Okay, it was the April Fools joke I broke the Internet with in 2021, but it’s not the 1st of April todayโฆ..
Bishop’s Cannings Parish Council announced that they are โawareโ of a proposal for a new McDonaldโs drive-thru restaurant on the site of the Murco garage at Cannings Hill.
They explained a dedicated website has been set up by the applicant which states that a planning application has been submitted to Wiltshire Council.
which states that a planning application has been submitted to Wiltshire Council.
The Parish Council said it will โreview the application once it appears on the Wiltshire Council planning portal and will update residents in due course.โ
McDonaldโs says it โhas long wanted to expand its offer of amazing value and high-quality British food into Devizes to address an identified demand for a new McDonaldโs in the area.โ
โThe proposed site is located at the former Murco Garage on Horton Road, just off the A361/Horton Road Roundabout in Devizes.โ
โOur submitted proposals seek to transform this underutilised site into a modern employment generating facility, that serves local residents, whilst contributing to the wider economy of the Wiltshire area.โ
Whether you’re lovinโ it or not, McDonalds will bring jobs for young people, and I believe that’s something to consider.
Me? I’m mentioning it for clickbait, but let’s not get over excited yet; no Big Mac orders will be taken today; it’s early days!!
To most, โfullโ and โtoneโ are two separate words, but around here it’s been a portmanteau and a proper noun since 2019, conveying a unique musical experience where orchestral meets pop, thanks to The Fulltone Orchestraโฆ.
Yeah, they may play elaborate concerts around the South West from Exeter Cathedral and Bath Abbey to Londonโs Cadogan Hall and Birmingham Symphony Hall, but it is here, in Devizes where they proper job zip up their boots and return to their roots for a festival like no other.
To put it in dictionary form, it might look something like this AI invention:
Fulltone / หfสlหtoสn /proper noun
1- The Fulltone Orchestra: A large, independent British symphony orchestra based in the South West of England. Founded in 2017 by musical director Anthony Brown, the ensemble consists of roughly 50 to 65 musicians and is celebrated for performing diverse, cross-genre arrangementsโranging from classical masterpieces and movie scores to rock, Motown, and electronic dance music.
2- The Fulltone Music Festival: A prominent annual multi-day outdoor music festival organized by the orchestra in Devizes, Wiltshire. The event showcases the orchestra alongside headline artists and guest vocalists performing large-scale symphonic concerts across a single weekend.
Origin: Formed in Devizes, Wiltshire, as a compound of full (complete, maximum) and tone (a sound of distinct pitch and quality), reflecting the expansive and powerful sound of a complete live orchestra.
Example usage: โWe are buying weekend camping passes to Fulltone at Park Farm this summer.โ
Editorโs additional note: โfor the love of Jason Donovan, make sure you do!โ
If you know me and my grammar, youโll have come to the correct assumption Iโm not one for dictionaries anyway! Iโm no scholar in the classics either. I just know what I like, and through all the bobsy-die and Tempest in a teapot online skullduggery, the bottom line is, I promise you from past experience: when you get into that dome-shaped stage, almost iconic now in Devizes, and allow the sublime acoustics of a full orchestra to flow through you, it is magnificent.
And you’re not going to find anything like it hanging around Sidmouth Street waiting for your chicken sandwich to be cooked, or staying in watching a show hosted by Ant and Dec.
Fulltone Festival 2023 – Day One Image: Gail Foster
โWeโre bringing Jason Donovan to a field in Potterne,โ organiser Jemma Brown told me. โWhy would you not get behind that and see what two local people are trying to achieve?!โ
Jason, Wurzels. Rozella, and all other gubbing or not, are only added bonuses. I was of the generation to reject pop crime manufacturers Stock Aitken Waterman, being honest, and Jason was used as a pawn, a male equivalent of Kylie, and I can’t give you the key to my combined harvester, because I haven’t got one, have I? But hey ho, a shuttle bus pulls in at the Pelican, even I have to admit, Jason Donovan coming to Devizes IS a BIG deal.
The Wurzels may be too far east for their liking, and quipped about Devizes in a song, but aren’t they the only band who made a greater success with a parody song than the original?! And I wouldnโt mind if I do; time is healer, and thereโs too many broken hearts in the world, anyway. Jason was right, dammit!!
Donโt be that subject; communal love to be found at FullTone, but only if you’re there, looking gorgeous! Iโm not out to repeat myself, weโve done a preview for this extravaganza already. I can lead a horse to water, but Iโm not prophesying that I can make it drink. But I think youโd be seriously missing out if you donโt buy a ticket, and one for your other half, maybe one for Auntie Doris too, to this one, at a new venue, with new horizons. Put her in the deckchair, let her rave.
The biggest mistake you could make is that Fulltone is a massive commercial enterprise, and that youโre going to be ripped off by a professional consortium, stuffing your dollar in their ears and laughing at you. โThe reality of it is,โ Jemma explained, โwe are a husband and wife team running an independent orchestra and event, with no financial backing other than ticket sales – which is a massive risk for anyone to take.โ
Slap me down and call me Madge Bishop if it ain’t true. Jemma’s been all over that book of face again, interrupting your constant stream of political propaganda, overkilling the advertising. Sโ only cos she gets jittery, worrying no one is going to show their face. Everyone who organises any event gets this. Please believe me, it’s perfectly natural.
Don’t we all get a bit Nelson Muntz, and on our high horses when we mount that poisonous social media platform?! Just a tad?! I’m a bloody nightmare, right?! Just ignore me, I do.
Fulltone Festival 2023 Day Two Image: Gail Foster
Bottom line; it’s not about any singular person, not even Jason, or The Wurzels, risking their safety crossing the county border. It’s about the show, and how it MUST go on. It’s about showcasing all those talented artists, all those musicians, singers, all of them, invited to bravely take to the stage.
We could walk up the canal, remembering the Boto-X, and its sad demise. Wander into town; first met the wife at that pub, now derelict. And who remembers the arcade where you hid away school lunch hours? Shame it’s gone, like the pie shop, Woolworths, Street Festival, the comfy sofa at The Four Seasons. Yeah, Fulltone has become a proper noun here, but let’s not allow it to be only used in past tenseโฆ..
Get a ticket here, enjoy yourself, and know we’ll be back together, together, because I really want to show you my heart is oh so true, and that all the love I have is, especially for you…..and everyone else going to Fulltone!
If I was pleased to hear the vocals of Devizes singer-songwriter Sammi Evans would feature on a single, I was even more delighted when I asked Sammi if it was an electronic dance track, and she replied โitโs reggae!โ Well now, this is really pushing my buttonsโฆ..
West London producer Andy Kent founded Innereyefull in 2005. Fusing breakbeat with jazz-funk and dub, the solo project then signed to Dusted Wax Kingdom three years later. By 2014 he started his own label, Inner-I Records, to self-release his music.
A prolific artist who received airplay on The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show, took his debut album Playground on tour with a collective of musicians. This though, Andy says heโs โexcitedโ about,and he โcan’t wait for you all to hear the new single, which means a lot to me,โ explaining because itโs the first Innereyefull music in six years.
Sammi is a Devizes-based singer-songwriter, often seen gigging locally accompanying Matchbox Mutiny, and attending open mics. She released her debut solo single in January.
The Thinking Tree is a rootsy, rolling heavyweight dub, and I must say, fits Sammiโs wistful and evocative chanting vocals perfectly. Thereโs the rockers one-drop to it, reflecting dub classics of Prince Jammy. Yet with contemporary echoing phrasing elements, subtler on the vocals than traditionally used at Tubbyโs dub origins, reminding me more of Zion Trainโs nineties outpourings, appeasing the alt-reggae crusty scene.ย
In theme too it blends, The Thinking Tree being a metaphoric place of solitude and reflection, itโs mellow, plodding and uplifting; all the right ingredients flow. With Robert Livseyโs percussion, guitarist James McMahon and mastered by Doc Paul Colin Moody, Sammi corrects my vocal accompaniment, telling me itโs a 50-50 collaboration with more in the pipeline. The single is from a forthcoming album, Return of The Inner Eye, due in 2027.
If this tune is solid, and up my street pounding on my front door, Iโm over the moon at the prospect of Sammi becoming a vocalist for this rebirth, because Iโm hoping sheโll encourage some local live shows, and as much as I love our local music scene, it needs more reggaeโฆ.much more reggae, in my honest opinion!
As it happens, this new Innereyefull band plays the Trowbridge Festival this month and is supporting Dub Catalyst at The Pump in October. But for now, try this taster for size, out now on Bandcamp. On streaming platforms from 30th June.
Features extracts from reviews by Andy Fawthrop, Ian Diddams and Madelaine Blake.
Does it ever stop?! The weekend is upon us again. I think I might need to skip this one, not getting any younger, and besides I did enough laughing, dancing and meeting interesting people over the past fortnight, thanks to Devizes Arts Festivalโฆ..
Celebrating its fortieth anniversary The Devizes Arts Festival really was amazeballs this year, and between our dedicated team of writers we managed to cover a fair chunk of it. Which we will now look back on with a cheap shot clipshow style article, like a nineteen-seventies TV Christmas Special!
So it leaves me to thank all the volunteers at Devizes Arts Festival for such a brilliant job, and making us feel welcome. And our writers, Andy, Ian and our new writer, Madelaine Blake. Thanks also to photographer Gail Foster for her use of the NRWO gig images.
Devizes Arts Festival kicked off like dancing shoes on Friday 31st May with Londonโs premier salsa orchestra, Salseology. Sacha Denchโ Journeys of the Human Swan and Beatrice Nicholas was showcasing African American classical composers on the following Saturday. Unfortunately we arrived fashionably late, I was busy with Rowdefest, so apologies for missing the opening.
By Monday, Andy is first out of the starting traps, and bangs out three-in-one reviews, all writing related. The first was a new feature at Devizes Arts Festival, the Have-A-Go Workshops, this one by Bath Spaโs Steve Tuffin, of whom Andy reported, โled a very practical class on how to go about writing a personal memoir, or indeed how to approach any form of creative writing. In what could have been a dry, dusty and boring subject, Steve presented a very lively, interesting and, yes, absorbing couple of hours.โ
Anthony Horowitzโs โA Life In Murderโ came next, to which Andy raved. โHorowitz proved to be a loquacious and captivating raconteur. He had plenty of anecdotes and examples to give, peppering his replies with humour and witty asides.โ
And Becky Greyโs โHow I Became A Ghost Writerโ finished the trio, which Andy called a โsandwich of literary delights.โ I couldnโt convince any of our writing team into covering some Sunday walks, and Jemma Brownโs singing country workshop. Not the most energetic bunch, and if youโd hear them sing youโd be thankful!ย ย ย
By Tuesday I thought Iโd better get on the act, and attended a lunchtime recital with Fรกbio Fernandes. Being honest I didnโt expect much, I mean, itโs just a lunchtime recital, right? How wrong was I?! St Andrews was packed, and Fรกbio, well I called him โa virtuoso. He came to Devizes to educate as well as entertain, and he did both delightfully.โ
Thursday, Andy covered photographer Nick Uptonโs Behind The Lens; My Life in Wildlife Film-Making & Photography, saying, โthis talk was a great sweep across Nickโs career over 40 years, and covering over 30 countries, but it illustrated not only the manโs undoubted technical and related skills, but also his obvious passion for nature, especially those projects closer to home in the UK.ย These included working with hedgehogs, harvest mice, dormice and the re-introduction programmes of cranes, great bustards, otters and beavers.โ
While weโre talking beaversโฆ. ermm, I went to see the Scummy Mummies show on that very same Thursday, reporting back that โyouโve never heard so many Prosecco corks popping from the Corn Exchange. It sounded like machine-gun fire in there, aimed directly at testosterone.โ
Obviously I had pre-gig reservations, but by the end, I wrote, โas a geezer, youโd be forgiven for assuming this sounds excruciating, and this was certainly my pre-concern too. For if such a format was performed by anyone other than comedy geniuses, Iโd still be of that opinion, but it wasnโt. This duo have the timing of The Greenwich Time Ball, are improv masters, and unless you were a subject on Louis Therouxโs Manosphere, wherever your testosterone balance lies, you cannot escape the simple fact that the Scummy Mummies are absolutely and undeniably hilarious.โ
If Andy went for the more calming option, Clare Durham and Paul Martinโs โCollecting; An Art, A Hobby Or A Compulsion?โ at Wiltshire Museum, reporting it as โa very entertaining session, and another of those little gems that keep the festival running,โ he soon donned his gladrags for Robert Vincent, and besides being unaware of his music, Andy called it:โThe vocals were soulful, insistent, yearning. The musicianship was spot-on. The songs were meaningful, well-constructed and simply wonderful. Itโs been a while since I was this impressed by a band Iโd never even heard before, but I was well won over. I was already on 9/10 by half time, and a no-questions 10/10 by the time we got round to the encore.โ
They let me out on Saturday, for London-based Celtic folk-punker five-piece Man the Lifeboats. At a gig unlike their usual they mightโve misjudged the crowd. I said, โMan the Lifeboats realised not to judge a book by the cover, the reward for an accomplished and lively band at Devizes Arts Festival, will be these matured attendees rising from their seated positions and gyrating to their irresistible beats like middle-age never happened; and many did, because Man the Lifeboats were stompingly outstanding!โ And they were, a great night that one.
Late out to bat, Ian strode confidently to the stumps with Howzat? The Six Sixes Ball Mysteryโ by Graham Lloyd at Town Hall, calling it โa fascinating talk about _that_ ball, the alleged lies and repeated falsehoods, and the litany of names surrounding it all.โ Glad he did that one, Iโm not out for cricket.
Andy hit back with a great ball, Bob Holmanโs Have A Go: Phone Photography workshop, which was โanother one of those little DAF gems which gave our good citizens a chance to actually โhave a goโ, rather than just sit back passively and be entertained.ย And this was definitely not entertainment, much more instructional in nature.โ
Ian delivered on former world champion poetry slammerHarry Baker, one poem of which โbrought a tear to my eye and a lump in my throat as it echoed feelings of my own for over thirty years now.โ
Andy went to Swing From Paris, only to find they were actually from Gloucester and Worcester, but still, he said, โwe got two highly entertaining sets of jazz, swing, waltz and gypsy rhythms mostly from the 1930s through to the 1950s, but also featuring tunes from as far back in the 1890s and forward into the 1980s.ย There was plenty of humour and self-deprecation throughout as Fenner talked us through the provenance of each number.โ
โMilton neurotically fumbles with the microphone stand, but not his wordplay. As is his bed hair, any emotional instability or self-doubt is part of the act; he has us under his spell from the off. You couldnโt help but laugh out loud at the absurdity of his thought-process. Iโm now of the opinion his manipulation of language and layered humour is second to none currently in comedy. He has nearly as many relatives as jokes, each one with their own punchline funnier than the next.โ That was me, I said that. I took all the prestigious gigs, and this one was utterly hilarious, Milton Jones, and Adele Cliff were so, so funny!
