Devon Eccentric Colin Shaddick (no it’s official – he came third in this year’s competition), dropped us a poetic line to explain a bit about the origins of his award-winning eccentricity. You could get more of an insight at the Salon del Eccentrica, an Eccentric evening at the Broomhill Art Hotel, Barnstaple on Thursday, June 18 at 7.30pm.

Eccentric! Who, Me?

Maybe this is how it all started?

Imagined kazoo solo.
One hooded and very blue day
when I was at a most sensitive stage,
I was struggling
to wring some temperate words

from the chilly language

that shot to-and-fro,

above my rattling head.

I decided to try out

a few investigational expressions of my own.

I needed to make my mark:

draw a line in the sand.

I waited for a fleeting lull

in the daily hubbub

that continually clanged

from the pots and pans

in the steamy kitchen.

I made my entrance

and Mother turned towards me,

her arms now motionless

and her reddened elbows quivered

just above the popping soapsuds

and waited for the off.

I smiled, and determined to show off my verbal skills,

began my tirade…

They were not well-received words.

I was not allowed to continue with my experiment.

My father hurriedly interjected

and promised he would give me a thick ear…

in a minute.

I had no memory of him giving me anything, before.

I was totally flabbergasted

when he said he’d give me something -

and so speedily too.

I so wanted him to give me something.

I then pictured myself with one thick ear…

and decided it would look quite daft.

I told him that I thought it would look daft,

but he took no notice

and he up and gave me one anyway.

But it wasn’t within the minute!

No.

He said he’d give me one…

in a minute.

It took much longer than a minute.

By the time my thick ear arrived,

a good twenty minutes or so had passed!

Can incidents like the one I’ve just described above,

have a lasting affect on a person’s life?

Time moved on and I slipped inaudibly along with it…

Then, one day it happened –

I think I said something like,

Eccentric…Eccentric!

Who, me?

I’d never given much thought to eccentricity, really…

that is until they said I was eccentric.

They, were the British Broadcasting Corporation.

An eccentric was the last thing I’d contemplated being.

After all, as far as I was concerned

it wasn’t me who was heading in the wrong direction!

Vivid pictures then began to flow through my mind:

eccentrics as mad, frizzy-haired inventors,

or mumbling white-coated professors

ensconced in leaded-light, oak-panelled lodgings …

Stereotype images like that.

So, how did I get into this situation?
I vividly remember my dad treating me like an outsider,
but my mum often said she thought I was an artist

and that poetry was the most noble art.

So, when I left school and flew the uncomfortable nest,

I knuckled-down and made a new start.

I bought myself a Moleskine notebook… in black.

The sort that all the best poets

painters and composers are said to use.

It had an elastic band to hold it tightly shut…

(for when I wasn’t ready for the muse.)

With tried and tested equipment like that

how on earth could any decent publisher refuse?

But I’d get this recurring dream.
“Oh,” I’d be saying out loud.
“If I held the post of ‘Chair of Professor of Poetry’

at a famous old university,

I’d kiss goodbye to adversity.”

I’d be repeating this phrase over and over.

But, I’d be as happy as old Larry.

What a great way

to spend each and every busy-buzzing day.

I’d just tarry… there,

reading piles of good books, (and my guitar mags)

and every so often, quietly gaze down

from my dusty old window

at the pigeons pecking and puffing themselves up

on a perfectly manicured lawn,

in the quaint and quiet quadrangle.

I’d chat to the poetry students

in a fatherly-like way.

(They have scant knowledge

about anything in the real world,

you know.)

“This is the way poetry’s done,”

I would say to each one,

then show them a selection of

my very popular

self-published pamphlets.

They would probably pipe-up and say,

“Caw that’s brilliant, that is, sir.”

Then I’d rock back on my heels

and say to them: “Off you go then.

Order yourselves some copies from Mr Jenkins,

in the lovely old library downstairs,

and give ’em a good read.

But, no cheating though.

Make up some of your own stuff.”

They would then say,

“Oh, sir, pleeease!”

