Posted: July 11th, 2010 under Ilfracombe, performance.
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Posted: June 19th, 2010 under Ilfracombe.
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Posted: June 11th, 2010 under wild and gardens.
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Posted: June 3rd, 2010 under Ilfracombe.
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Posted: May 31st, 2010 under Ilfracombe.
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The general election. We knew it was coming. I’m sure many people don’t want it, even though we need it. We needed it last year, but we have had to wait.

It’s a noisy election and on a national scale seems more unpleasant than other elections. It will be interesting to see how accurate the media and chatterers are about the outcome. I don’t think anyone can be sure.

What do I think? From a national perspective I believe we need a strong government that will have the guts to tackle some of the country’s problems as fairly as possible. Some of the decisions it will need to take will not be popular and there will be pain: we are in a mess and getting out of it will be hard work.

From a local point of view, I believe North Devon needs an MP who will represent everyone in the constituency and fight for the area. A desperate lack of investment in towns and infrastructure over decades needs correcting. Who will battle with their party, with Whitehall, with any of the establishment to achieve this?

That’s what I’ll ask any candidate who knocks on my door.

Posted: April 27th, 2010 under a musing.
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Breakfast on a Good Friday is a one-off for us: a supply of freshly baked hot cross buns from the Pantry in Ilfracombe High Street, North Devon.

They only make hot cross buns for a short period so they remain special, unlike the unimaginative supermarkets who peddle them all year round.

Once again, we delighted in the fluffy, light dough and currants, accompanied by butter, some by homemade jam, and a mug of fresh coffee.

Posted: April 2nd, 2010 under Ilfracombe, food & drink.
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Thinking of the residents of Cockermouth in Cumbria and hoping that they can return to normal life as soon as possible after the floods, it struck me how powerful water is.

Even the East Wilder Brook that runs through Bicclescombe Park in Ilfracombe is swollen.

It changes from still pool to torrent with no warning . . .

. . . and although not very deep has the power to drag along anything in its way.

It commands my respect.

Posted: November 23rd, 2009 under Ilfracombe, wild and gardens.
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Yesterday I was rehearsing for Oh, What a Lovely War! in the Landmark Theatre. The more I perform there, the more I realise what a wonderful theatre this is. A newcomer to the company was impressed with the facilities and agreed what a marvellous asset it is for Ilfracombe.

Yet many people dismiss the theatre because of its external appearance. I have to agree that the building’s exterior does not thrill me, but it’s really the facilities inside that really matter. We’re lucky as a small town to have a theatre like this and we should value it. It would be very easy for funding to be cut and it would not surprise me, although it would sadden me, if in a few years time we had to fight to keep the Landmark open.

If it did close, no doubt those people who grumble about it would grumble even more about the town and the lack of things to do.

Let’s be glad we’ve got the Landmark, a cracking theatre and a draw for visitors to North Devon.

In the meantime, we’re looking to see all these seats filled on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 November.

Posted: November 2nd, 2009 under Ilfracombe.
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See the ever-popular war game with songs, jokes and a few battles!

Studio Theatre’s production of Oh, What a Lovely War! at the Landmark Theatre, Ilfracombe, North Devon combines the songs that united the ordinary soldiers of the Great War with a wry look at the politicians and officers in charge of the carnage.

Set as a pierrot show, projected images and shocking statistics of the war on the Western Front contrast with the comedy action taking place on the stage in this 1960s satire which achieved West End success.

Throughout the action the ensemble cast sing well-known songs including Belgium Put the Kaibosh on the Kaiser, Hold Your Hand Out
You Naughty Boy, Goodbye-ee, Row Row Row, I’ll Make a Man of You, It’s a Long Way to Tipperary, Christmas Day in the Cookhouse, Sister Susie’s Sewing Shirts for Soldiers and Oh, It’s a Lovely War, many with humorous lyrics adapted by the soldiers in the trenches.

See the volunteers struggle to learn combat drill, watch the Tommies mingle with their German counterparts during the Christmas ‘truce’ and gape at the great European nations as their monarchs, politicians and generals stumble into the morass resulting in four years of pointless trench warfare.

First staged in 1963 and devised by Joan Littlewood and the Theatre Workshop, Oh, What a Lovely War! was influenced by the late Alan Clark’s military history ‘The Donkeys’ as well as by ‘The Good Soldier Svejk’ by Czech humourist Jasoslav Hasek.

Studio Theatre’s cast of 20 share the roles of soldiers, nurses, monarchs, generals, officers, secret police and more from the pre-war empires of Europe, accompanied on the joanna by Mike Riley and commanded from the safety of the auditorium by director Lee Baxendale.

Thursday 5 & Friday 6 November 2009, 7.45pm

Call the box office on 01271 324242 or book online at northdevontheatres.org.uk

Visit studiotheatreonline.org.uk for full details

Posted: October 5th, 2009 under performance.
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