Ludlow Ledger (Issue #15)

ISSUE 15 – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 – FREE

Koo’s Mari Kure Shropshire’s unwritten pubs Opera star Kim Begley: All the World’s a Stage Jack Andow, remembered Educating Zoe The Palmers’ roll Reviewed: Bull Sir Job Charlton The salmon return Woodpecker Rally

“One of the big factors when we opened was that the Michelin stars came to Ludlow at the same time. People would stay at Mr Underhill’s for three nights and try different restaurants. Now, it feels that people stay for one night, it’s harder for everybody.”

MARi Kure, the stylish founder and owner of the acclaimed Koo, Ludlow’s only Japanese restaurant, has led a very interesting life, that took her from Tokyo to London and LA and then brought her, some 16 years ago, to South Shropshire.

I met up with her the day before Trump’s surprise victory in the US and Mari, who lived and worked in California for five years, is saddened but not surprised by the divisions in the huge country, feeling that America isn’t anywhere near as well integrated as the UK. “London really is a great cultural melting pot and not like LA, each culture stays within themselves in America.” Mari was also tired when we met, not that you’d know it from her energy as we chatted over tea; she suffers from lupus, an

auto-immune disease that flares up every now and then. She manages it as best she can with regular tai chi and through eating healthily, as well as through medication.

A true foodie with a passion for music, travel, arts and culture, Mari specialises in traditional and healthy Japanese food with a twist, and Koo is entirely her own invention. So how exactly did she end up here in Shropshire, in this small market town?

“When I first moved here, I kept on repeating myself. There was a lot of interest in me and the restaurant and I spoke to the papers and found I kept saying the same thing…” It’s both a combination of chance and practical thinking that led Mari to Ludlow. She’d fallen in love and got married to a man

in London having headed to the UK capital to brush up her English after studying English literature in Japan. They lived first in the capital before moving to LA and running a French café in West Hollywood for half a decade in the ‘80s.

It sounds rather like the Wild West at times with one of her staff not turning up for work one day because he’d shot someone and had been arrested. “We were raided by police once and it was interesting,” she says. “There were already some very wealthy Russians who used to come in who I believe might have been Mafia. And certainly Enzo – he ran a tiny tailor’s not far away but he was actually a Mafia frontman.

He’d bring in customers who were really quite shady, watching everything.” Things came to a head

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when a “crazy homeless guy” who Mari was sure had taken a cocktail of drugs, nearly hit her over the head from behind with a rock. She hadn’t even known he was there but a regular, who happened to be a security guard, spotted him in time and tackled him to the ground, effectively saving Mari’s life. “Oh yes,” she says very calmly, “it was a very big rock, I think it would have killed me. LA wasn’t a nice place to live at the time – I wanted to take the kids (her two daughters) away from there really.”

When her father died, Mari, an only child, understandably wanted to return to Tokyo to be with her mother. Her husband went with her, took up aikido and they remained

Continued on page 10 >

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Contents ENTERTAINMENT 4

Our town’s very own opera star: Kim Begley

5 6-7

LITERATURE

Excerpts from one of this Editor’s many unfinished projects: Shropshire Pub Book

PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

The soon-to-be-reopened doors of The Church Inn, The Rose & Crown’s Beaujolais run, Robin Hood panto, parking fines, and coffee galore

8

LUDLOW LEGEND 8

Sir Job Charlton: lawyer, MP, judge, Speaker of the Houses of Parliament (briefly) and a formidable local force in the 17th century

HIstory 9

The Palmers of Ludlow

10 Old Street’s Mari Kure and her Japanese restaurant Koo REMEMBRANCE 10 Much-missed Jack Andow LETTERS 12 COVER STORY ... continued

Thumbs up for ‘Future Champions in the Frame’ piece, thumbs down for the ‘Cover’ piece, some cottage info required, and a grammatical correction

CROSSWORD 12

14

11 across: Flourish leg and you become more appreciated over time (4,2,3)

EDUCATION 13

The things that Ludlow has taught Zoe Ashbridge

OBSERVATIONS 13

“...I knelt in front of my wood-burner and began to go through the ritual.

Two logs, one either side to make a ‘valley’ as the Norwegians call it, and they do know their fires; three, no four bits of crumpled newspaper between the two”

WILDLIFE 14

Thankfully no bears to get in their way, but the returning salmon of the Teme certainly have their own headaches and hurdles

16

REVIEW

15

SPORT

16

“Bartlett wrote ‘Bull’ before the current political upheaval in Britain and ‘allegory’ is too lofty a word for this play. However there are undoubtedly parallels here with recent developments within the Labour Party and its representatives” Ludlow’s Woodpecker Rally

Editor’s notes, hello again Looking for a picture to illustrate the ‘pub book’ story (p5), I stumbled across a copy of the Market Drayton Advertiser. Dated 7th May 1999, it featured three New York scratch DJs on the front cover – then under my guardianship in the UK for a width and breadth tour. The only pictures I had of the trio were either of them asleep in the back of a borrowed Transit, half asleep in the back of my Golf GTI, or being moaned at by gig promoters for turning up late, after sleeping in. So I contacted the Advertiser who struck a deal: permission to print the picture, on the grounds that I wrote a ‘memories of Market Drayton’ piece for their paper.

I, of course, agreed and embarked on an afternoon’s reminiscing.

The event organising and artists’ management chapter of my life started in Ludlow, staging Street Art 1990.

Many events followed, including the Hereford town-take over ‘Hip Hop In High Town (1995) before moving to Worcester for some years, where I managed a Technics DMC competition hopeful, DJ Leon.

It was through this tireless touring of the national heats that I met many other DJs looking for an agent. The agency grew – as I relocated to Market Drayton – signing up such DJs as Prime Cuts of the Scratch Perverts. This, eventually, led to a call from Doug Cohen (Sugarcuts) – founding DJ member of The Kolabz, and organiser of renowned New-York event, Table Turns. Some months later I flew Sugarcuts (along with his DJ troupe) to the UK to discuss hosting a European version of his event, as well as tackling a tour of UK clubs.

Table Turns was to be shadowed, when I took a call from San-Francisco’s International Turntable Federation, who were eager to host a UK heat of their acclaimed DJ championships.

The national music press quoted the event as being staged in a “freezing barn on Halloween somewhere in the Midlands” – Birmingham’s Custard Factory in fact, as a cold crowd witnessed the crowning of Jazz T, who I flew out to Hawaii to compete in the World Finals: Battle in Paradise.

One of the jet-lagged judges flown out from the States, for a 48-hour Bull Ring visit, was DJ Shortkut, who landed in the UK just as his gargantuan cardboard cut-out hung high in Gap stores across the land ... he’d just filmed an ad for the clothing company.

By this time I’d moved to Knighton, near Market Drayton: no central heating, a ropey open fire, no carpet, but a home office that doubled up as a guest room for my last two US tour DJs ... two-times ITF World Champion, Vinroc (Bay Area, SF) and Roli Rho (Queens, NYC). ... I duly toured both around Liverpool, Hull, Sheffield, Nottingham, Birmingham, Oxford, London, Brighton and Falmouth, before hanging up my management hat in 2001 and moving back to the area.

That was before Canada called...

Cheers, Jon Saxon editor@ludlowledger.co.uk Office – 01584 872381 Mobile – 07795 244060

Editor’s notes image} George Dipin|Print} Guardian Print Centre, Manchester | Letterpress printed masthead} Dulcie Fulton: mostlyflat.co.uk

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Ledger stockists

Ludlow’s own opera star

At the top of his voice text} P Burden | image} A Cadet

– PROFILE –

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kiM and Liz Begley came to live in Ludlow at the beginning of 2013. Both originally from the North West, they had spent most of their adult life in London and the South East, within easy reach of the major English opera houses, where they both sang regularly.

Their last home had been outside Newbury (where they’d converted a large barn into a 120-seat theatre) but they had often come to Ludlow to relax, and grew to love the town so much that they bought one half of the distinctive ochre house at the bottom end of Corve Street. When they decided to retire permanently to Ludlow, they bought the other half and turned it into a single dwelling.

But retirement is never as easy as it looks; Kim is still receiving requests to appear in opera all over the world, and he can’t quite bring himself to turn them all down. If he thinks he can sing a role comfortably, he takes it, and is currently booked to appear as Aegisthus in Richard Strauss’s Elektra in Sao Paolo. He’s also beginning to find an enjoyable role in Ludlow, directing drama, drawing on the acting and production skills he acquired some 40 years ago at the Royal Shakespeare Company and elsewhere.

Kim’s career began in Birkenhead, where he was born in 1952, the eldest of three siblings. His father was an athletics coach who’d played rugby for Cheshire, his mother an actress who’d worked at the Liverpool Playhouse, the Old Vic and Regent’s Park, but had chosen to cut short her career to look after her own mother. However, after leaving the professional stage, she had become the leading light at the amateur Little Theatre in Birkenhead. It was here that Kim spent much of his childhood – watching, listening and absorbing.

At the age of four he went off to ballet and tap classes and, while at Rock Ferry High School for Boys, bravely played both Lady Macbeth and Lady McDuff in a school production of the Scottish play. He spent a lot of time at the Little Theatre, acting and designing sets and costumes. He bolstered this with acting classes at the Elliot-Clarke School in Liverpool (and can, to this day, produce a lively blast of convincing scouse). Having done O-levels, he was offered a place at drama school in London, but his father wouldn’t fund it so, despite his obvious affinity with drama, at 17 he started work as an office boy at a local solicitors’ practice, while spending all his spare time in the amateur theatre.

After less than two years in the lawyers’ office, he applied to the Chester Gateway Theatre and they offered him a job as ‘wardrobe assistant’, with no one to assist. While he was there, a costume designer, who’d come from Wimbledon Art College to work on a Christmas show, suggested that Kim should go to Wimbledon to take the course in costume design.

Kim recalls: ‘I despatched a flattering photograph with my sketchy CV and I got in but, when it came to it, I didn’t enjoy the course. However, I had learned enough to get a job doing the costumes for Alice in Wonderland, the Christmas show at Stratford. I was also booked to understudy all the men’s parts, including the White Rabbit, being played by Cherie Blair’s dad, Tony Booth. Tony, who enjoyed a drink as they say, went AWOL for a few days and I stood in for him. I really enjoyed myself and Peggy Mount (The Queen) noticed and remarked approvingly: “That boy should act”.

‘After that, I gradually got more acting work although I’d never been near a drama school. I did a short season as actor/ASM (Assistant Stage Manager) at the Liverpool Playhouse, and went on to work in rep and the West End in plays and musicals, which I loved, although I’d never had a singing lesson either.’

In 1976, Kim was working in a production of The Student Prince with the ageing, but much loved, John Hanson in the lead. It was a sell-out, and Kim was understudying the role of Dr Engel, the prince’s tutor – an acting part with a little baritone singing. He had to go on in the role in a matinée when Joyce Nettles, casting director at the RSC, happened to be there.

She spotted Kim and liked something about him. Out of the blue, a few days later he had a phone call to come and audition in front of Trevor Nunn.

He was asked why he’d given them a piece as tricky as Launcelot Gobbo’s speech from The Merchant of Venice, although they evidently liked what they’d seen. They told Kim they were looking for someone not just to act but to dance and sing, and they asked Kim to Stratford where he did full seasons with the RSC, playing ‘as cast’ and appearing in nine productions.

One day he turned up to rehearse for Pillars of the Community to be told that he had to go on that evening as Friar Francis in Much Ado with Donald Sinden and Judi Dench. At that point, he hadn’t even looked at the script.

‘I stuck the pages into a bible and shuffled around reading my part from it,’ he says.

Afterwards, Judi Dench nodded her appreciation. ‘You did very well with the characterisation, considering….’