Then I’d relent and say:

“Well, go on then,

but change the words about a bit.”

I’d tap out my pipe on the pitted stone window ledge

and chuckle to myself, muttering quietly:

“Huh, bloody kids, who’d ’ave ’em?”

Then I’d sing a little song.
Who drew

the very thin line

between sanity and madness? (X3)

Who drew,
who… drew… it?

‘Aren’t all eccentrics bonkers, though,

and think of nothing other than their pet subjects,

and even if they attempted to repair the most simple of things

they’d turn out to be bodgings?

‘Their heads are in the clouds.’

That’s what people say.

Then again,

I do tend to engage my brain before my mouth

and some people have to wait ages

to get an answer.

Sometimes it can be as long as…

say, a goose would take

to complete its hazardous journey south.

I don’t always mean to be rude,

but you should understand

that I like a lot of solitude.

It’s not that I’m particularly shy,

it’s just because…that’s why.

‘An eccentric slice of a British way of life’,

that’s how I was described…

and all because I wrote Japanese-type verse

called haiku.

They thought it rather strange that I sometimes compose

when I’m riding on my baiku.

They wanted me on Radio 4.

I was to talk to Clare Balding about my poetic style,

and while I was explaining it, she would interject a bit.

It was something new for their programme, Ramblings.

Ramblings is a broadcast where everything depends

on supposedly interesting folk and their amblings.

That’s how the final die was cast.

Normality, for me, had breathed its last.

I was now officially ‘Eccentric’

and the BBC had nailed me to their mast.

Whatever happens in the future

as a result of this whirl of eccentricity…

will be secondary.

But that crowning moment

at the ‘Eccentric Club’ will always remain

with me and be the best,

because it’s where I got my title:

‘The Great British Eccentric 2009.’

I’d passed their test.

It now gives me the opportunity

to get so many dark secrets off my chest.
And did you know that…

If you say the word

kazoo, backwards,

it reads, oozak?

It then sounds more

like a question:

‘Oozak?’

That’s probably why

they never called

it that.

Related posts:

1. Devon’s Colin Shaddick nominated for British eccentric award Everyone loves an eccentric (until they start banging on...
2. Searching for eccentrics in South Devon Colin Shaddick, Barnstaple’s own eccentric poet, singer-songwriter, musician, cartoonist...
3. Mila Oshin from Exeter-based band Drunk With Joy – uplifting downbeat electronica Exeter-based electronic pop combo Drunk With Joy are in...

Katie Marie sci-fi specialist Katie Marie gets out to the flicks

Hope you’ve had a super dooper week enjoying all this lovely sunshine – my week has been pretty chilled out for a change and I’ve been able to for the first time in ages enjoy the finer things in life – such as a tub of popcorn and a ridiculously large cup of diet Fanta! I am of course talking about heading out to the cinema, something I’ve not done in bloomin aaaaaggggeeeeesss! So it was a real treat for me, especially as I went out two nights in a row!

First up on my list of films to check out was Terminator Salvation. Now, as you may or may not know I’m a bit of a nerd and a huge fan of sci-fi films – especially Marvel and DC orientated films. And yes, I am one of those r-e-a-l-l-y annoying people who will sit next to you in the cinema and throughout the film whisper in your ear ‘Pah! That sooooo didn’t happen like that in the graphic novels!’

But fortunately for me the peeps I went along with are used to my nerdy ways and have learnt to ignore my passionate knowledge about such things. I’ve heard a lot of pretty rubbish reviews of Terminator, so was hoping it wasn’t going to be as crap as the other two Matrix films were – luckly for me it wasn’t at all and there were plenty of Terminator-type fight scenes and explosions to keep me happy.

Can you guess what I went to see the following night? Yep, Star Trek! And boy I wished I’d gone to see it sooner, it’s absolutely brilliant. All the actors were really well cast and I did find myself getting totally absorbed in the story line… and they appear to have set themselves up to make a couple more – horrah!

