REVIEW: Lincoln Day Out including James at Lincoln Castle

I’m not an author and wish to kinda write this as if I’m talking, via my mouth and brain.......so that’s what I shall do. Proofreaders not required...........

Marquis of Granby

So we met at my local with the intention of some form of breakfast to set us up for the day. Well neither Mel or myself were hungry so just a soft drink before we toddled off down the high street in the direction of the Station. Now the Marquis has been my local for all 10 of the years I have lived in Sleaford and it still wouldn’t be if I disliked it. However one day, when I’m brave enough, I could give it a full on Carey review! What do ya think?......we shall see.

The Ivy

So the early walk to the station meant the opportunity for a swift beer in the Marquis’ sister pub. I only really visit the Ivy on occasions such as this, or after midnight at the weekends. On both those scenarios it meets my needs, however I would never use it otherwise. Why? It’s just a bit nothing! When the current owners took it over, they gutted what was a traditional lounge and saloon bar set up. At the time they were going more food led, now, for one reason or another, it’s entertainment led and the small bar in its poor location just kills any vibe I’m sure it once had. The seating, the layout , the decor....it screams of a venue that just doesn’t really know what it is and with that, gives you the feeling of....well, nothing.

.....in between

Now my real only criticism of moving from the South to here, is the transport system. It’s approximately a 30min journey and luckily it’s not the footy season but bear in my mind shoppers, bear in mind the new-ish craze that is day drinking, well here’s the train times; 10:18, 12:44 (our one), 14:42..... then think 2x carriages at best = stupidity! Oh and don’t even get me started I can’t get a train to the capital of my new found county on a Sunday.....that imaginary bloke has a lot to answer for! Fortunately with acute train door tracking and an air of confidence, seats were secured!

So because it’s busy the conductor doesn’t even attempt a ticket check but Lincoln has barriers, this will now take additional skills to navigate. So we go right, vigilante that left wasn’t going to work and the ticket office was right as well but beyond the barrier and located more in a waiting room than anything else. Eye contact made with ticket dude....’hello we didn’t manage to get tickets and nobody came around on our train’ says I. ‘No problem Sir, I’ll let you through, just visit the ticket office on the left’ says he. ‘No problem’ says I.....and then, all of a sudden I have departed the station and in the beautiful Lincoln city sunshine. Who knows what the ticket office looked like, maybe I’ll find out next time.

I know, know......it’s coz of CUNTS like me that they only put on two carriage trains every two hours. Shut up!

The MailBox

So as we headed up the shopping section of the high street but before we start the steady incline, we swung left and head to The Mailbox for a well earned beer and we think this time some food. Now I quite like this place, considering it’s a pub company rollout, this one from Stonegate. It’s one of those that offers a bit of everything but without it being too in your face. Music, sport and grub is their go to and the crowd is a mixed one. Maybe that’s why I like it and maybe why it had such an eclectic feel, although saying that it could be said for multiple Lincoln venues. Let’s remember it’s 2pm, I may not think that if it was 2am....but hey that’s why I love day drinking! A cracking little outside area where Mel and I took in some rays, people watched and mulled over the extensive but not too big a menu. Chicken tenders, spicy sauce, onion rings and flatbread wrap were enough to take the edge of the hunger without blowtation! Food was pretty good but like any of these ‘chains’ it always depends how well they have trained the 4yr old at the fryer. Well unlike the Prince of Wales (same pub company) at the Bailgate, these guys put their training in. So another successful Mailbox visit was had.

.....in between

We discussed where the next port of call should be, as the aim was to get up that hill by around 7pm and therefore only a stones through from the Castle where the gig was being held. Now at the very best of times, walking past a sex shop without taking time out to give it some attention, is just damn right rude. So as tame as Anne Summers is and how little Mel thought we would, suddenly we were in and perusing its latest offering. Unfortunately for one reason or another, of which I’m gonna swerve, our visit was cut short. The march to our next watering hole increased like the settings on a rampant rabbit.

So we continue our assent and at the junction that houses the now closed down TGI Friday, we hang a right and come off the beaten track. This junction also houses a geezer, holding a sign advertising a karaoke bar in the direction we will travel. So it’s either a sense of comical stupidity or that I am basically a child, or a combination of both that I do this;

‘Hello mate, can you tell me where the karaoke bar is?’

Huckleberry

So from the outside it looks like a modern traditional pub, upon entering its near enough a restaurant with a smidge of a pub-ness. No outside area and that it was quiet, we did only stay for one. However we did peruse the menu and would certainly consider returning to sample their food. Heavy American influence sees ribs, brisket, wings, dogs, chilli and burgers as the staple, with a good load of starters, sides and desserts to match. Our visit was short, however the staff and ambience were pleasant, the ‘pub’ clean and that menu defo deserves a revisit.

