Immediately after the weekend which saw press photographers ejected, so they could savagely beat women at the Birmingham Reform conference, as if someone threw a side of beef into a pride of starved lions while Farage played the part of Scar, encouraging them and laughing it off, and black shirts disrupted holiday-makers returning home, and threatened the RNLI in Dover, which is treason, here in Wiltshire, Newsquest “democracy” reporter Peter Davison thought he’d platform the local branch of the nasty party, either for his Islamophobic kicks, or because they crossed his editor’s palm with silver. Now, a fortnight later, the same article is being shared on their social media; is it still news or advertorial propaganda?
“Councillors from Reform UK in Swindon are demanding transparency over the use of halal meat in schools, restaurants, and takeaways,” he headlined, apparently deluded group leader Sara Godwin took to Facebook to ask if we “actually know what you’re eating?” Yes, thank you Sara, fly the flag, I had good old English fish n chips today.
And “shouldn’t you have the right to know?” Again, I think we already have The FSA and Trading Standards authority, Sara, last time I checked.
The article focused on halal, and breezed casually over kosher, despite most of the animals being stunned before slaughter with halal, but not with kosher, apparently, like I care. Because, let’s be honest with ourselves here, this hasn’t anything to do with animal welfare, really, has it?
If it did, ha! It might look a smidgen hypocritical, being Reform UK focuses on domestic food production and deregulation, rather than targeting or banning intensive or factory farming; no animal gets a fair life in a factory farm. If it were me in that cage, I’d think I prefer slaughter, any way it comes.
This halal campaign is far from ethically structured against cruelty to animals, being their party propose repealing the Hunting Act. And what way would you rather go, a slit neck and it’s all over in seconds, or being chased by a raging pack of animals, and their hounds, all day until you’re savagely ripped apart limb from limb, while still alive?! Herein, at least the halal slaughtered animal will be consumed, whereas the fox they murdered, purely for the fun of it.
No, none of that shady business; they’re using our children as bait, again. They focus on school lunches, as if you’ve got any concerns there’s something you disagree with in the ingredients of a school meal, despite the use of halal meat being highly unlikely and completely unfounded in Wiltshire, you can’t send them to school with a bloody sandwich?! I’m sorry, but if you cannot be bothered to make your kid a sandwich, why come crying because you didn’t like what they were handed for free?! And Reform bash on about whinging leftie “scroungers” and “handouts?!”
Is Swindon’s Reform group trying to convince us their national party cares about children now?! Just like they care for women, but beat them with their crutches?! Deputy Leader and all-round prick, Richard Tice, claimed the SEND system is being “hijacked and abused” by parents receiving “unneeded support.”
They argue that an explosion of diagnoses is bankrupting local councils, like Reform UK-led Nottinghamshire County Council, who splashed out £75,000 of taxpayer money to install 164 flags across the county?! More diagnoses are happening because we are becoming more aware of them, and how to spot them, not because it’s an aid for “scroungers” to buck the system. Reform’s angle suggests what your autistic kid needs isn’t support, it is one look at the Union Jack, and sending him to bed with a bowl of chlorinated chicken gizzards. That’ll see them alright.
With Reform we are one tiny step away from brood reduction, where birds throw disabled chicks out of the nest. This is supposed to be a civilised society, we don’t have resource issues like birds, yet. The only survival strategy we need is not voting for these vindictive idiots, because the last thing they clearly give a toss about is your children.
Full Fact have debunked viral claims that all UK schools are required to serve only halal meat. The BBC reported some areas use halal-certified chicken because suppliers cannot meet the required volume with non-halal stock alone. Halal may not be your agreeable method of slaughtering an animal, but when two wrongs make a right; become vegetarian if it bothers you. But see the fuller picture here, it’s not about what is on your plate, rather deliberately misleading propaganda to spread their Islamophobia.
You may say Newquest is only reporting a story. If so, why are they repeatedly re-sharing the story onto their socials, weeks after publication? Slow news day? A patriot slashed an RNLI lifeboat; attempted murder. If the reporter genuinely was sitting on the fence with the issue, he wouldn’t platform it; take the moral high ground.
No, Occam’s razor, the simplest explanation is usually correct; most likely being, Reform is paying them to spread their muck, attempting to divide the community of Swindon.
Tucked away in plain sight at the heart of Marlborough stands St Peter’s. While this Grade II listed landmark has been around for centuries, its modern identity remains one of the area’s best-kept secrets….
Though no longer an active church, the Trustees have quietly been transforming this historic structure into a vibrant, independent space for arts, culture, and local connection.
Today, St Peter’s serves as a community space where heritage meets contemporary creativity. Under its soaring, vaulted roof, cultural events and grassroots community initiatives carry equal weight, breathing new life into ancient stones.
Arts and culture
St Peter’s has built a diverse arts and culture programme designed to draw in audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Highlights include:
Marlborough’s first-ever Pride event, celebrating inclusion and diversity in the town.
Immersive theatre productions that make full use of St Peter’s striking architecture and atmosphere.
Live music, including an upcoming performance from acclaimed singer-songwriter Kristin Hersh on 19 October 2026, alongside a wider range of exciting artists still to come.
A coffee shop at the heart of the building, offering a relaxed space to meet, work and socialise.
A festive Santa’s Grotto for local families over the Christmas period.
The venue has already welcomed notable visitors including Myles Smith, Damien Lewis and Steve Knightley, and is working closely with Sound Knowledge and Marlborough Folk Roots to help shape its live music programme.
Devizine endeavours to list all events at St Peter’s on our event calendar, but
St Peter’s is equally a genuine resource for the people of Marlborough. The building already hosts a range of community groups and initiatives, including:
A Recharge Café, offering a calm, supportive space for people to take time out and connect
A dedicated Parkinson’s and Carers Café, providing support and companionship for those living with Parkinson’s and the people who care for them
Ongoing community engagement activities, with the space made available to local groups and organisations throughout the year
For further information please contact Suzy Birch, Events Programme Manager, St Peter’s, Marlborough (email: suzy@stpetersmarlborough.org.uk)
Immediately after the weekend which saw press photographers ejected, so they could savagely beat women at the Birmingham Reform conference, as if someone threw a…
Tributes to Chippenham’s community activist, poet, actor, and event compere Brian Reid poured onto social media today, as the sad news of his passing spreads……
I’ve found myself sympathising about post-punk recently, how they scrambled around in the dark somewhat, taking pot shots at reggae, claiming a “new wave,” or…
Singers and players of instruments of The Southwest assembled for an album celebrating the ninetieth anniversary since Emperor Haile Selassie I was exiled to England,…
by Ian Diddams images by Wharf Theatre An artist expresses their personal thoughts. The rich and powerful use their positions to shut that expression down…
Tributes to Chippenham’s community activist, poet, actor, and event compere Brian Reid poured onto social media today, as the sad news of his passing spreads…
Known as the “Midweek Mojo,” Brian Reid was renowned and much loved in the Chippenham community. A prominent figure in the Wiltshire arts scene, hosting open mic nights at the Old Road Tavern in Chippenham and The Lamb in Trowbridge.
Brian loved performing spoken word poetry at local festivals like Eco-Future Fest; if it was happening in Chippenham, Brain Reid was somehow involved.
He co-organised the local community arts and music festival ChippFest, alongside Andy Thatcher. He was a DJ at Chippenham FM and collaborated on spoken word recordings with local artists, such as Will Lawton and the Alchemists, featuring on his song “Soul Sneeze.”
We are saddened to hear this news, Brian was truly a legend and loved by all. Our hearts go out to his friends and family. There is a crowdfunder for support for his family below.
Devizes favourite southern fried gothic-Delta blues one man band, JP Oldfield has an EP released at the end of the week, Saltwater Gospel. It’s a six gun shooter of length and breadth, classed as an EP, but contains enough poignant narrative, dark twisted swagger, and redemption, for an album to have causally swung through those saloon doors instead…..
