issue30

rhythm and boozeBrews, News, Bands & Reviews - Issue 30 - March/April 2015

A music event that has

brought the cream of blues

talent to the region is set to

make its final outing. Steamin’

Blues has been held annually

at Nene Valley Railway since

2000. Founded by the

railway’s General Manager,

Hannah Forman, and her

brother, internationally

renowned bass guitarist Colin

Hodgkinson, the event is

coming to an end as Hannah

plans to retire next year.

Each year, a fully licensed

steam-hauled train picks up

passengers from stations

along the line, taking them to

Wansford, where a marquee,

complete with real ale bar,

hosts an evening of live music.

Performers over the years

have included Zoot Money,

Maggie Bell, Nina Simone’s

drummer Paul Robinson and

Colin’s Electric Blues Duo.

Colin and Hannah promise

a great final evening with a

respected performer making

their stage debut.

n For tickets, ring Hannah on

01780 784444 or visit

nvr.org.uk

PeTerborough • SouTh LincS • ruTLand • eaST norThanTS

Colin Hodgkinson, co-founder of Nene Valley Railway’s Steamin’ Blues event.

The Final Whistle

Hodgson Centre,

Hodgson Ave

PE4 5EG

Tel: 01733 578088

Peterborough CAMRA Pub of the Year 2014Runner Up

Live Satellite Sports n Live Entertainment

Free Pool - Tuesday nights

Cash Quiz - Sunday from 8pm

Werrington Centre

Staniland Way

PE4 6NA

Tel: 01733 327696

Peterborough CAMRA Pub of the Year 2014

CAMRA Gold award 2013Live Satellite Sports n Live Entertainment

Happy Hour Mon - Fri 5-7pm

teN ReAl AleS FRoM £2.00 A PINt

SIx ReAl AleS FRoM £2.60 A PINt

The North Street Bar,

Peterborough now offers

music every Thursday, in

addition to its Friday and

Saturday sessions. Starting at

8pm, the evenings include

rock nights from Red Lionz

Promotions, an Open Mic

night hosted by Jimmy from

the High Rollers, and Shindig

– a mashed up mix of soul,

funk and indie by Eclectic

Ballroom DJs Zed and Jim.

There are also plans to

launch live music showcases,

highlighting up and coming

local originals bands. For

further information, see

our listings pages or visit

www.northstreetbar.co.uk

The organisers of the Willow Festival are looking

for bands to play at this

year’s event, which takes

place on the Embankment,

Peterborough on 10-12 July.

Interested parties can apply

online via bit.ly/1vQ5AmoBBC Radio 6 Music has

become the first digital radio

station to gain an audience

of more than 2 million.

Controller Bob Shennan,

who is also responsible for

Radio 2, began his career atHereward Radio.

A blue plaque marking JimiHendrix’s visit to the region

has been unveiled in Spalding.

Organised by Spalding &

District Civic society, the

plaque attached to the Red

Lion Hotel is a record of

guitarist’s stay there in May

1967. Hendrix was in the

town to play Barbecue 67

– one of the country’s first

music festivals, which includedCream, Pink Floyd and the

Move on the bill. SoundsForce 5, a local covers act

who also performed at the

festival are currently

celebrating their 50th

anniversary. The night before

the unveiling, they shared a

stage with the Move once

more, with a gig at the Cresset, Bretton. Sound

Force Five’s original guitarist,

Rob Munton, flew over from

Australia especially for the

gig and the following night’s

performance at the South

Holland Centre, Spalding,

supporting the Swinging

Blues Jeans.Erasure singer Andy Bell

was a contestant on Celebrity

Mastermind, which was shown

on BBC1 on 28 December.

The former King’s School

pupil chose Blondie as his

specialist subject, coming

third with 14 points.

The annual Skool of Rock

and Roll – a three-day rock,

cider and real ale festival –

returns to the Iron Horse

Ranch House, Market

Deeping on 27-29 March.

Bands include Burning Codes, Iron Fist and theRocket Dogs with funds

going towards Macmillan

Cancer Support.

The Woolpack in

Stanground is holding a beer

festival on 17-19 April. Live

music comes from Ian Graham and Kat Moore

(Friday, 9pm), the RocketDogs (Saturday, 9pm) andSteve Bean who will play

classical guitar (Sunday,

4-6pm). On other Sundays,

the pub hosts Irish music

sessions between 4-7pm.The Heron, Stanground

is also holding a beer

festival that weekend (17-18),

concentrating on LocAle

beers. Live music comes from

the Soul Sisters on and thePsych-O-Bombs on Saturday.

the rhythm section

Andy Bell, second from the right, on Celebrity Mastermind.

n Open all day, every day from 12 noon (11.30am

Saturday) n Up to four real ales available n Large

riverside beer garden n Food served Tuesday to Sunday lunchtimes and Monday to Saturday

evenings n Quiz on Sunday evenings (cash prizes)

The WooLPackStanground's Best Kept Secret

- A 15 minute walk from the centre of town

North Street, Stanground, Peterborough Pe2 8JF (01733) 753544

Live MuSicTraditional Irish Music Sessions – Every Sunday, 4-7pm

Beer Festival Friday 17 April to Sunday 19 April

Live music: Friday – Ian Graham and Kat Moore (9pm) Saturday – Rocket Dogs (9pm)

Sunday – Steve Bean plays Classical Guitar (4-6pm)

Ukulele Night (Thursdays) - See our band and join inVinyl Night (Last Friday of the month)

Quiz Night (Every Sunday) - Cash and Beer PrizesLive Music -check thepalmerstonarms for dates

The Palmerston arms

o p e n i n g t i m e s : Monday - Thursday 15.00 - 00.00,

Friday and Saturday 12.00 - 00.00, Sunday 12.00 - 23.00

82 oundLe road, PeTerborough Pe2 9Pa Tel: 01733 565865

“oundle Road’s Permanent Beer Festival”

Peterborough’s floating

bar/restaurant, Charters, has

a new manager. Martin Race

will familiar to many in this

area as he’s also had spells at

the Goat at Frognall, theBoathouse and most recently

the Woodman at Thorpe

Wood. Martin’s goal is to

“achieve the accolade of best

real ale pub in town”

– probably a welcome

distraction from following his

beloved Portsmouth FC.

Peterborough CAMRA has

awarded their Pub of the Year

to the Hand & Heart in

Highbury Street, Millfield. This

unspoilt back street local also

won Cambridgeshire Pub of

the Year in 2010 and 2013.

Elland brewery, whose

directors are all based in this

area, scooped Best in Show

at the annual Winter Ales

festival in Derby for its

wonderful 1872 Porter. This is

the third time the 6.5% beer

has won the Champion Beer

award in five years. It can be

enjoyed at the Ploughman,

Werrington and the Five

Horseshoes, Barholm.

The Argo Lounge now

provides a handy refreshment

stop in the heart of

Peterborough’s shopping land

just off Cathedral Square.

Despite no hand pumps, a

couple of decent ‘craft keg’

beers were available on our

visit, including Loungers

Cruiser from Bristol Beer

Factory, and Dark Side Stout

from Bath Ales.

Rob and Meri Hyde will be

celebrating their first year as

licensees of the Heron at

Stanground with a Spring

Beer Festival on 17-18 April,

showcasing local breweries

and some local talent. They’re

clearly doing something right

as the pub now boasts an

impressive beer range, hosts

regular pool tournaments

and quiz nights, is looking to

enter a darts team and is a

proud sponsor of Stanground

Sports FC.