Another added bonus for me was seeing the trailer for the next Transformers film, which looks soooooooooo good! Being an ’80s child I grew up with Transformers and rather sadly know an obscene amount about the subject, and was possibly *the* most annoying person to sit next to in the cinema during the first film as I so miffed about many factual things (such as Bumblebee not being a VW Bug! Grrrrr!!)

Enough about films and nerdy type stuff! This is suppose to be a column about music lol

I haven’t just been swanning around watching films all week (honest!), I’ve been upto musical type stuff too – last Saturday’s Acoustic PM was so much fun and I have to say a BIG thank you to Papa Fernando for coming into the studio despite all the awful weather and playing a few tunes live, it sounded great and I’m glad they all enjoyed themselves as much as I did!

As mentioned last week I’ve been spending some well needed time in the studio – partly trying to finish off my next album but mostly getting distracted with writing new material. I’ve got so many great ideas and I’m just trying to get them all down and recorded as quickly as poss before I forget them.

I’ve also had lots of dates confirmed for my next German Tour which is so exciting – I can’t wait to be back out there again, and this time I’ll be doing lots of travelling around the country rather than just staying down south.  I’m still working hard on brushing up my German but it’s sooooo hard to for my little, weeny brain to comprehend! I did, however, manage to have a small conversation with a guy at a gig recently, completly in German – and guess what? He understood what I was saying! lol So maybe I am getting somewhere!

I’m off to play at More Restaurant now, hope you have a wonderful week and I’ll see you next time!

• Check out Katie Marie on MySpace, or on her website.

Related posts:

1. Not Bad For A Girl: Vote Katie Marie (an acoustic change from politics) Katie Marie gives us a run down of her music...
2. Not Bad For A Girl: Katie Marie gets tea-ed off Katie Marie spends a week tackling spiders in her studio...
3. Not Bad For A Girl – Katie Marie’s manic week Katie Marie and the hectic life-style of a multi-talented musician. ...

•This is a new regular column on the adventures of Geoff Clams

On an impossibly sunny and happily recent Thursday, it so happened that I caught the local premiere of John Tomkins’ new feature-length movie, Like an Angel, at Torre Abbey’s Spanish barn.

John is a multi-skilled composer, singer and film-maker from Torquay who, along with his partner Kirsty Symonds, was hosting this special World First screening in aid of Leukemia research. After collaborating on a slew of online videos John and Kirsty (also a singer/songwriter) offer up this, their latest collaboration; a swashbuckling love story that was filmed in and around Torbay and which spans 500 years. The screenplay was written by John himself, who also filmed, edited, produced, funded and scored the picture.

It had been a day of trials. Earlier that afternoon I lost a shoe and some money in the sea and threw up my lunch, all in the space of an hour. In the morning I had left the house early, but had since forgotten all of my Paignton-based life chores and I soon found myself drifting alongside the baked shores.

I was slowly walking to Torquay but had no idea why. Like an Angel is why. An admittedly rough diamond, this film is both a love letter from its director to its leading lady and a barnstorming adventure with inventive special effects and lovable characters to boot.

John’s irrepressible energy frames nearly every shot and for the duration of the film, I was completely entertained. Here is a filmmaker who calls to one’s mind the Renaissance painters of old. A passionate artist who lives by his brush, painting in broad strokes that span the very fabric of time in this bold and beautiful tapestry of love across the ages.

Needless to say, I whistled off into the summer night with my faith in the local arts mostly restored, the film’s big questions still lingering in my mind. If I travelled into the future would my future self be able to see me? What if my future self left the future and went back into the past to see some stuff?

What if when my future self wanted to travel back to the future from the past after seeing some stuff, it arrived in the future too early? What if the other future self was still there, having not yet travelled to the past to see stuff? Would we cancel each other out or would we create two separate time lines in simultaneous, parallel realities? Could these realities exist now? Will we ever unlock them? John Tomkins is a great leading man for local film and the wider creative community should feel extremely proud to have him as their front-runner. Catch Like an Angel when it screens again. You won’t soon forget it.

