rhythm and boozeFood, Booze, Bands & News - Issue 10 - November/December

Fear seems pretty minor if yousit down and calmly analyse it,says Jamie Jones.Three months in and that’s how I

feel about the Championship. At

the start of the season, I looked

at the fixture list and saw only

pain, suffering and God knows

what else.

Looking back now, with Posh (as I

write) 11th in the table, the fear

has gone as we now all know that

we can compete at this level. The

debacle of our previous season in

the Championship will not happen

again. Don’t get me wrong, I still

think that this season will be a

tough one for the club both on and

off the pitch but lets make hay

whilst the sun shines.

The people of this City should be

so proud of its little football club,

brushing aside the darlings of

BBC Look East (Ipswich) and

proudly taking on a long list of big

clubs. Our players are even

making a mark on the international

scene, with the elegant Ryan

Bennett playing for the England

U21 side. We have honestly never

had it so good and trust me, I am

one of those that over a pint of

London Pride will hark back to the

fabled days of 1991/1992 for many

an hour.

The club continues to slowly

improve off the pitch and the fan

culture is blossoming. Posh fans

now have a multitude of blogs,

forums, twitter, official radio shows

and fans’ podcasts dedicated to all

things PUFC.

This is the time, this is the place,

and it’s as simple as that. Come

along to London Road, feel that

proud Peterborian spirit that you

didn’t even know you had,

pounding through your veins.

Up The Posh!

nJamie is co-host of the un-officialPosh podcast, Standing On The

Glebe, available from

www.standingontheglebe.co.uk

and iTunes an hour after every

home game.

He is currently working on a new

book, featuring his and other fans’

pen portraits of great players who

have graced London Road over

the years. Set to hit the shelves in

early December, copies can be

reserved by emailing cultheroes@

standingontheglebe.co.uk

Nothing to fear

Supersub Paul Taylor, celebrating his last-minute goal against Cardiff City. Photo © www.thposhpics.com

Out 11 November 2011

The Destructors111111 - In memoriam

Available for one day only, theband’s sixth ‘date’ release –that started on 6 June 2006with 666 – concentrates on the horrors of war.In addition to new material, this 12-track CD features reworkings of classic tracksSoldier Boy and Body Bags.

“The music is in your face withenough energy to power a small townand enough edge that punks will lovethis.” - The Trouble With Normal

“Proper punk for proper punks is the bestway to describe what The Destructors areall about!” - Mass Movement Magazine

BUY ONLINE or as a DOWNLOADBY MAIL ORDER FROM METALONROCK.TVOR AS A DOWNLOAD FROM iTUNES/7DIGITAL

Lest we forget

Hand & Heart12 Highbury Street. Peterborough PE1 3BE

01733 564653

A traditional back-street pub withup to six real ales at any time

nReal open coal fire in the bar

nTraditional pub games

nRegular beer festivals and live music

nTraditional cider and perry available

nCAMRA Cambridgeshire Pub of the Year 2010

nCAMRA Gold Award Winner 2010

nLocAle Accredited

nMember of the Oakademy of Excellence

nListed in the CAMRA 2012 Good Beer Guide

Few independent magazines

make it into double figures, so you

can understand my excitement at

writing the introduction for this, the

tenth issue of Rhythm & Booze.

From a feature on Bridge House

in the first issue to a pub crawl by

bus in this one, Rhythm & Booze

is built on a love of history, music,

proper pubs and even better beer.

When it was launched in April

2010 I was surprised at how many

people enjoyed it and started

receiving editorial submissions on

a range of topics. Steve Williams

continues to submit the odd piece,

Cardinal Cox has been writing his

Pub Scrawl column – and a few

other pseudonymic pieces – since

issue two and Jamie Jones of the

wonderful podcast Standing on the

Glebe has been banging the drum

for – and offering occasional

criticism of – Peterborough United

since issue four.

I’m indebted to those who’ve

supplied me with photographs

including Chris Porsz, the

Paramedic Paparazzo’, whose

latest calendar – containing

classic Peterborough scenes – is

out now; Joe Dent, official

photographer to the Posh; and

my brother, Adam.

