Isle of Wight pub has turned into Cowes Week Mecca

Nearly two years have passed since the Isle of Wight town was stunned to learn of his death from Covid.

After Christmas drinks have been raised and downed, and many embark on a ‘dry January’ in the first chilly few weeks of a new year, it is sobering indeed to recall the absence of friends lost and to remember with great affection the warmth and vitality they brought to so many people.

The Duke of York pub carries on welcoming patrons through their doors in the same inclusive way that Barry always did.

The late Barry Cass and his wife Sally Cass, who now runs the Duke of York. (Image: Duke of York)

The Cass family are famously friendly, and they admirably continue to serve the community.

With Barry’s wife Sally still at the helm, the pub is a home from home for many, and never more so than during Cowes Week in August, when she throws what is probably the best party in town.

Read more: Tributes flood in following death of Cowes landlord Barry.

Residents of Cowes are well used to seeing regatta revellers having a good time.

For one week every year in August the normally quiet town stays up past its bedtime, and plays host to the thousands of yachtsmen from all over the world that flock here for one of the biggest events of the sailing calendar.

 Tired, but happy crews looking to let off steam after a day on the water traditionally head for the dedicated marquees set up along the seafront – where upmarket sundowners can be enjoyed overlooking the glorious views of the Solent.

Competing sailors in their team livery bob about in the sponsored bars to piped music, sticking together, talking shop; while the members-only yacht clubs host smart dinners.

Barry and his wife, Sally, began providing entertainment some years ago, primarily so that residents had somewhere to go during Cowes Week, if they didn’t fancy navigating the usual corporate throng of the Marina.

They hired a band, put up an extra bar or two in their paved garden area and welcomed anyone who wanted a pint and a bit of a sing along. It proved popular. So popular, that over time this well-loved community pub has now become the big and beautiful beating heart of the whole week.

At full capacity, the pub and garden can hold 600 people.

Crowds at the Duke of York during Cowes Week. (Image: Laura Adams.)

Every night during Cowes Week this year, friendly security staff ably manage a queue that stretches along the street.

A line of eager faces on craning necks anxiously wait for the unlikely event of someone leaving, so that they can get in and join the party. Part of the attraction is undoubtedly the same topnotch band that have been entertaining here year after year – Brando.

One of the best cover bands working in the UK, they happily honour their annual Cowes Week slot at the Duke, becoming much loved members of the Cass family during their stay.

The seven-piece group are all seasoned musicians, with a repertoire so huge that you barely hear the same song twice all week.

There are now three outdoor, pop up bars in the pub garden, to ease congestion and avoid bottle necks inside.

One of these is ‘Barry’s Spirit Bar’, in loving memory of Sally’s late husband – expertly manned by their daughters. This is very much a family affair. It is this feeling of family that draws the crowds in night after night.

 No one demographic outnumbers another. An evening at the Duke during Cowes Week is a guaranteed good time, in an inclusive atmosphere that feels like the best ever family wedding knees up. International crews rub shoulders with Islanders; smartly dressed seniors sing along with energetic twenty-somethings. The only dress code is a smile.

The band play songs that everyone knows – everything from Oasis to New York, New York via The Irish Rover, always upbeat. They work the crowd, and the crowd love them.

Requests are taken, Happy Birthdays are sung; there is no trouble here, no pushing and shoving, no mouthing off - people are too busy enjoying being part of something so collectively joyous.

Teenagers sit on friend’s shoulders like they’re at a festival and every single person in the crowd is happy to be here.

That’s not down to too much beer and sunshine – it's what happens when a diverse cross section of people are invited into the fold and made to feel thoroughly welcomed. There is no advertising, no tickets, no wristbands, no entry fees, no inflated prices – just a word of mouth tip to arrive in good time to grab a spot with enough space to swing your hips to It’s Not Unusual and wave your arms to Sweet Caroline.

The Cass family have worked very hard over the years to shape their Cowes Week evenings into the ultimate crowd-pleasing, feel-good night out; but their success feels uncontrived and organic.

It’s something Sally feels incredibly proud of and thankful for. She takes her role of serving the community very seriously.

Famously big-hearted, she puts a lot of love into making sure everyone is looked after and having a good time, and in doing so, she’s become an accidental legend.