I just thought that you might like a taster of Rich Howie.

Brilliant news.  Darren, the landlord of the Royal Oak has given the go ahead for an Open Mic night on Wednesday, 21st, July.

The first night will be a 'pilot' but I am sure that it will just be the first of many.

Rich Howie will be assisting me on the night and I'm sure that fans of Rich will be excited with the new venue.  Rich is well know around Cheltenham and is the resident host at The Prince of Wales in Portland St.

The night will be a mix of music ranging from Folk, Blues and Rock.  Experience has taught me that acoustic sets can't easily follow a rock set, especially when Murry or one of his mates is on the drums. 

Also, I am keen to give newcomers a chance to air their stuff and to pick up some tips from the 'Pros'. Therefore, there is an hour put aside for them before the main event and before the public arrive.

A rough timetable for the evening is as follows:

7:00 - 8:00  Beginner's Workshop.

8:00 - 9:30  Acoustic and Unplugged.  (Yes, electric guitars can be used but no drums and bass at this time).

9:30 - 11:00  Anything goes. (Drums, Bass, Guitar, Sax, Keyboards etc.)

The whole idea is for individuals to play a few numbers, but everybody is invited to enter into the spirit with a jam whenever appropriate.

Pleas note that this is not a karaoke event although singers are invited to jam with the musicians.

There is no need for anyone to register in advance, but it would be nice to hear from anyone likely to attend that night musician, or visitor.

Finally got around to doing some recording this morning.
I’m getting the hang of Cubase but I’ve still a long way to go yet.

Anyway, this , ‘Visions of Johanna’ is my favorite number at the moment.
Please leave a comment, good or bad.
It’s the only way I’ll learn.

It was “Ground Hog Day” last week in Bishops Cleeve.
A number of people have asked why I didn’t do the photography for the Annual Carnival.  Well, the answer is simply this; For this years photos, please refer to last years photos, (and indeed, the previous year’s).

It’s just plain boring.  Same theme, same vintage cars, same, London Red Bus, same pig roast, same climbing wall, same army vehicles, same costumes, same no-show fly past.  Sorry lads, but same Morris Dancers and same Chelsea Pensioners.  Same belly dancers, same ‘simulator’, same stalls, same old same old! The main difference was the kiddies roundabout, there were only half the rides and the roof was missing.

On other hand, the tour of the new extension to the Tithe Barn was fascinating, “That’s where the staircase will be, the lift goes there, that’s going to be the entrance, your standing in the reception area, it’s going to be nice!  Right, great tour! How on earth did they manage to get planning permission for it by the way.  Given that the King’s Head has had to rely on a ‘permanent’ Marquee for weddings etc., because they can’t get planning permission for a sympathetic extension to their grade two listed pub!  This is an ultra modern extension made of a little concrete and a lot of glass with a glass roof, that clashes with the original 15th Century building, the first of its kind in England, and constructed of Cotswold Stone with a Cotswold stone roof supported on an oak hammer beam roof structure.  But that’s a completely separate whinge.

There was a peculiar mood on the day with nobody appearing as cheerful and involved as last year, there were some dirty tricks going on as well.  I know that Freda and John Burton together with his staff had spent days preparing a fantastic display in their shoe shop.  Sadly, the stall in front chose to drape a tarpaulin across the front of it, totally obliterating the window.   Now the cynical amongst us might suspect that John’s withdrawal from the Carnival Committee might have something to do with it, others might just consider it thoughtless, totally selfish and unnecessary!

Going back many years ago, easily 20, I was proud to have been instrumental in the organisation of the first Victorian Festival, in Llandrindod Wells, Mid-Wales.  That festival still exists today and has turned into a week long festival attracting visitors from all around the world.  I was also involved in the early days of the Bishops Cleeve carnival, through the Chamber of Commerce who instigated it.  Just to be clear, that’s the Chamber of Commerce and NOT the Parish Council who appear to relish in the myth that they are in some way responsible.  Sadly, the enthusiasm that was there in the early days has reduced to the easy option, “Let’s do what we did last year”.

St Michael's & All Angels Church in Bishop's Cleeve

In fairness, it can’t be easy to attribute any consistent theme for the village.  It’s a mixture of the old with the modern.  That’s not a criticism, it’s a fact.  Sadly, respective planning committees have allowed some pretty unsympathetic development to sit alongside out 15th Century Tithe Barn, our two Black and White pubs, the 12th and 13th century houses, our numerous Picture book Thatched Cottages, our Cotswold stone houses and picturesque lanes.  We’ve even routed our little brook to run virtually totally underground through the village, only running above ground during floods.  Oh and then of course there’s Tescos, (least said).

So what could we do with our festivals?
Well, I suppose we’ve got an empty canvas.  However, given the over exposure to the War period, we might look to something more current that we have a preponderance of in Cleeve, youth and children, and something that will be there forever, a future. Why can’t we celebrate what we are?  Why can’t we celebrate what we aspire to be?  Surely we can take what is left of our heritage as a rural village and use it as a foil for a celebration of our future.  Perhaps in doing so we might at least give some mitigation to the discombobulation that is the Tithe Barn.

Why does everything have to smell?  On the face of it, that may seem a silly question, but think about it.  A huge amount of the stuff you buy has an added smell.   Toilet cleaner, okay maybe!  furniture polish, why?

My point is that so much we buy is unnecessarily perfumed.  A recent survey in the Telegraph puts Washing Powder and Cleaning Products as number 2 and 4 in the list of the top 10 smells in a house. More…

The reason I brought it up was because of a new fabric conditioner that Karan bought this week. I noticed a really sharp and pungent smell all through the house and after a bit of sniffing around identified it as the Comfort fabric conditioner.

So why did it have to smell? I assume it’s to make all the washing smell fresh, (whatever ‘fresh’ smells like).  So why so strong and pungent?  I could smell it in the office three closed doors away!  I could taste it in the kitchen.  It was everywhere, not least on the bedsheets.  It was totally intrusive.
To paraphrase Dr Johnson: only noses smell – everything else stinks.

So why have added smells to everything?   Start making a list and you will be surprised how long it gets.  Toiletries and household liquids seem to be the worst. Soap, Hand cream, shaving cream, Baby oil.  Ah Baby Oil, now that’s enough to put anybody off breeding!

Now I do appreciate that there are things in life that naturally smell bad.  Dog farts, Cat shit, Dog shit, basically anything else that comes at the tail end of the bodies energy production process.  The stuff we don’t have control over.

Spanish, Greek,  and many other, sewage systems.  Burning rubber, stale beer, B.O. cigarette smells, stale milk. Stuff we DO have control over but choose to put up with.   At least we don’t bottle any of it and spray it over ourselves and our possessions.

I’m going to put White Lilies and Marmite in a class of their own.  I hate the lilies, but love the Marmite.  That’s all just a matter of taste, (if you’ll excuse the pun).

It’s because of the above that we find it necessary to use more pleasant smells to mask the less pleasant.  But there’s a limit.  £60 for a 100ml of Prada, Eau de Cologne and then we put on a load of clothes that stink of bloody fabric conditioner!  We buy a bowl of flowers for the sideboard and then spray the chuffing thing with furniture spray smelling of lavender.  If I’d wanted the room to smell of lavender, I’d have bought bloody lavender!