Best Kept Secrets Radio Show on 103.2 Preston FM - Saturday 1st February 2014 From 4pm

Tune in to our Best Kept Secrets radio show on 103.2 Preston FM this Saturday 1st February from 4pm.

We'll be featuring north west artists Ryan Cregan (in photo) and AD Cooke ,
Reviews of "War Girls" audio book and "A Service Rendered" war poetry collection,
Lucy talks about Pete and Alan Seeger, The Womens' Hospital in World War 1 and a bit about Clerihews.

There is a great doubleplay from The Corrs, the highly popular "Party Like It's 1959" slot and also new releases from Twin Forks and Reverend & The Makers.

So join us from 4pm on Saturday on 103.2 Preston FM.  If you live outside the broadcast area, you can "listen live" online at www.preston.fm

Ade Edmondson and The Bad Shepherds coming to Colne Muni - May 2014

The Bad Shepherds play punk songs on folk instruments. Not as a gag, but because they really like the noise.

They think the songs are better than people remember. They love folk instruments. It works. They do songs by The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Stranglers, The Jam, Sham 69, The Undertones, The Ramones, The Buzzcocks, The Specials, Talking Heads, Squeeze and others, even Kraftwerk!

Alright, they’re not all punk, but they come from roughly the same era. They’ve mostly given the songs a kind of Celtic feel, and they’ve stuck in the odd reel and jig here and there. But occasionally they just thrash! They’ve always thought the excitement of a reel taking off is the nearest thing to the excitement of watching punk live in the 70s.

With Adrian playing the Mandolin, world-renowned Troy Donockley playing the ethereal uillean pipes and the bouzouki, Tim Harries (Bill Bruford’s Earthworks, Steeleye Span) on the double bass and Terl Bryant (Iona, Peter Murphy Band, John Paul Jones Band) on percussion, the four of them now form the core of the band with occasional guest musicians.

The Bad Shepherds have released three albums, ‘Yan Tyan Tethera Methera!’ in 2009, ‘By Hook or By Crook’ in 2010 and ‘Mud, Blood and Beer’ in 2013, which features an original song penned by Adrian.
　

They toured extensively in 2011 and last year they played a string of dates in Australia and a 24-date tour or the UK in November and December, where the majority of the dates sold out.

For something totally different, catch Ade and his mates in Colne in May.

MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW -  PLEASE CHECK BACK!

Volunteers Wanted For Crafty Clickers Knitting Project

Details have just been announced of a new combined charity project based at The ACE Centre in Nelson – and local crafters are being invited to get involved.

Hot on the heels of their outstanding success with their knitted poppies in support of the Royal British Legion last year, the group of ladies (and one brave man) fondly known as The Crafty Clickers are now launching their latest projects – one very familiar one and one that is brand new.

Having presented the Royal British Legion with over 300 beautiful poppies for the Poppy Appeal last November, the group have been approached by the RBL to extend their poppy-knitting through to August of this year as part of the First World War Centenary events.  The response to the beautiful flowers produced was outstanding and it is a tribute to the talented crafters that they have been asked to extend this project!

However, that isn’t all!  Crafty Clickers organiser Beverly McKiernan has been approached by the group Carers Contact which supports unpaid Carers throughout Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale.  Their role is to help raise awareness amongst unpaid Carers of the support that is available to them and also to raise money which the charity can use in its efforts to support these Carers.

Chairperson of the Carers 4 Carers Group (part of Carers Contact) is Pauline Hague, who is also a very active member of Pendle Crafters, one of the busiest poppy producing groups last year.  Pauline not only has a gorgeous Blue Violet crochet pattern which she will provide to any interested parties, but can also supply wool AND for those who have never had the opportunity to learn to crochet, she will also arrange to TEACH anyone wishing to help with the project how to do basic crocheting!

Anyone interested in getting involved should ring Beverly at The ACE Centre on 01282 661080 or email her at Beverly.mckiernan@pendleleisuretrust.co.uk  

All crafters wishing to produce poppies can get stuck in right away – just contact Beverly and she will forward the pattern by email or post.  Anyone wishing to get involved with the Blue Violets should also contact Beverly direct and she will liaise with Pauline to arrange a class for those who wish to learn a new craft!  The Blue Violet Appeal will launch officially later this month.

So with many long dark winter evenings ahead, why not get involved, create your own winter garden with Blue Violets and (if you wish) multi-coloured poppies – AND grab the opportunity to learn a new craft!

Similarly, anyone wishing to support the scheme with donations of wool, knitting needles or crochet hooks) should contact Beverly on the above number.

 
And of course, the invitation is most definitely open to young and old, seasoned crafters and novices -  and a special invitation goes out to the gentlemen crafters as well as the fairer sex

North By North West Mod Festival in Colne - 6th & 7th June 2014

Pendle Leisure Trust and Doc Redeye Events bring a brand new two-day Festival to Colne.
North by North-West Festival will celebrate 50 years of Mod music next year – the Golden Anniversary of when it all began.

The Who and The Kinks were formed in 1964, Small Faces in 1965 and Love Affair in 1966, playing in clubs across the UK such as The Marquee and The Flamingo in London to The Astoria in Rawtenstall and The Nelson Imp.