Just when Andy, Ian and myselfย thought we had this under the thumb, in comes our new writer Maddie Blake to, not only drastically lower the age demographic of our dedicated team, but also provide us with a brilliant review of Bath artist Karen Georgeโs sketching workshop at The White Chalk Gallery.
“What made this workshop so special,โ Maddie wrote, โwasnโt just the chance to improve my drawing skills, but the atmosphere that was created within this group. Everyone appeared so eager and inviting, it was such a wonderful experience to create new friendships and share stories with those with similar interests in the arts. Despite varying levels of experience, the workshop felt accessible to everyone, and no one felt out of place. This workshop didnโt pressure you to create something โperfect,โ but something that captivates your enjoyment and experience of the workshop.โ
Thank you, Maddie, and welcome to our exclusive and sometimes elusive writers team! So good was this review, I invited Maddie to come to the finale, Nothing Rhymes with Orange, but being I had a personal angle on this one, reporting on this finest Devizes musical output since the Hoax, I really wanted to write it myself. What a great finish to one of the best Devizes Arts Festivals yet.
โLast night proved Nothing Rhymes with Orange are at the top of their game, as they switched old with new seamlessly, and strived to become the universal name we locally knew they could from the very beginning.โ
Nothing Rhymes With Orange @ The Corn Exchange Image: Gail Foster
I also said, rather a lot, about the future of the Arts Festival. With a matured demographic in attendance, generally, I try to illustrate how diverse and accepting it is for all ages. The Gen Z fanbase turned out for NRWO, the elder Arts Festival regulars did too, and everyone was kind and courteous to everyone else. That is the magic of the festival, and I hope those younger took home the notion that the festival isnโt a Saga Holiday, and welcomes all!
There were obviously a few events we couldnโt cover, and I apologise to those involved for this, but we tried to capture as much as possible. It was a wonderful year at the Arts Festival, and we look forward to seeing how they might top this one!
If writing these was a competition, though itโs not, for the record, the highest hitting review was Andyโs one on Robert Vincent, followed by Andyโs three-in-one writing workshops, I made level pegging for the third best for the NRWO review, with Maddieโs sketching workshop review, then my review of Scummy Mummies pipped Milton Jones to the post for the fourth highest hitting article.
But we donโt worry about hits here; I couldnโt pick a personal favourite, oh, okay, go on then! It had to be between Milton Jones and Nothing Rhymes With Orange, of course. For Andy, who, letโs face it, did most of the hard work, picked Robert Vincent and Swing From Paris. โBut I also thought the various have-a-go events were pretty good. Oh. That’s three!โ
Thatโs okay Andy, have three, or more. Interesting though; Arts Festival team, the workshops did prove to be a welcomed addition. Same again next year?!ย
โMr Phil Beer needs no introduction to anyone,โ says a spokesperson for The Pump in Trowbridge, our grassroots venue kicking up turf on Rolling Stone Magazine last week!
Regardless of their mainstream coverage, thankfully The Pump hasnโt forgotten our grassroots media, and let us into their secret, announced only today. One half of the legendary Show Of Hands, Phil Beer makes his long fabled return to The Pump on Friday 4th December.
โWe are overjoyed to have Phil here again,โ they said, โIt’s been a very long time.โ
For those who don’t know, Phil is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, song writer and performer. Famous for his bands Show of Hands and Feast of Fiddles, as well as a past member of The Albion Band, Phil has been performing since he was 14 years old. With 59 years of shows and the many miles he has laid down on the circuit cements his place at the very top of the traditional folk standard in Great Britain and beyond.
He is in fact a Doctor of Music, after being awarded an honorary doctorate of music from the University of Plymouth in 2015!
With over 50 studio albums to his name, as well as a clutch of folk awards, there isn’t a better way to celebrate Phil’s contribution to music, than an intimate showcase of his excessive talents, than a gig down ‘The Pump.โ
Opening the show is Canadian musician, Daniel Isaiah, who happens to be celebrating his birthday this day too!
by Ian Diddams images by Ian Diddams & Lisa Hounsome
A few weeks ago I scribbled a preview of this production โ Bullshot Crummond. I extolled its virtues of daftness, craziness, car chases, sword fights, stage punches, raised eyebrows, lingerie, and deadly tarantulas. Not forgetting the high dangerous converse forcefield!
Read that preview for further descriptions of this manic show โ Iโm not like Abba, I donโt repeat my previous work in a new album article. But I will mention the phenomenal work undertaken by the stage crew in ensuring the often quite substantial and complex scene changes were slick and not lengthy, allied to perfect performances by the actors who often opened the scene in reduced, spot lighting while the set change was being completed in darkened areas elsewhere on stage. This area alone was a joy and treat to behold โ if one could tear oneโs eyes from the fast paced, joke-a-minute action on stage.
Matt Nation plays the gung-ho, patriarchal overly confident Bullshot Crummond splendidly, with his perfectly executed raised right eyebrow while his arch enemy, villain Otto von Brunno is quite brilliantly delivered by master of the quick change Iorwerth Mitchell.
Otto’s wife, sidekick and evil femme fatale Lenya is deliciously portrayed by Natalia Weicฦถorek, with Josie May-Ross displaying a fine selection of lingerie [ Ed. Itโs NOT that kind of show!] as wonderful wupper-cwust heroine Miss Wosemary Fenton.
Her boffin Deddy, Professor Rupert Fenton fills the part of slightly crazed looking scientist (somewhere between Frankenstein and Doc Brown!) delivered with panache by Tim Carter.
That leaves a plethora of ensemble and cameo roles filled by some of the principals but also the hilarious James Vallance as Algy Longwort, Crummondsโ less than intelligent friend
and a bored waiter, alleged one armed police inspector and German hitman seamlessly performed by Jack Sandbach.
Hugh Darwin almost steals the show as the quite superb Marovitch, a henchman – never has a man ever been made for the role so perfectly; Hugh also provides a country police officer.
All that remains is to mention the narrator and bombshell Chloe Harris as a Cabaret style MC teasing her way though the action and the men in the audience.
The back stage crew already praised consisted of Penny โHandstandโ Clegg and Sarah Larmour Shearn, while tech as ever was a slickly delivered by Alex Latham with the phenomenal Moray MacDonald on sound and original music. This crew delivered a stunning array of on and off-stage special, lighting and sound effects. Donโt blink โ because you will miss something if not several things at once!
Unsurpringly the set is down to the usual genius of Rich Canning and his team while Chrissy Fryers and Charlotte Howard are responsible for the delightful costumes.
And of course maybe last, but always first, the stunning vision and planning and sleepless nights of director Charlotte Howard, ably assisted by the multi talented producer, Toby Slelton.
Is this the โbestโ written play ever? No. Is it the deepest and most soul affecting show? No. Is it a show you will laugh at constantly, wish to see again and yearn to never end? Most definitely โ if I hadnโt already a full diary this week, Iโd come every night if I could.
This may be a light hearted, silly romp but make no mistake… behind all the laughs and silliness are hours and hours of planning, preparation, and presentation; physical challenges and endless practice – and a doff of a hat here also to choreographer and stage combat director Alexander Meadow… chapeau! The comedic timing, the stage craft, the scene changes, all require hours of practise to appear seamless. And this cast and crew have excelled in their bid to make this all appear effortless, an excellent achievement by a team on the top of their game.
“Bullshot Crummond” is sheer escapism at its finest, in the same vein as โAllo โAllo with its gentle racial generalisations and parodies building a stupid story of derring-do, innate and misguided heroism, and above allโฆ being ridiculously and stupidly….BRITISH!
“Bullshot Crummond” is performed at the Rondo Theatre, Larkhall, Bath from June 17th-20th at7.30pm. Tickets are available from ticketsource. Proceeds from this show will go to support “Man Down” a local men’s mental health charity and for that reason alone this show deserves your patronage.
Do go and see it. Then go again and take your friends. Resistance is futile!
Get ready for an unforgettable family day out as Circus Cortex BizZzar brings its award-winning Big Top spectacular to Devizes from 9โ12 July 2026…..
Performing at The Green, Southbroom Road, Devizes, SN10 1LL, this thrilling production promises four days of world-class live entertainment for all ages. Featuring an exceptional cast of international performers, Circus Cortex BizZzar combines breathtaking aerial displays, high-flying acrobatics, side-splitting comedy, and edge-of-your-seat thrills in a fast-paced show packed with excitement.
From the moment the lights go down, audiences will be transported into a world of wonder, laughter, and circus magic.
Performance Times: Thursday 9 July โ 5:00pm & 7:30pm Friday 10 July โ 5:00pm & 7:30pm Saturday 11 July โ 2:00pm & 5:00pm Sunday 12 July โ 1:00pm & 4:00pm Advance Booking Offer Book early and save on selected seats: Red Seats โ ยฃ10.00 (usually ยฃ15.00) Silver Seats โ ยฃ12.50 (usually ยฃ25.00) Gold Ringside Seats โ ยฃ15.00 (usually ยฃ30.00)
Advance Booking Offer Book early and save on selected seats:
Red Seats โ ยฃ10.00 (usually ยฃ15.00)
Silver Seats โ ยฃ12.50 (usually ยฃ25.00)
Gold Ringside Seats โ ยฃ15.00 (usually ยฃ30.00)
Advance booking is strongly recommended to secure the best seats at the best prices. Whether you’re a lifelong circus fan or experiencing the magic of the Big Top for the very first time, Circus Cortex BizZzar delivers a spectacular live experience filled with skill, laughter, and unforgettable moments. For tickets and more information, visit www.circuscortex.com
CrownFest at The Crown in Bishops Cannings is making a fantastic comeback this July with a stellar lineup, particularly supporting local acts, begging the question, who are you most looking forward to seeing there?
It’s not as easy an answer as it might sound, and hey, I’m not intending to answer it myself; I’ve got to remain impartial. I could be like Graham, though. You remember Graham? With the quick reminder? On Cilla Black’s Blind Date? Or am I showing my age now?!
Ruby?
Hum, maybe not, cos you never saw him, he was just a voice, leading to the fact no one stopped to give a toss about his romantic welfare. What if Graham was single, and lonely, helping all those contestants find love, when behind the scenes he’s hurting, inside?! An outrage, that’s what it was; where was Graham’s weekend in Benidorm with a hot chick in legwarmers, a rah-rah skirt and more hairspray than it takes to hold a life together?!
George?
Anyway, I digress. There’s those easy options for me, and if you’re a regular Devizine reader then not only are you a smidgen crazy, but you’ll be aware how crazy I am for Ruby Darbyshire, our newest sublime singer-songwriter on the circuit, my dear longtime favourite George Wilding, who’ll take any requests and turn them into magic, and of course, those irresistible indie pop darlings Talk in Code, all of which you mustn’t miss. Promise me this much?
Talk in Code?
Lucas Hardy?
Salisbury’s finest Lucas Hardy, who leapt on stage at the Wiltshire Music Awards and couldn’t wait for me to introduce him; the guy is a legend! Braydon Lees, though, that kiddo is making news. I’ve seen him a couple of times and he’s a breath of fresh air.
Braydon Lee?
But if most of these have become my friends, there’s some new to me, so, who knows, they could be the ones you are most looking forward to seeing. You are coming, right? Tickets are ยฃ32.50, from here, Saturday 4th July at the Crown in Bishops Cannings, with the lovely beer garden, campsite and pizza!
Two stages, this time, and the others I’ve yet to tick off are: The Publicans, Innovator, 5 Nights at Adyans, Dylan Bratley, and Mother Ukers. The jury is out on them, but I can assure you the two tribute acts are awesome. Kinisha. as Tina Turner played the last CrownFest, which was a bit of a wet one, but we were rollin’ (ooh), rollin’ (ooh) rollin’ on the river.
Kinisha?
If Kinisha is a given to me and past CrownFest attendees, I’ve suggested the other tribute after seeing this guys blow the roof off the Vic in Swindon. Hey look, I’ve made friends out of so many of the musicians performing at CrownFest, but I’ve been an Adam Ant fan since I was knee-high to a grasshopper and Ant Trouble is the only band you’ll ever get anywhere near to the real thing.
There’s a lot on this bill, and all of them worthy of being the answer to our question, who are you most looking forward to seeing at CrownFest. Perhaps I’ve got the lowdown on more of them than you, but you’ve taken heed of my worldly advice and, just like Graham with his quick reminder, it’s got to be George, Ruby or Talk in Code.
Or, perhaps I’m just the dandy highwayman you’re too scared to mention, spending my cash on looking flash and grabbing your attention?!
No, that’s really not me at all! You’d be far better off buying a ticket for CrownFest, than waiting for me to look like anything merely resembling โflashโโฆor spending my cash, come to think of it! Adam Ant in Bishops Cannings, though; how can you resist? I think, despite the fact any one of these fantastic acts could easily be the one I’m most looking forward to seeing at CrownFest, Ant Trouble might just be the icing on the cake.
Summer Solstice in Wiltshire; it’s a crowd-puller, but even forty years after the Battle of the Beanfield and decades of attempted commercialisation, it remains a tourism the authorities clearly don’t appreciateโฆ..
Wiltshire Police and English Heritage have ganged up on social media to warn revellers not to drive to Stonehenge or Avebury for this year’s summer solstice. Cue frustration, possible conflict, pedestrians on narrow roads, and chaos in neighbouring towns. All of which, I hasten to add, helps to maintain the tradition of division and bad blood between attendees and residents.
โWe are pleased to welcome visitors from all over the world to these special sites,โ Wiltshire Police expressed in a Facebook post. โHowever, we urge everyone to plan ahead to ensure they can mark the occasion safely and responsibly.โ
It matters not how nicely they dress it up. Do as we say, not as we do; forty years isn’t so long ago for something described by ITN journalist Kim Sabido as โthe worst police treatment of people that Iโve witnessed in my entire career as a journalist,โ thereโs never been a formal inquest, and police were cleared of wrongful arrest at a 1991 civil trial.
Even patronising overuse of emojis isn’t disguising that what followed was a stark warning; โwe’re going to make this as awkward as we possibly can for you.โ
โEnglish Heritage strongly advises people not to travel to Stonehenge by car,โ they continued. โParking is limited and must be pre-booked via their website, and long queues are expected for those who do drive.โ
Begging the questions, why is parking so limited? Because Stonehenge is so walled-in with surrounding urbanisation it’s impossible to supply adequate parking there?! Because folk have only been pilgrimaging to Stonehenge for the last 5,000 years, therefore a โsudden interestโ in the event took English Heritage by surprise?! If only there was a field nearby folk could park inโฆ.
179.2 million quid could be found to spend on surveys, legal fees, and archaeological mitigation for a failed ยฃ2 billion Tory project to carve up the sacred landscape with a concrete monstrosity, the lights of which would’ve deliberately been angled to block the sunrise, but there’s no magic money tree to pay a local farmer for use of a nearby field for folk to park in.
