Rhythm & Booze Issue 2
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Transcript of Rhythm & Booze Issue 2
Summer’s here and for fans of
Real Ale, Peterborough’s Beer
Festivals are just the ticket.
While CAMRA’s annual event on
the Embankment isn’t until the end
of August, many pubs and venues
are already offering drinkers the
chance to taste quality locally
brewed beer in the open air.
More information on events at The
Hand & Heart, Ploughman and
The Ostrich Inn, amongst others,
can be found on page 7 – however
one festival offering that little bit
extra is Nene Valley Railway’s
Beer Festival & Family Day.
Held at Wansford Station on June
12, the event offers a wide variety
of ales, a chance to ride on
Thomas the Tank Engine, stilt
walkers, wandering minstrels and
a traditional roundabout.
Holders of an adult rover ticket,
which offers unlimited travel on the
Nene Valley Railway, will be given
a voucher for a free pint, while a
complimentary bus service - which
operates along Oundle Road - is
available at the times below:-
Beer Festival Bus Timetable
Outward
Brewery Tap 12:00 14:00 16:00
Cherry Tree 12:10 14:10 16:10
Ramblewood 12:15 14:15 16:15
Wansford 12:30 14:30 16:30
Return
Wansford 13:30 15:30 17:30
Ramblewood 13:45 15:45 17:45
Cherry Tree 13:50 15:50 17:50
Brewery Tap 14:00 16:00 18:00
Further information is available by
visiting www.nvr.org.uk or calling
01780 784444.
Food, Booze, Bands & News - June/July 2010
Thomas - in steam on June 12, Photo © Nene Valley Railway
F U L LSTEAMAHEAD
IN-STORE, ONLINE, DOWNLOADON SALE IN HMV, CATHEDRAL SQUAREBY MAIL ORDER FROM METALONROCK.TVOR AS A DOWNLOAD FROM iTUNES / 7DIGITAL
made in peterborough
"Having seen The Black Marias live, I waskeen to see if they could deliver the samepunch through my stereo. I needn't haveworried!" - punkoiuk
"Prolific in their approach, The Destructorsserve up angry, socially conscious Punk,hearkening back to a more old school,British style." - Pop Matters
Zengakuren
The Black Marias
/The Destructors
Peterborough’s Punk
Patriarchs unite for this
split single.
Featuring three tracks
from each band, The
Destructors offer us a
re-working of their 1982
classic - Religion.
Out June 28 2010
Pub Scrawl
Pub poetry is alive, well and
making a name for itself in Pe-
terborough. The city’s former
Poet Laureate, Cardinal Cox, ex-
plains how it’s nothing like the
stuff you were forced to sit
through at school.
The origins of pub poetry can be
found in the crossover of stand-up
comedy and folk music - think Billy
Connolly or Mike Harding in the
early-70s, the dub poetry of Linton
Kwesi Johnson in the mid-70s,
punk poetry of Attila the Stockbro-
ker in the late-70s and the hip-hop
and contemporary spoken dance
of acts such as The Streets.
Locally the godfather of pub poetry
is Toby Woods, the city’s first Poet
Laureate and resident at The
Gaslight comedy club for many
years. In the city there are two
main poetry circles, Poets United
and Pint of Poetry, though both
have a proportion of members of
the other.
Poets United has been going for
over 10 years, its members have
had work published far and wide,
with regular performances around
the city and, earlier this year, at
the Whittlesey Straw Bear Festi-
val. They meet on the first Tues-
day of the month and more
information can be found by call-
ing Viv on 01733 340560.
Pint of Poetry, Dash of Drama has
been meeting at Charter’s for al-
most four years, earning itself a
mention in the Good Pub Guide.
Meeting on the second Wednes-
day of the month, Pint of Poetry
can be emailed at
Speakeasy, who hold nights at the
Brewery Tap and Mama Liz’s in
Stamford, features the best of
local acts and poets from across
the country. Memorably pop-
chartist Scroobius Pip headlined
an evening in the first year and
more information can be found at
myspace.com/speakeasypoetry
What would be in it for a publican
to host an evening of poetry? Well,
mid-week entertainment that the
locals could join in with for a start
and I expect most pubs have a
couple of regulars who can pen a
verse for the barmaid’s birthday
and probably a bit more. The
groups listed above have mem-
bers who would enjoy the chance
of meeting new listeners, buying a
beer or two in new surroundings
into the bargain. Who knows, per-
haps a future Laureate of Peter-
borough is supping at a corner
table?
