music from Funk Soul Brother so make sure you’re one of them! You can get snapped by the photographer on the red carpet as you arrive and enjoy drinks at the The Cocktail and Champagne Bar, or a pint of real ale if you prefer! Tickets are £55 from sharon@simplyhathire.com or call 07523 861289.

Drive In Movie Nights @ Sacrewell A big screen is heading to the farm as Sacrewell hosts some of your favourite movies at a drive in cinema! Grab your popcorn and head along this Easter holiday from March 30 to April 14 for this great cinematic experience. They’ll be showing family favourites and classics including Star Wars, Harry Potter, Spectre, The Lion King, Frozen, Grease, and many more. It’s £10 per car, with snacks and drinks available to purchase on site and all movies start at 8pm. For more info and tickets head to www.sacrewell.org.uk/events/drive-movie-nights/

10 www.espmag.co.uk

Join Clubbercise For YMCA Clubbercise Instructors Sarah Mason and Lucia Templeman are joining forces with YMCA Trinity Group to host their second annual YMCA Clubbathon charity event at Queen Katharine Academy on Saturday April 21 from 7pm – 9pm. It had to be postponed from last month due to the pesky snow! The Clubbercise event using glowsticks and dance music will be raising money to provide YMCA mental health support in schools across Peterborough. Tickets are £10 and are available through www.ymcatrinity.org.uk.

Blue Bell Inn D O G S T H O R P E

One of Peterborough oldest Pubs we offer a warm welcome in lovely surroundings.

April Entertainment Sat 7th

Mullered at The Mill Fri 13th Velocity Sat 14th 80's music night Sat 21st Dirty Rumour Sat 28th Subway 77

Large screen TV and BT/Sky Sports Quiz night starting soon

Sunday Lunch from 12-4pm Adults £6.95 Children £4.95 Desserts from £2.95 1st April

Easter Sunday Lunch (Booking recommended)

Blue Bell Inn, Welland Road, Dogsthorpe, Peterborough PE1 3SA

Tel 01733 313700

How to get involved: • • • • • •

Host your own 900-themed event or activity Add a Peterborough Celebrates element to your existing campaign, event or activity Add the logo to your marketing collateral Volunteer at or attend some of the planned celebrations Visit the Cathedral Spread the word!

900 VIRTUAL BIKE RIDE CHALLENGE

THRILLSEEKERS SET TO CONQUER PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL IN MAY Do you have nerves of steel and fancy the thrill of descending 150 feet abseiling down the side of Peterborough Cathedral? First you’ll need to conquer the spiral staircase up to the great North West Tower and then pluck up the courage to step back over the edge! It’s certainly going to be a memorable way to mark the cathedral’s 900th anniversary and also raise funds for Peterborough-based charity Shine, which provides specialist support for people affected by spina bifida and hydrocephalus – complex conditions affecting movement, learning and health. Never fear Derby Mountain Rescue will be on hand to safely guide the proceedings as your friends and family cheer you on from below. Some of the ESP team have already signed up and if you’d like to take part in this exciting challenge you can book directly via www.cathedralabseil.com. Registration is £50 (plus a booking fee) and you’re encouraged to raise a minimum of £250 to support the two worthy causes – prizes will be awarded to the top fundraisers. Participants must be at least 16years-old in order to take part. Places are limited and selling fast, so book soon to avoid disappointment. Live coverage of the event will be broadcast on Heart FM – the event’s official media partner – on Friday May 18 and the abseil continues on Saturday May 19. To find out more about Shine, go to www.shinecharity.org.uk or call 01733 555988. For more information about the Peterborough Celebrates campaign, visit www.peterboroughcelebrates.org.uk. 12 www.espmag.co.uk

Local companies and organisations are all being encouraged to get involved with Peterborough Celebrates and Lloyds banking group are staging a virtual 900 bike tour across England and Wales. They’re doing it as part of the 900 campaign but also to raise money for YMCA Timestop in Peterborough. They’ll be sat in the saddle pedalling furiously from 10am – 4pm at the Serpentine Green Shopping Centre in Hampton on Sunday April 15 so please show your support. They aim to virtually visit YMCA sites across the country starting in Peterborough and heading to YMCA’s in London, Cardiff and Newcastle. To find out more visit www.ymcatrinitygroup.org.uk.

900 METRE RACE WITH PETER BURROW Peterborough businesses are coming up with great ideas to support Peterborough Celebrates and Group Travel World are challenging you to a 900m race. Can you beat Posh mascot Peter Burrow to the finish line? The race is on for you and your colleagues over 900 metres at the Athletics Track on Wednesday April 18. It’s just £10 and your work colleagues can support you for free. It’s on from 1pm – 3pm and there are opportunities for your company to showcase the business with a trade stand. Contact Harley Denham to secure your place harley.denham@grouptravel world.com.

ANNA’S HOPE FAIRY WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT Stamford based charity Anna’s Hope is hoping to break a Guinness World Record as part of Peterborough Celebrates and it’ll take a little fairy dust to do it! They need at least 900 people to dress up as fairies at the event in the grounds of Peterborough Cathedral on Sunday June 10. With your help – and some wings – you can be part of the world record attempt for the Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Fairies in One Place. To qualify as a fairy, you must wear a tutu, wings and carry a wand! Anna’s Hope founder, Carole Hughes said – “The charity was inspired by my daughter Anna, who died from a brain tumour aged only 3. She loved dressing up as a fairy. Anna’s Hope now helps over 120 children with a brain tumour each year and by breaking the world record it will not only be fun and a great achievement it will also help raise awareness of children with brain tumours.” The world record attempt will take place in front of the Cathedral from 12.30 and will finish around 2.30pm. Entrance is free and to register just visit www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/annas-hopefairy-world-record-tickets-39775385248 For more information about the event please visit www.annas-hope.co.uk or contact Carole Hughes by e-mail admin@annashope.co.uk.

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ano Pep Cipri

pep.cipriano@espmag.co.uk

Emotion is the Love Potion EliteSingles says 95% of women prefer a man who's open about his emotions. Really? I challenge any woman to listen to my potty mouth when my team Juventus are playing or Valentino Rossi is racing and tell me afterwards I'm still the preferred one.

Honoured to be with an Alderman Last year’s Mayor David Sanders has been awarded the prestigious accolade of Honorary Alderman of the City and I was invited by David to a black-tie dinner party in celebration of his newly found status. The trouble was (as you can see in the photo) I showed up at The George in Stamford wearing a polo shirt and jeans and the staff confused me for a linen delivery boy. Once I overcame that tricky hurdle I joined David

and his closest friends for a drink before they sat down for dinner – at which point I left to stock up the linen cupboard. David’s Alderman honour was in recognition of a distinguished service of 20 years as a city councillor and in his final year as Mayor when he raised almost £50,000 for his chosen charities. I’ve known David for almost 10 years and can honestly say his bark is worse than his bite. He’s

CIAOS OUT

really a big softie but with a rugged determination when he believes in something, which is an attribute that made him such a good councillor. He also knows when to listen and how to make time for others and he’s one of the most generous people I know. So generous in fact, I still can’t believe how cheap he sold me my first motorbike! Thanks for the memories David. Now let’s make some new ones.

Vic’s to Host all White-Collar Shows? Promoter Kevin Sanders and Vic Imbriano are working together to try and establish Vic’s Gym in Hampton as the only venue for white-collar boxing shows in the region. The move comes as authorities begin to clamp down on poorly managed white-collar shows that fail to adhere to health and safety and licensing laws. Kev and Vic are aiming to start an association whereby promoters and gyms can apply to put on their shows at Vic’s, where boxing events have been run correctly for several years. I must have been to every show Vic has organised at his gym and can honestly say the fighters have been evenly matched and the crowd have behaved respectfully. The next show at Vic’s is on Saturday April 21 and it’s being managed by Kev who has a wealth of experience in this arena. For more information and for tickets, call Kev on: 07872 601467.

CAUGHT IN

THE ACT! “Local photograph y for the first time. legends pictured together No more words ne eded!”

Richard - shall I learn to paint? Jules and Dani - congrats. See you at Xmas.x Dom - Duxford here we come? Pete - when am I being David Bailey? Rai and Rob - belated compleanno wishes Pietro - how's the band management?

Man About Town proudly sponsored by

62 Albert Place, City of Peterborough, Peterborough PE1 1DD t: 01733 310600 e: info@beehivepub.co.uk | info@poshfishandchips.co.uk

Buon Compleanno Claire! So, last month the ‘C’ on my keyboard broke and this meant I couldn’t type Claire (of Keith and Claire broadcasting fame) into my story about special ladies I’d highlighted for International Women’s Day. Oddly, Claire didn’t believe me and gave me a bit of a telling off, spurred on by Keith (thanks, thought we were mates!) on the Keith and Claire Show, which is broadcast every Saturday morning on PCR FM. I’ve been trying to think of ways to make it up to Claire and I thought the best thing was to bake her a birthday cake, but actually eat all of it myself, so that she doesn’t get fat. Claire’s always going on about looking after her figure and on this occasion, I’ve looked after it for her. Claire: I was so proud of my baking creation that I had a photo taken of me with it and your card. I couldn’t fit all 5? (damn, the number I need on my keyboard is broke!) candles on it though, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

More than just a Place for a Pint

My editor, bless her, she does try. She knows I don’t like water, unless I’m having a shower, but she’s been dropping hints about how the ESP team could use my upper body strength (didn’t know I had any) in our Dragon Boat this year. Nice try. But, I’ll be there if there’s food? This year’s Peterborough Dragon Boat Festival will be the 20th running of this annual team event and our ESP ‘Motley Crew’ will be taking to the water for the second year running. The rowing and splashing takes place on Saturday June 9 at Peterborough Rowing Lake and the aptly named Motley Crew will be joining another 50 or so teams who will battle it out over the 200-metre course. Each crew’s guaranteed a minimum of three races and participants are invited to raise money for Thorpe Hall Hospice before and on the day of the race. So, for fun on the water, visit www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk/peterborough. To speak to the Thorpe Hall fundraising team, call: 01733 225999.

I’m not going to lie, it was too cold, so I bailed. But huge respect to all the scooterists who travelled miles and braved the zero temperature and bitter-cold wind to be part of the 21st Easter Egg Run. They gathered in their droves at The Heron Pub in Stanground and made the annual journey to Thorpe Hall with a lorry load of Easter eggs. Well done to everyone who turned out (including ESP photographer Mike Harris) and for putting me to shame at the same time!

NOSTALGIA We all love a bit of what brings back good memories and puts a smile on our face: Return of the Jedi lunch box, Raleigh Chopper, Postman Pat cuddly toy, CocaCola signs, Spiderman wall art, Triumph bicycle, Corgi cars, Sade debut vinyl album, fairground bumper car, box leather jackets and just about anything else vintage and retro. Shameless plug I know, but check out my brother's business www.thenostalgialounge.co.uk

OF THE MONTH

Enter the Dragon?

Runny Nose Egg Run

WORD

experience night you get some delicious food and five gin and tonics (I recommend sharing). They pride themselves on having more than 50 gins on sale, so make sure you pre-book a taxi. Best of all for a foodie like me, they serve Yorkshire Pudding wraps. Genius. My mouth is watering and I'm dribbling over my keyboard as I type this. Oh, and there's hot Scotch eggs too. Yum. Check out all that's happening at The Ostrich Inn on their Facebook page.

There's live music every Friday and Saturday, an Irish acoustic set on Sunday afternoons and they serve top craft ales along with a good range of KeyKeg beers every night of the week. Music and beer aside, you can take part in various games workshops including one that's called Blood Bowl, which is billed as the classic game of fantasy football. There's a league on the go, games are every other Tuesday and the winner gets a free bar tab! The Ostrich Inn is big on gin too and for just £25 on Saturday April 14 at their gin

Photo: Mike Harris

The Ostrich Inn on North Street in the city centre’s becoming one of the best pubs to go to for entertainment.

LocalFashion

Sprung at

Queensgate Roses are red, violets are blue – we're excited about this fashion event, and think you will be too...

o celebrate the new season of spring fashion, you're being invited along to explore Queensgate Shopping Centre's sensational style garden on Saturday April 28 and Sunday April 29. ‘Sprung at Queensgate’ sounds incredible creating a stunning visual fiesta of cascading roses, flower walls and blossoming corners into Central Square, designed to simulate every sense by building four different gardens, waiting to be explored. The main Rose Garden is where stylists and beauty experts will combine to give advice and tips on the S/S18 trends, latest looks and how to create a confident new stand out style this summer. You can treat yourself to a free makeup masterclass and relax on a grass sofa or beanbag while style experts showcase key looks for the season. Children will be able to take part in Sprung at Queensgate with flower pot decorating, seed planting and the chance to learn about edible plants in the Herb Garden, while fashionistas take a selfie on the garden swing. You'll be able to take a walk through the Scented Garden and discover a new fragrance for the summer by pressing one of the many flowers, which spray a

fresh new scent. Surprises will be hidden in the garden put together to celebrate the launch of Q Style, Queensgate’s own free fashion and lifestyle magazine.