Finally, I’d like to thank everyone

who has ever advertised in the

magazine. Unlike other

publications, we have total

editorial freedom, but without our

advertisers, you wouldn’t be

reading this magazine today.

There are plenty of plans for 2012,

including a letters page which I

hope to launch in the

January/February issue, so if you

have any views on the magazine,

want to tell us about your favourite

pubs or local bands, send an

email to simonstabler@aol.com

I look forward to hearing from you.

Simon Stabler

nIssue one can be downloadedfrom issuu.com/rhythmandbooze

The terrific tenth

OstrichOstrichinn

The

Real traditional ale house in the heart of the city

Opening Times: 11am-11pm Monday to Thursday, 11am-1am

Friday & Saturday, 12-11pm Sunday

Five Regularly Rotating Ales- Featured in the Good Beer Guide 2012

Live music at the weekendSat 5th November - Frankly My Dear

Sat 12th November - The Malingerers

Fri 18th November - The Revolutions

Sat 19th November - Taking Care of Business

Fri 25th November - The Balance

Sat 26th November - Dog House

Fri 2nd December - Porky Pig

Sat 3rd December - Grumpy Old Men

Fri 9th December - Animal Instinct

Sat 10th December - Kate’s Dirty Sister

Fri 16th December - Beats Working

North Street (behind Westgate House), Peterborough Tel: 01733 746370

www.facebook.com/ostrichinn

Pub Scrawl

It would appear that I was being

a touch presumptuous when I

mentioned the Fourteenth Poet

Laureate of Peterborough

competition last issue. It looks as

though Vivacity is moving the

competition (possibly to tie-in with

next summer’s festival). When first

won by Toby Wood in 1998 it was

then part of the city’s summer

festival, however, whether this

means that the current incumbent

Nikki Di Giovanni keeps the title

for a further six months or there is

an interregnum, I do not know.

Poets United continue to meet on

the first Tuesday of the month

(November 1, December 6 etc.)

with its’ mix of both writing to a

pre-set theme and general

readings. For the past couple of

years they have performed at the

Whittlesey Straw Bear festival that

happens in January. For full

details ring Viv on 01733 340560.

Pint of Poetry, Dash of Drama will

be having their regular nights at

Charters Bar on November 9 and

then on December 14. If you want

to read, it is best to get there

about 8pm as it can get quite

busy, the entertainment starts

around 8.30pm.

Poetry Factory continues to offer

constructive criticism to writers

and performers on November 15,

when they scrape the proverbial

barrel as I’ll be giving a talk on

my limited experience of being

published, so ring Pete Irving on

01733 890537 for full details. Then

they’re taking a break until March.

Over at the Great Northern Hotel

opposite the railway station (good

selection of beers in the bar last

time I went in) Writers in

Peterborough continue to meet

with top storyteller Hugh Lupton

performing from his book The

Ballad of John Clare on November

23 at 7.30pm. Tickets for this will

be only £7 (concessions £5). Then

on November 26 at 10.30am they

will be hosting the launch of the

Collected Poems of Lotte Kramer.

Lotte is the star of the local poetry

scene as she has been having her

volumes of jewel-like poetry

published for almost thirty years

and I would say that everyone who

aspires to write poetry should own

at least one of her books. This

event is free.

I’ve not mentioned for a while the

excellent lunchtime literary

lectures they have at Stamford

Arts Centre (nice bar downstairs in

the evenings) on the first Tuesday

of each month. On November 1

the subject is the novel Daniel

Deronda by George Eliot. Then on

December 6 the subject is

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

These talks start at 12.30pm and

tickets cost £5.50. In December

the price includes a mince pie and

a glass of mulled wine.

Over at John Clare Cottage in

Helpston (next to the Blue Bell

pub) scientist Peter Wadhams will

give an illustrated talk about his

circumnavigation of the Americas

as part of oceanographic

research. This will be on Novem-

ber 16 from 7pm-9pm. Copies of

Peter’s book, The Great Ocean of

Truth will be available and tickets

are £5 (including a glass of wine).