Rosie OReillys

I visited this place only a couple of weeks earlier for the first time, it was fantastic. Today we arrived earlier than previously, just the two of us but with the intention of meeting Ali-G’s ex....me-Julie and Scottish Michael, who’s first job in England is at Iceland, at least he’ll be use to the cold. The fact it was earlier made a huge difference to atmosphere but the free shot flyers meant a good start. However a Jameson and pickled water isn’t my go to! Now I’ve never been to Ireland so can’t compare but if we take the music, the kinda dingy feel and (no not today) the raucous vibes.....I think it may get close (allegedly). This place is in the bottom of the nightclub Home and is well worth a visit, I think this time around we were in there around 3pm..I’d suggest 5pm for more fun times. Getting served, irrelevant of how busy it is, seems to be an issue. Imagine Marquis, Sleaford with, yeah you guessed it .....over Marquis, Sleaford with Lisa. Visit though, maybe more as a group than a couple or 4some.

Straight and Narrow

So this place is on the edge, not like a rough shit hole, as in its the last watering hole before the climb. Those that have not visited this amazing city, google Steep Hill, it’s beautiful but slightly tough on the legs. Anyway..... it’s packed, I guess everyone is doing the same and getting their final liquid refreshment in before the climb. I think I’ve only been in here when it’s busy and that’s not a bad thing. James T-shirts were a plenty as we navigated our way to a bar packed with a great spirit shelf and alternative beers on tap. Service was sharp (no I won’t visit that joke again), so under pressure and the inability to not be overwhelmed....... ‘a couple of Stella’s please mate’.......for 5 seconds I thought I was staring in the classic, ‘Men Behaving Badly’. Maybe if I’d of looked harder, a couple bottles of Plop could have been ours......one for the kids.

We managed to grab a seat and converse with each other before finding a phone on the wall..

.....now these phones could call others seats and areas within the bar and being a dick-head I enjoyed myself profusely.....chatting shit to people I’ll never have to meet......unfortunately these people seemed to be scaffolders from Essex. We go again!

Staff brilliant, atmosphere great......i can’t help however, that the near perfect location makes this place.

Craft

This will be a short review, not for good or bad, just coz. This was my third visit here and to be honest without the outside area it’s pretty nothing, however I should make that judgement again this winter. Cracking outside area, obviously.....good dj with summer tunes, fire pits and alternative seating.

Staff, there were a lot of them, however they didn’t seem to overly understand what they were doing. The lay out inside was food led and if I’m honest, I have no idea if they actually sold food! I’d be gobsmacked if they didn’t.

Prices were reasonable, toilets clean but something sits with me that it’ll be a bit shit come November. Happy to be proved wrong.

PopWorld

Well where do I start! Beers had been consumed and why the fuck was this place open......Day-Drinking was why! This is one of those places you have to go downstairs to. It reminded me of going to gigs 30+ years ago in random places with Uncle Keith, only to find them so fucking cool or legendary music venues. This wasn’t that time, this was PopWorld.... whoever this was historic Lincoln and I was greeted at the bottom of said stairs, with ancient ruins.

I’m not a connoisseur of PopWorlds, thankfully (from what transpires, why the fuck not?) but I don’t think their name and ‘ancient ruins’ often go hand in hand.

Anyway after being taken a back by the ruins, I head to the bar..... to what I very much expected. A couple of students thinking they are the best cocktail Jonnies in the world.....not for me, ‘Bottle of Moretti and an ASHAI please’.......We were in couples rounds, so decided to stick within that, apart from shots. We order 4 on top of our drinks, Me-Julie and Iceland did the same......now here is where it all went....’wrong’ / ‘shall we even bother going to James at the Castle’...... 2xBeers, 4xShots.....that I’ll be £12.33. I was so very close to telling Tom ‘Cunting’ Cruise that his till must of been from his 80s Classic ‘Cocktail’ but I didn’t, I’m nearly 50, be mature Carey.....for once. So this was the price.......I with mouth wide open, walked away, drinks in hand.

Now if you hadn’t been to PopWorld and after this review, if you haven’t, you will. There is like a ‘Staying Alive’ dance floor...... squares, colours and music. If between 20-30yrs of age, have somewhere to go that isn’t an alley...YOU WILL GET SEXY TIME! Hen nights a plenty and well, the sites were interesting..... More shots were had, I even stepped on the hallow dance floor. However we were James bound, the G-Julie and Ice-man could stay, in-FACT when we left them I believe they were exhausted and sat down......we were off to get LAID.