“

16 www.espmag.co.uk

Next Embroided Shirt

Oasis Halter Ditsy Floral Dress

Topshop Floral Blouse

Central Square will be completely transformed into a stunning visual and sensory experience...

”

Laura Chandler, Marketing Manager at Queensgate Shopping Centre said: “We cannot wait to reveal the Sprung at Queensgate garden to our shoppers this spring. It’s the first of its kind for the centre and is a great excuse to get excited about the new trends for spring and summer this year. Central Square will be completely transformed into a stunning visual and sensory experience that will capture the imagination and excitement of all ages.” The Sprung at Queensgate garden is a free two-day event on Saturday April 28 and Sunday April 29 and open to all. No need to book in advance.

Monsoon Floral Shorts

M&S Pumps

www.espmag.co.uk

Food Glori us Food New Beer & Burger Menu @ Charters Charters on the river has always been known for its tasty Thai bar food but now there’s a delicious addition to the menu, everyone’s favourite – burgers! The new Beer & Burger Menu is available daily for just £10. Beers include Coors, JHB, Inferno, Stowford Press (pint) House Wine red/wine (125ml glass) and the

burgers are cooked to order with produce sourced from local suppliers. They’re available alongside the Thai menu at lunchtimes Monday – Saturday from 12 – 2.30pm and Sunday lunchtimes from 12 – 3.30pm or for dinner Sunday – Thursday from 5.30 – 8pm. They’re served in a brioche bun with

The Hare & Hounds Greatford

Photos: Mike Harris

Spring Menu @ Smith’s of Bourne Smith’s of Bourne has launched its new spring menu a tasty looking line up including dishes such as 14 hour Braised Beef and Ale Pie, Moroccan Lamb Meatballs and Chickpea Tagine, Blackened Thai Chicken Broth and Pumpkin and Ricotta Cannelloni. All of their dishes are freshly prepared on site so they say they can cater to all allergy requirements on the majority of their dishes and for those wanting gluten free or vegan options – just ask! Food is served from 12 noon – 2.30pm Monday to Friday, and 6 – 9pm in the evenings. On Saturday’s food is served from 12 noon until 9pm.

rosemary salted chips & dip, yum! There’s a great selection to choose from including Bacon & Mature Cheddar, Pepperoni & Mozzarella, Chilli & Bacon, Chorizo & Cheese, Pesto Chicken Grilled a tasty veggie option and of course you can just have your burger naked if you prefer!

ESP photographer Mike Harris drew our attention to the Hare & Hounds at Greatford which recently launched a new menu and does a fine line in homemade stone baked pizzas too. Mike gave both the food and the ales the thumbs up and recommends a visit to this old traditional pub complete with a roaring log fire on colder days (we’ve had plenty of those) and a lovely outside patio for warmer days. They serve up a hearty, good value, Sunday lunch and there’s a great selection of real ales on tap, cask beers and Belgian brews as well as gin cocktails. Chef’s specials are served

in a cast iron skillet and include dishes such as the interestingly titled Grunt, Gobble, Zoom and Coo Game Pie! There’s a broad range of homemade pizzas available including freshly made gluten free pizza dough and a range of gastro pizzas with more excellent names such as the Billy Goat Gruff, The Monty Don and the Hot and Hairy Calzone. Clearly a pub team with a sense of humour and some tasty food so pop over to Main Street in Greatford or give them a call on 01778 560332. They also stage a fortnightly pub quiz with the next ones being held on April 3 and 17.

New Festive Food & Gift Show Here’s another new event to look forward that should please food fans and shoppers! The new 3 day Festive Food & Gift Show will be held for the first time this year at the East of England Arena & Events Centre from November 16-18. Organised by Exciting Events Ltd, the show will feature over 200 pop-up shops, serving and selling festive food, drink and gifts as well as an outdoor mini winter wonderland with a children's fairground, and a full Christmas dinner carvery. Managing Director Shaun Lord said – “We're creating a fun-filled event for the whole family where everyone can enjoy the best that the festive season has to offer, all in one place. With a crèche for the little puds and a children's fairground, the grown-ups will have plenty of opportunities to explore the luxury food and drinks on offer and the many unique and personalised gifts for sale." 18 www.espmag.co.uk

The Copper Room Now Open A new craft beer venue’s opened up in Stamford offering a great range of ales, cider, rum and gin but it also serves food all day too. The Copper Room on St Mary’s Hill uses local Askers bread and meat from Grasmere with a range of snacks and light bites on offer as well as coffee.

Bughley Fine Food Market

Photos: Emma Bothamley

For a post Easter treat, the first of 2018’s Fine Food Markets at Burghley House in Stamford will be held on April 7 and 8. There’ll be traditional market stalls on the cobbled courtyard, where around 30 local suppliers will be selling regional produce. Foodies can enjoy everything from handmade cheeses and artisan breads to rare breed meats among many other treats. Its open from 10am to 4pm both days and it’s free admission. The gardens will also be open this weekend as part of the National Gardens Scheme so you can make a day of it. For more details visit www.burghley.co.uk or telephone 01780 752451.

Buzzing Offers @ The Beehive

Real ales • Live music • Good food • Function/meeting room hire • Open to all

You can make your weekend vibe last longer at The Beehive on Bourges Boulevard and eat out in style on Mondays with their Buy One Get One Free on main courses every Monday night in the restaurant. The Monday deal is on all main courses which includes any of the fish and chips and other mains such as Pie of the Day, Gruyere and Spinach Arancini and Battered Rutland Smoked sausage amongst others. They’re just as generous on Wednesday nights when they off a free dessert when you buy a main course. Their delicious range of desserts include Baked New York Cheesecake, Salted Caramel and Chocolate Tart and a Profiterole Tower as well as lots of other tasty options. Of course The Beehive is also home to delicious Posh Fish and Chips where you can grab a takeaway or take them into the pub to eat with a pint. www.espmag.co.uk

March events

April events

(All bands start at 9pm)

Fri 30 Mauricky Collins Sat 31 Outlaw Eagles

Sun 1

FOOD SERVED DAILY

Sunday carvery – all welcome Beef, pork, turkey and local veg

from only

£4.95

The Burghley is pleased to announce they have been awarded 5* for their facility

Third Stone from the Sun (8pm) Start Fri 6 Big W Disco Sat 7 Betty Swallocks Fri 13 Generation Spam Sat 14 Los Cojones - band Fri 20 Wayne Mills Disco Sat 21 Black Elvis Sat 21 Gin Festival 20 + gins to try from 12 noon onwards Mon 23 St George’s Day Celebrations open from 12noon Sat 28 Children of the Revolution

7 Burghley Road, Peterborough PE1 2QA Tel: 01733 896989 | www.theburghleyclub.co.uk

STRONG START FOR ANYTIME FITNESS WITH EDDIE HALL The new gym that’s open 24/7 in Peterborough has been officially opened by The World’s Strongest Man.

Eddie Hall certainly attracted attention at Anytime Fitness in the Orton Centre at the grand opening and well… you couldn’t really miss him! Local people keen to meet Eddie and to see the great new facilities at the gym went along to see for themselves and weren’t disappointed.

“There’s an amazing range of brand new ﬁtness equipment which members can use any time of day or night...”

Photos: Mike Harris

There’s an amazing range of brand new fitness equipment which members can use any time of day or night including fixed 20 www.espmag.co.uk

resistance machines, a free weight area and functional training equipment including a multi-purpose rig. Eddie was very impressed and complimented the owners on adding a great new facility to the city as he posed for pictures and even signed the gym wall! Equipped with your own special security key you can head to the gym literally whenever you like – and not just at the new gym in Orton – it’ll gain you access to more than 3,700 Anytime Fitness gyms that are open all over the world. “Access is only allowed with a key, so you are guaranteed a safe environment with members only,” says manager Tom Fletcher. “The remote monitoring of surveillance systems and personal safety devices ensures you are safe at all times.”

Whether you’re a regular gym goer or a gym newbie their team of friendly fitness professionals offer you a unique personal service with tailored fitness consultations and ‘get started plans’ for all members. For those who can’t make class times they even offer an array of virtual classes on offer in their studio for you to enjoy at any time of day or night! To find out more about Anytime Fitness Peterborough and information on memberships, please call 01733 530678 or visit www.anytimefitness.co.uk.

by Pep Cipriano

Pep Cipriano

pep.cipriano@espmag.co.uk

22 www.espmag.co.uk

Royal Enﬁeld rides into Balderston!

MCN FESTIVAL TICKETS FOR £15

I’ve only got a page to contain all my excitement, so I’ll get to the point – I think I’ve fallen in love, proper unconditional love, with a motorcycle.

Photos: Chris Brudenell

ust look at it. She’s an absolute beauty with curves in all the right places, drop dead stylish looks and just the right size to comfortably get my leg over (I don’t do tall bikes). I’m going to run out of adjectives... but cool, throwback, classic and fun sprung straight to mind when I first laid my eyes on the ‘orange crush’ Royal Enfield Interceptor 650. Until now, local lovers of Royal Enfield motorcycles have had to travel miles for the nearest showroom but thanks to BMW dealership Balderston Motorcycles, all you need to do now is make a trip to Hampton. This beauty of a bike and the entire Royal Enfield range are on sale at Balderston, along with the brand’s clothing and accessories range. My favourites, the orange Interceptor and the Continental GT won’t be available until May, so God only knows what I’m supposed to do until then! But when May comes I’ll be taking one on a test ride until I run out of petrol. I’ll also be heading out on one of the many 500cc machines in the Royal Enfield range. All of these bikes have one thing in common and that’s fun. The Indian manufacturer with sites in Chennai and in Leicestershire have focussed on creating machines that are a throwback to their heyday in the 1950s and 1960s. The bikes are accessible to everyone, which means the engines are designed to deliver an easy, rewarding and fun ride. Their flagship Interceptor and

Continental models are tuned as a balance of motorway cruising and slicing through rush hour traffic, not to mention blasting along Broads. The Interceptor is proper 1960s in its appearance and features an upright riding position and wide handlebars. The Continental is a café racer with clip-on bars, a solo seat and an upswept exhaust. Several manufactures have been reconnecting with their 1960s models for some years now, but these two Royal Enfield bikes just look that little bit cooler than anything else out there. Best of all is their pricing and although not officially confirmed, these two models are expected to come in at well under £7k, while the 500cc range are a steal for under five grand! That’s a lot of style for very little investment, especially in comparison to Triumph’s Bonneville and Norton’s Commando. Royal Enfield’s focus is on providing the experience of having a good time riding motorcycles and if they ride as good as they look then I’m going to need a bigger garage…

For more information about the Royal Enfield range and to book a test ride, call Balderston Motorcycles on: 01733 565470.

The Carole Nash MCN Festival of Motorcycling returns to the East of England Arena on the weekend of May 19-20 and if you book now, entry’s just £15. This event is motorcycling heaven where you get the chance to test ride the latest models from different manufacturers, watch some thrilling racing and meet Grand Prix legend Freddie Spencer and his collection of race bikes from a glittering career. There are dozens of tents and stands to buy quality clothing and

accessories at massively discounted prices too. Some exhibitors will also be entering you into draws to win motorbikes and there are deals to be had on buying brand new bikes and taking out insurance. If you’re a camper you’ll get free entry to the championship speedway round on the Saturday night and free entry to the Yamaha Dark Side party. Campers are also first in line for the manufacturer test rides each morning. For more information and tickets, visit www.mcnfestival.com.

REGISTER FOR CITY’S CLASSIC CAR SHOW Peterborough’s fifth Classic and Vintage Vehicle Festival is now open for registrations. Organisers Peterborough City Council are welcoming classic and vintage cars and caravans, motorcycles, scooters, commercial and agricultural vehicles, buses, exmilitary and other forms of transport from yesteryear to modern classics. This popular show takes place on the Embankment on Saturday September 1 and Sunday September 2. The event, which is free to attend, will also feature a host of shopping opportunities, hot food stalls and family entertainment. To register, visit www.peterborough.gov.uk/classicvehicle and anyone interested in exhibiting or trading at the event should email melissa.butcher@peterborough.gov.uk www.espmag.co.uk

Proudly sponsored by

THE

PoSH PAGE

Tel: 01733 380657 www.studio-one.co

Photos: theposh.com

ESP’s columnist Phil Adlam brings us the exclusives on all things Peterborough United…

Steve Evans

It’s certainly been an eventful time to be a Peterborough United supporter. Since I last penned a piece in this wonderful magazine, we have changed manager and have two new co-owners and those are just the headline stories.

teve Evans, who many ESP readers will know because of his links to the city, is our new manager and he’s certainly a serial promotion winner with success at a host of his previous clubs including Rotherham United and Crawley Town.

