Wiltshire Music Centre is launching the Make Music This Summer programme, a vibrant 19-day programme of musical activities for children, young people and families…..
Designed for ages 0–21 and their parents and carers, it offers a wide range of inspiring, accessible and high-quality experiences throughout the summer holidays. From rock bands and musicals to music production and LEGO stop-frame music videos, Make Music This Summer brings together creative opportunities for all interests and ages, From the 25th July to the 30th August 2026.
Delivered in partnership with local practitioners from across Wiltshire, the programme offers young people a chance to explore music, creativity and performance in a welcoming and supportive environment. The programme includes three strands: workshops, concerts and screenings, giving families flexible ways to take part during the holidays.
Hands-on workshops invite participants to try new skills, build confidence and collaborate with others, whether forming a band, taking part in a musical or producing their own tracks.
Family-friendly concerts provide an accessible and relaxed introduction to live music, while screenings of popular musicals are paired with interactive singalong sessions led by choir leader Fliss Courage.
“Make Music This Summer is all about opening the doors to music-making and live performance for children, young people and families”, says Cassie Tait, Head of Creative Learning and Community Engagement. “By offering a mix of workshops, concerts and screenings, we hope to inspire creativity, build confidence and create memorable first experiences of music at Wiltshire Music Centre.”
With activities running across 19 days, Make Music This Summer invites families across Wiltshire and beyond to discover, create and enjoy music together. Early booking is recommended.
A busy late spring weekend across the county, with major events from Bradford-on-Avon to Swindon, but I’m bringing quality acts I find elsewhere on my adventures into my village. Rowdefest was, again, a great success, if I do say so myself…..
Being close to Devizes, where the Arts Festival kicked off this weekend too, Rowde might not gain the traction of events in villages further away from a town, such as The Urchfont Scarecrow Festival. I believe this makes the case for a village fete even greater.
In part we’ve modernised a fete with music, but with community spirit in mind, we retain traditional elements of village fete within Rowdefest. And the fruits of our committee and volunteers’ labour paid off; this year proved it wasn’t beginners’ luck, it’s become a beloved and tremendous annual occasion.
As social media posts gather many aim at my already overinflated ego, claiming I’m the responsible adult of this baby. I confess I played a part, from organising the music to poster design, and, 6:45am found me partially resembling Wurzel Gummidge, as I lugged fifteen hay-bales from the gate to the middle of the field. Thanks for coming, if you did, but you must’ve looked around?!
From our youngest volunteer stringing up bunting to our eldest guiding traffic in and coordinating stalls. From the Parish Council helping erect the tent, and Simon, our sound engineer, going above and beyond his job, to our wonderful committee sorting red tape, legalities and other boring musts, like every event, Rowdefest takes colossal amounts of hard work from many volunteers, and the ones undertaking the most unseen tasks usually don’t receive the credit they deserve. I just attend the odd meeting to ease their biscuit quota.
Yet, aside from my biscuit munching, it was all these elements from so many which made the day. For the first year we had a sheep shearing show, alongside rides and stalls children were catered for, and at St Matthews we had tea and cake for our eldest attendees. With a raffle, tombola, and teenagers raising funds for Camp International adventures, The Mind Tree Cafe ran an affordable bar, along with Woodland Pizza and Boigers dishing out the tucker. What we find now is an annually returning audience, who’ve felt safe in the knowledge this will be a memorable day for everyone in the family.
Last year I crammed music acts in, appreciative of the many offers to play Rowdefest. This time I reduced the slight changeover chaos it caused with lesser acts. On reflection, with gaps to fill, I think, if budget allows, we should push for three acts next year. But once our wonderful Devizes Jubilee Morris Dancers had done their thing, back by popular demand, and our councillor and chair of Wiltshire Council Laura Mayes kindly opened our event in glorious sunshine, Ruby Darbyshire walked out playing her bagpipes, and I was comforted by the notion, while lesser in quantity, the quality was assured.
If there’s any similarity between Ruby and our headline band, Barrelhouse, it’s that no matter how many times I see them perform, (which I have,) I remain in awe of them. Ruby held another crowd spellbound here in Rowde, MP Brian Matthew was among many who came to me to acknowledge his amazement at how talented this young singer-songwriter is, and after an absolutely sublime two-hour show, Ruby left to do it all again in Bradford. Just wow, Ruby, you were truly perfection.
If the landscape of MantonFest abruptly populating when Barrelhouse appears has become a tradition in Marlborough, the institution’s baby sister festival Park Farm and heady nights at our Southgate are securing a similar pattern in Devizes. And this makes sense to me, for Barrelhouse are all about the blues, Devizes loves the blues, but aside those aficionados, Barrelhouse deliver blues with lively universal appeal. And that was my pitch to the committee, way back in the winter months.
Understandable was their initial concern, blues is perceived as melancholic, and they wanted lively. Grateful I therefore remain, that they took my word for it, and the proof was in the pudding, as the wide demographic ignored the temperature and got up and danced in much the same fashion as is the Mantonfest “tradition,” to Barrelhouse’s infectious sound.
A grand finale by an excellent local band, firing on all cylinders, and mirroring last year’s epic hoedown by Burn the Midnight Oil. I appreciate feedback on the chances of bands returning, Talk in Code was one, but I assure you, I’ve more tricks up my sleeve too! What 2027 will bring is undecided, but, with support from the community through the rocky road of maintaining a free event like this, this year’s fantastic and trouble-free event was so pleasant and positive, I hope Rowdefest will remain as it is, and I will continue to place my efforts into making it so, just like our wonderful committee.
by Mick Brian images by Nic Proud and Wharf Theatre Giovanni Boccaccio in the 1330s wrote a poem, “Teseida”, principally about two knights, Arcite and…
Holidaymakers from across Swindon & Wiltshire are being invited to attend one of the region’s newest travel events this summer as Swindon Travel Hub hosts…
Tickets are now on sale for Frome Festival’s silver anniversary year, taking place between the 3rd – 12th July, 2026. Three hundred events are scheduled in 58 venues in and around Frome during the 10-day community arts festival…..
Frome Festival’s programme offers music to suit all tastes – from classical, folk, pop, jazz and world music to hard rock, punk and techno. In a special programme, Frome-based Irish folk singer Cara Dillon will perform songs from across her acclaimed catalogue alongside Sam Lakeman, while also reflecting on the town they call home.
The Bob Morris Lecture is delivered this year by Sir Tony Robinson discussing his life and love of history. Other history talks during the festival include Three Remarkable Women by David Heath, The Bayeux Tapestry organised by Frome Society for Local Studies, and Emily Hauser reassesses the often-mythologised women of Ancient Greece in Mythica. Closer to home, Rosie Eliot will deliver Frome Festival President and Founder Martin Bax’s talk on Celebrating Frome Festival’s Origins with some enjoyable stories and memories to mark its 25th year. This is one of numerous free events, with booking advised.
There is a strong line-up of literary events, led predominantly by Frome Writers’ Collective who have relaunched Words at Frome Festival. Highlights include prizewinning novelist and biographer Nicholas Shakespeare discussing Spies & Lies at the Merlin Theatre. Another favourite literary event, The Crysse Morrison Prize for Poetry, will see winning poems presented alongside an open mic. Submissions for the poetry competition are open until the 14th June.
A special anniversary gala launch performance of the acclaimed musical King of Fools will open the festival at the Merlin on Thursday 2nd July. Written by former Frome Festival Director Martin Dimery, the production forms part of a wider fundraising initiative in support of the festival for its 25th anniversary.
Other highly anticipated plays featured in the festival are Frome Drama Club’s adaptation of Jean Genet’s The Maids and Really Truly Theatre’s Your Move. Dance lovers can enjoy a flamenco performance by celebrated dancer Maria Vega at the Merlin Theatre with Xuefei Yang on Spanish guitar. This is preceded by a flamenco workshop as a separate event.
Frome Festival offers an eclectic mix of hands-on workshops, from several literary and singing opportunities to Silver Jewellery Making, Carve a Green Man in stone, Softcover Bookbinding, Introduction to Bell Ringing, a Perfume Masterclass, Mongolian Overtone Voicing, Morris Dancing, Flamenco, West African and Afro Salsa dance workshops, Medieval Tile Making, a Tibetan Workshop with the Tashi Lhunpo Monks, a Mindful Photography Walk, Singing Bowl Workshops, and a Family Pond Dip for younger children. John Hegley is also running a creative workshop for “anyone who has been seven years old!”
The comedy headliners are Taskmaster favourite Phil Ellis presenting Bath Mat, and Nigel Planer, best known as Neil the hippie from The Young Ones. Timmy Mallett will also be sharing his love of cycling, painting and the landscapes of Britain and Ireland in his own inimitable way.
Art exhibitions have long been a cornerstone of the Frome Festival, with the Frome Open Art Trail showcasing the work of artists and makers in studios and shared venues throughout the town. Independently, the Pedestal Gallery will present ceramics by comedian Johnny Vegas alongside works by Peter Hayes and Emma Rodgers, following the show’s return from the Venice Biennale.
The Food Feast, another favourite free event, will be taking place on Saturday 4th July from 5pm. Visitors can expect great live music and entertainment alongside delicious international food, with many traders offering a low-price tasting menu for the first time this year.
Frome’s Hidden Gardens from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th July is also trying something new by extending the Friday opening hours to 7.30pm in the evening. Guests can discover beautiful spaces when the air is cooler before Frome Festival’s evening events.
With the sought after Frome Tunnels Tours on 7th July and various free events, walks, talks, quizzes, a Cacao Ceremony and Sound Bath, the return of the sensonic crew’s dance music night with cutting edge visuals under the name Synaesthesia, and a children’s Wildlife Parade heading through the town centre on Sunday 12th, audiences of all interests are catered for.
Frome Festival Director Adam Laughton shared, “As Frome Festival celebrates its 25th birthday this year, we’re delighted to see Frome’s remarkable arts scene reflected in events of all shapes and sizes. With 300 events, including 160 that are free and up to £5 per ticket, in 58 venues across the 10-day programme, there really is something for everyone.”