Regional newspaper

publisher Johnston Press

announced the results of its

inaugural ‘Best Bar 2014’

awards, as voted for by

readers. Each local paper

had its own winner – the roll

of honour is:

Stamford

Five Horseshoes, Barholm

Peterborough

The Crown, Lincoln RoadBourne

The Horseshoe, ThurlbyRutland

Jinky’s Wine Bar, OakhamSpalding

The Ship AlbionSleaford

The Red Lion, Ruskington

Grantham

The Lord HarrowbyFenland

The Sportsman, Elm

The Stilton Country Club,

situated behind the Angel

Spice restaurant in the High

Street is now a regular pub,

renamed the Stilton Tunnels.

The Firkin Ale in North

Street, Bourne has been

renamed Archie’s Bar (after

the oub’s dog). The new

licensee is Scott Cartmell

(ex Burghley Arms).

Also in Bourne, after a

year at the helm of the Anchor, Dawn and Taras are

celebrating completion of a

Pub News

Continued over

the Argo lounge.

the Heron, Stanground.

major refurbishment with a

party night on 14 March.

Unconfirmed reports

suggest that JD Wetherspoon

has bought a town centre site

in Bourne.

North of Bourne, the scene

is less encouraging: The Bull

at Rippingale, Robin Hood &Little John at Aslackby

(pronounced Aizleby) and theTally Ho! at Aswarby are all

up for sale.

The Grainstore Brewery in

Oakham now has a weekly

Curry Club each Tuesday.

Oundle’s new riverside

restaurant and watering hole,

the Tap & Kitchen has

reportedly been doing a

roaring trade since opening

at the end of November. Up

to 10 craft/keg beers (“Not

the mass produced stuff,”

according to owner, Dick

Simpson) and real ciders

supplement the eight hand

pulled beers from its own

Nene Valley Brewery. The

bar is open for breakfast at

weekends from 9am, and live

music is being introduced

from March.

Up the road in Nassington

is another reopened venue,

The White Horse. It’s now

run by Christie and Gary,

who have introduced Steak

Nights (Tuesday), Fish Nights

(Wednesday). They also have

a Charity Casino night on

21 March.

In a bad couple of months

for the Deeping area, the Bell

on High Street, Deeping St

James closed unexpectedly in

January, and the former Rose

at Frognall has been sold for

redevelopment. The lease of

Frognall’s other pub, the Goat

is reportedly up for grabs.

Over in Spalding, the Red

Lion Hotel now boasts its

own Indian/Goan restaurant

– the Spice Affair. Lincolnshire

Poacher licensee Dave Higgins

has reported a huge boost to

trade since the pub on

Double Street was reborn

as a live music venue – see

listings in this issue for

forthcoming gigs.

To celebrate 40 years as a

branch, Fenland CAMRA has

commissioned a 4% beer from

Sleaford Brewery. At the time

of writing it was on sale at

the Plough at Horbling, TheEagle in Boston and the Caskin Hand, Holbeach.

Boston Borough Council

voted in favour of creating a

drink-free zone at a meeting

in December. Street drinkers

failing to comply face arrest

and a fine of up to £500.

Bateman’s has sold the Indian

Queen & Three Kings pub in

the town and has put the Ship up for sale with

www.poyntons.com

Lovers of beer and

railways (as we are) will

probably know of the Rail Ale

festival held each May at the

Barrow Hill Roundhouse in

Derbyshire. Dubbed the UK’s

most atmospheric beer

festival, this year’s event will

be held on 14-16 May. More

than 250 beers will be

available, served in the UK’s

last working railway

roundhouse, against a

backdrop of classic steam and

diesel locomotives. As well as

train rides and live music, this

year’s event will be the

destination for a special

charter train (sponsored by

Fuller’s) from London St

Pancras, picking up at Luton,

Bedford and Kettering.

There’s also a trade session

(by invitation only) on the

Thursday afternoon. Details

at www.railalefestival.com

Pubs no more…

Locals in Stanground are

campaigning against the

conversion of the formerGolden Lion pub into an

Afghan Community Centre,

citing the lack of an Afghan

community in the area.

Six years after closure as a

pub, Peterborough’s legendaryOld Still in Westgate Arcade,

is due to reopen in March as

an outlet of the Handmade

Burger Co.

Pub News(continued)

the tap & Kitchen, oundle.

To celebrate one year as licencees of

the AnchorWe’re having a party!

SAtURDAY MARCH 14th

We have a lovely local with riversidelocation, real fire, and a range of 5

real ales including Bourne Particular.

Kick & Rush, a musical comedy trio,will be providing the entertainment

from 8pm.

We hope you can join us

tHe ANCHoR, 44 eAStGAte, BoURNe Pe10 9JY

Don’t put your head in the sand – join us at...

The oSTrichTraditional Alehouse in the heart of the City

caMra gold award Winner 2013 - all real ales £3

Live Music every Friday and Saturday

open all day every day (from 12noon Sun-Thurs, 11am Fri,Sat)

north St (just behind Westgate house), Peterborough Pe1 2ra

Winner – Stamford Mercury ‘best bar 2014’

FFii vv ee hhoo rr SS ee SS hh oo ee SS

FreShLy Made PizzaS

cooked in an authentic wood fired pizza

oven every Friday and the last Saturday

of the month. From 5.30-10pm

Barholm, Stamford, LincsPE9 4RA • 01778 560238

Six Real Ales with four on rotation • three draught ciders • three

Lagers • Fine Wine & Spirits • large beer garden • Pool room

Enjoy a welcoming open fire in a Traditional Ale Houseopen from 4pm week days, 1pm Saturday and 12pm Sundays

LIvE MuSIC25th April - Pennyless (7pm)

The Admiralty66 Trafalgar Square

LondonWC2N 5DS020 7930 0066

www.admiraltytrafalgar.co.uk

Since returning to our

screens in 2005, Doctor Who

has been produced by BBC

Wales. Much of its location

filming now takes place in

Cardiff and Swansea but,

when necessary, scenes are

still shot in London. The

Day of the Doctor, the 50th

anniversary special that aired

worldwide on 23 November

2013, was one such story.

In the opening minutes, we

saw many familiar landmarks

as a helicopter winched the

Tardis across London, while

Matt Smith’s Doctor dangled

helplessly from its doors. The

roof of The Admiralty and the

Canadian Pacific Building next

door were seen as the action

moved to Trafalgar Square.

A Fuller’s house, The

Admiralty is a relatively new

pub, originally built as a bank

and later converted into a

restaurant. It’s clear that the

interior has been designed

with tourists in mind,

featuring a nautical theme –

apparently based on HMS

Victory – with plenty of naval

memorabilia on display.

An upstairs dining area is

referred to as the ‘Quarter

Deck’, while the basement

bar, which is accessed by a

spiral staircase, complete with

rope banister, is the ‘gun

deck’. A narrow, wood-lined

corridor, which does make

you feel like you’re on a ship,

leads to the toilets. Given the

bad taste on display in this

place, it was a surprise to find

“ladies” and “gents” on the

toilet doors, as opposed to

“Wrens” and “Jack Tars”.

The main bar has eight hand

pumps, all of which serve

Fuller’s beers (Bengal Lancer

was £4.40 a pint), while

the keg beers include the

company’s Frontier Craft

Lager and London Porter,

along with Sierra Nevada

Pale Ale.

According to the pub’s

website, the ground floor is

“popular for its fantastic

views of Trafalgar Square”

but with a flower box at the

bottom of the window and

blinds at the top, you can

only really see the tops of

the National Portrait Gallery,

St Martin-in-the-Fields and

Nelson on his column – and

he’s looking elsewhere.

