Would you dare to join Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance at their airbase on Friday 30 October 2026 for an unforgettable Firewalk Challenge?
Feel the buzz, face your fears, and experience the ultimate adrenaline rush as you walk barefoot across hot embers beneath the autumn night sky – all while supporting Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance’s lifesaving work…..
Firewalk 2026
This spooky season, Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance say “we’re turning up the heat, and asks you to join them at their airbase for an unforgettable Firewalk Challenge. Feel the buzz, face your fears, and experience the ultimate adrenaline rush as you walk barefoot across hot embers beneath the autumn night sky – all while supporting our lifesaving work.
The embers will glow a vivid red, with temperatures often reaching approximately 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Firewalking isn’t about fitness – it’s about mindset. With expert guidance and a powerful group atmosphere, you’ll build courage, confidence and belief before taking those unforgettable steps across the coals. There is no training required!
Sign up fee:
Adult: £35
Child: £25 (12-16 years)
Team of 4: £120
Why not get your colleagues or friends together and take on the challenge as a team?
They ask every participant to pledge to raise a minimum of £100. As a charity, Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance receive no government funding and rely heavily on the generosity of community and events like this to continue delivering their vital services across Wiltshire, Bath and beyond. They will provide fundraising tips, ideas and support to help you smash your target!
Calling all dog-lovers, come and join the Paws Charity Dog Show! A fantastic day out for families and four-legged friends….
Paws Charity Dog Show is in aid of Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance and the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust. Held amid the splendid grounds of Rainscombe Park at Oare, near Marlborough, on Sunday, 13th September, from 10am- 4 pm,this charity day promises something for everyone.
What’s on?
There is K9 Aqua Sports, the exciting Aqua Sport of dog diving, all about having fun with your canine friend; any breed, size and ability (over 6 months) can come and join in the fun.
Watch the incredible Paws For Thought Dog Display Team, who will be showing off their agility and intelligence with tricks and fun races. There will even be plenty of chances for the audience to get involved – if they are brave enough! There will be an opportunity to join the team in some ‘Have-a-go’ Flyball.
Wessex K9 Dancers have a variety of amazing dogs ranging from Starters to Advanced dogs. They will be dancing with their lovely owners who have demonstrated Heelwork to Music and competed at Crufts.
Every dog will have its day in the 12 Fun Family Dog Show classes that are open to all dogs six months and over. Why not show off your beloved pet in the Waggiest Tail competition or Dog The Judge Most Wants To Take Home and be in with a chance of a rosette and goodie bag?!
Entries to Paws Charity Dog Show
Entries open 10.15am, with the first class commencing at 11.00am.
Throughout the day, there is also the chance to work with your dog in this fun environment, including ‘have-a-go’ sessions in agility, heelwork to music, and perhaps the most challenging ‘Temptation Alley’.
As well as all the fun and competition for your furry friend, they will have a children’s activity section with lots to do.
Tickets:
Bought in advance = £8
Bought on the day = £10
Carer tickets receive a 50% discount: £4 in advance or £5 on the day
Features extracts from reviews by Andy Fawthrop, Ian Diddams and Madelaine Blake.
Does it ever stop?! The weekend is upon us again. I think I might need to skip this one, not getting any younger, and besides I did enough laughing, dancing and meeting interesting people over the past fortnight, thanks to Devizes Arts Festival…..
Celebrating its fortieth anniversary The Devizes Arts Festival really was amazeballs this year, and between our dedicated team of writers we managed to cover a fair chunk of it. Which we will now look back on with a cheap shot clipshow style article, like a nineteen-seventies TV Christmas Special!
So it leaves me to thank all the volunteers at Devizes Arts Festival for such a brilliant job, and making us feel welcome. And our writers, Andy, Ian and our new writer, Madelaine Blake. Thanks also to photographer Gail Foster for her use of the NRWO gig images.
Devizes Arts Festival kicked off like dancing shoes on Friday 31st May with London’s premier salsa orchestra, Salseology. Sacha Dench’ Journeys of the Human Swan and Beatrice Nicholas was showcasing African American classical composers on the following Saturday. Unfortunately we arrived fashionably late, I was busy with Rowdefest, so apologies for missing the opening.
By Monday, Andy is first out of the starting traps, and bangs out three-in-one reviews, all writing related. The first was a new feature at Devizes Arts Festival, the Have-A-Go Workshops, this one by Bath Spa’s Steve Tuffin, of whom Andy reported, “led a very practical class on how to go about writing a personal memoir, or indeed how to approach any form of creative writing. In what could have been a dry, dusty and boring subject, Steve presented a very lively, interesting and, yes, absorbing couple of hours.”
Anthony Horowitz’s “A Life In Murder” came next, to which Andy raved. “Horowitz proved to be a loquacious and captivating raconteur. He had plenty of anecdotes and examples to give, peppering his replies with humour and witty asides.”
And Becky Grey’s “How I Became A Ghost Writer” finished the trio, which Andy called a “sandwich of literary delights.” I couldn’t convince any of our writing team into covering some Sunday walks, and Jemma Brown’s singing country workshop. Not the most energetic bunch, and if you’d hear them sing you’d be thankful!
By Tuesday I thought I’d better get on the act, and attended a lunchtime recital with Fábio Fernandes. Being honest I didn’t expect much, I mean, it’s just a lunchtime recital, right? How wrong was I?! St Andrews was packed, and Fábio, well I called him “a virtuoso. He came to Devizes to educate as well as entertain, and he did both delightfully.”
Thursday, Andy covered photographer Nick Upton’s Behind The Lens; My Life in Wildlife Film-Making & Photography, saying, “this talk was a great sweep across Nick’s career over 40 years, and covering over 30 countries, but it illustrated not only the man’s undoubted technical and related skills, but also his obvious passion for nature, especially those projects closer to home in the UK. These included working with hedgehogs, harvest mice, dormice and the re-introduction programmes of cranes, great bustards, otters and beavers.”
While we’re talking beavers…. ermm, I went to see the Scummy Mummies show on that very same Thursday, reporting back that “you’ve never heard so many Prosecco corks popping from the Corn Exchange. It sounded like machine-gun fire in there, aimed directly at testosterone.”
Obviously I had pre-gig reservations, but by the end, I wrote, “as a geezer, you’d be forgiven for assuming this sounds excruciating, and this was certainly my pre-concern too. For if such a format was performed by anyone other than comedy geniuses, I’d still be of that opinion, but it wasn’t. This duo have the timing of The Greenwich Time Ball, are improv masters, and unless you were a subject on Louis Theroux’s Manosphere, wherever your testosterone balance lies, you cannot escape the simple fact that the Scummy Mummies are absolutely and undeniably hilarious.”
If Andy went for the more calming option, Clare Durham and Paul Martin’s “Collecting; An Art, A Hobby Or A Compulsion?” at Wiltshire Museum, reporting it as “a very entertaining session, and another of those little gems that keep the festival running,” he soon donned his gladrags for Robert Vincent, and besides being unaware of his music, Andy called it:“The vocals were soulful, insistent, yearning. The musicianship was spot-on. The songs were meaningful, well-constructed and simply wonderful. It’s been a while since I was this impressed by a band I’d never even heard before, but I was well won over. I was already on 9/10 by half time, and a no-questions 10/10 by the time we got round to the encore.”
They let me out on Saturday, for London-based Celtic folk-punker five-piece Man the Lifeboats. At a gig unlike their usual they might’ve misjudged the crowd. I said, “Man the Lifeboats realised not to judge a book by the cover, the reward for an accomplished and lively band at Devizes Arts Festival, will be these matured attendees rising from their seated positions and gyrating to their irresistible beats like middle-age never happened; and many did, because Man the Lifeboats were stompingly outstanding!” And they were, a great night that one.
Late out to bat, Ian strode confidently to the stumps with Howzat? The Six Sixes Ball Mystery” by Graham Lloyd at Town Hall, calling it “a fascinating talk about _that_ ball, the alleged lies and repeated falsehoods, and the litany of names surrounding it all.” Glad he did that one, I’m not out for cricket.
Andy hit back with a great ball, Bob Holman’s Have A Go: Phone Photography workshop, which was “another one of those little DAF gems which gave our good citizens a chance to actually “have a go”, rather than just sit back passively and be entertained. And this was definitely not entertainment, much more instructional in nature.”
Andy went to Swing From Paris, only to find they were actually from Gloucester and Worcester, but still, he said, “we got two highly entertaining sets of jazz, swing, waltz and gypsy rhythms mostly from the 1930s through to the 1950s, but also featuring tunes from as far back in the 1890s and forward into the 1980s. There was plenty of humour and self-deprecation throughout as Fenner talked us through the provenance of each number.”
