Ocelot 147 September 2018

Lifestyle and Culture Magazine Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire

No: 147 September 2018

Free

shining a light on the autumn theatre season Clap your eyes on The Ocelot Theatre Guide p24 Picture: The Secret Garden at Barn Theatre

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#147

SEPTEMBER ISSUE

For Starters

04 The Rant + Luke Coleman 06 Encyclopaedia Oceloticca 08 Tattoos, booze and poos Lifestyle

09 National Trust 11 Get a Life 11 Get Away 14 Style 16 TV and Film Brews and Eats

18 Wine not?

19 Brewery Bird 20 L’histoire de croissants 22 Skogen Kitchen 23 Nando’s Arts and Culture

24 to 35 The Theatre Guide Music

36 Wilderness Festival 38 Marlborough Rising 40 Mother 42 The Month Ahead The Final Bit of the magazine

46 Agony Teenager

Quote of the month: “When life gives you lemons make orange juice. Then sit back and watch as the world wonders how you did it.”

A still from The Fisherman appearing at North Wall Arts Centre in Oxford this month

A dramatic turn of events “That’s the magic of art and the magic of theatre: it has the power to transform an audience, an individual, or en masse, to transform them and give them an epiphanal experience that changes their life, opens their hearts and their minds and the way they think.”

Brian Stokes Mitchell, Broadway theatre actor

Until I was looking for a quote for this editor’s note I had no idea who Brian Stokes Mitchell was.

And now I know that he’s a Broadway theatre actor, he’s my new best friend. He speaks sense.

That’s the power of theatre. It opens your mind to new things. Theatre has opened my mind to Brian Stokes Mitchell who I’m now following on Instagram.

The fact that I’m planning a trip to New York so I can trawl the streets of Times Square shouting ‘Brian’ at the top of my voice until he comes out also demonstrates the power of theatre. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t looked for an inspirational theatre quote.

So in the next few pages you will find out all that Ocelotshire has to offer in the Autumn season theatrically and it’s bloody good.

Even Brian Stokes Mitchell would agree.

Write in to me at jamie@theocelot.co.uk

Jamie Hill

Editor: Jamie Hill - jamie@theocelot.co.uk Deputy: Ben Fitzgerald - ben@theocelot.co.uk Reporter: Claire Dukes - claire@theocelot.co.uk Sales: Dave Stewart dave@theocelot.co.uk - 07872 176999 Rosy Presley rosy@positivemediagroup. press - 07717 501790 Telephone: 01793 781986 Publisher: Positive Media Group, Unit 3, Arclite House, Peatmoor, Swindon SN5 5YN Printers: Deltor, Saltash, Cornwall

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For Starters

Gammon gammon

By Ocelot Editor Jamie Hill I’m not liking social media much at the moment.

I used to find it an amusing place full of light-hearted banter and celebratory pictures of children, feats of fitness, life events and Hugo from Newbury announcing that it’s raining. Lol. And now it’s full of arguments and playground namecalling.

We get it. Half the country disagrees with the other half of the country on the issue of our times - Brexit. There’s bound to be a few debates.

And I’ve been quite enjoying that aspect of it. I like a mass debate (tee hee!) as much as the next man.

But what I don’t like is when that debate is just reduced to name-calling. We should be better than that.

It seems an even split too. On one side you’ve got the ‘right’ of the debate calling everybody ‘the PC brigade’, ‘snowflakes’, ‘libtards’, and ‘remoaners’.

And on the other side of the debate you’ve got the ‘left’ calling everybody ‘disbeleavers’, ‘racists’, ‘fascists’, ‘Nazis’ and the newest one ‘Gammon’.

These people hurl their insult into the debate usually by uttering ‘you’re just a snowflake/gammon’ (delete where applicable) and then dismiss everything that the other person was saying essentially stifling the debate as if their opinion no longer matters.

Personally, being a tad more to the left than some, I’ve been branded a ‘snowflake’ several times as if that is an insult that will cut me to the bone (I’m more of a moderate but seem forced to the left in these modern times).

But I’ve seen many on the left side of the debate

using exactly the same tactic of ‘you’re just a racist’ when someone is trying to get across the point that our infrastructure just simply isn’t coping under so much sustained immigration. Instead they could argue the point back that it isn’t immigration that has caused our infrastructure to strain but the sustained austerity that has seen a lot of services cut to shreds. But once they’ve played the ‘you’re a racist’ card that is what the debate descends into. Just name-calling.

Personally, I hate this new term ‘gammon’ that the left is using against the ‘right’. The term comes from a collage of angry red faced older men taken from an episode of Question Time discussing Brexit that was described as a ‘wall of gammon’ by children’s author Ben Davis. He was talking about the blustering and cantankerous golf club types and it was meant to be a throwaway joke but the name caught on. It’s a stupid insult that says as much about the person saying it as the person they are insulting.

Name-calling stifles debate and ‘gammon’ isn’t even funny ffs as there’s a faint whiff of ageism in there somewhere. Let’s do better.

Discovering the new with an emerald glint Off The Grid with Luke Coleman - Our man in Iraq You know when you stumble across something that becomes all-consuming, something that even in the moments you’re not obsessing, sparkles coincidences which catch your eye?

You’re a rescue pilot flying over the forest of life, and the subject keeps glinting its mirror at you. Well Ireland, to Captain Cock Chops here, your mirror is huge, and its reflection the glintiest of the glinty.

It started with making a new friend, as these things often do, and of course Mairéad (as in ‘parade’) is Irish. From Cavan, a central county dotted with pools apparently most dip-worthy. She introduced me to the wonders of The Rubberbandits (pictured, go to YouTube, start with the hilarious “Horse Outside”, and then wander about the back catalogue), before lending me The Gospel According To Blindboy, one half of the duo, a book of surreal short stories rooted in the diverse soils of Irish history, folklore and contemporary society, all fertile with humour. From there I slipped into the Blindboy podcast –

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get on it – and then I started noticing all things Irish on my timeline, I began learning about Ireland today, Irish history. (It’s always amazed, but never unsurprised me, how little we are taught about our Imperial Fuckery in English schools.) I’m all about those ancient forts and churches, the opportunities for wild swims, and we’re getting a long weekend in the book to trundle around Galway and the Aran Islands. I just hope I don’t look in a mirror and see the reflection of Ed ‘Bloody’ Sheeran gurning back at me.

See, we’re not so different after all.

www.theocelot.co.uk

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Encyclopedia Ocelotica Sonic warfare

By Ben Fitzgerald Last year staff working at the US and Canadian embassies in Cuba complained of suffering from headaches and nausea.

Foul play was suspected and a medical report commissioned by the US government concluded that staff working at the embassy building in Havana had been targeted by some form of acoustic weapon.

The report, which has since been thrown into doubt by doctors from the US, the UK and Germany, suggested that the high pitch noises they reported could have led to concussion like injuries.

Whatever the truth behind these creepy claims - there is little doubt that research into sonic weapons has been carried out for years - with mixed results.

