Category: arts

Big Ones: The Major Events in Devizes This Year

No one knows why, apparently, but fish are dying in our canal; everyone says wait for the EA report, except for the fish. A town full of road works, burnt out buildings and roads which look like weโ€™ve suffered a doodlebug air raid, but thereโ€™s glitch in the Matrix; itโ€™s temporarily stopped chucking it down with a perpetual drizzle of ice rain, and I saw a cold early-rising hedgehog this morning. When I see my first hedgehog I assume spring might yet be on its way; chin up.

The Government (should you wish to call it that) has launched the first ever UK Town of Culture competition, and Devizes Town Council thinks weโ€™re in for a chance here; best of luck with that! Town Councillors are looking to collaborate with local groups, organisations and individuals in putting together an Expression of Interest that showcases our amazing community spirit and the rich story we have to tell as a Town; thereโ€™s work to be done!

Councillors are holding an initial meeting on Thursday 26th February at 6pm in the Assembly Room at the Town Hall and it is open to everyone who is interested in collaborating on this project. A big yes to this, whatever we can do to help …..without having to attend a town council meeting, just ask!

Meanwhile, rather than fix their problems, other town councils, like Melksham’s, are making national news sellotaping pictures of the journalists they donโ€™t like very much onto punchballs for embarrassingly pathetic potshots, namely Joe McCann of Melksham News.  

We have a good relationship with Joe at Melksham News here at Devizine; the butt of a seriously pathetic joke at Melksham Town Council simply for doing his job has seriously backfired. Donโ€™t mess with the press, we stand united. Could this become a trend? I wonder who’s face might get onto a punchball at Devizes Town Council?!

Moi? I’d be honoured, mโ€™lord!!

No, look, honest guv, or .gov.uk, Iโ€™m here to help. I don’t want a medal, but think we can PROVE Devizes is actually a great place to live, and deserves to be a Town of Culture. There’s lots going on culturally. Iโ€™m only here to tell you what, donโ€™t give me the third degree simply for doing it in a satirical way, because it only serves a purpose; making this an entertaining read rather than a list of events, which you can find anyway, on our event calendar. Iโ€™m nice, no, really!

So, last week of February: DOCAโ€™s Festival of Winter Ales is at The Corn Exchange on Saturday 28th. Weโ€™ve previewed it, read further here and hope to see you there for a beer!

March

March is a bit dry, to be honest. Wiltshire Museum, though, begins the exhibit John Piper in the South Country which opens on Saturday 7th March and runs until the 7th June. I hope to be at the opening ceremony and will report my findings.

Sir Alan Ayckbournโ€™s How the Other Half Loves opens at The Wharf Theatre on Monday 16th March, running until the 21st. Thereโ€™s a comedy night at the Corn Exchange on Friday 20th, and Jimmy Royal & the Regals play Long Street Blues Club on the 21st, so things are starting to look up.

The first โ€œBig Oneโ€ in Devizes is at the end of March, when Kingston Media host The Bands By The Green, on the Saturday 28th. In support of Julianโ€™s House, they promise a family afternoon of live music from 1:30pm, featuring Charlie Greenwood, Kelly Dale, This Way Up, Simplicity, Crackerjack, and Foo Lizzy. Tickets HERE.

April

April kicks off creepy and kooky, mysterious, spooky, and all together ooky when Devizes Musical Theatreโ€™s Addams Family Musical comes to Dauntseyโ€™s.

Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race starts at the wharf on Friday 3rd, and someone was recently complaining this doesnโ€™t attract much attention, so weโ€™re mentioning it here, donโ€™t blame me!!

By the 5th itโ€™s Easter, find lots going on from our updating events calendar, but behold, an Easter Egg Hunt at Hillworth Park.

Friday 10th sees Devizes Music Academy present Sister Act at The Corn Exchange, which runs until the 12th.

Tuesday night out, anyone? Long Street Blues Club were instrumental in helping establish King King in their early days and this superb band is now firmly established as one of the premier Blues Rock acts in the country. They return to the Devizes Corn Exchange on Tuesday 21st.

May

The annual Cancer Research Car Boot Sale at Stert Country House starts off May, on Saturday 16th, unless thereโ€™s anything Iโ€™ve missed? The event calendar updates, this will not, so please, bookmark it into your favourites and check in regularly, because the further we get into the year, the less events we currently know about. This is a teaser of whatโ€™s to come, do not, I repeat, do not, get your summer dresses and sun hats on just yet!

Saturday 23rd sees two new DOCA events, Out & About, where they look at acts in the Community, and the DOCA Festival of Discovery. More to follow on these, but save the date.

Friday 29th sees The Wharf Acting Coโ€™s Whoโ€™s Play is it Anyway, the show theyโ€™re taking to the Edinburgh Fringe; this is an exclusive sneaky peak. More on this HERE, plus Lou Coxโ€™s Having a Baby and the Sh!t They Donโ€™t Tell You in Books, also appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe, of which you can also catch at the Wharf Theatre on Saturday 30th.  

The Devizes Arts Festival kicks off the same weekend, and it is Rowdefest on Saturday 30th; we had a great time with this last year, and this year looks to be just as great if not more. Barrelhouse headline, with the sublime Ruby Darbyshire; handpicked by me personally!

June

Devizes Arts Festival, runs until June 14th; hereโ€™s everything we know so far, well nearly everything; thereโ€™s a surprise Iโ€™ve been told to button my lip about. They trust me too much! Monday 1st June Anthony Horowitz: A Life in Murder, Tuesday 2nd, Patrick Grant in Conversation, Thursday 4th, Hot Mess, and Friday 5th sees the Robert Vincent Band, and Milton Jones on Friday 12th June; thatโ€™s all we have for now, watch this space.

John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett at Long Street Blues Club on Monday 8th. 

Saturday June 13th sees the Wiltshire Steam & Vintage Rally returning to Park Farm near Devizes. Sunday 14th is the Devizes Lions family funday and car show, Lions on The Green.

July

Ooh, got a big one here for you! July kicks off Saturday 4th with the awaited return of CrownFest at The Crown in Bishopโ€™s Cannings, and this one looks unmissable, with more artists being added all the time. The current poster weโ€™ve got needs updating, I believe Ruby is coming and a host of others. Iโ€™m looking forward to Ant Trouble, because I picked this one, Stand and Deliver, your ticket money or your life!!

But the month is jam-packed; Town of Culture, box ticked! Saturday 11th and it is the most unique festival around these parts; FullTone. If a sixty piece orchestra playing out of their new location on Park Farm doesnโ€™t quite tempt you enough, The Wurzels and Jason Donovan might! Preview HERE; gorgeous, darling!

Friday 17th sees the Classic Ibiza thang at Bowood House. Saturday 18th and youโ€™ll find Devizes Vegan Market, aptly in the Market Place. Sunday 19th and abracadabra; DOCA will transform Hillworth Park into a Magic Garden.

But, hey, this one is going to be big and needs your attention! Park Farm Festival returns for it’s second year on Saturday 18th. Lovely as this was last time, it needs you. More universal and family appeal than last year, Jon Amor Trio is playing, with well, look at the poster, look, and read our preview!

Friday 24th, and itโ€™s the legendary Devizes Scooter Rally – all weekend! A fantastic event, you donโ€™t need a scooter, but some dancing shoes are essential footwear. You will love All That Soulโ€™s sublime Motown makeovers, and thereโ€™s a Blondie tribute, a separate venue for those talc dusters and lots of good time reggae and ska.

August

As I said earlier, weโ€™ve lots more to add and lots more to find out about, so keep this frequency clear, and love Devizine. You can go to a meeting to etch out a plan to make Devizes a town of culture, but itโ€™s me here, on me tod, typing this out for your attention; donโ€™t you forget about us!

So, letโ€™s rush through what little we know about the later months; Saturday 29th August is Confetti Battle & Colour Rush. Monday 31st will, of course, be Black Rat Monday at The British Lion in which you are duty-bound to attend!

September

Saturday 5th is Devizes Carnival.

Devizes Food and Drink Festival is on from Saturday September 19th to Sunday Sept 27th.  The festival is run and managed locally, entirely by volunteers and will offer 20+ original food and drink experiences, kicking off with an Artisan Producer Market in the Market Place on the 19th and finishing with the World Food Tasting Experience on Sunday 27th in the Corn Exchange.

The rest of our event calendar is looking blank. Help me fill them in as we go, and hereโ€™s looking to a fantastic 2026, town of culture award, or not, we strive on, we know Devizes is great!

Minety Music Festival Announce Headliners; The Bluetones and Dub Pistols

The mighty mighty Minety Music Festival announced The Bluetones as their Sunday headliner at their Eames Laurie Main Stage, and The Dub Pistols on the Saturday…..

It’s not unspoken, we LOVE Minety Music Festival here at Devizine and don’t care who knows! It never fails to attract with some superb renowned names, and then throws in a plethora of local acts either established or upcoming, and in doing so creates a marvellous atmosphere where local music is supported via the followings of international headliners.

Formed in London in 1996 byย Barry Ashworth, the Dub Pistols are a renowned British collective fusing dub, reggae, ska, hip-hop, and electronic music, and the party rockers will be headlining the Saturday.

“We’re super excited and have wanted to bring The Dub Pistols to Minety for around three years,” chief organiser Rich Swatton tells us, “and this time, the stars have finally aligned. If you know, you know, and if you don’t know… speak to someone who knows. You’re going to love this!”

The Bluetones first came to prominence in 1995, when their debut release โ€˜Are You Blue Or Are You Blind?โ€™ broke into the top 40. The single proved to be the launching pad for a run that saw 14 hit singles and 6 albums follow on from it. They headline Sunday.

The Bluetones, formed in Hounslow, are made up of brothers Mark & Scott Morriss, alongside Adam Devlin and Eds Chesters, enjoyed considerable UK and Ireland successes, extending out across into Europe and Japan, before taking a hiatus in 2011 that lasted for 4 years. Since then they have re-established themselves as one of the UKโ€™s most consistently entertaining live acts, regularly touring their extensive catalogue to their army of devoted fans.

2024 saw the release of the first new Bluetones material in 14 years; a renaissance that saw the four original band members take in the summer festivals, before a full UK tour in the autumn/winter of 2024.

The release of ‘London Weekend Television’ in 2025 saw them reaffirm themselves as indie-pop royalty, and 2026 sees the band celebrate the 30th anniversary of Platinum selling album โ€˜Expecting To Flyโ€™, famed for hit singles, such as โ€˜Bluetonicโ€™, โ€˜Slight Returnโ€™ and Cut Some Rugโ€™.

“We can’t wait to welcome them to Minety Music Festival, for the very first time,” Rich said, “you’re in for a real treat!”

Minety is near Malmesbury, Wiltshire, and is happening from 2nd-5th July 2026. Tickets only available from: www.minetyfestival.co.uk/buy-tickets

Devizes Acting Company to Debut New Show at Edinburgh Fringe 2026

A gameshow unlike any other is set to take local actors to the world stage. The Wharf Theatre is proud to present the debut of a brand-new show, “Whose Play is it Anyway?”

Set to enjoy a week-long run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 from August 17th to the 22nd, this innovative original production offers a fresh perspective on contemporary storytelling, using a gameshow format to explore a range of devised, scripted and improvised pieces, many created by the talented cast themselves. As part of the game, each performance order will be left to chance, creating a unique experience every time.

Join your host, Barry Ruffles and his glamorous assistant, Jenny Flannel as they present 18 pieces of theatre in 50 minutes; all you have to do is guess the genre, playwright or year to win a speedboat, cuddly toy or a holiday for two on the Isle of Fernando! 

Prior to the Fringe, the show will preview at the Wharf Theatre, Devizes, running from 29th to the 30th May, Bristolโ€™s Alma Tavern and the Shaftesbury Art Centre; giving West Country audiences an opportunity to experience the production ahead of its official festival run.

Whether youโ€™re a seasoned Fringe attendee or a first-time visitor, Whose Play Is It Anyway promises to entertain. The show will be performed at the SpaceUK, located at the heart of Edinburghโ€™s bustling festival district. Tickets are available from [Ticket Provider] and can be purchased online or at the venue box office.

Lou Cox, director of The Wharf Acting Company, who perform & devised this show, is also taking her solo show, Having a Baby and The Sh!t They Donโ€™t Tell You in Books, for a week at the Edinburgh Fringe. Inspired by the loss of her baby girl, Lou described the play as a โ€œcomedic and brutally honest one-woman show which gifts audiences an emotional, and at times highly entertaining, whirlwind of witty anecdotes and graphic storytelling, with an ending no mother could ever imagine.โ€ And this one too will be performed at The Wharf Theatre, also running from 29th to the 30th May, of which the previous run was reviewed by Helen, HERE.

Whose Play is it Anyway (18+)
Having a Baby and the Sh!t They Don’t Tell You in Books (18+)

Things to do in Devizes for Februaryโ€ฆ.

Yay! We made it to Feb, in one piece, just! I might even be persuaded to break out of hibernation. If youโ€™ve been hibernating too, maybe itโ€™s time to throw caution to the wind, poke your twitching snout from your cubbyhole and have a nose about. If you do, hereโ€™s some special recommendations of things to engage you, shake you up, and possibly warm you up for spring, but there will be much more on our ever-updating event calendar, so keep it on your browser, you lovely little hedgehogsโ€ฆ..

Get your shoes on, because as we speak, Sunday 1st, it’s the Jon Amor Trio monthly residency at the Southgate, with guest Gary Cain.

Monday 2nd has the regular Book Club from 7pm at The Pour House; great books, great chat, great people!

Tuesday 3rd has a Jigsaw Puzzle Swap at The Wharf, 10am to 12 noon, at The Kennet and Avon Canal Museum Function Room and Devizes Town Council Surgery at 6pm in The Town Hall.

Wednesday 4th and it’s Acoustic Jam night at The Southgate.

Thursday 5th, please note the Supporting Menโ€™s Mental Health group now meet in Sidmouth Street. Devizes Film Club is at The Wharf Theatre, presenting Limbo, a stirring drama, laced with deadpan humour, about Syrian refugees, stuck on a remote Scottish island while they await the results of their asylum claims.

Devizes Film Club – Limbo

Friday 6th sees The Glow Room at Sheep Street Baptist Church, Devizes and Mystery Tasting Experience  @ Hollychocs in Poulshot.

Saturday 7th Curious Kids can find some Bugs @ Wiltshire Museum, and The Museum also has a Behind the Scenes tour. The wonderful Matchbox Mutiny play The Three Crowns, and The Worried Men are at The Southgate, which is really something to see. Dave Carrett is at The Pelican Inn.

The Mayor’s Charity Ball is at The Corn Exchange, with a delicious three-course meal, dancing to live entertainment, raffle, and your formal photograph taken by a professional photographer to remember the evening, supporting three wonderful local charities: Devizes Opendoors, Devizes Foodbank, and the Devizes & District MS Society. Oh, and there’s a Bingo and Adult Cabaret in Potterne.

https://www.devizesvenues.co.uk/event/the-mayors-charity-ball-2026/embed/#?secret=ssQFbntEMy#?secret=WGn6E8HOcA

Sunday 8th, live music with Sammi Evans at the White Bear from 5pm, and over at the Southgate, same time, Jim Blair.

Wednesday 11th and it’s Acoustic Jam night at The Southgate.

Thursday 12th, Banner Making Workshop II at Devizes Town Hall; share your progress, get some advice and support or simply find out more about how you can get involved in the Devizes Banner. And Wind in The Willows Moleโ€™s Rocky Road opens at Great Cheverell Pavilion, which runs up till Saturday 14th.

Oooh, Friday 13th and everyone over the age of 55 can dance the day away at a Wiltshire Age UK Daytime Disco at the Devizes Corn Exchange, a fun, friendly afternoon filled with classic hits from the 50s, 60s, 70s & 80s, Or choc-out with The Rocher Experience at Hollychocs in Poulshot!

Find the wonderful voice of Kate at the Pelican, of whom I’ve likened to Alison Moyet in the past.

Wiltshire Age UK – Daytime Disco

Saturday 14th, find a Half Term Chocolate Experience for one adult & child or teenat Hollychocs in Poulshot. Menopause Cafe at The Pour House from 10.30am – coffee & chat about all things menopause.

Funked Up are getting, well, funked up for Valentines at The Three Crowns, and Doctor Doctor plays The Southgate. Del-Boy sings his heart out for a Valentines special at the Pelican. Aaron Garrett as seen on The Voice comes to Devizes Conservative Club for a night of Soul in Motion, and they’ll be Painting Get Together in Urchfont.

Sunday 15th finds Will Edmunds from 5pm at The Southgate.

Tuesday 17th and Potterne Pantomime opens Sleeping Beauty at Potterne Village Hall, which runs up to Saturday 21st.

Wednesday 18th and it’s Acoustic Jam night at The Southgate.

Thursday 19th sees another Supporting Menโ€™s Mental Health session in Sidmouth St, quiz night down The Pour House, from 7pm, and a new open mic night begins at The Pelican, see poster for details.

Seend Fawlty Playersโ€™ presents their 46th Village Pantomime โ€˜Cinderellaโ€™ which runs until the 21st Feb, likewise does a Winter Crossing A Ghost Story in Bratton.

Friday 20th and there’s The Glow Room at Sheep Street Baptist Church, a Charity Quiz Night at The Pelican Inn, and Rude Giant Brewery Showcase at The Pour House, Devizes; meet the team, hear the stories & taste the beer

The Wharf Theatre has Chicago – Teen Edition, a dazzling adaptation of the iconic Broadway musical tailored for teenage performers, which runs a matinee and evening performance on Saturday too.

Roll over Beethoven, because the greatest tribute to Jeff Lynneโ€™s Electric Light Orchestra is at Devizes Corn Exchange; Blue Sky Tour present ELO Encounter.

Oh, and please find the amazing Vince Bell at the Crown, Bishop’s Cannings.

https://www.wharftheatre.co.uk/show/chicago-teen-edition/embed/#?secret=9eLhVOXrR5#?secret=mr6FxPda2b
https://www.devizesvenues.co.uk/event/blue-sky-tour-present-elo-encounter/embed/#?secret=SQ0lmTCEbX#?secret=wAjIG3QY4w

Saturday 21st sees Sad Dad Club making their debut at The Three Crowns, should be good, Last Train Smokinโ€™ plays The Southgate and John E Wright is at the Pelican.

For the first time ever, Rick Wakeman will tour with his son, Oliver, in their brand-new WAKEMAN & SON show! Although the pair have shared the stage on special occasionsโ€”including the unforgettable Myths And Legends of King Arthur performance at Londonโ€™s O2โ€”they have never toured togetherโ€ฆ until now……

Sunday 22nd sees Rackem at The Three Crowns, the Wholesome Soul Trio at The Southgate from 5pm, and there’s one of those fabulous Wiltshire Blues & Soul Club nights in Lacock, a February Showcase Featuring The Junkyard Dogs.

Wednesday 25th and it’s Acoustic Jam night at The Southgate.

Thursday 26th sees a Charity Sale at St Maryโ€™s Church, which runs until the 28th. And Devizes Lions:ย Marie Curie Collectionย at Morrisons. Devizes Lions will be at Morrisons collecting for Marie Curie UK, proudly dressed in bright yellow flower tabards and hats! The Pour House Hookers at the Pour House, from 6.30pm; stitch, sip & socialise, learn new skills.

Friday 27th and there’s The Art of Chocolate with Hollyย @ Hollychocs in Poulshot, and White Horse Operaโ€™s Cosi Fan Tutteย visitsย Avebury Social Centre. Beer Bingo from 7pm at The Pour House; bingo unlike any other!

https://www.devizesvenues.co.uk/event/doca-presents-devizes-festival-of-winter-ales-2026/embed/#?secret=5TRBJOjGQD#?secret=gdgBxXhnKf

Saturday 28th and what a finale to the month; DOCA’s Devizes Festival of Winter Ales is at the C0rn Exchange. In collaboration with The Pourhouse, The Southgate Inn and Stealth Brewery, expect a huge selection of wintery ales, craft beer and ciders from the countryโ€™s best independent breweries.  DOCA adds great music and cabaret into the mix, with โ€˜A Call from Tomorrowโ€™, โ€˜Wholesome Trioโ€™ and โ€˜Talk in Codeโ€™ already confirmed.  With a quieter session in the afternoon and something a little more upbeat in the evening, you can choose either a relaxed or more lively experience. 

Festival of Winter Ales is a key fundraising event, supporting DOCAโ€™s free programme of events. Come along and support us, snap up a fantastic raffle prize and have some quality time with friends. 

The event will run in two sessions across the day: Early (11am-5pm) and Late (5:30-11pm), with a tasty selection of hot pies and savouries provided by local suppliers. Physical tickets available to purchase at Devizes Books. 

Also, about town find a Sustainable Devizes Seed Swap at St Andrewโ€™s Church, The Sylvertones are at The Three Crowns, there’s a Devizes Scooter Club Preseason Party at Devizes Town FC, Jambon Chapeau play the Pelican, and an Official Most Haunted Investigation is to be found at the Town Hall.

https://www.devizesvenues.co.uk/event/official-most-haunted-investigation/embed/#?secret=YjIFNLUnrS#?secret=RLl5HjEipy

And that’s all we’ve found for February in Devizes, so far. But updates will happen on our event calendar, so keep your best eye on that. And if you’re not in Devizes, our event calendar covers all Wiltshire from Bath to Marlborough and Swindon to Salisbury, so check in with us too, but I’m sorry I can’t do all this for every town; Don’t cha wish your gig guide was hot like ours? Don’t cha wish your gig guide was a freak like ours?! Don’t cha? Don’t cha?!

Doctor Faustus Sells His Soulโ€ฆ. in Devizes!

Featured Image:@jenimeadephotography

Just another rainy Saturday afternoon in Devizes, whereby I watched a profound fellow dramatically sacrifice himself to the devil, then popped to Morrisons for a Toblerone! The supermarket felt insignificant and plastic after the epic conclusion of Doctor Faustus at the Wharf Theatre, which opens on Monday 26th and runs until Saturday 31st Januaryโ€ฆ..

Treated to the final dress rehearsal, as our regular theatrical scribe Ian Diddams is stuffing a bucketload of Rice Krispies in this one, of which one couldnโ€™t fail to notice! Marvellous as it is to pay Devizesโ€™ one and only cosy theatre a visit, it leaves me in the dilemma that Iโ€™ve not the extensive theatre knowledge which Ian has, therefore, you have to make do with me simply saying what I like, or donโ€™t.

Image @jenimeadephotography

In this case itโ€™s the former. My mind is, with its lack of education for classic theatre, still contemplating exactly how fantastic director Liz Seabourne and her team has presented this astounding play, and the more it boggles the greater the levels of fantastic I unearth, converting me to thespian; hand me some white tights! Even though the character Dr Faustus is damned, this is another damn fine production from our wonderful theatre, rich in lighting effects, amazing costumes and makeup, and a sublime original soundtrack from our master of electronica, Moray McDonald.

Image @jenimeadephotography

Born Catholic, English sixteenth century playwright Christopher โ€œKitโ€ Marlowe, of whom scholars suggest greatly influenced Shakespeare, was reputed to be an atheist and thereโ€™s a lot in the content of Dr Faustus which implies this. Whilst it doesnโ€™t criticise religion outright in the modern sense, it certainly lampoons it, with the Pope getting a kick up the backside, for example.

Dr John Faustus condemns the academics of the science and philosophy of his era and justifies turning his hand to the dark arts, but religion he cannot escape from. Played with certain perfection by Pete Wallis, Faustus is tricky to relate to, a Renaissance egotistical Germanic tyrant, characteristics usually reserved for an antagonist; I wondered if Trump might identify with him better than I. Yet, there’s something humble about his yearning, in his curious nature for the unorthodox, to fulfil a quest of celebrity status, like a sixteenth century Vanilla Ice. Still, I couldnโ€™t help feeling the ponce made his bedโ€ฆ.  

Image @jenimeadephotography

Bit dodgy, he summons a human-despising conceited demon, Mephistopheles, played with absolute magnificence by Charlotte Howard. Mephistopheles acts as a kind of Cruella de Vil agent to the devil, who encourages Faustus to sign a contract with his blood; his soul for unlimited magic, which he treks the known world with, entertaining Kings and Emperors like Paul Daniels discovered voodoo. Though Mephistopheles is no Debbie McGee. Without too many spoilers, it doesn’t end well for Faustus, who learns thereโ€™s only one way out, once his twenty-four year contract with the devil expires, and itโ€™s not a gold watch.ย 

Image @jenimeadephotography

If this Elizabethan forbidden thrill-seeker, overloaded with as many theatrical tricks as devils and demons, sounds seriously dark and gothic, it certainly is, but not without hilariously timeless comedy, brilliantly diluting the tragedy. Thereโ€™s occasions when itโ€™s virtually pantomime, when the devil, played with radiant vaudeville evilness by Oli Beech, a far cry from the panto dameโ€™s sidekick at Christmas, personifies the seven deadly sins as a circus cabaret to tempt the Doc, and upon the thievery of one of Faustusโ€™ spell books by two commoners, played side-splittingly like stereotypical moonrakers by Jessica Phillips and Ian Diddams. It is these elements which brings the archaic seriousness down a peg and makes this play equally suitable for those, like me, not so clued up on classic plays.

Image: Mij Hazel

As the many earthbound or spiritual side-characters come and go with pace, the thirteen strong performers cover various parts, and those unmentioned so far, Chris Smith, Alison Andre, Emma Comfort, Cathay Chappell, Julie Baker, Paul Snook, Sam Burrows and Amy Chappelle also require the highest of praise; there is so much work put into this, the mind, as I stated earlier, is still boggling. It entertained me, and I strongly suspect it will be some significant time before my mind stops boggling about it, way past the lifespan of the Toblerone!    

Bag yourself some tickets for this HERE, unless you’re a demon!

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Early Bird Tickets go on Sale for Park Farm Music Festival in Devizes

If Devizes Scooter Rally has already established its base at Whistley Roadโ€™s Park Farm and Full-Tone are moving to these new pastures, last year the site saw a superb inaugural festival of its own making, Park Farm Music Festival, with the expert knowledge of the good folk who brought us Mantonfest. Itโ€™s happening again this year and looks set to be even better than last year; I kid you not! Early bird tickets went on sale today, and the lineup has been revealed; letโ€™s poke our noses in and pretend summer is on its way, shall we?!

Starter for ten, Mantonfest is a longstanding cherished gem on Marlborough’s event calendar, a family friendly festival which has stood the test of time, and folk return annually like itโ€™s a pilgrimage; you can rest assured youโ€™re in good hands. I hailed Mantonfest as โ€œthe friendliest festival youโ€™re ever likely to attend.โ€ย 

While Park Farm Music Festival may yet have to establish itself to the same level of excellence, last yearโ€™s first time was an absolute blinder, bringing a taste of Mantonfest to Devizes and leaving folk hanging on the hope this would become a regular extravaganza.

This year the stage is set again for Mantonfestโ€™s house band, the awesome groovy vintage blues boys, Barrelhouse, but in essence the organisers are keen not to present something completely Marlborough; weโ€™re in Devizes now, mucker, if weโ€™re going to have blues we NEED Jon Amor to come along too! And theyโ€™ve answered this call, The Jon Amor Trio need no introduction to Devizes; Iโ€™m glad to see their name on the lineup, Iโ€™m certain all of the town will be too.

Onto the headliners, yes, it is tribute act top heavy, which works a treat for Mantonfest. In this you should note, the organisers do not skip on quality when it comes to tributes, all are tried and tested. Iโ€™ve bore witness to most of them, and will bet my pet budgerigarโ€™s life that youโ€™re in for a wonderful day. Last year there was an emphasis on hard rock, with astounding AC/DC and Nirvana tributes, while this year looks to have more universal appeal. 

If Queen tributes are two to a penny, despite being a tricky act to replicate, and some Iโ€™ve seen were great, One Vision played Mantonfest two years ago, and, just, wow, Iโ€™ve never seen it done with such quality, attention to detail and finesse as this one. I could definitely call this the best Queen tribute Iโ€™ve seen, perhaps in my top five of all the tributes Iโ€™ve seen.

Inferno, an Abba tribute Iโ€™ve not seen before, but itโ€™s Abba, what could possibly go wrong? As I said, the organisers take no compromise when it comes to booking only the very best tributes, so, dancing queens, have no concern. The next two I have seen, Madness and Bad Manners tribute, Badness, and Slyde, as you might’ve guessed, a tribute to Slade, are both brilliant, for precisely similar reasons.

Slyde played a Christmas do at Marlborough College Memorial Hall, where support Barrelhouse were on fire, and Sylde polished off the evening with a plethora of, not only Slade hits but just about every seventies singalong pop hit I could imagine, with the sprinkling of glam only Noddy Holder couldโ€™ve brought to each classic. And it was Christmas, so he aptly called it, and yes, it was something to behold. If One Vision is on my top five, Slyde must also be.

Now, Badness, ironic name, thereโ€™s nothing bad about the performance, but only, perhaps in the way they will totally and utterly rule the audience with a spellbinding show of their own. They do not attempt to mimic Madness, like Slyde they offer a repertoire of classic hits from the era their homage was in their prime, only this time itโ€™s obviously Two-Tone ska and new wave, and you will be skanking. Furthermore, youโ€™ll be under no illusion Badness are attempting to precisely mimic Madness, they only pay homage to them, and are uniquely themselves, add their own spin to it, particularly with the most hilarious stage banter youโ€™re ever likely to witness.

Has that tempted you? Because Iโ€™m getting excited just typing this recommendation! Theyโ€™ll have a big outdoor stage, brilliant sound and lighting, plenty of room to dance, lots of trade stalls, a range of food and drink outlets and showers for those camping. Theyโ€™ll be running a FREE shuttle bus to and from the The Bear Hotel hourly, gazebos and picnics are welcome, so too are campervans, caravans, and tents.

Early bird tickets are up for grabs: Adults – ยฃ30. Youth (Age 13-17) – ยฃ20. Child (Age 7-12) – ยฃ10. Under 7’s – Free. Campervans/Caravans – ยฃ30. Camping – ยฃ20. Itโ€™s on Saturday 18th July. Book HERE.

Swindonโ€™s finest Chicago and Texas blues covers band Last Train Smokinโ€™ are also on the fantastic roster, along with rock covers band Strange Horizons. Is it summer yet?!

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2025 on Devizine; Review of the Year; Part 1, Jan-June

If past years seem to be racing by me on roller-skates, now theyโ€™re in Formula 1 cars! 2025, in a word, was โ€œaverage,โ€ though the Devizine annual stats fell for a second year, at 6% lower than 2024; you lot still here?!

Iโ€™m not concerned about that, you filthy traitors; youโ€™ve been digesting the clickbait of that Gazelle & Herod again, havenโ€™t you?!! Ah, truth is I have been staying home, hibernating a lot like a lightweight couch potato; probably an age thing, most likely a financial thing too; weโ€™ve got hyperinflation to make Robert Mugabe envious. But we keep a stiff upper lip as the world plummets into chaos, our little corner of it remains a pretty nice place to live (if a bit Tory,) where you can block pavements with hoarding or nick a cardboard sheep from a church and get away with it. None of which we are here to highlight, we focus on the best bits, and slag off the worst with a sprinkling of satire; if you donโ€™t like it, you know where to go!

Hits took a hit because I bit my tongue on many local political or social issues this year, to concentrate more on arts and entertainment, but folk love a good shit stir rather than being told about some talented locals doing good. Plus, Iโ€™m sick to the back teeth with any dependence on Facebook shares, itโ€™s become a toxic playground for so-called adults and AI bots pretending to be human to boost propaganda. I think Iโ€™m going to be one of those smiling insanely old men, content to feed the ducks in the park, rather than ranting at anyone younger than me within range, but Iโ€™ve the right to change my mind on this! 

They also took a hit because Iโ€™ve been actively engaged in two fantastic major events, RowdeFest and The Wiltshire Music Awards. The latter in particular used up much of my time, but hey, I think they were worth it. The Awards really brought together a wealth of people involved in the Wiltshire music scene, caused me to wear a suit, and we hope to build on this with future years.

The other contributing factor to the downfall of hits to the website might have been me writing a new book, something I rarely get the time for, but was certain I wanted it published by Christmas. I made that deadline and Murder at the Scribbling Horse is officially out; you read it yet? No, didn’t think so!

But lots more happened in 2025, and those we featured are briefed below; we couldโ€™ve done more but I think we put out a lot of content; you have to give me some time to play pointless block puzzle games on my phone. Thank you to all our contributors, Ian, Andy, Lois and the few guest writers who have submitted this year. We always need more writers to make this as comprehensive as possible; it is about as flexible as it can possibly be, you can be a fruitcake, we donโ€™t mind, so do get in touch if you can help.

Please continue to support us, we thank you all for your dedication to Devizine; hereโ€™s to 2026; try best to avoid the fascist division, millionaires triggered by being disallowed to rip wild animals to death, the US or Russian bombs heading our way, the complete disregard for funding environmental projects while they spend billions fighting for the last scraps of oil, any world leader kidnapping, painting roundabouts, and the usage of anti-terror laws to arrest pensioners peacefully campaigning against genocide.

Just follow us instead, enjoying a pint in a pub and listening to live music, played by real people, focus on youth projects rather than fables of hooliganism, focus on talented individuals doing good rather than bitter clickbait and national headlines, and be here, in the warm and truth, with Devizine; we tell it like it is, and donโ€™t purvey bullshit!              

January

Just as this year starts with a review of the last, so did 2025, but not before I took a visit to the Swindon Story Shed. Forestry England invited dog walkers to Nightingale Wood, apparently to celebrate Walk Your Dog Month; surely every month is walk your dog month?! The second feature film for director Keith Wilhelm Kopp and writer Laurence Guy, First Christmas entered development. We covered how My Dadโ€™s Bigger Than Your Dad Festival raised ยฃ11,500 for Prospect Hospice, and thereโ€™s moreโ€ฆ. 

Jamsters began at Devizes Southgate, an initiative to provide a Friday night platform for loose groupings and associations created at their regular jam sessions each Wednesday. We announced The Beat were to headline Devizes Scooter Rally, that Nick Hodgson formerly of the Kaiser Chiefsโ€™ new band, Everyone Says Hi had an instore at Marlboroughโ€™s Sound Knowledge, and we unfortunately said goodbye to the now disbanded People Like Us; sorely missed.

The original line up of People Like Us

We had new singles from Nothing Rhymes With Orange, a new album from Illingworth, and fuller sessions from Kaya Street. Andy reviewed the first Devizes International Blues Festival, Ian covered Jerusalem at the Mission Theatre, and Veronicaโ€™s Room at The Wharf Theatre.

We previewed OakFest at the Royal Oak in Pewsey, La Belle Hรฉlรจne, White Horse Operaโ€™s Debut at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes Musical Theatreโ€™s Beauty & The Beast, Henge at The Cheese & Grain, and Bradford-on-Avon Green Man Festival which unfortunately this year is in jeopardy, and we welcomed Caffe Vialottie to Devizes, our most popular article of the year.

Februaryย 

It may be topical now, but weโ€™ve always been supporting the hunting ban, and in February reported how Beaufort Hunters attacked Wiltshire Hunt Sabsโ€™ drone. We sadly confirmed Devizes Street Festival was cancelled for the second year in a row, and The Emporium in Devizes was to close, but Devizes would get a new youth centre.

Previews included, Marlborough School of Languagesโ€™ Summer Fiesta, Jazz Sabbath at the Corn Exchange. We announced The Brand New Heavies were to headline Minety, tickets for DOCAโ€™s Winter Ales were running out, and that I was to organise the music for Rowdefest in May, probably my favourite memory of 2025.

We featured Melkshamโ€™s teen band Between the Lines, reviewed JP Oldfieldโ€™s debut EP Bouffon, Jamie Hawkinsโ€™ short film Teeth, and new singles from I See Orange and Sam Bishop. Swinterfest broke me out of my hibernation, and I also got out to see the fantastic Static Moves at the Three Crowns, plus Cephidโ€™s Sparks in the Darkness at The Rondo, which was mindblowing!

March

We announced that Devizes auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son were relocating to the Old Emporium, Soupchick was to take over The Hillworth Park Cafe, that after the fire in Northgate Street Devizes Kebab Van successfully relocated to Folly  Road, that Devizes was to have a new festival, Park Farm Festival, and of course the very first Wiltshire Music Awards.

We featured the Belladonna Treatment, had a wonderful local reflection on the Trump & Zelenskiy meeting from a Ukrainian living in Wiltshire, and it was one of my all-time favourite interviews with eighties legend Owen Paul ahead of a Devizes gig.

We reviewed The Killer & The Catalyst, Devizes author Dave McKennaโ€™s novelette, Geckoโ€™s new album, and singles by Chloe Hepburn and George Wilding. 

Previewed Devizes Arts Festival, Exchange Comedy in Devizes, Swindon Palestine Solidarityโ€™s Charity Iftar, CUDSโ€™ Devizes Town Litter Pick for GB Spring Clean, and Hells Bells AC/DC tribute coming to Devizes! We listed the results of Salisbury Music Awards.

I managed to make it out to see The Devilโ€™s Doorbell and JP Oldfield at the Cellar Bar, Ruby Darbyshire at the Southgate, and Cracked Machine with Tom Harris in support, too. Ian gave us Blood Brothers at The Mission Theatre and Flatpack at The Rondo, and Pip Aldridge reviewed our Fulltone Orchestra at Tewkesbury Abbey.

I ranted on the state of the roads, and for fun ran a Take Our Wiltshire Pothole or Moon Crater Quiz Challenge!!

April

Ah, All Fools Day, a golden opportunity for us, in which last year we told the fib that funk godfather George Clinton was exiled to the Wiltshire village of Urchfont, created funk music there and it was covered up by their parish council! You might assume it was hardly viable, but some fell for it, and messaged in their outraged reports of โ€œfake news!โ€ 

We looked into DOCAโ€™s new youth initiative Yea Devizes, and while we published our usual extensive list of Easter holiday activities, we also previewed DOCAโ€™s Junk Street drumming workshop.

I visited The Hillworth Park Cafe, where Soupchick took over, hailed Devizes DJ Greg Spencer, the creator of Palooza house nights, who made the prestigious bill of Fatboy Slimโ€™s All Back to Minehead festival, and reviewed the now sadly defunct No Alarms No Devizes playing at the Three Crowns. Discovered Fran Daisy at Swindonโ€™s Plough, and Henge at the Cheese & Grain was a high contender for my gig of the year; out of this world!

We had a guest review from Melissa Loveday on Devizes Music Academyโ€™s Something About Jamie, which though Iโ€™m sorry to have missed, I did catch them playing it out at FullTone Festival in the summer. I did attend Devizes Musical Theatreโ€™s Beauty & the Beast at Dauntseyโ€™s School and the opening of Un/Common People, Folk Culture in Wessex, a fascinating exhibition at Wiltshire Museum.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Reviewed Hannah Rose Plattโ€™s album Fragile Creatures, probably the best album we covered last year. The website for Wiltshire Music Awards went live and people held on to cast their votes in May. 

We exposed Reform candidate Calne Violette Simpson for her Facebook profile picture showing her hunting antelope in South Africa, and Devizes South Conservative candidate Sarah Batchelor, who committed election fraud, up and left with her tail between her legs and almost running Bishops Canningโ€™s Crown into the ground. Thankfully it seems the new owners are turning it around and recreating the village hub it once was. 

May

I was honoured and delighted to organise the music for our village fete, which has in the last few years been run by a lovely independent committee, safe from a questionable parish council. It was a wonderful sunny day and the highlight of my year. I called in some favours and presented an amazing lineup for a free fete, featuring, in order of appearance, The Jubilee Morris Dancers, Andrew Hurst who brought bassist Lucianne Worthy with him, Talk in Code, The Sarah C Ryan Band, Thieves, and Burn The Midnight Oil. Being it was the last day of the month, I didnโ€™t write about it until June.

I paid a Sunday afternoon visit to Devizes amazing record shop Vinyl Realm, when Deadlight Dance were attacked by wasps and still managed an amazing unplugged acoustic set. Ben Niamor reviewed Jake Martin at Swindonโ€™s Castle with SOP, and Ian gave us his views on Sweeney Todd at St. Augustineโ€™s Catholic College in Trowbridge, and the Diary of Anne Frank at The Wharf Theatre in Devizes, which was so good I had to go myself. Lois covered newcomers Kingston Mediaโ€™s Bands at the Bridge in Horton.

I previewed the Bradford-on-Avon Live Music Festival, despite it clashing with our Rowdefest! Also, Ruby Darbyshire who performed at Silverwood Schoolโ€™s open evening. Andy provided a preview of Chippenham Folk Festival, and Lois provided us with previews of Australian Folk singer Ernest Aines at Swindonโ€™s Deanery Theatre and David Olusoga at the Cheese & Grain.

Announced the opening of voting for Wiltshire Music Awards, that Devizes-based The Big Sound Choir was to perform with Aled Jones at St Georgeโ€™s in Bristol, and that Bird is The Word were taking over music organisation at Bradford-on-Avonโ€™s Boathouse.

We featured how Lucas Hardy was collaborating with Rosie Jay, and Fromeโ€™s James Hollingsworth, who was bringing his solo recreation of Pink Floydโ€™s Wish You Were Here album to the Devizes Southgate and elsewhere, and reviewed his album with Griffiths, Lost in the Winds of Time.   

I reviewed Clock Radioโ€™s album Turfing out the Maniacs, Ruzz Guitarโ€™s Between Two Worlds album, Playing Solitaire; Phil Cooperโ€™s first solo album for five years, Thievesโ€™ debut EP, a new single from George Wilding, and one from Auralcandy featuring vocals from Sienna Wileman. A feature of a Melksham marketing expert launching AI training courses was met with controversy, yeah, I get that!

June

If we were all busy with the Devizes Arts Festival, we were previwing summer events like a new festival for Devizes, Park Farm, clashing with an amazing day at the Three Crowns for an air ambulance fundraiser, and I finalyy got over my hangover and ego, and gave coverage of Rowdefest; highlight of my year!ย 

Andy reviewed White Horse Operaโ€™s Cosi Fan Tutte and The Lost Trades at the Piggybank, Ian did The Mikado at the Mission, The Taming of the Shrew at the Rondo, and of course we all did our bit for the Devizes Arts Festival. Andy also covered an extensive weekend when The Lions were on the Green in Devizes, we had Crammer Watch Day too, and Devizes Arts Festival did a fringe gig at the British Lion; summer lovinโ€™. The highlight of this had to be Whereโ€™s the Cat, the Wharf Theatreโ€™s writing groupโ€™s hilarious reenactment of the Moonrakers fable at the Crammer, which I felt obliged to cover too. 

Eddie and I were guests on Peggy-Sueโ€™s Donโ€™t Stop the Music show on Swindon 105.5, chatting about the awards. We met Henry the chocolate duck raising funds for cystic fibrosis at HollyChocs, previewed Supergrass headlining Frome Festival, a genderqueered Shakespearean performance at Bathโ€™s Rondo, and Swindon Palestine Solidarity events. Lois did Idles at Bristolโ€™s Block Party. 

I reviewed The Hotcakes of Wildfireโ€™s album Shoes & Acid, ranted on vocal minorities triggered by events of cultural diversity, and did a No Surprises column promising to return the feature, but promises are made to be broken! Thereโ€™s simply too much to whinge about, and for my health, I need to see the glass half-full.

Bands at The Bridge

Thatโ€™s all for now, folks. Do not fear, itโ€™s still summer in our minds, and weโ€™ll kick off in July for the second part. I know, our goldfish attention spans cannot take in a whole year in one article, what with so much brilliant stuff which happened over the year, so come back when Iโ€™ve officially emptied the Quality Street tin and completed the last half of this review of 2025; but I must say, I think the first half was better!!

Wiltshire Music Centre Unveils Star-Studded New Season

Wiltshire Music Centre Unveils Star-Studded New Season with BBC Big Band, Ute Lemper, Sir Willard White and comedians Chris Addison and Alistair McGowan revealing their classical music talents…..

Wiltshire Music Centre announces new Spring season with some extraordinary listening experiences on offer in the new year. Wiltshire Music Centre is a unique and contemporary 300-seated concert hall in Bradford on Avon.ย  In the heart of rural Wiltshire, the venue’s built an enviable reputation over the years as a professional concert hall of exceptional quality, rooted in community participation and involvement.ย The Centre also provides a permanent home for local orchestras, choirs and music groups, and works extensively with young people locally through a vibrant and varied Creative Learning Programme in Wiltshire and beyond.

Since first opening in 1997, Wiltshire Music Centre has been a musical hub, bringing the best in live performances to the area as well as providing a home for local orchestras, choirs and music groups. Recently appointed Executive Director, Sarah Robertson and Artistic Director, Daniel Clark have a renewed commitment to creating a space for people to gather and connect through a shared love of music โ€“ a space to celebrate the past, present and future of music-making and to nurture a spirit of musical curiosity.

Audiences can look forward to an exceptional lineup of artists, including first-ever WMC appearances by leading pianist Angela Hewitt (30 Jan 2026), opera virtuoso Sir Willard White performing with WMC favourites The Brodsky Quartet (20 Mar 2026), BBC Big Band (17 Apr 2026) showcasing the musical genius of George Gershwin, international cabaret star Ute Lemper (8 Mar 2026), blues legend Eric Bibb (27 Mar 2026) touring his new album, and a WMC debut by the Neil Cowley Trio (11 Apr 2026) who bring their inventive show inspired by Baroque genius, J.S Bach, to the Centre.  Meanwhile, Jamie Woon (8 Apr 2026), British R & B and electronica singer/producer returns to the stage after a 10-year break.

Classical and jazz season highlights include โ€œtrumpeter extraordinaireโ€ (BBC Music Magazine) Matilda Lloyd performing with the Goldmund Quartet (7 Feb 2026); Nikki Iles and Claire Martinโ€™s new project IG4 (7 Mar 2026); evocative choral works from The Gesualdo Six (28 Mar 2026); stunning vocals from the Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble VOCES8 (26 Apr 2026); and exciting new jazz sounds from Jazz FM Instrumentalist of the Year Mark Kavuma (28 Mar 2026) and London-based saxophonist Camilla George (22 May 2026), whose music blends Afrofuturism, hip-hop, and jazz.

For blues, folk, and roots fans, thereโ€™s a packed programme of must-see gigs featuring both established and emerging favourites, including the powerful fatherโ€“daughter duo Martin and Eliza Carthy (3 Apr 2026), much-loved folk singer Cara Dillon (8 May 2026), Jon Bodenโ€™s project The Remnant Kings (15 May 2026), and Josienne Clarkeโ€™s homage to Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention (6 Mar 2026).

Families can look forward to a musical retelling of Benji Daviesโ€™s childrenโ€™s book The Storm Whale with Music in the Round (14 Feb 2026), and the film classic Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers on the big screen with live music performed by WMCโ€™s flagship West of England Youth Orchestra (10 Apr 2026).

The eclectic programming extends beyond the music alone. Former Royal Harpist Catrin Finch (15 Mar 2026) comes to the Centre with Notes to Self, an evening of music and conservation, while master impressionist Alistair McGowan (12 Apr 2026) and sharp-witted comedian Chris Addison (14 Feb 2026) bring comedy and music with their respective shows. There will also be a series of monthly screenings with the newly launched Adventurers Film Club, featuring Becoming Led Zeppelin (28 Jan 2026), Set the Piano Stool on Fire (25 Feb 2026) โ€” the acclaimed documentary about legendary pianist Alfred Brendel and his protรฉgรฉ Kit Armstrongโ€”and more.

Introducing the new season, Daniel Clark says โ€œHere youโ€™ll find a wide-ranging series of concerts from some of the most exciting voices of the past, present and future of music. From great legends of music-making to rising stars, weโ€™re committed to bringing the best music we can to our special venue, and hope youโ€™ll find something that will transport, inspire and delight you.โ€

Highlights:

Angela Hewitt: one of the worldโ€™s greatest living interpreters of Bachโ€™s music and recipient of the City of Leipzig Bach Medal in 2020 will make her WMC debut. (30 Jan 2026)

Angela Hewitt London 2016

Chris Addisonโ€™s Incomplete Guide to Chamber Music: Chris Addison brings to life the rich, vibrant โ€“ and sometimes bizarre โ€“ history of classical chamber music. A musical journey from baroque courts and European revolutions to todayโ€™s contemporary composers with some of the UKโ€™s finest musicians and Chrisโ€™ brilliant and original facts and insight. (14 Feb 2026)

Eric Bibb: Three-time Grammy nominee and blues legend with a career spanning over five decades tours brand new album, One Mississippi blending blues, folk, soul, and Americana. (27 Mar 2026)

Ute Lemper: International cabaret star brings her show telling the story of Hollywood legend Marlene Dietrich through songs and stories: from the Berlin Cabaret years to her Burt Bacharach collaborations. (8 Mar 2026)

Lau Noah: Beautiful, innovative and evocative vocal and guitar harmonies from self-taught Catalan composer and songwriter who has supported Chris Thile, Ben Folds and Jacob Collier on tour over the past two years. (3 May 2026)

Tickets are now on sale: wiltshiremusic.org.uk/

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Rowdefest 26 Lineup Reveal!

Drizzly Sundayโ€ฆagain. Iโ€™ve just finished designing the poster, so allow me to reveal the lineup for Rowdefest this coming May, might cheer us up aโ€ฆ

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Walking at the Devizes Winter Wonderful Festival

Ohโ€ฆa slice of onion from my bratwurst plopped into my mulled wine; where does one go to complain about this?! Other than that, Devizes Town Council and DOCA’s Winter Festival was the best one for many years, officially opening yuletide in Devizesโ€ฆ..

Over time the simple premise of switching the Christmas tree lights on has become a large-scale event which differs in traditions from town to town, possibly competitive even. Some here envy the Sham’s monstrosity of an electronic tree sculpture, others favour our real tree. Wotton Bassett hosts great lively rock bands, like Barrelhouse this year. But while I love those guys, nothing says Christmas to me more than Devizes Town Band brassing off the seasonal Shakin Stevens classic. And, face it, Trowbridgeโ€™s lantern parade was an idea they nicked from us, which we may/may not have pinched from Chinese New Year, but who’s splitting hairs?!

In the modern era I’ve no experience of other town’s shenanigans in which to compare Devizesโ€™ efforts with. I just know and am more than content with the spectacular show we stage here. A massive well done and thanks to all involved, it was a magnificent occasion, much better than last and other previous years.

To start at the end, fireworks were welcomed back after last year’s dubious light show replacement. Despite them being dubbed โ€œsilent fireworksโ€ the effect was near equally impressive. Perhaps Fantasy Radio blasting out the decibels made up for the lack of explosions, and everyone’s dogs could join in the fun. I thought the radio couldโ€™ve been turned down a notch, during intervals of the Devizes Town Band playing, to enhance them when they did, but thereโ€™s no telling radio DJs!

And as for light shows, St John’s looked absolutely magnificent. It’s one thing to project images onto a wall, it’s another to use it to compliment a 900 year old beautiful church, where children and PTAs usually just collect their lanterns and wait in relative darkness!

The Market Place was also transformed into a visual feast, a bustling market with plenty of food and drink options. Devizes Town Band proudly showcased on a grand stage was a new great idea, and excited faces of all ages gathered to watch the lantern parade. It is a wonderful, popular family occasion, this year being one of the very best.

The town came out to play. Folk gathered at the end of the lantern parade by The Corn Exchange, though, were unfenced and naturally pushed forward so Santa’s sleigh on a trailer was forced to stop there and let the lantern bearers pass behind it, rather than park sensibly by the stage. This was the only technical error, as their view of the lanterns were now obscured by Father Christmas and the Mayor offloading with a stepladder! But Devizes is Devizes, and we retain our astute sense of humour regardless. As Santa dismounted and the lanterns passed behind, folk shouted in jest, โ€œget out of the way Santa!โ€ โ€œYou can’t park there!โ€ and โ€œit’s not all about you!!โ€

And from the basic children’s lanterns to the regular spaceman, chickens and even the odd Minecraft Ghast, the parade swept through the Market Place gloriously, and we cheered Father Christmas as we counted down the moment the tree lights would glitter and Christmas in Devizes begins for another year.

But it’s not just about wandering through the stalls, deciding what food and drink to treat yourself to and perhaps buying fudge, or auntie a jar of chilli jam, because while you did, entertaining street theatre and glittery ladies on stilts (who I failed to pick up the phone numbers of) bustled through.

The best had to be those giant stockings moving around and charming the kids with puppet bears chatting; that was a stroke of genius. I know if I was five and saw that I’d probably have wet myself with excitement, but now I’m fifty-somethingโ€ฆwell, best check for a wet patch just to be certain!! No, that was a mulled wine spillage as a piece of onion plopped into it; thought I’d told you that?!

I did bump into Santa though who was off-duty and, at the time, mysteriously carrying a stepladder. Being as I’ve been good-ish all year, I acted like I’d met Mick Jagger and posed for a photo with him; a quality occurrence which made my night!

But it wasn’t any one element of the event which made it, it was the colossal show they staged, all the elements so well coordinated and coming together in unity which caused this to be so magical. The expressions of joy on children and drunkโ€™s faces was priceless and from the maker’s market to the teacup rides, everyone seemed to be having fun, even the weather was agreeable!

If I was triggered in the week by Facebook whingers witch-hunting DOCA, the newspaper reporting it, or anyone else they could blame, (like, bizarrely, Americans) for their own agitations at the name of this event, for not, apparently, being religious enough, and I said I hope they donโ€™t come if they were only to wine-hole, Iโ€™ve changed my mind. I wish they did come now. Theyโ€™d have seen for themselves the evening had plenty of Christmas spirit and Christmassy elements to it, whilst embracing many other aspects of winter too, and nobody really gave thought or the slightest botheration to its name, they just wanted to enjoy the moment. And they did.

The work that went into this by all involved, mostly volunteers, was absolutely incredible, and I hope it will pave the way for a new chapter in the work of DOCA, of which Devizes should be grateful and proud.

So, until next year weโ€™ll be rockin’ around the Christmas tree, letting the Christmas spirit ring, having pumpkin pie, later, and possibly doing some caroling; if thatโ€™s still not Christmassy enough for disgruntled keyboard warriors next year Iโ€™ll dress up as the Archangel Gabriel, if they so wish, so they can winch me up and suspend me across the Market Place where everyone below will see my Grinch boxersโ€ฆ.donโ€™t tempt me!!

Available from Devizes Books!

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Agricultural Appropriation with Monkey Bizzle

There’s no sophomore slump for Monkey Bizzle; prolific in their art, these rural chav-choppers return with a second album, Agricultural Appropriation, only five yearsโ€ฆ

Doctor Faustus Sells His Soulโ€ฆ. in Devizes!

Featured Image:@jenimeadephotography Just another rainy Saturday afternoon in Devizes, whereby I watched a profound fellow dramatically sacrifice himself to the devil, then popped toโ€ฆ

Chandra Finds Heaven on Earth

Usually I just write what I think, but if I had a point-scoring system this new single from Bristol-based indie-pop outfit Chandra would tickโ€ฆ

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Devizes Winter Festival This Friday and More!

Whoโ€™s ready for walking in the winter wonderland?! Devizes sets to magically transform into a winter wonderland this Friday when The Winter Festival and Lantern Parade opens in the Market Place; excited?! Well, I say magically, it actually takes a lot of hard work to put on; thank you to DOCA and all the volunteers. A spokesperson for DOCA was confident things were all good last week, and was only worried about the weather forecastโ€ฆ..

At present my thoroughly unreliable weather app suggests a 43% chance of rain, but keep your glass of mulled wine half full at least, thatโ€™s considerably less than 50%, and going on current climate, the rain is sporadic and light. DOCA promises the festival to be โ€œour most enchanting yet, with a full day and evening of festivities, creative workshops, stunning street performances, and a mesmerizing lantern parade.โ€ Looking into it with a bit more detail and including everything else going on might yet put me on the good list!

The grand finale, the Lantern Parade & Fireworks details firstly. Father Christmas will be making a special appearance at St. Johnโ€™s Churchyard from 5:30pm to 6:10pm. At 6pm the parade gathers at St. Johnโ€™s Church Gate. 6:15pm the parade starts, winding through the town centre. 7pm is the Light Switch-On at The Market Place. 7:05pm there will be silent fireworks, best viewed from The Market Place; Iโ€™ve not seen silent fireworks before, certainly not heard them!

As is tradition, Devizes Town Band will entertain while the Market Place will be alive with market stalls, tasty tucker and drinks, and shopping opportunities. The Makery Market will be showcasing unique, handmade treasures from local crafters and makers from 12 noon to 8:30pm Friday, and from 11am to 6pm on Saturday, at the Corn Exchange.

The beloved winter warmer, DOCAโ€™s famous mulled wine stall will be running on Friday only, from noon to 8:30pm. Of course, lots of our shops, cafes and bars will remain open. Someone did post a request for a list of shops staying open on local Facebook groups, like they canโ€™t do this without Google Maps! You got legs? Use them! Be like Dora and explore! But hey, hereโ€™s what we knowโ€ฆ..

The Shambles is a magical place at Christmas, with projections by Young Urban Digitals & PF Events, a specially created animated light artwork made by local young people. Savannah Sweets, Biddles, SoupChick and Sunabody Care pottery and bodycare will be open. Cositas Bonitas, The Healthy Life and many other shops will stay open late across town. Cafes too, including the new beauty salon come cafe, Velvet & Bloom, and hot rum totty outside The Muck and Dunder.

Thereโ€™s a mystery โ€œlive bandโ€ outside The Pour House, and a choir concert at St Andrewโ€™s Church. The Unpredictables at The Three Crowns comes highly recommended, DJ Random at The Southgate too, and a Lantern Parade Disco Party at The Pelican Inn. Snow White is the running panto at The Wharf Theatre, and itโ€™s brilliant!

From 5pm onwards, find some spectacular street performances around the Market Place. Bristolโ€™s infamous roaming band, The Ambling Band will bring infectious energy with their blend of pink and brass. The Glitter Belles are dazzling high-rise performers with sculptural creations straight from the 1970s disco era. Keep your eyes peeled for Stockings Up, a pair of gigantic Christmas stockings bursting with presents and magically strolling around town, two women on stilts covered head to toe in glitter ball costumes and silver glitter, a woman in a red coat talking to a puppet bear in a larger than life sized Christmas stocking and The Flying Buttresses, an illuminated tree with books that light up attached.

From 4 to 8:30pm find, at St. Johnโ€™s Churchyard, an Illuminated Garden, an enchanted world of light and magic with stunning lanterns created by DOCA community workshops. Another light installation will be Chirp & Drift by Kathy Hinde, a mesmerizing installation where illuminated instruments chatter in Morse code messages, accompanied by gentle harmonies from accordion reeds hidden within. After a few glasses of mulled wine you might also be chattering in Morse code!

Photograph by Simon Folkard

Also look out for an old piano also by Kathy Hinde, a kinetic sound sculpture with videos of birds projected onto the strings, and Emergency Exit Artsโ€™ Giant butterflies; but remember, a giant butterfly is for life, not just for Christmas.

Creative Workshops also feature. Wellard & Wild Botanical Workshops on Friday 28th at various times. From Kokedama to terrariums, epiphytes to festive wreaths, learn traditional methods to create beautiful botanical designs. Contemporary Wreath Making on Friday 28th from 2pm to 5pm at The Ceres Hall of the Corn Exchange, where you can create your own stunning, brightly-coloured wreath using repurposed plastics, berries, and sequins. Learn millinery flower-making techniques with accomplished maker Nancy Rose Stott. And there is Tin Can Brooch Making on Sunday 30th from 2pm to 5pm, at The Southgate Inn, where you can design and sew a unique brooch using reclaimed materials.

Photograph by Simon Folkard

Donโ€™t forget the Window Wanderland Trail, running from Friday 28th November to Monday 1st December. For more info on all this and to book workshops, check out DOCA website. For everything else going on locally, keep this frequency clear and love Devizine!

Other stuff going on: Saturday thereโ€™s a jumble sale in St Andrewโ€™s Church. A clothes swap in The Shambles. Lights Switch On in Waiblingen Way. Innes Sibun is at The Southgate, the Buzzing Fridges at The Three Crowns, and The Liverpool Echoes at The Conservative Club.

Letโ€™s get Christmassy; cue the Shakinโ€™ Stevens, children playing, having fun, it’s the season, love and understanding, but not too much snow falling please, Shaky!

At Devizes Books!

