Autumn is for Apples: Killerton Apple & Cider Festival Rings in the Season

Exeter's local National Trust property, Killerton House, is ringing in the harvest with their annual Apple and Cider Festival. On Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 October, visitors to their Sparrow Park orchard will be treated to food, drink, song, and yarn bombing at their annual event.

Along with the cider festival, they're laying on a hog roast, morris dancers, live bands, a magician, wood crafts, archery, cycle tours, cider press demonstrations and more. Not to mention the fact that it's all going to look blooming magical with all the leaves changing colours.

This epically autumnal event is in honour of National Apple Day and Killerton's truly epic apple collection. With over 500 acres of traditionally managed orchards on the Killerton estate, they are growing 100 varieties of old English apple including the Killerton Sweet and Killerton Sharp which originate there. Killerton's wardens and volunteers produced an award-winning cider using a 200 year old farm press, as well as apple juice, apple chutney and orchard honey. And because they use traditional methods, the apples are grown without any chemicals, fertilisers or pesticides.

I was lucky enough to get a hold of a box full of some of their summer harvest and have been whipping up a few recipes to countdown to the event and celebrate this fabulous fruit. In the weeks to come, I will be sharing them here on the blog, so keep an eye out for tastiness.

Check Out Exeter's New Library

Exeter's Newly Refurbished Library

Exeter's newly refurbished library has been open for just over a month and to put it bluntly: it's fantastic. The team behind it have well and truly hit the nail on the head.

It is a space that does everything a library should in the 21st century. The cafe with al fresco seating in Rougemont Gardens is welcoming and open. The general lending area is clear and easily accessible. The children's library is lively and engaging. And whole space is so light airy and uncluttered that I could easily spend all day there.

Add to this their ample wifi, free web access, solar power and the awe inspiring Fab Lab and there are definitely reasons to be cheerful about your next check out.

Cafe Opening onto Rougemont Gardens at Exeter Central Library

I've visited twice so far and can't wait to get back - hopefully before my books are overdue. They seem keen to fill place with activity and get away from the traditional hushed environment. The first time I popped in, there were about 50 parents and children singing to their hearts' content in the children's library. When I went back the following Saturday, the Fab Lab was open with robots play with, a 3D printer to explore, and I even got to play with a homemade theremin!

New Children's Library

Friendly Robots at the FabLab

Closed for refurbishment for what seemed like eons, Exeter's Library has now become a place for discovery. Exactly what a library should be. Well done you lot. And thanks very much.

Some books at the Library

New entrance at Exeter Central Library

Meet me Halfway: My Year in Exeter So Far

It's hard to believe that Summer Solstice has come and gone. That the long dark, cold, wet winter which started back in March 2012 and only relented at the end of May 2013 will soon be making it's approach. Today, the longest day of the year and midpoint of our annual orbit of the sun, I reckon is a good time to take stock and look back on what I did with the whole first half of the year.

NYE 2013

I was lucky enough to spend NYE at The Grapevine in Exmouth with my band Lazy Lizard. Wearing a carnival head dress and a brand new frock from Exeter's best dress shop, Off The Hook, we had an amazing night and I was feeling pretty good.

Exeter CAMRA Festival of Winter Ales

This is one of my favourite annual Exeter events. More than 60 amazing real ales on tap at this fabulous beer festival run by our local chapter of CAMRA every January. If you're a fan of real ales in Exeter it is a must do. If you're a local you are certain to find someone that you know there toasting a pint so you can raise a raiding party or just bowl up on your own and you're guaranteed a good time. I've been twice now and it's always full of friendly people and of course, delicious ales, ciders and even a few ginger beers.

Artist Michael Buckland

I met London born, Exmouth based, artist Michael Buckland one evening whilst checking out Melosa that The Grapevine in Exmouth. Tucked away in a corner, I could see him taking in the surroundings and scribbling way in his note pad. As he got up to leave I got a sneak peak at the drawing he'd done of  our table of friends an was in awe of how much detail he'd captured such a short time. A few weeks later he popped up on my Facebook and somehow we arranged for me to sit for a portrait. I was honoured. Such a lovely experience.

Tony Law at Exeter Phoenix

Irreverent, surreal and joyful Canadian comedian Tony Law played his first show at the Exeter Phoenix back in February. It was brilliant. He's amazing. I'm not telling you anything more about he elephants though.

Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots at RAMM

As part of Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots, I have been researching the history of black American GIs who were based in Exeter during WWII. It has been a fascinating journey that has taught me so much about England, American, historic and current attitudes to race, my family, my culture, and my city. There are lots of different elements to the project. Interviews, research and storytelling will help us to present a website, school materials, and even a guided tour to the wider public, helping to spread the word about some of Exeter's multicultural histories. In March we did our first storytelling evening at RAMM to an audience of more than 100 people. Everyone in our volunteer group and from the Global Centre, worked so hard to make it happen.

Exeter Pride at Exeter Phoenix

Exeter Pride has been going for a few years now and there are so many brilliant people working to make it on of the best pride celebrations in the South West. My band, Lazy Lizard, played at the March 2013 post parade party and it was oh so much fun. There was a conga line during our set and more importantly I got to wear the shiniest dress I could find from Jane Norman.

History of Exeter's Black GIs

In April, the Global Centre hosted a book launch for Marika Sherwood's latest title 'World War II: Colonies & Colonials'.  I was honoured to be asked to speak alongside this marvelously inspiring woman. She is a prolific writer and historian who's explored all aspects of BME history in Great Britain and subverted histories around the world. Her latest title is one of more than 50 publications that she's penned and is a must read.

