Morag Stuart & Emma Warren

Determined to catch some early morning light, we recently ventured out across the fields with our essential strong coffees. “No dog?” the first passer by asked. “Just you?” said the next. Through a couple more fields, then the sun breaks over the horizon and we take it all in. Families weren’t dragged out. Just us. Rare silence.

Anyone that knows us will know that we love to talk. Catching up on the phone with an old friend while you’re snuggled up on the sofa, cuppa in hand, is bliss. We can be more in touch these days than ever before.

Often those chance encounters join social circles that have been long forgotten. Second cousins are somehow easier to keep up to date with via random sports chat or their latest stories tell us they’ve just seen our favourite band on the other side of the world. That school friend that moved away has just returned. Your auntie’s neighbour is setting up a new shop which happens to be next door to the café your gym mate runs. We know how strong the Frome venn diagrams are. It’s easily the best thing about our brilliant town.

Morag’s other job is connecting local volunteer drivers with people who may be isolated or just need a bit of temporary help getting to the shops or a hospital appointment. The charity Active and In Touch is quite literally a community lifeline. Many of us are still learning how to push ourselves socially a little further after lockdown. Making conversation with a stranger can be a powerful thing. Being able to offer practical help which may turn into a different type of friendship, can feel like the best magical recipe for everyone.

Social media and clever communication technologies have moved us into new realms. We wouldn’t be without them, though it’s always good to have the occasional lack of signal reception of course. What we both believe is that you can’t beat real life chats on a street corner, the water cooler at work, the fresh bread aisle of the supermarket, the allotment sheds or the market fruit stalls. It’s why we love wandering through all corners of town at The Frome Independent. We love Carnival, the fairs and bandstand music in Victoria Park, bumping into neighbours at the library. We love all the live music in our brilliant venues. We LOVE pub gardens on a sunny afternoon even more. We wish all our readers a happy Easter break and hope you’re able to connect with those who mean a lot to you, say hello to a stranger and enjoy the quiet magic of Springtime.

Design: blackinkstudio.co.uk

Front cover: Daniel Musselwhite Jewellery Copy deadline for

Tri. Art Summer School

7th - 19th August

Tri. Art are excited to announce the return of their award-winning Senior Summer School this year, where students aged 12-21 years will perform the hit musical ‘Our House’. The musical is packed with high energy Madness songs, a fast-paced storyline and energetic dance routines. Workshop style auditions will be held at the Merlin Theatre on Sunday 23rd April. No experience is necessary as everything is taught on the day.

There is also something for the younger students (aged 7 - 12 years) with a skills week and an opportunity to perform in the main show. Workshop dates are 7th - 11th August and 14th - 19th August (if taking part in the performances). Students do not need to audition for the junior workshop.

For more information or to request a registration form email tri.arttheatreschool@gmail.com

Tom Meighan

Cheese & Grain, 6th April, £26 adv

Former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan is back with a live tour and new album, ‘The Reckoning’, released in April. Tom has sold four million albums, headlining Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds and most other major festivals in Europe. He’s had five No 1 albums as the lead singer of Kasabian, but what he hasn’t done in his career, until now, is write songs. In addition to the rock power and pounding groove of Kasabian, there is a blissed-out euphoria, a tenderness and a lyrical depth resulting from a period of emotional maturity. The first taste of Tom’s solo music is Would You Mind, a semi-acoustic anthem he wanted people to be able to own for nothing as a free download, to raise awareness of mental health.

A born frontman with an unmatched ability to get a crowd jumping, Tom’s natural enthusiasm means he can’t wait to return to the stage. Joining Tom are keyboardist/guitarist Bnann Infadel, guitarist Chris Haddon, bassist Ele Lucas, guitarist Brodie Maguire and drummer Gareth Young.

NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE GOOD

THURSDAY 20 APRIL - 7PM | ADULTS £16 / FRIENDS £12

ROWAN MCCABE PRESENTS

DOOR TO DOOR POETRY: NATIONWIDE

FRIDAY 21 APRIL - 7.30PM | £12.50

SHODDY THEATRE LTD PRESENTS

SHODDY DETECTIVE AND THE ART OF DECEPTION

SATURDAY 29 APRIL - 7.30PM | ADULTS £14 / STUDENT £10

We Are Acting

Tri.Art Theatre School and Dance Academy host weekly classes in Dance and Theatre to children aged 2 plus through to adults across numerous genres and styles. Our classes are designed to build on artistry, confidence and creativity and can be examination led, just for fun or keeping fit.

tri-art.co.uk

BOX OFFICE 01373 455420

01373 465949 merlintheatre.co.uk

Bath Rd . Frome . BA11 2HG

MUNGO’S HIFI

SAT 1ST APRIL

£20 ADVANCE

TOM MEIGHAN

THURSDAY 6TH APRIL

£26 ADVANCE

THE WURZELS

SAT 8TH APRIL

£19.50 ADVANCE

THE FILLERS & KINGS OF LYON

FRI 14TH APRIL

£22.50 ADVANCE

THE ANIMAL GUYZANIMALS UNLEASHED!

