Usually I just write what I think, but if I had a point-scoring system this new single from Bristol-based indie-pop outfit Chandra would tick every box. It’s called Heaven on Earth; if Belinda Carlise made it, Chandra rocked it!
Punchy, tick. Find that perfect hook, tick. Subtly righteous narrative, tick. Balance pithy narrative with equal amount of carefree fun, tick. Rock out, double-tick! It’s got the no worries in the face of adversity attitude of Three Little Birds, the youthful carefree tenet of Supergrass’s Alright, the drive of Crash by The Primitives, and the punch of The Beastie Boys fighting for their right to party. Yet, it’s august, styled, and definitively Chandra.
We’ve not heard from Chandra since 2024 when we fondly reviewed his debut EP Lifted, so it’s great to feature him again, as there’s nothing to criticise about this cracking single, which means my work here is done! It’s raining outside, who cares, plug this blast of indie-punk-pop onto your playlist and cease your worrying!
Peter Gabriel – ‘Live At WOMAD 1982’ will be released on 8th May 2026.It was a simple idea; to create a festival out of all the brilliant music and art made all over the world, stuff made outside of the mainstream – music that wasn’t getting on the radio and was even harder to find in record stores…
The very first WOMAD Festival took place at the 240-acre Bath and West Showground, Somerset over the weekend of 16–18 July, 1982. With the dream ‘not to sprinkle world music around a rock festival, but to prove that these great artists could be headliners in their own right’, the three days and five stages played host to 60 bands from over 20 countries; a line-up that included The Drummers of Burundi, Pigbag, Salsa de Hoy, Simple Minds, Musicians of the Nile, Echo and the Bunnymen, Prince Nico Mbarga, Rip, Rig and Panic, The Beat and many more.
“I remember this gig well,” says Peter Gabriel. “We played a mix of old and brand-new material. I would normally be very nervous about playing some of this stuff for the first time, however my mind was very preoccupied with the running of our very first WOMAD festival and the potential financial disaster that it was heading towards.
Because WOMAD was unique in its focus on music and art from around the world, and mixing it up with rock and jazz, no-one knew how many people might turn up and we had seriously overestimated our appeal. But those that had decided to check out WOMAD and its weird and wonderful lineup were open-minded, bold and curious – a great audience.
It was a landmark and edgy gig for me both personally and musically and brings back lots of memories.”
Across the three days ‘an evening concert series’ took place in the Showering Pavilion on the festival site. On the Friday night that concert featured Tian Jin (a song and dance troupe from China), Simple Minds and, with a ‘special festival set of non-album material’, Peter Gabriel.
Live at WOMAD 1982 is a recording of that Friday night concert. The non-album material in question are seven of the eight songs that would make up the album Peter Gabriel 4. An album that wouldn’t be released for a further two months.
On-stage, Peter is joined by David Rhodes (guitar), John Giblin (bass), Larry Fast (synthesisers). Jerry Marotta (drums), Peter Hammill (vocals) and “the wonderful Bristol-based drum and dance group,” Ekomé (drums, percussion).
“We wanted to show that wherever you were born, whatever colour or language, whatever religious or sexual persuasion, powerful passionate and joyful work would have a warm welcome in WOMAD.
At the beginning, most music industry professionals told us that we had no chance of making this dream work, we had all the wonderful naïve misguided optimism of the young, and were convinced that we would prove all the cynics wrong.However, at the end of the first festival, it was clear we had an artistic success, but not a financial one… but that’s for another story.”
Peter Gabriel’s Live a WOMAD 1982 takes us back to not only the birth of a festival – one that has now hosted more than 160 editions in 27 countries – but also to the premiere of an album with songs, like The Rhythm of the Heat, San Jacinto and Shock the Monkey, that have become central to the Gabriel canon. More than just a live album, Live at WOMAD 1982 is a pivotal moment, available now for the very first time as a double LP 180g black vinyl, in gatefold jacket with Side D etching and high-res download code, or a single CD in mini-vinyl style gatefold packaging.
Now in its seventh year, and at its new and better venue, Park Farm on the edge of Devizes, it’s full steam ahead for The Fulltone Festival ‘26. From the 11th–12th July Fulltone is set to ignite Wiltshire with an epic weekend of live music…..
Promising a “spectacular, joy-filled weekend of live music which brings together orchestral power, iconic artists and a true summer festival atmosphere in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside,” The Fulltone Festival is a uniquely magnificent show. Presented by The Fulltone Orchestra, the festival features a fifty-piece live orchestra, major guest performers, celebrated tribute acts and genre-spanning concerts, from cinematic classical masterpieces and symphonic rock to dance anthems, Motown classics and sing-along crowd favourites.
Designed as a family-friendly, inclusive festival, Fulltone ’26 offers free entry for children under 14, accessible ticket pricing, on-site camping and a relaxed, welcoming environment that encourages audiences of all ages to experience live music together. The event arena is packed full of great food and drink stalls, as well as allowing picnics. There’s parking on site and a shuttle bus taking people from the town to the event. It’s exceptionally well organised, with Event Director Tanya Earley at the helm of the event’s operations again.
Image: Gail Foster
The weekend begins for campers on Friday evening with a campsite DJ warming them up. Saturday and Sunday are packed with unmissable performances across the weekend. Audiences can enjoy an electrifying programme including orchestral performances of Holst’s The Planets paired with the Star Wars Suite and Symphonic Queen, featuring Ricardo Afonso who is back by popular demand, as featured in The Voice.
The guests this year are particularly special. West Country legends The Wurzels gives Fulltone the key to their combine harvester, and Jemma virtually yelped down the phone at me at the thought international pop icon Jason Donovan headlining a huge Sunday night eighties spectacular finale; there’s going to be too many broken hearts in Devizes that weekend (okay, you’ve got to be of a certain age to get that gag!)
There’s also some ska madness with nutty boys tribute Mainly Madness, and Seriously Collins, celebrating the music of Phil Collins and Genesis. Special guests are expected with a Best of Motown show, and everybody will officially be free to feel good when Devizes’ very own BBC Introducing DJ James Threlfall teams with nineties singer Rozalla, for some dance anthem floorfillers. Even the poster has more colourful zap and zest to it than ever before, and conveys Fulltone 26 will be one you’ll never forget!
