As a passing hurricane, or what is left of it, creates a humid atmosphere, sudden downpours and fast moving clouds, the “Wipers” prepares for its final long Bank Holiday weekend of outdoor concerts, and these (and the food) have been attracting good audiences – see photo above.
The Force 10 Big band features on Saturday, 4-8pm; the Jake Hertz Trio are on stage Sunday, 3-5:30pm, and the outdoor stage bows out on Bank Holiday Monday August 28, 3:30-7:30 pm with the Rockitmen.
The “Wipers”, or Ypres Castle Inn, lies behind the castle with garden views across the river and is just below the gun garden – where our photographers perched last weekend.
The sun was out last Saturday, August 19, as the top photo shows, for the first gig – but a sudden rush of pub staff from the outside bar next to the stage with sun shades showed that an approaching black cloud was really bad news.
And they were right. Despite sheltering under a shade I forgot my back was sticking out and my jacket got rather wet.
However a few pints of cider later I ignored this and the second gig stayed dry, but – as the photo below shows – the shades stayed up as the sun went down . . . just in case.
As the outdoor stage goes, the “Wipers” will return in September to indoor gigs on Friday nights (9:30pm) and Sunday afternoons (4pm) with Open Mic nights on the first Tuesday of the month from 8:30pm.
Photos: John Minter and Heidi Foster