Nope, the onus is on the attendees; pay Salisbury city centre’s extortionate parking fees, and cram onto the โregularโ bus service, they suggested, if reading between the lines. Come on you Reds! Extra late evening Salisbury Reds buses will be put on, apparently, but note, cash is typically not accepted for Solstice journeys, so you must pay via contactless. No bank account, travelling folk, no going on bus.
And here’s the โdon’t outstay your welcomeโ punchline: โVehicles that are abandoned or parked on the A303 or nearby roads are likely to be towed away.โ
Sunrise is at 4:52am on Sunday the 21st June; unless you fancy feeling the full force of the Road Traffic Act, those wishing to celebrate at Stonehenge should note the average human travels at the approximate speed of 3mph, so I’d start walking now!
Just think, our Neolithic ancestors dragged the bluestones 140 miles from Wales, and the Altar Stone came from Scotland. English Heritage’s selling point is to, โwalk in the footsteps of your Neolithic ancestors at Stonehengeโ yet fails to mention you might have to walk just as far as them to get there for solstice!
Yeah! That’s how we treat tourists on heathen pilgrimages around here, mate!
โOne of the wonders of the world and the best-known prehistoric monument in Europe,โ they call it, which kinda makes you feel somewhat patriotic. Where’s the support from flagshaggers when you need them most?! You might have to wait for Wetherspoons to build a branch on the byway.
Yet, for the residents of the county who know the kerfuffle at Stonehenge is such, a nicer time can be had at Avebury, and Police have installed some similar rules there too.
โIf you’re heading to Avebury,โ they warn, โthe National Trust also advises that the car park cannot accommodate everyone and where possible, to use public transport, walk, or arrange to be dropped off.โ
And I get this, because Avebury is a village with residents, whereas Stonehenge isn’t, and no one is to blame for this except Saxons. Bloody Germanic tribes, coming over here building villages on are English Neolithic monuments, nicking all are blacksmith jobs, and raping all are neanderthals. Get the 49 bus, neanderthals do!
But I did chat with Arch Druid of Avebury, Jim Saunders, who blessingly explained this year’s Avebury Summer Solstice celebrations in a more positive light. They include the God and Goddess Walk and Awen Ceremony at midday, the Ladies Circle at 1pm, and the Free and Open Gorsedd of Caer Abiri at 1:30pm.
โWe’d also appreciate people helping us care for the site by using the bins provided, taking litter home where possible, and avoiding leaving offerings or tying objects to trees and stones,โ he furthered, which is a much more hospitable attitude and therefore likely to be received welcomingly.
Grianstad Sona, Happy Solstice, because the bottom line is, if you go to either at solstice you’ll realise the troublesome narrative is mostly codswallop, and if even there was a little, it’d likely be caused by tensions the authorities created themselves, by not compromising for one day of the year, at least until it’s a commercial enterprise.
If last Saturday’s Celtic punk band quipped if the Devizes Corn Exchange was a bingo hall, and Milton Jones jested โit’s great to be here, in the past,โ it took a band with roots to the town to introduce Devizes Arts Festival to a next generation, and, predictably, Nothing Rhymes with Orange smashed it, with zestโฆ.
It’s been a fantastic year for Devizes Arts Festival, their 40th anniversary, though it continues to attract a majority of older residents. It’s understandable, with the Devizes age demographic and the cost of living crisis particularly affecting our youngest. Not for the want of trying, chief organiser Vince told me of a โBattle of the Bandsโ of yore, which has the blueprint of a young Kieran Mooreโs past input, but the vicious circle comes down to economics; a certain style of event not selling has the potential to financially ruin the festival, and has to go. Wanton to attract a younger generation being the reason why the price to this particular event was reduced; it worked.
Highlighting the diversity of their program is something I’ve preached for the years we’ve extensively covered it, and upon receiving a whisper they’d booked Nothing Rhymes With Orange at the end of last year’s festivities, I kept schtum, but secretly I excitedly prayed this might be key to crashing the invisible boundaries of the festival’s age demographic. Not blowing my own trumpet, but I was right!
Prayers answered by Bristol’s Nothing Rhymes with Orange, as our oldest and youngest gathered; the latter only slightly outnumbering, but both tolerant and respectful of the other. The most age-diverse Arts Festival event I’ve witnessed was one of the happiest, and deffo, liveliest! And also, one element to the gig’s success.
Nothing Rhymes With Orange @ The Corn Exchange
The other, of course, was the band formed at Devizes School, quickly became the local Gen Z phenomenon I’d refer to as โBeatlemania in Devizes,โ and departed to Bristol Uni. If that usually spells an end to school bands, Nothing Rhymes with Orange made the adjustment together, and I will continue to vow this tightness and comradeship is the secret to their success, as, through their dedicated motivation and raw talent, they went on to replicate the local phenomenon into a national one.
Last night, they returned to their roots, and though they collectively confessed it felt โstrangeโ to be back, to me, many of their original homemade fanbase waited in anticipation for those early singles, which they can sing back to the band; thatโs as vital to Gen Z as recording it all on TikTok!
It was an obligatory pressure for Elio, Fin, Sam and Lui, who wish to retire their earliest songs in favour of progressive newer ones, and they announced this would be the last time they would play them. Fittingly here in Devizes, but not without subtle apprehension from the band; understandable. I get this; if I had to replicate my teenage creative output in my twenties Iโd have cringed.
Never say never, I expressed, for nostalgia builds through aging. While the early songs were welcomed by the younger crowds, what was most impressive for all in attendance, was surely the new ones.
Nothing Rhymes With Orange @ The Corn Exchange
If the indie punk pop genre has come of age, and thrashing out three-minute rages is clichรฉ, Nothing Rhymes with Orange are at the pinnacle to a progressive evolution of the sound, with matured experimentation akin to prog rock. And therein lies their contemporary universal magic.
Through superior technical ability, mood-setting bridges and intros, and paced melodies, while still maintaining the professionalism, tightness and adroitness they showed from the start, their new songs have so much more body and strength. They are a pleasure to hear, and appeased the entire crowd rather than those here to sing back the early works.
The merger was a shrewd move, beginning with the classics and moving onto newer ones, with a finale of Manipulation, one of their earliest crowd-pleasers. They may not have played them for a while, and itโs not like riding a bike, but now theyโve ticked that box of reunification with their original fanbase off, and can put those old tunes to bed, itโs time to move on.
Last night proved Nothing Rhymes with Orange are at the top of their game, as they switched old with new seamlessly, and strived to become the universal name we locally knew they could from the very beginning.
Their synergy reverberated, as it ever did, but with a newfound level of proficiency and competence, leaving those who knew them before in awe. With one eye I scanned them as those kids singing to a handful of teenagers in West Lavington village hall, but with the other, as if we were watching The Pretenders or the Stranglers on stage. It was as plot twisting and refreshing as Luke Skywalker returning as a Jedi!
Supported by a brilliant Cheltenham five-piece called Underscore, all guitars, drums, overspilling and confident originals, made for an amazing gig, and a particularly different Devizes Arts Festival event.
Underscore @ The Corn Exchange, Devizes
Nothing Rhymes with Orange couldโve just come out and nonchalantly played Brotherhood of Man covers and Iโd still have been happy to see them all again! But, they didnโt, I mean they wouldnโt, would they?! They knocked it out of the Corn Exchange.
A journalist once told me, you write on a subject, publish and move on. That’s why I’m not a journalist, as I hug the frontman’s mum and tell her I’m proud, and can’t imagine how she must feel.ย
Nothing Rhymes With Orange was never just a subject for me, it was a model, of everything Devizine means to me personally, to summarise a journey of a local youth band, and now, through sheer dedication and motivation, to see them never taking a step backwards, only forwards, to a world stage, fills me with great respect for them, hope and delight.
Featured Image: Gail Foster. Features extracts from reviews by Andy Fawthrop, Ian Diddams and Madelaine Blake. Does it ever stop?! The weekend is upon usโฆ
โMr Phil Beer needs no introduction to anyone,โ says a spokesperson for The Pump in Trowbridge, our grassroots venue kicking up turf on Rolling Stoneโฆ
Get ready for an unforgettable family day out as Circus Cortex BizZzar brings its award-winning Big Top spectacular to Devizes from 9โ12 July 2026….. Performingโฆ
CrownFest at The Crown in Bishops Cannings is making a fantastic comeback this July with a stellar lineup, particularly supporting local acts, begging the question,โฆ
On Wednesday 10th of June at Devizes Arts Festival, we had the pleasure of a โSketch and Exploreโ workshop lead by Karen George, a contemporary artist. Karen is based near Bath, in the UK, and specialises in semi-abstract and contemporary painting of landscape and seascapes in acrylic and mixed media. This informal sketching workshop was held in the White Chalk Gallery, as-well as exploring Devizes Canal to reconnect with our creativity and sketch!!
Karens work was displayed in White Chalk Gallery on the day of the โSketch and Exploreโ workshop, and it blew me away at how beautiful her paintings were. Iโd definitely take a look on her page.
Iโll admit, walking into the sketching workshop, I wasnโt entirely sure what to expect. The majority of art workshops can come across as daunting and intimidating, especially when youโre surrounded by professional artists who know exactly what theyโre doing. However, any worries or pre-judged expectations of pompous artists quickly disappeared when Karen greeted me with warmth and lighthearted humour, and most importantly, the truth about art.
With a room full of about 20 eager artists of all skill levels, Karen confidently presented her finalised work and sketchbooks. Rather than immaculate sketchbooks filled with detailed, polished artwork, Karenโs sketchbooks were filled to the brim with quick, experimental, and wonderfully unfinished sketches. She spoke of how sketchbooks should be treated as a blank canvas, where you can make mistakes, experiment and play on your artistic ideas; they are not meant to be perfect. This was such a refreshing approach that immediately reassured beginners, even those who had rushed out to buy a sketchbook just before the workshop.
One memorable moment was when Karen challenged the notion that great art requires expensive materials. She spoke truthfully about how art can be over complicated, and how it has become marketised into making artists feel they need โpremium pencils and equipmentโ to create something good, which I totally agree with. Karen told us that all you need is โthe back of an envelope and a biroโ and you can do anything. This really highlighted how art is fundamentally conceptual, and how artists hold their merit through their ideas and philosophy for their artwork, rather than its physical form.
From that moment, I knew this wasnโt going to be a flashy demonstration to impress, but a genuine workshop to remind people of their creativity, showing how art is so accessible to explore and open to everyone.
After discussing the philosophy of sketching, it was time to put pencil to paper. We headed out to Devizes Canal, where Karen had planned three snapshot sketching sessions in three separate locations along the canal. Before letting us loose to begin, she gave us a demonstration of her sketching process. Karen taught us to focus on blocking shapes in first to help with composition and not to worry about detail. She expressed to us how important it is to capture the feeling of our surroundings and encouraged us to โsit, immerse and absorb.โ
One of the most interesting techniques Karen introduced was mark-making. She explained how different textures can be portrayed through different drawing styles: rough textures, like the grass closer to the stone brick, could be emphasised through harsher and more energetic marks, while lighter textures could be represented through looser and flowing lines, such as the breeze pushing through the branches of the trees. She also encouraged us to record singular words about the environment, sounds and our impressions of the canal. This is what creates individuality within our artwork because everyone sees from a unique perspective. I found it fascinating how different marks could communicate the atmosphere of a place just as effectively as a detailed drawing. This technique helped beginners understand that creating an eye-catching landscape is not always about perfect detail, but about capturing the emotion, movement, and character of the environment around you.
At each stop along the canal, we were given around 15 minutes to sketch and take in the environment. As we settled by the locks and long stretches of glossy water, Karen moved between participants, offering kind encouragement and advice. She also generously shared some of her own art materials, such as Faber-Castell graphite pencils (preferably the 8B due to its rich tonal range!!). Her warmth and enthusiasm never wavered, and she seemed genuinely invested in helping everyone develop their sketching skills, echoing her passion for art. One participant commented that Karenโs exercise had encouraged them to look more closely at unseen details, noticing how the stone and buildings curved perfectly alongside the canal. By the time we reached the final sketching location, the group had become noticeably quieter, not from boredom, but from concentration. Surrounded by reflections upon the water, everyone seemed completely immersed in their surroundings, their heads moving up to observe the canal in front of them and back down to add to their beautifully crafted sketches.
What made this workshop so special wasnโt just the chance to improve my drawing skills, but the atmosphere that was created within this group. Everyone appeared so eager and inviting, it was such a wonderful experience to create new friendships and share stories with those with similar interests in the arts. Despite varying levels of experience, the workshop felt accessible to everyone, and no one felt out of place. This workshop didnโt pressure you to create something โperfect,โ but something that captivates your enjoyment and experience of the workshop.
By the end of the workshop and scrambling back to White Chalk Gallery, the room was filled with hearty conversation and smiles. It became clear that Karenโs workshop had resonated with everyone: that art isnโt just about perfection and the most extortionately priced pencils, but about curiosity, passion, and creativity. This Sketch and Explore workshop has taught me not to just focus on finer detail, but to actually โsit and absorb.โ Whilst usually spending hours refining paintings and sketches, I have taken away the ability to loosen my sketches and really focus on how to capture the atmosphere of the environment in front of me.
I would wholeheartedly recommend any future workshop of Karenโs to anybody whoโs looking to explore their creativity, no matter their level of artistic ability: from a beginner to someone who knows pretty much all!! This was such a memorable part of Devizes Arts Festival, and I shall be taking so much away from this.
Mock the Weekโs recurring panellist and Radio 4 comedian Milton Jones stood on the stage of Devizes Corn Exchange on Friday, with the setter, โitโs great to be here, in the past!โ And thereafter, everything which came from his mouth was utterly hilarious. Thank you Devizes Arts Festival, a fine chortling choice; Iโm still chuckling nowโฆ..
Our antiquated town, the maturity of the audience and the country bumpkin stereotype had already been fired at us from the support comics, all in the name of banter. Slight heckling with calculated precision mightโve offset these London comedians, who seemingly learnt no lesson from the backfiring of Francis Groseโs quips which spawned the moonraker fable. Yet, with the timing perfection of Spike Milligan, God of Funny, Milton couldโve said anything youโd consider corny from the mouth of another comedian, and still come up trumps.
I could debate all day that if Milton thinks our town is old-fashioned, so too is his humour, and neither are bad things. While surreal conceptually, Milton delivers deadpan puns based on wordplay, and while genius, the lengthy observational storytelling of Dave Allen, Billy Connolly or Richard Pyror, and the madcap and shock factors of eighties alternative comedians like Mayall and Edmondson, for Milton, appears omitted in favour of the previous generationโs one-liner joke telling. Even the hair suggests Ken Dodd.