Being a former bank, the

front windows are quite high

up, meaning that the chairs

have had to follow suit. With

nothing to realistically rest

your feet on, you’re left – like

Matt Smith and the Tardis –

dangling in mid air.

OOnn tthhee ((TTiimmee)) llaasshhA visit to the pubs seen, however briefly, in Doctor Who.

r a i L r o v i n gWhiTTLeSea

In contrast to recent

Railroving articles, we’re

bringing things much closer to

home this issue, to a historic

town with the right amount

of watering holes to do in

one swoop.

Whittlesey (or Whittlesea,

to use its historical name, as

the railway still does) is less

than 10 minutes by rail and

can be reached by Greater

Anglia services from

Peterborough. A standard day

return is £5.10 (£8.10 from

Stamford). For those who are

interested in such things, the

‘traditional railway’ can still

be enjoyed here. The crossing

gates are still operated

manually, and an attractive

Victorian signal box and

semaphore signals still stand

guard over the unusually

staggered platforms of the

station. Enjoy it while you

can though – modernisation

is imminent.

If you can tear yourself

away, the Railway pub is a

just a few steps away, though

still hadn’t opened when we

arrived just after midday. This

pub used to be home to its

own Pullman carriage (used as

a restaurant car) but this had

long gone, and of the four

hand pumps visible through

the window, only one was

working. Station Road did not

inspire too much as a little

further along, the Bricklayers

Arms was boarded up, al-

legedly about to be sacrificed

for more housing. By the time

we’d got to Childers Social

Club (one real ale) and found

it wasn’t open until 4pm, we

were beginning to question

our judgement.

Salvation came in the form

of the local JD Wetherspoon.

The George Hotel in the

Market Place is something of

a triumph. The transformation

of this traditional hotel has

been done tastefully, and the

real fire, cosy atmosphere

(and clean loos) were all very

welcome on a very cold day.

This week was an ‘Oakham

Ales festival’ so five of

Peterborough’s finest were

available, alongside the usual

Ruddles/Doombar/Pride/

Abbot/Broadside (prices from

£1.69) arrangement. Opening

time is 8am daily with beers

served from 9.

Ph

oto

© J

am

es W

elh

am

A couple of doors down,Hub’s Place – created after

owner Barry Hubbard got

lucky on the lottery a few

years back, was somewhat

quieter. This former solicitors’

office has also been tastefully

converted into a pleasant

bar (no food) with darts and

dominoes, and well kept

London Pride and Wherry on

hand pump.

From here we decided to

take the long walk up to theStraw Bear. This 1970s

estate pub must be a good

25-minute walk from the

town centre (on Drybread

Rd), but with half a dozen real

ales on offer, regular live

music and a host of team

activities available (including

Superleague darts), we were

keen to check it out. Belhaven

Robert Burns, Tydd Piston

Bob, Bateman XXXB/Yella

Belly/Colonel’s Whiskers and

Elgood’s Straw Bear were all

available. The free house got

its name long before the

ancient festival was revived in

1980, and holds a beer festival

during Straw Bear weekend.

Apparently it’s hard to get

through the door on that

particular weekend, and it

seems that the pub has

healthy support from the

sizeable surrounding estate.

Surprising then that local

gossip suggests the Straw

Bear may be under threat

from developers. The

imminent departure of the

current licensee can only add

fuel to that belief.

Returning via the ‘Inner

Relief Road’ and High

Causeway brings you to the

pretty New Crown, which is

anything but new. The beamed

two-room pub is topped with

a thatched roof and presents

a very agreeable drinking

environment. Licensee Tracy

Bull only took over in

December but has already

introduced a new menu

(lunch and evenings), and all

day opening. Beers included

IPA, Doom Bar and a slightly

uninspiring Copper Dragon

Best. I’d like to revisit this

one in a few months as I

suspect we weren’t seeing it

at its best. The Ram at 16

Delph was due to reopen on

11 February after a period of

closure and will be open all

day under the ownership of

Michelle, Pete and Ben

Stead Davis.

The Ivy Leaf social club was

also closed at this time of day,

but another club – Quinn’s

(on Market Street) – was

open for business. Though

quiet at this time the club,

run by Phil Quinn, also

licensee of the Boat, is a

popular venue for its pool,

darts and monthly live

entertainment. One real ale is

usually on offer. Next to this

is the Black Bull, an attractive

multi-roomed building with

good local support. The

Adnams Southwold proved

very drinkable and four other

beers including Spitfire,

Courage Best, IPA and

Pedigree were present.

Regular bands, discos and

karaoke add to the mix.

We’d left the Boat (on

Ramsey Road) until 4pm as

that’s the opening time

Monday-Wednesday. Boss Phil

Quinn always gives a warm

welcome here – he’s keen to

talk about his beers and

whisky collection. It’s an

Elgood’s house, with two

spacious rooms and small

beer garden and

accommodation. Three house

beers, Golden Newt, Straw

Beer and EP are usually

available (the latter in great

form on our visit), sometimes

supplemented with guest

beers. Darts, dominoes and

Pétanque are played, and

there are regular ‘open-mic’

and acoustic sessions.

Across the road is the Hero

of Aliwal, which looks

reasonably impressive from

the outside, but suffers from

erratic opening times and a

total lack of real ale. So

moving swiftly on, we arrived

at the award-winning Letter B

on Church Street, run by the

characterful Bruce Roan. He

operates his pub like a pub

should be run, and woe

betide anyone who tries to

advise him otherwise. With

a Peterborough (and

Cambridgeshire) Pub of the

Year award for 2012 and

runner up in 2015, good

quality ale is expected, and

Bruce certainly delivers.

the George with Hub’s Place to the far right.

There’s no food, but four

local brews plus a fifth real

ale, and up to 10 real ciders

are usually on. But why the

name Letter B? Well, legend

has it that there were so

many pubs in the area (once

upward of 50), they ran out of

ideas. So was there a Letter

A? Yes, in Whitmore Street,

which operated up to the

1970s and continues as an art

gallery bearing the same

name. A Letter C was only

open briefly, allegedly as a

recruitment ploy for the local

works of the London Brick

Company – clearly an early

version of a pop-up pub. The

Letter B is open all day at

weekends but doesn’t open

until 5pm during the week.

That just left time for a

swift one at the Falcon Hotel

– an attractive 17th century

former coaching inn. As well

a handy town centre base,

this is also popular local with

real fires and a couple of

decent beers in the shape of

Old Speckled Hen and

Humpty Dumpty Nord

Atlantic. The pub’s open

all day with a full menu

available from 12-9pm daily.

From here it’s back through

the Market Place and onto

Station Road where, if you

have time, you can have a

cheeky one in Childers or

The Railway.

Phil Quinn at the Boat.

1

2

34/5

10/11

6

7

7

9

8

12

13

14 15

Key

1. The Railway

2. The Bricklayers’ Arms

3. Childers

4. The George Hotel

5. Hub’s Place

6. The Straw Bear

7. The New Crown

8. The Ram

9. The Ivy Leaf

10. Quinn’s

11. The Black Bull

12. The Boat

13. Hero of Aliwal

14. Letter B

15. The Falcon

Love Love Love

LoveWith a great range of delicious real ales, fine wines and fabulous spirits,you’ll feel spoilt for choice. Tuck into a dish from our tantalising menus ranging from our signature stone baked pizzas to our lamb shank pie whichuses the lamb from our very own farm!

