Friday 26th October - Monday 29th October Gloucester Docks

The first Gloucester Tall Ships Festival will have four tall ships sailing up The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, following the historic trading route to Gloucester,� on� Friday 26th October to join The Johanna Lucretia in the Docks� to open the Festival.

The Tall Ships are scheduled to arrive between 11.15 and 12.45 but all times are subject to change.
During the Festival exciting events and attractions will be happening on the Docks giveing everyone a weekend of unforgettable sights and sounds showing how Gloucester could have looked over 100 years ago.
Saturday evening will host a stunning light show of the ships sails and rigging which will accompany live music on the Docks.

On Sunday visitors can wander around the Docks and appreciate these beautiful tall ships in their natural environment and in Britain’s most inland port.

On Monday you can witness the departure of these amazing seagoing craft from Gloucester Docks.
Details of the Tall Ships that will be in the Docks is as follows:-

The Earl of Pembroke -� a three-masted wooden barque built in Sweden in 1948. She traded timber in the Baltic and British East Coast until being laid up in Denmark in 1974. In 1985 she underwent a complete restoration programme.
Phoenix - a Danish brigantine built in Denmark in 1929 as an Evangelical Mission Schooner. She retired from Missionary work 20 years later and carried cargo until she was damaged by fire. In 1988 she sailed to the UK where she underwent a complete refit.
Ruth - a 28 metre schooner built in 1914 for trade in the Baltic built in the Rää Shipyard Sweden in 1914. A traditional gaff-rigged ketch, she was baptised Ruth, by the owner Sven Petter Persson, after his wife. Her main cargo at the time was ceramic pots and stoneware, delivering for a famous Swedish company called Höganas.
Kathleen & May - the last remaing three masted schooner which is a type of trading vessel that would have been common in Gloucester Docks 100 years ago. She has been in Gloucester before in derelict form but now she returns restored to her former glory.� She was launched in 1900 at Bideford, Devon and was used on trade routes in British and Irish waters. She made her last commercial visit to Gloucester 62 years ago on September 29th 1945 delivering fuel and loading up wheat for a trip to Barry. Over a period of 30 years she made over 150 passages up the river Severn bound for Lydney, Sharpness and Gloucester.
The Johanna Lucretia� � � � - a topsail schooner built in 1945 in Belgium as a fishing vessel. She was converted for recreational use in 1954 and was based in the Netherlands for 35 years.In 1989 she was bought by British owners and fully refitted in 1992 to become a cruising boat.

Gloucester Tourist Information Centre
28 Southgate Street
Gloucester
GL1 2DP
Telephone 01452 396572
www.gloucestertallships.co.uk�

Tags: festivals | music | ships | gloucester

The Campden and District Music Society launches its 47th season on Tuesday 9th October 2007 with a concert by the Fitzwilliam string quartet. Lucy Russell, Jonathan Sparey, Alan George and Andrew Skidmore founded the group in 1968 when they were Cambridge undergraduates and became well known through their close association with Dmitry Shostakovich, who entrusted them with the Western premieres of his last three quartets. With a busy concert programme across the world, many recordings and international awards, Campden Music Society is delighted to have them launch their concert series. They will be joined by another well known musician, the principal cellist of the London Symphony Orchestra, Moray Welsh, whom some will have seen at the Campden music festival in May. Moray studied cello under Rostropovich at the Moscow Conservatoire and has enjoyed a long music career of solo performances, recordings and teaching at the Royal Northern College of Music for 18 years.

The concert opens with a short work, “More Fools than Wise” by Jonathan Rathbone who was musical director and arranger for the Swingle Singers for twelve years. It is inspired by the words and music of the seventeenth century composer Orlando Gibbons’s madrigal “The Silver Swan”, which tells how a swan, having been silent all her life, reportedly sings most beautifully just before she dies. The title comes from the last line - “More geese than swans now live, more fools than wise.” - a line particularly important to Rathbone, as it expresses a dilemma in music today. Borodin’s 2nd string quartet in D, written between 1881 and his death in 1887 is one of the most beloved works in the entire quartet literature. Written on a summer holiday and dedicated to his wife, this tuneful work exudes contentment. Some of its glorious melodies were made even more popular over sixty years later as songs in the Broadway musical “Kismet”. The concert ends with the string quintet D.956 in C major of Schubert, written in 1828 with two cellos, just one of many astonishing compositions dating from the composer’s final months. Every moment in this, his last and greatest chamber work, completed only seven weeks before his death, is magnificent in its tragic beauty.

This not-to-be-missed concert takes place in Chipping Campden School Hall, Cider Mill Lane. Chipping Campden at 8pm on Tuesday 9th October. With an annual membership subscription of £40, members have free access to the season’s five concerts and may introduce a guest. Members also have opportunities to join group visits to ballet, operas and concerts at different venues and bookings for these have now opened. New members (£40 for five concerts, i.e. ONLY £8 PER CONCERT) are warmly welcomed. To ensure that you receive full details of membership, contact Campden Music Society, c/o Treasurer, Saxfeld, Hoo Lane, Chipping Campden, GL55 6AZ or phone 01386 841520.