He’s flirted with the Posh job for many years but his status has now changed to ‘in a relationship’ and hopefully it can be a successful spell at the ABAX Stadium. We have a number of big games remaining and hopefully the Peterborough public will get behind Steve and his team. The same week we announced a new manager, we also announced that Stewart Thompson and Jason Neale were joining Darragh MacAnthony as co-owners. Both Stewart and Jason are Canadian and met supporters at a special event at the end of March. They’re very passionate people and I’m sure readers will join me in welcoming them to our fine city. It is important that we engage with the local community in as many ways as we can, from simple events

like a question and answer session to delivering school assemblies and ensuring the next generation of Posh fans have the opportunity to come and watch us play. As press officer, you learn a lot about your players every single day and I don’t mean in terms of their performances on the pitch, but what they’re like away from the game.

Stewart Thompson

Last month, Ant Middleton appeared at the Cresset in Peterborough to deliver a talk to a sell-out crowd about his life. Ant is the front man on ITV’s hugely successful programme SAS: Who Dares Wins and as soon as it was announced he was speaking in the city, two of our players were quick to snaffle tickets. Liam Shephard and Andrew Hughes are big fans of Mr Middleton. In fact Liam was contemplating going into the military before taking up football. I will be sitting down with Liam for next month’s issue to chat about that army dream and to find out how close he came to swapping a ball for weaponry.

Jason Neale

Commercial, food and product photography, business portraits, press and PR

5 Station Road, Ailsworth, Peterborough, PE5 7AH

Nordic Walking with Vivacity If you’re desperate for some fresh air and want to up your fitness routine in an easy and enjoyable way – time to try Nordic Walking! An extension of Vivacity’s successful Walking for Health Scheme is their Nordic Walking Scheme which takes place from 4 locations across Peterborough. Nordic Walking is a popular Scandinavian sport which offers a 98% full-body work-out and provides great social and physical benefits for everyone as well as burning 46% more calories compared to regular walking. The technique involves using walking poles to propel the body forward, increasing the use of your upper body. It can be done by anyone, anywhere, requiring no expensive equipment or clothing except the use of specially designed poles which are provided FREE of charge. Nordic walking is unique in that it provides benefits for everyone from those who are super fit to those with specific medical problems or joint issues. It reduces pressure on your

knees and joints engaging 90% of the skeletal muscles. A friendly Vivacity instructor will be present at each walk to help you perfect your technique and ensure you get the most benefit out of the exercise. All Vivacity gym members can enjoy Nordic Walking for FREE, with nonmembers paying just £4 per session with FREE use of equipment. Launching this April 2018 is Vivacity's Nordic Walking membership, which includes all the walks for £16 per month, and you get the Learn to Nordic Walk course FREE too when you join. Anyone interested in going along to a Nordic Walking session should contact Kerry, the friendly Walk Coordinator on 01733 864 738. For more information on Nordic Walking and Vivacity's walk locations visit www.vivacity.org/ nordicwalking.

paparazzi Caught in the act? Sport Relief @ RSA

The team at RSA Insurance Group in Peterborough donned their shorts, fancy dress and headsets to man the phone lines for this year’s Sport Relief. Staff and volunteers worked late to help take some of the thousands of donations during the TV programme as it aired. They did such a good job taking the calls last time for Comic Relief that the Peterborough call centre team were drafted in again for this year’s big charity campaign and did plenty of fundraising themselves too! ESP’s Chris Brudenell was the man behind the camera capturing them all having a great time raising cash for good causes.

You can see all of our Paparazzi photos on our Facebook page.

26 www.espmag.co.uk

www.espmag.co.uk

Nadine Coyle

It’s incredible to think that it’s 15 years since Nadine Coyle entered TV talent show Popstars - The Rivals and won a place in Girls Aloud. The hugely successful girl band dominated the charts but went their separate ways a few years later, amid rumours of jealousy and arguments. Whilst the other girls turned their hands to presenting, acting, judging and Sarah Tempest cringeworthy reality TV show appearances, the Northern Irish singer has continued to make music. As her new 4 track EP is released and debuted at number 3 on the UK iTunes chart, ESP reporter Sarah Tempest caught up with a clearly delighted Nadine Coyle. “I’m feeling very good!” she laughs, “and very surprised!” Nadine describes the EP as “the kind of songs you can put on, have a really good time and dance around with your friends. You should download it just to have some fun,” she says “and then tweet me to let me know what you think!”

“” I love touring! The most stressful part is putting the show together.

As well as releasing the EP, Nadine is about to embark on a seven date UK and Ireland tour in May, something she’s very excited about. “I love touring!

28 www.espmag.co.uk

The most stressful part is putting the show together. People always ask me if I have a lot of creative input and I’m like, YES!” As she points out, it’s important that the people putting the show together know what an artist is prepared to do, or not do, as the case may be. “[They may ask] ‘how do you feel about aerial work?’ and I’m like ‘actually, I don’t feel like doing aerial work at all! Some people might be willing to do it but I’m most certainly not!’” Although Nadine hasn’t always come off favourably in the press regarding the Girls Aloud split, she comes across as warm, open and very down to Earth. So much so that she admits the most ‘showbiz’ thing on her tour dressing room rider is a bottle of rosé wine. “Love a bit of rosé,” she giggles.

As well as performing her solo songs and tracks from the EP, Nadine has revealed that she’ll also be singing a selection of old Girls Aloud favourites in her show. “The songs are just so good!” she enthuses, “it would just be silly to not have them be part of the set! Everybody’s going to have a much more fun time with those songs.” But if she did ever tire of performing solo, who would be her fantasy stand-ins for Cheryl, Nicola, Kimberly and Sarah? “Mutya from Sugababes, definitely,” she replies without hesitation “I’d be like Mutya, don’t even worry about the dancing! Just stand there and sing and you’ll be grand! And Nicole Scherzinger, Dua Lipa and Rita Ora. That sounds like quite a band!” she laughs, “I like it!”

The tour will take her all over the UK and Ireland in May but she admits she’s especially looking forward to the final show, in Belfast. “Going back home is really great, always.” And it’s just as well her homecoming gig is the final date of the tour; “You just know there’s going to be a party afterwards. I won’t be capable of doing a show the next night!” Sounds like that’s going to be quite an end of tour bash; here’s hoping she remembers to put extra rosé on the rider that night! Read the rest of my interview with Nadine, and much more, on www.espmag.co.uk. www.nadine-coyle.com

LocalEvents

The teams are lining up nicely for this summer’s Dragon Boat Festival so it looks like the ESP Motley Crew will need to sharpen up!

e had such a great time at the event last year and we’re pleased to see we’ll have some fresh faces to take on in this 20th event organised by Gable Events. ESP and Connect FM are supporting the event sponsored by Motorpoint Peterborough, which will be raising money for Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice. Wansford Surgery are

putting in a couple of teams and say – “The staff involved are across the board. We have doctors, nurses, pharmacists, receptionists, admin staff, everyone! We think/hope it will be a good team building exercise for the staff. We are a band of enthusiastic staff (some have had very slight arm twisting!) but we are all committed to the cause and looking forward to a great day out.”

It really is a brilliant team building day for companies but just as much fun if you’re just a group of friends or from a local club. It’s also a wonderful way to celebrate something or someone, like Melissa Seims of Christine’s Crazy Crew who’s pulled together a team in memory of her mum. “We have entered the Dragon Boat challenge as a memorial tribute to our mum /relative/friend, who recently passed away at Thorpe Hall. It is also being held just two days before what would have been her 66th birthday. “We hope to have a fun, extended family and friends’ day, remembering Christine Seims and imagining her smiling upon us.”

All teams have gazebo space along the bankside so you can chill with family and friends or workmates between races and get everyone along to support you. There’s plenty of action for spectators with food, a funfair and stalls. You don’t need to be any kind of superhero, fitness fanatic or skilled sportsperson to take part – it’s easy, everything’s provided and it’s a great laugh so join us on Saturday June 9 at the Rowing Lake!

Gavin Miller’s

gavin.miller@espmag.co.uk

Released

APR

Movie Previews

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

All release dates are correct at the time of going to press.

Hot on the heels of Chadwick Boseman’s astronomically-successful Black Panther – the Marvel blockbuster conveyor belt shows no signs of abating. As the Avengers and their allies – despite being somewhat fractured after the events of Captain America: Civil War – continue to protect the world from the ultimate threats, a new intergalactic danger emerges from the cosmos hell-bent on destruction in the form of the God-like Thanos (voiced by Sicario’s Josh Brolin). His one goal is to collect all six powerful Infinity Stones – most of which have featured previously in the Marvel Cinematic

Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Josh Brolin Directors: The Russo Brothers

Universe – and use them to inflict his twisted mind on all of reality. But alas, the Avengers – including Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, Tom Holland’s Spider-man, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr Strange, Boseman’s Panther, and Chris Evans’ recently rebranded ex-Captain America, now known as Nomad, to name a few – aren’t going to take the catastrophic future existence of the Earth lying down. Oh, and you can throw in the Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) led Guardians of the Galaxy too.

There’s been rumours that due to it’s action-packed roster the likes of Hawkeye, Ant-Man and Brie Larson’s upcoming hero Captain Marvel, may have little or no time here, and may have to wait until the fourth instalment to get in on the action. But there’s no doubt that’s a pretty beefy collection of Marvel’s greatest superheroes – and they’re going to have to be at their very best to take down the ‘Devourer of Worlds’. Because he’s extremely bad ass. The summer box-office has opened for business…

BLOCKERS

RAMPAGE

Another film that is reportedly adding to the recent ‘purple patch’ for comedies – is this first mainstream movie vehicle for WWE superstar John Cena (Trainwreck). He stars alongside genre mainstays Leslie Mann (Knocked Up) and Ike Barinholtz Released (Bad Neighbours) as three parents try to stop their daughters from having sex on Prom night after one of them leaves their messaging app open on her laptop. Fledgling reviews have been extremely positive for this first time directorial effort from Pitch Perfect and 30 Rock writer/producer Kay Cannon.

Hollywood’s most valuable asset – and movie workaholic – Dwayne Johnson rampages back onto the Released big-screen with another blockbuster very loosely based on the old-school video gaming franchise. He stars as primatologist Davis Okoye, who shares an unshakable bond with intelligent gorilla George, who’s been in his care since birth. But when a rogue genetic experiment gone awry turns the ape into a raging monster – alongside other newly created creatures – Okoye fights his way through an ever-changing battlefield to try and secure an antidote.

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APR

Movie Reviews

A QUIET PLACE The husband and wife team of John Krasinski (13 Hours) and Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow) combine forces to star in this horror-thriller, which is notching stellar early reviews. Krasinski also directs this movie that sees a family of four navigate their lives in silence after mysterious creatures that hunt by sound threaten their survival.

Released

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DEATH WISH A sequel to the cult Charles Bronson actioner may not have been on the top of your list for a reboot – but with Bruce Willis’ career in decline we’ve got it. He stars as a trauma surgeon who embarks on a mission for justice after his family is attacked, in this gun-totting crime drama helmed by Quentin Tarantino’s buddy, Eli Roth (Hostel).

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LOVE, SIMON This comedy/romance/drama from the production team behind The Fault in Our Stars sees Simon Spiers’ (Jurassic World’s Nick Robinson) huge secret threatened to be revealed – that he’s gay. After keeping the revelation from his family, friends and classmates, Simon must face everyone and come to terms with his identity.

Released

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THE OSTRICH INN PUB & KITCHEN

I KILL GIANTS Guardians of the Galaxy’s Zoe Saldana stars in this fantasy-thriller from the creators of Harry Potter. Dungeons & Dragons-obsessed social misfit Barbara (The Conjuring 2’s Madison Wolfe) struggles through life by escaping into a ‘make believe’ world of magic and monsters, in this movie adapted from the American comic-book series.

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TRUTH OR DARE A harmless game of ‘Truth or Dare’ among friends turns deadly when someone – or something – begins to punish those who tell a lie or refuse a dare. Lucy Hale (TV’s Pretty Little Liars) and Scott Posey (TV’s Teen Wolf) headline a pretty much unknown cast for this horror from the team behind Get Out, Insidious and Paranormal Activity.