Love

lINColNSHIRe'S FIRSt MICRo PUB IN SPAlDING'S olDeSt BUIlDINGT

he

OPEN TuESDAy - SuNDAy

12.00- 23.00

1 SHEEP MARKET, SPALDING,

LINCOLNSHIRE PE11 1BH

PriorsOvenReal Ale

serving six lOcal

real ales, straight

frOm the barrel,plus five ciders/

perries* Official Outlet fOr

austendyke ales

With four pubs closing down

per day, it is always refreshing

to discover that one has

reopened. However, after

several false starts over the

past six years, the residents of

Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire

could have been forgiven for

thinking that the Grade II

listed Falcon Tavern might

never reopen.

That is until Paul Hepworth,

owner of Northampton’s

traditional The Olde England,

stepped in and took on the

Falcon’s lease at the end of

last year. Various delays with

paperwork meant that Paul

only had 16 days to prepare

the pub for its 22 December

reopening. And given the

years of decay inflicted on

this 16th century building, Paul

and his team certainly had

their work cut out. But work

they did. Removing ivy from

outside, making good the

paintwork and repairing the

water-damaged floor, the

result of a cellar flood earlier

in the year.

A large crowd attended the

reopening – “Paying us back

by coming in their droves,”

according to landlord Stuart

Everitt – and the pub has

seen a steady stream of

drinkers ever since. When I

paid a visit at the start of

January, Stuart told me that

he was getting through two

and a half barrels of beer a

day. However, with 15

different handpumps, 10 of

which offer beers from

smaller brewers and all priced

between £2 and £3.30 a pint,

that figure looks set to rise

once word gets around.

As well as catering for the

real ale fan, the pub serves

craft keg – currently

Marston’s Oyster Stout and

Revisionist Craft Lager, and

Shipyard American Pale Ale

– normal and fruit wines, and

five different meads. This last

one surprised me but Stuart

assures me that “they’re

selling pretty well”.

You’ll notice that there are

no mainstream lagers in that

list and neither are there any

plans to install televisions,

fruit machines or a jukebox

with the pub defiantly aimed

at those who “like good beer,

a sit down and chat.” One

concession to the modern

world will be Wi-Fi access,

which once installed will

allow Stuart to update the

pub’s Facebook page – a site

started by Faye Linnell of the

Save the Falcon campaign, a

group formed to ensure that

the then closed pub was kept

in the public eye.

While bigger pub companies

would be content with just

running repairs to reopen the

place, the refurbishment

continues. There are plans to

build a kitchen, cellar and

three function rooms

upstairs, and the removal of

modern partitions to expose

the original wooden beams.

Once the kitchen is in

place, customers will be able

to enjoy afternoon meals,

made from locally sourced

ingredients, while catering will

be available for those booking

one of the three upstairs

function suites.

The final finishing touches

to the ground floor will

include the hanging of English

Civil War pictures and

memorabilia, to reflect the

pub’s wartime role as a

roundhead recruiting station.

Legend has it that local boy

Oliver Cromwell even

addressed his troops in the

market square from an

upstairs window.

And given the Cromwell

connection, it was apt that I

went for a pint of Outlawed

from Springhead Brewery.

A decent pint and at only

£2.90, even the most

hardened puritan would have

been tempted.

Flying high

The Surrealist Sportsman’s Clubdavid ‘dai’roll pays a visit to Stamford and discovers that sometimes, shove turns to push.

Last year, in anticipation of

The Palmerston Arms’ Shove

Ha’penny Championships, I

wondered if any other pubs

played the game. The silence

was deafening. And then,

an email came in, asking:

“Have you ever heard of

Pushpenny?” I hadn’t, so

decided to go in search of

some answers.

Unlike Shove Ha’penny,

which uses five pre-decimal

halfpennies, Pushpenny is

played with three old pennies,

which have had the ‘tails’ side

smoothed down. Each pub has

its own board and coins, and

with no standardisation, there

are slight differences. The

same goes for the way a coin

is pushed, with a player able

to use whatever part of their

hand they feel comfortable.

Stamford used to have

upwards of 30 teams (some

say 50+). However pub

closures and retirement have

reduced that figure to six.

And while there should be six

players to a team, a shortage

of participants means that

there are now only five to

each side. The pubs still taking

part are The Jolly Brewer,

Lord Burghley, The Hurdler

(2) and Blackstones Sports &

Social Club (2).

Now believed to be

exclusive to Stamford,

Pushpenny was also once

played in Colchester and the

East Sussex towns of

Battle and Hastings, where

the local darts league is still

called The Robertsbridge &

District Darts & Push Penny

League. Noel Chatwin and

The Surrealist Sportsman’s Clubdavid ‘dai’roll pays a visit to Stamford and discovers that sometimes, shove turns to push.

Ray Graham who are part

of the Hurdler’s A team,

remember going to Hastings

for a match many years ago.

Both men have been involved

in Pushpenny for more than

45 years, having once being

part of the team at the long-

closed Crown & Woolpack

on Scotgate. Talk soon turned

to some of the pubs that

have pulled out including the

demolished Hit or Miss, Drum

& Monkey and the Dolphin,

which is currently undergoing

conversion into flats. “The

Dolphin used to serve beer

from jugs, brought up from

the cellar,” remembers Noel.

There are several trophies

contested each year including

the Willoughby Cup, which

was originally sponsored by

Grimsthorpe Castle’s

Willoughby de Eresby family,

while a World Championships

was founded in 1980. The

current World Champion

is Derek Robinson of

Blackstones’ A team.

Weekly matches take place

on a Tuesday. There are spare

boards available and any pub

that wants to start a team,

or an individual who wants

to join an existing one, can

forward their enquiry to

Dean Perkins at the Jolly

Brewer (01780 755141).

n A 15-minute documentary,

Pushpenny: The Dying Game,

is available for download from

vimeo.com/12391834

n Looking ahead, this year’s

Stilton Cheese Rolling

festival will take place on

Monday 4 May, so it’s time to

get those teams in training.

Clockwise from left: The Jolly Brewer v Hurdler A. The way a coin is pushed

or shoved is up to the player. Pushpenny doyens Noel Chatwin and Ray

Graham who now play for Hurdler A. A Queen victoria ‘old head’ and two

George v pennies make up the Jolly Brewer’s playing pieces.

The Hare and HoundsWe are a family run Country Pub

Dogs & Children welcomeOur Quirky Menu is all Homemade

We stock 8 award winning cask alesWe stock largest range locally of draught Belgian Beers

Our Sta� are friendly & ProfessionalSunday Roast is a must at £8.95

Email: [email protected] or give us a call on: 01778 560332.

Main Street, Greatford, Near Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 4QA

GREATFORD

01780 755141 - www.jollybrewer.com

Foundry Road, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 2PP

Lincolnshire Pub of the Year 2009Peterborough & district caMra Pub of the year 2009

THE JOLLY BREWER

WaTch The WiTh uS

Quiz nighT every

oTher Sunday

coMing Soon: ouroWn breWerySee WebSiTe For deTaiLS

Pub Scrawlby C

ard

ina

l C

ox

King’s Lynn Literary Festival is

to be held over the weekend

of 13-15 March at the Town

Hall and includes such writers

as Jill Dawson, Romesh

Gunesekera, Michael Holroyd,

Rachel Hore and LaShonda

Katrice Barnett. For full

details visit the website at

www.lynnlitfests.comThe Fenland Poet Laureate

final will be held at Wisbech

Museum on Friday 27 March,

starting at 7pm. Always a good

night, come along to hear the

high quality work.

