rhythm and boozeFood, Booze, Bands & News - Issue 8 - July/August 2011

A pub that was ‘on its knees’ has

been brought back to life thanks to

its new licensees.

The Dragon, Hodgson Centre,

Werrington has been taken over by

The Ploughman’s Stuart and Andy

Simmonds, and is being run by

their brother Chris.

Following an extensive clean up,

the pub offers a greater range of

real ales than ever before with the

handpumps relocated to a

prominent position on the bar.

Having regained its place as a

community pub, The Dragon will be

running a ‘Uniform Night’ on Friday

30 July.

With a suggested entrance fee of

£1, participants are encouraged to

wear any kind of uniform – be it

military or even a tea lady’s tabard

– and will be able to enjoy a

barbeque while watching 60s

covers band The Nuggets.

For more information on The

Dragon, visit its Facebook page at

tinyurl.com/656dxwx

The Dragon, Werrington - now run by the family behind The Ploughman.

Re-enterthe Dragon

Out 1 August 2011

The Destructors/Dun 2 Def

Wohlgefuhl

Two of the region’s longest

serving Punk bands unite for

this 18-track album.

Turning the ‘split’ concept on its

head, eachbandperform seven

new tracks and two covers, one

of which was originally recorded

by the other act.

“Dun 2 Def gob out UK Subs-inspired punk

rock exactly how I like it!”

- Peterborough Evening Telegraph

“Playing punk rock for over 20 years has had

a weird effect on The Destructors… they got

pretty bloody good at it!”

- Mass Movement Magazine

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

Split Sounds

Pub Scrawl

Mark Grist will debut his new one-

man show Shetland Boy on

Wednesday 6 July at the Key

Theatre as part of the Peterborough

Summer Festival (tickets £5). The

festival ends on the weekend of

9/10 July with events in Central

Park, where Pint of Poetry will be

sharing a tent. Events include three

specially commissioned, totally

original poetry acts. There should

also be a poetry trail around the

park, organised by Keely Mills, who

is currently Poet-in-Residence at

Caffé Nero on Cathedral Square.

This year’s John Clare Festival at

Helpston is on over 9/10 July and

includes storyteller Hugh Lupton,

poet Patrick Bond and local folkies

Pennyless performing. For more

details go to the John Clare society

website at www.johnclare.org.uk

The T.S. Eliot Festival at Little

Gidding, which this year features

special guest Simon Armitage, is

also on over the weekend of 9/10

July. Further details can be found at

www.eliotsociety.org.uk/festival

Pint of Poetry, Dash of Drama will

be having its regular nights at

Charters Bar - as it is summer,

possibly in the garden outside - on

Wednesday 20 July and 18 August.

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.

Poetry Factory continues to offer

constructive criticism to writers and

performers on the third Tuesday of

the month at the PCVS building on

Lincoln Road (roughly opposite the

Geneva Bar). On Tuesday 19 July

there is a special guest tutor Molly

Naylor (so book in advance) with

admission priced £5. On 16 August

it is just the usual circle so

admission is free. Remember to

take a couple of poems, a pen and

some paper. Ring Pete Irving

(current Bard of the Fens and last

year’s John Clare Poetry Prize

winner) on 01733 890537 for

further information.

Speakeasy is taking a well

deserved break, but will be back at

the Brewery Tap in September.

In the meantime keep your eyes

open for dates of its precocious little

sister, Drama on Tap, open mic for

all sorts of comedy and playlets.

This year’s Poetry Competition

organised by the John Clare

Cottage in Helpston (next to the

Blue Bell pub) is on the subject of

celebration; the closing date for

entries is 15 July 2011. As a

previous winner, I can say what an

honour it is to win the title. For full

information go to the Clare Cottage

website or send an email to

events@clarecottage.org

Peterborough Central Library has a

summer filled with author events;

starting on Wednesday 13 July at

7pm with Lesley Pearse one of the

Top 5 best-selling female fiction

authors in the UK, thriller writer

Sam Hayes and the award-winning

crime writer Barbara Nadel. Top

American crime author Tess

Gerritsen, who’s talks are brilliant,

will be at the library on Monday 25

July at 7pm. Her background is in

medicine so her books are gory.