It’s been a year and half since his kazoo-blowing often playful yet dark underwired debut Bouffon, and Saltwater Gospel tests that time and toil as if it’s been decades of progression. This isn’t Bouffon’s collection of individual observations, it’s a complete concept to savour in one evocative bout.
This is JP sombrely unabridged and deliberately raw, still skillfully better, defined and crafted to a level you’ve not heard him before. To assume this a “refreshing” notion won’t set the mood; this EP will hit you like a dust storm from the off, but mostly its brilliance lies in its narrative.
The six songs perpetuate a saga of desperation and balance, and a metaphorical shanty of dark gothic blues. Influenced by The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, yet developing its own mythology, Josh has put the overtime in on this EP’s drafts. Relying on the mythic tone and the classic theme of a tragic figure trapped between worlds, JP’s Ferryman cuts off his story as he reaches a dark turning point. The whole EP is a continuation of his journey, condemning a sinner and a wayward priest, in the hope of finding his release.
Trading his silent oars for the secrets of the tide, he becomes more a shadow in the fog to the unrepentant, than a savior; a collector of unpaid debts. For if the laws of man would not restore the balance, he decided, then the law of the deep must prevail. Josh treats the ocean as a meticulous accountant, as wayward priests sink beneath the waves, and life and death stand side-by side, but a conclusion here would be a spoiler!
The first song is a scene setter, reminding me of classic Who rock operas, yet spanning across an American badland. The second ups the tempo, it’s a jump blues with MoonCalf Studio producer Nick Beere’s stylised harmonica, and something Howlin’ Wolf would nod to.
The Americana is thick and authentic, the tracks run as three minute heroes as the story pushes on. The standout lies at its centre; Further From Heaven is the magnum opus not only of the EP, but of Josh’s work to date. It’s Johnny Cash in too deep; a seven minute chronicle in itself, despite the EP being a contained concept to listen wholly, and it’s masterfully executed with film score epics, hypnotic macabre, and chants of fatalistism, as the plot twists.
JP then brings it full circle with something more upbeat in sound rather than psychological lift, and there’s a five minute conclusion which builds in layers, and reveals the derivation of Josh’s complex ratiocination. The story is compelling, but the ripping of a patch guarding his own personal reflection on his recovered medical issue, and the realisation “life is too short not to pursue the things you genuinely want to do.”
There’s a niche here, always is with something out on a limb, personally there was never room for disparagement within Josh’s poignant and humble creations. Carnivores craving an Abba tribute on a Saturday night might criticise melancholic outpourings, a risk every musical expressionist of pensive woe faces. And if you’ve been scathing about JP Oldfield in the past, this is a game changer. This is his Born to Run, the release to set his initial benchmark.
JP Oldfield rightfully takes the release of Saltwater Gospel on tour, I’ll pop the poster below, and there’s a launch at The Fold in Devizes on Friday 25th September, with Deadlight Dance in support.
I’ve found myself sympathising about post-punk recently, how they scrambled around in the dark somewhat, taking pot shots at reggae, claiming a “new wave,” or else succumbed or faded to new romantic electronica. Find myself wondering what they’d have made of grunge or emo at the time, because that’s progressing the style, and in this, Jess Chivers from Bath’s new EP, My Sunrise Companion, subtly nods towards punk’s true successors, but to have played this in 1977? Punks would’ve said, “that’s not punk, it’s far too good!”
While there’s nothing saccharine here, it’s evoking and blissfully cool, with the internal emotional pain of grunge in subjects, though not always in sound, only in places; like slowly defusing a bomb. The opening title-track of these four divine songs has the crisp commercial viability of an indie rock anthem, like the Cranberries. Foreign Land follows suit, but with this subtle rising and falling of grunge building as it goes; like a monster is coming, feeding on Jess’s thoughtful prose, but you can only see its shadows.
By Rotten three tunes in, the eruption occurs, the monster is revealed, and it comes over heavy feminine grunge, similar to I See Orange. But the finale Ravens on the Roof’s intro suggests something acoustic, and that’s where I’ve seen Jess before, bravely breathing this subtle punk influence into a majority Americana festival at Trowbridge Town Hall, but in an impressive acoustic manner. Raven on the Roof, though, builds into a powerhouse of layered grunge, gradually being exposed, and leaves you hungry for more.
This is so well produced, it blesses Jess’s sublime vocal expressions and the vivid interpretations her poignant writing evokes, yet it’s universally appealing, not only a pleasure on the ears of punks young or old!
Obviously I’m far too young to be an old punk, but I LOVE THIS!!
Singers and players of instruments of The Southwest assembled for an album celebrating the ninetieth anniversary since Emperor Haile Selassie I was exiled to England, and stayed at Fairfield House in Bath, now a museum and shrine to the Ethiopian Emperor…..
Last month I wrote a piece about the celebrations and activities at Fairfield House, which included the fascinating historical backstory of how the Emperor came to be living in Bath.
Emperor In Exilewas released at the end of last month, and it has a limited first pressing vinyl LP version, pressed on colour vinyl and housed in a sleeve featuring specially commissioned artwork by the aptly named Sophie Bass, whose distinctive work includes album covers for the celebrated soundsystem crew Reggae Roast. This Irieka Records release is also available digitally on Bandcamp; I had to have a listen!
Recorded in Bath, Bristol and London, and presented by Babba Maas, Emperor In Exile is a reggae journey inspired by the years Emperor Haile Selassie I spent in exile at Fairfield House. It brings together history, music and art in a unique tribute to one of the most remarkable chapters in Bath’s cultural history.
Featuring six tunes from locally based reggae artists, and subsequent dubs as its second half, all remixed from the original recordings at Yam & Banana Studio in St Pauls, it kicks off with a gorgeous upbeat steppers riddim by Earl Sixteen.
Da Fuchaman’s My Country’s Not For Sale follows nicely, reminding me of the classic boss reggae era, Harry J style, and also calibre. Carlton Smith of Black Roots takes inspiration in sound from the Upsetter’s Dollar in the Teeth, but it’s roots by name, roots by nature, with a concentrated seventies feel Misty in Roots or even early Aswad sound.
Dehvan Othieno of the Talisman takes the fourth slot, Exile Song has a gorgeous dubplate, with fresh and uplifting vocals. Nia Melody’s song has a wonderful lovers rock vibe about it, and is a homage to British suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst, who became a dedicated political ally and lifelong friend to the Emperor, fiercely defending Ethiopia against Italy’s invasion.
And our good friend, Knati P completes the vocal tracks with a bouncy total steppers praise, Selassie I. Then the atmospheric dub versions follow, and they’re worth holding onto. While the album naturally contains those vital conscious lyrics as it explores themes of exile, praises to Jah and respectful historic content, it does so with a certain dedication to classic reggae styles, from roots and dub, I’m thinking of groups like Black Uhuru and Burning Spear, and doesn’t waiver to dancehall, and it is this which ties the compilation together like the flow of River Jordan.
Okay, that’s enough now! The social media presence of Wiltshire Museum in Devizes has shot from zero to hero. Vlogs of staff dancing in period clothing, creating street art, and generally enjoying themselves far too much! When did working at a museum look so much fun, unless you’re Ben Stiller?!
This all came to an apex during carnival, which saw them brazenly parading Long Street dressed as Stonehenge’s sarsens and lintels! Where’s the rusty neolithic tools and bits of rock in rotting condensated oak cabinets, and the bearded teacher with leather elbow patches dragging unwilling kids by their ears?! The fault is apparently shouldered by their new Marketing & Events Officer, Amber Pullen. I went down to Wiltshire Museum to meet Amber, and give her a piece of my mind!