The deadline for the Stamford Poet Laureate

competition is Tuesday 31

March. If you want to apply

you need to send a poem

together with a brief plan of

what you might like to do in

your year in post (each typed

and no more than one side of

A4). You can either hand your

entry in at the Arts Centre

or email to k.burrows

@southkesteven.gov.uk

Full details of the competition

can be found at

www.stamfordartscentre.comStamford Arts Centre’s

popular series of lunchtime

literary lectures continues on

Tuesday 3 March with Thomas

Hardy’s The Woodlanders up

for discussion. Then on

Tuesday 7 April it will be

Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones.

The season continues on

Tuesday 5 May with Arthur

Miller’s A View from the

Bridge. The talks start at

12:30pm and admission is

£6.50. Then at 2.30pm they

will show a film adaptation of

the work in question, tickets

for those are £5.50

Over in Oundle, on Saturday

14 March, Professor Jules

Pretty will be talking about

his book Edge of Extinction

about some of the ancient

tribes he has met who live on

the very edges of the world,

and how they may hold the

key to our species survival.

The talk is at St Peter’s

Church from 7.30pm, tickets

are £7 (£5 concessions)

available from the Box

Office, 4 New Street (01832

274734) or online at

www.oundlefestival.org.uk

There will be an open mic

night at the Black Horse,

Nassington on Thursday 19

March, starting at 8pm, to

which poets as well as

musicians are more than wel-

come to offer their talents.

I seldom mention the

Peterborough Theological

Society but they are having a

talk on Poetry and Faith on

Wednesday 25 March. The

speaker will be Dr Nicola

Slee and it will be held at The Friends’ Meeting House

on Thorpe Road,

Peterborough from 7.30pm.

Tickets are £3. For more

information go to

http://bit.ly/1DFMrbdClare Cottage in Helpston

is hosting an exhibition about

the waterways of the fens

until April 16. To check on

opening times, go to

www.clarecottage.org

Internationally regarded

poet Wendy Cope will be

performing on Sunday 26

April at the Stamford Arts

Centre. The evening starts at

7pm and tickets are £14 (£12

cons.). This is the start of this

year’s micro-poetry festival

that continues on Tuesday 28

April with a performance byPeterborough’s Poets United

in the bar. Wednesday 29

(usually the local Pint of Poetry evening) has the final

of this year’s Stamford Poet

Laureate competition in the

main theatre (details of the

competition above). Then on

Thursday 30 April, members

of Pint of Poetry from

Peterborough will be

performing in the bar. The

Stamford Pint of Poetry

meets in the bar on the last

Wednesday of the month, so

25 March, 27 May etc from

8pm. In the few short years

it has been in existence it

has proved to be a warm and

welcoming open mic night.

The Arts Centre also hosts a

Poetry Forum on the Second

Monday of the month (9

March, 13 April, 11 May etc)

from 6.30 to 8.30pm.

Some advance news, as it is

likely to sell-out quickly,

Gervase Phinn will be at

the Key Theatre on Thursday

7 May. The ever-popular

former schools inspector

continues to entertain with

his tales. Tickets £18.50.

My Words Were Now Written, a book collectingtogether Cardinal Cox’s work while poet-in-residenceat St John the Baptist, Peterborough has gone onsale. Priced £5, it’s availablefrom the church’s gift shop,which is open on Wednesdayand Saturday mornings.

The Argyll Arms18 Argyll StreetLondon

W1F 7TP020 7734 6117

www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/theargyllarmsoxfordcircuslondon

Unusually for this particular feature we’re

spotlighting a real gem of a pub that forms

part of a large chain. Those familiar with

Nicholson’s pubs won’t be put off – and this

Grade II listed building rarely fails to impress.

The pub stands immediately opposite ‘exit 8’

from Oxford Circus tube station, which is

three stops along the Victoria line from

Kings Cross.

Perfectly located for Theatreland and

Oxford Street, the Argyll Arms was originally

built in 1742 and named after the second Duke

of Argyll, whose own pile was situated where

the Palladium now stands. A secret tunnel ran

between the two buildings, and the story goes

that this was used by the frisky old Duke to

meet ladies of the night in the pub.

The building has survived the rampant

commercialism in the area, and although

relatively unassuming on the outside, the

pub is truly

spectacular inside

– a triumph of

mahogany, etched

glass and ornate

ceilings, with many

individual snugs

and partitions,

and oozes

character at every

turn. The internal

fixtures, crafted in

1895, bear the

hallmark of

NATIONAL TREASURESpotlighting Britain’s best boozers

Victorian eccentricity. It seems the partitions

were originally designed to ‘divide the classes’

with ‘steerage’ at the front of the pub, while

the gentry enjoyed the relative privacy at

the rear. No doubt the Duke had his own

special area.

The Argyll has a listing in CAMRA’s

National Inventory of historic pub interiors

Upstairs is a substantial restaurant area,

though food is also served downstairs and

outside. Expect to pay West End prices for

the beer – a pint will set you back over £4,

but the food is reasonable with two breakfasts

on offer for a tenner. There’s an extensive

range of real ales including all displayed on a

proper menu.

The house beer, Nicholson’s Pale Ale,

comes from St Austell and is supplemented by

a minimum of seven others including Truman’s

Runner, London Pride, Doom Bar, guest beers

and Welsh landlady Christine Bateman’s own

choice, Reverend James from Brain’s. A couple

of craft kegs are supplied by the Meantime

Brewery in Greenwich.

The pub underwent refurbishment during

January, and sports a new floor and furniture.

It can get very busy at certain times of the

day, so if you’re heading for a show or a bit

of shopping, make sure you allow some

extra time.Chris Shilling The heron

Heron Court, StangroundPeterborough Pe2 8QB

01733 704693

- LocAle accredited

- Four real ales on permanently

- Live music every weekend

- Huge enclosed beer garden

- 120” big screen TV

- Function room for hire

- Quiz every Tuesday

www.heronpub.co.uk

April marks our first year at the pub and we are

celebrating all month with LocAle beers. Why not

suggest a beer from your favourite local brewery?

Spring Beer Festival17th and 18th April

Live music from The Soul Sisters (17th)

and The Psych-O-Bombs (18th)

oPen aLL day - every day

Serving eighT reaL aLeS

and Six reaL ciderS

the green man w stamfOrd29 Scotgate, Stamford Tel: 01780 753598

ESTABLISHED IN 1796 AS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL

STAMFORD ALE HOUSES WITH A LARGE BEER

GARDEN, A WELCOMING REAL FIRE, ACCOMMODATION - WITH FREE WI-FI.

