As promised/threatened (delete as appropriate) I’m continuing on with the pledge to relaunch the Song of the Day feature, and today proves ska is universal.
From Yekaterinburg in Russia, Lollipop Lorry have worked their way to the top of the international ska scene over a twelve year period, getting kudos through a tour of Mexico this year, where the scene is at its apex.
It’s refreshingly fun and carefree sunshine music, as ska should be, and this tune is out today. If anyone could translate I might know the subject, but the amusing speed dating video suggests a frustrating man-hunt! You just have to pick one, Svetlana, we really are all that rubbish, (excluding myself obviously!)
They first caught my attention and affection three years ago when covering the Gaylettes’ rock steady classic, Silent River (Runs Deep) in which one third of Bob Marley’s backing singer trio, The I-Threes, Judy Mowatt takes the lead vocal. Judy’s range is such that this was no easy feat, which front lady Svetlana made a cracking job of, in a sultry and distinctly Russian tinge; I’m smitten, don’t tell the trouble and strife… long distance relationships never work out!
Meaning to bring back this simple and quick feature for a while now, and what better opportunity than a new tune from Cardiff’s reggae virtuosoes Captain Accident and the Disasters?
Nice mellow rock steady number this one, with a sombre theme and contrasting clown in the video. Bring on those happy, happy clowns, for a band who supported Toots and the Maytals on their 2016 UK tour, who Toots Hibbert liked so much to invite them back to do the same for the follow two tours, it could only be more talent than “accident.”
And that’s my song of the day!! Very good, carry on…..
Venturing over to the Barge tonight to catch crazy corsets and getars shenanigans with the Boot Hill All Stars. So, to get me in the mood, supporting act Dry White Bones gets our song of the day…. yee-ha!
And that’s my song of the day!! Very good, carry on…..
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! … Continue reading “Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!”
Never fails to bring a smile, Gecko breezes the feel good factor once again with this heartwarming, summery song. Backed up with the most wonderful video produced by Cas Janssen out of many quirky self portraits sent in from worldwide fans; how utterly brilliant can you possibly get?!
And that’s my song of the day!! Very good, carry on…..
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! … Continue reading “Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!”
I could scrutinise my archives, like a minister’s accountant, but without doing so I highly suspect Lady Nade has had a song featured on our Song of the Day feature once before.
Futile to check, as if I’ve implimented a ruling of one song per artist on our feature, which I haven’t. And even if I had, I’m my own boss here, and have every right to override it. And for what? What purpose?
I’ll tell you, shall I? If only to share and spread the word, this is a gorgeous tune, with a video nodding to her home city, Bristol, and its hint of topical affairs, despite the conotations of the song not revealing a similar notion, rather a classic theme of romance.
But the soulful expertise of Lady Nade makes it look so easy, and in this beautifully executed breezy ballad, one can only gasp at her skill and wallow in its splendour.
And that’s my song of the day!! Very good, carry on…..
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! … Continue reading “Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!”
Here’s a thing, did you know the Michael and Janet Jackson duet “Scream,” is cited as the world’s most expensive music video, totaling a cost of $7 million? And Wacko dished the cash out of his own pocket?
Despite critical acclaim at the time, reaching number 3 in the UK pop charts, and the retaliatory nature of the song against the tabloid assault on Michael after sexual abuse accusations, I thought, and always will think, it was a bit shit, to be perfectly frank!
Look, I mean, okay, bit harsh were the allegations, so MJ thinks, I know, I’ll bag myself a B-movie spaceship, take my sister off the planet, buy us both matching knobbly jumpers, dance about in zero g, and cough up seven million dollars for someone to film it, that’ll convince the fans I’m not a complete fruitcake.
They didn’t even save enough pennies to get it filmed in technicolor. Input sad face emoji.
Compare and contrast to Devizes-own Jon Amor, who, with just the creativity of Lucianne Worthy, a big chunk of inspiration from Jim Henson and some snazzy blue loafers, pulls off this absolute beauty for the track Rider from the latest album Remote Control.
Smashed it, guys, and it’s in colour too. Proof you don’t gotta do a Wacko Jacko and push the boat out as far as Mars to accomplish something all together entertaining.
And that’s my song of the day!! Very good, carry on….
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! … Continue reading “Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!”
Having a great album reviewed fairly recently on Devizine doesn’t exclude you from being in the spotlight of our Song of the Day posts. And if it ever does, call me out on it. Just ask me who hell I think I am, Vlad the Impaler, or something similar.
Check the review of Buy All That $tuff by Andy, here, or just enjoy today’s video, Night Terrors, exposing where the band practice, under the beds of children, obviously! Which kinda makes we wish I was a kid again, as there were no bands practicing under beds back then. Just once I’d like to have discovered, I dunno, the Bangles perhaps, practicing under my bed!
And that’s my song of the day!! Very good, carry on….
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! … Continue reading “Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!”
Song of the Day hoggers! Yes, they’ve had a song featured on our song of the day feature once before, and yes, they’ve had so many thumbs up on Devizine in general, thumbs are starting to ache, but The Lost Trades have a new song, getting another thumbs up, a sneak from the forthcoming album, and it simply, without question, has to be our song of the day… I’m the editor, what I sez goes, sue me if I’m wrong, I double dare you!
And that’s my song of the day!! Very good, carry on….
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! … Continue reading “Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!”
My classic excuses don’t wash in an online era; the dog ate my Song of the Day blogpost, I’m certain I put it in my bag when I left school, bull like that.
I know, right. It’s been a while since my last Song of the Day, a post I promised on a daily basis but failed, miserably. I got nothing, no excuse that’ll wash. But the moment you hear this tune from John Smith and Jolyon Dixon, the duo known as Illingworth, you’ll understand the need to bring it back.
They’re the Kenco of local music, instantly, each new song comes across as a rock classic, sounding as if it’s always been swimming around in your head.
But Man Made of Glass is emotionally topical and contemporary. Just, go on, have a listen, and I might be persuaded to realign my promise to bring you a song of the day each day, else I’ll have to change the title to song of the month, which is a bit lack lusture of me.
Pulling my finger out, if you’re looking for someone to blame; Netflix. There, it’s out there. Why has every fair idea got to be flipping twelve season series of 200 episodes each, consisting of a drawn-out narrative a better writer could’ve concluded in a hour and half movie? For God’s sake, bring back live music!
Anyway, I’m waffling, feel free to stop me; that’s my song of the day. Very good, carry on….
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! … Continue reading “Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!”
Naarm/Melbourne-based singer-songwriter, Maple Glider releasesd a new single today, “Good Thing.”
Her striking emotionality is at the centre of her performance, which opens with her light and velvety voice accompanied by a sparsely strummed guitar. She wastes no time in revealing the state of sadness she’s in, offering such tenderness and introspection that the listener feels as though they’re inside her bedroom as she plays for herself. Eschewing a traditional chorus, the repeated refrain is more a bookend to each verse. The emotional apex hits in verse three, turning the song into a spectral folk powerhouse with the revelation that she’s cutting ties before things turn sour.
Ziestch explains: “I wrote this song out of a place of defeat. I was really heartbroken at this point, and very confused. I like the feeling of my independence and I think I was afraid of putting energy into the wrong people. Sometimes we make decisions out of fear and sometimes it’s because we know that it is the best decision to make. Those lines can get very blurry.”
And that’s my song of the day. Very good, carry on….
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! … Continue reading “Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!”
We are the mods, we are the mods, we are, we are, okay, you get the gist. Imagine Kate Nash is Doctor Who’s assistant, and they tracked back to Carnaby Street in 1963. If she dressed and performed without raising suspicion that they’re time travellers, you’ve got a general picture of the fantastic Emily Capell.