The John Clare Festival, held in
Helpston July 9-11 features a vari-
ety of events celebrating the
poet’s work. Both pubs in the vil-
lage have a connection to Clare, in
his early life he was potboy at the
Bluebell, while his body rested in
The Exeter Arms the night before
his funeral. The following Satur-
day, July 17, sees the fifth T S
Eliot festival held in Little Gidding
near Huntingdon.
Cardinal Cox is an enthusiastic
amateur drinker who has been
having his poetry and other writ-
ings printed in the small-press for
over 25 years.
He recently had the collection A
Sack of Midnight published by
Hilltop Press of Huddersfield.
Linton Kwesi Johnson, Photo © Penguin Books
Anyone watching an old episode of
Grange Hill can count former child
actors still in the profession on the
fingers of one hand. For every Todd
Carty, there’s five Terry Sue Patts.
A George & Mildred marathon on
digital TV lead Simon Stabler to ask,
whatever happened to Nicholas
Bond Owen?
George & Mildred, one of the most
popular sitcoms of the 70s, starred
Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce. It re-
located their Man About The House
characters to the upmarket Hampton
Wick. While Mildred tried to better her-
self, George, much to the dismay of
posh neighbour Jeffrey Fourmile (Nor-
man Eshley), remained his lazy slob-
bish self.
Playing Jeffrey’s son, Tristram, was
eight-year-old Nicholas Bond Owen.
He got into acting by accident, when
his older brother Matthew, a former
bouncing baby competitor, signed up
with a child model agency. Nick, “his
little fat brother, who went everywhere
with him and smiled a lot,” was also
signed up.
After the odd catalogue shoot, Nick
was invited to audition for the part of
Tristram at Thames Television. With “a
huge amount of luck” and his mum
teaching him how to pronounce his
lines, Nick won the part.
With several Nicholas Owens on Eq-
uity’s books, a middle name was re-
quired. Nick’s mum gave two
suggestions, while he was allowed to
suggest a third. A 007 fan, Nick chose
Bond, a name which “has haunted me
ever since”.
George and Mildred ran for five series,
including a feature film where the
Fourmiles made a brief appearance.
Sadly, Yootha Joyce’s death ended the
show. A spin off, with George coming
to terms with life as a widower, never
materialised. Nick remembers Yootha
as “such a warm person, a talented
lady who was the star of the show.”
During the show’s run Nick appeared
as the catapult-wielding Kevin in, the
poorly received, Confessions from a
Holiday Camp. After George and Mil-
dred, he appeared in Eric Sykes’ mod-
ern take on the silent movie, Rhubarb
Rhubarb, followed by mini series The
Coral Island and Lassiter, a Tom Sell-
eck crime romp set in the 50s. A part in
an episode of Dramarama was book-
ended by roles in the BBC classic seri-
als Oliver Twist and David Copperfield,
his final television credit.
Nick went to college to study for his A-
levels, continuing in the occasional
stage role until he was 25. A change of
agents lead to a reduction in the
amount of work he was being offered.
Finding employment with Penguin
Books he found himself in a position to
turn down six months work at the
RSC.
Whatever happto TV’s Tristram
Nicholas Bond Owen - Then & Now, Screenshots © (Left) Thames Television (Right) Chrysalis Entertainment
“That pretty much sealed my fate with
the agent, I needed to change agents
but I had quite a good job, was busy
playing football and falling in love.”
Nick spent 15 years at Penguin and
its owners Pearson, working in every-
thing from courier to operations man-
ager. When his final contract expired
he was told of a vacancy with “a new
and exciting media company in the
city.” He applied and next thing he
knew, he was distribution director at
free business paper City AM.
Despite the change in career, Nick has
many happy memories of acting. “It’s
not until you’re not acting anymore you
realise how much you miss it. I trav-
elled the world on the back of George
& Mildred and was spoilt rotten by
everyone involved.