After his happy sojourn at the RSC, Kim spent five months out of work, before auditioning for Robinson Crusoe, a panto at the famous Players’ Theatre. Their annual pantos were legendary, based on 19th-century opera with new, funny lyrics, and Kim found himself singing opera without realising it. Rudolf Piernay, a singing teacher at the Guildhall came along,

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and offered Kim a few lessons. He told him he was a natural tenor and encouraged him to apply for an Arts Council bursary whereby actors could learn additional skills. At the end of a year’s post graduate course in opera singing, at the age of 30, he was spotted by the Royal Opera House.

In 1981 they offered him a contract as a principal tenor. As a career move it could only be an improvement. Opera singers were much more scarce than actors and, pro rata, there was always more work to go around. Added to that, there was a chronic shortage of trained tenors. ‘If you can get a high ‘C’ and you’re not too short, you’ll always find work,’ an old hand told him.

He sang over 30 principal roles at Covent Garden but, when he wasn’t needed, he was allowed to work for other companies. He was singing Alfredo in La Traviata for the Sadlers Wells when he met a young soprano, Liz Collier, who was singing opposite him. It was just inevitable, Kim says, that they should fall in love, and by the end of the run, they were planning to get married.

While Kim and Liz settled into married life, Liz’s decision to put her own career on hold allowed Kim’s to really take off. In 1986, having done five years at Covent Garden, Kim went freelance. From then on he was singing for a wide variety of conductors in roles which were new to him. He was heard by opera director, Niklaus Lenhoff who asked him to sing the lead in Wagner’s Lohengrin for his new production in Frankfurt. This unexpected opportunity opened up a new career for Kim as a Wagnerian lyric tenor.

After this, his international career burgeoned, including several seasons in Chicago under Sir Andrew Davies.

He was eventually invited to sing at the New York Met and all across

the US, working with those great tenors, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. It was, he admits, a gruelling schedule; he was away 40 weeks of the year, leaving Liz at home with their two sons, Ed and Will.

When Kim was at home, Liz helped him with all the other projects in which he was involved – founding and running the Broomhill International Opera course in the fine, wood-panelled theatre of the mansion near Tunbridge Wells. Despite the pressures this led to, Kim says he has always enjoyed activities beyond the singing of opera.

In his own theatre near Newbury he enjoyed putting on Old Time Music Hall, he ran a production of Sweeney Todd at Shawford Mill in Somerset and, now that he and Liz are settled in Ludlow, he’s turning his attention to directing here.

Having been impressed by the Two Score Years and Ten Company’s production of Macbeth, he was approached by Director Peter Hayter, and asked him if he’d like to oversee a production. Kim offered to direct All the World’s a Stage, a celebration of Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary – an evening of the bard’s speeches and sonnets, comprising 26 scenes from across the canon, with 15 actors.

The company has been in rehearsal for several weeks and, even while Kim has been away in Brazil, he’s been sending the cast notes and updates about their performances – a thoroughness and attention to detail that looks likely to make this a celebration not to be missed.

--------------------------------------------------Tickets for All the World’s a Stage (Broad St’s Methodist Church, 7:30pm, 30th November to 3rd December) available from Ludlow Assembly Rooms.

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5

Another partial project

The unwritten words of Shropshire’s pubs text} Jon Saxon | image} Craig Holmes – LITERATURE – SINCE the last Ledger I’ve been decluttering an old computer that’s proven remarkably reliable thus far (though a little slow recently, with all the extra workload) and has helped to put together a remarkable list of publishing projects over the years ... and working as hard on so many that will probably never see the light of day, including a proposed book of Shropshire’s pubs (which I stumbled across in my recent computer clean-up) ... snippets from Ludlow, Market Drayton, Little Hereford and Richards Castle follow: ------------------------------------------------Jamie is behind the bar this Saturday, as I dip my toe into The Temeside Inn at 5.30pm.

It’s not usually a place I’d merrily break a limb in beating a path to but, skipping on an hour and a half (and three pints to the wind), I’d happily have donated both. But that’s pubs for you. ... As I enter I see my dad there, a good slug into his first Hobsons and sat on the periphery of the ‘corner’ smiling. A carpenter and a mole catcher, (who’ll probably thank me for listing them by their professions rather than their names) are there too – one sat at the bar, the other with his back up against the wall.

Conversation swells and settles like the River Teme beyond the car park: Tubular Bells features one moment, what line suits a size three rod the next, whilst rustling for pears, gypsy ways and a nearby stretch of water once known as ‘suicide pool’ see us through our respective pints. The carpenter remembers poaching for eels here, with little success: “All we could hear was this ting-ting sound. We were casting out into the dark. We’d get a bite then nothing. It was the same with every cast. Every time we’d reel it back in the bait would be gone. And that sound: ting-ting. ...

We worked it out in the end.

“The Angling Times, or Mail – one of them anyhow – had an eel expert.

And it was him. He had this hubcap turned upside down, bolted through the centre to a pole. He rested his rod on top, with the spool open. On top of the line he’d rested a two pence piece.

When the eels took a bite the penny would drop: ting. And then another rod: ting. He counted ten seconds before he struck. What was happening was the eels were talking the bait and then shooting off away from the shoal to eat it in peace. So ten seconds and he struck. Big eels too.

“The next week he wrote in The Angling Times, or whichever paper it

was, saying he’d caught this monster eel in a secret location. We reckon it was up there, at Kyre Pool.”

It’s mainly fishing banter this evening, until my dad mistakenly pronounces Richard Branson as Branston.

It’s a good show, as the carpenter (who’s jumped from Butty to Best) has to steady his pint. The mole catcher clearly missed my dad’s mistake, the carpenter’s more than happy to bring him up to speed. The whole pub, well the small corner of four drinkers at least, and Jamie behind the bar, are doubled over. “I’m loving the corner today,” he says. He’s in on the fishing act too: “I was fishing down at The Point, in Tenbury, for pike one day. Otto was there, checking fishing permits, when his alsatian Sam jumped in right next to me, taking my line. ‘Hey you’ve got a good one on there,’ he said. I knew I’d foul-hooked his bloody dog, but he wouldn’t listen – telling me how to play it. I brought it in mind.”

My dad’s now visibly pleased that the attention has now moved on from his Branston blunder... as we all find kind words for long-gone Otto.

“That’s all he used to fish for. Good he was too. He kept a pike ledger for all the ones he caught: date, time, place and their weight in tons – written out as t.o.n.n.e.s. He had the best record.”

We eventually file out, one by one.

Thoughts turn to dinner. My dad’s trying to remember the name of a song. The mole catcher is hoping on his grow bags for tonight’s potatoes.

The carpenter, however, mounts his road bike clearly replaying the ‘Branston’ moment – it will keep him company all the way home, I’m sure of it. He’ll even try retelling it to his wife – though I doubt it’ll travel too well.

------------------------------------------------Whilst living here [Market Drayton] I entertained three hip-hop DJs from New York: Doug Cohen (Sugarcuts), Glen Barretto (DJ Excess), Eddie Santiago (DJ IXL)) for a UK tour I’d planned... one from Brooklyn and two from Queens. On final arrival to Shropshire The Kolabz, as they were known, stood awkwardly at the door of Milford Bed & Breakfast, opposite The Ginderbread Man pub, on Adderley Road, armed with plenty of records and a few bags of clothes.

The lady of the house, Mrs Jane Peake, was extremely accommodating (all things considered), allowing six turntables, three mixers, and a rented sound system to take over her son’s annex... a large sophisticated shed complete with carpet, TV, fridge, a full-sized pool table and a dartboard.

With a large piece of ply board soon over the pool table, the three DJs remained on New York time, spending most of the night mixing and scratching records. The landlady was offended that none of the beds that she’d prepared had been slept in for days, finding them in the morning huddled together in the shed, freezing cold, with most of the turntables clicking around at the tail end of their vinyl. None made it up in time for her Aga-cooked breakfast either, which she’d slaved over since 7am. It got more fractious as the days passed and they failed to observe the ‘no smoking’ policy in her beautiful guest house, when they did make it to their respective rooms. It was (thankfully) short-lived though, as we were soon on the road, and off to the first gig up in Liverpool.

When they did make it out of the B&B they toured the town relentlessly, chatting to women in hideous English accents, cheesing off the local men for doing so, whilst weaving in and out of pubs, trying to score weed.

Though dangerously out of place, they explored more of this town’s taverns than I ever did in my many years of being there – with Doug (Sugarcuts) expanding his reach by choosing to spend his 21st birthday at The Bear, in nearby Hodnet. I’d spent that very day helping in the baking of his birthday cake – styled in the shape of a Rane TTM 54 mixer, a piece of DJ equipment he’d had a hand in designing back in the States. Their presence there, in Hodnet, was no better received than it was in Market Drayton.

------------------------------------------------My girlfriend of the time [1993] was working in a care home, just outside Tenbury Wells – working in part with agency nurse George Dobell.

She returned from her shift one evening with a large white plastic case of his, inside of which was a selection of professionally-shot profile photos, two cassettes of own-recordings, and a written discography of work. George was not only a trainee nurse, he was also a songwriter and performer. He was looking for an agent too, and thought he’d discovered just that in me, after chatting briefly with my girlfriend over a cup of tea in a room full of the old and infirm.

I never did become his agent, but spent a lot of time in his company, mostly driving around in his orange Mini Metro (I think it was orange) to meet someone or other to discuss something or other (usually in a pub here or there) always in his trademark donkey jacket. Ludlow’s Bull Hotel was a favourite, as well as The Castle Inn of Richards Castle.

It’s hard to forget a Friday evening at the latter, in the early ’90s, at around 8 – it was very busy back then. Getting through the front door was one thing, making it to the bar through the smoke and loud chatter, without elbowing someone’s pint, was quite another. It was so busy that, when arriving under my own steam to meet George, it could take the entire evening to locate him. With little room to move about freely, there was only one way to get

his attention. “Put ‘Old Tige’ on,” he’d say. “If I’m in I’ll find you at the jukebox.” And it worked.

It would of course reward you with some odd looks – turning up, as you did, feverishly fighting for whatever coin was needed ... only to be serenaded soon after by Jim Reeves as you ordered your drink.

I also remember that his girlfriend always seemed to be out trying to find him, driving around in her, then, new Toyota MR2 and acting as if he’d promised to be home two weeks ago. Interestingly enough, she had lent herself to a Timmy Mallet music video a few years previously, wearing an itsy bitsy yellow polkerdot bikini, repeatedly running from behind a tree in very little and gallivanting around a fake beach – which I was told was little more than a garage in North London.

George later invited me to a meeting in London with Fergal Sharkey.

I thought it was a silly idea, and declined. I wished I’d gone now.

------------------------------------------------I once asked landlord Big Al what he’d change about Ludlow’s Nelson Inn if he could. “I’d pick it up and move it to the other side of the roundabout.”

I also asked him what the cellar was like: “Shit: cramped; always banging my head… and it floods. But it keeps the beer well.” Cramped and shit downstairs it may be, but it is nonetheless a marvel at bar level.

It was actually on the market at the time of writing, with an asking price of £235,000, so it was pretty smart on my last visit (as smart as The Nelson goes) with little in the way of complete clutter and disarray on both sides of the bar that once earmarked this ale house as a unique shambles that clearly hadn’t seen the right side of a mop or a broom for decades, with odd folk dotted about the place, and a fear factor feverishly retold on such review sites as Trip Advisor. The people are not odd, just not the usual predictable drab folk found at identikit taverns with active mops and brooms. The beer is brilliant here, the beer festivals quite possibly the hairiest you’re ever likely to experience, with a pub dog (Lucy) that sways from friendly to grumpy as quickly as some of the pub’s daily drove.

The jukebox is of good stock too, with a heavy lean to rock and punk.

It should therefore do far better than it does, but, sadly, a skull and crossbones pub sign and weird talk on Trip Advisor have had an impact on newbies braving the door handle. For me you’ll find it hard to locate a more friendly place to savour a beverage in this neck of the woods – which, in the case of The Nelson, has to be the fiveper-cent Stairway, brewed by Ludlow Brewing Company.