Elizabethan England is the setting

for author James Forrester (who

also writes history books as Ian

Mortimer) who will be giving a talk

on Wednesday 27 July at 7pm.

Then it is off to the 1820s with Allan

Mallinson to talk on his 11th novel

On His Majesty’s Service on

Wednesday 17th August at 1pm.

Tickets for each talk cost £3

(concessions available) and are

available from Waterstones

bookshop, Central Library or by

ringing 01733 864287.

I’ve been asking about Reading

Groups that meet in pubs but

haven’t had any fresh leads.

If you’ve got more information

then drop me an email at

cardinalcox1@yahoo.co.uk

Usually our local hero is a poet or

novelist, but this time, as it is

summer and you might be off to a

festival, I thought I’d celebrate the

writings of Wisbech’s Brian Tawn.

From the mid-1970s onwards he

produced the Hawkfan/Hawkwind

Feedback publications for the

followers of space rockers

Hawkwind. For anyone to devote

so much time and effort to a band

with a decidedly cult rather than

popular following is dedication

beyond normal expectations.

Cardinal Cox is an enthusiastic

amateur drinker. His act Riders of

the Purple Sage and Onion Stuffing

is one of the three specially

commissioned works premiered at

the Peterborough Summer Festival.

by C

ard

ina

l C

ox

Mark Grist debuts his new show on 6 July. Photo © Mark Grist

77 Main StreetFarcetPeterborough PE7 3DF01733 243596

The Black Swan

A Traditional Village Pub

Heated Smoking Area

Pool/Darts/Jukebox

Real Ales From £2.60

Bar Snacks

Car Park

The Peterborough Beer Festival

is upon us and the choice of ales

from around the country

is simply staggering. But what

do you do to avoid cabin fever, or

whatever they call its marquee

equivalent? Steve Williams of

www.peterboroughpubs.co.uk

has a suggestion.

For those of you new to the city and

the festival, Peterborough provides

a variety of venues in which to drink

real ale. From a quiet village pub

just 25 minutes walk from the festival

to Europe’s largest brewpub, Peter-

borough has it all. I will divide the

pubs into north and south of the

river to make direction finding

easier. To start with, the festival is

on the north bank of the Nene.

All directions use the festival as a

starting point unless it is obvious to

the contrary. There are two bridges

that cross the river Nene. The first

we shall call the ‘Town Bridge’,

which is the nearest to town, ASDA

and shopping, and can be found by

coming out of the festival and

looking right towards the river. The

second is what we shall term the

‘Flyover Bridge’. This is away from

town and leads to Stanground. If

you look to the river and turn to your

left you will see the bridge.

South

The Woolpack, 29 North Street,

Stanground, Peterborough PE2 8HR

This is the closest you can get to a

village pub in the city, situated in the

ancient village of Stanground just

south of the Nene. The pub offers

up to four beers and is open all day,

every day. The pub’s garden backs

onto the old course of the river

Nene and offers somewhere to park

if you’re visiting by boat.

Directions

From the festival look towards the

river, turn left and walk along the

riverbank until you see a slope that

takes you up to the ‘Flyover Bridge’.

Use it to cross the river and once on

the south side, turn left towards the

church. At the top of the lane you

will reach a road. Look to your left

and head towards the thatched

house. When you reach it, turn left

down the slope (Mount Pleasant)

and at the bottom turn right; the

Woolpack is 100 yards further on.

Charters, Town Bridge (south side),

Peterborough, PE1 1FP

Only just south of the river (as it’s

(continued on page 9)

The Hand & Heart, Higbury Street - A little out of the way, but well worth the walk.

