The Little House of Art.....more than just a B & B!

Now if you're heading to Glastonbury (after the disappointing news of no festival this year) why not take the chance to check out the charming and unique Bed and Breakfast The Little House of Art only two minutes walk from Glastonbury town centre with its eateries, characters and unusual shops.  Why unique I hear you ask?  Well Martin and Sue own not just any B&B it has its very own Art Gallery featuring the work of local artists.

The accommodation consists of  two double bedrooms with luxurious Egyptian cotton bed linen and comfortable beds and considering the location and standard very reasonably priced from £65.00 per room, per night including breakfast.   A choice of delicious cooked breakfasts, including vegetarian is available using locally sourced organic produce wherever possible including eggs from their own chickens!  

There's a choice of a Private Bathroom with shower and full-sized bath - bath robes provided or a luxurious en-suite wetroom.  Wireless internet connection and digital TV/DVD with Freeview are provided with a wide range of  DVD’s available to view in your room.  There's tea and coffee making facilities and hairdryer in the rooms and the use of an iron and board is available on request whilst outside there's ample free parking.

Currently the featured artist is Sam Dunford from Poole in Dorset.   She specializes in Landscape paintings using oil paints on canvas. Her collection includes affordable Landscape paintings for your home, affordable paper prints of her landscape paintings, which are all handmade by Sam. She also welcomes commissions of landscape paintings from your photographs, visit her landscape painting commissions page for more details.  Sam's inspiration for her landscape paintings comes from everything, it can be from a walk around the Heath, a trip into town or just a walk into work.

Also featured are a number of 'Twitter' artists whose work can be found online..... 

Martin Lilley -  Photographs

Neil Gardner - Artist ngautoart.com  follow him on twitter @ngautoart

 Marilyn Ewens Painter - see more of her work at marilynewens.com

Emma Bradshaw: Painter withycombefair.co.uk  or on twitter @SAW_Ltd

Anita Pegler: Painter contact her via clivepegler@havenfarm.freeserve.co.uk 

Judy Blathwayt Painter contact her at judyblathwayt@btinternet.com 

Thomas Haskett Painter thomashaskettillustration.blogspot.com  on twitter @TmHaskettArtist

Jackie Curtis - Print Maker jcurtisart.com  follow her on twitter @jcurtisart

James Wedge - Painter jameswedge.com 

Alacoque Doyle - alacoquedoyle.com  follow her on twitter @alacoquedoyle

Jon Curtis - Potter - joncurtisceramics.com  follow him on twitter @Jonthepotter

Lucy Large- Artist lucylarge.com  follow her on twitter @lucylarge

Jenny Barron - Still Life jennybarron.co.uk @JENNYBARRON

Wendy Dunt - Ceramics merrymaiden.co.uk @wheelyworld

Sam Dunford - Artist samsart.co.uk @samdunford_art

Kathryn Nichols - Illustrator thedrawinghouse.com @thedrawinghouse

Julia Nairn - Artist Acolytehomeandgifts.com @myapplique

Paul Burgess - Artist paulburgessart.co.uk @PB_art

The Bed and Breakfast itself is situated within easy walking distance of all the major attractions like Glastonbury Abbey, Chalice Well Gardens and Glastonbury Tor.  A short 10 minute drive will see you in the historic cathedral city of Wells and the Somerset Levels Wildlife Reserves.  If you're feeling more adventurous it's only an hours drive to Bristol and Bath or the lovely beaches of Dorset and Devon on the world heritage site of The Jurassic Coast.

What's on in Glastonbury   

Follow Martin and Sue on Twitter and keep up to date.

Here they'll be providing information on what's happening in Glastonbury. Follow them on Twitter@arthousesue to keep up to date

Mid-Somerset Show Sheptom Mallet 19th August midsomersetshow.org.uk

Somerset Arts Week - 15th to 30th September www.somersetartworks.org.uk

Glastonbury Chilkwell Guy Fawkes Carnival2012 17th November 2012 The town centres largest event of the year with a procession of floats lasting all evening. A major spectacle, with collections for charity. The town is full of people and there is a great atmosphere.website

Glastonbury Frost Fair 15th December

Booking with Martin and Sue is easy. Simply click your arrival date, choose the number of nights you wish to stay and how many adults there will be. Click 'Check Availability' and you will be re-directed to their secure booking area where you can confirm and pay for your stay.