BROCHURES detailing all events are available to pick up from the Cheese & Grain, local libraries, information points and many other locations across Frome and the surrounding area. An online version of the brochure is available here. Publicity photos can be found here.
Juke box musicals tend to be little more than a string of hits, loosely linked together by a fairly weak storyline, and it must be said “We Will Rock You” breaks no moulds in this regard. However, Queen’s wonderful music provides a joyous couple of hours wrapped around a tale of a dystopian future where real music has been replaced by a totalitarian approach to manufactured music allied to an oppressive state a.k.a. Globalsoft, where a bunch of outcasts and renegades run a guerrilla style existence hunted by the security forces on a renamed earth – now iPlanet. A sort of melange of Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” meets “2112” by Rush in a “Robin Hood’s Merry men” saga with Star Wars’ vibes topped with a King Arthur reference, all vaguely linked by Freddie and friends. It must also be mentioned, and applauded, that the references and jokes have been kept contemporary since its initial scripting twenty-five years ago.
It’s a challenging show to undertake – firstly the iconic status of the music, and the unique styles of Mercury’s voice wrapped up in what is really a tribute act turned into a stage show. Secondly Ben Elton’s acerbic wit as the jokes, knob gags, and satire come thick and fast. And not to omit, in this glorious heatwave we are enjoying at the moment, thirdly the cast, band and crew sweltering away during the show! But Trowbridge Musical Theatre (TMT) with their typically large cast of almost forty members deliver the show at St. Augustine’s this week with style, energy and smiles galore, directed by Petra Schofield and produced by Maria Matthews.
The set (“Bright”) is simple but effective providing multiple height levels and stage depth; sound and lighting (Harry Sandford, Chris Sealy & Harry Weissenbruch, and Ryo Rosemann) provided top effects and follow spot, and the standard excellence of the back stage management and crew (Chris Isaacson, Nicky Runyeard-Hunt, Cameron Runyeard-Hunt, Bernice Hudson, Stewart Langford) kept everything smoothly ticking along; the sign of a good back stage crew is that you never know they are there – plaudits to them. Costumes, hair and make-up are an “unseen” team, although their input is critical to a show’s success and Karen Grant, Sandra Tucker, Lucy Adeney and Lyn Taylor deserve kudos in this area.
As a jukebox musical of course the band are an all-important and integral part of the show, so step forward Musical Director (Helen Heaton), keyboards (Helen Heaton and Sian Noctor), guitars (David May and Ben Jones), bass (Owen Heaton), drums (Alex Kemp) and percussion (Helen Altoft) who delivered the Queen “sound” – how marvellous to have a guitarist named May in the band too! All too often a band’s volume can overpower the voices especially as in this case when the band is between the stage and audience, but levels were delightfully placed to support but not drown out the singing… though during the big instrumentals, the lead guitar and drums could have been louder to just give that OOOMPH we have all come to love from Brian May and Roger Taylor 😊… But then again that may (ba doom tish!) just be me who likes his music LOUD!!!
No musical theatre show is ever complete without a wonderful ensemble and as ever with TMT shows, these ensembles were a highlight with tight choreography and slick background singing and stage presence. Its not realistic to mention the nigh on thirty ensemble members all individually, and its possibly unfair to just single one of them out, but I do have to say Yvonne Paulley shone throughout with her happy, smiling face, clearly enjoying herself to the maximum (and that is no slight on all the others either of course!). Regarding the choreography, Dani Fuke has clearly worked tirelessly with the entire cast, and especially the ensemble, to create such seamless excellence – bravo BRAVO!
Andrew Curtis plays the role of “Buddy” which for story purposes acts as a sort Greek chorus, providing the context and background to various key plot information. “Buddy” because his character is named after Buddy Holly though Andrew skilfully provides at times a Ben Elton lookalike as well as Buddy Holly during the show to provide an homage to the scriptwriter 😊
Ryan Chown as Brit (Britney Spears) and the ever excellent Daisy Woodruffe as Oz (Ozzie Osbourne) combine with Buddy to set the scene and bring the early plot along as a loving couple intent on fulfilling their innate desires to rebel against Globalsoft, and Chris Howlett provides one half of the oppressive Globalsoft dictatorship as Khashoggi, the head of secret police with distinct Gestapo overtones.
The other half of the evil empire, the supreme leader of iPlanet, Killer Queen, is superbly played by Keeley Guyan in her TMT debut. Her strong vocals and stage presence shine through and she totally makes her solos her own.
That just leaves us with Carisma Dolphin as Scaramouche and Noah Heard as Galileo; both are excellent in their characterisation and delivery, Carisma especially as her portrayal of the uber sassy, girl power confidence imbued heroine of this piece. Their on-stage chemistry as a couple grows throughout the show in line with their characters’ relationship, quite wonderfully done, and their duets were simply perfect. Now – it’s a tough call for anyone to take on songs by Freddie Mercury, and not even George Michael could fill those huge boots, but both Noah and Carisma had clearly worked hard to emulate some of Mercury’s intonations and delivery. Chapeau!
I began with a comment about jukebox musicals being just great songs and a weak storyline, but it is only fair to add that amongst this daft storyline, there are some real connections to historical and contemporary issues… dictatorships, rebellions, oppression, the struggles of minorities, bread-and-circuses state control and so on; maybe unsurprising given Ben Elton’s past as an irony heavy stand-up comic and satirical author. So, while this is a light hearted show nonetheless it does deal with some genuinely terrible concepts beneath its surface and it is worth a moment of reflection.
“We Will Rock You” is performed by Trowbridge Musical Theatre at St. Augustine’s Catholic College, Trowbridge from May 27th until 30th, at 7.30pm with a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.
May seemed so far away back in Feb when we ran a preview of two plays which will see a Devizes acting company debut at the Edinburgh Fringe. Beforehand, they’re staged at their base, the Wharf Theatre. I’ve had a sneaky peak already, you can too….
Acting coach Lou Cox, director of The Wharf Acting Company, wrote and devised both shows. Whose Play is it Anyway is showing at the Wharf Theatre on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th May, before heading north, but the second, Having a Baby and the Sh!t They Don’t Tell You in Books is only on Saturday.
Firstly, and undoubtedly the easier to summarise is the interactive comedy Whose Play is it Anyway? Name-spin upon improv show Who’s Line is it Anyway, but more a general parody of low-budget TV quiz shows of the seventies, thirteen actors of the group perform eighteen scenes from various plays and it’s up to audience to call out which decade, genre or play it is, according to the question set by the grandstanding host, Barry Ruffles.
With no fourth wall Ruffles, played with diligence by Gavin Rand, tempts the audience to be the quiz show crowd with offers of carrot-on-a-stick prizes. But the utmost comic element is his impertinent relationship with his superficially glitzy assistant, Jenny Flannel, played with such absolute perfection and improv timing by Danielle Cosh, you’d think you regretfully picked her up in a Wetherspoons in Romford.
A unique angle, yet the greatness of this show is in the contradiction between the sombreness of the scenes against the comical game show concept, and in turn, the scenes make for an interesting display of the diversity of theatre throughout the ages. For the theatrophile it might act as a boastful test to their knowledge, but for someone less culturally aware it has the potential to be a fun clipshow sampler. Being the latter, there were several encapsulating scenes which made me think, you know what, I’d like to see that play in full?
It’s originally quirky, bottom line, ideal for the Edinburgh Fringe but also with a degree of universal appeal. What was most fascinating, and also a testament to the skills of the actors, similarly to its namesake Whose Line, there’s a genuine improv component in the order the scenes are played out. Governed by a deliberately tawdry bingo ball machine, the order is genuinely random, even if you’d be forgiven for assuming it was fabricated. “It keeps us on our toes,” one actor, Matt Dauncey jested, “and makes the show different each time.”
The others, as follows, Laura Deacon, Dion Smith, Karen Payne, Brigid Maude, Laura Bartle, Rhiannon Fitzgerald, Isla North, Jamie Whatley, Jenni Prescott and Lisa Smith all need to be highly commended too, for the immense amount of preparation undertaken to develop this, and their readiness to randomly jump into any of the various characters and styles of play. The team also fondly remembered member Andy Bendell, who recently passed away. This was fun and intriguingly original in equal measure, and (in joke) more a waste of Haribo than a waste of your time!
Only similar for contrasting comedy against tragedy, Having a Baby and the Sh!t They Don’t Tell You in BooksI was treated to next. Lou has performed this one-woman show before at The Wharf and elsewhere; Helen Robertson reviewed it for us, causing me to want to see it myself.
Committed to taking a “manly” perspective to one with their knickers at their ankles chatting about their vagina, which is usually blushing and smirking like Finbar Saunders, I found equal heartfelt emotion and gulp in this unbridled masterwork.
I’m reminded of a podcast interview with Adrian Edmondson, hardly recognising his voice, a voice I should know only too well. He was crying over thoughts of the passing of his comedy partner Rik Mayall, and I reasoned, because I’d never heard Adrian cry, only ever laugh. What happens to the funny person when the funny runs out?
I marvel at writers like John Sullivan, with his knack of creating loveable character relationships, like Del-boy and Rodney, who can switch the comedy narrative to the most sombre and touching moments. But if this takes genius, it’s a whole other ballgame to take a monologue twisting comedy from tragedy to the stage, when it comes from the heart of personal experience. What begins as part stand up routine, part PowerPoint presentation, ends with the most unfeigned emotional piece of theatre you’re likely to witness.
Lou runs off a frank and quite brilliant stand-up routine akin to a most alternative, brutally honest and graphic guide to pregnancy, and while keen to state each case is different from any other and many women like to talk about their experiences, she describes the stark revelations of mental and physical changes due to her own maternity, with comical precision. This self-observational comedy would be plentiful for a trip to Live at the Apollo, and whilst this is impossible to summarise without spoilers, the conclusion to her story is not bathed in the glory of childbirth, nor amusing anecdotes of post-natal activities.