Beer & Blood Bowl

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IPA Tasting with Mussels & Frites

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Monthly Exhibition Launch - Nik Gernert

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Comic Book Club

HANDMADE BAR SNACKS

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Drink & Draw

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10 CRAFT BEERS

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Gin Experience

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Beer & Blood Bowl

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WE ALL DREAM IN GOLD

Proud Peterborough Parents Welcome Home Oscar Winning Son Hollywood. The entertainment capital of the world and home of the The Oscars; the most prestigious award ceremony on the planet. It's certainly a long way from Peterborough but David Malinowski - the 2018 Oscar winning special effects make-up artist – recently returned to visit his parents, Paul and Christine who kindly invited ESP’s Marc Hernandez along to meet the latest addition to the family. A little chap called Oscar!

avid won the Oscar last month for Best Make-up and Hairstyling thanks to his incredible work as the prosthetic supervisor on the film Darkest Hour (alongside colleagues Kazuhiro Tsuji and Lucy Sibbick) – helping to transform actor Gary Oldman into Winston Churchill for the film. David’s Oscar followed up his BAFTA win in February at the Royal Albert Hall and the Critics Choice Award and the Make-Up Artists and Hairstyling Guild Award in Los Angeles.

David and mum Christine Whilst in Hollywood, David was able to spend some time with actor Gary Oldman, who also received the Best Actor Oscar. In his acceptance speech Gary sent a message to his mum back home saying ‘Put the kettle on Mum, I’m bringing Oscar home’. On David’s return to Peterborough, his mum, Christine had fun making sure she had her kettle boiled and pot of tea ready! David (who now lives in Aylesbury) returned home to see family and friends and to visit some of his old Peterborough schools including Stamford New College where he trained in 1995/96. David’s Oscar success is, however you look at it, an incredible achievement that has taken years of sheer hard work, skill and talent to achieve. In order to help transform Gary Oldman into Winston Churchill, David worked around 18 hours a day on average in order to deliver the desired ‘special effects’ and ensure complete continuity over the course of the film shoot.

“It was quite a risky thing to do but in the end I said ‘Yes’ and I’m glad I did obviously because it definitely can’t look better than what we did, but one of the biggest reasons for taking it was because I wanted to work with Gary again, having done The Hitman’s Bodyguard where we had such a laugh. “We both have the same sort of appreciation of detail and for things being right so I just wanted to work with him again and fortunately 2 or 3 weeks later he messaged me, asked about Churchill and that was it. I don’t know if he’ll need anything else in the future, but I’m sure if he gets a make-up job he’ll be calling us straight away.” The Academy Award for Best Make-up and Hairstyling is considered one of the most competitive categories at the ceremony and has only been awarded since 1981. The list of previous winners reads like a who’s who of unsung names that have helped make some of the most iconic films of the last 35 years. David continued – “I work in the industry but up until Mark (Coulier) won his first Oscar (2011 for The Iron Lady) I’d been in the industry 15 years and I didn’t know anyone who’d won an Oscar at that point, so for my friends and family, if I didn’t have one now then they’d probably never know someone who wins an Oscar and never ever hold one. That’s how rare they are, and to bring it back to Britain and be a British guy who wins it rather than someone over in the States, that’s quite nice as well.”

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The Academy Award for Best Make-up and Hairstyling is considered one of the most competitive categories...

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Having taken time off work to be able to attend the awards, David was looking forward to getting back to what he does best. “It’d be nice if the phone rang from a producer of another actor and we’ve been recommended or they’ve seen my work or something like that but we’ll see, and if not I’m sure I’ll just be able to carry on as I was

before, working at other people’s workshops and getting their jobs.” David’s next piece of work which film fans will be able to see for themselves is in Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One, currently showing on cinema screens. “We did Simon Pegg’s aging make-up,” David told me. “I was working for a guy I do a lot of work with (Mark Coulier) and it was his job so I applied the make-up for him. I’m not sure how long it’s in the film for as I’ve not seen it myself yet but Simon was a lovely guy and a good guy to stick make-up on to.” Meanwhile, parents Paul and Christine say their phone hasn’t stopped with calls and text messages since David’s Oscar win. Dad, Paul said - “Proud parents doesn’t even come close to how we’re both feeling. To think that our son, an ordinary guy from Peterborough with an extraordinary talent is now an Oscar winner is one of those things you think only happens to other people. It’s both a surreal and humbling experience.” Paul and Christine still live in the family home David grew up in – just around the corner from Dogsthorpe fire station where Paul worked at one time, serving in the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service for 30 years whilst mum, Christine also worked at Stanground Fire station as a cook for over 20 years. She was able to put her culinary skills to good use when David invited her to the set of Darkest Hour and she made scotch-eggs and cakes for the cast and crew that went down a storm. If we ever see Oscar winning actor Gary Oldman play a chef in a film, I have a feeling Christine might be getting a call for a few recipe tips! Mark Hernandez

Bringing the best performing arts experience to Peterborough

The Pauline Quirke Academy is a weekend performing arts school, offering tuition for 4-18 year olds every Saturday at The Peterborough School, and due to popular demand a brand-new afternoon Academy is opening this April!

s well as tuition in Comedy & Drama and Musical Theatre, one of the big draws is the Film & Television module, which offers the chance to explore screen acting and filmmaking. Students devise script and storyboard their short films, before embarking on location scouting and rehearsals. They then shoot their films, working just like a professional film crew, with some students acting in a scene whilst others take on the roles of director, camera operator, sound engineer, 1st Assistant Director and so on. It’s a ‘hands on’ approach, with the aim of teaching students the techniques of cinematic storytelling whilst understanding

the many different roles on a film or TV set and how these people all work together to create a great piece of work. The module culminates in a special screening of the projects at a local cinema, where students can enjoy seeing their films up on the big screen with an invited audience of family and friends. PQA have also partnered with Cineworld to create a national film festival where winning student films are shown at Cineworld, Leicester Square. This exciting event is hosted by Pauline Quirke and gives PQA students the chance to walk down the red carpet in Leicester Square, just like the Hollywood stars.

PQA films have also been selected for film festivals all over the world, including New York, India and Film Nation in London. Another benefit of the module is the experience it gives to those students who want to audition for professional jobs, through PQA’s exclusive agency, Quirky Kidz. Their knowledge of screen acting techniques means that PQA students can approach TV and film auditions with confidence and many have gone on to win parts in high profile TV shows and film projects as a result. The opportunities the Film & TV module presents are tremendously exciting, but the ultimate benefit is the life skills it teaches. “Our students love this module partly because of the relevance of the medium, but also because it gives them the chance to improve their communication skills by actually seeing and hearing what they are doing,” says Pauline Quirke. PQA students also get the chance to perform on a West End stage in one of their specially commissioned shows, enjoy masterclasses in everything from stage combat to magic and are even offered group exams through Trinity College London, at no additional cost to parents. PQA Peterborough is opening a new afternoon Academy with a free open day on Saturday April 28 from 1.45pm at The Peterborough School, PE3 6AP. For more information visit www.pqacademy.com.

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STAMFORD CORN EXCHANGE It’s hard to believe it was 10 years ago that Stamford Corn Exchange Theatre threw open its doors after a £1 million pound restoration project.

t had taken true grit from the volunteers determined to make the project a success and years of hard work to finally be able to bring the dilapidated old building back to life, but finally the curtain was raised on what’s proved to be a tough but successful venture. The theatre still survives thanks to its team of volunteers and has no outside funding but the Theatre Lounge beneath the theatre and the adjoining shopping arcade (formerly Sukies fancy dress) bring in additional funds. We pull up a seat with manager Judith Mackie to look back at the last decade… ESP: At the outset it was such a daunting task what made you decide to press ahead with the project to bring the Corn Exchange back to life in the first place? Judith: “The building was in such poor state that even carrying on with the Amateur shows in the existing theatre was becoming very difficult. It was obvious that the building needed updating and the only way to make a theatre viable would be to redevelop the site completely. Consequently adding the Theatre Lounge in the lower area and a rental space on the ground floor were essential to bring in some income to subsidise the running of a theatre.” 34 www.espmag.co.uk

How do you see the Corn Exchange fitting in alongside the town’s Arts Centre? “We are of course totally independent of programming and we are mindful that we put on more mainstream entertainment, as our goal is to find something for everyone to come and watch. Our programme is very evenly matched with Amateur and Community groups that attract a large number of performers and audience viewers that tend to come here as we can accommodate many performers back stage as opposed to other theatre in the area.” What has been the most difficult part of the last 10 years? “Maintaining enough volunteers to keep the project going forward. Unfortunately over the past few years some of our key volunteers and supporters have passed away or had to retire through illness. Finding new people is really difficult and is an ongoing task we are currently working on.” Did you ever consider giving up? “Truthfully yes about a year ago, but thanks to bringing in an assistant manager and new staffing the Theatre has had a new lease of life again and now there is no stopping what we feel we can achieve with the project now.”

Which artists are you most pleased to have had appear - and who do you have in your sights now? “Des O’Connor was an absolutely darling, he forgot his eyeliner pencil, so he used mine! Some big comedy warm ups lined up for the future which we love because they are popular shows with little set up work. Comedians love the shape of the theatre as they feel so connected with the audience.” What further support do you need going forward? “More volunteers and people to help us deliver flyers etc in different areas to help spread the word about our shows.” Over the next few weeks the eclectic mix of shows continues with everything from great tribute acts like the Bootleg Bee Gees (April 7) to Re-Take That (April 27) as well as top comedy from the likes of Ian Stirling (April 14) and Lee Nelson (May 18) an evening with Motorcycle World Champion Steve Parrish (April 28) and even TV medium Derek Acorah (May 13). ESP will bring you news of what’s on each month but for the full listings visit www.stamfordcornexchange.co. uk and keep supporting the Corn Exchange! To get involved yourself call 01780 766455.

Having reached this milestone what are you most proud of? “That people find us and come from absolutely miles away to enjoy our facilities because we are getting the programme right. What are your ambitions for the future? “To add a studio to the project, so we have a space for smaller productions, and a rehearsal space.” Manager, Judith Mackie

embarrassingly have about a dozen half written novels under my belt. I wish I had the determination and Mikey Clarke patience involved in completing one. I have a lot of respect for writers that have been able to do so. Therefore, I was delighted to be asked to interview a local author last July on behalf of ESP Magazine. Darren O’Sullivan had written Our Little Secret, a gripping psychological thriller with Peterborough being the backdrop. I thought it would be nice to catch up with the writer to find out how things have been since the release of the novel and Darren told me he’s had a great response. “It’s been phenomenal,” he said. “In its first month it went on to achieve best seller status on Amazon here in the UK, Canada, America and Australia and was number also number 1 on iBook’s and kobo charts! The support for the book has been incredible with wonderful, kind words flowing in from people locally, and overseas. It’s been great. Weird, but great!” I wondered whether people had picked up on the fact that a lot of it is based in Peterborough? “Absolutely, and people have commented on how they feel connected to the story even more for knowing the locations within.” As for the highlights since the release of Our Little Secret, Darren told me, “When it

Photo: Thomasbyronphotography.co.uk

After the incredible success of his debut novel on Kindle, Peterborough author Darren O’Sullivan is now set to see his thriller in print with a launch at Waterstones this month. ESP’s Mikey Clarke caught up with him to find out more… went to the top of the iBook’s chart I may have freaked out a little. I recorded the audio book for OLS, which is out on 5th April – that was a wonderful experience. But mostly, it’s been a wonderful blur as I wasn’t prepared for it to do so well.” If you’re yet to read Our Little Secret, the book is now being released in print and there’ll be a launch at Waterstones, also on April 5. Darren will be there and it’ll give us the chance to speak to the author about his creation.

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The support for the book has been incredible with wonderful, kind words...

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I wondered if he was nervous about the day. “I am terrified,” he said. “I just want people to come and have a nice time and maybe look at some books. Usually with a launch the author does a reading, and I know I’m going to trip up over words as the nerves kick in. I’ve joked that I might press play on the audio book and have people listen to that whilst I hide.” Don’t worry Darren, we’ll be there to support you! Of course, with a bestselling novel, comes the second book. Darren has now also written Close Your Eyes. Darren told me – “It’s about a man named Daniel, who wakes up from a

coma and has no recollection of the life he lived before. Now, fourteen years later, he’s being forced to remember. A phone call in the middle of the night demands he return what he stole – but Daniel has no idea what it could be, or who the person on the other end is. He has been given one warning, if he doesn’t find out his family will be murdered.” Close Your Eyes will be available on Kindle Platforms to start with in May. Having now written two novels, I felt Darren was more than qualified to offer advice to others who want to write. He told me, “Make a friend of doubt, and commit. It may feel like an impossible task, but keep going and keep writing!” Some sound advice – perhaps enough to make me finally complete one of mine. You can buy your copy of Our Little Secret and meet Darren at Waterstones on Bridge Street in Peterborough on Thursday April 5 at 7pm.