Room with private bathroom £65 per night incl breakfast.

Room with 4 poster and ensuite wet room £75 incl breakfast.



Secure Online Booking Instant Confirmation

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Alternatively you can ring Martin and Sue on 01458 830485 and they will complete your booking for you.....tell them Ralph sent you.....


A scrumptious picnic Hamper with fresh produce, wine or
champagne, can be provided whether for the beach or a special occasion or treat yourself to Breakfast in Bed with a glass of Moet or Bucks Fizz? (option available during booking process) and breakfast is available outside when the weather permits.
 

Now the owners of some establishments cower in fear when the dreaded Trip Advisor website is mentioned (just ask Channel 5's Alex Polizzi, The Hotel Inspector) but not so Martin and Sue.  You can check their reviews of The Little House of Art safe in the knowledge they offer a 5* service at a very reasonable price.


Here's the latest Trip Advisor review.....

“A lovely B & B”

Reviewed 27 August 2012 

My husband and I stayed here for a long weekend, whilst attending a wedding in a nearby village.

The b & b itself is lovely - lots of thought has gone into its decoration, with art displayed on all the walls. We stayed in the poetry room, which was very sweet. Comfortable bed and spotless throughout. The weather wasn't nice enough to go out in the garden, but this looked nice. The b & b is a short walk to Glastonbury High Street, which was brilliant.

Sue and Martin were excellent hosts, advising us on local places to go and helping us with anything we needed. They made our three night stay very pleasant.

The breakfasts were fantastic. The vegetarian full English is one of the best I've had and my husband was impressed with the other options too. We would definitely recommend this b & b.

Top Liverpool bands playing The West Derby Village Fete

So I'm back from holiday.....lost my blog list.....and deciding aimlessly who to blog next, when a tweet caught my eye proclaiming the delights of a village fete in West Derby (outskirts of Liverpool). Now being a Jack Russell by name inquisitive by nature I investigated further thinking 'hmmmm summat to do of a Saturday afternoon, take in the delights of a countryside fete'.  So I headed for the West Derby Village Fete Facebook pages where; to my surprise, found they were having a mini-festival featuring a number of local bands  including none other than the excellent A Band Named King who I'd been previously keeping an eye on.....result! 

The Halton Castle, West Derby Village from 1.30pm till late. Sat 25th Aug

In Victorian times West Derby was changed from a rustic backwater to a bustling township housing some of Liverpool’s wealthiest merchants.  In the 1850s, Lord Sefton remodelled West Derby Village to make a suitable gateway for Croxteth Hall.  New buildings were put up around the newly-created Village square. This investment was matched by the merchants who built about 60 mansions in the district.  In the 1930s West Derby was transformed as many mansions were torn down and their grounds covered by private semi-detached houses. 


In the 1960s, the Beatles were associated with West Derby when they regularly played at the Casbah Club. Both Liverpool and Everton have training grounds nearby.

Anyway enough of the history stuff.....there's bands to blog, not the least of which is A Band Named King.  I first noticed them a few weeks back on Twitter (THE place to find new music) and this is the ideal time to check them out. The double-front-man combination of David and Joe have busked their way to prominence, picking their way from Jersey, through Brighton and London, before finding their musical home in the North-West.  The additions of Pierso on Vocals and keyboards with Tobias Gibaud on drums have helped to enforce the Merseyness of their sound, with catchy melodies and earnest lyrics telling the first chapter of their story, which has only just begun....personally I can't understand why we're not hearing more about A Band Named King with tunes like 'Little Cretin' and 'Not a Soul in Sight' with it's pleasingly punchy guitar work.  They recently played a gig at the legendary Cavern Club and recently did a spot with Ralph's friends at BBC Introducing.

