Swallows, squelchy boots and swollen streams

We set off for Hartland Abbey in torrential rain on Sunday.  Appropriately dressed for a wet  walk through the bluebell woods we were pretty confident the rain would ease up so we could get some pics. I especially wanted to get some shots of those pretty little curly black lambs with the long tails. We kept to the track and encountered a few puddles created by water streaming down around the trees from the uplands. Looked out across the bluebells and the now pungent wild garlic beneath dripping hats. Quite comically the sheep were all facing the same direction standing stock still while the cattle huddled together in a line at the edge of the long meadow under the trees. We could hear and see the turbid Abbey River as it thundered down then watched as it spilled out into a weirdly calm sea at Blackpool Mouth. Sadly the rain was relentless so the cameras stayed in the bag. Despite our bedraggled appearance and squelchy boots we really enjoyed our walk and  paused for a while to watch the recently arrived Swallows as they swooped and scooped in the newly formed pools in the meadow beyond the bridge. There was a warm welcome back for us from the guy in the kiosk and the ladies in the Abbey Tea Rooms.  Pat Adams 29^th April 2012.

There were 13 flood warnings in force in Devon, after the wettest April on record 

For the latest weather warnings visit  http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/sw/sw_forecast_warnings.html

Photos of Bluebells and Wild Garlic in the ancient woodland at Hartland Abbey 2011 by Pat Adams - Click here to see more of our Hartland Abbey posts

Clovelly on Song for its first Folk Festival

The picturesque village of Clovelly in North Devon will stage its first folk festival over the weekend of 5th and 6th May. Folk music in Devon has undergone a massive revival recently. Live music invites participation; it binds communities and brings new sound and colour to people's lives in a time of austerity. The Clovelly Folk Festival aims to do just that. The village harbour stage will be the setting for many talented Devonian singers and musicians with an eclectic mix of styles and voices, from blues and samba to the songs of the West Country and beyond.Wren music of Okehampton has the Baring-Gould archive of traditional music and together with the appearences of  both Jim Causley, Jackie Oates the festival will have a genuine West Country base. There are also many gifted musicians appearing who are local to Clovelly including Jim Crawford, Nick Wyke, Beckie Driscoll, Tina Bennett, Chloe Bix and Mario Lee. The parish church will be hosting two concerts by local musicians; its location and interior beauty forming a unique venue. During the weekend, workshops for both children and adults wil be held in the village and parish hall. This is a festival which locates traditional music in a traditional village, little changed in hundreds of years and will provide a Spring time spectacle for all. 

Clovelly Folk Festival Saturday 5 May-Sunday 6 May - Tickets available from The Plough Arts Centre Box Office on 01805 624624 Adults £15; Families (2A+2C) £35. 

For programme details, visit http://www.clovelly.co.uk/events.php - or check out the line-up and see some you-tube footage at www.clovellyfolkfestival.co.uk

 North Devon Focus Blogspot Clovelly Highlights - Clovelly Lobster and Crab Festival 2011 - Clovelly Herring Festival 2011

Protect our Waves. Ben Howard "The Wolves" Video and Happy Feet

Great to hear Ben Howard's The Wolves on New Balance TV Campaign "Happy Feet" 30. Ben Howard released the single, ‘The Wolves’ on the 27th February 2012 through Island Records. It was taken from Ben’s top 10 debut album, ‘Every Kingdom’. 2011 was a hugely successful introduction to the music of Ben Howard. The young Devonshire singer-songwriter wrote his own story based on twelve months of relentless European and British touring, a string of radio-friendly, folk-informed singles, and an acclaimed debut album. Where his peers have become very British successes, Ben has been building a solid, fanatical fanbase across Europe, appearing on France’s hugely respected Taratata television programme alongside Coldplay, and selling out every show announced (including venue upgrades). In 2012 Ben will launch his music in America with ‘Every Kingdom’ finding a release in the Spring through Communion Records, with appearances at SXSW in Texas and a US tour already confirmed. Regularly compared to the likes of John Martyn, Donovan, and Bon Iver, Every Kingdom (produced by the band’s bassist and drummer Chris Bond), captures the rawness and intimacy of Ben’s live performance. The deftness of touch, the spellbinding nature of those six strings carefully finger-plucked, and Ben’s otherworldly vocal cries are spun and woven sublimely. ‘The Wolves’ was one of the songs that introduced Ben to the British public. Prior to Ben’s US live dates, he headlined a sold-out European & UK tour in February, which included two nights at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire. Another UK tour is expected later in the year. Ben Howard will be headlining the Goldcoast Ocean Fest in Croyde, North Devon June 2012.

www.benhowardmusic.co.uk
VIEW VIDEO

Click here to read all Ben Howard posts on Focus Music blogspot
WHAT THE PAPERS SAY
“A debut album of beauty and vigour.”—Sunday Times
“Full of hard-won wisdom that belie his age…He’ll make listening to acoustic folk-tinged music feel like the first time.” —The Guardian
“Extraordinary”—The Independent
 "An unusually poetic songwriter revelling in his proximity to nature" - Uncut
"Howard is a YouTube phenomenon with a modern voice, an acoustic guitar and an original way of blending the two...Properly new music" - Word Magazine
"Every Kingdom has been one of the surprise hits of the year. A showcase for his earthy vocal grain and tingling guitar picking." - The Mirror
"Howard's effortless vocal sets him apart from everyone else taking a whack at the folk genre" - The Sun