Until this point, you ride it with Lou, especially parents with a story to tell themselves. But, due to lack of oxygen during a traumatic birth, Lou’s daughter Hattie was left severely brain damaged, and only managed five days. Lou reflects on her tragedy honourably but with understandable criticisms to faults made and how they were dealt with, abruptly halting the jokes, and twisting the direction to finalise with a tearful poignant message so powerful you’re at loss for a suitable expression to account for such grief.
I asked Lou if this was her way of dealing with it. “For my show it’s certainly cathartic,” she replied, “but more importantly I’ve been able to raise so much money previously under Hattie’s name. Also having had to be silent during the legal case I feel I can finally tell my story in the hope that I can raise awareness and promote change in maternity services.”
You can donate to Hattie’s Fund here, but sympathy, try as you might, the show is a glimmering reality horror not calling for it. Only commanding you to walk in those shoes for a moment, causing it to be breathtakingly brilliant, but hard to review, words will fail you, dammit. Easier to present to it a deserved award; it’s something you have to see for yourself.
Which you can do, HERE, before they see it in Edinburgh. Of which we wish them all the best for, and being clips of multiple plays, suggest they break more than one leg!
by Ian Diddams images courtesy of Devizes Arts Festival, Ian Diddams and Graham Lloyd When one considers cricketing controversies, one maybe thinks of World Series…
My Show Of The Festival Andy Fawthrop Another headliner from the Devizes Arts Festival hit town last night…. Robert Vincent came to the Corn Exchange,…
With duty calling in the wee hours of each Saturday, it’s got to be something special to drag me off the sofa on a Friday evening, and whilst I’d rather not provide only half a gig review, this has to be said. Phil Cooper invited some friends along to The Fold in Devizes yesterday, a Canadian friend, multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter, arranger and producer called LG Breton, who would accompany Phil’s headline set, and two supporting acts, Jamie R Hawkins and Tamsin Quin…..
Something of a reunion and homing for the original trio of The Lost Trades. This backroom of The Lamb served as the foundation of Kieran Moore’s Sheer Music, where, by the end of the last decade it hosted ninety percent of their gigs. Both Tamsin and Jamie cut their teeth here, and Josh Oldfield’s project to receive the venue saw them both return to their roots, to play some new and some old songs, and tell a tale or two about it.
Jamie began. A remaining member of the Lost Trades, he suggested playing solo was rare for him these days, yet a wonderful outpouring of his sentimental muses exhausted from The Fold, like it had never faded. If acoustically singing self-penned songs is like riding a bike I wouldn’t know, but it certainly felt this way when Jamie did his thing, as sublimely as he ever did.
If the narrative of his stage patter was reminiscent, with backstory, it reflected the reunification ambience, and there was always time for a reset, as the banter between all three of them developed over years of working together. In such, Jamie would play bass for following Tamsin, and Phil jumped in on cajón for her finale; just magical!
Though doubtlessly assured Phil would naturally see this through to a masterful conclusion, I’m sorry I couldn’t stay; beauty sleep a stipulation prior to another symphony, the dawn chorus. Don’t get me wrong, I love the dawn chorus entertaining me whilst I work, and it was a particularly spectacular one this morning. But hey, it’s got a bit of a ‘Heart FM’ about it, in so much as those birds repeat the same songs every morning! Tamsin Quin and Jamie R Hawkins (solo) on the other hand, I’ve not heard for what seems like an age, they had some new songs to sing, and the evening was of equal magnificence.
Being separately these three were the backbone of subjects when Devizine started out nearly ten years ago, coupled with the notion it’d been a while, I couldn’t miss them, could I? Phil’s was the first album I reviewed, Tamsin fundraising for her debut album was the very first article, and Jamie bleeped on my radar shortly afterwards. And now, since Tamsin left the Lost Trades, and took a break from music, it was perhaps her in particular I was so enthralled to see again, performing like two years hadn’t passed us by.
There were a few songs I knew, Tamsin’s 2019 single Scandal, and Jamie’s delightful solo rendition of Petrichor, the title track of the Trades’ second album though rarely played, but mostly, and more valuable was their new songs, which followed suit with their individual styles; Jamie with those sentimental looping narratives, and Tamsin with her barefoot timekeeping, hippy-chick odes to life and love.
The crowd was comfortably communal; better numbers than past trips to the Fold. I do hope it gains some traction, another good reason to attend was to check that progress, because we really need an honest grassroots venue supporting original live music in Devizes. Phil, Jamie and Tamsin in one shout, a trip down memory lane, a must and so wonderfully executed; I love ‘em, I love ‘em, I love ‘em. As for the dawn chorus though, yeah, those birds also perked me up about not staying until the end. Those bottles won’t deliver themselves you know!
A talented local performer from Devizes is set to share the stage with international star Jason Donovan this summer as part of Fulltone Festival ’26. …. Grace Sheridan,…
Pride month finds me wondering if Pride events are actually needed more in our smaller market towns where awareness and acceptance is perhaps lesser than…
There’s the story of one newfound fan who, after her performance, asked Ruby how many copies of her CDs she had, bought the lot and distributed them freely throughout the audience! Ruby Darbyshire has that effect, seemingly wherever she goes……
I’m thrilled Ruby is playing RowdeFest on 30th May. On 21st June she supports Chantel McGregor at Long Street Blues Club, a music appreciation society where attendees gaze upon acts in respectful silence. But, I’ve witnessed Ruby captivate regulars of the noisiest pubs into muted awe!
At Devizes’ Three Crowns, number one pub for cover bands knocking decibels across a raucous crowd, Ruby crouches, packing away her bagpipes after a sublime Sunday set of mellowed and breezy originals and covers, professionally smiling, greeting either familiar faces or new fans desperate to express their delight and gratitude.
However long it takes for the crowd to wane, I’m determined to catch up with Ruby. Whilst I’ve known her gregariousness for a couple of years, she also maintains an enigmatic charm, rarely talking backstory, life and what inspires her. I wanted to discover Ruby’s motivations, solve riddles behind how she’s so mind-bogglingly talented at just nineteen. Oh, and if we’ve been heaven sent, or how it comes to be we have this remarkable singer-songwriter on our local circuit.
Icebreaker first. Ruby has two EPs, and a few separate songs, like Caller Unknown, a soulful debut single co-composed with Justin Haywood, and with help from Tim Burgess of the Charlatans. Produced by Freddie Cowan of The Vaccines, it was played on BBC6. But her forthcoming is called God is Offline, which Ruby recently posted a demo of….online!
I asked Ruby if she had a release date. “No date yet,” she replied, “but we’ve planned for the end of the summer.”
“It was inspired by our recent trip to Egypt,” Ruby explained, “where we narrowly escaped Dubai’s missile attack by a few hours. When we got to our apartment, we could see down on the street. There were loads of prayer mats, because the mosque was so filled people had to spill out onto the road. And so that inspired it.”
It’s deeper meaning, I presumed, was not to seek faith online, but to look either spiritually or in the real world. Ruby elucidated, “more just the fact that everyone is the same, whether they believe in a different God or they are from a different part of the world, they’re all the same. We’re all just trying to live our lives. To say, why are we bombing each other, then bowing to God? It’s just saying that God isn’t looking down on us, and he’s not actually looking after us. Or that you cannot connect with him.”
There’s characters in her narratives lost or searching for a light, others dubious of their own answers or consequences. But, if there’s a sparkle in Ruby’s eyes, they are not naïve stars. Rather they’re symbolic of precociousness, one who modestly acknowledges, and is confidently content with, their calling.
Ruby is well-travelled. Across the UK, into Egypt and over in India, she is adjoined to her music, therefore it’s not just us who loves her performances, it’s infectious wherever they trek. To discover why is surely to delve deeper into Ruby’s background and roots.
“My mum’s Filipino,” Ruby said, “My dad’s English, but lived in Scotland for a long time and I was born in Scotland.” If you’ve seen Ruby busking with bagpipes, or at a Burns Night, the latter part might’ve been obvious, but how and why has she settled on the Kennet & Avon?
“I was homeschooled. So we moved down to Cambridge, which was said to be the best place to be homeschooled,” Ruby continued. “And then, during COVID, we needed a change. So we moved, because we had some friends here, we moved over with the boats from one side of the country to the other side. It took us about a year to move the boats.”
I know the reality differs, but I supposed life on the canal can behold a certain perception of idyllic tranquillity, so I asked Ruby if she felt that has an influence on her songwriting. “Someone said to me that I have a lot of songs which are connected to the sea and water, which I would say yes, I’ve got a few of them,” she reacted. “I don’t know. I guess it does. Everything influences songwriting, whether you live in a city or in the countryside. And I guess it does show up in my songwriting.”
A common question which somewhat stumbled Ruby, was particular artists she would cite as influences, because as she explained, “I get a lot of influence from different places. I think, lyrically, Mumford and Sons, made me fall in love with music, and their lyrics are beautiful. Artists I like, Nina Simone for her vocals…. and you’ve put me on the spot!” This though proves her natural professionalism, an understanding that most musicians could write an extensive essay on their influences, but the objective here is to be brief.
On cover choices for a live set though, Ruby mused, “I hear a good song and think about what I can do with it rather than, oh, let’s play it exactly like them. I try and put my own slant on it.”
But, we really should focus on songwriting. Does Ruby have a template or system for writing, or do they more simply sporadically or randomly evolve? “It’s really difficult, songwriting,” she confessed, but explained she “was inspired by the title, God Is Offline. Crowned Lightbringer, I was inspired by a riff. Insomnia, I was inspired by a metaphor I found online. It just comes, like there’s loads of ways of writing and I guess it just depends on each song, because each song is unique and individual.”
While her fanbase is perpetually expanding with each gig, I asked Ruby if she preferred to play to a majority aware of her, or to new audiences, particularly in a foreign country.
“I think it’s nice to know that I have support,” she expressed, but the preference did not allow geographical boundaries. “For example,” Ruby expanded, “there were so many people that knew me from other gigs here, and they’ve come back, which reflects on the quality. It shows me that I’m appreciated. We did some house parties in Egypt where all of our friends came and people that had come to loads of gigs, and they were the most supportive and most enjoyable parties or concerts that I’ve ever done, because it was all people who supported me.” Which returns us neatly to our opening line: Ruby Darbyshire has that effect, seemingly wherever she goes….