Anyhow, on that very enchanting evening, I somehow managed to wrangle this here column. I’ll be here every week, spouting. My name is Geoff Clams and I live in Preston on the Torbay Coast. My day job involves designing cultural adventures for a new Buckfastleigh-based steering committee called Project Duvall. I have sat in on two meetings so far and some of the ideas that people are circulating are certainly encouraging. I also enjoy animals, films, books and some television.

Next week, I want to tell you all about some things that happened to me when I went to vote a few nights ago. It’s pretty scandalous stuff.

posted by Geoff Clams

(image: a still from Like and Angel)

Related posts:

1. Geoff Clams is fixin’ to die The weekly column from the world of Geoff Clams Given...
2. Free family animation workshop and Transition Newton Abbot premiere launch South Devon View from Here film festival Newton Abbot Library is hosting the launch of the South...
3. AIR Time 09 for free professional advice to South West artists posted by Cptn Who doesn’t need insurance, funding and professional...

Disabled Kevin sees the election results as a clear signal that the South West doesn’t want Labour

After watching the results of the South West region elections, my reaction is the South West rejects this Labour Government and its Prime Minister, let alone the country.

I say to my friends Linda Gilroy and Ben Bradshaw MP, if I was a South West Labour MP I would actively seek the removal of Gordon Brown. Then go to the country in August, saying to my voters, that Gordon Brown was not right for the South West, I’m in tune with your fears and let me continued to be a strong voice in the next parliament!

I strongly feel if the Prime Minister is allow to muddle on until next year, David Cameron will be Prime Minister after the next election and Nick Clegg will be the leader of the opposition.

If anyone thinks this prediction is wild, just look at the results of the European elections, Labour was demoted into fifth place in the South West, behind the Green Party and a terrible sixth place in Cornwall.

The South West now has two Conservative, two UKIP and one Liberal Democrats MEPs,  the message is clear: the voters believe Gordon Brown is not up to the job and the South West rejects Labour.

posted by Disabled Kevin

When I ran for MEP, Plymouth’s Evening Herald referred to me as Disabledkevin! I loved this label; I’m clearly disabled and called Kevin.

Got an opinion? Twitter #devonelection #swelection #euelection, or comment below

Related posts:

1. Is the Conservative victory in Devon just a footnote in the march to a General Election triumph? Disabled Kevin wonders where the county election fits in...
2. Remploy provides work experience for 33 disabled people across the South West Remploy has found work placements for 33 young disabled people...
3. Labour candidate for South West Devon, Luke Pollard, remembers political hero Michael Foot South West Devon's Labour PPC Luke Pollard remembers fellow Plymouth...

Disabled Kevin wonders where the county election fits in the move towards a General Election

In other years the Tories clearing out of the Liberal Democrats from County Hall would be headline news but Gordon Brown has managed to demote the Conservative’s success to an election item in the news. Personally, I was surprised that Devon County Council fell so decisively, I thought the Conservatives would make gains but take control at the next county elections!

Their victory makes me ask a lot of questions, where the Liberal Democrats go now in Devon and come to that, in Cornwall. Are Ben Bradshaw, the new Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Linda Gilroy and Alison Seabeck, Labour MPs wondering what they have to do, if they going to have any chance of retaining their seats at the next General Election? Is Richard Younger Ross reassessing his position?

Are the two councils of Devon and Plymouth City going to cooperate and in effect go back to the old county council model, and will a Conservative Mayor of Torbay complete this process?

As everyone discovers when gaining power, the winning of an election is easy but actually governing and putting your manifesto promises into practice is often the really hard part, so the citizens of the republic of South Devon will be watching!

posted by Disabled Kevin

When I ran for MEP, Plymouth’s Evening Herald referred to me as Disabledkevin! I loved this label; I’m clearly disabled and called Kevin.

Got an opinion? Twitter #devonelection #swelection #euelection, or comment below

Related posts:

1. Does Devon care about the local issues in the Euro and county elections? Disabled Kevin asks do we know or care about...
2. Disabled Kevin says the South West rejects Labour Disabled Kevin sees the election results as a clear...
3. UKIP pick Central Devon candidate for next General Election UKIP, the UK Independence Party (not be confused with...