Snow White Delight: Panto at The Wharf

Treated to a sneaky dress rehearsal of this year’s pantomime at Devizesโ€™ one and only Wharf Theatre last night, if forced to sum it up in a word, the word would be โ€œdelightfulโ€ฆ..โ€

With Ian dedicated to all things theatrical here on Devizine, panto is reserved for my tuppence; that has become as much a Christmas tradition as Brussel sprouts! Snow White is the choice to loosely base the crazy and fun shenanigans around this time, and while I usually attend just to announce what a treat you’ll miss out on unless you’ve a ticket, this time the Wharf has doubled the run to a fortnight, so it’s not sold out … .yet. The question remains, is it worth your while?

The answer is not hiding behind you. Oh, yes it is! Of course it’s worthwhile, silly!

The time, dedication and professionalism which goes into each and every pantomime at the Wharf is something the team behind them should be proud of. This year sees some unity with various local theatre groups, and their talents bless the show. โ€œThis year we see people coming from Stagecoach, Potterne Panto, Pewsey Vale Amateur Dramatics Society, Centre Stage Dance Academy, Devizes Musical Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, and Melksham Music and Drama,โ€ director and chairman of The Wharf Theatre, Pete Winterton informed, and with additional scriptwriting from Helen Pritchard, Pete wrote and directed this yearโ€™s panto.

Helen plays the face of the magic mirror, brutally honest yet cheeky with the Evil Queen, played with passion and skill by Georgina Watson, from PVADS and who undoubtedly performs the best solo. Yet a truly magnificent antagonist is never a thing without a trusty sidekick, and, no stranger to the Wharf and Stagecoach, twelve-year-old Gigi Underwood takes that role superbly. 

Georgina Claridge, perfect to play Snow White, choreographed the show, which, even at the dress rehearsal stage, looked polished. Archer Lee plays the prince, Rory Lee is his chaperone Dandy. Thereโ€™s a delightful team of seven young dancing villagers, Kira Drezanics, Maisie Lee, Bea Stacey, Myrah Williams, Madeleine Newman, Phoebe Newman, and Coco Fuller, ranging from nine years to thirteen years old and bubbling with talent. 

Of course thereโ€™s also seven, only slightly smaller people, a running copyright infringement gag, which mysteriously fades after time, and theyโ€™re returned to being called dwarfs without explanation, or hopefully, lawsuit, but does a panto need explaining?! If the show is loosely based on Snow White, the seven โ€œassociatesโ€ of Snow White are a unit of parodies, the most bizarre being Corrin Bishop, who plays a politician version, wittily just waving and shaking hands with the audience akin to a silent film star. Jessica Bone as Nurse seems the natural leader, but Jenni Prescott and Ben Byran add humour with roles called Misery and Snorey, respectively. Kelly Williams and Cameron Williams are either shy and throaty, but the icing on this cake is the youngest and smallest, Smiley, played by Stagecoach student Ella Cook, whose natural flair for dramatics charms.

Then, even more important than any plot, for there is a basic runoff narrative from Uncle Waltโ€™s adaptation of the Brothers Grimmโ€™s Sneewittchen, is the comical Dame and their sidekick. There can be no other team better chosen from these wild woods than Adam Sturges, who dons the drag so divinely, to play Dolly, and his partner Oli Beech to play their son James. Oli and Adam are stalwarts at the Wharf, playing apart they both shine but as a duo they are comical genius, naturally proficient at improv and breaking the fourth wall to take these essential roles, delivering them with hilarity, and binding the panto with joyful audience participation.

If panto at the Wharf follows its own methods which bucks traditions of pantomime, Snow White is no exception, and that is what makes it unexpectedly fun. Nitpicking, I thought it unorthodox to not end the first half with a song, though they right this wrong with such a fantastic musical finale it makes up for it. But, Iโ€™m left wondering if slapstick is a thing of the past. Because, cliche or perhaps not politically correct, there was a lack of visual humour in this show; is it too risque for modern kids to see a custard pie in the face?!

Though little ones will not tire of this, itโ€™s fantastic, yet summarised, and doesnโ€™t extend to unnecessary proportions. The humour rests majorly on gags, many of local direction; mocking neighbouring towns, etc. But there are the customary encouraged singalongs, games, and fun pop song adaptations for all ages to love. Thereโ€™s amusing treats, like the mysterious characters appearing from the woods, and the ingeniously adapted charactersโ€™ traits.

Pantomime is the golden opportunity to introduce young people to the theatre, and is the one occasion when those not regular theatre-goers will take a chance. Snow White is a delight, an enjoyable family treat; go see it and start Christmas. The children will be delighted; I was and Iโ€™m a 52 and three quarters-year old kid!     

Snow White opens on Tuesday 25th November and runs until Saturday 6th December. Curtains at 7:30pm, two matiness at 2:30pm on the Saturdays. Tickets HERE or at Devizes Books.

MP Brian Matthew Invites You to Have Your Say on AI and the Future of our Creative Industries

Next week, MP for Melksham & Devizes Brian Mathew will be taking on Skynet and raising a question in Parliament about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the creative sector. From writers and musicians to designers and artists, he invites local creatives to have their sayโ€ฆ.

Only a few weeks ago a Facebook page which posts material about music legends took a picture from a Devizine review of an Adam & The Ants tribute act, Ant Trouble, at Swindonโ€™s Victoria and, believing it to be the real Adam Ant it used it to illustrate a post about him! You can tell from the mechanical writing style itโ€™s totally AI generated, so, who do I sue? Metal Mickey?!

Iโ€™m not suing anyone, I laugh it off, but thereโ€™s a serious side to all this. Brian explained, โ€œIโ€™ve already received a number of emails and messages from constituents who are deeply concerned that AI could undermine creative jobs and that copyrighted material is being used to train AI systems without fair payment or permission.โ€

โ€œBefore I take this issue to Westminster, I want to make sure your voices are heard. Please take a few minutes to fill in my short survey. Your input will help shape the questions I put to ministers and ensure that the concerns of our creative community are represented in Parliament. Your voice matters.โ€

The form is here, prove youโ€™re on the side of the humans and fill it in!

Trending…..

Devizes Issues Wants You!

Dubiously biased and ruled with an iron fist, the mighty admin of the once popular Devizes Facebook group, Devizes Issues, is using the iconic Greatโ€ฆ

Keep reading

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Florence & The Machine Harpist Among Musicians at Frome Festivalโ€™s Fundraising Launch

Featured Image: Lillie Eiger

Frome Festival is launching itsย โ€˜25 for 25โ€™ย fundraising campaign with a very special concert featuring three locally based acts:ย Tom Mothย โ€“ best known as the harpist for multi-platinum-selling bandย Florence + The Machineย โ€“ alt-folk duoย mฤsa, and brand-new soul/funk collectiveย The Juice.…

The event, taking place at The Tunnels on Saturday 29th November, kicks off Frome Festivalโ€™s ambitious campaign that aims to raise ยฃ25,000 before the start of next yearโ€™s festival in July. Founded in 2001, Frome Festivalโ€™s silver anniversary offers an opportunity to celebrate 25 years of creativity while securing the future of this much-loved community arts event for the next generation.

Followingย Tom Mothโ€™sย sold-out Festival performance at Rook Lane Chapel this summer, theย โ€˜25 for 25โ€™ย fundraiser provides an additional chance to hear his own original work. Tom explains, โ€œI enjoy crafting sounds using various acoustic and electronic devices, so whilst the harp will be involved, the performance wonโ€™t strictly be a harp recital!โ€

Tom is a big supporter of Frome Festival and is carving out some time between a busy international promotional schedule for Florenceโ€™s newly released album,ย Everybody Scream, and their upcoming European/US tour, which starts in February. The lauded harpist moved to Frome a couple of years ago as he felt it was somewhere he could exist happily. He says of the town, โ€œI love that thereโ€™s such a welcoming and proactive creative community. It seems like thereโ€™s always something happening, whether itโ€™s a gig, an exhibition, or community-based activity.โ€

Sisters Faron and Merle ofย mฤsaย are returning from a hiatus to support this fundraiser, sharing their beautiful harmony based alt-folk compositions. Merle said, “Weโ€™ve lived in Frome for a few years now and really value its creative and independent spirit as a town. This aspect of it seems to be growing and getting even stronger as time passes.” ย mฤsa have played at Frome Festival several times over the years, including a headline slot at the Silk Mill, and have also collaborated on a sonic guided walk of the town, calledย We Are All Sonambulistsย – โ€œThis was a great way to learn about the townโ€™s history and feel inspired by its ghosts and stories”, explained Merle.

Faron added, “We were really pleased to be invited to play at this fundraiser, because itโ€™s so important to keep community driven events that support the arts going. Now more than ever we need creativity and connection to unite us, and keeping Frome Festival alive and kicking is one small way of doing so.”

As to their future plans, mฤsa have recently been recording and plan to release new songs next year.

Ending the night with party vibes is The Juice, a fresh five-piece soul outfit who made their debut with a secret set during Sofar Sounds at Frome Festival in July. Drawing their members from a collective of local musicians, they write tunes which draw on 70s soul, pop and funk, โ€œwith a sprinkling of Juicified coversโ€.  Members of The Juice have also featured in The Enrichments, Mighty One, Samuel Jack, Twin Falls and Littlemen.

Joe James, The Juice frontman, stated, “As a local band, supporting Frome Festival means a lot to us. We can’t wait to bring The Juice to our hometown and share our new musical project with the people who shaped us”. Bass player, Jack Opie, added, “The community spirit and artsย scene in Frome is a huge reason that it is such a wonderful place to live, and the Festival is obviously a critical part of this – it’s massively important to us all that the Festival keeps on going, and we’re all really excited to be playing our small part in helping its future.”

Sarah Swales, Frome Festival Manager, said, โ€œIโ€™m constantly amazed by the incredible talent we have here in Frome, and Iโ€™m thrilled that these performers are generously donating their time and remarkable skills to support the Festival. Each of the three acts brings a unique musical style, and all are outstanding in their own right.โ€ She added, โ€œWeโ€™re also hugely grateful to Baz, Josh, and everyone at The Tunnels for hosting the event. In the current climate, itโ€™s more important than ever to support our venues and keep live music thriving.โ€

Frome Festivalโ€™s โ€˜25 for 25โ€™ campaign will celebrate a quarter of a century of being at the heart of Fromeโ€™s creative community with special events throughout the year. All monies raised will support growing the organisation, developing an education strand and maintaining the rich programme of free and low-cost activities across Frome Festival.

Supporters can help by attending fundraising concerts and activities in the lead up to Frome Festival 2026, become a Friend of Frome Festival to receive priority Festival booking and exclusive year-round perks, or donate directly to the charity.

Adam Laughton, Festival Director, explained, โ€œIt is remarkable to see how Frome has embraced Frome Festival across the last 25 years โ€“ everyone I speak to has a story to tell about their favourite moments. Across the next year, we aim to capture that spirit and celebrate Fromeโ€™s deep love and support of the arts, looking back at a quarter of a century of amazing work and plotting a course for the next 25 years. Through a campaign like this, we are looking to ensure the next generation can continue to experience the unique benefits of accessible, local live arts.โ€

โ€˜Frome Festival Fundraiser with Tom Moth / mฤsa / The Juiceโ€™ย takes place on Saturday 29 November at The Tunnels, doors 7.30pm.

Advance tickets are ยฃ18 available through the Frome Festival website or ยฃ20 on the door.

More info can be found on:ย https://fromefestival.co.uk/25years/

Trending…..

Lady Nade; Sober!

Dry January, anyone? Well, Lady Nade just plunged into an outdoor 4ยฐC eucalyptus sauna for a social media reel. But whilst I’d require a stiffโ€ฆ

Ha! Let’s Laugh at Hunt Supporters!

Christmas has come early for foxes and normal humans with any slither of compassion remaining, as the government announced the righteous move to ban trailโ€ฆ

Rooks; New Single From M3G

Chippenham folk singer-songwriter, M3G (because she likes a backward โ€œEโ€) has a new single out tomorrow, Friday 19th December. Put your jingly bell cheesy tunesโ€ฆ

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DOCAโ€™s Young Urban Digitals

In association with PF Events, Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts introduces a Young Urban Digitals course in video mapping and projection mapping for sixteen to twenty years oldsโ€ฆ.

Itโ€™s an introductory session on video mapping and projection mapping, hosted by PF Events and run by a professional video engineer. These sessions will cover the basics of projection mapping and introduce attendees to the software used to create beautiful works of technological art.

These will be preliminary sessions used to build the content for the final video map that will be projected onto St Johns Church on the night of the lantern parade on the 28th November.

This is an opportunity to gain an Arts Award certificate while training and learning. You’ll produce a record/log to tell the story of your journey through the process of making this work of art. You’ll learn about relevant artists who create similar work, and share your journey with others.

Training will be at The Lounge on 25 Sidmouth Street, Devizes SN10 1LD, on dates 15th, 22nd and 28th of November, from 09:30 – 13:00 and 14:30 to 17:00, 16:30 to 20:20 on event day, 28th November. Ages sixteen to twenty are welcome and up to twenty-five for SEND participants.

There are limited places available so enrol quickly to avoid disappointment! 

Enrol HERE

โ€œAntony and Cleopatraโ€ at the Rondo Theatre, Larkhall, Bath, October 18th 2025.

by Ian Diddams
images by Penny Clegg and Shakespeare Live


โ€œAntony & Cleopatraโ€ is one of Shakespeareโ€™s four โ€œRoman Playsโ€, and chronologically is set after โ€œJulius Caesarโ€ as the new triumvirs Mark Antony, Octavius and Lepidus between them oversee the Roman Empire. Basically we start with Mark Antony all loved up, and avoiding his duties until recalled to Rome by Octavius to help fight pirates whilst playing down their distrust of each other. The rest of the play concerns itself with political chicanery egged along by the inevitable soothsayer complete with prophecies of doom and gloom โ€ฆ Our eponymous hero should have considered Julius Caesarโ€™s similar warnings โ€“ but this is Shakespeare so why would he do that? Keen eyed readers may already have spotted a pattern with Shakespeare and prophecies of courseโ€ฆ He makes some pretty dashed poor tactical mistakes over battles and ends up killing himself, leaving Cleopatra to similarly despatch herself in grief โ€ฆ keen eyed readers may already have spotted another pattern with Shakespeare and lovers killing themselves over misunderstandingsโ€ฆ Shakespeare Live bring this Shakespearian tragedy to life on tour, opening at the Rondo.

The play takes anything up to three hours to normally complete โ€“ but director Jacky Crosher has superbly trimmed the text to just a hundred minutes, concentrating on the juicier scenes and real plot developments while using extraneous introduced Greek chorus style narrators to fill in the more prosaic plot areas. The result is a rollocking production that keeps the audience entranced but her directorial influences donโ€™t stop there. The great naval battles on which Mark Antonyโ€™s fate resides rather than being glossed over as per the text are brought to the fore in riveting scenes of their own, played out with two full navies on a tempestuous sea via choreography and music. Similarly the land battle is performed in stylised choreography quite superbly.

All of this also wrapped with various well known musical items from Rodriguez to Black Sabbath. Full kudos to Jacky for creating such a wonderful melange of art styles to tell this tragedy.

The cast are no less excellent. When you portray a pair of lovers it is important to have on stage chemistry โ€“ a belief that the two characters are into each other, so how better to cast such a couple than with a real life couple; so step forward Mr. & Mrs. Finlay, Rob and Maria as the wonderfully played eponymous pairing. Andy Corkโ€™s Enobarbus is sublime, Lucy Upwardโ€™s deferential yet sister-like Charmian delightful while Naomi Miller as Iras shines alongside her as Cleopatraโ€™s companions.

Liz Hollis cameos her way almost sprite like as the inevitable Shakespearian soothsayer, all melodramatic cloak waving, and as a messenger and finally as Eros, squire to Mark Antony. Jeremy Reece advises Mark Antony smoothly while many of the already mentioned also then wade in as a clown, Egyptian and soldier.

Naledi Withers almost surpasses her excellent role of Octavius Caesar in her presentation โ€“ its that narrator thing โ€“ of a newspaper reporter, while in her main role in Rome she is excellently supported by Jeremy Reece (again!) as Lepidus, the far more sensible member of the Triumvirate! Naomi Miller also doubles up just as splendidly as Octavia, Octaviusโ€™ sister who gets married off to Mark Antony, while the stalwarts of Shakespeare Live Gill Morell and Graham Paton as ever shone in their roles as Dolabella and Thidias, and Agrippa respectively.

Tech as ever is delivered by the ever dependable Alex Latham, with more back stage stalwarts of James Dennis and Connor Palmer stage managing it all. The costumes are sumptuous, the set perfectly simpleโ€ฆ a black box with a settee, easy to tour with and never distracting on the eye.

For a roller-coaster ride through post Julius Caesar Roman history, a love story, political chicanery and a tragedy you can do WAY worse than catch Shakespeare Live on tour โ€“ tickets available at

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/shakespearelive

Things to Do During Halloween Half Term

The spookiest of half terms is nearly upon us again; kids excited, parents not quite so much! But hey, as well as Halloween, here’s what family fun and activities we’ve found locally to pass the time, save on Haribo and prevent wine 0’clock overloading…..

There’s a list of pumpkin patches at the end! What more do you want?!

Have a fangtastic ๐ŸŽƒ fortnight, and oh, and come back to spook this list again soon, as I’m sure more will be added!

Wed 15th

Okay, let’s kick off early, Wednesday 15th, school gates still open, but St Thomasโ€™ Church Trowbridge has a Brownie Trail session from 6:45, find the link below…..

Brownie Trial Session

Rag and Bone Arts CIC‘s recurring event in Chippenham for ages 12+.
You can do art and design or acting improvisation, delivered in 10 week blocks. Taught by professional actor Rebecca Osborne, learn how to think on your feet, respond and listen and make up scenes using just your brilliant mind and spontaneous ideas.

https://onechippenham.org.uk/event/youth-acting-improvisation/2025-10-15/
Youth Art & Design

Pete Firman: Tricks & Giggles @ The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon

With over 4.5 million social media followers and countless TV appearances under his belt, Pete Firman is the UK’s top comic magician. Join him for an evening of ‘Tricks & Giggles’, as Pete brings his trademark blend of magic and comedy from the small screen to stages around the UK with this brand-new show. Expect impossible feats, sleight of hand and big laughs from one of magic’s most exciting performers! As seen on Amazon’s Good Omens, ITV1’s Tonight at the London Palladium and The Next Great Magician, BBC1’s The John Bishop Show and The Sarah Millican Television Programme. He’s probably also popped up on your social media feeds with his mind-boggling and regularly viral magic videos. Age restriction: 11+.

Fri 17th

Rock the Tots: Spooky Fun@ The Rondo Theatre, Bath

Steph & Craig Mitchell presents a spooky and ghouly edition of their Gigs for little onesโ€ฆ and their grown-ups!

Weโ€™re edging closer to Halloween, and Steph & Craig are back with all things spooky and ghouly! Donโ€™t worry โ€“ nothing too scary for the babies and Littlesโ€ฆ or grown-ups for that matter! But there will be some seasonal bangers โ€“ think Monster Mash, Ghostbusters and The Cranberries to name a few.

Get into the mood and come in spooky fancy dress. Who ya gonna call? Rock The Tots!

Sessions are approximately 1 hour long, without an interval.
Suitable for children aged 0-6, and their adults. Under 1s go free!

Journey to the Centre of the Earth @ Pound Arts, Corsham

Standard: ยฃ15

Lamphouse Theatre presents โ€ฆ Journey to the Centre of the Earth!

Take a break Rick Wakeman, back to your trailer Brendan Fraser, watch and learn Jules Verne, Lamphouse are going on a journey all the way to the centre of the Earth! Two intrepid explorers, one impossible mission (featuring at least one joke about a big hole), and no special effects budget whatsoever. What could possibly go wrong?

From the makers of War of the Worlds (On a Budget) and Frankenstein (On a Budget) this new comedy take on Jules Verneโ€™s classic novel will be one epic night out, full of belly laughs, brand new music and really impressive* dinosaurs.

Featuring Tom Fox and Becky Owen-Fisher, the familiar faces behind the On a Budget series, Journey to the Centre of the Earth will be another fan favourite. Expect silly jokes, catchy tunes, ridiculous costumes and lots and lots of cardboard.

*not actually that impressive

Suitable for 10+

Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Sat 18th

Devizes Halloween Bingo

Come along to the 1st Devizes Halloween Bingo for an afternoon full of treats and spooky fun at 1st Devizes scout hall 29 Southbroom Rd Devizes SN10 5AD. Eyes down 4pmโ€“6pm. Bingo games for everyone. Fancy dress โ€“ come in your best Halloween costume! Prizes & goodie bags. Yummy food and refreshments. Raffle with lots of surprises. The perfect way to enjoy Halloween with the whole family!

It’s Trowbridge Carnival, see the link below for details!

Trowbridge Carnival

Brick Creative Club with Trowbridge Library

A recurring feature for Trowbridge Library, for all those little builders.

Brick Creative Club with Trowbridge Library

Sun 19th

Storytime: The Dinosaur That Pooped A Monster!

Join Waterstones, 29 Borough Parade, Chippenham SN15 3WL for their Sunday afternoon storytime where they will be reading the slimy ‘The Dinosaur That Pooped A Monster’ by Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter. All are welcome.

Mon 20th

Rock the Tots: Spooky Fun @ Pound Arts, Corsham

Steph & Craig Mitchell presents a spooky and ghouly edition of their Gigs for little onesโ€ฆ and their grown-ups!

Weโ€™re edging closer to Halloween, and Steph & Craig are back with all things spooky and ghouly! Donโ€™t worry โ€“ nothing too scary for the babies and Littlesโ€ฆ or grown-ups for that matter! But there will be some seasonal bangers โ€“ think Monster Mash, Ghostbusters and The Cranberries to name a few.

Get into the mood and come in spooky fancy dress. Who ya gonna call? Rock The Tots!

Sessions are approximately 1 hour long, without an interval.
Suitable for children aged 0-6, and their adults. Under 1s go free!

Rock The Tots: Spooky Fun

Tues 21st

Online 1 Year GCSE Food and Nutrition Courses

GCSE Food and Nutrition

Know Your Chalk Horse!

Our friendly historian Brian Edwards has a talk on white horses in Pewsey. I’m not sure how family-friendly this will be, but budding historians might find it of interest.

(-25th) Blood Brothers@ The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon

Running until Saturday 25th. Written by Willy Russell, the legendary Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving tale of twins who, separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with fateful consequences. Few musicals have received quite such acclaim as the multi-award winning Blood Brothers. The production ran for more than 10,000 performances in Londonโ€™s West End, one of only five musicals ever to achieve that milestone. It has been affectionately christened the โ€˜Standing Ovation Musicalโ€™, as inevitably it โ€œbrings the audience cheering to its feet and roaring its approvalโ€ (The Daily Mail). The superb score includes Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged hit Tell Me Itโ€™s Not True. Age Guidance: 12+

Wed 22nd

(-25th Oct) SIX: Teen Edition@ The Rondo Theatre, Bath

Wed 22 โ€“ Sat 25 Oct โ€ข 3pm & 7:30pm โ€ข Admission ยฃ15 โ€ข Community Theatre

By Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss
Presented by Merriman Productions

His-storyโ€™s about to get overthrownโ€ฆ again! Back by popular demand, Merriman Productions present SIX: TEEN EDITION; a full-length adaptation of Toby Marlow and Lucy Mossโ€™ international phenomenon SIX, modified for performance by teen actors for family audiences.

Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the mic to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a euphoric celebration of 21st-century girl power! This new original musical is the global sensation that everyone is losing their head over.

Thurs 23rd

Kidโ€™s Spooky Half Term Art Club @ Wiltshire Scrapstore, Lacock

All children must be accompanied by one adult per child. If you have multiple adults coming (parents/grandparents), we kindly ask that they wait in the cafรฉ for the workshop to finish.

Numbers are limited. Booking is essential and due to limited spaces please book early to avoid disappointment. Sessions are ยฃ9.50 per child. Refreshments will be available from our coffee shop to purchase. Our age recommendation for our Art Clubs is 3-11.

Fri 24th

Lunchbox Buddy is back in Devizes!

Devizes Ghost Walks โ€“ October 2025

I’m not sure how child-friendly John’s famous ghost walks are, bit if you dare!!

Kidโ€™s Spooky Half Term Art Club @ Wiltshire Scrapstore, Lacock

All children must be accompanied by one adult per child. If you have multiple adults coming (parents/grandparents), we kindly ask that they wait in the cafรฉ for the workshop to finish.

Numbers are limited. Booking is essential and due to limited spaces please book early to avoid disappointment. Sessions are ยฃ9.50 per child. Refreshments will be available from our coffee shop to purchase. Our age recommendation for our Art Clubs is 3-11.

North Bradley Pumpkin Trail 2025

North Bradley Pumpkin Trail 2025

Sat 25th

Autumn in the Park @ Hillworth Park, Devizes

Autumn in the Park | Sat 25th October

Our awesome Parks and Open Spaces crew is rolling out their tractors, electric vehicles, and cool machinery for you to explore โ€“ talk about a joyride!

This year, weโ€™re joined by Arty Kids Pottery Painting, Crazy Cheeks face painting and Chloeโ€™s Mobile Farm. And donโ€™t forget to flex those brain muscles with our Halloween themed word search โ€“ go on a letter hunt around the park and see if you can conjure up the spooky words!

๐Ÿ‘ป Dress to impress in your Halloween finest! The Deputy Mayor will be on the lookout for the best costumes at 1:30pm right outside the Cafรฉ โ€“ and there are prizes up for grabs in these categories:

Ages 6 and under

Ages 7-12

Ages 13+ (adults, unleash your inner ghoul!) ๐ŸงŸโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ•ท

Come for the fun, stay for the spooky vibes โ€“ see you in the park!

Woodbridge Inn Halloween Fest, North Newnton

This October half term, The Woodbridge Inn is bringing the community together for a spooktacular celebrationโ€”and everyoneโ€™s invited!

๐Ÿ“ Dates:
๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th October
๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Thursday 30th & Friday 31st October
โฐ Fest opens at 12PM | Fun until 6PM

โœจ Whatโ€™s waiting for you:
๐ŸŽƒ Pumpkin Picking
๐Ÿ›๏ธ Craft & Produce Market โ€“ handmade gifts, bakes, jams, plants, sweets & more
๐Ÿฐ Sweet & Cake Stalls
๐ŸŽจ Arts & Crafts Activities
๐Ÿ‘ป Face Painting & Hair Braiding
๐ŸŒญ Burgers, Hot Dogs & Autumn Eats
๐Ÿ”ฎ Fun Tarot Readings
๐ŸŽถ Live Music & Autumn Vibes
๐Ÿบ Beer, Wine & Seasonal Sips from the Bar

Whether youโ€™re here to shop, snack, sip, or simply soak up the spooky atmosphere, this is a celebration for all ages. Weโ€™re proud to support local businesses and bring our community together for a few days of festive fun.

The Parade Cinema Marlborough Family Halloween Trail ๐ŸŽƒ

Our annual halloween trail makes it’s return on Saturday 25th October at The Parade Cinema Marlborough!

Each ticket purchase for Corpse Bride or Hotel Transylvania on the 25th October gives a child a free spot on our yearly Halloween Trail around Marlborough, open from 11am to 2:30pm. We expect the trail to take around 45 minutes to complete, so last entry for the trail will be 1:45pm.

Book your tickets now… if your dare! www.theparadecinema.com ๐Ÿ“ž 01672 646232 (Between 10am & 7pm)

Longleat Ghost Tours

This October Half Term, Ghost Tours are making a spooky return during Longleat’s Great British Autumn event. Longleat House was built between 1567 โ€“ 1580, and it is believed to still have people who featured in its history making their presence felt. Discover the supernatural stories as expert guides reveal the tale of Lady Louisa Carteret, known as the Grey Lady, who is said to still walk the corridors searching for her lover.

 https://www.longleat.co.uk/events/ghost-tours

Trowbridge Musical Theatre presents Robin Hood โ€“ A Pantomime Adventure!

Robin Hood – A Pantomime Adventure!
Brick Creative Club with Trowbridge Library
North Bradley Pumpkin Trail 2025

Kidsโ€™ Halloween Spooktacular @ Broadtown Brewery – Hop Chapel and Hop Gardens, Lydiard Tregoze

Bring the kids along to The Hop Chapel on Saturday 25th October from 1 – 3pm as we transform The Old Brewhouse into The Old BOO-house!!

๐ŸŽƒ We’ll have two whole hours full of Halloween fun, with pumpkin carving, ghoulish games and more (all treats no tricks, we promise – we don’t want to scare your little ones!)

๐Ÿ‘ป We’ll have a prizes up for grabs for the best pumpkin design, best pumpkin carving and the best dressed, so don’t forget your costumes!

https://allevents.in/lydiard-tregoze/kids%E2%80%99-halloween-spooktacular/200028572175743

The Three Little Vikings @ Salisbury Arts Centre

Presented by Wrongsemble. Salisbury Arts Centre. Tickets from ยฃ12 (ยฃ10 for children) Family show suitable for children 3-9 years olds.

October half term bug trail at Dyrham Park

from 25th Oct to 2nd Nov 2025, get out into the great outdoors this October half term for an insect-themed trail around the 270 acres of parkland. ยฃ2.50 per trail (normal admissions apply). Booking not required. Running 10am to 4pm, with last entry at 3pm.

Sun 26th

Robin Hood – A Pantomime Adventure!

Mon 27th

Half Term Chocolate Experience@ Hollychocs, Poulshot, Devizes

Autumn Half Term Chocolate Experience at Hollychocs
A cosy, hands-on chocolate-making adventure for grown-ups and children aged 5 & up to enjoy together

Looking for a fun and creative way to spend time with your child or grandchild this October? Our Autumn Half Term Chocolate Experience is the perfect school holiday activityโ€”designed for adults and children aged 5 & up to enjoy side-by-side.

Hosted by The Southwestโ€™s Chocolate Champion, Holly Garner, this joyful and cosy experience is all about making sweet memories together as the autumn chill sets in.

๐Ÿซ Start with a hot chocolate treat
Warm up with a choice from our Ultimate Hot Chocolate Menuโ€”featuring 12 indulgent flavours to begin your chocolate-filled day.

๐ŸŒ Discover where chocolate comes from
Taste raw cocoa beans, sample our signature blends, and learn how chocolate is madeโ€”plus how we support small, ethical cocoa farms around the world.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐ŸปMake & decorate your own chocolates
Roll up your sleeves and create your own delicious chocolate treats to take home (if they donโ€™t get eaten first!).

๐ŸŽ Enjoy a special shopping discount
Take home even more chocolatey joy with an exclusive Hollychocs discount on the day.

Rowdey Cow Halloween Festivities

Perfect for parents, grandparents and carers looking for something memorable to do with their children this autumn. Whether itโ€™s bonding time, a school holiday treat or a special birthday surpriseโ€”this is time well (and sweetly) spent.

Join us at the Rowdey Cow for our halloween festivities ๐Ÿ•ธ๐ŸŽƒ

Pick a pumpkin from its patch & come in to carve your spooky artwork!

๐ŸŽƒ27th – 31st October

๐ŸŽƒ9.30am – 11am

๐ŸŽƒยฃ5 per pumpkin

***No need to book

The Farm Cookery School Halloween Holiday Club

4+ OCTOBER HOLIDAY CLUB – HALLOWEEN FUN
9+ OCTOBER HOLIDAY CLUB – HALLOWEEN FUN

Arty Pants in Sutton Veny

Lights Up, Sounds Down Days at the REME Museum

Join us for a more relaxed visit at the REME Museum during this special opening outside of our regular hours.

We have designed these โ€˜Lights Up, Sounds Downโ€™ days to reduce sensory input for individuals who would prefer a quieter experience. These sessions are primarily for, though not limited to, anyone who has sensory processing disorder; autism; social, emotional or mental health needs; dementia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or any other sensory needs.

During these days we will have:

Lights On โ€“ our overhead gallery lighting will be turned on, without spotlights, to create a brighter environment in which to explore.
Sounds Down โ€“ we will reduce sound effects throughout the museum as much as possible by turning off most โ€˜surround soundโ€™ interactives and reducing volumes.
Sensory maps โ€“ we have marked out any areas around the museum where you may find louder interactives or visual effects that we cannot turn off. This means you can choose your own route and avoid any areas as you wish.

If you would like to bring any sensory items (including but not limited to ear defenders, magnifying glass, book, squeezy toy) that will help you or your loved one to enjoy their experience better, please feel free to do so, just make sure you hold onto it and take it home with you!

Lights Up, Sounds Down – Quiet Opening

Wonder Gigs: Bigger Kids @ Pound Arts, Corsham

Child: ยฃ6 Adult: ยฃ6 Under 1s: FREE

Join Filskit Theatre for an uplifting and relaxing hour with a talented live musician playing beautiful acoustic versions of well-known folk, jazz and pop songs. Enjoyable for both big and small ears alike thereโ€™ll be beautiful, atmospheric sensory visuals perfect for even the youngest audience members. And, as itโ€™s halt term, bigger kids are welcome too so bring them along for this hour of fun and sensory play for the whole family.

Wonder Gigs: Bigger Kids

Tues 28th

October Holiday Activities @ Wiltshire Museum Devizes

October Holiday Activities Lecture Hall  28th October 2025 10:30 am – 12:00 pm  10:30 am – 12:00 pmCome along to our spooky Halloween activities for ages 3 to 11: pebble skulls spooky ghosts paper pumpkins and puppetsโ€ฆ

 Book OnlineOctober Holiday Activities Lecture Hall  28th October 2025 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm  1:30 pm – 3:00 pmCome along to our spooky Halloween activities for ages 3 to 11: pebble skulls spooky ghosts paper pumpkins and puppets.

Art Workshop in Rowde

On Tuesday morning, the 28th of October, from 9am to 12 noon, an Art Workshop takes place, at The Mind Tree Cafe in Rowde. It’s creative fun with collage and mixed media, hosted by Nancy Rose. It’s ยฃ30 for the session, and you must book in advance by emailing nancyrosehats@yahoo.com

This October Half Term, join us at the REME Museum for spooktacular STEM and crafts activities for all the family to enjoy.

https://www.rememuseum.org.uk/

โ€˜Rocket Poweredโ€™ โ€“ Tuesday 28 October
Drop-in, Education Suite

Design and launch your own bottle rocket or air powered car, using the same principles of engineering in rocket science! Led by our Education Officer, Andrew.

Miniature Assault Course โ€“ Every day 28-31 October
Drop-in, outdoors

Take on our miniature army-style assault course! Race your way across the course or take your time and enjoy the challenge! Please note: This activity is weather dependent.

Princess Pirate @ Pound Arts, Corsham

Adult: ยฃ10 Child: ยฃ10 Under 2s: FREE

Pirate Princess is a heartwarming story of hope against adversity told with physical theatre, clowning and circus. This brand new solo show by circus performer and professional idiot Gemma Bond tells the tale of poor shipwrecked Princess Poppy. Can she overcome a big dress, extreme weather and the ultimate test of strength to see her way to safety?

Inspired by strong and inventive women of history, Poppy must transform physically and mentally if she is to have any hope of rescuing herself from eternity on an island in the ocean. The show encourages all to reuse, repurpose and recycle as Poppy reinvents her outfit and her mindset to overcome her predicament.

A visual feast of colourful costume and a unique crowโ€™s nest on a pole prop, this is a fun filled show for children aged 5 to 11 and their families.

Princess Pirate

Wed 29th

October Holiday Activities @ Wiltshire Museum Devizes

Come along to our spooky Halloween activities for ages 3 to 11: pebble skulls spooky ghosts paper pumpkins and puppetsโ€ฆ

+11 Holiday Club @ The Farm Cookery School

11+ HOLIDAY CLUB

Pumpkin Painting @ St Peter’s, Marlborough

Pumpkin Painting at St Peter’s

Pumpkins in the Park, Warminster

Pumpkins in the Park 2025

This October Half Term, join us at the REME Museum for spooktacular STEM and crafts activities for all the family to enjoy.

https://www.rememuseum.org.uk/

LEGOยฎ Engineering โ€“ Wednesday 29 October
Pre-bookable sessions, Education Suite

Unleash your inner engineer and build a vehicle from LEGOยฎ that will actually drive! Recommended for ages 7 and above.

Thurs 30th

Kidโ€™s Spooky Half Term Art Club @ Wiltshire Scrapstore, Lacock

All children must be accompanied by one adult per child. If you have multiple adults coming (parents/grandparents), we kindly ask that they wait in the cafรฉ for the workshop to finish.

Numbers are limited. Booking is essential and due to limited spaces please book early to avoid disappointment. Sessions are ยฃ9.50 per child. Refreshments will be available from our coffee shop to purchase. Our age recommendation for our Art Clubs is 3-11.

The Sheep Ate Up The Fairies @ Trowbridge Museum

3 days of captivating talks, hands-on crafts & engaging activities start today!

The Sheep Ate Up The Fairies
Wonderful Wands and Quivering Quills – Neurodivergent/Quiet Session (ages 5+)

This October Half Term, join us at the REME Museum for spooktacular STEM and crafts activities for all the family to enjoy.

https://www.rememuseum.org.uk/

Meccano Makes โ€“ Thursday 30 October
Drop-in, Education Suite

Get hands-on with Meccano construction sets to engineer your own vehicle, equipment and more! Recommended for ages 7 and above.

Fri 31st

Kenavon Venture (Halloween Children)

Kenavon Venture

A one hour boat trip on Friday 31st October at 16:00 and 18:00 along the canal packed with fun and games for the children. Fancy dress welcome. 

Please Note:
Dogs are accepted at the discretion of the Skipper on the day who will check with other passengers first. Family tickets not available. 

Children must be accompanies by at least one adult.

Kenavon Venture is a wide beam boat, seating up to 38 passengers, operated by volunteers of the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust.
To book a private charter of this or any other trip, please send an enquiry via the main website.

Devizes Halloween Ghost Walk โ€“ October 2025

Cook Together with The Farm Cookery School

COOK TOGETHER (ADULT & CHILD) โ€“ HALLOWEEN

Halloween Disco at Trowbridge Civic Centre

Halloween Disco

This October Half Term, join us at the REME Museum for spooktacular STEM and crafts activities for all the family to enjoy.

https://www.rememuseum.org.uk/

โ€˜Build a Tankโ€™ Junk Modelling โ€“ Friday 31 October
Self-led, Creation Station

Come and create your own special REME-inspired vehicle to take away with you! Get creative and see what you can make from recycled materials. The only limit is your imagination!

Pumpkin Patches

Farmer Mark’s Pumpkin Patch

4.9(21) ยท Pumpkin patch

Marlborough”Lovely variety of pumpkins and gourds to pick, at very reasonable prices.”

Lotmead Pick Your Own

4.5(750) ยท Farm shop

Swindon

Closes soon โ‹… 5โ€ฏpm ยท 01793 790137″Great small farm, we picked a good piece of pumpkin for Halloween.”

Pumpkin picking patch

5.0(10) ยท Farm shop

Chippenham

Closed โ‹… Opens 8:30โ€ฏam Sat”We visited early this year and grabbed us a nice variety of pumpkins.”

A Parsons & Son Farming/Pumpkin Picking Patch

4.9(19) ยท Farm

Salisbury

Closed โ‹… Opens 9:30โ€ฏam Sat ยท 07887 642801″Great valve and a massive selection of top quality pumpkins“

Easton Farm Pumpkin Patch

5.0(4) ยท Farm

Pewsey

Closed โ‹… Opens 10โ€ฏam Sat ยท 07964 860741″Farm beef also available to purchase.”

V & P Collins Farm Shop

4.5(170) ยท Farm shop

Chippenham

Closes soon โ‹… 5โ€ฏpm ยท 01380 850228″A great farm shop, they have a massive amount of pumpkins on off right now.”

Pomeroy Pumpkin Patch

5.0(6) ยท Pumpkin patch

Trowbridge

Closed โ‹… Opens 10โ€ฏam Sat”Bring wellies!!”

Roves Farm

4.5(1.1K) ยท Tourist attraction

Swindon

Closes soon โ‹… 5โ€ฏpm ยท 01793 763939″Entry fee was nearly &60 for 3 Adults and two toddlers.”

Allington Farm Shop

4.5(419) ยท Farm shop

Chippenham

Open โ‹… Closes 5:30โ€ฏpm ยท 01249 658112″The kids get so excited it helps getting them up and out early!”

Ansty Farm Shop

4.5(186) ยท ยฃ1โ€“10 ยท Coffee shop

Salisbury

Closed โ‹… Opens 10โ€ฏam Wed ยท 01747 829072″Fun place to go with super friendly staff, loved the pumpkin picking.”

Pound Farm

4.7(82) ยท Farm shop

Chippenham

Closed โ‹… Opens 10โ€ฏam Thu”My boys enjoyed picking out their own pumpkins.”

Bath Pumpkin Patch

4.4(63) ยท Farm

Bath

Closed โ‹… Opens 10โ€ฏam Wed”… recommended well organised friendly good quality pumpkins“

Stourton Farm

4.4(7) ยท Farm

Trowbridge

01380 870484″Great excuse to pick up a dozen duck eggs.

Allington Farm

4.8(4) ยท Farm

Chippenham“Lush coffee and walnut cake!”

Pick of the Patch

5.0(7) ยท Pumpkin patch

Devizes

Temporarily closed ยท 07970 781828“A fabulous few hours picking pumpkins with kids.”

DOCA’s Early Lantern Workshops

Is it too early for the C word?! Of course not, Grinch! With DOCA’S Winter Festival confirmed for Friday 28th November this year, there will be a number of creative workshops and makery sessions, not forgetting the creation of those wonderful handmade lanterns for the parade; here’s some early sessions in which you can get creativeโ€ฆ

A number of lantern making workshops in the run-up to the Winter Festival Lantern Parade have been allocated. Including open-to-all workshops at different venues with materials provided โ€“ all they ask is a small donation. DOCA suggests ยฃ5 for a small lantern, which requires one light, but you are welcome to pay as you feel.

Come along to one of their open public workshops to make a lantern in preparation for the parade. All materials are provided, and all are welcome.

Image: Simon Folkard

Held at Wiltshire Museum, Long Street, Devizes, the workshop Schedules are:

Saturday 20th September – 10:15am – 13:15pm, 14:00 – 16:30.

Sunday 21st September – 10:15am – 13:15pm, 14:00 – 16:30.



More info HERE!

Book your session HERE

Still Alice at The Wharf Theatre Raises Dementia Awareness

Valedictorian graduate of Bates College in Maine, and with a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard, neuroscientist Lisa Genova self-published her debut novel, Still Alice in 2007. Acquired for publishing two years later, Still Alice made The New York Times Best Seller list, was adapted for the stage by Christine Mary Dunford of Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre Company, and spurred a 2014 movie by Memento Films, winning Julianne Moore an Academy Award. Under the direction of John Winterton, The Wharf Theatre brings this poignant play to Devizesโ€ฆโ€ฆ

It’s lovely to be back at Devizesโ€™ cosy and communal theatre. Ian assigned himself our theatre critic and while his brilliant inside knowledge is gratefully appreciated, I figured I fancy this one, as I have a personal angle on the plot. Alzheimerโ€™s Society suggests โ€œevery 3 minutes someone in the UK develops dementia,โ€ therefore I imagine many others will find relevance in it too, and if not, might one day.

We found it amusing at the beginning, my Nan in Dad’s car still wearing her slippers for a party, and other trivial mishaps. But the last time I saw her I was saddened to note she didn’t remember me, as she spoke to me of her โ€œhusband,โ€ rather than address him as โ€œgrandad.โ€ My children were young and understandably apprehensive about going into the care home. But when they plucked up courage my boy stood before her and she was delighted to be face-to-face with who she assumed was me. Here was the relieving point; I realised she hadn’t forgotten me, she just didn’t recognise me because thirty-plus years was missing from her memory; thank you genetics!

The journey between these two points in time was arduous for her and our family. For her it went from confusion to frustration and onto an immune state of obviousness. Lisa Genova wrote Still Alice in first person narrative from the point of view of Alice, a university professor at the height of her career who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimerโ€™s disease; it mirrors what we went through, and sheds a fascinating light onto what my Nan must’ve gone through too.

The play honours the narrative perspective by an ingenious method of a personification of Alice’s psyche. With a dual-Alice on stage, the real Alice, played sublimely by Linda Swann, says what she believes she should say, while her conscious shadowing her, equally delivered with skill by a younger version of Alice, Sophie Kerr, offers the audience an insight into what she is thinking. Just as I suggested, with the lost time of my Nanโ€™s mind, Alice perceives herself as being younger, so this age gap works as her sense of reason, until reason runs short in her mind and her consciousness is reduced to the childlike drawing of pictures.

There are many elements to the happenings in the play which anyone who has experienced a loved one going through Alzheimerโ€™s or dementia will recognise, and tears might trickle. There’s periods of thought-provoking awkward silence, intense confrontation at others, when the confusion turns to frustration. There’s poignant reality and touching scenes as the family come to terms with Alice’s deteriorating mind. There’s thought processes from Alice exposed, causing you to identify with her greater than that of her family; a window into the mindset of anyone suffering with this terrible condition.

Overall, akin to a film like Schindler’s List, this is a play you might not want to face, oh, but you must, and you should. 

Still Alice is evoking brilliance, you will leave impelled to discuss the subject further. It raises awareness of this horrifying condition and doesnโ€™t meander from this for any purposes of entertainment. On the impaired particularly, the sentiment is pragmatic, but also in her relationship with her family and their emotions, all poignantly represented and acted with believable precision by John Myles, as the calm under pressure husband, Adam Sturges as the solicitude son, and Kezia Richards as the estranged daughter.

Still Alice raises awareness about Alzheimerโ€™s or dementia in a similar way as Barry Levinsonโ€™s Rain Man raised awareness of autism, but only if we could have seen into the mind of Raymond would it be any more comparable. Thatโ€™s the beauty of theatre, this is a play with the power to change you.ย 

Still Alice runs at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes from September 1st until September 6th 2025, Tickets HERE or at Devizes Books.

World Alzheimerโ€™s Day is Sunday 21st September. You can find more information about local dementia groups at Alzheimerโ€™s Support, and sign up for their Walk to Remember at Wilton House, HERE.

Trending……

Burning the Midday Oil at The Muck

Highest season of goodwill praises must go to Chrissy Chapman today, who raised over ยฃ500 (at the last count) for His Grace Childrenโ€™s Centre inโ€ฆ

St John’s Choir Christmas Concert in Devizes

Join the St Johnโ€™s Choir and talented soloists for a heart-warming evening of festive favourites, carols, and candlelit Christmas atmosphere this Friday 12 th Decemberโ€ฆ

For Now, Anyway; Gus White’s Debut Album

Featured Image: Barbora Mrazkova My apologies, for Marlboroughโ€™s singer-songwriter Gus Whiteโ€™s debut album For Now, Anyway has been sitting on the backburner, and itโ€™s moreโ€ฆ

Wiltshire Music Centre Announces First New Season Under New Leadership

Wiltshire Music announces a new season for Autumn Winter: and the first under the new leadership of Daniel Clark, Artistic Director and Sarah Robertson, Executive Directorโ€ฆ.

Since first opening in 1997, Wiltshire Music Centre has been a musical hub, bringing the best in live performances to the area as well as providing a home for local orchestras, choirs and music groups. The upcoming season will feature returning WMC favourites while also spotlighting exciting new artists and expanding the programme, signalling a fresh direction and commitment to musical discovery.

Audiences can look forward to internationally recognised artists including a first visit to WMC by Kingโ€™s Place resident ensemble and Southbank Resident Orchestra,โ€ฏAurora Orchestra (21 Nov) a rare UK appearance by the phenomenal Bill Frisell Trio (22 Nov), classical season opener by Roderick Williams, one of the UKโ€™s most sought after baritones, alongside theโ€ฏCarducci Quartet, (28 Sep) and experimental folk singer-poet Richard Dawson (9 Nov), among others.

Other classical season highlights include celebrated Baroque violinistโ€ฏRachel Podgerโ€ฏperforming withโ€ฏBrecon Baroqueโ€ฏ(8 Oct) and returns to the WMC stage by virtuosic pianist,โ€ฏJeneba Kanneh-Masonโ€ฏ(Sun 26 Oct) andโ€ฏI Fagiolini, who bring their musical storytelling back to the stage with leading local choir, Bath Camerata (13 Dec).โ€ฏThe Young Artist Programme supporting the brightest young stars is back with Classic FM 2024 Rising Star and violinist Nathan Amaral (17 Dec) and Syrian-British pianist, Riyad Nicolas (12 Nov), exploring piano works from Bach, Beethoven and the Arab World.

A season of sensational jazz kicks off with Giacomo Smith and an all-star line-up celebrating 100 years of Louis Armstrong (27 Sep), a tribute to Nina Simone by Lady Nade, contemporary jazz and inventive improv from Danish Jazz Awards winners Jasper Hoibyโ€™s 3Elements, and much more.โ€ฏ

Alongside traditional folk offerings of Gypsy, folk inspired music by Budapest Cafe Orchestra (15 Nov) and โ€œworld-folkโ€ by Dallahan (31 Oct), the line-up also features contemporary sounds, including spellbinding Welsh triple harpist and vocalist Cerys Hafana (18 Oct), the critically acclaimed duo The Breath (2 Nov), and London folktronica band Tunng (19 Nov). 

Families can look forward to CBeebies Musical superhero and Podcast host, Nick Cope and his festive themed show (7 Dec) while earlier in the year, thereโ€™s a Halloween special for all the family with The Paper Cinema (1 Nov) and their immersive puppetry and visuals.

Referring to the Centreโ€™s rich history, Daniel Clark says โ€œWith these concerts, we have aimed to honour the spirit of musical curiosity so present in those early days, with a diverse programme spanning past, present and future. In our next season, you will find a collection of extraordinary musical experiences, handpicked for our wonderful auditorium and marking the start of our own journeys as stewards of this special venue.โ€ 

Daniel Clark joined in January this year, alongside Sarah Robertson. Sarah was previously Director of Communications and Special Projects at Bristol Beacon, leading the marketing and rebranding of the venueโ€™s ยฃ132 million transformation. Daniel, with over 25 years in the arts as a Creative Director, composer, and musician, formerly led the Creative Programme at the Story Museum in Oxford.

Highlights:

Aurora Orchestra: one of the most innovative and boundary-breaking ensembles in classical music make their WMC debut performing Mendelssohnโ€™s much-loved โ€œItalian Symphonyโ€, and Prokofievโ€™s expressive Violin Concerto No 2 with Chloe Hanslip โ€“ all performed from memory. (21 Nov 2025) 

Bill Frisell Trio: Wiltshire Music Centre welcomes legendary jazz guitarist and composer and his acclaimed trio featuring Thomas Moran on bass and Rudy Royston on drums. This will be just one of a handful of UK performances, that includes the London Jazz Festival. (22 Nov 2025) 

Artist Residency: Groundbreaking clarinettist, active educator and composer Giacomo Smith performs a series of concerts: โ€œThe 1925โ€ (27 Sep) celebrating 100 years of Louis Armstrong featuring UKโ€™s jazz talents, Joe Webb and Laura Hurd; Giacomo Smith + Wiltshire Youth Jazz Orchestra (12 Oct), a special afternoon of brilliant big band magic with talented young musicians; Giacomo Smith & Mozes Rosenberg โ€œManoucheโ€ (14 Nov), a special quartet project paying homage to Djanjo Reinhardtโ€™s musical legacy.

Penguin Cafe Plays Music from Penguin Cafe Orchestra: The sounds of Music from the cult avant-pop band of the 80s & 90s is played by group founded by Arthur Jeffes, son of the original creator, Simon (18 Nov)

Little Rituals presents Heliocentrics: Special event presented by Bradford on Avonโ€™s coolest coffee shop, Little Rituals: an evening of psychedelic-funk-jazz, audio-visuals, pop- up vinyl shop run by Melkshamโ€™s indie record shop, Doubles and cocktails. (29 Nov)

Tickets are now on sale from HERE.ย 

Trending…..

Devizes Rising Star Jess Self in Final for West End Kids

If youโ€™ve seen Jess Self performing at the Wharf Theatre, singing at the FullTone Festival or elsewhere Iโ€™m certain youโ€™ll agree with us; Jess has that star quality which lights up the stageโ€ฆ..

At 13 Jess won Vernon Kayโ€™s Talent Nation, studied performing arts at Trowbridgeโ€™s Stagecoach and has appeared in many productions including Devizes Music Academy’s Six:Teen, The Railway Children and lead roles in more pantomimes at The Wharf Theatre than I could name!

Weโ€™re delighted to hear Jess has made the final seven hopefuls for West End Kids, the UKโ€™s renowned pre-professional company for musical theatre training and elite performance. From hundreds of entries, the final seven young contestants are decided by public vote, to win a scholarship for their training programme.

Jess said, โ€œthe first show I ever went to watch was Matilda when I was 9, after the show I said I want to do thisโ€™ and I haven’t stopped singing since. This would be a dream come true for me!โ€

Now, this is where you come in, interactive which we are! Please help Jess reach the dream, vote for her and support local talent. Vote HERE by entering your name, and confirming by email. Voting ends this Sunday, 3rd August, so donโ€™t delay.

We wish you the very best of luck, Jess! 

WEK: Star National Singing Competition – Final 7

Strange Days Festival Brings Brian Blessed and Henge to The Barge on HoneyStreet in September

With your standard festivals two-to-a-penny, some consisting of not much more than a bloke with a guitar in a pub selling undercooked and overpriced hotdogs, folk are hunting for the unique and often quirky exceptions. Accept The Barge at HoneyStreet always goes the extra mile as a fact. With camping and weekly events so good it’s like a little festival there most of the time, and their homemade HoneyFest still looming on our calendar this September one caught both my eyes and ears; it’s not just unique, it’s otherworldlyโ€ฆ..

Our legendary and beloved Barge Inn, long considered a nexus for crop circles, cosmic curiosity, and canal-side wonder, will host the inaugural Strange Days Festival, a bold new gathering of curious minds, music, and mystery; intrigued huh?!

And leading the charge into the unknown? They’re truly blessed to have none other than the inimitable Brian Blessed, Britainโ€™s booming-voiced national treasure. As a headline speaker on the Saturday afternoon, Blessed, known for his larger-than-life presence and deep fascination with both earthly and cosmic exploration, not to mention his own real-life cryptid investigations, is surely worth the ticket stub alone. If “Gordon’s alive,” let’s hope he’s not moored at the Barge in September!

โ€œStrange Days Festival is a celebration of the unexplained, rooted in the Fortean tradition: a space where the strange is taken seriously, but not solemnly,โ€ organiser Matt Page of Area 51 explained, and he should know. Area 51 Design provides world-class performances, costumed characters, and cutting edge themed decor to events worldwide, from Glastonbury to the Seychelles.

I had a gander at their Facebook page and was left in awe at their quality bizarre installations, pioneers in this art movement to create feasts for the eyes of festival-goers. But back to Strange Days, indeed.

There’s talks and panels on cryptozoology, folklore, the paranormal and other such shenanigans. This includes legendary underground cartoonist Hunt Emerson, an inspiration to me in my scribbling days of yore, cryptozoologist Richard Freeman, Ian Simmons, editor of Fortean Times, and various other podcasters, artists, authors and researchers.

The festival’s ethos invites attendees to question the world around them, with curiosity, critical thinking, and a sense of cosmic humour. But we’ve only just got started, for when day turns to night, the mystery turns to music. With an electrifying line-up of live bands, DJs and performance art, our interstellar heroes Henge headline. 

If you’ve not witnessed their high-energy, intergalactic spectacle before, what planet are you on? I trekked to The Cheese and Grain to investigate them, here’s my take on it, and the bonkers support I mentioned, Paddy Steer is also playing Strange Days. With their message of peace, rave, and galactic unity, Henge are the perfect sonic ambassadors for the spirit of Strange Days.

Plus, naturally, if QTV’s Quentin Smirhes and Comfrey aroused your unnatural senses and turned your head towards social distancing worm helmets during lockdown, you’ll be concerned Sean Reynard will be there, along with Calne’s Real Cheesemakers, with or without their tortoise.

โ€œThis isnโ€™t a conspiracy circus or a sci-fi cosplay,โ€ Matt promises. โ€œItโ€™s a space for real inquiry, meaningful discussion, and a very good time. We’re bringing together the serious and the surreal, the cerebral and the celebratory.โ€ Okay I get that, but you know those human fans of Henge will bring the plasma ball hats anyway!!

If aliens are to visit us, this is surely the best weekend to do so. Therefore I’m going above and beyond our usual local network, calling all galactic lifeforms, space cadets and fortean fans, for this, on our doorstep, looks more like a porthole to another world rather than the typical half-baked efforts at a festie!

Strange Days Festival is at The Barge on HoneyStreet from 5th to 7th September 2025. Tickets and info HERE, or at your nearest interstellar space port, located near Alpha Centauri.

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Schools Out For Summer: Here’s Some Things to Do in Wiltshire!

Schools out for summer, yelled a man called Alice, but that was in 1972. We’re about what you can do THIS school summer holiday with those little munchkins; here’s what we’ve found…

Please note as soon as we publish this we’ll be bombarded with events we have missed; at least that’s what usually happens! So, bookmark this article as it will update, as will our event calendar, as soon-(ish) as they come to us! Do not fear, we’ll help you through this period, parents, and prevent you having bored kids and compulsory wine-o’clock!

WC says school hollibobs begin Thursday 24th July and parents are freed on Monday 1st September, but we’ve found stuff from Monday 21st, so let’s get this ball rolling from there…..

Ongoing throughout the summer hols….

Boomerang, Melksham

Kids Activities at Bowood House

Longleat Summer Carnival

Friends of Jesus Children’s Summer Holiday Club @ Southbroom School, Devizes

Mon 21st July

Wed 23rd July

BSO On Your Doorstep Concert @ Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon

Fitzgraham Academy of Dance โ€“ Mythos @ The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon

(26th July)  The Jungle Book @  Salisbury Playhouse

Fri 25th July

Sat 26th July

Mon 28th July

Tues 29th July

Summer Chocolate Experience (Adult & Child/Teen) @ HollyChocs, Poulshot

Thurs 31st July

Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance Teddy Bear’s Picnic @ Semington Base, Trowbridge

Fri 1st August

Kidโ€™s Summer Art Club @ Wiltshire Scrapstore, Lacock

Threads: Clothing, Memory and Identity

Origami Aeroplanes Workshop @ Trowbridge Museum

(-6th Aug) Devising Drama @ Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon

(-8th Aug) PLUK Song-Writing Club @ Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon

(-8th Aug) LEGO Stopframe Animation Workshop @ Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avo

The Most Perilous Comedie of Elizabeth I @ Old Town Bowl, Swindon

Sat 2nd August

Brick Creative Club with Trowbridge Library

The Arc Open Day
Ice Cream & Bubbles Festival

Circus Skills Workshop @ Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon

Friends Summer Tea Party @ Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon

Mon 4th August

Lights Up, Sounds Down – Quiet Opening

Tues 5th August

COOKERY CLASS FOR ADULTS & TEENS WITH COMPLEX NEEDS
Summer Holidays: Autism Friendly Quiet Time
Trio Paradis Family Concert: Planes, Trains & Automobiles
ATBShop Warminster Skate Park Event

Craft Day @ The Shires, Trowbridge

Wed 6th August

Drama Tots @ Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon

Little Piccolos @ Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon

Exhibition On Screen: Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition

Thurs 7th August

Summer Pirate Cruises From The Wharf, Devizes

COOK TOGETHER (ADULT & CHILD) – ITALIAN FEAST

Kidโ€™s Summer Art Club @ Wiltshire Scrapstore, Lacock

Childrenโ€™s Tie Dye T-shirt Workshop @ Trowbridge Museum

Rock The Tots Summer Party @ Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon

Fri 8th August

Kidโ€™s Summer Art Club @ Wiltshire Scrapstore, Lacock

Mermaid Dance Party @ Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon

Paddingtonโ€™s First Concert @ Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon

Sat 9th August

Curious Kids: Under the Sea @ Wiltshire Museum, Devizes

Seend Fete

Story Time @ Trowbridge Library

Swindon & Wiltshire Pride

Tues 12th August

Make your own musical – (14-18’s) with Emily Malcolm
Writing (and performing?) your words – (11-14’s) with Saili Katebe

Wed 13th August

Junk Modelling (ages 5+) @ Trowbridge Museum

Thurs 14th August

Kidโ€™s Summer Art Club @ Wiltshire Scrapstore, Lacock

Balloon Modelling @ The Shires, Trowbridge

Pewsey Moviola at the Bouverie Hall

(-14th-16th Aug) Annie @ The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon

Fri 15th August

Kidโ€™s Summer Art Club @ Wiltshire Scrapstore, Lacock

Fearlessly Taylor @ Town Gardens Bowl Town Gardens, Swindon

Sat 16th August

Colour Rush
Confetti Battle

Sun 17th August

Mon 18th August

Holiday Club at Southbroom St James Academy, Devizes

A Churches Together in Devizes Holiday Club is taking place from Monday the 18th to Friday the 22nd of August at Southbroom St James Acadamy in Nursteed Road. The sessions are from 9.45am to 12.30pm each day, and itโ€™s for children going into school years one to seven in September. Go along and make new friends this summer. Thereโ€™ll be Bible stories, games, activities, crafts, songs, drame, and much more. Thereโ€™s a suggested donation of ยฃ1 per day. Email devizeschurches.holidayclub@gmail.com for further information and booking details.