Tim Peake’s Soyuz spacecraft to ‘land’ in Peterborough

Photo: Jody Hartley

You don’t have to be a space nerd or watch The Big Bang Theory endlessly to be excited about Tim Peake’s spacecraft ‘flying’ into Peterborough! It’s great news that Peterborough Cathedral’s bid to host the Soyuz spacecraft was successful and it’ll be on display in the historic building in August. The Cathedral was chosen by the Science Museum Group from a shortlist of five venues across the country in a nationwide competition and it’s just perfect for the year this iconic building celebrates its 900th anniversary. Alongside the spacecraft there will be a Space Descent VR experience a unique virtual reality adventure that brings the experience alive using Samsung Gear VR technology and it’ll all be inside the north transept and aisle of the Cathedral from Saturday August 11 until Monday November 5. Soyuz TMA-19M was used by Tim Peake for his Principia mission in 2015-2016, and it’s expected that his own spacesuit will also be part of the display, as well as the parachute used in the spacecraft’s return to earth. Ian Blatchford, Director of the Science Museum Group, said: “It is rare to see the star objects in Britain’s great museum collections touring the length and breadth of the country. It is even rarer to see a spacecraft in a Cathedral. I am extremely pleased that thousands of people from all around the diocese of Peterborough will have the chance to see this extraordinary artefact of recent space history on their doorstep, and I cannot wait to see the Soyuz take the Cathedral’s 900th birthday celebrations out of this world when it arrives in August.” For more information visit www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/soyuz.aspx or follow the story on social media using #SoyuzTour. www.espmag.co.uk

HEALTH

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rachael.church@espmag.co.uk

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There is nothing like a significant birthday to get you thinking about your health and beauty regime. This month, I’m celebrating the big 3-0! I will be leaving my 20’s behind, moving forward into the next more mature stage of life (well, apparently.)

s we all get older, it becomes more important to look after our health and wellbeing, our skin, our hair, our diet, everything.

In this column, I take a sentimental look at what I’ve learnt in my 20’s about a good health and beauty regime, and the things I’m considering as the big birthday looms. A look back at what I’ve learnt during my 20’s ….

Always remove last night’s make-up We’ve all been there, waking up with panda eyes and smudged lipstick on the pillow. Not even after a late night, sometimes just pure undeniable laziness. But, over the last few years, a good make up remover has become a staple, this is my favourite, keeping the pours cleansed and fresh and not too greasy to avoid any spots: Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip MakeUp Remover, £10 from The Body Shop in Queensgate.

If what you eat doesn’t agree with you... don’t let it go Throughout the whole of my 20’s, I assumed I had IBS (see Karen Devine’s Wellbeing column in this issue). Like many of us, the daily stresses of life can play havoc with our tummies, and I always suffered from bloating and feeling icky. However, in my case, this year, after so much suffering, I decided to pay for a private blood test, and found out I was intolerant to yeast. Since cutting it out, my life has altered. My lesson, if you think there’s more to the story with your health, don’t give up trying to find out the answers. Check out Yorke Test, at www.yorktest.com which is £25 for the first part of the intolerance test.

Exercise and water cures everything A good friend who worked for the NHS once gave me this advice – and to be honest, you can’t go far wrong. When I’m having a down day, feeling groggy, a bit achy maybe, the first thing I do is down a pint of water and try and get out for a walk. I ditch my heels when I get home from work for a good pair of walking trainers from the local Sports Direct.

A glowing skin can be healthy There is no need for sun beds! At all. A fake tan can be classy and doesn’t need to be bright orange. So, OK it took me a few years to find the right one, and everyone’s skin tone is different. But for a light glow, Dove’s summer glow is just perfect to give you that healthy look. Get it from Superdrug for £7.79.

Take time to make your nails looks good I was always guilty in my 20’s of using cheap false nails, old nail varnishes that had been open far too long, and patching up the cracks 5 minutes before going to work. Now, I try to make time for these small things, because the little things can sometimes make you feel a million dollars. Invest in a good top coat to keep your nails looking good. OPI Top Coat prevents smudging while drying to a smooth, high-gloss, protective shine. It will also protect your nails from chipping. A steal at £12.50 from John Lewis.

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36 www.espmag.co.uk

Anti-aging creams You’re never too young to start using these creams on your skin. I’ve tried many different products over the years, and now have a routine of applying an anti-aging cream and eye cream every night before bed. Nothing beats the classics, and I’ve always got a tub of Olay on my dresser.

Taking vitamins stops pesky colds After catching cold after cold one winter, I thought what is there to lose? Now I take a vitamin C tablet every morning, and I have noticed a difference. An easy thing to add to your regime. Holland and Barrett do 250 tablets for £11.99, so that should last you a little while.

Don’t wait for a reason to visit the spa We’re all guilty of waiting for a Mother’s Day, big birthday, or celebration to book a trip. But doing this job with ESP, I’ve understood the beauty of just being pampered, for no reason, at a random time of the year. It doesn’t always have to be expensive, look at Groupon for some great offers and get a treatment booked in, or head to Alwalton Hall or Imagine Spa at Orton Hall among others – they’re right on your doorstep after all. Ego Visage introduced Plasma Skin Tightening into Peterborough last year.

Talk to someone about your mental health

The treatment can be applied to Droopy Eyelids, Eyebags, Crowsfeet, Mouth Wrinkles, Neck Skin Laxity, Skin Tags and diagnosed Moles.

Like many 20 something’s, I battled constantly with anxiety and panic attacks. I fought it from all angles – CBT through the local CPSL Mind, I took medication, hypnotherapy, mindfulness, reading endless books and web forums, I tried it all. To everyone out there struggling, please talk to someone. A doctor, a friend, a work colleague – or even better, all those people! For me, part of getting to a better state of mind is no longer hiding those battles and telling people what triggers those symptoms so they understand. Visit www.CPSLmind.org.uk for more advice.

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I’ll let you know in the May column how life as a 30-year-old is working out for me! www.espmag.co.uk

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www.espmag.co.uk 37

Karen Devine’s

karen.devine@espmag.co.uk

Well Being

Follow your Gut Instinct – your Tummy Trouble could be IBS We all have tummy troubles from time to time but if you’re a frequent sufferer you’ve probably been diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

Stress – I’m sure we all know that feeling when sudden anxiety kicks in and the need to rush to the loo takes over! This is because the gut is known as the second brain which is technically called the Enteric system which has a vast amount of neural tissues and neurotransmitters. When we’re stressed a major hormone called corticotropin-releasing factor is involved in the stress response which can affect the transit time in the colon (bowel), bowel contractions, changes in bowel habits, increased inflammation and more. Thyroid – low thyroid function can affect your bowels, for instance constipation is often a complaint in people with low thyroid hormones. Post antibiotic use – Antibiotics alter our gut friendly microbes, I’ve often noted that past use of antibiotics have played a role in the onset. Our gut microbes play a role in influencing our mood, metabolism, inflammation, gut motility, digestion and much more. If you have IBS retrace your past antibiotic use and see if there’s a connection. Hormones – women are more likely to have IBS than men and they note their IBS symptoms are worse around their menstrual cycle.

t’s literally a pain for sufferers and as it’s a condition that really has no specific cause or pathology which means there’s no single effective treatment in modern medicine. The symptoms can vary from person to person.

Those with IBS know the big triggers such as spices, coffee and alcohol which can set off their symptoms. However, the standard British diet can be one that is generally inflammatory full of sugars and other refined carbohydrates/grains.

It can come and go and can be a mix of diarrhoea/constipation or just one of intermittent cramps, bloating and fatigue.

So let’s look at some of the factors that could be causing you problems…

I’ve seen many people who’ve had such symptoms and agree that each individual’s onset – and therefore any natural treatment plan – really can vary. People want solutions to their IBS and not just temporary symptomatic treatment that doesn’t look at the root cause. As a Registered Nutritionist, Functional Medicine Practitioner and Naturopath, I want to share what I’ve found to be some of the triggers. I am not a doctor and this is not diagnostic, please see your GP if you have had changes in bowel habits and digestion. I am writing from my own findings and experience.

Food Intolerances – gluten in bread, cakes, pastries etc. cows milk and its products, eggs, yeast, sugar, soya and more. Before you go spending lots of money on food intolerances removing the known triggers for a few weeks and putting one back at a time can help to really tune in to the gut and gain clarity on food triggers which are making things worse. Bacterial infections – found in the large or small intestine, teeth, sinuses or after a bout of gastroenteritis infections can be a trigger. So too can viruses, or parasites. With our ability to travel to places far and wide we can be exposed to different water and foods that can make us susceptible to bacterial infections and food poisoning.

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38 www.espmag.co.uk

There are a host of other factors that may contribute, so as you can see it’s a common functional complaint with many onsets – what works for one does not work for all. But looking for its cause is key and not just using a type of diet (there are many for IBS) or symptomatic treatment. Whilst this can and does give relief it may not be addressing the factors that are the underlying triggers. In health, Karen www.karendevine.co.uk (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ 29483895)

N.B. - Always seek advice from your GP for any change in bowel/digestion and especially if blood, fever, weight loss, or night sweats are experienced!

Join the Challenge to Fund New Mental Wellbeing App for Peterborough Kids

Here’s your chance to join in a fun event that will fund a potentially life-changing YMCA project for young people in Peterborough. Peterborough Regional College on Saturday May 12.

Three young people in every classroom suffer from a diagnosed mental health condition and the Feel Stress Free app detects, prevents and treats many low level mental health conditions. It’s hoped it can be provided free to all Peterborough secondary schools if enough funds can be raised. City businesses are being encouraged to take on the Skanska 900 Challenge in partnership with the YMCA Trinity Group to help raise the cash needed for this great school initiative. Local businesses are invited to put their fittest and their brightest staff members up against a team from Skanska at the Lifestyle Fitness gym at

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Teams from Peterborough businesses will ‘race’ to 900 miles, where both brawn and brains count in reaching the target. There’ll be fun challenges to complete including cycling, running, memory tests, darts, sudoku and jigsaw which will all earn each team miles towards the goal. To sign up your team (max 6 participants) and take on Skanska in the Race to 900 challenge, please visit: www.ymcatrinitygroup.org.uk/ get-involved/events/skanska-900challenge/ The event runs from 10am-4pm on Saturday May 12. It costs £100 per team, and YMCA Trinity Group is also inviting participants to fundraise for the charity.

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darren.grigas@espmag.co.uk

s t h ig s is h in n io t a ir p s In ESP’s resident adventurer meets Peterborough Paralympian Matt Skelhon.

att Skelhon isn’t your average Peterborough lad, far from it. As a competitive shooter, he’s the current European and World Champion, holding two world records, and as a key player on Team GB, is a Gold, Silver and Bronze Paralympic medallist. For someone with over 100 medals won across the world, Matt is a humble guy and I felt privileged to meet him during his recent visit to Southfields Primary School. Matt visited the school in Stanground to give a presentation and inspire the pupils in the lead-up to Sport Relief. I was lucky to chat with him after he wowed the kids, showing them his rifles and medals. Matt inspired the whole school (and me) demonstrating what can be achieved despite adversity. One thing that amazed me was how small the targets were, and the fact the sights on the rifles don’t magnify at all. Two disciplines he competes in are the 10m and 50m distances, for which the targets are incredibly small. A black disc no bigger than a coaster you’d rest your tea on. In the middle of this is a tiny white dot. From 50 metres away, competitors have to 40 www.espmag.co.uk

aim to hit that dot repeatedly for sixty shots! Matt started shooting at around 11 years old with his Dad as a hobby, and then went on to compete. In 2005 Matt was involved in a car accident which left him unable to walk, but this didn't stop him pursuing his passion for shooting and representing his country around the world. Without the right funding and support, this couldn't have happened for Matt. So it's no surprise that he’s an advocate for Sport Relief and actively encourages children and adults across the country to get involved with this fun and energetic cause which supports sportspeople in the UK and abroad. Southfields Primary School has been a strong supporter of Support Relief and after Matt’s visit, they went on to raise more money for this year’s campaign. The children did my job for me and asked Matt all sorts of questions, including everything I’d thought to ask plus a few extra gems like “Do you always win?” and “What’s your favourite mountain?” (they were learning about mountains!).