At the lower end of the scale, ultrasonic deterrents which promise to rid your garden of the scourge of cats, rats and foxes are available

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from those weird catalogues that you get with the Sunday papers.

A few years ago, miserable shopkeepers began using ‘mosquito’ devices which emit a high pitch sound audible only to teenagers to stop them hanging around at the entrance to their stores.

And at the other end of the sonic scale, there have been recorded instances of ‘non-lethal’ sound weapons being used to break up protests, with sound cannons being used against protesters and modern day pirates.

Extremely high power sound waves can incapacitate people by damaging eardrums and at lower power can be enough to induce nausea and discomfort.

With this cheery thought in mind, the sadistic staff at the US Guantanamo Bay detention camp have used sound as a torture device - bombarding inmates with

repeated plays of Taylor Swift and even ‘I love you’ by Barney the Purple Dinosaur - much like Heart FM. The importance of sound research during wartime where attempts were made during the First and Second World War to create listening devices enabling the wearer to detect enemy aeroplanes and vehicles beyond the range of normal human hearing - and making the user look like some kind of cyborg mickey mouse.

It has also been long understood that sound can also be used to intimidate your opponents during wartime - ranging from the Aztec’s terrifying death whistle to the shreiking sirens used by the Nazi regime’s Luftwaffe’s Stukka dive bombers and the horrendous wail produced by a Scottish device called the ‘bagpipes’ to induce nausea in anyone within hearing range.

www.theocelot.co.uk

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Tattoos, booze and poos By Sara Witham

The perils of peak poo I think a great place to start with the intros here would be with poo.

A four year old who constantly talks about it and analyses it, a baby who constantly produces it and me, who is constantly wiping it from bums.

Ok now we’ve broken the ice I’m wondering if anyone knows when you escape the poo hole, when does it become uninteresting, unfunny and when do you finally stop having to deal with it?

Poo can be applied to virtually anything according to the four year old. Poo-ter Rabbit, Poo Jetters, Poo Patrol (his favourite) and not to mention Poo-pa Pig (but that’s for babies).

I think my funniest poo experience so far would have to be the four

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year old on the loo. I ask, him, ‘You done babe?’ The response ‘Ummmm hang on Mummy... I’ve just got to wriggle my toes to get this one out’.

A ‘toe wriggler’ is now a frequently used term in our house, you couldn’t make it up.

Having two small kids was an eye opener in more ways than one.

The old classic ‘poonado’ where the baby decides to scupper your chances of getting his big brother to nursery on time by literally exploding. I’m dealing with this when a little voice shouts ‘I’m FINISHED’ from the loo, which is actually four year old code for ‘I need my bum wiped’. Ah, so many bums, so little time hey?

It’s ok though, I’ll stall the four year old, he can sit there for a bit

whilst I deal with the baby, baby sorted, sit him up then entire bottle puke explosion. On the verge of compete and utter telephoning-the husband-support-line-and-cryingmeltdown I just had to laugh, a lot. #mumlife I actually s**t you not that in the middle of writing this, I went to make myself a drink (because a fly decided to die in my squash) and stepped in cat poo, actual cat poo.

I think our elderly cat is having a laugh with me, he must have wanted to make my story more authentic.

He’s spending the evening outside, until he earns back my trust which will be never.

I think I’ve reached peak poo, I’m going to go sterilise my foot and make myself a gin, in that order.

www.theocelot.co.uk

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A focus on photography at Lacock Abbey

The apple and the butterfly © National Trust Images/ Connor Sheppard

As the late summer sun paints Lacock Abbey with rich, warming hues, September is filled with magical moments.

The woodland gardens give you the open space needed for long walks and late summer picnics. Relish the last rays of sunshine, exploring the village and grounds with our film location map before the light fades. Don’t miss the changing photographic exhibition programme in the Fox Talbot Museum or the newly commissioned art installation in the abbey cloister.

Lacock’s Mythical Creature family trail Imagine you have been sent on a quest by your Head Creaturologist to find Lacock’s mythical creature, rumoured to be lurking in the woodland. There are eyewitness accounts of its sightings and even clues left by the creature revealing its existence.

Your quest is to find out what this mythical creature looks like by finding evidence. Beware if you do come across it, it has a certain magical power and it is not afraid to use it.

Plan ahead with our handy guide to September and October at Lacock Abbey, found on our website www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lacock Anita Corbin: First Women photographic exhibition at the Fox Talbot Museum gallery at Lacock Abbey features portraits from celebrities and famous personalities from across the decades, including athletes, actors, politicians, musicians and businesswomen.

‘I wanted to create an impressive visual story of female potential: fantastic role models that will hopefully inspire other women and men, of all generations, now and in the future’, said Corbin.

Touching on the radical inspiration for the work, she notes that portraiture has, as a discipline, favoured men: ‘In a long history dominated by notable males, First Women asks “What is it about women that can inspire you?”’

‘Anita Corbin: First Women’ is on display at the Fox Talbot Museum in Lacock from 15 September – 13 January 2019 and is free with normal admission to the property.

Follow the Fox Talbot Museum on

Suzi Quatro © National Trust Images / Anita Corbin

Twitter @foxtalbotmuseum PEACE: Heinrich & Palmer the first in a series of three contemporary art installations at Lacock Abbey.

Anna Heinrich & Leon Palmer are two UK artists who work in collaboration.

They are known for their multi-media installations and interventions, responding to different locations and using a diverse range of materials and technologies.

Best known for their immersive installations involving light, illusion, projection, sound and architecture, they will be creating a unique piece for us at Lacock, within the abbey’s cloister.

“There is an atmosphere that becomes apparent when entering Lacock that time has slowed down.

Our installation will pick up on this and create a space through which the slow and ancient erosion of the site can appear to flow like a time-lapse sequence” they said.

The exhibition is on display in the Chaplain’s Room within Lacock Abbey from 15 September – 13 January 2019 and is free with normal admission to the property.

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“These are people, these are human beings” Talking acceptance with an LGB & Transgender Specialist

Some people are trans - get over it!

By Claire Dukes

Do you ever wonder how your behaviour affects others?

I recently spoke with Janey P Templer-Milligan, 64, - a Psychotherapist/Counsellor and LGB & Transgender Specialist.

During our talk we discovered we’re both quite liberal in terms of respecting other people’s choices, but there’s always another side. We both kept saying “but it’s 2018” over and over again.

The point of our discussion was simple: Janey has created a new workshop called ‘Transgender People’ which she hopes to bring into various institutes including businesses, mental health organisations, hospitals and schools. Why? Because more and more people are coming out as transgender, and a lot of them are children.

“I think bringing awareness into schools is really important because if a child is unsure – they can be unsure about their sexuality, their gender – it puts tremendous pressure on them,” explained Janey.

She’s already preparing for

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potential backlash from parents - you know, the ones who believe by teaching their child about the transgender community then of course their child will turn transgender. It’s extraordinary really.

Janey added: “It’s a very simple message: these are people, these are human beings if a child of theirs was having this terrible turmoil, would they reject them? Would they show that sort of hatred?