“My only gripe was being stuck in a re-
hearsal room on a Saturday morning
when I wanted to be outside playing
football.”
pened m?
WHERE ARETHEY NOW?
Lee MacDonald
(Zammo in Grange Hill)
A promising career as a boxer was
cruelly scuppered when Lee was
involved in a road traffic accident.
Having worked as a locksmith’s
assistant during recording breaks
from Grange Hill, he decided to
pursue this as a full-time career.
Now aged 42, Lee is married,
owns his own locksmith shop in
Wallington, Surrey and makes the
occasional TV appearance – most
recently on BBC Children In
Need’s Celebrity Scissorhands.
Photo © BBC
Nicholas Bond Owen wasn’t the only young actor of the 70s and 80s to
disappear from our screens. Here we track down another three actors
who are no longer in the business.
Harriet Philpin
(Mrs Secret Lemonade Drinker)
While she guest starred in Doctor
Who, The Sweeney and Blake’s 7,
Harriet is better known as the wife of
The Secret Lemonade Drinker in the
R Whites adverts.
Giving up acting to start a family in
the early-80s, Harriet runs a textiles
business - which specialises in
reusing vintage materials - on Bere
Island off the coast of Ireland.
Screenshot © BBC
Keith Jayne
(Stig of the Dump)
Fed-up with being typecast, Keith
returned to college in order to
study finance and investment - a
move that he describes as “one
of my better decisions.”
Now running a financial services
business in Truro, Keith has been
in contact with an agent and is
considering a return to acting.
Find out more about Keith in the
next issue of Rhythm & Booze.
Screenshot © Thames Television
The Mark
21st Century (two-track digital
download)
*****
Marked Man Records - Released
May 24
www.last.fm/music/theMark
Previously heard on This Is Peter-
borough Too, The Mark’s debut
single contains the tracks 21st
Century and 42nd Nervous Break-
down. Opening with a jangly guitar
riff, the title-track bursts into life
with a powerful rhythm section.
Bristling with an energy reminis-
cent of The Wildhearts, if they
sang in their own accents, the only
downside is the amount of break-
downs and Smiths-esque
stop/starts that litter the track.
Thankfully the band make up for it
with 42nd Nervous Breakdown, a
fast paced Rockabilly number that
would give the Stray Cats a run for
their money.
The Destructors
Politika (12-track CD album)
*****
Rowdy Farrago Records – Re-
leased April 7
www.destructors.co.uk
From the over-productive mind of
Allen Adams, comes The Destruc-
tors’ take on the long drawn out
process that was this year’s Gen-
eral Election. Opening with To
Vote or Not To Vote, the album
features a mix of covers and origi-
nals, delivered in the band’s im-
itable Scuzz Punk style. While this
release may be a little heavy for
some people’s palates, the Euro-
phobes amongst you will love their
tourettes “tribute” to the EU. Points
are, however, deducted for a cover
of Labour Party by The Now. With
the original being so good, any
cover automatically sounds like an
insult.
The Candle Thieves
Church Street - St. John the Bap-
tist, 01/05/10
*****
Viewpoint: front right hand side of
the nave, seated
Despite a penchant for toy instru-
ments and NHS glasses, The
Candle Thieves are a world away
from the Belle & Sebastian twee-
ness that their image suggests.
In order to play every venue possi-
ble, from kitchens to back gar-
dens, the band’s lunchtime gig
took place in a church that ap-
pears to be “bigger on the inside
than out”. Even though the audi-
ence suffered from the arse-numb-
ing effect of the pews, The Candle
Thieves - with their sprinkling of
summertime pop - were able to
keep everyone spellbound. Judg-
ing by this performance, regard-
less of how they acquired their
illuminations, this is one Peterbor-
ough band that is going to shine
brightly.
Chimichanga
6 Church Street, Peterborough
PE1 1XB
01733 315015
*****
The Prezzo group seems to have
an obsession with taking over Pe-
terborough’s pubs. First their
eponymous pizza restaurant
opened at The Alderman and now
their Chimichanga brand has
taken over the former Lion/Verve.
The menu contains standard Tex
Mex fare of nachos, fajitas and
ribs, with lighter options of crab
cakes, calamari and salads. While
any refit needs to be paid for,
much of the menu seems a little
pricey for the average lunchtime -
althought it’s ideally placed for an
evening meal.
