Tuesday 30 June 2009

St Ives September Festival - Arts Programme


Tate St Ives and St Ives School Of Painting

Some of the festival arts events have started to filter onto their official website.

So far they're only listed up to Wednesday 16th - so I assume that the rest will be appearing soon.

There will be events at The Arts Club, St Ives Library, St Ives Society of Artists, Leach Pottery, St Ives School of Painting, Tate St Ives and various other galleries. It looks like the usual mixed programme with something for most people.

One highlight looks like the Readers Day at the library on Monday 14th September. Writers listed to be there include ‘Zennor in Darkness’ author Helen Dunmore, historical mystery writer Anne Perry, Patrick Gale with his new book ‘The Whole Day Through’, crime writer Simon Hall and poet Jane Weir.

I'm also looking forward to hearing the next episode from Kelvin Bowers' book Scarper - he'll be reading from it at the library on Friday 25th September.

As previewed here previously there will be a short season of classic black and white movies at The Arts Club, Open Studios on the middle weekend and two wednesdays, daily art classes at The School Of Painting and Poetry In The Square every day at 12.30.

According to Tourist Information (I asked yesterday) they haven't been given any tickets for sale yet, but presumably will soon. They should also have a printed version of the programme available in the next week or so. It looks like tickets for events at the library are available from there. You can't buy tickets for any of these online either - at least so far.

Its worth noting that some events won't appear in the programme - either because they're regarded as "unofficial" or details were sent in too late for publication. Anna Chen and Charles Shaar Murray will both be giving early evening talks at The Arts Club - I'll be previewing them soon. Rod Bullimore and Martyn Barker will be presenting an evening of original comedy and music there on Wednesday 23rd. My wife Jo will be running two textile art workshops. I believe that Bob Devereux is planning a few events at The Salthouse Gallery (more later when he confirms details) and will be running a Big Frug on Thursday 24th.

Monday 29 June 2009

St Ives Cornwall - Dolly Pentreath



One of my favourite sights in St Ives Harbour is The Dolly Pentreath.

A traditional Cornish fishing lugger which you can board in St Ives for trips along the coast to Seal Island and other locations.

This is also a chance to showcase another great video by Alban Roinard - so enjoy!



Sunday 28 June 2009

St Ives Cornwall - Best Website




I thought I'd get a bit of interaction going here with a simple question:

Which is St Ives best website ?

I will modestly exclude my own OneStIves site and this blog from proceedings.

If you want to check -the most comprehensive listing of St Ives sites is here:


Let me know what you think and add comments below.

St Ives Cornwall - Romeo and Juliet


The Island St Ives - Setting For Romeo and Juliet

I very much enjoyed Sarah Lincoln's talk - Confessions Of A Theatre Director - at St Ives Library earlier this week.

She talked about her forthcoming productions, how she got into directing and her approach.

It sounds as if St Ives Community Play - Romeo and Juliet, to be performed on The Island in August and September, is going to be an amazing production.

For a start there will be a fifty strong choir (possibly larger) to provide accompaniment, with music specially written for the play.

The play will open with what Sarah described as "a huge fight scene", stage combat direction is one of her favourite things.

Tate St Ives will be involved as well, providing an installation as part of the set. What form this will take I don't know but it should be interesting!

The music competition has attracted a good number of entries. The finalists will be chosen in the next week or so. They will then perform at The Crow Rooms on Thursday 16th July where the winning songs will be chosen by Sarah. The plan is that these will be performed live during the party scene of the play.

A few roles are still to be cast and volunteers are wanted for crowd scenes, front of house, and backstage. If you'd like to be involved get in touch. Anybody who would like to help is very welcome to turn up on rehearsal nights - Mondays, 7.30 at The Island Centre. People who can sew costumes are particularly needed.

Performance dates are:
Wednesday 19th August
Thursday 20th August
Friday 21st August
Saturday 22nd August
Sunday 23rd August (in The Plen at St Just)
Wednesday 16th September
Thursday 17th September
Friday 18th September
Saturday 19th September

Tickets are not yet on sale but I'll put details here as soon as they are.

I'm planning to get some video footage of rehearsals and interviews with cast and crew for a more detailed preview later.

St Ives Community Play

Sarah Lincoln

Saturday 27 June 2009

St Ives September Festival - Arts Programme


My sources tell me that a veil of secrecy has been drawn over the St Ives September Festival Arts Programme - due to be published in a week or two.

It is alleged that committee members and others have been warned that all information is "confidential" until officially released.

What is going on ?

Has booking Michael Jackson for a talk at The Arts Club forced a hurried last minute rescheduling ?

Are secret late negotiations taking place with Damien Hirst - to have Bob Devereux sliced in half, pickled and displayed in a glass cabinet as a warning to others ?

Only The Committee knows.

