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Archive for December 2011
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Whats On Listings
What’s On
2nd December 2011 Broadway Late Night Christmas Shopping
A host of festivities for all the family including carol singers, swing band, horse & carriage rides, street entertainers, pig roast, mulled wine, roast chestnuts and much, much more!
11th October - 25th December 2011 Breakfast with Santa
This Christmas at Warwick Castle children are invited to a truly wonderful party in the Castle’s Undercroft and are wholeheartedly encouraged to eat, sing and be merry! Warwick Castle’s very special Breakfast with Santa will provide youngsters with the perfect Christmas experience. From being greeted by Santa’s Elf on arrival, through to party games, Christmas carols and the chance to meet Santa himself before departing with their very own Christmas gift.
2nd December 2011 Victorian Late Night Christmas Shopping
Bourton-on-the-Water annual Christmas late night shopping extravaganza! Shops will be open till 9pm and there will be plenty to entertain with the lighting of the Christmas Tree in the river at 6 pm. Childrens Roundabout, Punch & Judy, Pig Roast, Candy Floss, Fairground Organ, Father Christmas and much more. Please feel free to dress for the occasion. The Cotswold School Jazz Band, Choir & Drama Group will be taking part.
3rd & 4th December Kenilworth Castle Christmas Storytelling
Ease yourself into the festive frenzy with this day of Christmas storytelling in the dramatic setting of Kenilworth Castle.
11th December Solihull Christmas in the Park
Brueton Park Father Christmas is popping into the park to take a break from his hectic schedule! Come and see him to receive a small gift. Try the treasure hunt around the park afterwards.
27 - 31 December Traditional Games & Toymaking Workshop
Come to Kenilworth Castle during the Christmas holidays and treat the family to a traditional toy making workshop with historical games experts Heuristics. Learn how to make a traditional wooden toy which you can take home.
9th - 31st December Sleeping Beauty Royal Spa Centre & Town Hall
We are delighted to present one of the best loved pantomimes around, “Sleeping Beauty”, an enchanting mix of music, magic, adventure and pantomime fun.
Christmas Markets
18th November until 23 December Birmingham’s Christmas Craft Fair and Frankfurt Christmas Market
Enjoy the feel of a small village within the heart of the bustling city centre, with picturesque wooden chalets offering traditional handcrafted gifts, including jewellery, wooden toys, dolls and candles. Visitors’ senses will be delighted as they are invited to enjoy the Glühwein (German mulled wine), German beers, traditional sausages, meats, sweets, marzipans, breads and pastries. A truly continental atmosphere is conjured up by the lights, sounds and smells of this unique spectacle that is imported in its entirety and then installed in the beautiful setting of Birmingham›s Victoria Square.
01 - 04 December 2011 Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre
Traditional Victorian Christmas Fayre held in the heart of the city, with over 130 market stalls selling local foods, handmade arts and crafts. Buy unusual jewellery and homemade decorations, while tucking in to mulled wine and roast chestnuts. Lots of street entertainment for all the family.
25th November - 03 December 2011 2 Day Coach Holiday Bath Christmas Market and The Cotswolds
Enjoy a couple of festive days away on this great-value break. Combining fine food and gifts, family fun, entertainment and Bath’s spectacular Christmas lights with a short tour of the lovely Cotswolds, including a visit to the historic Stow-on-the-Wold, this promises to be an un-missable pre-Christmas weekend!
The NIA
Kasabian 06 Dec 2011
Kasabian are a BRIT award winning band which formed in 1999 and hail from Leicestershire. The quartet are described as indie rock, and have released three studio albums, selling millions worldwide and touring all over the UK, the US and beyond. In 2010, they headlined the prestigious V Festival alongside and in June 2011 they’ll close the Isle of Wight Festival
The 2011 Birmingham International Christmas Tattoo 11 Dec 2011
Jools Holland & his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra 17 Dec 2011
The Bootleg Beatles 20 Dec 2011
One Direction 04 Jan 2011
BBC Cup Final 15 Jan 2011
LG ARENA
The Saturdays 08 Dec 2011
The Saturdays are a British and Irish pop, R&B and electropop girl group Following the release of their brand new, chart topping album ‘Headlines’, The Saturdays are getting set for a MASSIVE 2011 tour!