While I waited for this social media virtuoso, some children were exiting the museum, headdressed and clasping gifts with the expressions of someone who’s just had a really fun morning. Devizes should be proud, for it is a great museum already, seemingly as dimensionally transcendental as Dr Who’s Tardis. But while I was there, I had to consider that the bigger on the inside surprise factor might be reversed, once they’ve relocated to the grand Assize Court. I must ask Amber about the project, but also I wanted to focus on her too, because in order to make that transition effective, Wiltshire Museum must make a marketing impact now.
Amber started here in April. Since then it’s been a crucial time for the museum, as it embarks on its most adventurous move ever. I gave thought to the Natural History Museum, and @Bristol, where tech makes them interactive, and I supposed, while Wiltshire Museum has always had interactive qualities for children, like the gold digging pit and brilliant spongy build-your-own Stonehenge, such things are crucial for the contemporary appeal of a museum. Then, I supposed digital marketing was equally as important, to get them through the door in the first place! Here is where Amber shines, but most importantly of all, she took kindly to the Ben Stiller comparison!
“That’s going to have to go into my marketing strategy,” she said of the film, Night at the Museum!
“I don’t come from a history or archaeology background,” Amber said about my negative memories of seventies school trips to museums, later revealing she came from an acting perspective. “But I think culture and heritage are still a definite passion and interest of mine. And I think for a lot of people, they are. But as you said, I think there’s an element to museums which have, like a wall up or something, which doesn’t always make them always liked by certain demographics, or make certain people feel welcome, but there’s definitely stuff for them to enjoy in them. And it’s changing the conversation, changing the tone or just going, actually, it’s not that scary to walk in because you can still have fun here!”
True that; there’s an extensive program of events for all ages, crafts and clubs for children, which sell out quickly. But does Amber feel the social media is attracting new visitors and opening to a wider demographic? “Again, it’s hard to tell with social media, you can obviously have your stats change, but that doesn’t necessarily mean those stats bring in those audiences. I’d like to think it does. People have said to me, whether it’s a biassed thing, or ‘I’ve seen more about it online,’ so I think just having that voice or that conversation existing is really lovely. And also, being on the edge of town, we can sometimes get driven past or forgotten about. I’m hoping that people remember, in a fun way!”
We talked about the honesty expressed in the videos, and the fun; laughing about encouraging Museum curator David to dance, where Amber confessed, “I think having fun is probably my main go-to!” and “David said to me early on, he pretty much has no shame. And I was like, well this is going to go wonderfully because, me too!” But Amber explained he did forewarn her not to get him singing or dancing!
Amber suggested she was concerned about how the older generations would accept the “more playful” adaptations to the museum’s media content, with the notion “you’re never going to please everyone,” but explained, “I think what’s really wonderful is, actually, they’ve interacted and received it well, way better than I thought! Even the volunteers here, I was like, okay, that’s really wonderful to hear, because I think also they care about, you know, how can we get a younger audience in? And if we’re not, why not? And how can we?”
With the idea of using tech for interactive exhibits, Amber confirmed they would be developing more of this for the new Museum. “I think humans learn in many different ways,” she said. “Some people would love to come in here and read everything, but others might like to learn through the interactives or the costume corner and then just look at all the gold and like the visual interactive which is probably my learning style!”
On carnival’s Stonehenge costumes, Amber said, “we needed to turn up in this community, for sure, but I’m not just carrying a banner! So, I got five of us dressed as cardboard boxes, which was really good fun! Next year we just know to go bigger and louder. So that’s a nice thing to prepare for.”
If we’re talking about the future, the burning question must be, when will the museum reopen at the Assize Court? Amber suggested, “we’re going for 2030, which would be wonderful. I have every hope in that. Which sounds a long time away, but actually it’s only three years if you think about it.”
The best thing about the project is destiny; the building looks like it should be a museum! “Exactly that,” Amber agreed. “That’s exactly what it looks like.”
And on its modernisation, Amber mentioned how their engagement, creating, and education teams have been working together. “They’ve been doing so many meetings and planning in the background, and with work starting next month, I know enabling works are due to start in October, which will be so exciting for not only us here to see, but everyone else in the town to see.”
Amber exemplified the recent shaman revelation, where the two-centuries long assumption Upton Lovell Shaman’s gender was male, has been turned on its head through recent scientific discovery, and transformed our understanding of Bronze Age gender roles. “It’s she, not he,” Amber expressed, and explained, “she will have her own interactive screens withwonderful bits that you can learn more from. I think the idea is we’ll have cleaner spaces to work around; that’s the ambition.”
Recounting the amount of times Amber used the word “fun,” and speaking about how to engage the community of all ages, throughout our chat, would be impossible! Her optimistic approach and ecstatic enthusiasm rubs off on an institution which might otherwise be wrongly considered dull; that is the magic happening at Wiltshire Museum, proir to this exciting move.
Proof of this is in the way Amber explained that the Upton Lovell Shaman was once described as a stout man, “but not a stout man at all! And that’s really wonderful, going forward in terms of not only changing the museum to a new place and being able to tell multiple stories in new ways, it’s also completely celebrating a whole new story and what we have now learned from modern technology that can retest these things, which is really cool, really great and I think really exciting. This is awesome for sure!”
See what I mean?! I’m actually deleting some of Amber’s optimistic expressions, to save the word count! “Fun is going to be at the root of everything I do, to be honest. Probably just how I function.”
The obvious advantage to having the Assize Court, is a large event space, and it got me thinking about recent occasions when this would have been advantageous; when Brian Edwards made national headlines with the discovering the origin of the thatcher on the Led Zeppelin album cover, David and I discussed the prospect of having a Led Zeppelin tribute, or the possibility of local electronica producer Moray McDonald paying homage to Daphne Oram, these things could have been done internally at the new museum. But day to day, having elements like a café, which Amber said was on the cards, would surely keep visitors for longer, and refreshed.
I mentioned Johnny Ball, and how he made maths and science fun in my youth, and Amber praised the brilliant Horrible Histories television series, which does a roadshow, and we agreed this would be something amazing to bring to Devizes. “I think those things are really important,” Amber said, “and finding new ways to kind of express all the stories. How we can make it interesting for the people who don’t naturally like just reading and absorbing information.”
I asked Amber if there is a secret to social media success that she would like to share?!
“No,” she replied, “because I am convinced that the algorithms are ever-changing. I think half the time people don’t know what they’re doing. And maybe I’m so foolish for saying this myself, but I think they’re so advanced now; just be authentic. For me, I’m quite a playful, bubbly person, so I try to put that into my marketing style, as well as obviously the element of knowing the team here are so lovely and also similar. So, why not bring that to it? Because those people exist in the space that we’re also trying to promote.”
We chatted about how fast social media changes, compared platforms, and debated their worth. My aging mind boggled, but I returned from Wiltshire Museum confident about its prospects and growth through this entertaining engagement, and grateful to Amber for such a nice chat!
Our trustworthy Gazelle & Herod reported today that “disgraceful” behaviour in Devizes Market Place has elevated into a dental issue…. Publishing an article which states…
In 2027, British Museum exhibition curator Michael Lewis and medieval historian Janina Ramirez will be appearing at Frome’s Cheese & Grain for an exclusive talk…
OCTOBER at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes arrives with a burst of creativity, variety and irresistible entertainment. This month’s programme showcases everything that makes the Wharf…
Images: Jess Worrow Ah, for the connotations of US drive-in movie theaters, now in decline over the pond, but embedded as characteristic romantic americana; the…
An artist expresses their personal thoughts. The rich and powerful use their positions to shut that expression down and remove the artist. Yet the act of suppression feeds a wider interest in the subject being suppressed. Macklemore, Ed Sheeran and venue owners? Or a 1980s play about a fictional Viennese artist and her painting depicting the battle of Lepanto in 1571?
