Corby - Arts & Craft

Corby Town leads the way yet again! In what will probably come to be known as the Great Hop Forward, Craft Beer has finally overtaken Smootfhflow Bitter and Carling as the beer of choice in Corby pubs and bars*. In a development that beer enthusiasts the length and breadth of the East Midlands will regard with a raised eyebrow and a twitch of well-oiled moustache, frothing pints of murky over-chilled hop-fizz are popping up literally everywhere in the town called Posh Paddys, just in time for the widely predicted Brown Bitter revival that’s sweeping London, again. It’s been quite a wait it’s true, but Corby is now just a smidge behind the current beer-trend, and that’s something worth raising a schooner** to…

(*unconfirmed as of 02/11/2023) (**schooner measure not currently available)

More of that beer breakthrough later though, because as if things couldn’t get more urban and chic in Corby, the spray can-tastic news is that ‘that’ Mr Banksy is in town! You read it here first! (though in truth you almost certainly read it in the Corby Telegraph first)

Fresh from last years epic Bill Drummond Tea & Scone jamboree (that we absolutely loved it must be said, do come back Bill), the fabulous Rooftop Arts in Corby Town have landed a collection of street art rarely seen outside of the nation's filthy concrete capitals, and Cheltenham. Some of which you can even buy, and with prices from £15 - £80,000 there's something for almost every pocket I think you’ll agree.

Whilst the freebie preview tickets got lost in the post again, we were more than happy to pay the thoroughly reasonable £7 entrance fee for a mooch around on a rainy Wednesday afternoon. The official opening day in fact, though sadly Banksy himself didn't put in an appearance (or did he?!). Nevertheless the two knowledgeable guides for the day included head honcho Dinah Kazakoff, herself fresh from twisting the arm of John Brandler, a man with a substantial collection of Banksy works and without which Corby would have to wait for the man himself to stencil The Cube one night. Dinah was (as usual) to the forefront of the exhibition and couldn't do enough to welcome us inside. Did I say how much we love Rooftop Arts? Well we love Rooftop Arts, it's a very special place that Corby folk should be well proud of. There, I've said it!

We goggled at the art, took a few photos at appropriately oblique angles, and bought a bit of classy merchandise for home. The lovely Klimt repro in the window and the classy David Hockney print (above) were sadly just outside our price range on this occasion, but would make ideal Christmas present ideas. For a pub blogger say...

It is of course a terrific exhibition, albeit that I much prefer coming across this kind of art 'in the wild' as it were. This exhibition also gave me the opportunity to dust off and charge up the proper camera for the first time in way too many years. I really must do that more often, it's much more fun...

The white heat of top urban art like this is sure to bring on a bit of a thirst, the white heat of top quality craft beer being my recommendation. So it gives me great pleasure to reveal Corby's latest entrant to the craft beer scene (if you've already read this in the Corby Telegraph just skip the next few paragraphs). One of Corby's best loved independent bars has manfully grasped the nettle, probably winced a little at the price, but given in to the inevitable 'March of the Crafties' and put our favourite Salt Brewery Jute Session Pale on the T-bar. Three cheers to an even posher Posh Paddys!

Of course we liked Posh Paddys before it went craft-crazy, a spot of authentic Irish Country & Western-style music adds half a point to the Guinness score I find, a good local live band a full Irish point! They do all manner of foodie things too, although you should know by now that that's not what I go to the pub for. I do go for the sport on occasion though.

There's usually a choice of sports on the big tellies, shockingly neither of which were football on the day we visited (sampling the Jute so that you also have to, £5.30 a pint, something of a bargain!). There was some kind of Jeux Sans Frontieres style madness on the righ-hand telly, featuring cyclists saddle-deep in mud and chain lube, not dressed as Rabbits! A re-enactment of the recent New Zealand/South Africa rugby world cup was on the big screen. I say re-enactment, they were using a much smaller ball, most of the Springbocks seemed to have been been sent off, with just the two remaining players swinging wildly at anyone and everyone with what looked like flattened Baseball Bats! Come on guys, it’s only a game…

The beer was terrific, go get it!...

The Steel Nerve exhibition runs until January 28th, the Rooftop Gallery is open Wed-Sun from 11-4pm. Adults £7, teens £3, under-12's Free.