The NEC
LKA Championship Dog Show 10 - 11 Dec 2011
Autosport International 2012 12 - 15 Jan 2012
Trphex 2012 22 - 25 Dec 2012
LG ARENA
Def Leppard / Motley Crue 06 Dec 2011
George Michael - Symphonica Dates rescheduled
Russell Howard 14 Dec 2011
Rock With Laughter 16 - 17 Dec 2011
Symphony hall
CBSO Nelsons Conducts Bruckner’s Seventh 07 Dec 2011
An Evening with Lindsey Buckingham 08 Dec 2011
Rush Hour Blues: Levi French Trio 09 Dec 2011
Rejoice! Christmas Carol Concert 11 Dec 2011
Alfie Boe 13 Dec & 31 Jan 2011
CBSO Benevolent Fund Conert 14 Dec 2011
Only Men Aloud 15 Dec 2011
Rush Hour Blues: Andy Hamilton & The Blue Notes 16 Dec 2011
Carols By Candlelight 17 Dec 2011
White Christmas 17 Dec 2011
CBSO - The CBSO’s Great Big Choral Christmas - Matinee 18 Dec 2011
Carols By Candleight 19 Dec 2011
Christmas Eve Classics 24 Dec 2011
Boxing Day Gala 26 Dec 2011
Last Night of the Christmas Proms 27 Dec 2011
Movie Night Classics 28 Dec 2011
Johann Strauss Gala 01 Jan 2012
Glenn Miller Orchestra 02 Jan 2012
Katherine Jenkins 29 Jan 2012
birmingham Town Hall
Tommy Emmanuel 05 Dec 2011
Steeleye Span in Concert 06 Dec 2011
CBSO Nelsons Conducts Bruckner’s Seventh 07 Dec 2011
The Unthanks 08 Dec 2011
Black Voices: Christmas Ancient & Modern 09 Dec 2011
The Destroyers: Extravaganza! 10 Dec 2011
The Sixteen at Christmas 11 Dec 2011
Handel: Messiah 13 Dec 2011
That’ll Be The Day Christmas Show 14 Dec 2011
A Swinging Christmas 14 Dec 2011
Christmas Treats 18 Dec 2011
Midlands Hospital Choir 19 Dec 2011
Room On The Broom 21 Dec - 13 Jan 2011/12
Polar 21 Dec 2011
the rep birmingham
The Snowman 16 - 31 Dec 2011
crescent theatre
Sleeping Beauty 23 Nov 2011 - 14 Jan 2012
MAC
Gravity - A dynamic new play 23 Feb 2011 - 03 Mar 2012
Warwick Art Centre
Tiger Who Came To Tea 30 Nov - 31 Dec 2011
Macbeth, The Abuse of Power 07 Dec 2011
Philharmonia Orchestra 07 Dec 2011
Met Opera Live: Faust 10 Dec 2011
John Law Trio 10 Dec 2011
London Symphony Orchestra 09 Jan 2011
Opera Warwick - Hansel & Gretel 12 -14 Jan 2012
The Russian Connection Talk 13 Jan 6:30pm
Coull Quartet - The Russian Connection 13 Jan 2012
Met Opera Live: The Enchanted Island 21 Jan 6:00pm
Hardeep Singh Kohli: The Nearly Naked Chef
27 Jan 7:30pm
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine 28 Jan 8:00pm
Ring a Ding Ding 31 Jan - 04 Feb
hippodrome
The Nutcracker 25 Nov - 11 Dec
Cinderella 17 Dec - 29 Jan
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The Snowman at the ICC
The Snowman
Music and lyrics by Howard Blake
The live stage show based on Raymond Briggs’ Friday 16 - Saturday 30 December at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham
‘This is sheer theatrical magic. Go see The Snowman and melt.’ The Times
Celebrating 13 spellbinding years on the stage the live version of Raymond Briggs’ much-loved children’s classic, The Snowman, comes to the International Convention Centre, Birmingham for two weeks only this Christmas to enchant audiences of all ages.
