rhythm and booze Passionate About Proper Pubs - Issue 15 - September/October 2012
HAND IN HAND & H E A RT
A landlord has found another use for his beer garden by getting married in it. Paul ‘Bram’ Brammer, licensee of the Hand & Heart on Highbury Street, had his register office wedding to long-time partner, Sue, blessed on the Garden’s stage. The ceremony, conducted by Methodist minister and real ale fan – the aptly named – Reverend Kerry Tankard, is just one of many headlining events to take place in the newly redeveloped garden. The Beer Shed, aka Uncle Bram’s Cabin, will open for business during the CAMRA National Inventory-listed pub’s Beatles Beer Fest. Running from 26-30 September, it marks 50 years since the release of the
Just Married: Bram and Sue of the Hand & Heart, Highbury Street. Beatles’ debut single, Love Me Do, and will feature more than 50 real ales and ciders,
plus local acts each performing a song from the group’s back catalogue.
Ready for blast off? The Astronauts/ The Destructors One Wave/Schwerpunkt Formed in Welwyn Garden City in 1977, The Astronauts come armed with some of the best tunes around. Joining The Destructors for this split-album, they provide seven of its 16 tracks. Out Now
“The Astronauts are one of those bands for whom the phrases 'criminally overlooked' and 'cruelly underrated' were made for.” - My Little Bubble “Proper punk for proper punks is the best way to describe what The Destructors are all about!” - Mass Movement Magazine
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Always On My Mind
Lee Tomlin celebrates his goal against Southend United. © www.theposhpics.com
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the Olympics but throughout it all I was still more interested in whether Posh would sign a new midfielder than if Mo Farrah would win double gold, writes Jamie Jones. It has been a long, long close season but now thankfully we are back to watching the most exciting team in the country play its football. As I write, we have just kicked off the season with a 4-0 thumping of Southend and are all set for a very difficult trip to Leicester. I don’t like Leicester. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t see them as a local rival or anything silly like that (Cobblers are the one true enemy), I just don’t like them. As a teenager in the early 1990s, my favourite memories of playing them are doing the double over them in
1992/93, which included 7,000 very angry and upset Leicester fans when they were battered 3-0 at London Road. The fixture list has once again taken over the calendar in the kitchen of our house, with home games marked with an ‘H’ and certain dates marked ‘don’t plan anything for this Saturday, I am going Posh away’. I have even managed to secure a pass-out for the home game which takes place the day after our wedding – sad but true that. We are now into the Saturday/Tuesday/Saturday/ Tuesday routine and know where we stand in life, order has been restored to the galaxy and we can all breathe easy. It is going to be a tough start and season for Posh but I honestly think we will survive and indeed progress. For such
a small club, with such a small but very dedicated fan base to remain in this league is a minor miracle in itself. I for one am very ‘proud to be Posh’. The other exciting development is that my publishing company, divisionfour, is working with the authors of the revised edition of The Official History of Peterborough United. It is going to be 400+ pages packed with the history of our little club. You can pre-order the book from divisionfourpublishing.co.uk You can hear more of Jamie’s ramblings on the unofficial Posh fans podcast Standing On The Glebe which is released after every home game via iTunes and standingontheglebe.co.uk You can also follow him on Twitter@jones_jamie
© Norman McBeath
by Cardinal Cox
Pub Scrawl Roger McGough is one of the star names at We Love Words. We Love Words is to be held between 8 and 15 September. Poets appearing include Roger McGough at the Key Theatre, Sir Andrew Motion at the Central Library and Attila the Stockbroker at The Brewery Tap. Other events throughout the week include workshops and this year’s Poet Laureate of Peterborough final. Details at www.clarecottage.org King’s Lynn Poetry Festival will be held over the weekend of 21-23 September with the best line-up for years. Speakers include Fleur Adcock, Tiffany Atkinson, Tim Liardet and Heidi Williamson (whose Electric Shadow was written after a residency at the Science Museum’s Data Centre). Full details at ww.lynnlitfests.com Verbal Remedies (the child of Speakeasy) is back with a festival night on Sunday 9 September at 8pm in Beckett’s Chapel, Peterborough Cathedral, with some of the best poetry around. Tickets are free but space is limited.