Conductor and founder Anthony Brown said, “Fulltone is all about the thrill of live music and the magic that happens when people experience it together. For 2026, we’re bringing an extraordinary mix of sounds and styles to Park Farm, from breathtaking orchestral moments to songs people know and love. Our aim is simple: for everyone who comes to feel uplifted, connected and part of something special.”
Tickets are on sale now. Early Bird tickets are available until 28 February 2026. Weekend and day tickets are on sale now, with under-14s attending free when accompanied by a paying adult. Weekend passes offer the best value.
You can find full details and tickets here: www.fto.org.uk/events and they’re Especially for You; see what I did there?!
Stone Circle Music Events announced today that all proceeds of CrownFest will be donated to Wiltshire Hope & Harmony’s Dementia Choir. CrownFest is an all-day family festival, happening on 4th July 2026 at The Crown, Bishops Cannings, Devizes…..
Due to perform over two stages will be Kinisha’s renowned Simply the Best Tina Turner Tribute, Adam & The Ants tribute Ant Trouble, Wiltshire’s premier indie-pop favourites and winners of six Wiltshire Music Awards , Talk in Code, purveyors of Irish & Celtic folk The Publicans, Salisbury’s rock cover band Innovator, rock covers band Tipsy Gypsies, George Wilding, Ruby Darbyshire, Mother Ukes, and Lucas Hardy, with more acts to be confirmed.
Stone Circle Music Events connects the timeless energy of live music with the rich landscapes of Wiltshire and Galway, and specialise in events which feel local, authentic, and unforgettable. There will be a selection of food, stalls, and camping is provided for an additional £15. Early bird tickets are already available for purchase.
Founder of Stone Circle Music Events, Patrick O’Sullivan said, “we are delighted to announce the proceeds of CrownFest will go towards Wiltshire Hope and Harmony. The charity won a special award at the Wiltshire Music Awards, and we continue to support them.”
Devizine is so happy to see the return of this marvellous local festival, but even more excited to see it grow through Stone Circle’s expertise, and this announcement is surely the icing on the cake. So many families are affected by dementia, Wiltshire Hope and Harmony is such a great and worthy cause.
Wiltshire Hope and Harmony is a community-focused organisation in Wiltshire which uses the power of music therapy to bring people together and improve wellbeing. Their work centres on inclusive, therapeutic music-based groups and activities designed to support individuals and families from various backgrounds. Their passion and commitment drive their mission, to create a harmonious environment for All Together, and they inspire change and hope in our community.
Their Community Music Therapy Groups run free, therapeutic music sessions led by registered and trained music therapists, supported by volunteers.
Tunes Chill and Chat sessions are stay-and-play groups aimed at families with babies or children who have special educational needs (SEN) or additional needs.
The Dementia Choir & Café is a weekly choir and social café designed for people living with dementia, along with their carers, families, and support staff; helping participants connect and express themselves through song.
Founder member of Wiltshire Hope and Harmony, Lisa Williams was fortunate to discover firsthand the transformational power of music therapy whilst training for her Master’s Degree in Music Therapy in 2018. Lisa was privileged to train with the visionary team at the University of the West of England and their Aphasia Choir. Determined to form a local choir and café, Lisa founded The Royal Wootton Bassett Dementia Choir & Café after her graduation in 2020.
The Covid pandemic slowed the project, but in 2023 the Royal Wootton Bassett Dementia Choir and Cafe was formed. The Choir has since worked with hundreds of people living with dementia and associated conditions, and currently meets weekly, either at their ‘home’ in St Bartholomew’s Church hall, or else on ‘tour’ visiting local care homes, community venues and churches.
Wiltshire Hope and Harmony also supply support for other groups, tailoring them for people with various needs, including sensory impairments or English as an additional language. They offer volunteering and engagement opportunities, from musicians and singers, to support roles and trustees, helping expand their reach and impact in the community.
Out of my comfort zone on this one; being aging punk-ish, emo is a subgenre post my better days. Though the ever-reliable Wikipedia suggests, as a term, it was coined in the late eighties. It either travelled leisurely by airship across the pond, or I’ve had my head up my arse….
If I’m probably best left in a dark corner, crying about my lack of knowledge on the subject, that creates many reasons for me not to like Sketchbook Records latest cassette or digital download release, which is an EP by Chasing Dolls. It begs me to don my flatcap and yell red-faced at youngsters about the volume of this noise, and many other age-defining protestations, but they can all be cancelled out by the more straightforward observation, it absolutely rocks!
My adventures with hardcore punk, blowing eardrums to bands like The Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Bad Brains and Butthole Surfers was adolescent and relatively short-lived. Yet if emo is a shortening for “emotive,” I’d squabble that all music should evoke emotion, otherwise it’s elevator muzak.
The thrash of hardcore debatably constitutes the least emotional genre of pop, only championed perhaps, by techno. Perhaps emo adds the element back into the rock melting pot. In which case, how does it differ from goth or grunge, for they’re both filled with emotion? These Chasing Dolls songs are massively better composed, with the rising and falling of emotion, than the aforementioned hardcore bands of yore, by a country mile, yet equal to the goth and grunge subgenres I’ve acquired to appreciate through the local bands producing it, like I See Orange and The Belladonna Treatment.
But this EP is growing on me as fast as bacteria multiplies; I’d be more complimentary if I reviewed this in a week, but I wanted to get it out there. From first impressions, its raw energy, a sublime cry of woe, and it fits.
What also fascinates me about Chasing Dolls, is that there’s no uniform, each tune holds its own, and differs in style and ambience. Cobweb and Blood Moon are the standout tunes, and with a slash make the title of the album. Cobweb comes in first with heavy guitar after a delicately placed riff, as I’d expect, and it’s certainly rinsed with emotion, as described by its pigeonhole.