Sparkling with charm and wit, The Snowman tells the magical story of a young boy’s adventures when his snowman comes miraculously to life on Christmas Eve. A glittering host of international snowmen and snowwomen are joined onstage by an array of colourful characters including dancing penguins, magical reindeer, a beautiful snow princess and her abominable beau Jack Frost and of course, Father Christmas himself. With its joyful combination of classic storytelling, music and dance, The Snowman is an enchanting treat for all the family.
The Snowman first appeared as a beautifully illustrated picture book by Raymond Briggs in 1978. It has since inspired the classic Oscar Nominated, BAFTA Award winning animated film, first transmitted by Channel 4 on Christmas Eve, 1982. The film’s signature song Walking in the Air, by Howard Blake, reached number 3 in the UK charts when sung by choirboy Aled Jones in 1985, and the song was recently voted no 2 in a poll conducted by Classic FM to find out children’s favourite pieces of classical music, beating Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy amongst others.
International Convention Centre, Theatre Hall One, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EA Fri 16 - Sat 31 December 2011 Performance Times: 11am, 3pm and 7pm on different days. 11am on Tue 20, Wed 21, Thu 22, Fri 23, Sat 24, Mon 26, Tue 27, Wed 28, Thu 29, Fri 30, Sat 31 Dec 3pm on Sat 17, Sun 18, Tue 20, Wed 21, Thu 22, Fri 23, Sat 24, Mon 26, Tue 27, Wed 28, Thu 29, Fri 30, Sat 31 Dec 7pm on Fri 16, Sat 17 and Sun 18 Dec Tickets: £18.50 - £28 Booking: 0121 236 4455 or www.birmingham-rep.co.uk Running time: 1hr 40mins (approx inc interval) Recommended for everyone aged 3 and over.
Further information on The Snowman can be found by clicking here www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/about/snowman-home
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Music column by Heat Fms Rachel New
For those about to rock
by Rachel New from the Heart FM breakfast show
We all have guilty pleasures in life. For some it’s watching Jeremy Kyle for others it could be eating a Ginsters steak slice from the garage. Mine is musical. I love, absolutely LOVE The Eagles.
There you go, I said it out loud. My listening is usually done in secret, whilst on a run, or a long solitary drive. But occasionally I’ll be out in a bar, minding my own business, when on comes Hotel California. If you combine my deep adoration of this track with my desire to show off what you get is an agonising four minutes of out of tune singing, a full range of facial expressions (to depict the intense and haunting narrative) and some truly atrocious air guitar (the guitar solo in Hotel California is the best ever, FACT!)
So you can imagine my excitement when I heard that in January The Town Hall in Birmingham were putting on a night called The Classic Rock Show, billed as ‘the rock fan’s ultimate live juke box’ and featuring...yup, you guessed it, highlights from The Eagles Greatest Hits!!! It doesn’t stop there though, if Meatloaf are your guilty pleasure then you’ll love screeching along to Bat Out of Hell, or maybe you yearn to head bang to AC/DC’s Back in Black?? It’s the perfect antidote to the post-Christmas blues and a great way to shake off that tin of Quality Street you consumed over the festive period. Give me a shout if you go, I’ll be the one standing on my chair, air guitar-ing to my heart’s content!
The Classic Rock Show is on at Birmingham Town Hall, Sunday 15th January.
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Carinthia West at St Pauls Gallery
Carinthia West ‘Hanging Out’ in Birmingham
When I was invited to bring my collection of ’70’s photographs ‘Hanging Out’ to St Paul’s Gallery in Birmingham, I was delighted. I have always been a longtime fan of Birmingham, and to some extent it felt like ‘coming home’. My family used to own the land on which Birmingham airport now stands, and indeed in the nearby Elmdon church there are several plaques mentioning my ancestors, the Alstons. “Hanging Out’ was shown at my family pub ‘The Bell Alderminster’ near Stratford-on-Avon, and it was a visit from St Paul’s owners, Symon Bland and Neil Robinson, that resulted in me bringing the exhibition to this vibrant city. It has given me a chance to explore Brum’s canal waterways, shops and restaurants (especially Harvey Nix, Selfridges, and Carluccio’s!) but most of all to visit it’s fabulous museums and art galleries, especially the Ikon, as I have a keen interest in modern art. Even St Paul’s Church, in the jewelry district seems to have a Benjamin West inspired enameled window (although I cannot definitely claim he is a relation!)....