The answer in the case of “Scenes from an Execution”, by Howard Barker, showing at the Wharf Theatre, Devizes is the latter. But it is a classic case of a forty-two-year-old play imitating life where the same scenario in effect was played out last weekend with Macklemore, his support for Palestine, and the repercussions on what is now becoming known as the “Fled Sheeran” tour.
Controversial artist Galactia is commissioned by the Republic of Venice, to paint a glorious triumph by Christians over Muslims at the Battle of Lepanto. Instead, however, she portrays the genuine horrors of war : of bloodied and mutilated cadavers, suffering, and sheer unadulterated cruelty. The Republic’s leadership balks at this representation and attempts to hide the painting, as well as imprison Galactia whilst commissioning another painting in more celebratory style. But the truth finally outs and the painting becomes a public triumph much to the authourity’s despair… but is the interest because of the stark realities portrayed or is it merely voyeurism and a box ticking social activity?
We are led through what is a hundred-foot-long painting (CF Bayeux Tapestry), scene by scene, by a museum curator, cleverly played by Georgia Watson as we segue each time into the scene’s background by fictional characters’ interaction with Galactia, and the “real-life” storyline of Galactia’s interactions with her lover Carpeta, himself an artist obsessed by paintings of “Christ amongst the flocks”. Chris Smith captures his dichotomy of a husband’s guilt about his affair with her, and his servility to the law represented by Oli Beech’s sublime delivery of an initially effervescent then creepily oppressive Doge.
Adam Sturges multi roles superbly as Cardinal Ostensible of the catholic church, Admiral Suffici from the battle itself, and Prodo, a loyal veteran despite his own personal tragedies brought by battle. Laura Bartle as Supporta acts as one of Galactia’s daughters alongside Georgia as the other, whilst magnificently also portraying the haughty Rivera, an art critic moving in the higher social circles. The entire cast at times play sundry minor characters to aid the story along but the entire production is a thorough triumph, led by the quite excellent Julie Baker as Galactia who is on stage for almost all of the entire two-hour play and whose intensity and focus never wavers. She IS Galactia.
Director Jacs Brady has created a glorious show – her use of colour throughout with drab colours and lighting for the artists and pauper’s environments, and brilliant, stunning colours for the rich and powerful shines through (pun unintended!).
The set is a simple, stark artist’s studio, with lighting changes to represent also a prison, and a balcony for external scenes. It represents pretty much a kitchen sink drama – almost all the action happens in just one room aside from the above minimal exceptions.
The overall effect is not just engaging – it draws the watcher into that world. And the quality of the performance with the intimacy of the Wharf Theatre is breathtaking, and where the line between community and professional theatre is not at all apparent.
Barker’s play deals with themes of absolute power versus artistic freedoms, reality versus propaganda, censorship of free expression and visions of war as glorious versus horrific. The parallels with last weekend, Macklemore and tour management are plain to see.
This is not a “light” play – its intention is clearly to make one think about our media and information delivery. Though those that seek the occasional smile and smirk will enjoy the passive-aggressive interactions between artistic lovers and the Doge’s dry humour to the peasant classes. As well as the fixation on the word “buttocks”. Buttocks – though not seen ! – feature prominently in a text that is only two hours long 🙂
“Scenes from an Execution” is showing at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes September 21st to 26th.
Our trustworthy Gazelle & Herod reported today that “disgraceful” behaviour in Devizes Market Place has elevated into a dental issue….
Publishing an article which states the police are frustrated by the issue, they quote an Inspector, who said The Public Spaces Protection Order “has given them certain useful powers, but lacks teeth, and has yet to solve the problem,” as ze kriminalassistent pours away a can of booze he nicked off a thirsty hobo, for kicks.
Are we to assume the blame lies with sugary doughnuts washed down with Coca-Cola? This Public Spaces Protection Order should’ve listened to its dentist when it was little. Where’s Oral B brand ambassador Holly Willoughby when you need her? Perhaps dentists might be able to help, if dental implants would suffice? Or could we, as concerned residents, come up with a better plan?
While I’m willing to accept they’re not real teeth, just joke ones, and we don’t like jokes in Devizes, and get banned from Facebook pages for posting them, I think I have the perfect suggestion, bearing in mind we’re all a bunch of petty whinging geriatrics with some serious first world problems here.
I call upon Devizes Town Council to glue chattering teeth toys to the base of the Market Cross, which would bite the bums of anyone congregating there; job a good ‘un. Thanks for the tip off, trustworthy Gazelle & Herod!
I thought I’d pop down there, see what these hooligans think of that plan. So I’m at the Market Cross in Devizes, the centre of a town financially based on the production of alcohol, where, not so long ago, folk were encouraged to drink en masse, in a ritual called the rite of Black Rat Monday, ironically on the very spot the trouble is listed as being.
Hooligans invade Market Place
Where a filthy Potterne fibber was once struck down by the wrath of god for trying to swindle a market trader out of some wheat, 273 years ago. Makes you wonder if there’s always been anti-social issues there, and if one day in a far flung future, there might be a plaque erected in memory of the pisshead who snapped a begrimed fingernail while swiping a pouch of Benson & Hedges from Sainsburys.
But all I saw there was one lonely guy, (pictured below,) sitting, talking gibberish to himself. Speaking in tongues, it sounded like he was upset with a local shop over a proposed zebra crossing, politicising a playpark, and frustrated over a byelection seat his party are bound to lose unless he really steps up his game and uses national political point-scoring tactics at a local council. I felt sorry for the guy, as he wasn’t causing a real problem (provided no one takes his balderdash seriously,) and he had a fine set of gnashers for his age.
Maybe it is help that some of these people congregating there need, not public condemnation via social media? A social hub, or something to do, like a job, community service, or a dentistry course. Oh, if only there was a tinman councillor with a heart, but I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto.
But, in conclusion to my meticulous research, isn’t this a storm in a teacup? Police patrol, and if they see something happening they go and sort it out; that’s pretty much the way it has worked since Sir Robert Peel’s era, two-hundred years ago. Perhaps, just perhaps, provided no one is actually causing trouble there, we could live our lives and let others live theirs, or move to Kyiv, where their problems are such that they’re unlikely to bat an eyelid over some drunks loitering.
Devizes Town Council would like to hear your views on the proposed scheme for the Brickley Lane Play Area…
They are inviting residents and the local community to share their feedback. The consultation closes on the 30th September 2026.
The Town Council is proposing to refurbish the Brickley Lane Play Area, which has been closed for approximately two years following concerns about the safety and condition of the existing equipment.
The Council has worked with Sport and Play Consulting, specialist playground consultants, to develop the project and has subsequently undertaken an open competitive tender exercise. Three tenders were received and evaluated against the Council’s published criteria. Wicksteed achieved the highest overall evaluation score and has therefore been identified as the Council’s preferred tenderer.
Again we sadly find these small issues being politicised by the Devizes Conservatives. You should note, the working party steering this project is made up of a cross-section of Devizes Town Councillors, not just those Conservative councillors mentioned on bias Facebook group, Devizes Issues.
The proposed scheme is designed to provide a challenging, active and enjoyable play environment for a broad age range, from toddlers through to teenagers. The design provides a range of different types of play, including climbing, balancing, swinging, sliding and other physical and exploratory activities.
The existing mound and mound slide will be retained as part of the refurbished play area, with opportunities to incorporate additional play and activity around the mound. This existing natural feature will continue to form an important part of the character and play experience of the site.
The proposed scheme includes a large multi-play unit, swings, a basket swing, roundabout, horizontal bars, balance and agility features, and other elements intended to encourage active and imaginative play. The eastern section of the site also provides opportunities for features such as a zip wire and rope swing.
