Month: October 2020

Credits 

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A statue of The Beatles by sculptor Andy Edwards in Liverpool, England

Follow in the footsteps of a Beatles legend in Liverpool or cycle the cider circuits of Herefordshire

One-Minute Read

Mike Starling

Tuesday, September 22, 2020 – 1:14pm

Goodbye summer, hello autumn. The days may be getting shorter but that doesn’t mean it’s time to hibernate just yet. 
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Debate: is Keir Starmer making Labour great again – or letting Boris Johnson off the hook? Instant Opinion: Keir Starmer must offer more than ‘not being Jeremy Corbyn’ How the Conservatives became the party of Britain’s poor There’s plenty of things to see and do in the next few months and the VisitEngland tourist board has put together its list of autumnal escapes. 
Highlights include a John Lennon-inspired music tour in Liverpool, night walks at Exmoor National Park and cycling the cider circuits of Herefordshire.
Here we take a look at the best autumn escapes in England.
Emerging artists: Class of 2020 at The Hari, London 
Taking over The Hari’s public spaces is a contemporary exhibition celebrating emerging talent from London art schools. The Class of 2020 exhibition offers a platform to those who sacrificed their potential career-launching degree shows due to the lockdown this summer. 
Until February 2021; thehari.com 
‘John Lennon at 80’ music tour, Liverpool 
Follow in the footsteps of music legend John Lennon, who would have celebrated his 80th birthday on 9 October. With a city centre packed with Beatles landmarks, the leafy suburb of Woolton helps you discover Lennon’s life. There you can walk around Mendips, the house he grew up in, visit his beloved Strawberry Field (recently opened to the public for the first time) and see St Peter’s Church, where he first met a young man called Paul McCartney.
visitliverpool.com 
Cecily Brown Exhibition, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire 
The Cecily Brown Exhibition features all new work created by the New York-based artist which is inspired by the Oxfordshire Unesco World Heritage Site. Brown’s large-scale, sensual, semi-abstract artworks have cemented her as one of the most important painters of her generation.
September to January; blenheimpalace.com
Pop-up camping at Blenheim Palace
Make your visit to Blenheim an overnight stay by camping in the Palace grounds at Caravan Club’s pop-up site. Witness sunset over Blenheim as you settle in for the night and awaken as the sun rises over the magnificent grounds and gardens.
Until 1 November; prices from £23.10 per night (includes two adults, Caravan Club members offer); caravanclub.co.uk

Wild Wookey adventure caving, Somerset
Set in some of the most spectacular caves in the UK, test your adrenaline levels with Wild Wookey adventure caving at Wookey Hole. The experience includes abseiling, traversing over deep water, Via Ferrata climbs, awesome views, a boat river crossing, zip line exit and the chance to see rare geological and archaeological treasures.
wookey.co.uk 
See the seal pups at Blakeney Point, Norfolk 
Autumn marks the start of seal pupping season. Join a Beans Boat crew and sail close enough to witness the mothers and their new pups as they laze on the rocks.
From £13 for adults and £7 for children aged 14 and under; visitnorthnorfolk.com
Autumn Apple Day, Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre
In the heart of the Shropshire Hills, autumn brings a treasure trove of delights with hazelnuts, whinberries, mushrooms, apples, pears and Shropshire prune damsons all growing in the meadows. Join the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre team for Autumn Apple Day on 25 October and take part in tours of the orchards, apple pressing and jelly making demonstrations. Enjoy homemade cider or apple juice and deliciously prepared apple delights in the café. 
Free entry, 25 October; shropshirehillsdiscoverycentre.co.uk
Night walks and stargazing, Exmoor National Park
Join a local astronomer for a guided walk through Exmoor, an International Dark Sky Reserve and home to some of the darkest skies in the country. Witness the sights as you walk under the blanket of stars, with interesting insights and a tasty supper in a nearby pub to finish up the evening. As part of the Exmoor Dark Skies Festival from 16-31 October, the walks will be run by Wild About Exmoor and take place on various dates throughout the month. 
From £18 for adults and £10 for children; wildaboutexmoor.com 
Autumn colours on the English Arboretum trail 
From the National Memorial Arboretum to Batsford and Westonbirt, a walk in an English woodland is a must this autumn. Forestry England sites across the country offer a wealth of seasonal trails and events. For something different, try a Foraged Colour Workshop at Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire on 3 October, where a sustainable artist will be teaching eco-dying techniques.
£75 for the Foraged Colour Workshop; forestryengland.uk 
Kayaking on the Tyne, Newcastle/Gateshead 
Explore the sights of Newcastle and Gateshead from a whole new perspective with CBK’s Adventure Co’s kayak tour of the River Tyne. Taking in unrivalled views of the famous seven bridges of the Tyne and Quayside, there is no jostling for position here as you quietly paddle beneath the bridges, snapping pictures and enjoying the view as you go.
newcastlegateshead.com 