With the recession and the drop in housing prices can people afford to get on the property ladder in Devon? Er, no.

Even with an 18 per cent fall in house prices in the region since last April, the average house price in the South West at £159,704 is still 4.5 per cent more expensive than the national average.

What it means for people like shipwright John McShea, who lives in Totnes with his wife and two young children, is that you can’t save enough for a deposit.

He told the BBC: “We would love to have a house, it’s something that just passes beyond us.

“The amount [house prices] are coming down is nothing like the amount that would make a difference to a working person down here.”

But what about second home owners, who make up the bulk of John’s clientele?

According to one-time Lid Dem candidate and spokesperson for the National Association of Estate Agents, Devon estate agent Richard Copus said even though some houses are being going to locals, the second home owners are starting to re-enter the market, because the low interest rates makes property a better investment.

Read the full story.

posted by Cptn

• are homes to live in or invest in? Comments below

Related posts:

1. Homes still unaffordable for first time buyers in the South West despite falling property prices First-time buyers in the South West cannot afford to...
2. House prices keep tumbling House prices in the South West fell by ten...
3. Fuel prices are an election issue Fuel prices hit Devon hard, which is even harder to...

Katie Marie spends a week tackling spiders in her studio without resorting to her famous brews

How fantastic is all this lovely sunshine? It’s almost been worth putting up with all that yucky rain for this wonderful week of wonderful sunny stuff… we want more!

This week has been much less hectic for me and I’ve had time to do really basic stuff that most of the time I take for granted, like sitting down and eating a proper meal rather than buying crappy overpriced food from a petrol station and eating it super quick on the way to a gig!

But the best-est thing for me is that I finally have time to spend in my studio… which if you’re a fellow songwriting person like me you’ll understand me when I say that it’s more than just a room with some recording equipment, it’s your own creative space where you can shut the door and just get totally lost in music (paradise in other words), which I’ve been seriously missing.

As I’ve been gigging so much lately, yesterday was the first day I’d ventured in my studio for about a week – and in the space of seven days my biggest rivals had already started to take over. I’ll give you a clue what I’m talking about, they’ve got eight legs, spin biiiiggg webs and can make the biggest bulkiest blokes scream like a four-year-old girl… yep, the spiders had begun their mission in taking back the studio!

My studio is made up of two ex-stable rooms and were literally just shells with not much in them – with the exception of a ga-zillion spiders, most of which I had politly asked to move to the stables over the way. But a few of them refused and didn’t take kindly to my recent re-decorating efforts. So they had all set up webs in the most ‘orrible of places, such as the front door so as soon as I go wandering in I get a face full of web – yuck! But we’ve all sat down and had a good old chat and come to an arrangement about where they can hang out.

The next few weeks I’ll be spending as much time as possible working on my new album, which has been put on the back-burner for far too long, due to having to focus far too much of my efforts on boring grown-up stuff (such as paying bills), but as I’m back to doing music full time and my studio is all finished up I can really get stuck in again and *finally* get it finished up!

The aim is to have it all ready for my next German Tour (which is in October) and most of the tracks are all recorded and finished, but as there’s been a bit of a gap between when I originally started putting it all together I’ve written a few new tunes which I’d like to add. I can’t wait to have a finished CD and start promoting it!

The radio show is still loads and loads of fun and I look forward to it every single Saturday. This week could be highly amusing as I have to fit a four-piece band into the tiny weeny Soundart studios – could be interesting! Papa Fernando are popping into the studio to play a few tunes live on air – so do tune in if you can as it’s sure to be a laugh!

One shocking thing that happened to me this week… are you sitting down? I’ve gone off tea (**gasp!!**) I know! I’ve no idea what is going on, but I think I’ve only had one cup of tea in over seven days, baring in mind that I usually can drink anywhere between three and seven cups a day!! I just don’t fancy it at all. “So what on earth are you drinking instead Katie??” I hear you cry.

