Fair Trade and pretty fair entertainment

Plenty of interesting and enthusiastic guests today with lots to tell us.


Our first guest Sebastian Pope introduced us to the delights of a play called Alas, Poor Fred, playing at The Hour Glass in Exeter from Wednesday 7 to Saturday 10 March. James Saunders' absurd two hander is the first of four plays at The Hourglass by the newly renamed OwlGlass Theatre. Buy tickets (£9) in advance from the pub venue.

Councillor Ian Martin and Hilary Noakes talked about the importance of Fair Trade products in ensuring that the people who produce what we eat, wear and use should get paid enough to live on and a chance to improve their lives. There are several events in Exeter over the next two weeks promoting Fair Trade products. Find out about them here. 


The Fair Trade Foundation has an excellent website where you can find further information about ethical trading and production and getting involved in fair trade.

Malcolm, Tessa and Hannah came along from Cygnet Training Theatre who perform at The New Theatre, Exeter. Fresh from the success of a run of As You Like It at the theatre, they told us about their own production, visiting theatre companies and concerts coming up. This Friday 2 March from 19:00 there is a fund-raising event run by students to raise money to take the company to the Edinburgh Festival. The event includes a Revue and a Silent Auction. See the full programme on the Cygnet New Theatre website.

Our final guest was UK rockabilly singer songwriter 
Bo Walton. Bo received considerable acclaim for his first two singles, 's Too Much backed with Hey Mister Night, the latter featuring Mark Knofler. Just as successful  were his next "double sided" single Wild at Heart and Wild Woman. His new album Waiting On A Dream - featuring "modern rockabilly music with an edge" was recorded and produced by John David at Berry Hill Studio in Gloucester. The album has just been released by Exeter-based Tabitha Records.
It's worth checking out Bo's videos on Youtube.


Music played 
Penguin Cafe Orchestra..Bean Fields..Signs Of Life
Roxy Music..Remake, Remodel..Roxy Music
Hugh Laurie..Red Hot..Let Them Talk
Jacques Brel..Madeleine
Jackie Oates..The Sweet Nightingale..Saturnine
Roberto Fonseco..Bibisa..Yo
The Four Seasons..Sherry
AfroCubism..A La Luna Yo Me Voy..AfroCubism
M4trix..Lord Mayo..Gaps
Mike Silver..Maybe It's Just Love
Mariachi El Bronx..48 Roses..Mariachi El Bronx II
Gallavin..My Baby Just Cares For Me
Bo Walton..'s Too Much / Hey Mister Night / Wild At Heart
Del Shannon..So Long Baby..All The Hits & More
Lord Rockingham's 11..Hoots Mon
Norma Waterson..On Friday's He's Fred Astaire..The Very Thought Of You
Penguin Cafe Orchestra..Southern Jukebox Music..Signs Of Life

It's all happening in Exeter

Wednesday 1 February


Today we put out lots of info on films and theatre in Exeter and there is a lot happening. Many thanks to Gavin and Geoff for contributing to the music and to Geoff for doing a Film Round-up. 





Geoff particularly recommended films at the Exeter Picturehouse and Exeter Phoenix. Follow the links for details of events at these venues.

 Matt Newbury from Exeter Northcott Theatre introduced us to Imogen and Janet who are acting in Talking Heads by Alan Bennett, directed by Anthony Richards, and playing at the theatre from 2 - 7 February. I was delighted when they agreed to give us snippets of their performances. Should be well worth seeing!

Fresh from critical acclaim at Edinburgh Fringe, Matt from Rhum and Clay Theatre Company told us about what seems likely to be a highly entertaining, funny, physical and provoking piece of theatre: Shutterland. It is on at Exeter BikeShed Theatre from 2-4 February.

We played
Charlie Hearnshaw Band..Smiling..download
Watcha Clan..Osfour..Radio Babel
P J Harvey..The Words That Make Good Murder..Let England Shake
Joni Mitchell..See You Sometime..For The Roses
David Paskell..A Place Called Home..download
Martina..I Just Call You Mine..Shine
Mariachi El Bronx..Poverty's King..Mariachi El Bronx II
Steve Black..Blink Of An Eye..All The Best
Ry Cooder..No Banker Left Behind..Pull Up Some Dust & Sit Down
Leonard Cohen..Democracy..The Future
Miranda Sykes & Rex Preston..Between The Sheets..Miranda Sykes & Rex Preston
The Eel Grinders..The Hill Changes Colour..Voyage
Tom Waits..Face To The Highway..Bad As Me
Laura Marling..Devils Spoke..The Observer Disc
Scott Walker..The Bridge..Golden Years
The Dartmoor Pixie Band..Redwing..The Pixies Strike Again

Jim Causley..Old Uncle Whiteway..Domnonia
Anoushka Shankar..Buleria Con Ricado..Traveller
Gillian Welch..The Way It Goes..The Harrow & The Harvest
Boreale..Bulistan..Mousson