Cruising for a boozing

A beer celebrating Peterborough

United’s promotion to the

Championship has been launched by

local brewery Castor Ales.

Craig Mack Ale, a tribute to star

striker Craig Mackail-Smith, is a

dry-hopped variant of the brewery’s

popular Roman Gold and at 3.7% is

the perfect session ale for any

self-respecting Posh fan.

The idea for a Peterborough United

themed ale came about as brewery

boss Duncan Vessey enjoyed a few

pre-match beers at The Crescent in

Salford, prior to the club’s 3-0

victory against Huddersfield Town in

the League One play-off final at

Old Trafford.

Returning home from the match,

Duncan decided that “the name Craig

Mack Ale would be a fitting tribute to

the London Road favourite” and by the

following week had launched the beer

at The Ostrich Inn, North Street.

Since then, the beer has been

available at The Prince of Wales

Feathers in Castor and The Crown Inn,

Lincoln Road with plans to sell it at a

venue close to Mackail-Smith’s

new club.

Giving the brewery his support for the

ale, Mackail-Smith will be signing

posters featuring the pump clip artwork

– drawn by the Evening Telegraph’s

John Elson – to be auctioned off to

raise funds for his chosen charity,

the NSPCC.

Opened three years ago, Castor Ales

is a three-barrel plant that produces

12 firkins (490 litres) per brew and

creates beer named after local themes;

in addition to Roman Gold and Serene

Nene, the brewery launched Old

Scarlett – named after Robert Scarlett,

the

sexton who buried Katherine of Aragon

– at the start of the year.

A follow-up beer to Craig Mack Ale is

being developed to celebrate Posh’s

new season in the Championship and

Mackail to the 

Paul Jones helps Craig Mackail-Smith celebrate Posh’s promotion. Photo © www

It’s been a month since ‘that’ game

at Old Trafford and Jamie Jones is

still walking round in a PUFC

influenced positive haze; It really

was that good.

So now we find ourselves back in the

Championship, a league full of clubs

much bigger than Posh with some

serious money to spend. What will the

season bring? Last time we got

promoted to this league the talk from

within the club was of a charge for the

play-offs. This time around, I think we

would all be very very happy with a

season that keeps us out of the

relegation zone. I really hope we can

survive and maybe even thrive in a

couple of season’s time but it is going

to be tough.

Just looking at the Championship

league table can bring a smile to my

face. The thought of Kevin Nolan, a

£4M signing on reported wages of

£55K a week running out at London

Road will make every Posh fan

chuckle. Welcoming the likes of Leeds,

Birmingham and West Ham to our

three-sided ground is going to be very

interesting indeed.

As I write this, the rumour mill

surrounding the departure of CMS is

cranking into overdrive with tales of

Wigan, Leicester and Everton filling the

internet message boards. The lad will

go down as a true PUFC legend who

gave everything to the cause and

scored a bucket load of goals. We have

to hope that one of the current

players or the new signings see it as a

LIFTED UP WHERE WE BELONG

another beer, Calling Spain, will be

sold exclusively at the Peterborough

Beer Festival in August.

More information on Castor Ales is

available at www.castorales.co.uk

    e ale

theposhpics.com

challenge to step into his shoes and be

the new idol of the London Road end.

Regular readers of this column will

know that I am the co-host of

the un-official Posh fans podcast

Standing On The Glebe, which

can be downloaded by visiting

www.standingontheglebe.co.uk

It’s been our first season on the air and

it has gone far better than we

expected in terms of listener numbers

– so thanks to those of you that

have tuned in. We will return for

the Championship season, as will

this column.

Up the Posh!

Busy Bassist

In addition to the wide variety of ales,

wines and ciders on offer, the

Peterborough Beer Festival has built

up a reputation for booking some of the

best covers and original bands around.