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Coffee, business rates, yellow lines, and a panto

Since issue 14 of Ludlow Ledger text} Jon Saxon – PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE – Since the last issue of Ludlow Ledger, the number of venues where one can acquire a cup of coffee has grown: the enterprise of 18 Temeside ‘Inn on the Ford’, touted as the future premiere riverside venue, now offers take-away coffee, a home-delivery meal service, as well as the option to sample a choice of teas and ice creams in their riverside garden. This means a tally of 22 (36 if you include the town’s pubs that partake in such a service) and even at that I reckon I’ve missed one or two.

Do we really need this many places for such a purpose? Perhaps we do...

I guess, after all, Hay-on-Wye does pretty well with the whole Books-AreUs vibe, so why not wholly embrace coffee and become the nation’s Mecca for the Café Cubano, Moka or Espresso Romano.

Going forward: we could give the Food Festival’s Ale Trail a bit of a breather in 2017 and opt instead with a Caffeine Trip ... it would certainly

be a little different. London, after all, has a festival dedicated in its entirety to coffee, as does Manchester and Edinburgh in fact – so it’s got legs.

But there again, with Shropshire Council’s proposed 2017 hike in business rates for local traders, we may well find that Ludlow could worryingly become the Mecca for vacant shops, or even worse still, a Mecca for the mass step-andrepeat chains. This is, on all fronts, an alarming future for this town’s survival as an independent haven, with the only ones readily able to swallow the increased rates being those high street giants. It will certainly impact on Ludlow Ledger.

Corve Street hasn’t quite ‘yet’ obtained the micro pub that was promised in Ludlow Ledger #13: though the necessary planning permission to do so was granted at No.132, 1Peter Hadley’s Booksellers Arms is currently operating as Peter Hadley’s Booksellers. Neatly

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sandwiched between The Nutty Barber and The Plaice it is an intimate space full to rafters with books of all shapes and sizes, with a man of knowledge squeezed behind a desk shadowed by a tower of unfiled books. Parked out front (weather permitting of course) is the popular £1.00 book trolley.

I should at this point, perhaps, take back my coffee-takeover concept, and suggest we actually take a leaf out of Hay-on-Wye’s, well, book, and turn Corve Street – the best we can anyway – into Book Street. There is, after all, two vacant plots now available to get the project three-deep: Garlands Flowers, until recently two doors up from Peter’s bookshop, has moved directly over the road, next to the Ledger/Dog Hangs Well office/parlour pub – which is now up for let via Nock Deighton. And, again on the same side of Peter, this time with agents Halls, is hairdressers New Image, which again would make another fine venue for the sale of books. History repeating itself you could say... after all, it wouldn’t be the first time Ludlow’s been heavily focussed on books.

We also have a pretty straightforward parking scenario, down Corve Street, with very few places to obtain a parking fine without blatantly breaking the visible rules... which is not exactly the case up the big smoke.

So, for those you without access to Andy Boddington’s superb regular online blog – andybodders.com – which summarises Ludlow’s current Castle-Square-parking fiasco: “There

has been quite a hullabaloo over parking in Ludlow of late. More than 200 fines have been issued after 6pm during the last few months.

“There is no doubt that we have problems with parking in the town centre that we need to address.

Parking on pavements and in disabled bays without a legitimate blue badge are commonplace offences in Ludlow that I find particularly heinous.

Blocking the entrance to Quality Square is another – we must keep this clear for 999 access.

“For the most part, it’s obvious where you can and can’t park. But there is one place where people think they can park and they are getting fined week in, week out.

“The yellow line arrangement here is rather curious. Many people were not aware of the lines before because they had worn out. The whole market area has now had new lines painted after we unitary councillors kicked up a fuss in the press about parking enforcement.

“You’d expect yellow lines on the road leading to Quality Square. But I don’t understand why there is such a large box enclosed by double yellow lines. Regardless of the sense of this arrangement, officers tell us parking within the box is illegal. Many people have found this out to their cost.

“I had hoped to be writing about Shropshire Council’s new parking policy by now. It is a far more sensible approach than we have seen of late.

However, the paper was pulled from the last cabinet meeting. I do not know why. We councillors want

discussions with enforcement teams before any crackdown. White and yellow lines should be painted and signage clear. We are happy, then, to take part in a public information campaign, even drive it ourselves.

After that, the council should clamp down if it sees fit.”

However ... you can park in all of Ludlow’s main car parks (not including street parking) – for a total of 18 hours for free – when this year’s Tinsel-Tuesday markets are in flow: 6th, 13th and 20th of December.

Organised by Ludlow Chamber of Commerce, Tinsel Tuesday is now in its fifth year – handmade art, craft and local food items that are suitable for Christmas presents, will be in abundance, as will hot seasonal food and drink.

In other up-town news: Cicchetti Bar’s Martyn Emsen has taken over what was rather recently gents outfitters James & Co, found at 67 Broad Street, to run a “Fantastic New Deli” as the window sign replacing the suggestive ‘Ann Summers’ one proudly announced... opening mid November. And a few doors up from that, we hear that 2The Church Inn are aiming to have their doors open on 8th December, with six handpulls serving the likes of Ludlow Brewing Co, Hobsons and Salopian.

Expect a far bigger feature in the next Ledger, about 3HMS Ludlow, but for the time being: St Laurence’s needs your help: http://tiny.cc/hmsludlow

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Monday 9am - 6.30pm Tuesday - Saturday 9am - 9pm www.parkway-ludlow.co.uk

See our reviews on

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55 Mill Street

Fly like a bird with Midland Gliding Club

Learning to fly an aircraft is an ambition of many people but sadly the cost of owning and maintaining a powered aircraft, let alone the price of training, is often enough to stop you even starting.

much flying in club aircraft during that three months as you can manage (weather permitting), with free instruction from our professional instructors.

the Shropshire Hills and you have the start of a lifelong hobby, or a career in aviation.

to fly a fixed wing aircraft. Start with a First Flight for just £95 and we throw in three month’s club membership. A further £30 a month gets you as

al catering, a bar sponsored by Three Tuns, a modern fleet of two and single seat gliders and the most spectacular views over the Welsh Marches and

Association.

LUDLOW’S MOST FASCINATING SHOP Decorative & architectural antiques, vintage clothing Juniors get almost and textiles, garden things everything half price

They’ll be back in town by the time you read this (one hopes anyway) by which time the Rose & Crown’s answer to Clarkson, Hammond and May – Gary, Karl and Mark – will have completed the 4Beaujolais run made famous by wine bars in the late Seventies and Eighties ... all in order to bring back bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau wine released at midnight on the 17th of November, just weeks after the wines grapes have been harvested. Featured in the next issue.

Rooftop Theatre are staging a “hilarious new Ludlow version of Robin Hood” – a panto for the whole family, to be hosted at the Assembly Rooms (with a cast of local adults and children) from 14th to 18th of December with 2pm and 7pm showings (7pm and 2pm only on Friday and Sunday respectively).

Tickets range from £7 to £14 with family and group discounts available from the Ludlow Assembly Rooms Box Office on 01584 878141 as well as online: ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk Just as this issue of the Ludlow Ledger was being prepared for print in came one of 5Jill Howorth’s regular, and welcomed, Silk Top Hat Gallery newsletters – which, in the past, have showcased the likes of Edward Bell, Mary Griffin, Duncan White, and Celia de Serra. This month’s, however, announced the sad news of Jill’s unexpected death. It read: “Jill has been a much-loved trader in the town for over 35 years and greatly respected for her interest in the community and

for her constant support of Ludlow Assembly Rooms, in which she was involved from its inception.

“After gaining a degree at Sussex University she worked at Wolverhampton Art College’s library, followed by a post-graduate course in Librarianship at London’s University College. Jill then became Curator of the newly-formed Institute of Contemporary Prints and went with this important collection when it was transferred to the then Modern Collection of the Tate Gallery.

“Jill returned to Shropshire and opened her first exhibition space in Ludlow’s Dinham House in 1980 and moved to Quality Square a year later.

“Over the years she championed the work of innumerable artists, developed an idiosyncratic artists’ materials and gift shop and, more recently, opened a second exhibition space in Quality Square, Isaac Smart’s – a showcase for contemporary craft work.

“Every year she organized a special and wide-ranging Christmas Exhibition and was planning this year’s show when she was taken ill. ... This exhibition will still take place, at Quality Square’s Silk Top Hat Gallery and at Isaac Smart’s, as a memorial to Jill who died very peacefully, at Severn Hospice, Bicton Heath, Shrewsbury on 7th November.

“Donations in memory of Jill will be warmly welcomed to support Ludlow Assembly Rooms (her greatest passion) or Severn Hospice. ... Jill will be greatly missed by countless friends, artists and collectors.”

and can go solo at 14

years Midland spouse or lover and don’t If you’re looking for a present forold!a friend, a warm and com- Gliding Club has been know Gliding what Add to buy from thetraining thousands of things on offer, let them pilots since At Midland fortable clubhouse, 1934 of andour is affiliated cheap on site with accom- one Club we offer the least choose for themselves Gift Vouchers at £20 and £50 expensive way to learn modation, profession- to the British Gliding

55 Mill Street, Ludlow, SY8 1BB For further details visit our877200 web site at 01584 MidlandGliding.Club or call& theInstagram office on Facebook 01588 650206.

Celebrating over 11 years of great wine in the heart of Ludlow.

Thanks for all your support and here’s to a very merry Christmas.

From all at Bentley’s Wine Merchants.

Bentley’s, 18 Castle Street, Ludlow, SY8 1AT 01584 875520 bentleyswine@aol.com

Images on p6 and 7} Ashleigh Cadet (1); Gavin Weston (2); Imperial War Museum (3); Gary Seymour (4); Ludlow Assembly Rooms (5)

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Sir Job Charlton

Job title: Lawyer, MP, Judge and Speaker text} Liz Hyder | image} Parliamentary Art Collection, WOA 2701

– LUDLOW LEGEND – eVeR wondered where The Charlton Arms got its name? Or who exactly that strange man is with the rather fetching long hair, pictured in the pub sign dangling above the road? Fear not, the Ledger is here to share with you the story of the marvellously named Sir Job Charlton - lawyer, MP, judge, Speaker of the Houses of Parliament (briefly) and a formidable local force in the 17th century, with a rather surprising legacy that continues to this day.

The son of a London goldsmith who laid claim to being descended from Shropshire landed gentry, Job Charlton (named after his uncle Sir Job Harby, one of Charles I’s customs farmers) was born in 1614 at Ludford House, the family seat, in what was then Herefordshire. Educated at Magdalen Hall in Oxford and St Lincoln’s Inn, Job Charlton was called to the bar in 1640 and was a practising lawyer for nearly 20 years before being elected MP for Ludlow in 1659.

Those with a penchant for history will know of the turbulent times that Charlton found himself in as a new member of parliament. Oliver Cromwell had died just the previous year, leaving his son, Richard, to inherit the role of Lord Protector in an attempt to ‘keep it in the family’ (as they say in EastEnders). Cromwell the younger was not a natural leader though, lacking authority and experience; the army had no faith in him and he lasted just nine months at the top. Charlton would have been delighted at Cromwell’s failure – in the newly formed Convention Government, Charlton was one of the key leaders of a royalist junta and was part of a group preparing for a revolt in Shropshire, a Royalist stronghold. The Restoration was just around the corner though and Charles II returned from exile, arriving in London on his birthday on 29 May 1661.

Charlton, in true Ludlow style, seems to have had a real passion for a committee and, in his first year in Parliament, was named in an incredible 82 committees, six of which he chaired (making you wonder how he found the time to plan that royalist revolt).

Among those were the Pythonesque Grand Committee of Religion, the exceptionally dull-sounding Grand Committee for Tunnage and Poundage

and, perhaps most importantly, the Committee for amendments to the Indemnity Bill, an important piece of legislation that pardoned all past treason against the Crown but, specifically, excluded those who had been involved in the trial and execution of Charles I. The bill became law in August 1660 and Charlton played a major role.