The Society thanks its commercial sponsors: Cutts of Campden, Cotswold House Hotel, Martin Gotrel, Andrew Greenwood, Robert Welch, Mark Annett Estate Agents and Graphic Print Partnership.

(From the Chipping Campden Bulletin. included with kind permission of Jeremy Green)

Tags: chipping campden | music | festivals

(From the letters section of the Chipping Campden Bulletin. Reproduced with kind permission of Jeremy Green)

Dear Jeremy,

Another wonderful flower festival is over and now many of us are reflecting on the very successful weekend it was. In our tea rooms we had a really happy five days serving lunches and teas to over 1,000 people, but none of that could have happened without our enormous band of helpers: firstly, all the kind people who donated the food (over 100 cakes) and also the non-food items; and then the large number of friends who worked in shifts in the kitchen. The stars of the tea room “staff were the children. They behaved beautifully and were polite and helpful to our customers, especially the elderly and disabled, and we all enjoyed their cheerful company. So a very big thank you to Maricon, Olivia, Tyler, Theo, Felix, Ellie, Daisy, Alexander, Kelly, Sidney, Hamish, Serena and Rosanna.

Last but certainly not least I want to give a huge thank you to my “Stalwarts” - Jenny, Carol and Avril. They worked so hard but together we had such a fun and happy weekend. Thank you to you all.

Yours sincerely,
Jessica Brook

Also, see our other Flower Festival article here.

Tags: festivals | chipping campden | church

5th - 14th October at venues throughout Cheltenham

This year’s Festival, which is sponsored by “The Times” and in association with Waterstone’s,� takes place over 10 days, has 350 events -from debates and discussions to interviews, performances, live literature, poetry, book clubs and lectures� with 450 authors participating. Question - Debate-Discover-Engage -Enjoy.

The� Festival theme explores the question - “What does change mean to us”and the Guest Directors are Armando Iannucci and A C Grayling who will programme the two weekend series.

The Festival starts with Ben Macintyre talking about “Agent Zigzag” and Eric Hobsbawm talking about his life and some of the issues that underpin contemporary society, both at the Town Hall on Friday 4th October from 12.00 and finishes with� Roy Strong presenting an illustrated talk on “A Little History of the English Country Church” at the Everyman Theatre on Sunday 14th October from 20.30.

In between there will be appearances from - Nick Hornby, Alastair Campbell, Germaine Greer, Ken Loach, Naomi Klein, Julian Clary, Virginia Nicholson,� John Simpson, Ian McEwan, and Roddy Doyle� to name just a few.

www.cheltenhamfestivals.com
Box Office 01242 227979

Tags: festivals | cheltenham

President Paul Lewis
Principal sponsor of the 2007 festival - Jackson Stops & Staff. Steinway piano sponsored by Cutts of Campden.

I am delighted to report that the 2007 festival was another great success. Ticket sales were well up on 2006 and although fees were also considerably higher than last year we have finished up with a surplus to carry forward to 2008. As always our performers seemed to love both the venue and the atmosphere the festival generates. The following are just some of the comments we received from this year’s artists:

“To play to such an enthusiastic and concentrated capacity crowd was quite a compliment and I am most grateful for all you did… my warmest gratitude for another totally enjoyable visit to your superb Festival - long may it last and prosper. You have turned it into a remarkable success story!” John Lill.

“I saw the orchestra today at their Colin Davis rehearsals, and they were all saying how much they enjoyed last night, and what a fabulous venue the church is! Charlotte also reported that you and your team were wonderfully helpful and hospitable. Many thanks for the invitation and for being so great to work with” Pauline Gilberton director English Chamber Orchestra.

“The best venue we have ever played in in the UK” Igor Naidfn - viola player of the Borodin quartet.

“Thanks so much again - the concert on Friday was fantastic and the orchestra were very glad to have a concert in such a beautiful setting, and much closer to home after five months of non-stop touring!” Tara Persaud concerts manager Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

I would like to thank everyone who became a ‘Patron’, ‘Friend’ or ‘Sponsor’ this year, without whose help the festival would not survive. There are too many to name everyone but the following deserve a particular mention; Jackson Stops & Staff for, once again, being our principal sponsor. Cutts of Campden for sponsoring the Steinway piano for the 6th year. Cotswold House Hotel for sponsoring, for the fourth year, the jazz supper.

I would also like to thank everyone who helped in any way with the day to day running of the event. Again there is not room to mention everyone but the following worked particularly hard; Richard Stephens, Ivor & Jean Owen, Arthur & Rachel Cunyghame, Micaela Schmitz, Jessica May. Finally thank you to Campden Bowling club and to W.R. Haines & Sons for allowing us to display the large advertising boards on their properties and Jeremy Green for all the advertising in his Bulletin. Next year’s festival will run from Tuesday 13th - Saturday 24th May. Details will be published in November 2007.