Playing this year’s festival – on

Thursday and Friday, respectively

– are power-pop trio The Vow and Sex

Pistols’ tribute Filthy Lucre, two local

acts featuring Rich ‘Angus’ Mackman

on bass.

Playing guitar from the age of 15, he

has developed a career as a music

tutor while spending time in a variety of

successful bands.

Not only was he a member of Heads

Apart - whose debut album Feisty

garnered a four K review in Kerrang!

– but as part of The Contrast,

Mackman “played one of the coolest

gigs ever” on Randall’s Island, New

York when he shared a bill with Iggy

Pop, The Strokes and the New York

Dolls.

Into everything from metal to Motown,

he has a particular passion for Punk

rock in most of its forms.

Not only does Mackman wish he could

have seen The Cardiacs “in some little

club someplace when they had the

classic mid-80s line up” and would like

to play bass on a Bad Religion track or

two, his favourite song is Bodies by

the Sex Pistols “because in good old

fashioned terminology, they ROCK.”

It is his love of the Pistols that has seen

him reunite with former Heads Apart

members Sean Dunleavy and Danny

Frost to form Filthy Lucre, the region’s

most authentic sounding tribute to the

Sex Pistols.

Performances by Filthy Lucre and The

Vow at The Hand & Heart were enough

to persuade landlord Paul ‘Bram’

Brammer and Peterborough CAMRA’s

Mike Lane put both bands on at this

year’s Peterborough Beer Festival.

“I’m really grateful to Mike and Bram

for sorting this out,” says Mackman,

“the beer fest is going to be great,

although I’ll have to pace myself on

those ales.”

n Further information on Rich ‘Angus’Mackman and his bands can be found

on the following websites:

www.richardmackman.co.uk

www.myspace.com/filthylucreband

www.myspace.com/thevowareback

www.thecontrast.net

Rich ‘Angus’ Mackman, looking forward to this year’s Peterborough Beer

Festival. Photo courtesy of Rich.

(continued from page 5)

on the river!) is Charters, a large

converted grain barge that provides

the easiest and most convenient

point to try more ales. As it is the

closest to the festival, it might get a

bit busy during ‘festival down

times’.

Directions: Head over the Town

Bridge. The pub is on the south

bank of the river. If you go to a

similar barge on the north bank,

you will find a Chinese restaurant

with no real ale.

The Cherry Tree, 9-11 Oundle

Road, Woodston, Peterborough

PE2 9PB

The Cherry Tree is known as one of

Peterborough’s live music venues,

it has seen a wealth of talent

perform here and offers several

well-kept ales.

Directions: Cross the Town Bridge

and continue until you find a turning

to your right, which will take you

under the railway bridge to Oundle

Road. Follow the road past ‘Lego

Land’ and the Cherry Tree is the

first pub on your right.

The Palmerston Arms, 82 Oundle

Road, Woodston, Peterborough

PE2 9PA

One of the best pubs in the city for

real ale. Lots of beers sold on

gravity from the cellar at the back of

the bar, which you can see being

poured through the large window.

Directions: Follow the directions

for the Cherry Tree and the

Palmerston is a couple of hundred

yards along on the opposite side.

Coalheaver’s Arms, 5 Park Street

(Off London Road), Woodston, Pe-

terborough PE2 9BH

The Coalheaver’s Arms is one of

the city’s success stories. During

the festival the pub will probably

have eight or so beers on, some

of which will be by Milton of

Cambridge. A super pub with a

pleasant beer garden.

Directions: Cross the river via

Town Bridge and continue past the

football ground. When you reach

KFC and the Peacock pub carry on

over the bridge. Follow the road

until you reach an off licence on the

right (150 yards). Turn in here and

the pub is hidden away 50 yards

further on.

If you have visited either The

Palmerston Arms or The Cherry

Tree then you can take a short cut

through the park opposite the

Cherry Tree. Head diagonally

across it, walking through the

alleyway to Queens Walk then left

onto London Road. Turn right,

following London Road away from

the city and turn right at the off

licence as above.