The Q&A went really well, here are a few questions from the children: Q: What was your childhood like? Matt: “It was pretty cool, I used to do a bit of shooting with my Dad, and Granddad used to take me out fishing, so I’ve always done a lot of stuff outdoors.” Q: Do you ever get scared you’re gonna lose? Matt: “It’s sometimes hard to tell the difference between if you’re nervous or excited because it’s the same feeling, so if ever I’m feeling nervous, I just tell myself that I’m excited.” Q: Have you ever doubted yourself? Matt: “I’ve doubted myself before when I’ve maybe not trained hard enough. You just have to try to make sure you put in 100%, if I’ve gone to a competition and I know I’ve tried my hardest, then I can be happy with that.” It was really inspiring to meet and listen to Matt, and to learn of everything he’s achieved, and it’s fantastic that he’s able to inspire others as he did at Southfields. Matt’s an incredible example to us all, of how we shouldn’t dwell on what we can’t do, but instead focus on what we can. Take your hobby or passion and pursue it to become better each day. As the saying goes; you don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

The ESP Comedy Guide Sarah Slack brings us the ESP guide to where the laughs are at this month…

Last month saw the launch of a brand new comedy club at the popular Stoneworks Bar along Church Street. Whilst showcasing live comedy is exciting enough, Stoneworks will also be introducing a ‘pay what you want’ scheme for future shows. I spoke to Sean Page, owner of Stoneworks Bar, to get more info on this exciting new addition to Peterborough’s comedy scene… Many thanks for taking time out to chat – what made you want to start running a comedy club at Stoneworks? “We’ve always wanted to put on a comedy night in the bar, and it’s been on the ‘to do’ list literally since the day we opened. We’re very passionate about bringing things that are different to the city, so whilst there are some great headline acts touring places like the Peterborough Arena, I believe we are missing a comedy fix without the price tag. That’s why we are looking at getting in acts that are up-and-coming on the UK circuit to provide Peterborough with an opportunity to catch undiscovered comics on their way up.” Can you tell us more about the ‘pay what you want’ model you’ll be using at future comedy events? “The model isn't really anything new as it’s been used at comedy festivals in Edinburgh and Leicester before, and I think it’s a great way to start a community of people who are interested in supporting a chosen subject. A ticket price can sometimes be a deterrent to people coming in and trying something new, but with the pay want you want model it gives the control to the community to support the night. What we decided to do was to get some great acts in to start with, let the growth of the community drive future events, and then any donations will go directly back into upping the calibre of the acts for the next event!” 42 www.espmag.co.uk

Will you be hosting any nights for up-and-coming comedians who want to try out new material? “Definitely! What I’d love to be able to do is hold slots for total amateurs from Peterborough to come in and try their hand at stand-up. We have plans to hold a competition to crown Peterborough's funniest person, which will be aimed at total newbies who think they have what it takes to make the city laugh!” How is the bar going to transform itself into a venue ideal for a comedy club? Luckily at Stoneworks there’s a natural stage area for people to perform, and we've seen it work really well in other events we host, such as Write Club (a spoken word battle night) and our live music gigs. Finally, if you could have any comedian perform at Stoneworks, who would it be? “Right now it would be either Romesh Ranganathan or Paul Chowdhry. I love the deadpan delivery of these guys and think it would be really cool to see them in a crowd of 50 or so people. If I could go back in time, I'd 100% say it would be late 80’s Eddie Murphy. I remember being a kid (probably far too young) and sneakily watching his Raw & Delirious VHS – still to this day it’s sure to make me laugh.” For more information, keep an eye on the Stoneworks Facebook page for the next event...

Sarah’s One to Watch:

Iain Stirling This month’s one to watch will be heading to Stamford on Saturday April 14, and is perhaps best known as the sarcastic commentator on ITV2 dating show Love Island. Don’t let this dodgy reality show put you off however, as Iain Stirling’s comedy credentials date all the way back to 2009 when he performed in the final of Chortle’s Student Comedian of the Year competition, finishing runner-up to winner Joe Lycett. Since then Iain has appeared on Russell Howard’s Good News, Comedy Central series Drunk History, and to a certain age bracket he’s also known for telling jokes and presenting with Hacker T. Dog on the CBBC channel, helping him to win a BAFTA for Best Children’s Presenter back in 2016.

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Described as a ‘hugely talented rising star’ by Time Out...

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Described as a ‘hugely talented rising star’ by Time Out, Iain has also become a firm favourite at the Edinburgh Fringe, and his latest show ‘U OK Hun? X’ promises to be a jovial approach to social media, turning 30, and what it’s really like to comment on the mating habits of a bunch of desperate TV show contestants in Majorca... Iain Stirling will be performing at the Stamford Corn Exchange on Saturday April 14. Performance starts at 7.30pm, tickets are available on 01780 766455.

Comedy

Civic Award for Community Involvement 2017

Gig Guide APR

LIGHTBOX CAFE COMEDY CLUB Successfully making a mark on Bridge Street with its delicious coffee and cakes, the Lightbox Cafe will be running a brand new comedy club this month with the help of Midlands comedy promoter Funhouse Comedy. Performing at the venue’s first ever comedy night will be magician Alan Hudson, character comic Paddy Lennox, and MC Dave Byron. Tickets available by visiting www.funhousecomedy.co.uk.

APR

PINT OF COMEDY CLUB Performing at this month’s comedy club at the Stamford Arts Centre will be Tom Taylor, a musical comic who won the Great Yorkshire Fringe New Comedian of the Year competition in 2015. Joining him will be stand-up comedian, writer and podcaster Sarah Johnson, who has previously been nominated for Best New Show at the Leicester Comedy Festival. Tickets available on 01780 763203.

MARK STEEL - EVERY LITTLE THING’S GONNA BE ALRIGHT Star of Radio 4’s Mark Steel’s in Town and a regular on Have I Got News For You, Mark Steel is back on the road with a brand new show guaranteed to make the world seem even more mental than it actually is. Performing at the Key Theatre, expect a surprisingly feel-good hour of satire and political comedy from this popular newspaper columnist. Tickets available on 01733 207239.

APR

KEY COMEDY NIGHT: GEOFF NORCOTT & JOSH PUGH Here’s your chance to see an up-and-coming comic fresh from a Best Newcomer nomination at the Edinburgh Fringe, as English Comedian of the Year Josh Pugh will be performing as part of a mixed bill at the Key Theatre. Joining him will be Geoff Norcott, as seen on The Mash Report, alongside Lou Conran and BBC Comedy Award Finalist Morgan Rees. Tickets available on 01733 207239.

APR

JASPER CARROTT Split or steal? Or stand up and rock?! This live show combines comedy and rock music for a unique event at the Peterborough Arena you won’t want to miss. Joined by Bev Bevan, the legendary drummer and founding member of The Move and ELO, Jasper Carrott’s new stand up show will feature a night of classic hits as well as plenty of laughs from a British comedy legend. Tickets available on 01733 363500. www.espmag.co.uk

Staniland Way, Werrington Tel: 01733 327696

The Ploughman • 10 Real Ales from £2.00 per pint • Real Ciders • 17+ gins from menu Easter Weekend Fri 30th The Guards Sat 31st The Nuggets April Fri 6th Blackstar Revolution Sat 7th Revolver Sat 14th Go with the flow Sat 21st Dusk til Dawn Citizen Smith Fri 27th Sat 28th still TBC May Fri 4th Tiger Club Sat 5th High Rollers

AUSTIN GOLD Photos: Olivia Johnston Photography

Austin Gold release new single and get ready to rock The Junction…

eterborough is home to some real talent and here at ESP we like to champion anyone putting the city on the map. We’ve been plugging rock band Austin Gold as one of the original talents coming out of the city and since we first spoke to the guys things have really ramped up. Signed to the Jigsaw Label they’ve had gigs across the UK and successfully released their brilliant debut album Before Dark Clouds which received some great reviews from the music press with the likes of Radio 2 dubbing them ‘ones to watch’. They’ve sold out a hometown gig at the Key Theatre in July and have now announced they’ll be headlining at The Junction in Cambridge this month for the first time, followed by a slot at the Cambridge Rock Festival this summer. They’ll be supporting Toploader at the Oundle Festival in July and have more UK gigs lined up. The band consists of David James

44 www.espmag.co.uk

Smith (vocals & guitars), Jack Cable (guitars), Lee Churchill (bass), Russell Hill (Hammond & keyboards) and Chris Ogden (drums). Together they’re producing impressive original tunes infused by a melting pot of rock and soul influences. Time for an update to keep up! Bassist Lee Churchill told ESP things are really moving fast for the guys. “We’ve been booked into bigger support slots and festivals as well as winning awards such as Get Ready To Rock’s Best Breakthrough Act 2017 and Rock And Roll’s Best New Release 2017. Another big booking for us is the headline slot at the Cambridge Junction 2 on April 28. It’s a terrific venue and we can’t wait to play it.” They were keen for a big hometown gig and singer Dave Smith says they were surprised at the reaction to the Key Theatre date – “It feels amazing and humbling at the same time. We have brilliant fans and to sell out the Key Theatre in only two-and-a-half days is incredible and a huge surprise. We are so looking forward to it and promise that it will be one hell of a performance!” Getting seen out of town is vital though if they’re to break through on the wider music scene. “Every show is important and we really value our Peterborough fans but it’s great to get bigger gigs out of town,” says guitarist Jack Cable. “We’re very proud to be playing the Cambridge Rock Festival as main support to blues rock outfit King King – we honestly can’t wait!”

They’ve built up a firm fanbase on the local scene and keyboard player Russell Hill hopes the music scene can build. “There are less venues these days but there’s still passionate support for live music and it’s important that we all continue to support local musicians. It would be great to see more venues promoting original music though.” We’ve been following Austin Gold’s progress and their hard work is really paying off. “We never expected a sudden jump. We always knew things would improve gradually,” says drummer Chris Ogden. “But events have moved along faster since our label (Jigsaw – Frontier Promotions) became our managers too. They’ve booked us onto support slots for big bands as well as bigger festivals. It’s definitely stepped up a notch!” The buzz about the band in the music press is infectious and Austin Gold are being predicted to achieve big things – now wouldn’t that be great for the city?! Singer Dave Smith says there’s plenty to look forward to – “We’ve just had our latest single released – Before Dark Clouds, the title track off the album. It’s received airplay on Radio 2 and Planet Rock. We’re keeping our options open for a hopeful tour of the UK or Europe. The speed at which we sold out the Key Theatre meant that there were a lot of disappointed fans, but they can always book tickets for the Cambridge Junction 2 gig on April 28, which is pretty local.” Rest assured ESP will keep you posted but you can follow Austin Gold on facebook and find out more on www.austingold.band.

NIGHTlife

Your guide to the nighttime scene

PRINCE NITE… TWo YEARS GoNE! Who can believe that nearly two years have gone by since we received the shocking news that Prince had passed away so unexpectedly? To commemorate two years since Prince’s passing and to celebrate his music and legacy, local promoter and DJ, Mister Wicketer, is hosting Peterborough’s second annual Prince Tribute Night, on Saturday April 21 at The Brewery Tap in Peterborough. “After last year’s success, I had so many people ask me to put on another tribute night, I decided to make it an annual event,” said the DJ. “It would also have been Prince’s 60th birthday later in the year too, so it gives us a double reason to party up! “What we’ve got planned is a late night mix of Prince’s well-known chart hits, album tracks and funky B-sides, plus some of the more obscure tunes that only dedicated Prince fans will recognise. The

SoLSTICE HAS APRIL SoRTED This month The Solstice is packed with tunes and something to keep your social lively every single night of the week. Highlights not to miss out on include the HUGE 12 hour special kicking off the month on Bank Holiday Sunday April 1. This marathon session with Prok Fitch and 5 other DJs runs from 4am – 4pm. Go LOCO on Thursdays with 2 rooms of music hosted by the Roscoe brothers. Fridays are full of Mischief with Urban Classics on Friday April 20 and Mischief Live sees city band The Brays return to The Solstice stage on Friday April 27. Saturday April 7 is the venue’s Big Night Out with the tunes taking over all 4 rooms followed by the return of Platinum Radio on Saturday April 29 to round the month off nicely! There’s a reason to go out every night at The Solstice – you can watch the big matches live on the big screens on Mondays, then it’s Tuesgays and there’s the Big Quiz on Wednesdays with Karaoke on Sundays with £250 up for grabs. There’s a new happy hour coming soon from 5pm – 9pm so best get down there!