Accessibility has also been considered within the scheme. The existing pathway will be retained and improved, and the proposal includes an accessible picnic table connected to the pathway by hardstanding, together with accessible seating provision. The combination of wetpour safety surfacing, grass matting and turf provides different surfaces appropriate to the site and equipment.
The scheme also seeks to provide a durable and sustainable facility with manageable ongoing maintenance requirements. The specification requires predominantly steel or similarly robust play equipment rather than timber, with consideration given to longevity of equipment, replacement of parts and minimising ongoing repair and maintenance costs. The proposed benches are to be made from steel or recycled plastic.
In 2027, British Museum exhibition curator Michael Lewis and medieval historian Janina Ramirez will be appearing at Frome’s Cheese & Grain for an exclusive talk on The Bayeux Tapestry….
This special event invites audiences behind the scenes of one of the most talked about exhibitions in recent history. On Saturday 6th March 2027, join the British Museum’s Bayeux Tapestry exhibition curator Professor Michael Lewis and medieval historian Professor Janina Ramirez for an enthralling discussion on one of the world’s greatest medieval treasures.
Learn about the tapestry’s rich storytelling, handcrafted details and extraordinary history across the centuries. Hear which threads, characters and scenes fascinate Janina and Michael the most and uncover your new favourite fact about this remarkable embroidery.
Professor Michael Lewis is Curator of The Bayeux Tapestry and former Head of Portable Antiquities and Treasure at the British Museum. He’s a Visiting Professor in archaeology and social humanities at the universities of Exeter, Reading and Helsinki, with a particular interest in medieval small finds. Lewis has written many articles and several books on the Bayeux Tapestry, including The Story of the Bayeux Tapestry (2021) with David Musgrove. He’s a member of the Bayeux Tapestry scientific committee, which helps advises on the interpretation and display of the Tapestry at the Bayeux Museum.
Professor Janina Ramirez is a best-selling author, presenter, lecturer and researcher. She is Director of Studies for History of Art at Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford, and Visiting Professor in Medieval Studies at the University of Lincoln. She has published widely on medieval history, art and literature, has written both fiction and non-fiction for adults and younger readers, and has taught and researched across a broad chronological sweep, covering everything from the sculptures of antiquity to post-modern architecture. She has also written and presented documentaries across the world for over 15 years, including ‘Raiders of the Lost Past,’ ‘The Private Lives of Kings,’ and ‘Art Lovers Guide’.
This event includes an audience Q&A and book signing with both authors.
OCTOBER at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes arrives with a burst of creativity, variety and irresistible entertainment. This month’s programme showcases everything that makes the Wharf Theatre such a beloved cultural home: bold theatre, international film, Shakespearean drama, laugh‑out‑loud comedy and the soaring power of live opera. It’s a rich, colourful season designed to surprise, delight and keep audiences coming back for more…..
The month begins on 1st October at 7.30pm, when Devizes Film Club presents the award‑winning foreign‑language treasure Fremont. Quietly powerful, gently humorous and visually striking, Fremont has earned international acclaim for its delicate storytelling and emotional depth. This is world cinema at its finest—thoughtful, human and beautifully crafted. For film lovers, it’s an unmissable start to the autumn season.
From 8th–10th October at 7.30pm each night, the spotlight shifts to the 17th‑century stage with Playhouse Creatures, April De Angelis’ celebrated play exploring the lives of the first women to perform professionally in English theatre. Brought vividly to life by local company 3rdThird Theatre, this production blends wit, grit and historical insight, celebrating the resilience, rivalry and sheer determination of the women who changed theatre forever. Expect passion, humour and a compelling ensemble performance.
On 18th October at 8pm, jealousy takes centre stage as Shakespeare Live presents Shakespeare’s Green Eyed Monster. This dynamic collection of scenes dives into the Bard’s most gripping explorations of envy—from simmering suspicion to explosive rage. Performed by a talented local company with a reputation for clarity, energy and accessibility, it’s a thrilling way to experience Shakespeare’s emotional fireworks up close.
Laughter erupts on 23rd October at 7.30pm, when Hambledon Productions bring their professional touring show The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town to Devizes. Inspired by Spike Milligan and Ronnie Barker’s iconic sketch, this riotous stage adaptation promises gleeful silliness, sharp satire and a lovingly chaotic romp through Victorian London. It’s comedy with heritage—and guaranteed hilarity.
The month concludes with operatic splendour as White Horse Opera return from 27th–31st October with La Traviata, Verdi’s timeless masterpiece. Featuring soaring melodies, sumptuous costumes and a talented amateur cast from across Wiltshire, this production offers all the romance, tragedy and musical brilliance that have made La Traviata one of the world’s most cherished operas. It’s a perfect autumn treat for seasoned opera‑goers and newcomers alike.
And before the Wharf transforms for its magical Christmas production of Peter Pan, there’s one November gem you won’t want to miss: Don Quixote (is a very big book) by Opposable Thumb Productions. Fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe and presented in association with DOCA, this inventive, anarchic and joyously theatrical retelling of Cervantes’ epic is a whirlwind of imagination and comic brilliance.
October at The Wharf Theatre is packed with stories, music, laughter and unforgettable performances.
While The Hebrew Bible depicts women in composite roles, from submissive domestic positions in a patriarchal society to powerful figures of leadership excelling moral courage,…
Nearly September, time to sew those name tags onto school uniforms. Still, loads to entertain you throughout the month. I’ve exhausted our ever-updating event calendar,…
Formed just two years ago at Bishop Wordsworth’s School in Salisbury, award-winning four-piece youth band, 5 Nights at Adyans, look set to release their highly-anticipated…
September is a week away; parents will be brushing off school uniforms, but Devizes blues fans won’t be dusting their brooms, because Long Steet Blues…
Whoa! What happened last night at the trusty Three Crowns?! What happened last night at the Three Crowns has clearly happened before, and happens most…
Ah, for the connotations of US drive-in movie theaters, now in decline over the pond, but embedded as characteristic romantic americana; the rock n roll era, waking up little Suzie, and Danny Zuko making his move on Sandy while a monster movie plays on a giant screen in the background. It was folklore Brits forever envied….
Okay, yesterday evening at Hillworth Park in Devizes wasn’t precisely like that for their annual open air cinema experience! Replace the Chevrolets and Cadillacs with collapsible camping chairs and blankets and pillows, rock n roll with Was not Was and whatever songs about dinosaurs Fantasy Radio could dig up, and the “Snack-N-Vue” with homegrown outlets like Piña Colada connoisseurs The Muck & Dunder, Freddy’s Juice Bar and of course the in-house, fabulously tasty SoupChick.
But what else could I possibly compare this unique event to?! Awaiting twilight, the park appeared more like a local music festival more than any cinematic jaunt. Apparently US drive-ins held grand fairs to entertain, and tire children before sundown too. As well as the everyday features of our fabulous town garden, we also had waddling dinosaurs chasing children through the park; terrifyingly simple but effective!
Yet, this doesn’t compare to the contemporary soulless experience of a trip to a modern cinema; buy tickets online, flash your phone at a scanner on the door and collect your popcorn from a vending machine. You don’t utter a word to another human!
Pricey merchandise thrust into your kid’s faces, and overpriced one-size-fits-all popcorn buckets the dimensions of a cathedral, are standard at multiplexes. Here it’s a moderate portion of popcorn for three coins, and merch only exists on those already dressed for the occasion in Jurassic Park t-shirts brought elsewhere. The word of the day is communal, for it was a little Devizes thing, where you rub shoulders with friendly faces, and that’s like no other cinematic pleasure I’ve experienced.
Congratulations to Hillworth Park and Devizes Town Council, for the age demographic was plenary, the atmosphere adventurous and although stars were amiss with an overcast sky, rain thankfully didn’t show. But mostly, the film choice was apt; a movie set in a park, in a park, where a dad playfully pretends he’s a T-Rex, blowing raspberries on the belly of his captured prey, his giggling son, makes priceless memories.