North

The Beehive Pub, 70 Albert Place,

Peterborough PE1 1DD

A stylish venue with a reputation for

good food with several ales on

offer.

Directions: From the festival head

towards town, turning left before

you reach the pelican crossing.

Continue along the pavement and

you should spot The Beehive in the

distance.

The City Centre (or thereabouts)

There are several pubs worth a

look in and around the city centre.

If you proceed from the festival

towards town, taking the pelican

crossing onto the thoroughfare

(Bridge Street) you will eventually

come to Cathedral Square.

Stand with your back to the

Cathedral, looking towards the

Guildhall (the old building on legs)

and if you take the left hand road

away from the square, you

will eventually come to The

Draper’s Arms, 29-31 Cowgate,

Peterborough PE1 1LZ, which is a

better quality Wetherspoon’s.

Had you taken the path between

the church and McDonald’s, you

would have found The Grapevine,

10 Queen Street, Peterborough

PE1 1PA a pub that has Charles

Wells beers on tap.

From Cathedral Square keep the

Cathedral on your right and walk up

Long Causeway. Turn left at the

junction near to the Halifax Building

Society onto Westgate. If you follow

the road you will eventually come to

three pubs. Just past Westgate

House, on the right, is North Street

where you will find The Ostrich Inn,

17 North Street, Peterborough PE1

2RA. Superbly refurbished, it now

offers a selection of ales, at least

one of which is a LocAle. Live

music is offered at weekends and

there is a pleasant courtyard in

which to enjoy your beer.

Further along Westgate you will

come to The Wortley Almshouses,

Westgate, Peterborough PE1 1QA.

Converted in the early 1980s into a

pub by Sam Smiths from an old and

derelict almshouse. Several years

ago it was refurbished and divided

into many small and intimate

rooms, which won it an award. Sam

Smiths beers are available at the

usual competitive prices.

At the end of Westgate you will find

the well-known The Brewery Tap,

80 Westgate Peterborough, PE1

2AA. This is the largest brewpub in

Europe and is the home of Oakham

Ales. Expect Oakham Ales on the

bar and a host of many others. The

pub is famous for its Thai cuisine,

which is served all day.

If you were at the junction of Long

Causeway and Westgate and you

continued straight ahead into

Broadway you would find The

College Arms, 40 The Broadway,

Peterborough PE1 1RS. This is our

‘other’ Wetherspoons.

Turn left as you’re walking out of

The College Arms and left again

onto the road (Fitzwilliam Street)

between the Imperial Bento and the

Central Library. Continue past the

junction with Park Road and stop

when you get to Lincoln Road.

Turn right and continue along the

road, walking across the zebra

crossing in front of Williams Tools,

carrying on past the estate agents

on the junction with Dogsthorpe

Road. Just past the Emperor

Chinese restaurant you will come to

Highbury Street. Turn in here and

you will find The Hand & Heart, 12

Highbury Street, Peterborough

PE1 3BE, a 1930s pub which has

remained intact since its rebuilding

in 1938. Cambridgeshire’s Pub of

the Year 2010, the ‘Hand’ is known

throughout the area for its perfectly

kept ales, beer festivals, Irish music

sessions and monthly cheese club.

It’s a bit of a walk from the festival,

but well worth it. Alternatively you

can catch the Citi 1 bus from

Queensgate or Broadway, which

will get you there quickly.

I hope you’ve found time to visit a

few of pubs above, but don’t forget

to return to the Festival.

