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© RobTownsend

Local photographer and exponent of anthropomorphism Rob Townsend is currently exhibiting his latest portfolio of stunning snaps taken hither and thither, thither and thon. Last night's opening night saw the ever modest Townsend pressing the flesh whilst at the same time pretending not to be waiting desperately for his first sale of the evening. He didn't have to wait long: ten minutes in and Adele put him out of his misery. 'Vieux Nice' (above) was the first of many green dots that started appearing in the bottom right hand corner of Rob's delightful images.

Sun Readers

I'm pleased to report that 2014 has been a good year for The Sun Readers; you could say we're enjoying our second wind (we took a gap year in 2013). The little book group that meets regularly in The Sun have just had their Christmas bash at Medd Towers with an evening of poetry and recitals, informed discussion and a selection of cheese and wine that would have put Margot Leadbetter to shame. I was particularly moved by a reading taken from A Christmas Carol. Who couldn't be?  

Paul, our resident Prof., must have way too much time on his hands and has just produced some reader stats. I've always said there's nothing that can't be explained by means of a graph or a Pie Chart. Or, indeed, a Venn Diagram. A big thank you to all Sun Readers, past and present - see you all in The New Year.

Beer Drinkers & Hellraisers

Not for the first time a rock and roll band have jumped aboard the real ale bandwagon and put their name on a pump clip or a shiny bottle label. Last month the Quo launched Piledriver - a 4.3 % ABV no nonsense amber ale named after their no nonsense 1972 album of the same name. It follows on the heels of Iron Maiden's Trooper and Elbow's Build a Rocket Boys; fine beers both.

Little Willy (# 4 June 1972)  RCA 2225

Wig Wam Bam (# 4 September 1972) RCA 2260

Hell Raiser (# 2 May 1973)  RCA 2357

Fox On The Run (# 2 March 1975) RCA 2524

But spare a thought for The Sweet, a band who are no strangers to this blog. Seemingly, and without their knowledge, their back catalogue is being plundered in the name of beer. And if you don't believe me, check out, in order of release (that's the single, not the beer) Little Willy, Wig Wam Bam, Hell Raiser and Fox On The Run.

They've just had Wig Wam Bam on in my local. I don't know anything about the other three, though two of them at least look like US imports. It can only be a matter of time until Block Buster! and The Ballroom Blitz make their way in to a hostelry near you. Speaking of Ballroom Blitz...

There Goes Signin' Simon

Cover photo (probably) not taken at Grimsby Docks

Today's offering writes itself: Roger Busby, musician and Sun Inn regular, met Paul Simon in Grimsby - a town better known for its fishing and maritime industries than its connections with music legends. Rog takes up the story:

"Paul Simon was playing his second gig at Grimsby Folk Club in the winter of 1965/66. I was 18 at the time and Paul would have been 23. I was sharing a flat in the town with work colleague and friend, Bill Johnston, and we had been regulars at the club for about a year at that time. During the break we got chatting with Paul and asked him where he was staying that night - he said that he didn't know (although it was the custom at the time for the club organisers to arrange a bed at someone's house) so we said why not stay with us? Bill had a VW Beetle at the time so imagine four of us plus Paul and his guitar crammed into that!

 Signin' Simon

We had an hour or so chatting and listening to music and he was telling us about how his US record company had dubbed electric guitar, bass and drums onto an acoustic track of The Sound of Silence that he'd recorded with Art Garfunkel and had released it as a single. 'It looks like it's starting to sell' he said, 'so I may have to go back.' Of course it went to # 1 in America and started the whole Simon & Garfunkel phenomenon. We had to get him up very early next morning to catch the milk train back to London and he wasn't the best of early risers. However, I did ask him to sign my copy of the Paul Simon Songbook which was, together with an acoustic EP with Garfunkel, the only recording available at that time. He signed it 'To Bill and Rog, thank you for the bed, the meal and the conversation.' I still have it to this day."

Soldier in the shade

How long do you have to know someone before you can call them a close friend? I don't think there's a scientific formula to work these things out.