Lunch Time

Food served

Saturday &

Sunday

All major Rugby

and Football

fixtures show on

4 split screens

LiSTingS25 February

Pool Tournament, Heron, Stanground

27 February

Velocity, London Inn, Stamford

Subway 77, Golden Fleece, Stamford

Leon, Dragon, Werrington

Slim Panatella and the Mellow Virginians,

Northwick Arms, Ketton

Burning Codes’ single launch, Brewery Tap,

Peterborough

28 February

Karaoke, Black Bull, Whittlesey

Albion, Deeping Stage, Market Deeping

Revolver, Golden Fleece, Stamford

Mighty Mouth Trev, Dragon, Werrington

Corduroy, Lincolnshire Poacher, Spalding

Filthy Lucre, Crown, Peterborough

Let There B/DC, Hole in the Wall, Stamford

Antoine Fleuriot, Stone Loach Inn, Market Deeping

01 March

Traditional Irish Music Sessions (4-7pm),

Woolpack, Stanground

The Malingerers, Tap & Kitchen, Oundle

Oakham Mic Night, Brewery Tap, Peterborough

02 March

Charters Unplugged (8pm), Charters Bar,

Peterborough

Bingo, Mason’s Arms, Bourne

03 March

Curry Night, Grainstore, Oakham

Quiz/Play Your Cards Right, Heron, Stanground

Stacey & Dave’s Open Mic, Dragon, Werrington

Open Mic (8pm), Millstone Inn, Barnack

04 March

Funhouse Comedy Club (8pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

05 March

Peterborough Big Band, Quality Inn, Thorpe

Meadows, Peterborough

Live Music Showcase (8pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

Phoenix Show Band, Ostrich, Peterborough

06 March

The Limit, Swiss Cottage, Woodston

Basketcases, Iron Horse, Market Deeping

CJ Hatt (9pm), Charters Bar, Peterborough

Mug Jugglers, Mason’s Arms, Bourne

Jake Daniels (Acoustic, 11pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

Radius 45, Cherry Tree, Woodston

Porky Pig, Golden Fleece, Stamford

Captain Obvious, Dragon, Werrington

Easyersaid, The Ploughman, Werrington

Electric Warriors, Crown, Peterborough

Northern Soul DJ, Lincolnshire Poacher, Spalding

French traditional dance, Northwick Arms, Ketton

Revolver, The Carpenters' Arms, Boston

Beatroots, Brewery Tap, Peterborough

07 March

Betty Swallox, The Pincushion Inn, Wyberton

CJ Hatt, Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

Front Cover, Blue Boar, Eye

TBC, Swiss Cottage, Woodston

Crossing the Tracks, Iron Horse, Market Deeping

Kent Duchaine (10.30pm), Charters Bar,

Peterborough

Pennyless, The Palmerston Arms, Woodston

Commitment Brothers, London Inn, Stamford

James Doherty, Black Bull, Whittlesey

Eclectic Ballroom (DJ Set, 10pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

Karaoke, The Heron, Stanground

Lizzy on the Loose, Cherry Tree, Woodston

Chill Factor, Ostrich, Peterborough

Phoenix, Deeping Stage, Market Deeping

Grumpy Old Men, Golden Fleece, Stamford

The Overdubs, Dragon, Werrington

Let There B/DC, Crown, Peterborough

Scandinavian traditional dance, Northwick Arms,

Ketton

Porky Pig, Peacock, Fletton

08 March

Stars From Paradise (Rock & Roll Spectacular),

Stamford Corn Exchange



Up & Atom, The Nelson’s Head, St Ives

Ramshackle Serenade (5pm), Cresset, Bretton

10 March


Dean & Co (folk), Mason’s Arms, Bourne


11 March

The Fureys, Stamford Corn Exchange

Open Mic (8pm), Railway Inn, Ramsey

12 March

Red Lionz Bands Night (8pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

Open Mic night, Crown, Peterborough

13 March

Roy Chubby Brown, Stamford Corn Exchange

Porky Pig, Swiss Cottage, Woodston

Split Whiskers, Iron Horse, Market Deeping

CJ Hatt, The Heron, Stanground

Martin Harley Band, Stamford Arts Centre

Cuttin’ Loose, Mason’s Arms, Bourne

New Generation Crash & Burn, London Inn,

Stamford

Bon & Justin (Acoustic, 11pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

Easyersaid, Cherry Tree, Woodston

White Spirit, Ostrich, Peterborough

Lizzy on the Loose, Golden Fleece, Stamford

Another Girl Another Planet, Dragon, Werrington

One Eyed Cats, Crown, Peterborough

Porky Pig, Swiss, Woodston

14 March

DB5, Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

Only Fools & Boycie – an evening with John

Challis, Stamford Corn Exchange

Hooker, Blue Boar, Eye

The Rocket Dogs, Swiss Cottage, Woodston

The Malingerers, Iron Horse, Market Deeping

Kick & Rush, The Anchor, Bourne

The Soundinjectors, The Crown, Sheringham

The Lazoons (9.30pm), Charters Bar, Peterborough

Pennyless, The Ship Inn, Surfleet

Leon, London Inn, Stamford

Laura J, Black Bull, Whittlesey

The Mojo Slide (11pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

Pandora’s Box, Cherry Tree, Woodston

Junk Puppets, Ostrich, Peterborough

Children of the Revolution, Deeping Stage,

Market Deeping

Front Cover, Golden Fleece, Stamford

Frankly My Dear (9pm), Burghley Club,

Peterborough

Grounded, Dragon, Werrington

The Relics, Quinn’s, Whittlesey

Live, Crown, Peterborough

Be Bop A Lulas, Ebeneezer’s, Woodston

Radius 45, Palmerston Arms, Woodston

Phoenix Show Band, Spalding Services & Social

Club

15 March



Pennyless (8.30pm), The Cellar Bar @ Stamford

Arts Centre

Mothers’ Day specials, Golden Pheasant, Etton

Ain’t Misbehavin, Crown, Peterborough

17 March

St Patricks Day Party – The Callaborators/Feckin

Eejits/Carol Kane (4pm), Swiss Cottage, Woodston


St Patrick’s Day celebration – Shades Of Green

(from 7.30pm), Golden Pheasant, Etton


Frumenty Irish set, Crown, Peterborough

Open Mic (8.45pm), The Boat Inn, Whittlesey

18 March

Open Mic (9pm), Prince Rupert, Newark

19 March

Eclectic Ballroom Shindig (8pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

Up & Atom, The Taproom, St Ives

20 March

The High Rollers, Swiss Cottage, Woodston

Whiskey Dick & Rattleshack, Iron Horse, Market

Deeping

Matt Howard (9.30pm), Charters Bar, Peterborough

Lesley Curtis (11pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

Third Stone from the Sun, Cherry Tree, Woodston

Captain Obvious, Ostrich, Peterborough

Cutting Loose, Golden Fleece, Stamford

Harkback, Dragon, Werrington

The Rocket Dogs, The Ploughman, Werrington

Code Red, Crown, Peterborough

Mitchell, Stokes & Lynch, Tobie Norris, Stamford

21 March

Vigilantes, The Pincushion Inn, Wyberton

The Mistreated, Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

The Steradents, Blue Boar, Eye

101 Proof, Swiss Cottage, Woodston

Let There B/DC, Iron Horse, Market Deeping

9 Lives - 10 Year Reunion, The Heron, Stanground

The Soundinjectors, The Chameleon, Grantham

Maslow, London Inn, Stamford

Relics, Black Bull, Whittlesey

Otis & Jules (DJ Set, 10pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

Deamoniser, Cherry Tree, Woodston

Francie Reihill, Ostrich, Peterborough

Spirit, Deeping Stage, Market Deeping

Overdubs, Golden Fleece, Stamford

Code Red, Dragon, Werrington

New Generation Crash & Burn, Crown,

Peterborough

Ramshackle Serenade, Cock Inn, Werrington

Antoine Fleuriot, Angel Inn, Yarwell

Loose Rocket, The Axe & Cleaver, Boston

22 March



Charlotte Ward & Ian Stokes (acoustic, 12.30-3pm),

Tobie Norris, Stamford

The boat inn2 raMSey road, WhiTTLeSey Pe7 1dr

Tel: 01733 202488

www.theboatuk.com

Real Ales n Bed & Breakfast n Good Company

CAMRA Cambridgeshire Pub of the Year 2009

Whisky night 2nd Friday of the Month - Selection of100+ malt and deluxe whiskies

Open mic 3rd Tuesday of the month (8.45pm)

Acoustic sessions last Friday of the month (8.30pm)

the Blue Boar46 High Street, Eye, Peterborough

PE6 7UY Tel: 01733 860491

www.blueboarpeterborough.co.uk

Situation VacantExperienced Bar staff required

to work 3-4 evenings per week

in a friendly village pub. Own

transport essential due to

hours. Please contact Alison

on 01733 222234 or email

[email protected]

A traditional English Pub - Good Food, Real

Ales, live music and an informal atmosphere

to meet, eat and relax.