“Milton neurotically fumbles with the microphone stand, but not his wordplay. As is his bed hair, any emotional instability or self-doubt is part of the act; he has us under his spell from the off. You couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the absurdity of his thought-process. I’m now of the opinion his manipulation of language and layered humour is second to none currently in comedy. He has nearly as many relatives as jokes, each one with their own punchline funnier than the next.” That was me, I said that. I took all the prestigious gigs, and this one was utterly hilarious, Milton Jones, and Adele Cliff were so, so funny!
Just when Andy, Ian and myself thought we had this under the thumb, in comes our new writer Maddie Blake to, not only drastically lower the age demographic of our dedicated team, but also provide us with a brilliant review of Bath artist Karen George’s sketching workshop at The White Chalk Gallery.
“What made this workshop so special,” Maddie wrote, “wasn’t just the chance to improve my drawing skills, but the atmosphere that was created within this group. Everyone appeared so eager and inviting, it was such a wonderful experience to create new friendships and share stories with those with similar interests in the arts. Despite varying levels of experience, the workshop felt accessible to everyone, and no one felt out of place. This workshop didn’t pressure you to create something ‘perfect,’ but something that captivates your enjoyment and experience of the workshop.”
Thank you, Maddie, and welcome to our exclusive and sometimes elusive writers team! So good was this review, I invited Maddie to come to the finale, Nothing Rhymes with Orange, but being I had a personal angle on this one, reporting on this finest Devizes musical output since the Hoax, I really wanted to write it myself. What a great finish to one of the best Devizes Arts Festivals yet.
“Last night proved Nothing Rhymes with Orange are at the top of their game, as they switched old with new seamlessly, and strived to become the universal name we locally knew they could from the very beginning.”
Nothing Rhymes With Orange @ The Corn Exchange Image: Gail Foster
I also said, rather a lot, about the future of the Arts Festival. With a matured demographic in attendance, generally, I try to illustrate how diverse and accepting it is for all ages. The Gen Z fanbase turned out for NRWO, the elder Arts Festival regulars did too, and everyone was kind and courteous to everyone else. That is the magic of the festival, and I hope those younger took home the notion that the festival isn’t a Saga Holiday, and welcomes all!
There were obviously a few events we couldn’t cover, and I apologise to those involved for this, but we tried to capture as much as possible. It was a wonderful year at the Arts Festival, and we look forward to seeing how they might top this one!
If writing these was a competition, though it’s not, for the record, the highest hitting review was Andy’s one on Robert Vincent, followed by Andy’s three-in-one writing workshops, I made level pegging for the third best for the NRWO review, with Maddie’s sketching workshop review, then my review of Scummy Mummies pipped Milton Jones to the post for the fourth highest hitting article.
But we don’t worry about hits here; I couldn’t pick a personal favourite, oh, okay, go on then! It had to be between Milton Jones and Nothing Rhymes With Orange, of course. For Andy, who, let’s face it, did most of the hard work, picked Robert Vincent and Swing From Paris. “But I also thought the various have-a-go events were pretty good. Oh. That’s three!”
That’s okay Andy, have three, or more. Interesting though; Arts Festival team, the workshops did prove to be a welcomed addition. Same again next year?!
‘Devizes & Beyond’ is a collection of original poems in traditional forms and digital photography, inspired by life in Devizes and the occasional foray into the world outside. The exhibition covers eight areas of life from shopping to spirituality and is a colourful and poignant snapshot of what it is to be human in this beautiful place and brief moment of time, and the physical and metaphysical journeys we take on different forms of transport and through life itself. (Gail Foster)
Those are Gail’s own words in her description of her exhibition this week at St. Mary’s; she has become a well known poet and photographic artist in our town, and it is a joy to behold this body of work on public display. There are various sections to peruse and ponder over, smile, weep and reflect upon, from “Shopping” and “Spirituality”, as Gail mentions already, to “Community”, “People”, “Transport”, “Creatures” and “Landscapes”. And the eponymous section “Devizes & Beyond”.
Some areas unsurprisingly cross over … “Community” and “People”, “Devizes & Beyond” and “Landscapes”, but that is no criticism… such is the breadth of Gail’s work and interests this is probably to be expected. What is presented is certainly worthy of at least thirty minutes of anybody’s time, and the calm, serene surroundings of St. Mary’s permits us all to take a while to sit and reflect on what we are witnessing and cerebrally imbibing.
We are treated to some two hundred and eighty two photographs, and eight poems within those eight sections. In the vein of the crossovers mentioned above, some poems lend themselves to being a sisterhood together : The beautiful, heart rendingly poignant “Children of the Avenues” reflecting upon the lives past and future of the offspring of The Avenues, especially the September 2019, immediately pre-Covid, schools’ intakes holds the same gentle and reflective space as “Blink ~ Seven Stanzas for the Seven Ages of Man” harnessing the concepts within Shakespeare’s monologue in “As You Like It”. Similarly “Singing River” and “This Barrow Strewn Land“ share a love for the Wiltshire great outdoors and its magical and wistfully timeless beauty.
Treat yourself to an indulgence with the exhibition of photographs of all sections and you’ll undoubtedly spot someone you know, a beloved place, something or somewhere to make you laugh, smile, weep – or even halt you with a jolt. Gail is not shy to show warts and all either… we live in such a beautiful part of the world and her wonderful photographic eye captures so many shots that are truly stunning, worthy of any great exhibition… but she also grabs the mundane parts of everyday life that are the reality of living in a small town. For every framed shot of a church yard entrance, a shaft of light in the Ginnel, there’s the kebab shop building site, a hearse, a crowded bus.
All of these display Gail’s wonderful eye, and patience, and her lifetime of living in, and love of, Devizes, but if there is one section that truly encapsulates the author and artist that is Gail Foster it is that of spirituality… her inner peace and connections with an ancient land, and organised religion, of ancient chalk-lands, stones and timeless vistas, and pagan and church ceremonies.
This exhibition covers so much, it is impossible to encapsulate it all in mere words. One will still be taking it all in for some while afterwards – I’ve been mulling over this piece for almost two days and I should probably take longer but I am mindful that we need to all experience this display so its imperative I publish this as soon as possible. To paraphrase Peter Quince, a Shakespearean character from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”….
I entreat you, desire you, and require you to visit Gail’s exhibition this week. Entry is free, open daily 10.00am to 3 p.m. until Sunday 26th April, plus an evening opening opn Friday 24th April from 6pm to 8pm.
And finally… to enjoy Gail’s eight poems from this exhibition in perpetuity, they are included in her next book, “”Singing River – a book of poetry”, which can be bought from Devizes Books from Friday 24th. Get it early on Friday and you may be able to meet the author over the weekend to have it signed!
If not too distracted when bumping into townsfolk and village friends, you might remember to get more of a cheese you liked or that essential part for the vacuum cleaner…..
As regular readers of Devizine will know, one of the understated pleasures of Devizes is having a wander around on market days. From the listed buildings to the independent shops, our market day wanderings are significantly enhanced by the character of the town’s historic environment, and an enduring community spirit enriches the charming thoroughfares and myriad of routeways to and from the Market Place.
Farmers & Artisan Market
In 1724 the famous antiquary William Stukeley believed Devizes hosted ‘one of the best weekly markets in England’. In the previous century the Wiltshire born antiquary John Aubrey thought Devizes hosted the best fish market in Wiltshire, and in the early 16th century that father of English history, John Leland, stated the ‘market is very celebrate’. The town’s Thursday market dates to at least 1609, a regular potter around market stalls in Devizes dates to at least 1228 and around the stalls at fairs even earlier that century.
Hence, those visiting the Thursday market in the present are directly linking with a tradition that has periodically been celebrated as noteworthy and has survived hundreds of years of change. And because of this, your present day experience of the cultural footprint could prove influential.
The Brittox: Devizes Jubilee Morris celebrate 2021’s ‘Devizes is Open’ event following the Covid restrictions, and Daddy Longlegs entertain on Easter Monday 2026.
A Town of Culture?
Having been ranked third among the country’s most quintessential market towns in 2025, Devizes is now bidding to become the U.K. Town of Culture 2028, which offers a top prize of £3 million as just one of a rollout of substantial financial awards. Towns must at this stage hope to have matched the relevant competition criteria to make the shortlist, which would elicit a £60,000 grant to support the development of a full application.
In addition to a famous flight of Georgian canal locks and a globally important collection in the Wiltshire Museum on Long Street, Devizes also has a reputation for a busy seasonal programme of festivals, markets and other social and educational events in addition to many places of worship, cultural hubs and active clubs. The lengthy list of cultural happenings covers anything from wildlife to nightlife and every experience from a punishing Westminster canoe race to tinsel tractor runs. The flip side is potentially overlooking something each of us does with regularity without ever thinking how rich and diverse it is in terms of a cultural experience.