We first met when Jenny and I moved to these parts a couple of years ago; right from the get go, he and his GLW made us feel part of the community (yes, we really do belong to a community) and from that day to this we've never looked back. Well, actually, I have. Or did. But that was just a wobble and I came out the other side with my sanity intact. But I digress. Amongst his many attributes he's a fine songwriter, real ale connoisseur, bon viveur and has an outlook on life that belongs in the mind of someone thirty years his junior. He is also, I'd like to think, a close friend.

He has a significant birthday coming up this weekend. Although we're away in Scotland for a few days, we hope to be back on Sunday to sing a few songs with him and toast his longevity* with a glass or two of something dark and hoppy.

* He'll kill me if he reads this

33s and 45s

It's been said that talking about music is like dancing about architecture. That being the case I'd best dig out my tap shoes: a week on Wednesday my local is having a vinyl show and tell evening. With a proper Dansette turntable promised, I've got just over a week to dig out some platters and put forward a case for my choices. On the surface you'd think selecting your favourite records would be like shooting fish in a barrel, but when you've got a collection with hundreds of singles (7" and 12") EPs, albums, double albums, triple albums (step forward Paul McCartney), just getting a shortlist together will probably mean several evenings of burning the midnight oil.

It promises to be a great night and not just because of the top choons which will no doubt be played at full tilt. I'm also looking forward to the stories that go with them. I know that most of my hits and misses will have a back story: how I discovered that artist, have I seen them live, where I bought the record, how much it cost, the label it came out on, the bag it came in (or is that just me!), whether or not it got taken to parties - each record has it's own unique DNA. It's early days to tell you what I'll be taking but I'd be very surprised if there wasn't some early 70s glam rock, some classic 60s 'B' sides (Beatles, Who, Stones, Kinks, Hollies) maybe some Northern Soul. Or it may just be Never Mind The Bollocks. Sides 1 and 2.

I'll report back with my final runners and riders next week.

In the meantime, feel free to let me know what you'd pick - and why.

Wreckless Eric: 33s & 45s

Best thing since sliced bread

If this blog was a tabloid newspaper, the banner headline above would read something like this: 'BAKING BREAD KEPT ME SANE,' SAYS EX-TOWNIE. The truth is a little less prosaic; when I was getting my head round my (by now) much documented move, I read an article in a recent CAMRA magazine about the bond between beer and bread. When adding beer to the flour, yeast and water 'alchemy is unleashed.' So said writer and broadcaster Sue Nowak whose article 'Thorough Bread' ignited my passion.

To cut a long story short I'm now getting the ullage from my local pub and am baking dozens of loaves every week. My unique bread (each loaf is different, depending on the ale I use) is, for better or worse, the talk of the town. Well, alright, the talk of The Sun Inn! I recently spoke to Sue Nowak on the phone - we talked at length about about beer & bread and pubs, the upshot being that she's coming over to The Sun, next Tuesday evening, to see us all and sample the pub's excellent cask beers. And my (soon to be world famous) bread. Cheers!

Pint-sized Grappelli

Stephane Grappelli (1908-1997)

(Oil on canvas, Merryl Jaye)

When was the last time you walked into a pub and asked for a pint of Stephane Grappelli? Mmm, thought so. Well, thanks to those fine people at The Crown Brewery in Sheffield, I've been able to step up to the bar in my local and do just that. As you can see their jazz range has already included, among others, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and Jimmy Smith. And what a nice drop Stephane Grappelli is too - a rather tasty blonde beer weighing in at 4.5 OG. Martin Robertson, new owner of The Sun Inn, Pickering, is passionate about beer. So much so that he felt the only way to guarantee a perfect pint of real ale to the highest quality (from the start of the barrel to the end) and still give value for money, was to buy his own pub. So that's what he did. It's a bit like me wanting to see Paul McCartney live but because I don't like going to the big sheds and soulless aircraft hangers he insists on playing in these days, booking him privately to perform in my back garden. In fact, Paul, if you're reading this, why not come and play in The Sun's back garden this summer (they're always looking for new turns between 4 and 7 on Sunday afternoons) and we can kill two birds with one stone?