On one hand, this is fab retrospective meddling, on the other it’s lively and fresh fun, with a beehive hairdo.
There’s nothing here not to like, unless you’re a ret-con rocker and if so, I’ll see you on Brighton beach, pal. All I ask is you aim for the face, so you don’t crease my suit.
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! … Continue reading “Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!”
I know, I accept your question, and let me just say, I think it’s a very good question, one which I fully intend to answer in the fullness of time, but first, let me just say this, and this alone, and let us be totally sure that this is the correct time to, indeed, as you ask, for me to answer that question, one which I think is a very good question, as I may or may not have said and I really feel it is a question which needs answering….and so on, and so forth….
Think I’ve got what it takes for national politics?! I can waffle shit for Queen and country, and yes, I promised a Song of the Day feature everyday, and I haven’t delivered on that promise for a few days now, and any excuse I could provide wouldn’t be fully truthful. That’s why I believe I’ve got what it takes, my capacity to lie is acute, and my moral responsibility is pretty much shot, besides I couldn’t possibly mess it up further than it already is anyway, so yeah; I might stand.
The fact you’re probably all watching real politicians waffling about the easing stages of lockdown, is neither here nor there. I’m going to slip our song of the day in now, when you least expect me to.
And it’s wonderful, earthy folk outfit Strange Folk, with a track called Glitter. You may recall them playing the Vinyl Realm Stage at Devizes Street Festival, you may not. But enjoy, it’s gorgeously fantastical, the kind of escapism we need right now.
Back to reality, why they gotta keep calling it a “roadmap,” for crying out loud? Boris navigating for real and you’d end up driving headlong into a lake.
Strange Folk they might be, but not as strange as those leading us, I might add. The announcement will be on all night, while the Daily Mirror managed to sum it all up, hours prior to the conference, in one neat graphic.
And that’s my song for the day. Very good. Carry on…..
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! … Continue reading “Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!”
Nigel writes to confirm he’s from the “Devizes side of Bristol!” Had to laugh about the perceived strictness of an obnoxious aging school teacher, and feel I should explain. While Devizine does offer local news subjects, since lockdown we’ve blown up our border control and now rampage internationally when it comes to featuring arts and music. So, it makes hide nor hair what side of Bristol you come from, or even if you come from Bristol Connecticut, if I like it or I think my readers will, I’ll mention it, and despite the title, Boring, yeah, I do.
Seems we’re alike, Nigel, least in the concept don’t judge a book by its cover, because this nugget of quirky art-pop reminds me of Talking Heads and is far from boring. Nigel explained the meaning, “[it’s] written after spending time with people who only seem to like the sound of their own voice – warning, I may be one of them!” Yep, me too. But if we’re not one of them, we all know one who is.
“The song started off as a Stones/Pistols rant,” he continued, “and has developed into a soft indie rock stomp, with an added lyrical twist at the end.”
It’s the first single from a forthcoming album, Hello Mystery, which I think we need to review nearer the time. Until then, that’s my song of the day, very good, carry on….
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! … Continue reading “Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!”
Can you go twice on our Song of the Day feature? No, certainly not, one shot is all, get over it!
Wha? Cabin fever, me? Getting tetchy, perpetual rain the only visible sign of spring, going to need Google maps to locate my local pub if it ever gets back to normal, whatever normal is, been so long, forgotten, might need retraining in how to order a pint… ah, okay, point taken. I’m calm….
Here we go with the brilliant Big Ship Alliance reggae band, who may’ve had a Song of Day before but hey, when you hear this you’ll realise why I’m making the exception to my steadfast iron ruling.
My Life, it’s called, featuring Mitchell Joseph Thompson, and the Alliance introduces us to the incredible Kiano Taylee. At 13, it’s an emotive and sentimental debut single, capturing teenage anguish, bullying and family issues which bear heavy on modern youth. Moving stuff.
For the record, I was young once too, you know. But, don’t let me get started on my memoirs, it’s a longwinded tale of nothingness but reading the Beano and eating spaghetti hoops. But, that’s my song for the day. Very good. Carry on…..
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! … Continue reading “Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!”
A tad shocked my car fluked its way through its MOT today, first time. Going on the theory good luck is a positive virus, maybe I should get a lottery ticket.
It’s your lucky day too, Song of the Day needs no introduction; Lady Nade, ’nuff said?
And that’s my song for the day. Very good. Carry on…..
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! … Continue reading “Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!”
Ever just float around your favourite social media site with no objective in mind, to unexpectedly find something which pounces on you as utterly brilliant, and wonder why you’ve not heard about it before?
Took a second of watching this to establish it’s one of those rare occasions, and not just a pointless scrolling exercise for your index finger. You know the kind, where you only see your mate’s unappealing dinner, a wonky, windup political opinion, or video of a young prankster posing as a magician hoaxing eye candy on a Florida beach.
Took a further second to confirm it’s not to be confused with senior easy listening giant, Andy Williams, rather an indie-pop Bristol-based singer-songwriter namesake, but with an added middle J, a penchant for a funky riff and eye for a beguiling tune.
Check this cracking danceable video out, where one could ponder if the middle J stands for “Jacko!”
Not that I’m usually one to allow a cracking video convince me, even with dancing stormtroopers. So, you should note, he’s on his third album “Buy all the $tuff,” of which you can, here. I’m reckoning I need a window to review this fully in the near future. For now it came as big as a nice surprise as spotting an unidentified circular yellow object in the sky this morning, for a near halfhour! Amazing.
And that’s my song for the day. Very good. Carry on…..
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! … Continue reading “Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!”
Self-taught multi-instrumentalist, singer and actor, Darling Boy, aka Alexander Gold adds reminisces about his game childhood with this video for his new single “Tea Drinkers of the World.” An unusual move for this brand of indie-pop, but a colourful and entertaining 16-bit retro game fashioned video; enjoy.
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! … Continue reading “Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!”
If you’ve not heard of The Lost Trades before, you must be new to Devizine! Not a problem, we welcome newbies with open arms.
For further information we have a search bar, use it!There are plenty of archived features on The Lost Trades, Phil Cooper, Jamie R Hawkins and Tamsin Quin: enough for Devizine to be an official fan club! These Song of the Day posts are brief and are not intended to be full reviews.
They’re also about introducing you to artists we’ve not, or hardly ever mentioned much of before. Today’s case differs.
I should explain, we’ve followed the individual careers of this local vocal harmony trio since the website’s creation, and they’re three out of many in through doing this, have become personal friends.
Naturally, there’s a danger to the bias of honest criticism in a reviewer befriending the creators; mainstream artists use “enemy” as a term to describe NME journalists.
Although they’re aware I’d be critical if there was ever anything to be critical about, this is also, never a problem, because, simply, the awkward situation never arises.
Partly, I believe, this is because Devizine isn’t a job, it’s a hobby, and if I thought for a second I’ll unjustly slag anyone off for kicks, then the whole objective of it is compromised. Though it’s a delicate balance to provide honest content and maintain relationships with the talented subjects, there’s no reason to wreck a career, and I’d sooner avoid scribbling anything on the matter at all.
The fact if you do search for the Lost Trades or the musicians which make the trio up, you’ll find a fair amount of matter on the subject, can therefore mean only one thing: there never is a problem because they’re genuinely awesome, and this would still be the case even if they hated my guts. Which I’m not ruling out, but suspect it’s unlikely; least I can hope for is they think I’m a headcase. A friendly headcase, but a headcase nonetheless!