Discover Dartmoor on horseback 
Join local guides for a tour on horseback through the wilds of open moorland and ancient woodland in Dartmoor. Hear stories about the history, terrain and nature of Dartmoor before tucking into a locally-sourced lunch.
From £275 per person (half-day tour); nationalparkexperiences.co.uk
Explore Ice Age England at Creswell Crags, Nottinghamshire 
Visit a limestone gorge that is honeycombed with caves and smaller fissures. See the stone tools and remains of animals that were found in the caves by archaeologists. The finds reveal the story of life during the last Ice Age between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago. Learn about Britain’s only known Ice Age rock art and the largest collection of “witches’ marks”, which were discovered in 2018.
visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk
Chiltern Trike Tours, Buckinghamshire 
Hit the open road on a chauffeured Boom trike experience. Take in the beauty of Chiltern’s ancient woodland, picturesque villages and discover stories, myths and legends of the area.
From £250 (two-hour tour); chilterntriketours.co.uk 
Scents and sights of Jane Austen’s life, East Hampshire 
Step back in time to Jane Austen’s 1816 home and experience aspects of her daily life, including her early morning piano practice. A new multi-sensory experience uses scents and sounds to bring the house to life. 
Entry to Jane Austen House is £9 for adults, £7 for children (7-17) and free for under 6; janeaustens.house
Champneys spa at Mottram Hall, Cheshire 
Luxury spa brand Champneys is launching its first northern outpost in the coming weeks. The £10m new spa includes a 20-metre swimming pool with private cabanas; a thermal suite with steam room and saunas; treatments by Elemis and Clarins; a gym; activity studios; restaurant; café; and the UK’s first Champneys barbershop. The new spa is part of a £15m revamp of the country-house hotel near Macclesfield.
From £79 per person for a classic spa day; mottramhall.com 
National Trust Holiday Cottages, Polzeath, Cornwall 
The Pentire Farmhouse and Pengirt holiday cottages have both been restored with traditional touches. They are perched on the Pentire headland and offer glorious sea views. A short walk away is the sandy beach of Pentireglaze Haven, linking to Polzeath beach, the perfect spot for surfers at low tide.
Opening October; Pentire Farmhouse from £1,099 for two nights, sleeps eight; Pengirt from £550 for two nights, sleeps four; nationaltrust.org.uk 
Horses and Nature Retreat, Heale Farm, Exmoor 
Offering a unique approach to wellbeing through the calming presence of horses, the course includes open-air mindfulness sessions and walk and talk with the animals. It’s the perfect way to enjoy the tranquil beauty of Exmoor in autumn.
From £250 per person; healefarm.co.uk

Pumpkin Grotto at Groombridge Place, Tunbridge Wells 
A secret garden with its gentle stream and wooden bridge will be transformed into a magical pumpkin grotto. Spot all the hidden pumpkins and if you come in fancy dress there may be something special waiting for every ghoul, ghost, phantom and skeleton. Afterwards, discover Crusoe’s World with its wooden rope bridge, giant wooden ship, rope swings and zip wire or walk along the canal, through the forest and you might catch a glimpse of the resident herd of fallow deer. 
Until 1 November; family tickets from £25, adults £8.95, children £6.95; groombridgeplace.com
Tresco Island Autumn Wellbeing & Yoga Retreat, Isle of Scilly 
Join Yogi Gem Hansen and guest tutor Will Harrigan for five serene nights of meditative practice, yoga and island hopping. Featuring island sunrises and guided mindfulness walks around Tresco’s north coast, the retreat promises to be simultaneously grounding and uplifting.
12-17 October; from £900 (based on two sharing) or £725 per person; tresco.co.uk
Apples for Autumn, Herefordshire Cider Circuits
Two new cycling trails showcasing Herefordshire’s apple heritage have launched this month just in time for harvest’s bumper crop. Visitors can enjoy cider tastings and the restaurants, pubs and cafes will be serving apple-themed tasting menus. Get the chance to meet some of the award-winning producers and explore the county’s incredible landscapes and orchards. 
applesforautumn.co.uk 
Woodland feasts, Buckinghamshire 
Enjoy a foraging feast with Nomadic Dining. Set in secluded woodland you will immerse into a magical experience of living off the land and cooking over wildfires. The menus will feature the fruits and finds of your forest forage.
From £90; events take place in October and November; experiencenomadic.com
Vineyard Open Days, Wiston Estate, South Downs 
On arrival you will be greeted by Kirsty Goring, whose family owns the Sussex estate. She will introduce you to Wiston and will give a complimentary tutored tasting of two of their award-winning English Sparkling Wines. Vineyard manager James McLean has also curated a self-guided tour around the estate. 
£10 per ticket; open days are on 10, 24 and 31 October; wistonestate.com 

