Saturday 27 March 2010

Torkard Cider on the media trail...

The last couple of weeks have been very busy for us from a local media point of view.

Budget day was the day when we were contacted twice by BBC Radio Nottingham for comments about the 10% plus inflation hike in cider duty. Typically, with it being a nice day and Gail having the day off, we had gone to Burnt Stump Country Park for a wander round, and to exercise and train the dog. So when my phone rang and the nice lady from BBC Radio Nottingham asked if they could interview me, and get some sound bites about the cider duty proposals in the Budget, I had no idea what she was on about as the Budget had not even been unveiled before we left home. Caught out there! However, by the time they phoned again for a live on-air interview around 6.00pm, I was genned-up and ready.

One question though: why, Why, WHY do radio interviewers insist on playing the Wurzel's song "I am a cider-drinker" and talking in a faux West-Country-yokel accent when interviewing people about cider? Grrrr! I find it really irritating and condescending - but of course, you laugh and smile politely and carry on through gritted teeth. Please try to find something else to play next time - and I am a Nottinghamshire cider-maker which is way away from the West Country - unless my geography is not what it is cracked up to be!

I'd much prefer a local dialect, like the "Erewash Valley" dialect from the Derby's / Nott's border where I grew up, which is much richer to my ears and brings back memories of my childhood / youth and listening to my dad's workmates from Sandiacre, Long Eaton and I'lson (Ilkeston to the uninitiated). So something like: "Aye up me duck, wot yer reckon t'budget then?" would be far more appealing to my ears!

We were also visited by Spyke Golding, chair of Nottingham CAMRA and editor of their excellent Branch magazine, who wanted to interview us for an article on local cider makers. They have a regular section on "Meet the Brewer", so we became the first subjects of a "Meet the Cider-Maker" article. The April/May 2010 issue containing the article can be found in many pubs around the locality, or you can read the article online at: Nottingham Drinker

1 comment:

Unknown said...

good to see a northern country cider maker. i'm a big cider fan from the west country. love my magners
and strongbow and also the home made ciders you can get in bristol, for example the corrie tap in clifton does the best exhibition cider ever!