Still, it’s a great song, as ever, with a fascinating homemade video fusing Jamie’s enthusiasm for stop motion animation. Get it here.
And that’s my song for the day. Very good. Carry on….
If you came here looking for an original song by upcoming hopefuls, look away. Chippenham’s Blondie & Ska may not be groundbreaking or looking for a mainstream recording contract, a Blondie tribute act who fuse ska and Two-Tone classics into their repertoire, but what they do they do with a barrel load of lively fun. And, in a nutshell, lively carefree fun is the backbone of ska.
Heores of the live stream currently, booking Blondie & Ska for a party or pub gig in the future, and you can gurantee, if fussy music devotees tut, the majority will be up dancing. For this reason enough, I blinking love this duo, but that alone is plentiful. Like their Facebook page for details of future free streams, it’s an entertaining, unpretentious show.
And that’s my song for the day. Very good. Carry on….
Anytime is a good time for some roots reggae, Sunday morning, doublely so.
Enter one of my favourite current reggae bands, from Madrid, the Emertarians.
They always remind me of an occasion, at a festival in Andalusia. I watched this great French reggae band. The slighty rotound frontman looked rather like the late, great Jacob Miller. After the performance I noted he was standing close to me, watching the following act. I went over in hope of telling him how much I enjoyed their music, praying they spoke English.
I momentarily regretted my school French lessons, which I spent making homemade comics out of text books, as he replied with an adamant no upon asking if he spoke English.
All the vocabulary my intoxicated mind could conjour was “tres bien,” so I repeated it perpetually in true Del-Boy fashion!
Otherwise the meeting was the awkward silence of communication breakdown, in which I suspected they thought I was completely nuts. Not so far from the truth.
So, I namedropped Jacob Miller and suddenly we had understanding and mutual respect for the man. My point is, sometimes the Emertarians sing in Spanish and sometimes English, often the Spanish ones more emotive, but reggae has no language barriers, because it’s spiritual meaning and uplifting ambiance is universal. As with the French Jacob Miller-alike, we were on the same song sheet….
Naturally at that conjunction, I rolled a joint.
And that’s my song for the day. Very good. Carry on….
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! … Continue reading “Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!”
Congratulations go to folk duo Antonie & Owena for winning the G.S.M.C award for Best Album this year. Yet it’s not their first award, winning best duo at last year’s GSMC, and others. Here’s Something Out of Nothing, which I think explains all you need to know about how and why they won it!
And that’s my song for the day. Very good. Carry on….
Even portions of expressive contemporary pop, the ambience of post-goth and downtempo electric blues of trip hop makes this Staffordshire singer, Darla Jade really someone to watch. With a haunting uniqueness about her voice and style, there’s shards of Evanescence fused with Beth Orton. It’s somehow individually chartable but would also appease alternative rock or goth aficionados alike.
Subscribe to her YouTube channel, hear her own stamp on Radiohead’s Creep, and realise, her talent is so very special.
And that’s my song for the day. Very good. Carry on….
Facebook memories posts a year ago this week we rocked up in the Celler Bar raising money for the Waiblingen Way Fire fund, and makes me stops and think about the years I’ve been smashing out articles on Devizine. So many artists and bands we’ve mentioned, I rarely forget about them, this one I admit I nearly did. Most likely because I didn’t get the opportunity to attend Stoke-on-Trent’s teenage country sensation Emily Lockett’s gig at Dean’s Country Club, then operating at Devizes Cons Club, later at the Cavalier.
So, nice as it is to discover new talent, equally important is to recap. Emily must be nearing her twenties now, and as a musical prodigy from aged 5, her expertise shines through in a matured sense now. This track, Front Porch says it all.
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as … Continue reading “Seren’s New Single; Worm”
Hi, yeah s’me, keeping up the Song of the Day feature like dedication was as word I know the definition of!
No excuses not to, I mean I am of the generation when Roy Castle clasped his trumpet weekly, ready for the signing off of “Record Breakers.” No, it’s not a euthanasim, Google it whippersnappers.
Might also explain my fondness for brass. Brass is class, and a vital element of ska. Yep, four tunes in and I couldn’t resist sharing some ska with you.
It’s a commonly misguided notion that ska is a retrospective cult here in England. It tends to convey a bygone era of Two-Tone records, boots and braces.
Yet today, while said stereotype has a grounding, ska is an international phenomenon, particularly in South America. I did write a piece about this region’s love for ska, and how it’s roots out of Jamaica bare a different tale from our own.
To show you how fresh it can be elsewhere in the world, and it’s not a reminiscence for a load of overweight balding pensioners as perceived in the UK, here’s all-female bar one Mexican band, Girls Go Ska, who I’m secretly in love with, (so secret they don’t even know themselves….until they use Google translate!) doing an instrumental jam.
Girls and ska; what’s not to like? Have a lovely rest of your day. Very good. Carry on….
‘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!
A sad state of affairs and reflection on the era, to see village pubs dilapidated and closed, once thriving hubs of a community. I thought this as I drove past Bottlesford’s Seven Stars just the other day, for it was the last pub standing within the Woodborough area, aside from a hike into Pewsey or Honeystreet. Fear not helpless peasant drinkers, as the Gazelle & Herod reports, the billionaires fly in to save us!
Is it a bird? No. Is it a plane? No. Gawd bless yer Lady Loretta Rothschild, trouble n strife of financier Lord Nathaniel Rothschild, for according to the rag, she’s only dun gone brought the gaff, n saved a community from remaining sober!
A spokesperson for Lord Rothschild told the Financial Times, “the pub is a critical part of the local community, and it was on Lady Rothschild’s initiative that the decision was taken to save it.”
Interestingly, the article points out only a fraction of rural pubs are being brought out by “Wiltshire’s ultra-wealthy,” but points to Ramsbury’s Bell, owned now by H&M shareholder Stefan Persson, with a $25 billion fortune and American Center Parks VP Chad Pike, who bagged the The Lamb at Edington, and turned it into the Three Daggers.
The fate of other failing pubs may not be so secure. Ours is now a shop, welcomed by villagers despite the fact we already had a community shop which failed, attached to the once pub, which also failed. I figured it was a shame, though I might poke my snozzle in, might not, but upon a Facebook post stating it had a “beer cave” I was there in 30 seconds; at least I can drink at home. One nil to affordability over social interaction.
Some pubs remain lost causes, empty shells of what they once were, some converted to flats, many ironically turned into antique shops. They can often start bringing in antiques before you’ve had time to finish up your pint! What a shabby state of affairs and I suppose I should welcome “the Clarkson syndrome” of billionaire buyouts, but do we know whose mouths are we feeding when we buy a drink in our local pub? Ones whose plates are already stacked?
Oh no, herein strides another socialist wordsmith in his work boots, dribbling a peasant’s revolt rant; more Snot Tyler than Wat.
Us hoi polloi must accept we’re nourishing the already bulging wallet of a nationalist tyrant when we drink at ‘Spoons, but do it anyway to save ourselves a penny. Are these billionaire buyouts going to likewise offer cheap booze, when they’re located in affluent areas and alone in the market? Doubtful, even though they could potentially afford to. And if they don’t, is it fair to question their real motives for buying the places?
Are they really the heroes here? Or are they merely profiteering, extending their already plentiful wealth? Spreading their assets for tax purposes, perhaps? Don’t ask me, do I look like Mr Monopoly? I can barely afford half a soda water in these places, let alone buy the gaff!
But souls will be watered, I guess. It’s good news pubs return and that’s all we need to know. Billionaire’s would buy their way into heaven, if Mark hadn’t said “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” stop on, Mark, just because it’s your round!!