Before then we have two ‘one off concerts both in St. James’ church at 7.30pm The Coronation of Poppea Saturday September 22nd - tickets £10 adults £5 students - on the door only. A fully staged production of the opera with professional orchestra and advanced singers from the top UK colleges.

Paul Lewis Saturday Dec 1st 7.30pm. Beethoven’s last three piano sonatas op109/110/111. This will be the final time Paul plays this programme in the UK

Booking forms will be sent to everyone on the festival database in July. Box office opens August 1st.
(From the Chipping Campden Bulletin. included with kind permission of Jeremy Green)

Tags: chipping campden | festivals | music

Flower Festival, St James Church Chipping Campden 24th to 28th August

The pace is quickening for the forthcoming flower festival at St James Church over the bank holiday week end (from Friday August 24th to Tuesday August 28th). Four very successful fund raising events hosted by Rachel and Arthur Cunynghame, Sarah and Peter Taylor, Philip and Mary Smith, and two events by Margaret and Geoffrey Smith have succeeded in raising well over £3,000 for flower festival funds.

The theme of Old Testament tales will blossom into life in scenes created by distinguished designer Jenny Bennett, and imaginatively interpreted by flower club teams from Chipping Campden and surrounding areas.

A summer market, organized by Jane Bartlett will be an attractive additional feature of the festival and on Saturday, Sunday and Monday will set up its stalls in the front garden of Margaret and Geoffrey Smith’s home directly opposite the church. The market will offer bric-a-brac, books, plants and preserves; and that’s not all. Delicious teas and light lunches under the direction of Jecca Brook will be available in the Church Rooms.

Festival co-ordinator David Hallett is hopeful that the festival will attract record numbers. He says “We are hoping that Campden residents and visitors will come and see the really wonderful floral displays, and if anyone has guests over the bank holiday weekend that they will bring them to admire both one of the area’s loveliest churches and the biblical stories told in flowers”.

(From the Chipping Campden Bulletin. Included with kind permission of Jeremy Green)

Little Gidding B&B is located in Ebrington and is minutes away from Chipping Campden. We would be happy to book you for a stay during the festival.

Tags: chipping campden | festivals | church

July 28th to August 4th

The Guiting Power music and jazz festival has been bringing music to the Cotswolds for 37 years. Led by festival president Joanna MacGregor, this year’s event will feature a series of concerts from July 28th to August 4th including:

Cordelia Williams (Piano) - Cordelia Williams was a finalist in the 2006 “BBC Young Musician” series.

Parisian Jazz Quarter Le Collectif playing the music of the Hot Club of France typified by the jazz music of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli.

The Allegri String Quartet who were founded in 1953 by Eli Goren and William Pleeth

Opus Anglicanum performing Love’s Music, a story told by Shakespeare’s sonnets. The music is the context in which the story unfolds comprising songs from Shakespeare’s plays, music published during his lifetime, and a composition commissioned by the Opus Anglicanum Trust from David Bednall.

Phillip Dyson recognised as one of Britain’s most sought after and innovative concert pianists

Susan Flannery and Michael Lunts performing “A Wilde Affair” - featuring Miss Prism and Canon Chasuble in concert, two of Oscar Wilde’s best loved characters in their very own show.

Claire Martin (Jazz). Claire has 5 times won the Best Vocalist award at the British Jazz Awards and has topped the US Gavin Jazz chart

Joanna MacGregor (Piano) is joined by favourite local musicians to perform Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps.

The festival also features an art exhibition from local Cotswold artists.

For more details, see www.guitingfestival.org

Tags: places | music | festivals | guiting

Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th July will see the 19th Cotswold Show take place at Cirencester Park.

This year’s show will feature displays from groups such as the Royal Corps of Signals White Helmets Motorcycle Display Team and the Cheshire Dog Display Team. Other entertainment will include falconry, horse whispering and celebrity otters.

The food village will include produce from all over the UK with stalls, cookery demonstrations and a farmer’s market.

The event will also include a Rural Craft Village with hands on demonstrations of dry-stone walling, bee-keeping, hurdle making, broom making, rope making and saddle making. Children will be able to make their own beeswax candles or corn dolly to take home.

Cirencester Park is approximately one mile outside Cirencester town centre, past Cirencester College & Deer Park School, before the Agricultural College on the A419 Stroud Road.

Tickets at the gate cost £7 for adults and £2 for Children 3-14.

Update 13th July

Tim Relf’s rural life blog has an interesting article about an event at the Cotswold Show where visitors turned valuers to guess guessing the value of a country cottage, some farm machinery and an antique item.

Tags: festivals | cirencester | food | crafts