Milton neurotically fumbles with the microphone stand, but not his wordplay. As is his bed hair, any emotional instability or self-doubt is part of the act; he has us under his spell from the off. You couldnโt help but laugh out loud at the absurdity of his thought-process. Iโm now of the opinion his manipulation of language and layered humour is second to none currently in comedy. He has nearly as many relatives as jokes, each one with their own punchline funnier than the next.
Some gags he divided into repeat opening lines, โisnโt it awkward whenโฆโ or in evaluating the audienceโs reactions with pretend test jokes, and he occasionally returned to a thought, but each gag was separated by subject so vastly, and fired as fast as bullets, the mind boggled to keep up, and ordered minimal laughter relapse in fear of missing the next punchline. I could recite some gags, but Iโd just ruin them; Milton is proof delivery is the crucial element.
The first support, Dave Vaughn, however either failed to assess the audience or didnโt have the arsenal prepped to adapt. What mightโve appealed to his peers, a younger city audience didnโt wash here unfortunately. Maths, a subject he came out with, was mildly amusing, but this matured audience isnโt going to identify with nostalgic observations of growing up in the nineties; that was yesterday to them!
Finishing on Trump jokes I hoped, for his sake, would elevate reaction, but they werenโt refined, nor as risque as they could have been, as if Dave was holding out on provocation in fear of being overly offensive, which he might have gotten away with in his comfort zone. He repeatedly said โyeah,โ to compensate for โplease giggle,โ but Trump is his own joke, and just because the audience might look Conservative, doesn’t mean they needed modesty in this matter.
In many ways the compere was better than Dave, but he too felt like he had landed on an alien planet and was expected to entertain the natives. Milton called it later, โisnโt it awkward whenโฆโ
Thankfully this pattern was erased by the quirky dressed alternative girl in the middle. Undisputed UK Pun Champion Adele Cliff may not have fitted with the Arts Festival attendees, but would in the wider Wiltshire demographic, hippychick!
And she certainly delighted them. A self-confessed nerd, whatever Adele sourced she turned into magic, even corny quips, or geeky subjects like Doctor Who and Toy Story were delivered so perfectly, it produced the desired effect. I loved her, the audience found her hilarious as she lifted the spirit in preparation for Milton with stars, cherries and everything on top. Combined with Milton, they made my drizzly week, because laughter is the best medicine.
Another great night in Devizes, thanks to The Devizes Arts Festival. Today, Nothing Rhymes With Orange make their hometown reunion, and Iโve been hopeful it will attract a younger audience to the delights of our arts festival; we wait in anticipation, just wishing Milton could see it, for these lads originate from Devizes, and are the future.
As the Devizes Arts Festival rolls majestically towards its final weekend, thereโs no chance that the bus is anywhere near running out of fuel.ย There was plenty of gas left in the tank last night to bring us into the streets of Paris to hearโฆ. but whatโs that? โ itโs some lively street music!ย Yet another beltingly-good music act had come to town to keep the DAF party going.ย Not only that, but there were signs of a bit of a runaway success – not only had Swing From Paris sold out the Merchantsโ Suite venue downstairs, but theyโd sold a lot more tickets too, so the gig had to be moved upstairs into the main Ceres Hall…..
To be honest the place didnโt look much like a Paris bistro โ the high-ceilinged, air-conditioned, space of the hall would never allow that โ but at least we were greeted with a more cafรฉ-style layout, featuring a casual smattering of tables and chairs.ย It meant that we had some space to spread out for a change, whilst still feeling crowded together enough to create some atmosphere.
Swing From Paris breezed on to the stage and, after a little tuning, confided (to plenty of laughter and applause) that they werenโt actually from Paris at all!ย The shock! – weโd never have guessed! Still, Gloucester and Worcesterโs Finest came to give us a good eveningโs entertainment, and they sure succeeded in doing that.
Consisting of Tomasz Williams on upright bass, Sam Hughes on acoustic guitar, Andy Bowen on electric guitar, and Fenner Curtis on violin, who acted as the bandโs spokesman throughout, we got two highly entertaining sets of jazz, swing, waltz and gypsy rhythms mostly from the 1930s through to the 1950s, but also featuring tunes from as far back in the 1890s and forward into the 1980s. There was plenty of humour and self-deprecation throughout as Fenner talked us through the provenance of each number.
The instrumental tunes were bright, lively, and often short, occasionally well-known and recognisable, delivered through some really tight arrangements, but giving just enough room for the occasional solo. Many tunes derived from Broadway shows, the movies, musical theatre, and the Great American Songbook, but there were a couple whose roots were more from classical music or folk traditions. Fenner humorously compared classical works to jazz works, in that nobody knew for sure exactly when to applaud, and then gave Tomasz a bass solo in the middle of the next number, just to prove the point.
And there were plenty of famous names being bandied around during the evening โ Claude Debussey, Fats Waller, Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli, Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, George Shearing, George & Ira Gershwin to name but a few.
I particularly loved Fennerโs minor tirade against streaming sources when he exhorted folks to purchase an actual physical CD or vinyl copy of their albums. The difference, apart from the revenue stream to the artist, was so much better for the punter too โ higher quality sound reproduction, the feeling of ownership of an artefact and its associated artwork, the programme and background notes, and the knowledge that it was much more financially supportive of the artist. I have to say I agree with him. Seems like other folks did too, as there was plenty of business going on at the merch desk during the interval and after the show.
Two fine forty-five minute sets breezed by in absolutely no time, capped off by the well-signalled and, ahem, totally unexpected encore. Job done! Artists very happy with their first visit to D-Town, DAF very happy with a larger than expected number of bums on seats, and an audience very happy with what theyโd just heard.
So another โhats offโ moment for DAF โ well done for bringing these guys to town.
Anyway, thereโs just a few more sessions to go from this Friday through to Sunday, and itโll be all over for another year. So, if you havenโt done so yet, get yourself along to something before itโs too late!
The Devizes Arts Festival continues until the night of Sunday 14th June at various venues around the town.ย Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk
Summer Solstice in Wiltshire; it’s a crowd-puller, but even forty years after the Battle of the Beanfield and decades of attempted commercialisation, it remains aโฆ
All Images: ยฉGail Foster If last Saturday’s Celtic punk band quipped if the Devizes Corn Exchange was a bingo hall, and Milton Jones jested โit’sโฆ
Mock the Weekโs recurring panellist and Radio 4 comedian Milton Jones stood on the stage of Devizes Corn Exchange on Friday, with the setter, โitโsโฆ
A Little Bit Of French Polish Andy Fawthrop As the Devizes Arts Festival rolls majestically towards its final weekend, thereโs no chance that the busโฆ
Join the Wiltshire & Barh Air Ambulance team on one of their behind-the-scenes tours of the Charity’s airbase at Semington on Thursday the 9th Julyโฆ.โฆ
Two years ago we fondly reviewedIโm Ready Now, a debut EP from Bathโs Poppy Rose. I praised her unique take, her thoughtful prose and intelligent metaphors, but it was a collection of songs each with separate thoughts. Poppyโs new EP, Letโs Go Swimming is on another level, has a singular theme throughout, and a certain sound that relates, whilst also massively improving on uniqueness, prose and metaphorโฆ..
The cover suggests Poppy likes swimming, especially when she was younger, therefore the writings are whimsical reflections on childhood, and the sound interprets the emotions and innocence of a visit to the swimming baths, perhaps with hidden metaphors, perhaps not! Nothing is forced upon you here, that option is left entirely up to the listener; all you need is some goggles.
The running order presents a timelined narrative. The opening tune is motivational, upbeat joyful pop, the excitement when the suggestion of a trip to the pool is accepted. The second is a playful rap duet featuring Moritz Finn Kleffmann (Finn, Prince of Whales,) and amusingly reflects on the joys of being in the pool. Itโs lots of splishing, sploshing fun, returning you to a blissful childhood state of purity.
Now Poppy has reverted you to a childlike state, you’re a kid again, and enjoying the moment. But do you remember how it was, mates, showing off, diving in, and youโve not conquered that fear of taking the first leap? The third tune of four calms the excitement with a moody ambient reflection of overcoming your fears; Dive represents doubt in your abilities, and peer pressure, sublimely. You loved it after you took that first plunge, didnโt you? And that is precisely what you must do with this EP, trust in Poppy!
Once the opening excitement has waned by the realisation you didnโt break any water speed records, as you imagined you would have, the acceptance of a good time regardless, and the fact you gave it your best, thereโs a sleepy finale; young Poppy is tired, and wants to go home, and the music perfectly reflects the mood and sentiment, to the point a cascade of afterthoughts will waterslide through your mind, of those wonderful days of being taken swimming as a child, or taking your own children swimming.ย ย
It is, in a word, joyful, but brilliantly encompassing too. A wonderful take on a simple everyday activity, rolled into a running concept, a diary entry, and delivered with a simple sound of early electronica meets acoustic work, which exquisitely matches the theme. What I love about this is a child would relish with incorruptibility at its lucidity and playful imagination, while an adult would do likewise, just nostalgically. And in this, I cannot compare it to anything else other than the mighty whimsical rapper, Gecko.
Pass me my water-wings, I really fancy a quick dip myself after listening to that!
Harry Baker is a former world champion poetry slammer and German speaker with a mathematics degree. Whether the three are related is open to conjecture but all three feature in one way or another in his work. At the age of twenty he won the world poetry slammer competition in France with what he describes โ fair enough โ as the worldโs best poem โPaper Peopleโ. From studying maths rather than medicine at university, to provide him with the time to keep on writing poetry, he is now a full time professional poet with a full diary of tours and performances and four books to his name.
His latest book, โTenderโ chronicles the first hundred days of his sonโs life and it was this that provided the material for the second half of his performance at the Corn Exchange, Devizes on Wednesday night. The poems ranged from the incredibly short inspired by exhaustion and exasperation, to good sized outpourings of love for his son and his wife, with many other lengths and subjects in between. We leaned how long it takes to look at a horseโs face when you are just weeks old, how Harry becomes accepted as milk provider โ eventually, and of the inevitable ejections and projections babies manage from both ends. It is a set of beautiful, amusing and passionate poems the last of which โ Day 1 โ brought a tear to my eye and a lump in my throat as it echoed feelings of my own for over thirty years now.
Harry’s first half comprised pieces from his earlier books with titles encompassing his German speaking ability about a spoon with which to eat falafel (โfalafellรถffelโ), finding your own way in the world (22 โ which I realised immediately is the product of two prime numbers โฆ that maths degree is never far away), a passion for swimming (โWildโ), enduring love (โDustโ) and a philosophical view of inevitable death (“Instructions for a funeralโ).
The evening sped by, the audience of almost two hundred from far and near sitting spellbound throughout. Harry is a consummate performer, engaging, witty, self-deprecatory with a typically British sense of humour but with a gentle lilting delivery.His works can be bought at the ever excellent โDevizes Booksโ of course, and for a taste of what we all enjoyed YouTube has many clips of him in action.Huge thanks to DAF for bringing yet another wonderful act to our town, and the festival is not yet over ๐
Join the Wiltshire & Barh Air Ambulance team on one of their behind-the-scenes tours of the Charity’s airbase at Semington on Thursday the 9th Julyโฆ.
By joining you will gain an insight into how they run this extraordinary lifesaving service.
The Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance will be opening the doors to the airbase to give guests a unique experience.โฏThe tour will cover a visit to the flight room, helicopter hangar and simulation room.
Tickets are ยฃ20, available HERE. All monies raised will go directly to help save lives in Wiltshire and Bath.
Please note that the tour will be led by volunteers, and as this will be an operational day, they cannot guarantee the crew or helicopter will be present during your visit.
During the tour, guests will be on their feet for up to two hours. While walking around the base, it will include 22 stairs up to the viewing platform (however, there is a lift at this location) and 22 stairs down to the hangar. Please advise Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance in advance if you would struggle with this. Please note that the majority of the tour is inside, but if the aircraft is at the base during the tour, it will involve some time outside.
This Summer Behind-the-scenes Tour is on 9th July 2026, from 2 – 4pm at Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Airbase, Semington, Wiltshire, BA14 6J.
Giovanni Boccaccio in the 1330s wrote a poem, โTeseidaโ, principally about two knights, Arcite and Palamon, who were rivals in love for the hand of Emilia, during the rule of Theseus. Fast forward to Geoffrey Chaucer about fifty years later who basically stole the story for the โKnightโs Taleโ in โThe Canterbury Talesโ. Shakespeare was no stranger either at literary appropriation, if you will, or plagiarism if you prefer, and used the same story as the basis for โTwo Noble Kinsmenโ. It was to be his final play, written in partnership with John Fletcher another Elizabethan/Jacobean playwright, completed in around 1614 (Shakespeare died in 1616). As a tale incorporating two best friends both falling in love with the same woman and falling out with each other as a result, it of course bears no relationship to โTwo Gentlemen of Veronaโ which is about two best friends both falling in love with the same woman and falling out with each other as a result. Will would surely never re-use the same plot devices?
[ Checks notes โ โTwelfth Nightโ with a shipwreck and separated twins, โComedy of Errorsโ and a shipwreck and separated twins, โThe Tempestโ, with a shipwreck and separated siblings; โA Midsummer Nightโs Dreamโ with a Duke Theseus and wife Hippolyta, โTwo Noble Kinsmenโ with a Duke Theseus and wife Hippolyta. Nope โ nothing unusual hereโฆ]
“Two Noble Kinsmenโ is to be performed by the Wharf Theatre at the eponymous venue on July 13th to 18th 2026. Nic Proud, who directed โPericlesโ in 2024 returns to direct this latest in a fine recent tradition of the Wharf producing Elizabethan authors’ works โ โAs You Like Itโ (2019), โMeasure for Measureโ (2023), the aforementioned Pericles and โDr. Faustusโ (2026). As per the opening paragraph, the story revolves around the rivalry between two noble kinsmen Arcite and Palamon, for the hand of the beautiful Emilia, sister to the pompous yet wise Duke Theseus, with his kind and sympathetic wife Hippolyta. To add romantic confusion [Ed. โ a Shakespeare play with confusions over love? Really?] there is also a jailorโs daughter and her wooer, while a court toady Pirithous obsequiously undertakes his masterโs bidding. A drunken jailor, and his equally drunken tailor brother, provide suitably comedic scenes, along with two simple countrymen and a schoolmistress who with sundry others make up the characters in what is a far funnier play than may appear on the surface.
The cast certainly embrace the more comedic portrayal of this piece, and it rattles along in about two hours plus an interval. Thereโs plenty of quick changes between and intra-scenes and multi-rolling in the cast of nine portraying fourteen characters, and a dashing sword fight on stage to boot! Come and see if you can spot who is who and be amazed at the speed of the costume changes!
Tickets for this wonderful production of a little performed Shakespearian play can be found here at ticketsource, and the production runs July 14th to 18th at 7.30pm each evening.