Contact the Cottage on 01733

253330 to reserve your ticket

Sawtry based publisher Dedalus

has built itself an international

reputation for high quality books,

including The Dedalus Book of

Absinth (that I’ve now had to buy

three copies of as they will go

missing). In November it is

releasing The Dedalus Book of

Gin by Richard Barnett that covers

the complete history of this drink

so closely entwined with social

degradation. The book costs £15

and is available through book-

shops or from online dealers.

Do any pubs out there have any

plans to celebrate (or be otherwise

involved with) World Book Night

next March? If there are, please

let me know on

cardinalcox1@yahoo.co.uk and I’ll

try to give you a mention.

Now, instead of the Local Hero

section we’ve had in previous

columns I’d like to offer the first –

and hopefully not last Totally

Arbitrary Favourite Thing of the

Last Year Award that this year

goes to Chris Lovell for his poetry

collection/art book Stars in the

Dark Pool. Chris has been a

musician (with the Suns of Dekhan

in the 1980s), a music promoter

with the Club with No Name (from

the late 1990s), which led to his

record label, Vibrations from the

Edge of Sanity. Now he’s creating

wonderful poetry that deserves a

wide audience. This slim but

perfect first collection is only £3

and to request a copy email Chris

at dark.pool@hotmail.co.uk

Cardinal Cox is an enthusiastic

amateur drinker. This year he

has performed in Brentford

– supporting Vile Electrodes and

the Sumerian Kyngs (check out

www.youtube.com/sumeriankyngs),

Helpston, Peterborough

(including in the Cathedral, Central

Park and the Key Theatre),

Stamford and Whittlesey as well

as lecturing once to third year

English degree students at

University Centre Peterborough.

by C

ard

ina

l C

ox

Storyteller Hugh Lupton will be

at The Great Northern Hotel on

November 23.

CAMRA goldaward winnerServing realales in topcondition

T h e R e d L i o nWEST DEEPING

Telephone: 01778 34719048 King Street | West Deeping | PE6 9HP

www.redlionwestdeeping.co.uk

Enjoy superb food and awarm welcome... all the timeEarly bird menu - Two main courses for only £12

(6-7pm Monday to Friday)

Fresh cooked food to order, every time

All ingredients locally sourced

Vegetarian options very well catered for

Senior citizen’s two courses ONLY £6(Monday to Friday)

Sunday Roasts and full menu served 12 noon to 8pm

Dine in the cosy baror our 40 seaterrestaurant

Six real ales on everyday

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT - every Friday nightKARAOKE - first Saturday of each month

SUNDAY QUIZ - cash prizes to be wonBEER GARDEN/CHILD FRIENDLY PLAY AREA

A traditional family run pub that you’llwant to come back to again and again.

For anyone who enjoys a good

ramble, there’s no greater reward

than finding a pub on your travels.

Unfortunately, for many of us,

there’s always a friend who thinks

that anything further than a five

minute walk is too much of a

trek and if they’re ever in an

adventurous mood, will always

insist on travelling by taxi.

A compromise, that only requires a

small amount of walking but won’t

break the bank, is to catch a bus

instead. One of the busiest routes

in Peterborough is the Citi 1,

which runs between Werrington

and The Ortons every ten minutes

during the day and between half

an hour to an hour in the evenings

and on Sundays. Passing several

local winners of CAMRA’s Pub of

the Year competition, it’s best

to buy a £3.50 Dayrider ticket,

allowing you to make as many

trips on local Stagecoach services

on the same day as you want.

North of the cityTake the Citi 1 from bay 14 of

Queensgate bus station to Church

Street, Werrington, get off at the

second stop – just past the Cherry

House Restaurant – and walk

towards Werrington Green.

On the other side of the road

you will find the Blue Bell, an

Elgood’s pub serving the

company’s usual portfolio and the

occasional guest ale.

After sufficient refreshment, turn

right as you leave the pub and

continue until you find a bus stop

on the other side of the road.