24 March



25 March


Ramshackle Serenade, Waterton Arms,

Deeping St James


26 March

Open Mic (8pm), North Street Bar, Peterborough

27 March

Guns 2 Roses/Metallica Reloaded, Stamford Corn

Exchange

Tiger Club, Swiss Cottage, Woodston

Skool of Rock Weekend: Burning Codes, Iron

Horse, Market Deeping

Charity Quiz Night (8pm), Blue Cow Inn, South

Witham

The Soundinjectors, London Inn, Stamford

Mark Bishop, Mason’s Arms, Bourne

Francie Reihill (11pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

Thunderhead, Cherry Tree, Woodston

Hush, Ostrich, Peterborough

Children of the Revolution, Golden Fleece,

Stamford

Rocket 57, Dragon, Werrington

Subway 77, Crown, Peterborough

Whisky Bar Acoustic Sessions (8.30pm), The Boat

Inn, Whittlesey

Cuttin' Loose, The Axe & Cleaver, Boston

28 March

Pandora’s Box, Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

Saturday Night Bee Gees, Stamford Corn Exchange

DB5, Blue Boar, Eye

Psych-O-bombs, Swiss Cottage, Woodston

Skool of Rock Weekend: Iron Fist, Iron Horse,

Market Deeping

The 707, The Heron, Stanground

Blackout UK (10.30pm), Charters Bar,

Peterborough

Antoine, Mason’s Arms, Bourne


Jimmy (High Rollers, 11pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

Overspill, Ostrich, Peterborough

Revolver, Deeping Stage, Market Deeping

March to the Grave, Golden Fleece, Stamford

Charity Soul Night Out (Motor City Vipers, DJs

Joolz and Uncle Funk), The Brewery Tap,

Peterborough

One Eyed Cats, The Ploughman, Werrington


The Rocket Dogs, Quinn’s, Whittlesey

Lizzy On The Loose, Crown, Peterborough

Radius 45, King’s Cliffe Ex-Servicemen’s Club

Let There B/DC, Cock Inn, Werrington

29 March



Skool of Rock Weekend: Rocket Dogs, Iron Horse,

Market Deeping

Gangsters, London Inn, Stamford

Drum Bluey, Cherry Tree, Woodston

Charlotte Ward & Ian Stokes (acoustic, 12.30-3pm),

Tobie Norris, Stamford

31 March



02 April

Barron Knights, Stamford Corn Exchange

Red Lionz Bands Night (8pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

03 April

TickinBoxes, Stamford Corn Exchange

Blackout UK, Swiss Cottage, Woodston

Acoustic Good Friday: Ben and Mark, Iron Horse,

Market Deeping

Steve Locks’ Alfie Notes Band, The Heron,

Stanground

Harkback UK, London Inn, Stamford

Ben Callanan (acoustic, 11pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

Lizzie on the Loose, Ostrich, Peterborough

Band TBC, Golden Fleece, Stamford

New Generation Crash & Burn, Dragon, Werrington

The High Rollers, The Ploughman, Werrington

Opaque (10.30pm), Charters Bar, Peterborough

Mega Spring Beer Festival: Children Of The

Revolution, Crown, Peterborough

Retrolux, Cherry Tree, Woodston

Loose Rocket, The Court House, Thrapston


04 April

Emporium, The Pincushion Inn, Wyberton

Arc Nation, Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

The Elements, Blue Boar, Eye

CJ Hatt, Swiss Cottage, Woodston

Betty Swallox, Iron Horse, Market Deeping

The Soundinjectors, The Drayman’s Arms, Spalding

Amplified (8.30pm), Golden Pheasant, Etton

Nuggets, London Inn, Stamford

Eclectic Ballroom (DJ Set, 10pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