Satisdiction
Ammon Shea
*****
Penguin, £9.99
ISBN 978-0-141-04025-7
© Alexandra Horrowitz
For most of us, a dictionary is a
valuable resource - either when
we’re unsure of a word or fancy
looking up profanities for a bit of a
laugh. Ammon Shea, on the other
hand, believes that dictionaries
are something to read from cover
to cover. Satisdiction explains
what it’s like to spend a small for-
tune on, and to read all 21,730
pages of, the Oxford English Dic-
tionary. While Shea comes across
like the Rain Man when he remi-
nisces on his obsession, he more
than makes up for it by selecting a
series of words that exist in the
English language few of us will
ever use.
R E V I E W S
The Cellar Bar, Thorpe Road
Peterborough, PE3 6JQ
07775 841239
June
3rd - Lloyd Watson/Rex Gates/Mur-
ray Hockridge
4th - The Vow
5th - Mick Davison & Friends
6th – BBQ + Feet To The Fire
10th – DJ Mr Whippy
11th - Proto Inferno
12th - Blues After Midnight
13th - BBQ + Jeremy Watson Trio
17th - Lloyd Watson solo
18th - Open Mic session
19th - The Mark/Jambo Reign
20th – BBQ – band TBC
24th - Second Drove
25th - Richard Groom & Friends
26th - Murray Hockridge & Dave
Kilminster
27th – BBQ – band TBC
July
1st - Lee Major
2nd - The Pulse
3rd - Peterborough Punk Club
4th - BBQ + The Contrast
8th - Ken Wynne
9th – Quest
10th – Frankly My Dear
11th – BBQ + Jeremy Watson Trio
15th – Lloyd, Rex & Murray
16th - Open Mic
17th - Taking Care of Business
18th – BBQ - band TBC
22nd - Jeremy Watson and Helen
Burnett jazz duo
23rd - Lloyd Watson (full band)
24th – Retrolux
25th - BBQ -band TBC
29th - Lloyd, Rex & Murray
30th – Siren
31st – TBC
Mondays – Quiz Night
Tuesdays – Karaoke (£2 a pint)
Wednesdays(June) - Darts
(July) – Chill Out Night
BBQs start at 17:00, costs £9
each (includes a free pint and un-
limited visits) - band on at 19:00
All events start at 20:30 unless
otherwise stated.
The Cherry Tree, Oundle Road
Peterborough, PE2 9PB
01733 703495
June
4th - Soul Weaver
5th - Porky Pig
11th - Aladdinsane
12th - England v USA (19:30)
18th - England v Algeria (19:30)
19th - Riff Raff
23rd - England v Slovenia (15:00)
24th - Open Mic Night (20:00)
25th - Black Rose
26th - Retrolux
All events start at 21:00 unless
otherwise stated.
Nene Valley Railway, Wansford
Station, Stibbington, PE8 6LR
01780 784444
June
12th - Beer Festival & Family Day
(Further information on front page)
19th - Steamin’ Blues - (Tickets
£18 in advance by calling the
number above)
The Ostrich Inn, 17 North Street
Peterborough, PE1 2RA
01733 752255
June
4th - Porky Pig
5th - Circa ‘73
11th - Lloyd Watson Band
12th - Les Woods Band
13th - The Malingers (16:00-18:00)
18th - White Spirit
19th - Colin Smith – Unplugged
20th - Pennyless (16:00-18:00)
25th - Gin House
26th - Electric Warriors
27th - Retrolux (16:00-18:00)
July
2nd - 101 Proof
3rd – Leon
4th – TBA
8th – 11th Beer Festival
8th – Mighty Quinn
9th - Children of the Revolution
10th – Frankly My Dear
11th – Ian Graham & Kat Moore
(16:00-18:00)
16th – Sell Out
17th – Retrolux
18th – TBA
23rd – Daffy & The Alien
24th – Mighty Quinn
25th – Lloyd Watson Band
30th – Citizen Smith
31st – Storm
Tuesdays – Poker (19:30)
Wednesdays - Quiz night (20:30)
Thursdays – Karaoke (20:00)
Sunday Afternoons – BBQ
(weather permitting)
All events start at 21:00 unless
otherwise stated.