Stalls in The Shambles
What might a Town of Culture look, sound and smell like?
If you are familiar with the sights, sounds and smells of a market day mooch, then you may no longer notice the familiar market day hubbub: a soundtrack punctuated by the calls, banter and chats with market traders. You may not give a second thought to the welcome and directions you offered a newbie visitor. You will though notice the music, dance and drama brought by street entertainers, and the art that may be encountered in many forms from the stalls to the windows and interiors of independent shops.
The Ginnel
‘Tell us about the unique story and culture of your town.’
Few will have heard of the once legally renowned court case ‘The Mayor and Burgesses of Devizes v. Clark,’ that established the right of a jury to find a general verdict. The unique precedent from 1835 is possibly overlooked now and the butcher Jacob Clark of Maryport Street is entirely forgotten.
The gist of this court case was that Clark sold meat from his home on two successive Thursdays in 1833, when the Corporation held the right to charge butchers to sell to the public from their market stalls.
What interests us with the Town of Culture bid in mind, is not only that the Corporation established in law that their market and right to charge for stalls was ancient, but the arguments that were detailed about the civil authority customarily maintaining a safe adequate ‘known’ environment, where ‘large assemblages’ of the public can bear witness to transactions and events without travelling any great distance. It could have been written with the criteria set by the Town of Culture in mind.
The official Town of Culture requirements include a safe, supportive, non‑discriminatory environment accessible to all ages – a programme that reaches multiple audiences and offers opportunities for creative content – evidence of capacity, capability, and effective processes to deliver the programme successfully – strengthening or rejuvenating cultural and heritage infrastructure with realistic expectations. The history and modern day experience of the market in Devizes delivers all this and more.
Lilly waits in anticipation outside the bakery.
‘Culture is for Everyone’
We may never stop to think about it, but a magnificent cross section of local, regional and distant communities are represented on market days. From villagers to townsfolk and tourists threading their way around, to street performers, grassroots artists and other creatively active innovators; market days welcomes them all.
Every decade within living memory is represented on the town’s pavements, and anyone and everyone that isn’t housebound is unconsciously participating in a market day pageant. From prams and pushchairs to rollator walkers, wheelchairs and mobility scooters; these enabling wheeled wonders of our age are everywhere to be witnessed, as are many a responsible human with their pet dog on a lead.
Just sit on any bench in the Brittox and witness how many times you are lapped by elderly phone scrollers, middle age headphone wearers and teenage skateboarders. They are not all in their own world of course: a street performer recently remarked how young people engage with the informal music in the Brittox, stopping to listen and throwing coins into a hat or guitar case.
As outlandish as it may seem then, your wanderings on a Thursday could bear witness to an experience that ticks all the criteria boxes to underpin a bid to become the U.K. Town of Culture 2028. There is surely nothing that is more inclusive, culturally rich and diverse in our lives than a weekly market day dawdle in Devizes. This cultural experience is for everyone from their pram to their very last leg and it is entirely free at the point of delivery.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to our friends ‘shop indie InDevizes’ for both the excellent map and much encouragement https://www.indevizes.org.uk/
Many thanks also to David Dawson, Devizes Jubilee Morris and Daddy Longlegs for their assistance. Many thanks also to all the wonderful dogs and humans that featured in doodles which were redrawn and moved around to work up the final sketches.
Brian Edwards is a Visiting Research Fellow at The Regional History Centre, UWE Bristol.
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Just How Big Is That Fringe? Or Two Go Myth-Busting
Andy Fawthrop
We’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. Just speaking to musicians and artists who visit the town for gigs and festivals, the feedback is always the same: they’re in awe of just how much we’ve got going on here.….
Do we need to recite the list? Oh go on then – 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)….I could (and usually do), go on. There’s pubs with regular live music (White Bear, Three Crowns, The Southgate), fairs and circuses on The Green, book clubs, sports clubs…(you’re really going on a bit now…Ed).
But somehow that old refrain of “Nothing Ever Happens In Devizes” has been making a come-back of late on social media, yet it just ain’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 “nothing” to do. So it’s time to, yet again, challenge that myth and have another go at laying it to rest for once and for all.
Anyway…..at the moment of writing we’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 weekend’s wonderful free Rowdefest (thank you Darren!) and, admittedly, a bit of a “robust discussion” in the pub, I decided to see just how much fun and entertainment you could enjoy over this weekend at next to no cost. It’s a challenge I decided to take on by getting off my luxury sofa, and propel myself out “into the field” (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 Farmers’ Market in The Market Place Bar (Saturday 9 am)
· What it was: monthly gathering of local suppliers
· What was it like? Plenty of choice – venison, bread, honey, olives, cheese, bread & fruit, flowers and plants, fresh coffee, cider, cakes. Plenty of good fresh stuff from suppliers within a 30 mile radius of D-Town. Added to stalls in the Shambles, this is worth a half hour of anyone’s time, either for shopping or simply browsing.
· Cost: £FREE
· Children’s rating: 1/5, Adults’ rating: 4/5
2. K&A Canal Walk towpath, any old time
· What it was: a c. 4 mile walk down the towpath from D-Town to Poulshot
· What was it like? Lots of people out strolling or cycling, boats passing up and down the flight (an opportunity for some gomgoozling). We also saw many species of birds, including four, yes four, different grey herons – such elegant birds.
· Cost: £FREE
· Children’s rating: 1/5, Adults’ rating: 5/5
3. Poulshot Medicine in Nature Herbal Walk at Poulshot Village Hall (Saturday 10.30am – 12)
· 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.
· What was it like? 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. We discussed culinary and medicinal uses. At least I found bits of Poulshot I didn’t know about, including the pond, the specially-created woodland, and some country paths (useful for getting over to Whistley Road later on).
· What it was:. 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.
· 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. I could have done without the loud piped music but, hey, it was dry and there was beer! 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). 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. The site was large with plenty of parking but, because of the rain, getting increasingly muddy.
· Cost: £10/ person + drinks
· Children’s rating: 4/5, Adults’ rating: 4/5
5. Pete Robson & J P Oldfield in The Bear, Cellar Bar (Saturday 8pm)
· What it was: foot-stomping blues from two solo performers
· What was it like? Each performer used steel guitar and stomp box to deliver some hard-cutting blues. CDs for sale. Not very well attended, which was a shame. 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. The cellar bar is an OK venue at best, being a rather odd shape, with very low ceiling and an only partially-stocked bar. I suspect it needs to be used much more often if it’s going flourish as a venue.
· Cost: £FREE + drinks
· Adults’ rating: 3/5
· Note –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 there’s only so many hours in the day!
6. Crammer Watch Day on the Small Green Devizes (Sunday 11am onwards)
· 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
· What was it like? We missed the Moonrakers performance, so as an experience I found it a bit thin on the ground. 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.
· Cost: £FREE
· Children’s rating: 1/5, Adults’ rating: 1/5
7. Lions on The Green on The Green (Sunday 10am -4pm)
· 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)
· What was it like? Covering the whole of the large Green, this was really excellently-well organised. The central area was given over to the displays of antique, rare and sports cars. Stalls had cakes, plants (from Plot 35), metal signs, honey etc. There was a bouncy castle and fairground rides for children. A licensed bar, coffee shop etc. Lots to look at and plenty of photo opportunities. Fantasy Radio were broadcasting live from the site.
· Cost: £FREE (donations to the Lions collecting buckets) + drinks
· Children’s rating: 4/5, Adults’ rating: 5/5
8. Devizes Arts Festival Free Fringe:Whiskey River (@ British Lion garden Sunday 2 – 5pm)
· What it was: Roots Music From the Welsh frontier
· What was it like? 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. The bar was open, and there was a BBQ going on throughout. People sitting out enjoying a drink, dogs, children, good music – perfect!
· Cost: £FREE + (a large, undisclosed) drinks bill
· Children’s rating: 3/5, Adults’ rating: 5/5
9. Wood & Steel (@ The Southgate Inn Sunday 5-7pm)
· What it was: an acoustic duo playing blues, jazz and ragtime
· What was it like? This duo were new to me, but I was very impressed by what I heard. Two very good musicians, clearly comfortable in their own skin, played two excellent 50-minute sets and got a very well-deserved encore. Lots of covers from many ages and genres, using dobro, guitar, upright bass and vocals. Excellent musical accompaniment to a late, lazy Sunday afternoon. Great atmosphere too.
· Cost: £FREE (donations to “the hat”) + more (undisclosed) drinks
· Adults’ rating: 5/5
· Note – we could also have gone to see Bodge It & Scarper at The White Bear (Sunday 5-7pm) playing acoustic music, but didn’t hear about this until quite late. Also can’t be in two places at once. This event was also FREE.
In summary:
· Miles walked – about 10
· Bird species spotted – about 20, including swans, herons, jackdaws, mallard, moorhen, starlings, robins, great tits etc;
· Friends met – loads – far too many to mention!
