Devizes Chamber Choir Sings its Socks Off!

A group of sopranos wearing their best Christmas outfits.

We sang like angels at our Christmas concert,  and so unlike a few days before, when the entire choir seemed to cough and splutter its way through a rehearsal in the church.  As usual it all came together on the night and we produced some wonderful sounds.  The congregation also enjoyed itself singing the traditional carols.   The entire choir had a tiring day, with a long rehearsal in the afternoon and a two hour concert in the evening.   During the interval we tucked into mince pies and drank a glass or two of wine, which gave us the energy to sing the "Hallelujah Chorus" as our final piece.  It was a most successful and enjoyable evening.

In early January we start rehearsing for our spring concert, in which we will be singing Rossini's "Petite Messe Solennelle,"  a work I have never sung before, in fact I cannot remember ever singing anything written by Rossini over the last 55 years.   I started singing in the school choir when I was eleven, having been much inspired by my music teacher Miss MaClean, who imbued me with a life long love of music,  particularly that of my favourite composer,  Herr Johann Sebastian Bach.

The rehearsal in St John's Church.

The best part of the evening, wine and mince pies!

The Choir and congregation singing  a carol.

A Recce in the Wilds of Netherstreet

We go one way, the sign says the other!

Here are some photos from a recent recce into the wilds of Netherstreet!   Our leaders had a map which showed the paths clearly marked, but when we arrived, we found some paths impassable, either with thorny brambles, or with rotten wooden stiles.  We did manage to walk a short section of the old Roman road that originally ran from Bristol to London.  The signage in the first photo is somewhat confusing, the footpath goes straight ahead, but the byway goes to the left.  We walked through harvested fields of sweetcorn, with only the stumps left to rot, and eventually found a field of curious llamas, who watched us with an air of disdain!  Netherstreet boasts a Buddist temple, which was a complete revelation to me!  This is a meditation centre for those wishing to escape our crazy world for a few days!   We ended our recce in "The Oliver Cromwell,"  a pub in which we had lunch and a pint.  

Roundway Down, the site of a civil war battle in July 1643 is in the background of two photos.  Oliver Cromwell was the leader of the Roundheads, who deposed King Charles 1, and battled with the Royalists for supremacy, and eventually won the civil war.  Oliver Cromwell did not fight here in the battle, but he is commemorated by the pub name.

The Rolling Wiltshire Roundway Down.

Curious llamas watch us with caution!

The Buddist Temple in Netherstreet

The final destination for lunch, "The Oliver Cromwell" in Netherstreet.

In a Country Churchyard.



Devizes has three large medieval churches, and this one, the Church of St Mary, is now redundant and is about to be adapted into a community centre.  The pews will be removed to allow space for a performing area, and it is hoped local choirs, music, drama groups and dancers will be able to hold small concerts here with an audience of around 200.  A new extension to the side of the nave is planned,  and this will provide space for a kitchen and toilets. 

Before the work can begin, a team of archeologists has arrived to excavate the churchyard and burial ground, and remove and reinter any human remains that may be found, or to find and record other objects of archeological interest.  The churchyard was excavated years ago when evidence was found of 11th & 12th century burials.  

The photo below shows a recently dug hole near the blue tarpaulin.  The tombs and gravestones in the foreground date from the early 19th century.   Just behind the nearest soil heap is a surveyor in his yellow coat with a theodolite, obviously recording the lie of the land.  Work should begin on the extension later this year.

Excavations begin on the site of the new extension.

Six Miles around Compton Bassett with the Mid Wilts Ramblers.