Some four years since his last release under his own name, Lavington’s electronica composer Moray McDonald presents a soundtrack; the music he wrote and produced for Devizes’ Wharf Theatre’s production of Kit Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, which was performed back in January…..
It was one of those rare occasions I stepped in to cover the dress rehearsal as our regular theatre critic Ian, was busy, stuffing a bucketload of Rice Krispies in the play! And I’m glad I did. I was uncertain if I’d take to director Liz Seabourne’s recreation of this Elizabethan gothic black comedy, but came out of there thoroughly enthralled. The composition of the play’s many components made it one of the best plays I’ve seen; the script, acting and production, yet it wouldn’t have been half as spookily ambient if it wasn’t for Moray’s soundtrack.
Image:@jenimeadephotography
They may only be nine snippets of sound, but with the music on Bandcamp at name your price, listening to it took me back to the play, and reminiscing at just how brilliantly sinister it was. Acts of Black Magic starts us off, an eerie soundscape, with harpsichord strings and jingling fool’s caps, Somewhat to Delight has an unnerving medieval court jester feel to it, grinning devilishly, and then we’re back on soundscapes, and Mendelssohn’s Wedding March gets a spooky underscore.
We swap from a soundscape to orchestral with each brief track, The Seven Deadly Sins nods playfully to Celtic folk dance, whereas the following Devil’s Attack lends more to Burana’s O Fortuna, but all are equally unsettlingly devilish or scary faerie. If anything it displays the diversity at Moray’s skilled hands, being his concentration has recently been on his Cephid project, a ground-breaking album of electronica,Sparks in the Darkness, which we fondly reviewed in 2023, and enjoyed a rare and intimate live performance of at Bath’s Rondo Theatre.
Can we please draw a red line under Pewsey’s Moonrakers St George’s Cross facade fiasco now Wiltshire Council has u-turned on a proposal forcing landlord Jerry Kunkler to paint over it? Providing we don’t draw a vertical red line at its centre-point, yes!!
Locally It’s created divided opinion, but reaching national media has wonked the entire narrative, in which many passing causal comments are either sadly misinformed, triggered, or both. For what it’s worth, far from being a patriotic flagshagger, I support Jerry, the “Moonies,” and their flag motif, but to understand why is to understand Pewsey, its manner, and the pub’s reasoning for doing it in the first place. Unfortunately nationwide few do, or even care to. All they see is their polarised falsehood that someone somewhere is attempting to take away their national pride; it’s pretty pathetic when you stop to think about it.
I profess this storm in a teacup really projects an equally bad look for leftwingers as well as the far right, and that’s what troubles me most. Understanding the difference between patriotism and nationalism is crucial. Holding a love and pride in one’s country is fair game, shared values, and the desire to improve it is never an issue. Nationalism, however, is a fervent, often exclusionary devotion to the nation, frequently asserting its superiority over others. To make this pride into aggression against others is the drive to xenophobia. But the bottom line is, that’s not what’s happened here and if you think it is, you’ve been hoodwinked by propaganda. I’m not even here to patronise you if you have, a lot of money has been put into it to make it powerfully persuasive.
The only defence you can reasonably put up, in my opinion, is that the pub is a listed building, and Jerry didn’t have permission to make such an alteration, for this is the only reason why it became an issue with Wiltshire Council. I get this, and sympathise, it was a bit naughty, but this is Pewsey, in the nicest of ways it’s a law unto itself, and that’s part of its charm! I really don’t differentiate between this and when Just Stop Oil harmlessly threw some red powder at Stonehenge; no permanent damage done, just paint, it’s reversible.
Justifiable I say, considering our loss of so many village pubs in this current financial hole, a landlord must do whatever they can to stay afloat, and Jerry’s had some publicity over this, hopefully The Moonrakers will prevail because of it. It has always been dubbed “the Moonies fun pub,” by locals, and the boot fits. It is, as Pewsey resident lefty vegan Pants’ guitarist Fal Carmicheal suggested in probably the most surprisingly supportive and informative Facebook comment on the matter, “it’s just a pub in a village where people go to watch sports on a big TV. He may be a Tory Councillor (has been for years) but he’s not a fascist, his pub isn’t a hive of NF goons.”
Providing some history and a few expletives to enhance his anger, Fal expressed Jerry’s family are firmly rooted in Pewsey, that “his father flew Spitfires during the siege of Malta.” And continued to explain the façade was painted a decade ago, in support of Pewsey’s Shelley Rudman in the 2013 Winter Olympics. “It was done purely as a mark of support for various sporting events, all of which he plays on his big TV in the bar. Nobody here fucking cares that his pub has a poorly-painted red cross on it. It’s just Jerry’s pub.” And that, my friends, is the Pewsey spirit in a nutshell!!
Wiltshire Council announced, “The Eastern Area Planning Committee has granted listed building consent for the retention of painted England flag decoration on the front of The Moonrakers Inn in Pewsey.
The decision was made despite the planning officer’s report, which recommended the committee refuse the application on the grounds that the painting of the front of the pub fails to preserve its special interest as a Grade II listed building and its setting in the Pewsey Conservation Area.
However, after considering the officer report, planning policy, and all material considerations, the committee resolved to grant consent.”
Landlord Jerry Kunkler thanked all for “the support you have given me relating to the painted George Cross on the front of the Moonrakers. Permission was granted this afternoon to allow it to stay.”
Context is everything. This was never an intended affiliation with the far right, and after all, how is the decoration any different from a mainstream shop altering a building to advertise itself? I say common sense prevailed and wish Jerry and all at The Moonrakers the very best.
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.
The award-winning film, ‘The voice of Hind Rajab’ will be shown for one night only on Monday 18th May at 7pm at Swindon Arts Centre…..
In January 2024, 6 year old Hind was killed along with her cousins, aunt, uncle and two paramedics from The Palestinian Red Crescent who came to their aid after their car was fired on by Israeli forces in Gaza City. Hosted by the Arts Centre and Create Studios, this is your chance to bear witness to the events depicted in this heartbreaking film.
This film, which uses the actual voice of Hind from recordings made of her phone calls, received a 23 minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. Ticket prices have been kept low at £3 to encourage people to come along. It’s important that the voice of Hind is heard. There will be an opportunity on the night to make a donation to support the people living in Gaza via the British Red Cross Gaza appeal.
There will be an introduction before the film by a Swindon based British Red Cross employee, followed by an opportunity to ask questions and share your thoughts after the screening.
If options for urbanites seeking experiential or themed dining experiences are boundless, they’re lesser so in our rural backwaters. Yet, we’ve returned from a delicious and most memorable Sunday lunch at The Water Gypsy, a working longboat pop-up licensed restaurant cruising the Kennet & Avon Canal; it’s the unique and enjoyable experience you really need to sample for yourself…..
In order to do so you can either check their website or social media for availability and mooring in your area, as they stop at various locations throughout the summer, autumn and Christmas season…. but chase them up and book you must! This spring season has started their third year, and its popularity is such it gets booked quickly. Until your lucky occasion, I can only try to express in words just how scrumptious and wonderful our experience of it was, and boy, it was!
Drawn to The Shed at Dulwich social experiment, where pranksters tricked TripAdvisor into ranking their shed #1 restaurant in London, to the “middle age” scene in Monty Python’s Meaning of Life, where Idle and Jones play an American couple dining in a torture chamber, some quirky dining enterprises can be unnecessarily extreme, some exploit desire to discover unique dining experiences rather than conform to parochial restaurant culture. Howbeit, if seeking such experiences you must, The Water Gypsy presents a most honourable, comforting and hospitable repast; Polly and Hank run the show, balance cooking with being perfect hosts, and stop at nothing to ensure you’re fed in finest fettle.