· Total cost (for two) – £27.80 (of which £20 was for the steam fair) + the drinks (but let’s not mention that bit!);
· Fun and entertainment had – loads and loads and loads;
· Well-being – absolutely knackered, but very happy. Looking forward to next weekend!
Yes it all took a little bit of planning, but it wasn’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 I’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 there’s LOADS of other stuff going on – these were simply the things we happened to pick out. There were choices – and we made them!
Nothing Ever Happens In Devizes??? Don’t make me laugh.
Clean Up Devizes invites you to help with a town littler pick for the GB Spring Clean on 22nd March. The Litter Pick is open to everyone to take part in, equipment can be borrowed on the day. CUDS have pledged to pick up 100 black bags of litter this year which is up from 75 bags last year…..
On the day people just need to turn up at The Green opposite Morrisons at 10am, they’ll be split up into small groups of 3 or 4 people, and have litter picking routes to go on. The litter pick ends at 12:30, but coordinators Shirley and George tell me, “they can do as much as they feel able to do, and it’s open to everyone to take part in. We hope that families, neighbours, friends, etc, will all take part!”.
Just pledging to fill one bag can make a big difference to the town we love!
Coupled with a Devizes Swap Shop at St James Church on the same Saturday, where you can donate clothes, toys, books, games, crafts, and house plants, swap or take some as you need, it’s going to be a very green day in Devizes! See the poster below for details.
The Wharf Theatre production presents an electrifying confrontation between artistic truth and political authority, with a content warning! Howard Barker’s Scenes from an Execution is…
While The Hebrew Bible depicts women in composite roles, from submissive domestic positions in a patriarchal society to powerful figures of leadership excelling moral courage,…
Nearly September, time to sew those name tags onto school uniforms. Still, loads to entertain you throughout the month. I’ve exhausted our ever-updating event calendar,…
Formed just two years ago at Bishop Wordsworth’s School in Salisbury, award-winning four-piece youth band, 5 Nights at Adyans, look set to release their highly-anticipated…
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Forestry England Nightingale Wood invites dog owners to celebrate Walk Your Dog Month this January…..
Walk Your Dog Month is a great opportunity to build your bond with your four-legged family members. It can be tempting to stay indoors at this time of year, but regular walks are essential for a dog’s physical and mental health. The good news is, they’re pretty good for owners’ health too! So, grab a lead and some poo bags, and read on for Nightingale Wood’s top tips for a brilliant Walk Your Dog Month.
Beat the January blues
With festivities over, January can be a difficult month of cold weather and long nights. Spending time in nature with your best friend by your side is a fantastic way to enjoy natural light and fresh air. Physical activity can increase your energy levels and reduce stress. Even a short walk can clear your mind and lift your mood.
Fun for the whole family
Fun awaits the whole family at Nightingale Wood. Spot wildlife, build dens, and splash in puddles.
Dog-friendly environment
With clearly marked paths and plenty of space to roam, Nightingale Wood is the perfect spot for exploring. Choose from three easy-to-follow walking trails or create your own route from the network of surfaced trails and forest roads. There are so many scents and sounds to explore, your dog will never get tired of returning to the forest.
Build your fitness
Fancy trying something different? Look out around the trails for pieces of fitness equipment which have been installed as part of the Great Western Community Forest project.
Canine community
With fellow dog walkers enjoying the forest, there is always someone to pass the time of day with during a walk. Human connection is one of the NHS’s essential ingredients for positive wellbeing. You never know whose day you might change with a smile – or who might change yours.
Don’t miss the chance to celebrate Walk Your Dog Month at Nightingale Wood. Lace up your shoes and head into the woods for an unforgettable adventure.
September is a week away; parents will be brushing off school uniforms, but Devizes blues fans won’t be dusting their brooms, because Long Steet Blues…
Whoa! What happened last night at the trusty Three Crowns?! What happened last night at the Three Crowns has clearly happened before, and happens most…
Featured Image: Antony Barkworth-Knight Despite intentionally making his tricks go wrong, Tommy Cooper was actually a skilled magician and member of The Magic Circle. SpongeBob…
Wiltshire singer-songwriter Ruby Darbyshire, you’re most likely familiar with, unless you joined Devizine family reader’s circle today, has a new song on YouTube, one she’s…
Pleasantly surprised in July when an awesome new single from Devizes’ rootsy Americana with a gothic twist collective, Burn the Midnight Oil revealed a more…
Tory tears welled at County Hall this week, when Cllr Richard Clewer, leader of Wiltshire Council threw his teddies from his pram over the Government’s motion to cancel the A303 Stonehenge tunnel project, while The Stonehenge Alliance welcomed the announcement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves to cancel the £2.5bn scheme as a “low value, unaffordable commitment.”
Clewer whimpered, “We are extremely dismayed and disappointed at the Government’s decision to cancel the A303 Stonehenge tunnel project. These improvements are needed now to ease traffic congestion on the A303 and reduce traffic in our communities, and also ensure economic growth in Wiltshire, unlocking jobs and investment in the wider south-west region.”
The Stonehenge Alliance alongside supporter-organisations such as Ancient Sacred Landscape Network, Campaign to Protect Rural England, Friends of the Earth, Rescue, the British Archaeological Trust, and Transport Action Network, believe the road should have been binned in 2020 when it was recommended for refusal, after a six month examination, for the damage it would cause to the World Heritage Site. The Examination Report, written by five planning inspectors, who presided over a six month examination, recommended that the application be refused.
Yet Cllr Richard Clewer continued, “It has taken many years of lobbying and working closely with partners, including National Highways, to bring this major infrastructure project to Wiltshire, and so it is a huge blow to get to the stage when construction is ready to begin, only to have this taken away from us at this late hour,” despite it seems these studies and a refusal from the High Court, the Conservative government at the time simply ignored them and continued to award contracts to construction companies regardless. So when the WC leader states, “There has already been £160m spent on this project, and cancelling it now wastes that huge investment,” who’s fault is that?! If I didn’t get planning permission to build a shed in my garden but paid a bloke to carry out the work anyway, I would bear the cost for my misjudgement, surely? It’s called acting responsibly!
John Adams, chair of the Stonehenge Alliance said, “This is a vindication of all the work of so many people over so many years from supporters around the world. National Highways’ misguided project was called out for what it was: low value and unaffordable. It was also highly damaging. Now that it has been scrapped, we need to move on. As soon as the budget is there, we need to ensure, as a priority, that local traffic is better managed and rail access to the South West improved.”
Tom Holland, historian and president of the Stonehenge Alliance, expressed his enthusiasm for the cancellation. “This is wonderful news,” he said. “This entire monstrous project, a proposal to drive a gash of concrete and tarmac through our most sacred prehistoric landscape, should never have got off the drawing board. That cancelling it will also save £2.5bn is obviously an additional perk.”
The councillor proposed the ‘monstrous project to drive a gash of concrete and tarmac through our most sacred prehistoric landscape,’ would “return the Stonehenge landscape to something like its original setting.”
He’s certainly done his homework, young Dick, because it’s a lesser known fact the ancient Britons built a gurt concrete motorway tunnel underneath Stonehenge, and it even had a Little Chef. The Egyptians built a flyover over the Pyramid of Giza too, to ease 4th dynasty congestion in Cairo. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was just a multi-storey car park decorated with a few hanging baskets, and the Mohawks made a giant plug to plug up Niagara Falls, so their canoes could cross the sea five minutes quicker!
Its original setting is impossible to recreate now, unless you’re Dr Who, and it’s as close as it ever will be, with the mounting campaign to wreck it, which the councillor is promoting and cannot see the hypocrisy in his outburst! But to further the gibberish, Clewer finished this sentence with the unbelievable, “and allow local communities greater access to the ancient stones and the surrounding World Heritage Site.” Greater access, really? I beg to differ, it’s been fine for five thousand years, now, all of a sudden, it feels like they want to hide it, unless you cross their palms with silver; typical Tory all round.
They’ve already rerouted traffic on the upper road, so you cannot access it unless you cough up £37 for a ticket, and should the tunnel have been constructed you’d never know it was there at all. The next generation of locals would be like Tess of the d’Urbervilles, despite living close they’d be oblivious to its existence.
Face it, his last paragraph was simply a smokescreen, when really the focus of his whinge was more about reducing “rat-running in our communities, to reduce journey times to the wider south-west, to boost economic growth in Wiltshire, and to unlock jobs and investment across the region.”
It may’ve eased congestion, but destruction of the environment to do so would have been certain. We risked losing our World Heritage Site, its status as such, the appeal to tourism, the capital this brings to the county, and its historical and sacred connotations, and let’s face it, for nothing more than to get Gareth and Diane from Shrewton to Andover five minutes earlier. And that’s the real truth about this vanity project, a complete disregard for our environment and the financial benefits obtained from it to small businesses relying on tourism, simply so colossal building contracts can be backhanded to Conservative donor bum chums.