(-22nd Aug) Musical in a Week! @ Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon

Tues 19th August


Crafting with Leather @ Wiltshire Scrapstore, Lacock

11+ 2 DAY COOKERY CAMP – AUGUST
Make-up for stage – (11-14’s) with Anna Randall

Wed 20th August

Horrible Histories: Gorgeous Georgians and Vile Victorians @ The Wyvern, Swindon

Thurs 21st August

Kidโ€™s Summer Art Club @ Wiltshire Scrapstore, Lacock

COOK TOGETHER (ADULT & TEEN 14+) – ASIAN FEAST
Comedy writing (and performing?) – (14-18’s) with Angie Belcher
Costume design/making – (11-14’s) with Lottie Bywaters

Fri 22nd August

Meet Stitch & Bluey at Hillworth Park! | Fri 22nd August

Kidโ€™s Summer Art Club @ Wiltshire Scrapstore, Lacock

https://thefarmcookeryschool.co.uk/event/cook-together-adult-child-pastry/
Bat & Moth Evening at Baydons Meadow
Vicky Jackson as Pink

Sat 23rd August

Summer Fete at Devizes Scout Hall

The Last Baguette: Bin Rat at The Corsham Almshouses

In The Night Garden Live@ The Wyvern, Swindon

Sun 24th August

Crofton in Steam – August Steaming weekend

Mon 25th August

Balloon Modelling @ The Shires, Trowbridge

Tues 26th August

4+ SUPERSTARS
7+ SUPERCOOKS
Acting improvisation and creating scenes (14-18’s) with Deepraj Singh
Instruments and DJ’ing – (11-14’s) with Mark Lodge

Wed 27th August

11+ HOLIDAY CLUB

Flowers And Friendship Bracelets โ€“ The Ultimate Pop Concert @ The Wyvern, Swindon

Thurs 28th August

COOK TOGETHER (ADULT & CHILD) – SUMMER TREATS

Fri 29th August

Hot Air Balloon Weaving (ages 5+) @ Trowbridge Museum

Sat 30th August

Devizes Carnival Parade

Kennet & Avon Summer Floating Fayre @ the Barge, HoneyStreet

MELKSHAM FOOD & RIVER FESTIVAL

Calne Food Festival

Malmesbury Carnival

West of England Youth Orchestra with Leia Zhu @ Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon

The Amazing Bubble Man

That’s all Folks! Back to school. Parents, breath out and relax!

Supergrass Headline Frome Festival to Support Local Community Action Group

Britpop icons Supergrass will headline Frome Festival as a fundraising event for grassroots community action group โ€˜People for Packsaddleโ€™ who are fighting to save a much-loved local green space from development…….

The Cheese and Grain made a last-minute announcement of the concert slated for Friday 11th July as part of the Festival, crashing their site with fans eager to find out more.

Toby Culff, spokesperson for โ€˜People for Packsaddleโ€™ explained, โ€œThe proceeds from this event are being donated to our local community action group, People for Packsaddle, to support us in our ongoing battle to protect the area known as Packsaddle Community Fields, in Frome, from development. Despite hundreds of objections and the planning application being refused by Somerset Council, the developers are taking it to an Appeal. For us to fight the Appeal and be represented by a full legal team comes with a significant financial cost.โ€

Culff continued, โ€œThe fields are a designated Asset of Community Value and a crucial, irreplaceable resource for local people and wildlife, and for Frome as a whole. By coming along to this gig, people will be supporting positive community action whilst also helping to protect the environment.โ€

The drummer of Supergrass, Danny Goffey, who lives in Frome, is a big supporter of this initiative and this offers the perfect opportunity to give something back to the community.

The indie rock legends are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their seminal chart-topping debut album โ€˜I Should Cocoโ€™ by playing it in full and then drawing from their endless greatest hits, proving they’re still at the top of their game. Bursting onto the scene in the mid-90s and channelling their iconic energy, Supergrass shot to fame with anthems like Alright, Caught by the Fuzz and Mansize Rooster. Three decades on, their live shows are as cool as ever, and fans can expect an unforgettable night from a band who helped define an era.

Support comes from Lumley, who describe themselves as โ€œlurking in the Indie pop bargain bin, Fromeโ€™s finest exponents of stealing all of your favourite hits and misses from the โ€˜90sโ€. Lead singer Micheal โ€˜Fordyโ€™ Ford, who is also a concert promoter, stated, โ€œFirst of all this show is for Frome and the ridiculous proposal to build at Packsaddle. We stand with our brothers and sisters of People for Packsaddle. Secondly, itโ€™s just awesome! Supergrass at Bath Moles in 1994 changed everything for me and I finally found MY band!โ€

In true Frome community spirit, the Town Crier, Martin Scott, will be acting as Master of Ceremonies at this one-night-only benefit. Attendees can expect some of his trademark humorous rhyming couplets. Scott shared on social media, โ€œWe are young, we run greenโ€ฆand weโ€™re running full speed towards a night of righteous revelry! Supported by the fabulous Lumley, it promises to be alright, alright, alright! So gather ye, good people of Frome โ€“ for common land, common good, and uncommon talent! Let the bell ring, the chords chime, and the wild ones ride again!โ€

People for Packsaddleโ€™s Toby Culff expressed, โ€œWe are enormously grateful to Supergrass, the Cheese and Grain, local band Lumley and Frome Festival for their support in ensuring this crucial fundraiser can go ahead, as well as to everyone who comes along and enjoys the gig and helps us achieve our goal of saving the fields from development. We wonโ€™t stand by and let developers ride roughshod over democratic, locally made decisions – this fundraising event is going to really help us achieve this aim!โ€

Frome Festival Director, Adam Laughton, explained, โ€œSupergrass headlining Frome Festival is further evidence of the cultural significance of this amazing town, continually punching well above its weight. Enormous thanks to the individuals who have made this happen, as well as Cheese & Grain and People for Packsaddle,โ€ adding, โ€œThis event is the cherry on top of a sensational 10 days of activity kicking off on Friday 4th July. Over 280 events in over 50 venues โ€“ thereโ€™s truly something for everyone.โ€

FROME FESTIVAL is taking place from 4th to 13th July 2025 with its most ambitious and wide-ranging programme to date. This much-loved annual celebration of arts, culture, and community continues to grow in scope and imagination, bringing together world-class performers, local talent, and a wealth of unique experiences across the town.

Additional musical highlights this year include performances from the Ronnie Scottโ€™s All Stars, acclaimed songwriter and producer Guy Chambers (most well-known for his work with Robbie Williams), Brodsky Quartet,  the Miki Berenyi Trio (formerly of Lush), Tom Moth (harpist with Florence + The Machine), Gary Stringer (Reef), Rokia Konรฉ (from Les Amazones d’Afrique), and the dynamic Hackney Colliery Band.

The comedy line-up features some of the UKโ€™s most distinctive voices, with headline sets from Lou Sanders, Andy Zaltzman, and the return of firm favourites Jarred Christmasโ€™ Pop-Up Comedy. Lou Sanders, Andy Zaltzman, and the return of firm favourites Jarred Christmasโ€™ Pop-Up Comedy.

This yearโ€™s Bob Morris Lecture will be presented by historian, author and broadcaster Professor Kate Williams, offering fresh insight into a thousand years of Britainโ€™s palaces, monarchs – and all the royal secrets.

The family-friendly programme includes free events for children, funded by Frome Town Council. Festival-goers can also enjoy the return of cherished community events such as the Hidden Gardens, the Frome Open Art Trail, and the Food Feast, featuring live music from up-and-coming indie rock band Nothing Rhymes With Orange, bluegrass with percussive step dance from Buffalo Gals, and soul collective Kaleida Wild. Entrance to the Food Feast on Saturday 5th July is free.

The theme for 2025, Fromeโ€™s historic textile industry, is woven through the festivalโ€™s branding, artwork, and a variety of textile-inspired events that pay tribute to the townโ€™s rich industrial heritage. These range from the traditional, for example weaving and woad dyeing workshops, to the contemporary, such as a themed AR (Augmented Reality) history quest and a silent disco comedy walk. The yarn bombing competition โ€˜Make Frome Knit Again!โ€™ seeks to decorate the public spaces of Frome for the duration of the Festival.

A free printed festival brochure is available from the Cheese & Grain and other local outlets. The full programme and ticket information can also be found online at www.fromefestival.co.uk

https://www.cheeseandgrain.com/events/supergrass/

REVIEW โ€“ White Horse Operaโ€™s Cosi Fan Tutte @ Assembly Rooms โ€“ Saturday 21st June 2025

Another Triumph for WHO

Andy Fawthrop

Following the excellent recent production of La Belle Helene at Devizesโ€™ Wharf Theatre back in March (see here), White Horse Opera (WHO) have triumphed yet again by bringing their production of Mozartโ€™s Cosi Fan Tutte to D-Town.ย ย 

Cosรฌ fan tutte is an opera buffa in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was first performed on 26 January 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte (who also wrote Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni).ย  Cosรฌ fan tutte, literally means “So do they all”, using the feminine plural (tutte) to indicate women. It is usually translated into English as “women are like that”.ย  Weโ€™ll get to that in a minute.

Mozart and Da Ponte used the idea of “fiancรฉe swapping”, which is a recurring theme dating back to at least the 13th century; notable earlier versions are found in Boccaccio’s Decameron, and Shakespeare’s play Cymbeline. Elements from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and The Taming of the Shrew are also present.  Whilst itโ€™s likely that nowadays weโ€™d see such an idea as somewhat โ€œproblematicalโ€, in opera terms such unacceptable behaviour is seen merely as a comic problem to be resolved with a neat and happy ending.

So it was that White Horse Opera (WHO) brought this sparkling jewel to life last night in the elegant surroundings of the Assembly Room in the Town Hall.  Unlike many operas requiring a large cast, chorus and orchestra, Cosi Fan Tutte can be played with only six singers and a pianist, and this made it a perfect piece to transport into a smaller, intimate atmosphere.  Using a simple backdrop, a few screens and virtually no props, the production was allowed to breathe.  The spoken dialog and the songs (all in English) were straightforward and easy to follow, allowing the comedy to shine through (although there was a helpful synopsis in the programme too).  This minimalist approach, thanks to Lewis Cowenโ€™s staging, and Roland Meliaโ€™s musical direction, kept it all as light as a feather.

All six singers excelled in their roles, and it would be invidious to single any one of them out.  Seriously โ€“ they were all on cracking form. The solos, duets and ensemble pieces were all well-delivered, glittering like jewels in a crown.  And the โ€œseventhโ€ member of the cast, pianist Tony James, who was on-stage throughout every scene in this two-act production, provided exactly the right supportive, yet under-stated, musical platform for the singers to really shine.

I loved this production โ€“ it was a chance to get up close to the stage and the mechanics of the performances, and to chat with the performers during the interval and afterwards.  It was as far as it was possible to be from the โ€œgrand ideaโ€ of opera โ€“ i.e. a big cast production in a large gilded opera house with all the social trimmings and conventions.  It proved, if proof be needed, that such a stripped-back delivery can provide all of the good things about opera, but without the concomitant fripperies.

To take such themes as love, trust, fidelity, deception, betrayal, forgiveness and reconciliation, to say nothing of the supposed โ€œweakness of womenโ€, and the cynical view of Don Alfonso that (to quote someone more contemporary) โ€œif you canโ€™t be with the one you love, then love the one youโ€™re withโ€, and to deliver all this up in less than two and a quarter hours, was no mean feat.  Leaving aside the dubious morality of testing fidelity by swapping girl-friends, using (deliberately risible) disguises, the manipulation if others by the main character, and the portrayal of women as weak characters who simply canโ€™t help themselves, sits uncomfortably with a modern audience.  But, hey, this is comic opera, and you need to join in with the joke.  Yes, itโ€™s all very contrived and very silly, but thatโ€™s how comic opera works.  And you can see exactly where Gilbert & Sullivan were coming from when they unleashed their satirical take on many of these devices.

So โ€“ an absolutely spiffing and hats-off production by WHO.  Sparkling staging and singing, and all completely accessible.  Do go and see them whenever you get chance.  Weโ€™re so lucky to have such a talented outfit working in and around our town.

Bravo!

CAST

Fiordiligiโ€“ Barbara Gompels

Dorabellaโ€“ Paula Boyagis

Guglielmo โ€“ Jon Paget

Ferrando โ€“ Robert Felstead

Despina โ€“Toni Johnstone

Don Alfonso โ€“ Robin Jukes

Musical Director Roland Melia, Stage Director Lewis Cowen, Pianist Tony James

White Horse Opera are based in Devizes and regularly perform operas around Wiltshire and beyond.

Findย  out more HERE

Devizes Arts Festival Relive the Eighties with Riviera Dogsย 

Together in Electric Dreamsโ€ฆ. at The Corn Exchange

Fashionably late for Devizes Arts Festival, I’d like to thank Andy and Ian for informative coverage of some complex events to review, whilst I took the easier route; rocked up for the last Saturday evening party like I was Prince, stole a fluorescent trilby and dad-danced around my bum-bag until they switched the final disco ball offโ€ฆ..

Iโ€™ll be honest, with my diddy-boppers cover band radar on high alert and leg warmers in the wash, I wasnโ€™t expecting to stay until the final curtain, for what seemed from the outside to be a refined generation X school disco. I could also get as pedantic as Mary Whitehouse; the band promised eighties, but the name Riviera Dogs is obviously a play on a 1992 Tarantino movie title; quibble when compared to the fantastic night they delivered.

As bang on cue as waiting for Top of the Pops each Friday, Riviera Dogs fired their flux capacitor and dropped Devizes Corn Exchange into the middle of the decade theyโ€™d pay homage to, with an exemplary cover of Go Westโ€™s We Close Our Eyes. From the off it was obvious this five-piece were some way above your average function band. Attendees wasted no bashful time finding a spot on the floor and dancing like it was 1985 again, even those few not old enough to recall it the first time around, (like me, a-hem!)

From there, everybody wanted to rule the world with Tears for Fears and I just died in Cutting Crewโ€™s arms as Riviera Dogs played their trump cards early. Mid-eighties power ballads were their calling, they were proficiently and professionally good at them. Seems they tour the nationwide retro circuit rather than play functions, for if they were to play a wedding itโ€™d overshadow the attention the happy couple would receive!

This said, many function bands use both male and female vocalists for songs, respectively according to the gender of the front person, and I wondered, if eighties pop hits were truly to be covered comprehensively some Madge, Cyndi Lauper and Kylie, to mention but a few, wouldnโ€™t have gone a miss with a female singer as proficient and entertaining as the existing male counterpart.

But as it was, it was a highly entertaining show, full of lively play, relevant and amusing nods to eighties trends which roused the crowds and caused them to reflect on their heyday; thatโ€™s nostalgia on top form. They rolled out smash hit after smash hit like you were listening to a Now album, Chesney Hawkes to Don Henly and beyond. Perhaps the more rock tunes, like Springsteenโ€™s Dancing in the Dark, which though I welcomed, wasnโ€™t as precisely executed as the electronica power pop ballads, but with those so sublimely fulfilled, and the evening in full swing, the crowds simply lapped it up, and twas so subtle no one cared to notice.

At one point though, we went from one end of the decade to the other too suddenly, for me. One minute we were dancing to Buggles’ Video Killed the Radio Star next it was Bros. The scant warning being a gag about wearing Grolsch bottle tops on shoes wasnโ€™t enough for me to prepare for the paradox! This stark contrast midway mayโ€™ve corrupted my timeline but didn’t seem to bother most of the audience either, exposing quinquagenarian Brosettes in the crowd!

As a homage to eighties music several elements were missing; feminine and queer insurgence, and rebellious tenets either side of that mid-eighties march for unadulterated pop mush; punk and Two-Tone at one end, hip hop in the middle, and acid house at the latter. The eighties was about more than the pop they played so well, it was also about advances in music technology and the vast variety of sound experiments it developed. They got as close as covering The Police brilliantly, but jโ€™mon, they never even dared to account for Wacko Jacko, dammit!

It may have reflected only pop commercialisation rather than covering the entirety of a generational divide of consciousness, but this wasnโ€™t supposed to be a history lesson nor comprehensive representation, it was about having a party to celebrate the close of another glorious Devizes Arts Festival, and for that it shone. The vibe was electric, the crowd letting their hair down (or perhaps up with hairspray) for a final night to what’s been a successful and varied programme of events for Devizes Arts Festival. Well done to all involved, you are the one and only, nobody I’d rather you be, you are the one and only, I can’t take that away from you!

Long may Riviera Dogs image the eighties in Mateyโ€™s bubble bath, for it was a Bigtrak loaded with fun, and to assume from my minor critique they didn’t stray from their trump card of electronic power ballads, would be unfair, they did. The finale was a Queen medley and in their own way, they made a fine job of such a difficult trick. For what we must judge this night on is not my personal feelings of commercialisation, rather the expressions of pure delight in the crowd, and if you saw me on the night shaking my tail feather like I was thirteen again, you’d be right to suggest I lived among the creatures of the night, like Laura Branigan, and loved every moment of it too!

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REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festivalโ€“ Mark Watson โ€“ Corn Exchange – Friday 13th June 2025

Welsh Favourite Comes to Devizes

Andy Fawthrop

The Devizes Arts Festival came up with another of its heavy hitters last night with a packed house at The Corn Exchange, all ready to welcome comedian Mark Watson to the town.

Mark Watson is an English comedian, novelist and producer.ย  Born in Bristol of a Welsh mother and English father, he has adopted a somewhat Welsh lilt in his delivery.ย  Heโ€™s won a number of comedy awards and is well known from his frequent appearances on TV, as well as being a Radio 4 regular.

Introducing himself, Mark climbed on stage to do an introductory 10-15 minutes before bringing on his support act for the night โ€“ Vicky Slater.  Projecting a slightly larger-than-life persona, Vicky delivered her material well, but Iโ€™m not sure that quite all of it landed.  Her tales of coming out as gay were delightful and amusing, rather than particularly hilarious.  She at least avoided the current lazy habit some up-and-coming comedians have of trying to pick on audience members in order to prompt some witty improv, and instead stuck to her own original material.  Respect for that. She was slightly rambling and incoherent in places, but she gradually won the audience over.

After a slightly short first half and an early interval, the main man was back to deliver his set.  Mark kicked off with comparing how difficult it was being a stand-up comedian versus, say, being a brain surgeon or, prompted by an audience member, a menopause therapist.  His key criteria for the comparisons were, aside from the training and basic aptitude, the amount of sheer stress and anxiety that such an activity could induce.

This was all by way of introduction to his first main theme โ€“ stressful situations in ordinary life.  But this was no feeble Michael Macintyre โ€œobservational comedyโ€, laughing at โ€œisnโ€™t it funny whenโ€ฆ?โ€ type comments.  This was full of little anecdotes of his own personal experience that everyone could easily relate to โ€“ flying with a small airline, getting into a car thinking it was an Uber (when it wasnโ€™t), asking for help in Tesco (from someone who wasnโ€™t even an employee), dealing with a homeless man (who began to take advantage), interacting with chat-bots online (who seemed very concerned for his continued welfare after once buying some towels a few years previously), and coping with his son whose only apparent language capability seemed to be through frequent WhatsApp messages.  The situations were carefully crafted and set up before the always droll and almost exasperated punchlines.

His second โ€œthemeโ€ (if I can call it that) was around the โ€œcorporateโ€ gigs heโ€™s sometimes had to do, particularly the waste-processing and meat-processing industries.  The latterโ€™s โ€œMeat Management Awardsโ€ provided a rich vein that he mined repeatedly for jokes about sausages and how heโ€™d become โ€œan advocate for natural casingsโ€.

Against his own better judgement, heโ€™d been persuaded to use ChatGPT to create a self-description, and it had come up with โ€œa breathless delivery by a neurotic personalityโ€, and even he had to admit that it wasnโ€™t too far from the truth.  And Iโ€™d agree.  Watson came across as genuinely curious about the world, bemused by modern technology, amazed by other people, and surprised by how much of modern life created stressful situations for him.  And out of this melting pot there came a genuinely funny man.  He was self-deprecating, very natural and โ€“ no doubt about it โ€“ absolutely hilarious.

Absolute top marks to Mr Watson and to the Devizes Arts Festival for booking him.ย  Top notch. Findย  out more at www.markwatsonthecomedian.com/ย ย 

The Devizes Arts Festival continues until the night of Sunday 15th June at various venues around the town.  Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at  www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk  

REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festivalโ€“ Julian Costello Quartet โ€“ Assembly Room – Thursday 12th June 2025

Nice place.ย  Nice music. Nice.

Andy Fawthrop

The Devizes Arts Festival has almost run its course, with only a couple of days to go, but still seven events left.ย  But itโ€™s not going quietly, and last night in the Town Hallโ€™s Assembly Room was no exception……

British jazz saxophonist Julian Costello, a superbly gifted musician, composer and teacher from London, and who writes for various ensembles, was the Festivalโ€™s guest.ย  Playing tenor and soprano saxophones, he was joined by John Turville on piano, Andy Hamill on upright bass and harmonica, and Tom Hooper on drums.

The quartet has recently released their third album, โ€˜And All The Birds Were Set Freeโ€™ on the acclaimed label 33 Jazz Records, and their two sets last night featured many tracks from the album.  The albumโ€™s title is a reference to Costelloโ€™s idea that the musicians should be free to express themselves and able to fly. The pieces they played, including the title track, The Gecko, London Blue, Song For Anna and Sunflowers, were all good examples of this open, loosely-structured approach.  Each musician took his various solos easily, improvising on the scenario, but slotting into the structure laid down at the start of each piece.  The particular highlights of these for me were provided by John Turvilleโ€™s piano passages.

The original material was tempered with a leavening of jazz classics, including material from John Coltrane, La Rosita by Benny Goodman, and Carlos Jobimโ€™s If You Never Come To Me.  Costello himself, leading the quartet very much from the front, moved over from tenor to soprano sax for his composition Connections, based upon the structure of an Indian raga.  And bassist Any Hamill strayed onto a very welcome harmonica during the encore Song For Anna (written for Costelloโ€™s wife Anna Stearman).

Costelloโ€™s personal style was laid-back and chatty, bonding easily with the audience using dry humour, and the quartet were clearly very comfortable in each otherโ€™s company. Their enjoyment on stage was very evident.

After an absolute dearth of live jazz in D-Town, it was like drinking at an oasis after a long crawl through a musical desert.  But, parched as I was, I was left very slightly wanting.  The sets needed more variation in tempo, more contrast between light and shade.  Each number they played was very good, but it was slightly one-paced across the whole programme.  Donโ€™t get me wrong โ€“ this was a hugely enjoyable affair, featuring some great music in a beautiful room.  Sound and lighting were spot on (as usual).  But I was left wanting just that little bit more. More jazz please!

Findย  out more at www.juliancostello.co.uk/ย ย 

The Devizes Arts Festival continues until the night of Sunday 15th June at various venues around the town.ย  Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online atย  www.devizesartsfestival.org.ukย 

Various venues in/around D-Town โ€“ Saturday & Sunday 7/8th June 2025

Just How Big Is That Fringe? Or Two Go Myth-Busting

Andy Fawthrop

Weโ€™ve always held that D-Town is a great place to live, and one of the many reasons is that it punches well above its weight in terms of the arts and cultural events.ย  Just speaking to musicians and artists who visit the town for gigs and festivals, the feedback is always the same: theyโ€™re in awe of just how much weโ€™ve got going on here.….

Do we need to recite the list?  Oh go on then โ€“ two/ three Beer Festivals (DOCA Winter Ales, Seend, CAMRA DBF), an arts festival (DAF), a food and drink festival, Fulltone on The Green, our own theatre, two opera companies (WHO, DMT), Devizes to Westminster canoe race, Long Street Blues Club, the DOCA events (Street Festival, Colour Rush, Lantern Parade, Carnival, Picnic In The Park)โ€ฆ.I could (and usually do), go on.  Thereโ€™s pubs with regular live music (White Bear, Three Crowns, The Southgate), fairs and circuses on The Green, book clubs, sports clubsโ€ฆ(youโ€™re really going on a bit nowโ€ฆEd).

But somehow that old refrain of โ€œNothing Ever Happens In Devizesโ€ has been making a come-back of late on social media, yet it just ainโ€™t true.  But like all myths, it refuses to lie down and die.  Despite this revered organ (ooh, matron) laying out the many, many choices you might have every week, and bringing you previews and reviews of everything and anything arts-based that we can get our sticky little fingers on, some folks seem to persist in apparently finding โ€œnothingโ€ to do. So itโ€™s time to, yet again, challenge that myth and have another go at laying it to rest for once and for all.

Anywayโ€ฆ..at the moment of writing weโ€™re right in the middle of the Devizes Arts Festival fortnight, with plenty of variety to please all tastes.  But, admittedly, some of these events can command ticket prices that are unaffordable for some.  So, inspired somewhat by last weekendโ€™s wonderful free Rowdefest (thank you Darren!) and, admittedly, a bit of a โ€œrobust discussionโ€ in the pub, I decided to see just how much fun and entertainment you could enjoy over this weekend at next to no cost. Itโ€™s a challenge I decided to take on by getting off my luxury sofa, and propel myself out โ€œinto the fieldโ€ (as it were).

Armed with only a stout pair of walking boots, an inquisitive and open mind, and a supportive girlfriend, I headed out into the local area to see what I could actually come up with on Saturday and Sunday this weekend.  The results are below:

  • 1. Devizes Farmersโ€™ Market in The Market Place Bar (Saturday 9 am)
  • ยท What it was: monthly gathering of local suppliers
  • ยท What was it like?ย  Plenty of choice โ€“ venison, bread, honey, olives, cheese, bread & fruit, flowers and plants, fresh coffee, cider, cakes.ย  Plenty of good fresh stuff from suppliers within a 30 mile radius of D-Town.ย  Added to stalls in the Shambles, this is worth a half hour of anyoneโ€™s time, either for shopping or simply browsing.
  • ยท Cost: ยฃFREE
  • ยท Childrenโ€™s rating: 1/5, Adultsโ€™ rating: 4/5
  • 2. K&A Canal Walk towpath, any old time
  • ยท What it was: a c. 4 mile walk down the towpath from D-Town to Poulshot
  • ยท What was it like?ย  Lots of people out strolling or cycling, boats passing up and down the flight (an opportunity for some gomgoozling).ย  We also saw many species of birds, including four, yes four, different grey herons โ€“ such elegant birds.
  • ยท Cost: ยฃFREE
  • ยท Childrenโ€™s rating: 1/5, Adultsโ€™ rating: 5/5
  • 3. Poulshot Medicine in Nature Herbal Walk at Poulshot Village Hall (Saturday 10.30am โ€“ 12)
  • ยท What it was: a short walk led by Katherine Baldock & Simon Parkes (ecologist) around the village to explore the wild and naturalised medicinal plants growing thereabouts, and an opportunity to make some herbal vinegar after foraging the local hedgerows.
  • ยท What was it like?ย  Way too slow for me, it was part talk, part very gentle amble around the village green and woodland, part discovery of a number of wild plants.ย  We discussed culinary and medicinal uses. At least I found bits of Poulshot I didnโ€™t know about, including the pond, the specially-created woodland, and some country paths (useful for getting over to Whistley Road later on).
  • ยท Cost: ยฃ5/ person
  • ยท Childrenโ€™s rating: 0/5, Adultsโ€™ rating: 2/5
  • 4. Wiltshire Steam & Vintage Rally Lower Park Farm, Whistley Road (Saturday & Sunday 10 โ€“ 5)
  • ยท What it was:.ย  An event organised by WAPG (Wiltshire Agricultural Preservation Group), featuring static displays of steam traction engines, tractors, miniature steam engines, heavy horses, trade stalls, fairground, military vehicles, classic cars.
  • ยท What was it like? As it was chucking it down with rain as we arrived, the most welcome thing for the first half hour was the (well-stocked) beer tent.ย  I could have done without the loud piped music but, hey, it was dry and there was beer!ย  When the rain slowed down a bit we did the full circuit and there was plenty to see, the most impressive of which were the full-size old traction engines in steam (some also seen later driving through D-Town).ย  There were pop-up food outlets, fresh coffee, craft stalls and tents, a 1940s-themed tea and cakes tent, bouncy castle for the children etc.ย  The site was large with plenty of parking but, because of the rain, getting increasingly muddy.
  • ยท Cost: ยฃ10/ person + drinks
  • ยท Childrenโ€™s rating: 4/5, Adultsโ€™ rating: 4/5
  • 5. Pete Robson & J P Oldfield in The Bear, Cellar Bar (Saturday 8pm)
  • ยท What it was: foot-stomping blues from two solo performers
  • ยท What was it like?ย  Each performer used steel guitar and stomp box to deliver some hard-cutting blues.ย  CDs for sale. Not very well attended, which was a shame.ย  Perhaps it needed to be better advertised. For me Pete Robson was the better performer of the two, taking a slightly less hard-edge approach to his vocals, and mixing up the tempo, giving more light and shade to his set.ย  The cellar bar is an OK venue at best, being a rather odd shape, with very low ceiling and an only partially-stocked bar.ย  I suspect it needs to be used much more often if itโ€™s going flourish as a venue.
  • ยท Cost: ยฃFREE + drinks
  • ยท Adultsโ€™ rating: 3/5
  • ยท Note โ€“we could have also gone to see either Matchbox Mutiny/ Tom Harris in The Three Crowns or The Duskers in The Southgate (both FREE entry), but thereโ€™s only so many hours in the day!
  • 6. Crammer Watch Day on the Small Green Devizes (Sunday 11am onwards)
  • ยท What it was: a chance to meet those involved in celebrating and preserving the Crammer. RSPCA, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, Wessex Water, Friends of The Crammer, Lawrence Society of Artists, Sustainable Devizes + The Moonrakers Legend (performed at 12 noon and 1pm), photography competition, charity tombola
  • ยท What was it like?ย  We missed the Moonrakers performance, so as an experience I found it a bit thin on the ground.ย  There was little to see and do, unless you wanted to stand and chat to someone about the issues which the Crammer faces. Several stands were just offering information leaflets. Although a worthy attempt, for me personally it was just not very engaging.
  • ยท Cost: ยฃFREE
  • ยท Childrenโ€™s rating: 1/5, Adultsโ€™ rating: 1/5
  • 7. Lions on The Green on The Green (Sunday 10am -4pm)
  • ยท What it was: organised by Devizes Lions Club, a vehicle display (cars, bikes, scooters, military etc) and family fun day (lots of stalls, bar, food outlets)
  • ยท What was it like?ย  Covering the whole of the large Green, this was really excellently-well organised.ย  The central area was given over to the displays of antique, rare and sports cars.ย  Stalls had cakes, plants (from Plot 35), metal signs, honey etc.ย  There was a bouncy castle and fairground rides for children.ย  A licensed bar, coffee shop etc.ย  Lots to look at and plenty of photo opportunities. Fantasy Radio were broadcasting live from the site.
  • ยท Cost: ยฃFREE (donations to the Lions collecting buckets) + drinks
  • ยท Childrenโ€™s rating: 4/5, Adultsโ€™ rating: 5/5
  • 8. Devizes Arts Festival Free Fringe: Whiskey River (@ British Lion gardenย  Sunday 2 โ€“ 5pm)
  • ยท What it was: Roots Music From the Welsh frontier
  • ยท What was it like?ย  The trio Whiskey River played Americana, Cajun, Zydeco, Folk, Country, Blues and a smattering of Celtic music. Using guitar, fiddle, flute, harmonica, mandolin and concertina, these guys provided an excellent and enjoyable afternoon of music in the (occasional) sunshine.ย  The bar was open, and there was a BBQ going on throughout. People sitting out enjoying a drink, dogs, children, good music โ€“ perfect!
  • ยท Cost: ยฃFREE + (a large, undisclosed) drinks bill
  • ยท Childrenโ€™s rating: 3/5, Adultsโ€™ rating: 5/5
  • 9. Wood & Steel (@ The Southgate Inn Sunday 5-7pm)
  • ยท What it was: an acoustic duo playing blues, jazz and ragtime
  • ยท What was it like?ย  This duo were new to me, but I was very impressed by what I heard.ย  Two very good musicians, clearly comfortable in their own skin, played two excellent 50-minute sets and got a very well-deserved encore.ย  Lots of covers from many ages and genres, using dobro, guitar, upright bass and vocals.ย  Excellent musical accompaniment to a late, lazy Sunday afternoon. Great atmosphere too.
  • ยท Cost: ยฃFREE (donations to โ€œthe hatโ€) + more (undisclosed) drinks
  • ยท Adultsโ€™ rating: 5/5
  • ยท Note โ€“ we could also have gone to see Bodge It & Scarperย  at The White Bear (Sunday 5-7pm) playing acoustic music, but didnโ€™t hear about this until quite late.ย  Also canโ€™t be in two places at once.ย  This event was also FREE.ย ย 

In summary:

  • ยท Miles walked โ€“ about 10
  • ยท Bird species spotted โ€“ about 20, including swans, herons, jackdaws, mallard, moorhen, starlings, robins, great tits etc;
  • ยท Friends met – loads โ€“ far too many to mention!
  • ยท Total cost (for two) – ยฃ27.80 (of which ยฃ20 was for the steam fair) + the drinks (but letโ€™s not mention that bit!);
  • ยท Fun and entertainment had โ€“ loads and loads and loads;
  • ยท Well-being โ€“ absolutely knackered, but very happy.ย  Looking forward to next weekend!

Yes it all took a little bit of planning, but it wasnโ€™t that difficult really.  We walked to/ from most venues, so we got lots of other good D-Town stuff (Caen Hill locks, the towpath etc) and took only one short (cheap) bus ride when the heavens opened.  So there was plenty of exercise and fresh air to mitigate the various bits of eating and drinking.  Did I mention that the odd libation was partaken of?  And Iโ€™m not saying that EVERY weekend is quite this packed, but it certainly can be if you put your mind to it.  Bear in mind that thereโ€™s LOADS of other stuff going on โ€“ these were simply the things we happened to pick out.  There were choices โ€“ and we made them!

Nothing Ever Happens In Devizes???  Donโ€™t make me laugh.

Lions, KITT, Moonrakers and a Whiskey River; Sunday Stroll Around Devizes

If it’s good enough for Knight Rider it’s good enough for me. I see the Hoff ditched his Knight Industries Three Thousand on the Green for a stroll around Devizes on Sunday. He probably found a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent in a world of criminals who operate above the law, whereas I ended up at the British for a scrumpy or threeโ€ฆ.

Image: Simon Folkard Photography

Unlike some guys who act like Spongebob Squarepants on his tenth bag of Haribo at Chessington World of Adventures, I can only get yay excited about a car show. But Devizes Lions do it with cherries onโ€ฆ and debatably false advertising. There were no lions on the Green, but it was Lions on the Green this Sunday past, an annual free fete/car show crossover which never fails to appeal universally; kids nag mums for Rowdey Cow ice cream while dads furiously argue for three hours with a total stranger in sandals that the Mk2 2.8 Injection Granada handles better than the Mk1 with a 3.0 V6 engine.

Image: Simon Folkard Photography

I browse unacquainted with such matters, unfazed by contemporary cock extensions, but in admiration of vintage, retro cars and those with a movie reference attached. Every local from MP Brian Matthews to Pete of Vinyl Realm, and outsiders like Marty McFly have brought their big boy toys along to display, as Fantasy Radio blast Gary Numan. It’s a sunny morning, it’s a lovely occasion, it’s raising funds, and there’s nothing to dislike about it. 

Image: Simon Folkard Photography

Cars ticked off, hot dog and an extended conversation with a detectorist who’d discovered a variety of civil war shots and cannonballs on Roundway, if the Lions on the Green is a great and unbroken walkthrough event it coincided with Crammer Watch Day further along on, at the Little Green.

With long term solutions outstanding for unsafe conditions for wildfowl on the Crammer, there appears to be a far more communal tenet between concerned residents and the council compared to the outcry a few years ago, and this day was intended rather to celebrate the Crammer than address expensive possible solutions. As it stands, the simple fix is to raise public awareness that the only escape route for swans is across the roadside and they should apply caution when driving throughโ€ฆ.please.

With live painting from the Lawrence Arts Society, stands from the RSPCA, Sustainable Devizes and hosts Friends of The Crammer, conservation was a topic, if overshadowed somewhat by historical tomfoolery, which was something new to the day and personally my highlight.

Image: Simon Folkard Photography

A random team of amateur thespians, some from the Wharf Writers Group and others along for the giggle and wearing of knitted beards, staged a short promenade satirical play โ€œreenactingโ€ the fable of the moonrakers, aptly at The Crammer. The premise didn’t sound so inspiring to me, and I thought I might have to hold my tongue. The actuality surprised me, it was absolutely brilliant!

Image: Simon Folkard Photography

Pythonesque humour delivered with skill on a local legend, deliberately naff props such as a paddling pool for the pond, and astutely scripted silliness, it was indigenous and hilariously original.

Image: Simon Folkard Photography

Authenticity deliberately skewed for amusement; they couldn’t have done this anywhere else but here, the setting of the beloved fable, which is amusing enough without the added gags. Francis Grose was a witty Victorian chubster and nothing more needs to upset the applecart about the origin of the moonrakers, as this wasn’t intending to proclaim historic fact checking rather to amuse, which a country gent in Harris Tweed with a carrot in his mouth pretending to be a donkey will inevitably achieve.

Image: Simon Folkard Photography

I don’t know where the Hoff got to, but he missed a rarer treat than reuniting with Pamela Anderson for a titillating slow-motion beach jog. Oh, and a whistle stop to Morrisons was a let down culturally compared to what was outside. Along the road I shrug at a classic bus, for its appearance would’ve been more expected trekking the Sahara than parked outside the faithfully traditional British Lion, and there was no explanation for it being there.

Nevertheless I’m one step away from the bar, pondering if there’s one thing expected in Devizes: it’s that The British Lion doesn’t change, because it doesn’t need to. With Devizes Arts Festival is full swing, they’ve arranged a Cwmbran roots trio called Whiskey River to play us some of their sublime classic rock covers, Celtically, with a deep southern Americana twist, as a free fringe event; I cannot argue with this.

Devizes live music aficionados amassed and were thankful, as if they needed an excuse for a pint and fundraising burger from the barbecue. The British Lion is a fond institution, Whiskey River was a great break from our usual circuit, The Lions put on a brilliant and well organised family event, Crammer Watch added to an already great day and those awesome actors with rakes did make us laugh as promised.

It was all too much for me, the White Bear and Southgate continued the music, but I needed a little lie down, while our roving reporter Andy outdone me, partying like Prince in 1999, so I’m also putting up his account of weekend adventures for it’s fuller, far more informative and factually accurate than mine, even if it doesn’t mention Pamela Anderson, because really, she didn’t show. Devizes though, doesn’t need Pam, the fun never stops here, Sunday proved it.

Image: Simon Folkard Photography

REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festivalโ€“ Anna Ling โ€“ St Andrewโ€™s Church – Thursday 5th June 2025

Another Little Sweetie In The Jar

Andy Fawthrop

Well the Devizes Arts Festival is in full swing now, with several events already under its belt.ย  Thereโ€™s stuff cropping up every day, so I took the chance to pop in to a much-underused venue in the town St Andrewโ€™s Church on Long Street.….

After several big-ticket shows in the programme, it was a pleasure to settle down to something a little more modest, a more bread-and-butter item if you like.ย  Mid-week lunchtime isnโ€™t going to be a time to attract a particularly large audience, even on market day, but a good few hardy souls turned up to at least create a good audience atmosphere.

Anna Ling, a performer Iโ€™d not personally come across before, is a guitarist and singer/songwriter.  Her creative work and sense of purpose are deeply rooted in her love of bringing people together through song. This passion shapes her life, guiding her from leading community choirs to performing at venues, care homes, and world-class festivals.

In a concert co-promoted with the charity, Live Music Now, Anna delivered a professional and engaging 50-minute set which featured both her own material along with a few covers.  She worked hard to engage the audience right from the kick-off, inviting us into her world.  The performance was light and humorous, heartfelt and intimate.  And she was determined that we were not just going to sit back and listen to her, but to join in as well.  She had a lovely clear, strong voice, and used it to particular effect when she came down from the stage and abandoned her guitar in favour of an unaccompanied song right from the middle of the audience.

Her lyrics were simple, her guitar chords straight-forward.  This was not a set filled with new arrangements or presenting anything particularly challenging, but an opportunity to listen to a set of songs simply delivered and largely unadorned.  She filled the gaps between the songs with little stories and anecdotes, never lifting her voice very much, and thus drawing you in.

Plain, simple, and thoroughly enjoyable.  Just another little sweetie in the jar from Devizes Arts Festival.  And thereโ€™s plenty more to see and hear yet, so do make sure that you get along to experience something soon. Itโ€™ll all be over before you know it!

Devizes Arts Festival continues until Sunday 15th June at various venues around the town.ย  Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online HERE

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Gender-Queered Production of Shakespearean Classic at Bath’s Rondo Theatre Raises Money for Charities

Photo credit: ยฉ Rondo Theatre Company / Jazz Hazelwood

A gender-queered production of William Shakespeareโ€™s classic play, โ€˜The Taming of the Shrewโ€™, will be performed at the Rondo Theatre in Bath this June, as part of Queer Bath and LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, with all profits being donated to charity……

โ€˜The Taming of the Shrewโ€™ is one of Shakespeareโ€™s more challenging plays. The story centres on two siblings: Bianca, who is surrounded by suitors, and the fiercely independent Katherine, whose sharp tongue and violent outbursts have garnered them a fearsome reputation. Bianca cannot marry any of their suitors until Katherine is married – enter Petruchio, who is determined to โ€˜breakโ€™ and marry Katherine.

In this production from the Rondo Theatre Company, which has been the performing arm of the Rondo Theatre since 1982, the play takes on a daring new life where comedy and discomfort intersect. In a world where Petruchio is a boisterous woman and Kate is a shrewish man, this bold reimagining explores the power dynamics at the heart of Shakespeareโ€™s comedy while unpacking how language shapes our understanding of gender and control. The Rondo Theatre Company has flipped the script, and audiences are invited to laugh and reflect on the complexities of gender by re-examining the ways comedy can reveal uncomfortable truths about societal power dynamics.

โ€˜Itโ€™s been a fascinating process to get under the skin of these characters in such a refreshing wayโ€™, says Alex Oliviere, who plays Petruchio in โ€˜The Taming of the Shrewโ€™. โ€˜โ€˜Historically audiences were intended to rejoice in the sight of an outspoken and fiery woman being cowed by a violent and domineering man, and itโ€™s been really interesting to display that power when the positions are reversed. Weโ€™ve had a lot of thought-provoking conversations in the rehearsal room about why it feels so different, and we hope that audiences will be prompted to do the same.โ€™

โ€˜The Taming of the Shrewโ€™ is the Rondo Theatre Companyโ€™s annual charity production, with all profits being shared between Not A Phase and the Rondo Theatreโ€™s โ€˜Revamp the Rondoโ€™ fundraiser.

Not A Phase is a trans-led, nationwide charity committed to uplifting and improving the lives of trans+ adults, through awareness campaigning, social projects and funding trans+ lead initiatives.

โ€˜Weโ€™re really pleased to donate half of this yearโ€™s charity production profits to Not A Phase,โ€™ said Director of โ€˜The Taming of the Shrewโ€™, Jazz Hazelwood, โ€˜with everything that is happening in the world right now itโ€™s more important than ever to protect marginalised communities. With โ€˜Shrewโ€™ weโ€™ve created a space that is inclusive and led from a place of respect and acceptance for all. Not A Phase is a brilliant charity, and the work they do for the trans+ community touches the heart of what weโ€™re doing and the values that this production upholds.โ€™

The Rondo Theatreโ€™s โ€˜Revamp the Rondoโ€™ fundraiser seeks to replace the auditorium seating, and make other building improvements, at the Rondo which has, since 1989, been a place for nurturing local talent, a home for community theatre groups, and a venue for the best touring theatre, stand-up comedy and music – including recent appearances from Nina Conti, Prue Leith, Andy Parsons, Joe Wilkinson, and Milton Jones.

โ€˜We are one of many local community theatre groups who call the Rondo Theatre home,โ€™ says Alana Wright, Chair of the Rondo Theatre Company, โ€˜itโ€™s a truly special venue in the city and weโ€™re delighted to be donating half of this yearโ€™s charity production profits to the Revamp the Rondo fund, and give this well-loved theatre the boost it needs.โ€™

โ€˜The Taming of the Shrewโ€™ takes place during both Pride Month (1 – 30 June), and Queer Bath (26 May – 30 June), a celebration of LGBTQ+ arts, culture, heritage and history in museums and venues across Bath. Queer Bath is a new citywide campaign – the first of its kind – led in partnership with Bath Arts Collective, WIG, and Bathโ€™s museum & heritage community.

โ€˜The Taming of the Shrewโ€™ will be performed at the Rondo Theatre, St. Saviours Road, Bath BA1 6RT, from Wednesday 18th to Saturday 21st June 2025, 7.30pm.

More information and tickets are available on the Rondo website HEREย 

Are We Still in Rowde?! RowdeFest 25 Sunny Overview

Images by Hans Shell, Ruth Wordley, Helen’s PolarPix and Bird is the Word

If you’re going to write on a subject you must research it, but if you’re going to write well about it you need to get involved in order to understand the details often hidden to outside observersโ€ฆ.

I learned this a year into creating Devizine, when I decided to hold an anniversary gig. Event organiser Dean Czerwionka basically held my hand through it, as I hadn’t a Scooby-Doo of the immensity of variables involved. Since then, I’ve dug myself deeper into the practical, to understand those obstacles and overcome them, so when being critical, I’m aware of how much work goes into putting events on.

Did you seriously buy that baloney?! Really, I’m an attention-seeking party animal who loves to showcase, whenever feasible, the talents of those I spend hours tapping my keyboard to review, then steal all the credit for it! The whole balancing on a learning curve stuff is only a bonus ball! But it is a delight, whenever the opportunity arises, to witness the actualities of my labour, and one such opportunity occurred yesterday, a short walk from my home.

Rowdefest happened Saturday in my village, an idea to retain aspects of a traditional fete yet modernise it to reflect a mini-festival, in which I had to get my foot in the door of.

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, but for myself and the committee, Rowdefest 2025 started months ago, with tea, cake and planning at Barbara’s house. Then, an amount of WhatsApp messages, a Facebook chat coordinating the band’s specs with Simon Stockley, the solo sound engineer worth an entire team of professionals.

RowdeFest Committee pose at the end!

Then there’s the mountains I didn’t climb; Clare’s tribulations to provide a bar, Liz’s organisational skills to provide food vans, sponsors and collect raffle prizes, Kirsty creating a book stall, Geraldine and Angie tying things together, tea, cake and a photo exhibition in the church, chairperson Sue binding our meandering meetings into some kind of order, and so much more from many villagers and parish councillors mucking in, till the point on Friday I was driving a milk-float down Rowde Court Road with a huge tent on it and it all suddenly felt real!

Event organising with a team is wrought with disagreements, problem solving, worries which drag you to examine speculating weather apps daily, and fingers-crossed assurances everything will be alright on the nightโ€ฆ.thankfully it was, so Rowde was blessed with a hugely successful, beautiful occasion. An equally huge thanks and congratulations must go to all involved in its making, but none so much as our chief, Barbara. Even if one of them was me, I still reserve the right to report on it, for there is no flattery necessary, feedback from others gives me the confidence to say this was as fantastic as I perceived it as!

Devizes Jubilee Morris Dancers

For me personally, it was all about community merriment, and of course, the entertainment. Under the premise we wanted lively bands I took to organising a lineup consisting entirely of tried and tested locally sourced talents, and calling in a few favours! Opening the event then, the Devizes Jubilee Morris Dancers arrived, did their thing literally with bells on, and got the blossoming crowds engaging in a final routine.

Between the two Morris dancing sections, Mat Fucci of Fucci Fit teased the crowds with a workout, and under the beating sun they got as physical as Olvia Newton-John in 1981, or near to it!

ANdrew Hurst with Lucianne Worthy

Then the live music started with my wildcard, the experimental imaginations of music scholar and tutor, Andrew Hurst. With exceptional bassist Lucianne Worthy, they whisked the audience through multi-instrumental tangents, wonderfully.

Talk in Code

Usually a headline act next, and it was only 3pm, with the crowds still on our villageโ€™s own delicious Rowdey Cow ice cream rather than ciders! Wiltshireโ€™s finest indie-pop darlings, Talk in Code kindly pepped it up, making a pitstop on their way to Swindonโ€™s Castle venue. Blasting their eighties pop flavoured originals gorgeously across our small playing field was an indicator this was going to go off rather different from your average village fete!

That was my doing, and apologise if it came as a shock to some sensitive residents. What attendees didnโ€™t witness was me, once being informed about their complaints, slightly sulking in guilt behind the scenes. Yes, what started as a village fete had now gone full-blown festival, which I believed was the intention and well advertised as such. My resolution was, other than gorging on biscuits, that, in times like this, we have to go with the majority. As the huge crowd gathered, of all ages, appeared to be lapping it up, dancing and cherishing every moment, coupled with the expressions of delight I witnessed on the faces of some disabled children in wheelchairs when I held the gate open for them, well, they counteract a billion complainers for me, and Iโ€™m certain there was far, far fewer of them than that!

Talk in Code with Peggy-Sue Ford of Don’t Stop the Music radio show

Talk in Code shines like a beacon to everything dedication can achieve on our local circuits, and their reputation builds with every appearance; I was overjoyed to see them, as, like anyone they meet, theyโ€™ve become my friends. The second act tends to be more modest with their skills, but The Sarah C Ryan Band will always be one of my most favourite bands. They deliver a sublime melodious panache in style and sound, the kind I liken to Fleetwood Mac, but my daughter suggested Florence and The Machine; either works.

The Sarah C Ryan Band

Through cooler originals and the odd cover, Sarah and her band held the crowd spellbound, after wondering if anything would equal Talk in Code, now they were assured I had many more tricks up my sleeve!

Thieves

WIth the crowd simmered, time to allow Thieves to do their thing. Semi-acoustic vibes, Iโ€™d go out on a limb and suggest this is the finest Americania youโ€™ll find around these waters. Authentic bluegrass to rootsy blues, this wonderfully accomplished four-piece vocal harmonise on a level which left our unsuspecting attendees around the hay bales spellbound and those in the know nodding impressively. It was the set to end all sets, setting the scene to bliss, as I wandered receiving everyoneโ€™s approval, but I had one more band yet to introduce.

Burn The Midnight Oil

Given the chance, Talk in Code mightโ€™ve headlined, safe in the knowledge of what they will deliver. Despite knowing front-girl Chrissy Chapman for many years, and fondly reviewing her vocal collaborations on drum n bass tunes, when she put together Burn The Midnight Oil I met with the original lineup to interview them and hear a little rehearsal, but regrettably, I still hadnโ€™t had the opportunity to tick them off my must-see list.

Okay, so, I took a chance here, suspecting theyโ€™d be good, and heard all the good reports, but I didnโ€™t begin to imagine just how good. Burn the Midnight Oil totally rocked the finale, with fantastic originals slipped unnoticed into a set of covers, they made the perfect end to the day. Dressed in a divine white dress of sentimental value to Chrissy, she took her accomplished band and the audience on an elevated hour plus expedition of bluesy rock which no one wanted to ever come to an end. It was total and utter dynamite!

Alannah Mylesโ€™ Blue Velvet rang out across our playing field, as we gathered the committee and volunteers to be cheered before an encore. Chrissy has a confident stage presence. Her interactions with the audience were so professional, I had to take a double-look to check if it was still my dear friend up there!

But, thatโ€™s the magic right there, to take our talented locals and celebrate their skills as they deserve to be celebrated, allow them to shine with the freedom of expression to deliver works theyโ€™ve written and composed, disperse them with classics if they wish to, and introduce the quality of local talent to audiences which may not have the opportunity to follow our local live music scene. That was my objective, as that is alway my objective, and I thank the Rowdefest committee for allowing me to do that in my own village, rather than hiking up Dunkirk Hill again, or trekking further afield; Bradford-on-Avon had a town music festival on, at a level our village couldnโ€™t compete with, but those at RowdeFest wouldnโ€™t have cared at that point; it was magical.

Bramblerose Designs

Okay, Iโ€™m still at one thousand feet about what we accomplished yesterday, but I donโ€™t believe time will water my excitement down. This should go down in the village history books, and if not, it will always be remembered by me. Again my sincere thanks goes to all involved, the committee, the attendees which included MP Brian Matthew, and our media friends Bird is the Word, Peggy-Sue Ford and Alan Watters of our village magazine, but especially the acts and Simon, who came to my rescue; thank you all, for your time, dedication and for superbly rocking my village! 

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REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festivalโ€“ Kiki Dee & Carmelo Luggeri โ€“ Corn Exchange – Friday 30th May 2025

Still Got The Music In Her

By Andy Fawthrop

Itโ€™s been a while coming a-round but at long last Devizesโ€™ very own Arts Festival finally kicked off last night for its two-week run.ย  And we started off, as is usual now, with a real belter of a concert in the Corn Exchange, this time featuring veteran performers Kiki Dee and Carmelo Luggeri…..

If you were after star quality, Kiki Dee has it in spades.ย  Recently celebrating her 60th year in the music industry, she has now released a whopping 40 singles, three EPs and 22 albums. She is one of the UKโ€™s finest and most revered vocalists, and sheโ€™s sung with and for just about anybody who is anybody in this industry.

Pauline Matthews (as was) was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire in 1947.  At the age of 10 she won a local talent contest, and at 16 she had her first paid job as Kiki Dee in show business. She worked briefly as an apprentice hairdresser (she did my motherโ€™s hair once โ€“ my feeble claim to fame!) and at Boots in Bradford during the day, while in the evenings she sang songs with a dance band in Leeds.  Initially with Fontana Records, known for her blue-eyed soul vocals, she was the first female singer from the UK to sign with Motown’s Tamla Records. Sheโ€™s best known for the hit singles “Amoureuse” (1973), “I’ve Got the Music in Me” (1974) and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”, her 1976 duet with old Reg Dwight (Elton John), which reached Number One on the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.  Her 1981 single “Star” became the theme song for the talent show Opportunity Knocks when it was revived by the BBC in 1987.  

During her career sheโ€™s sung backing vocals for Dusty Springfield, was one of the backing vocalists on Love Affair’s 1968 UK number one single Everlasting Love, sang backing vocals on various Elton John recordings, such as “All the Girls Love Alice” from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and various tracks on Rock of the Westies, played as support act to Queen at their Hyde Park concert in front of a crowd of 150,000 people, and performed at Live Aid in 1985, reprising “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” with John, and performing backing vocals on the other songs in his set. On top of that sheโ€™s won awards for her Musical Theatre roles in Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers, in which she took on the role originally played by Barbara Dickson for the 1988 production and recording, and received an Olivier Award nomination in 1989 in the Best Actress in a Musical category.  

But all of that is history!  Nowadays, or at least for the last twenty years or so, sheโ€™s continued to move forward with the music that she creates with Carmelo Luggeri. Kiki says Carmelo is her favourite guitarist and he co-writes and produces all their songs.  

Dee released the live album Almost Naked, a joint effort with Carmelo in 1995, followed by the studio albums Where Rivers Meet (1998) and The Walk Of Faith (2005). In September 2013, Dee and Luggeri released their third studio album, A Place Where I Can Go, on Spellbound Records. They have been touring together ever since and have played alongside such musical luminaries as Roger Taylor, Jack Bruce, Fish, Paul Young, Tom Robinson, Graham Gouldman and Madeline Bell.  

Carmelo Luggeriโ€™s abilities as a guitarist, composer and producer have taken him on a rich and interesting musical path over his career. Born in England of Italian parents, Carmelo was mainly self-taught with some classical training.  Working with comedian and television personality Billy Connolly he created the โ€œWatzinโ€™ Matildaโ€ re-work used for the hugely successful 1995 โ€œWorld Tour Of Australiaโ€ TV series. In 1998 Carmelo produced the track โ€œStealinโ€ for the film โ€œStill Crazyโ€ starring Jimmy Nail.  Carmelo has also worked with US singer Andy Williams, Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company), Ray Cooper (Elton John band), Gus Dudgeon, Stuart Epps, Romy Haag and singer songwriter Ralph McTell.

Carmelo and Kikiโ€™s paths first crossed when he produced a collection of bonus tracks for โ€œThe Very Best of Kiki Deeโ€ album, and, under the guidance of their manager Steve Brown they took on a new musical direction together, playing acoustic concerts, starting with an appearance at The Royal

Albert Hall for World AIDS Day in 1994. It was quite a departure for Carmelo at this point as he was essentially an electric player but this marked the beginning of their now 25 year collaboration where acoustic guitar is at the foundation of their sound.

Sorry for the long introductory pre-amble, but just wanted to reprise the careers of these two wonderful musicians.  And I guess youโ€™d have to say that represents as good a musical pedigree as youโ€™re ever going to get, so the expectations for the large crowd were, to say the least, pretty high.

And we werenโ€™t to be disappointed one bit. Kicking off with โ€œGet What You Wish Forโ€ and the first of several musical career anecdotes, we were suddenly there at โ€œDonโ€™t Go Breaking My Heartโ€!  Like most people I thought this would be the wrap-up song or the encore, but Kiki clearly wanted to get the song on the table early.  Using, not unexpectedly, a completely different acoustic arrangement, with a rather slower tempo, her rendition allowed the lyrics to really shine through, and to deliver some really pathos.

Cracking on with anecdotes about meeting David Hockney in Malibu, and working with Dusty Springfield, we had the self-penned โ€œSmall Merciesโ€. She then mined a rich vein of beautifully-arranged covers โ€“ Kate Bushโ€™s โ€œRunning Up That Hillโ€, Robert Palmerโ€™s โ€œEvery Kinda Peopleโ€, and Neil Youngโ€™s โ€œHarvest Moonโ€.

Following โ€œa nice glass of redโ€ and a costume change, the second half continued in much the same vein, with Kiki interspersing the songs with more anecdotes.  Early up we had her big hit โ€œAmoureuseโ€, partly sung in the original French, a jazzy cover of Leonard Cohenโ€™s โ€œDance Me To The End Of Loveโ€ (featuring a touching cameo when she danced with a member of the audience whilst Carmelo commanded the stage with some fabulous guitar work).  We then had a run of the pairโ€™s own compositions โ€“ โ€œAmen and Goodbyeโ€, โ€œSheโ€™s Smiling Nowโ€, โ€œYou Canโ€™t Fix The Maybeโ€ and โ€œUntil We Meet Againโ€ โ€“ before finishing with an upbeat and rousing version of โ€œIโ€™ve Got The Music In Meโ€.  Getting an encore was a mere formality by this stage, but their choice was a strange one โ€“ a very quiet number entitled โ€œIf You Ever Need Someoneโ€, and a harmonised version of The Beatlesโ€™ โ€œBlackbirdโ€.  Cue lots of cheering and a great ovation.

Kiki showed us that, at 78, sheโ€™s definitely still got it.  Her voice is, expectedly, not as strong and pure as in her youth, but itโ€™s still bloody good, hitting all the notes perfectly, and still delivering plenty of soulfulness and meaning.  Carmelo demonstrated throughout to be no mere prop or accompaniment to the big star on his left, but a real guitar craftsman in his own right.  His subtle and effective use of loops and pedals to add depth and colour to every number, coupled with several changes of guitars and tunings, proved a real revelation.  His introductions and solos were beautifully crafted, drawing much applause, and plenty of genuine praise from Kiki.