Then came ‘The Mod Revival’ which started around the late 1970s, inspired by the 1979 film ‘Quadrophenia’ and mod-influenced bands such as The Jam, Secret Affair and Purple Hearts. Following this was Two Tone Ska music with bands such as Bad Manners with Buster Bloodvessal, Madness and The Specials.

This year there will be no need to travel to Brighton, Margate or Clacton to celebrate 50 years of this amazing music, because Colne is to have its own Mod Invasion at the Muni Theatre on June 6^{th and 7th.}

From The Jam, featuring Bruce Foxton (in photo), will headline the opening night with some of the great Mod anthems. They will be supported by The 45’s and The Universal.

Saturday’s line-up features The Itch, The Kast Off Kinks, featuring former members of The Kinks, The Small Fakers, Steve Ellis’ Love Affair who will be performing, among others, their most famous tune "Everlasting Love" and Bad Manners, featuring Buster Bloodvessel will round off what promises to be a fantastic weekend and a musical trip down memory lane.

MC and DJ, Northern Soul’s Roman, will be keeping the atmosphere going with musical interludes from the era.

Organisers Pendle Leisure Trust and Doc Redeye Events, are teaming up with the Cheeky Northern Monkeys Scooter Club who will be descending on Colne and Nelson Rugby Club for their annual weekend.

They will be linking up with other local scooter clubs for a rally through the town, which should provide quite a spectacle and take visitors back to the time when Mods ruled.

With sponsorship backing from Mini, Lloyds Colne, AMS Neve and Wills Electrical in Colne, the Festival promises to be a great event.

So, dig up your Vespa or Lambretta from the bottom of the garden, get the classic mini out of storage, put on your Ben Sherman, Fred Perry or Harrington Jacket and join all the 21st Century Mods at Colne, for the first ever North by North-West Festival.

For full details of the festival weekend, including Mini Rally, Scooter Rally and camping with the Cheeky Northern Monkeys, go to ^{www.nbnwfestival.com}

"War Girls" - CD and Download - A Review

Our thanks to Dorothy Clare who brought this to our attention.

“War Girls” is an anthology of poetry and prose in CD or MP3 form, put together and read by Ruth Sillers from poetry and prose written by women who lived through the First World War.    

 Ruth Sillers has worked for the National Youth Theatre, The Royal National Theatre Studio, Donmar Warehouse and the BBC.   Ruth’s soothing voice brings us an insight into the role of women during the First World War, from the outbreak until the Armistice. 

 Ruth reads from works featured in Catherine Reilly’s “Scars upon my Heart” and Joyce Marlow’s “Women and the Great War”, among them, Violet Thurston, Katharine Tynan, Helena Swanwick, Helen Hamilton, Anna Gordon Keown, Sarah Macnaughton, Charlotte Mew, Katherine Mansfield, Nora Griffiths, Jessie Pope, E. Sylvia Pankhurst, Madeline Ida Bedford, Olive May Taylor, Edith Sitwell, Maude Onions, Winifred M. Letts, Helen Dircks, M. Winifred Wedgwood, Eva Dobell, Teresa Hooley, Aelfrida Tillyard, Eleanour Norton, Nancy Cunard, Lilian Baylis, Eileen Newton, May Wedderburn Cannan, Carla Oman, Virginia Woolf, Marjorie Wilson and Sara Teasdale.

Skilfully interwoven with a musical accompaniment featuring some of the well-known WW1 airs such as “If you were the only girl in the world”, “Oh Oh, Antonio”, “After the Ball”, the “Rose of No Man’s Land”, “Keep the Home Fires Burning”, “Roses of Picardy”, “Till we meet again” and featuring “The Last Post”, this is a delightful reminder of the debt we owe to the women whose contribution to the First World War has, until now, been largely overlooked.

“War Girls” is available as a download or a CD from Crimson Cats Audio Books – www.crimsoncats.co.uk;  e-mail: editor@crimsoncats.co.uk

Ice Hockey: Next Blackpool Seagulls Match - 8th February 2014

Blackpool Seagulls recreational team will be playing the Nottingham Knights on Saturday 8th February 2014 at the Jubilee Ice Arena on Cleveleys Promenade - 5pm face off.

The "new" Seagulls are based around a nucleus of players from the old British League and English League period along with some exciting new talent so, if you hanker after the days of the old Heineken League and the Stein Lager Trophy, here's a great chance to see players such as Dave Anthony, Gary Shearman, Bobby Hall and the like in action once again!

It costs just £2 to get in and accompanied children are free.

To find out more, check out the Blackpool Seagulls 2012 Ice Hockey Team group on Facebook.

Date Change for Swing Sundays At Parks Art Deco Cafe, Blackpool

There is a change to the normal running order for the Swing Sunday lunchtime music session at Parks Art Deco Cafe in Blackpool during the month of February.

On Sunday 9th February it will now be The Frank Flynn Trio (in photo) and on Sunday 16th February it will now be Flip.

For more information, check out the website at  www.parksartdecocafe.co.uk