Arts & Life
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Credits 

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Albums of the Week

AngelHeaded Hipster – The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex, Peter Grimes and American Head

Review

The Week Staff

Friday, September 18, 2020 – 1:29pm

This week’s best new releases include various artists singing the songs of Marc Bolan and T. Rex, a new recording of Benjamin Britten’s 1945 opera and the latest record by The Flaming Lips.

Various: AngelHeaded Hipster – The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex (BMG £13)
Marc Bolan was the “platonic ideal of a pop star – glamorous, impish, lovable yet elusive”, said Tim de Lisle in The Mail on Sunday. Now, 43 years after his death, he receives “one of the biggest compliments known to songwriters” – a tribute by Hal Willner, the great producer who sadly died earlier this year of Covid-19, soon after completing work on this wonderful album. Willner’s special gift was for matching material and artist, and here a starry array of Bolan fans – including U2 with Elton John, Joan Jett, Nick Cave, Peaches, and Marc Almond – deliver beautifully realised covers of some of his best songs. 
See related 

Coronavirus: just how bad was the Covid crisis in UK care homes? Tests run out in coronavirus hotspots amid UK-wide shortages Coronavirus test rationing: who will be at the back of the queue? There are moments when Bolan’s “defiantly gibberish” lyrics feel exposed, said Neil McCormick in The Daily Telegraph. “I got giraffes all up in my hair and I don’t care,” croons Father John Misty on Main Man. But in fact, it scarcely matters. With its “intriguing cast, exotic songs and dazzling arrangements”, this treat of an album is a “loving, rich, strange and rewarding delight”. My advice: “Bang a gong, and get it on.”

Britten: Peter Grimes (Chandos; £23)
This superb new recording of Benjamin Britten’s breakthrough 1945 opera, by the Bergen Philharmonic under Edward Gardner, is up there with the “finest” ever, said Erica Jeal in The Guardian. It was made last year following several semi-staged performances and acclaimed concerts – and the recording is thus “extraordinarily well run-in”. Even in audio only, it registers as a “genuine music drama”. The music “leads us through the story in one urgent, vital sweep”, the sound is “huge and thrilling”, and there’s “sparkling interplay between singers and orchestra”. 
This “outstanding” Peter Grimes is one to “cherish”, agreed Hugh Canning in The Sunday Times – and it preserves Stuart Skelton’s “immense incarnation” of the title role. His Grimes is “brutish” in his treatment of the apprentice, yet “heart-breakingly vulnerable” in the mad scene. Erin Wall and Roderick Williams provide fine support, and the Bergen choruses (with singers from the Royal Northern College of Music) “share the honours with Gardner’s superlative orchestra”.

The Flaming Lips: American Head (Bella Union; £10)
Recent Flaming Lips albums have been “gimmicky or unlistenable”, said Will Hodgkinson in The Times. But on American Head, they rediscover “what they do better than anyone, which is a dreamy, richly melodic take on psychedelic rock containing stories culled from experience”. Their best album since 1999’s The Soft Bulletin, it’s a strangely moving “hallucinogenic epic about the other side of the American dream”. Harmonies and melodies “unfold with ease” and crescendo before breaking into “musical Technicolor” and there is a luxurious, Beatlesque quality throughout. Just wonderful.
This is an album about memories of childhood and adolescence, said Elisa Bray in The Independent. The sound is “accessible, tender and surreal”. Many of the songs are augmented by backing vocals from Texas country star Kacey Musgraves. And the bucolic tone throughout “conjures flashbacks with wide-eyed wonder”, especially in the “melodic gem” Dinosaurs on the Mountain. Evocative and beautiful, the album is a thrilling return to peak form.