Being they’re currently moored in Devizes, it was a short appetite-boosting walk along the towpath and we boarded this beautifully decorated and pristine boat, warmed by a log burner, welcomed affectionately and seated on the only communal table set for twelve guests. You could liken the reception, and the whole occasion, more to a dinner party than sitting alone in a restaurant.
Life on the canal may not always be the romantic setting of freedom preconceived, but The Water Gypsy hones on that idyllic image, glimpses into the fantastical.
Drinks are served, and you are not rushed here. It’s all finest ingredients, homemade and using local produce, which they proudly transform into tapas-style plates that celebrate sharing and connection. A grazing board, chockfull of dips and tapenade arrived, with pesto topped crostini, charcuterie skewers antipastisti with melon, avocado & prawns, Moroccan carrot puff pastry with orange and thyme syrup, and harissa tahini yoghurt, and, and, oh, look I’m no Jay Rayner, don’t even sport a goatee, I’m only now aware how my tastebuds will love me forevermore!
Pescatarian and vegan are catered for, but our main courses were beef estofado, a scrummy slow-cooked Peruvian stew, and delicately sliced hasselback potatoes, sticky pork glazed in garlic and ginger, with spicy Asian broccoli, and chicken tikka skewers with tomato salad….need I say more for clues to the way to my heart? Food heaven in gypsy ornamentation charm, canalside!
A perfectly baked brownie with strawberries and ice cream polished me off, though the other choice was a rather smashing looking cheese board, which Newsquest reporter Jamie opted for, and while tempted to nick his grapes, such was the hospitable atmosphere and such was the gorgeous food so beautifully presented, I thought I’d best behave!
Herein arrives the time when, in a typical restaurant, you’re encouraged to get your coat, but I’ve already observed a washtub and broomhandle propped up in the corner, and identified their owners; we’re in for some entertainment, and I couldn’t think of anyone more apt for the occasion.
Polly wants Sunday afternoons to have an additional live music finale, and while we’ve pondered some alternatives, boaters themselves, Nipper and Jellylegs Johnson drop in to tantalise us audibly the same way and with the same proficiency Polly has done with our palate. It’s a show you could never tire from, nor find fault with. The Devil’s Doorbell, cheeky, quirky duo passionately recreating jazz and blues roots with homemade instruments, skiffle, bucketloads of charisma and more double entendres than Finbar Saunders remaking the entire backlog of Carry-On films.
There was an encore singalong, and with conversation and wine flowing, the atmosphere was unlike anything you’d find at a restaurant. The Water Gypsy is, by very definition, the most pleasant and divine, not to mention scrummy, dining experience this side of Milliways, Douglas Adams’ Restaurant at the End of the Universe, only this one is a bit closer, just along the towpath!
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses a worm analogy to convey shadows of diffidence. Yet, it is a breath of fresh air of resilience, and an exhaustive equilibrium in which to express sorrow and build from a simple honest riff to a sublime and encapsulating stentorian…..
Worm, released today, is impressive. It’s a richly layered spring-like emerge, a hedgehog poking his nose out of his winter nest. If isolation is a trap, Seren’s uplifting vocals are the escape route, and in this it’s a message to herself which will profoundly convex to others through association; the key to good folk music. Though, it is an urban myth that you can cut an earthworm into two and both parts will live, Seren uses the comparison to the numbness of her mood, not for dividing or multiplying herself, rather to “see if I feel a thing.”
A reflection on a burrowing exercise from emotional blunting, then, hiding, and waiting for a storm to emerge; this song should be that onset squall, for whilst it uses classic singer-songwriter folk hinting towards Sandy Denny or Maddy Prior influences, the beauty of Seren’s vocal range melancholically penetrates through the numbness of its subject; the formula of an experienced artist, of how Tammy Wynette could woo an audience. Though Worms equally captures, it depends more on mood observation than the literal narrative of the likes of Wynette.
“I wrote the song when I was sixteen, in October, a few months into starting my first year at college,” Seren explained, “the song was linked to struggles with mental health that I have had around that time and before, and how it was making me feel. It’s a song that was very personal and something that will forever hold meaning for me.”
So, I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting Seren yet, nor seen her perform. I booked her for our double-bill with M3G for our first evening at the newly opened Fold in The Lamb, Devizes based on the strength of the few social media videos she has posted and M3G’s recommendation; they’ve worked together before. This song strengthens my faith that this will be an amazing night, for, like M3G, Seren holds a rare skill to encapsulate through honesty and fidelity to her music. You need to listen to Worm, and if you do, I’ll see you on Friday 24th April; yeah you got me, it’s a gig plug, but even if it wasn’t, in writing and acoustic combo, Worm is this prodigious and breathtaking!
We are pleased to start 2026 by announcing that this year, we are planning to run the Imberbus service on Saturday 15th August 2026 when several vintage former London Transport Routemaster double deckers (plus a few newer ones) along with some visiting buses from other areas, will again provide a bus service from Warminster Station […]
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves!
What the actual F are they trying to prove with their negative coverage of an illegal rave, when tax-dodging billionaires ripped a financial hole into the country, political extremists march causing division and spreading hate, yet all seem unscathed from media assaults, and countrymen illegally hunt without concern journalists might pop out of the hedgerow with a waggy finger? That a few kids want to have a party? Really?!
Their laughable problem is, rage-bait backfires and they lose readership. Post comments on their social media shares in support of the ravers, by all means, but don’t rise to the temptation of clicking on these articles, because they couldn’t give a monkey’s arse about your opinion, they only want to feed their advertisers with blossoming stats.
The Castlemorton Common Festival in May 1992 was the UK’s largest illegal rave, with an estimated 50,000 attendees, a mere fraction of the hundreds of thousands of folk who regularly ventured out to party their cares away at the peak of rave culture in the nineties. Perhaps there’s some diehards still at it, more organising events, but for the most, they’ve matured, settled into life, yet retain fond, kaleidoscopic memories they don’t want tarnished by negativity about the slim chance of a comeback!
Media platforms pathetically attempt to enrage for clickbait with damning reports about the odd slight bank holiday gathering, when the feedback suggests the reality for a majority is the only annoyance it might cause them, is that they never dusted off their white gloves and whistles, and attended themselves?!
I have to laugh at the audacity, the final irony being, when acid house parties first appeared in the eighties, there were only a handful of Ibiza-returning aficionados partying, until one invited a journalist and the newspapers exploded the scene! At first they encouraged it, tongue-in-cheek, The Sun even sold acid house t-shirts. But once the scene blossomed, out of government control, and t-shirt sales waned, they turned nasty, exploiting it with scare stories for parents to wither in fear their teenagers might be involved. It was more likely they weren’t, until they saw the newspapers, but by then it was on Top of the Pops.
It was as if they did it just to sell newspapers; who’d have flunked it possible?! Crazy to think how the press would be so callous, but now it seems they’re up to it again, and I predict adverse effects, again. The bottom line being it’s no new-fangled trend, and wasn’t back when; for as long as mankind has been on Earth, they gathered tribally to dance to hypnotic beats, and didn’t need TicketSource to do so.
There’s nothing for younger people to do in the cesspit we call “progress,” and just as it was back in the nineties, if they want to ensemble, gather freely for enjoyment, make the most of what little freedom they retain building communities, friendships and celebrating their time alive, then so be it. Open your eyes and look around; there’s far worse they could be doing.
