Hearty Tales & Tasty Ales!

There's something about sitting in a nice comfortable pub, nursing a pint of ale and listening to a well told story as the Sun goes down, especially when the pub is renowned for both its beer and its atmosphere and the story telling is for a deserving charity. So, when I found out (big thanks to Leanne from Nottingham's Young CAMRA branch) that the Hand & Heart was hosting an evening of story telling in aid of the Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire Air Ambulance, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to brave last night's fiendish weather and go down and find out what was happening.

Situated on Derby Road, a literal stone's throw from Canning Circus, the Hand & Heart started its commercial life as a brewery in 1866. The building comprised of a Georgian house with stables to the rear and a cave below. The beers were brewed in the converted stables and dropped into the cave for storage. Soon after, when the Victorian shop front was added, it started to retail beer as a public house. Later, in the early 60s, the roof terrace was replaced by a glass conservatory. Whilst it has seen many changes, the building has retained its character and atmosphere. After trading for many years, the pub closed in 2004, and was reopened in 2008. With the addition of a tiled floor in the 1970s and wooden cladding to some of the walls, the cave is still in its original state. The conservatory area is now the Garden Room Restaurant. As a freehouse, the Hand & Heart is famous for its selection of real ales, both hand pulled and direct from the barrel, as well as a large selection of wines by the glass. Since re-opening in 2008, the pub has had several good reviews in local press for its food and reviews in real ale magazines including last year's pub of the year award from CAMRA.

After getting a slight soaking, I arrived approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of 7.30pm. As the event itself was taking place in the upstairs seating area, I had enough time to procure a drink and find a suitable table. I was spoilt for choice with regards to ale. 8 hand pulls are in use at any one time and after a brief period of deliberation, and a taster to finalise my decision, I opted for a pint of Stormbringer from Copthorne Brewery. This was a very good choice. 4.5%, ruby coloured and very smooth with a good sweet balance and a slightly creamy finish. It was very tasty after the rather wet journey into town! Making our way upstairs, we were greeted by the evening's story tellers, Mike and Dave from The Woolly Tellers. They regularly carry out similar events throughout Nottinghamshire and beyond, usually for charity and a quick glance at their list of upcoming events sounds very interesting indeed. I paid the entry fee of £4 and grabbed a table by the window overlooking a rain-swept Derby Road. Reserving tickets online or buying before the day of the event took £1 off of the fee but, with all the ticket money going to charity, I don't mind shelling out the whole amount. As myself and the other attendees settled into the surroundings, we were informed that the telling would get underway around 8pm, giving us time to discuss what to expect. My initial thoughts were that we would be taken into the world of local folktales from Nottingham and further afield but I wasn't entirely sure quite exactly what we'd gotten ourselves into. With 10 minutes to go until the start, I had time to get a 2nd pint in to tide me over. I settled for a pint of Pugin's Gold Bicentenary Ale from Peakstones Brewery. As the name suggests, this was golden in colour, fruity with a hint of citrus, a dry, hoppy aroma and a soft finish. Not bad for an ale of 4.0%!

Shortly after I returned to my seat, the evening proper got underway. It quickly became clear that whilst it wasn't exactly what I'd had in mind, that I wouldn't be disappointed. The stories took the form of childhood anecdotes from the 2 main storytellers and some more macabre, ghostly tales from elsewhere. Helpfully, the evening was divided into 2 segments with the stories in each varying considerably. Firstly, we had the heart-rending tale of Jack, one of those stereotypical 'local weirdo' types who, it turns out, was the lucky survivor of a crippled submarine in WWII, an experience that affected him greatly, and probably a few of us listening too. The second story was a comical tale of chaos caused in a 1950s Sneinton street, by a Swedish exchange student taking a play performed in English class rather too literally. The next tale on offer was a very atmospheric, and gruesome, tale of a Medieval Scottish community and their repeated failed attempts to kill a witch who was destroying their livelihoods. This last tale came complete with a moment that made everyone in the room jump and was a perfect end to the first half.
Following a short interlude, which gave everyone time for a toilet break and a return to the bar, the 2nd half began. Accompanying me for the next stage was a pint of Gold from the John Thomson Brewery based in Ingleby, Derbyshire. At 4.5%, this golden ale had a soft hop aroma and an unusual tangy taste, with hints of malt. By the time the next collection of stories began, the Sun had set and the addition of candles on every table added a nice, cosy touch to the atmosphere, despite the cold permeating from the single glazing behind us. Next up, guest teller Mark regaled us with the tale of a Polish gold hunter and his attempt to trick his way out of being tortured by Indians in the frozen hell of the Klondike gold rush. This was followed by a connected tale, 50 years in the future, of the dying reminiscences of one of the chief antagonists. The final 2 tales were chilling in their own way, helped substantially by the atmosphere and the flickering candlelight. Firstly, we were treated to the tale of a down and out farrier whose life was turned around by possession of a pair of murderer's boots that were kept in storage in an old jail in 19th century Nottingham. This was followed by the story of an Ashbourne reveller's terrifying encounter with a ghostly car after missing the last bus home. And then, in what seemed like a flash, the evening was over.

A quick glance around the room proved that all of those present had been enraptured by what they had witnessed. The applause rang out, email details were scribbled down by those of us who wanted details of future events and we managed a heartfelt thank you as the atmosphere cleared and we made our way out with promises to return for the Halloween event which I, for one, am very excited about. As I made our way back into town in search of a taxi, I thought about the evening. I had thoroughly enjoyed the event, the only exceptions being the cold and the wobbly table leg that made the choice of seating structurally suspect. However, despite these minor quibbles, everything was excellent. Stories are not heard like this as often as they should be. The oral tradition as it used to be known is dying out and it's a shame. Stories have always been, and always should be told face-to-face, in pubs or around camp fires, as the sun comes up or the sunset tinges the sky to orange and pink. There really are not enough people doing things like this. I'm a big believer in the power of a good story and, even though I'm a big reader, you can't beat the atmosphere and the feeling you get from stories told as they were meant to be told. This is the reason why Shakespeare should be performed and not read. I would urge anyone with the slightest interest in stories, be they ghostly tales, love stories, tales of heartbreak or heroism, or even their favourite book read out loud, to experience story telling in this way. I can promise you that you certainly won't regret it.