Well… this:

Which in case you don’t know, is essentially fake coffee – it tastes like coffee, but isn’t coffee… kinda like coffee for kids (lol) which is really weird as I *hate* coffee and I’m not grown up enough to drink the stuff. So will I ever go back to the utterly brilliant, super-dooper hot drink that is tea? I’ll letcha know next week!!

• Check out Katie Marie on MySpace, or on her website.

Related posts:

1. Not Bad for a Girl: Katie Marie goes sci-fi Katie Marie sci-fi specialist Katie Marie gets out to the...
2. Not Bad For a Girl: Katie Marie gets translated into German Katie Marie gave up chocolate in the new year, and...
3. Not Bad For A Girl – Katie Marie’s manic week Katie Marie and the hectic life-style of a multi-talented musician. ...

The latest and we suspect the last of the candidates to have got back to us with their election address is Lib Dem Cathie Pannell, who standing for the county council in the South Hams.

Cathie Pannell: Loves area, proud to serve. Fair funding 4 Devon children, affordable housing, better public transport, protect environment
Lib Dem for South Brent and Dartington

To find all the candidates’ (who got in touch) Tweet-sized responses, check out our What Devon candidates have to say in under 140 characters page.

posted by Cptn

Related posts:

1. What Devon candidates have to say in under 140 characters Tweet-able reasons to vote for your candidate? Wow, that would...
2. #devonelection three more candidates offer Twitter-esque message Three more county council candidates have got in touch...
3. PRSD hopes to stimulate election debate on Twitter with #devonelection As the June 4 election of Devon County Councillors...

Disabled Kevin asks do we know or care about local politics

Despite being a semi-professional politician, I have still not become aware of any local issues which may influence my decision of which party to vote for on June 4. Living in Plymouth I can only vote in the European elections, but still do not know what each candidate are hoping to achieve should they be elected.

Having run as a city councillor I always make sure I am on the electoral roll and this should mean I should receive at least one piece of mail detailing each parties policies, but I have only received two colourful leaflets from the BNP and UKIP, shouting about how corrupt Westminster is.

Not wanting to vote for the three main parties to register my own protest about the political strain of swine flu that some MPs currently have, who should I vote for?

Apparently, as I understand it (but I’m still not sure), UKIP want to withdraw from Europe, despite the economic cost; the BNP will deport every foreigner and so I imagine that they are going to introduce compulsory national service where everyone has to be a carer for a year; the Green Party will stop me flying to Brighton; the Socialist parties, I gather, want to go back to the ’70s; the Christian parties believe their god can save the economy; and Katie Hopkins still wants a job!

So I am gravitating towards voting for Mebyon Kernow, the party of Cornwall, because their aims seem small, Cornwall does have a unique heritage and culture which should be preserved and I want to learn An Tavas Kernewek.

posted by Disabled Kevin

When I ran for MEP, Plymouth’s Evening Herald referred to me as Disabledkevin! I loved this label; I’m clearly disabled and called Kevin.

Got an opinion? Twitter #devonelection #swelection #euelection, or comment below

Related posts:

1. Does Devon care about the local issues in the Euro and county elections? Disabled Kevin asks do we know or care about...
2. No vote or protest vote on June 4? How is it best to show your reaction to politicians’ attitudes to expenses? Election round up by Disabled Kevin Until Thursday 14th, I...
3. Disabled Kevin says the South West rejects Labour Disabled Kevin sees the election results as a clear...

Katie Marie and the hectic life-style of a multi-talented musician. 

Heya there everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful bank holiday weekend – as promised in last week’s article, here’s a full breakdown of my musical (and rather manic!) week/weekend!

At the begining of the week (Tuesday) Marnie and I were in the BayFM studios playing some of our tunes live across the airwaves and chatting to presenter Martin Weller. The following day (Wednesday) we had to head off to the Palm FM studios in Torquay to pre-record a show with John Hogarth for Hogie’s 7-11.  As always both were oodles of fun.

Thursday afternoon I was up at More Restaurant – the weather was super lovely and there were lots of peeps up there enjoying the sunshine and music. I had a go at trying a few songs in different styles… I think the best one was a jazz version of Purple Haze which strangely worked!