Catch the bus, which will turn left

onto Fulbridge Road and then

onto Goodwin Walk. Get off at

Werrington Centre, walk through

the precinct and after turning right

at the entrance to Tesco you will

see The Ploughman, current

holder of Pub of the Year. Run by

Andy and Stewart Simmonds, this

friendly community local sells five

real ales, including one at £2

a pint.

After leaving the pub, cross the

car park and walk towards Ken

Stimpson school; you’ll find a

footpath and after turning right

keep walking, going through the

underpass until you come to

Hodgson Avenue. On the opposite

side of the road you will find

The Dragon, which, like The

Ploughman, is owned by the

Simmonds brothers and offers a

range of real ales.

Hop onto the Citi 1 from the stop

opposite the pub and continue

until the Loxley Centre. Walking to

the front where you’ll find The

Crab & Winkle, a Greene King pub

serving the usual selection of IPA,

Abbott Ale and Old Speckled Hen,

not to mention ‘ping ding’ food.

For something fresher, carry on

walking along Lincoln Road until

you reach the Cock Inn; in addition

to serving freshly cooked meals

Better off by bus

Buying a £3.50 bus ticket gives you easy access to some of the best pubs on the outskirts of Peterborough.

Photo © Creative Commons, Eastleighbusman

continued on page 11

Forward to March

The Ship Inn, Nene Parade, a haven for the real ale drinker. Photo © Creative Commons, Keith Edkins

Having already visited the majority

of Peterborough’s attractions that

took part in this year’s Heritage

Open Days, I decided to take a trip

to March to see what the Fenland

market town had to offer.

Taking 15 minutes by train, at the

reasonable cost of £6.50 for a day

return, my first stop was at the

station itself where the Friends of

March Railway Station plan to

renovate several disused rooms

at the site into a meeting room,

railway museum and art gallery.

While I can’t doubt the Friends’

sincerity, I felt a little disappointed

by the whole affair; with little order

to proceedings and a handful of

leaflets left on a table, there was

nothing to inspire the average

punter. Let’s hope that by next

year, organisers will have put

some exhibition boards up to

explain their actions and what’s

required and have some guides on

both of the working platforms to

welcome visitors and to guide

them round.

Having to embark on a half-a-mile

walk from the railway station to the

town centre, it made me

appreciate Peterborough railway

station’s proximity to the city

centre a little more. In need of

refreshment, I popped into The

Coachmakers Arms, which seems

to be smaller on the inside than

out; coming over like a cross

between someone’s front room

and a youth club snack bar, it

served a very reasonable pint of

Green King IPA in both taste

and price.

The next place that I visited

as part of Heritage Open Days

more than made up for my

disappointment at the railway

station. Popping in to St Peter’s

Church, I was immediately greeted

by Peter Whitcombe and Jennifer

Lawler of The March Society who

asked if I had come for the tour of

the tower. I didn’t need asking

twice and was guided up the stone

spiral staircase to a room

containing the workings of the

church’s clock; built in the late 17th

century, its home from 1832

to 1898 was in the old market

buildings and after their

demolition, the clock was donated

to the church. Not only is it the

oldest mechanical object in March,

its slot and tab construction means

there isn’t a need for bolts or

screws. Peter explained how he

has been winding the clock twice

a week for the past 12 years, but

today he was giving those who’d

joined the tour a chance to help

wind it. Although the winding

didn’t take it out of me, the walk

up and down the tower had, so

it was time for another spot

of liquid refreshment.

The first place that I tried was The

Cock Inn, an Elgood’s pub which

looks as if it had been converted

from a beer house Unfortunately

it had few customers and as

the only cask ale on sale was

Cambridge, I decided to find a pint

elsewhere. I was much luckier

at my next stop, The Rose &

Crown – a former CAMRA Pub of

the Year – which was full of

customers and offered a wide

selection of ales; I went for a very

well kept pint of Tinners from the

St Austell Brewery.

Walking back to the town centre, I

spotted a Heritage Open Days

sign outside Trinity Church – a

typical looking Methodist chapel

– so I popped in to see what was

going on and as I found very little,

other than someone doing the

vacuuming, decided to leave and

seek out the museum.