As a duo they harmonised well, and were very clearly extremely comfortable in each otherโ€™s company on stage.  Their rapport with each other, and with the audience, added considerably to the quality and the professionalism of the show.

This was the third or fourth time Iโ€™d seen these guys, and Iโ€™d have to say that they only get better and better.  A really solid two and a half hour show, filled with great songs, hilarious anecdotes and superb guitar work โ€“ what more could you possibly want?  I absolutely loved and, it seemed, so did the packed audience.  

A cracker of a concert to kick off this yearโ€™s Devizes Arts Festival!

Learn more at www.kikiandcarmelo.com/carmelo-luggeri/ย ย 

The Devizes Arts Festival continues until Sunday 15th June at various venues around the town.ย  Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online atย  www.devizesartsfestival.org.ukย ย 

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The Bradford on Avon Live Music Festival- This Weekend!

Bradford-on-Avon Town Councilโ€™s annual festival, aptly titled The Bradford on Avon Live Music Festival is back this weekend, championing local talent with an eclectic line-up of impeccable performers across its multiple venues and in association with the Wiltshire Music Centreโ€ฆ..

The festival launched in 2022, sees music pouring out of venues across the entire town over three days of music. From indie to rock, pop, jazz and blues, there really is something for everyone at this yearโ€™s festival. โ€œOur town is a hub of creativity,โ€ organiser Katie explains, โ€œand weโ€™re proud to keep that spirit alive through the BOA Live Music Festival.โ€

It runs from Friday 30th May to Sunday 1st June; itโ€™s a long listed lineup, hereโ€™s what weโ€™ve found and recommend you donโ€™t miss if youโ€™re attending. Throughout the weekend there will be music at eight venues: Westbury Garden, Trinity Hall (St Laurence School,) Lamb Yard, Timbrellโ€™s Yard, The Three Horseshoes, The Castle Inn, The Canal Tavern, and of course, Wiltshire Music Centre.

On Friday 30th May at 7.30pm, Wiltshire Music Centre brings Jah Wobble & The Invaders of the Heart to the festival. As a bassist, Jah Wobble is well-known for his heavy, hypnotic bass grooves, which often serve as the backbone for atmospheric, genre-crossing tracks. Covering everything from reggae to rock, dub bass to drum and bass, and global influences, his deep, melodic, and trance-like bass is central to the experience. He will open Bradford on Avon’s Live Music Festival for the Centre, along with this band of world-class musicians- the Invaders of the Heart.

Jah Wobble and the Invaders of the Heart: Bradford on Avon Live Music Festival

Jahโ€™s career speaks for itself, spanning over 40 yearโ€™s heโ€™s played on countless albums, with performers such as PILโ€™s John Lydon, Brian Eno, Bill Laswell, U2โ€™s The Edge, Sinead Oโ€™Conner, Primal Scream, Bjork, The Orb, The Cranberries Dolores O ฬRiordan and many more, as well as a regular on the hit TV show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Jah Wobble and the Invaders of the Heart at Wiltshire Music Centre is ยฃ27 / ยฃ14.50 U18s + students, but observe this special offer code: 30% off at checkout using promo code BOA30. Highly recommend it.

The Bowie Experience – Bradford on Avon Live Music Festival

Also on Friday you can find The Bowie Experience, 8pm at the Trinity Hall of St Laurence School. I highly recommend Karport Collective with Jess Chivers in support at The Castle Inn. Find some carnivalism at The Three Horseshoes from 5pm with delinquent fuzz jugernaut The Bucky Rage, BullyBones and Glasgow nuggets of Kosher Pickles!ย  And with Bird is the Word taking over music at The Boat House, who has Band of Others on Friday, you are spoiled for choice.

Nothing Rhymes With Orange @ The Exchange ~ The Last Big Devizes Gig

Decisions get even harder on Saturday 31st May, at the main stage at Westbury Garden youโ€™ll find Retro Electro headlining at 9pm. The penultimate act is our favourites, Nothing Rhymes with Orange. All after a lineup of Karport Collective, Feast of Fools, Funky Monkey Bubble Club, Sian & Rob Colquhoun, the incredible Becky Lawrence and the Jazz Factory.

Meanwhile, at Lamb Yard I highly recommend Melkshamโ€™s indie pop band The Sunnies headlining at 9pm, after JPQ, JB & the Mojomakers, Lorikeet, Lone Sea Breakers, Body & Soul, and Jess Chivers from 3pm. The Castle Inn has The Relayz, Westward, This Way Up, I highly recommend Dylan Smith, Broken Focus, Lee Broderick, Joe Hunt, and I highly recommend Becky Lawrence, all from 1pm  

Saturday night at โ€œThe Shoesโ€ youโ€™ll find The Bucky Rage, Kitchen Lover, Kosher Pickles – Well Brined, and The Borough. The Canal Tavern has Star Shaped Pegs, Mojo & Yuji, Lloyd & Art,  and Jake Lockhart. Timbrellโ€™s Yard has Lorikeet, highly recommend Ruby Darbyshire, Sian & Rob Colquhoun, Jess Chivers, Sour Apple and Feast of Fools.

Itโ€™s all afro-beat at Wiltshire Music Centre on Saturday with The Gasper Nali Band, highly recommend it. Famous since a film of him went viral, Gasper Nali is a not-so-traditional babatoni player from Lake Malawi. The babatoni is an African one-string home-made 3-metre long bass guitar, and with a stick and an empty beer bottle. Together with a cow skin kick drum and catchy melodies, he creates the most amazing and danceable original Afro Beats possible!

Gasper Nali Band: Bradford on Avon Live Music Festival

Gasper has toured the UK and Europe several times since his breakthrough video, playing in all environments from seated arts centres spaces to major festival stages. This year, Gasper will be transforming his customary one-man-band show and perform with a three-piece band for the very first time in the UK. Along for the ride is Malawi born songsmith and cultural proponent Luhangah on additional vocals and percussion, as well as Gasperโ€™s long-time producer and collaborator Mattias Stรฅlnacke on guitars.

Gasper Nali Band: Bradford on Avon Live Music Festival at Wiltshire Music Centre starts at 7.30pm. ยฃ16 / ยฃ9 U18s + students. Another SPECIAL OFFER here: 30% off at checkout using promo code BOA30.

Sunday is the first of June, and what a way to see the month in. At The Three Horseshoes from 3pm, for some mod, funk and RnB with The Convulsions. Trinity Hall has The Hipcats: A Century of Sinatra with support from JPQ from 7.30pm, and Judas Goat & the Bell Weather from 3pm, who we highly recommend too!ย 

Nick Langston & The Hipcats: A Century Of Sinatra: Bradford on Avon Live Music Festival

More Info HERE!

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PREVIEW โ€“ Chippenham Folk Festival โ€“ Friday 23rd May through to Monday 26th May 2025ย 

One of Wiltshireโ€™s Best

by Andy Fawthrop

Looking for something to do next weekend? One of Wiltshireโ€™s biggest festivals is happening just up the road in Chippenham all over the late May Bank Holiday weekend.ย  Itโ€™s also one of the largest folk festivals in the UK, and one of the longest running โ€“ this year theyโ€™re clocking up their 52nd festival……

The festival happens over four days at venues all over the town, and provides several streams of entertainment to suit most tastes.ย  With over 650 performers already confirmed covering music concerts, workshops, dance/ ceilidhs, Morris dancing, storytelling and spoken word, and a wide range of childrenโ€™s and other entertainment, thereโ€™ll be something going on in every town-centre street and pub, to say nothing of the thirteen dedicated stages and dance venues.ย ย 

And the good news is that, aside from all the ticketed camping and music/ dance events, thereโ€™s plenty of FREE stuff too.ย  Down at Island Park thereโ€™ll be community stages, a session beer tent (run by Moongazing Hare this was highly popular last year, and Iโ€™d thoroughly recommend it!), lots of pop-up food vendors (crepes, churros, Sri Lankan, vegan, Mexican, Japanese, ice cream etc), and craft stalls โ€“ allย  located alongside the beautiful River Avon. Itโ€™s got a great vibe and is a good family-friendly place to relax, soak up the atmosphere, and enjoy a session and entertainment with children, family and friends.ย 

But with so much going on โ€“ you should see the bulging programme with its literally hundreds of events – we thought weโ€™d take the chance before all the fun starts to preview and pick out some of the best stuff, and to highlight some of our favourite picks. 

Overall, thereโ€™s a brilliant line up of music concerts featuring over 75 different acts, including: 

  • The East Pointers – hailing from Prince Edward Island in Canada. Their dancefloor-shaking, electro-trad glorious combination of folk/ pop sounds has already seen them acknowledged as musical trailblazers internationally. Their debut album Secret Victory won the 2017 JUNO Award for Traditional Roots Recording of the Year. Their 2023 EP House Of Dreams was nominated for a JUNO Award, and won Contemporary Roots Recording of the Year, Group Recording of the Year and Pop Recording of the Year at the 2023 East Coast Music Awards. Their headline show is on the Sunday night;ย 
  • Phil Beer & Paul Downes โ€“ two of the stalwarts of British folk music, and truly great musicians both.ย  Their shows are not only musically entertaining but always delivered with great bantering humour.ย  Their headlining set is on the Saturday night;ย 
  • Miranda Sykes โ€“ another of the folk worldโ€™s all-time great performers, Miranda has played bass with countless bands and line-ups, and has worked for over 20 years with folk royalty Show Of Hands. In 2024 she toured with Hannah Martin, paired a new Baring-Gould Centenary project with Jim Causley, and has toured a wide range of summer festivals. Catch her on the Monday night;ย 
  • Seth Lakeman โ€“ will be playing material from his new album The Granite Way.ย  Catapulted into the spotlight after his album Kitty Jay received a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005, since then heโ€™s produced multiple albums, toured worldwide and participated in several high-profile collaborations, most recently with Robert Plantโ€™s band The Sensational Shape-shifters.ย  His fiddle playing is simply stunning, and a joy to behold in live performance.ย  Heโ€™ll be doing his thing on the Monday afternoon.

And then thereโ€™s a nearly forty different bands, including a great calling team for the dances and ceilidhs, with bands including Banter with Fee Lock, Sawney White Bird, Doug Eunson & Sarah Matthews, Portmanteau, Hinny & Joe Wass with callers Andrew Swaine, Bernie Culkin, Geoff Cubitt, John Stewart, Susanna Diamon, and more to meet every style.  

Add to this nearly seventy different Morris sides from all over the UK, and over twenty-five childrenโ€™s entertainers (including the simply hilarious and highly-talented Keith Donnelly), featuring music, dance, puppets, dressing up, play, workshops, meet-the-entertainer sessions, and youโ€™ve got plenty to choose from, with different things for all members of the family. 

Apart from the main venues and stages, thereโ€™ll be stuff going on in just about every pub, in the main streets, and anywhere else the performers can find a space. Thereโ€™ll be some open mic sessions too. 

Having been to many Chippenham Folk Festivals over the years (and indeed performed at a few!), I can highly recommend a trip out to one of Wiltshireโ€™s best events โ€“ itโ€™s colourful, itโ€™s noisy, itโ€™s busy, but most of all, itโ€™s entertaining! 

Thereโ€™s still a limited number of day and event tickets, as well as full weekend season tickets (with or without camping) available. Or thereโ€™s also still time to volunteer to help with stewarding and venues (which qualifies you for a FREE ticket). All the information is on the festivalโ€™s website, together with ticketing information at www.chippfolk.co.uk/Tickets

โ€œThe Diary of Anne Frankโ€ at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes, May 12th-17th 2025.

by Ian Diddams
images byย Chris Watkins Media

One could argue that Anne Frank is possibly the most well-known civilian of the WW2 years, and certainly of those totally unconnected with the machinery of war where we may consider the likes of Turing, or Barnes-Wallis etc. Itโ€™s a name one comes across quite early in life generally โ€“ and never leaves one. In this regard she and her diary need no further explanation (although as ever Wikipedia provides background). The stage play, by Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett, brings Anneโ€™s words into action, and in an intimate space such as the Wharf theatre, quite literally into your lap in the front row seats.

You could be excused if you had a preconceived idea that the play is one of horror and misery and sadness. It is โ€“ but the mood is not as sombre as those fears overall, and there are elements that are light-hearted, joyful and uplifting. There are jokes too โ€“ albeit admittedly black humoured ones that may raise a smile rather than a belly laugh. Yet the uglier parts of the storyline are cleverly not actually regarding the Nazi oppression of Jews and the concentration camps although that omnipresent fear is there, but of the interaction of personalities of the inhabitants of the attic. Clashes of ethos, and bigotry, constantly arise โ€“ misogyny, social class and ephebiphobia are all displayed as a microcosm of the wider and bigoted world outside the warehouse, where petty personal quarrels despite the extreme and perilous position the group are in are never far from the surface.

The opening scenes introduce us to those in hiding โ€“ Otto Frank (Sean Andrews), Edith Frank (Mari Webster) and their two daughters Margot (Poppi Lamb-Hughes) and Anne (Tamsin Antignani), and their guests The Van Daans (Debby Wilkinson and Steve Brookes) and their son Peter (Joe McMillan) with the late arriver Mr Dussel (Chris Underwood). They are supported by the friends on the โ€œoutsideโ€ Mr. Kraler (Ian Glennie) and Miep Gies (Mitzi Baehr). The action takes place in a warehouse attic, of course, ably represented on stage with differing levels for main room, Anna and Mr Dusselโ€™s elevated bedroom with window overlooking the street, and a roof space bedroom on a third level for Peter complete with skylight. A simple table with a couple of kitchen chairs sits centre stage, with a small kitchen at the rear.

We quickly learn each characterโ€™s personality. Otto is a kind, generous man very much the peace maker amongst the enforced group which do not get on at all well. Edith is a well-mannered but stiff woman trying to keep her daughters, especially Anne in check, with whom she has a difficult relationship โ€“ Anne frequently laments this. Margot emulates her motherโ€™s simple quiet approach and studies hard. Mrs Van Daan is at first supremely gauche, but opiniated, though later succumbs to fears and terrors and her early familiarity turns to anxiety and a breakdown. Messrs Van Daan and Dussel prove to be Anneโ€™s nemeses โ€“ or at least unappreciative and spiteful opponents. Neither of them approves of her youthfulness and forthrightness, where Dussel is an autistic loner and Van Daan a reprehensible human being who has no good word for anybody and breaks obvious societal rules for the position they are all in. Peter is a lost boy โ€“ oppressed by his fatherโ€™s ire and his motherโ€™s insouciance and control. He is an uptight lad, his only joy his cat โ€“ at least initially. Which leaves Anne โ€“ a boisterous, playful and obstreperous teenager with a strong mind and words to equal it, that clashes with most of the roomโ€™s occupants throughout the show, aside from her sister and father whom she adores.

The overall atmosphere of the attic is one of social oppression โ€“ everyone mucking in while resenting each partyโ€™s presence โ€ฆย  the Van Daanโ€™s view the Franks as too progressive, Peter doesnโ€™t trust anybody, The Franks play the tight-lipped hosts, while Dussel arrives late to the group, is accused of taking up valuable food and despises the entire situation and others. It is maybe the original Big Brother houseโ€ฆ.

The overarching storyline is Anneโ€™s of course โ€“ the other characters in some ways creating the background to her story. This is a story of growing up โ€“ she was incarcerated in that attic from the ages of thirteen to fifteen and we see her move from playful child to moody but confident teenager. Her self-cognisance develops as the play progresses. And her monologues become increasingly poignant, especially with our benefit of hindsight over eighty years later. In many ways her feistiness and self-assurance seem decades ahead of her time.

The lifelines of Mr Kraler and Miep provide hope and excitement as their visits bring provisions and news. Kraler is overwhelmed by events while risking his own life for them, and Miep is the caring, doting friend, very much everybodyโ€™s mother in her protections.


The play however is not without lighter scenes illustrating joy, highlighted by the sweet scene as the group celebrate Hannukah together โ€“ shared prayer, food, and presents from Anne for everybody. Itโ€™s a joyous scene, providing a relief of tension akin to the Porter scene in Macbeth, but โ€“ just as in the wedding scene in โ€œFiddler on The Roofโ€ โ€“ it has a disturbing ending. What finally happens to these characters is well documented of course. Only Otto survives, and in real life it is he that has Anneโ€™s diary published.

Lighting and sound throughout add wonderfully to the sombre, oppressive atmosphere, headed up as ever by The Wharfโ€™s Tech Team. Set design โ€“ see previous comments โ€“ equally as ever was provided by ever excellent John Winterton. Costumes sold the period extremely well provided by Gill Barnes and her wardrobe team.

Direction was by Freddie Underwood โ€“ Freddie visited Anne Frankโ€™s house in Amsterdam last year and was moved to find a play to present with this amazing story. This is a tight production, with clever uses of levels and space and even with at times ten people on the Wharfโ€™s fairly small stage it never looked crowded or crushed. Testimony to Freddieโ€™s vision is how slickly the action and story moves along โ€“ both the eighty-five minute first act, and hour long second act moved along timelessly with nary a slow moment.


And so to the cast, who all combined to tell Anneโ€™s story so well. Sean Andrews as Otto embodied the loving, peace-making tribe leader so wellโ€ฆ a reassuring presence on stage both in character and as a performer. The nuances of grief, hope, despair and love embraced smoothly. Mari Websterโ€™s Edith was a master class in tight lipped suppression of emotions until her eventual explosion of rage and home truths โ€“ nought to sixty in three seconds, flipping a switch, and Mari managed both, and the switch, to perfection. Poppi Lamb-Hughes was the perfect foil as Margot to Anneโ€™s outgoing demeanour, playing the demure older sister in a peaceful, tranquil manner while indicating the inner fears that Margot must have had. It was good to see Joe McMillan return to the Wharfโ€™s stage again, and his portrayal of Peter as the shy, reticent, lonely boy scared of his father and distanced from his mother, that blooms as his friendship with Anne develops was made to look so easy. Debby Wilkinson as Mrs Van Daan also had a changing personality to perform, from brash gaucheness to fear ridden depression and the ever-talented Debby naturally provided both with aplomb. Steve Brookes as Mr Van Daan wonderfully filled the role of most hated character with his snide remarks, dislike of younger people, and selfishness. Chris Underwood of course caught Drusselโ€™s mean nature throughout the play as the outsider that doesnโ€™t want to be inside. Ian Glennie in his first ever acting role showed the frailty and fear of Mr Kralerโ€™s position to a tee, while the versatile Mitzi Baehr was wonderful in her performance of Miep Gies โ€ฆย  the compassionate, caring, selfless provider.


Which just leaves Tamsin Antignani. Aged fourteen, the same age as Anne Frank pretty much, this was a virtuoso performance for one so young. She WAS Anne Frank. A huge number of lines, constant stage movement, expressions, mood swings were all taken in Tamsinโ€™s stride.ย  A wonderful performance โ€“ chapeau. Totally chapeau!

The play has no surprise end โ€“ we all know what happened. And in the second act particularly passages from Anneโ€™s diary litter her characterโ€™s monologues providing chilling reflections of what was to be, as opposed to what was hoped for.

โ€œI want to be a journalist. I love to writeโ€.
โ€œWill I ever be able to write well? I want to so muchโ€

The painful ironies here of course being Anne never survived WW2, never became a journalist. But has a book that has been translated into seventy languages and has sold over thirty million copies worldwide.

And of course โ€“ we shall remember them.
Otto ย ย ย ย Edith ย ย ย ย Margotย ย ย  ย Anneย ย  Hermann ย  Auguste ย  Peterย  Fritz

We should never forget them. And as Anne says in this play

โ€œSome dayโ€ฆย ย ย  I hopeโ€ฆโ€


โ€œThe Diary of Anne Frankโ€ plays at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes, Mayย 12th-17th.
The cast, crew and theatre are delighted to announce that the show is already sold out.

Theatre Review: Everybodyโ€™s Talking About Jamie by Devizes Music Academy

An effervescent musical, full of promising young talent

Written by: Melissa Loveday

Images by: Gail Foster

After the success of SIX last year, Devizes Music Academy is beginning to make a name for itself with its second musical production, Everybodyโ€™s Talking About Jamie, which featured two electrifying performances on 19th April at Devizes Schoolโ€ฆ.

And wow! What an incredible show it was! Bringing this musical sensation to life โ€“ including Northern accents, multiple set and costume changes and complex dance numbers โ€“ was ambitious. Yet after only a week of rehearsals, 23 talented young performers, aged just 13 to 18, poured their hearts and souls into a performance that was dynamic, professional and full of impressive talent. It had heart, humour and heels so high I wouldnโ€™t be able to walk in them, let alone dance!

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

From the opening scene, it was packed with raucous energy and perfectly delivered sass that immediately transported us to a gritty Sheffield comprehensive, where Year 11s contend with the wonderful and frightening possibilities that lie ahead of each of them. Jamie New, an openly gay 16-year-old who dreams of becoming a drag queen, was instantly likeable as he and the rest of the cast swept us into his pop-fantastic daydream โ€˜And You Donโ€™t Even Know Itโ€™.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Inspired by the BBC Three documentary Jamie: Drag Queen at 16, Everybodyโ€™s Talking About Jamie was written by Tom MaCrae with music by Dan Gillespie Sells, from an idea by Jonathan Butterell. First produced by Sheffield Theatres, the show took Londonโ€™s West End by storm in late 2017 and has brought infectious joy to audiences ever since.  

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

But this is a story about more than a boy wanting to wear a dress. Itโ€™s a multi-layered tale of family and friendship, and having the courage to step into the person you were always meant to be. Set in a working-class area of South Yorkshire, England, the story is grounded in a world thatโ€™s relatable, keeping it from becoming overly sentimental. Instead, it feels edgy and vibrant, whilst not shying away from the struggles individual characters face.  

What made this amateur โ€˜Teen Editionโ€™ so special was the thrill of watching real teenagers bring these teen characters to life. Under Jemma Brownโ€™s expert direction, with vocal coaching by Teresa Isaacson and choreography by Sarah Davies, the cast delivered a level of talent that could easily hold its own on a West End stage.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

The whole ensemble was brilliantly cast, with every member delivering a believable storyline through genuine and multi-dimensional acting, powerful vocals and sharp choreography.

Jacob Leggett was made to play Jamie. At just 15, he brought the perfect mix of camp charisma and youthful innocence to the role, whilst also capturing Jamieโ€™s wit, cheekiness and vulnerability. His rendition of โ€˜Wall In My Headโ€™ was captivating, building beautifully into an emotional crescendo that gave me chills!  

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Meanwhile, Ruby Phipps gave Pritti, Jamieโ€™s loyal, studious best friend, a quietly headstrong presence. Her solo โ€˜Beautifulโ€™ was sung with elegant control, allowing each phrase the space and diction needed to feel both precise and spontaneous. Although she and other cast members werenโ€™t Muslim, the production honoured the spirit of diversity by respectfully representing the Muslim community, complete with hijabs.

As a parent, I was moved by Lisa Grimeโ€™s portrayal of Jamieโ€™s mum, Margaret, especially her song โ€˜Heโ€™s My Boyโ€™. It was heartfelt and mature, with excellent vocal range, and had me reflecting on the bittersweet truth that while we strive to shield our children from pain, life will inevitably hurt them, and yet we thrive on seeing them live authentically. Our children, in all their brilliance and vulnerability, are our greatest accomplishments.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Another standout came from Cory White, who doubled as the school bully and Jamieโ€™s dad, whoโ€™s harsh lines stung, but showed subtle remorse that added depth to his characterisation.

Ted Maughan was commanding as Hugo and playful as Loco Chanelle, offering a refreshing contrast with his confident spoken-word delivery style and lively American accent.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

The set design was simple but effective, with props such as a balloon arch for the prom scene creating a party feel. Transitions between classroom, kitchen, bus stop and prom seemed to happen as if by magic, enhanced by effective lighting and seamless costume changes, from school uniforms to dazzling prom gowns. The spotlight reveal of Jamieโ€™s red dress was especially powerful, leaving the audience wanting more.

Dynamic choreography and colourful harmonies elevated the production, from coordinated group numbers to breakout moments allowing individual characters to shine. Particularly memorable was the schoolgirls’ clapping routine in โ€˜Spotlightโ€™, reminding us of the charactersโ€™ young age, while a dance duet between Cory White and Chloe Whitcombe during Margaretโ€™s โ€˜If I Met Myself Againโ€™ added a poignant, dreamlike quality to the song. But I especially loved the title number โ€˜Everybodyโ€™s Talking About Jamieโ€™, which kicked off Act II, with its excited, gossipy feel, as multiple characters bounced their individual lines off each other before erupting into an energetic and synchronised dance sequence that had the whole room buzzing!

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Itโ€™s genuinely hard to believe this was amateur musical theatre. The level of professionalism, emotional authenticity and pure talent displayed by every single cast member absolutely blew me away. These young performers truly brought a little bit of glitter to the grey.

With so much promising young talent on our doorstep, it begs the question: whatโ€™s next Devizes Music Academy? Whatever it is, I canโ€™t wait!

You can catch an abridged version of Everybodyโ€™s Talking About Jamie at the Fulltone Festival, The Green, Devizes, on Friday 25 July. For tickets, visit www.fto.org.uk

Yea Devizes; The Future of Events in Devizes

The premise is really quite simple, the prospect is positively glowing with brilliance, the result remains to be seen, but on Sunday the 4th May Devizes will know for sure where the future of events in the town rests โ€ฆ.. No pressure Devizes Yea team!!

It was never a nice thing to have to announce our beloved Street Festival had to be cancelled due to arts funding cuts, but being as the Market Place was booked for an event on the date, Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts are determined to put on a show regardless.

The fantastic part to all this is that DOCA has brought together teenage volunteers to create a new annual festival in Devizes Market Place, under the name Yea Devizes. The most important thing for all to note about this is, this is not the street festival, nor a replacement for it, it should not be compared to it, and most important of all, it is NOT just for teenagers. Even if the committee of organisers are youths, this event welcomes everyone, of all ages.

DOCA say they โ€œnoticed very few young adults attended traditional local events and therefore sought out youth ambassadors eventually creating Devizes Youth Event Area (Devizes Yea). The youth volunteers wanted to represent their own interests, making local events appeal to our young adults. Theyโ€™re using their skills and collaboration to create this festival, with an aim of bringing together all generations of our community.โ€

I met up with the team at their weekly planning meeting, and over a massive map of the Market Place, plastered with sticky notes highlighting all the great ideas theyโ€™ve collectively worked on, I was mightily impressed. Under the direction of DOCA expert Annabel, Elsie, Bea, Jo, and Sam are the Devizes Yea core ambassadors, learning the tricks of the events trade, and likely how much hard work goes on behind the scenes to create large scale eventsโ€ฆ. and thereโ€™s more than you imagine.

Jess, my daughter, just joined as press officer, (which puts us ahead of the game of telling you about it!) But Devizes YEA are still looking for teenage volunteers to help in the build-up to and the event itself. So, if you are a young person living in the local area and want to get involved contact: yeadevizes@docadevizes.org.uk or find out more on the DOCA website or Instagram.

โ€œThere will be something for everyone at this outdoor event,โ€ Devizes Yea promises, โ€œwith a range of live music, circus acts, poetry open mics, plot35 Devizes community gardening, cooking demonstrations, food traders and more. There are also chances for teenagers to get involved on the day with sound tech and learn from professional sound engineers who will be setting up the main stage.โ€

We think this is a great idea, and look forward to seeing the results. Oh, and wish them all the best of luck with the first event on 4th May, obviously. This could be the start of something amazing, and I must stress the point once again, that this day is designed and intended to be for everyone, not just our younger residents. Even middle-aged young-at hearts, duty bound to show them how itโ€™s done on the dancefloor; Dad-dancing mode switched to crazy legs… and I’m off, nobody attempt to stop me!!

Alien Invasion in Frome; Henge at The Cheese & Grain

Two people asked me in Frome what the music scene was like in Devizes. I replied it’s great, but by comparison it’s conventional, and this was prior to witnessing the sublime close encounter which was Hengeโ€ฆ..

Before you read further, note, I use the word โ€œweirdโ€ as a compliment. But yes indeedy, those friendly aliens, who take the term space-rock literally, landed their interstellar craft at Frome’s glorious centrepiece The Cheese & Grain last night for an eccentric, electric showdown of universal proportion. It was, in short, out of this world.

Excited about catching Henge live after fondly reviewing their album Journey to Voltus B in January, it was every bit as enthralling as I’d have imagined. The Cheese was brimful of kindly weirdos akin to the rooftop scene in the popcorn-munching abomination that is Independence Day; other than no one punched an alien like Will Smith! From aspiring space cadets to ageing hippies and middle-aged ravers, Henge remotely charged their plasma ball hats and casted a musical tractor beam over them, compulsing them to dance.

With phasers set to fun, Henge launched their wild show much like the energetic take off sequence of their latest album, and I pondered if they plotted to play out the album and be done with it, as is a common occurrence for established earthbound bands; not a chance, us humans were bequeathed a cosmic, extraterrestrial proportioned party.  

There’s a space journey narrative to the album which includes an Orb-esque plodding ambient period of hypersleep, a convenient opportunity for them to avoid, and divert the live journey to play some past album tracks, to keep the show’s pace consistent. These aliens of superior knowledge and proficiency made a wise choice, the place was positively throbbing.

Here’s the music which should’ve been playing in the Cantina scene of Star Wars. Here’s the music which would’ve caused both Miles Davis and Eat Static to have seizures. It’s jazzy, uptempo electronic skullduggery somewhere between prog-rock and trance techno, perhaps, or rather, in a field of their own playful invention.

Yet to pigeonhole it would take a textbook of notes. Henge are toytown, rave vaudeville, a guitar circus in space; they’re alien, unique and clearly on a higher plane of existence. The beauty of them is, they want to share it with you, lovingly. As a spectator you are welcomed on their, what’s best described as, an encapsulating musical space trip.

They analysed our planet, took a murky sample of the River Frome, and advised on the best path for the future of humankind; seemingly to demilitarise and direct its funding towards either ecological revitalisation or space colonisation, and they mastered it hilariously with a peacenik singalong finale.

But they did so as they did with everything, an uplifting sonic musical experience, the likes I’ve never seen before, and I’ve raved with glow sticks at Longleat’s UFO Club, partied worldwide, done, dusted and worn the T-shirt out of many a groundbreaking festival. This was on another planet, truly fantastic; please abduct me again sometime soon!

I’ve seen some weird street theatre in my years on this planet, but I awoke this morning, trying to recollect if I’d ever seen any musical band as weird as Henge. I’d like to say I hadn’t, but an earth half-hour prior I witnessed the support act.

A rib-tickling one-man-band Mancunian hedge monkey called Paddy Steer, who, dressed in the single-most bizarre illuminated space-wizard costume ever, delighted us with a set of experimental percussion and low-fi fluctuations, the likes you’ve never heard before. If Henge owned the mothership, Paddy was his own microsatellite, orbiting a stratosphere of his own mind-bending imagination, and it was as equally mind-blowing as it was hilarious and engagingly original. 

Paddy Steer has found a new level of eccentricity. They broke the mould when they built this alien Gandalf come Frank Sidebottom, on a mushroom journey to Lala Land with S Clay Wilson, and his music is inspired by the fable of it. Making the Mad Professor seem sane, he kept a perfect instrumental harmony as his decorative kit wobbled and a billion and one leads dropped out of their ports, much to the frustration of the sound engineer, but with nonchalant precision and scratch of his wizard beard, Paddy amused the audience by continuing nonetheless, profoundly. It was something to behold and impossible to wipe the smile off your face until Paddy had packed up and returned safely back to Discworld.

Together they made for the kind of fantastically bizarre gig you’ll never find in Devizes, unless you intoxicated yourself with mushrooms and imagined the whole thing. It remains to be fact, Frome is the diverse local centre for counterculture and the eccentrically creative; Henge and Paddy fit like a glove, if The Ozric Tentacles were born here. But it was my second night in Frome, after a Dadโ€™s taxi adventure saw me drop the kids off at the Cheese for Lucy Spraggan on Thursday, a kind of Gen Z Lily Allen.

Lucy Spraggan on Thursday, local rural skullduggery with The Wurzels on Friday, and space adventuring rave circus aliens Henge on Saturday, The Cheese & Grain is punching above Fromeโ€™s weight. To trek elsewhere in the town might not be as bustling, but certainly doesnโ€™t disappoint. From the Merlin Theatre to The Sun and 23 Bath Street, entertainment options are vast here, but when in Frome, I did as the Fromans and found solace while waiting for the kidโ€™s gig to end, at the Rye Bakery by Frome station.

Hereโ€™s a hidden gem wine bar, pizzeria and generally cool hangout away from the live music tourist trail, hosting music Thursday and Saturday nights, in which our own Jon Amor Trio appear on the 24th. For our entertainment on this particular Thursday some groovy modern jazz was supplied proficiently by a quartet called Fushal. They were wonderful, the whole scene is, I might relocate and call this blog Fromzine, if only those aliens of Henge would land here again!     

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Oh Danny Boy, oh, Danny Boy, they loved your boyish Eton looks so, but when ye was voted in, an all democracy wasnโ€™t quite dying,โ€ฆ

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A Quick Shuffle to Swindon

Milkman hours with grandkids visiting it was inevitable a five hour day shift was all I was physically able to put into this year’s Swindonโ€ฆ

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Beauty & the Beast; Devizes Musical Theatre at its Best

It was a fantastically successful opening night for Devizes Musical Theatre at Dauntseyโ€™s School for their latest show, Disneyโ€™s Beauty and the Beast, and I returned home still singing Be My Guest and Gaston; they’re still stuck in my head now truth be told, and I’m not usually one for musicals!

Remaining faithful to Disneyโ€™s 1991 adaption of the French fairy tale by Barbot de Villeneuve, widely regarded as one of the greatest animated films of all time, new director Georgia Watson and the entire team at Devizes Musical Theatre pulled out all the stops last night; amateur dramatics has never been this good, surely?!

Already clued up on the plot, as my daughter had a โ€œthingโ€ for the film when little, didn’t prevent me thoroughly enjoying this show, rather itโ€™s likely it aided it; familiarity transformed from film to stage is kingpin to a universally welcomed musical, which this is. Aside from the stellar performances, it was arduously and thoughtfully produced with attention to detail, especially the costume design; they were brilliant. Easy for a cartoonist, but how do you recreate inanimate objects such as a clock and teapot as characters on stage, I wondered beforehand, but not now!

And in this, commendations in particular go to Tia Shafee and Oli Beech, also Sarah Williams, Natalie Angus and Claire Abraham, all for adding those comical elements as candlesticks, clocks and teapots. Yet it was up to Georgia Saunders to add the sparkle, as the compassionate bookworm protagonist Belle, and her relationships with Samuel Phillis as the troubled Beast, Gareth Lloyd as the bawdy egomaniac Gaston, and Graham Day portraying her troubled inventor father, all of which were played confidently and rapturously.ย ย 

Interactions between Gareth and his literal sidekick LeFou, played with camp hilarity by Adam Sturges were comedy gold, as was the โ€œsilly girlsโ€ fighting for Gastonโ€™s affections, Georgia Claridge, Mimi Martin, Laura Bartle, and Bronwyn Hall. With special shout to Pip Emm who was last nightโ€™s Chip, a role which takes on a different young actor each performance, everyone on that stage looked to be loving the spotlight and this enthusiasm shone through, reflecting back off the audience in awe.

It never fails to amaze me how much work and effort goes into Devizes Musical Theatreโ€™s shows, and how professional they are. Beauty & The Beast runs until Saturday 5th April, with a matinee performance on the final Saturday. Ticket holders are in for a real treat, anyone looking for a ticket should act fast as the last rose petal is about to drop; last look there were some left for tonight, the rest is already sold out. At ยฃ16 a pop, youโ€™d pay more at the bar in a West End theatre for a glass of fizzy pop, or for parking.

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DOCA’s Early Lantern Workshops

Is it too early for the C word?! Of course not, Grinch! With DOCA’S Winter Festival confirmed for Friday 28th November this year, there willโ€ฆ

I See Orangeโ€ฆ.And Doll Guts!

There was a time not so long ago when I See Orange was the most exciting new band in Swindon. Their latest offering released atโ€ฆ

Talk in Code Down The Gate!

What, again?! Another article about Talk in Code?! Haven’t they had enough Devizine-styled publicity?! Are their heads swelling?!ย  Didn’t that crazy toothless editor catch themโ€ฆ

Junk Street Drumming Workshop in Devizes; Easter Holiday Fun for All Ages

Itโ€™s only the beginning of the Easter school holibobs and your little ones are already making a racket upstairs; what do you do? Is it wine oโ€™clock already? Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts might have another answer – a free drumming workshop!

From Monday 7th April to Wednesday 9th, DOCA have Junk Street Drumming workshops with the Drum Runners, at the Baptist Church on Sheep Street Devizes. Itโ€™s free, you can make your own instrument from recycled materials and learn to create some great rhythms using drums provided, some are even made from old bicycle wheels!

Drum Runners offers educational and fun outdoor workshops throughout the UK, to bring people and skills together. Energy, rhythm, culture and eco awareness for community events. You can find out more about them HERE, otherwise get drumming!

They run from 2pm to 4:30pm, Mon 7th April is for ages 12+. Tuesday 8th April is for families and all ages are welcome. Wednesday 9th April is for ages 12+. 

Please complete this short form, so DOCA know what workshop(s) you will be attending to create your own Junk Band!

Headline Tickets For Devizes Arts Festival Available Now, And What Else is to Come?!

Tickets for the headline acts at Devizes Arts Festival are up for grabs now, and the rest will follow for general release on April 28th, unless you become a โ€˜friendโ€™ of the festival, in which case it will be the 7th Aprilโ€ฆand why wouldnโ€™t you?!

We all love Devizes Arts Festival here at Devizine, which opens on Friday 30st May and runs right up to Sunday 15th June. If you promise not to go breaking my heart, Iโ€™ll tell you whatโ€™s happening thereโ€ฆyeah, I know, you couldnโ€™t if you tried!!

The festival opens with headliners, Kiki Dee & Carmelo Luggeri at the Corn Exchange on the evening of Friday 30th, and an exhibition by local landscape artist David Oโ€™Connor, who draws inspiration from Paul Nash, and ceramicist Richard Phethean. The exhibit will run throughout the festival at White Chalk Gallery in the Old Swan Yard.

Saturday 31st May sees multi-award-winning teacher, composer and organist Chris Totney returning to Devizes to give this yearโ€™s Festival Organ Recital; one of the very first times youโ€™ll get to experience the new pipe organ that has taken the best part of a year to install in St Johns Church. Followed by one of the UKโ€™s finest Latin bands, Kโ€™Chevere, at the Corn Exchange.ย 

Sunday 1st June, thereโ€™s a walk with Judy Hible of Wiltshire Geology Group, and furniture-maker Stewart Linford hosts a fascinating and informative talk on โ€œLuxury in Woodโ€ at the Peppermill (free fringe event.) But all eyes will be on the skies, when space scientist and BAFTA-nominated presenter of โ€œThe Sky at Nightโ€ Maggie Aderin-Pocock, pops in for an inspiring exploration of the universe.

Monday 2nd is time to get interactive, in a writing session with members of Devizes Writersโ€™ Group, exploring writing fiction or nonfiction, one of the first workshops at the festival this year. Tuesday sees an enthralling and earth-moving evening of gardening talk with TVโ€™s top gardener Frances Tophill. Wednesday is the turn of bestselling crime and thriller writer Felix Francis, for a fascinating talk on mysteries in the world of thoroughbred horse-racing. And Conan Doyle expert David Stuart Daviesโ€™ โ€˜Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act,โ€™ directed by award-winning director Gareth Armstrong, plays at the Wharf Theatre, with a second performance on Thursday. Also find guitarist and singer-songwriterAnna Ling at St Andrews on Thursday.

Friday 6th, join Rowdeโ€™s only botanical artist and author, Ann Swan, for a workshop in her studio, while ceramicist Keith Brymer Jones will talk about his life as a creative potter and his experiences as a judge of The Great Pottery Throwdown at The Corn Exchange.

Saturday 7th June, and youโ€™ll find the Sunday Times bestselling author of โ€œMiss Austenโ€, Gill Hornby talking with Mark Jones from Fantasy Radio, a demonstration by the Devizes Regency Dancers (free fringe event,) and an electrifying country show with all-female Country Chicks.

Another walk on Sunday, gosh, they do like their Sunday walks, this time with Wiltshire Wildlife Trustโ€™s Nick Self, conservation lead for North Wiltshire. Then itโ€™s over to The British Lion for some Welsh frontier roots music with Whiskey River, (free fringe event.)

Monday 9th June you can join print-maker Hannah Cantellow at her Printmaking Studio in Rowde, or learn some crossword secrets from Times Puzzle Master Tim Moorey, who has been solving Times crosswords for over 50 years, on Tuesday. Tuesday also sees virtuoso clarinettist Sarah Williamson and soloist and chamber musician Simon Callaghan.

Wednesday 11th sees singer-songwriter Miranda Pender presenting a darkly humorous talk which includes five original songs based around some of the more bizarre stories unearthed from her family history. And Two Queens, One Nation at the Wharf Theatre, Miriam Cooperโ€™s one-woman show exploring the unavoidable collision of dynamic sovereigns and cousins, Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots.

Photographer and naturalist Stephen Davis is at the Cheese Hall on Thursday 12th, and jazz saxophonist Julian Costello brings his quartet to the Town Hall.

Friday is comedy night as Mark โ€˜Taskmasterโ€™ Watson, celebrates twenty years in standup. Multi-award-winner, YouTube cult figure, Radio 4 favourite and recently โ€˜Baby Reindeerโ€™ actor, Mark comes to Devizes after seasons at the Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Edinburgh comedy festivals.

Author of English Civil War historical fiction series โ€˜Divided Kingdomโ€™, Charles Cordell is with us on Saturday 14th June. His writing has received high praise in editorial and readersโ€™ reviews alike, his latest novel, โ€˜The Keys of Hell and Deathโ€™, is set between Wiltshire and Somerset in July 1643. Followed by the Bath Male Choir in St Johns, and Torbayโ€™s five-piece 80s party band Riviera Dogs at the Corn Exchange.

For the final day of Devizes Arts Festival, Sunday 15th June, author Charles Cordell finishes his talk with a guided walk and discussion of the Siege of Devizes in July 1643. Journalist, writer, and experienced skydiver Sally Smith is at Devizes Books talking about her book โ€˜Magnificent Women and Flying Machines.โ€™ And Bath-based instrumental jazz-infused blend of Levantine mystery, Balkan passion and Latin rhythms quintetย  Radio Banska bring the Arts Festival to a dynamic close at the Cellar Bar. Both of these last two events are free fringe events.

Tickets for the headliners are on sale now, all others will be on sale from HERE on April 28th.

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Review by Pip Aldridge

Last week, I had the privilege of seeing the Fulltone Orchestra perform at the beautiful Tewkesbury Abbey beneath the Peace Doves art installation.…

The entire concert was breathtaking, divided into two halves. The first featured a mixture of orchestral pieces and solos, beginning with the theme from Blue Planet, which was my favourite piece of the evening. The acoustics of the church, combined with the sheer talent of the orchestra, completely captivated the audience. It felt as though, if you closed your eyes, you could almost believe you were watching the programme itself.

This half included a range of music, including a stunning violin solo that provided a striking contrast to the rest of the programme. It concluded with a wonderful rendition of Youโ€™ll Never Walk Alone, which was the perfect piece to lead into the second half.

The second half featured Karl Jenkinsโ€™ The Peacemakers, performed by the Fulltone Chorus and Orchestra. There was a fascinating contrast between the different pieces – some were slow and melodic, while others were more rousing and intense. Many had African and Celtic influences, with a driving beat towards the end.

To me, it felt as though the music gradually built in intensity, symbolising the lengths to which people will go in their pursuit of peace. The concert ended with a powerful crescendo that left me feeling both hopeful and deeply moved. Performing this music beneath the Peace Doves installation felt so intentional and uplifting; hearing music about striving for peace in such a setting truly enhanced the experience.

The variety of music worked beautifully together, giving the impression that it represented the world itself – how it changes and how our approaches to peace evolve over time. The inclusion of words from great peace leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. made the performance feel deeply personal, yet simultaneously vast in its significance.

This was my first time attending a concert of this kind, and I found it profoundly moving. The passion and dedication of the performers were evident in every note, and I experienced a wide range of emotions throughout. If you ever have the opportunity to see the Fulltone Orchestra and Chorus in one of their upcoming projects, I would highly recommend it – it is a truly special experience.

The last one is in Bath Abbey on the 15th March. You should go. 

Pip is sixteen and studying film at college, with the hope of becoming a journalist. We wish Pip all the best with her career and are grateful for allowing us to publish this insightful and brilliantly written review.

Devizes Street Festival Cancelled For Second Year

Without sounding like a stuck record, itโ€™s the same unfortunate news for Devizes Street Festival as it was last year; Arts Council England has not awarded DOCA funding for their programme of summer events in 2025โ€ฆ..

DOCA was sorry to announce today, a spokesperson saying, โ€œfunding across the country has diminished significantly and demand for it has increased. As a result our already small staff team will be reduced to a minimum as we try to secure funding for the future.โ€

โ€œThis means that the Street Festival cannot go ahead as intended on 4th & 5th May. We will, however, still be delivering an exciting event in town that weekend. The YEA Devizes project (Youth Event Area Devizes,) which has been funded by National Grid, will present a youth-led event in the Market Place, created and delivered by the incredible young people of our town.โ€

Devizes Yea would like to connect with other community groups and individuals, so if you are a young person interested in being a part of it, or an organisation or club that would like to support the event please get in touch at: yeadevizes@docadevizes.org.uk ( For all non-youth related enquiries please use info@docadevizes.org.uk)

Alongside this DOCA will host Grow Devizes that weekend, a concept that encourages and combines both growth in nature, and growth in our community. To this end, the Out and About project will take the performing arts out into a rural village and in turn invite people from those areas back into all they do in town.

โ€œWe are still navigating the best way forward for our other summer events,โ€ DOCA continues, โ€œsuch as Colour Rush, Confetti Battle, Picnic in The Park and Carnival, working with our partners around town and funders to come up with the best solution. Please bear with us while we consider all available options and weโ€™ll update you as we know more about each specific event.โ€

This was such a special event in Devizes, loved by all. It is such a shame to hear this terrible news for a second year running. The effects of the governmentโ€™s 16% cut in real terms across the UK to arts funding since 2017 is beginning to impact significantly on free events such as town carnivals and village fetes.

Earlier this month Wiltshire Council confirmed an increase in funding to its arts and heritage partners. The council funds four arts organisations across the county; Pound Arts in Corsham, Trowbridge Town Hall Arts, Wiltshire Creative in Salisbury and Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford on Avon. Funding also goes to Wiltshire Museum and Salisbury Museum.

We support, of course we do, all additional funding for arts in the county, but Devizes gets zilch for arts. They stated this demonstrates WC, โ€œis committed to the delivery of culture in the county by agreeing to uplift each of its grants to arts and heritage partners by 10% in 2025/26.โ€ Yet this excludes every charitable event organisation in the county dedicated to providing arts and culture freely, as while many of their heritage partners fundraise for important charities, all events at the venues require tickets.

The failing of funding for community events is the remnants of a conservative austerity ethos that arts and entertainment will only be available to those able to pay for it, and if Wiltshire Council were as thoroughly dedicated to arts and culture as the claim they are, they would provide budgets for town carnivals as well as the ticketed venues affiliated with them. Instead, and to illustrate by example, one of our Conservative town and county councillors and area board managers criticised the beloved Street Festival for not having a โ€œdiverse audience.โ€ 

The statement was, obviously, poppycock and only made to favour profit-making events in the town; Street Festival was, by a country mile, the most diverse event Devizes has ever seen and attracted the most diverse audience, being it was free and open to all.

Street Festival was a true colourful display of music, arts and theatre, and was once a testament to all which can be accomplished freely when a community comes together. It is heart-breaking to have to mention the event in the past tense, but this sad news today casts a shadow over any hope the Street Festival will ever return.

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The Emporium in Devizes to Close

If Devizes boasts an abundance of independent gift shops of unique and exquisite or often novelty items in the face of a national pandemic of boarded up storefronts, itโ€™s saddening to hear today The Emporium on St Johns Street is to closeโ€ฆ..

It has been a stalwart in our town centre for generations, as long as I can recall, and it has seen off a number of similar shops. Once of a dark green faรงade, it was a creaking floorboard cavern, a treasure trove of curious and peculiar shiny things, from vintage clothes and Indian rugs, to charming novelty gifts and titillating joke books!

Teresa Garraud opened the shop in 1981 and ran it until retiring in 2019. The owners of the last decade Kate Suter and Kelly Harford reinvented it, gave it a fresher white design, and offered luxury gift items through the adjoining K Collection shop, but also adhered to keep it within the spirit Ms Garraud created, and has always been known and loved for.  

At one point in recent history it was one of few places charms of such could be found in Devizes, now it seems itโ€™s innovation has seen a blossoming of similar gift shops, online ones too, and with the growing popularity of craft fairs. If it sadly looked as if this is the last we will see of it, we now believeย new owners have been found but are we are yet to know if they intend to continue trading as The Emporium or if products stocks will be similar.

Photo by http://www.gphillipsphotography.com 

The Emporium told its Facebook followers, โ€œThe Emporium is closing downโ€ฆ All stock now half price!โ€ and has not replied to the huge response in the comments section as townsfolk, flocking to show their respect for the gift shop:

โ€œSuch a great shop for gifts. One of my favourites.” “I’ve bought so many lovely gifts for people from here.โ€ โ€œLove your shop. Been going in here since I was 8 years old, I am 50 this year.โ€ โ€œI spent hours in there when growing up buying scented rubbers and notepaper.โ€ โ€œGreat memories of spending my pocket money in here 35+ years ago!!โ€ And many others comments of sympathy and fond recollections are flooding in.

Times change, Amazon has some great coupons for similar products. You should see HERE for some great codes and discounts.

We have been informed unofficially that someone is seeking to continue to run a shop at the location, but perhaps not in its current format. We wish Kate Suter and Kelly Harford our best wishes for the future.

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Bradford-on-Avon Green Man Festival Returns In May

Experience the Bradford on Avon Green Man Festival, a vibrant, family-friendly community gathering featuring traditional dance, music, song, and folklore throughout the town centre on Saturday 10th May 2025 (9.30am to 6pm). And the best part is, it’s free!

Witness over 50 dance groups, including 500 dancers and 120 musicians, featuring Morris dancing and diverse European styles.

Join the whimsical journey of our 10ft tall Jack in the Green and Jill in the Green, visiting 12 town centre venues with bands and fantasy beasts.

You’ll also discover the kid’s zone, artisan market, community hub, pagan arts and crafts.

Groove to a samba band, mummers’ play, Folk Club stage, Wiltshire Music Centre stage at Holy Trinity Church, a great venue with fantastic acoustics, Blues @ The Shoes stage, live pub music with English folk music in The Canal Tavern organised by the regular BoA session players, The Dandy Lion hosting an Appalachian session, French music outside in the sun at Timbrellโ€™s Yard, buskers and more!

A Friday night launch party at the Wiltshire Music Centre is always a great start to the festival. This year it is on Friday 9th May, and theyโ€™ve booked the fantastic John Martyn Project.

The full programme is available on the BoA Green Man Festival website: boagreenmanfest.org

The BoA Green Man Festival has something for everyone โ€“ so dress up for the day and really get into the swing of things.

Date: Saturday 10 May 2025

Time: 9.30am to 6pm

Location: Across Bradford on Avon

Website: boagreenmanfest.org/welcome/

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โ€œVeronicaโ€™s Roomโ€ at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes, Januaryย 27th-February 1st 2025

By Ian Diddams
Images by Jeni Meade

No aficionado of 1960s and 1970s horror films would have missed seeing โ€œRosemaryโ€™s Babyโ€, a story of Satanic pregnancy, based on the book by Ira Levin. Shortly after that bookโ€™s release, Levin write a stage play โ€œVeronicaโ€™s Roomโ€ which followed โ€œRosemaryโ€™s Babyโ€ tone of horror with a disturbing, psychological thriller.

The Wharfโ€™s production opens with a furniture draped bedroom, which is soon revealed to be Veronicaโ€™s room. The entire play is set in this room which in itself gives off a creepy, dark atmosphere; you can almost smell the mustiness of the dingy, sparsely furnished bedroom. A bed, chaise-longue, table and chairs, wardrobeโ€ฆย  and a barred window. Director John Winterton and his team designed and created the set and its ominous undertones, and the tech team produce eery lighting, subtly and extremely effectively fitting for this play. Without providing spoilers it’s however fine to say the costumes required for the story fit the requirements perfectly. And as ever Gill Barnes and the costume team have come up trumps to further set the period and the characterisations.

Itโ€™s a short play timewise โ€“ two acts comprising eighty minutes in total, plus an interval. But it is far from short with plot twists and turns, and as each new piece of information unfolds, we are drawn into a darker and more sinister world each time. The cast of four work well together to deliver Levinโ€™s increasingly twisted story, with Johnโ€™s direction keeping the pace exactly right at all times.

Jax Brady plays The Woman, embracing all the mood swings and dialects with ease, the perfect loving partner to The Man played by Gary Robson, whose sombre delivery is befitting of his characterโ€™s inner turmoil and glimmers of hope, of his love for The Woman whilst uneasy with their shared knowledge. Abigail Baker plays The Girl around whom the plot centres; at first brazenly flirtatious, then finally broken, desperate and terrified. The Young Man โ€“ the object of The Girlโ€™s desires – is played by Cameron Williams who also has challenging characterisation and manages it sublimely.

It would be fair to say that โ€œVeronicaโ€™s Roomโ€ is also challenging for the audience โ€“ it is a horror, and a psychological one at that, preying on oneโ€™s mind. Levinโ€™s story is a slow burner to begin with but as Act 2 in particular progresses it becomes a runaway train with hard hitting realisations developing the full horror coming thick and fast. The cast and crew have created a super rendition of Levinโ€™s story that will surely have you checking under your bed when you go to sleep afterwardsโ€ฆ

โ€œVeronicaโ€™s Roomโ€ is performed at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes January 2th to February 1st at 7.30pm each evening.

Tickets available online and from Devizes Books.

Devizes Musical Theatreโ€™s Next Production; Beauty & The Beast

If I had to be magically turned into a candlestick or a teapot, I believe Iโ€™d rather be a teapot than have a wax candle on fire wedged into the top of my head! Fear not, itโ€™s not a worry Iโ€™m losing any sleep over, rather the kind of bizarre fleeting notion which popped into my mind when previewing Devizes Musical Theatreโ€™s next production, Beauty & The Beastโ€ฆ.

The wardrobe is definitely out of the question, anyway I digress! For if thereโ€™s one local amateur theatre collective to make you question the definition of โ€œamateurโ€ itโ€™s Devizes Musical Theatre, in my experience. To pay a kingโ€™s ransom for a West End production is to expect, much less assume, youโ€™re in for a treat, but to see the dedication and hours of labour which goes into an amateur production like those of Devizes Musical Theatre, is the surprise element, that the magic isnโ€™t so far from a professional production.

So, get ready, Gaston, for a tale as old as time, as Devizes Musical Theatreโ€™s curtain is rising once again for Beauty and the Beast. Itโ€™s running from Wednesday 2nd April โ€“ Saturday 5th April 2025, at Dauntsey’s Schoolโ€™s Memorial Hall in West Lavington and tickets are available now at www.devizesmusicaltheatre.co.uk or Devizes Books.

Devizes Musical Theatreโ€™s last sold-out show was Sister Act back in March 2024, of which I reviewed and said โ€œitโ€™s the combination of their motivation and exceptional effort which makes this such a dynamic show, coupled with the elementary notion, Sister Act has universal appeal and is simply fun on a stick!โ€ But no one listens to me, so please note the show was nominated for Best Musical and Best Publicity at the prestigious Rose Bowl Awards.

โ€œTickets are already flying off the shelves,โ€ weโ€™re informed, so donโ€™t miss your chance to experience the magic of live theatre right here in our community. Whether you laughed with the nuns, hissed at Curtis and his baddies in Sister Act, or youโ€™re a newcomer to the DMT productions, this show is guaranteed to leave you spellbound; be their guests, be their guests, be their guests!

Devizine Review of 2024 Part 1: Jan to July

Featured Image: Gail Foster

All other image usage here was credited on the original articles, to locate sources again would take a long time, so please accept my apologises. If you see an image you own and wish to be credited for it, please ask. Thank you.

Okay so, three days into 2025 and my chicken kiev parped at me. Is this an augury?! A prediction of how this year is going to play out?! Even my dinners will be farting in my general direction? Que sera sera, weโ€™re not looking forwards, weโ€™re looking backwards, at how 2024 passed here at Devizine Towersโ€ฆ..

Start with stats, โ€˜cos after 2023โ€™s doubling on hits from 2022, we failed to make a similar hike, achieving about 9% less hits than 2023. Iโ€™m not going to lose sleep over it, it was a great year, but figure thereโ€™s a few reasons for this drop. Firstly, despite a shock general election, Iโ€™ve tried to avoid controversy and local political satirical slants as much as possible. Unfortunately itโ€™s often me playing the grumpy old toad which gains attention, but I really wanted to focus more on arts and entertainment news, as thatโ€™s our ethos, the spoof and opinion articles are just me, abusing the platform to magisterially backseat drive.

Result, though; we rid ourselves of Tory tyrants, in parliament at least, thereโ€™s still work to be done to obliterate the impact and ingrained cluelessness of elitist robbery of the working class and have a fairer system for all. Whatโ€™s my opinion of Starmer so far? Not impressive, thatโ€™s for sure, but by comparison with the circus of thieves which was the last government I think weโ€™re in a better place overall. Iโ€™m certainly not going to jump the bandwagon in disparaging him, knowing the alternative is this growing trend for fascism. Though itโ€™s not the shouty sort of fascism of the Third Reich, itโ€™s more ignorance is bliss, pie n chips, pint in hand C3PO gammon nescience. But, enough said about that!

Other reasons for the slight drop in hits could be due to the rising cost, my own fatigue and motivation to head out; I do worry what will become of Devizine with my aging and possible inability to get to gigs and events. A massive thank you must go to our contributors, then. Though submissions can be sporadic, we always need budding writers, especially younger ones to keep what weโ€™ve built here, and report on happenings, because left up to local press weโ€™d be doomed; they seem to favour national clickbait headlines over supporting local arts and entertainment, but likely they deem it is their only way to keep their heads above financial waters. I can’t blame them, but I can have a sly quip or two about it!

It is the accolades we receive from those talented locals which we promote and highlight which keeps me going with Devizine, and I thank them for motivating me. That is therefore where the concentration should be now, not on politics.

Another is top secret, but if youโ€™ve been contemplating that Devizine simply isnโ€™t funny anymore, Iโ€™ll reveal my best jokes are being saved for a book Iโ€™m near to finishing. I think youโ€™ll like it, itโ€™s absolute filth! And lastly, currently Iโ€™m so utterly fed up with social media. Itโ€™s all so bloody serious, nothing is taken with a pinch of salt, nothing is carefree or amusing. And if I do publish something on there for fun, the jokes fly over someoneโ€™s head, they take it the wrong way, get offended and execute a witch hunt against me. Itโ€™s all so petty and obnoxious, akin to road rage, rather than the creative outlet of its potential, and likely, original intention.

If itโ€™s not bombarding me with targeted adverts as a constant reminder Iโ€™m getting old, like care homes and life insurance, it’s flooded with utter crap, often using AI to illustrate misinformation and promote the rightwing bias of the owners, attempting to sway the masses; and it works too, thatโ€™s why they do it.

As a result Iโ€™ve massively reduced my screen time for such wet fart dribbles. Iโ€™ll share our articles on our social media platforms, but rarely feel inclined to interact with the gusto I once did. It is a shame, and it means you need to bookmark our wonderful website and check into it generically rather than wait for your social media platform to prompt you. Otherwise, fuck it, Iโ€™m doing this for bugger all reason, nearly as less than a few pennies it might yet generate. A fundraiser event may be a necessity now, at least an excuse for a much-needed party to lift my spirits! It is January though, a depressing little bugger, our annual review usually turns into whinge!