Blood Moon is more me, of greater ambience and mood, it drifts in layers like oil finding its way down a congregated surface. The howls of emotion, the sublimely placed breaks. I’m none too fussed by pigeonholing, if only to describe something to you, if they say it’s emo, then I’m converted, feels like a natural punk progression through gothic and grunge. I may not be an expert on this, but I know what I like.
Step on My Shadow has a sprinkle of more universal indie-pop with an irresistible drum roll, and in part I’d imagine our favourite lads Nothing Rhymes With Orange might feel comfortable putting something out like this. Then there’s this live track, yet if Closest Thing to Heaven sounds like they’re going to get slushy, Hell is in brackets to ensure there’s controversy in the romantic topic, and it comes over a smidgen shoegaze. Love, it hurts most punk genres, emo takes no exceptions, in fact, going on this, exemplifies the anguish and pain of it, rolls it into a dramatic outpouring without boundaries, and for this, I now love Chasing Dolls.
Chasing Dolls are Hayden, Munch, Theo, Will and Jasmin, and long may they continue. As with many upcoming bands, there’s a notion in the ether they’ve yet to make that magnum opus, but this EP suggests they’re aching for it and will accomplish something progressively superior. For now though, Cobweb/Blood Moon throws everything you wanted to hate in your face, and turns it into something thorough, bold and challenging; top marks for that.
Thank you Sketchbook Records, you are opening an old man’s eyes to emerging local artists with an alternative edge, and now I’m hooked! Oh, and you can find Chasing Dolls at Swinterfest, headlining the Saturday (31st Jan) at The Castle.
If Devizes Scooter Rally has already established its base at Whistley Road’s Park Farm and Full-Tone are moving to these new pastures, last year the site saw a superb inaugural festival of its own making, Park Farm Music Festival, with the expert knowledge of the good folk who brought us Mantonfest. It’s happening again this year and looks set to be even better than last year; I kid you not! Early bird tickets went on sale today, and the lineup has been revealed; let’s poke our noses in and pretend summer is on its way, shall we?!
Starter for ten, Mantonfest is a longstanding cherished gem on Marlborough’s event calendar, a family friendly festival which has stood the test of time, and folk return annually like it’s a pilgrimage; you can rest assured you’re in good hands. I hailed Mantonfest as “the friendliest festival you’re ever likely to attend.”
While Park Farm Music Festival may yet have to establish itself to the same level of excellence, last year’s first time was an absolute blinder, bringing a taste of Mantonfest to Devizes and leaving folk hanging on the hope this would become a regular extravaganza.
This year the stage is set again for Mantonfest’s house band, the awesome groovy vintage blues boys, Barrelhouse, but in essence the organisers are keen not to present something completely Marlborough; we’re in Devizes now, mucker, if we’re going to have blues we NEED Jon Amor to come along too! And they’ve answered this call, The Jon Amor Trio need no introduction to Devizes; I’m glad to see their name on the lineup, I’m certain all of the town will be too.
Onto the headliners, yes, it is tribute act top heavy, which works a treat for Mantonfest. In this you should note, the organisers do not skip on quality when it comes to tributes, all are tried and tested. I’ve bore witness to most of them, and will bet my pet budgerigar’s life that you’re in for a wonderful day. Last year there was an emphasis on hard rock, with astounding AC/DC and Nirvana tributes, while this year looks to have more universal appeal.
If Queen tributes are two to a penny, despite being a tricky act to replicate, and some I’ve seen were great, One Vision played Mantonfest two years ago, and, just, wow, I’ve never seen it done with such quality, attention to detail and finesse as this one. I could definitely call this the best Queen tribute I’ve seen, perhaps in my top five of all the tributes I’ve seen.
Inferno, an Abba tribute I’ve not seen before, but it’s Abba, what could possibly go wrong? As I said, the organisers take no compromise when it comes to booking only the very best tributes, so, dancing queens, have no concern. The next two I have seen, Madness and Bad Manners tribute, Badness, and Slyde, as you might’ve guessed, a tribute to Slade, are both brilliant, for precisely similar reasons.
Slyde played a Christmas do at Marlborough College Memorial Hall, where support Barrelhouse were on fire, and Sylde polished off the evening with a plethora of, not only Slade hits but just about every seventies singalong pop hit I could imagine, with the sprinkling of glam only Noddy Holder could’ve brought to each classic. And it was Christmas, so he aptly called it, and yes, it was something to behold. If One Vision is on my top five, Slyde must also be.
Now, Badness, ironic name, there’s nothing bad about the performance, but only, perhaps in the way they will totally and utterly rule the audience with a spellbinding show of their own. They do not attempt to mimic Madness, like Slyde they offer a repertoire of classic hits from the era their homage was in their prime, only this time it’s obviously Two-Tone ska and new wave, and you will be skanking. Furthermore, you’ll be under no illusion Badness are attempting to precisely mimic Madness, they only pay homage to them, and are uniquely themselves, add their own spin to it, particularly with the most hilarious stage banter you’re ever likely to witness.
Has that tempted you? Because I’m getting excited just typing this recommendation! They’ll have a big outdoor stage, brilliant sound and lighting, plenty of room to dance, lots of trade stalls, a range of food and drink outlets and showers for those camping. They’ll be running a FREE shuttle bus to and from the The Bear Hotel hourly, gazebos and picnics are welcome, so too are campervans, caravans, and tents.
Early bird tickets are up for grabs: Adults – £30. Youth (Age 13-17) – £20. Child (Age 7-12) – £10. Under 7’s – Free. Campervans/Caravans – £30. Camping – £20. It’s on Saturday 18th July. Book HERE.
Swindon’s finest Chicago and Texas blues covers band Last Train Smokin’ are also on the fantastic roster, along with rock covers band Strange Horizons. Is it summer yet?!
Stone Circle Music Events announced today that all proceeds of CrownFest will be donated to Wiltshire Hope & Harmony’s Dementia Choir. CrownFest is an…
Dubiously biased and ruled with an iron fist, the mighty admin of the once popular Devizes Facebook group, Devizes Issues, is using the iconic Great War “Lord Kitchener Wants You” recruitment poster by Alfred Leete to plead for volunteer moderators; jump to it, comrades!