NIGHTS oUT @ CHARTERS

MIXoLoGY IS BACK WITH JACKY oN MAY 4 Get ready to welcome tech-house party starter Jacky for his debut event at Mixology! Jacky is renowned for his high energy sets having made his mark with everyone’s favourite Catalan institution - Elrow in 2015. Beyond Elrow, Jacky has made his own mark on the underground club scene with the launch of his own event series – Jacky & Friends. Since breaking ground, J&F events have sold out several of Europe’s key venues including Sankeys MCR, Fire London, Digital Newcastle & Mint Warehouse Leeds. Since signing his first record in the summer of 2014, Jacky has gone on to receive widespread praise from some of the industry’s biggest artists,including Steve Lawler, Skream, Jamie Jones, Marco Carola, Richy Ahmed, Nick Curly, and Santé – all of whom have given full support since his debut release. Joining Jacky on the night will as ever be their trio of residents Tom Skinner, James Chan & Dan Clare and Peterborough’s rising star Alisha. We’ll see you at the front on Friday May 4!

FUNK AND GRooVES @ THE BREWERY TAP The local legend that is DJ Eddie Nash is back with more funky beats on Friday April 6 with his Thank Funk it’s Friday session. Then get your groove on with DJ Rick Allen’s Saturday Night Groove on April 14. Eddie Nash returns with The Get Down on Saturday April 28 from 9pm. 46 www.espmag.co.uk

reaction on Facebook to another Prince Nite has been huge already and we’re taking requests for people’s best loved Prince songs to make sure they’re included in the set – so if last year is anything to go by, expect a few x-rated lyrics later in the evening!” DJs Mister Wicketer and Uncle Funk will start spinning the tunes from 7.30pm. Entry on the door is just £3 before 9pm and £5 after. The Brewery Tap are offering a free shot for anyone wearing purple. Plus, to celebrate Prince’s style and panache, there’s a meal-for-two prize for the best dressed person on the night! For more information, go to: www.facebook.com/MisterWicketer.

The bar on a boat has more great nights lined up for you this month to suit all tastes as ever! Indie music fans should give DJ Anthony Thornhill a listen on Saturday April 7 from 9pm. Spoken word is seeing a real resurgence of interest and Charters has been serving up some cracking nights with What the Thunder Said for quite a while now. This month’s session is at 8pm on Monday April 9. Funkateers will love what DJ Jo G & Juan Baptiste serve up on Saturday April 14 when What the Funk! kicks off at 9.30pm. Still a fan of the black plastic and its unique sound? Head down for Vinyl Night on Friday April 20 at 8pm. For some soul make sure you don’t miss the Saturday April 21 session of Off The Cuff with DJ Julian & Glen McCully and Heavy Crates with DJs Otis & Pat Unwin at 9pm on Saturday April 28.

MoToR CITY VIPERS GIG FoR SUE RYDER Don’t forget the Brewery Tap hosts The Motor City Vipers on Saturday April 7 with the Randall Rootz fundraiser for Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice. This one is usually a sell-out and you can expect a vibrant set of Motown and Northern Soul classics. The Vipers’ repertoire is like a who’s who of soulful floor-fillers from the 60s and 70s – from The Temptations, Wilson Pickett, The Four Tops and Dobie Gray, to The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and Otis Redding. DJs Julz and Ollie will be keeping the music going whilst the Vipers have a break. Tickets are £10 from the Brewery Tap on 01733 358500.

SoUL CoLLECTIVE @ THE TAP Peterborough folks love some soul and the regular Soul Collective nights in The Brewery Tap’s Tap Room are proving a monthly pull. The next one is on Saturday April 14 from 8pm til late. This month features DJ's Mick McKenna, Ian Pass, Lady J and guest DJ John Corless from Lincoln with 70's Rare Groove through to Modern Soul.

EDWARDS AND FLARES START MEGA WEDNESDAYS! Wednesdays just got Mega at Edwards and Flares as they’re combining all their favourite events into one night. Their Salsa and Quiz nights will be moving from Tuesdays to Wednesday nights alongside their already infamous Karaoke evening. At 7.30pm they’ll be starting Salsa in Flares and Quiz Night in Edwards, with Karaoke following on in Edwards at 9.30pm. Don’t forget there’s 50% off drinks till 10.30pm. Salsa and Bachata classes are priced from £6. Prizes to be won during Quiz night and Karaoke! It’s £1 entry for the Quiz, and free entry for Karaoke!

oNE BIG SATURDAY – CINCo DE MAYA The next One Big Saturday event at Edwards and Red Room on May 5 is all about getting in the Mexican Spirit, celebrating Cinco de Maya. Join them for a big night of dancing, with all 3 rooms open. The party will start at 10pm, and there’ll be plenty of Sombreros to giveaway! Follow them on Facebook for more information and to get those all-important tickets.

VANITY – DJ JAX Vanity returns to Red Room on Broadway on Friday April 6 with resident DJs Nick T & Fontzerelli warming up for special guest DJ Jax. Jax is heading over from Newcastle where he’s currently resident for the Lovedough brand at the popular Tup Tup Palace, he also plays all over the country and has toured China & Malaysia as well. Expect to hear a hype set consisting of banging urban cuts old and new! Guest list includes a FREE Ciroc Vodka + mixer voucher so text in now! Text ‘Vanity + your name’ to 07411 258 999 to be added.

Live music every Friday night

So DoPE – Xo MAN ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY

Pub Quiz every Sunday night

After recently releasing a brand new EP Calm II & Storm II, XO MAN is heading back to the city on Friday 13 April to showcase the new EP and give away some goodies like only he does! Red Room plays host to the party with special guest DJ’s on the night. You’ll get access to the whole building for one price!

Full food menu now available

YoYo – STUDENT THURSDAYS Every Thursday night the YoYo Team takeover Edwards with a mix / blend / mash-up of Hip Hop – House – Party anthems old and new. Combined with £1 selected drinks from 10.30pm and loads more deals an giveaways it’s definitely worth starting the weekend early! Hit them up on the following socials – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Snapchat (YoYoClubNights). www.espmag.co.uk

/bluebellpe4 6 The Green, Werrington, PE4 6RU

keith.dalton@espmag.co.uk

Keith Dalton has the ESP guide to the best news and views from the local live music scene…

John Boden and The Remnant Kings

A very impressive gig is scheduled for Peterborough’s Key Theatre on Sunday April 29. The theatre hosts the charismatic John Boden and The Remnant Kings.

From The Jam

Coming to Stamford Corn Exchange on Thursday May 24 are From The Jam. They’re so called because the band features none other than original Jam bassist Bruce Foxton. After the original band split up Bruce went to play in Stiff Little Fingers to popular acclaim. He shares the stage with Russell Hastings on lead vocal & guitar. They’ve been together for over 10 years and prior to that Russell was a Paul Weller tribute act. From The Jam visited the area last year as part of a major UK tour. Now, though, they’re on the road again and visit Stamford with an acoustic tour, once again offering all the great hits from The Jam’s back catalogue. Acoustic is a format Russell loves. “We did it last year and the year before. It’s always a really nice thing to do, always up close and personal. It’s a beautiful thing to do, different instruments with the songs, a different sound with the songs. “We strip the songs right back. You can even strip back things like In The 48 www.espmag.co.uk

City and Down in the Tube Station at Midnight. You can strip back pretty much any song you want. There are no boundaries at all, which is a testament to the songs themselves. Particularly for Bruce, it’s a great way to enjoy those songs, and every evening is different. “We have a set list, but it depends how the evening goes. Someone might shout out a song, and we just do it. It is such a big repertoire that we can pull on.” Audiences can usually expect to hear classics such as Going Underground, Town Called Malice and The Modern World as well as favourites including Strange Town, When You’re Young and Start – songs from an era when The Jam became the sound of British youth and one of the greatest and biggestselling bands in British history. At Stamford Corn Exchange you will feel really up close and personal, so it should suit the format of the gig completely. Tickets are available from the box office on 01780 766455.

Along with John Spiers, John was co-founder member and lead-singer of Bellowhead, the English contemporary folk band, who earned huge popularity between 2004 and 2016. The ever-busy Fiddle player also formed The Remnant Kings in 2009 to perform some of his own material. In 2016 Bellowhead announced their intention to go their separate ways following a decision by Jon Boden to step down as frontman and now he heads out on the second leg of his Afterglow album tour – his first new release since leaving Bellowhead in May 2016 – and features the newly extended Remnant Kings, a band that hasn’t performed together since 2012. The band reunites John with the talents of former Bellowhead band-mates Sam Sweeney and Paul Sartin, plus Leveret’s Rob Harbron and along with Ben Nicholls and Richard Warren (King of The South Seas) the band will be joined by string and brass sections to bring the album to the stage.

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Critical reviews suggest that their performances resurrect the brassy swagger of Bellowhead...

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Critical reviews suggest that their performances resurrect the brassy swagger of Bellowhead, and local fans will have waited a long while to see the reemergence of John Boden. Tickets will sell fast for Sunday April 29, so get yours from the box office of the Key Theatre on 01733 207239.

Dirty Rumour

I went over to The Whistle Stop at Tallington to see a Dirty Rumour gig. It was a great night with some real surprises on the set list.

irty Rumour are a four piece rock band consisting of Kelly Ireland (lead vocals) Simon French (lead guitar), Kev Herbert (bass guitar) and Matt Ireland (drums). They were formed in late 2016 originally intending to be a five piece band but after rehearsing their set and booking some initial gigs, they were forced to drop to four members. Their pedigree is good, with long serving Lizzy on the Loose guitarist Simon French joining the other three from very popular local band Twenty4 , and so they decided to forge ahead without any further additions.

Matt and Kev provide a really solid rhythm section to augment Simon’s excellent guitar work and Kelly’s voice range is quite spectacular. The result is a band that’s not afraid to try different songs. Although they play a range of driving rock classics, when I saw them at the Tallington gig they mixed in covers of Rag ‘n’ Bone Man and James Brown and Luther Vandross. Not easy for a female vocalist, but achieved very nicely by Dirty Rumour. Drummer Matt Ireland told me – “Dirty Rumour is basically made up of friends, who all share a mutual love of good music, played well. When we formed, back in 2016, we set out to put together a set of songs that entertained, with the intention of being diverse and really trying to keep the audience guessing what’s coming next, but without spending the night playing b-sides, obscure album tracks or prog rock (which we love)!” I wondered how they select such a wide ranging set list. Matt said – “We discuss what we could add to the list. We are currently working on the Crusaders’ Street Life and some Adele. It’s mainly the three musicians who

agree on an addition.” What about Kelly? “Well, she just has to sing what we come up with really. Because she has such a strong voice range we are confident that Kelly can handle it.” Matt and Kelly are a married couple so does any musical difference ever carry over into their personal lives? “Inevitably it can in a minor way. Kelly will say why did you choose this and how do you expect me to do that. I just blame the other two band members,” Matt told me. Wise man. That’s always a good get out! Their first year was successful and allowed them time to really gel as a band by perfecting their set and sound. 2018 has started strongly and they already boast a fast filling diary, which sees gigs spread wide around the area. As well as being busy on the local pub circuit they’ve secured some festival bookings such as Bourne Beer Fest – Saturday June 2 and The National Watersports Festival at Rutland Water on Saturday June 9. You can next catch them at The Bluebell in Dogsthorpe on Saturday April 21, Kings Cliffe Club on Saturday April 28 and The Hurdler in Stamford on Saturday May 5. Apparently the band name came from rumours that were circulating around the music scene that Twenty4 were going to reform. Matt says –“The rumour was news to us, however it did then pose the question why shouldn’t we start a band again. So the story began.” He didn’t explain the ‘Dirty’ part, and I didn’t like to ask! If you are interested in booking Dirty Rumour then you can call 07917 106472.