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 its inaugural Cruise & Holiday Show at the County Ground on Sunday 5th July 2026…..
Taking place in the Legends Lounge at Swindon Town Football Club’s County Ground, the free-to-attend event will bring together some of the world’s leading cruise lines, tour operators and holiday brands under one roof, giving visitors the opportunity to discover new destinations, access exclusive offers and speak directly with travel experts.
The event will feature representatives from a wide range of holiday companies, including ocean and river cruise operators, escorted touring specialists, family holiday providers and luxury travel brands. Visitors will be able to attend presentations throughout the day, gather inspiration for future trips and take advantage of special event-only promotions.
Shaun Jones, Co-Founder of Swindon Travel Hub, said:ย “Since opening our doors in Old Town, we’ve been overwhelmed by the support from customers across Swindon and beyond. The Cruise & Holiday Show is our way of bringing the travel industry directly to local people, allowing them to meet the experts behind the brands, ask questions and discover destinations they may never have previously considered.
Whether someone is looking for a luxury cruise, a family holiday, an escorted tour, a city break or simply some inspiration for their next adventure, there will be something for everyone. We’re delighted to be hosting the event at the iconic County Ground and look forward to welcoming visitors from across the region.”
The show is expected to attract hundreds of visitors and follows a period of rapid growth for Swindon Travel Hub, which has become one of the area’s fastest-growing independent travel agencies since opening in 2024. The business now operates from stores in both Swindon and Cirencester and has built a reputation for personalised service and specialist cruise expertise.
Admission is free, but visitors are encouraged to register in advance to secure their place and receive updates on exhibitors and presentations.
About a million years ago, before covid and lockdown, when the thought of Liz Truss as a P.M. was a laughable idea [Ed. โ nothing has changed] and when a Post Office scandal was when the sub post mistress was found to be having an affair with the vicar, there was a magical place hidden away in the roof space of a former stables [Ed. โ needs more research] where performers would entertain the thronged masses of Devizes [Ed. โ itโs not that big] on Friday and Saturday nights
Just the name conjures up distant, hazy memories of wonderful acts like โJasper in the Company of Othersโ, Dan Allen of โDucking Punchesโ, โLonely Touristโ and so many more. In that roll-call of greatness as one looks back through the history of โThe Foldโ there is one of several names that crops up time and time againโฆ Gaz Brookfield, or as one listing shows, Gareth Brookfield! Then โThe Foldโ was no more for several years after October 2018, but has reopened its doors this year under the maestro-ship of J.P. Oldfield, or Josh if you need a vape, where already its hallowed newly painted walls have seen a โLost Tradesโ reunited trio, Meg & Siren, โBluebeard and the Desperate Hoursโ, and an open mic already.And thence to last Friday when previously Fold regular Gareth Brookfield returned to one of his old stomping grounds. If you donโt already know Gaz is a solo acoustic guy (occasionally cobbling his Company of Thieves together) from the West Country, who through Trial and Error has built a solid following round these parts and further afield, with two number one albums to his name. Modest as ever he claims he only plays Four chords and the Truth, but the reality is his lyrical penmanship is second to none, even if he insists his two chums, Messrs Turner and Faulkner i.e., Frank and Sam, are better. [Ed. โ They arenโt. Just equally talented]. His Career Moves saw him based in Bristol and London, but eventually the draw of SN1 was too strong and he is returned now to the Shire.[Ed. โ Thatโs enough song title dropping!]
Gaz has recently completed his โVillage Hallsโ tour, literally booking and playing at village halls across the country in his self-managed, one-man band set-up, where audiences were treated to two sets the first of which were tracks that he rarely plays at gigs. Last year his tour comprised two songs from each of his ten albums. This Fold gig was in a similar vein of both, with an hour and quarter or so of songs he rarely, if ever plays live, from each of his albums in reverse chronology. Setlist as follows and many of the linked videos below are from Friday’s gig – credit and thanks to @waitingforwinter !
Gaz was engaging and lovely as he ever is, with interesting stories regarding each of his songs. I was personally delighted to hear โNuggetsโ and โAborglyphโ as I thought Iโd never get to hear โNuggetsโ again, if only because of its progeny and Gazโs relationship with his friend, and โAborglyphโ is simply a beautiful song. The seventy strong sold-out crowd sang and danced in the Foldโs confines in what was quite a โwarmโ and โstickyโ atmosphere ๐
The gig had been promoted by J.P. Oldfield, who, no slouch with a guitar himself, had opened the show with a nine song, forty-five-minute set of his blues based, Johnny Cash style, deep voiced magic. Setlist below and for your very delectation, another wonderful video from Friday night from @waitingforthewinter with “Further from Heaven”.
He claimed credit for writing โRising Sunโ but I felt he was just jokingโฆ but most of that list are all his own work, and are to appear on his new EP, due for release on September 26th this year โ a full six track EP. Devizine covers that release in this articleโฆ
Five tracks from that new EP plus โSatanโs bar and grillโ and โPreacherโs Nooseโ gave us an excellent review of JPโs own work. There were also a couple of covers โ โSt. James Infirmaryโ and โHouse of the Rising Sunโ โ but rendered in a very JP Oldfield manner very much making them his own โ and that is not faint praise.
The Fold is very much making a welcome return and with gigs of this quality to look forward to its future is hopefully bright โ so follow its Facebook page and book the September 26th for an EP release party at โ where else โ โThe Foldโ!
Rising Devizes star and promoter at โThe Foldโ, JP Oldfield last Friday revealed the information he is to release a new six track EP on September 26th this year.
JP explained โIt’s going to be a concept EP based on a story I have written to go alongside the EP that is loosely influenced by the rime of the ancient mariner. It hopefully will have 6 tracks and will really be pushing the limits of what can be defined as an EP. There will be physical copies for sale that will come with a copy of the story to read alongside it, I’m trying to make the whole thing an experience with the story running the whole way through.It’s currently unnamed at this point in time and probably will be until August when I get all the artwork finalized. I’m in the studio later next month finishing all the music off. Itโs been quite the awesome but full-on undertaking!”
I am sure prog fans will be no doubt in tune with the idea and if the tracks played last Friday from that EP โ Song 2 (real name to be decided), โFurther from Heavenโ, โNo Restโ, โThe Best I Canโ and โHeavy Was the Rainโโ are anything to go by so will anybody else that is prepared to sit and listen.
Furthermore JP is playing an EP release gig on that same day at โThe Foldโ. So, make a date in your diaries to see one of Devizesโ rising stars and grab a copy of the EP and the story at the same time โฆ and itโs the night before my birthday so you can also buy me a pint!
Monday morning seems an odd time to be going to an โArtsโ event, and early heavy showers didnโt do the day any favours either.ย It almost felt like getting up to go to school when double maths is scheduled, but that was a very (very) long time ago for me, so I sharpened my pencils and set out in determined fashion for the Cheese Hall……
A doughty class of about twenty folks had turned up to hear professional photographer Bob Holman run a workshop session on โhow to elevate your phone photography and WOW your friendsโ.ย Not only had this master-class been the first item on DAFโs Events Calendar to sell out, but had proved so popular that another session had been arranged for the afternoon โ and that had sold out too! So I guessed there were a lot of people around the town who were having issues with their competence at phone photography!
This was another one of those little DAF gems which gave our good citizens a chance to actually โhave a goโ, rather than just sit back passively and be entertained. And this was definitely not entertainment, much more instructional in nature. It fell into two basic halves: the first being almost traditional chalk-and-talk from the front, and the second was a much more hands-on practical session.
Bob ran through a lot of basic settings, and how to set the phoneโs camera up to suit the types of things you might want to do. Cue lots of โa-haโ moments as people began to discover some basic things about their phone that theyโd not realised before. Previously unexplored menus, sub-menus and options came blinking into the light. This then morphed into a tips-and-techniques section (including โfilling the frameโ, never using the flash, using the timer, macro shooting, video including slow-motion etc). We got plenty of advice on what NOT to do, and features NOT to use, which was equally useful. We talked about focus, contrast, using the light, burst mode, black-and-whiteโฆ.well you get the picture (see what I did there?.
After the break and a chance to let our spinning heads settle a little, we donned coats and headed into the great outdoors for some much more practical shooting tips, causing alarm and amusement in equal measures to ordinary citizens of the town going about their daily business. Before you knew it, twenty-odd folks were swarming around the Town Hall, down St Johns and into the churchyard, taking pictures of all sorts, from a variety of strange new angles. We were taught about โleading linesโ, โframingโ, composition, perspective and some lovely trickery using a range of reflecting surfaces (windows, mirrors, puddles of water). Again you could hear the โoohsโ and โaahsโ as various pennies dropped. Finally, after this enjoyable bit of play-time, we were trooped back into the classroom for a final round-up before the lunch-time buzzer went.
Iโd say that by now we were all starting to feel quite pleased with ourselves, not only because weโd all blossomed into a new regiment of crack photographers, but also because the lesson was almost at an end. It was at this point that Bob told us that taking better pictures was โthe easy bitโ. All those great shots would now require editing before they were truly perfect. And that, we learned, was a whole other set of dark arts, and a different discipline altogether! Something for another time methinks.
Overall this was an informative and helpful session. My only quibble was that, despite being clearly advertised as suitable for both iPhone and Android devices, the latter (of which there were several in the room) were not really catered for. Bob admitted upfront that he was largely unfamiliar with Android settings, so a few of us had to play quite a lot of catch-up and translation during the session. For the iPhone majority, however, this session got a definite thumbs up.
Anyway, weโre into the final week of the Devizes Arts Festival now. However, thereโs still plenty of great stuff still to come over the next few days, both ticketed and free.ย There are more โhave-a-goโ sessions, too, so why not get your sleeves rolled up and get stuck in?
The Devizes Arts Festival continues until the night of Sunday 14th June at various venues around the town.ย Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk
by Mick Brian images by Nic Proud and Wharf Theatre Giovanni Boccaccio in the 1330s wrote a poem, โTeseidaโ, principally about two knights, Arcite andโฆ
Holidaymakers from across Swindon & Wiltshire are being invited to attend one of the region’s newest travel events this summer as Swindon Travel Hub hostsโฆ
by Ian Diddamsimage by JP Oldfield Rising Devizes star and promoter at โThe Foldโ, JP Oldfield last Friday revealed the information he is to releaseโฆ
by Ian Diddams images courtesy of Devizes Arts Festival, Ian Diddams and Graham Lloyd When one considers cricketing controversies, one maybe thinks of World Seriesโฆ
A lot has happened since last week’s article on the decline of local Pride events. Not all of it has been positive, but I’m pleased to say in Devizes, it isโฆ.
If Essex has seen Prides banned by Reform-run councils, Chippenham Pride released their full program of events, but have you noticed?! What happened in Devizes, the Pride flag is not even flying at our town hall?
A spokesperson for Devizes LGBTQ+ group messaged me wondering why. I am glad to say we solved the riddle, thanks to Devizes Mayor, Vanessa Tanner.
Vanessa told Devizine today it was an โoversightโ and it โwill be up by the end of today.โ
However, Vanessa notified us, โthe flag will need to come down for the Twinning weekend of 19th to 22nd June, as the Union Flag must always been flown on the building if another flag is flown and we will need to fly the French and German flags.“
It will then go back up until the end of the month.โ
Thank you Vanessa and Devizes Town Council, for showing your solidarity in the matter, for those who might disagree this kind gesture makes no impact on you whatsoever, but for those it does affect it means a lot in showing our acceptance of equality.
images courtesy of Devizes Arts Festival, Ian Diddams and Graham Lloyd
When one considers cricketing controversies, one maybe thinks of World Series Cricket, the โRebel Toursโ to South Africa during apartheid in the 1980s, Bombay bookmakers, Mike Gatting & Shakoor Rana, chucking, Mankading, the Trevor Chappell underarm incident, Somerset declaration of 1979, and a plethora of other controversies. Yet one that has lived very much under the radar for almost sixty years concerns Christieโs auctioneers, the alleged ball Gary Sobers hit for six sixes in one over, the first time ever, and sub-continental obfuscation and confusion.
Graham Lloyd, a journalist and broadcaster, visited Devizes Town Hall yesterday as part of the Devizes Arts Festival Fringe, for a fascinating talk about _that_ ball, the alleged lies and repeated falsehoods, and the litany of names surrounding it allโฆ from Sobers the batsman, Malcom Nash the bowler, the non-striker during that over John Parkin, several Glamorgan players, Soberโs management, an Indian antiquarian book dealer, Indian Customs โ and auctioneers Christies and Bonhams. The talk incorporating not just video and chat, but also poetry and song to tell the tale of
“the ball that was sold, was not the ball bowled”
And we were treated to an eye witness account of that record breaking momentous over, from Devizes Arts Festival organiser, the one and only Phillipa Morgan who was there on that day.
Itโs certainly a tale that if presented as fiction would be rejected for being too far-fetchedโฆ But Graham Lloyd calmly and methodically presents his evidence in a compelling ninety minutes and leaves the viewer to make their own minds up about the truth.
We may have been treated to the last ever such talk as Graham seeks to retire, so we were privileged to hear it all from the horseโs mouth.But should you wish to read more about this controversy in the absence of seeing Graham in the flesh, his book โHowzat? The Six Sixes Ball Mysteryโ is available – I can confirm itโs a very good read and goes into greater detail than Graham could fit into his talk. The book is available from the usual online booksellers, but a better idea naturally would be to ask Jo at Devizes Books to get it โ its ISBN numbers are
Manning the lifeboats with Devizes Arts Festival in landlocked Devizes last night, and I didnโt even get a sticker. I did shake a tailfeather out of my system, more importantly. For if all-originals London-based Celtic folk-punker five-piece Man the Lifeboats seemed to have no visible relevance to their marine namesake, they certainly knew how to rock a boatโฆ.
A few people asked me for the relevance in the name, as if I would know, or remember to inquire! Two years ago, when Jolly Roger played, there was piratey-themed cosplay and shanties, but Man The Lifeboatsโ subjects were self-confessed to be more about death, apocalypse, certain brands of beer, and pubs they like. There was also a fair shout of anti-fascism and left-wing political suggestion, which, given the direction the country seems to be heading, may connote the metaphoric desertion of a sinking ship. Bravely or at least unperturbed, bellowing said righteousness from the lookout tower of the Corn Exchangeโs high stage, to a scattering of matured Devizes Arts Festival attendees was their risk I savoured; fairplay!ย
However, if they took it in jest at the beginning, asking if they were at the right event, and if this was a bingo hall, as this dynamic banjo, fiddle, piano accordion complete collective got the ball rolling, their shock of the gig mustโve transformed to pleasant surprise. Man the Lifeboats realised not to judge a book by the cover, the reward for an accomplished and lively band at Devizes Arts Festival, will be these matured attendees rising from their seated positions and gyrating to their irresistible beats like middle-age never happened; and many did, because Man the Lifeboats were stompingly outstanding!