Why? Wouldn’t a picture of some Care Bears, or an AI image of some mugs with frustrated expressions be more suitable? Meanwhile, admins of the alternative group, Devizes Issues (but bitter) are asking, “erm, any1 no like what is, a, like, moderator?”
Tragically, it’s estimated 900,000 British lives were lost during the first world war, and the poster played its part in convincing young people to sign their own death warrants. To pastiche it for such a petty purpose is disturbing, or at least extremely dark humour. Though it proves either the admin hasn’t lost his unsettling sense of humour under all the pressure, or he’s flipped on a Trump level and intends to invade the Potterne Pages Facebook page for reasons of national security!
You might think you’re only signing up to delete the occasional lefty meme, but you’ll be handed a tin hat and rifle, and be ordered to march towards The Patch, just you wait and see!
Coincidently the town councillor admin of Devizes Issues has banned a similar number, simply for having a differing opinion on a subject, or using vulgar words, like poo, Gary Lineker, or Devizine. Face it, your king, country and local Facebook group needs you….to ban your besties; do your duty and enlist now!
I’ve been banned, you’ve been banned, we’ve all been triggered by the obsessive Conservative propaganda on the group at least once, which resulted in the chip on the shoulder unashamedly displayed herein, and a lifetime ban; he thrives on the power trip like General Ludendorff inhaling his super-strength gas in the Wonder Woman movie. Haven’t seen it yet? That’s because you spend too much time sucking up to admin on local Facebook groups, you fascist booklicker!
Occasionally, it’s an urban myth that someone will hand him a little bag of Haribo, he’ll cheer up for a whole three seconds and invite the odd Facebook user back in; “vewy well. I shall welease… Wodewick!” If you’ve been bestowed this honour you’ll know how exciting it feels to be suddenly wanted again. I congratulate you, suggest you’re ideal for the important role, though I fear there’s little chance of it ever happening to me; ashamed I hold my head in my hands, cry here in my own little corner of freedom.
But I don’t envy him for running a group akin to a Devizes GB News, it can’t be an easy task, bless his cotton socks. If it were me I’d be sorry I started the fiasco now, do the right thing and archive the virulent exercise. Especially being the group isn’t as labelled. It’s not a local issues group at all, rather the prime issue in Devizes itself, a not very cleverly disguised conflict of interests and only a platform for Conservative campaigning. Perhaps if it labelled itself appropriately people wouldn’t mock it so, and he might not need recruits to moderate it; vicious circle, but the best laugh today on an otherwise toxic social media platform.
Poor Joyrobber, got his car broken into, on his birthday too, but avenged them in song! Requiem for my Car Window is this mysterious character’s third single to date. I loved the first couple for some strange reason, no point in changing my mind now…..
“Have you ever had a really terrible birthday?” Joyrobber asks, presuming none could be as catastrophic as his 25th, in which the back window of his Ford KA was smashed in, and all his possessions taken. In the song he includes the itinerary; chocolates, birthday cake and cards, and the thug even popped his birthday balloon; who does that? He’s the joy robber, Joyrobber, not you!
Or maybe you too, as by the finale, despite it hiking up his insurance, he wagers they have loads in common. It’s this dry sense of self-deprecating humour which throttles Joyrobber and drives him to the edge of sanity within the simple grievances, and provides it with originality, like The Divine Comedy went sour.
Personally, I’d say I’ve had my car broken into, and had some pretty rubbish birthdays, but never together. And if I had and felt driven to scribe a song about it, it wouldn’t be the ultimate power-ballad of towering rock we have here, blessed with twinkling pianos, a huge chorus and some crunchy Weezeresque. The kind of anti-birthday song to make Clare Grogan shudder, upset and vengeful where he rightfully hopes when the culprit needs the toilet, there’s a massive queue!
With production by Sugarpill Productions and the vocal engineering skills of Jolyon Dixon once more, we’ve still not unmasked Joyrobber’s alter ego, but would we reveal his true identity if we did?!
Probably not, ruin the mystery, wouldn’t it? But clues are building with each new song, he’s Pewsey based, has an abhor for Jeremy Kyle, with poor interview skills, and now we know he drives a Ka, all of which stand to reason! Cool song, though; fun in tragedy, and original, keep the unfortunate incidents coming, Joyrobber, here’s wishing you inconveniences for the new year, that you might pen some more marvellous reactions to!!
“It’s not all that glitter is gold,” Bob Marley sung, “half the story has never been told.” Okay, he was referring to 400 years of institutionalised slave trading on an international and industrial scale, whereas we’re on about a Trowbridge multistorey carpark…..
And anyway, the story is there for all to see; Wiltshire Council meetings are videoed and published on YouTube. If you’ve not the time to lodge two matchsticks into your eyes and strain for an epic four hours, you might rely on wonky social media opinion, where I’d favour it’s not really about a carpark, rather political point-scoring from some still bitter that they lost their control of County Hall.
If we were positively peddling towards fresh notions from a LibDem headed Wiltshire Council, a full council meeting on Tuesday 7th January jabbed a stick into the spokes. Despite both Conservatives and Reform nationally criticising each other, when they locally gang up they can sway the vote. The meeting took on two major issues, the first was increasing council tax on second homes, where Conservative and Reform councillors voted against, and, in his oversized suit, ex-Wiltshire Council leader Richard Clewer contemptuously scoffed at the poor on a Marie Antoinette level.
Using the analogy, “if you’ve got one car, and you buy another, should you pay extra tax because you’ve got two cars?” Councillor Clewer arrogantly justified voting it down. Not in a financially stable economy, no, but our reality differs, and who’s fault is that?!
If you want a car analogy, Richard, try this sucker for size; “if I buy a car from a mate I thought was trustworthy, and it broke down three miles down the road, should he pay for the repair?!” Fourteen years of Conservative austerity focussed entirely on the working class; they did this, they caused the deficit, and refuse to contribute to fix it.
Taylor Wright, Wiltshire Councillor for Devizes East called the meeting “a deeply disappointing moment for Wiltshire.” I love this guy- not like that, you filthy sort; he’s a young family man with fresh ideas of equality! In voting it down, Taylor stated, “they chose to prioritise, in their own words, ‘the 0.5% of households’ in Wiltshire who can afford a second property over the needs of the remaining 99.5% of residents.”