So after playing lots of wellknow songs in a jazz stylee, I then had to head on up to Exeter Picturehouse for a gig with Marnie. I’ve never been to the Picturehouse before (which for those of you that don’t know is a cinema, and a lovely old style one at that) and didn’t realise that upstairs has a kind of cafe/bar area which is nice and chilled and really good for acoustical type people to play. The other great thing about this gig was that we got paid in cinema tickets! How cool is that!

Friday afternoon I had to head back up to Exmouth as I had a gig with Mr Crisp at Exmouth Festy, this was my first time here so I was really looking forward to making lots of noise in the lovely Manor Gardens. Our set seemed to go down well with the Exmouth peeps and the sound guys did a fantastic job – thanks guys.

Once I’d returned from Exmouth festy I then had to head off to my studio and pre-record my radio show for the next day, as Saturday was going to be a busy one. Pre-recording an hour long show wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be, but I decided to chuck in a few live performances to pass the time which was great fun… four hours later I had it all recorded, mixed and on a CD – yay!

So, along came Saturday – first stop was Exmouth Festy (yes, again!!) as I had a slot on my own to play, which was so much fun and once again the sound guys did a super dooper great job with the sound, which really does make such a difference. No sooner had I finished at Exmouth I had to head off to Helston as Marnie and I were gigging in Cornwall over the weekend.

Although the Campsite in Cornwall that we were gigging/staying at was a nightmare to find, we did manage to make it in good time – horrah!

The place we were playing at was called Out in the Open which is advertised as a gay-run, gay friendly camp site. I’ve never been to a gay camp site before – so wasn’t really sure what to expect! But I have to say that it’s the nicest, cleanest camp site I’ve ever stayed at and everyone who was running it and also staying there were really lovely. The owners had already set up a tent for me which was wicked not to have to worry about setting up my tent (which I’ve not done in a very long time and am probably rather rubbish at doing so!!).

The reason why Marnie and I were booked to play over the weekend was that the camp site (or the camp-camp as me and Marnie called it! lol I know, bet they’ve never heard that one before) were celebrating 10 years of being open, so we gigged Saturday and then Sunday night.

They had set up a big marquee in the field were we were playing at the first night was absolutly freeeeeeezing!! By the end of the night I was quite happy to be snuggling up in our tent with a hot water bottle. The weather the next day was simply gorgeous and I spent most of the day catching up on sleep in the lovely warm sunshine. Bloomin marvelous!

My alarm went off at 7am on Monday morning (gggrrrroooaaann!) as we had to be packed up and gone from the campsite by 8am and off to our next gig (which was at More Restaurant in Dartington and we needed to be there for 11.30am). We just about managed to leave in time and two-and-a-half hours later I was back in my lovely little home town of Totnes.

We were very lucky with the weather as it was raining on the drive up from Cornwall, but as soon as we hit Plymouth it seemed to stop and the sunshine gradually creeped through. As always More Restaurant was lots of fun and we had a really good crowd up there who seemed to enjoy it.

Then once again we had to dash off like crazy loons and head up to our last gig of the weekend which was in Bovey Tracey. This was a last-minute booking at The Cromwell Arms and they had organised an outdoor event and wanted us to play – which of course we were more than happy to.

So we got set up outside as the weather seemed really nice and our first set seemed to go down really well. But by the middle of our second set a big black cloud zoomed over and everyone ran inside!! The landlord asked if we’d be happy to finish off our gig inside the pub, fortunatly we’d only set up my little busking PA outside so it didn’t take two seconds to move and it was nice to be back in the warm anyways!

So after an exhausting weekend of gigs, we all rewarded ourselves with a well earned Chineese take-away – sorted!

• Check out Katie Marie on MySpace, or on her website.

(Images from the top Exmouth Festy with Dan (looking worried! lol); Dan @ Exmouth Festy; Dan @ Exmouth Festy; Security! We have a intruder; and Full vege breakfast!)