We humble peasants wait upon your pleasure.

'Tis all for The Greater Good.

St Ives Cornwall - What's On This Week


John Dowling - Western Hotel - Saturday 27th June


Here's a small day by day selection of what's going on in St Ives this week.

Saturday (27th) - Live Music - Bluegrass - Anna Kelly and John Dowling.
Western Hotel, 21.00, free entry.

Sunday (28th) - St Ives Society Of Artists Summer Show, continues at The Mariners Gallery.
Open 10.30 - 17.30, free entry.
I took a look earlier in the week and it contains a great variety of work by local artists.

Monday (29th) - Acoustic Session - Western Hotel.
20.30 - all welcome - free entry.

Tuesday (30th) - St Ives Jazz Club - Seb Pipe Life Experience.
"Latin-jazz vivacity. East European folk forms and bursts of straightahead swing."
Western Hotel - 21.00, doors 20.00.
Tickets: £9.00 / £6.00 (members) on the door.

Wednesday (1st) - Crow Folk at The Crow Rooms.
Entry £2.00 on the door.

Thursday (2nd) - Cafe Frug.
St Ives Arts Club - 20.00.
£4.00 on the door.

Friday (3rd) - Beach Volleyball.
Harbour Beach - 18.30.

As usual I have absolutely no idea what's on at The Lifeboat Inn, The Golden Lion or The Queens Hotel. They haven't emailed me anything, despite several requests, and frankly I can't be bothered to find out. They probably have stuff on, but you'll have to go along to find out for yourself. You won't find any info on their websites either - although - according to their website - The Queens are apparently showing Live Euro 2008 Semi-Final Germany v Tukey (sic).

For more St Ives events:

Wednesday 24 June 2009

St Ives - Sub-Tropical Gardens


St Ives Sub-Tropical Gardens


One of my favourite places in St Ives - a small peaceful green oasis right in the centre of town.

Like a lot of people I come here to chill out and get away from the crowds for a bit.


Sunday 21 June 2009

September Festival Preview - Cinema


Anna May Wong Must Die! - Arts Club - Sunday 20th September



St Ives September Festival Preview - Films and Related Events

There are quite a few events on for movie lovers during the festival fortnight.

Anna May Wong Must Die!

Sunday 20th September at 19.00 - St Ives Arts Club.
Anna Chen presents a talk about the Chinese-American movie star, based on her BBC Radio 4 broadcast A Celestial Star in Picaddilly.
Lavishly illustrated with PowerPoint slides, enhanced with multimedia and the Anna May Wong Must Die! rap - this offers more entertainment than the average festival talk.
Tickets £6.00

More info on Anna's Blog.



There will be a short season of black and white movies - also at St Ives Arts Club.
A chance to see some real classics rarely shown on the big screen.

Monday 14th September at 19.30.
On the Waterfront.
Director Eliz Kazan (1954).
Starring Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb and Rod Steiger.
An ex-prize fighter turned longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses.
Tickets: £5.00

Saturday 19th September at 19.30.
Casablanca.
Director Michael Curtiz (1942).
Starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
Set in unoccupied Africa during the early days of World War II, an American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.
Tickets: £5.00

Monday 21st Septembera at 19.30.
Some Like it Hot.
Director Billy Wilder (1959).
Starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon.
When two musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.
Tickets: £5.00

Friday 25th September at 20.00.
Sunrise
Director F W Murnau (1927).
Silent movie with musical accompaniment from Wurlitza.
In this fable-morality subtitled "A Song of Two Humans", the "evil" temptress is a city woman who bewitches farmer Anses and convinces him to murder his neglected wife, Indre. After Anses comes to his senses - just as he is about to kill Indre - the married couple renew their love in the city.
Tickets: £8.00



Penwith Film Society will be presenting their regular programme of art house and foreign language films at The Royal Cinema on Tuesday and Wednesday nights - details to follow when confirmed.


The Royal will also have their usual programme of mainstream movie releases.




Tickets for Anna May Wong Must Die! are available from the festival box office at St Ives Guildhall:01736 798577 or call me on 01736 797122.

Tickets for Black and White Movies are also available from the festival box office at St Ives Guildhall: 01736 798577

Tickets for Penwith Film Society and other movies will be on sale from the cinema box office in Royal Square: 01736 796843

More details of Festival events are on my website:

Saturday 20 June 2009

St Ives Cornwall - What's On This Week




Another varied week of entertainment ahead in St Ives.

Tomorrow - Sunday is a pretty quiet day.
For something different you could try the Roller Disco at St Ives Rugby Club - organised by StreetLifeSkates. DJ with old skool music through to the latest. Food and drinks available, outside seating area. Runs from 12.00 to 17.00 - entry is £5.00.