As well as chairing, he was also outspoken and ‘very violent’ against Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper who had switched sides in the Civil War. Clearly a man not afraid of speaking his own mind, it was said of Charlton that ‘he never pressed for the death of any, yet to serve the future peace of the nation he could not be silent.’ During the discussions about ejecting scandalous ministers from the House, he said, even-handedly, that he hoped ‘the House would not be more cruel than Henry VIII, who allowed maintenance for their lives’.

As well as steering all these committees and playing an active role in punishing those who’d been involved in the regicide of Charles I, somehow Charlton managed to find time to push through a local charity bill to establish a hospital at Newport. He also argued, in the post office bill in 1660, for letters to all MPs ‘to go free during their sitting’ which, depending on your point of view, either opened up democracy or massively increased the amount of junk mail they would get, sifting through piles of constituents’ letters and chucking out adverts for Everest Stained Glass Windows.

Throughout his political career, Charlton seems to have been liked and loathed in fairly equal measure.

His uncle wrote proudly: “Job is the most leading man in the House of Commons, and carries all before him when he appears and speaks ... He is the highest man in the House for the King’s interest.” Which is exactly the sort of thing a proud member of your family would say about you and stands in rather remarkable contrast to Charlton’s being damned with faint praise by his contemporary, politician and renowned poet, Andrew Marvell, some years later, in 1666: Charlton advances next, whose coif does awe The mitre troop, and with his looks give law.

He marched with beaver cocked of bishop’s brim, And hid much fraud under an aspect grim.

In the new Cavalier Parliament, Charlton was re-elected in 1661 and was, once again, a very active member.

He was appointed to an incredible 266 committees, chairing seven of them, including the Elections Committee, the Bill of Pains and Penalties, and the Ways and Means Committee. He managed seven conferences with the Lords, made 31 reported speeches in the House and was even tasked with a cunning piece of propaganda – approaching the former chaplain to Charles I, Bruno Ryves, to preach on the unseasonable weather showing how ‘the neglect of exacting justice on… the old King’s murderers… was a main cause of God’s punishing a land.’ As preparations for Charles II’s coronation continued apace, culminating in the new monarch being crowned at Westminster Abbey in April 1661, the trials of those involved in the regicide of his predecessor were held. Twelve of the judges, involved in the signing of Charles I’s death warrant, were condemned to death and numerous others were also condemned or held prisoner.

Despite the very bloody times, Charlton didn’t have to wait too long for his hard work to be recognised and rewarded – in 1664, he secured a rather tidy £500 per annum for being awarded the much-coveted post of Chief Justice for Chester for “his support and for his services.”

Yet, as Charlton’s star rose, others fell including John Ashburnum, another highly active member of the Cavalier Parliament who was widely condemned for taking £500 from English merchants to help them procure a licence to land and supply, what were then, prohibited French wines. When this back-hander was discovered, Ashburnham was charged with bribery and Charlton commented the merchants ‘were like the devil, both tempters and accusers.’

Rather wonderfully, Ashburnham did not appear at the hearing to defend his conduct as he was ‘lame of the gout’ during the session…

In 1673, the Privy Council decided that Charlton should be made Speaker of the House of Commons in respect of his experience and long service. The choice was agreed with no dispute but fellow MP, Robert Milward, who had worked with Charlton on a recent bill, feared ’his zeal to run with his own opinion against the King’s measures’.

Charlton lasted just ten days in the role after he ‘fell ill.’ The House had to adjourn and he resigned. The History of Parliament (a huge online project funded by both Houses and founded before WW2) states that ‘this may have been a diplomatic illness’, a fantastic phrase which, I think, we should all do our best to bring back into common

parlance. At the time, Charlton was facing a parliamentary storm over the Declaration of Indulgence along with writs by Lord Chancellor Shaftesbury.

Charlton was given £1k of secret service money for “quitting the chair.”

Although this lined his purse nicely, it must have been a huge blow to his confidence and, after this, Charlton ceased to take a leading role in the proceedings of the Commons and his star began to fade.

When he supported the grant of an additional £300,000 to the King, saying ‘the King denies you no bills you present him, only le roi s’avisera.

And I would not have you do anything indecent to the King,’ the speech was interrupted by laughter within the House. He was also one of several judges criticised for not bringing priests and Jesuits to trial and, in 1680, lost his role as Chief Justice of Chester to Sir George Jeffreys. Affronted, Charlton went to Whitehall and placed himself prominently where the King, returning from his regular walk in St James’s Park, must surely see him.

The King did indeed see him, realised Charlton wanted to plead his case and, not being able to bear it, snubbed him by going another way.

Six years later, Charlton was removed from the Common Pleas for giving his opinion against the dispensing power, but he remained on good terms with James II, who restored him to his old place at Chester and stayed with him at Ludford in 1687. He was finally dismissed from office after the 1688 ‘Glorious Revolution’ and, intriguingly, the list of East India stockholders from the time shows him as probably the largest investor outside the London merchant community, with a holding of £5,350. He died on 24 May 1697, aged 83, and was buried at St Giles, Ludford.

Apart from Ludford’s only surviving pub, The Charlton Arms, being named after him, Charlton also left the legacy of almshouses in the area. He rebuilt the existing almshouses in Ludford in 1672, still known today as Sir Job Charlton’s Hospital and a registered charity. Charlton directed that only such poor as had formerly laboured for their living should be eligible for admission and that there should be six inmates, both men and women, one of whom was to be the warden.

Ludford and Ludlow are dripping in fascinating history but it seems that, pub sign excepted, Sir Job Charlton has somewhat disappeared off the local map. For such a larger-than-life character, it seems sad that this is the case so, next time you’re in Ludford, perhaps you might pop into St Giles’ Church and pay your respects to the effigy of him, complete with his judges’ red robes, before raising a glass to him in The Charlton Arms. Just mind you don’t have the French red wine...

ISSUE #13 Meet the Mortimers Driving to Ludlow from Dubai youth Shropshire Ludlow’s Rose & Crown rises again The man behind the BBC mike: Robin Spicer Reviewed: Short sharp Hamlet The Doctor’s Mon Local artist: Edward Bell Parlour pub chat ludlowledger.com/archive

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Ludlow’s Palmers

Roll-call rarity text} Hugh Wood

– HISTORy – in the mediaeval period, nearly all people believed in God and in what the church taught them. They were most concerned about the doctrine of purgatory, where they would be purified and purged of their sins after death, before being admitted to heaven. It was generally accepted that this was a very uncomfortable experience which could go on for aeons.

There were two ways you could shorten your time in purgatory: buying, or being granted, indulgences, and prayer. So praying for one’s own soul and the souls of one’s family, dead and alive, became a big part of life.

The wealthy could give money or lands to pay for the setting up of a chantry, a chapel in the church where a priest would say masses for their soul. Depending on how much money was donated, these masses might be said annually, monthly, weekly or even daily. The arrangement might run for a year or even indefinitely.

Religious guilds like the Ludlow Palmers’ Guild enabled people who couldn’t afford to set up a personal chantry to club together to employ one or more priests to say mass on behalf of their members. They had other functions too, some of them religious and others not – they actively encouraged fellowship, holy living and always attended funerals of their members. But membership of the guild was also, usually, a status symbol within the town, signifying that they were someone.

Palmers were pilgrims to Jerusalem who would, typically, bring back a piece of palm, often plaited to form a cross. The Ludlow Palmers’ Guild was founded around 1255 and it is likely that its first Warden, Geoffrey Andrew, had been to Jerusalem. Later the term ‘Palmer’ probably suggested a spiritual, rather than an actual, pilgrimage.

The Ludlow Guild was a typical example of its type but it developed into one of the most successful and wealthy guilds in the country, and was pre-eminent in this part of the Marches. At a time when the town probably numbered 2000 inhabitants, the Palmers’ Guild had between 4000 and 5000 members, which included royalty. At its height, its income was

around £130,000 per annum in today’s terms. Today its physical presence is seen most in St John’s chapel (also known as the Palmers’ chapel) in St Laurence’s church, whose own magnificence (achieved by major rebuilding in the 1400s) was largely due to the Guild’s generosity.

A number of factors seem to have contributed to the success of the Guild.

In Ludlow, it was early in the field and there was only one church and only one religious guild; it had two other unique features.

Edward the Confessor died in 1066.

One day, while travelling to a church in Essex, the King was accosted by a beggar and gave the beggar a ring.

Later, some English pilgrims in Jerusalem were approached by the same beggar who revealed himself as St John the Evangelist. He gave the ring to the pilgrims and asked them to give it back to King Edward and to tell him that, within six months, they would be together in Paradise. The King died within the six months.

The Palmers’ Guild decided that these pilgrims were Ludlow men, ignoring the fact that Edward died 200 years before the foundation of the Guild. The mediaeval east window in Ludlow’s Palmers’ Chapel tells the story and the pilgrims are displayed wearing the Palmers’ uniform. By this stroke of genius they associated the foundation of the Palmers’ Guild not only with Edward the Confessor but also with St John the Evangelist. The Palmers were dedicated to the Virgin Mary & St John and it is no accident that the Palmers’ chapel is dedicated to St John.

Religious guilds in England typically had an entry fee and an annual subscription. Often they were only open to men and sometimes certain occupations were not accepted.

After the first few years, the Palmers’ Guild had only an entry fee which was just 6s 8d, or a half-mark (the mark was the standard unit of currency in the mediaeval period), about £40 today. But you didn’t have to pay it all at once. The Stewards kept a register of payments and each year they went on long journeys around Wales, the Marches, the Midlands, the SouthWest and sometimes further, signing people up and collecting what they were able to give. Once you’d reached 6s 8d you were paid up and would be entered on the list of full members.

But even if you never paid up, you were associating yourself with the Guild and would have been prayed for.

It is also possible that the Pope offered indulgences as another motivator to join the Guild.

There was also a Warden, two Stewards, other officials and a Council of Elders who oversaw. These were usually the same people who were involved as Aldermen and Bailiffs of the Town Corporation and there was a single career ladder, which included

both hierarchies, the Guild and the Corporation and often started with the Churchwarden.

Eventually, the Guild largely ran St Laurence’s. In its heyday it employed 10-15 Guild chaplains to take services in the church, more staff than the church could muster. Several of them lived in a college of which some evidence remains in College Court. They took services at most of the many chapels in the church, as well as paying an organist and singing men and buying candles. They were also significant donors … for example in the major rebuilding of the church in the 15th century.

When the 5th Earl of March died in 1425, his estates were inherited

by Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York who features notably in Shakespeare’s plays on Henry VI and the Wars of the Roses. He paid the princely sum of £16 13s 4d (about £7700) to enrol himself and his wife, Cecily Neville, as members of the Guild. Richard’s son, the Yorkist King Edward IV, enrolled 50 members of his household in the Guild. Later Richard Woodville, 3rd Earl Rivers and brother of Edward’s Queen Elizabeth, also became a member.

By the late 15th century about an eighth of new members were gentry or aristocrats. Support for the Guild continued into Tudor times: after the death of Prince Arthur in Ludlow in 1502 his brother Henry, now Prince of Wales, enrolled 10 members of his household even though, as King Henry VIII, he was eventually responsible for getting rid of the religious guilds in what we call the English Reformation.

The connection between Palmers and St Laurence’s church is kept alive today in a very practical way. The Conservation Trust for St Laurence’s (ludlowpalmers.uk) is a secular, nondenominational charity devoted to the upkeep of the church’s fabric in which it has so far invested £400,000.

The Trust has revived the idea of the Palmers as donors to this cause. Today there are 162 modern Palmers each giving from a little to a lot, just as the mediaeval Guild members did. The immediate aim is to take this number past 250. A present need is restoration of the historic panelling and altar rail in St John’s chapel, home of the Palmers’ story.

-------------------------------------------------A rare 15-feet-long parchment from 1576 – purchased with a loan from the Ludlow Civic Society, resides with the present custodian, author Hugh Wood. The parchment is a roll of honour of the coats of arms of many notable families connected with Ludlow castle. Several of these were Palmers. Plans exist to make facsimiles of the roll for public display and education in Ludlow.