Hand & Heart, Highbury Street
Peterborough PE1 3BE
01733 564653
1st - 4th July - Beer Festival
Ploughman, Staniland Way
Werrington, PE4 6NA
01733 573594
2nd - 4th July -Beer Festival
The Solstice, Northminster Road
Peterborough, PE1 1YN
01733 560231
10th June - The Contrast
The Westwood Hotel, Mayor’s
Walk, Peterborough, PE3 6EY
June
12th - Loyd Watson
19th - Filthy Lucre
26th - Bikers Bash – (12:00 - 0:00)
16th & 31st July – Lloyd Watson
All details correct at time of press,
please confirm with venue to
avoid disappointment.
Rhythm & Booze, Issue 2 – June/July 2010. All material, unless otherwise stated, © Simon Stabler
Please send any letters, submissions, material for review or gig listings to [email protected] by 15th July
L I S T I N G S
BETWEENTHE WARSDuring the inter-war years, Pe-
terborough was seen a “go
ahead” city in the local press.
The decades that followed the
Great War saw the construction
of new shops, houses and
amenities - including The Lido,
Town Bridge, Wentworth Street
Telephone Exchange and the
Town Hall. Local historian Steve
Williams uncovers a time when
landlords would have welcomed
a smoking ban.
The 1930s saw many improve-
ments to people’s lives, including
better standards of living and the
introduction of paid holidays. Slum
clearances, assisted by Govern-
ment subsidy, combined with af-
fordable loans – saw an increase
in private housing. In Peterbor-
ough, new estates sprang up in
Paston, Stanground and the east-
ern part of the city, while a rebuild-
ing programme of public houses –
making them appeal to members
of a modern, more sober society –
began in earnest.
Brigadier General Strong, of the
Peterborough Licensing Bench,
agreed with the brewers aspira-
tions - saying, “What we should
aim at more than anything else is
the improvement of licensed prem-
ises and it should be our aim to
make them into really comfortable
houses of refreshment, and not
merely drinking shops.”
He could have easily have been
talking about The George &
Dragon, Cumbergate – described
by the Chief Constable as “an old
house, the rooms being low and
badly ventilated.” Work had al-
ready been carried out to improve
the bar, however this had proved
unsuccessful with two licensees
resigning due to the suffocating ef-
fect of tobacco smoke.
Trade had already suffered at the
pub, due to uncertainty about its
future – thanks in part to the suc-
cess of the newly rebuilt White
Lion, less than 100 yards away.
Mowbray & Co, the Grantham
based brewer behind The George
& Dragon, had planned to build a
replacement pub on Westfield
Road. While Mr Clipstone, the li-
censee, and his customers were in
favour of a move – objections by
the management of Baker Perkins,
led to the pub closing with no
chance of relocation.
This wasn’t the only pub to disap-
pear from the city during this time.
However, The Greyhound, Crown,
Paul Pry and Royal Oak, all on
Lincoln Road, were joined by The
Fountain, Hand & Heart and The
Star - by being completely rebuilt.
The Northfields, The Blue Peter
and The Lime Tree were brand
new pubs, built in areas that had
seen the spread of housing es-
tates, with The Lime Tree, Walton
– beneficiary of the Boat, Bridge
Street’s relinquished licence –
being promoted by the brewery as
a beacon of civility, as this advert
testifies:-
If you have not yet acquainted
yourself with the super luxury of
the Lime Tree Hotel, Mr Poole of-
fers you a hearty invitation to
come and investigate the sociabil-
ity and infinitely superior environ-
ment. A special branch of the
hotel’s accommodation is an at-
tractive service offered to parties
for teas and light refreshments
(from 1/- a head) in the outdoor
pavilion.
With its spacious gardens, tea
pavilion with veranda, children’s
sandpit, swings, fountain and a
goldfish pool, The Lime Tree was
certainly a great improvement on
the George & Dragon.
Steve Williams is an authority on
the history of Peterborough’s pubs
and conducts a series of historical
tours around the city.
His website, which contains a
weekly quiz, campaign information
and the latest in pub and festival
news, can be found at:-
www.peterboroughpubs.co.uk
The original Paul Pry, Lincoln Road