The cornet section of a 20-piece brass band adds its sound to a song performed by the Wicken Coronation Band at the Cherry Tree pub in Soham. (Sean Kimmons / S&S)
SOHAM — The fading orange color of the setting sun lit up the faces in the cornet section of a 20-piece brass band that was crammed into a gazebo outside the Cherry Tree pub.
Despite their temporary blindness from the sun, the cornet players kept in tune as the Wicken Coronation brass band entertained an audience of young and old.
About 100 people sat under the pub’s covered patio or outside on picnic tables spread out on a large grassy area to see the free live concert, which happens every Sunday night at the pub about 10 miles west of RAF Mildenhall.
The crowd included 20-somethings enjoying pints of beer served in plastic cups, elders celebrating an 80th birthday and children running wild on the pub’s good-sized playground.
Louis Beckett, a 17-year-old from Soham, manned an outdoor grill where he cooked up burgers and hot dogs for 2 pounds each. The grilled meat went well with a variety of draft beer served at the pub that includes the popular French beer Kronenbourg, local ale and Guinness. The pub also has multiple choices of spirits and nonalcoholic drinks.
Because the pub is family run, it was no surprise that the atmosphere on this night seemed friendly.
No matter the age of the clients, the place was a good way to relax and waste away a lazy Sunday.
Probably the fastest and least confusing way to get to the Cherry Tree pub is to take the A142 north exit from the A14. Stay on the A142 for about five miles until you reach a roundabout with an exit for Soham’s town center. Take that exit, which is Fordham Road, and drive about a half-mile down the road and look to the left.
Pulling up to the pub on this night, cars overwhelmed the front parking lot but there was plenty of room in the overflow parking lot found at the rear of the pub.
Cherry Tree
Location: 66 Fordham Road in Soham, about 10 miles west of RAF Mildenhall.
Ambience: The pub holds a free brass band concert at 7 p.m. every Sunday night. The pub’s atmosphere is sort of tailored for a family night out because of its good-sized playground; however, there were plenty of patrons in their 20s hanging around.
Food and drink: On brass band nights, grilled burgers and hot dogs cost 2 pounds each. The grilled meat goes well with a variety of draft beer served at the bar.
Service: Friendly.