“There’s a lot of self-harm amongst young transgender people – I’ve known young children to try and mutilate themselves. I had one very young six-year-old boy who saw himself as female and he tried to cut his genitals off, which is when the parents realised the extent of his feelings.”

As a former flight attendant Janey is all for diversity and accepting and appreciating other cultures. One thing she firmly believes is that there is not enough understanding or information about transgender people which makes them

a target for stigmas from mainstream society - it is here that Janey believes there is a lot of work to be done.

Having come out as bisexual earlier in life, Janey herself has faced discrimination particularly from “militant feminist lesbians” who called her a “disgrace to lesbianism” for being on the fence.

She added: “It’s just unbelievable how this bigotry and hatred could exist in 2018.

And this leads to transgender people feeling very isolated, and that they can’t come out as trans, and I definitely think they are an overlooked minority group – it can start as young as three.

“You’re childhood shapes the way you become as an adult, and I knew I was different when I was about 11 but I had a very open-minded mother who said ‘As long as you’re happy that’s fine – all I want you to do is be happy and safe’ and that’s how I feel that human beings should be allowed to live, not fearing for their life.” www. janeytmcounsellor.co.uk

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Ocelot deputy editor Ben Fitzgerald recorded every second of his mammoth journey through Europe on a kindly supplied Nextbase 312GW dashcam.

And now he’s inviting you to sit alongside him on the sofa and watch

while he narrates, in painstaking detail, the events that took place - and why he chose this route over the other - in a recreation of some of the duller moments of his journey through Europe to Bavaria and back.

Dashing around with a camera Where’s the best place to stick a dashcam?

The answer really depends on who you are saying it to and what incriminating evidence is contained on the memory card.

But generally the polite answer is... to your windscreen using the supplied suction holder.

But why even bother?

Well, according to the AA: “In the heat of the moment, even when you think you had a full view of the road, there are still times when we miss what really happened in an accident. A dash cam could be the answer in settling insurance disputes and claims, and may help you to improve the way you drive.”

But who wants to improve the

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way they drive?

I happen to be an excellent driver... I’m really good at going forwards and when it comes to turning the steering wheel to either the left or the right my skills are beyond compare.

So when I was offered the chance to try out the Nextbase 312GW dashcam I was both flattered and confused in equal measure.

I’ve never felt the urge to stick a camera to the front of the car - other than to threaten people with upwards of 20 hours of asit-happens footage of me driving through Europe if they attempt to show me any of their holiday snaps.

However I kindly agreed to

give it a whirl to record a highly specific view of my relaxing summer holiday driving getaway featuring an ageing Ford Focus Estate, a trio of young adult offspring, a large dog and my lovely wife.

Our planned route took us on a winding journey through France, Belguim and Luxembourg en route to southern Germany where I had a date with a stein of beer as big as a medium sized wastepaper basket.

Now I’m not going to lie - a lot of the footage involves grey tarmac passing by at a variety of speeds, with the odd glimpse of housing and shops of the kind you might expect to see whilst driving through Europe. There was also an option to enable sound recording -

www.theocelot.co.uk

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Dull? I don’t think so. Here’s a Citroen 2CV we spotted...

A German house... note the mock Tudor detailing...

Check out this sunset!

presumably so that you can record yourself saying ‘Holy living f@*k!’ as someone cuts in front of you or a heated family discussion about where that important envelope containing the emergency Euros might have got to.

I admit, I can see the sense of having a dash cam - especially to avoid those crafty traffic scams where someone brakes hard in front of you or cycles in your way and slowly falls over clutching their ankles and rolling around in pain like an Argentinian premiership footballer.

However as I was driving along, I gradually realised that one of the key advantages of the dash cam is that I no longer had to worry about

A meteor captured on cam... this didn’t happen.

capturing that blink-and-you-miss-it moment. I would be livid if I failed to take a picture of an impromptu meteor storm lighting up the sky or a light aircraft landing on the road in front of me - so to have that reassurance is priceless and helped me enjoy the holiday even more.

Neither of these things happened.

We did drive through an amazing storm though, and we picked up a speeding fine on the outskirts of Luxembourg which we can enjoy over and over again if we choose.

If you want to recreate my journey - or even record one of your own adventures, you could do a lot worse than opting for the Nextbase 312GW dashcam.

l The 312GW is the dash cam solution for motorists who want instant upload capabilities to social media, or their insurer.

The device features inbuilt Wi-Fi, allowing you to download footage to a smartphone before easily sharing it with friends, family, an insurance firm or the police.

The 312GW also features super fast GPS, allowing you to track your journey and pin point exactly where an incident happened and the speed it happened at potentially critical in an insurance claim.

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We’re in the moo You’ll be sure to look smooth enough to win any Jack Rabbit Slims Twist contest with the Flintoff by Jamaco Slim Charcoal 3 piece Suit from www.jacamo.co.uk

If you want to dance with somebody the FOR LOVE & LEMONS Vivi embroidery sequin dress (£90) radiates romance designed with a smooth drapey georgette www.lovemyapparel.com

You can dance if you want to all night with Mod Shoes that are made for comfort and style. (£94) www.modshoes.co.uk

Put on your dancing shoes with Moda In Pelle’s Katiy Rose Gold Heels (£69.95) at www.modainpelle.com

The Gaga Orange Satin Plunge Split Sleeve Maxi Dress (£25.99) will make you want to just dance all night, from www.inthestyle.com

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www.theocelot.co.uk

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ood for dancing!

For a pretty pink dress with a twist the Next Pink Embellished Back Detail Dress (£130.00) fits the bill, at www.next.co.uk

By Fashion Writer Gina Akers

The desire to dance is sweeping the nation, whether it’s Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing on Ice, flossin’ at a festival or Saturday night fever.

If you are rooting for your favourite dance show contestant or making moves of your own it’s time to be dressed to dance.

If you want that footloose feeling Goodwin Smith has the perfect shoes with the Brooklyn Blue Leather Oxford Brogues (£69.99) at www.goodwinsmith.co.uk

The Sebastian Tassel Earrings from Scratch London (£15.00) are the ideal dance outfit accessory that scream dance with me! Check out www.scratchlondon.com

The Paper Dolls Racer Neck Ruffle Sleeveless Red Midi Dress (£38.00) is the perfect latino dance style outfit, sure to put you in the mood for dancing, from www.brandattic.com

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Film & Television What’s happening at the Academy Awards?

By Simon Oxlade

So, the Oscars are changing.

Based with falling viewing figures and complaints about the telecast being a largely turgid affair, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, have shaken things up a bit. The show will now be only three hours long, many awards will be presented during the commercial breaks, and there will be a new award: “Outstanding achievement in popular film”.

It is this new award that has got critics, film-makers and some members of the Academy themselves annoyed. Vulture’s Mark Harris pointed out that “[t]here already is an award for popular films. It’s called ‘money’.” Other notable quotes include “ham-fisted”, “lazy” and “a HUGE step back for genre film”.

What makes a popular film? If a film is popular, why can’t it be the best film? Can’t this year’s widely praised Black Panther and Mission Impossible:Fallout (both great BTW) be considered for Best Picture?