Housed in a former school

building, it’s packed with displays

that cover the town’s development

in the late-19th and early-20th

centuries and while some of the

exhibits merely tell you what

you’re looking at, instead of why

it’s there (‘a collection of milk

bottles’, for instance!), I was

fascinated by the large collection

of railway memorabilia held by

the museum.

Part of the display tells the story of

the Soham rail disaster of 1944

when a wagon on an ammunition

train caught light. Without a

thought for their safety, driver

Benjamin Gimbert and fireman

James Nightall separated the

wagon from the rest of the train

and moved it into the open. While

the wagon exploded – killing

Nightall and signalman Frank

Bridges, injuring Gimbert and

destroying the station and signal

box – their actions saved the

remainder of the train, preventing

further loss to life and property.

Both men were awarded the

Victoria Cross and March born

Gimbert’s is on display in the

museum along with his LNER

Silver Medal for Courage and

Resource, the Daily Herald Order

of Industrial Heroism, Coronation

Medal and large pieces of

shrapnel that had been taken out

of him.

After a diet of local history it was

time for another drink; after trying

The Red Lion – another Elgood’s

pub – and discovering that it had

no real ale at all, I moved on to

The George Inn where there were

several ales available. Opting for a

pint of Adnams’ Southwold Bitter,

I went and sat in the fishpond

dominated beer garden. While it

was easy to relax in my

surroundings, the beer was too

cold for my palate leaving me to

curse the current obsession with

‘cellar cooled’ beer. The final pub

of my visit was another Heritage

Open Days attraction, The Ship

Inn, which according to the

guidebook was having a display of

photographs and information on

the history of pub over the last 150

years. The pub was certainly a

haven for the real ale drinker

with examples from several local

breweries but the exhibition was

nowhere to be seen. Asking the

barmaid if it was at the back of the

pub, I was met with a blank look

until I mentioned Heritage Open

Days and was pointed towards the

window. Now I’m no expert but I’m

sure it takes more than a few

photocopies in a folder to make an

exhibition. Still, the beer – a very

decent pint of Tydd Steam’s Piston

Bob – and the timber ceiling

interior more than made up for the

‘hands on history’.

With my train home rapidly

approaching, I made my way back

to the station and reflecting on my

mixed day out, wondering where I

should visit next year.

A trip up the tower of St Peter’s Church made up for the disappointing

exhibition at March railway station.Photo © Paula K

About Heritage Open Days

Heritage Open Days celebrates

England’s architecture and

culture by allowing visitors free

access to interesting properties

that are either not usually open,

or would normally charge an

entrance fee.

For further informatation visit

www.heritageopendays.org.uk

34 Main StreetYaxleyPeterborough PE7 3LY01733 240476

The Duck & Drake

nServing five quality real ales

nFeatured in the Good Beer Guide 2012

nHeated smoking area

nWarm yourself by a real log fire

nShowing Sky Sports on two screens

29 October - Halloween Party

5 November - Bonfire Night Party

19 November - Landlord’s Party Join the landlord as he celebrates his

birthday and two years in the pubLive music from The High Rollers

24 December - James Edmonds

James and Ellen welcome you to

for lunch and dinner, a recently

installed hand pump means that

the pub now offers six real ales.

After leaving the pub, turn left and

continue onto Church Street.

Just after a short walk past the

church, on the opposite side of the

road, is The Three Horseshoes

(pictured above); frequented by

friendly locals and serving a

selection of well-kept ales, it’s the

epitome of a village boozer.

Once out of the pub, turn right

and right again and walk down

Amberley Slope where you’ll find a

bus stop on the left hand side.

Catch the bus and keep seated as

it works its way around Walton,

passed the Voyager School and

left onto Lincoln Road. A couple of

stops along you’ll find the Paul

Pry, a pub/restaurant that’s part

of Whitbread’s Table Table chain

serving bar snacks, main meals

and ales from the Greene

King portfolio.