So, journalists, get your own life, and quit jumping on their backs for hits …..please share this article if you agree with this hypocrite writer, or give the codger a chewing gum, bottle of water, and send him off to the fantastical utopia of blissful yore swishing in his mindset!!
Look, right, I’m not at the top yet, but it’s in clear sight. A round number, of the half century kind, awaits me atop the hill, and there’s no stopping the ride to get off.
I guess reaching these milestone ages causes you to analyse your life somewhat, and if there’s one thing I do know in all my years, it’s that I’ve told some colossal pork pies. Some real stinkers. I don’t know why, other than occupational hazard as a journalist, I’ve no excuses, not one which will wash with you clever lot.
Whether it be for the prestige, the glory, or, sometimes just for the sheer hell of it, just because the golden opportunity arose and I couldn’t stop myself, they just slipped out.
I’m not proud, just saying, you know, get it off my chest. Not compulsively, though, I’d go as far to say the majority of what I say is true.
Why do people say, “I’ll be honest with you…” ? Well duh, I sincerely hope you do anyway, it should go without saying. But the phrase immediately raises the alarm; I’m guessing a whopper is on its way. I never use that phrase on principle. The principle I don’t trust myself to keep to it.
See, what with the whopper, the real damaging kind of fib. I consider my track record on that quite good, I tend to lie to big myself up, but not to put others down. I tend to lie to make light of a situation, rather than darken the notion. I tend not to lie to anyone I trust not to lie to me, and I’ve seen too many of them backfire anyway, so, I’m done with lies, filled my quota but retain decency in not being overly destructive with them; quantity not quality!
And anyway, I don’t lie here, cos I trust you all, I really do. This isnt a tabloid, this is me. Clearly you get what you see, which might be a waffling clown but, hey.
So, Harmony, from Chippenham, on the subject of liars; she’s not singing about me, no sir, not when I say with all the honesty left in me, this young singer-songwriter I’ve discovered via Sheer music, has got something really special. And even if I was lying, which I’m not, I’ve shared the video, to prove it.
And that’s Song of the Day, for the third day. It’s become a popular feature, overnight, honest.
Should you choose to believe that!
Have a lovely rest of your day. Very good. Carry on….
Newly-formed just a year ago, this Birmingham-based seven piece reggae band, Big Ship Alliance started out as possibly the only tribute act to reggae legend Freddie McGregor, but on track to record their own material they’ve teamed up with the outstanding UB40 tribute act, Johnny2Bad for this gorgeous topical debut single.
Featuring Robbie Levi and Stones, aside from my love of all things reggae, the song’s positive message of togetherness and unification during this era of the pandemic makes it more than apt for my second “song of the day” post. Though I did say I wasn’t intending to write anything like a review on this feature, just let you enjoy the tunes, and this is kinda heading a little bit “reviewy.” Probably cos it’s such a nice tune.
I also promised not to waffle; but I’m here now. Something about having your cake and eating it goes in rather appropriately at this point!
More so than being my song of the day, I believe this should be, as the Big Ship Alliance say themselves, “the anthem for 2021!”
Determined to make this feature a goer, as of yesterday’s pledge to add a song each day, ingeniously titled “song of the day.” I know, right, it scares me at times, I’ll be honest!
So, enjoy this fantastic tune, let the good vibes roll and have a great rest of the day. Same time tomorrow then?
Irregularly I share a music video to our Facebook page with the status “song of the day,” or week, or whenever, as if it’s a daily occurrence. When the reality is it’s a big, fat fib on my part, it’s only when I happen to find such a video and can be arsed to share it. What-cha gonna do, sue me?
So, just in case your lawyer says you have a case, I thought I’d streamline this sporadic idea for 2021, make it an actual feature on the site rather than a Facebook post, and show off that I know what long words like “sporadic” mean.
Little more gone into it than this, you should be used to it by now. I’m not going to review them, just embed them here for your own appraisal and entertainment purposes. Potentially, it’ll be a groundbreakingily breif post, a simple but effective phenomenon, and something I can do without missing the Simpsons.
The challenge is consistency; whether I actually stick to the idea or, like others, it’ll be a flash in the pan. Who knows, this could be the start of something beautiful, this could be the thing they’re talking about in decades to come. A holographic Ken Bruce could be asking “what was the very first Devizine Song of the Day” in a Pop Master 200 years from now.
And you can answer it with who I bestow this honour, Atari Pilot. They’ll be revelling in the triumph of the hour if it wasn’t lockdown, I bet.
History in the making then, the only issue I foresee is I over-waffle any old crap, which is, incidentally, not what’s happening now and rarely does here; I had to explain myself, didn’t I?
Okay, I get message; here it is then, enjoy the tune, enjoy the rest of your evening. Good job, carry on.
‘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!
A sad state of affairs and reflection on the era, to see village pubs dilapidated and closed, once thriving hubs of a community. I thought this as I drove past Bottlesford’s Seven Stars just the other day, for it was the last pub standing within the Woodborough area, aside from a hike into Pewsey or Honeystreet. Fear not helpless peasant drinkers, as the Gazelle & Herod reports, the billionaires fly in to save us!
Is it a bird? No. Is it a plane? No. Gawd bless yer Lady Loretta Rothschild, trouble n strife of financier Lord Nathaniel Rothschild, for according to the rag, she’s only dun gone brought the gaff, n saved a community from remaining sober!
A spokesperson for Lord Rothschild told the Financial Times, “the pub is a critical part of the local community, and it was on Lady Rothschild’s initiative that the decision was taken to save it.”
Interestingly, the article points out only a fraction of rural pubs are being brought out by “Wiltshire’s ultra-wealthy,” but points to Ramsbury’s Bell, owned now by H&M shareholder Stefan Persson, with a $25 billion fortune and American Center Parks VP Chad Pike, who bagged the The Lamb at Edington, and turned it into the Three Daggers.
The fate of other failing pubs may not be so secure. Ours is now a shop, welcomed by villagers despite the fact we already had a community shop which failed, attached to the once pub, which also failed. I figured it was a shame, though I might poke my snozzle in, might not, but upon a Facebook post stating it had a “beer cave” I was there in 30 seconds; at least I can drink at home. One nil to affordability over social interaction.
Some pubs remain lost causes, empty shells of what they once were, some converted to flats, many ironically turned into antique shops. They can often start bringing in antiques before you’ve had time to finish up your pint! What a shabby state of affairs and I suppose I should welcome “the Clarkson syndrome” of billionaire buyouts, but do we know whose mouths are we feeding when we buy a drink in our local pub? Ones whose plates are already stacked?
Oh no, herein strides another socialist wordsmith in his work boots, dribbling a peasant’s revolt rant; more Snot Tyler than Wat.
Us hoi polloi must accept we’re nourishing the already bulging wallet of a nationalist tyrant when we drink at ‘Spoons, but do it anyway to save ourselves a penny. Are these billionaire buyouts going to likewise offer cheap booze, when they’re located in affluent areas and alone in the market? Doubtful, even though they could potentially afford to. And if they don’t, is it fair to question their real motives for buying the places?
Are they really the heroes here? Or are they merely profiteering, extending their already plentiful wealth? Spreading their assets for tax purposes, perhaps? Don’t ask me, do I look like Mr Monopoly? I can barely afford half a soda water in these places, let alone buy the gaff!
But souls will be watered, I guess. It’s good news pubs return and that’s all we need to know. Billionaire’s would buy their way into heaven, if Mark hadn’t said “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” stop on, Mark, just because it’s your round!!
Some four years since his last release under his own name, Lavington’s electronica composer Moray McDonald presents a soundtrack; the music he wrote and produced for Devizes’ Wharf Theatre’s production of Kit Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, which was performed back in January…..