Future reflections seemed vaguer, for Ruby’s proficiency is folk, self-disciplined, not scholarly, and I always felt she was comfortable there. Dabbling experiments with breakbeats over her piping, perhaps to modernise its perception, I omitted, but possibilities of forming a band I did mention. “Was this like a year ago?” Ruby causally inquired, but pondered “it’s always a thought,” noting some particular gigs where, “it would be good to have some more musicians, to play and accompany me.”
The ‘what comes next’ section was dominated by her enrolment on an online music course. “I’ll do an undergrad starting September,” she told me, and furthered proposals to continue writing and “experiencing different music,” mostly through planned travelling back to Egypt “next winter, so, experience the Arabic music, beautiful stuff.”
My hopes for this broad-horizons, free spirited prodigy might be proficient backing and a renowned producer, and I often marvel at the possibilities when pondering this imagining. This led us onto talk about the music industry today. Ruby explained how the shift relied heavily now, not on schooled certification or headhunted raw talent, rather on an artist’s ability to self-promote and build an online presence. From monumental beginnings like The Edinburgh Fringe Festival to opening for us at The Wiltshire Music Awards, if Ruby’s journey would one day make as equally a fascinating biography as some musical legends, I envision a day people would be engrossed by it.
But while Ruby’s roots, travelling, and gigs and festivals, to song-writing on her narrowboat, are all narratives in the natural progression of her skills as a multi-instrumental musician, there’s one defining, and perhaps incredulous element to solving the riddle behind how she’s so mind-bogglingly talented, which is that Ruby has been playing music since she was three and a half, and busking by four. Dammit! That’s the kind of age I’d have considered acquiring the skillset to bite my own toenails an achievement!!
Wiltshire Music Centre is launching the Make Music This Summer programme, a vibrant 19-day programme of musical activities for children, young people and families….. Designed…
Images by Jess Worrow A busy late spring weekend across the county, with major events from Bradford-on-Avon to Swindon, but I’m bringing quality acts I…
Tickets are now on sale for Frome Festival’s silver anniversary year, taking place between the 3rd – 12th July, 2026. Three hundred events are scheduled…
It’s 2006, and the charts are awash with what will become known as landfill indie. Somewhere in backwater Townsville UK, an already road worn veteran is making their furtive steps into a solo career that, unbeknown to them, will have a major and lasting impact on the UK music scene…..
Frank Turner is already famous for searing live performances that have put his band right in the front and centre of UK alternative music. Now he has to do it all again. Armed with only a guitar, many opinions and a reading list that would make your local library wince, he struck out, willing to perform anywhere that would have him.
Documented here is the genuine sound of a guy learning his craft. Nights like these are found across the UK every night of the week. Immortalized in lyrics that would appear later in his career, his “bedrooms, bars and bunker squats” work ethic took him to unknown towns, like Devizes.
Devizes had a rich history in live music when it was primarily known as a military / squaddie town. Live performances from Status Quo, Ginger Baker’s Airforce, Curved Air (twice), Yes (twice), Van der Graaf Generator, Thin Lizzy, Fleetwood Mac, King Crimson, Rory Gallagher, Mott the Hoople, all in 1971 alone. But it wasn’t until 2004 that its life was breathed back into its history, when Foals, LostAlone, Frank Turner, The Struts, The Computers, and more began performing here. Putting the town firmly back on the touring circuit.
This cassette documents, warts and all, the chaotic approach to small back room bar live shows. The rawness of the songs, the rowdiness of the audience. Included in the earnest set list are two covers. One from his peer Chris TT and a Sun Kil Moon cover too. Both showcase Frank’s knowledge and passion for underground music.
Frank recounts, “remembering details of one show out of more than 3000, two decades on, is a challenge. Those early days were a blur of cigarettes, trains, whisky, sleeping on floors, panic and drive. My craft has evolved slowly over the years, so flipping back to an early document of a show can be a shocking thing in some ways; so much has changed. But enough has stayed the same. Kieran helped me out with shows in the early days and remains a friend now. Somehow, shows like this led me to where I am now, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”
This release will only be available on cassette, direct from Sheer Music, or at 3 carefully selected independent record shops, Banquet Records in Kingston, Sound Knowledge in Marlborough and Mars Tapes in Manchester. The eight track cassette itself is a 2 tone olive and dusty pink affair, and clocks in at just over 30 minutes.
The artwork apes the style of 70s and 80s bootleg cassette releases. A down to earth, hand made/drawn approach, with an image that was lifted from a photograph of one of the Devizes gigs! The whole release is a charming, straight forward no frills release. The music does the talking, and we know it elevated an honest, hardworking musician to stadium heights. For more information, please visit the Sheer Music website, HERE.
After months of speculation, controversy, and local media bias, The Shindig Festival at Malmesbury’s Charton Park has been given the green light….. Despite Newsquest flogging…
What was once counterculture hedonism is now as mainstream as a package holiday. In the UK music festivals are fashionable, approved and plentiful. Ten years…
Three short years ago, we first spoke with Vanessa Tanner, campaigning in the Devizes Town Council by-election for Devizes East. In those few minutes, I…
Wiltshire Council will discuss granting itself permission to fly the Pride Progress flag outside County Hall and other Wiltshire Council offices during Pride Month. The…
Sixteen year-old entrepreneur, Katie West from Devizes, set up her own gardening business, FreshEdge Teen Landscaping a few months ago, but received a ban from…
After months of speculation, controversy, and local media bias, The Shindig Festival at Malmesbury’s Charton Park has been given the green light…..
Despite Newsquest flogging this dead horse, last week Wiltshire Police said they have no concerns about Bob Vylan playing at the music festival.
Regardless of the decision of the law, the South Cotswold Conservative Association felt it necessary to attempt to prevent freedom of expression with an application for the Wiltshire Council to review the license. Apparently, they fear a respected, passive, and family-friendly dance festival would descend into “ public disorder,” over one act; best guess, because they’ve never been to a dance festival. But then, who in their right mind would invite them?!
“We have been facing censorship,” a spokesperson for Shindig said today, but continued to inform their followers that following a formal hearing this morning, “Shindig Festival has been given the official green light. We stood our ground, our robust safety measures stand firm, and you can book your tickets with absolute confidence.”
“Bob Vylan will play on Sunday at 10pm. The sun will shine on the Shindig Festival this year.”
Common sense prevails once again. Shindig is a professional organiser with years of experience who takes matters of public safety as a paramount. Historically, musicians will call out political injustices, few ever caused disorders. Bob Vylan was not alone in speaking out at Glastonbury, despite taking the media brunt for it. Meanwhile, this weekend, the authorities did nothing to stop the London “Unite The Kingdom” demonstration from mocking Muslims by hiring French models to strip out of abayas.
Devizine offers our sincere congratulations, and we wish Shindig the very best of luck with this year’s festival and for future events.
A festival is never about one headline act. Dance festivals, in particular, are an experience of multiple performances and activities, and they always strive to continue the passive ethos of rave culture of yore. This is something that has unfortunately never been fully understood by a minority, and their attempts to contain them have caused more issues than the actual events. Let’s momentarily forget Bob Vylan to concentrate on Bob Dylan, who sang “don’t criticise what you can’t understand,” … .in 1964! Sixty-two years later, some spanners still haven’t grasped it.
A wife cooked her husband on Thursday evening in Devizes. I watched the whole thing unfold, but would have politely passed off any offering of a plate, in favour of my funky KitKat Chunky (three for a quid at Derek’s Deals!) What do you know? I’m way too much like Kenneth for my own liking, for after all, the way to a man’s stomach is……
You can get ice cream at Devizes’ wonderful Wharf Theatre, but not at a dress rehearsal, which is what this was; my apologies if the headline deliberately deceived you! You are here now, and might as well read about me sneaking in my own snack, to watch this wicked black comedy from the writer of The Nativity film series, Debbie Isitt. Opening night is Monday 18th May and the final night is Saturday, 23rd.
Directed by Alison Warren, The Wife Who Cooked Her Husband may have the conclusion given away in the title, but the lead up to it is an unnerving watch with poignantly satirical dialogue. Set in either the late seventies or early eighties, a time when the practices of patriarchy were being questioned via feminism for a younger generation, their elders upheld the traditions of married life. Ergo, for a middle-aged chauvinist to “part exchange” his older model wife, might find himself undone and exposed by his newer model’s more modern perceptions of marriage.
There’s only three characters in this play, sitting around a dinner table. Flashbacks builds a devilish narrative of a cheating husband, how it emotionally affects his ex-wife, and the new wife too. Jessica Bone plays the ex-wife, Hilary, vividly. The focal point of the play is her building concerns for her marriage, and realisation her suspicions were right. Defining her plight is the emotional rollercoaster which justifies her revenge.
Louisa Davidson is Laura, the scandalous, younger, hedonistic mistress, and she plays it with a realistic front. But as the play delves deeper into Laura’s psyche, and her expectations from her marriage, whilst more radically feministic, are of equal burden to Kenneth, the happy-go-lucky fellow, caught in this love triangle of his own making.
It becomes clear the antagonist was never Laura. Kenneth is the lovable charmer, a gluttoness Elvis fan. Hardly a master of deception, he fulfills his desires uncaringly; the basic caricature of an eighties lad with Peter Pan syndrome; me starting this review with what I ate during the show might well be proof! If Jessica’s abject and sentimental monologues are the backbone of the play, they’re contrasted by Kenneth’s playful ignorance, and therein lies the comedy, dark as it may be.
Andy Bennett plays Kenneth with comic splendour. One who gets his dinner at home but his love elsewhere, and at this successful beginning there’s a scene of visual comedy gold, as the moment of him ingeniously switching from Hilary to Laura delights him. Once reality takes hold, holes in his lies are exposed, and whilst his thoughts on the matter are exposed too, they’re not nearly as nuanced as either Hilray’s or Laura’s. One could argue a writer creates more realistic characters of their own gender, and in this Kenneth’s characteristics are flatter. Another argument is, of course, that’s the fundamental difference between the genders!