Catch the bus and sit tight as it

goes along Lincoln Road, under

the flyover onto Bourges

Boulevard and back onto Lincoln

Road. Get off at the first stop

opposite the Great Northern

Railway cottages and walk back to

The Crown Inn. Although the pub

has recently had difficulties in the

cellar, the landlord has confirmed

that a selection of ales – including

examples from Oakham and

Castor Ales – are back on sale.

Get back on the bus, carrying

along until the stop opposite

NatWest and the turning for

Cambridge Avenue. Keep walking

forward and take a left onto

Highbury Street. Following the

road along, you’ll find The Hand &

Heart a former Cambridgeshire

CAMRA Pub of the Year and the

only one on its National Inventory

of pubs with outstanding, unspoilt

historic interiors.

After a couple of pints of well-kept

real ale, catch the bus back

towards town, which will continue

along Lincoln Road before turning

onto Burghley Road. Just before

the junction with Park Road there

is a stop that serves The Rose, a

pub/restaurant offering at least two

real ales and an Afro-Caribbean

menu. If you need a little exercise

then walk down Park Road

towards Queensgate, otherwise

hop on the bus and make your

way towards Orton.

South of the cityCatch the Citi 1 to Orton from bay

3 of Queensgate bus station. The

bus will work its way along Oundle

Road – where our trip will end –

down Shrewsbury Avenue and

onto the Orton busway. Sit tight

until you get to Orton Wistow

where the bus will pass under a

blue footbridge before turning left

onto Wistow Way.

The bus will travel the length of

the horseshoe-shaped Wistow

Way and you should get off at the

stop immediately after Orton

Wistow Primary School. Just in

front of you is The Chequers, a

pub owned by Punch Taverns that

serves several ales including

Charles Wells’ Bombardier.

If you fancy straying outside the

bus route and can handle a

mile-long walk, then The Cuckoo

in Alwalton – which serves an

everchanging selection of ales and

hearty, seasonal pub grub – can

be reached by walking to the end

of Wistow Way and taking the

footpath that runs along the A605.

Taking the Citi 1 from the stop

near to The Chequers, carry on

until you reach the Herlington

Centre in Orton Malborne. Walking

through the precinct and turning

right at the barbers, you’ll come to

The Dragonfly – another Punch

Taverns property, that sells at least

one real ale. If you look across the

road from the pub, you’ll notice a

kissing gate. This takes you

through Orton Longueville and at

the end of a 10-minute walk you

will come to The Ramblewood Inn.

Not only does it offer several ales,

there is a bus stop on Oundle

Road that serves the hourly

number 24 bus – which accepts

Dayriders – and will take you to

The Windmill Inn, Orton

Waterville. Turning right and

walking under the flyover will take

you to The Gordon Arms, part of

the Fayre & Square chain, and the

Samuel Smith pub The Botolph

Arms. If you have come this far,

continue walking along Oundle

Road until you reach the junction

with Shrewsbury Avenue. If you

stayed at The Dragonfly, catch

the bus from Herlington Centre

and alight at the last stop on

Shrewsbury Avenue.

Walking across Botolph Bridge,

you will find The Cross Keys,

which didn’t serve any real ales

on my visit but the other sports

orientated pubs on Oundle Road,

The Boro Bar – formerly The Boys

Head - and The Office, do sell

bottled ales.

Concentrated towards the end of

Oundle Road are some of the best

pubs this side of the river. The first

one you get to is The Palmerston

Arms, winner of Peterborough

CAMRA Pub of the Year 2005

among other awards. Offering at

least 10 real ales, the beers are

served direct from the cellar that

can be viewed through a window

behind the bar.

Inexpensive cheese rolls are

available as well as Grasmere

Farms’ ‘posh pepperami’, the

Grasmere Grunter.

Located the other side of the

supermarket car park is The Swiss

Cottage, a traditional local that

served St Austell Tribute – among

other ales – on my visit. Walking

towards the park, the footpath

takes you back to Oundle Road

and by crossing to the other side

you will reach The Cherry Tree; a

Peterborough institution that is

known for its charity fundraisers,

live music, good quality meals and

wide-range of ales, which has

quite rightly earned it a CAMRA

Gold Award.