Poets United’s regular meetings are on the first Tuesday of the month (so 4 September and 2 October) at the PCVS building on Lincoln Road (roughly opposite Geneva’s Bar). For full details ring Viv on 01733 340560. Pint of Poetry, Dash of Drama will be having their regular nights at Charter’s Bar on Wednesday 12 September (a Festival Fringe event) and 10 October. If you want to read, it is best to get there about 8pm as it can get quite busy, and the entertainment starts around 8.30pm. Stamford’s own Pint of Poetry night is on the last Wednesday of the month (so 26 September and 31 October) at 8pm in the great little bar downstairs at the Arts Centre on St. Mary’s Street. Also at the Arts Centre, Darren Rawnsley (the Poet Laureate of Stamford) is organising a poetry clinic on the last Friday of the month (28 September and 26 October) between 5.30pm and 7pm. Vivacity presents best-selling author Gervase Phinn at St. John’s Church on Tuesday 25 September at 7pm. The former school inspector and entertaining speaker will be talking about his new novel, Trouble at the Little Village School, a welcome return to Yorkshire village life. Tickets for the evening are only £5 (£3 concessions) from Central Library or Waterstones on Bridge Street. Stamford Arts Centre’s series
of Royal Geographical Society talks continues on Wednesday 10 October at 8pm with Professor Alice Roberts on Survivors of the Ice Age. Tickets are £12, either ring 01780 763203 or go to www.stamfordartscentre.com The Key Theatre is hosting a performance by the legendary Pam Ayres on Thursday 25 October at 7.30pm. Sure to be a sell-out, get your tickets as soon as you can (£20) from either the box office on the Embankment or by calling (01733) 207239. For the local heroes this issue I’d like to offer my praise to the Writers in Peterborough group. Founded in the early 1980s, as an initiative of the Development Corporation, they brought both top notch and up-and-coming authors to the city for more than 30 years. Organised by volunteers, they gave us a chance to meet writers who might inspire us, plus they also co-ordinated writers workshops for many years and had one evening in their season for locals to present their work. The group bowed out last summer with a launch for Lotte Kramer’s Collected Works, a fitting tribute to both as Lotte had worked tirelessly since the very beginning to bring the best poets to Peterborough. Cardinal Cox is Poet-inResidence of St. John the Baptist church and regularly contributes to the blog www.bookapoet.co.uk
The Blue Bell Inn
10 Woodgate Helpston Peterborough PE6 7ED 01733 252394
A traditional country inn, offering a warm welcome and a good selection of real ales
BEER and HARVEST FESTIVAL
21st- 23rd September (Proceeds to ‘Help for Heroes’)
MINIMUM 15 REAL ALES & CIDER
Open all day, each day
Live Music Friday (Paul Lake) and Saturday (The System) Harvest Supper and Auction on Sunday
Are You Bei
Above: Eddie (Mark Benton) gives Tommy (Rodney Litchfield) a clue in Early Doors. Opposite Page: Only Fools and Horses’ Buster Merryfield, David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst in The Nag’s Head. On 28 October an Only Fools and Horses convention comes to the Bushfield Centre, in Orton Goldhay, writes Cardinal Cox. This is not the first time that such an event has been held in Peterborough as the Red Dwarf convention (Dimension Jump) was held at Thorpe Wood for three years running some time ago. With a chance to buy memorabilia and see a few cast members, and at only £5 for the standard ticket, this sounds like a bargain to me. For full details about the event, go to www.ofah.net
Inspired by The Nag’s Head in Only Fools and Horses, I started to think about some of the other pubs that have appeared in TV comedies over the last few years. Obviously there was Cheers (1982-1993) but I can’t understand why nothing similar has been a success from this country when the pub is so central to our society.
The Brown Cow Not on your Nellie (1974-1975), LWT A sequel of sorts to Nearest and Dearest, Hylda Baker moves to not-so-swinging
Chelsea to run her father’s pub. A sitcom of its time, it features stereotypical characters including an Asian Tube worker, forever getting assaulted in the line of duty, and a flamboyantly dressed gay couple. Chances of Hylda doing one of her old music hall routines: Fair to middling.
The Nag’s Head Only Fools and Horses (1981-2003) plus Rock and Chips (2010-2011), BBC Set in Peckham (with exteriors filmed around the country), the very essence of
ing Served? transferring to Teddington Studios for the last three. Chance of singing Yesterday at the old Joanna: High.
The Archer
a community boozer. Chance of being offered Russianspeaking dolls, glow in the dark paint or self-inflating sex aids: Moderate to good.
The Kebab and Calculator The Young Ones (1982-1984), BBC Set in north London (but filmed around Bristol), The Kebab and Calculator is the drinking den of the students. Later series Bottom (19911995), set in Hammersmith, featured The Lamb and Flag, also known (possibly because of a poorly painted sign) as The Dog and Handgun. Possibility of hearing people’s poet Rik (who all the punks and the skins and the Rastas will mourn, he thinks): High but mercifully short.
The Aigburth Arms
Red Dwarf (1988-present), BBC/Dave This is an actual pub in Victoria Road, Liverpool which has since been renamed The Victoria. It is where Dave Lister was found as a new born baby in a cardboard box under the pool table and later in life had one perfect evening of playing on that same table. Possibility of becoming involved in a time paradox: High.
