Well..I was too busy all day to take much of a break..and I had to drive down with loads of gear (tools, fire extinguishers as well as my amps and guitars) even tho' it's only literally at the bottom of the road...so I had to wait until I got home..no hardship really.
The group who organised the event are real music fans...most of them are regular festival goers, but none of them are musicians or had ever organised anything like this before. There was plenty of interest in Boxstock when I went round with the flyers..the venue is only a couple of miles away, and it's really good to link up with local events like this.
Fantastic event. I love that this is reviving the idea of people listening to music around a bandstand in their local park. Makes me wonder why folks waste money on traipsing off to big festivals like Galsto when the real perfect outdoor summer music venues are just around the corner.
It's a very interesting little story. Until a few months ago the park was owned by Birmingham, despite the fact that physically it's in another local authority (Sandwell, which is where I live). They had let it decline over many years...paths weren't maintained, the tennis courts abandoned and the Grade II listed Lightwoods Hall was in wrack and ruin.
Thanks to the campaining of councillor Steve Eling, backed by local people, it's now in the ownership of our local authority and things are happening. New paths, benches, new tennis court, basketball court, keep fit equipment, re-built skatepark and work has begun to secure and restore the Hall. Part of the renaissance has been a group of local people banding together to music on in the park...in the old Victorian Bandstand...and there's another event next month.
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The group who organised the event are real music fans...most of them are regular festival goers, but none of them are musicians or had ever organised anything like this before. There was plenty of interest in Boxstock when I went round with the flyers..the venue is only a couple of miles away, and it's really good to link up with local events like this.
Here's a write-up of the day...
The First Bearwood Shuffle
This is what home grown music should be about....
It's a very interesting little story. Until a few months ago the park was owned by Birmingham, despite the fact that physically it's in another local authority (Sandwell, which is where I live). They had let it decline over many years...paths weren't maintained, the tennis courts abandoned and the Grade II listed Lightwoods Hall was in wrack and ruin.
Thanks to the campaining of councillor Steve Eling, backed by local people, it's now in the ownership of our local authority and things are happening. New paths, benches, new tennis court, basketball court, keep fit equipment, re-built skatepark and work has begun to secure and restore the Hall. Part of the renaissance has been a group of local people banding together to music on in the park...in the old Victorian Bandstand...and there's another event next month.