Here is a play which either gender can enjoy, and it is very enjoyable, but after-thoughts might some cause healthy debate! That’s what makes this a great show. The production may not be the best I’ve seen at The Wharf, though that’s a high pedestal, but three days later I’m still pondering its details and the questions it raises; it’s a grower.
While it might appeal more to women, the tensions and stress on relationships caused by an affair should alarm the man more, and they should see it if only to find sympathy for the mess they would create, following their desires without consideration. Young men preaching hyper-masculinity and this manosphere concept, should note this play proves these ideas were standard not so long ago, and didn’t work back then. Because, and here’s the real hitter, Hilary ponders at the conclusion, Kenneth has decidedly average levels of chauvinism, passive with it, and is atypical rather than extreme, but still he’s a manipulator and cheat who deserved his comeuppance.
The macabre ending suggested by the title is therefore expected, but the wait for Kenneth’s fate and Hillary’s justifications are more intensely meaningful than the concussion. While this play is of a simple setup, with a simple and common premise, the more its deeper meanings roll over in my mind, the more I accept that The Wife Who Cooked her Husband is a must-see.
The Rondo Theatre in Bath will be bursting with high-energy chaos this June as The Rondo Theatre Company presents Bullshot Crummond, a gloriously silly parody…
Four years ago I witnessed a Gen Z phenomenon in Devizes. With a certain indie punk zest and intelligent songwriting, Devizes School band Nothing Rhymes…
What was once counterculture hedonism is now as mainstream as a package holiday. In the UK music festivals are fashionable, approved and plentiful. Ten years ago I might have added “profitable” to those observations, but with the market flooded, “risky” might be a more suitable word. For the punter though, it means options, but if you’re only annually able to budget for one or two, it means decisions and dilemmas…..
Across the country and wider you could trek, adding to your expenses. For complete and utter festival-heads and perhaps thrill-seeking younger generations it’s a cost worth digesting to savour that certain experience. For those with passing interest, first timers, or older festival goers simply wanting convenience, looking for festivals closer to home is the desired option, and locally we’ve our fair whack of quality choice. The trouble with so many on our doorstep is, which ones?
I really cannot make the decision for you. And I’m not about to suggest any of them are necessarily better than another, because, quite simply, they are not. I can only evaluate them in accordance to their individual style and ethos, and you must decide which ones sound more appealing to you personally, deal?!
A separate never-ending list I could publish of festivals within a relatively short radius of Devizes, and I endeavour to add as many as I can find on our event calendar. To lessen the task there’s fewer within the county I’d recommend. Minety and Mantonfest most, good allrounders with top headline acts and devotion to locally sourced acts. Bath’s Party in the City, HoneyFest at The Barge on Honeystreet, and Ramsfest in Ramsbury, all this weekend alone.
From dance festival Shindig at Charlton Park to Chippenham Folk Festival, The Curcus Festival in Somerset and Old Town Festival in Swindon, May alone is jam-packed, ending with Bradford-on-Avon Music Festival and of course, free and local to us, I have to mention Rowdefest; although I’m hosting the entertainment there, don’t let it put you off!
Of course it all depends on what you want out of your festival. During high season, June and July, if you’re a hardcore raver The Existence Festival near Malmsbury will be up your street, whereas for the more commercial, Melksham’s Wiltshire Throwback Festival is poptastic. Trowbridge Festival for those seeking a wide range of original local music, and so many town festivals welcome this ethos too, such as Inspire Warminster.
Some are as established as Womad, and some blossoming. Going with what you know is a fair game, Marlborough folk return every year to Mantonfest through familiarity, similarly with Potterne Beer Fest, but you should consider the underdogs too; striving to gain reputation can often mean a team dedicated to really pulling off a show.
The same rules apply if you are to stay in Devizes, and it’s fair shout. We punch above our weight. Aside from our wonderful curated arts festival operating multi-venue, and those memorable odd days like carnival, The British Lion’s Black Rat Monday, and the Lions on the Green, you have four main options for pay festivals. Unusually, while the two established events are niche, the upcoming ones have more general appeal. But the base of your dilemma of which to attend should rather be on personal preference, because, in their own unique ways, all of them are equally as good as the others. If that comes across crawling, it’s really not; go to them all and judge for yourself!!
Listed here with no priority, then, other to assist the flow of the article, are an overview of the big four of Devizes, which may/may not help your decision!
In a word; FullTone, on the weekend of 11th-12th July. It’s unique and magnificent. Spawned from a classical free party in the Market Place seven years ago, The FullTone Festival has become a beloved institution in Devizes, a pay orchestral dance music crossover, eclectic enough to incorporate upcoming local indie bands, stage shows and attract some big names to town.
Image: Gail Foster
Licensing regulations reduced last year’s FullTone to concentrate almost entirely on their namesake in-house orchestra. This year, with a relocation from The Green to Lower Park Farm, things are quite the opposite. Not only camping onsite can be introduced, FullTone boasts Jason Donovan, The Wurzels and Rozalla, alongside eclectic tributes and from jazz to themed orchestra concerts.
Of course, Park Farm has been home to the Devizes Scooter Rally for the past six years, after its inaugural rally in Rowde, the same year as FullTone, 2019. 24th-26th July this year, Devizes Scooter Rally doesn’t hold a major headliner like FullTone. They tried this last year to great effect. The Beat headlining elevated the rally’s attendance and reputation within the nationwide scooterist scene.
There was a feeling the rally last year had obtained the maximum expansion for the organisers’ preference and to retain a community feel, of which it excels in. And herein lies the most persuasive argument for attending. The Devizes Scooter Rally doesn’t require a big name, the reputation it has built, and its angle incorporating retrospective youth cultures is plenty to guarantee, even though you might not have a scooter or only a passing interest in ska and soul, if you go to Devizes Scooter Rally you’re in for one heck of a cracking party!
The other two festivals in Devizes, I’d call the underdogs for they’re new in comparison, but should be equally considered as FullTone and the Scooter Rally, especially if you’ve eclectic tastes and/or are looking for an amazing family experience.
If both aforementioned are on Park Farm, the site holds its own; The Park Farm Festival is on Saturday July 18th. In only its second year, and if last time things leant towards rock, this year sees a wider aiming family program, with tributes to Queen, Abba, Slade and Madness. Park Farm deserves your full consideration, because despite being new it’s organised by the creators of MantonFest, a brilliant Marlborough festival with twenty-five years under its belt and a reputation for excellence.
Mantonfest 2023
Tributes, yeah, tried and tested at previous Mantonfests. I’ve seen Badness, One Vision, and Slyde, at MantonFest and guarantee they’re among the very best of tributes around. Park Farm has a full program, including our very own Jon Amor Trio, and just like the Rally and Fulltone, there’s a free shuttle bus running to and from the site to the town. It may need to find its feet, but last year was absolutely brilliant and loved by everyone who made the effort to go.
The only one not on Park Farm is last here but certainly not least. Crownfest returns to The Crown at Bishops Cannings on Saturday 4th July, after a few years break due to landlord changes. It is great to see it back on our calendar, as the years we did Crownfest it was one of most memorable local affairs, ever! The thing is with Crownfest, things are looking bigger and better than before. And it’s undoubtedly the best for its focus on local acts. Some of the best are listed here, George Wilding, Ruby Darbyshire, Lucas Hardy, and none other than Talk in Code.
Crownfest is a landmark charity music festival, garnished with some of the finest local acts, highly recommended by us at Devizine, and supporting Wiltshire Hope and Harmony, a charity providing essential support to those with SEN needs and to families caring for loved ones living with conditions such as dementia and Parkinson’s, as well as those at end of life, offering compassion, dignity, and a true sense of hope. And, on our recommendation there will be ant music, supplied by one my all time favourite tributes, Ant Trouble; we are the family!
I’ve been waffling far too long about your blind date with a festival, it’s time to be Cilla; “here’s Graham with a quick reminder!”
Will it be number one, the glitter, Prosecco and everybody’s freeeee to feel good festival with a full orchestra behind Jason Donovan?!
Will it be number two, the boots and braces moonstomping madness hairdryer extravaganza, with a seemingly never-ending supply of beer?!
Will it be number three, the friendly, family, outside chance, with John Amor, Barrelhouse and magnificent tribute acts to rock you; cum feel the noise for the dancing queen!
Or will it be number four, the grandest pub festival you’ll likely to find, set in a beautiful beer garden under the magnificent spiral church of Bishops Cannings, and with Tina, Ant music and a real dedication to supporting local live music?
Or will it be all of them?! Do it, be a festival slapper! Date the lot, and the Devizes Arts Festival, Food & Drink Festival, Black Rat Monday, carnival, Lions on the Green, and if I see you at any, mine’s a pint of cider, cheers mucker!
Three short years ago, we first spoke with Vanessa Tanner, campaigning in the Devizes Town Council by-election for Devizes East. In those few minutes, I knew Vanessa was the person for the role, and we congratulated her for winning her seat for Devizes Guardians. Today, we congratulate her for becoming the new Mayor of Devizes….
She had some big boots to fill. Jane Burton was a respected Councillor, and the by-election wasn’t without its pitfalls; namely a false scandal perpetrated by the opposition candidate. But Vanessa’s voluntary work and keenness for environmental issues thankfully shone through.
Seems like I was onto something back then, as Vanessa announced today, “I’m absolutely honoured and privileged to have been made Mayor of Devizes last night. I think it’s going to be a turbo-charged and exciting year ahead.”
Vanessa thanked John Richard Stephens, her friends, family, and colleagues for their support. Congrats, and perhaps a bottle of Brown Ale also goes to Jonathan Hunter for picking up the deputy mayor role; I shot the sheriff, but not the deputy!
Devizes Guardians thanked departing mayor, Cllr Jennie Britten, for her “selfless dedication and service to Devizes,” adding, “It has clearly been a year marked by compassion, leadership, and community pride.”
