Archive for June, 2007
It’s not just music up at Glastonbury, you know. The People’s Republic’s own Heart’s Tongue theatre will be stomping around performing their hearts and tongues out, no doubt.
The company won the Glastonbury gig by taking the South West Street Performers competition by storm with their performance of Who Killed Stan Laurel?, and are in the Circus Tent at the music festival.
So who are Heart’s Tongue? Only the Surreal Saloon people, plus some (and one of that some is former resident playwright of the Globe, Peter Oswald).
If you missed them at Glastonbury, catch their next show, which may be the Brothers Grimm, or even turn up to the Surreal Saloon to see these guys in action.
Posted by Cptn
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June 24th, 2007
Red Paper Dragon are the first band up on the Melting Pot Live section of Spectralworkshoptv. Click ‘words’ or ‘music’ then press play and unwrap the enigma of the group which takes the guitar band to the next mesmerising level.
Posted by Cptn
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June 23rd, 2007
Countryside in the People’s Republic will become a ‘theme park for the rich’ unless the Government and local councils tackle the rural housing shortage, the National Housing Federation South West has warned.
At a conference marking one year since Elinor Goodman’s landmark Affordable Rural Housing Commission (ARHC) report, the federation insisted not enough progress has been made on the issue.
New analysis shows that the average house price in England is now eight times average earnings. But in many rural districts average house prices are more than 11 times average local earnings.
The ARHC gave a blueprint for solving the rural housing crisis last year. Although the Government has made some progress on planning reform, more needs to be done to release surplus public land for affordable housing. Too much is lying derelict or being sold off to the highest bidder when it could be used for urgently needed homes.
There has been slow progress on further ARHC recommendations, including restricting the Right to Buy in rural areas and making it easier to bring empty properties back into use.
Helen Williams, assistant director of neighbourhoods at the National Housing Federation, said: “The housing shortage is turning many parts of our countryside into a theme park for the rich: a haven for commuters and second home owners. But this is having a devastating impact on local communities.
“Housing associations stand ready to address the crisis but we need support from the Government and local councils. Our villages and market towns should be vibrant and sustainable places to live - not theme parks for the wealthy.”
Posted by Thin White Duke
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June 23rd, 2007
The sound of slavery is on the Plymouth airwaves from today for a month. Freesound 106.6fm aims to bring all yous out there news and opinions on art, music, freedom and slavery. Caroling Mawdsely from Plymouth Arts Centre might be able to shed a bit of light on it. Take it away Caroline.
‘Freesound originated from a conversation with Paul Howard, exhibiting artist at Plymouth Arts Centre. The soundtrack for his film installation Rush Hour was created from the radio stations in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The exhibition, the film programme and Freesound.fm raise questions about the existence of slavery 200 years after the parliamentary act that abolished the transatlantic slave trade. Freesound reaches out and involves the people of Plymouth in this discussion and offers airspace to and for the creativity and culture of this city.’
Cheers Caroline, now we all know. And now we can tune in.
Eggbuckland Community College have designed programmes, jingles and 30-second soap operas and radio dramas that will be broadcast on the station, with the help of Motiongrafik and Creative Partnerships, Plymouth.
Posted by Cptn
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June 22nd, 2007
We’re all keen on fresh local food, yeah? Well, the good farmers at Rod and Ben’s (that would be Rod, Ben et al) have decided to take it one step further, or nearer, and have the food right there on the farm with their Rustic Restaurant.
On July 7, at 6pm, they will serve up food fit for the… well… those who sign up. First you get a bit of a tour, then a glass of wine and some nibbles while you wait for the first of four courses to wend its way to you.
At £35 a pop, it may be a bit pricey for some, or even many considering the fall of Foodeaze, the right-on food hall that failed in Exeter, but Rod and Ben have called in the talents of Darrin Hosegrove from Ashburton Cokery School and Kate Richardson from ‘a Piece of Cake’. There will even be light music while you eat. And there’s no corkage fee, so leave that screwtop wine at home.
For more details contact the farm on 01392 833833, or visit their website.
Posted by Cptn
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June 22nd, 2007
Street Fighter Guile would be giggling up his sleeve (him of the Sonic Boom), the sonic Expo Festival is about to descend on Plymouth like a solid wall of sound. And boy what japes there will be with robotic birds, a sonic ferry, and an underwater sound installation at the beautiful Tinside Lido. Then there’s the music, the picnic and the conference.
The Expo runs from Friday, June 22 until Monday, June 25 and is free - now that’s music to our ears.
Find out more on the website.
Posted by Cptn
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June 21st, 2007
A Winter’s Tale, in summer? Maybe the people at Dartington were hedging their bets for the June open air performance. The play starts its run on Friday, June 22 and ends on Saturday, June 30, and doesn’t do Sunday. It kicks off at 7.30pm, and you may picnic from 6pm. For more details, get in touch with Dartington Arts box office.
Posted by Cptn
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June 21st, 2007
With £7 million leaking out of the economy by the closure of the Totnes Dairy Crest plant - and £4 million to go through the loss of Dartington College, it’s not wonder that the good citizens of Totnes are keen to big up the local economy.
The Transition Town Totnes double launch of the Celebration of Local Food and the second stage of the Totnes pound in the market at 10am on Friday is an attempt to put oomph back into the town’s economy.
The Celebration of Local Food is a free guide which has info and the traders which serve locally-produced food as well as delivery and on-line services, a map and more.
The public launch of the second phase of the Totnes Pound - keep up UKIP - is designed to be even wider than the first. You’ll be able to buy a tenner’s worth of Totnes for £9.50 (but how much is it actually worth?), and you can use it to buy goods and services from business around the town.
Posted by Cptn
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June 21st, 2007
Missed Glastonbury? Don’t miss the AEON festival on August bank holiday. Book your tickets now on the AEON festival site. Till then stay ‘hep’ you beatnik throwback with the wonderful tunes and news put together by the cool, if not beret-wearing, Niki. First up this week is Ben Goddard, followed by This Familiar Smile, Flick, and the Cohorts. And then there’s the upcoming Melting Pot Live on SpectralWorkshop TV and the AEON residency at The Bit on the Side. Now, who’s your daddio?
My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-1b9cfdedcb891a8894994e9b77373915}
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June 20th, 2007
‘It’s National Bike Week and more people are pedalling!’ Cycle Exeter enthused.
‘In fact,’ they say in breathless bullet points, ‘10 per cent more each year in Exeter each year from 2001 to 2005, 14 per cent more between 2005 – 2006, 24 per cent more from 2006 – 2007 so far this year.’
Now that’s good news and flies in the face of our report Fear of Riding.
‘We built 16km of new routes in or around the city in 2006 and have levels up to 17 per cent in terms of cycling to some of the city’s schools.
‘The route in the video is a Highways Agency scheme and hasn’t been completed or fully signed yet.’
Devon County Council agreed.
‘Contrary to some statistics cycling in Devon is on the increase (particularly in Exeter) and elsewhere in the UK such as London and many other towns and cities,’ they say.
For details of the events taking place in Devon for National Bike Week, especially in Exeter, a Cycle Demonstration Town, see the county’s cycling website .
Just post a comment to join in the debate.
Posted by Cptn
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June 20th, 2007
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