There never was a thought given to the elephant in the room, that the area is littered with undiscovered sites of archaeological importance, which once discovered by digging there, potentially wrecking, would halt the process and massively increase the cost of the project, spiralling it billions over budget. It would have been a horrorshow for future generations to frown upon us and ask “what the hell were they thinking?”
The Stonehenge Alliance explains the original budget of £1.7bn is from around 2017 and is clearly out of date. In an answer to Danny Kruger MP’s Parliamentary question on the 12th March 2024, which admits that even in 2018, the construction cost was estimated to be £1.9bn with maintenance costs of £8m a year. With construction inflation being so high since then, it is likely that the combined total cost of the scheme is over £2.5bn and that’s before it runs into any difficulties tunnelling in phosphatic chalk.
Regardless of the facts, Cllr Richard Clewer concluded, “We will remain committed to this project and will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to try to bring this project back to Wiltshire.”
But who is the proverbial “We” here? The Wiltshire Council press release suggests all the councillors are behind Mr Clewer on this one. Rather I favoured to ask our shiny new MP, Brian Mathew, also on Wiltshire Council, a penny for his thoughts, not that I gave him a penny, but still he replied, “I have been against the Stonehenge Tunnel since I first heard about it in around 2009. I was the only Councillor to speak out against it in 2017 when I was first elected to Wiltshire Council.”
When Rachel Reeves outlined her proposals to Parliament, she said Labour would not go ahead with the A303 Stonehenge scheme, but she didn’t say it was cancelled. However, in the published policy paper the scheme is listed as cancelled, therefore Clewer’s claims to remain committed to a project definitely cancelled is wasting time in office and even more taxpayer’s money; they failed to fix the existing roads from defects the size of moon craters for years, let alone engineer a project as technical as this!
It surely then serves as an example of how this immature response to the results of the general election in many of our Conservatives remaining in positions of power is simply going to hinder progress, and it’s time, now the deed is done in parliament, to eradicate this Conservative ethos which values the financial gain of multinational companies over that of smaller businesses and the aesthetics of our communities, across the board, once and for all.
Much less, we suffer from hairbrained vanity building schemes such as this, destroying our heritage, wildlife and tourist attractions just for the sake of easing congestion without the need for the drastic environmental measures necessary to be sustainable. It’s time to improve public transport in Wiltshire, so Gareth and Diane can get from Shrewton to Andover by choo-choo train. Get with the program, silly boy!
Join Devizes Opendoors for a sponsored walk, at 9.30 am on Sunday 12 May 2024, (registration from 9am) to support the work of Opendoors, which helps local homeless and vulnerable people. They ensure that they have a hot meal, clean clothes and bedding, help to tackle problems like finding a home, getting medical assistance, or sorting out financial difficulties….
It’s an eight mile circular walk to the south of Devizes, from the Guide Hall on Coate Road. The route is mainly flat and easy terrain but with a few small hills on the way. The route passes through Nursteed Village, Sleight, and Stert, then returns to the Guide Hall via the Wessex Ridgeway.
The walk organised by the Devizes Lions gives the opportunity to all the local groups and charities to raise funds for their particular good causes.
There is a shorter walk for young children. Dogs are welcome!
The walk is suitable for all ages and abilities. There will be marshals and safety vehicles at strategic points along the route should anyone require assistance. There will be a drink station on route and at the Guide Hall at the end of the walk.
After a larger quantity of social media teasers than previous years, Devizes Arts Festival has today revealed their full line-up for 2024. Better take a peaky sneaky gander at it, keep in their good books, because it looks rather special! Based on previous experience they usually range from pretty awesome to super-duper lights are gonna find me awesome…so here goes……
The festival runs from Friday 31st May to Sunday 16th June, and never fails to bring us a diverse programme of separate events within the arts, music and theatre, but also takes in talks and walks. Some come with a worthy price tag, but there’s lots of free fringe events also. All it takes is for you to support it.
I don’t know about you, but the first one I got excited about when I heard, was Bristol’s soulful indie-folk singer-songstress Lady Nade, who plays the Corn Exchange on Saturday 1st June. I put this Lady on my must-see list after fondly reviewing her album Willing back in 2021. I’ve not yet had the opportunity to see her live. Yet it is not for that reason I’m grateful to the Arts Festival for booking Lady Nade, rather in contemplation of the elevated sentimentality channelled through her Americana-fuelled songs.
I summed up the album at the time, with “written during the pandemic, there’s a secluded ambience echoing through these eleven sublime three-minute plus stories of friendship, love and loneliness lost and found, reflecting the fact it was recorded in multiple studios and engineered by all the musicians in isolation. Yet to hear it will hold you spellbound in a single place, till its conclusion.”
If that doesn’t tempt you I don’t know what will! But Lady Nade is not before a high-energy Penzance sea-punk grand opening to the festival, with Golden Gnome award winning Jolly Roger, at the Corn Exchange on Friday 31st May; blistering barnacles, Captain Haddock, that sure sounds like some swashbuckling shenanigans.
History of Market Lavington, anyone? Sunday 2nd has a festival walk, followed by the first two free fringe events, consummate story-teller Adam Alexander’s Seed Detective at The Peppermill from 2pm, and a solo loop pedal show with Eddy Allen, 7pm at the Cellar Bar.
Likely the best known name on the roster, comedian Lucy Porter comes to Devizes on Thursday 6th June, and I’m sure you’re all aware of her distinctive, bouncy, feel-good comedy from TV and radio panel shows, and being victorious on Celebrity Mastermind.
Lucy Porter
Prior to this headliner, NHS doctor, journalist, broadcaster, speaker, campaigner and comedian Dr Phil Hammond on Monday 3rd June presents ‘How to Fix the NHS’ and ‘The Ins and Outs of Pleasure…’ I’ve my own suggestions on the subject, don’t get me started, but maybe add Prime Minister to Phil’s already impressive résumé!
Wiltshire based multi‐instrumentalist, the Edward Cross Quintet at the Assembly Rooms on Tuesday 4th June. Liz Grand’s superb, funny, moving, sensitive and informative portrayal of Clementine Churchill, also on Tuesday at the Merchant Suite.
Wednesday 5th June sees English naturalist, ecologist, author and broadcaster Mike Dilger, known as the wildlife reporter on The One Show, doing a talk on One Thousand Shades of Green, his quest to find 1000 different British plants in a calendar year and assess how our flora is faring in modern Britain. Geneticist, author and broadcaster, Adam Rutherford, who frequently appears on science programmes on both radio and TV, also gives an engaging, provocative and informative talk the Arts Festival promises to be unmissable.
Hollie McNish. Image: Kat Gollock
Poet and author Hollie McNish presents her Lobster Tour on Thursday 6th June at the Town Hall; I’m just chatting about her with the legend who is Kieran J Moore, seems Hollie played Bath Komedia recently, he recommends, and you can’t get a better local recommendation than that.
The weekend sees a blues, skiffle, calypso and rockabilly mesh, apparently with a sweeping vaudeville twist, which sounds like a beguiling and exhaustive blend I must say! Jo Carley and the Old Dry Skulls are at the Corn Exchange Friday 7th June.
Jo Carley and the Old Dry Skulls
London’s Cable Street Collective headline Saturday, an intriguing one, their sound mixes African-influenced guitars and beats with soulful female vocals, socially conscious lyrics and western melodies, creating an idiosyncratic alt-pop sound that’s all their own.
Sunday 9th June sees a Festival Walk into the West Woods; Sarsens, Soldiers and Sawpits. Two free fringe events, an Americana band from West Midlands called Rumour, from 2pm at the Three Crowns, and a fresh and lively approach to jazz at St John’s Church from 7pm with the Annie Parker Trio.
The final week of the festival sees world-renowned concert pianist, Ida Pellicciolo on Monday 10th June at the Town Hall. Belinda Kirk, world-record holding explorer, researcher and a leading campaigner promoting the benefits of adventure on wellbeing, talks at the Town Hall on Tuesday, along with intrepid Antarctic explorer Tom Crean’s story brought to life in a dramatic and humorous solo performance by Aidan Dooley from Play On Words Theatre Company, at the Wharf Theatre.
Two best-selling Wiltshire-based authors, Kate Webb and Jon Stock, discuss their craft at The Peppermill Hotel on Wednesday 12th June, and there’s a remarkable intimate solo guitar performance from Martin Simpson at the Corn Exchange.
Duo Tutti, a classically-trained flutist and pianist duo who combine well-known classical tunes with interesting sounds to create a unique concert that is accessible to all, at the Town Hall on Thursday. Terry Quinney’s Sound Of Blue Note accurately recreates jazz and the aesthetics which defines Blue Note Records, also on Thursday 13th June at the Town Hall.
