2000 Jag Day
Frosty at first - dry, fine, sunny day
Collected for British Heart Foundation £180
Mini Bus hired from Ready Rent a Van, Normanby Road Scunthorpe £37.60
Start at Steve Hindley’s
Gainsborough
White Horse 10.00. Closed
Lords 10.05. Closed
Gainsborough Market Place 10.20. Ploughjag
Xtra (ex RumRunner, ex Black Bull) 10.50. Ploughjag, tunes and songs
Messingham
The Horn Inn 13.00. Ploughjag, lunch & a few songs
Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe Precinct (outside Burton’s) 15.30. Ploughjag
Pig and Whistle 16.00. Ploughjag, songs and tunes
Kirton in Lindsey 17.00. Tea at Lynda and Geoff Convery’s
Scotter
The Gamekeeper 20.30. Ploughjag, songs and tunes
Scotton
The Three Horseshoes 22.00 Ploughjag, songs and tunes
Characters
Rag Fool Eamon Greene s
Recruiting Sergeant Geoff Convery s
The Lady Gordon Griffin s
The Horse Dave Hoy
Joe Straw Steve Hindley m
Flash Hatman Keith Brown
Beelzebub Dave Barlow s
The Doctor Geoff Miller s
Dame Jane Geoff Turner
Besom Betty Geoff Turner s
Musician/Marine Sergeant Major Kate Bilmore Gainsborough and evening
Musician/ St George Peter Barnard Gainsborough and evening
Musician Jerry Oakes Gainsborough only
White Horse closed! Lords - closed! What a start to the 21st century?
It had become so traditional to start here that no reconnaissance was carried out in Gainsborough. The White Hart was open, but only serving tea and coffee until 11.00 a.m. The barmaid also drew attention to the notice that work boots and clothes were not acceptable dress in the establishment. Consequently the Ploughjag was performed in Gainsborough Market place, without the benefit of alcohol for the first time in many years. And early! Whilst other members of the cast were looking around for a pub that was open Gordon Griffin was availing himself of a bacon butty, and having his fortune told by a gypsy woman at the same time. Did she foretell that the reading would be cut short by the start of the Ploughjag performance?
Kate Bilmore, Jerry Oakes and Peter Barnard managed to catch up with the jag in time for the start. A good-sized crowd gathered to watch the spectacle. Geoff Turner managed a brilliant debut as Dame Jane, and he combined it with the role of Besom Betty by subtle change of wig and headgear. This was a last minute change due to Bob Schild having to call off, having seriously damaged his ankle and being unable to drive or walk. Geoff’s performance was made more remarkable by the fact that he had only one-day notice and no rehearsal.
After the Jag another check round the pubs found that The Eight Jolly Brewers was closed, and a verse and chorus of ‘A pub with no beer’ was greeted by a woman’s sour looking face at the window. The Xtra (ex The Rum Runner, ex The Black Bull) was open and selling appetising looking breakfasts, but not beer until 11.00 a.m. It was decided to stay there, as the bar staff were at least friendly. A performance of the jag, and some songs and tunes was followed by a welcome pint at the appointed hour. According to the barmaid the licensing laws had been changed in Gainsborough for the last two years, (This was not born out by Ploughjag experience). Apparently the Lords pub was closed permanently. (Not confirmed).
Whilst travelling to Messingham, and after performing the jag in The Horn Inn there was a noticeable lack of songs and tunes as the characters expressed their comments on the change to licensing in Gainsborough, but a few songs were managed before moving on after a very good value lunch.
Scunthorpe Precinct was, again, a venue of mixed reception. Some people stopped to watch, some ignored the proceedings all together, and some young lads made things difficult by attempting to pick up items of kit, and spraying the characters with spray ‘string’. At one time kids would have been in awe of the spectacle.
Pig and Whistle. Jim Hancock and Allison Gennery joined here. A good Ploughjag performance was well received, as were a few tunes and songs, until some people put money into the jukebox and stood there feeding it. The landlord’s comments were that they were paying money and therefore he would not turn the jukebox off. Obviously live music has little place in some establishments. An early retreat ensued.
After an excellent tea at ‘the Converys’, a short visit to the Malt Shovel in Ashby was well received, both the jag and subsequent songs and tunes. Kate Bilmore and Peter Barnard rejoined the team here.
Another modern phenomenon was encountered at the Gamekeeper, i.e. the large screen television screen. The jag was reduced to performing to only a dozen or so people in the dining area, to avoid incurring the wrath of people in the main body of the pub, who were watching Manchester United being beaten in the first football World Club Cup finals. Jim Hancock, who, with Rob Bennett and Rob Whitfield, had carried out the reconnaissance reported that the television screen was not a permanent feature of this pub and must have been brought in for the one occasion.
Memories of all previous set backs were dispelled at the Three Horseshoes where the Ploughjag was very well received, and a rousing three hours of singing and playing tunes raised everyone’s spirits. The landlord provided sandwiches, and Chris Marshall on 12-string guitar, and the singing of Julia Pollock swelled the group yet more. The day ended on a very good note: - F#. I think.
Team Photo at West Common Crescent - Jim Hancock
Gainsborough Market place photos by Peter Barnard and David? a photographer friend of Eamon, who was taking photos for the Lincolnshire Life Magazine. Photos in Xtra by Peter Barnard.
