R
rocketman
Guest
Glad to hear that you all enjoyed and appreciated the wonders of the Bartons Arms (NB no apostrophe!). Did you know that it's also one of the few pubs in Birmingham to be featured in a novel? It was the meeting place of the Aston Villains in Ron Dawson's book, The Last Viking, a bunch of Brummie WW2 veterans who pulled off the world's greatest heist back in 1954. More details are at www.thelastviking.co.uk or www.oakham-ales.co.uk/bartonabout.asp . Keep frothing!
The first chapter of Ron Dawson's novel, The Last Viking, (see www.thelastviking.co.uk) features one of the Revue Shows the Hipp used to stage back in the fifties. It was called 'Heatwave' and Ron actually saw the show. It graphically desribes the contrast between the shivering nude models in the 'artistic tableaux' and the Hipp's depleted orchestra playing 'We're having a heatwave!' Great stuff!
There can't be many Brummie cemetries or crems that are the starting point of a novel, but that's just how Ron Dawson's novel, The Last Viking, kicks off, with the cremation of one of the leading characters at the Perry Barr Crematorium followed by a tour of a villain's delights back in the 1950's. More details are on www.thelastviking.co.uk .
Oisin's wonderful image of a Viking helmet and the Bartons Arms. You might well ask, 'What's the Link?' Well now I've found one! In Ron Dawson's novel a Brummie gang calling themselves the Aston Villains pulled off the world's last proper Viking raid and the world's greatest robbery, ie they were the last vikings. The first chapter has them meeting up in the Bartons back in 1954 while across the road the Aston Hipp was staging a revue called 'Heatwave'. For more details see www.thelastviking.co.uk
The first chapter of Ron Dawson's novel, The Last Viking, (see www.thelastviking.co.uk) features one of the Revue Shows the Hipp used to stage back in the fifties. It was called 'Heatwave' and Ron actually saw the show. It graphically desribes the contrast between the shivering nude models in the 'artistic tableaux' and the Hipp's depleted orchestra playing 'We're having a heatwave!' Great stuff!
There can't be many Brummie cemetries or crems that are the starting point of a novel, but that's just how Ron Dawson's novel, The Last Viking, kicks off, with the cremation of one of the leading characters at the Perry Barr Crematorium followed by a tour of a villain's delights back in the 1950's. More details are on www.thelastviking.co.uk .
Oisin's wonderful image of a Viking helmet and the Bartons Arms. You might well ask, 'What's the Link?' Well now I've found one! In Ron Dawson's novel a Brummie gang calling themselves the Aston Villains pulled off the world's last proper Viking raid and the world's greatest robbery, ie they were the last vikings. The first chapter has them meeting up in the Bartons back in 1954 while across the road the Aston Hipp was staging a revue called 'Heatwave'. For more details see www.thelastviking.co.uk
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