But most of all, I’ve so enjoyed meeting photography lovers who have casually strolled in to the gallery or attended one of the openings we threw for ‘Hanging Out’. On the walls hang my casual behind-the-scenes images of a couple of Rolling Stones, a Beatle, and the many other actors, actresses, rock and screen stars I have been privileged to hang out with, but these two dimensional images would mean nothing to me if the real live human audience were not so appreciative! Gazing at my photographs of the Pink Floyd pig over Battersea Power station (it escaped during an album cover shoot for the Animals album) was Ian Emes, himself a celebrated animation expert who worked on many Pink Floyd projects. Ian grew up in Birmingham and gave me one of my most treasured compliments, “you’ve inspired me”, he said giving me a hug “people keep telling me I should organize my archive, and I’ve kept putting it off, but now I see how grounding it can be!”. Another stranger who came to gallery turned out to be one of the Stylistics who were playing in Birmingham that night. Sadly, he missed Chris Jagger and his excellent band Atcha who played at one of my opening nights, getting everyone dancing with their driving beat behind Chris’ bluesy vocals. Unfortunately, the stage had been inadvertently placed in front of a large photograph of a close-up of his brother Mick, “where’s the picture of me?” Chris growled into the microphone. I have known Chris and Mick for many years and they are like brothers to me, so I hastily promised to put one up!
Another celebrity who attended was Jody Craddock,the talented Wolverhampton Wanderers player. I had got to know Jody and his wife a little as he had had exhibited his wonderful portraits at St Paul’s previously. With a devilish reputation on the pitch, he is gentle charm personified off it. I was delighted to hear he loved my work too!
Thank you, Birmingham, for giving me a great time - I have felt very privileged to become temporarily a part of the city’s art scene, and show some never before seen images. Some are pictured here; Keith Moon a few months before he died clowning in a pink beard for a video (he was playing Ahmet Ertegun, president of Atlantic Records, and it was taken a few months before Keith so tragically died), Robin Williams, talking to a family dog at a Christmas lunch, Mick and Ronnie heading along Malibu Beach to present balloons at Diana Ross’ kids birthday party, and Phil Lynott, the charismatic lead singer of Thin Lizzy grinning from ear to ear. Marie Helvin was kind enough to say, about my pictures “everyones always happy in your shots”. I like that....
‘Hanging Out’ will be exhibited at St Paul’s Gallery, Birmingham until the 28th January 2012
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Phil Lynott
Phil Lynott was the charismatic Irish lead singer of ‘Thin Lizzy’. Sadly, he died in 1986, but this picture was taken in about 1977 on a London street. It was the beginning of the punk movement, and we passed a group of terrifying punk rockers, all with nose studs, chains, spiky haircuts, and one spat at Phil and muttered ‘dinosaur’. Phil was visibly shaken up and I reflected at the time how fickle was the game of rock & roll, and how quickly the moment of glory always passes.
Johnny Shand Kydd, Robin Williams, Rufus Deakin, and Sheba the Great Dane. 1980
This was taken after Christmas lunch in Suffolk, 1980. Robin had spent a lot of time on the sofa prostrate with jet lag after flying in from America and straight off a comedy tour. He was already very well known as an comedian (‘Mork and Mindy’) but was now gaining renown as an actor. I had met him and his first wife, Valerie, during the shoot of Robert Altman’s film, ‘Popeye’, in Malta, and we had all become great friends. Here he has finally woken up, entrancing both the little boy, and the Great Dane with his stories. Johnnie Shand Kydd is a photographer, and this was taken at the house of his mother Janet Shand Kydd, who is on the right of the picture. To me; this is archetypal ‘hanging out’.....
Eric Idle, George Harrison & Stuart Lerner
This was taken at a New Years Eve party at Ray Coopers house in Chiswick, and shows Eric and George clowning around as they often did. The third man was Stuart Lerner who was dating my friend Shelley Duvall at the time. Ray Cooper was a dear friend of all of ours and a wild and brilliant drummer.
Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger - Malibu Beach
Once again Malibu beach is the setting for this photo. It was October 1976 and Mick, Ronnie and I were on our way to Diana Ross’s daughter Tracee’s fourth birthday party, for which Ronnie is carrying these red balloons. Ronnie and Krissie Wood had rented 54 Malibu Colony which was the base of operations for the all night jamming sessions and partying so beloved of Ronnie. Ronnie’s manager at the time was Bob Ellis Silberstein, who was married to Diana Ross. It’s funny to think four year old Tracee is now a well known American tv soap actress.
Keith Moon and Annette Walter-Lax 1977
After appearing in Eric Idle’s ‘Rutland Weekend Television’ and ‘The Rutles’ I had devised a rather mad tv video show ( a precursor to MTV) along with a director friend Bruce Higham. It was called Captain Video and I managed to persuade some of my friends to dress up as characters from the music industry and we wrote spoof sketches for them. This is a still I took of Keith Moon and his then girlfriend Annette Walter-Lax. Keith is pretending to be famed record producer and founder of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun, complete with pink goatee and dark glasses. We borrowed the reception desk at Island Records and shot a sequence in which Keith interviewed Traffic drummer Jim Capaldi for a job. Keith was hilarious and had us all in stitches (I wonder whether this video still exists), but sadly he was dead within a year at the age of 32. His funeral was remarkable for the fact that we mourners half expected Keith to jump out of his coffin and say it was all a joke.
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Brendan Cole on Live and Unjudged
Tripping the light fantastic
by Jane Howarth
Professional ballroom dancer Brendan Cole tells Jayne Howarth about his forthcoming show – and how being in love has calmed him down
With a schedule that includes Strictly Come Dancing and preparation for a new run of his live show, it’s a wonder that Brendan Cole manages to find the time to sleep.
The 35-year-old New Zealander cannot stop moving those hips and feet in rhythm to the music, but he loves every minute of it.
Every inch the perfectionist, he admits he still cannot believe that his show – Brendan Cole, Live and Unjudged – has not only had rave reviews from media and dance lovers, but is now on its fourth run.
“I am flabbergasted,” he says, as he takes time out from rehearsing a team dance for Strictly Come Dancing. “I can’t believe that something I have created has been so well received. I’m so excited about what we are doing.”
The show, which comes to the New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, in January, features Brendan, his younger brother Scott, who is also a dancer, four more professional dancers plus a 14-piece band.
This is not just a show where the audience passively watches elegant ballroom dances or the sexy Latin moves, however. Anyone hoping to enjoy the show in their seat may be disappointed, for Brendan loves to get the crowd involved, too.
“I like to get the audience up on their feet to do a dance as well,” laughs Brendan. “Can you imagine what it’s like having 1,300 people at the Alex standing up and trying the salsa? It’s about enjoying that experience.”
There are also plenty of opportunities to hear Brendan and his brother Scott chat to the audience.
Once touted as the bad boy of Strictly for his temper and outbursts (and those illegal lifts in dances), Brendan now claims he is too contented to lose his rag.
He puts that down to being in love, having married British model Zoe Hobbs in July 2010.
“Being happy and in love helps a lot,” he says. “Nothing else really matters.
“I’ve not got wound up as much, but a lot of that comes down to success, too. When you are starving for success, you want it so much, you hunger for it.
“Now I have the show, I’m responsible for the company and I believe in myself. I still follow my dreams, though.”
Brendan, who began dancing at the age of seven, has enjoyed considerable success since he joined the first series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2003, which he won when he danced with newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky.
Since then he has partnered Sarah Manners, Fiona Phillips, Claire King, Kelly Brooks, Lisa Snowdon, Jo Wood and Michelle Williams.
This year he danced with Lulu, who complained their height difference (she’s 5ft1; he’s 6ft1) led to their being incompatible partners, something straight-talking Brendan laughed off.
“Height doesn’t make a real difference,” he says. “It really wasn’t a problem; you have excuses, I suppose, but to me it didn’t mean anything in the slightest.”
He also stepped into Artem Chigvintsev’s dancing shoes this series to partner Holly Valance when the Russian dancer injured his back.