The Royal Oak Goodnight Sweetheart (1993-1999), BBC Nicholas Lyndhurst flits between the 1990s and 1940s with his best mate Ron Wheatcroft (Victor McGuire) left to sort out his mess, often to Ron’s disadvantage. The exteriors were shot on location in Shoreditch for the first three series,
Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (2001-2011), BBC Set in Runcorn and named after the Splodgenessabounds song (bizarrely not used as the theme), the exteriors of the pub were filmed outside The Waterloo in Runcorn’s High Street. Possibility of a genre defying song and dance episode or crossing-over with another comedy series: Occasional.
The Grapes Early Doors (2003 – 2004), BBC The closest Britain has come to Cheers with a genuinely warm comedy set inside a Stockport pub. Possibility of the pub quiz including a question about which dog found the World Cup: High.
The Jockey Shameless (2004-present), Channel 4 Set on Manchester’s Chatsworth estate, the pub’s scenes were filmed at The Wellington Inn, Clowes Street, West Gorton, before the creation of the purpose built studio at Wythenshawe. Possibility of being offered substances reputed to get you high: High.
The Surrealist Sportsman’s Club In this issue, David ‘Dai’Roll turns his attention to Conkers. Autumn is upon us and the horse-chestnut trees are full of nuts. Apparently the first recorded game of conkers was on the Isle of Wight in the 1840s, using snail shells as the horse-chestnut tree was only widely planted in the 19 th century. Although I find this hard to believe, as snail shells would shatter at the first hit, leading to very short games. Locally, we have the World Conker Championships, held for many years at the Chequered Skipper pub in Ashton, just outside Oundle. The first championship was held in 1965 after poor weather prevented the pub’s regulars going on a fishing
trip. With the village being blessed with many fine horsechestnut trees, conkers provided a distraction. In 1976 the first non-Briton won the Men’s title, and in 1993 Michael Palin was disqualified for attempting to use an artificially hardened conker (baked and soaked in vinegar) – though this sounds like a publicity stunt to me. On the subject of publicity, for many years various stories would appear in the local press a couple of months before, usually stating that the crop was uncertain due to various factors (bad weather, conker blight, wild parrots, etc). A few years back it
Come and visit the national inventory listed
Hand & Heart
12 Highbury Street, Peterborough PE1 3BE 01733 564653
Cambridgeshire Pub of the Year 2010 CAMRA Gold Award Winner 2010 Five ever changing Real Ales, including a LocAle Large beer garden with a stage and beer shed Open 3-11.30pm Mon - Thur; 11.30am-midnight Fri & Sat and 11am - 11.30pm Sun
moved and in 2011 wasn’t actually held following a run of bad weather, though the day itself was glorious. For details about how to enter the Ashton Championship go to worldconkerchampionships.com Let’s face it though, almost any pub could hold its own conkers competition. All you need is an open area in which to host the tournament, a large bag of conkers and some bootlaces to hang them from. Roast chestnuts, hot from the brazier, sprinkled with a touch of salt, as snacks. Your Sunday afternoon is sorted.
B E AT L E S
B 26th EERF ESTIVAL to 30th September 50+ Real Ales & ciders, including unique festival specials Weds - Preview Night from 7pm Thurs - Pub and Beer Shed open at noon. Captain Backwash & The Barley Boy & Girl Rafter Raisers play the bar from 9pm Fri, Sat & Sun - Pub opens as normal Live music on the stage from 7pm Friday, 5pm Saturday & 3pm Sunday Up to 15 Bands / Artists ALL performing Beatles Songs as we celebrate 50 Years of their first single release on 5th Oct 1962! Home cooked food available between 2pm-8pm Fri-Sun, Freshly filled rolls & snacks at other times.
