Housemartin Heaton rocks up at the Rock for Wentworth gig
It was Happy Hour at a Dearne Valley pub when pop star Paul Heaton turned up to perform for a few lucky fans.
The former Beautiful South and Housemartins frontman stopped off at the Rockingham Arms in Wentworth as part of his Pedals and Pumps Tour.
The singer has swapped big arenas to perform at 16 pubs around the country - and he is cycling between each venue, covering a staggering 1,000 miles.
While Paul usually plays to around 10, 000 fans at big arena shows, he performed to just 150 lucky fans at the Rockingham Arms.
Landlord Glen Simmonds said he could have sold the show many times over.
"It was amazing. We've been getting lots of calls every day for weeks. We're planning more live entertainment. We've started a folk night on Thursdays."
But Paul's solo jaunt around the country on pedal power has not all gone so smoothly.
For he rolled up for his performance in Wentworth at the end of May with two suspected broken ribs after he had been knocked off his bike earlier in the tour.
However the 48-year-old star explained in a recent interview about the tour that he will continue to rely on his bike.
He said: "It's a promise you make. I got knocked off my bike, somewhere between Oxfordshire and Hampshire about a week ago.
"I got two puncture marks and the whole of my side is bruised.
"I think I've cracked two ribs. But I'm all right.
"It's only really painful when I'm up out of the saddle.
"It hurts when I laugh and smile and enjoy myself."
The Sheffield United fan added that part of the reason he is doing the tour is to raise awareness about how many pubs are shutting each week.
"I know its naive to say you can stop a decline.
"But I just want to get people to show a bit more interest in their local. In that way it's been quite successful.
"People keep saying the gigs must be great and the cycling torturous.
"The gigs have been good fun. But the cycling has been absolutely fantastic.
"It's so beautiful travelling by bicycle. People keep asking if I've been on holiday because I look a bit tanned.
"But we've had such good luck with the weather.
"Out of 640 miles I would say we've only had about 20 miles of rain and just constantly beautiful countryside."
Paul chose the 16 pubs after an appeal for venues via The Publican, CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) and Facebook.
He had 912 offers.
His tour began with a quick half in the most famous boozer in the UK - the Rovers Return, on Coronation Street.
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Friday 24 May 2013
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