“I’ve had a great time with all of them, but Jo Wood was a real sweetheart, lovely natured and extremely generous,” says Brendan. “Lisa and Kelly, too. The others? Well, you know…”
Brendan Cole, Live and Unjudged, is being staged at the New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, on Monday, January 23, 2012. Tickets cost between £30.50 and £37. For details, visit www.alexandratheatre.org.uk or telephone 0844 871 3011.
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Talking Pictures Film review 2011_12
Talking Pictures
by Tom Lawes
Review 2011/12
This November the oldest working cinema in the UK (that’s us) held its last film screening on 35mm. We have gone fully digital in both of our screens and although we’ve kept our analogue film projector it is unlikely to be used outside of education events.
The problem is, 35mm film prints are starting to become difficult to obtain, especially for smaller films, and so the move to digital projection has slowly taken over the industry.
2011 will likely be remembered as the most important year in film since the invention of sound in 1927. How so? Well this is not only the year when more than 50% of projectors in the UK have gone digital but also the year in which more than half of films in production are being shot digitally too.
There’s a good many of you reading who probably thought the industry has been digital for years, after all EastEnders is ‘filmed’ on digital video cameras isn’t it? Well yes it is but EastEnders also looks like it’s been shot by a blind man in a dark alley. In short it looks rubbish.
Feature films, use 35mm film and have a certain look to them that you associate with high quality drama. Like Eastenders, Guy Ritchie’s new Sherlock Holmes film, out on December the 16th, is also shot in London, but the visual chasm between these dramas is undeniable to even the squintiest eyed pensioner using a 1950s Black & White TV set.
Fortunately, great advances have being made in camera technology in the last few years, finally bringing digital video up to the standard achieved by celluloid film decades ago. If you’ve seen The Social Network or the last Pirates film then you’ve watched a digital movie and not even realised it.
Thanks to the decreasing cost of digital film making, the inherent ease of digital film distribution and social networks acting as a cheap way to promote the finished product, more films are being released theatrically today than at any other time.
This is good news for you as a keen movie goer and great news for us cinema owners as we’re spoilt for choice when choosing films.
Some of the bigger films we have to look forward to over the coming year include period dramas like The Iron Lady, released in January. At the time of writing, a press screening has just been given to rapturous reviews from all and sundry, meaning the film will likely become the Kings Speech of 2012. Meryl Streep will run away with an Oscar for her portrayal of the maniacal bag lady and I’ll jet off to the Caribbean thanks to the swollen box office takings.
David Fincher’s remake of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is also heading our way in January along with Oscar favourite and Cannes sensation The Artist starring John Goodman alongside a French cast largely unknown outside of their native residence.
Clint Eastwood directs Leonardo DiCaprio in J.Edgar, the biopic of the world famous law enforcer and head of the FBI. Later in the year we can look forward to several massive blockbusters such as Marvel’s latest The Avengers, Christopher Nolan’s final film in his Batman trilogy Dark Knight Rises, Star Trek 2 and in December the long awaited first part to The Hobbit.
Finally, to be released in October we’ll be showing the 23rd Bond film now titled… wait for it… ‘Skyfall’. Yes you read me correctly. Not ‘You Only Fall Once’, or ‘Skyfalling is Forever’ or even ‘The Sky Falls Not Enough’, just plain old ‘Skyfall’. Fingers crossed the film is significantly better than its title.
The Electric Cinema, 47-49 Station Street, Birmingham B5 4DY
The Electric Cinema 0121 643 7879 www.theelectric.co.uk
The Coach & Horses at Ganbrough, Cotswolds
by Karen Jones
Karen Jones enjoys the hospitality and excellent food at the delightful Coach and Horses, a country pub in the heart of the beautiful Cotswolds
Stunning food in the heart of the countryside
Ever since Jon and Jane Kerr arrived at the Coach and Horses in Ganborough, Stow-on-the-Wold in 2010, the emphasis has been on serving superlative food and offering excellent service.
They have certainly made their mark in a little over 12 months.
The carefully-chosen menu comprises a choice of dishes that reflect the seasons and makes use of as much locally-grown produce as possible.
But quality control is just as important. Jon tells me that he only uses the most reputable suppliers for all his ingredients and tries to keep the “food miles” to a minimum.
Their eggs, for example, come from Billy’s free range chickens just down the road, while the bread is made by Toby at Lower Lodge Bakery, again just a few miles away (in fact, Lower Lodge Bakery produces specialty loaves that are unique to The Coach and Horses).