Congratulations, Vanessa! We don’t think you’ll make a great mayor. We know you will. Wear that bling with pride! And if you raise a glass to her success, make sure it’s one of the reusable cups that Vanessa initiated across Town Council events and beyond to many local pubs and bars!
Wiltshire Council will discuss granting itself permission to fly the Pride Progress flag outside County Hall and other Wiltshire Council offices during Pride Month. The proposal raises the usual heated online debate. The question is, should Wiltshire Council be allowed to fly the Pride Flag?
Save them the effort of a lengthy and costly meeting, and the risk of repetitive strain injury for objecting keyboard warriors, with one sentence, shall I?
Of course they should.
End of debate.
Any further objections are purely products of the objector’s own fractured selfishness or erroneous bigotry, should favourably be kept to themselves, and are a major reason why we need Pride in the first place. Flying the Pride flag makes absolutely no difference to them. Ergo, there is absolutely no reason why they shouldn’t fly the flag.
I’m here all day. Throw another no-brainer at me!!
Sixteen year-old entrepreneur, Katie West from Devizes, set up her own gardening business, FreshEdge Teen Landscaping a few months ago, but received a ban from the popular local Facebook group Devizes Issues, trying to promote it. In the scheme of things if it sounds petty to you, it’ll probably be what it is…..
The cost of advertising is spiralling, and can cripple a business before it gets its feet on the first run of the ladder. Marketing on local Facebook groups is an essential method to getting your initial message out there, informing people of your services. Katie mistook one administration rule of the group Devizes Issues, which allows other businesses to advertise, by mentioning where her gardening business operates rather than where they are based, and in pleading her case to the admin of the group, was ignored and promptly banned from it. Strewth; two sugars for my storm in a teacup! Would he have done the same to ol’ Alan Titchmarsh, I wonder?!
I’m not going to put Katie up against the wall here. I believe anyone starting up a small business in this current financial climate needs a leg up, and I’m particularly impressed when such comes from someone so young. Originally I thought I’d freely offer to write this, omitting the unjust circumstance which spurred it, but, sleeping on it I thought, in fear of it simply coming off as an advertorial, the harshness of the decision to ban her from the Facebook group needs to be said.
This is not an advertorial, I would not ask Katie for money for publishing this. I wouldn’t even expect a hedge trim; I actually like tending my garden, it keeps me away from doom scrolling precisely this kind of petty nonsense on social media! The admin of the group in question really needs to grow up, or if we are to use gardening analogies, position a grow bag in line with their pelvis, lie down in it, and grow a pair!
I’m sorry, but I’m sick and tired of hearing about locals being unfairly banned from this same Facebook group for inconsequential reasons. It leaves people frustrated, and if they react, the admin plays their victim card like drama is addictive, every time. Ban those being offensive, abusive, or prejudgemental, I dare say, but Katie finds herself in an ever growing collective of covid support groups, other councillors or candidates of opposing parties, or residents who dared to speak against the opinion of the admin, and found themselves kicked out unjustly of a group which claims to be an impartial community page. Orwell couldn’t make it up!
As it is, and something you should take heed of despite not seeing it on a certain Facebook group, looking at photos of their past work, FreshEdge Teen Landscaping appears to make a top class job of it. “I’m a 16-year-old gardener offering affordable garden tidy-ups and outdoor work,” Katie explained. Her current offers are a full day gardening service for £160, and two days for £220 within the Devizes area, “no matter how overgrown the garden is!”
Her services include lawn mowing, weeding, patio and driveway cleaning, planting flowers, hedge trimming and general gardening tidy-ups. Katie, who tells me she often brings her boyfriend to help too, is friendly, hardworking and “happy to help get your garden looking great again!” And, in return, I firmly believe we should be helping our local young people with such initiatives, not casting them aside for accidentally breaking a hidden rule of a Facebook group!
One satisfied customer said, “I asked Katie if she could weed my gravel as I find it difficult to bend as I have osteoporosis .. Katie along with the help of her boyfriend did an amazing job that has saved me hours of back breaking work … good to see young people prepared to work hard.”
As for the Devizes Issues, silly sausages say “it’s a popular group,” to excuse themselves for staying in it. Hit me with a snooker ball in a sock if it ain’t true, I say bullying is a spectator sport; leave and the powertripping is greatly reduced.
Why stay in a group disciplined like the admin is the daddy of a borstal, when there’s others with admins who understand the meaning of words such as compromise and compassion, waiting for residents to join them? Oh, and get your garden smartened by Katie while you decide!
Not just a pretty spiral church, there’s plenty for Bishop’s Cannings to be proud about. Evidence with the personal touch recently defeated a brazen landgrab,…
Swindon-based adrenaline pumping five-piece Liddington Hill released their first EP for three years, and Radium is highly radioactive….. For most on the North Wessex Downs,…
Mixed emotions over one of those eye-catching social media “reels” a few months ago, for two reasons. Firstly, attraction; the singing girl was a vision…
They might appear like sticks of broccoli on their featured image, with no logical explanation as to why, but they actually are two former students of Lavington School, who are reuniting to enter Cancer Research’s Race for Life in Salisbury on 21st June…..
Lauren Mesquita and Jess Worrow pledge to complete the 5k run raising vital funds for Breast Cancer Research, but need your help. Stay calm, you need not dust off your joggers and Dunlop Green Flash; they’re only asking for your donations!
The two girls met at Lavington School, Jess is now studying for English and media A-Levels in Swindon, and Lauren is currently studying nursing at college, with plans to be working as a Pharmacy Support Worker within the NHS.
Lauren said, “Ihave a big passion for helping other people; that’s why I want to work in healthcare, to make a difference.I worked in oncology and haematology wards, and a chemotherapy outpatients suite during a nursing placement at a hospital, meaning I’ve had the opportunity to learn about cancer and talk to lots of patients living with it.”
Jess added, “Cancer is happening right now, which is why I’m taking part in a Race for Life 5k to raise money and help to save lives.”
The two friends have both had family members affected by cancer. “We want to raise money to help combat this awful disease that affects so many people across the globe,” they said. “So any donation is deeply appreciated.” They’re calling their partnership, Not Fast, Too Funny.
This will be Lauren’s second year of running the Race for Life, but it’s the first time for Jess. Though Jess has been keen on many sports, including playing for England Hockey performance centre and Reading FC Academy in the past. I don’t even know how far 5k is, but it’s got a K in it which usually makes it sound like it’s much further than my own personal best of occasionally running for the bus.
We wish Lauren and Jess the very best of luck, and call upon our lovely, lovely readers to please support them with a donation if they can, because they’re lovely, really.
“I’ve seen so many stories of people fighting through it and recovering,” Lauren added, “including some in my own family, and it’s really motivated me to do this.”
by Ian Diddams images by Platform 8 Take Abigail’s party, add some Aykbourn, a touch of Coward and a liberal sprinkling of 2010s socio-political background…
by Ian Diddamsimages by Gail Foster ‘Devizes & Beyond’ is a collection of original poems in traditional forms and digital photography, inspired by life in…
No jumping bandwagon election articles from us this week; we’ve had no election here, move along if that’s what you came here looking for! But, what were our Wiltshire Councillors up to on election day, instead of temptingly campaigning with a bag of peanut M&Ms outside polling stations, or nervously twitching in their seats?! We thought we’d ask them…..
Note; we thought we’d ask them for fun, hoping for an amusing response…. These are councillors, though, the real McCoy, I didn’t hold out much hope. Not that they couldn’t be amusing, you understand?! No, silly, I just prayed some might be daring/crazy enough to actually answer!
I desperately despatched a dodgy message on the day, to a few we know and like. No point in asking Reform councillors; too busy painting roundabouts and shouting at hotels, I’d expect no more. National result for them though; who’d thought swapping empathy for anger, and accountability for a blame game would make such an appealing prospective?!
“Stop thar boats,” is all they’ve got; Swindon is landlocked, nincompoops! What, are they coming across Coate Water in a paddleboat now?! Deform took Penhill, Pinehurst and everything else in Swindon beginning with a P; like Primark. You do realise a local councillor isn’t Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner, right?! Unfortunately for you, they approve shed extensions, there’s little they can do to stop a boat.
Anyway, such was the wording in the message those few who I sent it to probably thought my phone was pinched by Michael McIntyre. Perhaps they shampooed the dog, or went to Ikea and brought a nice, fluffy cushion for their safe seat, I wondered. It’s thoughts like this which get me through the tougher days!
Fingers crossed in anticipation, first to answer was our very own MP, Brian Matthew. Not as complimentary as it might sound, given our track record of preceding MPs, but Brian is deffo the friendliest! Always where the action is, he’d been in Swindon on the day, helping with the election process/rumble there. Not really amusing, but at least they have a TK Maxx.
Phil Chamberlain, Wiltshire Councillor for Box & Colerne was with Brian, also in Swindon helping with the process. Phil explained he “spent the morning at Wroughton’s polling station, along with one of Wiltshire’s Reform councillors and we chatted with each other and with voters. One voter got him to look after their dog while he cast his ballot.” Eh? The dog voted?! Might explain a few things!
Big but, what gives in Swindon? With just a 50% turnout they took a geochronologic unit to count the votes. The Returning Officer requested more counting assistants. Apparently they’ve run out of fingers and toes.
The most comfy person at County Hall responded next, Laura Mayes. No, right, cos if I read it right, not only has she the seat for Rowde and Bromham, but also has a chair too; something extra to put your feet up on! They don’t even give The Munster so much as a pouffe, which could be why he’s so crotchety! Black Dog crossroad is safer now; give the geezer a scatter cushion at the very least!!
Laura told me she was “as far away from elections as possible!” Training for a triathlon, Laura spent the day working on her fitness; running, and swimming in the sea. “Council work never stops,” she explained, “I have been answering emails and helping some residents with a flood protection plan.” Surely the only one to benefit from answering emails while swimming is The Apple Store?!
Whilst Laura risked water damage to her phone to answer emails, in top hat and tails, Devizes East Councillor Taylor Wright and his partner were poshing it at Buckingham Palace for the Royal Garden Party. Ooh, get you! Seriously, he sent me a smashing picture; a lovely couple. We need more youthful councillors like this proud family man.