January

January Iโ€™m usually in hibernation, many are, so previews of events to come are more common as I hide in my hubby hole. Last year we ran ones on The Magic Teapot Gathering, the first line up announcements for My Dadโ€™s Bigger Than Your Dad Festival, Nโ€™Faly Kouyatรฉ of the Afro-Celt Sound System coming to Wiltshire Music Centre, and of course, the Bradford Roots Festival of which dragged me out of my cosy pit for! Two previews for new initiatives in Devizes worthy of previewing in January too were Palooza, a house night to happen in March, and Devizes Youth Action Groupโ€™s U18 gigs, both at The Exchange.

We announced a Lego Club starting at Devizes Library, and looked at courses in the art of chocolate at HollyChocs. I reviewed The Importance of Being Earnest at the Wharf Theatre. Andy ventured out to Long Street Blues Club, but for me, it seems the year begins with The Bradford Roots Festival, blooming lovely that occasion is, then I go back into winter hiding again!

Bookworm time, and Jan saw a review of Sorrel Pittsโ€™ novel Broken Shadows; undoubtedly the best read weโ€™ve ever reported on. And of course, recorded music reviews came thick and fast during those winter months. Albums from Billy Green 3, Richard Wileman and Daisy Chapman. Singles from Sienna Wileman, Nothing Rhymes With Orange, and Ushti Baba.

In the news, politics was brewing for a general election, we talked to the Melksham-Devizes Primary on where best to place our vote. We also reported on the sewage in the Kennet, and the MP who voted to strip legal duty on water companies to reduce harm caused by storm overflows. Yet regardless of all of this, the highest hitting article of the month by far was about a lost dildo found by dog walkers in Quakers Walk; you canโ€™t make up a golden scoop like that!!

February

Still wintery, we looked into SoupChickโ€™s new art gallery in Shambles, Valentina, celebrated thirty years of the Devizes Writers Group, the Kidical Mass bike ride calling for safer streets in Devizes, the Worton & Marston Brownies needing volunteers, and the Swindon Palestine Solidarity charity dinner. But my personal favourite was Darren and The Chocolate Factory, when I joined a family workshop at HollyChocs!

Other memorable events of Feb cannot be topped after Gaz Brookfieldโ€™s Village Hall Tour arrived in West Lavington. Though I also recall with fondness the Errol Linton Band at Long Street Blues Club, The Worried Men at the Pump, and Deadlight Dance at The Southgate. Ian gave us a review of Vince Bell at the Southgate, and Carrie at The Rondo Theatre. And we welcomed a new writer, Florence Lee who reported on Devizes Youth Action Groupโ€™s First Club Night.

Music in review came from Cracked Machine, The Lost Trades, The Jon Amor Trio, Jol Rose, and  Talk in Code. We previewed The Beat at The Cheese and Grain, the Jesus Jones tour, Devizes Pride, Gaz Brookfield, Mantonfest 2024, The Scribes at The Pump, and that The Marley Experience was coming to Devizes.

March

Politically we had a clue to the change in the tide, with a historic Lib Dem win in Marlborough Town Council, shame the trend didnโ€™t carry onto the GE there. We reported on a Palestinian Children Memorial in Swindon, and a Palestine protest at Labour Party fundraiser. We had a recap on the good work Devizes Clean Up Squad do, and opinionated on Wiltshire Councilโ€™s threats of prosecution against Wiltshire Music Eventsโ€™ posters in Devizes. 

I think the hero of the month goes to our bravest 7-year-old, Chloe, who slept out for Devizes OpenDoors. Though Chloeโ€™s feat might yet have been slightly upstaged by our Brian, who discovered Led Zeppelinโ€™s mystery thatcher, became a national hero to prog rock fans, and was the subject of a Wiltshire Museum exhibit.

We previewed FearFreeโ€™s fashion show at the Condado Lounge, Devizes Musical Theatreโ€™s Sister Act at Dauntseys, our Shelly on the wheels of steel at the Muck & Dunder, and Devizes Arts Festival. Andy went to Cinelli Brothers at Long Street Blues Club, Ian gave a review of โ€œRENTโ€ at The Rondo Theatre. I had two unforgettable nights out, when Ian Siegal joined the Jon Amor Trio at the  Southgate, and the first Palooza got me dancing my socks off for my birthday at The Exchange.

An album from Deadlight Dance and singles from M3G, Atari Pilot, and Life in Mono got covered, and we rediscovered our Chrissy from as yet unformed band Burn The Midnight Oil, providing vocals for drum n bass tracks. Oh yeah, I had a rant at those ranting about the Glastonbury line-up too!

April

April fools, of course, when we headlined โ€œDevizes Road Resurfacing Plan Abolished Due to Dinosaur Fossil in Pothole!โ€ The rest, though, was sadly true. Wiltshire Police Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson lied through his teeth, Amnesty in Salisbury responded to the Rwanda Bill, and Michelle Donelanโ€™s fake magazine campaign leaflet was promoted by drink driving fox hunter Jonathan Seed. Meanwhile, Wiltshire Council continued to gloat about prosecuting fly posters, attacking Adrenaline Stompers in Westbury this time, whilst The Marley Experience concert in Devizes was attacked by some nasty Facebook posts, falsely claiming it was cancelled. 

But away from nastiness, Chloe raised ยฃ600 for Devizes OpenDoors and we previewed Devizes Lionsโ€™ sponsored walk for the homeless charity too. The Peppermill started an open mic. We also previewed Simply The Best; Tina Turner Tribute at the Corn Exchange, The Female of the Species fundraising this time for Rainbow Early Years in Trowbridge, two teenage punks bands appearing at the Pump, Steatopygous & SHOX, a Bradford Roots session special with Bill in the Lowground, Daisy Chapman & Thieves, the Patsy Gamble Jazz Trio in Bromham, White Horse Operaโ€™s Pucciniโ€™s โ€œLa Bohemeโ€ at Lavington School,

Six:Teen Edition, Devizes Music Academyโ€™s first show, Paloozaโ€™s second night at The Exchange, and Swindon Jazz & Soul Festival, which I attended and loved!

Reviews also from James and the Cold Gun, Lucky Number Seven, Nobodyโ€™s Dad, The Real Cheesemakers at The Pump. Jinder and Mark Harrison at the Queens Head in Box. Barrelhouse at The Southgate. Roughcut Rebels and The Clones at the Three Crowns. Shox & Steatopygous supporting Menthol Lungs at The Pump. The Lost Trades at The Piggy Bank. Six:Teen Edition. โ€œSkylightโ€ at the Rondo Theatre. โ€œThe Thrill of Loveโ€ and โ€œAnd Then There Were Noneโ€ at the Wharf Theatre, and The Marley Experience came to Devizes and everyone loved it regardless of the grandstanding whingers!

May

A month of ups and downs, we previewed Professor Elemental, Madam Misfit and the Real Cheesemakers at The Barge on Honeystreet, Frome Festival, White Horse Operaโ€™s Mathieson Trust fundraiser with Anup Biswas and The Brand New Heavies at the Cheese and Grain. We reviewed music from LilyPetals, Courting Ghosts, Nothing Rhymes With Orange and Poppy Rose.

We talked about Affordable school costs for all, Swindon families uniting in memory of innocent children killed in conflict, and while Vicar Gerry Lynch faced a soaking at Pottenre fete, St James Devizes Vicar Keith Brindle was honoured as a Canon of Salisbury Cathedral! But sad news was to hear Devizes International Street Festival was cancelled, and funding was needed to keep Confetti Battle going ahead. And Tonka Bean was closing too.

Events picked up though, Ben hailed the Beaux Gris Gris gig the best Devizes has ever seen. Meanwhile I was with Illingworth and catching up with George Wilding at the Crown in Bishops Cannings. Andy attended Peter Knightโ€™s Gigspanner at Pound Arts Centre. Ian covered โ€œThe Incident Roomโ€ at the Rondo Theatre, โ€œSister Actโ€ at St. Augustineโ€™s, and โ€œThe Thrill of Loveโ€ at The Wharf Theatre. There was a homecoming gig for Nothing Rhymes With Orange at the Three Crowns, and another one of those nights when I went on a round robin tour of live music in Devizes, at Long Street, The Southgate and Three Crowns. The only time for a spoof article that month was for one headlined โ€œLabour Party Could Change Star Wars Day to โ€˜Sci-Fiโ€™ Day so to Not Offend Trekkies!โ€

June

June is about going out! Ben gave us reviews of Jim Blair and the Mojo Makers at The Beehive, Swindon, and Robert Vincent & Ryan Davis PAs at Marlboroughโ€™s Sound Knowledge. I caught I See Orange at The Pump with Devizes-own Steatopygous.

Ian checked out โ€œThe Collaboratorsโ€ at the Rondo Theatre, and โ€œWhereโ€™s The Cat? Live!โ€ at the Wharf Theatre, and then there was Devizes Arts Festival which we all covered as extensively as possible.

A Junco Shakers at The British Lion, The Slambovian Circus of Dreams, The Sound Of Blue Note, Duo Tutti, Martin Simpson, Belinda Kirk, Lucy Porter, Ida Pelliccioli, Adam Rutherford, Edward Cross Quintet, Dr. Phil Hammond, Jolly Roger and The Cable Street Collective all reviewed, mainly by Andy, but a few by myself and Ian too, even had one from the Wharfโ€™s own John Winterton. What a great year for Devizes Arts Festival, my personal favourite? Easy, that was Lady Nade.

All this and I still found time to preview Devizes Scooter Rally, the return of Devizes Youth Action Group gig nights, and FullTone Festivalโ€™s youth-supporting extra day. Review music from Talk in Code and Rosie Jay. But if anything kept me busiest, it was interviewing candidates for our MP post, Green Party candidate for Melksham-Devizes Catherine Read, Labour candidate Kerry Postlewhite and Lib Dem candidate Brian Matthew. It was an honour to meet them all, and I enjoyed chatting to them in New Society. Any one of them had the potential to do a more honest job, but there was something about Brian which made me think, hey, thatโ€™s the guy for the job; the best thing about it, a majority agreed with me; crazy times!!

July

And so, it came to be. After fourteen tiresome years of Conservative lies and robbery, continuously leaning further into far right extremism, openly promoting hate and dividing the nation, they got thrown out of there, but didnโ€™t take it on the chin! โ€œMichelle Gonelan Makes History,โ€ was one article we published to make fun of the knicker-twisted attitude of those poor losers. Furious Tory supporters took to local Facebook groups, and we made fun of that too, with a headline deliberately in caps-lock, โ€œWOK SNOWFLICKS GIT THERE KICKS ON DEVIZS ISSUES (BIT BETTER) THIS ELEKTION!โ€ And then, even our county council leader wept like a baby over the new government scrapping the Stonehenge Tunnel! Oh, such fun!!

We continued to focus on DOCAโ€™s fundraising efforts, and took a recap visit to Devizes OpenDoors too. But July is festival season, and we were too knee-deep in sunny vibes to worry about the disgruntled minority upset with the election result.

Firstly, it was a shame Devizes Scooter Rally and the Full-Tone Festival had to be one same weekend, such that I attempted to do both but spent most of my time cruising from one to the other, great though they both were. And it was a time when our recommendations came to pass, as Meg was booked for a rather smashing MantonFest, and The Sarah C Ryan band played DOCAโ€™s Picnic in the Park, in which I played compere, in a giraffe onesie! Happy days.

Ian went to My Dadโ€™s Bigger Than Your Dad Festival, in Old Town Gardens, Swindon, and I popped over to check out Minety, and crowned it the best local festival Iโ€™ve been to. Other great nights out included Talk in Code & Laissez Faire at The Southgate, Ian reporting on The Rob Lear Band at The Piggy Bank, Calne, โ€œFaithโ€ at the Rondo Theatre, and โ€œMacbethโ€ at Cleeve House, Seend.

We also previewed the next season at the Wharf Theatre and announced there were only a few remaining tickets for Trowbridge Festival. Events, events, events, thatโ€™s what summer is for, not worrying about politics, it all ends with the same poor results. I believe it doesnโ€™t matter who is at number ten, and while itโ€™s probably better to have the last lot gone, we will never recover this financial pothole until we ALL face up to the fact the cost of Brexit has ruined us, and until we accept it and freely discuss without prejudice and arguing, what we can best do to recover from it, instead of blaming the current government for problems rooted in politics long before they won, we will see those comforts the UK have become accustomed to drop from us one by one. The closure of venues, pubs, shops, event organisers, the hardship of creatives, the general disillusionment that a new government can fix it overnight, all paints a very gloomy picture. Therefore, as I said at the beginning, Iโ€™m done with politics, and feel Devizine should focus on supporting the arts and entertainment as much as possible.

And thatโ€™s the end of the first half of this 2024 review, weโ€™ll see a lack of political matters during the last six months of the year, and a new ethos of positivity in the face of such gloomโ€ฆ..I hope!!      

The Rise of Winter Festivals

Once upon a time it seemed to me, that folk would grin and bear the winter weather for the sake of a Christmas lights switching on type of event, then batten down the hatches and hibernate like hedgehogs until spring. Nowadays you need not wait till summer for music festivals; winterfests are a thingโ€ฆ..

For those who cannot wait for the blossoming, and need a big fix of music and arts right now, here’s some local winter festivals to unravel their scarves and remove their bobble hats:

Bradford Roots Festival

Firstly, a well established winter occasion, Bradford Roots Festival at the wonderful Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford-on-Avon. This is happening as a Saturday only event this year, on the 18th January. Our Andy reported on this one some years ago, and I snatched coverage of it off him, realising the โ€œRootsโ€ in its title refers more to hosting local acts of a variety of genres, not just a folk festival as it might be wrongly conceived as. It has become something of an unmissable winter local music convention, especially feeling like this being housed under the one roof of this purpose-built venue.

Wiltshire Music Centre are leaking names for the lineup individually on their Facebook page, the incredible Becky Lawrence being the first reveal. You can rest assured, though, based on past experience, this will be a whoโ€™s-who of local acts, over five stages. WIth an open mic stage, late-night transatlantic folk sessions, a family-friendly daytime with Wassail and childrenโ€™s arts and crafts, food & drink, a mini makerโ€™s market, and more, this is a delightfully warming occasion. You can choose from an All Day ticket (11am โ€“ 10.00pm) or an Evening Session ticket (7pm โ€“ 10.00pm) ยฃ25 / ยฃ13.50 All Day, ยฃ12 / ยฃ7 Evening. U12 free with an adult.ย 

Devizes International Blues Festival

Same date, different town, if Devizes has a penchant for the blues, luckily supports the Long Street Blues Club which hosts international blues artists, and the current Mayor Ian Hopkins is the organiser of the club, you can trust when it comes to the compulsory organisation ofย Mayorโ€™s Appeal events itโ€™s going to be a blast.ย ย ย ย 

Saturday 18th January sees the first Devizes Blues Festival inside the Corn Exchange. It promises โ€œto create an intimate blues club in the Ceres Hall around tables and seating is just limited to 250 guests.โ€ One of the greatest contemporary blues guitarists hailing from the south side of Chicago, Toronto Cannon, Nora Jean Wallace, a Chicago blues singer with deep Delta roots, John Primer, one of the kings of Chicago blues and original guitarist in Muddy Watersโ€™ band, singer Oscar Wilson and harmonica genius Giles Robson, you can guarantee have been cherry-picked by the expertise of Long Street. Tickets on sale now. ยฃ50.00 in advance.

DOCA Festival of Winter Ales

If the Blues Festival is new to Devizes, of course the town has had a winter festival for a number of years, and surprise, surprise, itโ€™s all about booze! The DOCA fundraising WInter of Festive Ales is on Saturday 15th February, early bird tickets are up for grabs and itโ€™s vital to the future of DOCA to support this, if you can. There will be a massive selection of beers and ciders to try with some quality music and cabaret to entertain you, we just donโ€™t know what they are yet!

Figgle Winter Festival

While I confess, thereโ€™s still a lot of updating to our event calendar to be done to bring 2025 to full fruition, and no doubt details of more winter festivals will come to light. Events like Figgle Winter Fest on the 1st Feb at Figheldean Village Hall, with a great and varied lineup of All Floyd, Strange Folk, Break Cover, The P45s, Lump, The Zucchinis, and one of our favourite upcoming stars, Rosie Jay. 

Swinterfest

But itโ€™s over to Swindon where we really need to concentrate, for the Swindon Shuffle is saving one big Christmas cracker for the end of January! The Shuffle offers us a scaled down in quantity but not quality version of their annual fundraiser for Prospect Hospice, on the weekend starting Thursday 30th January. Swinterfest is now a thing, and it looks set to warm live music in Swindon. The Shuffle really is a blessing late summer, when you can wander Old Town and beyond and discover so much live music itโ€™s impossible to take it all inโ€ฆ and itโ€™s free too, save for collection buckets for the hospice. It is therefore a safe bet Swinterfest will be off the scale awesome too!

Swinterfest is scaled down to one pub per day, saves wandering the nippy night air. Thursday at the Tuppenny with Courting Ghosts, Canutes Plastic Army, Will Lawton and George Wilding starts it off in style; we love all this with cherries on. Friday, the 31st Jan and itโ€™s all down The Vic for a punkier gig with All Ears Avow, Modern Evils, Not Warriors, Adder and our personal pick of this bunch, I See Orange.

Saturday night at Swinterfest is down the Castle, with our picks Meg and Nothing Rhymes WIth Orange, and also new ones on us, Stay Lunar, Wild Isles, Oojah, The Vivas and more are promised too. Sunday is the Beehiveโ€™s turn to play host, with our recommendations being Subject A, SN Dubstation, Concrete Prairie, and Fly Yeti Fly, and newcomers to us, Joe Kelly, Carnival Saloon and Sebastian and Me. Swinterfest may be a new venture, but, well, look at the fantastic lineup, the choicest one of all; it beats a brown snowball in the chops, in my humble opinion!ย 

As I said, Iโ€™m sure more winter festivals will come to our attention as time moves on, so keep an eye on our event calendar, but for now I think thatโ€™s plenty to warm your cockles, and massively reduce those post Christmas winter blues.

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Cephidโ€™s Sparks in the Darkness Goes Live at Bathโ€™s Rondo Theatre

Best part of a year has passed since Cephid released the groundbreaking electronica album, Sparks in the Darkness. At the time I said of West Lavingtonโ€™s musician and composer Moray Macdonaldโ€™s alter-egoโ€™s masterwork, it was composed of โ€œgorgeous complex structures and intense electronic textures,โ€ and comparing it thus: โ€œlike Jean Michel Jarre came after dubstep, as if 808 State created Tubular Bells!โ€ On February 8th 2025, Cephid is coming to life, live at The Rondo Theatre in Bathโ€ฆโ€ฆ

Yeah, so I waffled in the review, from Dadaist Art of Noises to Delia Derbyshire and onto Kraftwerk, but it was hard to describe this album, to convey how technically constructed it was, because while contemporary, we usually associate electronic music with dance music ever since the slapadash rave era. While itโ€™s certainly danceable, it also relies heavily on the ambience of prog and space-rock soundscapes of yore, and creates this timeless classic impossible to pin down.

The show will likely be that rare and unmissable occasion, Moray said heโ€™s โ€œvery excited and a little nervous to announce the first ever Cephid live show!โ€ but that he feels, โ€œlucky to have such a great space to perform in, and Iโ€™ll be using light shows, projections, and more to bring the album to life.โ€

Partner Charlotte is producing the show with Nick Beere on sound. Graham Brown of Grace and Fire and The Paradox Twin will be on percussion and keys, and thereโ€™s a solo support performance by ex-Enidโ€™s That Joe Payne.

Since releasing Sparks in the Darkness, Moray has spent a lot of time explaining his thought processes while producing it, and remixing Kleptocracy, the new single from Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark which charted at number 1 in the Official Vinyl Singles Chart in May. If you’re an OMD fan, or just have the slightest interest in any subgenre of electronic music, this will be an unmissable show.ย 

Tickets are HERE.

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Live in Pewsey, at the First Oak-Fest

Amidst another packed summer weekend’s schedule laid that lovable large village Pewseyโ€™s turn to shine; always a law unto itself, things went off; ifโ€ฆ

IDLES’ at Block Party

With their only UK shows of the year quickly approaching, the 1st and 2nd August will see IDLESโ€™ and music festival Block Party takeโ€ฆ

Christmas in Devizes: Everything Happening From Now Until NYE!

Being as we received a taster of wintery weather to come this week, I believe itโ€™s okay to use the C-word; yes, Christmas!!

Hereโ€™s everything weโ€™ve found to do in and around Devizes, so far, from now until New Yearโ€™s Eve, in addition, of course, to decorating trees, picking all the toffee pennies out of the Quality Street tin, and enjoying watching Hans Gruber fall from the Nakatomi Plazaโ€ฆ.

Do remember though our event calendar is constantly updating, so do keep an eye on it, as more events may well be added when theyโ€™re brought to our attention. And if youโ€™re in another town, check our event calendar for events in your area; sorry you are not included here, we still love you, but thereโ€™s only so many hours in a day!

Lets go from this weekend, but be warned, thereโ€™s a lot to get through. Ongoing photographic exhibition at the Valentina Gallery, opposite SoupChick in the Shambles, ends on 2nd December. 

Thursday 21st November sees an Evening of Mediumship with Psychic Medium Nikki Kitt at the Corn Exchange.

Friday 22nd: Public Living Room is open at the Cheese Hall from 1.30-4pm. John Girvanโ€™s celebrated Ghost Walk of Devizes, takes on a Christmas spin. You find tickets at the Wiltshire Museum website. Queen tribute Qween UK plays the Corn Exchange. Recommended trip out of town: boom-bap legends The Scribes are at the Barge on Honeystreet.

Saturday 23rd November: and thereโ€™s a Sighthound Stroll at 12pm. Devizes Eisteddfodโ€™s Junior Showcase at the Town Hall. The FullTone Orchestra is at the Corn Exchange with an 80s special, so get your rah-rah skirts dusted and ready.

The Sylvertones are at The Three Crowns. The Ben Fletcher Band at The Southgate. DJ Emilo is bringing in the sounds at the Exchange. And for a short trip out of town, I recommend The Killer Circus show at Market Lavington Community Hall, with a double-header of mod-indie, britpop and ska with The Killertones Underground and 6 Oโ€™clock Circus. Or The Publicans at the Royal Oak, Pewsey.

Sunday 24th, The Duskers are at the Southgate for 5pm start, same time, itโ€™s nice to see live music back at the White Bear too; Andrew Hurst kicks those Sunday Sessions back into gear.

Tuesday 26th sees Devizes Lions Bingo Night at the Conservative Club.

Wednesday 27th, donโ€™t forget the acoustic jam at the Southgate.

Thursday 28th – do not miss this, the fantastic Ruby Darbyshire is doing a Fantasy Radio Live Lounge from 7pm at The Pelican. The Last Thursday of each month is also open mic time in the Cellar Bar of the Bear Hotel, from 7:30pm.

Friday 29th is the Winter Festival, on go the lights and Christmas begins officially in Devizes! 

12:00 โ€“ 20:00: Indoor & Outdoor Markets and Creative Installations. Lantern Parade at 18:30. 19:00 is Christmas Light Switch On. Window Wanderland begins and runs until 2nd Dec. Look out for the Cascade Chandelier, in the Shambles!

There will be several opportunities to get crafty over Winter Festival weekend with bookable artist-led workshops. More workshops will be dropping soon, so keep an eye on DOCAโ€™s social media! Willow Reindeer Workshop from 10am to 4pm at the Yeoman Room, Corn Exchange. Sarah Jayne Edwards works in willow in all scales, she made the Sanctuary that appeared on the Green in Devizes 2023. Spend a day with her where she will support you to create your own beautiful willow reindeer. 

All materials will be provided on these creative workshops, no experience needed. Event capacity for each is only 8 people. Participants must be aged 16 years or over. There are 2 free places allocated for low-income participants, no questions asked. If you would like to claim one of these places, please email: info@docadevizes.org.uk  

Elsewhere in Devizes, the fantastic People Like Us are at The Three Crowns, itโ€™s the Pour Houseโ€™s official opening party, and karaoke at the Pelican. Big Plus: itโ€™s panto season at the Wharf Theatre with the opening night of Hansel & Gretel; this is superb, Iโ€™ve seen the rehearsal, youโ€™re going to love it, young and old. Hansel & Gretel continues until 7th December, tickets are sold out, but you can join a waiting list.

Saturday 30th sees a Devizes Lions book sale at St Maryโ€™s Church.

Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts Winter Festival continues, presenting ‘Crow’ by Avanti Display. ‘Crow’ is a beguiling, genre-defying, beautifully odd show. It teases us with strange images, magical clowning and bewitching visual images. Accompanied by a live inventive score. Video projections expand their comic and curious world, suggesting ideas both profound and absurd. This is a ticketed event at Sheep Street Baptist Church and starts at 6pm.

Also part of the Winter Festival, from 10am to 3pm, thereโ€™s an Outdoor Market with Music & Street Entertainment, and Makery Sessions Craft Workshops at various times. Porcelain Christmas Decorations Workshop at Parnella House from 10am to 1pm, with Geraldine Francis.

Contemporary Wreath Making Workshop at 2pm to 5pm at Parnella House with Nancy Rose Stott, an accomplished maker, best known for her amazing hats. All materials will be provided, no experience needed. Event capacity: 8 people only. Participants must be aged 16 years or over. There are 2 free places allocated for low-income participants, no questions asked. If you would like to claim one of these places, please email: info@docadevizes.org.uk

Thereโ€™s also a Christmas Wreath Making Workshop at Poulshot Village Hall, not DOCA related.

Groovedream at The Three Crowns. Red Light at The Southgate.

And relax, itโ€™s Sunday, but it is December 1st! Curious Kids: Winter Fun at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes. The Pelican has a winter festival Christmas Lunch. JP Oldfield is at the White Bear at 5pm, the Jon Amor Trio residency at the Southgate, same time, and One More Shot at the Black Horse.

Monday 2nd, find a new open mic session at the Pour House, set up by the one and only JP Oldfield; very busy boy atm!

Wednesday 4th December: acoustic jam night at the Southgate.

Friday 6th sees a new regular acoustic session on Fridays at The Southgate, this week has JP Oldfield, Sammi Evans & Bryan Davies playing. White Horse Opera presents some Christmas Music at St Andrews. Itโ€™s Christmas Mixup night at the Exchange.

Saturday 7th, thereโ€™s a tour behind the scenes at Wiltshire Museum, and another Ghost Walk Christmas Special with John Griven.

The Shudders are at The Southgate. James Mitchell at The Three Crowns. The Coco Club Christmas Ball at the Corn Exchange. Christmas Party at the Exchange. Recommendations out of town, find a reggae night with Knatti P at the Barge on Honeystreet and Ruby Darbyshire at the Woodbridge.

Sunday 8th sees a family Christmas Party at West Lavington Village Hall in aid of Juliaโ€™s House. Sunflower Events Christmas Fair at the Corn Exchange. Christmas Fayre at The Barge, Seend Cleeve. 

Music at the Southgate from 5pm with The Wholesome Soul Trio.

Wednesday 11th, acoustic jam at the Southgate.

Thursday 12th is the second Exchange Comedy Night for The Mayorโ€™s Appeal.

Friday 13th thereโ€™s Devizes Good Afternoon Choirโ€™s Christmas Invitation with Children from Wansdyke School at St Andrewโ€™s Church. Young Curators Club: Mid-Winter Celebrations: Yule and Saturnalia at Wiltshire Museum.  

Saturday 14th: Table-top Sale for Camps International to Peru Trip: 12-4pm at The Wharfside. LECTURE: Digging for Erlestoke by Leigh Chalmers and Dr Phil Harding at Wiltshire Museum. And the opening of a new exhibit at the Museum, Megalithic Connections โ€“ Drawings & Etchings by Dave Gunning, which runs until 22nd Feb.

Christmas Market at Hillworth Park, in which Santa is fully booked, but heโ€™s also at, Breakfast With Santa at the Fire Station! Santa! Hey! I know him!

The Big Sound Christmas Concert at the Corn Exchange. Sour Apple at the Three Crowns, The Worried Men at The Southgate. And Karl Maggs has got the Jingle Bangers in the mix at the Exchange.

Sunday 15th, Wish Tree Gathering from 3-5pm at Quakerโ€™s Walk. Devizes Town Band Christmas Party at the Corn Exchange. And  Manos Puestas at The Southgate at 5pm.

Wednesday 18th, acoustic jam at the Southgate. 

Friday 20th, John Grivanโ€™s celebrated Ghost Walk of Devizes, takes on a Christmas spin. You find tickets at the Wiltshire Museum website. 

Devizes most celebrated house nights, Palooza returns to The Exchange.

Saturday 21st: Barrelhouse at The Southgate. Adam Woodhouse at The Three Crowns, and the Long Street Blues Club Christmas Party with the Thomas Atlas Band. DJ Mike Alford is at the Exchange.

Sunday 22nd is the Tractor & Tinsel Run at the Market Place. Charity Fundraiser with Burn The Midnight Oil, new band fronted by the fantastic Chrissy Chapman at The Southgate, from 5pm. 

Monday 23rd: The Unpredictables at The Three Crowns, being anything but unpredictable!

Tuesday 24th: Spend Christmas Eve at The White Bear, where the one, the only Jamie R Hawkins will be singing a few songs with Vince Bell too.

Thursday 26th: The Last Thursday of each month is also open mic time in the Cellar Bar of the Bear Hotel, from 7:30. We assume this will take place as usual.

Friday 27th: Drew Bryant at The Three Crowns. Twixmas Fun Quiz at The Pelican. DJ Stevie MC at the Exchange for an after Christmas Party.

Saturday 28th: The Killertones Underground at The Southgate; nice one!

Tuesday, New Yearโ€™s Eve: find Soundhog Karaoke at The Three Crowns. Back to Skool New Yearโ€™s Eve Party at the Pelican. The Original PJ & Mister M at the Bear Hotel. DJ Karl Maggs at The Exchange, and NYE Party at Seend Community Centre; Happy New Year!

Thatโ€™s your lot, unless thereโ€™s something we missed? Tell us about it, please do, we can add it, it isnโ€™t going to cost you anything more than being nice to me when you see me next! I hope everyone has been good all year, and wish you all a merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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Hansel & Gretel: Panto at the Wharf!

Images: Chris Watkins Media

It was lovely to spend Sunday afternoon at Devizesโ€™ Wharf Theatre, to see how this yearโ€™s pantomime Hansel & Gretel, is coming along. If my preview is behind me now, or if โ€œoh, no, it isnโ€™t,โ€ Iโ€™m happy to confirm ticket holders are in for a real treat, and those without a ticket I urge you to be as quick as a quick thing being quickโ€ฆ..

Tickets for panto at the Wharf sell out fast every year, rightfully. I believe thereโ€™s only a handful left. It may beg the question why Iโ€™m here to preview it at all, but with our Ian hot on the scene of anything theatrical these days, Iโ€™ve missed being at our communal little theatre. While I may not be so knowledgeable on Shakespeare’s plays, I know what I like, and Iโ€™m smitten for a great panto.

First time panto co-director Karen Ellis, who works with Jessica Bone, told me thereโ€™s a slightly different approach this year. I couldnโ€™t tell, Jack & The Beanstalk was wonderful last year, Hansel & Gretel is going to be as amazing as a gingerbread house decorated with sweeties!

A few sweets need tweaking, Iโ€™m at an early rehearsal, neighbouring seats are occupied with ladders and paint pots. Opening night is Friday 29th November, and with extra dates added the show runs until Saturday 7th December, with matinees on the Saturdays. With professionalism abound from whatโ€™s essentially an amateur production, from my sneaky peek alone, Iโ€™ve no doubt, this show is going to absolutely sparkle and thrill young and old equally.ย 

It was interesting, though, to see the inner workings of a panto developing, the many elements needing synchronisation I wouldnโ€™t have contemplated before now, and the attention to detail to something which might seem somewhat improvised to an outsider. It might be a couple of hours of quality family entertainment to you, but from script, expertly crafted by The Wharf Writersโ€™ Group, to this stage where only a few Iโ€™s need dotting and Tโ€™s crossing, has taken a year of hard work from a thoroughly dedicated group of very talented people.

And the hard work explodes like a supernova. As any panto should, the narrative is slight and loosely based on the Brothers Grimm fairy-tale. The show concentrates on slapstick, corny gags, drag, parodies of pop songs, slight tragedy, and a huge dollop of funny banter and audience participation, with a sprinkling of storyline. Brush up on your children’s TV show themes, anything more might be deemed a spoiler, but I can assure you, youโ€™re going to love it; all these elements are in grand abundance, and it thoroughly entertained me.

Starter for ten, neither Hansel, parts shared by two great young actors, Rory Lee and Tamsin Antignani, nor Gretel, similarly played by Emily Edwards and Gigi Underwood, are the protagonists here, rather the main parts depict an investigating police officer, Buttons, and his love interest, comically named Carrie Okie. The latter is played superbly by Georgina Claridge, also responsible for choreography, and the former, Officer Buttons is sublimely brought to life by Darcey Oswin; both masterful and confidently versatile in acting and singing, they work together like the perfect double-act.

Adam Sturgesโ€™ thespianism flare, with a natural ability for improv makes for the quintessential dame; he remained in character and high heels when I chatted to him outside! Is this the first pantomime dame to have a son, I wondered? Shaken, but not stirred and played by Lucas Dowling.

Likewise, Helen Pritchard makes for an excellent witch, and there’s supposed to be a compliment in there! Lesley Scholes is hilarious as a discluded fairy godmother, and the randomly placed comical duo is supplied brilliantly by Oli Beech and Liz Sharman.

Other singing and dancing characters are cast aptly, with Archer Leigh, Jo Benyon-Tucker, Cathy Chappell, Corrin Bishop, Poppy Lamb-Hughes, Emily Webb and Ben Bryan. It wouldnโ€™t be Christmas without a panto, and even a Grinch like me, after watching just a rehearsal for this early in November, could sense sleigh bells jingling and ring-tingle tingling all the way home!

I cannot guarantee your Brussel sprouts will be perfectly timed to coincide with the turkey, but I can assure you without doubt, Hansel & Gretel at The Wharf Theatre will warm your hearts and send you home smiling from elf ear to elf ear!

But hurry and be lucky to pick up the few remaining tickets HERE.

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Wiltshire Music Centre Announces New Joint Leadership

Wiltshire Music Centre is delighted to announce the new appointments ofย Danielย Clark as Artistic Director, andย Sarahย Robertson as Executive Director.ย Danielย andย Sarahย join Wiltshire Music Centre in a new co-leadership model. They will join the team in late January 2025, to strengthen the Centre’s role as a culturalย andย creative spaceย andย Arts Council England NPO for Wiltshire.

Sarah is currently working as Director of Communications and Special Projects at Bristol Beacon, where she led on marketing for the rebranding and reopening of the venueโ€™s ยฃ132 million transformation. Sarah’s had a long involvement with Bristol Beacon where she has worked for the past 17 years and been a pivotal figure in the organisation’s evolution.ย During this time, she has also commissioned and managed transformation projects funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund and was a Clore Fellow in 2021. Sheโ€™s also held positions on a number of Boards as Chair for Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory in 2021-2023, and more recently as co-Chair at Turner Sims.ย 

Daniel has worked in the arts and music industry for over 25 years as a Creative Director, composer and musician. He currently leads the Creative Programme at multi-arts venue, The Story Museum in Oxford, which welcomes over 60,000 visitors a year and delivers a varied programme including learning, exhibitions, events, and participatory activities. Previously he worked as Creative Director for Libraries Unlimitedโ€™s Evolve programme – an imaginative programme of live music, theatre, film, interactive artwork, and workshops supported by Arts Council England, was Founder and Artistic Director of EarFilms, a company exploring 3D audio storytelling for blind and blindfolded audiences, and Music Programmer for After Dark & Dartington Live โ€“ a series of โ€˜secretโ€™ events and concerts on parts of the Dartington Estate.

Speaking of her appointment, Sarah said, “I am delighted to be joining Wiltshire Music Centre as Executive Director in the new year. It is a special place, much loved by audiences and artists, integral to the local community and with a team who are talented and passionate. I am looking forward to working with new Artistic Director, Daniel Clark, to build on its fantastic heritage, keeping the music and musicians at the heart of everything we do.”

Daniel commented, โ€œI’m thrilled to be offered the opportunity to join the team at Wiltshire Music Centre during such an exciting time. This world-class venue has a rich history and an exceptional, dedicated staff and volunteer team. I look forward to working alongside the team and the community to shape an exciting new direction for the centreโ€”one that is deeply connected to the passions and interests of the people it serves, bringing world-class music and musical opportunities to the residents of Wiltshire and beyond.”

James Wetz, chair of Wiltshire Music Centre added, โ€œThe Board are absolutely thrilled to welcome Sarah and Daniel to the team. Their wealth of experience and passion for the music and the arts, will provide the Centre with the right blend of innovation and expertise needed to shape the next chapter. Working with the team, we’re confident they will both be able to build on our strong foundations and move forward our ambitious plans to strengthen and reimagine our place at the heart of music and cultural life in the South-West, helping to keep music accessible and live for young people and the wider community.โ€

We double, triple, quadruple love Wiltshire Music Centre here at Devizine, and would like to wish Sarah and Daniel all the best for their new venture.

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Clock Radio Turf Out The Maniacs

The first full album by Wiltshireโ€™s finest purveyors of psychedelic indie shenanigans, Clock Radio, was knocked out to an unsuspecting world last week. Itโ€™s calledโ€ฆ

What’s Happening During November in Devizes?

Remember, remember, weโ€™re moving into November; leaves, loads of โ€˜em! Being as we are no longer doing weekly roundups, hereโ€™s some highlights of events in Devizes during November, but do pay attention, thereโ€™s lots more listed on our event calendar, from all over our county, and itโ€™s always updating, so keep checking in HERE too!

Daveโ€™s birthday beer festival at the Southgate, for the entire weekend and into Monday. Find Sammi Evans, Josh Oldfield & Gordon Thompson there on Friday 1st, and Courting Ghosts, I believe, are there on Saturday; not sure about the rest, but I think the focus is on the beer; if you can focus on beer! Happy birthday, Dave!

Talking taps, we send our best of luck to The Pour House, taking over the old Vaults in St Johnโ€™s Street, Devizes. Itโ€™s their grand opening on Friday 1st.

On Saturday 2nd, there’s a tap top sale in Couch Lane, we have the Lions Club Arts Coaching Day, and Quakers Walk Community Biodiversity Group are bulb planting and preparing wildflower beds. Sunflower Events host a Christmas Market at the Corn Exchange from 11am to 6 on Saturday, 11am to 4 on Sunday.

While those Roughcut Rebels return to the Three Crowns, and Dave’s birthday beer fest continues at the Southgate, Mississippi MacDonald Band kicks off a long month of gigs at Long Street Blues Club, with Sons of the Delta in support. Isosceles Theatre Company are at the Wharf Theatre on Saturday, with a performance of Murder; Just What the Doctor Ordered. In aid of Swindon & Devizes Sands, thereโ€™s a Back to School disco at the Wyvern Club.

Sunday 3rd, itโ€™s Devizes Fireworks at the Football Club. Jon Amor Trio residency at the Southgate. A concert in Chirton too, see poster below!

Monday 4th, The Opening of the Garden of Remembrance at the War Memorial, 10.45hrs.

Wednesday 6th, the regular acoustic jam night at the Southgate, of course!

Thursday 7th, Devizes Film Club is at The Wharf, with a screening of Finnish film Fallen Leaves.

Friday 8th, Muck & Dunder have a DJ set from Dub Pistol Barry Ashworth. Devizes Arts Festival presents a night of comedy at the Corn Exchange. And The Devizes Eisteddfod opens for Music, Speech & Drama, and runs until 17th November 2024. 

Saturday 9th has the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Associationโ€™s Book Fair at the Corn Exchange from 10am. Stone’s Throw are at The Three Crowns. And while Swindonโ€™s amazing folk ensemble SGO are at the Southgate, The Ian Siegal Band are at Long Street Blues Club with Ruby Darbyshire in support, both unmissable!

Sunday 10th: Remembrance in Devizes. 09.15hrs Muster in the Marketplace. 10.00hrs Church Service at St Johnโ€™s Church. After service Reform in Long Street. 11.00hrs Last Post-Two Minutes Silence- reveille Wreath Laying and Parade Marches Back to Marketplace.

Mr Griff & The Grifters play The Southgate, Devizes, from 5pm.

Monday 11th: Remembrance in Devizes. At the War Memorial: 10.45hrs for The National Two Minutes silence.

Wednesday 13th, sees the regular acoustic jam at the Southgate.

Friday 15th find the brilliant Siren at the Three Crowns.

Saturday 16th thereโ€™s a Mynt Image Craft Fair at the Corn Exchange, from 10am. Free entry and a great range of superb quality products.

John Otway makes a welcome return to Devizes, at the Long Street Blues Club, and Billy and the Lowground in support; a different night for the club, highly recommended this one!

Wednesday 20th, sees the regular acoustic jam at the Southgate. Devizes Flower Club is jingling all the way to the Corn Exchange.

Thursday 21st and thereโ€™s an Evening of Mediumship with Psychic Medium Nikki Kitt at the Corn Exchange.

Friday 22nd Queen tribute act, Qween UK at the Corn Exchange, no excuses for spellings from us, that is what it is, lets hope they will rowk you!

Saturday 23rd you can find The Sylvertones at The Three Crowns, but not a lot else I’ve heard about as of yet. Time maybe to pop over to Lavington for this….

Wednesday 27th, sees the regular acoustic jam at the Southgate.

Thursday 28th head down to the Pelican, where Fantasy Radio presents a Live Lounge with Ruby Darbyshire. Also, itโ€™s open mic night at The Cellar Bar, Bear Hotel from 7:30pm.

Friday 29th is DOCA Winter Festival, lights switching on, lantern parade, mulled wine, Devizes Town Band playing Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and all the gubbings; and thatโ€™s when Iโ€™m officially in the Christmas mode! Window Wanderland runs from here until 2nd Dec, and the fun continues into Saturday too!

Double-whammy, the Hazel & Gretel panto opens at the Wharf Theatre on Friday too. Note, due to popularity theyโ€™ve added dates, and it runs until the 7th December now. I will be going to see it long before you, and Iโ€™ll be here to tell you about it; what? Perks of the job!!

Also on Saturday 30th, ever popular covers unique trio People Like Us will be at the Three Crowns. White Horse Opera at Market Lavington Community Hall.

That’s all for now, folks! Did I miss something out? Did you tell us about it?! We update all the time, so, rest assured more will be added when they come in, and if you cannot find something to entertain you here, you can leave town! In a nice way, you understand, we do have roads and Devizine lists events within range of Devizes as well as in Devizes; so remember, remember, to check the EVENT CALENDER!!

And Here is December; Lynx deodorant sets time!

YEA Devizes: DOCA New Youth Project

Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts announced their upcoming project, YEA Devizes today. Made possible by a grant from National Grid Electricity Transmissionโ€™s Community Grant Programme, the Youth Event Activity Devizes will be a youth festival area within the International Street Festivalโ€ฆ.

Working with the incredible young adults we have in our community, DOCA will support them to plan and run their own outdoor event, putting all the decisions in their hands and enabling them to show everyone their interests and capabilities. All along the way they will be able to learn and develop the skills needed to put on outdoor events and arts management.

The flyer was designed by their youth advisor, who also helped to develop this fantastic opportunity from the start. If you are between the age of 16 – 21 (up to 25 with SEND) then please use this form – https://tinyurl.com/5xnsrk4p – to let them know if you are interested in being a part of this, whether as part of the core Youth Event Management Panel or further along the line.ย 

If you have any questions then drop them a message or email info@docadevizes.org.uk

Trust me to question the SEND element to this, as it is often the case SEND people will shy away from events due to sensory overload. But Annabel of DOCA is addressing this, and enlightened us, โ€œwe understand that it can be confronting for some people. There are behind the scenes roles where we can help them avoid most of the madness if they wish, although as you say it may be too much for some. We are happy to work with anyone to make the experience work for them if possible – and in fact having someone with lived experience of SEND on the team could help us develop more SEND-friendly event spaces.โ€ Ah, I like this answer!

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Thieves Debut EP

Adam Woodhouse, Rory Coleman-Smith, Jo Deacon and Matt Hughes, aka Thieves, the wonderful local folk vocal harmony quartet of uplifting bluegrass into country-blues has a four track debut EP; who knew?! I only found out through talking with Adam about a merch table at our forthcoming RowdeFest, where you can, incidentally, find Thieves playing, butโ€ฆ

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Between Two Worlds with Ruzz Guitar

He might be between two worlds but he can also be in your home, in your very own ears, and that’s the best place for Ruzz Guitar to be. With a striking Funk-O-Pop styled cartoon cover, Ruzz Guitar has a new album out and yeah, just yeah! Shadowing the Shadows with a belter of anโ€ฆ

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Film maker, author and a future star of celebrity traitors, David Olusoga OBE comes to Fromeโ€ฆ

This summer David is returning with a brand-new show “Historyโ€™s Missing Chapters”, a show made to uncover why, throughout history, some people and events have been remembered and some have been completely forgotten…. Heโ€™ll be taking examples from the world wars, the Industrial revolution and many other pivotal moments throughout history in an attempt toโ€ฆ

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Alberta Cross Frontman Joins Line Up for Frome Festival Fundraising Gig

Alberta Cross, along with the up-and-coming local bands Something Moves and BroccoliBoy, will perform at a charity gig on Saturday 30th November at 23 Bath St. All part of a new generation of vibrant and talented musicians calling Frome home, they are helping raise funds to support the costs of running the annual Frome Festival in July…..

Swedish-born Alberta Cross frontman, Petter Ericson Stakee, will be playing an intimate solo set of his anthemic Americana-tinged songs, hot on the heels of his latest UK tour. Alberta Cross has toured extensively across the globe as a headline act and has supported bands such as Oasis, Mumford & Sons, Johnny Marr and Neil Young. They have also appeared in the USA as musical guests on The Late Show with David Letterman and their tracks have featured on hit TV shows Sons of Anarchy and Californication.

Something Moves, the latest project from Chris Briden and friends Matt Ball and Al McNamara, blends influences reminiscent of Radiohead and Nick Drake, resulting in layered, textural, and introspective music. As a primarily studio-based band, this offers a rare opportunity to catch them live. Chris has been a successful musician for many years, with distribution deals and festival slots. Raised in Dorset and spending most of his career in Manchester, Chris settled in Frome a few years ago, starting Something Moves as a solo lockdown recording project. Matt and Al then became part of the writing and creative process further developing the sound.

And BroccoliBoy are a young indie pop trio known for their heartfelt and infectious melodies. Frontman Ted met bassist Eli when they were both working at the Cheese & Grain Bar, whilst drummer Rob has known Ted since ACM music college in Guildford. They recently supported Entitled Sons on the main stage at the Cheese & Grain and are steadily gaining an enthusiastic following.

BroccoliBoyโ€™s bass player, Eli White, who was born and raised in Frome, shared, โ€œI have such fond memories of the Frome Festival from my childhood – The Food Feast especially. I have a very vivid memory of getting up on the stage, when it was held in the town centre, after all the music had finished and pretending I was in one of the bands!โ€ Eli continued, โ€œIโ€™m very thankful to have been brought up in Frome as it is genuinely an amazing place to live. The opportunities for creatives of all ages here to share, learn and grow are immense. The Frome Festival is one of the main reasons for this as it inspires so many people every year, without the Festival we would lose such a big platform to showcase all of the amazing talent we hold in this town so I believe itโ€™s very important to do everything we can to keep it running for many more years to come.โ€ 

Petter from Alberta Cross said of supporting this fundraiser, โ€œI love Frome Festival. It makes the town come alive! I also love the diversity of it with so many different cultural events and music gigs in the short time it runs. It is important for the town and will and should keep building.โ€ He added, โ€œI remember when we just moved here and the Festival was on, we walked through town quite late in the evening after dinner and heard flamenco guitar music coming from the Silk Mill so we stopped in and caught the end of the show and I just remember thinking how amazing that felt to have these kind of things happen in my new hometown.โ€ Petter travels extensively for his work but enjoys coming back to Frome, which he describes as โ€œa small cosy town with a lot to offer, located in one of the most beautiful parts of the world in my opinion.โ€ He recently recorded his new album โ€˜The Thief and The Heartbreaker (Re-imagined)โ€™ at Fromeโ€™s Bert Jansch Studio and it was mastered at Abbey Road Studios. It is a reworking of classic songs from Alberta Crossโ€™s critically acclaimed 2007 debut, including fresh collaborations with Ed Harcourt, Katie Melua, Band of Skulls, Jack Savoretti and others.

Ted Prendergast, who provides vocals, guitar and ukulele for BroccoliBoy, remarked, โ€œFrome Festival is a time to celebrate all things Frome and all the diversely creative and unique people we have living here. My parents took part in Hidden Gardens for the first time this year and loved it!โ€. He added that the band is supporting the fundraiser because โ€œwe believe in the importance of keeping these brilliant creative opportunities alive,โ€ emphasising, โ€œThere is a massive community spirit here and I havenโ€™t seen anything quite like it anywhere else!โ€ 

Chris Briden of Something Moves concurs, โ€œFestivals are a really important way to celebrate community and be part of your local area. Without them, life is just a little bit more grey. Frome is a fantastic place to be creative, and offers more than your average Somerset town, but you can’t take this kind of opportunity for granted, and we want to make sure we hold the door open for loads more artists and bands, writers and creatives who come after us.โ€ Chris noted, โ€œOpportunities like this are more important than ever with many live music venues and festivals closing downโ€.

The Festival team are hard at work preparing for next yearโ€™s programme, taking place on Friday 4th โ€“ Sunday 13th July 2025, with fundraising also playing an important role during the year. Frome Festival is a registered charity that must fundraise ยฃ35k per year to deliver the programme and with recent cuts to arts funding, organisers say the environment is increasingly difficult. Festival Manager Sarah Swales explained, โ€œWe are offering tickets at ยฃ10 to make them accessible to everyone, but we urge people to donate what they can. Another way to support us is by becoming a Festival Friend for ยฃ20 per year, which provides priority booking during the Festival and other perks.โ€

Organisers were keen to thank the performers for their help and urged people to buy their merch on the night. They were also very grateful to the venue 23 Bath St who will be shutting their doors for the last time after the New Year due to the difficult economic climate. “23 Bath St. has really championed live music over the years, and itโ€™s truly sad to see them go. Please support their venue and bar before they close, so they can go out on a high note!” Sarah added.

Festival Director, Adam Laughton concluded, โ€œThis promises to be a superb night that will raise much needed funds for Frome Festival. Weโ€™re very grateful for 23 Bath Street and all the musiciansโ€™ help in making this event possible. Come and enjoy this sensational line up and support our cause as we continue to plan for July 2025. Every penny makes a difference!โ€

Tickets are ยฃ10 from here: https://fromefestival.co.uk/product/fundraiser24/

All proceeds support Frome Festival Ltd. (Charity Number โ€“ 1120329)

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โ€œDesign for Livingโ€ at the Rondo Theatre October 2ndโ€“5th 2024.

by Ian Diddams
images by Josie Mae-Ross

Noel Coward is probably best known for โ€œBlithe Spiritโ€ but he in fact wrote sixty-five stage plays over a fifty year period. Bath Drama this week perform his excellent โ€œDesign for Livingโ€ – a comedy about a menage-a-trois, complicated by a fourth relationship set in Paris, London, and New York.



What is the secret to a successful community theatre show? It’s quite a simple answer in many ways โ€“ talented actors, inspired direction, dedicated crew all working to a vision. Topped off with an intimate space to share it all in. Bath Drama and the Rondo Theatre deliver this equation sublimelyโ€ฆย  from the wonderful sets, beautiful costumes, brilliant lighting, and the ability to be almost on stage with the actionโ€ฆย  for those in the front row in particular one is sitting in Otto, Leo, and Ernestโ€™s abodes.

Three of the principals โ€“ Gilda (Elisabeth Calvert), Otto (Toby Skelton) and Leo (Richard Watkins) share a turbulent three way relationship โ€“ viewed afar with some consternation by the fourth principal, Ernest (Iowerth Mitchell). Ernest is also friends with the trio, but far more platonically. The story moves between Gildaโ€™s affections at any one period; firstly with Otto, then with Leo, then with Ernest, until the playโ€™s dรฉnouement when the three embrace their shared loves and Ernest disowns them all.


Elisabeth Calvert as Gilda drives the show โ€“ she is on stage for the majority of the two and a half hour show (with over a thousand lines!). The entire story in many ways is about her inability to commit and/or her easily swayed attractions; she is also the instigator of all the arguments with her lover at any time hinting at a lack of happiness deep inside.

The one relationship in the play that Coward had to downplay when it was written in 1932 was the homosexual one between Otto and Leo. Even in today’s far more liberated times the dialogue still lends itself to a demure portrayal and little more than heavy hints that the two chaps in Gildaโ€™s absence have a thing going on. A few draped limbs here, a shared pair of pyjamas there, and a liberal use of the word โ€œgayโ€ as a double entendre (I only learned today the term for homosexual was first widely used in the 1930s amongst the gay community!). Toby Skelton and Richard Watkins portray this subtle yet intense relationship supremely well, infinitely comfortable in each otherโ€™s company and arms.

The supporting cast is no less excellent โ€“ Lucy Perry a blaze of door slamming energy on stage as her portrayal of the clumsy Miss Hodge the domestic contrasts superbly with the subtle, suave sophistication of the principals. Tim Carter doubles-up as a photographer and the monied New Yorker husband of Lauren Arena-McCann as the Carver couple, while Lauren also doubles-up Miss Birbeck a reporter. More double-ups as Lucy a.k.a. Miss Hodge also plays the rather more up market Grace Torrence, with her dee-lart-furl Southern drawl.ย  Segueing nicely in this review, Jim McCauley plays Matthew the somewhat stressed New York Butler to Ernest, as well as being Assistant to Gill Morrell as Director.

The set is delightful โ€“ simple yet elegantly portraying with not a little panache a studio in Paris, a flat in London and a suite in New York โ€“ step forward and take a bow to set crew Rich Canning (who else!), David Wood, Miriam Zaccarelli and Connor Palmer. The scene shifts between the three abodes are technical โ€“ which is a subtle way of saying they are long. However โ€“ this is not a negative; the choreography between the stage crew of Connor Palmer, James Dennis and Ellen Read is a delight to behold in itself more than ably abetted by the quite stunning 1920s soundtrack. Costumes by Scarlett Hayler-King and the cast were beautifully elegant โ€ฆย  and of course, there was Miss Hodgeโ€™s rather more prosaic home help clobber ๐Ÿ˜Š Finally, but by no means least, Alex Latham provided tech as smoothly on the outside as we have all come to expect.


This is an exquisitely written play, performed well and is more than worthy of your attendance.ย  โ€œDesign for Livingโ€ is performed at the Rondo Theatre from October 2nd-5th 2024.

Tickets from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/rondotheatre/design-for-living/e-vllzbb

Swindon Gets Shuffling!

Despite the population of Devizes throwing confetti and paint at each other in their most celebrated annual ritual, I believe I picked the right weekend to visit Swindon; deffo, or are they always โ€˜aving it there?!

The Wildcats whipped butt at their first league game of the season on Friday, but my Saturday was dedicated to exploring the arts, something criticised stereotypically by outsiders. I could sigh, with partial agreement, historically perhaps. Swindon caressed industrial boom, somewhere along the line forgoing its arts and culture. This is changing, and fast, the Shuffle is a skeleton key opening said transpose.

What’s not thankfully changed is Old Town, while central Swindon is unrecognisable compared to twenty years ago. Just as Swindon Paint Fest has decorated the walls with impressive street art, the Swindon Shuffle is the event pushing the town’s boundaries in locally sourced live music. There’s few annual events in Wiltshire showcasing entirely local music, I best liken the Shuffle to The Bradford Roots Festival at the Wiltshire Music Centre. Save, this is spread across the choicest pubs in Swindon rather than under one purpose-built complex.

And it is a mammoth simultaneous exhibition of musical talent, a taster of what the county offers, of which it’d be impossible to witness entirely; best I approach this diary-like, apologies to the many bands I missed. We’re talking over seventy acts spread across nine venues for this four-day beast in its eighteenth year, and it remains free, fundraising via donation buckets for Prospect Hospice. 

Available for the Saturday only, my intention is to take as big a bite of it as I can, taste some known favourites and cross a number of must-sees off my ever-growing list.

Swindon Shuffle is a beautiful thing, a convention for local musicians, promoters, media types and aficionados. I stepped off the bus at The Tuppenny, in a hurry and frustrated I’d now missed Sienna Wileman and likely Chippenham’s singer-songwriter Meg, to bump into Sienna’s father Richard, big Shuffle chief Ed Dyer on the door, and luckily, Meg’s dad Paul; the latter meaning Meg was still playing and I managed to catch the last few songs of this unique and emotive rising star.

This tavern was bustling yet functioning happily, a crowd immersed in Meg’s magical words, set the stage for Americana soloist Jol Rose, up next. Something of a Swindon optimistic Dylan, he retains his concentrated narrative songs in favour of the more lighthearted ditties and banter to appease, though there was a poignant one on the Gaza conflict, but whichever his outlook, Jol is a proficient entertainer and skilled master of his craft.

Breaking familiar territory, new one for me, David Corrigan of The Astral Ponies followed, with an inspiring set of acoustic versions of his band’s songs. The dilemma of going tried and tested against treating the Shuffle as a voyage of discovery set in; solved by the next few hours whereby acts I’m making a beeline for I’m aware of but yet to see live. I tend to get over-excited about such prospects, and figured drinking cider like water might help.

Make no mistake, I could’ve cemented myself in at The Tuppenny, such is its comfy atmos, but, hot on this must-see list, Swindon’s Afro-Latin collective Zambalando are due in a coffee shop on Commercial Road called Baristocats, so I’m moving on. The cafรฉ was bustling and I was early, recalling a Facebook post that the Midlife Krisis sound system was set up in the courtyard of Level III, exterior to the Shuffle program. I thought I’d temporarily breach the Shuffle and check. Bass rolling down the street like the millennium never happened, I turned one corner to find a throbbing little afternoon rave going on, with their symbolic milk-float fronted DJ booth, a wall of sound and smiley ravers giving it some.

Observing street art of city magnitude I left assured, Shuffle or no, Swindon has embraced diverse arts on a level unrivalled by its recent history. Only the thought of Zambalando dragged me away from the old skool vibes, but upon arrival back at Baristocats it seemed they’d cancelled. Nevertheless I commandeered a sofa, tea and toastie, chatting to Swindon’s premiere reggae/ska keyboardist Erin Bardwell, who’s collective Subject A played the Shuffle on Thursday. Baristocats are hip, make a damn fine toastie, and XTC’s keyboardist Barry Andrews, aka Stic Basin, was taking us on a blissful journey of ambient dub.

If Iโ€™m complimenting Swindon, may as well include some infrastructure too, for tucked behind the now commercialised Regent Circus is the steep Prospect Hill, ingeniously with a pub at both the top and bottom. This would be my resting place for the duration, the short distance from the Beehive to the Castle manageable, if uphill, to switch between multi-musician Richard Wileman & singer and saxophonist Amy Fryโ€™s gorgeous experimental jazz-come-psychedelia at the Beehive, and Liddington Hill whoโ€™ve created their own subgenre, Celtic-grunge, and were currently giving it whatโ€™s for at The Castle. Allowing me to cross two must-sees off my list. Liddington Hill was brilliantly loud and in your face, everything Iโ€™d imagined and more, and crowds gathered to salute that.

Unlike the Beehive, I was unfamiliar with the Castle, yet felt immediately at home; it had been invaded by both โ€˜Talkersโ€™ awaiting the headliner, and cheesemakers from Calne, real ones! Itโ€™s fine, off territory, no dispute, love The Real Cheesemakersโ€™ hilarious wurzel take on heavy rock, and boy did they blast it superbly!

Only good things heard about the next band were certainly not fibs. The Belladonna Treatment is a remedy for an off-balance in indie-rock, pop and punk; all subgenres were subtly intertwined idiosyncratically, and beguilingly delivered to sardine-packed admirers, and a new fan here. Unfortunately Trunk, the penultimate act at the Castle I had to miss due to an emergency burger mandate. Itโ€™d be fifteen minutes wait at the chippy, I was content, itโ€™s opposite the Victoria, Swindonโ€™s stalwart music venue and one I unusually gravitate towards.