ISSUE #14 An evening spent at Ludlow’s Masonic Lodge Ledger’s Liz passes her driving test King’s Singer: Patrick Dunachie Bill Pearson’s Castle Lodge Much Ado About Nothing Richard Palmer investigates, again Cycling stars: Stanton-Warren and Fotheringham ludlowledger.com/archive

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Page 8 and 9 image} Sir Job Charlton 1614-97 Speaker, by J Bridge, © Parliamentary Art Collection, WOA 2701 – parliament.uk/art

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– COVER STORY – < continued from the front page in Japan for ten years until a chance meeting on the street in Japan’s capital led to a conversation about a pub being available to run in the pretty North Herefordshire village of Yarpole. Mari laughs at the memory. “It was a friend of mine – now a very good friend, who’d bumped into my ex. I don’t know how the conversation went but we moved.”

Twenty years ago, Mari followed her now ex-husband to the Bell Inn in Yarpole. “I couldn’t even find it on a map, I couldn’t believe where I was going, from Tokyo and London and LA… I could find Birmingham but not Ludlow on the map, not Yarpole. It was a culture shock, it felt to me that it was the middle of nowhere, it was totally different.”

Mari wasn’t familiar with running pubs either. “A pub is the epicentre of a place, it was very difficult.” This feels like an understatement – her partner had found himself a girlfriend despite still being married and Mari sent her two daughters, then aged 12 and 15, to school in Leominster. “Pub life was very difficult, my daughters didn’t speak English, there’s a huge cultural difference and I was working long hours. I didn’t want my children to be in the smoking and drinking environment of the pub.” There were issues of bullying at school too. “It made us all stronger, although it was a sad thing,” she says.

After, understandably, filing for divorce, Mari moved to Ludlow at the end of 2000. “When I moved here, I couldn’t get any money so I decided to open a Japanese restaurant to support my daughters as my ex-husband wouldn’t pay child maintenance. I started afresh, borrowing money from my mother. My daughters liked it here too, it felt more sophisticated than Leominster. The divorce was still being settled and I needed to be in this area still, so Ludlow felt like the best choice.

It was also starting to have a good reputation as a gourmet town.”

Mari uses local produce, vegetables and eggs as much as possible at Koo and is particularly fond of Farmers for their more exotic ingredients. “I think the quality of produce here is good,

we’re lucky to have it.” She believes, too, that palates in the UK have changed over the past 16 years since Koo’s doors were first opened. “People are much more open to a range of modern food now. We had a really good reputation very early on, mainly by word of mouth and the first few years were really good. The economy has slowed down and that’s both a hard thing and a good thing. People are more interested in cooking, in different ingredients and experimenting, that’s good for England. One of the big factors when we opened was that the Michelin stars came to Ludlow at the same time. People would come for a weekend, stay at Mr Underhill’s for two or three nights and try different restaurants. Now, it feels that people only stay for one night, it’s harder for everybody.”

Koo has a loyal and devoted following and has received rave reviews from national and local media, often citing Mari’s charm as a key selling point alongside the delicious food.

“Oh thank you!” she says, grinning. “I really wanted to provide really good food, something creative and a lovely experience. If someone comes in, they might be having a bad time in their life, at work. People have lots of problems in their lives but we can take them out of themselves for a few hours, they can forget all that. I wanted to run a welcoming, warm and happy restaurant so that when a customer leaves, they open the door to go with a smile on their face.”

The spice combination in Japanese cooking is based on several key ingredients, Mari explains to me – mirin, dashi, Japanese soy sauce for example. “Every dish might taste similar to Western tastes so, for me, the challenge is to tweak it, make each dish taste different.” She tells me about Kaiseki, a traditional multicourse Japanese dinner. “It’s like small tapas dishes, one after the another, each one is cooked with precision. It looks so beautiful and the chef chooses all the plates to go with each dish (aesthetically). I can’t do that here though, it would be sky high prices.

So instead, I take creative inspiration from that and try and create a simpler version.” In Kaiseki, individual dishes

Jack Andow

Needlework, pickled onions, and an au pair text} Jon Saxon | image} Richard Stanton

– REMEMBRANCE – “HELLO my mate: Jack Andow here” is how every one of his answermachine messages would ring on my mobile, preceding most issues of the Ledger ... “I’ve got a little one-liner for you, if you’re interested.”

Jack’s first press call started off with a medical journal recital down the phone, which soon transpired to be a near exhaustible list of Jack’s then relatively recent ailments: “I’ve got multiple sclerosis, type 2 diabetes, had a mini stroke, cholesterol problems, spondylitis, cataracts in my eyes and, in 2013, I had cancer of the nose – so they took my nose off”.

Until this call I was somewhat oblivious to ‘spondylitis’ (an inflammation of the backbone’s joints) – the symptoms: pain and swelling in other parts of the body and extreme fatigue. After meeting Jack the very next day, I was left with the impression that he was having me on.

The wheelchair aside, here was a man visually and aurally unbridled and, most certainly, unburdened by what would put most down for good – he was exhaustingly well humoured and furiously active. Both photographer Richard and I were invited to his home the very next day for Elevenses, where we found him head-long into a needlework frame of a steam train,

and someone kindly on hand to dish out the tea: “I have an au pair, because I’m posh. Better than a home help; you’ve got to have it right, haven’t you?

People ask me where she comes from and I say: “Richards Castle”. It’s about as far-flung as it gets.”

The surrounding wall space spoke of country scenes, of animals, and of Ludlow town scenes – all in Jack’s impeccable style of needlework – next to a clock that went backwards.

Since that day Jack became a stockist of the Ledger, taking receipt of 20 or so copies of each issue to distribute to his Whitefriars neighbours. Because, for Jack, raising close to £40,000 for charity was, of course, not quite enough of a local duty... There was always, I felt, another ten or more errands under his belt that same day, all to help others – and with a smile.

And with each paper drop I’d gain a bounty of Jack’s home-pickled onions.

If you know anyone with so much physically against them that laughs as much, I’d surely love to meet them...

And if they so happen to be a dab hand at pickled onions and practical jokes, then all the better. Here’s to my mate Jack, who recently, sadly, passed away aged 76.

-----------------------------------------------In Jack’s own words, as told in issue #5 of Ludlow Ledger: I’ve been in this wheelchair 20 years, so I’ve had the

are balanced in texture, fragrance and taste and Mari aims to do the same with Koo’s menu to show English people a flavour of the same ideas.

She’s also a keen educator and sharer of ideas and flavours and one of her past chefs from the restaurant, Lucy Hirschmann (“such a lovely person”), who runs an excellent vegetarian-food stall on Ludlow market on Wednesdays and Fridays, is still a very good friend of hers. The talented Luke Woods, her current chef, cooks whilst Mari instructs and oversees the menu and the recipes. Mari is genuinely passionate about food and always happy to talk about new ingredients and discover different ways of doing things. She’s very interested in South India as a place and is keen to travel there one day and explore the food, culture and countryside. She’s also delighted to see more chefs today using Japanese seven spice and other ingredients that simply weren’t available a few years back. “In the UK, particularly in London, the food variety is inspiring, it’s improved tremendously since I first lived here. I think that not just the food industry but people’s attitudes have changed dramatically.

When one of my daughters used to live near Bethnal Green Road, the food stuffs from India that you could find were simply eye-opening.”

As someone who grew up in one of the busiest cities in the world, how does Mari feel about living in Ludlow?

“I do miss cities, there’s such a strong cultural buzz, but I think the Assembly Rooms is very good. The problem is that I work evenings (at Koo) so I do miss out on theatre. But Ludlow has lots of intelligent minded people.”

Mari’s also a big music fan and listens to BBC 6 Music a lot “particularly Lauren Laverne.” Her partner, musician and designer Martin Pryce, plays live locally a lot and is also a leather artisan, designing and making high-end leather goods from bags to clothing for the likes of Robert Plant, Jeff Beck, Dave Gilmour and Gary Numan. “I started to see the same people in the pub (in Yarpole), know the faces. When I moved to Ludlow, I was very keen to make new friends and would say to anyone whose face I know ‘come for tea’ and I must have same pair of shoes for 20 years – and three lots of tyres on my wheelchair, so I’ve done well, really; there’s always a bonus.

I’m out most days, if it’s fine.

The physio in Shrewsbury recently governed me down from 12-mile a week in my wheelchair to just six. I did six here in Ludlow on the marathon last year ... and it poured down with rain, absolutely poured it down. I came home and had a shower – I think I was drier coming out of the shower. I made £300 for the British Legion that day.

I tried woodwork, but the shed got cold so I packed that up as a bad job. Then I tried painting, but I was either picking it or putting it down, or making a mess – and I thought: “No! That’s no good.”

That’s when I noticed a seamstress advertising some night schooling, down on the Bromfield Road – there was nine women and me. I went to make a cup of tea on the first day and heard her say: “He’ll never stick it”.

Well, I’ve done 315 tapestries now and raised £37k for charity, through raffling them off. I’ve done all of the pubs, done all the churches, done most of Ludlow and they’ve gone to 14 different countries.

I go on cruises because they’re wheelchair-friendly – I’ve done 22, all around, everywhere; and the interest it causes on the ship because a man’s doing needlework ... ain’t it funny? It’s strange for them to see a man doing it, but I don’t care, I just get on with it.”

First navy service I did was in Bermuda in the 1950s. The highlight was Christmas, in shorts – got to be good, ain’t it? We then went up to the Arctic Circle – that got rid of your suntan, mate, I tell you it didn’t last long up there. They wouldn’t believe me now if I told them I was doing needlework.

done that to him. I think that’s how it started…” she grins.

The name of Koo comes from a Chinese character meaning ‘to eat’ but, Mari explains, it has lots of other meanings too, including sky and vastness and infinity, almost a state of mind in meditation. “I very much like Chinese characters” laughs Mari.

With Christmas looming, and given that the menu changes throughout the year, will Koo be doing a special New Year Menu? “New Year is traditionally more important really to us in Japan, the food you eat is different at New Year, in holiday season, with New Year pickles. On New Year’s Day, traditionally the male and female would both dress in a traditional fashion and the woman doesn’t have to cook… I like to start New Year differently, a bit like a tapas menu, making different dishes that

are created in a slightly different way.

We’ve done it before and it’s always very popular, probably for the first few weeks in the New Year, we’ll do it as a special set menu.” She smiles.

“In Japanese writing, one way to write New Year is ‘the beginning of spring’.”

Given that she’s feeling a little run-down at the moment, what would Mari’s equivalent be to, say, beans on toast? “I’m still not used to English comfort food, I like quick easy food, probably a stir fry using different vegetables and different spices. I like eating really as a hobby, it’s my passion.” She laughs as if this is the first time she’s really thought of it.

“Yes, that’s true, eating is my hobby.”

To paraphrase the marvellous George Bernard Shaw, “happy is the woman who can make a living by her hobby.”

11

continued from the back page > preceded by an equally outrageous Ferrari-engined Alfa that Burton had also built himself and which was used successfully for many years until he decided to make the move to four-wheel drive. Both cars are immortalised in rallying folklore, with the Peugeot Cosworth, in particular, creating a unique experience: Spectators would quite literally go quiet as soon as they heard the approaching Gatling-gun rattle caused by fuel detonating in the exhausts, then the shrill furious roar of the V6 engine.

This was followed 30 or 40 seconds later by the car itself, immensely fast, often immensely sideways, trailing a huge cloud of dust and torn-up road surface, leaving only the delicious stench of warm hydrocarbons, and a crowd of thrilled, ecstatic dust-coated rally fans in its wake.

Andy Burton, in many ways, is characteristic of the sort of people who take part in the Woodpecker Rally. Pretty much all of the drivers and co-drivers who take part are not professionals, they have to have day jobs to fund their hobby; it can be a very expensive hobby too. A top-class Fiesta R5 will set you back £160,000, although that is less than half the cost of the World Rally Car version. Lots of the historic class cost upwards of £50,000, depending on the specification, many costing much more. Added to that are things like spares, wheels, tyres, and fuel, and entry fees. It can be a lot of money and all for nothing if the car breaks down two minutes into the first stage.