Game is also a big feature on the menu when it is in season and Jon and Jane calls upon the excellent game keeper in Phil, who lives practically a stone’s throw away.
He not only provides them with local estate pheasant, partridge, venison, duck and wood pigeon, he also brews their beer at Donnington Brewery.
The fruit and vegetables are also bought in from nearby suppliers whenever possible. You may well tuck into potatoes, broccoli, sprouts and carrots from Chipping Campden, as well as the nationally-renowned asparagus from the Vale of Evesham in springtime.
While seafood is understandably off the local radar, the menu might well include rainbow trout from the spring fed Donnington trout farm.
As you can see, local matters.
Jon and Jane produce different menus daily to reflect the ever changing availability of produce.
As a traditional English country inn, the Coach and Horses serves the homely staples of English cuisine, but Jon likes to ring the changes with something more modern to entice those with more Mediterranean tastes.
We dined there recently on a cold autumn evening and were immediately encouraged by the very warm atmosphere. With its cosy window seats and inviting open fires, beautiful beamed ceilings and original stone-flagged floors, it was a welcome sight for chilled bones.
As we warmed up and relaxed in the rustic dining room, we perused the menu that was packed with freshly-made, home-cooked dishes.
Despite the drop in temperature outside, the two of us each wanted a light starter that would whet our appetites.
My companion selected the oak smoked salmon that was served with capers, dressed leaf salad, dill and lemon mayonnaise.
It may be a simple dish, but it was superb, thanks to the quality of the ingredients. The smoked salmon was almost buttery and it was complemented by the sharp, juicy capers. It was beautifully presented, too.
I chose the grilled goat’s cheese with sherry roasted tomatoes and balsamic glazed beetroot salad. The creaminess of the cheese was married perfectly with the sharpness and sweetness of the accompanying ingredients. It was absolutely delicious.
For the main course my friend chose the rich risotto of chestnut and sage, which was served with roasted squash, mascarpone purée and sautéed wild mushrooms. This vegetarian delight was cooked perfectly. The rice was just al dente and mascarpone complemented the texture and flavour.
She declared the dish flawless and perfectly balanced. A risotto aficionado, my friend believed it was probably one of the best risottos she had ever eaten.
I ordered the local estate hen partridge breasts stuffed with chestnuts, mushrooms and cranberries, wrapped in Parma ham and served with wilted kale with wholegrain mustard and Malvern sea salt and bubble and squeak.
There was a lot going on, but it was utterly delightful. The partridge was beautifully cooked and the stuffing with its fruity edge complemented the meat. The wilted kale was spot on for this supper dish and the old favourite of bubble and squeak was taken to new heights of sophistication. I could have eaten a plateful of that alone.
We’d seen the appetising puddings that were leaving the kitchen to appreciative diners and made no hesitation in making a choice. We wanted the apple and butterscotch crumble with vanilla custard. What else could you want for a cold evening? Sweet, buttery, melting in the mouth … need I go on? It was superb.
Should you find yourself anywhere near Stow on the Wold, we’d recommend you book a table at the Coach and Horses. You will not be disappointed.
The Coach & Horses, Ganborough, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, GL56 0QZ
Tel: 01451 830 208 Email: info@coachandhorsesganborough.co.uk
www.coachandhorsesganborough.co.uk
Twitter: @coachhorsesgl56
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The Horseshoes, Bolly Wood Night
The Horseshoe
The Horseshoe Bar and Restaurant rolled out the red carpet in October as guests were treated to the ultimate Bollywood experience at the “Band Baaja Baarat” event.
Providing a heady mix of Bollywood pop, fine Indian cuisine and dancing, the event was to celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali. With the tasty dishes coming straight off the Horseshoe’s restaurant Chilli and Spice, guests were not disappointed as they tucked into some homemade style Punjabi dishes.
Tanveer Handa, owner of The Horseshoe said, “This year’s event was an overwhelming success. We really pulled out all the stops to make this Diwali Night a Bollywoodextravaganz., Diwali is a time to spend with family and friends and it was great to see so many people having a great time here”.
photography by steve fisher