Next on the line up is The Polyveldts and they're another band that seem to be bubbling under.  They're 5 local lads hailing from where else but West Derby.  After forming in the summer of 2009 they played their first gig on 18/11/09 in The Zanzi Bar, Liverpool. Since then the band have played a number of gigs around the city. and recently released the EP 'Waiting for George'.

The Polyveldts are, Tom Barnes - Rhythm Guitar and Vocal, Dan Cummings - Bass, David Deegan - Rhythm Guitar and Vocals, Jacob Naylor - Drums and James Unsworth - Lead Guitar and Vocals and play an almost Sixties stylee, psychadelic guitar based bran of music.  Have a listen to 'Stone Rosie', 'Waiting for George' or 'Shoot Me Down' and you'll see what I mean.  Time they were reaching a wider audience with their solid,  honest, guitar based psychadelic rock sounds.....proper tunes!




A mention for The White Windows next ......they're an unsigned band from Liverpool (of course).  They style themselves as being the best band in Liverpool, which is a very bold statement to make. Although one thing you have to have when making music is a belief in yourself, and a belief in your songs and to believe that you are the best. On listening to their demos the potential is certainly there for them to go on and do great things. They feel like thy're trying to be all things to all people with a bit of Rock tagged on to Ska and a Mod feel but they make music that is exciting and makes your head nod. A bit of smoothing of some rough edges and I can see bright things for these likely lads.  'Hold On' has to be a crowd favourite at their gigs (there's the Mod feel) whilst 'English Sky has a funky little Ska vibe to it and then runs headlong into a rock chorus...love it!

The New Caldera on the other hand offer you a more mellow laid back flavour straight out of San Fransisco's sixties.  They say they're less of a band and more of a musical collective brewed in the back-street watering holes of Anfield, Liverpool. They share a love of the blends and tastes of melodies, rhythms, riffs, grooves and beats. Playing their own unique cocktail of Scouse flavoured timeless Rock & Roll/Rhythm & Blues. They quote their influences as being  The Beatles, The Byrds, The Who, The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds (me I'm getting Buffalo Springfield) and if The Merrylees are ever doing a gig down this way these guys would go down well on the same bill.

Unfortunately there's not much I can say about Mistakes in the Media other than they played an O2 Academy gig earlier this month.  They even play it close to their chest on Facebook and with no Soundcloud tracks I can't even let you hear them play. A few lessons in marketing themselves  required for these aptly named bright young things.  A look at the bands above should give them a hint on how to build a presence, with a Twitter and Soundcloud account the first priotity!

Dominic Dunn is a 15 year old singer songwriter from Kirkdale, and despite his age has learned the benefits of putting yourself out there.  He's featured on the Billy Butler show on BBC Radio Merseyside and even has his own merchandise.  He writes songs inspired by a diverse range of musical influences from The Clash, Steel Pulse and Simon & Garfunkel to Mumford & Sons, Bombay Bicycle Club and Vampire Weekend with everything in between.  He works hard to create an innovative sound with lyrics that will engage an audience.  Yes he sounds Ed Sheeranlike but puts his own stamp firmly on his music.

Chris Dorgan is a 26 year old from Liverpool who's been in a few bands but now performs with The Hokes.   He's been playing guitar since around 2002 doing covers and writing originals. The Hokes, Chris and two of his best friends for years make the line up. They play a lot of blues style songs, people like Junior Kimbrough have been a great influence to him along with all the usual suspects. He's using YouTube to find out what peoples opinions are of some of his songs that are in demo stages and also his versions of some of his favourites That he likes to cover. 

Thomas Barnes of The Polyveldts will be doing a solo set for your delectation so if you're a fan of The Corals you're in for a treat!

So there you have it, probably one of the best little festivals on this weekend, so if you aren't at Leeds Reading or Liverpool's Mathew Street Festival this weekend The Halton Castle West Derby village is the place to be! 

Ralph needs Bonio.....if you enjoyed this article please feel free to donate.....all contributions large or small gratefully accepted...love Ralph x