Previously the Academy has put forward ‘blockbuster’ films for the Best Picture award, Gladiator, Titanic, and LA Confidential spring to mind, but recently there has been a shift more towards the arthouse scene with Moonlight, Spotlight and The Shape of Water winning.

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Now part of this is down to the voting process. The Academy is made up of around 7,000 movie professionals who have either applied to join or been invited.

The members of the Academy are organised into 17 branches depending on their expertise and these branches then vote for nominees for the award their branch issues: directors vote for directors; actors for actors and so on.

However every member gets to vote on Best Picture. Each member must submit between five and ten nominees, ordered in terms of preference. The Academy then sorts the ballots in order of first-place ranking and counts them. Should one film get enough votes, sometimes called the ‘magic’ number, it becomes a nominee.

Once a nominee has been chosen from the first-place ranking, all the ballots which had the successful nominee in first place are set aside and the process is repeated on the remaining ballots, this time looking at the second-place ranking and so on untill all the nominee ‘slots’ are filled.

It is this process that has clearly got the Academy worried that big crowd-pleasing films, like Black Panther, won’t even get nominated for Best Picture this year, and they are fearing a backlash. Hence the

“ham-fisted” approach of a new ‘popular film’ category.

Does it really matter? Does anyone really care about awards?

Granted an Oscar win can help a low budget film make a lot more money, but when the movie is a billion-dollar behemoth like Black Panther, does it really need more exposure?

Then again why shouldn’t blockbuster films with their crews of thousands of talented artists, actors, costumiers, set designers, lighting designers, CGI artists and model makers not be thought of as art, in the same way as an exquisite two hander that revels in mood and atmosphere? Is their hard work not a craft?

Basically why shouldn’t a crowdpleasing film not be considered as having artistic merits? Why does it need its own category?

The answer is that it shouldn’t, and that it doesn’t, but the Academy are under pressure to become more relevant and they are, rightly, concerned that their membership and voting procedures will not deliver a list of ‘populist’ nominees.

However this new category is not the answer to the problem. In this author’s opinion, inviting some established film critics to join the Academy would be.

www.theocelot.co.uk

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Is fake wine a recipe for disaster?

By Darren WIllmott

It’s one of life’s perennial questions - just because you can, does that mean that you should?

Applicable to a diverse range of subjects from sandwich fillings to gender engineering, natural evolution obviously has a massive impact, but forced change can skew the end results.

This possibility, as opposed to a necessity, is now starting to make significant waves in the world of wine.

Fake goods in any marketplace are a well-documented problem, and it’s clear that the rarer the item, be it anything from a Rolex to a Jeff Buckley signature, the higher the selling price will be.

This hasn’t gone un-noticed by those wishing to make a quick pound in the fine wine market.

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It would be almost too easy to recount the number of times that a fake wine label had been falsely amended to infer that a ‘Benfolds’ wine, adorned with the familiar reassuring red scripted font is, in fact not a ‘Penfolds’ wine at all.

Or to mention the many times in history that (for example) a Spanish wine had been labelled as French, simply to take advantage of the benefits of a more wider known origin and sales potential.

Such subterfuge is devious, but is in no way associated with the mimicry abounding today.

As a wine writer I have often lamented that there are certain ‘icon’ wines that I will never get to try.

Whatever level you budget per bottle, there will always be wines

that are out of your price limit.

Wine engineering now proposes that, far from being intimidated or unable to experience such beauties, by a slick replication of aromas and taste, it can be boiled down to a simple recipe.

You never need to aspire for label names again.

Whilst there’s no doubt that wine is a compendium of flavours is it reasonable to expect to taste those more expensive wines at an everyday price – even if the components have been blended together like soup?

This seems to exclude any effect of perception of brand on enjoyment, ratio of price vs betterness of wine.

Read Darren’s blog at vinesight. me

www.theocelot.co.uk

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Sign of the times with Brewery Bird

There’s perhaps nothing more British than the pub.

Unique to our shores, and usually sporting a colourful hand-painted sign depicting the name thereof.

For a tradition that stems from the Roman times (houses selling food and drink were marked by a Vine branch or Bunch Of Grapes), the iconic hanging sign on the wall of many of our pubs is a nod to the past, a reminder of the history seeped within the walls and floorboards.

The first British pub signs were created in the 12th century and usually depicted a tankard, a barrel of beer or other brewing related items (The Hop Inn) to helpfully inform travellers and people passing by that beer could be purchased within – this was the dark ages, schooling was only for the rich and most of the population were illiterate! People would arrange to meet “at the Sign Of The Angel”, rather than “lets’ meet at the ‘Angel”, as we would now.

In 1393, the then King Richard II passed an act in Parliament which made it compulsory for drinking

establishments to bear his emblem – a White Hart – to identify to the Official Ale Taster or Aleconner as it was known (yes, this job did exist) that the quality of the beer should be inspected therein. No coincidence today then, that many pub signs in England still feature a White Hart – the fifth most popular name for a pub.

Shortly after, Richard was deposed in 1399 and pub signs began to change images and names, to differentiate themselves from other drinking establishments in the town.

Often a nod to a nearby local business was alluded to; The Olde Forge, Carpenters Arms, The Wheelwrights.

But Richard wasn’t the only monarch to impact the humble pub sign; for when James I took the throne in 1603 of both England and Scotland, he decreed that the heraldic red lion be displayed on all ‘important buildings, including pubs’.

As a result, the Red Lion, closely followed by The Crown are still the two most popular pub names today with 944 and 826 apiece.

When Henry VIII split with the Catholic church, pub signs with religious themes – The Angel, The Lamb & Flag (the lamb representing Christ and the flag, the symbol of the Crusaders) were removed in favour of those depicting royalty.

Important Monarchs continued to enjoy pub sign notoriety throughout history, likewise, famous battles at land and sea captured the imagination of publicans and sign writers alike – Kings, Queens, Dukes, Duchesses, Marquis, Admirals, have all been depicted, likewise sporting themes such as hunting – Greyhound, Fox & Hounds, Hare & Hounds - The Bird In Hand, said to take its name from Henry VIII’s love of falconry.

Today, more modern sporting pastimes are portrayed - The Cricketers, The Jolly Angler, The Bat & Ball to name but a few.

With thousands of pubs now lost, and with them hand-painted reminders of a once industrious town or important historic event, perhaps we should all take a moment to stand and appreciate this ode to history above our heads before we head for our next pint.

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By Ben Fitzgerald

Siege warfare, religious strife and laminated pastry: a history of croissants The croissant, that flaky buttery breakfast-esque thing of beauty, has a mysterious and multi-layered past with many contenders laying claim to its creation.

They are traditionally created by folding layers of yeast-leavened dough - a technique known as laminating - to create a pastry with a flaky texture.

It would be a mistake to confuse the genuine crescent-shaped croissant with the dozens of half baked imitators.

Don’t for heaven’s sake put them into the same category as the Johnny-come-lately Danish pastry, the flashy pain au chocolat or the brash custard slice.