Age thing, the lineup was particularly heavy and aimed at the younger demographic at the Vic tonight, NervEndings headline, and Iโ€™m well aware of their force of nature as they spawned in Devizes, adding our quintessential blues module to their furiously yet accomplished sound. A whistlestop no longer than a burger on a grill, enough to note it was equally as packed and having it there as the Castle, Lucky Number Seven were ensuring it.      

But if you know me well enough youโ€™ll know if indie-pop virtuosos Talk In Code are there, so am I. Itโ€™s a march back to the Castle for a grand finale of eighties-tinged goodness. I never doubt, Talk in Code pulled it out of the bag, the place was thumping, the crowd were jumping, and the end, for me, to Swindon Shuffle was the icing on an exceptionally tasty cake.

The show continued Sunday, had to miss Concrete Prairie, Courting Ghosts, Cooper Creek, Leon Daye, and others, but I believe I took a fair bite out of this extravaganza, this local music expose, certainly enough to know if you only spend one weekend a year in Swindon, youโ€™d be best advised to make it this one.

You can still donate online to Swindon Shuffle’s fund for Prospect Hospice HERE.

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You; Lucas Hardy Teams With Rosie Jay

One of Salisburyโ€™s most celebrated acoustic folk-rock singer-songwriters Lucas Hardy teams up with the Wiltshire cityโ€™s upcoming talent who’s name is on everyoneโ€™s lips, Rosieโ€ฆ

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Bands At The Bridge

Organised by Kingston Media – to raise money for Dorothy House and Wiltshire Air Ambulance – the 3rd of May saw Bands At The Bridgeโ€ฆ

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Tickets for Calne Music & Arts Festival on Sale Now

Running from the 4th to 13th October, The Calne Music & Arts Festival celebrates its 50th anniversary, and tickets for the varied events are on sale nowโ€ฆ.

Arts Festival President Carole Browne said, โ€œin the year that we celebrate our 50th anniversary, our Patron, Dame Judith Weir, who was composer in residence at the 1975 festival, will be handing the baton to another prestigious composer, Brett Dean, who will take up the position in 2025.โ€

โ€œWe are indeed fortunate to have so many musicians and artists who have made their home in Calne. This is a year of many anniversaries. 40 years ago the iconic Harris factory, established in 1770, which dominated the centre of Calne and became its biggest employer,was demolished. Joseph Priestley โ€˜discoveredโ€™ oxygen in Calne 250 years ago. We will mark these anniversaries with special concerts and a community art project featuring over 500 pigs, painted and decorated and on view all over the town.โ€

โ€œAn exhibition in the Heritage Centre throughout October will catalogue, with brochures and press cuttings, the past 50 years as well as featuring a selection of chosen piglets.โ€

As usual there will also be the art exhibition at Marden House, presenting hundreds of pieces from beginners to internationally exhibiting artists from in and around Calne. The exhibit is open at various times throughout the festival.

Festival week starts with a free family day at Marden House, on Saturday 5th, with a 360-degree immersive Theatre Dome experience, Calne Samba Band, Clareโ€™s Circus, a variety of activities by Calne Wordfest, Music and Art workshops throughout the day, an art treasure hunt, stilt walker and more.

Irish Soprano Michelle Sheridan Grant and Scottish Bass-Baritone Peter Grant bring you an eclectic musical evening, also on the 5th. A Gala concert which will be followed by tea, The Ridgeway Ensemble – ‘Walk in Beauty’ on Sunday. Thereโ€™s also a free life drawing session, and Evensong at St Marys.ย 

Accomplished soloist, passionate chamber musician and repetiteur for Opera Ddraig, George Fradley will perform Beethoven’s Sonata Op.109, Chopin’s Ballade No 4 and the Bach-Busoni Chaconne in D Minor, on Monday 7th October. Also The ‘Major Minors’ is a community choir bringing together children from primary schools in Calne and surrounding villages under the direction of Bethan Fryer. They will be joined by Cherhill Youth Theatre and the school choir of Heddington school on Monday. Thereโ€™s โ€œdrink & drawโ€ sessions, and Calne Wordfest Writersโ€™ group joins the celebration of Priestley 250.

Tuesday 8th sees Music Scholars of St. Mary’s School, Calne, then some banjo with the Leon Hunt Trio. Wednesday an Art Talk by Gail Brown and Isla String Quartet. Thursday,ย  Music Scholars of Marlborough College and world music with Eastern Strings and Nabra Trio. Friday 11th sees a clarinet recital with local clarinettist Simon Parker, Opera Anywhereโ€™s Gilbert and Sullivanโ€™s Patience.

Saturday 12th sees Australian now Calne artists Brett Dean and Heather Betts in conversation with Genevieve Sioka, an evening of traditional Andalusian Guitar and Flamenco dance with Flamenco Loco, Calne Choralโ€™s Cloud Messenger from Gustav Holst Gloria-Vivaldi, and a grand finale party!

The Calne Music & Arts Festival box office is open now, you can see the full program and book tickets from HERE.

What else is occurring, dudes?!

Soupchick in the Park

And there was me thinking nothing good comes out of a Monday! Today local bistro Soupchick, popular in the Devizesโ€™ Shambles opened their second branch,โ€ฆ

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Family Easter Holiday Events

Devizine isn’t only about music and gigs for grownups, y’know? It’s about events for everyone. This Easter we’ve lots of things to do over theโ€ฆ

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Pantomime Audition at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes

Auditions for this year’s pantomime at The Wharf Theatre in Devizes are on Sunday 8th September at 2.30pm, at the theatre; could you make a great Hansel, Gretel, or maybe, dare I say it, a wicked witch?!

Yes, this year’s panto is all gingerbread houses in dark forests, and Officer Button and Mrs Brooke Bond hoping to find Hansel and Gretel. They’ve many varied roles available and are particularly looking for a young man who can sing and dance a little, approx 16-30 yrs, for the lead male role.

There’s no need to be a member of the theatre at this stage, just turn up on the day.

This fun adaptation of the Brothers Grimm classic Hansel & Gretel will run from November 29th till December 7th, 2024, by The Wharf Writersโ€™ Group and directed by Karen Ellis & Jessica Bone. Tickets available at their box office and Devizes Books.

Pantomime at the Wharf is always a magical experience, and usually a sellout show. I loved Jack & The Beanstalk last year, but that’s behind us nowโ€ฆoh no, it isn’t!!

This Weekend is Devizes Carnival; What Else? I Want More! Whaaaa!!!

For that certain some-Karen who drove through town last weekend, jumped on social media to waffle off the clichรฉ rant โ€œnothing happens in Devizes,โ€ but Iโ€™m not personally willing to do anything about it other than moan on social media, and to everyone else who most likely didnโ€™t, who either was, or wasnโ€™t, hiding away from her in the British Lion for Black Rat Monday, Carnival is THIS WEEK, my darlings!!

So what else is going on, you know, like fringe events, after parties, warm ups, and such like? Well, hereโ€™s what we know, for what itโ€™s worth because you know when you want to find whatโ€™s happening you come here, you sensible people; shame thereโ€™s not more like you!!

You know thereโ€™s been DOCA workshops all week at Pamela House, right? Tomorrow (Wednesday) theyโ€™ve carnival workshops open to all from 11am to 2:30, bring your own picnic. Then from 3pm thereโ€™s a giant puppet workshop. Thursday from 10am-4pm pretty much the same, bird puppets making, open carnival workshops and bring your own picnic.

The Camerados of Devizes Public Living Room have also been getting their hands dirty, designing carnival banners. They meet every Friday at the Cheese Hall, from 1-4pm, itโ€™s a wonderful free social group, and you can help them put the finishing touches to their banners.

Early bird warm ups , the Southgateโ€™s regular acoustic jam on Wednesday evening, the best way to spend a Wednesday evening. And of course, the Carnival Quiz at Devizes Town Hall, at 7pm.

On Friday 30th our phenomenal youth band, Nothing Rhymes With Orange plays a farewell gig at the Exchange nightclub. After huge success locally and blossoming further afield the guys are heading off to Bristol to study music together. Iโ€™m hoping to meet up with them beforehand, run a quick interview type chat thing, and I have some Cliff Richard CDs they can take to inspire them on their way! On at 9pm at the Exchange, The Vivas support them, and the party continues with an indie disco with guest DJs Thorfinn (I think we know him!) and fantastic regular DJ Stevie MC. Tickets HERE>>

Failing them, thereโ€™s an eighties disco down the Dolphin.

Or, if you’re staying in, don’t forget Andy and Som can deliver homemade Thai Curry to your door, yes Thaiday Friday, and Som is preparing the super tasty Thai green chicken curry with onions and green beans, accompanied with soft Thai Jasmin rice.

Saturday 31st August is Carnival Day, you could work some motivation at Quakers Walk Parkrunโ€™s Pacers Week, a regular free parkrun with the option to pick your speed between 20 & 40 minutes. You can challenge yourself or just pick a speed you want to be constant at. There is no obligation to run with the pacers, you are still able to run/walk at your own pace. This is an open event anyone who wants to run, walk or jog the 5K course is welcome. I’m exhausted just typing it!

Or you could take yourself along to Wiltshire Museum for the final day of The Wiltshire Thatcher exhibition.

Now, carnival, at 5:45pm, departing from The Green. The parade takes around 2 hours, expect the Parade to reach the halfway point around 7pm-ish. Roads close on the Parade circuit from 5pm โ€“ 9pm, with Sidmouth Street closing at 4pm. Donโ€™t forget! If you park in one of the car parks on route, you wonโ€™t be able to exit until after the parade is finished and the road closures have been lifted. Find any other info direct from DOCA HERE.

Look out for Devizes Salsa Groupโ€™s Surprise Flash Dance, at midday at the Brittox!

Afterwards, thereโ€™s blues, pop, rock and funk covers & originals at the Southgate withย Freepeace. Trash Panda are at The Three Crowns and are always lots of fun! And if you feel like giving it a go yourself, it’s carnival karaoke time at the Pelican!

But if you want to go beyond Thunderdome, you need to get yourself to the Corn Exchange, where Simply the Best Kinisha Morgan-Williams becomes Tina Turner, and youโ€™ll be impressed by this even if youโ€™ve only a passing interest in Tina, I kid you not. Hereโ€™s our preview on that. Hereโ€™s your ticket.

Then, all you have to do after that is descend a flight of stairs, as DJ Karl Maggs is in the mix at the Exchange until 2am.

Sunday 1st September, Vince Bell graces the famous alcove at the Southgate from 5pm. If nothing ever does go on in Devizes, as he says, “you ain’t ever leaving!”

Thatโ€™s this coming weekend in Devizes, people. Yeah, but you know, I agree with Karen, itโ€™s a disgrace, nothing ever happens in Devizes!!

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Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 14th-20th August 2024

Hereโ€™s our bitesize look at whatโ€™s happening in the wilds of Wiltshire this coming weekโ€ฆ.

Everything listed here is on our event calendar; go there for links and more info, as it takes too much time to link them all in. It may also be updated as more events come to our attention, so check in later in the week too!

Ongoing: A Wiltshire Thatcher: A Photographic Journey Through Victorian Wessex runs at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, until the end of August.

Wednesday 14th

Quidditch is the sport for Kids Summer Sports at Hillworth park, Devizes this Wednesday.

Acoustic Jam at the Southgate, Devizes.

Devising Drama  for 7-11 Years, and LEGO Stop-frame Animation for 8-14 Years at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon.

Mizizi at The Bell, Bath.

ArcTangent Festival in Bristol opens.

Thursday 15th

Opening day for the Lawrence Art Societyโ€™s Exhibition at Devizes Town Hall. Running until Saturday. 

The Ripples & Jol Rose at the Beehive, Swindon. The Little Mermaid at The Wyvern Theatre, runs until Saturday.

Friday 16th

Lost Pubs of Devizes guided tour. Devizes Camerados are at the Cheese Hall with Wiltshire Museum; help them to design a carnival banner.

Apache Cats at The Three Crowns, Devizes.

Meat Loud at the Neeld, Chippenham.

Exhibition on Screen โ€“ My National Gallery at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Band X at the Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

The Daybreakes at The Vic, Swindon. Lonely Road Band at the Beehive. Liddington Hill & King Attitude at the Castle. Men in Vests & Adrianaโ€™s Keys at Underground. 

Saturday 17th

Lego & Toy Fair at The Melksham Assembly Hall. Martyโ€™s Fake Family at the Grapes, Melksham.

Killertones at the Southgate, Devizes.

Seend Summer Village Breakfast at Seend Community Centre. Sausage & Cider Day at the Brewery Inn, Seend Cleeve.

Famous Hangover Sessions at the Lamb, Marlborough: Rave Against the Regime, All Ears Avow, Trash Panda, Band U Like, Hooch.

Floaty Boaty Event at The Barge, HoneyStreet.

Dโ€™Ska Assassins at the Bouverie Hall, Pewsey. 

The Piggy Bankโ€™s 3rd Birthday, Calne.

Unlock Reset Festival near Chippenham.

White Horse Military Show, Westbury

41 Fords at the Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

Midlife Krisis Summer Family Fete in Swindon. Stop Stop at The Vic.

This Is The Kit at the Cheese & Grain, Frome. Sergeant Thunderhoof at The Tree House.

Sunday 18th

Heritage Walk of Devizes. Hen House Brides will host a pop-up shop in Devizes Town Hall giving brides-to-be a rare opportunity to browse the entire White Studio London and White Studio Curve collections and discover the dress of their dreams.

Will Edmunds at the Southgate, Devizes from 5pm.

Open Mic at the Red Lion, Lacock.

Fly Yeti Fly at The Richard Jefferies Museum, Swindon from 1pm. Zambalando at GWR Park, Swindon from 3pm

Will Edmunds Band at the Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

The Blues Cafรฉ Orchestra at The Bell, Bath

Monday 19th

DOCAโ€™s youth filmmaking project Selfievaultion begins, see the poster for details on this. 

Sliders at The Bell, Bath.

Tuesday 20th

Ian Bateman Quartet for Jazz Knights, the Royal Oak, Swindon.

Kiefer Sutherland at the Cheese & Grain, Frome.

Important note: events which come to our attention from now on, will be updated on the Event Calendar and NOT HERE. So, be sure to check in from time to time, use the Event Calendar to find more info on everything listed on here, and for ticket links, etc. Use the Event Calendar to check for updates and planning ahead.

Did we miss you out? Did you tell us about your event? Itโ€™s not that we donโ€™t like you, itโ€™s because Devizine uses many sources to collate these listings, and sometimes we miss a few things. Listing your event here is free, but please make it easier for me by messaging or emailing the info, and then, and this is the really important part, make sure Iโ€™ve added it and let me know if not!

โ† Back

Thank you for your response. โœจ

Have a good week!

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Situationships With Chloe Hepburn

A second single from Swindon Diva Chloe Hepburn, Situationships was released this week. With a deep rolling bassline, finger-click rhythm and silky soulful vocals,โ€ฆ

Devizes to Host New County-Wide Music Awards

I’m delighted to announce Devizine will be actively assisting to organise a new county-wide music awards administration, in conjunction with Wiltshire Music Events UK.โ€ฆ

Ruby, Sunday at the Gate

It’s a rarity that I should drag myself off the sofa on a Sunday these days, one usually reserved for the monthly Jon Amorโ€ฆ

๐€ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐Œ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐œ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐Œ๐ž๐š๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ : ๐…๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ญ๐จ๐ง๐ž ๐Ž๐ซ๐œ๐ก๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐š ๐š๐ญ ๐“๐ž๐ฐ๐ค๐ž๐ฌ๐›๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐€๐›๐›๐ž๐ฒ

Review by Pip Aldridge Last week, I had the privilege of seeing the Fulltone Orchestra perform at the beautiful Tewkesbury Abbey beneath the Peaceโ€ฆ

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Few Remaining Tickets for The Importance of Being Earnest at West Lavington Manor House and Garden

Tickets are limited and selling fast for a staged reading of Oscar Wildeโ€™s most renowned comedy masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest, performed in the glorious setting of West Lavington Manor House and garden, on Sunday 8th September 2024โ€ฆ.

Itโ€™s undoubtedly Wildeโ€™s magnum opus, a timeless hilarity of dissimulation getting out of control, which I cite as the influence of many classic comedy series, particularly Fawtly Towers and Rising Damp.ย ย 

Itโ€™s a promenade performance, moving from space to space, which means seating will be limited. The โ€˜stageโ€™ consists of the Hall and garden of West Lavington Manor. The show promises to go on whatever the weather, so be prepared.

The Old Bag Theatre Company have assembled a superb, and unconventional cast to bring Wildeโ€™s play to surprising life in a setting he would have adored.

All profits from the performance will be donated to The Nestling Trust,ย  a UK Charity established in 2013, with the support of people from a small community in Wiltshire, to give protection, and hope of a future, for destitute and abused children of Nepal, also to help provide basic healthcare and health education for people living in remote areas of the country without any medical facility.ย 

Performances take place on Sunday 8th September at 2pm and 6pm. The grounds will be open from Midday for browsing and picnics, camp chairs are allowed but not in the house. There will be a bar available. But remember, if you take muffins, eat them calmly!

Tickets are ยฃ20 (includes a glass of bubbly) available from HERE.

Enquiries to: oldbagtheatrecompany@gmail.com

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Results of Salisbury Music Awards

All images: ยฉ๏ธ JS Terry Photography An awards ceremony to celebrate the outstanding musical talent within the city, aptly titled The 2024 Salisbury Music Awards,โ€ฆ

Keep reading

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Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 7th – 13th August 2024

Hereโ€™s what weโ€™ve found in the wilds of Wiltshire this coming weekโ€ฆ.

Everything listed here is on our event calendar; go there for links and more info, as it takes too much time to link them all in. It may also be updated as more events come to our attention, so check in later in the week too!

Ongoing: A Wiltshire Thatcher: A Photographic Journey Through Victorian Wessex runs at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, until the end of August.

Get Your Event Listed Here FREE โ€“ Please Donate If You Can

Wednesday 7th

Acoustic Jam @ The Southgate, Devizes

Chippenham Museum Creative Writing Group – Maud’s Way
Little Piccolos (3 Months-5 Years)
Pottery Painting (12-19 Years)

TRAGEDY: ALL METAL TRIBUTE TO THE BEE GEES + SURREAL PANTHER @ The Vic, Swindon

LGMX @ The Bell, Bath

Thursday 8th

Family Workshop: Victorian Portrait Photography brought to life! @ Wiltshire Museum, Devizes

Sparkly Singers
*SOLD OUT* SASS Circus Skills Workshop (5-13 Years)
A Different Thread – Trio

Friday 9th

Summer Crafts 4 Kids โ€“ run by Wiltshire Museumโ€™s Youth Panel, Devizes

Rock the Tots – Summer Party! (0-10 Years)

The Corinthian Causals @ the Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon

The Navigator (U) with live piano score by Meg Morley

CREATURE CREATURE @ The Vic, Swindon

Echo Den @ the Beehive, Swindon

Pete Allen’s Jazz Band – CANCELLED

Tangled up in Blues Festival @ Radford Farm, Somerset

Hillbilly Hootenanny
Ion Maiden – LIVE AT THE TREE HOUSE

Saturday 10th

Camera Amnesty @ Wiltshire Museum, Devizes

Family Workshop: Victorian Portrait Photography brought to life! @ Wiltshire Museum, Devizes

Rabbit Rabbit | A Tribute to Chas & Dave

Muddy Manninen & Patsy Gamble Band @ The Southgate, Devizes

James Mitchell @ the Three Crowns, Devizes

Seend Fete

The Vooz & Pants @ the Lamb, Marlborough

Mid-Life Krisis @ The Barge, HoneyStreet

https://thecivictrowbridge.co.uk/tc-events/fleetwood-shack/

The Radio Makers @ the Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon

WIZARDS OF OZ (THE OZZY OSBOURNE TRIBUTE) @ The Vic, Swindon

Progressive @ the Beehive, Swindon

Luke Philbrick & the Solid Gold Skiffle Invasion @ the Castle, Swindon

Kavus Torabi & The Witching Tale – Live At The Tree House

Sunday 11th

Innes Sibun Trio @ The Southgate, Devizes 5pm

Cooper Creek @ The Richard Jeffries Museum, Swindon 1pm

Swindon Palestine Solidarity March: Regent Circus, Swindon, 11:30

HORIZON LINE @ The Vic, Swindon

Innes Sibun Trio @ the Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon

Rag Mama Rag @ The Bell, Bath

Monday 12th

Chippenham Film Club August feature

Piotr Jordan @ The Bell, Bath

Tuesday 13th

Singing Day (7-16 Years)

CALLUM SMITH ORGAN TRIO @ Jazz Knights, the Royal Oak, Swindon

Lonely Tourist @ The Bell, Bath

Important note: events which come to our attention from now on, will be updated on the Event Calendar and NOT HERE. So, be sure to check in from time to time, use the Event Calendar to find more info on everything listed on here, and for ticket links, etc. Use the Event Calendar to check for updates and planning ahead.

Did we miss you out? Did you tell us about your event? Itโ€™s not that we donโ€™t like you, itโ€™s because Devizine uses many sources to collate these listings, and sometimes we miss a few things. Listing your event here is free, but please make it easier for me by messaging or emailing the info, and then, and this is the really important part, make sure Iโ€™ve added it and let me know if not!

Have a good week!

Homestead; New Festival Coming to the South West from Husband and Wife team

A brand new festival will be coming to the South West countryside in 2025, from a husband and wife team with years of experience across some of the UKโ€™s best-loved festivals…..

Homestead is the culmination of a decade of dreaming for Will and Jess Lardner, a Bristol based couple who have been running and working across many of the countryโ€™s most revered and groundbreaking festivals. Having honed their crafts creating incredible experiences for others, they are now launching their own creation and taking everything they have learned to create the perfect balance of hedonism, escapism and relaxation.

Combining music, food, comedy and luxury camping, Homestead will be an intimate weekend, exclusively for those over 25, allowing attendees a rare opportunity to get away from it all and take time for themselves down in the beautiful West Country. For those that want to let their hair down, there will be an impressive lineup of artists to dance the weekend away, whilst those wanting to reconnect with themselves can attend mind-broadening talks and wholesome workshops. Food will play a central role in Homestead, with a roster of respected chefs offering up delicious creations that will make you feel truly looked after with every bite. Comedy will be a late night, rowdy affair with some of the UKโ€™s best comedians coming along for the ride. 

Speaking about Homestead, founder Will said, โ€œWe are creating something for those of us who are growing tired of the suffocating crowds and the homogenised festival landscape. Homestead will deliver a highly curated programme of music, food and comedy with the added bonus of something not usually associated with a festivalโ€ฆ great service and an intimate crowd. We donโ€™t want to say too much for now, but we can promise Homestead will be full of personal touches and amazing experiences!โ€

John Rostron the CEO of the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) had this to say, โ€œItโ€™s wonderful to see the green shoots of a new festival emerging, offering some hope for new energy and new audiences after one of the toughest periods for independent festivals that weโ€™ve ever known. There’s an enormous appetite for festivals in the UK and what drives that demand is the refreshing of ideas, new innovations, and the constant joy in creativity that festivals like Homestead offer to everyone.โ€ย 

Pre-registration for Homestead is now open, with more information being revealed over the coming months. To be the first in the know, sign up www.homesteadfestival.co.uk

What Else is Occurring?

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Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 31st July – 6th August 2024

Weโ€™re into August already; Christmas before you know it, so you better get outside and taste the sun while it lastsโ€ฆ.

Hereโ€™s what weโ€™ve found in the wilds of Wiltshire this coming week, provided the Earth isn’t hit by a meteoriteโ€ฆ.a meaty feast pizza-orite, maybe, that’s okay, and the kind of cataclysmic event I dream about…โ€ฆ

Everything listed here is on our event calendar; go there for links and more info, as it takes too much time to link them all in. It may also be updated as more events come to our attention, so check in later in the week too!

Ongoing: A Wiltshire Thatcher: A Photographic Journey Through Victorian Wessex runs at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, until the end of August.

Wednesday 31st

Acoustic Jam at the Southgate, Devizes.

Big Jam Session at the Vic, Swindon.

Loonaloop at the Bell, Bath.

Thursday 1st

School Holiday Pirate Boat Trip on the Kenavon, sailing at 10.30 and 13.30 from Devizes Wharf, for a Treasure Hunting adventure on the Kennet & Avon Canal.

Sparkly Singers at Lansdowne Hall, Derry Hill.

Tell Your Story โ€“ Theatre Acting and Directing workshop at Central Methodist Church, Chippenham.

Aldbourne Music Festival starts, running over the weekend.

Fraser Anderson with Bex Baxter & John Parker (Trio) at Chapel Arts, Bath.

Wickham Festival begins.

Valley Fest at Chew Valley also opens.

Friday 2nd

Professor Elemental & Madam Misfit at the Barge, Honeystreet, with the Real Cheesemakers in support. Not everyday we get Chap Hop here, so Editor’s Pick of the Week!

Humdinger at The Bear, Marlborough.

People Like Us at The Brunel Launch Party, Chippenham.

Music For Miniatures have an Under the Sea Tour at Marden House, Calne. 

Talk in Code at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon with Ruby Darbyshire.

โ€˜Spirit of the Bluesโ€™ with Julia Titus, Mike Denham & Steve Graham at Chapel Arts, Bath. 

Cydonia Knights at The Vic, Swindon. Tiger Split Outfit & Jim Blair at the Beehive.

Connor Selby at The Tree House, Frome. Coda โ€“ Led Zeppelin Tribute at the Cheese & Grain.

Saturday 3rd

Curious Kids: the Circus at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes.

Barrelhouse at The Southgate, Devizes. Maurice Menghini has a reggae night at the Bear Hotel.

Stripped at The Lamb, Marlborough.

Rave Against the Machine at The Barge, HoneyStreet.

Seven Wonders: The Spirit of Fleetwood Mac at Melksham Assembly Hall.

People Like Us at Calne Liberal Club.

Summer Party in the Park at Island Park, Chippenham.

The Buttmonkies at West Wilts Cons Club, Trowbridge.

Ooh Beehive at the Beehive, Swindon. Talk in Code at the Castle.

Westbury Cider & Beer Festival at Fullingbridge Farm.

The Blunders at the Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

The Dung Beatles at Chapel Arts, Bath.

Flea and Collectables Market at the Cheese & Grain, Frome. Wrecking Ball โ€“ A Nashville Experience in the evening.

Sunday 4th

Ruzz Guitar at The Southgate, Devizes from 5pm.

Mark Green Blues Band at the Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

At It at The Richard Jefferies Museum, Swindon, free from 1pm.

Monday 5th

The Pop-Up Youth Cafe will be on the Green in Devizes from Monday until Friday 9th.

Princess Dance Party (2-4 Years) and Barbie Dance Party (4-9 Years) at Wiltshire Music Centre Bradford-on-Avon.

Tuesday 6th

Trio Paradis Cafe Concert: Scenes of Childhood at St Andrews, Chippenham.

Music for Miniatures presents The Owl and The Pussycat (3-7 Years) at Wiltshire Music Centre Bradford-on-Avon.

Rod Kelly Trio for Jazz Knights, at the Royal Oak, Swindon.

Important note: events which come to our attention from now on, will be updated on the Event Calendar and NOT HERE. So, be sure to check in from time to time, use the Event Calendar to find more info on everything listed on here, and for ticket links, etc. Use the Event Calendar to check for updates and planning ahead.

Did we miss you out? Did you tell us about your event? Itโ€™s not that we donโ€™t like you, itโ€™s because Devizine uses many sources to collate these listings, and sometimes we miss a few things. Listing your event here is free, but please make it easier for me by messaging or emailing the info, and then, and this is the really important part, make sure Iโ€™ve added it and let me know if not!

Have a good week!

What Else Is Occurring?!

RowdeFest 2025!

Okay, I canโ€™t keep the secret any longer or Iโ€™ll pop! While all the hard work is being organised by a lovely committee, because theyโ€ฆ

Keep reading

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My Complaint About Devizesโ€™ Full-Tone Festival!

Images Used With Permission of Gail Foster

Chief organiser of the Full-Tone Festival, Jemma Brown has always been high on my list of local folk of admiration, but went a notch higher Sunday upon delivering a sly quip on stage, in retaliation to a lone keyboard warrior inanely slating the festival on Facebook, while the majority of locals, and visitors from afar, basked in the sunshine and glory of what was the ultimate, (and possibly final of this kind,) showcase of our fantastic homegrown Full-Tone Orchestra, their momentous accomplishment, and all the gorgeous gubbings which went with it!

I was sunbathing on a Muck & Dunder deckchair at the time, enjoying one of their Piรฑa Coladas, the like only they seem to know how to create this side of the Atlantic Ocean, and a hearty chuckle impulsively launched from my cake hole. Oh my, the audacity of the ranting warrior caused a desire in me to march that silly sausage down to the breath-taking stage, allowing them to observe, even if momentarily, a sixty-piece orchestra harmoniously labouring sublimely, while a local youth sings their heart out at the most memorable, prestigious, and significant opportunity of their lives so far, to the tears of joy from their mum in the audience, overwhelmed with pride, and the smiles from those enjoying it, then ask this ranting nobody to confirm their complaint was not driven solely by selfish jealousy!

A neighbour of mine has a tendency to rev his motorbike in his garden. I cannot fathom why he needs to do this, neither appreciate the noise, but to ramble on about it on social media isn’t going to achieve anything but further verbal conflict. All I know is when you’re within the range of that stage, the divine acoustics immerse you, and even if it’s not your cuppa, you cannot deny the magnitude of the moment, just one weekend of it was all that was ever asked, the musical might of something you rarely get in Devizes, or anywhere for that matter.

Then, you turn away at your own free will, and note though it may have appeared so, you are not trapped in the Royal Albert Hall, you’re still on the familiar Green in Devizes, and deckchairs surrounds you like a day in a park, teetering with locals, spellbound and appreciating said moment. That is the magic of the Full-Tone Festival; go grab yourself a G&T or a Rowdy Cow ice cream, maybe get your face painted, return whenever you feel like it. It’s neither a sitting concert because of the freedom to come and go, nor a day in the park, because there’s a mahoosive and effective seamless programme of wonderful and varied music waving across the site; it is unique, iconic, and symbolic of everything great about Devizes.

All comes at a price, though, is another I hear plenty. Comparatively not so. Look around you, it’s over the pound mark for a Crunchie bar in a petrol station, and your average festival or a two-hour pop star’s gig will triple the price tag of Full-Tone’s three day extravaganza, if not more. You can only reasonably complain if your ears and eyes are shut.

Look! Look at that extravagant stage, wonder how many lines the technicians are juggling, watch the procession of musicians coming and going from the stage akin to the precision and order of an antโ€™s nest, though in pretty frocks! Consider every sidestall and those relentlessly working to serve you, the security, the first aid, the unison of everything coming together as it did, is both costly and executed with such professionalism I cannot fault it neither reason why anyone else would complain; it would be insanity to do so. Even conductor Anthony Brown waving his baton around for two solid days is enough to sympathise with any repetitive strain injury heโ€™s likely to have developed!

Though I must say again, it was a shame it clashed with the Devizes Scooter Rally, an event also dear to my heart. In such, there were large chunks of both I missed in a desperate attempt to attend the two. I missed the Friday night, when Jemmaโ€™s Devizes Dance Academy replayed their musical Six, accompanied by the fantastic Ruby Darbyshire and Devizes indie popsters Nothing Rhymes With Orange, but console myself safe in the knowledge based on past experience, this would be a guaranteed chicken dinner.

There were so many elements I sadly missed. I know our prodigy Jess Self knocked it out of the Green with Annieโ€™s Tomorrow, but I was made up by catching Six performers Ruby Phipps and Lisa Grimeโ€™s sublime solos during the James Bond theme section. Amidst the pro singers, these local youths held their own, and walked nervously but magnificently through it like it was butter on hot toast. There was the jazz big band on Sunday to make up for missing a Beatles tribute duo, and again, Talk in Code I know wouldโ€™ve smashed it.

Thereโ€™s simply too much to put every detail into words, but as an overall assessment based on what I witnessed or was gutted to be told how great what I missed was, The Full-Tone Festival again was a spectacular community event on a scale Devizes arguably hasnโ€™t seen since the Boto-X, and the Green looked once again as full as the first paid Full-Tone Festival was three years ago. It will be a shame to see the Green fallow next year, but we look forward to the prospect of it returning in whatever different shape it’ll be.

Notwithstanding the financial gain from visitors to the town and local businesses this attracts, alone for itโ€™s sheer capacity for not only providing a showcase for the orchestra, which will again venture out to the cities to perform at their prestigious venues, and attract the big names within the theatrical, classical and opera to grace our town, but also for showcasing upcoming local talent, Full-Tone receives no complaint from me, (the headline was just a sneaky clickbait trap, ha-ha!) Neither could I justify writing a single negative word about it. If I had to, it would be that we cannot do it bimonthly!

It was, as it has been each time, a fantastic event, and is loved by so many. Look again at dancers dancing, somehow, to the Chariots of Fire theme, kids in fairy wings, the old fellow napping in a deck chair with a bucket hat over his faceโ€ฆlook and take heed of everyone, enjoying themselves โ€ฆ.my hat would come off to everyone involved, if it didnโ€™t risk a sunburned bald patch!

Oh, go on then, everyone involved deserves a factor 50 sunblock, because you shine so bright!

See, Iโ€™m done and dusted with whinging; yep, that satirical rant column from many years ago, that I ask Jemma if she remembers, upon my request for more ammo, how she replied, rather I could highlight the positive things happening in town, and how that ended up with me meeting them at a rehearsal for a newly formed orchestra in Rowde school hall? Not that Iโ€™m blaming anyone for Devizine, I’ll take that rap(!!), more so thinking, wow, how far Full-Tone has come from that acorn, and how I’ve followed that inspirational progression.

Fantabulous and all and every synonym Microsoft Word will match it with, but whatโ€™s more to say? Please, if inclined, add your own thoughts to my waffle on the social media shares and Iโ€™ll transform them onto the bottom here. Help me create a fuller overview, tell me why you think Full-Tone Festival will be seriously missed from our event calendar next year and what you enjoyed about this one, thank you, and thank you Full-Tone and everyone who helped make this such a memorable occasion.

what else is going down?!

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The Next Season at the Wharf Theatre

Featured image byย Chris Watkins

Autumn, finish your ice lolly, as we need to to start thinking about it! Our wonderful, one and only, theatre in Devizes is currently โ€œdark,โ€ for maintenance, installation of new equipment and stage enhancement. But thereโ€™s a new season coming soon, and tickets for a variety of performances beyond panto and into 2025 are up for grabsโ€ฆ

The theatrical term โ€œgone darkโ€ indicates the venue is closed to the public. No lights mean no show. Historically, when theatres go dark one is left lit light at the centre of the stage. Itโ€™s known as the โ€œGhost Light,โ€ believed to guide spirits and ghosts around the building.

Wharf Theatre

While it may be a fire safety hazard too far for us today, candles were used in times gone by, and this may explain why many theatre’s often burned down in the Shakespearean era. Iโ€™m not a fountain of knowledge, I pinched it from the Wharf Theatreโ€™s Facebook post! But we canโ€™t have ghosts snapping up all the tickets for themselves, so hereโ€™s the lowdown on performances theyโ€™ve got lined up for us from August.

Sat 10th August: sees Rabbit Rabbit, a tribute to those cockney sparrows, Chas & Dave. Performed by the renowned trio, Triple Cream with their fantastic musicianship & witty banter, this show will have you smiling from ear to ear!

Mon 2nd – Sat 7th September: Abigail Newton directs British playwright Alan Bennettโ€™s Talking Heads. Three dramatic monologues taken from the BBC TV series from 1988.

Thur 12th September: Devizes Film Club screens joyful British comedy Scrapper.

Fri 20th September: Relive Hancock’s Half Hour with award-winning theatre company, Hambledon Productionsโ€™ recreations of three, โ€˜lostโ€™ episodes from the original television series. Missing from the BBC archives, this UK Tour will mark the very first time these hilarious scripts have been brought to life since their original broadcast.

Sat 28th September: Jazz Britannia. Britain’s best New Orleans jazz combo Baby Jools & The Jazzaholics take you on a musical journey through the birth of British Jazz.ย 

Mon 21st – Sat 26th October: Nic Proud adapts and directs Shakespeareโ€™s Pericles, Prince of Tyre. A man on an endless voyage of peril, with romance and killing.

Sat 2nd Nov: Murder: Just What The Dr Ordered. From Isosceles Theatre Company who brought us a sold-out performance of The Man Who Left The Titanic last year. Set in Edinburgh, between 1827 and 1828, science and murder cling together in a dance of death.

7th Nov: Devizes Film Club screens Aki Kaurismรคkiโ€™s Fallen Leaves, a Finnish film about a romance between a supermarket girl and a metalworker against a backdrop of economic disparity and war in Ukraine. Winner of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize.

Thu 28th Nov – Sat 7th Dec: Panto Time! This year the Wharf Theatre presents Hansel & Gretel. Karen Ellis & Jessica Bone take direction roles for the gingerbread house traditional pantomime. Alway popular, book this asap.

Mon 27th Jan – Sat 1st Feb: Veronica’s Room. John Winterton directs the first Wharf production of 2025, a chilling mystery thriller by the author of Rosemaryโ€™s Baby, exploring the thin line between fantasy and reality, madness and murder.

Tickets now on General Release HERE. Please note that Devizes Library is closed until 24 July which includes the Community Hub Box Office. Support our lovely local theatre.

Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 24th-30th July 2024

Jam-packed July! If thereโ€™s always lots to do throughout the year, July especially so!  Hereโ€™s what weโ€™ve found in the wilds of Wiltshire this coming weekโ€ฆ.

Everything listed here is on our event calendar; go there for links and more info, as it takes too much time to link them all in. It may also be updated as more events come to our attention, so check in later in the week too!

Ongoing: A Wiltshire Thatcher: A Photographic Journey Through Victorian Wessex runs at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, until the end of August; review here.

Marlborough Open Studios is running until 28th July. 

Wednesday 24th

Acoustic Jam at the Southgate, Devizes.

James Mortonโ€™s Groove Den at the Bell, Bath. Edinburgh Previews at The Rondo Theatre, Sophie Duker & Garrett Millerick.

Thursday 25th

Womad opens its gates, for some very lucky people!

Open Mic at the Crown, Aldbourne.

Free Music in the Foyer of the Neeld, Chippenham from 7:30pm with Meg, and Kane Pollastrone

Mark Thomasโ€™s Gaffa Tapes at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Loonaloop at The Beehive, Swindon.

Edinburgh Previews at The Rondo Theatre, Bath, Chloe Petts & Katie Norris. The Peter Gill Live Rock โ€˜nโ€™ Roll Big Band at Chapel Arts.

Childrenโ€™s author Michael Rosen is at the Cheese & Grain, Frome.

Friday 26th

The Unpredictables at The Raven, Poulshot.

Kenavon Venture Music Night at Devizes Wharf. Guided Tour of the Lost Pubs of Devizes with John Griven. Devizes Scooter Rally opens for the weekend. Full Tone Festival: Six on the Green with NRWO & Ruby Darbyshire, Fulltone opens officially on Saturday.

Glamarama at The Crown, Aldbourne.

Trowbridge Festival opens. Be Like Will at The Red Admiral, Trowbridge.

The Bookshop Band at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Nin UK, Korn Again and the Spouky Kids at The Vic, Swindon. Prime Youth Theatreโ€™s Grimm Tales at Swindon Arts Centre opens and runs until 27th July. The Ultimate Classic Rock Show at the Wyvern Theatre. KillerTones at The Moonrakers, Swindon.

Death is a Girl at the Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

Little(ish) Women at The Rondo Theatre, Bath. Dan Whitehouse โ€“ A Night Of Glass at Chapel Arts.

Heathen Apostles at the Tree House, Frome.

Flocksteady Live at The Baa, Salisbury, with Captain Accident & the Disasters headlining. 

Saturday 27th

FullTone Festival continues in Devizes. Devizes Scooter Rally continues in Devizes. The Roughcut Rebels at The Three Crowns.

Trowbridge Festival continues.

Calne Bike Meet.

The Hardcore Troubadours at The Crown, Aldbourne.

The Red Bstrds, Hometown Devilry & Dee Dee at The Old Road Tavern, Chippenham.

Kiri Pritchard-McLean: Peacock at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Modern Evils at The Vic, Swindon.

41 Fords at The Seven Stars, Winsley. The Fortunate Sons at the Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

Edinburgh Previews at The Rondo Theatre, Bath: Sara Barron & Jonny Pelham. Mark Thomas: Gaffa Tapes at The Rondo Theatre. Matt Joe Gow at Chapel Arts.

Heathen Apostles at the Tree House, Frome.

Bristol Comic & Gaming Con

Sunday 28th

Guided Tour: Heritage Walk of Devizes with John Griven. Red Sun at The Southgate, Devizes.

Potterne Festival

Owl Fest: Wiltshire Blues & Soul Club, Lacock.

Chippenham Morris Dancers at The Barge, HoneyStreet.

Summer Festival Brunch at Civic, Trowbridge.

Barton Street Regulators at the Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

Simon Kempston & Jake Puntis at Schtuum in the Queenโ€™s Head, Box.

The Dom Dilemma at the Bell, Bath.

4 of Hearts at Richard Jefferies Museum, Swindon 1pm. Marlborough Academy of Dance and Drama at the Wyvern Theatre, Swindon.

The Mayor of Salisburyโ€™s Birthday Bash at Salisbury Market Place.

Monday 29th

Family Workshop: Victorian Portrait Photography brought to life! at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes.

Tuesday 30th

Summer African Jazz Session at Jazz Knights, Royal Oak, Swindon.

Chris Murphy & Barney Kenny at the Bell, Bath.

Important note: events which come to our attention from now on, will be updated on the Event Calendar and NOT HERE. So, be sure to check in from time to time, use the Event Calendar to find more info on everything listed on here, and for ticket links, etc. Use the Event Calendar to check for updates and planning ahead.

Did we miss you out? Did you tell us about your event? Itโ€™s not that we donโ€™t like you, itโ€™s because Devizine uses many sources to collate these listings, and sometimes we miss a few things. Listing your event here is free, but please make it easier for me by messaging or emailing the info, and then, and this is the really important part, make sure Iโ€™ve added it and let me know if not!

Have a good week!

What’s Occurring…..

Jamsters; A New Initiative For Musicians at The Southgate

Bob Marley sang โ€œjamminโ€™ โ€˜til the jam is through,โ€ Jimmy Cricketโ€™s catchphrase was โ€œcomeโ€™ere, thereโ€™s more,โ€ but it looks like The Southgate in Devizes is combiningโ€ฆ

Devizine Review of 2024 Part 1: Jan to July

Featured Image: Gail Foster All other image usage here was credited on the original articles, to locate sources again would take a long time, so pleaseโ€ฆ

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FullTone Festival and Scooter Rally; Big Weekend in Devizes

Next weekend (26th-28th July) is a biggie in our humble town, there’s the FullTone Festival on the Green, and Devizes Scooter Club revs up for their fourth Scooter Rally too. Which one is for you? Are they so obviously such vastly different events, your mind is made up already, or is it a dilemma of which to attend?

We cannot ignore the elephant in the room; do I think it’s a shame there’s a date clash on two of our best events in Devizes this summer? Yes, of course I do, but that’s the way the cookie crumbled, and here I intend in the order of fairness, to reason on both the differences and similarities between them, such that they attract different crowds.

Though both events differ, both also attract people into town therefore are financial assets, and most importantly whichever you attend you’re guaranteed a great time.

Me? I’m covering both, the idea is, at best, to hover between them, it could fail. I’m not ruling that out, but I’m too spontaneous for silly things like planning! Besides, I continually toil with what makes large events such as these good, you know? What are the perimeters on my scorecard when they differ so? It’s not as easy as you may think! 

A recent subsidiary of this thought process came via the Minety Music Festival a few weekends ago. I liked that, liked it a lot. It was a level above the โ€œaverageโ€ festival we hold here. Though neither the Rally nor FullTone can be described as average by any stretch of the imagination. Both punching above their weight and both are possibly the best time you’re likely to get in Devizes, until such a time Disney builds a theme park at Hopton!ย 

Fulltone Festival 2023 Image Gail Foster

The premise was that Minety provided three stages and so many other things going on between them. I raced from stage to stage hoping to take in as much as possible, but to see it all was impossible.

I once argued that while FullTone is a monumentally awesome event, it didn’t meet my criteria of being a festival as such, on account it is a single stage hosted by the orchestra though allowing a few other acts in between. It was surely defined better as a conglomerate of concerts. I come from the Glasto school of thought, whereby a festival is multiple elements coming together in one big mesh. But, that’s a pedestal.

I’ve changed my mind on this, as FullTone have extended the ethos of different acts over the years, plus the orchestra and all its elements is a country mile above a set group like a rock band gig. Plus again, it seems these days putting a man with a guitar under a gazebo and flogging undercooked hotdogs constitutes a โ€œfestival,โ€ and thus I must go along with that even if unwillingly!

You only need to look at the development of FullTone’s program over the past years to know this isn’t a true reflection. Look at the surprise Friday night add-on where Six will be re-enacted and popular youth acts like NRWO and Ruby Darbyshire play. And besides, the upside of the single stage format means you don’t miss any of what you’ve laid down your dollar for, and believe me, you’ll love Ruby, or Talk in Code equally as much as Kerry and Ricardo pulling out a Queen set, or dancing the night away to eighties reconstructions by a full orchestra; that diversity is something you’ll not find elsewhere, in Devizes if not internationally.

Fulltone Festival 2023 Image Gail Foster

Similarly the Scooter Rally is a single stage, but the class acts booked will see something of a rarity in town. You don’t find live reggae or ska acts on the pub circuit here, it’s costly. And being all the acts are tried and tested; All That Soul, for one example, will provide the ultimate tribute to the Motown sound on a level high above others locally, as they did at a Scooter Club night of yore. Overall The Rally is a godsend on our event calendar. Making it a given that both these events, while different, share success because they book the very best entertainers within their separate niches.

It can be the little touches which maketh the occasion. The Scooter Rally providing free transportation to and from the site to Devizes is something other event organisers should take heed of.

Both examples of the assurance quality acts is not something which has been skipped on, serves as mahoosive pros to the single stage format, because you’ll not want to miss any of it trudging from stage to stage. It’s an opinion, rather like a GCSE RE question; there’s no wrong answer.

Last weekend I was in the green room tent at Picnic in the Park, and it’s there which changed my mind on this opinion-based query. I met festival maker Sam, who looked exhausted, dropping off fire extinguishers at various locations, and I pointed out the fact that rarely do organisers get the opportunity to enjoy the event like a punter as there’s always something to be lugged around, moved, and catered for.ย 

I had a taste of this when volunteering for a Street Festival of yore, constantly running wheelie bins to and fro like a videogame character, while being asked the bleeding obvious by attendees!

Fulltone Festival 2023 Image: Gail Foster

At Picnic in the Park I also spoke to Simon the sound engineer, chatting about the last Scooter Rally he expressed the work involved in accommodating a ska band compared to the average four-piece rock band. There were so many more lines to collate, what with the usual brass section. This made me ponder the technical requirements of a full orchestra at FullTone, and singers and, crickey, I can’t imagine what else!

The reason I involve myself in events is partially because I’m in communication with the organisers and if they need a hand I’m willing to muck in. The second reason is to understand exactly what, and how much goes into organising such events we promote on Devizine, so I can sympathise with the hard work they do to provide us with such grand entertainment.

So I find myself evaluating between all parts; the punter, the organisers and the acts, trying to find middle ground. Sometimes bands get frustrated with organisers, and visa versa, sometimes punters get annoyed if not everything is perfect, but the reasons for any frustration at events is because bringing all the elements together, ensuring every loop has been tied, and every regulation is accounted for, is a mammoth process taking incalculable hours, intricate planning, and manpower, which punters simply don’t take into consideration at the box office.

True, cost is paramount to the punter, now more than ever. You look at the price and think, what am I getting for my money? I agree, I do this too, it’s only natural. But more and more, as I witness the inner workings of such large events, what efforts are put into them, mostly behind the scenes, or often taken for granted, it never ceases to amaze me, especially being for all their efforts organisers rarely get to sit back and enjoy the day as a punter would.

For example, take FullTone‘s stage. Its shape has become iconic in Devizes. The acoustics are absolutely incredible and unlike any other outdoor event locally. The cost of this, the construction and the managing of it, to bring you an experience you’ll remember forever, is worthy of the ticket price alone, and we’ve not accounted for the numerous site jobs, from the erection of the fence, securing the event to insuring food and bar stalls are rightfully placed, and so much more.

Take the campsite at the Scooter Rally as another example, you’ve got revellers drinking, vehicles moving to and fro, punters enjoying themselves, and everything they’ll not consider has to be considered by organisers, fire safety, first aid, and again, so much more. It’s a headache for the most hardened skinhead!

Conclusion, there’s more than meets the eye in arranging any event or working them, none more than these big ones, and that’s why they cost. You either meet such a cost or lose the opportunity, and then what? Are we reduced to living on Facebook?!

I also accept the idea, as you are a paying customer that it is your right to override such considerations, but hey, as a customer you’ll be the first to complain if things don’t go precisely to plan! I know I will; jump to it, organisers, do my bidding!!

The bottom line is, though for slightly different reasons, both the Scooter Rally and FullTone Festival will be amazing events, among the very best Devizes has to offer, and whichever you choose, the weekend looks set to be a cracker. 

Know that FullTone will be the last for a while, and if it does return it pledges to be something quite different. Know also, that, The Rally is highly enjoyable, a hospitable and solely unique event around these backwaters. It doesn’t even adopt the tagline festival, but compares to one in considering it’s way above your average scooter rally. You’ve got seven quality live acts over the two days, most other rallies struggle to provide one cheapest ska or Britpop cover band on their circuit.

But I’m not asking you to stand and stare, or shed a tear for the plight of the organisers, for they do it for the love of it, and if they didn’t they wouldn’t. All I’m saying is, the colossal labour, the attention to detail which goes into staging these occasions should be considered when deciding if you’re going, to either, or if you’re going to stay in with a bag of Lidl cheesy puffs, watching reruns of Come Dine with Me on the telebox, or another annoying show where other people, somewhere else, are enjoying themselves!

You don’t need to concern yourself in what’s in someone you don’t know, or never likely to knowโ€™s knicker draw, when you could be skanking up the Whistley Road like you’re Suggs on a day out in Camden, or lounging in your deckchair on the Green, immersed in the unmatchable acoustics of the FullTone Orchestra, like you’re King Charles in the royal box at The Albert Hall! 

Fulltone Festival 2023 Image: Gail Foster

Furthermore, while this particular article concentrates on events within the castle on the dividing line, further options are available to you outside that boundary. Trowbridge Festival, Potterne Festival and even a little occasion called Womad are also set on the same weekend. May this also suit to assure you we report such impartially, and as a labour of love rather than for financial gain. Therefore there is no just reason for us to be dishonest or biassed. Organisers and artists we may oblige, but the priority in retaining said honesty is aimed foremost towards the sake of the customers. Ergo, whilst we’re respectful of all the hard work which goes into event management, we might not condone our analysis of it to be deliberately or unfairly critical, we more simply won’t report on it, we will tell you, the customer, fairly, however, if it rocks our world and would also rock yours.

And now you know where we stand, I hope you can take heed when I repeat myself, which while I accept is a symptom of middle-age, it stands affirmed whatever event we’ve mentioned you should choose to attend, based on previous year’s experience, it comes guaranteed you’ll have a fantastic time!

Phew, I’m glad I’ve got that off my chest. Now, pass me my tie-dye t-shirt and festival jester’s hat, and let’s party!

For Tickets for the Devizes Scooter Rally, find Devizes Scooter Club on Facebook.

For Tickets for the FullTone Festival, find here.

Trending……

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Devizes Arts Organisation Launches Fundraiser to Save Future Community Events

Featured Image by Simon Folkard

Following the announcement earlier this year about the cancellation of the Devizes International Street Festival due the loss of Arts Council funding, DOCA has been working hard to enable the remaining core community events to go ahead without charging an attendance fee.

The Arts Council funding covered all events and not just the Street Festival, but by cutting out the more costly and time consuming event, theyโ€™ve been able to push ahead with Picnic in the Park, Carnival and Confetti Battle with the Colour Rush using a combination of reserves and local fundraising.

Having just completed a very successful and well received Picnic in the Park on Sunday, at which the attendees were happy to donate a suggested ticket price of ยฃ5 if they could, DOCA are looking ahead to the much loved Devizes Carnival on 31st August. A crowd-funder has been set up to raise the funds necessary for the operational costs such as barrier hire and first aid, as well as the workshops to support participation. This crowd-funder is nearing the end of its run and they desperately need individuals and business to help them hit the target and take it over the finish line in the next few days.

DONATE HERE

DOCA have committed to running this yearโ€™s Carnival, so if they donโ€™t receive the funding from this public crowdfunder, they will need to cover it all from their reserves. As a charity, this would leave them at risk, as they would not be able to continue fundraising and planning for future events such as the Winter Festival, should the main source of income fall through again.

Production Director Annabel Lake said, โ€œWe are doing everything we can to ensure Devizes Carnival doesnโ€™t follow in the sad footsteps of so many other carnivals around the country that have had to cancel in recent years. Having experienced how much Carnival means to the people of Devizes, and the efforts put in by schools and groups across town who have come together to help build it back up again post Covid, it would be a real shame to lose this wonderful traditional event in our town, which dates back well over 100 years. Just think, if each of the 3,000 spectators could afford a ยฃ3 donation then weโ€™d be able to cover all the costs โ€

The other big challenge being faced is finding enough volunteers to help on the day so if anyone is able to help marshall the event, or canโ€™t afford to contribute money but would still like to support it,  please get in touch with DOCA (info@docadevizes.org.uk)… unless of course you want to take part in the parade – itโ€™s easier than ever now whether you are a individual, family, group or even a local business. The theme this year is Home is Where the Heart Is, so it would be great to see local businesses represented in that vision of โ€œHomeโ€ as they are such a key part of our town. 

The Carnival Crowd-Funder will close on Monday 22nd July. The Carnival parade will take place on Saturday 31st August.ย 

Christmas Greetings From Devizine!

Here’s our Christmas video Greeting, ho-ho-ho! Filmed on location at DOCA Winter Festival, Devizes, 2024 by Jess Worrow. Merry Christmas everyone!

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Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 17th- July 2024

Jam-packed July! If thereโ€™s always lots to do throughout the year, July especially so!  

Hereโ€™s what weโ€™ve found in the wilds of Wiltshire this coming weekโ€ฆ.

Everything listed here is on our event calendar; go there for links and more info, as it takes too much time to link them all in. It may also be updated as more events come to our attention, so check in later in the week too!

Ongoing: A Wiltshire Thatcher: A Photographic Journey Through Victorian Wessex runs at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, until the end of August.

Marlborough Open Studios is running until 28th July. 

Wednesday 17th

Acoustic Jam at the Southgate, Devizes.

Memory Cinema at Swindon Arts Centre screening Kind Hearts And Coronets. Big Jam session at the Vic, Swindon.

Fromage en Feu at the Bell, Bath

Thursday 18th

Amadeus Orchestra at Wilthsire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon.

National Theater Live: Present Laughter (Encore Screening) at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Memory Sing at Swindon Arts Centre. Chicago Blues Brothers at the Wyvern Theatre.

Lonely Tourist at The Tuppenny. Larkham & Hall at The Beehive. Preacher Son & Sons of Liberty at The Vic.

Back to Moo Moo at The Rondo Theatre, Bath.

Friday 19th

Event by Babois Eats the Lizard at the Dog & Fox, Bradford-on-Avon. 

Avalon Comedy Network: Michael Odewale, Grace Mulvey, Sahib Singh & Luke Honnoraty at Pound Arts, Corsham.

I Know the End at Swindon Arts Centre, repeats Saturday. 4ft Fingers & Slagerij at The Vic, Swindon.

Upton Blues Festival opens.

Saturday 20th

New Moon โ€“ A Psychic and Spiritual Fayre at Devizes Corn Exchange from 11-4pm. The Roughcut Rebels at The Three Crowns. Talk in Code at The Southgate.

Market Lavington Vintage Meet Family Fun Weekend

Living Among… Reflections on Solitude and Nature: An evening of classical and folk music for violin and voice, with new work from composer Dylan Fixmer, also guest on piano and guitar at St Peter’s, Marlborough. Glamarma at the Bear. Rom 101 at The Lamb.

Reggae at the Pelican, Froxfield with Razah I-Fi.

Classic Ibiza at Bowood House

Glenn Darren & The Krewkats at Melksham Rock n Roll Club.

Cider, Reggae & Rum Festival in Trowbridge.

Ultimate Floyd – Pink Floyd Tribute Show at The Neeld, Chippenham.

The Thomas Sladden Quartet at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon.

Malin Lewis Trio at Pound Arts, Corsham.

SGO at Richard Jefferies Museum, Swindon from 1pm. Rammied at The Vic. World Music Club at The Beehive. There’s a rally for Plastine at Faringdon Road Park. Julie Scott’s Academy Of Dance – Let Us Entertain You Again at the Wyvern Theatre.

But, Editorโ€™s Pick of the Week is in Swindon this week, itโ€™s My Dadโ€™s Bigger Than Your Dad Festival for Prospect House at the Old Town Bowl; Ian despatched to find out more and report back!

Carpenters Tribute โ€“ Rainy Days, Mondays & Good Old Dreams at Chapel Arts, Bath.

Frome Record Fair at the Cheese & Grain. The Guns N Roses Experience afterwards.

Sunday 21st

Fantasy Radio is at Hillworth Park, Devizes with Andrew Hurst from 2pm-5pm. Jerry Crozier-Cole Trio at The Southgate, Devizes 5pm. Apparently, thereโ€™s a Family Fun Day at Avon Road Park, Devizes; Deadlight Dance are playing but Iโ€™ve heard nothing more about it. Sunday Sounds at the Muck & Dunder, free entry.

GM Dance Academyโ€™s Summer Showcase at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon.

Schtumm X-tra Presents Sarah Gillespie & Chris Montague at The Queens Head, Box. 

Kirris Riviere & Delta du Bruit at the Bell, Bath.

Jol Rose & Rachel Birkin at Richard Jefferies Museum, Swindon 1pm. Embrace All Festival, Swindon. Emma Doupe at The Vic. JHS Dance – Seasons Of Dance at the Wyvern Theatre.

Frome Childrenโ€™s Festival at the Cheese & Grain.

Monday 22nd

Wonder Gigs: Seasons at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Kevin Dempsey at the Bell, Bath.

Later with Frome College at the Cheese & Grain.

Tuesday 23rd

Rob Lear Band at The Piggy Bank, Calne.

Karen Sharpe Quartet at  Jazz Knights, Royal Oak, Swindon.

Week one of Devizes Tennis Clubโ€™s Summer Tennis Camp begins.

And thatโ€™s your lot, for now!

Important note: events which come to our attention from now on, will be updated on the Event Calendar and NOT HERE. So, be sure to check in from time to time, use the Event Calendar to find more info on everything listed on here, and for ticket links, etc. Use the Event Calendar to check for updates and planning ahead.

Did we miss you out? Did you tell us about your event? Itโ€™s not that we donโ€™t like you, itโ€™s because Devizine uses many sources to collate these listings, and sometimes we miss a few things. Listing your event here is free, but please make it easier for me by messaging or emailing the info, and then, and this is the really important part, make sure Iโ€™ve added it and let me know if not!

Have a good week!

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A Perfect Picnic in the Park

A perfect sunny(ish) Sunday at Hillworth Park in Devizes, if not to overcome one’s fear of public speaking while dressed in a giraffe onesie and fantabulous tie, but most definitely for a picnic, for the kids to play, and for a fantastic treat from DOCAโ€ฆ

With the unfortunate cancellation of Devizes International Street Festival due to Arts Council funding cuts, DOCA pulled out all the stops for a fantastic and most memorable Picnic in the Park this year.

Slightly deceiving name, Picnic in the Park, if you didn’t know. For while there’s picnicking and yes, it’s in the park, there’s plentiful side stalls, a bar and enough entertainment to deem it a mini festival, of sorts. Mayor Ian Hopkins opened the event, hilarious street circus artist Able Mable filled the gaps between the bands perfectly with her own brand of clowning and superb audience participation. She was the very definition of entertainment.