Exeter Respect Festival

Exeter Respect Festival 2013 was just brilliant. The weather was fabulous and they organisers really worked hard to use every possible resource to put on what is probably the city's largest annual event. Bringing together live music, community groups, faith groups, and local businesses, it was a great celebration of the diversity and energy of our city. I was lucky enough to participate as a performer with my hip hop group The Bitterati on the PhonicFM stage and event more randomly, we were on ITV Westcountry!

Photo by Clive Chilvers

Cheers to all my Exeter friends and neighbours for making this a great year so far!

Gillian Ayres Exhibition Opens at RAMM

Last Friday I was lucky enough to meet leading British abstract artist Gillian Ayres at the opening of her new exhibition at Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum on Saturday 15 June. The exhibition, featuring a beautiful collection of some of her vibrant, heavily-worked canvasses, and bold block prints runs until Sunday 15 September.

Her works resound with a passion that is clearly inspired by her deep love for her craft. Speaking with the RSA from her west country studio in 2009 she explained, ‘It’s all I ever wanted to do, all my life. I can’t live long enough to paint all I want to do. Thirty years ago, I gave up my teaching job at Winchester College of Art to paint. And that’s what I do.’ The vivid colour palette, she explains is not drawn from life, but rather from herself.  ‘People think I came here for the views...but, as you can see, I have no views: I don’t paint from nature so I don’t need them. My paintings are about painting, about shape and colour, not telling stories. From my studio I can’t see beyond the trees.’

Born in 1930, Gillian studied at Camberwell College of Art between 1945 and 1950. She worked initially in London and then went on to teach at the Bath Academy in Corsham, Saint Martins School of Art and finally became Head of Painting at Winchester School of Art. She left teaching in 1981 and moved to Wales and then Cornwall, where she currently lives.

Artist Gillian Ayres at the RAMM Exeter

Over the course of her career, Gillian has made a significant and varied body of original prints. Most of the works in this exhibition have been proofed by Gillian Ayres and Jack Shirreff and were printed at 107 Workshop. Ayres and Shirreff first met at Corsham and it was his reinvigoration of the use of carborundum combined with etching that offered her a whole range of possibilities in the medium of print.

Gillian Ayres’ work is in the collections of the British Museum, Tate, the Victoria & Albert Museum; and the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gillian was made a Royal Academician in 1991 and awarded a CBE in 2011.

Gillian Ayres: Paintings and Prints 1986 to 2011 runs from Saturday 15 June to Sunday 15 September.

Museum volunteers at opening night

Museum volunteers at opening night

6 Hidden Gems to see for Exeter Heritage Open Days

St. Nicholas Priory

Heritage Open Days is an annual celebration of all the places and spaces that mean the most to the towns, villages and cities around the UK.  From 7 - 9 September National Trust properties, English Heritage sites and many other places of special interest will be open to the public for free visits, tours and special events.

It's one of my favourite times of year because suddenly the doors are flung open to all of these wonderful places, some that didn't even know existed. I am a strong advocate of loving the place that you're in and learning more about where you live is a great place to start. Exeter's heritage is rich with Romans, Normans, Tudors and more, so there's plenty see and do. Here's a short list of my favourites for 2012:

1. Exeter City Football Club's St James' Park will be open for a tour on Friday 7 September, 10am. SJP has been home to the might Grecians for more than 100 years. Stop by to check out the new pitch learn more about one of Britain's only supporter owned football clubs. Booking essential, call 01392 413954 or email andy.gillard@exetercityfc.co.uk. Bookings available from 28 August (9am - 5pm Mon - Fri).
2. Tuckers Hall on Fore Street will be open Thursday 6 -Sunday 9 September, 10.30am - 3pm, talks at 11am, 12.30pm & 2pm for visitors to have good look around.  If you're wondering where this place is, Tuckers Hall is that really old building next to the Real McCoy Arcade. Part of the Exeter Woollen Trail, it's been owned by the Guild of Weavers, Tuckers and Shearman since way back in 1471! I've never actually seen it open so it's the kind of thing that Heritage Open Days were made for. For information, call 01392 412348. 
3. The Exeter Underground Passages on Paris Street will be open for free tours from Thursday 6 - Saturday 8 September 10am, 11am, 12noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm & 4pm, Sunday 9 September 11am, 12noon, 1pm, 2pm & 3pm. The passage are one of the city's top attractions so this is bound to popular. Meet at the entrance on Paris Street 10 minutes before the start of your tour. Booking essential, call 01392 665832. Bookings available from 28 August (9.30am - 4.30pm Mon - Sat). 
4. St. Nicholas Priory Off Fore Street is free to see on Friday 7 & Saturday 8 September, 10am - 5pm. Learn about the building's monastic history, its spell as an Elizabethan household and basque in the Barry Lydon style ye olde lighting. For information, call 01392 265858.
5. Poltimore House will be open Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 September, 11am - 4pm. This Devon landmark is not a National Trust house but is held in trust and run by volunteers. Once a family home, once a hospital, and one point a college, this ever evolving property is rich in history and welcome to visitors. 
6. Exeter Synagogue on Synagogue Place is open this Sunday 9 September from 10 am - 4pm. Founded back in 1763, the synagogue has been a continuous resource for the Jewish community for more than 300 years.