It was one of those rare occasions I stepped in to cover the dress rehearsal as our regular theatre critic Ian, was busy, stuffing a bucketload of Rice Krispies in the play! And I’m glad I did. I was uncertain if I’d take to director Liz Seabourne’s recreation of this Elizabethan gothic black comedy, but came out of there thoroughly enthralled. The composition of the play’s many components made it one of the best plays I’ve seen; the script, acting and production, yet it wouldn’t have been half as spookily ambient if it wasn’t for Moray’s soundtrack.
Image:@jenimeadephotography
They may only be nine snippets of sound, but with the music on Bandcamp at name your price, listening to it took me back to the play, and reminiscing at just how brilliantly sinister it was. Acts of Black Magic starts us off, an eerie soundscape, with harpsichord strings and jingling fool’s caps, Somewhat to Delight has an unnerving medieval court jester feel to it, grinning devilishly, and then we’re back on soundscapes, and Mendelssohn’s Wedding March gets a spooky underscore.
We swap from a soundscape to orchestral with each brief track, The Seven Deadly Sins nods playfully to Celtic folk dance, whereas the following Devil’s Attack lends more to Burana’s O Fortuna, but all are equally unsettlingly devilish or scary faerie. If anything it displays the diversity at Moray’s skilled hands, being his concentration has recently been on his Cephid project, a ground-breaking album of electronica,Sparks in the Darkness, which we fondly reviewed in 2023, and enjoyed a rare and intimate live performance of at Bath’s Rondo Theatre.
Can we please draw a red line under Pewsey’s Moonrakers St George’s Cross facade fiasco now Wiltshire Council has u-turned on a proposal forcing landlord Jerry Kunkler to paint over it? Providing we don’t draw a vertical red line at its centre-point, yes!!
Locally It’s created divided opinion, but reaching national media has wonked the entire narrative, in which many passing causal comments are either sadly misinformed, triggered, or both. For what it’s worth, far from being a patriotic flagshagger, I support Jerry, the “Moonies,” and their flag motif, but to understand why is to understand Pewsey, its manner, and the pub’s reasoning for doing it in the first place. Unfortunately nationwide few do, or even care to. All they see is their polarised falsehood that someone somewhere is attempting to take away their national pride; it’s pretty pathetic when you stop to think about it.
I profess this storm in a teacup really projects an equally bad look for leftwingers as well as the far right, and that’s what troubles me most. Understanding the difference between patriotism and nationalism is crucial. Holding a love and pride in one’s country is fair game, shared values, and the desire to improve it is never an issue. Nationalism, however, is a fervent, often exclusionary devotion to the nation, frequently asserting its superiority over others. To make this pride into aggression against others is the drive to xenophobia. But the bottom line is, that’s not what’s happened here and if you think it is, you’ve been hoodwinked by propaganda. I’m not even here to patronise you if you have, a lot of money has been put into it to make it powerfully persuasive.
The only defence you can reasonably put up, in my opinion, is that the pub is a listed building, and Jerry didn’t have permission to make such an alteration, for this is the only reason why it became an issue with Wiltshire Council. I get this, and sympathise, it was a bit naughty, but this is Pewsey, in the nicest of ways it’s a law unto itself, and that’s part of its charm! I really don’t differentiate between this and when Just Stop Oil harmlessly threw some red powder at Stonehenge; no permanent damage done, just paint, it’s reversible.
Justifiable I say, considering our loss of so many village pubs in this current financial hole, a landlord must do whatever they can to stay afloat, and Jerry’s had some publicity over this, hopefully The Moonrakers will prevail because of it. It has always been dubbed “the Moonies fun pub,” by locals, and the boot fits. It is, as Pewsey resident lefty vegan Pants’ guitarist Fal Carmicheal suggested in probably the most surprisingly supportive and informative Facebook comment on the matter, “it’s just a pub in a village where people go to watch sports on a big TV. He may be a Tory Councillor (has been for years) but he’s not a fascist, his pub isn’t a hive of NF goons.”
Providing some history and a few expletives to enhance his anger, Fal expressed Jerry’s family are firmly rooted in Pewsey, that “his father flew Spitfires during the siege of Malta.” And continued to explain the façade was painted a decade ago, in support of Pewsey’s Shelley Rudman in the 2013 Winter Olympics. “It was done purely as a mark of support for various sporting events, all of which he plays on his big TV in the bar. Nobody here fucking cares that his pub has a poorly-painted red cross on it. It’s just Jerry’s pub.” And that, my friends, is the Pewsey spirit in a nutshell!!
Wiltshire Council announced, “The Eastern Area Planning Committee has granted listed building consent for the retention of painted England flag decoration on the front of The Moonrakers Inn in Pewsey.
The decision was made despite the planning officer’s report, which recommended the committee refuse the application on the grounds that the painting of the front of the pub fails to preserve its special interest as a Grade II listed building and its setting in the Pewsey Conservation Area.
However, after considering the officer report, planning policy, and all material considerations, the committee resolved to grant consent.”
Landlord Jerry Kunkler thanked all for “the support you have given me relating to the painted George Cross on the front of the Moonrakers. Permission was granted this afternoon to allow it to stay.”
Context is everything. This was never an intended affiliation with the far right, and after all, how is the decoration any different from a mainstream shop altering a building to advertise itself? I say common sense prevailed and wish Jerry and all at The Moonrakers the very best.
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.
The award-winning film, ‘The voice of Hind Rajab’ will be shown for one night only on Monday 18th May at 7pm at Swindon Arts Centre…..
In January 2024, 6 year old Hind was killed along with her cousins, aunt, uncle and two paramedics from The Palestinian Red Crescent who came to their aid after their car was fired on by Israeli forces in Gaza City. Hosted by the Arts Centre and Create Studios, this is your chance to bear witness to the events depicted in this heartbreaking film.
This film, which uses the actual voice of Hind from recordings made of her phone calls, received a 23 minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. Ticket prices have been kept low at £3 to encourage people to come along. It’s important that the voice of Hind is heard. There will be an opportunity on the night to make a donation to support the people living in Gaza via the British Red Cross Gaza appeal.
There will be an introduction before the film by a Swindon based British Red Cross employee, followed by an opportunity to ask questions and share your thoughts after the screening.
If options for urbanites seeking experiential or themed dining experiences are boundless, they’re lesser so in our rural backwaters. Yet, we’ve returned from a delicious and most memorable Sunday lunch at The Water Gypsy, a working longboat pop-up licensed restaurant cruising the Kennet & Avon Canal; it’s the unique and enjoyable experience you really need to sample for yourself…..
In order to do so you can either check their website or social media for availability and mooring in your area, as they stop at various locations throughout the summer, autumn and Christmas season…. but chase them up and book you must! This spring season has started their third year, and its popularity is such it gets booked quickly. Until your lucky occasion, I can only try to express in words just how scrumptious and wonderful our experience of it was, and boy, it was!
Drawn to The Shed at Dulwich social experiment, where pranksters tricked TripAdvisor into ranking their shed #1 restaurant in London, to the “middle age” scene in Monty Python’s Meaning of Life, where Idle and Jones play an American couple dining in a torture chamber, some quirky dining enterprises can be unnecessarily extreme, some exploit desire to discover unique dining experiences rather than conform to parochial restaurant culture. Howbeit, if seeking such experiences you must, The Water Gypsy presents a most honourable, comforting and hospitable repast; Polly and Hank run the show, balance cooking with being perfect hosts, and stop at nothing to ensure you’re fed in finest fettle.
