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Daily Mirror
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Son of UK rock legend buys village pub and promises 'the royal treatment'
The new owner, a rock star in his own right, is the son of a member of one the biggest rock bands of all time The Shipwrights Arms, a picturesque riverside pub complete with its own jetty, has been purchased by a big-name rock star. The pub is now owned by none other than Rufus Taylor, the drummer and son of Queen legend Roger Taylor. Rufus, who has followed in his father's footsteps and carved out a successful career for himself touring with The Darkness, has bought the pub alongside his partner. The deal was reportedly backed by Roger himself, according to the property firm that facilitated the transaction. Rufus and his partner will be taking on the day-to-day running of the pub in Helford, Cornwall, aiming to inject new life into it whilst respecting its rich history. Roger Taylor, renowned as Queen's dynamic drummer and the creative force behind hits such as Radio Ga Ga, A Kind of Magic and These Are the Days of Our Lives, has strong ties to Cornwall. Born in King's Lynn, he was brought up in Cornwall and attended Truro School, and is now once again a local resident. He remains an ardent supporter of the region and, according to Cornwall Live, he's keeping a close and proud eye on the project. Speaking about the purchase, Rufus said: "The Shipwrights Arms has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. For me, it's home, and as everyone knows, an Englishman's home is his castle. Therefore, I plan to give it the royal treatment. "There's no need to reinvent the wheel as the Helford community, which I have always been proud to be a part of, already knows that The Shipwrights is the jewel in the crown of the most beautiful part of the country. Accordingly, any changes will be subtle as we continue the traditions of a convivial family-friendly atmosphere with fresh fish, great food, and music in a location blessed with natural beauty. I look forward to welcoming you all and raising a glass together." The Shipwrights Arms, listed for sale earlier this year, is celebrated as one of Cornwall's top spots for a beer garden. Cornwall Live recently praised the pub for its "stunning views over the Helford estuary", dubbing it a "really lovely place to enjoy a glass of wine in the sunshine". This 18th-century Grade II listed tavern blends classic allure with sea-inspired decor and modern comforts, boasting original features like exposed timber beams, flagstone slate flooring, and ancient stone walls. Inside, it serves up room for 92+ guests within its cosy bar and dining spaces, including newly designed luxury suites for overnight stays. Outside, staggered terraces seat more than 100 customers, offering unmatched panoramas of the Helford River. Jon Clyne, director at Charles Darrow, the agency that sealed the deal, said: "There was a significant push from locals to make sure The Shipwrights Arms not only changed ownership but did so by passing into responsible hands. With Rufus, his partner, and the support of Roger Taylor – a true local at heart – the pub is in safe (and very rhythmically talented) hands."
The Guardian
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Men of a Certain Age by Kate Mossman review – close encounters with charismatic male rockers
When the journalist Kate Mossman was a child, she developed an obsession with the rock band Queen. Mossman came of age in the 1990s, but the irony and snark of that decade left her cold. Instead, she lived for the 'middle-aged musicians from the 80s in jacket and jeans, and for the open-hearted, non-cynical pop times that had come before'. Watching Queen's posthumous single These Are the Days of Our Lives on Top of the Pops in 1991, she 'felt something within myself ignite'. Though she was captivated by the strange longing of a monochrome Freddie Mercury, who had died weeks earlier, it was drummer Roger Taylor who became the focus of her obsession. On the mantelpiece of her childhood home sat a holy relic: a beer glass he had drunk from during a solo gig. Twenty years later, while on her way to interview Taylor and Queen guitarist Brian May for a magazine profile, Mossman confesses: 'I think I'm going to black out.' Her sharp yet heartfelt interviews with Taylor and May – which took place separately – appear in Men of a Certain Age, a compendium of Mossman's work previously published in the Word, the now defunct music magazine, and in political weekly the New Statesman. The book features 19 encounters with ageing male musicians including Shaun Ryder, Bruce Hornsby, Jeff Beck, Ray Davies, Sting, Dave Gahan, Jon Bon Jovi, Nick Cave and Terence Trent D'Arby. Mossman tops and tails the articles with present-day thoughts, reflecting on her expectations, the preparation, the long journeys to far-flung homes, and the peculiar and sometimes fraught dynamic between interviewer and interviewee. When Mossman was starting out, music journalism was still dominated by male writers and older musicians were accustomed to being interviewed by men their own age. The presence of Mossman, a young woman who wears her musical passions on her sleeve, is distracting for some but for others it is an invitation to unburden themselves. 'The older man often ends up being vulnerable because he feels he is safe: it's just a pretty lady!' Few of her interviewees could be classed as hip. Yet their respective career arcs mean they've experienced it all: fame, wealth, adoration, loss, disdain and, in some cases, addiction. In Mossman's bleak yet fascinating interview with the Soft Machine co-founder at his home in France, Kevin Ayers drinks two bottles of wine, plays some songs in the street outside his house and then, shockingly, tries to sleep with her. This prompts an altercation between Ayers and his manager, with the latter shouting: 'It's not 1967, Kevin!' Paul O'Neill, the man behind the madly successful prog rock act Trans-Siberian Orchestra, takes Mossman's hand, puts it inside his leather jacket and 'press[es] my fingers around the thick, bobbly grip of a Glock semi-automatic pistol'. In Moscow, Kiss's Paul Stanley throws plectrums at her face. Mossman's writing is terrific: curious, bracingly honest and brimming with smart turns of phrase. Books by music journalists documenting their rock'n'roll adventures tend to be gonzo in spirit, full of bad behaviour and knowing irreverence. This isn't one of those. Men of a Certain Age instead captures the strange, often solitary and frequently mortifying life of an interviewer whose aim is to make a connection with a stranger, to get to the human being behind the entertainer; success is by no means guaranteed. Nowadays, Mossman's writing assignments go beyond rock's elders: she profiles politicians, scientists and philosophers, too. It's with characteristic candour that she reveals how, when considering the life of an interviewee in the days before an interview, she feels, 'like I'm standing at the foot of a mountain, and I get miserable with the expectation. But I still get that strange vibration, every so often, that we are going to get on.' Sign up to Bookmarks Discover new books and learn more about your favourite authors with our expert reviews, interviews and news stories. Literary delights delivered direct to you after newsletter promotion Men of a Certain Age: My Encounters With Rock Royalty by Kate Mossman is published by Bonnier (£22). To support the Guardian order your copy at Delivery charges may apply.