Friday 14th June there’s an organ recital at St John’s with award-winning organist and conductor Huw Williams, and we have the intriguingly titled Slambovian Circus of Dreams at the Corn Exchange, an electrifying live performance of moody but upbeat alt-roots rock.
The final Saturday of the Arts Festival, 15th June, we have something altogether different, hypnotist Matt Hale presents an 80s Spectacular, where Matt promises to have you partying like it’s 1985, humm, whether you like it or not. I’m not sure about hypnotists, I might stand at the back!
Matt Hale. Image: DG-Imagery-3
Soulful and electrifying rhythm and blues band The Junco Shakers at the The British Lion on
Sunday 16th June at 2pm, and Clive Oseman and Nick Lovell, creators of Oooh Beehive, the number one spoken word and poetry open-mic night in Swindon, have a Wham! Bam! Poetry Slam 6pm at The Wharf Theatre; two free fringe events polishing off another spectacular Devizes Arts Festival.
Surprised your mobile didn’t sound the apocalyptic alarm to notify you about Wessex Water’s hosepipe ban?! Then, you’re a gullible idiot! But being 22,239 voters in one seaside town opted, again, for a fascist criminal ringmaster to lead them, and, similarly as stupid, a man named Bruce shoved nine Creme Eggs up his rectum, perhaps…
Turned around in just a day, a team of guitar “heir hunters” from Macclesfield called The Stray Chord have reunited Salisbury’s musician Jolyon Dixon with his childhood guitar, with a truly fascinating story….. Jordan, Sarah, and Damian are a family team behind Stray Chord, who’ve spent years rescuing lost guitars from auctions, marketplace listings, trades…
Congratulations are due to Wiltshire’s indie-pop sensation Talk in Code, for sealing a second sync representation agreement, this time with Play Equals Sync, a music licensing company that helps place independent songs and instrumental tracks into television shows, advertisements, films, and video games. Could you be hearing Talk in Code songs on the telebox? We…
Are you a budding musician aged between 13 and 18? Well, I tick neither box, but, as Trowbridge’s Old Town Hall is to introduce youth open mic sessions, I reckon it’s a brilliant incentive…. Of course, most open mics have no age restrictions, but you know how it can go sometimes, when there’s an aging…
Andy Burnham has urged shops to stop selling disposable barbecues amid the increase of wildfire risk. Meanwhile, Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs uncover horrific scenes of burnt gamebirds on bonfires at the Stockton Shoot. Why isn’t anyone talking about this? Our sabs investigated this in July, when they were alerted to illegal practises at the Stockton Shoot…
Calling all dog-lovers, come and join the Paws Charity Dog Show! A fantastic day out for families and four-legged friends…. Paws Charity Dog Show is in aid of Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance and the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust. Held amid the splendid grounds of Rainscombe Park at Oare, near Marlborough, on Sunday, 13th September, from…
by Ben Niamor & Victoria Stanley Owing to a hectic life, a slightly belated review and celebration of an amazing weekend…. The Music Baa, run three key events a year, a friend went to the folk one earlier in the year for one evening and gave some feedback that was shared by the team, on…
Andy Fawthrop All That Jazz – Nice! D-Town certainly punches above its weight when it comes to providing a vibrant and varied music scene. It seems that just about every taste is catered for, whether it be blues/ rock (regular gigs at Long Street Blues Club), covers bands (Three Crowns), indie/ blues/ rock/ prog/ folk…
Isoceles Theatre Company Brings a Spine-Chilling Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde to The Wharf Theatre, Devizes, on Saturday 29th August….. Devizes, Wiltshire | Saturday 29 August 2026 | 7.30pm The door is locked. The room is empty. And yet, somewhere in the darkness, something is breathing. On Saturday 29 August 2026, audiences at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes, will be…
Guest written by Half-a job-Bob Hey-ho, Half-a-job-Bob here! Yeah, I’m a real Highways operative, and not just a puerile attempt at humour by a Conservative town councillor out for any old cheap shot he can aim to slander the majority opposition on our town council, despite the plain fact our roads are governed by Wiltshire…
If you go down to Quakers Walk today, you’d better go in disguise… and perhaps an open mind….
Who’d thought sharing a post about Devizes Town Council’s honest pledge to “reduce plastic waste and create a sustainable future,” would unearth such a remarkable and comical find as this ….a lost neck massager in Quakers Walk? Ooh matron!
We received an exasperated comment on the share, backed up by a second witness, politely claiming they’d possibly overlooked this discarded item, left abandoned for all to view, like a Soho apartment’s coffee table conversation piece, not forgoing a potential playful toy for pet dogs to play fetch with!
Note, though, Ruby and Monty in the picture seemed otherwise preoccupied. Their owners claim they were disinterested, but there’s a few other suspicious claims the dog’s owner made, like ‘I went with my friend and her two terriers to look at the bluebells, and for the dogs to have a run, when we came across it in a clearing and laughed…” Yeah right, likely story!!
Ah, but is this dipstick a single-use plastic I ask myself, among other concerns?! Surely, if returned to its rightful owner it can be reused as often as a milk bottle, though not necessarily for the same purpose, health and safety would warn us.
Just, you know, it might need a battery change.
Another commenter revealed they found a purple one in the Urchfont woods a few years ago, visible from the road, leading me to realise this is far from an isolated incident. Ladies, why can’t you keep control of these things? There must be easier ways to hint to your boyfriends that you need a larger handbag?!
If you think I’m simply after clicks with this saucy scoop, you couldn’t be further from the truth. Unless it’s intended for communal use, a possibility I am not willing to rule out knowing how filthy the population of Devizes can be at times, I firmly believe it would be just and right to publicise this lost item in hope it is reunited with its original owner. As a community, let’s see if we can do that. It feels like the right thing to do. To think, it’s likely sorely missed!
So, if you’re the owner of this lost item, wondering ‘what did I ever do with that’ it’s in Quakers Walk, Devizes. Do let us know if you find it again; it would make a great, feelgood conclusion to our story! (Please note, though, any images you may send us of yourself reunited with your long lost mechanical bestie may not necessarily be publishable.)
Right then you lot, Devizine is five years old today, or at least it was when I begun this monumental mission of reminiscing on how, why and what the hell I was thinking when I started it in the first place. Question is, do you want the short story, or the long, drawn-out one?
Oh well, that’s just tough luck then, isn’t it?! You can’t stop me in full shit stream, because, everyone’s good at something, mine is endlessly waffling on about crap, so that’s what I’m going to do. In the words of the unforgettable Lesley Gore, it’s my party I can waffle on about crap if I want to, or something like that.
In consolation, I’ve sprinkled this piece with a lot of lovely photos, well, it’s been five years and we’ve a lot to show off about. And what a wonderful ride it’s been; dancing, dodging, meeting so many wonderful and talented people, rattling a few cages, and I hope it will continue to be so, if I do say so myself.
Best, if any, place to start is childhood aspirations. Note, I never had any dreams of writing, let alone journalism. English at school was a pet hate, like every other subject, especially spelling, I was atrochous…… atreechois…. really bad at it.
Though I have to humour the media industry, I’d grow to detest Fleet Street wank-stains. To be a cartoonist was the thing for me, the like of Charles Schultz or Jim Davis favourably, they did, after all, make the most money. But I’d write for magazines, zines and FINs I submitted cartoon strips for in support, because they needed writers…. bloody slave drivers.
As time moved on and I created my own comic, reviewing works of other creative types within it was an aid to networking, and, most importantly, getting freebies. I also suffered with a lack of writers but plenty of artists, so I’d script for them, and gradually the writing took prominence over the artwork.
Self-publishing is a labour of love, and any excuse for procrastination was on the cards. Unpredictably stumbling upon family life was the perfect excuse for giving it up; there were nappies which needed changing before cross-hatching a nudy caricature of Cameron Diaz, and besides, I’d grown out of the psychedelic nature of the zine; fatherhood can change a lad. Word of warning, whippersnappers.
But once bitten, the creative cannot help but create, that’s why they call them creatives, see? I picked self-publishing up again when eBooks came around, as it was easy, and not so time consuming. As an author I spaffed out more books than Boris Johnson did lies, happy as a method of improving my writing skills; though it’s still a learning cuve…. curth… bendy thing. And okay, that’s the same joke, get used to it.
Devizine came about simply for looking at other avenues in which to offload my wobbly words to the unfortunate world. I pitched to satirical, (or “fake news,” to gammons of which satire is above their understanding) websites, but was only sporadically successful, even lesser-so my attempt to create my own satirical website, called Poop Scoop. Until I noticed a new local news-site called Index;Wiltshire. There, finally through this insane waffling lies the kingpin to Devizine.