Our final pub of the trip is served

by the Citi 3 but is easily reached

from The Cherry Tree. Cross back

over the road and walk through

the park.

Walk through the passageway

onto Queen Street, turning left at

its end, right at the junction and

right again, after the convenience

store, onto Park Street. The

Coalheaver’s Arms is quite easy to

spot and serves several ales from

the Milton Brewery.

continued from page 7

9-11 Oundle Road, Peterborough PE2 9PB - 01733 703495

www.cherrytree-inn.co.uk

Winner of a CAMRA Gold Award, find us in the Good Beer Guide 2012nFive Real Ales availableincluding Landlord, White

Dwarf plus various LocAles

nOpen all day, everyday

nQuality food at sensibleprices, served daily

nAmple parking

nChildren’s play area

nCovered smoking area

nLive music every weekend

THE CHERRY TREE

Bonfire BeerFest16 Real Ales plus Ciders and Fruit Beers

The Golden PheasantMain Street, Etton, Peterborough PE6 7DA - 01733 252387

www.thegoldenpheasant.net

Friday 4th November - Starting at 5pmLive music from the Collaborators (8.30pm)

Saturday 5th November - Starting at 12 noonBonfire at 6pm and Fireworks at 7pm

Live music from Pennyless (2.30pm)

and The One Eyed Cats (8.30pm)

Christmas menus - for lunches, dinners, parties,etc. - now

available. Contact us for further information

LISTINGSCock Inn1305 Lincoln Road, WerringtonPeterborough PE4 6LW01733 322006

November100

04 – The Returns

05 – Pureklass Karaoke

11 – One Eyed Cats

12 – Les Woods Band

18 – Lee Major

19 – Eden Burning

25 – Medieval Christmas

26 – Aaron Van Neeken

December

02 – Crash & Burn

03 – Pureklass Karaoke

09 – Rockit

10 – White Spirit

16 – Dr A’s Rhythm & Groove

17 – One Eyed Cats

24 – Cocktails and cabaret

The Cherry Tree9-11 Oundle RoadPeterborough PE2 9PB01733 703495

November

04 – Gladrags

05 – Riff Raff

11 – White Spirit

12 – Hooker

18 – Frankly My Dear

19 – Citizen Smith

24 – Open mic night

25 – Twenty4

26 – Aladdinsane

December

02 – Taking Care of Business

03 – Grumpy Old Men

09 – Karsi Chiefs

10 – Porky Pig

16 – The R’n’B Band

17 – Tunnel

23 – Maxwell Hammersmith

24 – Northern Soul disco

29 – Open mic night

30 – Rocket ‘57

31 – Kickback

The Hand & Heart, 12 HighburyStreet, Peterborough PE1 3BE01733 564653

November

05 – Filthy Lucre (plus fireworks)

17 – Captain Backwash and The

Barley Boy & Girl Rafter Raisers

26 – Ian Graham & Kat Moore

December

03/04 – Xmas Craft Fair

10 – Lloyd Watson (with Fozzy

Dixon)

15 – Captain Backwash and The

Barley Boy & Girl Rafter Raisers

18 – Xmas Prize Draw Party

The Ostrich Inn17 North Street, PeterboroughPE1 2RA01733 746370

November

05 – Frankly My Dear

12 – The Malingerers

18 – The Revolutions

19 – Taking Care of Business

25 – The Balance

26 – Dog House

December

02 – Porky Pig

03 – Grumpy Old Men

09 – Animal Instinct

10 – Kate’s Dirty Sister

16 – Beats Working

The Prince of Wales Feathers38 Peterborough Road, Castor,Peterborough PE5 7AL01733 380222

November

12 – The Overdubs

December

03 – 101 Proof

09 – Children of the Revolution

10 – One Eyed Cats

The Red Lion48 King Street, West Deeping,Peterborough PE6 9HP01778 347190

November

04 – Robbie Fox

05 – Karaoke

11 – Rockit

18 – Steve Savill

25 – Fraz

December

02- Trevor Leeson

03 – Karaoke

09 – Bash

10 – Johnny Deville

16 – Rockit

17 – Karaoke

Three HorseshoesChurch Street, Werrington,Peterborough. PE4 6QE01733 571768

November

05 – Slide to Open

12 – Retrolux

20 – Karaoke

December

03 – Soulweaver

10 – Kickback

17 – Motown night

24 – Karaoke

* All listings given in good faith,

Rhythm & Booze cannot be held

responsible for any discrepancy.