And, letโs make no mistake, while this isnโt the sticky-floored cider-fuelled pub backroom or hedonistic crusty festival they might be used to and arguably more aptly fit, supporting Ferocious Dog and the like, Man The Lifeboats absolutely nailed it. They play the Grass Roots Grazin’ festival at Salisburyโs Music Baa later this month, and will undoubtedly receive the same expected acclaim there as they would crossing our southerly wurzel county border, with their scrumpy & western, Boot Hill and 3 Daft Monkeys similarities to Celtic punk, but their reception at Devizes Arts Festival might be a true test of their excellence, and it culminated with a surprise fairytale ending.
At least, thatโs how I believe the band should view it! For them, they should note, Devizes youngsters up for a party flocked to nearby boozer, the Three Crowns, as is the norm, for the free familiarity of covers from Pat and Ben of Matchbox Mutiny, of which I dropped in afterwards, to confirm they were having it.
For us, itโs been a mission to express this wonky stereotype of Devizes Arts Festival being a Saga Holiday at home shouldnโt carry the assumption it is not lively. That Gen Zโs parents and grandparents partied harder, faster and more often than TikTok might convince them otherwise, if it is not otherwise and understandably sadly governed by finance. Devizes Arts Festival has been fantastic this year, as ever, worthy of your coinage, but then I sigh, Iโm not getting any younger myself!ย
The true test of this will be next Saturday, when Devizes Arts Festival hosts homegrown Gen Z pop-punkers Nothing Rhymes With Orange, and I hope younger residents flock, not only for the sake of reunion, but for the future of Devizes Arts Festival. But, for now, we were locked into the tremendous vibe of Man The Lifeboats, as they did their thing loud and proud. It was professional, but they looked like they were loving it, with a mutual feeling from the crowd; cracking toast, Gromit. Or should I say, WALL-E, whom the frontman compared to Citizen Kane?! Ah, banter was lightly welcomed.
To liken any Celtic punk band to The Pogues might be cliche and a pedestal. Save for their London take rather than Irish, Man the Lifeboats certainly had similarities, their last tune before the interval was decidedly akin to Dirty Old Town, and they were fiery with poignant messages to provide, but in a nice way, delivered in a far more respectable light than the outrageousness of the subgenre’s origins. But, this is common stipulation with any music genre, I’d argue, where it is the aficionados age too, and this is the era we live in. This said, as towards the finale I saw them bashing out skillfully raw, decided I love these guys no less than Flogging Molly, or The Dropkick Murphys, and they were certainly on that level of excellence.
A great night was had, it seemed. If gigs like this at Devizes Arts Festival can provide the townโs resident live music lovers with a taster of such bands, knowingly left wondering for something to do at a grassy outdoor festival with them on the line up, or stuck in London in range of one of the pubs they fondly mentioned, Iโd make a beeline. Yet, it is of importance, being our readership is largely made up of our live music fans, that Devizes Arts Festivalโs higher points directed at music should not be taken with a pinch of salt, that they vet quality acts with variety, including such must-sees as Man The Lifeboats; a perfect example.
And so, it continues, thereโs another week of Devizes Arts Festival to come, which ends on Sunday 14th June with two free fringe events, a poetry and prose open mic at The Black Swan from 4pm, and a unique take on the blues with The Rigmarollers at The Cellar Bar, of the Bear Hotel at 7pm.ย
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,โฆ
A talented local performer from Devizes is set to share the stage with international star Jason Donovan this summer as part of Fulltone Festival โ26. …. Grace Sheridan,โฆ
Another headliner from the Devizes Arts Festival hit town last night….
Robert Vincent came to the Corn Exchange, bringing his heady mix of folk, country, blues and Americana. Normally performing acoustic in solo or duo format, this time he had a full band in tow. Heโs an English singer-songwriter hailing from the north-west. Iโll admit, full disclosure, that Iโd never run into him or his music before, but after last night Iโm really happy to say Iโve now made the connection. Although there were a few empty seats at the back, the Corn Exchange was largely full with 200+ people there to cheer him on โ and cheer they did. I soon realised that there were plenty of folks there whoโd seen him before, so there was plenty of love in the room.
Fronting up with acoustic guitar and harmonica, Robert took us through two excellent one-hour sets, show-casing many songs from his back catalogue, including his last album โBarriersโ (and, yes thereโs now a copy of that firmly in my collection), together with plenty of new songs from his forthcoming new album.
Straight from the off I was struck by his voice โ heโs a clear, but emotional singer โ and the harmonies that his band members threw in. The sound was full, rich and multi-layered with plenty of texture and variety to the songs. Early on we had some of his Country & Western influences coming through on โThis Townโ. The easy changing up and down through the gears, from solo acoustic, through to full-on rocking, from stripped-back to hard and insistent guitar licks, was an absolute pleasure to listen to.
Robert had an easy style, chatting to the audience with humour and self-deprecation, explaining the background to the songs, but never getting tempted to waffle on. I was particularly struck by such songs as โHurt Today, But Alright Nowโ, inspired by childhood memories, which he described as โmiserable but hopefulโ, as well as โLove Never Endingโ (a piece of personal therapy) and โEverythingโs Gonna Be Alrightโ (calm, unflustered and very laid back).
The band behind him were excellent โ Jim Kimberley on drums, Thomas Bibb on electric guitars (some superb solos), Danny Williams (who flipped effortlessly from upright bass to electric bass) and Anna Corcoran on keyboards, also providing some absolutely stunning backing vocals and haunting harmonies. Individually they were superb, but as a cohesive backing unit for Robertโs wonderful songs, they absolutely nailed it. And these guys were also the core of the band on โBarriersโ.
The second half continued in the same vein โ lovely clean and unfussy sound, no showing-off, just simple great musicianship. At times I was hearing Jackson Browne, at times there were shades of Deacon Blue, but it would be a disservice to the band to claim they were in any way just a soundalike to those folks. This was category-defying stuff. More superb songs followed โ โTake Away Your Burdenโ, โKeeper Of My Heartโ (an absolute belter in my opinion), โShine A Light In The Darknessโ and โSeparating The Fiction From The Factโ. Again there were lots of textures, changes of mood and tempo, some chat, some nice segueing from one song straight into the next. There was light and shade, there was hard and soft.
The vocals were soulful, insistent, yearning. The musicianship was spot-on. The songs were meaningful, well-constructed and simply wonderful. Itโs been a while since I was this impressed by a band Iโd never even heard before, but I was well won over. I was already on 9/10 by half time, and a no questions 10/10 by the time we got round to the encore.
The sound and lighting by Serenity Audio was absolutely spot on.
Anyways, thereโs still plenty of great stuff to come over the next few days, both ticketed and free. The Devizes Arts Festival continues until the night of Sunday 14th June at various venues around the town. Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk
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 in larger towns where diversity is tolerated more, but Prides are already established. Then I ponder deeper, if that’s even an accurate statement, and if it is, why many smallโฆ
Itโs All In The Writing Andy Fawthrop The Devizes Arts Festival is now in its 40th year and, as ever, seems to be in robust health.ย Marking the anniversary with 30 wide-ranging events across two weeks in several venues in and around the town, hereโs yet another example of D-Town continuing to punch well aboveโฆ
by Ian Diddams images by Josie Mae-Ross If you have been fortunate enough to have experienced the four hander parody version of “The 39 Steps”, “North By Northwest” in similar vein, Michael Palin’s “Ripping Yarns”, “The Comic Strip Presents”, and the likes of the vaguely straight but ridiculously over the top “Dick Barton – Specialโฆ
Would you like a new hobby? To meet new friends? Or, maybe you are looking for a gentle way to slow down and quieten a busy mind. The Mindful Stitching Workshop is a creative textile journey happening at St Andrewโs Church, Devizes, organised by Tracy at Dollies Dimples, who handcrafts those cute dolls in tins, vintage-inspired ballerinas, dinosaurs, marbles and beautiful bunting. The best thing about this workshop? Absolutely no experience is needed and everyone is welcomeโฆโฆ
You may be a life long experienced seamstress/tailor like me or maybe you have never threaded a needle or sewn a button on, either way this is the workshop for you. A place to learn, share skills, have a chat and a laugh and meet new friends.
Join Dollies Dimples for a peaceful morning of no pressure, creative hand sewing. This workshop is not about following a rigid pattern or making a perfect item. Instead it is a sensory journey focused entirely on the relaxing rhythm of stitching and creating.
You will be guided through creating your own unique textile collage on a beautiful fabric backdrop. Explore a beautiful tactile “buffet” of antique vintage lace, soft ribbons, scraps of beautiful fabric, mismatched buttons, embellishments and beads. Layer, arrange and attach them completely at your own pace.
This morning retreat includes a warm welcome with a selection of herbal teas, coffee and delicious sweet treats.
All high-quality tools (there will even be sewing machines and an overlocker to practice on) scissors, threads and fabulous collage materials are all provided. A gentle introduction to simple, easy hand-stitches (with easy to thread and some ready threaded needles)
A mid-morning drink, pause and stretch to rest your hands and eyes. Leave your phone in your bag or pocket, enjoy gentle conversation and laughter with like-minded people, and take home a completely unique piece of textile art made entirely by your own hands.
This all inclusive workshop lasts two hours from 10a.m. to 12.00 noon and will be held in the very natural floodlit foyer of St Andrews church, Long Street, Devizes. SN10 1NJ. Just along from old Wilko.
The workshop dates are the 23rd and 30th of June and 7th and 14th of July. Spaces are strictly limited to ensure a calm, spacious environment. Spaces are already filling fast.
How to book: Please send a direct message to @dolliesdimples or email dolliesdimples@hotmail.com to make payment and secure your seat at the table. ยฃ25 per workshop, book one to four workshops, you choose.
As I keep going on about, Devizes Arts Festival continues to bring up these little treats from its chocolate box of delights. And, there, hidden away in a corner, minding its own business, was a luscious little morsel of entertainment.….
Whilst DAF have a (largely informal) policy of not using and promoting local talent within Devizes, but rather of using the opportunity of the arts fortnight to bring in a wide range of items and performers from rather further afield, folks you might not normally get to see, in this case they made a rather pleasing decision to โsupport localโ.ย Clare Durham, from Henry Aldridge and Son (who were sponsoring this event), and well-known Seend-based TV personality Paul Martin, teamed up to present an interesting and informative session.ย I suppose you could say it was a vote of confidence, or rather a way of saying thank-you to Titanic specialist auctioneers Aldridges for bringing their business back into the centre of Devizes.
Anyway, over the course of an hour we (well certainly me anyway) learned quite a lot about the world of collectors and collecting.ย Paul rather lamented that the younger generation do not seem to be as interested in collecting things anymore.ย Where once upon a time nearly everyone ran at least a modest collection of something or other, be it something simple like cigarette cards or stamps, this habit seems to be less common in the 21st century.ย People like de-cluttering, donโt have the old furniture, cabinets and space to hold collections of very much, and there seems to be less interest in social history.ย
Where Britain was once, certainly during the 18th and 19th centuries, a mighty colonial Empire, with vast wealth, both amongst a richer elite, as well as at a national level, the fad for collecting things of all types was at its zenith.ย The Great Exhibition of 1851 was probably the pinnacle of this type of thinking. Valued artefacts were either ancient treasures (possibly looted or โre-locatedโ to Britain), or were the best examples of hand-made items from across the globe. As handicrafts have declined, superseded by large-scale factory production, there are far less individual and/ or unique items being produced, from paintings, to ceramics, to furniture and so on.
Collecting, we learned, was about focus. Find your niche, your passion, your interest and then home in on that. Work within a budget, buy at the top end of what you can afford, and never buy just for โthe investment valueโ. Donโt collect what everyone else is collecting!
The value of any item is based on three things: rarity/ scarcity, provenance, and condition. Possibly all self-evident, but provenance is usually the key difference between something that is merely of interest, and something that is worth an absolute fortune. Any provable connection to Royalty, famous people or great events will always increase the value โ and Aldridgeโs should know, given the large number of valuable items connected with the Titanic which theyโve handled over the years.
We had lots of anecdotes about lucky finds proving to be very valuable, misplaced buyer expectations, and the pitfalls of TV work when it comes to handling antiques and dealing with the rich and famous.
Overall a very entertaining session, and another of those little gems that keep the festival running.
Meanwhile the rest of The Devizes Arts Festival continues until the night of Sunday 14th June at various venues around the town.ย Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk
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….. Designedโฆ
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 Iโฆ
Tickets are now on sale for Frome Festivalโs silver anniversary year, taking place between the 3rd โ 12th July, 2026. Three hundred events are scheduledโฆ
Guys out on โthe pullโ on Thursday in Devizes were cut short. The Scummy Mummies were back in town, and youโve never heard so many Prosecco corks popping from the Corn Exchange. It sounded like machine-gun fire in there, aimed directly at testosterone….
Chicks and honeys, as far as the eye could see, and the odd quivering fellow, likely dragged in by their wives; a Devizes Arts Festival sell-out. The Scummy Mummies made their debut here four years ago. Their outrageous family-related routine adapts to follow the personal timelines of their own marriage and motherhood, with teenage parenting and divorce added source material for their latest offering, Hot Mess. But they also reminisced on the thirteen years they’ve been together after meeting on the comedy circuits; it shows.
I meant in professionalism, not physically; I’ll leave the self-body-shaming gags to this dynamic comedy duo. They excel in it, but extrovert their comical bombardments too, onto their kids, partners and the audience, taking no prisoners as they fill the stage with madcap frenzy. At its baseline this show is 60% self-deprecating standup, 40% the ultimate hen party. Thereโs a complete comedy package, brazenly embellishing standup with sketches, Powerpoint presentations, parodied pop songs to suit the narrative, and more costume changes than Sabrina Carpenter gigging in Harvey Nichols.
Iโm here breaking my Scummy Mummies cherry, by default attacking this from a male point of view, but….erm, (collective noun I believe is a gaggle) a gaggle of ladies knew what was coming, were prepped with tipples and charged funny bones. They were out for the funniest ladiesโ night ever, for this is an Ab Fab afterparty, uncut French & Saunders but with a Jo Brand twist, a comedy duo who take Cyndi Lauperโs hit biblically.
From the contents of a laundry basket stratigraphically examined and retested for scale, to a particularly amusing mumโs Mastermind sketch, subjects ranged from โfingeringโ to the PTA Whatsapp group, but all done without taste; unless middle-aged women in catsuits simulating sexual positions with their husbands whilst admiring images on slippers is your definition of taste. But any more on that would be a spoiler, if it doesnโt spoil itself.
As a geezer, youโd be forgiven for assuming this sounds excruciating, and this was certainly my pre-concern too. For if such a format was performed by anyone other than comedy geniuses, Iโd still be of that opinion, but it wasnโt. This duo have the timing of The Greenwich Time Ball, are improv masters, and unless you were a subject on Louis Therouxโs Manosphere, wherever your testosterone balance lies, you cannot escape the simple fact that the Scummy Mummies are absolutely and undeniably hilarious.