POP-WORLD.....do it..x

Lincoln Castle: James

Again, if you haven’t been to the greatest small City in the country.....then you are an idiot!

It’s fucking beautiful, ancient, unique, historic, educational, joyous, respectful and most of all I REALLY like it.

So we enter the castle security point, situated opposite the Magna Carta…..with both our handbags at the ready! They took my frigging perfume and with no collection point, I didn’t even have the opportunity to pick it up after. Although the guy behind me had a squirt before it was disregarded!

Upon entering the main arena, I was pleasantly surprised and looking forward to what was to come. After giving PopWorld the love it required, we didn’t see the support..... I have absolutely no idea who it was. So after navigating the crowd, we head to the very large and very well staffed beer tent. So here is my only complaint.....firstly no draft, secondly, price obviously. £6.40 for a 330ml (coke can) Estrella! Now I accept it will be pricey and if they were pint cans I’d of been ok but this was too much in my eyes.....however, like us all....we crack on and pay!

I’m not a general fan of outdoor gigs and this is 90% down to the sound, it’s generally not great and as mentioned earlier, I have frequented some of the greatest venues in this country. When at larger venues/outside gigs, I tend to steer myself to the sides. I think it still offers you a good view but you get a bit more personal space and easier to escape to the toilet and bar. So we were set, it was a beautiful Lincolnshire evening, a beautiful venue, in beautiful company. Now James, where are you.....

.....oh hold on, hold on.....toilets. So where we were stood was very close to the hospitality area and their toilets. The general toilet area was over the other side and if I remember rightly, Mel headed over there first. When it was my turn and with an air of beer fuelled confidence it was time to blag the hospitality bogs! The area was surrounded by stewards, so I had to be on my game here.....it was time for the A card but how was I gonna convince these dudes and dudettes that I deserved a place inside the golden thrown? Hmmmm, come on Carey, think......think damn it! Right....I’ve got it;

Steward: ‘Sorry sir, these toilets are for hospitality ticket holders’

Carey: ‘Yes sorry I do understand, I find crowded areas and queuing difficult. I spoke to your head office and they emailed to say I could use these facilities instead.’ (While talking, I’m scrolling through my emails, while allowing him to kind of see what I’m doing but not. I ‘find’ the ‘email’ and wave it quickly and frantically in his face.)

Steward: ‘That’s fine sir, go ahead’

Carey: ‘Thanks buddy’

For the rest of the evening both myself and Mel had beautiful weeing facilities, where only occasionally I had to waggle my phone in the direction of my new found steward-friend.

NB; I’m not mocking here, I have children that find these situations very stressful….. they are real. As an adult I have handled my Autism to the best of my ability, this situation doesn’t particularly affect me, there are plenty that do. I used my knowledge, cheekiness, beer and confidence to have a nicer day. I won’t apologise for that.

....so James.

First seeing them for both of us. I have always admired from a far without being a proper fan, so the chance to see them close by and in a beautiful setting was too good an opportunity to pass. I’m not a music reviewer, I like what I like so this will be short. What did strike me was the sound, it was good and I was happy with that. The other and I knew this because I’d been barking it to others in the lead up, was just how many James tunes I knew without really knowing them. They were polished in all areas, and the fact the lead singer was on one crutch (he fell off the stage a couple of nights before) didn’t dampen his spirits or his unique dance moves. When I saw polished, it is with a sense of annoyance due to preferring the rawness of music and hearing the songs how they were originally written and once performed. I understand bands that have been together for decades need to not be bored, however I like the original tracks that led me to follow or listen to their music. I’m off to the Stereophonics in December and I’m concerned it may be a little similar. However tonight I had been entertained, having not seen them before the ‘polished’ issue didn’t bother me as much as it may have done. I’d certainly see them again and as long as there is someone I barely like, I’ll be back at the castle next year!

Set List

Five-O / Seven / She's A Star / Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) / Stay / Better With You / Just Like Fred Astaire / Moving On / Attention / Shadow Of A Giant / Heads / Leviathan / Say Something / Tomorrow / Sit Down / Beautiful Beaches / Born Of Frustration / Sometimes / Laid

The Final Leg plus Trebles

Exiting the Castle was smooth and we decided to head down the hill, get away from the crowd, grab a beer and see what uber was going to cost.

We, for reasons I have no idea on, chose Trebles for our final beer. I was full of beer and can’t really recall loads and we weren’t there long. What did spring to mind was that it seemed very studenty and I was possibly the eldest in there!

£45 Uber and 25 mins later we are back with bed beckoning.

Lincoln I love you.x