Slightly under a quarter of the 160 entries didn’t finish the rally this year, most because of mechanical failure.

Although accidents are common in rallying, serious injuries are, thankfully, rather rare ... thanks to the skill of the drivers and the navigational skills of the co-drivers; fearlessness and sang-froid in the face of danger.

The cars are, of course, pretty hardy and well protected, often shrugging off a high-speed excursion into the trees with only a minor loss of time. In fact, I can recall one occasion, about ten years ago, a Subaru on the High Vinnalls stage leaving the road at speed,

flat spinning along the verge, snapping off young trees, missing the commentary van by only a few feet, only to regain control and set off again without actually stopping.

The commentator dealt with this incident with aplomb, seamlessly changing tack from announcing to an impromptu warning about the potential dangers of motorsport.

As with all rallies, crowd safety is of paramount importance for the organisers of the Woodpecker.

Spectators are stewarded by stoical marshals, tirelessly helping people to cross the stage, a potential risky operation whilst the rally is in progress, or politely but firming moving on those whose enthusiasm for getting into the heart of the action has placed them in a risky position too close to the track.

Watching the rally is actually free, although, like many people, I paid a small fee this year to watch the event at Haye Park, for which I received all-day parking, an event programme and an entry list.

In my mind, the Haye Park venue is ideal, being easy to get to from Ludlow with two stages (one in the morning and another after lunch) and nice large spectator areas with a good view of the track. In previous years I have gone off piste and watched the rally from the woods, although you do need to get into position before the rally begins.

Facilities are obviously quite limited by the setting, but motorsports fans are generally perfectly happy with a Styrofoam cup of tea and a good greasy burger to sustain them.

The crowd at the Woodpecker this year was quite cosmopolitan, but with a strong local element, including several elderly couples who’ve probably been turning out for the event since it began. Hardcore rally fans turn out prepared, often dressed head to toe in branded clothing.

There are usually lots of family groups, including one young fellow who appeared less than pleased to be out of WiFi range; no opportunity for catching Pokémon on Whitcliffe today.

The weather this year was grey and overcast, with heavy persistent rain starting about ten minutes after the race begun. Everyone who wasn’t

dressed head to toe in waterproofs or equipped with a fishing umbrella (including me) got a good soaking.

That said, no-one seemed to mind.

The horrible weather and dubious looking track conditions didn’t appear to bother the vehicle crews either ... the cars blasting past my sodden, muddy, bank-side viewing area; taking the uphill hairpin with a beautifully balanced four-wheel slide.

The rear-wheel-drive cars are probably the most dramatic at The Woodpecker, especially the veteran Escorts (the bellowing sonorous sound from their BDA/BDG power plants my favourite engine sound) as they enter tight corners with the front wheels locked in the opposite direction, the power squatting the tail of the car as the rear wheels pulverise the shale.

The overall rally winners this year were the County Durham pair of Stephen Petch and Michael Wilkinson in their eye-catching yellow and blue Fiesta R5+. Ludlow-based Shaun Gardner and his co-driver Ben Innes finished first in class B13 and finished fourth overall. Ludlow crew, Dave and Toby Brick, finished 28th overall and first in the two-wheel drive under 1400cc class, in their spearmint-coloured Vauxhall Nova.

Herefordshire duo, Theo Bengry and Les Forsbrook, came a close second in Historic class H3, and 23rd overall in their Mk 2 Escort.

I really enjoyed watching all the cars that took part in this year’s event, as they contested the competitive stages of our Woodpecker. I am also one of the lucky ones who live on one of the routes between stages, so was able to catch the entire entry rumbling past my front gate as they made their way from Ludlow Racecourse towards Radnor.

The Woodpecker Rally really is completely different from nearly every other event that takes place in Ludlow, especially now that the town has become so rightly synonymous with slow living and excellence in food and drink production. It is a real local institution and a literal change of pace for one day on a loud weekend in late summer.

52 MILL STREET, LUDLOW www.blueboarludlow.co.uk

ISSUE #16 EDITORIAL DEADLINE

20th December 2016

ISSUE #16 AD DEADLINE

6th January 2017 ads@ludlowledger.co.uk

Page 10 and cover text} Liz Hyder | images} Ashleigh Cadet ... Page 11 rally image} Wales Rally GB

12

We’d love to hear from you – editor@ludlowledger.co.uk

i ReAD the the ‘Future Champions in the Frame’ article in the previous Ludlow Ledger about cycling, with interest and wondered whether you are aware that the neighbouring town of Church Stretton once had an Olympic gold medallist for cycling?

I give below a brief CV, which may be of interest: Leonard Meredith (born in London 2nd July 1882) was the first man to win seven world championships, all in the now defunct amateur 100km motor-paced event: 1904, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911 and 1913. He also won seven British championships: 1902 to 1908.

At the 1908 Olympics he might well have been the favourite to win the individual road race, but the event was not contested for one of the few times in Olympic history; he did win a Gold medal at team pursuit.

In 1912 he was fourth in the road race at the Stockholm Olympic Games.

He was also British amateur rollerskating champion in 1911 and 1912.

I understand that he was related to Mary Webb (née Meredith) the author. I trust this information is of interest to you.

L J Meredith, Moreton on Lugg Thank you. I’ll investigate this further...

-------------------------------------------------THe Ludlow Ledger is an excellent publication (and one of the few I read, frankly). However, while I admire its ‘Good news is still news’ stance, let’s not wander entirely unchecked through a garden of bright images.

While the Ludlow Chapter of the Masons might comprise a jolly lot of good guys who make even female reporters welcome on occasion, there are other sides to the Masonic question. No man may serve two masters and, where there are two masters (say a police force and the Freemasons, the judiciary and the Freemasons, or even a country and the Freemasons), conflicts of interest can come fatally into the equation.

In the coming edition of the Ledger, it’s the turn of the Woodpecker Rally to be featured; again, all a lot of jolly fun and good old tradition. Well – not exactly. Just because something is traditional that doesn’t mean it’s good.

The slave trade was traditional for quite a while, as was keeping women out of everything from education to politics and beyond. Good?

Even if one allows the tradition, as far as the Woodpecker Rally is concerned then perhaps it’s time to reconsider. Just as we’ve reconsidered the idea of, for example, granting women the vote and smoking in public buildings. The Woodpecker Rally is, essentially, the use of a precious

and diminishing resource for the amusement of a few. No one to whom I’ve spoken taking part in the rallies, even lives in the areas they disrupt and pollute. Basically, not to put too fine a point on the matter, they are not fouling their own doorsteps.

The doorstep they are fouling is a beautiful and still largely unspoilt area of rural England. Usually this area is quiet except for sounds such as birds singing, pheasants croaking and sheep bleating during the day, and owls hooting at night. In season the strange and sense-tingling sound of the deer rutting rings out.

The day-long ripping of this rural harmony by the Woodpecker Rally’s fuming cacophony is intolerable.

It takes quite a while after a car rally has left for the birds and animals to settle down again – perhaps some of them never do. Domestic animals, certainly, can be nervy for days afterwards and obviously animals and birds are sometimes killed.

The Woodpecker Rally’s route isn’t traditional – it changes. It changes because people aren’t happy about the hellish disruption the rally causes.

It’s time this ‘tradition’ was stopped altogether. It’s obsolete. We can no longer pretend fuel resources are infinite, that there are still vast tracts of rural England left to be the lungs of our country, that quiet peace still abounds. Tearing up and polluting the countryside for a few hours’ recreation is no longer acceptable.

Tim and Angie Sparkes, Ludlow

ACROSS 1 Disappearing area of British overseas territory – figure! (7,8) 9 Trendy gold article, outwardly not iconic, is fake (11) 10 Character is quiet on return (3) 11 Flourish leg and you become more appreciated over time (4,2,3) 13 Master’s assistant back in press (5) 14 One chap retracted secret love for woman (5) 15 I say, pease pudding is a piece of cake (4,2,3) 17 Feather initially found in bird’s headpiece (9) 20 Pale whiskey? (5) 21 The final, not the first, baking ingredient (5) 23 Grand duchess shot film (9) 24 One exercise to copy (3) 25 Salines heal sick where sea is within earshot? (2,1,8)

We have recently bought a cottage on Steventon New Road and, as is the case with old cottages, have just started a long list of repair works, one job being to get access into the loft spaces.

After cutting a new hole in the ceiling in the end bedroom, we cautiously peered through the gloom and cobwebs expecting to find dead rats and wasps’ nests, only to be faced with a stone nameplate with the engraving: J A Watch-Cot 1882.

DOWN 1 Group outside arena gets drink at fund-raiser (5,3,3,4) 2 Primary motive for operating in ear and nose job (6,3) 3 Bullets oddly missed last month (3) 4 Wonderful, one we very much enjoyed at first (7) 5 Depraved people run in front of animals (7) 6 Backing musician has coca fix – nasty stain on member (11) 7 Monkey in care of good dentist initially opened wide (5)

A B C D E F G H I J K L M

Maryon Jeane, Ludlow As a motoring journalist by trade, I am a little biased – I can say I was ultimately inspired by standing on the rally startline, aged 12, of the 1985 RAC Group B Special Stage, at the West Midlands Safari Park. Others, I imagine have done similar since (at more modern rallying events) perhaps to become racing drivers themselves, or mechanics, sports photographers or writers. For this alone I, personally, believe we would lose a lot more than we would gain for having one more day out of the year in relative quietness. It also adds to Ludlow’s CV. I’d be very interested to hear what other readers think and feel about the Woodpecker Rally (featured on the back page of this issue).

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27 Locate e-critters game device for breakfast? (8,7)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

The grid is made up of intersecting words, arranged horizontally and vertically.

5 3

Numbers between cells indicate the difference between a pair of letters’ numerical values. (see table above)

you “...if ever e to would lik of my e feature onpuzzles, ‘Riyechi’ don’t please o get in t e t a t i s e h touch.”



12

Numbers in triangles give the numerical total for the word indicated.

Some ‘but not all’ letters that appear more than once in the grid are identified by matching shaded shapes.

* 



21

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▲▲ 47

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ANSWERS GRADE LOVED AMSONG RAISE ENDED

– VIEWS & COMMENTS –

▲

Letters to the Ledger

▲

Just a small selection of your kind emails, letters, postcards and social posts from Facebook and Twitter

The cottage has been extended over the years and this plate is set into what would have originally been the external wall, facing the road. The property does have a covenant prohibiting us from ‘burning or making bricks on the property, other than for the purpose of building on the property’ so perhaps this was the name of a business?

We have started making enquiries about the cottage but wondered if any readers could throw any light on the history of the engraving.

Copyright – Ashley L V Smith, 2016

8 Actress, queen, model and yes, almost noble (9,6) 12 Show unexpected development in novel (6,5) 16 Most prude cleric embraces one above deck (9) 18 Parts of brain, cat’s tail, hearts and skinless sausages (7) 19 Chemical in reaction concerning silver film’s penetration by nitrogen (7) 22 Singer led astray between notes (5) 26 Some visitors paralytic at watering place (3) ---------------------------------------------Answers to previous issue’s crossword can be found on the back page.

HAVing moved to Ludlow only six weeks ago, I’ve been delighted to discover the Ludlow Ledger, which has kept me royally entertained over a pint in The Wheatsheaf.

Congratulations on a great publication, with a clever mix of interesting and engaging content. As a regular setter of cryptic crosswords, general knowledge quizzes and my own invention the ‘Riyechi’ puzzle – if ever if ever you would like to feature one of my ‘Riyechi’ puzzles, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Ashley Smith, Ludlow Thank you for your offer. Let’s see what Ledger readers think.

-------------------------------------------------i HAVe been an admirer of your publication since its inception. A real class act – appropriate for a fine town like Ludlow. However I am a bit of a pedant and must point out that the present tense of the verb ‘to sit’ is ‘am sitting’ and the past tense ‘was sitting’.