The croissant, as we know it today came into the world in 1839 when Austrian artillery officer August Zang decided to blow people away with his delicate

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pastries instead of high explosive shells and founded the Boulangerie Viennoise in Paris.

From his shop, Zang adapted the Kipferi, baking it in a crescent shape which then rapidly gained popularity.

But to trace its history properly, we need to dust off the family photo album.

Delving into the croissant family tree we find a sepia tinted photograph of the Kipferl - an ancestor of the croissant, which has been kicking around in Austria since at least the 13th Century - which may be descended from the flaky crescent shaped Egyptian feteer halali pastry.

According to culinary legend, the precursor of the croissant Kipferi - was created to celebrate the defeat of Islamic forces by the Franks in 732, with the crescent

representing the Islamic crescent.

But pastry professors are divided, with some claiming that it was invented in Buda in 1683 to celebrate the defeat of the Ottomans by Christian forces during their siege of the city.

The story goes that a baker who was up early to stoke up the ovens before anyone else was awake and raised the alarm when he heard the sound of tunneling under the walls.

The tunnel was blown up and as a reward, the baker asked for the exclusive right to bake his crescent shaped delicacies to commemorate the scuppering of the attack.

So... think about that the next time you’re teetering between pastry choices.

I dread to think what the cream horn is meant to commemorate - I simply refuse to put one in my mouth.

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Skogen Kitchen launches in Oxford www.skogen.kitchen.co.uk

All it took was a solo trip to Copenhagen to be completely taken by the Scandinavian lifestyle - there’s a reason the Danes in particular are winning at life and living happily.

Like most Brits I’ve always wanted a slice of that good life and one way we’re doing this is through food.

Last month The Ocelot were invited to Skogen Kitchen seemingly the perfect balance of Brit life immersed in Scandinavian culture - to try out the latest foodie offering from Oxford.

Tucked away on St Edward Street lies Skogen - everything

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ByBy Claire Dukes Claire Dukes

about this place from the minimal cosy interior, to the delicate canapes being brought around was crisp, clean and delicate.

One thing I clocked immediately is the various chalk boards teasing the current menu and specials - this gently assured me that the menu is fresh and seasonal, and you could taste this in the food from the homemade Swedish meatballs to the glorious little waffles and open sandwiches - think pickled veg and rich meats.

It felt comforting but not grossly filling - there was no food overload, just a feeling of

contentment in the best kind of way - all very in tune with hygge.

The canapes boasted delicate and intricate flavours - everything that’s been added creates a balance in the flavours and texture of the food. True to Scandi culture it appeared all very minimal with more to it than meets the eye - it’s small and specialist which makes for the perfect café.

I see myself returning promptly to Skogen, wrapped up in a woolly jumper, literally enjoying a Skogen Smörgåsbord with (most likely) a carafe of that ParlezVous Malbec.

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The Ocelot’s Theatre Guide 2018/19 24

Design and words by Claire Dukes

I could not be more excited about the up and coming months - they’re my favourite because I literally cannot stand the heat of summer, and because it’s the best time for theatre shows!

For this issue I’ve gone around all the theatres we cover across our three regions - i.e. Oxford Playhouse, Wyvern Theatre, Water Mill Theatre and The Barn Theatre - to highlight some of the best shows to watch as we enter the autumn/winter seasons, and the theatres have gone above and beyond to provide audiences with some groundbreaking productions.

As I hope you’ll find, there is a vast range of shows and talks on offer to benefit you culturally - things you may not usually consider to open your mind - and if nothing else entertain you. During the process of creating this guide, I myself felt spoilt for choice and I’m sure you will too.

Got a show and want a review? Drop me an email via claire@theocelot.co.uk

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The Neeld, Chippenham Once upon a time The Neeld was a wartime hospital, even a Cheese Hall, but now it stands as Chippenham’s cultural hub for theatre, comedy, dance and talks/Q&As. Upcoming for the months ahead watch this space for comedian Kerry Godliman (Sept 30), Tim Brooke-Taylor in conversation with writer and broadcaster Chris Serle (Sept 8), Cloudbusting The Music of Kate Bush (Oct 13) and a Q&A with Eastender’s star Martin Kemp (Jan 10). www.neeld.co.uk

The Pound Arts, Corsham It’s home to an art collective, a theatre and an exhibition space - Pound Arts is nothing less than diverse bringing both contemporary and classic projects through its doors.

Key highlights for the upcoming months include Jane Hall’s latest exhibition ‘Origins’ (Sept 8 to Oct 6), Wardrobe Theatre’s historical comedy ‘Parlour Games’ (Sept 22), Kris Drever and Boo Hewerdine live in concert (Oct 4) and Neil Kendell exhibits his latest work (Nov 21). www.poundarts.org.u

Cornerstone Arts, Didcot So if you missed the Beer and Music Festival last month, fear not - Cornerstone are taking the Autumn and Winter months by storm.

One must-see is the Cornerstone 10th Anniversary Exhibition (Sept 4 to Sept 16) - photographer in residence, Peter Savage, will be showcasing a documentary celebrating all their artistic and community projects. Not forgetting The Jurassic Parks (Sept 12), Finding Joy (Oct 2 to Oct 3) and Wind in the Willows (Nov 4). www.cornerstone-arts.org

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The Barn Theatre Cirencester The Barn Theatre has got off to a sensational start for their inaugural season.

Having finished with their critically acclaimed and final production, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, they may have dropped the curtain to close their opening season but have no plans to keep it down.

Kick starting the Barn Academy the theatre recently appointed their latest director Kimberley Moses - she directed the academy’s students for Les Miserables and Aladdin last month. For the upcoming month The Barn Theatre’s next production to take to the main stage is Not About Heroes (Sept 27 to Sept 29) - an insight into the relationship between wartime poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. The theatre will also be hosting Theatre Ink’s One Man Two Guvnors (Sept 18 to Sept 22) and COS Production’s Grand Hotel. www.barntheatre.org.uk

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Arlington Arts Centre, Newbury It’s a little gem out in the wilderness of West Berkshire. Acts small and niche have passed through the doors here - and all profits made go to the Mary Hare School For The Deaf Charity.

Highlights for the months ahead include Former Icicle Works frontman Ian McNabb live in concert (Sept 8), 2010 BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-winner Sam Carter (Sept 15) Jon Haynes and David Woods’ latest production ‘Give Me Your Love’ (Oct 10) and Swedish six and Celtic punk band Sir Reg (Oct 13). www.arlington-arts.com

Corn Exchange, Newbury Newbury’s thriving theatre, cinema, learning centre and Kitchen & Bar all in one.

Newbury’s Corn Exchange has a really exciting Autumn and Winter line-up and I’m already eyeing up quite a few shows which include Countdown’s Susie Dent diving into the history of language (Sept 10), TV stars Jamie Laing and Francis Boulle’s ‘Private Parts’ (Oct 10), the sell-out production ‘Finding Joy’ (Oct 31) and Company Chameleon’s 10th anniversary production of ‘10’ (Nov 8). www.cornexchangenew.com

The Watermill Theatre, Newbury Fair play to this picturesque little cottage - The Watermill Theatre has been bringing Newbury some of the best award-winning shows around - last month The Ocelot saw their last run of Jerusalem - it was sensational.