Kai Carterโ€™s Old Time Hustle made for an amazing kick off. Beguiling guitar, trombone and fiddle, foot-stomping magic moments as suggested on the tin, finding time for some facts about pigeons and to delightfully deliver long lost covers, particularly those of Virginia’s country legend Patsy Cline. They made tradition look cool, very cool.

Second act was equally as lovely and skilled.  From Manchester, Good Habits created the most divine sound, and wonderfully full and bassy, considering it was just a cellist and an accordion duo. Particularly adroit was their Kate Bush cover, but then, their original compositions held equivalent poignancy. They’re the kind of duo who could fit into any festival and simmer an audience in awe.

Delighted to have some input, the third and final act was my personal choice. Local family collective, The Sarah C Ryan Band were perfect for this kind of communal event, they’re unique and original, smooth and cool. It’s a paced, universal sound, reflecting masterful pop-rock classics like Kate Bush, Genesisย and Fleetwood Mac, yet distinctive. Rarely have they played Devizes, so I was hopeful you’d take heed, as their performance was as memorable as the day was in general.

I caught Sarah and the band last week playing the fantastic Minety, which while I thought was awesome, I believe they played even better here at Hillworth. Perhaps being the headliner here renewed their confidence, perhaps it was Simon at the control tower showing off his new kit, or rather, I favour it was more about the flavour of the glorious day.

DOCA’s ability to bring the best out of Devizes, even at their more simpler events is something to behold with pride. For yep, indeedy, the entertainment was first class, the organisation dedicated, the vibe was positively gleaming, someone threw me a Penguin biscuit (thank you!) but above them all is the sum of their parts, monumental in what can be achieved by pulling resources together.

It may not have been the England football team’s night, (who could’ve predicted it?!) but it certainly was DOCA’s day in Hillworth. Just thought you should know, in case you’re thinking I shouldn’t review an event I was involved in. You should note I only helped them drink their tea and ate all the brownies which were supposed to be for the musicians! It’s the real festival makers, those kindly volunteers who really make DOCA what it is, so the last thanks goes to them as we head towards carnival on the 31st August with renewed sense of anticipation.

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Last Remaining Tickets for Trowbridge Festival

The 50th Anniversary of the now legendary Village Pump Festival, which was brought back to the UK festival circuit in 2018 by director Nicholas Reed, are down to their last 100 tickets; be as quick as a quick thing being quickโ€ฆ.

Driven by the uk festival exclusive for the debut duo performance from long time British folk legends Maddy โ€œSteeleye Spanโ€ Prior, who graced Trowbridge’s Village Pump venue in the early 70s, prior to any fame and fortune and jon โ€œbellowheadโ€ boden. This incredible partnership gets its first live performance at a venue that kick-started their early careers in what is such a significant moment in the festivalโ€™s history.

Also on the line up are the fast becoming deeply respected The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican, in what is surely a festival headline debut! The Barnsley trio offer up their usual wit and humour, but with recent new addition Jamie Roberts, brother of the wonderful Katheryn Robertโ€™s who will also be performing with her duo with her partner Sean Lakeman. 

Itโ€™s a true folkers line up, which includes โ€˜Gilmore-Robertsโ€™, โ€˜Sykes-martinโ€™, โ€™Stonegallowsโ€™ and festival stalwart โ€˜Keith Christmasโ€™. Ceilidh from โ€˜Spill the Whiskeyโ€™, and some world music from the Bath-based klezmer band โ€˜Ninotchkaโ€™ and โ€˜RSVP Bhangraโ€™.

Unmissable highlights recommended by us at Devizine, and to interfere with an otherwise fine press release with our own opinion, (as we care to do!) would include Gaz Brookfield, Mr Tea & The Minions, Concrete Prairie, Be Like Will, Billy in the Lowground, Fly Yeti Fly, Devilโ€™s Doorbell, The Lost Trades, Thieves, and of course, Ruby Darbyshire and Nothing Rhymes With Orange; this is stellar line-up of tried and tested local talent alongside the headliners.ย ย 

Unlike other festivals, Trowbridge offers free camping with their weekend tickets. This offers unrivalled value for money and set in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside, basking in the shadow of Westbury White Horse.

Trowbridge Festival runs from 26th-28th July.

Those last few tickets are HERE, folks!

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YEA Devizes: DOCA New Youth Project

Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts announced their upcoming project, YEA Devizes today. Made possible by a grant from National Grid Electricity Transmissionโ€™s Community Grant Programme, theโ€ฆ

The Mist; New Single from Meg

Chippenhamโ€™s young folk singer-songwriter Meg, or M3G if you want to get numeric, will release her 6th single The Mist on Friday 18th October, andโ€ฆ

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Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 10th – 16th July 2024

Jam-packed July! If thereโ€™s always lots to do throughout the year, July especially so!ย ย 

Hereโ€™s what weโ€™ve found in the wilds of Wiltshire this coming weekโ€ฆ.

Everything listed here is on our event calendar; go there for links and more info, as it takes too much time to link them all in. It may also be updated as more events come to our attention, so check in later in the week too!

Ongoing: A Wiltshire Thatcher: A Photographic Journey Through Victorian Wessex runs at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, until the end of August; review here.

The Frome Festival is underway, and ends on 14th July. Cheltenham Music Festival also, ending on 13th July. 

Marlborough Open Studios is running until 28th July. 

Wednesday 10th

Acoustic Jam at the Southgate, Devizes.

Three Choir Showcase Concert at the Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon, featuring BCG Choir, PSG Choir and the Horizons Choir. Jam at the Boathouse.

A Lunchtime Recital with flautist Klio Blonz at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Cheritang at the Bell, Bath. The Dreamer Live at The Rondo Theatre.

Scott Mickelson at The Beehive, Swindon. Chocolate Theatre presents The Full Monty at Swindon Arts Centre. Infant Voice Festival at the Wyvern Theatre.

Paul Masonโ€™s The Bob Morris Lecture at The Cheese & Grain, Frome.

2000Trees festival opens near Cheltenham.

Thursday 11th

James B Partridge Presents: School Assembly Bangers at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Fly Yeti Fly at The Tuppenny, Swindon. Erin Bardwell & Friends at The Castle.

Richard Herringโ€™s Can I Have My Ball Back at the Cheese & Grain, Frome.

Friday 12th

โ€˜Steve Davisโ€™ and โ€˜Kavos Torabiโ€™ at the Barge Inn Honeystreet.

Marlborough Festival opens and runs all weekend. Comedy Night at the Town Hall. El Toro at The Bear, Marlborough. Luke Gittins with Ash Smith at The Green Dragon. 

Double Bill at Pound Arts, Corsham with Ben de la Cour & Holysseus Fly.

Black Charade & Fell Out Boy at The Vic, Swindon. Funkinsteins at The Beehive. Viggo Venn at the Wyvern Theatre.

One Chord Wonders at The Boathouse, Bradford-on-Avon. Future Plan and Lindup Brothers at the Three Horseshoes.

Faith at The Rondo Theatre, Bath.

Peatbog Faeries at the Cheese & Grain, Frome. An Dannsa Dub at the Tree House.

Saturday 13th

Devizes Beer & Cider Festival. Humdinger at The Three Crowns, Devizes. Thomas Atlas at The Southgate, Devizes.

Josh Kumra and Mica at the Bear, Marlborough. On Remand at the Crown. 

Reading Dub Club at The Barge, HoneyStreet.

Everything Changes at Melksham Assembly Hall.

Adrenaline Stompers Festival at Club Venom in Westbury.

Characters Stage Schoolโ€™s Annie at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon. Innes Sibun Trio at The Boathouse. 

John Hegley: An American in Luton at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Bar Tape at The Rondo Theatre, Bath. The Spirit & Sound of Steely Dan โ€“ Nearly Dan in concert at Chapel Arts. Salt Beef Reuben & Friends at the Bell, Bath.

Hooch at Royal Oak, Bishopstone. Phantom Droid, Thrakian and Hora at The Vic, Swindon.

Miss Kelโ€™s Academy Of Dance: Stars And Stripes at the Wyvern Theatre.

Flash Harry at the Corner House, Frome. Gary Davies Sound of the 80s at the Cheese & Grain.

And Somerset Kaya Reggae Festival at Caryford.

Sunday 14th

Editorโ€™s Pick of the Week is Picnic in the Park at Hillworth Park, Devizes from 12-5pm; hope to see you there! Jamie Williams & The Roots Collective at The Southgate, Devizes straight afterwards.

Wiltshire Young Musicians Summer Festival from 1.30pm at the Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon. Tom Cornnell at The Boathouse. Luna Barge at the Three Horseshoes.

Jon Amor Trio at the Bell, Bath.

Richard Wileman & Amy Fry at Richard Jefferies Museum, Swindon from 1pm. Kitty Langan Studio โ€“ Schoolโ€™s Out at the Wyvern Theatre.

Frome Symphony at The Cheese & Grain, Frome.

The Godney Gathering in Somerset opens.

Monday 15th

B D Lenz at the Bell, Bath.

Tuesday 16th

Alex Vietch Quartet at Jazz Knights in the Royal Oak, Swindon.

Ben de la Cour at the Bell, Bath.

And thatโ€™s your lot, for now!

Important note: events which come to our attention from now on, will be updated on the Event Calendar and NOT HERE. So, be sure to check in from time to time, use the Event Calendar to find more info on everything listed on here, and for ticket links, etc. Use the Event Calendar to check for updates and planning ahead.

Did we miss you out? Did you tell us about your event? Itโ€™s not that we donโ€™t like you, itโ€™s because Devizine uses many sources to collate these listings, and sometimes we miss a few things. Listing your event here is free, but please make it easier for me by messaging or emailing the info, and then, and this is the really important part, make sure Iโ€™ve added it and let me know if not!

Have a good week!

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The Pleasure was all Minety!

Broke my Minety Music Festival cherry, and it was gurt lush! When it comes to live music and festivals, I initially set a high bar. My first concert was Springsteen in โ€˜87, and aside from traveller’s free parties, my first festival was Glastonbury. These days hedonism is reduced to finding smaller local festivals to savour, enjoy a pint or four; I’m done with tired feet trudging acres of tents, and what’s more, paying a king’s ransom for a multitude of elements I’m unlikely to witness because it’s all going off simultaneously; my eyes were kaleidoscopic anyway.

Though I miss those heady days, finding middle ground is tricky. The disambiguation of โ€œfestivalโ€ today is such a pub putting a man with a guitar under a gazebo and flogging undercooked hotdogs off a barbecue constitutes a festival, apparently. No, I need at least a taste of the heyday; monumental fun yet diverse, hassle-free adequate attractions without the notion I’m being taken for a mug. If my want was an ice cream, sure I’ve found some single scoop cones of vanilla, some even plop a flake into it, but this weekend I found the ultimate brownie, millionaire rocky road sundae; everything I want and expect from a festival, topped in caramel and sprinkled with Space Dust, close by, and easy to access in a tall glass. It’s called Minety Music Festival, near Malmesbury, and they’re so amicable they even supply those long-handled spoons to dip right into the chocolate sauce at the bottom; meaning, it was good to the end.

The intention was only a taster, pop down on the Sunday, check it out, report my findings, but I got a scrumptious bellyful from this alone. Minety is undoubtedly the best all-rounder local festival I’ve seen, period. It’s unfortunate the previous years I’ve advertised this on our event calendar and thought, now there’s a thing, but I hadn’t plunged in. It all now seems so foolish to have passed it off. Nearly all the bands we love and promote on Devizine have graced a stage here. Of them those lovely indie popsters Talk In Code bunged me on their guestlist, and it’s hardly Timbuktu, rather a twenty-five minute drive away; arm twisted, it’s now for me to justify my reasons for telling you how bloody fantastic Minety is, but it is.

Starter for ten, everything is bound around the edges of one gigantic field, you cannot get lost in a maze of tents. Between three stages everything you could possibly want from a festival is there. Kids are spoiled, something often overlooked at others; climbing wall, circus workshop, arts/crafts tents, storytelling, inflatables, face painting, arty kidz, and a cosy tent called the Tree House with an abundance of instruments to try; I swear bands were formed in there. Youths tended to dance or chill at a wonderfully decorated DJ venue, hosted by an eclectic online radio station, the Incapable Staircase, me too; Peter Pan, me, y’know!

I chose to dine there, takeaway Thai curry from a stall with a restaurant in Purton, on cushions thrown outside, next to a bathtub once filled with free waffles, now just furry pillows. Which brings me to my next reasoning; value for money. Food options were incalculable, any street food you fancy, but Minety also supplied a cafรฉ flogging beans on toast for a pound fifty, or burgers for three quid, and pints at the bar were ยฃ4.50, cheaper than some pubs. There was never the archetypal downer you were open to being ripped off, leaving enough in your pocket to consider browsing the great festival stalls of gifts, cakes, or clothes.

Everything has its place at Minety, it’s their seventh year, subtracting those we don’t mention. They know what they’re doing, and the attention to detail was immaculate, equating to a tremendous vibe of positivity. The mammoth task of organising something on this scale was putty in their hands, and I salute them for this and the given concept of booking a handful of averagely known names for headliners and leaving the rest to supporting local acts; this is my third and final reasoning to why Minety is fantastic, and that should be plentiful to tempt you.

Ergo, our loveable poptastic indie darlings Talk in Code, who absolutely and definitely knocked it out of the farm, by the way, preceded a gorgeous set from reunited nineties giants Sleeper, who I favoured over the grand finale of Irish rock band Ash, but others might argue this and quite rightly so, as both rocked. And this was just Sunday, other nights The Feeling headlined, with Elles Bailey and The Chase.

But Minety is also smooth around the edges, as you wander tent to tent. There were a few must-sees for me, Swindon’s grunge newcomers I See Orange were awesome as predicted, in a tent hosted by Chippenham’s Kandu Arts, and The Sarah C Ryan Band were equal, euphorically cool at the Minety stage. Then there’s the discovery element, whereby a number of bands have now come to my attention, none more so than Arkansaw Jukebox, who play singalong pop classics from Spice Girls to Queen, albeit in a bluegrass fashion, and when it’s time to cover a country classic, Country Roads takes on a ska offbeat to make Toots blush! This tenet of jollification brought the tent down.

Others noteworthy were Hooch, blasting some danceable covers, reimagining the Faithless classic, a youthful semi-gothic four-piece called Pavilion, and nineties Seattle grunge-inspired The Rain City Project, with astute Pearl Jam and Nirvana covers. With the range on offer as vast as acts booked, and hurtling between them as fast as my ageing legs will take me, it’d need an essay length review to cover all, and you’ll be bored shitless before I reach my epic conclusion; festivals are a โ€œyou had to be thereโ€ thing, apologies to those I may’ve missed mentioning.

But if that popular shirtless tattooed entertainer Jimmy Moore covering the theme to Spongebob, Spice Girls on banjos, stripy stilt walk jugglers with bowler hats, or more upcoming young bands than you’d catch at a college talent show won’t satisfy you, or just this idea of wandering few steps to get from drum n bass at the aforementioned Staircase, to some middle-agers, Chippenham’s Free Spirits, in the Kadu Arts tent enjoy an enjoyable recital of Dire Straits doing the walk of life, and a conglomerate of kindly North Wilts and South Gloucestershire freakshow punters out to revel isn’t enough to rock your boat, you need to downsize your vessel, skipper, because Minety’s boot fits me; a blindingly stupendous do. I’m tempted, if not feel it compulsory to dust off my dome tent and do the whole shebang next year, even if it finishes me off for good!

Busy on the festival circuit Talk in Code are regulars here. Though they expressed a history of unpreventable technical mishaps, this year they were third from top billing, full of zest and gave the sublime show we love them for. The crowd were pumping along with their engaging and original poptastic stage show, โ€œTalkersโ€ or not, a presence improving with every appearance, and proving them far more than musical fluffers for the following headliners. But as the story goes, I didnโ€™t witness a single band at Minety which would make me look the other way.

In conclusion, if before Minety I held a dilemma of what’s best between coughing up dollar for multiple elements you’re unlikely to catch because they’re spread over multiple arenas miles apart, or a cheaper single stage plan whereby you get to see everything, if you wanted to or not, Minety is the middle ground. Centred in a single field, and averagely sized, it’s no trouble to saunter stage to stage, and being scheduled at different quarter of an hour timings, convenient should you have a change of heart. This, tripled with a buzzing aura, plentiful attractions, and a program delivered with clear intention of entertaining, and motivated by a desire to include local or upcoming acts, is cherries on the sundae, and for it Minety Music Festival is well worthy of your attention. If you only do one festival annually, Minety would make the perfect choice.

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โ€œDesign for Livingโ€ at the Rondo Theatre October 2ndโ€“5th 2024.

by Ian Diddamsimages by Josie Mae-Ross Noel Coward is probably best known for โ€œBlithe Spiritโ€ but he in fact wrote sixty-five stage plays over a fifty year period. Bath Drama this week perform his excellent โ€œDesign for Livingโ€ – a comedy about a menage-a-trois, complicated by a fourth relationship set in Paris, London, and Newโ€ฆ

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World Food in Devizes; Thanks Food & Drink Festival!

Devizes Food & Drink Festival came to a close for this year with the most amazing World Food event at the Corn Exchange on Sundayโ€ฆit was yummy on an international scale! Itโ€™s an annual finale Iโ€™ve missed in previous years, but was persuaded to attend by Dora who was there with a sweet Hong Kongโ€ฆ

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Autumn-Winter Comedy in Devizes

Comedy in Devizes is a rare thing, unless you count visitors turning right at the Shaneโ€™s Castle junction, reading opinions on the Devizes Issues (but better) Facebook group, and the total legend who once climbed on top of the Roses faรงade to drive the lawnmower mounted up there. But we do have three upcoming comedyโ€ฆ

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Jazz Orchestras and Senegalese Kora to Musical Bingo; New Autumn-Winter Program at Wiltshire Music Centre

Seems like an age since I last visited Bradford-on-Avonโ€™s wonderful Wiltshire Music Centre, though Iโ€™ve been listing their vast range of events on our calendar. Maybe itโ€™s a good time for you to check out whatโ€™s going on there as theyโ€™ve just released their autumn-winter programโ€ฆ. From contemporary and folk to jazz and classical, thereโ€™sโ€ฆ

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Wiltshire Music Eventsโ€™ Grand Music Fundraiser In Salisbury Market Place

Wiltshire Music Events UK has hosted tons of memorable events locally, from CrownFest and The Marley Experience at Devizes Corn Exchange, to more everyday gigs at many pubs and venues across the county. Sunday 27th October sees them on their home-turf for a FREE one-day festival in Salisbury Market Place, fundraising for MNDAโ€ฆ.. Salisbury mayโ€ฆ

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Food Glorious Food; A Great Start for Devizes Food & Drink Festival

Hot sausage and mustard! Devizes Food & Drink Festival got off to a yummy, yummy, yummy start Saturday, leaving Devizes folk with love in their tummies, exotic burgers, pies and unusual street food! But the renowned annual food festival doesnโ€™t end with the Market, weโ€™ve a week of grub related events ahead of us, passโ€ฆ

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Information Camouflaged by Three Daft Monkeys

Daft monkeys, three of โ€˜em, and I was proved wrong. It seems monkeys are indigenous to Cornwall, and they bring their monkey business to you with their stupendous new album, Information Camouflageโ€ฆ Believing is not always seeing; I see four members of Cornish gypsy-folk Three Daft Monkeys, assuming one doesnโ€™t wish to identify as simian,โ€ฆ

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Wiltshire Business Community Benefit from Free Support

The “Business Fit For Future” programme has launched with startups across Wiltshire seizing the opportunity to participate in free online business planning workshops. This initiative aims to support the local economy by providing essential resources and knowledge to early-stage business owners, helping them future-proof their offering. The programme has already attracted a variety of businesses,โ€ฆ

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Forestry Operations Due to Start at West Woods

Featured Photo: Forestry England/Crown copyright Planned timber harvesting is set to begin at popular walking destination, West Woods, from the end of September until March 2025…. The forest will be open to visitors throughout, but Forestry England is asking walkers to help keep themselves and workers safe by following essential route diversions. In areas ofโ€ฆ

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Swindon Gets Shuffling!

Despite the population of Devizes throwing confetti and paint at each other in their most celebrated annual ritual, I believe I picked the right weekend to visit Swindon; deffo, or are they always โ€˜aving it there?! The Wildcats whipped butt at their first league game of the season on Friday, but my Saturday was dedicatedโ€ฆ

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DOCA Picnicing in the Park!

With the unfortunate cancellation of Devizes International Street Festival this year due to Arts Council cuts, all eyes are on our wonderful Hillworth Park next Sunday (14th July) for DOCAโ€™s Picnic in the Park; now more now ever DOCA needs our support, and this promises to be the best and most fun way to do it!

Truly a community and family event, yes it’s a picnic, in a park, as the title suggests but thereโ€™s oh, so much more to it; bring your own picnic, Hillworth supplies the park, DOCA provides the sparkle, as I trust youโ€™ll already know this and have allotted it into your busy schedules. Although thereโ€™s an important note we must say:

Due to losing the Arts Council funding for 2024, DOCA will be asking for donations on the gate to cover the cost of this event. This is entirely voluntary, but any contribution you can make no matter how small, will be greatly appreciated.ย ย 

If you cannot attend but would like to donate to DOCA, find a Crowdfunding link HERE

Expect fairground rides for kids, stalls, delicious crepes from La Bonne Crรชpe and drinks from Freddyโ€™s Double Deuce Bar. Plus the usual fab offering of drinks, snacks and ice creams from the Hillworth Park Cafe. 

Good Habits, one of the most exciting indie-folk duos to come out of the UK, will be there. Cellist and singer Bonnie and percussionist Pete on accordion and synths have received international critical acclaim with performances at Glastonbury and WOMAD, tours throughout Europe and Australasia, and a Top 40 album. The pair mix revved-up virtuosity and harmony with vivid storytelling, drawing on their diverse musical tastes and weaving them into an action-packed narrative of genre-bending goodness.

Banjo, mandolin and fiddle trio, Kai Carterโ€™s Old Time Hustle will do as they say on their tin, timeless frenzied folk shenanigans to make you forget munching on the Penguin biscuits your mum packed in a lunchbox and come jig with us!ย ย 

Iโ€™m delighted to announce the final band suggestion is via us. Although The Sarah C Ryan Band are locally based, rarely have they played Devizes, (I believe the Southgate in 2022) so we need to give them our warmest of welcomes. I think theyโ€™re perfect for this, smooth, cool original pop-rock, and theyโ€™ve played extensively across our festival circuit; Iโ€™m hoping to catch them later today at Minety!

Thereโ€™s a minor detail Iโ€™m delighted about at this yearโ€™s Picnic in the Park, but itโ€™s all top secret, so youโ€™ll just have to come along to find out what it is! But I can tell you, top street cabaret act Able Mable will be there too, vibrant, technically skilled charisma which nerve fails to entertain.

In a continuous bid to reduce waste, DOCA have partnered with Devizes Town Council, and Picnic in the Park will pilot reusable pint and half pint cups, aiming for drinks to be disposable-free across the whole event. Please be sure to return your cup as instructed on the day; DOCA thank you for supporting their efforts to make positive changes to the environmental impact, and in turn, we thank them for all they do to keep events sustainable.

Everything winds down around 5pm, making it the perfect Sunday in Devizes, but if youโ€™re in need to carry the party on, around the same time, the wonderful Essex Americana group Jamie Williams & The Roots Collective will be just around the corner, at The Southgate; and they come highly recommended by us.

Hope to see you all, with no excuses, at Hillworth Park a week today; yay for DOCA, please support them and all the wonderful work they do for our town.

Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 3rd -9th July 2024

Jam-packed July! If thereโ€™s always lots to do throughout the year, July especially so!  Hereโ€™s what weโ€™ve found in the wilds of Wiltshire this coming weekโ€ฆ.

Everything listed here is on our event calendar; go there for links and more info, as it takes too much time to link them all in. It may also be updated as more events come to our attention, so check in later in the week too!

Ongoing: A Wiltshire Thatcher: A Photographic Journey Through Victorian Wessex runs at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, until the end of August; review here.

Shakespeare Liveโ€™s Macbeth at Seend Cleeve House until 6th July; review here.

Wednesday 3rd

Acoustic Jam at the Southgate, Devizes.

Christ Church Primary School Summer Show at their neighbouring Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford-on-Avon. 

Encore Screening of National Theatre Liveโ€™s Nye at Pound Arts, Corsham.

The Big Jam Session at the Vic, Swindon. Mal Webb & Kylie at The Beehive. Wilkes Academy at the Wyvern Theatre until the 5th July.

Gusto Gusto at the Bell, Bath.

Thursday 4th

Rum & Records at the Muck & Dunder in Devizes.

3 Daft Monkeys at The Barge, HoneyStreet.

Minety Music Festival Warm-up Gig.

Chris Murphey & Barney Kenny at The Tuppenny, Swindon. John Hegley: An American In Luton at Swindon Arts Centre. Broadtown Brewery Quiz Night.

The Weeping Willows at Chapel Arts, Bath with support from Tomorrow Bird.

Friday 5th

Save Our Ships at the Pump, Trowbridge, with Start The Sirens and Everyone Lies.

Chippenham

Minety Music Festival opens, running throughout the weekend. Iโ€™ve not been before, so Iโ€™m planning to pop along on Sunday with Talk in Code and will report my findings back to you! But its continued support of local music makes this Editorโ€™s Pick of the Week! 

Katey Brooks at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Not Warriors & Soak at The Vic, Swindon. Texas Tick Fever at The Beehive.

The Electric Shakes, Mikey Ball & the Company at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

All roads lead to Frome, they say, as if thereโ€™s not enough happening there, Frome Festival begins today, and runs till 14th July. Therefore, find The Back Wood Redeemers and Dry White Bones at The Corner-House. The Raggedy Men at The Sun.  Alberta Cross at The Tree House.

The Music Baa near Salisbury; pub-campsite combo Iโ€™ve yet to try, have ‘In D’Field’ mini festival, withDr. Beatroot, Noah’s House, Band High, Shelf Remedy, Gambling Hearts, Love is Enough, Acrustic Badgers, Felix Darlow, The Passenger Club, The Courgettes, The New Group, and Alex Morgan Wardrop. 

Saturday 6th

Cocktails and Canapรฉs at Silverwood School, Rowde. All proceeds to the Silverwood School Charity Trust to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

West Lavington Village Fete and Dog Show. Blondie & Ska at The Green Dragon in Market Lavington.

Devizes Swap Shop at Pamela House. The Bratton Silver Band at the Wharf Theatre. Devizes Chamber Choir presents Showtime at the Musicals at St Andrewโ€™s on Long Street. Illingworth at The Three Crowns. Strange Folk at The Southgate. Back To The 90s Night at The Bear Hotel.

Across the county, Marlborough Open Studios begins today, and runs throughout July, until the 28th.

Rush Hour at the Bear, Marlborough. The famous hangover sessions at the Lamb.

People Like Us at Melksham Cons Club.

Uncle Jack at Chippenham Consti Club.

Robinson Stone at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Cheese & Chilli Festival in Swindon. Street Lights at the Wyvern Theatre. Hair Supply at The Vic.

Cheltenham Music Festival opens too, running until 13th July.

The Authentics at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

The Desafinados at the Bell, Bath.

Cara Dillonโ€™s โ€œComing Homeโ€ book talk at The Cheese & Grain, Frome.

Sunday 7th

Will Edmunds stands in for Jon Amor at The Southgate, Devizes at 5pm, but Tom and Jerry of the Trio will be there too, with guest John Baggott.  

Open Mic at Red Lion, Lacock.

Open Mic at The Lamb, Trowbridge.

Courting Ghosts at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

Inspire Warminster.

Mr Love & Justice at Richard Jefferies Museum in Swindon from 1pm. Ooh Beehive! Poetry slam at The Beehive, and Gideon Liddiard Photographyโ€™s Music- An Intimate View exhibit opens at The Beehive too. Lisa Doscher at The Tuppenny.

Leonie Evans at the Bell, Bath.

Raghu Dixit at the Cheese & Grain, Frome.

Monday 8th

Rock The Tots Seaside session at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Jim Gallagher & Friends at the Bell, Bath. Carsick are at Komedia with Nothing Rhymes With Orange.

Swinging at the Cotton Club at the Cheese & Grain.

Tuesday 9th

Exhibition on Screen โ€“ John Singer Sargent: Fashion & Swagger at Pound Arts, Corsham.

BD Lenz Trio for Jazz Knights at the Royal Oak, Swindon.

Old Time Sailors at the Cheese & Grain, Frome.

Important note: events which come to our attention from now on, will be updated on the Event Calendar and NOT HERE. So, be sure to check in from time to time, use the Event Calendar to find more info on everything listed on here, and for ticket links, etc. Use the Event Calendar to check for updates and planning ahead.

Did we miss you out? Did you tell us about your event? Itโ€™s not that we donโ€™t like you, itโ€™s because Devizine uses many sources to collate these listings, and sometimes we miss a few things. Listing your event here is free, but please make it easier for me by messaging or emailing the info, and then, and this is the really important part, make sure Iโ€™ve added it and let me know if not!

Have a good week!

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The Juggernaut Delivers Back at The Southgate

If there’s been welcomed stand-ins for the monthly Jon Amor Trio residency at the Southgate in Devizes recently, Ruzz Evans and Eddie Martin, Jon โ€œtheโ€ฆ

Deadlight Dance New EP Chapter & Verse

Marlborough gothic duo Deadlight Dance are due to release an EP of new material. Itโ€™s called Chapter & Verse and itโ€™ll be out on Rayโ€ฆ

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โ€œMacbethโ€ at Cleeve House, Seend, July 1st-6th 2024

By Mick Brian
Photos by cast and arenaphotography

William Shakespeareโ€™s tragedy, inspired by real life eleventh century Scottish kings, is well known by anybody thatโ€™s done GCSE (or even O-Level!) English I am sure, and Wikipedia can fill in the gaps, so I wonโ€™t bore you with the storylineโ€ฆย  other than to say as AC/DC would have it โ€œIf You Want Blood, You’ve Got Itโ€ as Macbeth is enticed by three witches to pursue the throne of Scotland, and in so doing murders Duncan the king, then sees off his best chum Banquo, though fails to also finish Fleance, Banquoโ€™s son who the witches also suggest may become king one day. Lady Macbeth is his conniving ball breaking wife, and eventually Macduff, the ultimate C-section delivery sees him off to bring Duncanโ€™s son Malcolm to the throne.

The cast of โ€œShakespeare Liveโ€, a Wiltshire/Bath based company, bring this tale of blood and sweat if not tears to life at Cleeve House which itself โ€œhath a pleasant seatโ€, near Seend this week in their traditional summer outdoor production. Bring a picnic, sit beneath cover for the show lest it rains or on a blanket as a groundling, and watch this talented cast do dastardly deeds and much plotting, set against the beautiful Wiltshire countryside as a background. Directed by John Jameson Davis, he brings this four hundred year old play to vibrant life. The tech team of Alex Latham, Oscar Davis, Richard Carter and Martin Moffat produce such atmosphere especially in Act 2 as darkness descendsโ€ฆย  Macbeth as a play is set mainly at night-time, so the sun disappearing right on cue as the west yet glimmers with some streaks of day is sublime.

The set is simple yet effective โ€“ that Wiltshire backdrop provides everything thatโ€™s needed, with hints of Wiltshire presented in one corner that tie in with the witches perfectly โ€“ youโ€™ll need to come and watch it to see what that is ๐Ÿ˜Š


Our main man is superbly played by Laurie Parnell, brilliantly combining with Stephanie Richards as Lady Macbeth. The two of course see off Duncan, imperiously played by Gill Morrell.ย  Faithful, then not so faithful thanes are provided by Simon Reeves as Lennox, Taruna Nalini as Ross, Bryce Collishaw as Monteith and Graham Paton as Caithness, aided and abetted by Josh Phillips as Macduff, and Francis Holmes as old Angus. Somebody has to do all the sundry stabbing and Ian Diddams as Seyton and Bryce Collishaw as accompanying neโ€™er do well provide the means to a sticky end seeing off Oli Beech as Banquo, Charlie Aldred as Young Macduff and Kerensa McCondach as Lady Macduff. Centre stage of proceedings of course are three witchesโ€ฆ ย suitably manically presented by Phoebe Fung, Penny Clegg and Andy Cork. Gentlewoman Lydia Harman-Verrell and Doctor Roger Hames provide for Lady Macbethโ€™s wellbeing, and itโ€™s all mopped up in time for Sarah Horrex as Malcolm to finish it all of with a rousing speechโ€ฆย  though Fleance โ€“ Charlie Aldred again โ€“ is never far awayโ€ฆ Its not all darkness, blood and tragedy of course โ€“ Graham Paton wades in with some welcome comic relief and the obligatory Shakespearian knob-gags as the philosophical and ย equivocating Porter.

Costumes are sublime โ€“ Hermione Skrine, Caren Felton and Helen Holliday have superbly dressed the cast in โ€œborrowed robesโ€, and there are no โ€œstrange garmentsโ€ to be seen!


So dust off your O-Levels and GCSEs, grab a friend or three, a blanket, a picnic, and come and enjoy a well presented tale of power, greed and witchy shenanigans in the beauty of the Wiltshire countryside.

โ€œMacbethโ€ is performed at Cleeve house, Seend from July 1st to July 6th at 8pm, as well as a Saturday matinee at 2pm.

Tickets are available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/shakespearelive

Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 26th June – 2nd July 2024

July is around the corner, the sun has his hat on, hereโ€™s what weโ€™ve found to do in the wilds of Wiltshire this coming weekโ€ฆ.

And note we have well over quadruple the amount of events listed than the new and rather expensive looking official council events website for this weekend, and ours has cost you, the taxpayer, only your time in reading this and supporting us. The very idea for it was, coincidentally, put forward by a councillor with a personal grudge on me for some unknown reason. The only reason I could guess why the council does not support us is because we will bring you events which may be unwelcomed by them, such as protests and rallies. All rather silly really, as it is rare for our area to have such happenings anyway, go figure!

Everything listed here is on our event calendar; go there for links and more info. It may be updated, so check in later in the week.

Ongoing: A Wiltshire Thatcher: A Photographic Journey Through Victorian Wessex runs at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, until the end of August; review here.

Wednesday 26th

Devizes Books Presents: A tribute to Brigid Harpham, at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes. Acoustic Jam at The Southgate.

Melksham General Election Husting at Spencer Sports & Social Club.

Open Mic at Stallards, Trowbridge.

Richard Herringโ€™s Can I Have My Ball Back? at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon.

Ria Linaโ€™s Riawakening at the Rondo Theatre, Bath. Helele at the Bell, Bath.

And of course, Glastonbury opens its gates for all you lucky, lucky people!

Thursday 27th

Wharf Writersโ€™ Group perform Whereโ€™s The Cat live at the Wharf Theatre, Devizes. Preview Here.

Open Mic at The Boathouse, Bradford-on-Avon.

Sayers & After Knights at The Tuppenny, Swindon.

M4F June Open Mic and Jamming Session at The Rude Giant, Salisbury.

London Calling at The Tree House, Frome.

Friday 28th

Liam Merrigan Band, John E Wright & Josh Oldfield at the Cellar Bar, Bear Hotel, Devizes.

Chippenham Food & Drink Festival begins.

Mother Vulture at the Pump, Trowbridge, with NervEndings and Worlds Best Dad. The Soul Strutters at the Civic.

Dr John Cooper Clarke with special guests at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon. Lone Sharks and Head Noise at The Three Horseshoes. El Toro at The Boathouse. The Karport Collective at the Seven Stars, Winsley.

Avalon Comedy Network: Aurie Styla, Caitlin Powell, Kieran James Boyd & Dom Hatton-Woods at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Kerrangโ€™d at the Vic, Swindon.

Rock the Totsโ€™ Jungle at Rondo Theatre, Bath.

Saturday 29th

Editorโ€™s Pick of the Week is rather obvious, itโ€™s MantonFest near Marlborough, a wonderful little festival, so kind they let me choose an act to play this year, which is Chippenham folk singer-songwriter M3G. Grab your tickets and I might see you there.

Devizes Pride at Hillworth Park, second Devizes Pride in the park all day. Crammer Watch 2024 Launch Event, at the Crammer, Devizes. Plan of Action at The Three Crowns. The Worried Men at The Southgate.

Poulshot Village Fete. BBQ with the Mangled Wurzels at Erlestoke Golf Club.

The Vox Beatles at Melksham Assembly Hall.

Calne Summer Carnival. 41 Fords at The Talbot, Calne.

The Stories at the Three Crowns, Chippenham. Brave Rival & Sloetrain at the Pewsham. Living Spit: Adolf & Winston at the Neeld.

The Junkyard Dogs launch their new album at The Pump, Trowbridge; (need a review of the album, guys, let me know?)

Trowbridge Symphony Orchestra at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon. Ragged Union at The Three Horseshoes.The Hot Juice Project at The Boathouse.

Matthew and the Atlas at Pound Arts, Corsham.

REME Museum Extravaganza in Lynham. 

Italia Conti at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon.

Tony Scothern at the Packhorse, Larkhill.

The Hengehogs at the Kings, Amesbury.

Dave Howell at the George & Dragon, Salisbury.

Don Giovanni at the Rondo Theatre, Bath.

Sunday 30th

Seend Fawlty Players presents Thatโ€™s Life at the Seend Community Centre.

Sunflower Events Summer Craft Fair at The Corn Exchange, Devizes. Wilts V-Dub Club Meet at Devizes Market Place. Mr Griff at The Southgate (?)

Open Mic at The Barge, Honeystreet. Music on a Sunday Afternoon with the Little Big Band at St Johns, Pewsey.

Open Mic at the Red Lion, Lacock.

June Open Mic at the Old Road Tavern, Chippenham.

The James Oliver Band at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon. The Coyote Country Band at The Boathouse.

Schtumm presents Sebastain & Me and Kotonic at The Queenโ€™s Head, Box.

Peter & The Wolves at the Bell, Bath.

Open Mic at the Boot Inn, Tisbury.

Everybody Sing at Swindon Arts Centre. The Vipers at the Vic.

Monday 1st July

Lawrence Art Society: Live Art Demonstration, Sketching for Summer at Devizes Conservative Club.

Tuesday 2nd

Open Mic at The Royal Oak, Bath.

Important note: events which come to our attention from now on, will be updated on the Event Calendar and NOT HERE. So, be sure to check in from time to time, use the Event Calendar to find more info on everything listed on here, and for ticket links, etc. Use the Event Calendar to check for updates and planning ahead.

Did we miss you out? Did you tell us about your event? Itโ€™s not that we donโ€™t like you, itโ€™s because Devizine uses many sources to collate these listings, and sometimes we miss a few things. Listing your event here is free, but please make it easier for me by messaging or emailing the info, and then, and this is the really important part, make sure Iโ€™ve added it and let me know if not!

Have a good week!

Trending….

Get ‘Lifted’ by Chandra

Chandra, Hindu God of the Moon, with his own NASA X-ray observatory named after him, and also frontman of a self-named friendly Bristol-based four-piece pop-punkโ€ฆ

Keep reading

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Devizes Arts Festival Rules, OK?!

Alas, it’s been a long week since the Devizes Arts Festival called time. It feels a little like when my Dad would take the Christmas decorations down; sure, the lava lamp and toilet roll dolly remained but somehow the rest of the house looked bare and sparse!

Another great year for the annual festival which again saw Devizes sprinkled with a variety of events and the coming, and going of talented outsiders. There’s a feedback form the committee would care for you to helpfully fill, HERE, meanwhile I will reflect on the festival as a whole, after some great reports from myself and our esteemed writers, of which you can click on the titles of to read the full review; awesome what we can do nowadays, isnโ€™t it?!

Far more organised than previous years, at least, we drew a rota we rarely referred back to! I led our team out to battle by covering the opening Friday night’s pirate shenanigans, and topped it off with Saturday’s arrival of Lady Nade, undoubtedly my favourite. Thereafter our roving reporter of insurmountable knowledge and something apparently called basic grammar, Andy Fawthrop would pip me to the post with a non-stop barrage of reviews. He was steadfast at the venues, I was wavering, and Ian, well, Ian was a Slambovian Circus of Dreams. After a gate technical blunder it was great to also have the one and only John Winterton of the Wharf Theatre contribute his professional thoughts on one wharfside gig.

Thanks to everyone for the teamwork. If Andy won on quantity, I excuse myself by reminding people Iโ€™ve work commitments while most are tucked up in bed snoring the theme tune to CHIPS. I could argue if there was one negative piece of feedback, it would be that more events at the festival could be organised over weekends, extending the festival perhaps, but rewarding the organisers a well-earned midweek break. Yet, Devizes Arts Festival is not to blame for the extremist early hours of my real labour, so I guess this is a self-inflicted matter; if only I was a popstar instead!

The only other niggly I suspect will come up through feedback is price, it is a sign of the times Iโ€™m afraid. A mountain of work and money goes into this and any other event, something I think people take a smidgen for granted. Weโ€™ve seen the demise of events and venues alike over the last few years, and it comes down to undercutting themselves at their box office. Itโ€™s such a shame, and all we can really do is convince people what is worthy of your hard-earned cash, and what is not. Despite a massively erroneous preconception Devizes Arts Festival is akin to a Saga holiday in some form or fashion, I can assure you it is most definitely not, it is a very worthy event, and needs you younglings to support it. Ticket sales this year varied between events, some sold out unexpectedly, others which the committee assumed would be winners suffered slightly; it is not an exact science, this is why your feedback is crucial.

Donโ€™t forget the festival also hosts many free fringe events across town during the period. These are always well attended, hence surmising a fair ticket price is always a benefit to any event. At all fringe events I pause for thought like a vicar on Radio 2, to acknowledge these free gigs is to only partially immerse yourself in Devizes Arts Festival, and you should consider if you enjoyed them, how much more amazing the paid events are, and treat yourself accordingly.

Friday 31st May the shebang pounded off the starting block in a lively punk-pirate fashion. Of Jolly Roger I said it was, โ€œloud and sprightly unpretentious punkish tomfoolery with a pirate theme, yet, at times there was concentrated and thought-provoking narratives in their original material too. Euphoric tunes such as the most poignant Silent Mountain temporarily broke the frenzy, whereas characters like a bloke who props up the bar, conveyed this is a three sheets to the wind partying band to be taken tongue-in-cheek, but, dressed as pirates kinda gave that game away!โ€ among other things. It was a fiery marine-themed start to the landlocked festival.

Yet I was holding out all expectations for Saturday with Lady Nade, and it did not disappoint. It was my personal favourite and what a way to begin June. I deemed it mesmerising, hailing it, โ€œa breath-taking performance, only Nina Simone between Simon & Garfunkel couldโ€™ve equalised.โ€ย ย 

The first Sunday there was a festival walk; none of our writers seemed to take the walks up; maybe I should buy them some stout boots, Thermos, and pack them a cheese & pickle sandwich?! Neither Adam Alexanderโ€™s Seed Detective that day, nor Eddy Allenโ€™s Solo Loop Show get coverage from us, for which I apologise. But Andy clocked in on Monday, reviewing Dr. Phil Hammondโ€™s โ€˜How to Fix the NHS.โ€™ which he called โ€œa cracking nightโ€™s entertainment โ€“ informative, interesting, and absolutely hilarious.โ€ Personally, and without getting too political, I had my own interpretation for a start to fixing the NHS, and that’s to stop voting in self-serving thieving clowns.

But, I digress, because once Andy gets in gear there’s no stopping him. Tuesday he covered its first classical offering The Edward Cross Quintet, a Wiltshire based multiโ€instrumentalist with a background in composition and production, โ€œoverall,โ€ Andy stated, it was โ€œtechnically enjoyable, but emotionally not very engaging.โ€ Well, I do ask our reviewers to provide an honest opinion, even if Iโ€™m a suck-up!ย 

Liz Grandโ€™s Mrs Churchill we missed on Tuesday, Mike Dilgerโ€™s One Thousand Shades of Green as well. Unfortunately we canโ€™t be everywhere, but we try.

Likely the most interesting reviews was from the Wednesday of the first week when baffling geneticist, author and broadcaster Adam Rutherford came to town. Hereโ€™s where Andy shines, as it would have been too intellectual for me to cast such a detailed review on. โ€œInformative and absolutely fascinating,โ€ Andy called it. โ€œAdam is no comedian, but he does have a light touch, and just like on the radio, he was able to bring science very much to life, to engage his audience, and to leave everyone a little richer in understanding.โ€

Hollie McNishโ€™s Lobster Tour sold out, but we didnโ€™t manage to catch this one either. Andy covered probably the widest known name, comedian Lucy Porter on Thursday. I really wanted to do this one, but hey I think Andy deserved a treat. โ€œIt was for the most part, very clean and straight-forward stuff. There was nothing that could be considered โ€œedgyโ€, there was nothing political, and there was (amazingly) no swearing,โ€ said Andy of it; boring!! โ€œAs such, it probably kept most of the audience in their comfort zone for most of the time, but it was no less hilarious for all of that.โ€

Jo Carley and the Old Dry Skulls was missed on the Friday, I did put my gumboots back on for The Cable Street Collective on the Saturday. This was awesome. โ€œFrom the off Iโ€™m reminded of the marabi sound of Hugh Masekela,โ€ I suggested, โ€œwith the upfront brass of trumpet and saxophone. Yet you couldnโ€™t pigeonhole this with a thousand words, itโ€™s wholly unique. Female fronted by an energetic yogi, she somersaults the high stage projecting a mid-tone vocal range with unrivalled passion, encouraging her audience to follow the leader,โ€ and they did. Cable Street had the Exchange up dancing.

The end of the first week saw another Festival Walk and a free fringe event in the trusty Three Crowns, Rumour, the latter I did manage! โ€œAmericana trio Rumour from the Black Country, pitched up in the yard with a breezy underlying familiarity to their sound. As the name suggests, covers were Fleetwood Mac top-heavy but delivered beautifully amidst a few other classics and some blended original material. Couldnโ€™t fault them if I tried.โ€ Annie Parker Trio was also a fringe event, but I went home for tea and bed.

Midweek marvel, Andy was back on the scene Monday 10th June, with classical pianist Ida Pellicciolo. โ€œThe whole performance was both intense and mesmerising, played and presented by a world-class pianist who was clearly absolutely dedicated to her work, and completely on top of her game.ย  Entirely justifiably there was sustained applause at the end from a very appreciative audience, provoking not one, but two, short encores, the latter of which was an โ€œimpromptuโ€ by the more modern Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865 โ€“ 1957).โ€

Again on Tuesday, Andy was on it. Belinda Kirkโ€™s The Life-Changing Power of Adventure this time, which although โ€œmuch against my will,โ€ Andy said โ€œI was actually on the edge of my seat listening to this stuff.ย  And I wasnโ€™t alone either โ€“ the rest of the packed audience seemed pretty enraptured too.ย  Sheโ€™s an enthusiastic, energetic and very articulate speaker.โ€ So, wellbeing tips, ask Andy, Iโ€™d only recommend a sausage sandwich.

Due to a misunderstanding, when Ian Diddams arrived on the scene to cover Discovering Antarctica : Heroic tales of Shackleton, Crean and Scott at the Wharf Theatre it wasnโ€™t to be, and so John Winterton stepped in his shoes. โ€œAn evening well spent and testament to the hard work obviously put into the research put into the script and the characterisation of Tom, by Aidan.โ€ย  Kate Webb and Jon Stockโ€™s The Darker Side of Wiltshire we missed.

โ€œMartin Simpson is, in the contemporary folk world at least, the equivalent of Royalty, or a National Treasure,โ€ Andy said, when he came to Devizes on Wednesday, and our man on the scene summed it, in a word, as a โ€œmasterclass.โ€

Andy gave us his opinion on A Lunchtime Amuse-Bouche, with Duo Tutti on Thursday, and The Sound of Blue Note too, which he hailed โ€œa bunch of guys who were clearly very comfortable with their material, with their arrangements, and with playing in each otherโ€™s company.ย  They sounded absolutely great, tight when they needed to be, but with that wonderful ability to fall back and give space to the many solos and improvisations,โ€ and requested more jazz for Devizes.

Finally they thought better of it and let Ian in! The Slambovian Circus of Dreams on Friday was something I really should have attended judging by the look of it alone. โ€œHillbilly Pink Floydโ€ Ian called it, but expanded โ€œtouches on some aspects of their music, but itโ€™s a far wider demographic than simply that. Certainly, their show at the Corn Exchange last night included elements that certainly sounded very Pink Floyd, but psychedelia, prog, Dylan, Seeger, Tull, Led Zep all played their part weaving into and out of their songs.โ€

The Slambovian Circus of Dreams @ Devizes Arts Festival 2024

No one was tempted by Huw Williamsโ€™ Organ Recital at St Johnโ€™s Church, or the The Poetry Slam at the Wharf which polished off the festivities. Saturday nightโ€™s hypnotist Matt Hale was unfortunately cancelled, to which remained a marvellous afternoon in the British Lion with skiffle band The Junco Shakers. I was content, it was one of those fringe events which simply worked.

Overall, itโ€™s been a great year for Devizes Arts Festival, with some world class acts and much enjoyment was had by all. Though as far as I know, Devizes has never had a hypnotist, and for all its uniqueness Iโ€™d have thought this gig would be a sell-out. It is unfortunate, due to low ticket sales it was pulled. It proves perhaps an error in judgement, or could imply more advertising would have helped, I really donโ€™t know; I was looking forward to it. Again, all I can say is we need to support arts in town, and Devizes Arts Festival is the king of this. We look forward to another year of which I urge to get onboard for; the thought of losing this gem on our calendar as weโ€™ve lost others would be too much to bear.ย 

Thanks to our wonderful team for their valid input, especially our part of the furniture, Andy Fawthrop, who summed it up thus, “Another excellent festival in my opinion – well organised and publicised. The range and variety of events, and the many different venues, together with the Free Fringe, made this another good year. Thanks all those involved for all the hard work youย put in to achieve this. Hats off!”

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REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festival โ€“ The Sound Of Blue Note @ Assembly Room 13th June 2024

Cool, Man

Andy Fawthrop

Devizes Arts Festivalโ€™s programme continued on Thursday night, and it was time for a little jazz.ย  As I often say (apparently) thereโ€™s nothing like sax in the evening….

Terry Quinneyโ€™s Sound Of Blue Note features some of the most prominent jazz musicians in the Southwest whose main aim is to accurately recreate the music and aesthetic that defined the Blue Note Records sound of the 1950s and 1960s.ย  Their repertoire features music from Blue Note legends like Hank Mobley, Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey, Horace Silver and more, all directly transcribed from the original recordings and performed with all the swinging intensity that is synonymous with the legendary record label.

The band last night consisted of Andy Urquhart (trumpet), Terry Quinney (saxophones), Ben Taylor (double bass), Andy Chapman (drums) and Phil Doyle (piano).  And they turned up, fully suited and booted, very much looking the part of what (I imagine) a 50s/ 60s jazz club band ought to look like. 

Iโ€™d been hoping that weโ€™d have more of a club atmosphere and aesthetic, with a tables-and-chairs layout, but we had to settle for a more traditional cinema seating arrangement.  No matter โ€“ the band and the audience settled right in.  Describing themselves at one point as a โ€œBlue Note covers band, or tribute bandโ€, the mood and the swing were soon established.  I prefer the word โ€œhomageโ€ myself, but I might then be justifiably accused of being a tad pretentious.  No matter.  Back to the jazz.

This was a bunch of guys who were clearly very comfortable with their material, with their arrangements, and with playing in each otherโ€™s company.  They sounded absolutely great, tight when they needed to be, but with that wonderful ability to fall back and give space to the many solos and improvisations.

I was not personally familiar with much of the material, but fortunately I was accompanied by someone who knew what they were listening to and was able to explain some of the finer points to me.  Added to Terry Quinneyโ€™s between-numbers commentary, I picked up more of the background.  But it really didnโ€™t matter โ€“ the quintet delivered what, to my ears at least, was a great night of jazz.  Through two 50-minute sets, the band held the audience enthralled and entertained.  The applause was warm and frequent, and an encore was fully deserved.

I just wish, as Iโ€™ve said before, that we had more frequent opportunities to catch some jazz in D-Town on a more regular basis, rather than having to wait for a year for the Arts Festival to book artists of this calibre.  Thereโ€™s an opportunity there somewhere!

You can find out more about The Sound Of Blue Note at terryquinney.wixsite.com/sobn

The Devizes Arts Festival is moving towards its end now, but there are still several events on Friday night and over the weekend, with tickets available, until Sunday 16th June at various venues around the town.ย 

Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.ukย 

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Some Days with Paul Lappin

Paul’s self-made cover to his latest single, Some Days depicts a fellow sitting under a tree pondering life, while an autumn zephyr blows leaves aroundโ€ฆ

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REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festival โ€“ Duo Tutti @ Assembly Room 13th June 2024

A Lunchtime Amuse-Bouche

by Andy Fawthrop

Devizes Arts Festivalโ€™s programme continued on Thursday afternoon with a lunchtime classical concert in the beautiful surroundings of the Assembly Hall in the Town Hall.  Coming on a market day, it was no surprise that town was busy, and plenty of people used the opportunity to make their way to this splendid venue.

Duo Tutti is made up of Ruth Molins (flutes) and Alex Wilson (piano).  They are inspired by old and new music, creating sound worlds you might not expect to hear from a flute/ piano duo. Ruth plays a standard flute, alto flute, bass flute and the piccolo, accompanied by Alexโ€™s piano.

Their programme was an interesting and eclectic mix of items, much of it from composers Iโ€™d not heard of before, but no the less enjoyable for that.

We started with the Sonata in F from Anna Amalia of Prussia (1723 -87).  This lady I was surprised to discover was the sister of Frederick The Great.  This piece in three movements, although simple in sound and structure, was bright, bouncy and just the thing to get started with.  There followed three very contrasting pieces from contemporary composers: John Rutterโ€™s Suite Antique (in six short movements), Ruthโ€™s own piece (Fuse for Bass Flute & Piano) and Elena Kats-Cherninโ€™s Elizaโ€™s Aria for Piccolo.  Each piece was delivered with freshness and confidence by the duo.

Keeping with the contemporary theme, we moved on to Arthur Butterworthโ€™s Ukko, featuring the alto flute, and a piece that was slightly deeper and fuller, offering a darker, slower and slightly more discordant feeling throughout.  Then on to two โ€œminiaturesโ€ from Constance Warren, the first being slow and thoughtful, and the second very short piece being much livelier.

Finally, slightly back in time to Jules Mouquet (1867 โ€“ 1946) for La Flute De Pan, a work in three short movements.  The first piece was sparkling, with many flourishes.  And, following the slower, quieter middle passage, the final section moved from a gentle fade-out, to another frothy champagne ending.

Throughout the concert the flutes were always to the fore, carrying the main themes, with the piano playing more of a supportive, sympathetic accompanying role.  But the combination worked splendidly, and provided a diverse and entertaining lunchtime concert.  Bravo!

You can find out more about Duo Tutti at www.duotutti.com/   

The Devizes Arts Festival is moving towards its end now, but there are still several events with tickets available, until Sunday 16th June at various venues around the town.  Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk

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Ruzz Up The Gate!

I was intending to start this along the lines of โ€œyou don’t need me to provide another reason why I love The Southgate,โ€ but thisโ€ฆ

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Discovering Antarctica: Heroic tales of Shackleton, Crean and Scott; at the Wharf Theatre for Devizes Arts Festival

John Winterton

For the first time in a great number of years the Wharf Theatre was host to a show in this yearโ€™s Devizes Arts Festival. Unlike a number of other shows in this yearโ€™s programme, this one was sold out, and quite early on, so did the good people of Devizes have prior knowledge of this show?

Aidan Dooleyโ€™s one-man show about discovering Antarctica from the perspective of Tom Crean are stories of adventures with both Scott and Shackleton, which if my basic recollection of history is anywhere near accurate, would be both a unique and fascinating tale.

On entering the theatre the sounds of the arctic winds were the only noise, and although initially sounding like sea, maybe both, along with the stage littered with all manner of items and clothing you may have needed for an expedition lit with a nighttime rich blue highlighted with a small warm glow, it set the scene for the upcoming tales. 

Aidan came onto the stage and with a rich Irish accent introduced us to Tom, and the apparel that any good arctic explorer would have with him at the turn of the last century. With a witty, chatty delivery you very quickly felt like Tom was talking as if either to an assembly of wide-eyed children or to a group of acquaintances in a local bar, sometimes more like one, then moving to the other.

You did, however, feel he was talking to you, telling you his story, letting you into his world of cold and wind. A world where crying with your head down is given away by the steam from your tears, a world where working with too many layers on would make you sweat only for it to freeze should you then stop working and cool down any. For those that went with him we were treated to stories about being left out of the five who would attempt to reach the South Pole because of a cough, a cough that was to prove fortuitous as those who did not go on were sent back along the supply route to the base camp, even if they did go slightly in the wrong way back resulting in a very well described ride on a sled down a hill, quite a steep hill at that. 

Aidan totally embodies Tom, so much so that you forget that they are not his stories that he is telling you. Stories that carried you through the hour and a half as if it was only a matter of minutes. I genuinely was lost in the story telling and would not have been surprised if on leaving the theatre we were feet deep in snow and surrounded by penguins.

An evening well spent and testament to the hard work obviously put into the research put into the script and the characterisation of Tom, by Aidan. 

A great find by the Devizes Arts Festival and well worthy of the full house.ย 

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REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festival โ€“ Martin Simpson @ Corn Exchange 12th June 2024

Masterclass

by Andy Fawthrop

Devizes Arts Festivalโ€™s programme continued last night, and it was the turn of another big name to grace the stage of the Corn Exchange.

Martin Simpson is, in the contemporary folk world at least, the equivalent of Royalty, or a National Treasure.ย  Heโ€™s been performing and recording for over forty years, and Iโ€™ve personally had the pleasure of seeing him live in concert and at music festivals several times over the years, so I was very much looking forward to this one.

Martin is the consummate singer/ songwriter. His performances are always filled with remarkable intimate solo guitar playing in the finger-picking style, and each gig is a masterclass.  One of the hardest-working people on the folk/ roots circuit, he travels the length and breadth of the UK and beyond, giving audiences passion, sorrow, love, beauty, tragedy and majesty through his playing. Equally at home playing English traditional folk, American folk and blues, or his own compositions, he is consistently named as one of the very finest fingerstyle guitar players in the world.

Nor is he an artist who sits still for very long, averaging a brand new studio album almost every two years.  His latest offering โ€œSkydancersโ€ is his 12th full length solo record since 1992.  Recorded in his home town of Sheffield, the album collects new, self-penned originals alongside 18th century broadside ballads and reverent re-workings from the songbooks of (amongst) others, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Woody Guthrie, Nancy Kerr, June Tabor and Craig Johnson.

Last night โ€œSkydancersโ€ featured heavily, as might have been expected, with several tracks to the fore, narrated laconically with the story behind each one.  The early numbers were laid-back, contemplative and without introduction, but then Martin took the audience into his confidence, and talked us through his thinking. There were a couple of political jibes at the state of the current Government, but largely he stuck to the song-writing and the music-making.  And with hardly any noticeable shift, we switched from the traditional across to the modern, to Bob Dylanโ€™s โ€œBuckets of Rainโ€.

His singing was strong, with the familiar nasal twang, but it was the guitar-playing that really caught the imagination.  Even his tuning-up trills, and introductions were little classics.  His fondness for tuning and re-tuning (by ear) is legendary in the folk world, but last night it was more disguised as he regaled us with stories relating to the genesis and/ or the content of each song.  There were birds such as the hen-harrier (the โ€œskydancerโ€), kites, swallows, and buzzards.  There were trees and hills.  There was the Wessex Ridgeway and Slapton Sands. There were real and legendary historical characters.  There were name-drops.  It was all fascinating stuff.  And then, after what had only seemed to be twenty minutes, more than twice that time had actually passed, and we were into the interval, where The Mighty Simpson Marketing Machine swung into action.  (This just meant Martin himself selling CDs in the foyer and chatting to fans, but it sounds good).

The second half brought more of the same, but with perhaps more of an Appalachian, Americana feel to several numbers.  We had covers from Jackson C. Frank and Leon Rosselson, Anne Briggs.  We had re-worked traditional songs, including an Easter carol, and we had more self-penned material.  Again, the audience was rapt, and there was never any doubt that there would be huge applause and an encore.

Another absolutely sparkling night of world-class entertainment.  Another hit for the Arts Festival.