Taylor mentioned struggling families, the cost of living, “young people locked out of the housing market,” and “communities crying out for investment in services,” hailing the decision swayed by this Conservative and Reform swarming “a missed opportunity to make a small but meaningful step towards fairness.” Tempting me to originally concentrate on this issue rather than the second major issue raised, the future of a dilapidating Trowbridge carpark, because that felt like a storm in a teacup, I needed a bath, and what’s that got do with Devizes anyway?!
Cue Devizes town councillor and ex-Wiltshire one, Iain Wallis, who posted on his dubiously bias Facebook group Devizes Issues that “Lib Dem administration plan to gift a developer and carpark and £2.5m of our money defeated,” in glorious jubilation. In it he stated “this overturns the cabinet’s wishes which were largely discussed in secret and once again prioritises us in the rest of Wiltshire rather than subsiding Trowbridge.”
While deliberately newspeak, it’s not entirely false, save it being far from a “gift,” and I don’t get how it was all secret if videos are published, but again, Taylor Wright explained “plainly” why he voted in favour of disposing of the asset, even though, he said, “I know the headline figure of £2.5 million sounds shocking at first glance.” Through this source we see how misleading Mr Wallis’s post is; bearing in mind he lost his county council seat, it’s a shame there’s a bitterness projected in his tone, persuading him to miss half the story.
“The car park itself is in serious disrepair. Independent assessments show that within the next ten years it is highly likely to require full demolition and rebuild. The estimated cost of that work is up to £8 million,” Taylor fills in the gaps. “If Wiltshire Council keeps the car park, that £8 million bill will fall on all Wiltshire taxpayers – including residents in Devizes, who gain no benefit from free parking in Trowbridge.”
So yeah, the price tag to solve this might be £2.5m, but the option suggested by the Cons and Reform would be significantly higher, something Mr Wallis omitted from his post. I think a chat with Taylor is as overdue as my bath……
Our chat didn’t dwell on Mr Wallis’s post, it only serves to illustrate how bending the truth to suit a narrative is misleading. I wanted to discover the options presented to the councillors, and why some favoured dishing out £8million of taxpayer’s dosh to save a dysfunctional and dilapidated carpark. “I cannot believe it’s as controversial as it is,” Taylor agreed, and with a heavy sigh explained how Iain had posted again, accusing him of lying.
I put this concept to Taylor, that rather than it being about a carpark, it was bitterness or even a punishment for the change in control of the council. “Yeah, there’s a lot of that,” he concurred. You may recall a day when St Stephen’s free carpark fed into a busy shopping centre, but that era is sadly all gone. “Because of a legal covenant tied to the shopping centre, parking must remain free. That means the site cannot generate any income, now or in the future, no matter who owns it,” Taylor explained.
“it’s dilapidated,” he said, “so the benefits of having free parking for it are slim. I think people are frustrated, in Trowbridge specifically, of the ability to park free, but that doesn’t benefit anyone in Devizes, unless you occasionally visit Trowbridge, but it shouldn’t come from our council tax. Calne has free parking, but the town council pay that, as do other town’s councils pay for their parking, so if Trowbridge are willing to pay to continue that is beside the point. It’s Trowbridge paying for Trowbridge, and I don’t have a problem with that.”
“But my logic on paying the £2.5 million to dispose of that asset, I understand the headline ‘Councillors Giving half a million and a carpark to a developer’ sounds horrendous, but when look into the detail, which I don’t believe some of my Conservative colleagues have, they’ve heard Lib Dems are proposing something, let’s oppose it; the building is coming down, it’s crumbling, we’re doing patchwork jobs, including one for half a million recently to try to keep it going for a few more years and for safety concerns, but we need to get rid of this asset, because it’s not an asset, it’s a major liability. Commercial properties can have a negative value, in this case it’s been assessed independently, and it has negative value because of the liability. The only value it has to anyone would be the owner of the other half of the covenant, which is the shop centre owner.”
“There are other options,” Taylor expressed, “but not good ones. The other would be to fully develop the site at a cost, estimated to be in the region of £8 million. I’m not suggesting the Conservatives are pushing for that, but if the building gets to a point where it’s so dilapidated we’re instructed to rebuild it, which we could be, that will be the cost. The other option is to find another developer to take on the site and pay us, but they’d be paying us for a site which is falling apart and in need of a rebuild, and by law cannot make any money. So, why anyone would buy it from us…commercially it makes no sense.”
On the idea of the council buying the site despite it’s negative value , Taylor explained, “we did explore the possibility of changeling the convent in court, but were given a 60% chance of success and a highly placed judge in this field recommended we don’t do this, because if we lose the shopping centre owner could counteract us, claiming because it’s in such a shoddy state, we do need to completely rebuild it. So, whilst the initial cost for the legal action might be low, what follows from it could be extremely expensive, and us being immediately forced to demolish and rebuild the carpark, hence we saw that option as too high risk.”
So, once the free parking scheme was an asset, and we all thought we were parking for free, now whimpering it’s unfair for one town to have free parking when others don’t seems superfluous; it’s a burden or curse, we’re paying for in the end. The issue only remaining is how to solve it cost effectively; an issue not caused by the new council, but one they inherited. Leaving me confused still as to the opposition to demolish it.
“It was their business to pursue the other two options,” Taylor explained, “they wanted to seek other developers who might be interested in purchasing the property, but as I said, they’re going to come with the same caveats, the covenant prevents it making money, and it needs to be rebuilt, so the idea of another developer paying us for something which is a liability is laughable from a commercial sense. They might find a another developer who will take it for the £2.5 million contribution to redevelopment, but again, they’ll still be subject to the covenant so we’d be paying for it to be redeveloped for a developer who’s not going to make any money from it. So, again, it doesn’t make commercial sense, but the large proportion of conservative councillors were looking at challenging it in court, and yes, it’s possible it could win, but is unlikely. And also, if we lose we face our costs and the other side’s too, and, potentially, accountancy on the basis of dilapidation and having to rebuild the whole thing immediately. All options are risky. As much as £2.5 million is a huge amount, and I take no pleasure in signing off on spending it, for this purpose I think it’s a terrible way to spend money, but, at least to my mind, we don’t have any other sensible option.”