LISTINGS

Blue Bell Inn

Welland Road

Peterborough PE1 3SA

01733 554890

July

01 - Friction

02 - Disco

08 - Slide to Open

09 - Swingin’ the Led

15 - Aladdinsane

22 - Circa ’73

29 - Wayne Mills Disco

August

05 - Burlesque

06 - Daffy & the Alien

12 - Undercover

13 - Frankly my dear

19 - Children of the Revolution

26 - Wayne Mills Disco

27 - Cutting Loose

Cock Inn

1305 Lincoln Road, Werrington

Peterborough PE4 6LW

01733 322006

July

02 - Monkey Boy

08 - Redemption

09 - Pureklass Karaoke with Paul

16 - The Sound Injectors

23 - The Guards

30 - Storm

August

06 - Pureklass Karaoke with Paul

13 - UnLtd

20/21 Party in the (car)park - line

up to be confirmed

27 - Circa ‘73

Dragon

Hodgson Centre, Werrington,

Peterborough PE4 5EG

01733 578088

July

08 - Daffy & The Alien

09 - Twenty4

16 - Under_covers

22 - Kyckback

29 - Mighty Mouth Karaoke with

Rose

30 - The Nuggets

August

06 - Out of order

13 - Undercovers

20 - Monkey Boy

26 - Mighty Mouth Karaoke with

Rose

The Ostrich Inn

17 North Street, Peterborough

PE1 2RA

01733 746370

July

01 - Colin ‘Citizen’ Smith

02 - Pulse

08 - Jumpback 45 (Northern Soul)

09 - UnLtd

15 - 5 Miles High

16 - Undercover

17 - Blind Vinyl

23 - Monkey Boy

29 - Gin House

30 - Lloyd Watson

August

05 - Lee Major’s the Balance

06 - Glass Heart

12 - James Edmunds

13 - The System

19 - Retrolux

20 - Storm

27 - Frankly My Dear

Prince of Wales Feathers

38 Peterborough Road, Castor

Peterborough PE5 7AL

01733 380222

July

09 - Self Preservation Society

23 - Altered Ego

August

06 - Electric Warriors

Three Horseshoes

Church Street, Werrington,

Peterborough PE4 6QE

01733 571768

July

09 - Crayfish Rocket

16 - Pulse

23 - Soul Weaver

30 - Karaoke

August

13 - No Man’s Band

20 - AV Band

27 - Karaoke

* All listings given in good faith,

Rhythm & Booze cannot be held

responsible for any discrepancy.

‘Peterborough CAMRA’s Pub of

The Year 2011’

The Ploughman

Staniland Way, Werrington,

Peterborough PE4 6NA

01733 327696

July

01 - 03 Charity Beer Festival in

aid of The Rudolph Fund

01 - One Eyed Cats

02 - Taking care of business

03 - The Nuggets/ Mighty Mouth

Karaoke with Trevor

09 - The Pigs (Police Tribute)

16 - The Influence

August

05 - On the ceiling

12 - Kyckback

28 - Citizen Smiffy

Going to the Peterborough Beer

Festival? The Citi 1 bus runs

regularly between Werrington

Centre and Rivergate/TK Maxx.

Rhythm & Booze, Issue 8 - July/August 2011. All written material, unless otherwise stated, © Simon Stabler

Please send any letters, submissions, material for review and gig listings to simonstabler@aol.com by 15 August

Hodgson CentreWerrington

PeterboroughPE4 5EG

01733 578088

nLeague poker - Mondays and Tuesdays

nCash quiz - Sundays

nDarts/Pool

nLive Music (see the listings page)

nSix real ales, three changing guests

nAll ales £2.80 a pint

nLive sports shown on TV

The Crown Inn749 Lincoln Road

Peterborough

PE1 3HD

07516395905

Open: 11:30 - 00:00 Sunday - Wednesday

11:30 - 01:00 Thursday - Saturday

www.crowntotown.co.uk

A Pub At The Heart Of Its Community!

nServing quality real ales

nA new lunchtime menu

nDedicated Smoking Patio

nWheelchair access at the front

nFree pool every Thursday from 6pm

nLive Poker League Monday & Thursday from 7:30pm

nFriday Night Karaoke

nFunction room available for hire