You can find out more about Martin at www.martinsimpson.com ย 

The Devizes Arts Festival continues until Sunday 16th June at various venues around the town.ย 

Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.ukย 

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A Perfect Picnic in the Park

A perfect sunny(ish) Sunday at Hillworth Park in Devizes, if not to overcome one’s fear of public speaking while dressed in a giraffe onesie andโ€ฆ

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REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festival โ€“ Belinda Kirk @ Cheese Hall 11th June 2024

Right Out Of The Comfort Zone

by Andy Fawthrop

Following a lively few days of entertaining and varied events over this last weekend, weโ€™re now into Devizes Arts Festivalโ€™s second week.ย 

I decided to trundle along to the Cheese Hall earlier this afternoon to find out what Belinda Kirk might have to say for herself.ย  Stuff about being adventurous, Iโ€™d heard.ย  I settled down into my seat and awaited a comfortable afternoon chat.ย  But an hour later things had changed somewhat.

Belinda Kirk is a world-record holding explorer, researcher and a leading campaigner promoting the benefits of โ€œadventureโ€ on wellbeing. Sheโ€™s written the best-selling, award-nominated, book โ€œAdventure Mind: Transform Your Wellbeing By Choosing Challengeโ€.  Sheโ€™s led dozens of international expeditions, numerous youth development challenges, and pioneered inclusive adventures for people with disabilities. She established the Explorers Connect organisation and website in order to spread the word about the life-changing impact of adventure. Sheโ€™s encouraged over 30,000 ordinary people to engage in transformational outdoor challenges. And most recently sheโ€™s faced her greatest challenge: to continue to live adventurously since becoming a parent.

Belinda spoke for about 45 minutes before hosting a Q&A session.  In her talk she emphasised that she was not just talking about โ€œbeing in Natureโ€ (the benefits of which are now well documented), but about engaging with the world in a much more vigorous way by taking up personal and/ or team challenges.  She was talking jungles, deserts, remote places, open seas, and I was just beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable.

Outlining how participating in the Duke of Edinburghโ€™s Award Scheme as a sixteen year-old had been a complete sliding doors moment for her, she described how she got the bug to get โ€œout thereโ€.  Over the next few years she joined, and later led, several expeditions, worked for five or six years with that Big Softie Bear Grylls, worked as a diver for a year, and took part in a row-round-Britain challenge.  I was fully awake by now and starting to feel how exceptionally lazy Iโ€™ve been all my life.

She discovered how impactful it was to undertake both large and small adventures.  She saw with her own eyes time and time again how people of all ages found these challenges to be, literally, life-changing. And it was then that she began to research the psychology of what was actually going on here.  She described in great detail a major expedition sheโ€™d led to cross Nicaragua coast-to-coast with a group of severely disabled youngsters, including (incredibly to me) climbing to the summit of an active volcano.  And there were many other examples and stories too.  Much against my will, I was actually on the edge of my seat listening to this stuff.  And I wasnโ€™t alone either โ€“ the rest of the packed audience seemed pretty enraptured too.  Sheโ€™s an enthusiastic, energetic and very articulate speaker.

Belinda spoke of moving from your โ€œcomfort zoneโ€ to your โ€œstretch zoneโ€ and heading towards your โ€œpanic zoneโ€.  It sounded like jargon, but it wasnโ€™t โ€“ I was definitely on the same page by now.  Pushing yourself has many benefits in enriching your life โ€“ giving yourself new skills and confidence, finding out what youโ€™re really capable of, and (crucially) having some fun.   Iโ€™m having some of that!

She finished with a lively Q&A session, before signing copies of her book โ€œAdventure Mind: Transform Your Wellbeing By Choosing Challengeโ€.  But I couldnโ€™t wait around for that โ€“ I needed to get outside into my โ€œstretch zoneโ€ to swim the K&A Canal, sort out the problems in The Crammer, and single-handedly remove all the traffic-lights across D-Town.  Then I might sit down with a well-deserved cup of tea and a biscuit.

A solidly entertaining afternoon, and another absolute gem from DAF.

You can find out more about Belindaโ€™s adventuring at www.explorersconnect.com/

The Devizes Arts Festival continues until Sunday 16th June at various venues around the town.ย  Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk

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DOCA Picnicing in the Park!

With the unfortunate cancellation of Devizes International Street Festival this year due to Arts Council cuts, all eyes are on our wonderful Hillworth Park nextโ€ฆ

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MantonFest Magic, Again

With the danceable penultimate act attracting a packed crowd, I observed a young teenager, who, on spotting a disregarded beer bottle, picked it up andโ€ฆ

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REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festival โ€“ Ida Pelliccioli @ Assembly Roomย  10th June 2024ย 

World Class Piano

by Andy Fawthrop


And, following a lively few days of varied events over this last weekend, weโ€™re now into Devizes Arts Festivalโ€™s second week.ย  And at last it was time for some serious classical music, and we were certainly treated to something special when Ida Pelliccioli played the Leslie Taylor Memorial Concert in the Assembly Room last night.ย  Once again the setting of the beautiful Assembly Hall perfectly matched the style and the quality of the entertainment.ย  Indeed this very room was constructed in the very early years of the 19th century, immediately after the deaths of three of the nightโ€™s composers.

Ida Pelliccioli is a world-renowned concert pianist who has performed throughout Europe, Canada and South Africa. She was born in Italy and studied in Nice and Paris and, since 2021, she has taught at the Paris Conservatoire.

Her selected programme last night, which was accompanied by extensive notes and a short introduction, was inspired by the forgotten music of โ€˜the Spanish Scarlattiโ€™, composer Manuel Blasco de Nebra.ย 

We began with three short sonatas by the Italian composer Domenico Scarlatti (1685 โ€“ 1757).ย  The first and third of which were at a sparkling, lively tempo, whilst the second was slower and calmer.ย  However all three were played by Ida with plenty of gusto and attack.ย  All of them were very short, and this part of the programme was completed in only ten minutes.

The next section featured two fantasias by the Austrian Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 โ€“ 1791).ย  These two pieces seemed (to me at least) to possess a little more depth and substance.ย  And again we had the contrast between the dramatic and exciting first piece, set against the more romantic and portentous second piece.

There then followed two pieces by a Spanish composer Iโ€™d not previously heard of โ€“ Manuel Blasco de Nebra (1750 โ€“ 1784), whom Ida described as โ€œthe Spanish Scarlattiโ€ and very much a composer that time seems to have forgotten.ย  These two sonatas were each in two movements: an adagio, followed by a more lively allegro.ย  I found them interesting and entertaining, but not as good as what had gone before.

And finally we came to another Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797 โ€“ 1828).ย  Ida played his Drei Klavierstucke (three piano pieces) and, again, we had the structure of one piece that was thoughtful, melancholy, plangent and poignant sandwiched in between two pieces that were far more lively and exuberant.


The whole performance was both intense and mesmerising, played and presented by a world-class pianist who was clearly absolutely dedicated to her work, and completely on top of her game.ย  Entirely justifiably there was sustained applause at the end from a very appreciative audience, provoking not one, but two, short encores, the latter of which was an โ€œimpromptuโ€ by the more modern Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865 โ€“ 1957).

Another fabulous night at the Arts Festival, and thanks (yet again) to DAF for bringing such top-notch entertainment to our little town.ย  I only wish we had a lot more opportunities in D-Town to hear such wonderful classical music, played by a world-class musician.

The Devizes Arts Festival continues until Sunday 16th June at various venues around the town.ย 

Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.ukย 

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Devizes Arts Festival Rules, OK?!

Alas, it’s been a long week since the Devizes Arts Festival called time. It feels a little like when my Dad would take the Christmasโ€ฆ

Talk in Code are All In for New Single

Swindon indie pop virtuosos Talk in Code released their brand new single, All In, Yesterday, via Regent Street Records. And We. Love. Talk in Codeโ€ฆ

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Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 12th – 18th June 2024

Hereโ€™s what weโ€™ve found to do in the wilds of Wiltshire this coming weekโ€ฆ. 

Everything listed here is on our event calendar; go there for links and more info. It may be updated, so check in later in the week.

Ongoing: A Wiltshire Thatcher: A Photographic Journey Through Victorian Wessex runs at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, until the end of August; review here.

Devizes Arts Festival got off to a great start, it continues through the week, individual events are listed as normal below.

Wednesday 12th

Acoustic Jam at The Southgate, Devizes. Two Devizes Arts Festival events, Kate Webb and Jon Stock โ€“ The Darker Side of Wiltshire at the Peppermill, and Martin Simpson at the Corn Exchange.

Lunchtime Recital: Meg Morley (Piano) at Pound Arts, Corsham. 

In The Night Garden Live at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon. Memory Cinema, for those with dementia, is showing Annie Get Your Gun at Swindon Arts Centre.

The Archive of Dread Revisited at Rondo Theatre, Bath. Solana at the Bell, Bath.

Wheatus plays the Cheese & Grain, Frome.

Thursday 13th

Duo Tutti at the Town Hall, and The Sound of Blue Note, also at the Town Hall, make up Devizes Arts Festival for Thursday. John Lawson’s Circus opens on the Green, Devizes and runs until 16th June.

In The Night Garden Live at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon. Ma Polaineโ€™s Great Decline at The Tuppenny, Swindon.

Jonny & The Baptists presents the Happiness Index and Ten Thankless Years at Rondo Theatre, Bath.

An Evening With Harry Redknapp at the Cheese & Grain, Frome.

Friday 14th

Chocolate Truffle Masterclass at HolyChocs in Poulshot.

The Slambovian Circus of Dreams at Devizes Arts Festival in the Corn Exchange.  Mr Griff at The Southgate, Devizes.

Tom Davis & The Bluebirds at The Barge, HoneyStreet.

The Carrivick Sisters at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon. BuckFest over the weekend at The Three Horseshoes, Friday with Kitchen Lover,, Mimi & the Miseries and Bucky Rage.The Karport Collective at The Seven Stars, Winsley.

Jacob & Drinkwater: 10th Anniversary Tour at Pound Arts, Corsham.

The Carpenters Story at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon. An Evening of Mediumship with Psychic Medium Nikki Kitt at Swindon Arts Centre. Oasish & The Stereotonics at the Vic, Swindon.

Jonny & The Baptists presents the Happiness Index and Ten Thankless Years at Rondo Theatre, Bath.

Toyah & Robert at the Cheese & Grain, Frome.

Saturday 15th

Summer Fayre at Bishops Cannings School from 12-4pm.

Huw Williams โ€“ St Johnโ€™s Church Organ Recital at St Johnโ€™s Church Devizes, part of Devizes Arts Festival. Bone Chapel at The Southgate. 6 Oโ€™clock Circus at The Three Crowns.

Pianist Tony James with a lineup you can see the poster below, at Market Lavington Community Hall for a Mathieson Music Trust 30th Anniversary.

The Parade Festival, at the Parade Cinema, Marlborough, with The Vooz and Zoots headlining. Room 101 at the Lamb, Marlborough.

Cacti & Succulent Show at Melksham Assembly Hall

Daliso Chaponda: Feed This Black Man Again at the Neeld, Chippenham. NWSO Summer Concert 2024 at St. Andrewโ€™s Church. Grease and Dirty Dancing tribute night at the Pewsham.

Trowbridge Midsummer Festival at Trowbridge Town Park. Free this one, with the incredible Frankisoul on at 8pm! Dead Zebras and Diversion at the Pump. A roller-disco at the Civic.

Bath Symphony Orchestra at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon. BuckFest at The Three Horseshoes continues with Bucky Rage, Bully Bones & The Pressure.

VRรฏ at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Shepton Mallet Prison Charity Abseil.

Holding Back The Years at Swindon Arts Centre. Judas Rising at the Queenโ€™s Tap. Shepherdโ€™s Pie at the Vic, Swindon. Thereโ€™s a Wanborough Beer Festival too.

Neuroheadz Festival 2024 at Brokenborough opens.

The Vintage Bazaar at the Cheese & Grain, Frome is followed by The Blockheads.

Sunday 16th

Matchbox Mutiny at The Three Crowns, Devizes from 3pm. LeBurn Maddox & Friends at The Southgate, Devizes from 5pm. The Junco Shakers at The British Lion at 2pm, a FREE Devizes Arts Festival fringe, and a The Poetry Slam from 6pm at the Wharf Theatre is another free fringe event which sadly closes the arts festival for another year.

Open Mic at the Red Lion, Lacock.

Perfectly Frank, Frank Sinatra tribute at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon.

BuckFest continues at The Three Horseshoes.

Western Players โ€“ Dead Reckoning opens at Swindon Arts Centre, running until 26th June. Kavus Torabi at the Vic, Swindon

Hodmadoddery at the Bell, Bath.

Monday 17th

Devizes Election Hustlings at Devizes School, see poster.

Troy Redfern is at The Tree House, Frome.

Tuesday 18th

Jon Pearson at Crazy Bird Comedy Club in The Piggy Bank Micropub in Calne.

Lost Songs of Scilly: Piers Lewin & John Patrick Elliott at Pound Arts, Corsham.

QOW Trio for Jazz Knights at the Royal Oak, Swindon.

Saskia Maxwell & Sam Sweeney at the Bell, Bath

And thatโ€™s all weโ€™ve got for now; fill your boots! Events listed here are subject to change, we are not responsible for cancellations, errors or postponements in anything listed.

Summer Solstice next Thursday 20h June, and thereโ€™s lots to do over the rest of the month, HERE> 

Important note: events which come to our attention from now on, will be updated on the Event Calendar and NOT HERE. So, be sure to check in from time to time, use the Event Calendar to find more info on everything listed on here, and for ticket links, etc. Use the Event Calendar to check for updates and planning ahead.

Did we miss you out? Did you tell us about your event? Itโ€™s not that we donโ€™t like you, itโ€™s because Devizine uses many sources to collate these listings, and sometimes we miss a few things. Listing your event here is free, but please make it easier for me by messaging or emailing the info, and then, and this is the really important part, make sure Iโ€™ve added it and let me know if not!

Have a good week!

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Cable Street Collective at Devizes Arts Festival

Seven-piece sui generis ensemble The Cable Street Collective were everything I expected them to be last night at The Corn Exchange; another impressive booking for the middle weekend of Devizes Arts Festivalโ€ฆ..

Hailing from the Shadwell area of East London as the name suggests, if Cable Street is remembered for violent clashes between fascist Blackshirts and the multicultural populous, now reduced to lobbing milkshakes, multiculturalism also plays a major part of the band’s influences despite them being largely Caucasian.

From the off I’m reminded of the marabi sound of Hugh Masekela, with the upfront brass of trumpet and saxophone. Yet you couldn’t pigeonhole this with a thousand words, it’s wholly unique. Female fronted by an energetic yogi, she somersaults the high stage projecting a mid-tone vocal range with unrivalled passion, encouraging her audience to follow the leader.

In delivery and posture I likened her to Bristol’s Mr Tea and the Minions, a band the guitarist said they knew when I harassed him afterwards, and you may recall from a Street Festival of yore. Although Mr Tea borrows extensively fromย Balkan ska to create carny-folk, the Cable Street Collective favour African rhythms to dress their overall pop festival soulful sound; such is the interesting melting pot of the contemporary UK festival circuit.

With subtle nods to North African fusion, from Congolese rhumba to soukous, to the more prominent dance music of South Africa ascended from township jive, you cannot go wrong if you desire to get your audience on their feet. And that’s just what happened in the Exchange, they broke a, likely, tougher audience than those at a festival like Boomtown, younger and aching to dance to an alarm clock! An hour before the finale the majority caved into the irresistible urge to dance perpetrated on a Kevin Bacon cuttinโ€™ Footloose level.

This appeased the band no end, as the atmosphere switched, the collective raised the bar, breaking occasionally to lower the tempo for poignancy, it maintained its influences of West African artists likeย Zeke Manyika and Thomas Mapfumo. By doing as they did, it mellowed into something decidedly transatlantic steppers reggae; up my street and knocking loudly on my door. It was a notification there was a concentrated if light narrative in their original dance rhythms.

They never waived from their ethos of delivering an all original set, by slipping in a cheesy cover or ten. Surprisingly then, they made no attempt to wave merch in our faces. For their resilience in what’s a band’s bread and butter these days, I’ll drop their BandCamp link below, because if you were there or should you otherwise take heed of my words, The Cable Street Collective are uniquely sublime and beguiling, and this was a fantastic night full of energy and passion.

Think, if The Brand New Heavies were inspired by a safari, then asked to compose a theme tune for a Shambala Festival promotional film, you get an impression of how quirky and distinctively original they are. This said, their grand finale felt like their magnum opus, an engaging tune called the Wolf, and it was riddled with the familiar brass riff of Paul Simon’s Call Me Al. The guitarist I managed to catch for a quick word expressed a group devotion to their parentsโ€™ copies of Graceland, hence the influence, which in turn made me feel old; parents? I brought that album!

For the record I digress, fact is unlike much of the album, the Call Me Al brass riff is entirely synthesised. In comparison to the Cable Street Collective, where nothing is synthetic save perhaps a spacey moment or two backing track to create ambience, this Collective are cool as cucumbers, bongo bonkers poptastic, and engagingly original. I loved it!

Today Devizes Arts Festival has two free events. Rumour will be at the Three Crowns, from 2pm – 4pm. And the Annie Parker Trio at St John’s Church, from 7pm – 8:30pm. It continues through the week, check out the programme HERE, and treat yourself, it’s been a fantastic year so far.

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FullTone Festival’s Youth-Supporting Extra Day Announced

As if the FullTone Festival isnโ€™t exciting enough for Devizes, the Town Council has allowed them an extra day, on the Friday 26th Julyโ€ฆ..

Seeing as everything should be set up and ready to roll for Saturday morning, it seemed a shame not to make use of this iconic stage and tech, so an extension to the festival has been added, with live music from 6pm, and it supports local youth talent.

Six: Teen Edition by Devizes Music Academy

Though FullTone stresses it does all depend on advance ticket sales, for both events. Tickets for the Friday on its own are ยฃ20, or ยฃ10 for under 18. If you buy your festival tickets together with the Friday you will receive a discount code for 20%, if you have already bought tickets for The Fulltone Festival, email jemma@fto.org.uk who will send you the code. The cut off date for this additional Friday is the 30th June, so make sure youโ€™ve booked it by then.

Fulltone Festival 2023 Day Two

You should note, this fifth year of the Fulltone Music Festival will be the last one in its current form. Iโ€™ve personally had this contemplation for a while; as the FullTone Orchestra branches out, playing the cities and big towns, as it has been, surely itโ€™s inevitable that the magic will rub-off with audiences further afield and theyโ€™ll come to Devizes for the festival if there are to be ones in the future; fingers, toes crossed. Spending their cash here on hotels, restaurants and shops is a great thing for the town, and reason enough to support it.

Talk in Code

But if my humble reasoning, and two days already sussed with guests like opera legend Carly Paoli, We Will Rock You star Kerry Ellis and Ricardo Afonso, indie popsters Talk in Code, a Beatles tribute and more orchestral concerts than Anthony can shake his shaky baton at, isnโ€™t enough to entice you, note the Friday has local punker heroes Nothing Rhymes With Orange from 7pm, followed by Devizes Music Academyโ€™s inaugural showcase Six: Teen Edition, replayed from sell-out dates at the Corn Exchange back in April.

Nothing Rhymes With Orange

Iโ€™m told the historical Gen Z party play performance, of which you can read about HERE, will have the same young cast as last time, Ruby Phipps, Amelie Smith, Jess Self, Kelsey Husband, Mia Jepson and Lisa Grime. Alongside Southampton Youth Orchestra opening the festival on the Sunday, we love that FullTone are giving young people a massive platform to perform at this, what could sadly be, the final Fulltone as it currently stands.

Six: Teen Edition by Devizes Music Academy

Obviously I think they should give me the last encore of the Sunday so I can perform my interpretation of Nessun Dorma in the style of Luciano Pavarotti, as I regularly do in the shower. But as its competence and calibre is largely debatable, usually by my kids trying to study in the next room and the neighbourโ€™s howling dog, I will understand if they decline the offer. Imagine, if you will, as I can see it now, me on that colossal stageโ€ฆ.. โ€œTramontate, stelle! Tramontate, stelle! All’alba vincerรฒ, vincerรฒ, vincerรฒ!โ€ Then, mic-drop, bath towel drop, whatever you think the ticket price is worthโ€ฆ..maybe, or no, perhaps just leave it to the professionals and keep this exclusively as a shower performance? It will, after all, be an amazing weekend without it, really!

Fulltone Festival 2023 – Day One

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LilyPetals Debut EP

One of many young indie bands which impressed me at Bradford Roots Festival, and proof thereโ€™s more than the name suggests at The Wiltshire Musicโ€ฆ

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REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festival โ€“ Lucy Porter + Support @ Corn Exchangeย  6th June 2024

Funny You Should Say That

Andy Fawthrop

And finally it was time to see the girl weโ€™ve all been seeing on the poster for the past few months!ย 

Last night Devizes Arts Festival presented its comedy big-hitter, the radio and TV star Lucy Porter.ย  And D-Town responded with another packed audience.

Lucy Porter is a stand-up comedian, and a regular face and voice on TV and radio panel shows. She loves a good quiz show, appearing on a Pointless Celebrity Special with Ed Byrne and being victorious on Celebrity Mastermind. Sheโ€™s also appeared in QI, Live at the Apollo, Room 101 and heard on BBC Radio 4โ€™s News Quiz.

She handled the start of the first half last night by telling us (perhaps unwisely) that sheโ€™d never been to D-Town before, and therefore felt justified in playing back to us some of the research sheโ€™d managed to dig up.  This was fairly gentle, if predictable, shtick โ€“ poking fun at our โ€œposhโ€ neighbours in Marlborough, relating the Moonrakers story, and throwing in various remarks about the K&A canal, the Caen Hill Flight and something she referred to as the โ€œcanoe marathonโ€.  It was amusing, but not really hitting the target.  Once she put her notes down and started to extemporise a little more, the audience thawed considerably, and the evening began to improve.  Her key task here was to warm the audience up for her chosen support act, and to flag the themes sheโ€™d be covering in the second half.

So it was time to welcome Sharon Wanjohi to the stage.  Sheโ€™s an up and coming stand-up comedian with a varied act ranging from shock to absurd comedy, and has already appeared at a number of festivals and on TV.  Sheโ€™s clearly still learning her craft, but last night she managed to win over an audience that was slightly nervous of someone they werenโ€™t expecting.

Her self-deprecating style, covering themes of personal awakening, both spiritual and sexual, gradually began to hit home.  Asking if there were any black people in the audience, indeed whether being black was even legal in D-Town, began to bring the laughs.  And her interaction with a certain audience member about being lesbian was truly hilarious.  Her set was slightly rambling and disconnected, funny but not hilarious.  But there was no doubting the great reception she received in response to her warm, and sometimes personal, story-telling, and her relaxed easy-going style.  Iโ€™d definitely file her under the โ€œone to watchโ€ category.

And then, finally, after a very long interval, we finally had the star of the show.  Wearing a changed top (โ€œsparkly on top, comfy belowโ€ as she put it), we were treated to a master-class in gentle, apparently rambling associative comedy.  Picking up on the obvious demographic of the audience, she homed in on one audience member who was clearly younger than the rest, and making great show of โ€œexplainingโ€ some of the gags and references (just in case no-one got the point).  She also picked up with Sharon Wanjohiโ€™s interlocutor from the first half, a tactic that worked extremely well.

She hit some obvious targets for a Radio 4 audience โ€“ the menopause, the male mid-life crisis, the desire to retire, increasing health issues.  But she played these well, riffing on her hypochondriac relationship with her GP Margaret (the cancerous spot thast turned out to be Nutella), about doing R2 singalongs with the guys painting her house, and on her thoughts about the โ€œdevelopmentโ€ of Paul Hollywood.  There was a wonderful pastiche of The Sound Of Music and, right at the end, a great punchline about paint involving the chorus of โ€œRelaxโ€.  There were plenty of anecdotes relating to her own general laziness, her long-standing drinking pals, and her tendency to be impulsive.  Her story of just โ€œwinging itโ€ on a mistaken appearance with Melvyn Bragg was superb.

It was, for the most part, very clean and straight-forward stuff.  There was nothing that could be considered โ€œedgyโ€, there was nothing political, and there was (amazingly) no swearing.  As such, it probably kept most of the audience in their comfort zone for most of the time, but it was no less hilarious for all of that.

Overall, it was a good nightโ€™s entertainment, although I expect thereโ€™ll be a LOT of people waking up on Friday morning realising that they now knew what a Gold Star Lesbian is.  Go figure!

Thereโ€™s more information on Lucy at www.lucyporter.co.uk/

Another great night at the Arts Festival, and thanks (yet again) to DAF for bringing such top-notch entertainment to our little town. 

The Devizes Arts Festival continues until Sunday 16th June at various venues around the town.ย 

Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.ukย 

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Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 5th -11th June 2024

Hereโ€™s what weโ€™ve found to do in the wilds of Wiltshire this coming week. Donโ€™t forget your sunscreen and a nice party umbrella!

Everything listed here is on our event calendar; go there for links and more info. It may be updated, so check in later in the week.

Ongoing: A Wiltshire Thatcher: A Photographic Journey Through Victorian Wessex runs at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, until the end of August; review here.

Devizes Arts Festival got off to a great start, it continues through the week, individual events are listed as normal below.

Wednesday 5th

Acoustic Jam at The Southgate, Devizes. Mike Dilger โ€“ One Thousand Shades of Green and An Evening with Adam Rutherford, both at Devizes Arts Festival.

Ignas Maknickas at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon.

Big Monthly Jam at The Vic, Swindon.

Dot, the Faun and the Elfin Child at Rondo Theatre, Bath. SKANKt at the Bell. 

Thursday 6th

80th anniversary of D-Day, there will be lighting of beacons across the county. One on Marlborough Common, another one Roundway Hill Devizes.

Rum & Records at the Muck & Dundar, Devizes. Hollie McNish โ€“ The Lobster Tour and Lucy Porter at Devizes Arts Festival. Fantasy Radio will be at the Pelican for a live lounge, featuring Andrew Hurst.

Death is a Girl, Ritual Divide & The Belladonna Treatment at the Vic, Swindon. Splat The Rat at The Tuppenny.

Friday 7th

RNLI Lifeboats Event, Polperro Fishermenโ€™s Choir at The Assembly Rooms, Devizes Town Hall. Jo Carley and the Old Dry Skulls at Devizes Arts Festival. 

Open Mic at The Barge on HoneyStreet.

Textiles and Stitch around Marlborough are in Lockeridge, see poster below.

CarmenCo: A Pocket Opera at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Ant Trouble at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

Rotten Aces at the Queenโ€™s Tap, Swindon. Bring me the Horizon Party at the Vic.

Meltdown by Tom Hardman (Bath Fringe Festival 2024) at The Mission, Bath. The Collected Grimms Tales by Tim Supple and Carol Ann Duffy (Bath Fringe Festival 2024) at The Mission, Bath. Letโ€™s Unpack That at the Rondo Theatre.

Tangled Roots Folk Festival, Radford Farm, Somerset.

Skinny Lister at The Tree House, Frome. The Buzzcocks at the Cheese & Grain. Not Fragile at The Sun.

Saturday 8th

Cable Street Collective at Devizes Arts Festival, Corn Exchange 8pm. The Unpredictables at The Three Crowns, Devizes. Tom Davies & The Bluebirds at The Southgate. Braeside Summer Extravaganza โ€“ Devizes, free entry, for fun activities, delicious food, live music, artisan market and more. 

The Monkey Dolls at The Lamb, Marlborough. RNLI Concert at St Peterโ€™s Church.

Parker, Youngest of 3 and Butane Skies at the Pump in Trowbridge. Donโ€™t forget, Youngest of 3 drummer Flo is also a regular contributor to Devizine, reporting on the youth scene, so please show them some support if you can! Sounds of Seattle at the Civic.

Bradford-on-Avon Food & Drink Festival. Fist Full of Rage at The Three Horseshoes.

Magic & Marvels at Swindon Arts Centre. Rockabilly Rumble at The Queenโ€™s Tap, Swindon.

Masa at The Tuppenny. The Chaos Brothers at The Vic.

Catherine Bohartโ€™s Again, With Feelings, at Rondo Theatre, Bath.

Little Pickles Market followed by Paul Jones & Dave Kelly at the Cheese & Grain, Frome.

Sunday 9th

Lions on the Green at Devizes Green. Tamsin Quinn & Vince Bell at The Southgate, from 5pm. Devizes Arts Festival Walk : Sarsens, Soldiers and Sawpits, and two free fringe events, Rumour at the Three Crowns at 2pm, and Annie Parker Trio at St John’s Church at 7pm.

Open Mic at the Red Lion, Lacock.

Matt Bragg & Seb Cooper at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

Destination: Old Hag by Bridget Hardy, Penny Rossano and Samantha Houston (Bath Fringe Festival 2024) at The Mission, Bath. The Saint Melonians at the Bell, Bath.

Monday 10th

Ida Pelliccioli at Devizes Arts Festival.

Rock The Tots: Jungle at Pound Arts, Corsham.

The University of Bath Minerva Lecture Series at The Mission, Bath. Scott Lavene at the Bell, Bath (we love Scott here at Devizine, go see this, and if you do, please write back to tell us about it.)

Tuesday 11th

Devizes Arts Festival: Belinda Kirk and The Life-Changing Power of Adventure. And Discovering Antarctica : Heroic tales of Shackleton, Crean and Scott ~ Play on Words Theatre.

Peter Jones & Tom Berge Trio for Jazz Knights at the Royal Oak, Swindon.

And thatโ€™s all weโ€™ve got for now; fill your boots! Events listed here are subject to change, we are not responsible for cancellations, errors or postponements in anything listed.

Do check ahead with our every-changing events diary. Isnโ€™t it high time you snapped up some tickets for the Devizes Arts Festival?

Important note: events which come to our attention from now on, will be updated on the Event Calendar and NOT HERE. So, be sure to check in from time to time, use the Event Calendar to find more info on everything listed on here, and for ticket links, etc. Use the Event Calendar to check for updates and planning ahead.

Did we miss you out? Did you tell us about your event? Itโ€™s not that we donโ€™t like you, itโ€™s because Devizine uses many sources to collate these listings, and sometimes we miss a few things. Listing your event here is free, but please make it easier for me by messaging or emailing the info, and then, and this is the really important part, make sure Iโ€™ve added it and let me know if not!

Have a good week!

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REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festival โ€“ Dr. Phil Hammond @ Corn Exchangeย  3rd June 2024

by Andy Fawthrop

The Doctor Will See You Now!

Devizes Arts Festival has already got off to a storming start over this last weekend, with performances on Friday from Jolly Roger, Saturday from Lady Nade, and on Sunday from Adam Alexander and Eddy Allen. Some of these weโ€™ve already reviewed here.

So now itโ€™s rolled round to Monday, and itโ€™s time to head out into the first mid-week dates, with a whole variety of stuff to choose from.ย  Last night, and first up of the spoken word big hitters, it was the turn of Dr. Phil Hammond at The Corn Exchange.

I wasnโ€™t sure if was a comment on the current difficulty of getting a GP appointment, but Dr. Philโ€™s waiting room was pretty full, with people eagerly awaiting a consultation with the famous doctor.

Phil is an NHS doctor, journalist, broadcaster, speaker, campaigner and comedian. He currently works at the Bath RUH in a specialist NHS team for young people with long Covid.  Born in the NHS (a slogan emblazoned on his t-shirt, and frequently referenced throughput the set), and brought up in Australia (the Ozzie twang was unmistakeable), he worked in general practice for over twenty years, and has also worked in sexual health. A familiar voice on BBC Radio 4, he has also presented five series of โ€œTrust Me, Iโ€™m a Doctorโ€ on BBC2, encouraging patients to be more involved, assertive and questioning. And finally (a major feather in his cap in my book) heโ€™s also Private Eyeโ€™s medical correspondent, where he broke the story of the Bristol heart scandal in 1992.

Philโ€™s โ€œsurgeryโ€ consisted of two sets – โ€œHow To Fix The NHSโ€โ€™ and โ€œThe Ins And Outs Of Pleasureโ€. 

The first half consisted of both commentary on the NHS, and Dr. Philโ€™s ideas on how it might be improved.ย  Using both his own and patient-generated ideas, the best of which was โ€œforce all MPs and Health Service professionals receive all their treatment in the worst-performing hospitalsโ€, and plenty of enthusiastic audience participation, he addressed current issues in a positive light.ย  His key messages were โ€œprevention rather than cureโ€ (more investment needed upstream) and our individual responsibility for personal health.ย  His model, and mnemonic for the night was (of all things) CLANGERS, which provides daily prompts on healthy behaviour.ย  I might be making it sound a little dry, but it was very far from it.ย  He often had the audience in stitches (is this allowed? โ€“ Ed. Ed’s note; any passing tumbleweeds are your own responsibility, Andy!), with his โ€œhierarchy of cricketing euphemismsโ€ for death (โ€œtaken the short walk to the pavilionโ€), and a gob-smacking tale of โ€œeuthanasia by cling-filmโ€.ย 

The delivery was fast, yet calm, with a take-no-prisoners attitude.  He was self-deprecating, often admitting to his own mistakes (predicting that Covid would cause less deaths than people falling down the stairs) and failures (pronouncing a patient to be dead, who subsequently turned out to be very much alive).  There were plenty of anecdotes from his times as a trainee and a junior whilst at Medical School, quite enough to shock the bejesus out of the audience.

If anything, the second half was even better.  Having posted a trigger warning that it would be quite a bit more graphic and near the bone, it did not disappoint.  โ€œThe Ins and Outs of Pleasureโ€ did what it said on the tin, and addressed issues of sex, orgasms, masturbation and self-pleasuring.  The language was fruity and devoid of euphemism, and soon had the audience squirming with embarrassed nervous laughter.  Being a consummate professional performer, the doctor correctly โ€œread the roomโ€ and sensing that he was perhaps pushing a Monday night audience in D-Town a little too far, very subtly applied the brakes to some of the tougher stuff.  Side-stepping his material via some more personal history, we were soon transitioned into the slightly safer territory of โ€œconsensual cannibalismโ€, the value of having a dog for good mental self-pleasuring, and the joy of โ€œfuck-it Fridaysโ€.  But there was still plenty of time on the side for useful medical advice on the use of cock-rings (get the ones with handles), and things not to put into human orifices.

The general prescription issued last night was for taking control of, and responsibility for, your own mental and physical health.  And my personal takeaway arrived almost at the end of the setโ€“ โ€œlaughter is the best medicine – unless you have syphilis, in which case penicillin is a better betโ€.  Priceless.

A cracking nightโ€™s entertainment โ€“ informative, interesting, and absolutely hilarious.  Another great choice by DAF to bring such performing talent to our town.

If youโ€™d like more info, you can find it at www.drphilhammond.com

The Devizes Arts Festival continues until Sunday 16th June at various venues around the town.ย 

Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.ukย 

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Land Ahoy! Jolly Roger Opens Devizes Arts Festival with Fire in the Hole!

Land ahoy me hearties! Devizes Corn Exchange was boarded last night by Cornish punk pirates Jolly Roger, for a frivolous and swashbuckling opening to Devizes Arts Festival; the face that launched a thousand ships was witness to itโ€ฆ.

That’s me, if it wasn’t obvious, landlubbers, the face! For although it’s Devizine assemble, to bring you coverage of the forthcoming fortnight of music, comedy, talks and walks, for this splice of the mainbrace you lucky lot have got the toothless editor to shiver yer timbers. And blow me down, those buccaneers battened down the hatches and gave us a cheerful chantey carousel, at least, I liked it!

Under the ethos of what being a pirate in the 21st century means, Jolly Roger is precisely as claimed on the tin, and in that,ย  the balance between the punk element and shanties of yore will always be a debatable matter. I’d imagine a few elders in the audience favoured them leaning on folk, and a ragged old sailor spinning yarns under gentler rhythms. Yet while themes included pirate subjects and phrases, including Davy Jonesโ€™ locker, et al, and they practise audience participation diligently, Jolly Roger are contemporary, and punkish shenanigans offsets the balance. That’s the method I’d savour, and in this it was never clichรฉ.

It was loud and sprightly unpretentious punkish tomfoolery with a pirate theme, yet, at times there was concentrated and thought-provoking narratives in their original material too. Euphoric tunes such as the most poignant Silent Mountain temporarily broke the frenzy, whereas characters like a bloke who props up the bar, conveyed this is a three sheets to the wind partying band to be taken tongue-in-cheek, but, dressed as pirates kinda gave that game away!

It’s not experimenting, rather pounding classic ground akin to Ferocious Dog, joyfully and professionally. For if Adam Ant broke the bitter reality hook of punk by incorporating fun subjects like pirates, native Americans or anything else he read about in Look-In, and folk blended a regional sound we affectionately dub scrumpy and western, here’s a dandy, and fun-filled fusion worthy of your attention. Think the Pouges-lite with a pasty and tricorne, for while there were a few expletives, it was hospitable enough to cater for open minded children of the festival.

Yet, it was a show perhaps best suited for a rowdy corner pub in a Cornish back lane, where the scent of salt air melds with that of wet dog hair carpet; such is our Arts Festival’s penchant for presenting us diversity, noteworthy when scanning the forthcoming programme. There’s something for everyone, it just needs everyone to take heed of this notion and throw away any preconceptions you may have about this wonderful occasion in Devizes. For instance, tonight Lady Nade arrives, an international act hailing from Bristol, who if you haven’t heard before, take it from me, her songwriting skills and soulful expression sublimely blesses Americana in something wholly unique and unmissable. So, tickets are on the door, don’t miss it!

As for Jolly Roger, well it was a superb performance and a grand opening for Devizes Arts Festival. Onlookers gazed at this fiery swashbuckling gang as their infectious jigs ordered them to break rank and jiggle. The band tour extensively across the UK festival circuit, do look out for them, with a telescope in the crow’s nest if necessary! These pirates of Penzance were a fire in the hole, excellently entertaining, me hearties!

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A View to a Thrill

“The Thrill of Love” at the Wharf Theatre by Ian Diddamsimages by Chris Watkins Media Just over a year ago, the Wharf theatre performed aโ€ฆ

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Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 29th May 4th June 2024

Hereโ€™s what weโ€™ve found to do in the wilds of Wiltshire this coming week, heading in June, just like Terry!

Everything listed here is on our event calendar; go there for links and more info. It may be updated, so check in later in the week.

Ongoing: A Wiltshire Thatcher: A Photographic Journey Through Victorian Wessex runs at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, until the end of August; review here.

Wednesday 29th

Acoustic Jam at The Southgate, Devizes.

Lunchtime Recital: Charlotte Spruit at Pound Arts, Corsham. Followed by Chris Wood.

Les Misรฉrables โ€“ School Edition at the Athenรฆum, Warminster.

Tim Arnold โ€“ Super Connected at Chapel Arts, Bath. Edinburgh Previews, Pierre Novellie & Nic Sampson at The Rondo Theatre. Stone Cold Hustle at the Bell, Bath.

Toby Lee at Swindon Arts Centre. Seven Drunken Nights at The Wyvern Theatre.

Thursday 30th

Royal Bath & West Show opens.

Vintage Nostalgia Festival at Stockton Park opens.

Jam Night at The Boathouse, Bradford-on-Avon.

The Invisible Creature Club, and Avalon Comedy Network: Glenn Moore, Eleanor Tiernan, Ben Pope & Farah Sharp at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Gary Stewart at Chapel Arts. SparkFest continues with A Midsummer Nightโ€™s Dream at the Mission.

Letโ€™s Swim, Get Swimming & Seneca at The Vic, Swindon. Steve Ferbrache at The Tuppenny. The Diana Ross Story at The Wyvern Theatre.

Friday 31st

A Cider & Mead Festival opens for the weekend at the Barge on HoneyStreet.

And so does the Devizes Arts Festival! Running from 31st May to 16th June, weโ€™re looking at a busy month ahead with lots of entertaining events. The fun starts with Jolly Roger at the Corn Exchange. Trash Panda are at the Three Crowns.

All Floyd The Division Bell at Melksham Assembly Hall. Muuttley & Wet Franc play King George Park. 

Gemโ€™s Pirate Party at the Civic, Trowbridge. The Exact Opposite, Ignotis and Bottle of Dog at the Pump, Trowbridge. Martyโ€™s Fake Family at The Red Admiral. 

Bradford-on-Avon Music Festival all weekend in the park and various locations. Sad Dad Club at The Three Horseshoes. Manhattan Nights at The Boathouse. Bach Week: Quartetto di Cremona The Art of Fugue at Wiltshire Music Centre.

Blue Badge Bunch, and Ria Lina: Riawakening at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Untamed Burlesque at Chapel Arts, Bath.

Retro Electro at The Vic, Swindon. One Chord Wonders at The Queenโ€™s Tap. Johannes Radebe 2024 โ€“ House of Jojo at The Wyvern Theatre.

Subgiant Weekender at The Baa, Salisbury.

Zion Train at the Tree House, Frome. Charlie Simpson from Busted DJโ€™s at the Cheese & Grain.

Saturday 1st

Rowde Summer Festival. 

Potterne Fete.

Top Secret: The Magic of Science at the Wharf Theatre, Devizes. Devizes Arts Festival has Lady Nade at the Corn Exchange, Edโ€™s pick of the week! The Duskers at The Southgate. 

Shambles Festival at King George V Park, Melksham.

Elcot Festival at Marlborough Town FC.

Open Mic at the Lamb, Trowbridge. The Future Sound of Trowbridge 10 at The Pump. NOASIS at the Civic.

Dennis Rollinsโ€™ Funky Funk at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon. Day two of the Bradford Music Festival, with an amazing lineup there.

Fraser Anderson Trio at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Diversity at the Vic, Swindon. The Beatles by Candlelight at The Wyvern Theatre.The Naughties at the Queenโ€™s Tap.

John Bramwell & The Full Harmonic Trio at Rondo Theatre, Bath.

Lucas Hardy at The Kings Arms, Amesbury.

Sunday 2nd

Devizes Arts Festival has a Festival Walk: From Romans to Kangaroos. Adam Alexander โ€“ Seed Detective FREE FRINGE at the Peppermill. Eddy Allen โ€“ Solo Loop Show FREE FRINGE at the Cellar Bar. Jon Amor Trio with guest Tony Remy at The Southgate, Devizes.

Open mic at the Bell, Great Cheverell.

Open Mic at the Red Lion, Lacock.

A Strange New Space at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Louise Parker at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon.

Speaking of Witch by Jack Lambert (Bath Fringe Festival 2024) at The Mission, Bath.

Tom Davis: Underdog at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon. Darren Hunt at the Queenโ€™s Tap.

Monday 3rd

Thereโ€™s a Food Bank movement to affordable school costs meeting in Devizes, see poster.

Dr. Phil Hammond โ€“ โ€˜How to Fix the NHSโ€™ and โ€˜The Ins and Outs of Pleasureโ€™ at the Corn Exchange, part of Devizes Arts Festival. 

Memory Cafรฉ at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon.

Tuesday 4th

Edward Cross Quintet at The Town Hall, part of Devizes Arts Festival. Mrs Churchill : My life with Winston ~ Liz Grand at the Corn Exchange.

Six The Musical opens at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon, running until the 8th June.

Open Mic at The Royal Oak, Bath. The Valentine Letters by Steve Darlow (Bath Fringe Festival 2024) at The Mission, Bath.

And thatโ€™s all weโ€™ve got for now; fill your boots! Events listed here are subject to change, we are not responsible for cancellations, errors or postponements in anything listed.

Do check ahead with our every-changing events diary. Isnโ€™t it high time you snapped up some tickets for the Devizes Arts Festival?

Important note: events which come to our attention from now on, will be updated on the Event Calendar and NOT HERE. So, be sure to check in from time to time, use the Event Calendar to find more info on everything listed on here, and for ticket links, etc. Use the Event Calendar to check for updates and planning ahead.

Did we miss you out? Did you tell us about your event? Itโ€™s not that we donโ€™t like you, itโ€™s because Devizine uses many sources to collate these listings, and sometimes we miss a few things. Listing your event here is free, but please make it easier for me by messaging or emailing the info, and then, and this is the really important part, make sure Iโ€™ve added it and let me know if not!

Have a good week!

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Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 22nd- 28th May 2024

Hereโ€™s what weโ€™ve found to do in the wilds of Wiltshire this coming week, with a bank holiday in the mix!

Everything listed here is on our event calendar; go there for links and more info. It may be updated, so check in later in the week.

Ongoing: A Wiltshire Thatcher: A Photographic Journey Through Victorian Wessex runs at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, until the end of August; review here.

Ongoing: Bath International Music Festival: 17th – 26th May

Wednesday 22nd

Acoustic Jam at The Southgate, Devizes.

The Wizard of Oz at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-onAvon.

Starting a run until the 25th May, I Love You Because at The Rondo Theatre, Bath. The Barefoot Bandit at the Bell, Bath. And the Mission Theatre begins SparkFest with two shows, The Sofa and Dead End.

Big Jam Sessions at The Vic, Swindon. Irish House Party at Swindon Arts Centre.

Thursday 23rd

Runny Snotts Acoustic Sessions at The Neeld, Chippenham.

Nick Helmโ€™s Super Fun Good Time Show at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Here Come the Crows at The Vic, Swindon. Luke Combs at The Wyvern Theatre. Confessions Of Sweeney Todd at Swindon Arts Centre.

SparkFestโ€™s Independent Digital Screenings at The Mission, Bath.

And the last Shindig Festival opens at Dillington Park, have a great time if youโ€™re going to that.

Friday 24th

Chippenham Folk Festival opens and runs until 27th May.

Nothing Rhymes With Orange at Devizes Street Festival

Nothing Rhymes With Orange are back on their home turf, playing The Three Crowns, Devizes, which we make Edโ€™s pick of the week. Full on Fridays at the Exchange in with resident DJ Stevie Mc in the mix.

Shilts & Friends at the Civic, Trowbridge.

Jessica Fostekewโ€™s Mettle at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Capโ€™N Rustyโ€™s Skiffle City Rockers at The New Inn, Amesbury.

Hatepenny at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon. Call The Shots at The Boathouse.Bach Week: at Wiltshire Music Centre, with Quartetto di Cremona The Art of Fugue.

Biggles Sound System is at St James Wine Vaults, Bath. Fleetwood Mad at Chapel Arts. MacPlebs is the SparkFest show at The Mission.

Tyrants at The Vic, Swindon. Nick Helmโ€™s Super Fun Good Time Show at Swindon Arts Centre. Rock It at The Queenโ€™s Tap. And thereโ€™s a Beer and Cider Festival at Swindon & Cricklade Railway.

Be Like Will at Tuckers Grave Inn, Faulkland.

Carsick are at The Tree House, Frome.

Cursus Festival opens in Dorset.

Saturday 25th

Chris Free at The Southgate, Devizes. Sam Briggs joins Stevie MC in the mix at the Exchange.

Capโ€™N Rustyโ€™s Skiffle City Rockers at the Crown, Bishops Cannings.

Mick Jogger and The Stones Experience at Edington Charity Ball at the Three Daggers.

Family Fun Day at Spencerโ€™s Club Melksham from 11am-4pm.

80s Disco at the Talbot, Calne.

Lonely Road Band at Gloucester Road Cons Club, Trowbridge.

Molly Chambers at Hawkeridge Village Hall near Westbury.

The Reason at Prestbury Sports Club, Warminster.

D-State at Tuckers Grave Inn, Faulkland.

aKa Dance: A Real Fiction at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Larkhall at Kington Langley Village Hall.

Steve Backshall begins a few dates at Longleat running until 2nd June.

Biaritz at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

Chris Moyles 90s Hangover Festival at Swindon Town FC Rockabilly Rumble at the Vic. The BeatRoutes at The Queenโ€™s Tap. Sonic Alert at Woodlands Edge. Daliso Chaponda โ€“ Feed This Black Man Again at Swindon Arts Centre. Daniel Oโ€™Reilly: Out Of Character at The Wyvern Theatre.

The Ciderhouse Rebellion at Chapel Arts, Bath. SparkFest at The Mission has Stage Fright, CYCLOPS: More Than Meets The Eye, and The Chipping Norton Incident.

Love Saves the Day at Bristol.

Jeremy Healy at The Cheese & Grain, Frome. The Hammervilles at the Tree House.

Sunday 26th

Muddy Manninen & Pasty Gabble at The Southgate, Devizes from 5pm. People Like Us at The Three Crowns.

Open Mic at the Red Lion, Lacock.

Pete Lane and the Sailing Stones at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

Luke Philbrick & the Solid Gone Skiffle Invasion at the Bell, Bath. Bath Fringe Festival shows
The Demeter by Lewis Cook at The Mission.

Could Be Real Tribute Festival at Swindon Town FC. Lonely Road Band at the Richard Jefferies Museum, free entry. Mrs Smith โ€“ See Me! at Swindon Arts Centre. Punt and Dennis at The Wyvern Theatre.

Bank Holiday Monday 27th

The Popup Youth Cafe will be on the Green in Devizes from 2-4pm. Funked Up at The Three Crowns, Devizes.

Tom Odell โ€œBlack Fridayโ€ at The Memorial Hall, Marlborough, check ahead I think this may be cancelled.

Open Mic at The Old Road Tavern, Chippenham.

Wonder Gigs: Sky at Pound Arts, Corsham, followed by John Robbโ€™s Do You Believe in the Power of Rock n Roll.

Bruton Packhorse Fair.

Car Show at Tuckers Grave Inn, Faulkland.

Big Chimney Barn Dance at the Bell, Bath.

Tuesday 28th

Half Term Reduction Linocut Workshop at Hannah Cantellow Studio, Devizes.

Exhibition on Screen โ€“ Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matis at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Pop Princesses at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon. Fleur Stevenson Quartet at Jazz Knights in the Royal Oak, Swindon.

And thatโ€™s all weโ€™ve got for now; fill your boots! Events listed here are subject to change, we are not responsible for cancellations, errors or postponements in anything listed.

Do check ahead with our ever-changing events diary. Isnโ€™t it high time you snapped up some tickets for the Devizes Arts Festival at the end of the month running into June?

Important note: events which come to our attention from now on, will be updated on the Event Calendar and NOT HERE. So, be sure to check in from time to time, use the Event Calendar to find more info on everything listed on here, and for ticket links, etc. Use the Event Calendar to check for updates and planning ahead.

Did we miss you out? Did you tell us about your event? Itโ€™s not that we donโ€™t like you, itโ€™s because Devizine uses many sources to collate these listings, and sometimes we miss a few things. Listing your event here is free, but please make it easier for me by messaging or emailing the info, and then, and this is the really important part, make sure Iโ€™ve added it and let me know if not!

Have a good week!

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Frome Festival Presents a Bumper Programme for All

From the 5th to the 14th July 2024, Frome Festival plans to up the game of this wonderful and lively town with a bumper programme for allโ€ฆ..ย 

In over sixty-one venues across Frome and surrounding villages, Frome Festival is gearing up for its biggest ever programme, with 250 events taking place over 10 days. This yearโ€™s theme celebrates 60 years of Roald Dahlโ€™s โ€˜Charlie & the Chocolate Factoryโ€™, featuring artwork by illustrator Sholto Walker depicting Willy Wonka striding down the streets of Frome. To celebrate this theme, five Golden Tickets will be hidden at various Festival events with winners receiving a scrumdiddlyumptious spending spree at Fromeโ€™s local chocolatier and cafรฉ, Choc et al.

The community arts festival has been a popular fixture in the town since 2001 and aims to offer something for everyone, young and old, including different types of music, theatre, comedy, spoken word, art, dance, film, workshops, childrenโ€™s events, and food or drink experiences. Expect a dash of Fromeโ€™s signature quirkiness!

Children can enjoy bouldering workshops, comic art masterclasses, science exploration of pondlife, theatre productions, a Willy Wonka Rave, outdoor shows and so much more.

And Frome Festival is teaming up with the popular Frome Independent Market on Sunday 7th July, taking over their entertainment stages with music, street theatre, and dance.

Sir Willard White

Headliners for 2024 include internationally acclaimed bass-baritone, Sir Willard White, Jenny Eclair, Richard Herring, Paul Mason, Old Time Sailors, Swinging at the Cotton Club, Alberta Cross, Raghu Dixit, Peatbog Faeries. Alongside one of Fromeโ€™s favourite free events, the Festival Food Feast, returning for a celebration of amazing international street food, live music and entertainment. Sponsored by local Frome company Lilleyโ€™s Cider.

Other highlights include hilarious stand-up comic Jenny Eclair at the Merlin Theatre, the first woman to win the coveted Perrier Award at Edinburgh Festival in 1995 and hasnโ€™t stopped banging on about it since. Indiaโ€™s biggest cultural & musical export, Raghu Dixit is returning to the Cheese & Grain for the Frome Festival after his triumphant debut last year. 

Jenny Eclair

The spectacular Swinging at the Cotton Club is a visual and musical feast paying homage to legends such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Count Basie with breathtaking dance routines. In the atmospheric setting of Holy Trinity Church, renowned organ virtuoso David Bednall will provide an improvised soundtrack to the classic 1922 horror movie, Nosferatu.

Thereโ€™s raucous Old Time Sailors, former economics editor of Newsnight and Channel 4 and a regular Guardian contributor, Paul Mason presenting this yearโ€™s Bob Morris Lecture, a keynote speech that is an annual highlight of the Festival programme. Legendary stand-up comic Richard Herring presents his brand-new tour show where he talks bollocks about his recent experience with testicular cancer, at the Cheese & Grain, and Scottish trailblazers Peatbog Faeries also appear at the big Cheese, with a glorious mixture of traditional sounds and dance-floor grooves creating a hypnotic sound that no-one can resist dancing to.

Tickets go on sale from Sunday 19th May at 10am through www.fromefestival.co.ukย 

BROCHURES detailing all events are available to pick up from the Cheese & Grain, local libraries, information points and many other locations across Frome and the surrounding area. An online version of the brochure is available here.

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Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 15th-21st May 2024

Hereโ€™s what weโ€™ve found to do in the wilds of Wiltshire this coming weekโ€ฆ

Everything listed here is on our event calendar; go there for links and more info. It may be updated, so check in later in the week.

Ongoing: A Wiltshire Thatcher: A Photographic Journey Through Victorian Wessex runs at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, until the end of August; review here. 

The Thrill of Love is currently running at the Wharf Theatre until Saturday, hereโ€™s a review.

Wednesday 15th

Acoustic Jam at The Southgate, Devizes.

Patsy Gamble Jazz Trio at St Nicholas Church in Bromham, preview here.

Jonathan Leibovitz at the Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon.

Mohamed Errebbaa at the Bell, Bath

Memory Cinema at Swindon Arts Centre, for those suffering with dementia and their carers, screening The Lavender Hill Mob (U). Latin funk jazz with Starlings at Jazz Knights in The Royal Oak, Swindon.

Thursday 16th

Royal Wootton Bassett Carnival & Fun Fair starts and finishes at the weekend.

Courting Ghosts at The Tuppenny, Swindon. Rusty Goatโ€™s Poetry All-Stars at Twigs Community Gardens. Memory Sing at Swindon Arts Centre. Pete Allenโ€™s Jazz Band at Swindon Arts Centre. Antiques and a Little Bit of Nonsense at The Wyvern Theatre.

Friday 17th

Full On Fridays at the Exchange, Devizes, with DJ Stevie MC.

Medium Nikki Kitt is at Melksham Assembly Hall .

Mosquito at the Aldbourne Social Club.

Pat Sharp Party Night at the Civic, Trowbridge.

Ion Maiden at The Vic, Swindon. Simplicity at the Queenโ€™s Tap. Ashley Blaker at Swindon Arts Centre. Julian Clary โ€“ A Fistful Of Clary at The Wyvern Theatre.

Ruzz Guitar Trio at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon. Karport Collective at The Boathouse.

Bath International Music Festival begins today, running until 26th May. Bootleg Bee Gees at Chapel Arts. Daliso Chapondaโ€™s Feed this Black Man Again at The Rondo Theatre, Bath.

Dutty Moonshine DJ Set at The Tree House, Frome.

The Chilled Out Motorhome and Camper Weekender in Cirencester opens.

Saturday 18th

Devizes Vegan Market at The Market Place from 10am-3pm. Mynt Image Craft Fair in the Corn Exchange. The Dirt Road Band at Long Street Blues Club. Canuteโ€™s Plastic Army at The Southgate, Edโ€™s pick of the week this one. Adam Woodhouse at The Three Crowns. Caztro is in the mix at the Exchange.

White Horse Soapbox Derby in Westbury.

Mosaic Dogs at The Lamb, Trowbridge.

Talk in Code at The Kings Arms, Amesbury.

Rachel Newton at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Black Wendy at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon. Vocal Works Gospel Choir โ€“ live at 21 at the Wiltshire Music Centre.

Shelf is at the Rondo Theatre, Bath, with a kids version, then teenage men version. Roxy Magic at Chapel Arts.

The Bowie Experience at The Vic, Swindon. Awakening Savannah at The Queenโ€™s Tap. 

The Soul Strutters at the Woodlands Edge. Drew Bryant at the New Inn. The Blackheart Orchestra at Swindon Arts Centre. eMotion Dance Competition at The Wyvern Theatre.

Frome Memorial Theatre Open Day followed by Jive Talkinโ€™. John Lydon is at the Cheese & Grain. ZZ Toppd at the Tree House.

Sunday 19th

The Hoodoos at The Southgate, Devizes from 5pm.

Open Mic at the Red Lion, Lacock.

Shot by Both Sides at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

Eddie Martin at the Bell, Bath.

Lee Hurst โ€“ Sweet Sorted Lovely at Swindon Arts Centre.

The Frome International Climate Film Festival at the Cheese & Grain.

Monday 20th

Tony Remy, James Morton & Anders Olinder at the Bell, Bath.

Steeleye Span at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon.

Tuesday 21st

Letโ€™s Walk โ€“ Caen Hill & Jubilee Wood

Crazy Bird Comedy Night at The Piggy Bank Micropub, Calne.

Gareth Williams Trio for Jazz Knights at The Royal Oak, Swindon.

Ash Mandrake & Jenny Bliss at the Bell, Bath.

And thatโ€™s all weโ€™ve got for now; fill your boots! Events listed here are subject to change, we are not responsible for cancellations, errors or postponements in anything listed.

Do check ahead with our every-changing events diary. 

Shindig Festival at Dillington Park begins next week, the last Shindig festival, have a good one from me.Also find upcoming Chippenham Folk Festival 24th-27th May. Love Saves the Day in Bristol. Beer and Cider Festival at Swindon & Cricklade Railway. Cursus Festival 2024 Dorset. Chris Moyles 90s Hangover Festival at Swindon Town FC. 

In Devizes Nothing Rhymes With Orange makes a homecoming at The Three Crowns on Friday 24th. And isnโ€™t it high time you snapped up some tickets for the Devizes Arts Festival at the end of the month running into June? 

Important note: events which come to our attention from now on, will be updated on the Event Calendar and NOT HERE. So, be sure to check in from time to time, use the Event Calendar to find more info on everything listed on here, and for ticket links, etc. Use the Event Calendar to check for updates and planning ahead.

Did we miss you out? Did you tell us about your event? Itโ€™s not that we donโ€™t like you, itโ€™s because Devizine uses many sources to collate these listings, and sometimes we miss a few things. Listing your event here is free, but please make it easier for me by messaging or emailing the info, and then, and this is the really important part, make sure Iโ€™ve added it and let me know if not!

Have a good week!

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Let’s Clean up Devizes!

You’ve got to love our CUDS, the Clean up Devizes Squad, hardworking volunteers who make the town look tidy and presentable. Here’s your chance toโ€ฆ

Keep reading

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Help DOCA Win Funding for the Confetti Battle

From carnival to the Winter Festival, DOCA stages so many great events in Devizes, most of them for free, but the most unique is the Confetti Battle. This year itโ€™s coupled again with the Colour Rush, on Saturday 14th September. TicketSource are offering ยฃ1,000 to help fund a winning community event, all you have to do is click on this link, and vote for DOCAโ€ฆ.

Devizes Confetti Battle has been happening since 1955, it is free to attend but not free to put on. People of all ages come and participate in a mock battle, throwing tons of confetti at each other, leading to a firework finale. It’s a lot of fun!

There are a lot of costs that come with this event. The cost of road closures and the big clean up afterwards. DOCA would use the money to help buy confetti supplies. It’s hard to get the event funded as it isn’t a traditional art or heritage event so this award would be a great help.

So, please click on this LINK to vote for them, it will take you seconds and costs nothing, ta!

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