They bounce off each other, literally, but also figuratively akin to Ronnies Barker and Corbett. To suggest theyโre competency is on a similar pedestal would be exaggeration, but, dammit, they should be sitting above Michael McIntyre, and thoroughly deserve their own TV show.
Men are going to be verbally assaulted here, you just know, but only with a feather duster rather than an all-out carpet bombing against patriarchy; in fact the word was only mentioned once. This is not a feminist march, and there is no political campaign with The Scummy Mummies, only astute social observational humour. And the bottom line is, with no bars held, theyโve perfected it. The menopause medley was sidesplitting, โAnn Scummersโ delighted, the audience participation was paramount throughout, but precedence held at the finale, the result of the โconfessions,โ was a gem of comic sagacity.ย ย
Their entire show didnโt come up for air, is written with comedy erudition, and the gag about men in grey boxers had me contemplating if the notion was understandable in their presence, given I nearly wet myself laughing at these two exceptionally funny women!
All hail The Devizes Arts Festival, itโs looking like another successful year. This was a hysterical button to press, seemingly loved by everyone in attendance. But thereโs plenty more to come, all the way until, and including, Sunday 14th June. Youโd be doing yourself a favour to find details HERE and pick up some tickets.
Itโs 2006, and the charts are awash with what will become known as landfill indie. Somewhere in backwater Townsville UK, an already road worn veteranโฆ
After months of speculation, controversy, and local media bias, The Shindig Festival at Malmesbury’s Charton Park has been given the green lightโฆ.. Despite Newsquest floggingโฆ
What was once counterculture hedonism is now as mainstream as a package holiday. In the UK music festivals are fashionable, approved and plentiful. Ten yearsโฆ
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, Iโฆ
Wiltshire Council will discuss granting itself permission to fly the Pride Progress flag outside County Hall and other Wiltshire Council offices during Pride Month. Theโฆ
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 fromโฆ
I have been pestered that I would love St Fian. They have played at my local venue in Devizes before, but I had not managed to catch them, until nowโฆ..
What I had not been warned about, was that this fantastic duo would present me with among the finest female voices Iโve ever had the pleasure of hearing. Enchanting and emotive vocals, of the kind that have you transfixed; there is no question of whether I will see them again!ย
This is a band who happily embrace wonderful small-room venues like this, rubbing shoulders as it does on their summer tour listings with some decent size festivals; truly adaptive and passionate artists, and wonderful humans. I was very glad to get a quick chat too, post-gig.
The distinctive voice and musicianship of this duo have a fresh and exciting edge, but built on the solid ground of true folk. I think my favourite original song of a mixed set of originals and covers, a song called Paperboat, an original ode to all lifeโs tribulations, a reminder to live life rather than wish it away. Given we were informed the duo are a nurse and mental health worker, respectively, perhaps this is why singing with poise and compassion about such things comes so readily and enjoyably.
We shouldnโt overlook the confident and relaxed picking of the fine musician on guitar and bouzouki, a cross between a banjo and mandolin. Despite the strange name itโs gentle tones suit Ianโs gentle picking, and seems more than ready for when itโs time for Irish songs or shanty.
Loving the shruti box too, reputedly costing a weekโs pocket money! But again, a true folk instrument that adds a little underlying mystery to the sound, on a couple of songs.
Iโve not been inspired to review or delight in word, so much recently, but my heart was opened; thatโs about me, not any of the wonderful music Iโve enjoyed, but worthy I think of mentioning, is that the moment Steph began to sing, my shoulders relaxed and I felt this was something I had to try and convey and applaud in print.
The duo are creeping towards an all-original set, and by their own admission enjoy doing some covers, as they fill their original songbook with new material. So, the second set had a few covers in, but you have not seen these covers done so proud before; it takes a joyous confidence and incredible voice to do justice to some songs so familiar to so many. Donโt Think Twice by Dylan , for instance, sung with a lingering harmonious quality that appeared to literally hang on every lyric.
A couple of covers of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood, it takes a confident singer to carry off Stevie, and to do so that a life long fan like me is enthralled. Another one which would be ambitious for most, Iโve certainly witnessed some less than adequate attempts over the years was The Cranberriesโ Zombie, with the comment that this will let metal fan Ian rock out! Then, smashes it again, the most incredible thing to do; such choices for powerful and very well known songs, but with this being a duo, an intimacy and powerful delivery of verse that knocks yer socks off.
So, as you might have guessed, I was very impressed; real genuinely wonderful humans, giving us unforgettable moments in local small-room spaces is what our scenes are all about. Thank you as ever to Ed and the Castle, as well as Steph and Ian for a superb gig.
SoP-Live are Swindon-based music promoters, and run The Thursday Night Music Club at The Castle. Thereโs a whole list of great stuff lined up this year you can check out on socials for Sop Live, and St Fian have the socials too so, we can make sure we catch them down the line.
Thereโs a whole EP and an album in the works; I canโt wait, Iโve a feeling it will be a popular play in the soundtrack to my life.
The Devizes Arts Festival continued on a very wet Market Day this Thursday, and continues to throw up some real little gems.ย Here was another piece of interesting and imaginative programming from the committee…..
If youโve ever watched a David Attenborough wildlife programme, or read about some of the campaigns of the RSPB, or the National Trust, or marvelled at the wildlife photography in the National Geographic, or even Wiltshire Life, thereโs a reasonable chance that at some point Nick Upton was working behind the scenes on one of those projects.ย His work, which he showed us many examples of during his talk, and the well-stocked merch desk in the foyer, were great examples of the skill of this man.
Nick let us in on many of the difficulties and challenges in his line of work, and many of them were not related to mere simple technical stuff, such as which lens he might need to use, or about the quality of the light, but more about working in some extremely difficult physical and climactic conditions, extreme weather changes, being attacked by insects such as bees, wasps and hornets (and some bigger stuff too!), having to work with local indigenous people (and I donโt mean folks from TrowVegas or The Sham), but also having to cope with potential diseases, bites, droppings and things that could be considered seriously injurious to health.
We also got an insight into the many tools and techniques required โ not just the amazing whizz-bang range of camera goodies, but all the associated non-camera items: drones, hides, tubes, camouflage, hard hats, periscopes, GPS tracking, motion and heat sensors, infra-red equipment and helicopters. And even that lot was never enough to secure great pictures โ you still needed a lot of prior research (migration paths, animal behaviour patterns), a massive amount of patience and ability to soak up personal discomfort, and sometimes just a bit of luck.
On top of all that, some creatures apparently have the temerity to be vanishingly rare, or are very camera-shy, live nocturnally, move extremely fast, or are incredibly tiny. How very dare they? Clearly, this is not a job for the faint-hearted.
This talk was a great sweep across Nickโs career over 40 years, and covering over 30 countries, but it illustrated not only the manโs undoubted technical and related skills, but also his obvious passion for nature, especially those projects closer to home in the UK. These included working with hedgehogs, harvest mice, dormice and the re-introduction programmes of cranes, great bustards, otters and beavers.
Itโs no wonder heโs won so many photography awards, and had so many pictures published and syndicated in many countries. Packing all that little lot (including hundreds of great photos) into just 55 minutes was no mean feat, so it was quite a fast canter. But Nick really came alive once he was off-script and responding to questions at the end of the session from the packed audience.
A really wonderful, and truly fascinating, topic for a Thursday lunchtime. Great stuff. Well done Nick, and well done DAF for booking him!
Meanwhile the rest of The Devizes Arts Festival continues until the night of Sunday 14th June at various venues around the town.ย Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk
A talented local performer from Devizes is set to share the stage with international star Jason Donovan this summer as part of Fulltone Festival โ26. ….
Grace Sheridan, who will appear alongside Jason Donovan during his headline performance with Theย Fulltoneย Orchestra, first began performing in local productions in Devizes as a child. Those early experiences inspired her to pursue a career in the performing arts, leading her to drama school where she trained in Musical Theatre.ย
Since graduating, Grace has enjoyed a growing professional career, appearing in a West End pantomime and touring productions across the UK and internationally.
Alongside her theatre work, Grace regularly performs with Lewes Music Group, taking on featured roles in a variety of live shows celebrating artists and genres including Fleetwood Mac, ABBA, disco classics, acoustic favourites and country music. Her portrayal of Stevie Nicks has become a particular audience favourite.
Jemma and Anthony Brown with Jason Donovan
Grace is also a familiar face to Fulltone audiences, having performed at the festival for several years.
Speaking ahead of this yearโs event, Grace said, “Fulltone Festival has always been such a special event to be part of, and I’ve loved performing there over the years. To now have the opportunity to sing alongside Jason Donovan is incredibly exciting. He’s such an iconic performer, and I can’t wait to be part of what is going to be an amazing weekend.”
Fulltone Festival โ26 takes place on 11-12 July at Park Farm, Devizes, bringing together orchestral spectaculars, iconic guest artists, tribute acts and live music spanning classical, rock, pop, Motown, dance and more.
Jason Donovan headlines this year’s festival alongside a packed line-up including The Wurzels, Rozalla, Ricardo Afonso, Mark Shaw of Then Jerico, Seriously Collins, Mainly Madness and The Fulltone Orchestra.
Festival Director Jemma Brown said, “Grace is a wonderful example of local talent flourishing on a professional stage. We’ve watched her develop as a performer over the years, and we’re absolutely delighted that she’ll be joining Jason Donovan this summer. It’s fantastic to be able to showcase someone who began performing right here in Devizes and is now building an exciting professional career.”
Fulltone โ26 returns to Park Farm, Devizes on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 July 2026.
Weekend and day tickets are on sale now, with under-14s attending free when accompanied by a paying adult. Weekend passes offer the best value. Onsite camping and parking available (Friday to Monday).
Andyโs topping the leaderboard for Devizes Arts Festival reviews; if I pull my socks up and attend a lunchtime recital at least Iโve chalked my name on it. Classical guitar at St Andrews Church, how bad could it be? Just a handful of tea drinkers coughing over some amateur strumming?! I should know the Devizes Arts Festival better than that by nowโฆโฆ
What I, and a full house got was precisely the opposite. London-based Portuguese classical guitar and lutenist scholar and tutor, Fรกbio Fernandes is a virtuoso. He came to Devizes to educate as well as entertain, and he did both delightfully.
His penultimate of seven was by Frank Ridge, and the finale, a sunny-side-of-the-street piece, one of many his fellow classical guitar enthusiast David Russell wrote for him for the album he was promoting. But, like Doctor Who with an acoustic guitar, both of these contemporary compositions were inspired by the centuries of English guitar music we had joyfully trekked through in the past hour, to which Fรกbio held the crowd spellbound.
Coming clean, what I know about English Baroque composers can be written on the back of a matchbox, but if I attend lots of gigs where the guitar is a given, thanks to Fรกbio Iโm enlightened with a genre of yore which introduced our country to the instrument by Europeans. Fรกbio provided a medley of four 17th century Henry Purcell transcriptions as an opening, and wowed the audience with his intricate skill. From the tragic opera Dido and Aeneas, to an eloquent dance and my particular favourite section, a Shakespearean underscore called The Fairy Queen, these pieces were short, but in them you could hear the influence of everything which followed.
I found myself contemplating waltz, nineteenth century English folk dances, or twangs of bluegrass in this music, predating 1940โs Appalachia by a country mile. Even playful notes on the offbeat, which, as a reggae fanatic, shocked me, and so many experimental elements pop has caused us to take for granted now. From the romantic delicacies of 19th century salon music to the militantacy of William Walton in the following era, and onto scores by Benjamin Britten, we moved through time with the grace of the gods, and each chapter with a full and fascinating explanation.
Iโm forever impressed with the quality at Devizes Arts Festival, but generally Iโm nocturnal, and due to work commitments I rely on, and am grateful for, Andy and Ian to provide our feedback on daytime events. Please forgive me for so wrongly assuming during the daytime this level of quality lessens off. Quite clearly it doesnโt, and neither does the attraction or diversity on offer. Fรกbio Fernandes was as impressive and entertaining as something more contemporary, and being it had a little history lesson thrown in for good measure, it was inspiring too.
I loved this, and was surprised I did. It was only a lunchtime recital, dammit! Someone look after my cucumber and haslet sandwiches, I’m going for more of this!
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 in larger towns where diversity is tolerated more, but Prides are already established. Then I ponder deeper, if that’s even an accurate statement, and if it is, why many small town Prides seem to barely bathe a little toe in the water, or fizzle out after they doโฆ..
From Bronski Beat’s poignant Small-Town Boy video to Little Britain’s โonly gay in the villageโ running joke, culturally there’s always been a consensus that anyone LGBTQ+ could fair a better life, even safer, in an urban environment. Ergo, while Prides may thrive in cities, in the sticks it’s harder to organise them effectively.
Add to this the economic downturn causing an increasing risk for any free event, the terrible notion with a rise of far-right philosophy infiltrating our councils, with negative tendencies towards Pride, pushing through permissions and gaining support for Prides might sadly lessen, particularly in sparsely populated areas with a minority of LGBTQ+.
While Pride in Bath is relatively new, and like Swindon Pride, happens in August, Salisburyโ Pride has events every weekend in June with a family gathering at Sloan Park on the 6th and Juneteenth on the 20th at The Bell Tower Green. However, Swindon Pride began promoting their events in June, this year seeing an inclusive virtual walking challenge. Pride is changing everywhere and offering alternatives to a carnival-style event.
Influenced perhaps by former mayor Declan Baseley, Chippenham holds very elaborate Prides, this year over the 13th-14th June weekend. But Nathan of Trowbridge Pride explained they were forced to reduce theirs to bingo evenings and pop up stalls. โWe are in need of new volunteers to help bring our planned full sized festival to our town park,โ he said.
My concerns for rural Prides stemmed from a Facebook post on a Marlborough group, gauging interest for a Pride there. Well, Pewsey held a Pride for a few years, but a spokesperson for it told me it’s now reduced from a โfull dayโ to a drag cabaret night, which is on 12th September.
While Calne have maintained theirs, and it’s this weekend, I cannot find anything on one in Melksham, and though Devizes held a few in previous years, due to the operation now running with one solo person, Oberan told me large-scale events are on hold. Itโs great to note, though, this saddening trend is bucking on the canal, as boater community Floaty Boaty offers a Pride Parade & Picnic at The Bradford-on-Avon Wharf on June 20th.
Motivation might also be a factor for Prideโs decline. It must be disheartening to arduously labour over an event where the attraction for it is in the minority and organisers worry it cannot escape its niche. Whilst heterosexuals with an open mind might feel welcome at a Pride, I consider they’re lesser living rurally, compared to those who really need to reconsider their views on the matter. The numerous social media reactions to our article on if Wiltshire Council should fly the Pride flag suggested there’s many locally who do.