Band TBC, Ostrich, Peterborough

Go With The Flow, Black Bull, Whittlesey

Indigo, Deeping Stage, Market Deeping

Audio Pirates, Golden Fleece, Stamford

Zeb Rootz, Dragon, Werrington

The Overdubs, The Ploughman, Werrington

Children of the Revolution (10.30pm), Charters

Bar, Peterborough

Mega Spring Beer Festival: Brotherhood’s

Roundabout, Crown, Peterborough

The Tunnel, Cherry Tree, Woodston

Overspill, Angel Inn, Yarwell

The Mistreated, The Railway, Whittlesey

The Nuggets, London Inn, Stamford

05 April



TBC, Swiss Cottage, Woodston

Bands Day (3-4 acts including Chill factor and 3rd

Stone from the Sun), Deeping Stage, Market

Deeping

Jimmy Doherty (3pm), Charters Bar, Peterborough

Mega Spring Beer Festival: M-Tones, Crown,

Peterborough


06 April

Bingo, Mason’s Arms, Bourne

Charters Unplugged (8pm), Charters Bar,

Peterborough

Mega Spring Beer Festival: Steve Bean, Crown,

Peterborough

07 April



Stacey & Dave’s Open Mic, Dragon, Werrington

Open Mic (8pm), Millstone Inn, Barnack

08 April


09 April

Wind In The Willows, Stamford Corn Exchange

Live Music Showcase (8pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

Open Mic night, Crown, Peterborough

Handmadein Castor

www.castorales.co.uk07828048664

Award winning villagepub in historic Castor

01733 380222

www.princeofwalesfeathers.co.uk

6 Guest Ales & Craft Beer

Home Cooked Food

Lunch/Midweek Evenings

Ideal for walkers & dog friendly

beer FeSTivaL - 14th-17th May

Home of Castor Ales

10 April

Cliff Richard & The Shadows Tribute, Stamford

Corn Exchange

Lesley Curtis Acoustic Trio, Iron Horse, Market

Deeping

Iron Fist, Dragon, Werrington

Claire Martin OBE and Ray Gelato, Stamford Arts

Centre

CJ Hatt (Acoustic, 11pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

Frankly My Dear, Ostrich, Peterborough

Nine Lives, Golden Fleece, Stamford

The Dave Jackson Blues Band (10.30pm), Charters

Bar, Peterborough

The Overdubs, Crown, Peterborough

Sweet Revenge, Cherry Tree, Woodston

Cuttin' Loose, The Carpenters' Arms, Boston

11 April

The ELO Experience, Stamford Corn Exchange

Laurette Evelyn, The Heron, Stanground

Revolver, Mason’s Arms, Bourne

Hooker, London Inn, Stamford

Disco, Black Bull, Whittlesey

The Lazoons (11pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough


Junk Puppets, Deeping Stage, Market Deeping

Wallflowers, Golden Fleece, Stamford

Davison, Watson and Gates, Swiss Cottage,

Peterborough

The 707, Dragon, Werrington

The Brays, The Ploughman, Werrington

Under_Covered, Crown, Peterborough

Walkway, Cherry Tree, Woodston

Vintage Stuff, Cock Inn, Werrington

12 April




Bon Rogers, Crown, Peterborough

14 April


Dean & Co (folk), Mason’s Arms, Bourne


15 April

Open Mic (9pm), Prince Rupert, Newark

16 April

Funhouse Comedy Club (8pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

17 April

Peterborough Big Band, Deeping Leisure Centre,

Market Deeping

Ian Graham & Kat Moore (9pm), Woolpack,

Stanground

Acoustic Fridays: Fyzz Wallis and Jules Morgan,

Iron Horse, Market Deeping

LocAle Beer Festival: The Soul Sisters, The Heron,

Stanground

Disco, Black Bull, Whittlesey

Joe Solo (11pm), North Street Bar, Peterborough

Roadcrew, Golden Fleece, Stamford

Captain Obvious (10.30pm), Charters Bar,

Peterborough

Johnny Cash Tribute show, Crown, Peterborough

101 Proof, Cherry Tree, Woodston

Revolver, Swiss Cottage, Woodston

The Replicas, Dragon, Werrington

18 April

Dukes, The Pincushion Inn, Wyberton

The Blues Brothers Experience, Stamford Corn

Exchange

Stingray, Blue Boar, Eye

Sylvester Peat Cutter and the Twilight Boggers, Iron

Horse, Market Deeping

LocAle Beer Festival: The Psych-O-Bombs, The

Heron, Stanground

Children of the Revolution, London Inn, Stamford

Pulse, Black Bull, Whittlesey

Otis & Jules (DJ Set, 10pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

707 Band, Ostrich, Peterborough

Rocket Dogs (9pm), Woolpack, Stanground

Antique Rock & Roll, Deeping Stage, Market

Deeping

Eyes Wide Open, Golden Fleece, Stamford

The Expletives, Dragon, Werrington

The Guards, The Ploughman, Werrington

Grumpy Old Men, Crown, Peterborough

Let There B/ DC, Cherry Tree, Woodston

The Mistreated, The Angel, Ramsey

Spare Parts, King's Cliffe Ex-Servicemen's Club

19 April

Steve Bean (4-6pm), Woolpack, Stanground

21 April



Open Mic (8.45pm), The Boat Inn, Whittlesey

22 April


23 April

The Vicar Of Dibley, Stamford Corn Exchange

Eclectic Ballroom presents Shindig (8pm), North

Street Bar, Peterborough

St George’s Day music, Crown, Peterborough

24 April

Charity Quiz Night (8pm), Blue Cow Inn, South

Witham

Ferocious Dog, Stamford Arts Centre

Sensational Soul Band, London Inn, Stamford

Rob & Dave (Children of the Rev, 11pm), North

Street Bar, Peterborough

Porky Pig, Ostrich, Peterborough

The Returns, Golden Fleece, Stamford

Hooker, Dragon, Werrington

Tallawah, Crown, Peterborough

Chuck Norris Experience, Cherry Tree, Woodston

Whisky Bar Acoustic Sessions (8.30pm), The Boat

Inn, Whittlesey

Radius 45, Solstice, Peterborough

Cuttin' Loose, Stone Loach, Market Deeping

25 April

The Claimed, Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

Rapture, Blue Boar, Eye

El Camino and Front Porch Preachers, Iron Horse,

Market Deeping

Subway 77, The Heron, Stanground

Pennyless, The Five Horseshoes, Barholm

Mug Jugglers, Mason’s Arms, Bourne

Blackout UK, London Inn, Stamford


The Influence, Coalheavers Arms (beerfest),

Woodston

The Rainmen (11pm), North Street Bar,

Peterborough

Thunderhead, Ostrich, Peterborough

Leon, Deeping Stage, Market Deeping

Sound Injectors, Golden Fleece, Stamford


Children of the Revolution, The Ploughman,

Werrington

The Veltones, Crown, Peterborough

The Expletives, Cherry Tree, Woodston

Revolver, The Axe & Cleaver, Boston

26 April



28 April



29 April


30 April

Open Mic (8pm), North Street Bar, Peterborough

Open Mic Night, Cherry Tree, Woodston

01 May

Under_covered, Dragon, Werrington


02 May

The Tunnel, The Heron, Stanground

The Rocket Dogs, Dragon, Werrington

Go with the Flow, Quinn’s, Whittlesey

Maxwell Hammer & Smith, Grainstore, Oakham

One Eyed Cats, William Cecil, Stamford

03 May


04 May

One Eyed Cats, Golden Pheasant, Etton

08 May

Fumi Okiji’s Old Time Jazz Band, Northwick Arms,

Ketton

The Mistreated, Swiss Cottage, Peterborough

Rhythm & Booze, Issue 30

- March/April 2015

All written material, unless otherwise

stated, © Simon Stabler

All events are listed free of charge.

To ensure inclusion in the May/June

issue, or have any other news

included in the magazine, email

[email protected] by 10 April

2015. Entry cannot be guaranteed for

late submissions.

For advertising queries, contact

Chris Shilling on 01778 421550,

07736 635916 or by email

[email protected]

Advertising Rates (excluding VAT)*

£130 - full page

£85 - half page

£50 - quarter page

* Discounts for series bookings.

Mod: From Bebop toBritpop, Britain’s

Biggest Youth Movement

By Richard Weight,

Vintage Books,

softback, £12.99

For most of us, the

word ‘Mod’ conjures

up images of scooters,

sharps suits and

scuffles – a short-lived

youth cult, soon

replaced by another. But Weight believes

otherwise, arguing that Mod was the crucible

for many of the cults that followed.

In the world of music, Two Tone certainly

had the clothes and the ability to meld

American and African-Caribbean sounds into

something recognisably British, while Britpop

had Blur and Pulp, two bands who can be

considered the inheritors of the Kinks, and

just as original as their forebear.

But I find it hard to accept that Glam Rock

was the offspring of Mod, even if David Bowie

and Marc Bolan had cut a dash in Italian suits

during the early 1960s. And while that side of

the book remains open to debate, the author’s

other argument that Mod continues to inform

art and design does ring true.

Even if you have little interest in clean lines

and minimalism, there’s at least one piece of

modernism in your home. After all, not only

did Sir Terence Conran – a self-confessed

Modernist whose green Vespa doubled

as Habitat’s original delivery vehicle

– introduce the duvet to Britain, he

popularised flat pack furniture. At least we

now know who to blame.

The PeterboroughBook of Days

By Brian Jones,

The History Press,

softback, £9.99

Although some of my

fellow Peterborians

believe that nothing

ever happens around

here, this is a book to

prove them wrong.

Offering an ‘on this

day’ for every day

of the year, the book is packed with snippets

from history be they “quirky, eccentric,

amusing [or] important”.

As well as domestic issues, such as the

installation of the city’s first pelican crossing

and the rising cost of journeys by sedan

chair are reports of famous visitors to

Peterborough. Edward II “called in” to and

from his defeat at Bannockburn, while the

novelist and US consul Nathaniel

Hawthorne was impressed by the west

front of the Cathedral.

When Princess Diana paid a visit to

Peterborough in the early 1990s – an occasion

I remember well, having been made to line-up

outside school for an hour in the freezing

cold, as she was taken around the building –

she lunched at The Haycock Hotel in

Wansford. It doesn’t say what she had or her

thoughts on the place but I do hope that she

had a better time of it than Charles Dickens

who was served “a petrified bun of enormous

antiquity [by] the lady in the refreshment

room” at the railway station who “was very

hard on [him]”.

R E v I E W S

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issue30

Documents

music event

evening of live music

peterborough camra pub

live music showcases

years event

hannah forman

pintsix real ales

real ale bar