Jurassic Park was democratically decided upon. Civic & Community Engagement Manager for Devizes Town Council, Cherry Rosalind Cullen explained, “the public were invited to vote on which film they would like to see, and we had a total of eight films to choose from. The result was neck and neck between Jurassic Park and Dirty Dancing. As it was tied, we held an additional poll to determine the winner.”
I’m content, for Dirty Dancing is not my cuppa, and certainly doesn’t touch the sides of the universal appeal of Spielberg’s 1993 masterpiece. This is the event’s sixth occasion since the first in 2019. “For our Twilight Cinema events,” Cherry informed me, “we have always given the public the opportunity to choose the film.”
The unrivalled skill of Spielberg returned to me rewatching this after years of questionable sequels and rehashing; to adapt Michael Crichton’s relatively gruesome techno-horror novel, into a family-friendly sci-fi, is reflected in a modern franchise where, while plots remain similar, total CGI erases the authenticity of its suspense somewhat. There’s the jumpscare elements of Jaws in the original Jurassic Park, ingeniously combined with ET’s nurturing warmness. And gen z looks upon clunky vintage CGI like gen x does scratchy vinyl.
The plot also captures a period of Dolly the sheep, where the possibilities of genetic cloning were open to interpretation for the most imaginative fiction authors. Of course, cloning dinosaurs is now regarded as impossible, that’s the fantastical point! There’s a funny dinosaur chasing kids around Hillworth Park; that’s more important here than scientific evidence; killjoy!
“This isn’t just a film night,” Hillworth Park said, “it’s a chance to experience the magic of cinema in the heart of Hillworth Park, under the stars.”
And the description fitted, it was certainly popular and a safely organised friendly evening. In a town where you’ll be sent to Facebook jail for enquiring when the cinema might reopen, this is a brilliant incentive!
I confess, with regard to the cinema, I might’ve jinxed it, for which I humbly apologise. Living in Marlborough we craved for the flicks, I moved here delighted we had a cinema. It closed and one opened up in Marlborough! As if you ever needed an excuse to tell me to pack my bags! But, hey, you should know by now I like to cast my beady eye over happenings here, you don’t have to read them. This was something a little different for us to cover, and I’m delighted to report it was a fantastic family occasion!
I can be sent an album, review it because I love it, and put the artists atop of my cognitive must-see list. Although the list will grow as time progresses, I’m the elephant with a knotted trunk, awaiting some legendary local venue to announce, yeah, we’ve got these guys coming……
In this case the legendary venue is the most apt for this act locally, it is the worshipped Barge on Honeystreet, and the band are the cider-infused Cornish scrumpy & western choir with a message to breakneck Balkan beats, 3 Daft Monkeys; I’m jumping on this bed and if I hit my head I’m waiting for no mama to call the doctor…..
It seems the further west country you trek, across thar cider border, the crazier folk meshed danceable energy embellishes, with carefree counter-culture vibes. But, slightly eastwards to us there’s the remaining outpost of sanity, rejecting today’s mangled status quo and botched mainstream society. For those in agreement, The Barge is a temple, and a wharfside campsite, holding a spiritual synergy of its own making, and perhaps a few crop circles.
If I’m going to see 3 Daft Monkeys on my doorstep, there isn’t a better place to do so. So, Saturday 26th September marks the occasion, owner Lenny No Strings supports. Lenny and his team have continued the authentic nonconformist vibe of the place, and transformed The Barge into the kind of place we’d have wanted it to be back in the nineties, with a homely festival vibe.
It’s been two years since I fondly reviewedInformation Camouflage, 3 Daft Monkey’s 2024 album, and I’m delighted for the possibility of finally catching them live. At the time they described their latest release as “a rich, life-affirming tapestry that masterfully blends world folk inspirations with wild punk-infused energy and modern storytelling,” and I could only agree. I said Information Camouflage called to me, as I “yearn for the alternative, the quirky and curious counterculture,” and it bears such hallmarks. I made reference to its melting pot, citing punk, ska, gypsy folk and bonkers west country underground. I hailed its frenzied fiddles, frivolous beats, poignant messages and its dreamy psychedelic vaudeville.
I also said at the time; “all this album has done, other than entertain me highly, is confirm that, if they were playing a festival I’m at, and my mates wanted to go do something different, I’d be saying “see you later,” and making haste for the stage 3 Daft Monkeys are on!” But unfortunately that didn’t happen, I’m not getting any younger, so I hope to be there.
I mean, I could scribe a few words about this event, probably I will, because that’s standard issue with me now, like a lost little diarist. But don’t leave me lonely there, waiting for me to tell you what you missed! Tickets are HERE.
This tragi-comic play, set in 1660s London, focuses on the first English actresses allowed on stage after the Restoration. It explores the lives, struggles and camaraderie of five women navigating a male-dominated world, dealing with sexual exploitation, ageing, and the fight for artistic freedom. Bawdily funny yet profound, Playhouse Creatures explores the pitilessness of ageism and the need for economic independence. The play highlights the harsh realities of the early theatre scene, where actresses were often seen as ‘animals’ or ‘creatures’, rather than respected professionals. [ 3rd Third Theatre ]
While April de Angelis’ play is – as above – set in the second half of the seventeenth century, and there are mentions to historical events of that period – the beheading of Charles I, Charles II, the plague, the Great Fire of London – as well as references to the contemporary theatre still of Shakespeare – nonetheless the real messages and contexts of its story are universal throughout time, including the present day. Its really about the patriarchal oppression of the female of the species, and only somebody that is living in a cave could fail to recognise that these women’s struggles are reflected in issues facing women almost four hundred years later than the play’s timeline. And then within those broadest of divisions, are portrayed further social demographics between the women of the story… of class differences.
Some of the characters are actual historical figures, others a melange of types, none more so than the nominative deterministically named Doll Common. Played by Louise Peak, she represents the working class and is an everywoman – cleaner, dresser, messenger et al
Elizabeth Farleigh, played by Sophie Kerr, is a societally acceptable woman, somewhat disdainfully interacting with those she sees as beneath her social position. However, she falls from grace and ends up as one of the under-class she previously showed open contempt for. Mary Betteton, delivered by Wendy Dophiede, is the matriarch of these women – a long-standing actress of note and phenomenal palmarès, whose husband ran the theatre they performed in… and who fell from her pedestal when replaced by younger, prettier actresses.
Nell Gwynn, portrayed by Grace Sheridan, probably the most well known today of the characters portrayed is a rags to riches story of commoner to leading actress and eventually a kept woman by King Charles II, while Rebecca Marshall, represented by Freddie Underwood, uses her connections as an actress to socially climb by marrying an Earl… to end up shunned by society as she is first tricked by a man, and then accused of a heinous crime.
Five women, all under the control of men, trying to escape their lot… and all in differing ways ending up still oppressed by the patriarchy whether they rose, fell or trod water in life
Five women, five stories, loosely intertwined. “Playhouse Creatures” is so much more than just five timelines though. It is funny, shocking, dramatic, poignant. These five actors and director Debby Wilkinson have together brought a black box performance to life, in the debut performance by new kid on the block, “3rd Third Theatre”.
You can catch this rather super production in a few weeks time at
Would you dare to join Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance at their airbase on Friday 30 October 2026 for an unforgettable Firewalk Challenge?
Feel the buzz, face your fears, and experience the ultimate adrenaline rush as you walk barefoot across hot embers beneath the autumn night sky – all while supporting Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance’s lifesaving work…..
Firewalk 2026
This spooky season, Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance say “we’re turning up the heat, and asks you to join them at their airbase for an unforgettable Firewalk Challenge. Feel the buzz, face your fears, and experience the ultimate adrenaline rush as you walk barefoot across hot embers beneath the autumn night sky – all while supporting our lifesaving work.