Comments flooded in on it, either airing views that they shouldn’t, generally using reasoning that whilst they’ve nothing against homosexuality, it’s not for councils to condone it, and counter arguments accusing them of homophobia. In fairness, aside from the irrelevant but expected patriotic flagwaving comments, in some suggestions where they didn’t want โtheir face rubbed in it,โ conveys they’re either unaware of their ingrained homophobia, or they have the necks of giraffes, for how else could you rub someoneโs face into a flag atop of County Hall?!
But our Pewsey Pride spokesperson provided a surprising alternative, saying โI have actually found that some of the gay community in our village are the ones who oppose it the most. They say they donโt need a “day” or “event” to celebrate who they are, and they just want to integrate into the community.โย
If Pride is subjective, even for the LGBTQ+ community, and, I feel, in many circumstances itโs doubtful some leopards can change their spots, it is also clear many wish to celebrate the progress made, and being itโs taken the best part of 500 years to move from hanging gays, through imprisonment and from post illegality riddicle and hate, to an era where no one bats an eyelid to see same sex parnters on a TV game show, but social media holds a smoking gun for a gradual regression, I think itโs worthy of celebration. But, we know progress can often be slower in rural areas.
Does this make Prides in rural areas even more essential than urban areas? Or would it be better for those in rural areas to put their efforts and resources into assisting in larger townsโ established Prides, or forming collectives to host Prides each year in a different town within their group?
โI think combining prides is a great idea,โ our spokesperson for Pewsey Pride agreed, โas itโs really hard to maintain our biggest issue; we are only a small village and finding the funding/sponsorship is really hard. We can’t put on events without it.โ Although they praised a partnership with Pewsey Carnival, โthey help with liability insurance, etc, which can get frowned upon, that we aren’t solely a Pride event, but we couldnโt do it without their help.โย
For encouraging other organisations to assist, especially those with a majority of straight members, a starting point could be to confirm Pride is inclusive, express the reasons for having Pride, and if any take precedence over the others. The conflicting two intentions must surely be: is Pride’s celebratory element paramount above raising awareness and attempts to cause heterosexuals to think differently? The former might cause criticism that itโs not inclusive for all, even though it is, and this, shamefully, answers the latter.
For heterosexuals, if attending a Pride allows them to walk in anotherโs shoes, itโs surely valid. Being straight, pondering all this found me reflecting personally, recalling a time that I did experience something akin to what it might feel like to be gay in a tight community complete with homophobes; the impact of isolation when I moved from suburban Essex to a Wiltshire village at thirteen. I was not made to feel welcome by many, because I was different. Culturally I was an outsider, and often treated with mistrust or ridicule, even threatened.
It may have been only a taster, not nearly as serious as issues gays have to deal with daily. Being Iโve integrated, I could shrug it off as tribal immaturity, call it water under the bridge, but in consideration, if it continued till this day, I must suppose it would affect me psychologically.
As (mostly) adults, urbanites might bellow out homophobic abuses unperturbed, as itโs a built up area youโre less likely to be known, whereas country folk in smaller communities might be more selective in mannerisms, to their face, but hold deeper and darker negative values bottled up and only exhausted privately between those likeminded.
Then I wonder if talking behind your back is possibly more upsetting, humiliating and damaging than someone throwing abuse directly at you? Either way, it’s why we need Pride, and we need Pride, in some format, be that wellbeing seminars and community building workshops rather than an all out carnival, in our rural areas equally, if not more.
The Devizes Arts Festival is now in its 40th year and, as ever, seems to be in robust health.ย Marking the anniversary with 30 wide-ranging events across two weeks in several venues in and around the town, hereโs yet another example of D-Town continuing to punch well above its weight in the area of the Arts…..
Whilst there are lots of big, headlining events (see link below to DAFโs website), thereโs lots of other more intimate, and interactive, things going on too. Because itโs not just big bricks you need to build a wall, itโs the quality of the mortar to bond those bricks into something really solid. The theme, if there is one, of many of these smaller events is about getting involved or โhave a goโ. Well Devizine, as you lovely people well know, is always up for a bit of a challenge, so I thought Iโd pitch in to three literary-type events this week. Being no stranger to the publishing world myself, I decided that, apart from listening to one of the UKโs most prolific fiction and screen writers, Iโd cast an eye over two things Iโve previously had a go at myself โ memoir-writing, and ghost-writing. What could possibly go wrong? You never know โ I might actually learn something.
First up on Monday was Bath Spaโs Steve Tuffin, who led a very practical class on how to go about writing a personal memoir, or indeed how to approach any form of creative writing.ย Surrounded by some wonderful sepia-tinted historical photos on the walls of the Cheese Hall (plenty of subject-matter there), Steve led an engaging session. In what could have been a dry, dusty and boring subject (rather like my good self), Steve presented a very lively, interesting and, yes, absorbing couple of hours.ย Apart from some great tips, techniques and tools, there was plenty of good discussion and three different short practical writing exercises.
One of the interesting debates, especially in the light of modern politics and celebrity โvoicesโ, concerned the cross-shading between factual/ absolute โtruthโ and the personal/ relative viewpoint of โmy truthโ. The stories weaved by Trump and his cohorts, Raynor Winnโs โThe Salt Pathโ and the Harry/ Meghan psycho-drama, are all evidence enough that โmemoirโ and โmemoryโ can often be poles apart, thus melding the different worlds of fact and fiction.
Steve cantered through a number of techniques (starting small, finding your voice, controlling the speed, being brave, reading out loud, finding a way in etc), but the key lesson that came out time and time again was the need to โpostpone perfectionโ: get what you want to say down on the page as quickly as possible, then re-draft (many times), edit, and polish. Clearly a technique that we at Devizine have already (ahem) been practising for many years!
Later on Monday evening, the venue switched to much larger Corn Exchange, where a lively audience of about three hundred turned out on a rainy night to hear Becky Grey interview the prolific and versatile author and screen-writer Anthony Horowitz.ย Responsible for writing scripts for Midsomer Murders, Foyleโs War, as well as the Alex Rider teen spy series, two modern Sherlock Holmes novels and three James Bond continuation novels, Horowitz is no stranger to hard work and all the tricks and tools of fiction writing.ย
Becky didnโt have to work too hard to get the man talking: Horowitz proved to be a loquacious and captivating raconteur. He had plenty of anecdotes and examples to give, peppering his replies with humour and witty asides. Having known he wanted to be an author since the age of ten, discovering that he had both the right skills and a vivid imagination, he was soon set upon the career which has now made him famous. Declaring himself a great fan of Agatha Christie and her skill at plotting, by planting the clues to the โsolutionโ but without giving away the answer before the very last twist, and deliberately laying false trails, Horowitz showed himself to be entirely engaged in, and engrossed by, the techniques of the popular fiction-writer.
His line on the use of AI was that it was a useful, but a clearly limited tool, to be employed with care and discretion, and to understand its limits. He said that he used AI simply as a research assistant, a search engine to fill in the gaps, simply to save time on researching factual background information, but never to do any actual โwritingโ that could end up in any of his books or scripts.
And that knotty subject that had emerged during the earlier session in the afternoon, the frequent non-alignment between โmy truthโ and factual reality, came up again for some more analysis. The Trumpian world-view, together with a brief commentary of the recent Sturgeon/ Murrell embezzlement fandango were subjected to some light-hearted, but laser-sharp, critique.
Horowitz revealed that he had no set daily โroutineโ for his writing, that he was useless at reading his own work (for audiobooks), that โcosy crimeโ was a misnomer (because murder is too horrible to ever be cosy), that he canโt write poetry or romance (his wife had told him that he could never write about a subject that he had no experience of), and that over his career he had systematically killed off every single character who had ever been nasty to him (well, their fictional personas at least!).
After the 45-minute session, Becky opened the floor to audience Q&A for twenty minutes, after which there was plenty of action out front at the book-signing session. Overall, a very entertaining and engaging evening from an author at the top of his game.
Finally (on Tuesday afternoon), to complete the final layer of this sandwich of literary delights, I turned to BBC Sportโs Becky Grey herself.ย In an event sponsored by Wadworth, and held in the wonderfully historic surroundings of Devizes Museum, she spoke about how she had started her career in ghost-writing books and newspaper columns for celebrity sports stars. And the answer was โ almost by accident. She zig-zagged her way towards it until, like Anthony Horowitz the previous evening, she suddenly discovered that she had a flair for writing, and that her subject-matter (sports and sports-people) was totally engaging. She seems to have never looked back.
Becky talked of the various sports personalities sheโd worked with, and took us through the steps and techniques for tackling that kind of work. Interestingly she hit many of the same themes and techniques that Steve Tuffin had mentioned the previous day (including just getting the first draft down on paper, refining and editing, picking out the real story etc). In answer to questions, she also talked about handling the tricky โfactual truthโ versus โmy truthโ debate (by challenging, and with a lot of tact!), payment models, red lines, and copyright.
And finally โ yes youโve guessed it โ there was a short exercise, another chance to โhave a goโ. And, of course, a book-signing. Another engaging and interesting session.
So there you have it – three events over two days, vastly different in some ways, but nicely inter-connected in others. And did I learn anything? Ah โ that would be telling!
Anyways, onwards and upwards, with still plenty of great stuff to come over the next ten days, both ticketed and free. The Devizes Arts Festival continues until the night of Sunday 14th June at various venues around the town. Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk
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 parodyโฆ
Four years ago I witnessed a Gen Z phenomenon in Devizes. With a certain indie punk zest and intelligent songwriting, Devizes School band Nothing Rhymesโฆ
If you have been fortunate enough to have experienced the four hander parody version of “The 39 Steps”, “North By Northwest” in similar vein, Michael Palin’s “Ripping Yarns”, “The Comic Strip Presents”, and the likes of the vaguely straight but ridiculously over the top “Dick Barton – Special Agent”, as well as the rah-rah, gung ho exploits of “Biggles” and “Sexton Blake” then there is one show that is a must see coming to the Rondo Theatre, Larkhall very soon.
*Trigger warning – This play contains scenes of utter stupidity.
And if you have never enjoyed such slapstick daftness crossed with ridiculously ardent patriotism, then its about time you jolly well did Sir/Madam! (delete as appropriate)!
(stands back, raises an eyebrow and sucks on pipe, whilst wearing a velvet smoking jacket and silk pajamas).
The evil Otto Van Brunno and the dastardly Lenya are up to no good. Having kidnapped a Professor for their nefarious purposes, itโs up to the dashing Bullshot Crummond to save the day! A riotous parody of 1930s adventure stories and stiff-upper-lip heroics, The Rondo Theatre Company presents Bullshot Crummond by Ron House and Diz White- a fast-paced, gloriously silly send-up of British pulp fiction. Expect moustaches, maniacal villains, damsels in distress, and a lot of quick changes โ all delivered with a wink and a perfectly polished accent. Think Indiana Jones meets The 39 Steps meets Blackadder, but with even less sense and a lot more fun. Come and see “toxic masculinity”, femme fatale spies, henchmen, stupid policemen, mobsters, evil foreign johnnies, incredible and seamless special effects, a car chase, a falcon, a deadly tarantula and a phenomenal sword fight, all in under two hours and see if you can spot the multi role acting as masters of disguise bamboozle each other and the audience. Is there no beginning to their talents?
And overall and most importantly, where BRITAIN triumphs over those dashed HUN!!! (leans back, hands on hips, raised eyebrow, smoking a pipe)
The production’s proceeds will help support “Man Down”, a local male mental health charity; Charlotte Howard, director of this magnificent piece of lunacy provided her rationale for choosing this play and this charitable support :
“I’ve loved the film ever since my friend, Milly, introduced it to me 18 years ago and I was thrilled to discover there was a play five years ago. I love how it takes me to a gentle nudge at blind nationalism and the patriarchy!” She went on to add why this play in particular – “Because this is the puerile unadulterated, childish comedy that this world needs right now. It’s worth the ticket price alone to watch Matt Nation as Bullshot wrestle a giant spider. We wanted to do something that was pure fun, a real escape; Bullshot Crummond is completely ridiculous, and thatโs exactly the point. But by linking it with Man Down, weโre also acknowledging that some of those old ideas about what it means to โbe a manโ 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.โ
Though now based out of Bristol, at university studying Music and sharing digs together, NRWO (as they are colloquially known) began life in Devizes School not so very long ago. An early gig in the Corn Exchange in July 2023 saw me, Gail of Devizes, Jemma of FTO and a few mums and dads watch them thrash out a full set, to a large crowd of mid-teens, predominantly female โฆ I was aware I was conspicuously the only adult male in the audience aside from parents and must have looked the biggest perv going so I stood next to Jemma for some credibility!
Fast forward a few years and here I was again watching NRWO but this time at Cursus Festival, at Cranbourne Chase Cider, in the early afternoon as the temperatures reached over 30 degrees Celsius in the shade. The lads still looked young, but now sported some noticeable stubble as befits their advancing years. There were far fewer teenage girls present, and a lot more middle-aged men; I felt less conspicuous as a result which was just as well because Jemma was elsewhere with the FTO in Cheltenham!! However, so much for feeling inconspicuousโฆ the bandโs merch merchants – the bassist Sam Briggsโ mum and dad! – identified me on sight. My reputation clearly precedes meโฆ the power of being a Devizine journalist!
Way back then in that Corn Exchange gig the lads were raw, nascent, even naรฏve in their music. What it maybe lacked in roundedness it more than made up for with huge energy and BIG chords. Here the music has become more mature though still full of energy and noise (thatโs a good thing!). Less angst, more controlled youthful arrogance and verve.
The band displayed plenty of indie/rock/punk tropes โ leering, leaning, feet on fold back speakers from Elijah, broodingly aloof lead from Fin, insouciance from bassist Sam and shirtless, beanied drumming from Lui โ all to add to the excellent delivery of their set.
were provided along with non-online tracks TGE Soulgiver Starlift The Flowers Horlix Red
Some of which are on the bandโs latest limited release EP โ there were at last count seven left in Sound Knowledge (Marlborough) and thereโs a reorder of a hundred to come for those that missed out first time around so get your hands on a copy soon! Available then from their merch link on their website.
Of course you could do far worse than catch that band as they close out the 2026 Devizes Arts Festival, at the Corn Exchange, Devizes โ tickets a bargain at ยฃ12 (ยฃ10 concessions) on Saturday 13th June at 8p.m. They lads return to their roots to showcase their advances to a home crowd and while their original fan base, like themselves, are now peripatetic it provides a fantastic chance for those to return for the band, and for late comers to NRWO to pick up on this home-grown band doing good.
![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)
![PREVIEW: Bullshot Crummond [*], Rondo Theatre, Larkhall, Bath June 17th – 20th 2026](https://devizine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/fb_img_1780405752063.jpg?w=720)
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