Coming up look out for Ian Hislop and Nick Newman’s premiere of ‘Trial by Laughter’ (Sept 20 to Oct 27), Danielle Pearson’s adaptation of ‘Jane Eyre’ (Oct 29 to Nov 2), Noël Coward’s ‘Easy Virtue’ (Nov 7 to Nov 10). www.watermill.org.uk

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Oxford Playhouse and BT Studio Here lies, essentially, the Mecca for theatre goers in Oxford. Since 1938 Oxford Playhouse house has been bringing award-winning, original and innovative works of art to the stage.

This year the Playhouse turns 80 and by the looks of their autumn/winter programme, they’re definitely celebrating!

I’m talking about things like Alan Bennett’s smash-hit 2005 play, The Habit of Art (Sept 24 to Sept 29), English Touring Theatre and Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory’s Othello kicking off its national tour (Sept 18), things getting political in the a brand new musical comedy Women in Power (Oct 3 to Oct 6), the out of this world dance troupe bringing science, film and music to the stage in 8 Minutes (Oct 13), a journey to the bottom of the ocean in Salt., the critically acclaimed Black Ballet returning for its third year (Nov 7), the heart-breaking and award-winning Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story (Nov 5 to Nov 6) and The Comedy About a Bank Robbery to take away the winter blues (Jan 15 to Jan 19).

For tickets and further information about what’s on visit www.oxfordplayhouse.co.uk

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New Theatre Oxford Yes darlings, Joanna Lumley is bringing her national tour to Oxford (Oct 17)! Among the many headlining acts around, New Theatre has brought in a sensational catalogue of theatre, musicals, dance, comedians and a lot of talks to open up the autumn months - it’s performances like these that don’t make me sad that summer’s going away.

Talk wise the programe also includes An Evening with Nigela Lawson (Nov 13) and survival expert Ant Middleton (Sept 11).

In other ridiculously exciting news the award-

winning Kinky Boots is set to hit the stage next year (Feb 18 to Feb 23) following on from the likes of Billy Ocean (Nov 24), Dylan Moran’s brand new stand-up Dr Cosmos (Sept 29), Harry Potter’s Mark Williams as Doctor Dolittle (Jan 15 to Jan 26), The Magic of Motown (Nov 22), QI favourite Ross Noble’s El Hablador (Oct 6) and music from the brilliant Joan Armatrading (Sept 28).

For further information visit www.atgtickets.com/new-theatre-oxford/

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The North Wall Since opening its doors in 2007 The North Wall Arts Centre has built up indisputable momentum, providing Oxford’s artists and theatregoers with cutting-edge performances and exhibitions.

Constantly in motion, there’s such a wide range of events taking place in this space. A few things have immediately caught my eye including, Hannah Robson’s latest exhibition ‘Seeking Form’ (Sept 4

to Sept 21), Eve Nicol’s exploration of modern relationships in ‘One Life Stand’ (Oct 8 to Oct 9), Lost Dog’s rendition of ‘Juliet and Romeo’ (Nov 1 to Nov 2), Dame Darcey Bussell’s ‘Inspiring People’ talk (Oct 1), comedian Ed Gamble’s new show ‘Blizzard’ (Jan 26) and the stage adaptation of ‘The Fisherman’ (Sept 26 to Sept 28).

For further info visit www.thenorthwall.com

Old Fire Station Arts at the Old Fire Station is a very progressive and public space in the centre of Oxford, - a place where you can either make or experience art - which also houses its own homeless programme called Crisis.

Over the years it’s proven itself to be a very inclusive and creative art hub with some unmissable shows.

Ones to watch over the next few months

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include Irregular Folks’ Peter Broderick + Douglas Dare (Sept 14), interactive theatre with The Great Austerity Debate (Oct 9), political satire in ‘Collaborators’ (Oct 30 to Nov 3), the exhibition launch of ‘Our Place’ (Nov 16), stories of female empowerment with ‘6 Women’ (Oct 25 to Oct 26) and Mike Bartlett’s ‘Snowflake’ (Dec 5 to Dec 7). www.oldfirestation. org.uk

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Pegasus Theatre Pegasus Theatre may have only launched in Oxford in 2010, but it is certainly wise beyond its years.

The theatre introduces small scale productions that accommodate all ages with contemporary and forward-thinking performances from theatre, sculptor and film.

Boasting two resident youth companies, Pegasus has created a far reaching programme which includes 2Magpies’

‘Ventoux’ (Nov 17), Pegasus Young Company’s ‘Still We Rise’ (Nov 10), hip hop dance project ‘Blue Scar’ (Sept 21), family adventures with “The Paper Moon’ (Sept 29), Half Moon’s ‘Off the Grid’ (Nov 30), a beautiful blend of ballet and martial arts and ‘At The End We Begin’ (Oct 26) and Morgan & West’s Parlour Tricks (Oct 11 to Oct 12). www.pegasustheatre. org.uk

Wyvern Theatre Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness Prince Phillip opened the doors to the Wyvern Theatre in 1971, and yes, the outside could do with a lick of paint but as always it’s what’s on the inside that counts high quality shows and performances.

Be sure to too look out for Joe Pasquale - A Few Of His Favourite Things (Sept 15), Susie Dent The Secret Lives of Words (Sept 19,) Ross

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Noble’s El Hablador (Sept 25 to Sept 26), Sarah Pascoe’s Lads Lads Lads (Oct 3), The Full Monty (Oct 29 to Nov 3), Benedict Allen - Ultimate Explorer (Oct 2), Elis James & John Robins - The Holy Vible Book Tour (Nov 5), Marcus Brigstocke Devil May Care (Nov 7) and Aladdin (Dec 8 to Jan 6) and Jackson Live in Concert (Jan 19). www.swindontheatres. co.uk

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Salisbury City Hall Salisbury City Hall has hosted some of the biggest names in comedy, TV, theatre and music with hundreds of names still awaiting to hit the stage.

Highlights for the months ahead have to include punk poet Dr John Cooper Clarke (Nov 13), Ocean Film Festival World Tour (Oct 18), Joan Collins - Unscripted (Feb 21), Sarah Millican - Control Enthusiast (Oct 10), A Country Night in Nashville (Nov 1), An Audience with Simon Reeve (Oct 5) and Rick Wakeman Piano Odyssey Tour (27 Sept). www.cityhallsalisbury.co.uk

Salisbury Arts Centre Now under the umbrella of Wiltshire Creative, Salisbury Arts Centre still remains a key player for the arts in Wiltshire.

After Salisbury’s Lift Off! Exhibition there is still much to see including Nick Harper’s photography exhibition Wiltshire Tale (Sept 14 to Sept 15), Topsy Turvy (Nov 9), Heart, Head and Hand – Winter Craft Exhibition (Nov 14 to Jan 5), Sarah Munro - Angel Road Tour (Nov 17), Laurie Lee - The Lost Recordings (Nov 15) and Met Opera: Aida (Oct 11) www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk

Salisbury Playhouse Also partnered in with Wiltshire Creative Salisbury Playhouse is one of the best theatre houses in Wiltshire.