Meanwhile, Ben Reed for Devizes North broke his Waiblingen Way leaflet delivery record. Maybe he should’ve also been at the palace, being awarded a Victoria Cross for bravery!
I didn’t ask Taylor if the King was serving up Iceland hotdogs in khaki shorts and a bucket hat, as such an image my warped imagination might conjure, but Taylor called it “an incredible opportunity” adding, “quite easy to say I’d prefer this over an election count!”
After her fitness regime, Laura also revealed it’ll be “cocktails and dancing tonight,” for her. “Who needs elections?” she jested, “not me!!” And that’s it in a nutshell, isn’t it? Wiltshire Council aren’t doing such a bad job in my honest opinion. We were safe from the fiasco here. Whatever happened elsewhere is nought to do with us; we’re fine as we are, thank you all the same!
I thank Laura, Brian and Taylor for their time, and for playing my silly game. The rest were quite rightly like, mind your own business! And who could blame them?! If they see this and foolishly think “I could’ve contributed,” then, more the merrier, I can edit it. Fix a pothole or two first, and I’ll gladly consider it!
At the end of last year Chippenham singer-songwriter M3G released the single Rooks. I felt it set her bar at a whole new higher level. I’m glad to report the follow up single, De-Anchored, is equally angelic, and was released today…..
It might not raise the bar much from Rooks, but it maintains the same direction of excellence. Such is the unique and original direction of this drifting metaphoric shanty, Meg was delighted to hear it played on BBC Introducing in the West last evening, and we are equally thrilled for her! Thank you kindly, Mr Threlfall, they broke the mould when they made Meg.
For in this crazy world of fired up, laden rock n roll and floor rumbling dubstep, sometimes you need a timeout, a breeze of ambient goodness, and M3G’s acoustic take on melancholy is so beautifully presented with all-M3G loop vocals and sublimely unique expression. And arranged by Phil Cooper too, who knows the composition of a beautiful song like the back of his hand.
This time De-Anchored takes a shanty feeling, metaphorically a loose anchor can’t save a sinking ship, relative to a relationship breakdown and the character’s empathy and sense of loss. It drifts, lost at sea, another delicate impression guaranteed to impress!
De-Anchored is out now, across all major streaming platforms.
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Yes, you did read this correctly! As lovely as our premier grassroots venue, The Pump in Trowbridge is, you might be stretched to imagine it hosting the UK’s biggest festival without at least someone squishing your toes! Without any appropriate safety footwear, allow me to explain…..
The Music Venue Trust and The National Lottery have announced Everywhere At Once, the UK’s biggest festival, a festival on your doorstep. Taking place on what would have been the Glastonbury Festival weekend of June 26th to 28th 2026, hundreds of grassroots music venues across the country will unite for Everywhere At Once, for one extraordinary weekend.
Venues from Inverness to Penzance will host hundreds of major artists, touring acts and the most exciting emerging local talent in the spaces that have launched generations of musicians. This will enable audiences to experience a diverse, curated programme of live music in the intimate rooms that are the heartbeat of their communities.
This is not a festival in a field. It’s a festival on your doorstep, no tent required. Forget the trek, the traffic and the campsites. And this exciting live music experience is coming to Trowbridge, via the Pump. See? Put your Crocs back on the shoe-rack, I said all would be explained!
Everywhere At Once is more than a line-up of gigs. It’s a national moment to celebrate the grassroots music ecosystem. For three days, the artists play, the venues host, the nation listens, closer to the music, where local matters, where everyone belongs; The Pump ticks that box.
Everywhere At Once at the Pump will include a twee indie pop night with Sketchbook Records presenting on Friday 26th June. Includes a line up of Josie from Copenhagen, Clock Radio from a bit closer to home, Devizes, and Bath’s Wisdom Teeth.
Saturday 27th June is the Nova Nights takeover with punk-indie-blues vibes from Fight Milk from London, Melksham’s finest The Sunnies, and The Hayden Lloyd Band from Trowbridge.
And there’s a Sunday matinee from 2pm on the 28th, when The Pump Acoustic Club presents a night of folk with Dan Sealey of Ocean Colour Scene and Frome’s KD Rivers. Check out the Pump Website for more details.
The Rondo Theatre in Bath will be bursting with high-energy chaos this June as The Rondo Theatre Company presents Bullshot Crummond, a gloriously silly parody of 1930s adventure stories, all in aid of Man Down…..
Running from Wednesday 17th to Saturday 20th June 2026, this fast-paced comedy follows the dashing (and deeply ridiculous) hero Bullshot Crummond as he races to thwart the evil Otto Van Brunno and his beautiful but deadly accomplice Lenya, who have kidnapped a Professor for their own nefarious ends. What follows is a whirlwind of outrageous antics, quick-fire costume changes and theatrical mayhem.
A loving send-up of stiff-upper-lip heroics, the production leans into the exaggerated tropes of a bygone era, think Indiana Jones meets The 39 Steps with a dash of Blackadder. Audiences can expect car chases, sword fights, swooning heroines, hapless henchmen and deliciously over-the-top villains, all delivered at breakneck speed and firmly tongue-in-cheek.
Bullshot Crummond began life as a stage comedy in the 1970s before being adapted into the 1983 cult film Bullshot. A loving parody of early pulp-fiction heroes, it has built a loyal following for its gleeful satire of classic British adventure stories.
But beneath the farce, the choice of charity brings a more thoughtful edge. By pairing this parody of hyper-masculine heroics with support for Man Down, a charity dedicated to improving men’s mental health through peer support and community, the production gently pokes fun at outdated ideas of masculinity while supporting vital, real-world conversations.
“We wanted to do something that was pure fun, a real escape, this is what the world needs right now” says director Charlotte Howard. “Bullshot Crummond is completely ridiculous, and that’s exactly the point. But by linking it with Man Down, we’re also acknowledging that some of those old ideas about what it means to ‘be a man’ still linger. If we can make people laugh and support a brilliant cause at the same time, we hope that feels like a good balance.”
Audiences are actively encouraged to join in the spirit of the show, with dressing up very much part of the experience. Whether it’s 1930s glamour, daring adventurers or dastardly villains, the more flamboyant the better.
Our local electronica hero Moray McDonald, aka, Cephid is on sound design for this, The Rondo Theatre Company’s annual charity production, known for its lively, inventive shows and strong local support.
Bullshot Crummond runs from 17th June to Saturday 20th June 2026. Tickets: £13/ £15 (booking fees apply.)
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Is he a musician? Is he a raconteur? Is he a comedian? Well – he is all of these things – a singer/songwriter, wrapped up in a story teller, inside a dry, laconic wit that is delivered as “Suave” Mark Harrison, his self-appointed nomenclature.
And indeed, he was in fine form at this wonderful gig last night at “The Pulpit”. Mark has had some throat issues for a few months now and has to look after his voice when performing, which involves copious amounts of water and as a result urgent loo-breaks. And while the result may mean fewer songs in a set, it also means we are treated to more of Mark’s rambling yet always engaging, quietly spoken stories of blues history, social observations and personal views all wrapped up in his acerbic, pithy humour. For sure, Ralph McTel, Frank Sinatra and Eric Clapton will never seem the same again.
Mark kicked off the evening at 8pm with an explanation of his voice issues and description of his “well suited” opera background vocal coach and worked his way through such numbers as “Sonny Boys”, “Crematorium Blues”, “By the Side of the Road”, “There goes yesterday”, “Them and Us”, and “Road Ahead Closed”, interspersed with Blues history of a stolen identity, late night road closures, and visiting Eastbourne.
All too soon 10pm threatened along with Mark’s voice giving out and with a suitably low key, pertinent and humorous story, and two more songs, we were done. Hand-shakes, merch bought, and goodbyes ensued and it was time to escape Swindon, and for Mark to eventually venture out to do battle with the road closures of Oxfordshire…
Not long now, for Rowdefest! Which, as the name suggests, is in Rowde, near Devizes, on Saturday 30th May, and is a free, community spirited family mini-festival with the ethos and atmosphere of a festival and village fete combined; what more could you possibly ask for?! Well, I’ve got some exciting details to reveal, some of which have been top secret until now…..
That’s the beauty of being involved with Rowdefest, I have the lowdown, and I’m a blabber-mouth! I’ve been drinking tea and assisting with the organisation of this little extravaganza, mainly in charge of biscuit consumption during some painstaking meetings whereby a much greater dedicated team have been carefully plotting this year’s Rowdefest. Let me tell you now, you have no idea of the enormity of hard work which the committee have undertaken to stage this, and to keep it free and fundraising. Ergo, it’d be rude not to come, it’s a quick bus journey or healthy stroll/piggyback from Devizes!
We will be raising money for Rowde Village News & St Mathew’s Restoration, from 1-7pm at the Small Playing Field in Rowde, which is surprisingly bigger than it sounds. We will be entertaining ourselves at the main tent, until such a time the fantastic Devizes Jubilee Morris Dancers have belled-up for a returning show; so much fun last year, they’ve been warmly invited back.
Until then, I suggest we have a dance-off competition with prizes for the best dance moves, so bring your funky pants and your parents too, because extra points will be awarded for the bravery of dragging your parents along for this dad dancing dance off!
It is a family affair. We have a bar, and the Mind Tree Cafe. We have tea & cakes at the church and a plant sale, both of which people can bring on the day; plants and homemade cakes to the church please, and thanking you.
Talking tucker next. Woodland returns this year, with their delicious pizza, and new to Rowdefest, we welcome Boigers, for their smashing smashed burgers. I’m tempted to get one of them as a pizza topping!! And of course, it wouldn’t be Rowdefest, not even Rowde, if we didn’t invite The Rowdey Cow, and a selection of their scrumptious ice cream.
For something totally original, we welcome a live sheep shearing show, at regular intervals throughout the day; might nip over there for a trim. The rest of the time you’ll find me loitering at the main tent, with some guests who will be performing live.