REVIEWS I ♥ Peterborough @ The Key Theatre Studio, 19/7/12 Rhythm and Booze reviewed a previous incarnation of the play I ♥ Peterborough earlier this year so I was interested to see how it might have changed. The answer is totally with only the title remaining.The new play revolves around the life of Lulu (played by Milo Twomey, previous of such TV series as EastEnders and Silent Witness) and his son Huw (played by Jay Taylor from Donkey Punch, The Bill and Misfits), two motherless generations of a family from Peterborough. Through the medium of Lulu’s drag-act we get their respective stories of troubled youth and the relationships between outsider fathers and sons. Embedded into the tale are many references to the Wizard of Oz. It isn’t a straight-forward play and as the audience you do have to work a bit to follow what is happening, which I think is a good thing. There are extensive references to the development of the city and although this tale could be told of anywhere and everywhere (because in some senses Peterborough is everywhere) they didn’t feel tacked-on. Some of you I’m sure nipped into the Lido afterhours for illicit fun. As to whether this version is better or worse than the previous play about drug addiction, I couldn’t say, but now I want Joel to produce at least one more (creating a trilogy) for next year. The play is travelling to Ipswich, the Edinburgh Festival and London, but making time to come back at the end of September, so I’d recommend seeing it. Desmond Decadent Mark Grist - Rogue Teacher @ The Key Theatre Studio, 4/7/12 As if the tickets weren’t cheap enough, a guest slot by MC Mixy made tonight’s spoken word show real value for money. Like Grist, his fellow Dead Poet, Mixy was trying out material in advance of appearances at the Edinburgh Festival. Covering the rise and fall of a relationship,
Mixy’s set was packed with more highs than lows; making the audience erupt with laughter when he recalled witnessing two men fighting in a pub over the weight of carrots. Despite Mixy’s hip hop influenced delivery, it is Grist who has made a name for himself as a ‘rap battler’. Reflecting on his victory over 17-year old Blizzard and the subsequent press coverage, which he feels was tantamount to bullying; Grist seems to be someone who thinks, in the main, that the kids are alright. Which is probably a good thing, given his former career. With everything from haikus to a univocalism (a poem that only uses one vowel, in the case of The Fens, the letter E), Grist is as entertaining as he is educational. The one small downside to the show was his use of PowerPoint, proving you can take the teacher out of the classroom...
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LISTINGS
The Blue Bell Inn, 10 Woodgate, Helpston, Peterborough PE6 7ED 01733 252394 September 21 - Paul Lake 22 - The System
The Brewery Tap, 80 Westgate, Peterborough PE1 2AA 01733 358500 September 01 - Saturday Night Brew 02 - Open Mic‘n’Jam 08 - Jelly Roll 15 - Saturday Night Brew 22 - Saturday Night Brew 28 - High Rollers 29 - Saturday Night Brew October 06 - Bounce to the Ounce 13 - Saturday Night Brew 20 - Saturday Night Brew 26 - The Replicas 27 - Saturday Night Brew Charter’s, Town Bridge, Peterborough PE1 1FP 01733 315700 September 02 - Golden Dawn 12 - Pint of Poetry 14 - The Guards 16 - Shake Hands Eric 22 - Symptom 23 - The Replicas 28 - Isiah 30 - Bon Rogers
October 07 - Jimmy & Pepp 10 - Pint of Poetry 12 - Stone Pony 14 - Piper 19 - Mind the Gap 21 - Marcel Pleasance 26 - Undercover 27 - Retrolux 28 - Agi Jarocka
The Coalheaver’s Arms, 5 Park Street, Peterborough PE2 9BH 01733 565664 20-23 September Autumn Beer Festival: 50+ real ales, ciders, perries, live music and a Jamaican BBQ. The Ostrich Inn, 17 North Street, Peterborough PE1 2RA 01733 746370 September 01 - Frankly My Dear 07 - High Rollers 08 - One Eyed Cats 14 - Pennyless 15 - Electric Warriors 21 - The Gangsters 22 - Retrolux 28 - Beats Working 29 - Little Dave Band The Prince of Wales Feathers Peterborough Road, Castor, Peterborough PE5 7AL 01733 380222 September 01 - Electric Warriors
22 - One Eyed Cats 13 - Identity Crisis 20 - And The Claim
The Swiss Cottage, 2 Grove Street, Woodston, Peterborough PE2 9AG 01733 568734 September 01 – Be Bop A Lulas 07 - 101 Proof 08 - The Drumbluie Band 14 - The Rocket Dogs The Peacock, London Road, Peterborough PE2 8AR 01733 345637 September 01 – New Generation Crash ‘N’ Burn 04 - Acoustic Night 15 - Slide to Open The Woolpack, 29 North Street, Stanground, Peterborough PE2 8HR 01733 753544 September 08 – Ian Graham and Kat Moore October 13 - Altered Ego All listings given in good faith, Rhythm & Booze cannot be held responsible for any discrepancy.
All November/December (Christmas) Listings and any editorial should be emailed to simonstabler@aol.com before 7 October 2012. Rhythm & Booze, Issue 15 - Sept/Oct 2012. All written material, unless otherwise stated, © Simon Stabler
Handmade in Castor
www.castorales.co.uk
The Woolpack North Street, Stanground, Peterborough PE2 8JF (01733) 753544
Stanground's Best Kept Secret - A 15 minute walk from the centre of town n Open all day, every day n Up to four real ales available n Food served Tuesday to Sunday lunchtimes and Monday to Saturday evenings n Quiz on Sunday evenings with cash prizes
Live Music
Saturday 8th September - Ian Graham & Kat Moore Saturday 13th October - Altered Ego Both Gigs Start At 9pm