Being they’re currently moored in Devizes, it was a short appetite-boosting walk along the towpath and we boarded this beautifully decorated and pristine boat, warmed by a log burner, welcomed affectionately and seated on the only communal table set for twelve guests. You could liken the reception, and the whole occasion, more to a dinner party than sitting alone in a restaurant.
Life on the canal may not always be the romantic setting of freedom preconceived, but The Water Gypsy hones on that idyllic image, glimpses into the fantastical.
Drinks are served, and you are not rushed here. It’s all finest ingredients, homemade and using local produce, which they proudly transform into tapas-style plates that celebrate sharing and connection. A grazing board, chockfull of dips and tapenade arrived, with pesto topped crostini, charcuterie skewers antipastisti with melon, avocado & prawns, Moroccan carrot puff pastry with orange and thyme syrup, and harissa tahini yoghurt, and, and, oh, look I’m no Jay Rayner, don’t even sport a goatee, I’m only now aware how my tastebuds will love me forevermore!
Pescatarian and vegan are catered for, but our main courses were beef estofado, a scrummy slow-cooked Peruvian stew, and delicately sliced hasselback potatoes, sticky pork glazed in garlic and ginger, with spicy Asian broccoli, and chicken tikka skewers with tomato salad….need I say more for clues to the way to my heart? Food heaven in gypsy ornamentation charm, canalside!
A perfectly baked brownie with strawberries and ice cream polished me off, though the other choice was a rather smashing looking cheese board, which Newsquest reporter Jamie opted for, and while tempted to nick his grapes, such was the hospitable atmosphere and such was the gorgeous food so beautifully presented, I thought I’d best behave!
Herein arrives the time when, in a typical restaurant, you’re encouraged to get your coat, but I’ve already observed a washtub and broomhandle propped up in the corner, and identified their owners; we’re in for some entertainment, and I couldn’t think of anyone more apt for the occasion.
Polly wants Sunday afternoons to have an additional live music finale, and while we’ve pondered some alternatives, boaters themselves, Nipper and Jellylegs Johnson drop in to tantalise us audibly the same way and with the same proficiency Polly has done with our palate. It’s a show you could never tire from, nor find fault with. The Devil’s Doorbell, cheeky, quirky duo passionately recreating jazz and blues roots with homemade instruments, skiffle, bucketloads of charisma and more double entendres than Finbar Saunders remaking the entire backlog of Carry-On films.
There was an encore singalong, and with conversation and wine flowing, the atmosphere was unlike anything you’d find at a restaurant. The Water Gypsy is, by very definition, the most pleasant and divine, not to mention scrummy, dining experience this side of Milliways, Douglas Adams’ Restaurant at the End of the Universe, only this one is a bit closer, just along the towpath!
There’s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westbury’s singer-songwriter Seren’s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses a worm analogy to convey shadows of diffidence. Yet, it is a breath of fresh air of resilience, and an exhaustive equilibrium in which to express sorrow and build from a simple honest riff to a sublime and encapsulating stentorian…..
Worm, released today, is impressive. It’s a richly layered spring-like emerge, a hedgehog poking his nose out of his winter nest. If isolation is a trap, Seren’s uplifting vocals are the escape route, and in this it’s a message to herself which will profoundly convex to others through association; the key to good folk music. Though, it is an urban myth that you can cut an earthworm into two and both parts will live, Seren uses the comparison to the numbness of her mood, not for dividing or multiplying herself, rather to “see if I feel a thing.”
A reflection on a burrowing exercise from emotional blunting, then, hiding, and waiting for a storm to emerge; this song should be that onset squall, for whilst it uses classic singer-songwriter folk hinting towards Sandy Denny or Maddy Prior influences, the beauty of Seren’s vocal range melancholically penetrates through the numbness of its subject; the formula of an experienced artist, of how Tammy Wynette could woo an audience. Though Worms equally captures, it depends more on mood observation than the literal narrative of the likes of Wynette.
“I wrote the song when I was sixteen, in October, a few months into starting my first year at college,” Seren explained, “the song was linked to struggles with mental health that I have had around that time and before, and how it was making me feel. It’s a song that was very personal and something that will forever hold meaning for me.”
So, I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting Seren yet, nor seen her perform. I booked her for our double-bill with M3G for our first evening at the newly opened Fold in The Lamb, Devizes based on the strength of the few social media videos she has posted and M3G’s recommendation; they’ve worked together before. This song strengthens my faith that this will be an amazing night, for, like M3G, Seren holds a rare skill to encapsulate through honesty and fidelity to her music. You need to listen to Worm, and if you do, I’ll see you on Friday 24th April; yeah you got me, it’s a gig plug, but even if it wasn’t, in writing and acoustic combo, Worm is this prodigious and breathtaking!
We are pleased to start 2026 by announcing that this year, we are planning to run the Imberbus service on Saturday 15th August 2026 when several vintage former London Transport Routemaster double deckers (plus a few newer ones) along with some visiting buses from other areas, will again provide a bus service from Warminster Station […]
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves!
What the actual F are they trying to prove with their negative coverage of an illegal rave, when tax-dodging billionaires ripped a financial hole into the country, political extremists march causing division and spreading hate, yet all seem unscathed from media assaults, and countrymen illegally hunt without concern journalists might pop out of the hedgerow with a waggy finger? That a few kids want to have a party? Really?!
Their laughable problem is, rage-bait backfires and they lose readership. Post comments on their social media shares in support of the ravers, by all means, but don’t rise to the temptation of clicking on these articles, because they couldn’t give a monkey’s arse about your opinion, they only want to feed their advertisers with blossoming stats.
The Castlemorton Common Festival in May 1992 was the UK’s largest illegal rave, with an estimated 50,000 attendees, a mere fraction of the hundreds of thousands of folk who regularly ventured out to party their cares away at the peak of rave culture in the nineties. Perhaps there’s some diehards still at it, more organising events, but for the most, they’ve matured, settled into life, yet retain fond, kaleidoscopic memories they don’t want tarnished by negativity about the slim chance of a comeback!
Media platforms pathetically attempt to enrage for clickbait with damning reports about the odd slight bank holiday gathering, when the feedback suggests the reality for a majority is the only annoyance it might cause them, is that they never dusted off their white gloves and whistles, and attended themselves?!
I have to laugh at the audacity, the final irony being, when acid house parties first appeared in the eighties, there were only a handful of Ibiza-returning aficionados partying, until one invited a journalist and the newspapers exploded the scene! At first they encouraged it, tongue-in-cheek, The Sun even sold acid house t-shirts. But once the scene blossomed, out of government control, and t-shirt sales waned, they turned nasty, exploiting it with scare stories for parents to wither in fear their teenagers might be involved. It was more likely they weren’t, until they saw the newspapers, but by then it was on Top of the Pops.
It was as if they did it just to sell newspapers; who’d have flunked it possible?! Crazy to think how the press would be so callous, but now it seems they’re up to it again, and I predict adverse effects, again. The bottom line being it’s no new-fangled trend, and wasn’t back when; for as long as mankind has been on Earth, they gathered tribally to dance to hypnotic beats, and didn’t need TicketSource to do so.
There’s nothing for younger people to do in the cesspit we call “progress,” and just as it was back in the nineties, if they want to ensemble, gather freely for enjoyment, make the most of what little freedom they retain building communities, friendships and celebrating their time alive, then so be it. Open your eyes and look around; there’s far worse they could be doing.
So, journalists, get your own life, and quit jumping on their backs for hits …..please share this article if you agree with this hypocrite writer, or give the codger a chewing gum, bottle of water, and send him off to the fantastical utopia of blissful yore swishing in his mindset!!
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