Walking under another mighty English oak

Every Sunday the Mid Wilts Ramblers organise a walk in the local area.  We meet in Tesco's car park in Devizes, climb into various cars, and take the short journey to the start of the walk.  Yesterday we enjoyed a walk around Compton Bassett, a small village about six miles north of Devizes.   There are several place names bearing the name Bassett, which I believe derives from the Bassett family and their medieval land ownership.  The now famous Royal Wootten Bassett, Winterbourne Bassett and Berwick Bassett are another three towns and villages in the vacinity.    Sunday morning was unseasonally warm and sunny and a group of 18 walkers set out for a six mile walk around the small village.  At one point we passed Hill's Waste Landfill site,   a mega hole in the ground into which local refuse is dumped.  The company also runs a huge recycling centre from an industrial sized big shed,  which is painted green and blends well into the landscape.  Gas produced from this landfill site produces enough energy for 4,000 homes.  There was no smell, which surprised me, but we did contemplate on the amount of rubbish we, as a country, produce, which is a rather terrifing thought!    www.hills-group.co.uk  

There was no opportunity to visit the church which, I am told, contains some interesting stone carvings, but I have added Compton Bassett to my list of "Must See Churches" before I leave planet earth for................. ?      www.comptonbassett.com

Dappled sunlight on a warm November morning.

Making our way down towards the village.

Christmas Comes to Devizes with a BANG!

The Queen of the Frost spreads her icicle hands.

The Queen of the Frost frightens small children in Devizes, an exciting way to start the Christmas celebrations!  Last night Santa arrived in  town  and welcomed the coming  festive season with a few words from Lapland.  Hundreds of excited children and parents joined the lantern parade that wandered around the town.   Santa had his snowy grotto at the Wharf, and when the paraade arrived, he joined in and was excorted into the Market place.  Here he climbed onto the balcony of the "Bear Hotel" and turned on the lights.  The Christmas tree lit up, and Bang! Bang! cascades of red and white rockets  arched over our heads.   It was a wonderful occasion, with christmas market stalls selling crafts and gifts in the Market Place, in the Corn Exchange in in the Old Cheese Market,  known as the "Shambles." 

The white horse below is a big lantern, carried by two people, and just one of the many so imaginatively made by local school children.  Wiltshire is famous for its white horses carved into the chalk downland, and Braunschweig in Germany also has a white horse as an emblem.  Santa can be seen below greeting everyone. (Secretly I know him as Ray, one of my friends who is learning German, and doing very well.)

A White Horse leads  the lantern parade.

Fireworks and lanterns.

Santa brings a Christmas message from Lapland to Devizes.

More cascading rockets and lanterns.

A Passiflora Blooms in mid November.

A Passiflora blooms in mid November on my roof garden.

I am still here, but have something that is doing the rounds, a virus I think.  I will be back with news and views as soon as I am feeling better.    This beautiful flower is blooming on my roof garden in the middle  of November, should this be happening? 

A Sunday afternoon walk around Bromham, Netherstreet and St Edith's Marsh

Walking through the curly kale field.

Sunday's ramble took us around Bromham, an area of fertile land which supports many vegetable growers, who supply local supermarkets with fresh vegetables.  The photo left show us in a field of curly kale, all planted in very regimental lines.  Bromham church can be seen in the background, and here in the churchyard lies the body of a soldier killed in the 1643 battle of  "Roundway Down" during the English Civil War.  The group can be seen below,  walking towards St. Edith's Marsh with Roundway Down  and  its clump of trees on the skyline, the place where we walked last Sunday.  We walked about 5 miles yesterday, at a time when most of the fog had lifted allowing a little sun to peep through the clouds.   The lowest photo shows a small allotment plot with a bed of nasturtiums still happily blooming.  The weather is so mild that the plants seem totally confused.  A passiflora is booming on my roof garden, surely something is wrong!

Bromham is divided into five small hamlets, and yesterday we walked through two,  St. Edith's Marsh and Netherstreet.  The others are named Chittoe, Hawkstreet and Westbrook.  There is interesting information about the village on: www.bromham.org.uk

A distant Oliver's Castle on the down, the site of a Civil War battle

Sunset approaching through an English oak tree.

The nasturtiums are still blooming.