Got the Springtime blues? You need the Salisbury Swingtime!

Where: The Salisbury Guildhall, Market Place, Salisbury

When: March 12th,  2009 (and then on April 15th, May 13th 2009)

What: Dancing, drinking (bar services by Abbey Stores), letting the good times flow

How much: Tickets cost £12.50 and are available from Abbey Stores, Coombe Bissett Stores, Nicholas Wine Shop and the Haunch of Venison. Limited to 200.

What time: 7.30pm to 10.oopm with the band on a 8pm.

Download the flyer (pdf) for more information or phone Graham Dalby, the organiser, on 07973 141492

The gig is in aid of local charity Naomi House children’s hospice.

Tickets £15, no concessions.  To book phone 01722 321 744.

The pub itself is low ceilinged and fairly small inside, with a busy standing bar area facing the entrance and chairs and tables laid out for dining. For me the nicest area was outside where one can either enjoy the large garden or cosy up in the covered and heated area, where smoking is permitted. There is a hatchway into the bar for service, although a trip to the loo means walking all the way to the front of the pub and in to the main entrance.

Last night was the Fifth annual V&A fireworks evening, with mulled wine, mulled Blavk Rat cider and a BBQ. The bar was also open, with a choice of 3 real ales (possibly 4). The only other cider available was Stowford Press which was slightly disappointing – it would have been nice to see at least onereal cider to choose from.

I tried a pint of Slater’s Supreme from Staffordshire – this was quite a pale browish ale, very bright ad in excellent condition. Very moreish and a good strength at 4.7%. I also ordered a pint of Paulaner – hoping it would be the cloudy wheat beer and a little disappointed that is was in fact the clear Pilsner. Still, a nice pint and in a stunning tall glass.

The star attraction was the mulled Black Rat. A hefty pan sitting on a burner with floating chunks of apple, the concoction itself was pretty good but much improved with a dose of dark rum from an illicit hip flask.

At around 9pm the 50 or so strong crowd of customers led out into the cold to watch the fireworks – we walked through the village to the underpass (I had no idea Netherhampton boasted anything as grand as an underpass) and into a neighbouring field where for a good 10 minutes or so fireworks erupted from up on the hillside. It was a good display, with donations to the Lion’s Club optional, only slightly marred with the tractor’s headlights illuminating the firing party, but also glaring the watching drinkers.

The procession back to the pub reminded me of Wassailing in Herefordshire, but without the comforting light from flaming torches. After being whipped in the face by an errant bramble I will remember a flashlight next year.

The BBQ was simply a burger or two sausages in a bun, with onions if required. Either was £3.00 which was reasonable, the mulled cider was also £3.00 for about half a pint which was OK, given the free fireworks. A round of four pints, including my Paulaner, came to £11.70, again OK.

Transport to and from, for the five of us, was by taxi from Value Cars initially with a fiendly and helpful driver, who explained that it was quite a quiet night so getting a taxi back would not be a problem. Unfortunately the night was so quiet the driver went home, leaving us slightly stranded until City Cabs Ltd sent no less than the boss himself to collect us. The fare each way for 5 people worked out at no more than £6.00 per head, including a tip.

All in all it was a really good night out to a nice pub with free entertainment. Well done the V&A and I look forward to next year.

For the more adventurous out there, or those with more time and less darkness, the V&A is a good bike ride from Salisbury centre along the path known as Broken Bridges. This route is hopefully going to be upgraded – read more at the Connect2/Sustrans website.

Featuring over 100 artists, showing in over 60 different venues, this is a great way to explore Salisbury and take in some culture at the same time.

To request a Trail Guide simply register your interest on the art trail website:

www.salisburyarttrail.co.uk

or for more information call 07961 689159 or email info@salisburyarttrail.co.uk

Abbey Stores are once again organising the beer, cider and wine tent and if you find your way to their homepage there is a free beer offer that you can take advantage of.

For more information about the Market Square event, and confirmed stall holders, please visit this page.

Visit the website for full details.

This year, the fair’s beer and wine tent is being run by Abbey Stores, so it’s bound to be brimming with only the finest beer and ciders. If you can only make it to one of the events of the week – I think that the beer and cider tent is the one to head for!

Find out more at the official website of the Salisbury Food & Drink Festival.

On Sunday 3rd September 2006, Old Sarum Flying Club will be holding an open day.

Old Sarum Airfield is the UK’s 2nd oldest operational airfield, opened in 1917. You can wander around looking at planes, and even get airborne on a first-come-first-served basis. There will be aerobatics, a loop-the-loop, and a rather British activity – flour bombing.

Link: Open Day flyer (PDF), Old Sarum Airfield on Google Maps

On Wednesday 7th we attended our second Salisbury International Arts Festival event

More info on the performance can be found on the website of Australia’s “The Age“.

There’s everything from Aboriginal dancing at Stonehenge (no, really!), fireworks over the cathedral, folk music, theatre, street shows, famous people reading books, and probably quite a lot of fluttering silk flags. And that’s just a taster for what’s on the full programme.

We’ll be heading to a few gigs and events, since it’s on our doorstep and quite hard to ignore! Photos will probably wend their way on here afterwards…