Ducking Punches More Punk rock is coming to Peterborough. This time it’s at The Ostrich Inn on North Street in the city centre who play host to East Anglian punk rock quartet Ducking Punches. They visit The Ostrich on Saturday April 7 as the first date of their UK tour. The band members, Dan Allen, Pete Wright, Marcus Good and Ryan Hillier all hail from the Norwich area and the band have over 1,000 shows and three former albums under their belt. Their live shows receive huge live acclaim. Recently the band has been in the recording studios and this latest tour is to perform some of the songs from their eagerly awaited fourth album, Alamort. I’ve heard the new single release from the album. Its title is Distant Shadows and it starts with some very delicate guitar riffs before busting into the energetic rock associated with the band. You can judge for yourself on YouTube. A great booking by The Ostrich Inn and well worth a visit. www.espmag.co.uk

GIGGUIDE WED MAR 28

ACOUSTIC NIGHT WITH THE BOATMEN The Railway, Ramsey OPEN MIC WITH BON ROGERSWHITE The Beehive, Bourges Boulevard THU MAR 29

GREG REKUS + TIM HOLEHOUSE The Ostrich, North Street ONE EYED CATS Brewery Tap, Westgate FRI MAR 30

ACOUSTIC NIGHT The Boat Inn, Whittlesey AMERICANA The Blue Bell, Werrington ANDY HUGHES The Beehive, Bourges Boulevard DIRTY RUMOUR The Cross Keys, Oundle Road GROOVAPOLITAN Charters, Town Bridge LEFTOVAS The Mason's Arms, Bourne LIVE MUSIC The Queen's Head, Queen Street MAURICKY COLLINS The Burghley, Burghley Road NO QUARTER The Crown, Lincoln Road RETROLUX The Yard of Ale, Oundle Road ROB BULL Puzzles?, Bridge Street STEVE JONES & THE WILDFIRES + FAMILY OF NOISE + POWDERHEAD + BEN ELLIS Mama Liz's, Stamford THE FEDZ Brewery Tap, Westgate THE GANGSTERS The Solstice, Northminster 50 www.espmag.co.uk

THE GUARDS The Ploughman, Werrington SAT MAR 31

CARPARK RENDEZVOUS Ebeneezers, Woodston CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION The London Inn, Stamford DIRTY RUMOUR The Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor FILTHY CONTACT The Stage, Market Deeping HARKBACK The Golden Fleece, Stamford HUSH The Crown, Littleport JUST US Fletton Ex Servicemens Club, Fletton MEG MCPARTLIN Puzzles?, Bridge Street OUTLAW EAGLES The Burghley, Burghley Road RAMSHACKLE SERENADE The Palmerston Arms, Oundle Road RETROLUX Charters, Town Bridge ROCKET QUEEN The Crown, Lincoln Road STEALER The Heron, Stanground THE MALINGERERS The Angel Inn, Yarwell THE NUGGETS The Ploughman, Werrington

HAZARDVILLE + GO WITH THE FLOW + ONE FOR THE ROAD + THE STRELLIES The Stage, Market Deeping MEG MCPARTLIN (3PM) The Frothblowers, Werrington ONE EYED CATS The Yard of Ale, Oundle Road OPEN MIC Brewery Tap, Westgate PENNYLESS (4PM) Mama Liz's, Stamford THE STRINGLERS (3PM) Charters, Town Bridge THIRD STONE FROM THE SUN The Burghley, Burghley Road MON APR 2

DAN POOLE Pizza Parlour and Music Cafe, Cowgate OPEN MIC NIGHT The Blue Bell, Werrington TUE APR 3

BARNACK ACOUSTIC BACKROOM WITH GRAHAM CLEAVER Millstone Inn, Barnack OPEN MIC WITH ANNA RADFORD Pizza Parlour and Music Cafe, Cowgate WED APR 4

OPEN MIC WITH BON ROGERSWHITE The Beehive, Bourges Boulevard THU APR 5

TRUE BRITISH MAYHEM The Blue Bell, Dogsthorpe

OPEN MIC NIGHT Mama Liz's, Stamford

SUN APR 1

FRI APR 6

BON ROGERS Puzzles?, Bridge Street DAN PERRIN Pizza Parlour and Music Cafe, Cowgate

BLACKSTAR REVOLUTION The Ploughman, Werrington CHUCK NORRIS EXPERIENCE The Fayre Spot, Bretton

COSMIC RODNEY The Yard of Ale, Oundle Road CUBANS & CIGARS Charters, Town Bridge ELECTRIC WARRIORS The Crown, Lincoln Road LOOSE ROCKET The Church Keys, Boston ONE EYED CATS The Blue Bell, Werrington STEVE YOUNG The Queen's Head, Queen Street THE VELTONES Lakeside Bar, Tallington SAT APR 7

AUDIOS The Stage, Market Deeping BETTY SWALLOCKS The Burghley Club, Burghley Road DAN POOLE Puzzles?, Bridge Street DEFINITELY OASIS The Met Lounge, Bridge Street DIRTY RUMOUR The London Inn, Stamford DUCKING PUNCHES The Ostrich, North Street FRANKLY MY DEAR The Black Bull, Whittlesey HUSH Kings Cliffe Club, Kings Cliffe MOTOR CITY VIPERS (TICKETED) Brewery Tap, Westgate MULLERED AT THE MILL The Blue Bell, Dogsthorpe PORKY PIG The Yard of Ale, Oundle Road REVOLVER The Ploughman, Werrington SHADOW OF ACOLYTE + STILL REMAINS + REAPER Mama Liz's, Stamford

STINGRAY The Crown, Lincoln Road THE GUARDS Ebeneezers, Woodston THE JAM'D (TICKETED) Corn Exchange, Bourne THIRD STONE FROM THE SUN The Angel Inn, Yarwell VELOCITY The Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor SUN APR 8

ADAM LEON Puzzles?, Bridge Street MIZMERIZE Pizza Parlour and Music Cafe, Cowgate REVOLVER Browns Bar, Boston ROB BULL (3PM) Charters, Town Bridge MON APR 9

CJ HATT Pizza Parlour and Music Cafe, Cowgate SONG WRITERS EVENING WITH STEVE GIBBS The Boat Inn, Whittlesey TUE APR 10

OPEN MIC WITH ANNA RADFORD Pizza Parlour and Music Cafe, Cowgate WED APR 11

ACOUSTIC SESSIONS WITH THE BOATMEN Railway Inn, Ramsey OPEN MIC WITH BON ROGERSWHITE The Beehive, Bourges Boulevard FRI APR 13

BLACKSTAR REVOLUTION (BOWIE CHARITY NIGHT) The Yard of Ale, Oundle Road

GENERATION SPAM The Burghley, Burghley Road JUNK PUPPETS The Blue Bell, Werrington RAINMEN Lakeside Bar, Tallington REVOLVER The Mason's Arms, Bourne STEPHANIE SCOTT The Queen's Head, Queen Street THE GUARDS The Ostrich, North Street THE JUNK PUPPETS The Blue Bell, Werrington THE MEMBERS + THE FACE (TICKETED) The Met Lounge, Bridge Street THE NUGGETS Charters, Town Bridge THE RAINMEN Lakeside Bar, Tallington THE SMARTIES The Crown, Lincoln Road VELOCITY The Blue Bell, Dogsthorpe SAT APR 14

GO WITH THE FLOW The Ploughman, Werrington INDIGO The Stage, Market Deeping JIMMY DOHERTY Puzzles?, Bridge Street LAST MINUTE BRIGADE The Crown, Lincoln Road LOS COJONES The Burghley Club, Burghley Road MOLLY'S CHAMBER The Yard of Ale, Oundle Road ONE EYED CATS Ebeneezers, Woodston STEALER The Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

If you want to get your gigs in ESP for free, e-mail:

GIGS@ESPMAG.CO.UK THE WISE NAIVE + THE LUCKY LESSONS + ANIMAL BAR Mama Liz's, Stamford VELOCITY The Dragonfly, Orton Malbourne WHISKY TWIST The Heron, Stanground SUN APR 15

FRUMENTY (4PM) Mama Liz's, Stamford KEITH LUCKEY The Frothblowers, Werrington

WED APR 18

OPEN MIC WITH BON ROGERSWHITE The Beehive, Bourges Boulevard PAGAN Pizza Parlour and Music Cafe, Cowgate FRI APR 20

BLACKBIRD MUSIC The Queen's Head, Queen Street CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION The Blue Bell, Westgate CIRCA 73 The Yard of Ale, Oundle Road

DIRTY RUMOUR The Blue Bell, Dogsthorpe DUSK TIL DAWN The Ploughman, Werrington JACK LITTLE Puzzles?, Bridge Street LIVE BAND The Limetree, Walton NUMB + REDNECK JESUS + SOVIET FILMS + POLYPIN Mama Liz's, Stamford RPM The Bell, Sawtry SOUND INJECTORS Ebeneezers, Woodston

MARK STEVENS Puzzles?, Bridge Street PEMBROKE Pizza Parlour and Music Cafe, Cowgate STELLA HENSLEY & JOHNNY MAGIC BOY WRIGHT (3PM) Charters, Town Bridge MON APR 16

NICOLE SAUNDERS Pizza Parlour and Music Cafe, Cowgate TUE APR 17

OPEN MIC WITH ANNA RADFORD Pizza Parlour and Music Cafe, Cowgate OPEN MIC NIGHT WITH THE BOATMEN & PHIL Q The Boat Inn Whittlesey

TO ENHANCE YOUR GIGS PLEASE CONTACT US ON 01733 381266 FOR MORE DETAILS

JAMES EDMONDS (3PM) The Frothblowers, Werrington THE BAR STEWARD SONS OF VAL DOONICAN (3PM) Charters, Town Bridge MON APR 23

ARC NATION The Burghley, Burghley Road BON RODGERSWHITE Pizza Parlour and Music Cafe, Cowgate TUE APR 24

OPEN MIC WITH ANNA RADFORD Pizza Parlour and Music Cafe, Cowgate OPEN MIC WITH GRAHAM CLEAVER Blue Boar, Eye WED APR 25

LOOSE ROCKET The Yard of Ale, Oundle Road WALKWAY The Crown, Lincoln Road

STONE PONY The Stage, Market Deeping THE NUGGETS The Elm Tree Tavern, Dogsthorpe

SAT APR 21

ANOTHER GIRL ANOTHER PLANET The Crown, Lincoln Road BLACK ELVIS The Burghley, Burghley Road CITIZEN SMITH The Fayre Spot, Bretton CJ HATT The Yard of Ale, Oundle Road

SUN APR 22

ADAM TRENDALL Puzzles?, Bridge Street CAFE MANOUCHE Mama Liz's, Stamford DIVISION DUO Pizza Parlour and Music Cafe, Cowgate

OPEN MIC WITH BON ROGERSWHITE The Beehive, Bourges Boulevard ACOUSTIC SESSIONS WITH THE BOATMEN Railway Inn, Ramsey FRI APR 27

ACOUSTIC SESSIONS WITH THE BOATMEN The Boat Inn, Whittlesey CITIZEN SMITH The Ploughman, Werrington LOOSE ROCKET The Mason's Arms, Bourne MATT HOWARD The Beehive, Bourges Boulevard

OUSE VALLEY SINGLES CLUB Mama Liz's, Stamford RAMSHACKLE SERENADE The Blue Bell, Werrington SOUND INJECTORS The Crown, Lincoln Road STEPHANIE SCOTT The Queen's Head, Queen Street THE BRAYS The Solstice, Northminster THE GANGSTERS The Limetree, Walton THE GUARDS The Yard of Ale, Oundle Road THE NUMBERS Charters, Town Bridge TRUE BRITISH MAYHEM The Lightbox Cafe, Bridge Street VELOCITY The Fayre Spot, Bretton SAT APR 28

CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION The Burghley Club, Burghley Road CHRISTIAN SMITH Puzzles?, Bridge Street CUBANS & COGNAC The Heron, Stanground DIRTY RUMOUR Kings Cliffe Club, Kings Cliffe GLAM SLAM GLITZ The Crown, Lincoln Road LIVE BAND The Ploughman, Werrington

PRESS Ebeneezers, Woodston REVOLVER Boston Bowl, Boston SUBWAY 77 The Blue Bell, Dogsthorpe TALLAWAH The Stage, Market Deeping TUMBLING DICE The Yard of Ale, Oundle Road WORK UNIT + THE RAGING NATHANS + VANILLA POD + MORE Mama Liz's, Stamford SUN APR 29

ANDY HUGHES Puzzles?, Bridge Street BON ROGERS (3PM) The Frothblowers, Werrington HAZEY JANE + TABI GERVIS + CRAYON ANGELS The Glasshouse, Key Theatre JOHN BODEN & THE REMNANT KINGS Key Theatre, Embankment MATTY HAYNES Pizza Parlour and Music Cafe, Cowgate STEEL UNION (3PM) Charters, Town Bridge

MON APR 30

RAINMEN Pizza Parlour and Music Cafe, Cowgate

SUNDAY APRIL 22 THE BAR-STEWARD SONS OF VAL DOONICAN

GIG of the MONTH

Charters, Town Bridge from 3pm Festival favourites, the one and only Bar-steward Sons of Val Doonican return to crowd surf their way to the bar! Tank tops at the ready as The Barstewards entertain you with a brilliant range of catchy parodies.