The editor wrote to me, “you’re the most powerful person in Devizes,” as my weekly rant column amassed a thousandfold more hits than MP James Gray’s did. Dishonest flattery works; I marched on, slagging off everything that was shit about Devizes as I could possibly think of, for humorous effect, you understand? Some didn’t, and Monday morning hate-mail filled my inbox, which was amusing to start with but being grew tedious.
Aside common complaints from any medium-sized market town, the joke wore thin due to decreasing ammo. Devizes is actually a great place to live; could be better, like freewheeling Frome, or like Tijuana, the murder capital of the world, it could be worse. The need to keep the ideas flowing caused me to post a gathering material question on a local Facebook group. It was Jemma Brown who raised the most important point: why didn’t I focus on the positives about living in Devizes? Of course, she was bang on the money, but it simply wouldn’t do, for that’s not the nature of satire, that’s not the idea of “No Surprises Living in Devizes.”
At the time, I’d just crawled out from my hermit hole and seen for myself talent lurking in the mists of this Tory haven. Richie Triangle played The Black Swan, spurring me to meet Tamsin Quin, who was crowdfunding for a debut album. Jemma, naturally was aiming my attention to her productions, as the TITCO theatre company. I wrote of my findings in an ever-increasingly heavily edited version of my rant column, claiming I was spinning the negatives around, though it was lagging in ethos, because to know me is to know I’m happy-go-lucky, and I couldn’t keep the pretence of being some kind of left-wing Alf Garnett any longer.
The column suddenly became more about what events were forthcoming in Devizes, rather then ranting about how rubbish everything was. I think at one point I joked, “what do I look like, some kind of event guide now?!” Not realising I’d predicted the outcome.
Frustrated the column was so heavily edited, now a new editor took over, I took to publishing them on a personal blog, but blogs need love and attention, in other words shameless self-promotion. Devizine though, as I came to knock up a new blog with the idea of doing precisely what we do now, promotes itself, as featured creative types share the fact they’ve been featured, and generally, people seemed to flock to this gap in the market. The first ever article was an unedited version of the that week’s column, the second was about Tamsin’s Crowdfunder.
I never understood, and probably never will, why aside perpetual splashes on national news stories as an aid to fund submissions to scoop sites, regional newspapers here couldn’t at least mention, or give credit to all the talented people here too. There’s room in a newspaper for both surely? But their downfall is our triumph. Devizine is now the go-to to what to do, the rest of it is me just mucking about!
This, coupled with our policy of brute honesty, will always be why Devizine has become something of a (slightly) respectable local institution. Though it may not have started out this way, because a few who were supposed to be responsible for what’s on sections of local media outlets fell short of lifting a finger, and thought it better to sought to trash Devizine’s pending reputation. Funny world, I thought Devizine would be welcomed, and I opened, and still do, my arms to the chances to work with them regardless; c’est la vie.
I believe it’s levelled now. Hardly anyone posts on local Facebook groups, “any live music going on tonight?” And if they do, rather than being directed to Devizine by yours truly, someone else beats me to the recommendation. Which brings me nicely on to the ten zillion quintillion thank you accreditations.
For aside my waffling, the bulk of this article is nothing more than a tedious clip show, which has taken longer to load up than I planned, probably be the sixth birthday by the time I publish it! Maybe we’ll refer to it as a “photo gallery in dial-up connection speed!”
Cider in one hand trying applause without spillages, my photography skills are best avoided whenever possible. Though I do believe I’m getting better, nothing illustrates a review better than a professional or semi-pro photographer. We’ve used and abused so many, and other than Nick Padmore, who makes me sit on his knee, most of them allow us to use their wonderful snaps for free! Which is handy, cos Devizine has not made millionaires out of us, quite yet.
So, a massive thank you, which would deserve a huge hug, if I wasn’t to wonder if that was a zoom lens in their pockets, rather than them being pleased to see me, and also an apology, there’s so many photos here it’d be a minefield wracking my miniscule mind recalling who took what, so excuse me, I hope that you don’t mind, I’ve not been able to credit them individually. Take it as red, though, the out of focus ones are likely from me. The rest I owe to so many photographers, some mentioned here and now: Gail Foster, Nick Padmore, Simon Folkard, Helen PolarPix, Ruth Wordly, Matthew Hennessy, Abbie Asadi, and Chris Dunn of Inscope Design. Please give them a virtual applause and go check out their work via their websites and social media.
But everyone needs a thank you, don’t they? So many good people have come to my rescue, submitted reviews, scoops and content, to make Devizine both comprehensive, and how I see it; a community-led, erm, thingy. I’d appreciate any help I can get, I’m totally overloaded here, and apologise to things I’ve missed, but Mrs Miggins has to get her pint of semi, also. You know you run a what’s on guide when Facebook pings the notification, “you have 55 events this weekend!”
Sporadically then writers have contributed, and I have Ian Diddams, Jemma Brown, TD Rose, Jenny Dalton, Phil Bradley, and Helen Robertson to sincerely thank too. But none more than our esteemed man in the field, the brilliant Andy Fawthrop, for his constant bombardment of most excellent reviews have been a godsend, to the point we need a statue of the good fellow here, front and centre of the lobby in the prestigious Devizine Towers. Seriously, if I cannot get hold of any marble, though, it might have to be made of paper cups.
All I have to say now is thanks everyone, everyone who has supported us, everyone I missed on the roll-call, contributed in some way, and that’s a long list, folk like the ones who’ve helped us out with technical bobs and bits; Ida McConnell, and musically, Dean Czerwionka, Mike Barham, Cath, Gouldy and the DayBreakers, Clifton Powell and Nick Newman, Daydream Runaways and The Roughcut Rebels.
Or those who’ve given their time to play for us at one of our fundraising gigs, the above mentioned, plus, Chole Jordan, Will Foulstone, Tamsin Quin, Phil Cooper, Jamie R Hawkins, George Wilding, Bryony Cox, Lottie Jenkins, Mirko Pangrazzi, Bran Kerdhynen, Finley Trusler and Sam Bishop.
And I think I’ve waffled enough; sorry if I missed anyone, but they know who they are. Bloody love ’em too, I do; group hug.
Being the Wiltshire Air Ambulance bear, touring homemade breweries, the Palace cinema, spending a day with Clifton Powell with Arts Together, going behind the scenes with DOCA, a day on tour with Talk in Code, press screening of Follow the Crows, riding an E-bike with Sustainable Devizes, meeting Neville Staple backstage, plus all the event invites, and so much more my brain is aching, there’s been so many fond memories, but I think, if you had to ask me to pick just one, it’d have to be the time I did my milk round in my Spiderman onesie and met with Carmela Chillery-Watson and her lovely family. A day I’ll never forget.
It leaves me now, to sign off, you must be tired looking at all those people having fun, but I did pre-warn you about my waffling! Enjoy the remaining pictures in our picture show, maybe you’ve spotted yourself in there, five or less years younger. If so, I want you to know, you’re still that gorgeous, gorgeous for showing us your support and partying with us; here’s to another five years, gorgeous!!
Trivia: What is the most popular article on Devizine to-date?
A: The April Fools Day joke 2021, when I announced, McDonalds was coming to Devizes. I believe that one broke the internet! Sad, but true.
Trivia: When did you first force Andy Fawthrop against his will and better judgement, to write reviews?
A: I believe it was October 2018, and the first review was Joe Hicks at the Three Crowns; I maybe wrong, I often am.
Trivia: Who was that country looking gent who used mascot on Devizine?
A: I don’t know, stop hassling me with inane questions like a fanboy at a Star Trek convention!
Good to hear from Adam Dempsey, organiser of many events at Bromham’s Social Club, and neighbouring bar,The Owl, which tragically caught fire last year, to tell me about a Coffee Morning and Family Fun Fete, to be geld on Saturday 6th August, from 10:30 – 1:30pm.
“I couldn’t decide wether to call it a Family Fun Day or a Fete,” he laughed, “I like alliteration so come up with Family Fun Fete!” Works for me.
Said “Family Fun Fete” will be held in the Clubhouse, a temporary building in lieu of The Owl/Social Centre rebuild.
There will be tea, coffee, cakes, etc, and outside will be a selection of fun activities and games, a bouncy castle, Giant snakes & ladders, bottle tombola, Mini Golf and more!
“These are the latest 2 ‘Things’ in my ’20 Years for 20 Things,” Adam explained, “to mark the 20th Anniversary of being diagnosed with Leukaemia, raising money for Young Lives vs Cancer (formally CLIC Sargent) and Ronald McDonald House in Bristol.” The total of “things” is building now, and included a and 100 mile walk over June and July.
Throughout August Adam will be virtually cycling the distance from Bromham to Land’s End (234 miles) on an exercise bike.