Not to end this on a sour note, I did joke the Reform councillors probably wanted to keep it to hang flags off of, and Taylor expressed the opinion of one, Chris Brautigam, who has been “really pushing to hold onto the site, as he’s a Trowbridge councillor, and I can understand his reasoning. It’s based on wanting to keep the carpark free for the residents of Trowbridge, which is a valid objective, and one of the most respectable reasons to want to hold onto it; he’s doing it for his residents, and has campaigned hard and respectfully for that, and I congratulate him, but I don’t think it’s the right move, for my residents.”
How what seemed like an open and shut case became such a major issue is concerning evidence petty bitterness and political point-scoring is consuming the council, where time could be better spent on solving issues. “We were floored when this became controversial,” Taylor said, “we’d a pre-meeting, where this was one where we said this will be fine, it’s obvious this is right path, and there was no way to disagree with it. There might be a couple of Trowbridge councillors who might disagree, but all in, it’s probably go through quite easily. And then, all of a sudden, Armageddon kicked off! It took us all by surprise.”
It all left me pondering more generally, on if the objections was driven by traditionalism, that there was hope high street shopping would return in a trend rebelling from internet shopping. “There was an option to buy the shopping centre,” Taylor revealed, “which as we’ve seen with other councils up and down the country,” and he exampled his hometown of Woking, who’s council purchased the shopping centre and “are now in a billion pounds worth of debt over the building costs and lack of revenue it generates. I don’t think councils have an business owning shopping centres.”
The biting reality is that all towns are unfortunately losing shops, but if you visit a town like Devizes, where many will complain we’re losing shops, it’s still relatively busy because the trend has changed and we adopt now a café culture where visiting town is a treat; you buy a light lunch or coffee, and browse, less everyday functionally for goods, but more ascetically, and a crumbling seventies Bauhaus carpark, once functional, is not ascetically pleasing, perhaps more an eyesore, and discouraging people to visit.
I thank Taylor Wright for his time, and enlightening us. It’s best to take social media posts with a pinch of salt, especially when they come with political bias; it’s been reported comments with opinions differing from that given by the admin on the aforementioned Devizes Issues one, have been deleted and persons have faced being banned from the group. We always must dig a little deeper to find the truth.
We are saddened to hear Westbury Town Council had to make the difficult decision to postpone the Westbury White Horse Soap Box Derby this week. Planned for May, the decision follows careful and detailed consideration of public safety, regulatory obligations, and the long-term sustainability of this much-valued community event….
Since the first Soap Box Derby in 2022, visitor numbers have increased year on year by approximately 1,000 to 2,000 people. While this growth reflects the event’s popularity and success, the scale now projected for 2026 has outpaced the capacity of its current location and supporting infrastructure. The existing site, while offering an exceptional setting for the racing itself, presents significant challenges in safely managing pedestrian and visitor access, alongside transport and traffic flow. Protecting the safety of pedestrians, visitors, participants, volunteers, and residents remains paramount for the Council.
Following discussions with the Highways Authority and Wiltshire Police, the Town Council has been advised that a licence for the 2026 event cannot be issued without fundamental changes to address these safety concerns.
Based on this advice, the Council accepts that the Soap Box Derby cannot be delivered safely or lawfully in its current format in 2026. Attempting to proceed under the existing arrangements would create unacceptable levels of risk for the Town Council, volunteers and the wider community.
The Council has therefore designated 2026 as a fallow year. This will provide officers with the necessary time to undertake a full and careful review of alternative options, including potential new locations and revised event management arrangements, to support the planned relaunch of the Soap Box Derby in 2027 in a way that is safe, sustainable, and fit for the future. We hope this is successful and we will see the return of this popular event.
Westbury Town Council remains committed to the Soap Box Derby and the value it brings to the town. Working with partners, stakeholders and the community, the Council will focus over the coming year on ensuring the event is well placed to return in a safe and sustainable manner.
Dry January, anyone? Well, Lady Nade just plunged into an outdoor 4°C eucalyptus sauna for a social media reel. But whilst I’d require a stiff drink to do such, our beloved Somerset soul singer says she’s swapping ice-cold cocktails for ice-cold baths. There must be warmer ways to promote a January single?!
Sober is that apt single, out now, seriously catchy. With the deep vocal range of Nina Simone, this one takes a retro soul style. Not quite a Chiffons level of doo-wop, but more Mary Wells or Betty Everett, in that sultry playful tone of the early Motown sound, with the ability to convey a twist between vulnerability and strength; she’s sober, so taking her chances to proposition a potential lover, presumably without the slurred words of intoxicated passion!
You might have to do your own handclaps, but there’s that rhythmic tambourine, breathing authenticity into this little charmer.
She asked her fans if they’ve ever “braved an ice-cold shower, swim or plunge?” And describes it as a “total game changer for boosting well-being. I may have screamed fuck as I got in and out ones I had today, but only a few times!”
Can I not just listen to this wonderful tune cuddling a hot water bottle, please, Lady?!
If past years seem to be racing by me on roller-skates, now they’re in Formula 1 cars! 2025, in a word, was “average,” though the Devizine annual stats fell for a second year, at 6% lower than 2024; you lot still here?!
I’m not concerned about that, you filthy traitors; you’ve been digesting the clickbait of that Gazelle & Herod again, haven’t you?!! Ah, truth is I have been staying home, hibernating a lot like a lightweight couch potato; probably an age thing, most likely a financial thing too; we’ve got hyperinflation to make Robert Mugabe envious. But we keep a stiff upper lip as the world plummets into chaos, our little corner of it remains a pretty nice place to live (if a bit Tory,) where you can block pavements with hoarding or nick a cardboard sheep from a church and get away with it. None of which we are here to highlight, we focus on the best bits, and slag off the worst with a sprinkling of satire; if you don’t like it, you know where to go!