Unmissable productions upcoming for the autumn/ winter months include Duet for One (Sept 10 to Sept 15), Me and My Bee (Sept 29), Our Naked Skin (Oct 4 to Nov 11), We Can Time Travel (Oct 4 to Oct 6), I Wish I was a Mountain (Nov 2), Silence (Nov 13 to Nov 17) and My Dearest Girls - The Letter Book (Nov 22 to Nov 24). www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk

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Swindon Arts Centre I believe this is Swindon’s oldest performing arts institutes, bursting open its door in 1956.

This place is small and deceiving - Swindon Arts Centre consistently features up and coming acts as they warm up for the bigger stages making it a prime place for a more initmate show. My favourite thus far was Phill Jupitus.

Keep your eyes peeled for Kick The PJ’s brand new show ‘Space Trip’

(Sept 15), Pete Firman’s spellbinding ‘Marvels’, Juliette Burton’s ‘Butterfly Effect’ (Oct 10), Colin StaffordJohnson - Living a Wild Life (Oct 9), Rebellious Sisterhood - Votes for Women (Oct 24) The Thinking Drinkers (Nov 9) and Stephen K Amos’ Bouquets and Brickbats (Nov 8) and Strictly Ann - An Evening With Ann Widdecombe (Feb 17). www.swindontheatres. co.uk

Swindon Dance I maintain that Swindon Dance is one of the most underestimated gems in Swindon. I’ve seen amazing performances from both in-house and touring companies and have always been mindblown by the quality of the performances! My favourite so far has to be China Plate Theatre’s production of ‘Point of Echoes’ - and that’s the tip of the iceburg, so to speak.

So, get these guys on

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your radar and look out for hip hop mash up ‘Simple Cypher’ (Sept 21), a mixture of dance music and film in ‘Uncelebrated Journey’ dance meets sculpture in ‘Neon Dance’ (Nov 16), the all very touching ‘Wayne Parsons’ (Nov 24), initmate storytelling in ‘Luke Brown Dance’ (Nov 23), Blue and Shoes’ elctro-swingin’ ‘Sole Rebel Tap’ (Dec 7). www.swindondance. org.uk

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Bastlille

Wilderness Festival Thursday August 2 to Sunday August 5 Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire Review by Angus Burnett

Under a blazing sun and on cracked earth, an army of weird and wonderful creatures descended on the ancient woods. No, it’s not the beginning of a cheesy sci-fi novel but it could be.

This was the eighth invasion of the Cornbury estate by an army of hipsters, burlesque entertainers, intellectuals, feted chefs, families and musicians.

Wilderness is now very adept at blending disparate elements into a fantastic whole.

As the very funny compere of an Alternative Miss Wilderness pointed out to a packed audience, people are encouraged to strip naked to play cricket in front of young children and nobody bats an eyelid. When the same compere asked how many people were from Hackney, it got the biggest cheer of recognition of the afternoon.

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The setting helps. It is easy to get used to having the Cotswolds on your doorstep.

Watching people swimming in the lakes during the best Summer for years it’s easy to see why people fall under Wilderness’ allure. People can ‘throw shade’ at pretentious hipsters paying to be wild bohemians for a weekend but watching people enjoy themselves so thoroughly, it’s hard to begrudge anyone this moment of paradise.

Rising trap-soul star, IAMDDB, offered her hit ‘Shade’ as part of a very assured set. It was probably the easiest shade to come by over the whole weekend. The festival had some big crowd pleasers at the top of the billings. French duo Justice and Jon Hopkins brought a hard edged dance set on the main stage. At night, in the Valley (another gorgeous setting), music legend Mike Pickering brought more dance vibes with a DJ set. He was followed by Groove Armada to keep people in dance heaven.

Nile Rodgers pulled in a massive crowd with Chic on Saturday and reminded people of his remarkable talent, playing hit after hit after hit. Bastille closed the festival on the Sunday with a rousing set.

There were gems further down too.

Confidence Man were great fun, tongue in cheek camp delivered deadpan alongside killer tunes and cheesy choreography. Chk Chk Chk were also superbly high-energy funk. Kitty, Daisy and Lewis played their tight

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Chic

stlille

Chk Chk Chk

Confidence Man

IAMDDB

retro-but-now rockabilly/ska/blues blend late at night. Jazz crossover Kamasi Washington and Joy Crookes brought a mellower sound to the weekend.

For those who could not even take mellow in the blazing heat of the afternoon there was the return of Letters Live. By turns, fascinating, funny (and filthy during the secret late-night set) and ultimately profoundly moving as they finished with a letter from a Syrian refugee to the people of Europe.

There were debates and comedy in The Forum tent. Shappi Khorsandi repeatedly interrupted by her five-year-old adding to the humour.

The festival did away with its traditional Saturday night Spectacle and successfully dotted theatrical events across and throughout the weekend. You could unexpectedly stumble across a trapeze show, a live ‘silent-movie’ or surreal lantern parade.

Food came from banquets, prepared by some of the country’s best chefs, or from the food trucks. Either way it was delicious.

To cap it all, the weekend seemed trouble free. Unless you count the punch up that broke out between two young brothers after one was declared the winner in The Clubhouse’s Children’s Sock-Wrestling competition as their poor father tried vainly to restore order from the sidelines.

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Marlborough Rising - Fillin Marlborough (venues across the town) Friday September 7 to Sunday September 9

F

or many years Marlborough has been seen as a haven for those who enjoy live music.

The closure of the Jazz Festival after 30 years left in its wake a deserted band of music lovers with unsatisfied appetites.

A year ago an enthusiastic group of music lovers met up in the back room of the Green Dragon on the high street to see if they might be able to fill this void by creating a new festival.

The ambition was simply expressed: to create a festival which would stand the test of time by satisfying a broad audience with a range of music.

Organiser Robin Pritchard said: “All involved in this adventure live or work in the town and we are giving our time because it is exciting, and because we believe it to be

worthwhile.

“We have come a long way in a year with enormous support, both financial and in kind, from businesses and private individuals in and around Marlborough.

“We hope you will enjoy the show, find something to set your foot tapping, send a tingle down your spine and, just possibly, make you want to get up and dance the night away.”

And what a line-up the organisers have managed to put together for their inaugural festival which takes place from September 7 to September 9.

It all kicks off from 7pm on the Friday evening with acts like Jon Amor and The Roving Crows playing at venues across the town.

The venues, all centred around the high street, include The Castle

and Ball Stage, The St Mary’s Stage, The St Peter’s Stage and The Priory Gardens Stage.

On the Priory Gardens Stage they have George Wilding supporting the opening night headliners Scouting For Girls.

On the Saturday during the day you can catch the Marlborough Rising Talent line-up at the Priory Gardens Stage from midday.

There’s also music during the day at the Castle and Ball Stage.