Arts & Life Music
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A documentary looking at the final days of John Lennon’s life has been snapped up by BritBox. The North American streamer, which is a joint venture between BBC Studios and ITV, has acquired the U.S. rights to documentary special Lennon’s Last Weekend. The film reveals the last in person interview the former Beatle ever gave, to […]
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“Measuring Kool & the Gang’s influence is like asking what the influence of the Beatles was over pop music,” producer says after the death of group’s co-founder Ronald “Khalis” Bell
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An Englishman in LA…Dan Croll knew he had to make a change.
So the English songwriter did something previously unthinkable – he upped sticks and moved, crossing the Atlantic in the process.
Now ensconced in Los Angeles, he set down some roots in the city, allowing its gilded pop history to intertwine with his own unique musicality.
New album ‘Grand Plan’ is very much informed by this change, both by the challenges he faced and the opportunities it opened up.
A songwriter of real depth, Dan Croll broke down a few key albums for our latest Foundations.
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James Taylor – ‘Greatest Hits’
This album has been played in the car for every family journey for as long as I can remember, no trip was complete without it. As a kid I’d be belting along from the back seat, and I’d probably say this was my first introduction to harmony, especially tracks like ‘In My Mind I’m Going To Carolina’ and ‘You’ve Got A Friend’.
Even now I still reference back to this album in the studio, for my latest album I found myself referencing back to some of the drums sounds, especially the drums on ‘Country Road’.
This was my gateway to James Taylor, and still consider him one of my greatest influences now. I’ve gained even more respect for him in the past few years after rediscovering my love for his work and entering the dark past he has. It all goes to show the perseverance and talent he had to make it through and unstable upbringing and substance abuse and still produce these incredible songs.
I’d also add that James Taylor was one of the handful of Laurel Canyon artists that made me cross the pond and head to Los Angeles.
– – –
Paul McCartney – ‘Paul McCartney II’

It was always going to be hard not to put any Paul McCartney, Beatles, or Wings album on this list, but I think this one holds a very special spot for me. Other albums of his definitely showcase his song writing mastery, but there’s something about the production and genre crossovers of this album that make me keep coming back to it.
I really discovered this album when I was 18, I’d been sent some possible sync/jingle work to create a track for a home improvement company and as the main reference they wanted it to sound like ‘Coming Up’. I never got the track in the end, but after listening to that reference track and then going through the rest of the album I was hooked to it all.
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The Beach Boys – ‘Pet Sounds’

While James Taylor may have introduced me to harmony, it was really the beach boys who showed me how far that can be pushed. I remember being even more blown away when a friend introduced me to some of the a capella tapes from ‘God Only Knows’ and ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’.
Despite those two huge songs on this record, I still feel my favourite track is ‘Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)’, there’s something so beautiful and understated about that song that really stands out to me.
Like James Taylor, they were also another huge influence in the move to California. I hoped some California sun might inspire some Beach Boys sounds. 
– – –
Toe – ‘The Book About My Idle Plot On A Vague Anxiety’

A bit of a wild card compared to the albums above, and whilst it’s not a commercial classic, it’s been such a huge inspiration to me. I remember being in my late teens when I heard this record, at first I didn’t know it was an instrumental album, I was patiently waiting for vocals to come in, and by the second or third song I found myself hoping that they wouldn’t.
There was something so beautiful about the two guitars countering each other, providing all of the melodies you needed. This style of guitar had a big impact on my songwriting process, I think guitar was something that was always overlooked, and I felt melody only ever came from vocals, but this taught me to put more effort in to the way guitars are carried in songs and can have so much influence to the listener.
Kashikura Takashi is still one of my favorite drummers, and this is the album I feel really showcases his style, if feels so effortless yet complex at the same time.
After listening to a song from this album its not long before I find myself down a YouTube rabbit hole watching them live, highly recommended!
– – –
Sigur Ros – ‘Takk’

