Shirley Elizabeth Collins MBE is an English-British folk singer who was a significant contributor to the English Folk Revival of the 1960s and 1970s. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Sussex University in July 2016.

Shirley spent time in the late 1950s collecting field recordings in the American South with ethnomusicologist  Alan Lomax, a man 20 years her senior, a maverick thing to do for a single girl from England ..it’s a fascinating interview that you can listen to here :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04f77xc

On Sunday 13^th November 2016 I was invited by the Western Front Association to read ‘In Memoriam’ by Ewart Alan Mackintosh at the Cenotaph in London. The Western Front Association was formed in 1980 to maintain interest in the First World War.

You can see a video of the poem reading here on the WFA website.

It will always remain an honour and privilege to be involved, to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives and to those who continue to risk everything for our safety and peace.

I welcomed Dr Anna Beer, a research fellow from Oxford University, to talk about forgotten female composers.

Also ‘Queen’ Calypso Rose, who was just what the Dr ordered – such an inspiring person.

I ended the show with a tribute to Leonard Cohen.

If you missed it, it’s available to listen to here:http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00llg30

The Good Life Experience 2016 was a blast. A huge thank you if you came and ,if you didn’t, then please feel warmly invited to see what the fuss is all about in 2017! Michael Rosen has already signed up for a very rare live appearance and DJ Norman Jay MBE is taking the slot so ably filled this year by Gilles Peterson on the Saturday night. Pencil the dates in your diary now: 15^th, 16^th, 17^th September 2017. It’s a 2 hour train ride from London and less than an hour from Manchester and Liverpool .

The ethos is simple – fill your brains in the great outdoors. Be uplifted and inspired in the company of like-minded people, who are endlessly curious about this wonderful world of ours. Find goodness in ‘them’ rolling hills of Flintshire and comfort sitting around camp fires. Enjoy a craft beer or well brewed coffee whilst listening in to music from Senegal, the Balkans, Magnetic North, Hooton Tennis Club or a local Male Voice Choir.

Early bird price tickets available here: https://www.thegoodlifeexperience.co.uk/buy-tickets/

… if you don’t fancy camping, there are plenty of hotels, guest houses and B&Bs nearby. Chester is the nearest big town, just over the border and an 8 minute taxi ride away.

5000 festival goers relished the treats we had in store for them in 2016 : From performances by Dr John Cooper Clarke, Jeremy Vine and explorer Ben Fogle to stories from Michael Morpurgo and Amy Liptrot. Pit building and cooking with Damian Clisby and Thomasina Miers  and bushcraft by Axe and Paddle. Endless free vintage fair rides, axe throwing and abseiling and a Max Richter performance on the Sunday which ended in a standing ovation.

For more information here’s the Good Life Experience website : https://www.thegoodlifeexperience.co.uk/

If you sign up for my brand new mailing list, we’ll send you regular news of who else is joining the line-up for 2017.

It’s also shortlisted for the UK Festival Awards Best Family Festival.

…so don’t be a stranger! Come and see what it’s all about in 2017.

We visited MP Mark Tami at the Houses of Parliament to tell him all about our festival The Good Life Experience which happens every year in his own constituency of Flintshire.

For more details on the festival please visit our website here  https://www.thegoodlifeexperience.co.uk/

If you haven’t already been then I promise it’s great value for money and an unforgettable experience ! Suitable for all ages and even for those who wouldn’t normally think of themselves as ‘Festival Goers’ !