Headlining the Saturday night are Turin Brakes with support from Marcella and Meeking.

Sunday afternoon sees the festival finishing with style on the Priory Gardens Stage with Joe Stilgoe supported by Ben Cipolla from 1pm.

For information and tickets you can visit the website www. marlboroughrising.com

Turin Brakes

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illing the town with music Scouting For Girls

Joe Stilgoe

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Photograph by Jodie Mitchell www. jodiedcmitchell.co.uk

Ones to watch: Oxfordbased band, Mother I do believe that Mother are close to getting the break they deserve.

When I last spoke to the band back in 2017 they had an undeniable energy and work ethic about them, and this still resonates today - it’s also probably one of the reasons that they caught the attention of Ride frontman Mark Gardener, who produced their single ‘Petrichor’ from their EP ‘Remnants of a Wasted Dream’.

I too was drawn in by the four-piece turned three-piece (Joshua Alden, - lead singer/ guitarist - Danny Fisher, - lead guitar/arrangements - and Everton Barbato - bass). Their sound is incredibly layered and gives a psychedelic and catchy edge to their founding alt-rock sound - there’s an

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ambiguity in their lyrics often exploring the dream-state, but their music is played with precision. Add in their raw energy and you’ve got one hell of a live show.

During our previous chat it became clear that being unsigned had somewhat deterred their progression slightly - not due to their sound, but more to do with the business bollocks that is present in every industry. This year however, they’ve come charging through 2018 with many successes.

One thing that makes me very taken by Mother is their perseverance, particularly as they’re not what you would call ‘popular music’. During our chat at The Library pub it’s clear they’re hell bent on staying true to the sounds that best reflect them, and

it appears to have paid off - by popular demand, this year saw Mother selected by fans to play at this year’s Truck Festival. Since their set Mother have since played sets including The Rusty Bicycle Street Party, the Truck Store stage at Riverside Festival, Oakford Social Club as main support for Mellor at Mellor’s hometown, a sell-out show in Reading on the BBC introducing stage, and finally they will be playing the main stage at Ritual Union, O2 Academy, this November - a set not to be missed.

Maintaining this momentum Josh, Danny and Everton are currently working on their latest single and video LA dates to be announced shortly!

For further updates follow Mother on Facebook @MotherOX4

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Low Island... (not Love Island)

Oxford based four-piece Low Island will be showcasing their smooth synth-inflected indie grooves at the O2 academy this month as they continue their campaign of global domination.

Founding members Carlos Posada (vocals, guitar, keys), Jacob Lively (bass) and Felix Higginbottom (drums) met at primary school, presumably falling into a discussion of the merits of proto-electronica pioneers Kraftwerk while playing at the Lego table - details are skant.

Like an alignment of planets, they completed the magical line-up in their teens when they recruited the talents of Jamie Jay (vocals, keys, guitar) and set the controls for the heart of the sun.

Creatively Low Island are firing on all four cylinders having released a dozen tracks over two EPs and unleashed numerous singles to boot - a mix of textured soundscapes, glacial beats and experimental rock that owe a debt to Bowie and Eno’s Berlin output.

Don’t take my word for it - hold your nose, close your eyes and recklessly leap into their swimming pool of sound at the O2 on Friday 21 September at 7.30pm.

Ben Fitzgerald

Peloton to wheel out all the mod hits Swindon’s finest mod pretenders will be dusting off their Harrington jackets and paisley shirts for a set of 60s soul, 70s punk, 80s New Wave and 90s Brit Pop this month.

The band will be taking to the stage at The Vic on September 1.

Doors open at 8.30pm (free)

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Keeping it rootsy Govardo will be appearing at the Pound Pill in Corsham. The AngloAmerican duo Jack Rose and Dom Sky started writing songs while living in rural India, inspiring a fresh sound rooted in classic finger style guitar and harmonies with soaring vocals and a unique falsetto.

They will be appearing on 7 September at 7.30pm - Tickets £10

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Rollin’ out the classics The world’s greatest Rock n’ Roll band (The Rolling Stones... obviously) have been cloned using a combination of science, Jack Daniels and lightning. The resulting rocking doppelgangers have broken free from the lab and have since been ploughing their own musical furrow.

Virtually indistinguishable from their genetic originators the Rollin’ Clones have been injecting new life into classic hits such as Satisfaction and Jumping Jack Flash. You can witness them in action at The Vic in Swindon on 8 September. Doors 8.30pm

Celebrate 45 years of Viewpoint project Swindon Viewpoint - a community television station set up in 1973 is celebrating45 years of documenting town life at the Castle Hotel, Prospect Place on Friday 21 September.

Visitors will have the opportunity to listen to music from four local bands and watch a medley of archive footage.

In 1973 the government licensed five ‘experiments’ in local community television in Greenwich, Sheffield, Bristol, Swindon and Wellingborough.

Swindon Viewpoint was the only one of these to survive and flourish beyond the first year or two. www.swindonviewpoint. com

Buswell & Nyberg strike a chord Shaun Buswell & Erik Nyberg return to Swindon to create another one-off concert with a pop-up orchestra made from locally-sourced, freerange musicians.

They will be laying

a mix of Buswell’s new album, unique versions of popular songs and renditions of classic movie/TV theme tunes.

Swindon Arts Centre, 21 September. 7.30pm.

Tickets £16

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Agony Teenager 16-year-old George retired from being the original Agony Boy when he was ten having done it since he was four years old. For one month only we give you Agony Teenager...

Dear George, My girlfriend says she doesn’t love me any more but wants to stay with me as she’s scared of being on her own. What should I do?

Dan, Oxford Get out of my room!

Dear George, What you would prefer - fingers for nipples or nipples for fingers?

Jo, Swindon Dad, please just get out and stop asking me stupid questions.

Dear George, If you could be any animal what would you be?

Dave, Gloucester I’m going to ignore you now...

Dear George, I’m really scared of dentists but I’ve got one tooth that is causing me such a lot of pain.

I’m thinking of tying it to a piece of string and attaching it to a door and then slamming the door to get the tooth out. Does that work?

Stacey, Salisbury ...

Dear George, I’ve got a teenage son who won’t ever talk to me and just hides in his room constantly on his phone. How can I get him to talk to me?

Jamie, Swindon Dad, I know you’re just trying to be funny now.

46

Can’t you just leave me alone and get out of my room? Please.

Dear George, I’ve got a slight problem. I’m President of the United States and no-one is taking me seriously as there’s this thing called fake news which is any news that I don’t like. How can I get these journalist enemies of the people to like me?

Donald, Washington You’re doing Agony Boy aren’t you? We all know that Donald Trump didn’t write to you and you just made that up. Dad, just get out of my room. I’m too old for this. Get Amy to do it.

Dear George, If you could make a television show what would it be about and who would star in it?

Katie, Newbury Please, just go away.

Dear George, What’s your favourite colour?

Helga, Oslo I don’t care. Just get out!

Five-year-old Agony Girl Amy will be returning next month.

Write in to Agony Girl by emailing jamie@ theocelot.co.uk

www.theocelot.co.uk

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