Related posts:

1. Not Bad For A Girl: Vote Katie Marie (an acoustic change from politics) Katie Marie gives us a run down of her music...
2. Not Bad For A Girl: Katie Marie is invited to Cheltenham Fringe Jazz Festival Katie Marie, the sometime human juke box, hits the airwaves...
3. Not Bad for a Girl: Katie Marie goes sci-fi Katie Marie sci-fi specialist Katie Marie gets out to the...

It seems the Herald Express has seen all the coverage about the Maureen Dowd / New York Times plagiarism brouhaha and decided it wants a slice of the action.

The paper recently wittered on at great length about literary historian Dr Andrew Norman who claims that Jane Austen had a doomed romance in Totnes. Hey, who hasn’t?

Apparently, Jane’s sister Cassandra fancied the same bloke and there was a bit of a falling out. You’d think Cassandra woulda seen it coming, wouldn’t you?

Evidence comes from an 1807 (that’s almost 10 past six) poem which contains these lines on love: “It is the cause of many woes/ It swells the eyes and reds the nose.” And there we were thinking it was talking about swine flu.

Dr Norman said (while punching the air triumphantly): “I have proved beyond reasonable doubt that Jane and Cassandra fell out.” Well done, Dr Norman.

Anyway, according to Meg Davis-Berry, who’s posted a comment on the story on thisissouthdevon, it appears the story was copied wholesale from The Telegraph – or at least both papers received the same (particularly dull) press release.

Meg says: ‘I looked to local news to add something extra to what was printed in the Telegraph. Instead we have a word for word copy. The Hindustan Times produced a more interesting and in depth piece than you did. I’m serious. Google it and see.’

Hmm, we probably won’t bother.

Related posts:

1. Broughton residents nix Google Earth visit while Herald Express reader takes pix While the Herald Express was patting itself on the...
2. Herald Express: What would happen if squirrels were cats? Opening paragraph of the week goes to the Herald...
3. Farmer moans to Herald Express about cost of Brixham cycle path Torbay Council has spent £120,000 on a 170 yard...

The Landmatters community, who live in low-impact dwellings near Totnes, are opening their doors to demonstrate transition and permaculture in action on Sunday June 7.

The Landmatters Community, based near Allaleigh, won the right to live on the land they own and work together for three years, in 2007.

During the open day you’ll be able to see how far the group has developed in their transition to a post-oil future.

You’ll be able see how they live, grow their food, get their energy, and see how permaculture can play a part in everyday life. There will be guided tours of the community at 12:30pm and 2:30pm, but it’s an all-day thing. Tea will be provided, but bring picnic food to share.

As member of  Landmatters Community, Charlotte Oliver, told the PRSD: “Lots of people locally have been very supportive towards us, and very interested in our permaculture community, and this is a great opportunity for us to throw open our doors and welcome people in.

“We’d really love people to come and see what we have done over the past four years, to enjoy a day out on our beautiful piece of land, share a picnic, and chat over tea with us about the community and what we are trying to achieve.

“As evidence builds for big changes in our climate, this project offers the chance to explore some solutions to the challenges that those changes will bring.”

• Getting there: Be aware that the low-impact community will not be able to accommodate private cars, even if shared, on the day.

Take the Dartmouth Bus 111 from nr The Seven Stars Hotel to the Forces Inn (nr Woodlands) then walk 15 minutes down the green lane to the community (nr Allaleigh).

To cycle there via the green lanes and Tuckenhay, the Totnes Cycling Group will be riding out en masse at 11am from the Plains, Totnes, all are welcome, (“slow, speedy, experienced, or beginners – we always wait!”) Five miles approx – 1.5 hours or so…

For more info and directions ring Lou on 01803 867358, and if you need alternative transportation please book well in advance.

posted by Cptn

Related posts:

1. Harnessing the power of community workshops in Totnes posted by Cptn A series of nine public workshops from...
2. The Totnes and District Energy Descent Action Plan goes live! The Totnes and Distirct Energy Descent Action Plan with events,...
3. Sustainable Steward Community on Dartmoor wins planning appeal to stay There is a whispered debate among some of the...