I’m over the moon, to welcome the sublime Ruby Darbyshire, who will take the stage around 2:30pm. Many of you will know Ruby and those who have seen her before will understand why I’m so excited. Others will have to wait and see, but wherever Ruby travels around the world, people are left in awe.
At around 4:30 we will read the results of the raffle. Yes, we have a raffle, of course we do, and it’s tombola-tastic, with three tombola stalls; adults, kids, and the school’s bottle tombola. We have fairground rides, face painting, and stalls from Bramblerose Designs’ art inspired by the Wiltshire countryside and hand dyed clothing & fabrics, King’s Bakes, Merlin Glass, Kay’s Rugs & Stuff, Katie Robson’s craft stall, and the RSPB, and RNLI. We also have fundraising by local children for trips to Borneo and Peru, as well as our own books, bric-a-brac, children’s games, and plant stalls.
Pegden Contracting are supplying hay bales again this year, giving it a real village fete look. So, once you’ve browsed our stalls, and grabbed a bite to eat and drink, meet me there, because not only have we Ruby playing for us, but Marlborough’s finest vintage blues with a groove collective Barrellhouse will be blasting out the songs as our grand finale. You are going to love them, pinky promise!
See the poster? It took me ages to design that, and the antiquated computer program I used caused Martin Barnes Creative a headache when he came to remix it and add the groovy graphics; still he returned to thankfully sponsor our event! But not as long, or headachey as it has taken our lovely committee to arrange this festival, and with the support of the Rowde Parish Council, we welcome you to RowdeFest 2026!
Now, local businesses, here’s how you can help. While we have already filled our field with side-stalls and attractions, would you like your banner displayed at RowdeFest on the 30th May? To display a banner we are only asking for the small amount of £15 for banners under 1.5 meters long. Anything bigger is £20. We are keeping it low as we want to promote local businesses. Get in touch if you’re up for it, but I hope to see you all in Rowde on Saturday 30th May, by the order of Devizine!!
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Four years ago I witnessed a Gen Z phenomenon in Devizes. With a certain indie punk zest and intelligent songwriting, Devizes School band Nothing Rhymes With Orange built a local following I once compared to Beatlemania. Staging their own gigs and recording original songs, they harnessed appeal from a dedicated fanbase. By the summer of the following year I suggested to DOCA they should host them at the Devizes International Street Festival, and advised residents young and old, to come support this blossoming sensation; and they listened…..
It will forever remain one of my most fondest memories as editor of Devizine; looking out from the stage across a sea of people stretching the entire Market Place and queuing down the Little Brittox. I announced them, it felt like the right thing to do after banging on so much about how good they were! And they absolutely rocked it, opening a wider age demographic to their brilliance, if still local. But Nothing Rhymes with Orange didn’t stop there.
They would play our pub venues, from the Southgate to the Three Crowns, and they would even fit into FullTone, but they cast a net further, as other venues and festivals of other local areas headhunted them. The vibe was spreading, from Bradford-on-Avon’s Roots Festival to Marlborough’s Lamb and The Barge on HoneyStreet, the lads fast becoming Devizes musical export of the century.
The only time I ever questioned their united successful future was at the end of their sixth form tunnel, when so many school bands demobilise to pursue separate universities, careers, or family obligations. It was 2024, they did a farewell gig at the Exchange in Devizes, and I set up an interview with them. It was more Chow for Now than breakup, as frontman Elijah Easton, guitarist Fin Anderson-Farquhar, drummer Lui Venables, and bassist Sam Briggs all planned to study music at Bristol uni, and even reside together; result!
For the interview I drew up some quirky questions, as usually a band of this age didn’t take themselves overly serious, but what was revealed was evidently the most dedicated band with the most earnest sense of direction I’ve ever chatted with. It is this motivation to their development which drives the phenomenon to their international success. Nothing Rhymes with Orange have matured their sound, harnessed a style, but the audience response is equal to the Gen Z parties of home, just on a massive and international scale.
Bookings this year stretch from Exeter to a Brighton tour, onto Leeds, North Shields and Sheffield. The CURCUS Festival in Dorset, Godney Gathering, Somerset, and back to their new residence with some of Bristol’s biggest festivals. You can find our lads at Taunton, Plymouth, Rotherham, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, and London’s premier venue The Dublin Castle. The end of July sees them in Gibraltar, and each and every date makes me proudly think, yeah, they’ve cracked this!
But for their original Devizes fans, there is one important gig on their list, for if it’s one thing to see Springsteen play, it’s another to see Springsteen in New Jersey. Devizes Arts Festival has brought many big names to town, over their forty years, some became bigger afterwards, others already A-list. This year is likely the first time they bring an act BACK to Devizes, as Saturday June the 13th sees Nothing Rhymes with Orange playing The Corn Exchange. The lads returning is going to be big, perhaps as big as the sacks of washing for their mums!!
The Devizes Arts Festival put out, what I considered a slightly wonky perception of this in a social media post. Stating their generation didn’t like paying for gigs, I’d argue it was more through financial reasoning than anything cultural. Besides, Gen Z have grown now, some with jobs, or at least with better parent persuasion techniques! While worth every penny, Devizes Arts Festival events come with a price, in order to stage them and cover the many free fringe events their program offers.
To attract a target audience rare for the Festival, tickets have been kept to a minimum, weighing in at just £12.94. I sincerely hope this works, because it is not just Gen Z this event should attract here in Devizes. In my honest opinion, the red carpet should be rolled out for these lads, who’ve put Devizes back on the musical map of England, since the success of The Hoax in the nineties. For the record, I recall standing by a younger Elijah, watching Jon Amor at his Southgate residency with a respectful eye.
The lads of Nothing Rhymes with Orange deserve to be shown a Devizes welcoming home party like no other, by all of this town’s live music aficionados of all ages, not only for their international success, but for motivating a new generation here to pick up guitars and drums and start their own adventures. So, if your kid begs you for some money for a ticket, get one for them, and get one for yourself too!!
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Spiritual doctor, El Souessi, a prominent speaker for the Bruno Groening Circle of Friends, is coming to Devizes’ Wyvern Club on the 10th May to lecture on the teachings of controversial faith healer Bruno Groening. Make of it what you will, but from my angle it sounds suspicious….
While we’re happy to promote local events here at Devizine, we’re wary of those unfitting basic morals, ones affiliating with extreme politics, for example. This one is borderline and I would advise caution. Faith healing is a pseudoscience many within the medical community and public consider unconventional.
Bruno Groening was an oddball, a German mystic who claimed to transmit a healing force he called Heilstrom, to cure incurable diseases. Using the desperation of common folk, often injured in war, in the economic downturn of post war Germany to practice his faith healing and encourage an almost cult following, Groening had a dark history of association with the Nazis, allegations of rape, and negligent homicide of a seventeen year old girl with lung disease.
Groening was anti-science, with a sparse education and a tragic backstory of family loss and being taken as a prisoner of war. Suddenly rising as spiritual healer of mystical abilities in the late 1940s, but moving around Germany because states banned him from practising, media attention sparked a devoted following. Such was its popularity, Groening took to casting magic into two tinfoil balls to project outward to those he was unable to “reach” physically, only in collecting donations.
Leaders of his own “inner circle” were reported to take measures to control his access to women to prevent scandal. His quote “there is no incurable” is now used to promote his teachings as a “path to health for body and soul” by Dr Karim El Souessi and his Bruno Groening Circle of Friends. But, reported as a heavy drinker and chain smoker, Gröning died in Paris, aged just 52, of stomach cancer; so much for “incurable,” it seems he couldn’t save himself.
While the social media comments on his Facebook event page hold miraculous curing claims, note none of those comments are from local people, and suspiciously look like bots. I’m one to hold faith there is a possibility in “mind of matter” for wellbeing, but claiming all diseases are curable by religious indoctrination is stepping way over the mark for me!
While a venue must consider its financial sustainability it should also have a responsibility to its attendees not to host suspiciously immoral events. The Wyvern Club should research event organisers before allowing itself to be hired.
Avoid this, and if you have a medical condition you should consult your GP. We live in an era of science, and, as Gröning’s death revealed, faith is an island in the setting sun, proof is the bottom line. Go on, do your worst, shrink my head, I double-dare you!!
Your Vote, Your Voice, Your Future, goes the slogan to encourage the public to side with a particular political party based on lies they each cast, when all of them will probably make the country more of a mess than it already is, anyway. We’re not doing this now, not here, not today….
We’re here to let you know there’s an opportunity to share your love for particular local musicians and bands, rather than dancing around your handbag when they perform, or blasting them in the face with your phone torch!
Yes, We are talking about the Wiltshire Music Awards 2026, for the nominations process started today. Let the arguments commence!
I’m not here to sway your opinion, as many local artists will undoubtedly go begging for your favouritism, though I should remind you I’m a dab hand at the triangle! Please take a time out to place your nominations, it is more important than any other elections which might be going on.
This is your moment to shine a light on the artists, bands, DJs, venues, and local legends who are shaping the sound of our county right now. My opinion, for realz, is they all deserve a medal, and perhaps a Milky Bar…each!
From grassroots talent to headline heroes, if they’re making any kind of noise other than flatulence in Wiltshire, they surely deserve to be recognised!
And there’s a lot of talented people out there, but while nominations opened today, the 1st of May, there’s time to ponder your options as the polls will close on the 10th June.
The Wiltshire Music Awards 2026 will be held at The Assembly Hall, Melksham on Saturday 14th November, but the time is nigh to cast your votes. I cannot recommend where, only urge you to do so. Supporting local live music is so important, I got smashed in the head by a guitar hosting last year’s awards, but, mentioning no names, the unfortunate incident won’t affect my judgements; I took one for the team, and rose above it!!
In all honesty, there’s not even a category for best triangle player. What is this conspiracy? Won’t someone think of the triangle players?!
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![PREVIEW: Bullshot Crummond [*], Rondo Theatre, Larkhall, Bath June 17th – 20th 2026](https://devizine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/fb_img_1780405752063.jpg?w=400&h=300&crop=1)
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