SAT 15TH APRIL

£14.50 ADVANCE

DREADZONE

FRI 21ST APRIL

£27.50 ADVANCE

PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT

SAT 29TH APRIL

£38.50 ADVANCE

All tickets are subject to a service charge of £1.50

Record Store Day UK

Raves from the Grave, 2 - 3 King St, 22nd April, from 8am - 5pm, free

Our favourite record store stocks a huge range of music across all formats (CDs, Vinyl and DVDs); everything from rock, pop, 50s/60s, reggae, prog, punk, metal, dance, drum ‘n bass, folk and world. Their brilliant team pride themselves on outstanding service, offer a worldwide ordering service, and customers are encouraged to browse and chat! The first Record Store Day took place in 2008 and is celebrated at independently-owned brick-andmortar record stores around the world. This is a day for the people who make up the world of the record store — the staff, the customers and the artists — to come together and celebrate the unique culture of record stores and the special role they play in their communities. Expect queues, first come, first served, bring your own bag! ravesftgrave@gmail.com

Trad Jazz

The Three Swans, 26th April, 8 - 10pm, Free

The New Academic Feetwarmers are a traditional jazz band playing the happy foot-tapping jazz of old New Orleans. The band started at Frome College in 1973. This secret gem is to be found on the fourth Wednesday of every month, a fantastic mix of Jazz, Blues, Ballads and Stomp. Instruments include trumpet, clarinet, sax, trombone, banjo, bass, piano and the washboard.

Swing Time Frome

The Station, 14th April, 7.30 - 10.30pm, £10 cash

A monthly social swing dance on the first Friday of the month, along with regular swing dancing classes, have returned to Frome (after a break over the pandemic). Swing dancing is a 1940s partnered dance, and these classes specifically teach Lindy Hop for beginners and dancers of all levels. It’s a wonderful way to bring people of all ages together. New members are always welcome.

Wylye Valley Art Trail

29th April - 8th May

The Wylye Valley Art Trail is an inspiring and eclectic festival of visual art and craft set in 73 venues across southwest Wiltshire: open studios and workplaces, galleries, art group exhibitions, student groups, virtual exhibitions and other fascinating events including ‘hands on’ activities, demonstrations, workshops and talks. This year there are over 250 exhibitors, ranging from award-winning artists with international reputations, to those just starting out on their creative journeys.

This is a unique opportunity to view a wide range of artistic skills, from painting to print-making, furniture-making to photography and sculpture to ceramics, as well as contemporary art forms such as digital art, installation, video and art using recycled materials.

The first event was 22 years ago in 2001, when 34 studios, workshops and makeshift galleries threw open their doors, stretching a vibrant trail across this beautiful corner of Wiltshire. Since then, it has taken place every two years, organised by a small

The Vintage Bazaar

Cheese & Grain, 22nd April, 9am-2pm

Visiting the Spring Vintage Bazaar is a wonderful way to blow away the winter cobwebs and indulge in a bit of eco-friendly retail therapy. At this unique event you can purchase from some of the country’s best dealers in vintage textiles, decorative antiques and French brocante, as well as a handpicked selection of designer makers. The Vintage Bazaar has been running for over ten years and has earned a reputation for not only providing the best quality vintage, but also for the show-stopping displays each dealer puts on. It has become a firm favourite with fashion and interior designers as well as makers and vintage afficionados who come to source decorative antiques, vintage fabrics and ephemera. Early arrival recommended! www.thevintagebazaar.co.uk team of volunteers, growing in size and bringing a wonderfully colourful and varied patchwork of visual creativity across the landscape to the attention of enthusiastic and art-hungry visitors.

For more information please contact info@wvat.co.uk or phone 07730 400784 www.wvat.co.uk

SCULPTURE CERAMICS TEXTILES INSTALLATION GILDING

PRINTMAKING

RECYCLED ART PAINTING

JEWELLERY

MOSAIC LEATHER

PHOTOGRAPHY WOOD

ILLUSTRATION

DIGITAL ART

ARTIST’S BOOKS

FURNITURE

METALWORK

GLASS

MIXED MEDIA

DRAWING wvat.co.uk

Sat 29 April - Mon 8 May

73 VENUES / 240+ ARTISTS EXHIBITIONS / OPEN STUDIOS WORKSHOPS / GALLERIES

WYLYE VALLEY ART TRAIL 29 April - 8 May

A celebration of visual art in south west Wiltshire Free trail brochures available at tourist information centres, libraries, arts centres & lots of other places from mid- March. Download the App at wvat.co.uk