The embers will glow a vivid red, with temperatures often reaching approximately 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Firewalking isn’t about fitness – it’s about mindset. With expert guidance and a powerful group atmosphere, you’ll build courage, confidence and belief before taking those unforgettable steps across the coals. There is no training required!
Sign up fee:
Adult: £35
Child: £25 (12-16 years)
Team of 4: £120
Why not get your colleagues or friends together and take on the challenge as a team?
They ask every participant to pledge to raise a minimum of £100. As a charity, Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance receive no government funding and rely heavily on the generosity of community and events like this to continue delivering their vital services across Wiltshire, Bath and beyond. They will provide fundraising tips, ideas and support to help you smash your target!
If it’s not unusual for Wiltshire singer-songwriter Ruby Darbyshire to break out the bagpipes at a gig, it’s often for a solo stint of piping. Yet Ruby continues to experiment with ways she can merge piping into her music, and this, recorded last weekend at Ilfracombe Maritime Festival, shows Ruby at her best, backed with a band playing a tribute to the victim of the worst miscarriage of justice in British history, Clive Freeman….
It was sent to us via Ruby herself, and we love it. Please like and share this video, it is outstanding. It explains why we support this artist as much as we do, hope to see her performing here soon, and wished we were in Ilfracombe last weekend! This is a watch party, I’ll say no more!
This week marks 25 years since 9/11 (11 September 2001), when the world awoke to the news that Al Qaeda hijackers had flown two commercial airliners into the Twin Towers, causing their collapse and a devastating loss of life. In 2006, British troops were deployed to Helmand Province; these years saw some of the heaviest combat and the highest UK casualties. UK combat operations formally ended in 2014, having had a very real human cost for the UK with 457 British service personnel killed, more than 600 serious casualties and thousands of medical evacuations. (Kitty Muffet – Director).
“Pink Mist” by Owen Sheers portrays the experiences of three young men from Bristol, and the women in their lives, who sign up to the British Army aged in their teens in 2008 and are deployed in Afghanistan. Its content, though fictional, is drawn through Sheer’s interviews with actual military veterans that served there, for a previous play “The Two Worlds of Charlie F.” It delivers an, at times, harrowing story of three boys going to war, three boys in war, and three boys coming home from war, broken, damaged … or draped in a flag. While three women, girlfriend, mother and wife with young child become equally scarred through concerns, worry and grief. “Boys” and “Women” – two sides of the same coin. We live in a patriarchal society but it’s the matriarchs that are its glue and carry the burdens, and “Pink Mist” amply demonstrates this as the women pick up the pieces.
The story was originally written and recorded for BBC Radio 4, and broadcast as five, fifteen-minute episodes in 2012, then adapted into a verse-drama book in 2013, winning the “Wales Book of the Year” award in 2014. Subsequently it was again adapted as a stage play which premiered in 2015 at Bristol Old Vic. As such as a stage play it is not “action” heavy yet director Kitty Muffet has created some powerful non-active interaction; tableaus and frozen positions from characters not involved in a scene or dialogue. Some of these tableaus last for multiple minutes – the opening scene is at least ten minutes during which the only speech – bar a minimal very few lines – is given by Arthur played by Jonathan Taft. During that monologue there is movement from characters directly involved in the story when mentioned, but otherwise all sit perfectly still until it is their own time to strut and fret their hour upon the stage. All actors remain on stage throughout the entire play in this powerful manner.
The book also won the 2018 “Wilfred Owen Poetry Award”, extremely fitting as the play evokes connections with that poet’s own WW1 works – as the three lads sign up, gung-ho and crying “Who wants to play war” and desperate for action, we surely recall immediately “Dulce et Decorum est”, and the pals battalions of 1914.
It would be remiss to give any more of the plot away as its strength and its impacts come as each new layer of the story is revealed, so I urge you to go and see it this week at the Mission Theatre, Bath, performed by “Next Stage”.
The boys Arthur, Taff and Hads are played respectively by Jonathan Taft, a Next Stage stalwart, Arthur Williams, in his first appearance since school, and James Hacker, in his second Next Stage production. All three excellently convey the youthful exuberance and naiveness when signing up, then the shocking appreciation of the realities of war, and then the consequences of their own involvement.
No less excellent are the women in their lives picking up the pieces after initial worries, arguments and concerns… Arthur’s girlfriend played by Perrine Maillot, another long-standing Next Stage performer, Had’s devoted mother Sarah, wonderfully performed by Tania Lyons and demonstrating all her stage craft and experience, and Taff’s young wife Lisa played by Poppy Morris in her stage debut … Poppy has set her own bar extremely high right at the start of what must be a stunning acting career.
This is Kitty Muffet’s directorial debut with Next Stage and as mentioned above already has created something very special with this dialogue heavy and precise actioned piece, including some clever choreography especially in the opening monologue by Arthur. She is aided and abetted by Andrew Muffet as Stage Manager, and tech crew Hannah Johnson, Jamie Woodington and Kris Nuttal. Music provided by Bill Whelan.
Amongst all the wonderful prose, and delivery there are snippets of realisation oneself… the use of colour descriptions throughout the play… blue, green, red, black, rose… and pink. And if you don’t know the meaning of the play’s title before you see this, you will learn it well before the end. Then there is the juxtaposition of two types of “friendly fire” – one war, one domestic.
This is not to be missed. Take a hanky, Have a stiff drink afterwards.
You may well need both.
“Pink Mist” is performed at The Mission Theatre, September 9th-12th at 7.30pm, with a matinee at 2pm on Saturday 12th.
In addition, there is a Q&A with the author and playwright, Owen Sheers, at The Mission Theatre between the matinee and evening shows. Held at 4.15pm in the theatre, entry is £5, all of which goes to the charities being supported by this show, the Royal British Legion and the Royal British Veterans Enterprise, supporting those affected by the Afghanistan conflict and by conflicts past and future.
If spring saw Swindon’s premier rock trio I See Orange breaking new ground on a US tour, autumn brings with it their first full length album, Pining For Apollo; prepare…
I See Orange come at you loud and proud. It’s driving rock versus edgy grunge, but unafraid to test the boundaries of either subgenre as they form foundations into commercial rooms fit for The Cranberries or The Cardigans. Yet they never abandon their idiosyncratic image of dolls and gore, nor their distorted power chords and dark focussed themes of apathy and alienation with sassy overtones. Pining For Apollo was released yesterday, and proves this, professionally.
I See Orange match with a chemistry every band must envy. Formed in 2022 when frontgirl Giselle, originally a folk-pop singer-songwriter moved here from Mexico, and an impromptu rehearsal session with Cameron and Charlie established potential magic. Inspired by nineties and millennial alt-rock, they add their own unique post-grunge flavour.
Recorded at Western Audio Studios, produced, mixed and mastered by Claire Sutton, rolling drums kick us into Pining For Apollo, a minute until the full force of I See Orange hits you in the face, and shakes your bones. Thirteen solid tracks of dynamite follow, and, unlike the rising and falling template of grunge, I See Orange rarely comes up for air. Velvet Scars is a downtempo exception to this rule, leisurely it rolls out like the penultimate moodsetter on a setlist.
There’s all the recent singles we’ve previously fondly reviewed, Mental Rot, La Bruja, and my personal fave, the playful anthem Doll Guts. With them and between them the songs are stylised, carving a definitive methodology. The band say “It is the introduction of our music and our band to the world. There’s nothing we love more than making music together and these songs are a compilation of our passion, effort, hope and pining for our dreams to materialise and become our reality.”