I think it is something to do with transitive and intransitive verbs? If you ‘are sat’ then someone will have placed you there. Keep up the good work.

Charles Spottiswoode, Ludlow

13

“Things I’ve learned”

L plate text} Zoe Ashbridge – EDUCATION – eVeRY time I look at my pay cheque I have a constant reminder of the weight and burden of the financial consequences of my actions – to undertake three gruelling years at university.

As a 21-year-old girl from Ludlow, I wanted to spread my wings and experience ‘city life’; there was nothing for me in Ludlow. My dad told me that I would come back. I thought I was signing up for a bright future, but actually I was putting my dreams on the backburner and wasting time that could have been better spent. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and now I realise that, with select courses, I could have cherry picked what I needed from university and learnt it all in few courses, over a few months, and probably paid a maximum of £2000. The rest of it, I learnt along the way for free.

After graduation I found an olive branch at a renewable-energy company in Ludlow. It was he who taught me how to write an email properly – how to do real-life marketing. He helped train my eye to produce job-worthy literature. It was my manager that showed me the reality of business and taught me how to prioritise. It was the requirements of the business world that led me into meetings and taking minutes – the ability to focus on the necessary. The ability to organise my time and document my works.

It was the practice and redrafting that helped me develop my technical writing skills. It was the time and the corrections that my peers made to help me improve. It was their assistance and wisdom and willingness to teach me what they know about their job and the industry I now work in.

It was my beautician, who spent her twenties developing her business, who offered me sound advice when it came to considering my own business. It was my in-laws who gave me guidance when it came to picking good courses for self-development.

When I look back at my life and the lessons that I think I have learned, very few stem from those three years at University, most of them have developed from people, bonding and relationships. It was not university that moulded me, university didn’t even lay the groundworks. My mum and dad did all the hard work: They ensured that I went through life with manners, courage and an ability to keep and maintain relationships. They taught me to play nice and look after people and, in my experience, if you can get your head around that, people will help you.

When things get hard in any aspect of life, I refer to my first bike ride with my brother – a gentle reminder of what you can achieve with persistence. I was overweight so I invested in, what is now, my most prized possession – an Islabike.

My brother took me to Hayton’s Bent in Ludlow for a challenge. Here I learnt that I can do anything that I put my mind to. Eventually I made it up the hill and now I cycle Hayton’s Bent several times a year without stopping.

These days, when I am on my bike, I am most in love with Ludlow: I can’t think of anywhere I would rather be.

University and city life, you played your part and, yes, it has helped on some small level, but the input of university on my life could not justify the costs. If I could give a young person one piece of advice it would be this – before you opt for higher education, ensure that it is absolutely vital for your job role because, with the right attitude, a good set of manners and good relationships, you can go anywhere.

Who knows, you might not need to go anywhere at all.

Fire

Yes, we’ve got soul text} Simon Pease

– OBSERVATIONS – i LiT the first fire of the autumn at the end of September. It was one of those damp, dark days that feel colder than they really are. On days like that it often feels warmer outside than it does inside our place, if the sun hasn’t got in during the day to warm things up; even so I lit it for the cheer, more than for the heat. The other reason I was quite keen to light it was that I had just returned from a week away. Sometimes I am lucky enough to do some work in an exotic location, this time, it was Milton Keynes. I suppose I should say here and now, in case there are any of its residents reading this, however unlikely this may seem, that I have nothing against the place. It isn’t my

sort of place, but I met a number of people who live there and clearly find reasons to love it. I’m glad they do.

I can see that somewhere like that is very convenient. There is everything you might want for a modern life: all the shops, the cinema, theatre, places of work and so on. I struggled to find a decent pub, but I was only on foot and staying in the town centre – I do know there are some good ones in the villages around. It was the week when the weather was just beginning to cool towards what they call seasonal normal. I hadn’t really packed for it, as it was still very warm when I left home, and I didn’t check the forecast. It didn’t really matter, because every building I went in was either air conditioned, or heated in

some way that made it a bit too warm for my taste. Even the vast echoing modern bar, where I found a decent IPA on tap, was disconcertingly warm and, at the same time, rather lacking in the sort of atmosphere I prefer.

I thought of all this as I knelt in front of my wood-burner and began to go through the ritual. Two logs, one either side to make a ‘valley’ as the Norwegians call it, and they do know their fires; three, no four bits of crumpled newspaper between the two. My wife and I don’t actually take a regular paper, so we go and pick a Saturday paper, almost wholly on the basis of its weight. I won’t say which of the national dailies comes out top regularly in this contest, but it normally supplies us for a week in the winter, which makes it good value – and there are actually a few bits of it you can read.

Next come the sticks, of course.

Sometimes they have been collected from a copse near us, sometimes I have used some scrap wood from the workshop, cut to length and then split, the Swedish way without any risk to fingers, with a sharp small axe. I always have one or two larger pieces to put on top of the pile; the flue wide open, the vents wide open – one match. On the odd occasions it doesn’t go first time I feel a real sense of failure. This year, happily, it went well, which must be a good omen for the rest of the year.

I think there are quite a few people who go through a very similar process lighting the fire. I can imagine them doing it, if not today then quite soon, all around us. I look forward to the scent of wood-smoke on the evening air. I even find the smell of the coal fire one of my neighbours burns, pleasingly evocative.

The thought of all of us, kneeling in front of the fire and striking the match, conjured up another image in my mind. That was of the man who knelt on a mat in front of a low table and carefully went through the process of making tea. That was a few years ago on a trip to a much more exotic place.

The Japanese have their tea ceremony and we have our fire ceremony – what we both have is a ritual that expresses something about our lives. Turning on the heating works fine, but it just doesn’t do that.

Yes, we’ve got soul.

Editor-in-chief Jon Saxon Sub editor Sally Newman-Kidd Photographers Ashleigh Cadet, Kumo Tyres, Craig Holmes, Richard Stanton, Parliamentary Art Collection Authors Liz Hyder, Simon Pease, Peter Burden, Prue Britten, Will Logan, Hugh Wood, Sam Jones, Zoe Ashbridge Crossword John Jarvis Riyechi puzzle Ashley Smith Cartoon Roger Penwill –––––––––– Publisher Son of Saxon 14 Corve Street, Ludlow, Sy8 1DA 01584 872381 www.ludlowledger.co.uk jon@sonofsaxon.co.uk –––––––––– Printer The Guardian Print Centre Media Park, Longbridge Road, Parkway Estate, Manchester, M17 1SN Paper 100% recycled 52gsm 76ISO improved Berliner newsprint –––––––––– Online Website: www.ludlowledger.co.uk Twitter: @ludlowledger –––––––––– Advertising There are a number of different ways to explore advertising in Ludlow Ledger: Download ludlowledger.com/advertise Email ads@ludlowledger.co.uk or Phone 01584 872381 Office Discuss advertising in person at 14 Corve Street, Ludlow, Sy8 1DA –––––––––– Legal All rights reserved.

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Letters page image} Tim Sparkes

14

Salmon

Heading back home, via Ludlow text and image} Sam Jones – WILDLIFE – I suppose if someone were were to give me a choice of being born in a particular house in Ludlow, of growing up in the area without any parenting and little chance of survival, then of setting forth on an epic adventure where I would have to use all of my cunning in order to survive, only to face an arduous journey to return to the same house, have a cracking party and a romantic interlude with a woman, then have a 33 percent of dying, I might consider it. I may have to nail down some of the terms, of course, but I’d love the adventure bit and the cracking party and romantic interlude – but the rest of it doesn’t seem immensely appealing.

The Atlantic salmon is an extraordinary fish and, perhaps, this is one of the reasons why it is so prized as a quarry by game anglers. It has become a favoured fish for the table partly because of this legacy. The BBC Good Food website says it is: “an excellent source of high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals (including potassium, selenium and vitamin B12) but it is their content of omega-3 fatty acids that receives the most attention.”

Say “salmon” and we immediately conjure up images of wonderful canapés at weddings, or the mouthwatering appetiser, Gravlax. Many of us enjoy having a Christmas breakfast of salmon and scrambled eggs ... and adding a touch of cumin adds a whole different dimension...

You may already know or have some idea that the salmon lifecycle begins in freshwater. Depending on the water levels, nature’s insurance policy sends runs of salmon through different seasons but a winter run is the best attended – with the river Teme’s time occurring somewhere between the last week of October and the third week of November.

Ranging in size, salmon push up river to seek out the exact same spot where they were born ... many of which have been at sea to return and breed for several seasons, though ‘grilse’ have been out for only one winter before returning home.

When the water temperature is right, usually after a few frosts, the female (a hen fish) will cut a nest (a redd) out of the riverbed gravel with her tail – from six to eighteen inches deep and a metre across – and expel her eggs for an attending dominant male (a cock fish) to fertilise with his milt (sperm). When the eggs are fertilised, she will use her tail again to cover them with gravel. A wild female salmon of 8lbs in weight will produce about 5000 of these eggs, of which only a quarter will be fertilised and hatch.

Once the hen fish has finished she will rest up for a few days to regain condition before making her way downstream and back to sea. The cock fish will linger to protect the redd and (if his luck is in) may well mate with another female before he too regains condition and returns to saltwater. It is not exactly clear how many fish survive this exhausting journey and return to sea but an educated guess would be around 66 percent.

Depending on the water temperature the embryos slowly develop over around 15 weeks and, in early spring, tiny fish emerge from the eggs with their yolk sac still attached. They remain close to the redd seeking refuge on the bottom of the riverbed among the rocks and woody debris; at this stage they are called alevins. The yolk sac will feed them for about two weeks, by which time they are known as fry. Not much of a party so far? ...Mum and Dad have left you and may even have died and future prospects aren’t too good...

The fry swim to the surface, fill up their swim bladders, and begin to feed.

Then they start to develop scales and, within a few months, blue bands appear on their flanks; they have become parr. Remaining in their natal stream, the parr survive by taking refuge from predators among boulders, logs, and in the shade. Heading into side streams and channels they avoid getting washed downstream as the water intermittently goes to spate.

The physiology of large parr starts to change after about two to two and a half years and they become known as smolts – smolting being a stage in their lifecycle when their scales turn a silvery colour and they cease to look like a trout. This process, along with environmental cues, triggers the smolts to swim downstream.

The estuary habitat, at the mouth of the river, is crucial to young smolts; allowing their bodies to adjust to the new conditions, they feed heavily, hoping to ensure survival in the ocean.

While some salmon remain in coastal waters, others migrate northward to feeding grounds (the ocean around Greenland is rich and abundant.)

Smolts feed hard for one to two years. This is the time to put on some poundage; you’ve got to be committed and work at it hard, there’s always a bigger fish (or mammal) wanting you to fail but there aren’t many parties to get ready for and you’ll want to be one of the most attractive prospects when you get to them.

Getting there isn’t easy either. Those apex predators, human beings, have started trawler netting at seas, have constructed weirs and dams, put nets in the river, or might throw tantalising treats with hooks in them to catch you. They may even have left shopping trolleys and other detritus for you to negotiate your way around and they may have polluted your natal waters whilst you were busy having a fine time at sea.

It is not clear exactly how salmon navigate their way back to their natal streams though it is suspected that their lateral line (a series of sense organs) detects scents and chemical cues. Salmon soon stop feeding when they reach freshwater and their bodies instinctively prepare for spawning. The cock fish develop hooked noses, or kype, in order to fight for dominance with other males before courting a female to reproduce. For both female and male fish, the taxing journey draws energy from every part of their body: their fat storage, muscles, and organs.

This massive energetic requirement is drawn from everywhere except their reproductive organs. It is no surprise then that some die having supplied the river system with the seeds of the next generation that will someday return to continue the cycle.

Salmon stocks have struggled for a number of years and whether salmon farms have helped is a contentious and confusing subject. They certainly supply consumer demand but, potentially, introduce disease into the system – with wild fish stocks in general in the UK remaining under pressure, often severely so. There are, therefore, very few good news stories but the stark fact is that many rivers don’t meet the European designation of ‘good ecological status’ because of degraded wild fish stocks and poor habitat. The reasons are numerous and complex.