He’s planning various other events and challenges, culminating in a final shebang in November; The Big Ball, will be a black tie event in Melksham, where he hopes to announce rough totals raised for the two brilliant charities.
“I’ve also not been wearing any comedy/slogan/funny t-shirts at all,” he tells, “which doesn’t sound like much of a challenge I know but anyone who knows me will understand it is!”
But not all his challenges have been so strenuous as the walk or bike ride. Adam adds a little humour too. It started with a beard/head shave, and followed with an abstinence of crisps, his favourite snack!
Funny t-shirts was a passion of Adam’s I did note, way back when BromFest’s beer & cider festival was an annual must do. Always with a fantastic community spirit and great music lineup, it’s good to hear village life there is returning to normal since the tragic fire. We wish Adam all the best with this anazing fundraising effort. You can find out more about 20 Years for 20 Things, on his website HERE.
Marlborough residents rally online to criticise Forestry England’s proposals for Savernake Forest. The questionable survey’s deadline has been extended to the 22nd of April, and a previously internal document called Savernake Forest – a Way Forward, has been published which suggests serious restrictions of access to the forest, in favour for paid parking facilities and a polarized vision for future usage.…
“We are so privileged to have this beautiful and ancient forest on our doorstep,” one pleaded, “where we can freely wander where we wish. The Forestry Commission wish to change this. No vehicular access through the forest, paid parking for vehicles at Postern Hill and designated walking routes.”
Early one Sunday morning, mid-to-late nineties, and police arrive at a location off the Grand Avenue in Savernake Forest. They tell us the owner of the forest, Lord Cardigan, has reported a party. “But all we see is a few kids tidying up,” they observed with mirth, and went on their merry way. We carried on our labour, binbags in hand; we might’ve had a party, that much would be telling, but we were adamant we’d leave the forest as we found it, and mother nature would do its thing.
We did this because while we had our fun, we also respected the forest, and I don’t believe for one second any past or future generation’s youth would think any different. Long before it was “our” back garden, and I’d like to think long after, Savernake Forest has served tourists and residents alike, as a free, natural and muti-purpose attraction. It’s 4,500 acres, for crying out loud, you can have a party one end and folk can have a bike ride at the other and each be oblivious to what the others are doing!
Residents appear to take the opinion if it’s not broken, but Forestry England say “our Vision for Savernake is to nurture a shared forest unlike any other. By allowing the decisions we take to be guided by the natural potential of the land, as well as by the varied influences of our ever-changing world, we will create a diverse and inclusive forest that is a global example of what can be achieved through forward-thinking forestry.” Ah, yeah, sounds nice; when can we see it? NEVER!!
It continues to use environmental issues as a smokescreen to create a polarized plan restricting access to only the formal recreation facilities at Postern Hill.
Despite claiming the “popularity [of Postern Hill] is having a detrimental impact on the ecological values, and aesthetic values,” rather than continue the free access elsewhere to spread footfall out, the vision is for “Postern Hill being developed as the only visitor hub, where a new, larger car park (probably 300 to 350 spaces), is provided with proper toilets, play and café facilities. Leading out from the new car park would be a series of trails.” Naturally, this would be “coupled with the closure of the Grand Avenue, and indeed the rest of the Forest for vehicular access by visitors.”
Here’s the obvious clinch, the carpark will be a paid carpark, and herein the penny drops; this conservative value which seems to hate the concept no one is profiteering, even if it’s entirely natural. Similar misguided logic as the construction of a tax-funded yet chargeable mound at Marble Arch, or a tunnel under Stonehenge so one can’t see our wonder of the world unless one pays. The vision for Savernake Forest is rinsed with “spin, mis-information and claims masquerading as facts on a grand scale,” calls one local resident.
“The whole survey is worded in such a manipulative way,” suggests another Marlborough resident, “it can’t even be taken seriously! You can want all the things it tricks you into agreeing with without wanting to allow profiteering and restricted use of a beautiful local asset.”
One submits, “I’m sure the number of pheasant pens has increased in the last few years – does that count as diversity of wildlife? Certainly, a reason the Estate side that run them might be supportive and why they wouldn’t be keen on people walking around freely.” And on this, another speculates, “what they are up to is keep the public out so they can lease the bottom half of the Forest out for shooting and stalking deer.”
On several occasions the report points the finger at antisocial behaviour, that “the historic nature of the Grand Avenue, in terms of landscaped parkland; as well as the biodiversity and aesthetic values of the Forest are poorly served by the unregulated use of the Grand Avenue by the public for recreational access, anti-social activities and using the Avenue as a through route, or ‘rat-run’.” As if one can eradicate anti-social behaviour by banning everyone from a particular place it might just happen at.
One resident rightly points out the Grand Avenue is far from a sensible option as a rat-run, “more like a snail run,” they say, “as it takes three times as long driving through the Avenue as it does to drive round via Bedwyn or Burbage; it’s like these muppets have never visited the Forest!” And be safe in knowledge I agree, you really don’t want to race through Grand Avenue unless you want wrecked suspension and deer impact craters on your bodywork.
The lane is a beautiful drive, take it less than 20mph, find a place to stop, take a wander, have a picnic, that’s its purpose, and so should it continue to be. “As a resident of Marlborough for 64 years,” Barry tells me, “And a constant user of Grand Avenue, the idea of closing it is totally absurd and only being carried out for monetary gain by the commission. Their survey was, to say the least misleading, although I did highlight the removal of access should not be considered. The forest has been a lifesaver before, during and after lockdown, you only have to drive through it to see the amount of use it gets.”
Usage it might get, but the scale of it means it’s far from overcrowded. Steve expresses his concern to me, “the busiest part is at Postern, but even then, it’s not crowded. But with a car park and cafe it will be crazy. The rest of the forest is never busy, it’s mainly locals that walk in the less well-known areas. Of course, no one likes pollution from cars, but with Savernake being adjacent to two major roads the small amount of traffic on the grand avenue is like a piss in the ocean. I was bought up with the forest as our back yard; my mother who is 87 with early dementia and not very good mobility loves it when I take her in the car through the Avenue.”
Whatever their broken logic, it seems restriction of Savernake Forest, so dear to local residents is a detrimental supposition of liberty, “a lesson in how to alienate all green and nature followers,” suggested an online commentor. Another says “a project of this scale must be preceded by an Environmental Impact Analysis. I can’t find any evidence that one has been done. No EIA no planning consent.”
Please contact the Forestry Commission if you feel strongly about this. Every letter/email WILL help.
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Along the A342, you can see the signature Lion Monument at the entrance of an uphill road.
If you follow it you’ll find yourself by the Chalk Pit where you can park up instead of taking the road down into Etchilhampton village itself. You’re on Etchilhampton Hill.
Walking past the Pit there’s a gate taking you to the Hilltop.
Even on a wet day it’s a wonderful walk for anyone willing to brave the elements and take in the unique view of Devizes and the historic scenic hillsides.
You might even be able to make out the Pewsey White Horse in the distance! And if you’re ambitious you can walk over the hill onto Etchilhampton Road which leads to Coate and eventually the canal, beside which you can find the reputable pub The Bridge Inn on Horton Road.
The hill has several other paths, one for example which leads out onto Brickley Lane where you can head into Devizes Town, and another through a wooded pathway that comes out opposite Stert Village.
There are countless recommendable shortcuts and walkways you can take in the surrounding area and the fun is in discovering them. Hikers, sightseers and locals looking for a long walk take note.
I’m delighted to introduce you to our new writer, T.B.D. Rose, here with details of a nice local walk. I’m hoping this might become something of series, as we all need a little more exercise and there’s such a huge selection of beautiful tracks and trails to choose from! Thank you, TYG.
Beginning past our Town Hall currently adorned with Union Jack’s and through St. John’s Court into St. John’s Church, where once you pass the gate into the church yard you turn right and head over the Bridge leading you to Devizes Medieval Trail.
Standing on the bridge, on the way out of the church yard almost completely untouched by time and leading into suburbia, you can take in the ancient majesty of Devizes Castle from afar.
At the end of the trail, you’ll come into the Hanging Grounds, where you’ll see a plaque detailing the Castle’s fascinating historical significance. A word of warning about the Hanging Grounds though: it’s said little can grow and nothing can be built there due to its haunting history.
From the Hanging Grounds you can turn right to the local Co-op or turn left and walk till you reach the entrance of Hillworth park.
Hillworth park, almost every corner of which holds an exciting activity or notable attraction waiting to be discovered, is an all-round informative and just fun place to explore with its beautifully maintained landscape and small but scrumptious café. Their toasties get a recommendation from me!
So that pretty much sums up our journey, it’s gorgeous, tranquil and altogether convenient for anyone visiting or local who fancies a good stroll through what must be one of our most historical Devizes areas.
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