To submit listings for the Jan/Feb

2012 issue of Rhythm & Booze,

or to enquire about advertising,

email simonstabler@aol.com

before 9 December 2011.cember

Rhythm & Booze, Issue 10 - Nov/Dec 2011. All written material, unless otherwise stated, © Simon Stabler

R E V I E W SJohn Cooper ClarkeThe Key Theatre, Peterborough29 SeptemberThe last time I saw John Cooper

Clarke was in 1996 at the Smash

it up punk all-dayer at the Que

Club, Birmingham. Coming on to

a volley of cans and plastic pint

pots, his set was short to say

the least.

Thankfully, tonight’s audience is

more appreciative of poetry – even

Benjamin Zephaniah’s sitting at

the back – and Cooper Clarke is

giving value for money; performing

for almost two hours.

A mixture of stand-up comedy and

life-story, Cooper Clarke’s set is

punctuated with classic poems

delivered at 100mph including

Evidently Chickentown – the

rhyming swearfest used over the

closing titles of The Sopranos

episode Stage 5.

On top form – despite traces of a

cold, soothed by glasses of gin –

“the name behind the hair cut” is

certainly an act worth waiting 15

years for.

John OtwayThe Alban Arena, St Albans1 OctoberDespite two hit singles and

assorted appearances on Top of

the Pops, The Young Ones and

The Old Grey Whistle Test, John

Otway is the opposite of a

household name. But his eccentric

act and manic energy makes him

perfect for the lunchtime crowds at

the St Albans Beer Festival.

Promising two sets – one for each

hit – Otway launched into his first,

Really Free, which reached the

heady heights of number 27 in

1977, followed by its B-side,

Beware of the flowers (Cause I´m

sure they´re going to get you, yeh).

In addition to his quirky

interpretations of classic songs,

Otway’s arsenal includes a

collection of musical gadgets

including drum pads and a

theremin for Bodytalk, as seen on

The Young Ones; a double guitar,

hinged in the middle and helpful

in recreating the siren from

Blockbuster and a humble coat

hanger, worn around the neck as

a hands-free microphone holder

à la Madonna.

Unfortunately I had to leave before

the second set, which would have

included second hit, Bunsen

Burner - peaking at a respectful

number nine in 2002 – but with the

audience singing along, heckling

and generally lapping it up; I

can’t help but think that there

would have been less criticism

of the entrance fee at this year’s

Peterborough Beer Festival had

the organisers booked Otway for

the Saturday lunchtime session.

The Duck and Drake, Yaxley(Reviewed by Arthur Punter)

A couple of months ago I took my

parents out for a mid-week lunch

at the Duck and Drake in Yaxley.

We bought drinks (nice selection

of beer) and ordered food and,

because some would be prepared

from fresh, told that there would

be a delay in being served. This

was fine with us as we were in

no hurry.

After a while the landlord brought

us a complimentary round of

drinks because of the delay.

Great, unexpected and not entirely

necessary as we had been

warned that there would be a

delay. When the food did come it

was tasty and plenty of it. Between

us we ordered such standard fare

as sausage and mash and ham,

eggs and chips and we didn’t feel

we could manage dessert, and we

like our desserts. Oh yes we do.

So we had a pleasant relaxed time

looking out across the fens with

my parents chatting about who

farmed what. Then when it came

to paying the bill the landlord

rounded it down because of the

delay. Again great, unexpected

and not entirely necessary as we

had been warned that there would

have been a delay.

So if there was a Punter Award for

Customer Service we would be

giving it by the bucket-load to The

Duke and Drake.

John Otway playing his double guitar during a cover of Blockbuster.

Handmadein Castor

www.castorales.co.uk