Hits took a hit because I bit my tongue on many local political or social issues this year, to concentrate more on arts and entertainment, but folk love a good shit stir rather than being told about some talented locals doing good. Plus, I’m sick to the back teeth with any dependence on Facebook shares, it’s become a toxic playground for so-called adults and AI bots pretending to be human to boost propaganda. I think I’m going to be one of those smiling insanely old men, content to feed the ducks in the park, rather than ranting at anyone younger than me within range, but I’ve the right to change my mind on this!
They also took a hit because I’ve been actively engaged in two fantastic major events, RowdeFest and The Wiltshire Music Awards. The latter in particular used up much of my time, but hey, I think they were worth it. The Awards really brought together a wealth of people involved in the Wiltshire music scene, caused me to wear a suit, and we hope to build on this with future years.
The other contributing factor to the downfall of hits to the website might have been me writing a new book, something I rarely get the time for, but was certain I wanted it published by Christmas. I made that deadline and Murder at the Scribbling Horse is officially out; you read it yet? No, didn’t think so!
But lots more happened in 2025, and those we featured are briefed below; we could’ve done more but I think we put out a lot of content; you have to give me some time to play pointless block puzzle games on my phone. Thank you to all our contributors, Ian, Andy, Lois and the few guest writers who have submitted this year. We always need more writers to make this as comprehensive as possible; it is about as flexible as it can possibly be, you can be a fruitcake, we don’t mind, so do get in touch if you can help.
Please continue to support us, we thank you all for your dedication to Devizine; here’s to 2026; try best to avoid the fascist division, millionaires triggered by being disallowed to rip wild animals to death, the US or Russian bombs heading our way, the complete disregard for funding environmental projects while they spend billions fighting for the last scraps of oil, any world leader kidnapping, painting roundabouts, and the usage of anti-terror laws to arrest pensioners peacefully campaigning against genocide.
Just follow us instead, enjoying a pint in a pub and listening to live music, played by real people, focus on youth projects rather than fables of hooliganism, focus on talented individuals doing good rather than bitter clickbait and national headlines, and be here, in the warm and truth, with Devizine; we tell it like it is, and don’t purvey bullshit!
January
Just as this year starts with a review of the last, so did 2025, but not before I took a visit to the Swindon Story Shed. Forestry England invited dog walkers to Nightingale Wood, apparently to celebrate Walk Your Dog Month; surely every month is walk your dog month?! The second feature film for director Keith Wilhelm Kopp and writer Laurence Guy, First Christmas entered development. We covered how My Dad’s Bigger Than Your Dad Festival raised £11,500 for Prospect Hospice, and there’s more….
Jamsters began at Devizes Southgate, an initiative to provide a Friday night platform for loose groupings and associations created at their regular jam sessions each Wednesday. We announced The Beat were to headline Devizes Scooter Rally, that Nick Hodgson formerly of the Kaiser Chiefs’ new band, Everyone Says Hi had an instore at Marlborough’s Sound Knowledge, and we unfortunately said goodbye to the now disbanded People Like Us; sorely missed.
The original line up of People Like Us
We had new singles from Nothing Rhymes With Orange, a new album from Illingworth, and fuller sessions from Kaya Street. Andy reviewed the first Devizes International Blues Festival, Ian covered Jerusalem at the Mission Theatre, and Veronica’s Room at The Wharf Theatre.
We previewed OakFest at the Royal Oak in Pewsey, La Belle Hélène, White Horse Opera’s Debut at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes Musical Theatre’s Beauty & The Beast, Henge at The Cheese & Grain, and Bradford-on-Avon Green Man Festival which unfortunately this year is in jeopardy, and we welcomed Caffe Vialottie to Devizes, our most popular article of the year.
February
It may be topical now, but we’ve always been supporting the hunting ban, and in February reported how Beaufort Hunters attacked Wiltshire Hunt Sabs’ drone. We sadly confirmed Devizes Street Festival was cancelled for the second year in a row, and The Emporium in Devizes was to close, but Devizes would get a new youth centre.
Previews included, Marlborough School of Languages’ Summer Fiesta, Jazz Sabbath at the Corn Exchange. We announced The Brand New Heavies were to headline Minety, tickets for DOCA’s Winter Ales were running out, and that I was to organise the music for Rowdefest in May, probably my favourite memory of 2025.
We featured Melksham’s teen band Between the Lines, reviewed JP Oldfield’s debut EP Bouffon, Jamie Hawkins’ short film Teeth, and new singles from I See Orange and Sam Bishop. Swinterfest broke me out of my hibernation, and I also got out to see the fantastic Static Moves at the Three Crowns, plus Cephid’s Sparks in the Darkness at The Rondo, which was mindblowing!
March
We announced that Devizes auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son were relocating to the Old Emporium, Soupchick was to take over The Hillworth Park Cafe, that after the fire in Northgate Street Devizes Kebab Van successfully relocated to Folly Road, that Devizes was to have a new festival, Park Farm Festival, and of course the very first Wiltshire Music Awards.
We featured the Belladonna Treatment, had a wonderful local reflection on the Trump & Zelenskiy meeting from a Ukrainian living in Wiltshire, and it was one of my all-time favourite interviews with eighties legend Owen Paul ahead of a Devizes gig.
We reviewed The Killer & The Catalyst, Devizes author Dave McKenna’s novelette, Gecko’s new album, and singles by Chloe Hepburn and George Wilding.
Previewed Devizes Arts Festival, Exchange Comedy in Devizes, Swindon Palestine Solidarity’s Charity Iftar, CUDS’ Devizes Town Litter Pick for GB Spring Clean, and Hells Bells AC/DC tribute coming to Devizes! We listed the results of Salisbury Music Awards.
I managed to make it out to see The Devil’s Doorbell and JP Oldfield at the Cellar Bar, Ruby Darbyshire at the Southgate, and Cracked Machine with Tom Harris in support, too. Ian gave us Blood Brothers at The Mission Theatre and Flatpack at The Rondo, and Pip Aldridge reviewed our Fulltone Orchestra at Tewkesbury Abbey.