Last week I was going through a bit of a rough patch mentally, and for the first time in a long time I went for a walk and just listened to music. I wanted something calming, and I suddenly though of Sigur Ros, and realised how long its been since I heard this album.
Whilst I was walking and listening it brought back such clear memories of being an anxious teen and using this as a coping tool, the way this album is able to transport me to a calming place is incredible. It also brought back amazing memories of seeing them live on my 18th birthday in Spain with my best mates, a show that really opened my eyes to pursuing a career in music.
– – –
Dan Croll’s new album ‘Grand Plan’ is out now.
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Simon Neil on overhauling the band’s sound while centring their approach on basic decency…If, by some superhero future-vision, Simon Neil was able to see the condition of the world that ‘A Celebration Of Endings’ would be released just one year after writing the record, Biffy Clyro’s ninth studio album might have sounded something a little different.
“A lot of the lyrics have become so much more relevant during isolation while being locked down at home,” says frontman and genius behind Biffy’s lyrical magnum opus, Simon Neil. “I have a slight distance from the record this time since we’re not out performing it every single night.” 
Gaining a colossal tide of die-hard fans since their fresh beginnings two decades ago, Biffy Clyro have pushed their way to the forefront of British music. A slew of nominations have come their way, to prove that the Scottish trio have had one hell of a ride thus far. But now, back at the very roots of their fruition, they’re only humble about the journey which led them here.
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– – –
As Simon calls me from the band’s hometown of Kilmarnock, Scotland, admittedly wrapped up in a dressing gown mid-afternoon, he realises that this is the first time in Biffy history that the three-piece have ever celebrated an album release at home, surrounded by family.
“We’re normally half way around the world at this moment,” Simon laughs. “But there’s something so liberating about it. It stripped things back to the essence for me, making this album. All I care about currently is making music; me, Ben and James. My family are healthy, everything else comes and goes.”
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– – –
He relays the troubles he was faced with when creating the album; relationship breakdowns and the likes, all feeling minor in the face of the current world. But now it creates its own meaning, all eleven tracks melding together in a wave of gritty riffs and orchestral merit; with a conventionally Biffy ring to it.
The record’s finale boasts the enormous ‘Cop Syrup’ – a six-minute mega-track which runs through a spectrum of sonic influences, dubbed by Simon as “non-sensical, but hopefully also completely sensical”. Having recorded some of the tracks at Abbey Road Studios, the three-piece paid homage to their musical predecessors with the use of old equipment. “I remember sitting there after recording ‘Cop Syrup’ thinking about how I just played this orchestral punk-prog maze on a Beatles piano,” Simon muses.
“I cannot overstate how magical that place feels,” he continues. “Our producer is a Beatles fanatic, so he was there asking things like ‘do you have this desk from 1961?’ or whatever. It ended up taking over three days of recording just plugging in old Beatles equipment, and none of it even worked,” he laughs.
– – –

– – –
Although Simon’s on-stage demeanour always resembles that of a celestial rockstar, his Spotify playlists stay true to the more softly spoken man behind the mask. From Tina Turner to Phoebe Bridges, his current music selection flaunts a range of unexpected influences. “For the last couple of months I’ve been obsessed with the new Fiona Apple record, it just sounds so free!”.
It wouldn’t be a far cry to assume Simon were a doting activist with an excitement and passion in his voice that only a songwriter of his magnitude can convey. “We’re going to lose a lot of the complications and things we were carrying coming into this,” he theorises about the world post-pandemic. “Sometimes I talk about the record and it might sound political, but it’s really just about decency.”
Even with 25 years of music under their belts, Biffy Clyro are still finding ways to stay original. Consistently enticing with a new latitude of sound and what feels like a lifetime of stories behind each album, there’s something so faithfully Biffy with each release. ‘A Celebration Of Endings’ is the perfect product of a time in which music is needed most.
– – –

– – –
‘A Celebration Of Endings’ is out now.
Words: Gemma Ross
Join us on the ad-free creative social network Vero, as we get under the skin of global cultural happenings. Follow Clash Magazine as we skip merrily between clubs, concerts, interviews and photo shoots. Get backstage sneak peeks, exclusive content and access to Clash Live events and a true view into our world as the fun and games unfold.

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Fifty years ago, the Beatles went through rock’s most famous breakup. Inside the heartbreak, the brotherhood, and why the music still matters
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Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney declares in a new interview that there is a lot of “pressure” involved in making Instagram profiles appear interesting.
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