2015 Jag Day
Fine day but overcast
Minibus from Ready rent a Car
Collect for British Heart Foundation- £324 plus 10 euros and one Australian Dollar (collections are becoming cosmopolitan.)
Start - West Common Crescent, Scunthorpe
11.00 Market Place, Gainsborough
Lunch at Sweyn Forkbeard
12.10 Horse and Jockey, Gainsborough
12.45 The Tap house (formerly Lords and The Tiger)
13.30 Eight Jolly Brewers, Gainsborough
14.45 Sun and Anchor, Scotter
15.30 The Pink Pig Farm Shop, Bottesford
17.00 Malt Shovel - Ashby
Tea at The Malt Shovel
19.00 Malt Shovel - Ashby
20.00 Three Horse Shoes, Scotton
21.30 The Ironstone Wharf, Gunness.
Characters
Rag Fool Eamon Greene s
The Lady Gordon Griffin
Recruiting Sergeant Geoff Convery s
The Horse Colin Spence
Joe Straw Steve Hindley musician
Flash Hatman Keith Brown s
Dame Jane Martin Campbell
Beelzebub Dave Barlow s
The Doctor Geoff Miller s
Besom Betty Gordon Griffin
Goth Hatman Dot Griffin s
The Green Man Dick Skinner musician
Musician Jerry Oakes (Gainsborough only)
A sad start to the day as Geoff Turner was very ill and unable to take part this year.
This year we were accompanied by our videographer, Chris Marshall, from the start of the day- I hope there was not too much bad language recorded in the bus!! There was a good lot less singing than normal.
A new 'son' and besom were purchased for Dame Jane and Besom Betty.
We got off to a good start with a reasonable crowd in Gainsborough Market Place, although we were somewhat bewildered on the way there in the minibus by the sound of horses hooves seeming to follow us. Colin Spence (as the Horse) had perfected an excellent hoofbeat using coconut shells (the old ideas often are the best!).
We then went for breakfast at the Sweyn Forkbeard pub as arranged by Molly. Unfortunately the breakfasts took longer to arrive than expected and we were then behind programme for much of the day.
Just a quick call in at the Horse and Jockey to do the Jag then off to a new place -The Taphouse. Now this pub has a long history with the Plough Jag having previously been The Tiger and then Lords. Under new management, the pub has good beer and a cheery welcome from a friendly landlord and staff. Molly now runs folk sessions at The Taphouse. Let us hope that the new incarnation is successful.
The Eight Jolly Brewers was, as always, a popular and crowded venue. The staff provided pork pies again this year – just the thing!
At Scotter, at the Sun and Anchor we received a warm welcome from landlady & landlord Julia and John Chevalier who were about to endure their 2nd Plough Jag, and there was an enthusiastic audience!
The Pink Pig was almost boycotted this year due to some issues by Bottesford residents regarding housing planning applications by the owner. However, we did arrive and performed to a goodly crowd, even if it was a bit later in the day than in previous years.
The Malt Shovel at Ashby was the next venue and we were also planning to eat there. A good arrangement by Mary-Anne Hindley of taking the meal orders in the morning and pre-booking tables and meals for a fixed time made this an easy operation in what is a very busy pub. (Should have tried this at Sweyn Forkbeard) The clientele changes quite quickly as people finish their meals and leave, so a different audience was available by the time we had finished eating. Two Jags Hindley strikes again!
At the Three Horse Shoes at Scotton we were joined by ex-Jaggers Jim Hancock and Bob Cleveland and the Jag performance was followed by a singing session in the conservatory. Thanks again to John and Denise Butler for putting up with us.
No Jag this year at the Ferry House Inn in Burton Upon Stather as Steve Smith, the landlord, went on holiday and closed the pub. He did apologise and invite us to go later in the year. The landlady at the Ironstone Wharf in Gunness was happy for us to end the evening with a Jag performance and singing session at her pub and this turned out to be a relaxed and enjoyable end to another busy Jag Day.