I ranted on the state of the roads, and for fun ran a Take Our Wiltshire Pothole or Moon Crater Quiz Challenge!!
April
Ah, All Fools Day, a golden opportunity for us, in which last year we told the fib that funk godfather George Clinton was exiled to the Wiltshire village of Urchfont, created funk music there and it was covered up by their parish council! You might assume it was hardly viable, but some fell for it, and messaged in their outraged reports of “fake news!”
We looked into DOCA’s new youth initiative Yea Devizes, and while we published our usual extensive list of Easter holiday activities, we also previewed DOCA’s Junk Street drumming workshop.
I visited The Hillworth Park Cafe, where Soupchick took over, hailed Devizes DJ Greg Spencer, the creator of Palooza house nights, who made the prestigious bill of Fatboy Slim’s All Back to Minehead festival, and reviewed the now sadly defunct No Alarms No Devizes playing at the Three Crowns. Discovered Fran Daisy at Swindon’s Plough, and Henge at the Cheese & Grain was a high contender for my gig of the year; out of this world!
We had a guest review from Melissa Loveday on Devizes Music Academy’s Something About Jamie, which though I’m sorry to have missed, I did catch them playing it out at FullTone Festival in the summer. I did attend Devizes Musical Theatre’s Beauty & the Beast at Dauntsey’s School and the opening of Un/Common People, Folk Culture in Wessex, a fascinating exhibition at Wiltshire Museum.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Reviewed Hannah Rose Platt’s album Fragile Creatures, probably the best album we covered last year. The website for Wiltshire Music Awards went live and people held on to cast their votes in May.
We exposed Reform candidate Calne Violette Simpson for her Facebook profile picture showing her hunting antelope in South Africa, and Devizes South Conservative candidate Sarah Batchelor, who committed election fraud, up and left with her tail between her legs and almost running Bishops Canning’s Crown into the ground. Thankfully it seems the new owners are turning it around and recreating the village hub it once was.
May
I was honoured and delighted to organise the music for our village fete, which has in the last few years been run by a lovely independent committee, safe from a questionable parish council. It was a wonderful sunny day and the highlight of my year. I called in some favours and presented an amazing lineup for a free fete, featuring, in order of appearance, The Jubilee Morris Dancers, Andrew Hurst who brought bassist Lucianne Worthy with him, Talk in Code, The Sarah C Ryan Band, Thieves, and Burn The Midnight Oil. Being it was the last day of the month, I didn’t write about it until June.
I paid a Sunday afternoon visit to Devizes amazing record shop Vinyl Realm, when Deadlight Dance were attacked by wasps and still managed an amazing unplugged acoustic set. Ben Niamor reviewed Jake Martin at Swindon’s Castle with SOP, and Ian gave us his views on Sweeney Todd at St. Augustine’s Catholic College in Trowbridge, and the Diary of Anne Frank at The Wharf Theatre in Devizes, which was so good I had to go myself. Lois covered newcomers Kingston Media’s Bands at the Bridge in Horton.
I previewed the Bradford-on-Avon Live Music Festival, despite it clashing with our Rowdefest! Also, Ruby Darbyshire who performed at Silverwood School’s open evening. Andy provided a preview of Chippenham Folk Festival, and Lois provided us with previews of Australian Folk singer Ernest Aines at Swindon’s Deanery Theatre and David Olusoga at the Cheese & Grain.
Announced the opening of voting for Wiltshire Music Awards, that Devizes-based The Big Sound Choir was to perform with Aled Jones at St George’s in Bristol, and that Bird is The Word were taking over music organisation at Bradford-on-Avon’s Boathouse.
We featured how Lucas Hardy was collaborating with Rosie Jay, and Frome’s James Hollingsworth, who was bringing his solo recreation of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here album to the Devizes Southgate and elsewhere, and reviewed his album with Griffiths, Lost in the Winds of Time.
I reviewed Clock Radio’s album Turfing out the Maniacs, Ruzz Guitar’s Between Two Worlds album, Playing Solitaire; Phil Cooper’s first solo album for five years, Thieves’ debut EP, a new single from George Wilding, and one from Auralcandy featuring vocals from Sienna Wileman. A feature of a Melksham marketing expert launching AI training courses was met with controversy, yeah, I get that!
June
If we were all busy with the Devizes Arts Festival, we were previwing summer events like a new festival for Devizes, Park Farm, clashing with an amazing day at the Three Crowns for an air ambulance fundraiser, and I finalyy got over my hangover and ego, and gave coverage of Rowdefest; highlight of my year!
Andy reviewed White Horse Opera’s Cosi Fan Tutte and The Lost Trades at the Piggybank, Ian did The Mikado at the Mission, The Taming of the Shrew at the Rondo, and of course we all did our bit for the Devizes Arts Festival. Andy also covered an extensive weekend when The Lions were on the Green in Devizes, we had Crammer Watch Day too, and Devizes Arts Festival did a fringe gig at the British Lion; summer lovin’. The highlight of this had to be Where’s the Cat, the Wharf Theatre’s writing group’s hilarious reenactment of the Moonrakers fable at the Crammer, which I felt obliged to cover too.
Eddie and I were guests on Peggy-Sue’s Don’t Stop the Music show on Swindon 105.5, chatting about the awards. We met Henry the chocolate duck raising funds for cystic fibrosis at HollyChocs, previewed Supergrass headlining Frome Festival, a genderqueered Shakespearean performance at Bath’s Rondo, and Swindon Palestine Solidarity events. Lois did Idles at Bristol’s Block Party.
I reviewed The Hotcakes of Wildfire’s album Shoes & Acid, ranted on vocal minorities triggered by events of cultural diversity, and did a No Surprises column promising to return the feature, but promises are made to be broken! There’s simply too much to whinge about, and for my health, I need to see the glass half-full.
Bands at The Bridge
That’s all for now, folks. Do not fear, it’s still summer in our minds, and we’ll kick off in July for the second part. I know, our goldfish attention spans cannot take in a whole year in one article, what with so much brilliant stuff which happened over the year, so come back when I’ve officially emptied the Quality Street tin and completed the last half of this review of 2025; but I must say, I think the first half was better!!
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