The Fish and Chip Van Tour

Alan Tomlinson - trombone

Photo © Simon Thackray

An original art event by, and copyright of, Simon Thackray. All rights reserved. Photo © Simon Thackray.

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Yorkshire Evening Press 12 November

The Fish And Chip Van Tour, Ryedale villages

by Charles Hutchinson

NORTON chippie Steve Tate has been doing his Tuesday night fish-and-chip run through Ryedale's winding roads for four years.

He is used to strange things happening: only last year his frying trailer was stolen, never to be traced. "I'm still looking out for it, and I'd still recognise it," he says.

Steve is at the wheel of his van on a damp, not-too-chilly Tuesday night. Behind him is his replacement trailer, funded partly by a Countryside Agency grant. Beside him is a journalist and a trombone player, not his usual companionship on his journey. (Son Steve, mini-Steve in his identical frying gear, is in a following car, driven by The Shed pioneer of improvised arts events, Simon Thackray).

Simon had hit upon the idea of accompanying the launch of The Shed's first photography exhibition at Brawby Village Hall with music and mushy peas.

Trombonist Alan Tomlinson is among the improvised musicians pictured in Jo Fell's show, and the London-based Mancunian had agreed to play not only at the village hall but at all seven stops on Steve's fry-up. His fee: fish, chips and mushy peas, plus beer and tea to keep his mouth and lips on the move in this most physical form of instrument playing.

The plan was to start at Slingsby at 4.45pm and officially end the tour at Amotherby at 9.05pm, but the van is running almost an hour behind schedule by only the fourth stop, Great Barugh, such is the turn-out to observe a more surreal twist on that Lurpak advert with the particularly perky trombone player.

The Lurpak lad liked to butter up Penelope Keith with a tune; Alan Tomlinson greets the intrusion of a tune much like swatting away a wasp. "You make your instrument shout and scream, you play chords, suck and blow notes, make different effects and noises," he says, before whirling round and round, dizzying himself in the village hall.

His music goes where the mood takes him, one moment inspired by the sizzling sound of fish being dropped into the fryer, another time by Steve pressing his siren to announce his arrival at Brawby. Alan duly finds a klaxon horn in his bag to use in his next solo piece.

That bag of curios contains even WD40 and piles cream for lubricating the trombone. Not ketchup, however. That's left to Steve and his Tuesday night fish fry. Very tasty.

8.35pm, and Alan is still blowing strong... three stops to go.

© Charles Hutchinson, Yorkshire Evening Press

Yorkshire Post feature by John Woodcock
Guardian story by Martin Wainwright

The Fish and Chip van tour | Timetable | Press Release | Photos | Links


Review: Yorkshire Evening Press - The Shed's Greatest Hits

The Fish and Chip van tour

Concept: Simon Thackray Produced by The Shed
Original tour sponsored by Sirdar
Original tour supported by Arts and Business

The Shed is supported by Arts Council England, Yorkshire and Ryedale District Council
The Shed is a Registered Trade Mark of Simon Thackray © Simon Thackray 1992 - 2008

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

The Fish and Chip van tour attracts considerable interest from media and PR companies and radio and TV programme makers. Features have appeared on Minster FM, Classic FM, LBC Radio, BBC Radio York and BBC Radio Leeds, Yorkshire Television, Tyne Tees Television, Guardian, Richard and Judy Show, BBC Music Magazine, Yorkshire Post, Yorkshire Evening Press, Gazette & Herald, Ryedale Mercury, Scarborough Evening News, The Journal, Artscene and the websites worldwide. Special thanks to Steve Tate's Mobile Fish and Chips for collaborating on this project.

The Fish and Chip van tour is an original art event by, and copyright of, Simon Thackray. All rights reserved.

'For the past 15 years, The Shed, near the market town of Malton, has been responsible for some of the smallest and most inspired art events in the country.' Alfred Hickling Guardian