Feebleness is a prime example. Three tunes in, it breathes fresh air into I See Orange while retaining their common theme of doubt, debility and inferiority complex. Then the haunting La Bruja follows, subtly confident when hexed. The album as a whole is dark mien, erotic at times, it contrasts winsome with macabre and through adroit unification musically it swathes them all into an electric blast of sublime and fulfilling rock.
If the eleventh and twelfth tracks project with grunge fury, the finale offers something more delicate indie-folk with commercial viability. Nice, but I want I See Orange breaking new audiences gradually by not losing their edge, rather than falling through a mercantile pothole, because this album is a fantastic showcase to be savoured by a majority.
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Wiltshire singer-songwriter Ruby Darbyshire, you’re most likely familiar with, unless you joined Devizine family reader’s circle today, has a new song on YouTube, one she’s…
Pleasantly surprised in July when an awesome new single from Devizes’ rootsy Americana with a gothic twist collective, Burn the Midnight Oil revealed a more…
Surprised your mobile didn’t sound the apocalyptic alarm to notify you about Wessex Water’s hosepipe ban?! Then, you’re a gullible idiot! But being 22,239 voters…
Turned around in just a day, a team of guitar “heir hunters” from Macclesfield called The Stray Chord have reunited Salisbury’s musician Jolyon Dixon with…
Congratulations to Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts, who announced yesterday that they’ve been awarded a substantial National Lottery Project Grant from Arts Council England….
This is amazing news for everyone in Devizes, on the day of their carnival, which in recent years required Devizes Town Council to subside it after years of Arts Council cuts prevented DOCA’s most elaborate free events from going ahead.
Could we see a return of the beloved street festival? DOCA say they will launch ‘A Season of Discovery,’ a brand-new summer and autumn programme of festivals, live music, workshops and performance across Devizes and the surrounding area.
When I think back over the years at all the fantastic events DOCA has produced for us, this news gives me hope we can recapture the spirit of them once more. Carnival, today, tomorrow, who knows?!
Looking at the evidence presented by the media on the Shayne Hambakachere case in Chippenham, unless there is something we’re not being told I’m of the opinion there has been a serious miscarriage of justice. I spoke to Chippenham MP Sarah Gibson about this terrible outcome…..
Shayne Hambakachere was a 16-year-old aspiring bricklayer and a pupil at Hardenhuish School, who tragically died after being fatally stabbed on 31st of January 2026. Shane had met the attacker in an alleyway near London Road, to settle a dispute over stolen cannabis.
Unarmed at the time, Shane sadly passed away the following day at Southmead Hospital in Bristol. A 16-year-old boy, 15 at the time of the incident, cannot be named for legal reasons. He stood trial at Bristol Crown Court. The court heard that the defendant filmed the confrontation on his mobile phone, capturing footage of Shayne trying to back away when the weapon was produced.
Yet, at the trial on the 20th August, the jury found the defendant not guilty of both murder and manslaughter. The defendant argued that he acted in self-defence, claiming he brandished the knife to scare Shayne away because he feared he was about to be attacked.
I asked Sarah Gibson if she felt an inquiry to the trial should be opened. “Shayne’s death was an appalling tragedy which has had a profound impact on his family, friends and the wider Chippenham community,” Sarah explained. “I appreciate that the outcome of the trial has caused considerable confusion and concern locally.”
“I met with Shayne’s family following his death and have remained in contact with them. When I met with the family, I made a commitment that I would not make public comments about Shayne, or pursue action specifically in his name, without an express request from them to do so. I believe very strongly that any decision about whether they want me to become involved following the conclusion of the trial must come from Shayne’s family.”
“If Shayne’s family ask me to support them, raise questions on their behalf or help them seek further information from the relevant authorities, I will of course do everything appropriate within my role as their Member of Parliament to assist them.”
“For the same reason, I am not currently calling for a public inquiry into Shayne’s case. Any such step would need careful consideration and, above all, I would want to understand and respect the wishes of his family rather than make that call on their behalf.”
This is completely understandable, and my heart goes out to Shayne’s family at this terrible time. I also respect the court decision, if there may have been evidence not disclosed to the public. But, Sarah reflects my wider sentiments about the wider implications, in her last paragraph to me. “That being said,” she continued, “there are wider issues raised by this case which require serious attention. I was particularly concerned by what was said during the trial about the influence of gang culture, county lines and social media content involving knives, guns and drugs on young people.”
“I am actively working with organisations across the constituency on harmful online content and its impact, particularly on boys and young men. We need to understand how children can become exposed to this material, how we intervene before that exposure escalates, and what more schools, families, social media companies, communities and government can do to protect young people.”
Stopping to consider when Nigel Farage used the phrase “pure cold rage” in June, to describe how he thought the public should react to police actions during the Henry Nowak case, who was similarly stabbed in Southampton, the lines I cannot help reading between, when considering why Reform are not irresponsibly encouraging the same public outcry with this case.
Face the basic fact, Shayne was tragically killed… over a bag of plants. Only vengeful people supporting a clear and irrelevant racial narrative want a reaction of “cold hard rage,” to any murder case, but careful consideration of its reasoning should be welcomed, for the purpose of preventing other similar incidents.
Plants which could be controlled if decriminalised. Plants which rarely cause any significant damage, and the only damage they might, is surely caused by their legal status, and consequently their connection to harder drugs and other related crime, through the black market they’ve been assigned into. The war on drugs debate is nonsensical and irrelevant now, as it never worked. You can point the finger at “harmful online content,” or “gang culture” when the facts are this happened in an alley, not online, and this appears to be two individuals, not gangs.
Of course, the family of Shayne’s wishes should be respected, but the case’s wider implications must surely be considered, and acted upon. It may be radical, but I believe it is long overdue to review our laws on recreational cannabis use. For if it was decriminalised, the prices could be fairer, without any need to steal it, and this alleyway confrontation, this senseless murder, would not have happened. Many crimes would not have happened.
Legalise it, tax it, and spend the profits on drug misuse education, but to continue to fight against it, by tightening the laws of its prohibition clearly isn’t working, as this terrible incident proves. I thank Sarah for her time, but I worry this issue will be brushed under the carpet and shamefully, allowed to reoccur. There’s words, let us see actions, via open and honest debate, not shrouded by the misconceptions of cannabis use.
With an AI-powered poster so excruciating I cannot bring myself to show it here, this year’s Wiltshire Music Awards announce the lineup for their ceremony. Should we judge a book by its cover?! The event looks great, but the AI epidemic has infected this, and is so cringeworthy it doesn’t invite attention, which is a shame when the tagline reads “inspiring Wiltshire…..”
I can’t look at it for too long at a time; it’s got an Oscar on it! Why has it got an Oscar on it?! Isn’t suggesting it’s the most prestigious awards in the film industry raising expectations somewhat?! It’s on Saturday 14th November, at The Melksham Assembly Hall, not Hollywood. Oscars may/may not be presented at the ceremony, that is unconfirmed.
What is confirmed is raising the bar several notches over the marketing; some top local acts, with an odd opening presentation. If you see me there and I’m sporting a cresting scumbucketed shirt and misted glasses, it’s because there’s a burlesque chair dance introduction! Begging the question, what burlesque has to do with musicians in Wiltshire winning awards, but when you get to my age you can’t be picky.
What I do love about it is Talk in Code, 5 Nights at Adyans, Ruby Darbyshire and Fly Yeti Fly are on the roster, and The Syvertones will be entertaining during the break. Some great acts which truly represent the local music scene.
And there’s an after party with the Unpredictables, DJ Alex, and some random chap who remains unnamed on the poster! Tickets are £12.50 from HERE. I cannot abide by this AI pandemic any longer. I will joke about it, and encourage organisers not to use it; but while it is unwelcome here, perhaps we should compromise when it’s a great event, supporting local musicians.
Update: poster changed, due to my whingeing too much time on my hands ramt!
