West Country Pride

This week whilst driving to Spotlight to get some toggle buttons for Georgie's jacket I was seranaded by Massive Attack's teardrops on Triple J and it inspired me to give some respect to the West Country posse. Massive Attack and Martina Topley Bird are touring Australia at the moment so I'm loving hearing them on the radio reminding me of home. Massive Attack provided the song book to my youth.

I know I bang on about this ALL THE TIME but I'm so proud of my roots. There has been so much good stuff to come out of the West Country in England and it's such a beautiful place. Here's a few more of my favourite local heros. Banksy is a West Country graffitti artist whose work is anti-war, anti-capitalist or anti-establishment. Visit Bristol and you'll see his earlier work, like this picture on a wall in Park Street.

Do you know Reef? This local band rocks. They're one of those bands that just delivers gut busting shout along at the top of your voice athems that you just can't forget......surely everyone knows Place Your Hands. Well great news, Reef have recently reunited and are back touring now, including a performance at Glastonbury Festival and guess what, that's where they are from! Hopefully they'll make it to Australia - hmmmm perfect for the Falls Festival hmmm I wonder.

Speaking of which, local hero number 3 - Micheal Eavis, organiser Glastonbury Festival. The largest open-air music and performing arts festival in the world. It's so hard to pick my best bits; the music, the theatre, circus, comedy, the healing fields, the food, the art and craft, the people watching. The only thing that lets it down is the weather but us locals don't let that 'dampen' our spirits! It also promotes environmental issues and donates millions to worthwhile causes. I found this golden oldie from the Levellers........ohhh it takes me back.

I've been going to this festival since my mum first took me in 1979 when I was seven years old and have very clear memories of me blissfully dancing around singing along to Van Morrison's brown eyed girl. It's special memories like that that will stay with me forever. It's good sometimes to think about the good times and appreciate where we come from and how it's shaped us don't you think? This is a photo of me, my mum and Maggie in our camper off to the Forest Festival last year for some real tree-hugging hippy lovin.