The main contributing factor is over exploitation by commercial fishermen, but degraded freshwater, intertidal and marine habitats, pollution from various sources, barriers to migration and predation, all have a detrimental effect. In most cases it is human impact that requires management rather than fish stocks. Salmon have been around

on the earth for millions of years and the species can look after itself very well given freedom from human interference.

In Ludlow, the Teme Weirs Trust has been tirelessly and committedly raising money towards restoring our iconic weirs since the mid 1990s and fish passes have been developed to allow the migratory fish through.

Opinion, however, is subjective to personal outlook and there are those who would condone taking out all of the weirs to allow the river to do what it naturally does. Others would say stop salmon fishing in marine and freshwater completely and allow the fish to run.

We are human beings and we all have the potential to be enlightened despots in our own reality.

As a salmon angler myself I’m not without bias. I have listened to stories of fine times in days of yore when many fish were caught and killed for the table and great sport was enjoyed.

Nowadays anglers are being educated towards ‘catch and release’ and this is succeeding ... albeit gradually. The simple fact is that there are around 4000 to 5000 fish running the river Severn system and reports indicate less than seven percent are caught and landed by anglers, and, of that seven percent, nearly 80 percent are returned.

Catching and landing a fish will deplete some of its energy but hanging around unable to pass an obstacle over and over again will deplete its resources more than one period of catch.

If we are to maintain the industrial revolution’s redundant weirs, then specific placement of fish passes is crucial, and experienced people ought be consulted regarding what is best for the fish. This is not those with scientific minds but those who know fish and river systems well. Even if the fish is able to locate a fish pass it may have hung around jumping numerous times at a weir or getting misled into the whirling current of an open sluice gate before it eventually heads in the correct direction. As a global navigator, the salmon is an expert, but traversing obstacles in a river requires a trial and error system of deduction. Sluice gates really ought to be fully shut during the salmon migration periods of October, November and December.

Generally speaking salmon will head towards a good flow of water and, if sluice gates are left open, they may well end up heading into these. Of course, unless they are a terribly good shot when jumping through the sluice ‘slit’, this is entirely the wrong direction. The construction of a fish pass at the Mill Street weir may be imminent and its location is extremely important. This

is an easy area for poachers to predate and one could even advise that the weir should not be redeveloped at all but that sections of it should just be removed. It would save a lot of time and money. Is that a contentious statement? I suggest not from the fish’s point of view.

Anyway, I’m an angler with a full migratory fish licence (£72 paid to the Environment Agency) and I love game fishing. Ask an angler if they feel they harm the fish when catching it and they may say they return it allowing it to travel without injury or delay. Some do take a prize for the table. The Scottish system suggests that all hen fish should be returned whilst cock fish under ten pounds in weight may be taken ... bigger than this is considered genetically superior and should therefore be released to support the system.

Currently in Wales it’s suggested that one in five fish could be taken but, regretfully, since I’ve never caught five in one day (or even one year) I’ve never been in a position to make that decision. If I wanted to take a fish then the Scottish system makes more sense to me. I believe that the respectful and informed discernment of the individual is paramount. Respectful and informed discernment does not happen when commercial netting happens at sea. It’s a really big problem and has a massive impact on the species.

I have had a few catches though and, to be honest, I’d rather have my photograph and return this wonderful enigma of a fish to the water. Salmon at our wonderful Fish House is reasonably priced and my short-term desire or hunger would seldom warrant a kill. A hen fish carries thousands of eggs in her and, in that instance, it would seem a temporary madness to wield my ‘priest’ – the cosh that anglers kill fish with.

Apart from one cock fish that had been hooked too deeply, I’ve far too much respect for its epic oceanic odyssey.

Hooking fish deeply rarely happens when angling but, when it does, it is more humane to dispatch the animal.

The Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 was created in an attempt to protect salmon and trout from commercial poaching, to protect migration routes, to prevent wilful vandalism and neglect of fisheries, and to ensure correct licensing and water authority approval. The Salmon Act 1986 is also in place and section 32 of the Act is headed “Handling Salmon in Suspicious Circumstances”. This section makes it an offence in England and Wales for any person who receives or disposes of any salmon in circumstances where he (or she) believes, or could reasonably believe, that the salmon has

been illegally fished. The maximum penalty is two years imprisonment.

Beware restaurants, food outlets, and pubs – always keep your receipts for salmon ready for spot checks. Beware anglers fishing for salmon – we are now in the closed season (from midnight of 7th October to midnight 31st January on the river Severn system). My other passion is for conservation and I am a Voluntary Water Bailiff for the Angling Trust and Environment Agency (EA).

As a youth I may have erred in my ways through lack of ‘angling education’ but now I work to rule.

Both Carl Crippin (another local voluntary bailiff) and I have combined on joint patrols with EA Fishery Enforcement Officers (FEOs) and the police force to check for infractions.

Operation Leviathan and Operation Clampdown were launched in West Mercia in June 2016 to target illegal fishing and rod-licence evasion. Whilst previously regarded as civil offences and beyond their jurisdiction, police officers should now be aware through their database (POLKA – Police Online Knowledge Area) that they are duty bound to respond. The National Wildlife Crime Unit endorsed this information.

If you see any suspicious acts, not just with salmon but also with any illegal fishing methods of any species, or trespass or criminal damage on waterways, you can call the EA Hotline (0800 807060) or the police on 101.

The EA has limited FEOs to attend but it is always worth reporting any infraction so they can target troubled areas. Resources are stretched for the police too, but their presence and increasing involvement will make the perpetrators more paranoid and cautious ... perhaps, in time, deterring them completely? We live in hope.

As a final word I think we all share an affinity in admiring this wonderful species, the salmon, whatever our personal outlook and we are all keen to see it thrive in our much-loved river Teme and other local waters.

This Arctic ex-pat endeavouring through extreme adversity to return to its natal waters, fires our imagination and, for my part, I’d rather see it there than adorning the dinner plate.

“Sustainable resources” are buzzwords we are all too aware of nowadays as market forces put pressure upon this innocent and enigmatic natural wonder.

--------------------------------------------------Ludlow Water Bailiffs Sam Jones – 07816 303742 Carl Crippin – 07939 323217

15

Here to There Productions

The Bull text} Prue Britten – ENTERTAINMENT – AnYone who has pulled the wings off a fly or the legs off a spider, or has watched this, will feel a twinge of uneasiness. However Bull is not, for the most part, about physical bullying but about insidious mental manipulation and gratification.

The play opens with Thomas (Morgan Rees-Davies) waiting in an office. He is joined by Isobel (Poppy Wilde) and Tony (Daniel Wilby).

These three are work colleagues and are waiting for an interview with their boss, Carter (Andrew Whittle), who is to decide which of the three to ‘let go’.

As Thomas, Rees-Davies gives us a likeable character (arguably more likeable without the nose-picking), with traits of easily-undermined confidence, a certain innocence and lack of ‘street cred’. He is the ‘Bull’ of the title.

Isobel (Wilde) is a young woman clearly obsessed with winning and willing to go to any lengths – apparently so sweetly – to achieve that goal.

Wilde’s elocuted and declamatory delivery did add a sharp edge to the character but was, at times, more suited to Noel Coward than to what is in essence a kitchen sink drama of the 21st Century. A more conversational style might have given the audience more of a feeling of inclusion in the action.

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As Tony, Wilby succeeds in being both engaging and sinister. His natural ability to appear relaxed and unassuming gives additional weight and edge to the baiting of Thomas.

There is, of course, also the possibility that Tony and Isobel are simply joking with Thomas.

With the arrival of Carter (Andrew Whittle in fine form), there is an upward change of gear and a widening in the scope for taunting.

The acting area at the Ludlow Brewery is intimate and, while a full office setting would have been inappropriate, two chairs and a water cooler did not deliver the necessary feeling of threat and claustrophobia.

Happily this excellent cast were more than equal to the challenge, creating a shifting atmosphere of light and darkness, optimism and dread. The denouement is signalled as Thomas becomes more confused, belligerent and tortured. This is, indeed, a bull-fight.

Bartlett wrote Bull before the current political upheaval in Britain and ‘allegory’ is too lofty a word for this play. However there are undoubtedly parallels here with recent developments within the Labour Party and its representatives.

This fine production, directed sympathetically by Chris Barltrop, is a marathon for the actors. Each was excellent both in individual roles and in their ensemble playing.

The production’s purposefulness and intensity serve to remind us that, however uncomfortable it may well be to confront, we need to be reminded that the exercise of power over another creature is both fascinating and addictive.

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16

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Rallying

Drinking in Ludlow’s Woodpecker text} Will Logan| image} Kuhmo

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If you’re still making your way through the last issue’s crossword then you had better look away now – SPORT – eVeRY year, on one weekend in late summer, the peace and quiet around Ludlow is well and truly shattered by the crescendo of highly-tuned engines, popping exhausts and whining straight-cut gearboxes echoing off Whitcliffe and across the surrounding countryside. The Woodpecker Rally, also referred to as the ‘Stages’, has been a fixture in the local calendar for nearly 30 years.

Run by the Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club, as the penultimate event in the eight-event BTRDA rally series, the event originally took place in the Wyre Forest and Hartlebury in the West Midlands.

Successive years saw a move to Newtown, in the rallying heartland of Mid-Wales, and then Craven Arms, before settling at Ludlow in 1988. The event was much more closely linked with the town itself back then, with the competing cars actually starting from Ludlow Castle. These days the rally is based at the nearby Ludlow Racecourse.

The laws are quite different here in mainland Britain (not permitting public roads to be closed off for the purposes of racing or rallying – compared to Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man) ... with special stages invariably held on private land,

characterised in the UK by the use of gravel tracks such as those on ForestryCommission land. All six of the timed stages run along a predetermined route on forestry land, with most of the stages run on Whitcliffe to the south and west of Ludlow. Stages are also run in Radnor just across the Welsh border – with each car setting off at a set interval, hopefully to prevent slower cars impeding faster cars setting off behind them.

Each car has to complete the entire rally in order to finish, and to be in a fit road-legal state to be driven on public roads between stages.

The rally itself is broken down into a series of smaller events defined by classes, so there’s an overall victor and a number of class winners – with almost 20 different classes ... from B14 which includes World Rally Cars to RF1.0 which, as the name suggests, is an entry-level class for relatively standard 1000cc production cars.

There are also quite a few historic rally classes, dominated by the iconic rear-wheel-drive Ford Escort Mk1 and Mk2 models, alongside other well-known rally staples such as the Mitsubishi Lancer and Subaru Impreza. You also have elderly models of BMW, leather trim and shiny paint now a distant memory, a huge variety of 80s and 90s hatchbacks and, most incongruously, Landrovers taking part in the Defender-Challenge class.

For me, one of the most enjoyable aspects of this event is the chance to see lower-classed cars beating much more advanced competition, as happened in 2009 when two 70s era Escorts, crewed by local drivers/codrivers Joe Price/Christopher Brooks and Henri Grehan/Chris Ridge, finished 6th and 8th respectively, ahead of quite a few state-of-the-art WRC and Group N cars. Local driver and former event winner, Shaun Gardner, is known to punch above his weight in this event too ... he and co-driver Ben Innes finished 4th this year in their distinctive TNT blue Mitsubishi; among a top order of modern top-class Fiestas.

The main crowd puller at this event, for many years indeed, was the multievent winning Peugeot Cosworth (pictured above) – a car based on the 80s Group B Austin Metro 6R4, with Peugeot 306-derived panel work, fourwheel drive and a German Touring Car (DTM) Cosworth V6 parked behind the seats. It was a terrifyingly loud, fast, extrovert of a car, in stark contrast to its softy-spoken owner and builder, Herefordshire farmer, Andy Burton. It won the Woodpecker eight times, and was consistently competitive up until 2011 when it was outlawed by changes to Motorsports Association (MSA) policy. It was

< Continued on page 11

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CROSSWORD CLUES #14

See page 12 for this issue’s crossword