On Monday the legendary Freddy Zapp returns to The Sheaf Of Wheat for the summer season with his Karaoke Night. Starts around 20.30 - free entry.

On Tuesday St Ives Library hosts a talk by theatre director Sarah Lincoln. She'll be talking about the St Ives Community Play production of Romeo and Juliet, to be staged on The Island this summer.
Starts at 19.30 - free entry.

On Wednesday you could try the Life Drawing Class at St Ives School of Painting, in the historic setting of Porthmeor Studios.
Beginners welcome, expert tuition available. No need to book - just turn up ten minutes before the start time of 19.30, cost is £7.00.

On Thursday there is a guided tour of St Ives - St Ives In The Frame - focussing on the town's art and artists. Meet at The Guildhall at 11.00, cost £5.00.

Friday sees the opening night of Dad's Army at St Ives Theatre. Doors open at 19.30, show starts at 20.00 and tickets are £9.00 from the theatre box office.

As ever there's lots of other stuff going on, so check out my St Ives Calendar.


Thursday 18 June 2009

St Ives Cornwall - Restaurant Review - The Mex


The Mex Restaurant - St Ives Cornwall


We went for a meal at The Mex last week and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Not surprisingly the most of the menu is ..... Mexican, with a range of dishes including meat, fish, seafood and a good selection of vegetarian options.

There is also a children's menu including favourites like chicken nuggets and pizza.
Kids are most welcome and high chairs are available.

They have a good drinks selection - particularly Mexican beers.

Naturally many of the dishes are spicy - but I've always found the chefs here flexible either way.
If you want something less hot - or a total afterburner - just ask the waitress and she'll advise you or talk to the kitchen for you.

I had what I nearly always have - being predictable - the Meat Platter which contains a huge amount of dead animal and a decent amount of chilli. This includes meatballs, potato skins with chilli beef, pork ribs, tortilla chips and the usual dips like guacamole and sour cream. Jo had chicken bacon and avocado fajitas which came with rice plus a side order of wedges.

The service was friendly and efficient - food came quickly which it usually does here.

Atmosphere is relaxed and informal - you won't find the local and visiting food snobs here - they'll be at Alba or Porthminster Beach Cafe.

The Mex offers pretty good value - at least by St Ives standards.
Our bill came to £35.00 for two main courses, side, one dessert and two glasses of wine.

What we usually do is go in early for their early meal deal menu - available from 5.30 to 7.00.

The Mex is very popular with locals and with around 30 covers is often full - so you're strongly advised to book. You can phone or call in when they're open, or when closed call into Colenso's (the shop next door). Always ask for one of the window tables - great for people watching.

Telephone: 01736 797 658

The restaurant is on Gabriel Street, opposite the library.

Tuesday 16 June 2009

September Festival Preview - St Ives Jazz Club


Empirical - St Ives Jazz Club - Tuesday 22nd September


St Ives Jazz Club are staging two gigs during the festival -
as usual on Tuesday evenings at The Western Hotel.

On Tuesday 15th September - Partisans.
Reviews:
'Partisans continues to thrill audiences with its ferociously energetic performances.'
'With its tightly knit themes and a great freedom coming from the years of playing and gigging together their visceral, groovebased sound combines bop lines with rock riffs and flowing melodies, bridging the gap between New York swing, UK rock energy and the US jam-band scene.'
'One of the first of the new wave of UK jazz bands to be influenced as much by Jimi Hendrix as by Miles Davis or Sonny Rollins.'

On Tuesday 22nd September - Empirical.
Empirical scooped the title of Jazz Ensemble Of The Year at the 2008 Parliamentary Jazz Awards.The line-up's front-line features two of the UK's brightest hopes for the future. Trumpeter Jay Phelps and alto saxophonist Nathaniel Facey are both acrobatic solo displayers, cutting and fiery, and certainly not afraid of extended bouts of self-expression.

This is a great night out - cabaret style seating, drinks at regular pub prices, quality sound system and a friendly relaxed atmosphere.

For both gigs doors open at 8.00 - get there early for the best seats.
Music starts at 9.00, two sets running until around 11.30.

Tickets are £6.00 for Jazz Club members, £10.00 for non-members.
Available from St Ives Tourist Information at The Guildhall:
01736 798577

Outside the festival -
the club stage gigs every Tuesday night at The Western Hotel.

Its run by an enthusiastic bunch of unpaid volunteers and on a not for profit basis.
They've been "keeping it live" in St Ives for more than ten years.
So they deserve your support - be there!

More Info:

Monday 15 June 2009

Theatre This Week - St Ives Arts Club



St Ives theatre company Cornerstone (formerly St Ives Operatic Society) are performing a new play at St Ives Arts Club this week -

A Smack In The Back - A Farce Within A Farce by Mike Ezra.

Synopsis:

The Outhouse Theatre Company are staging the play “A Stab In The Dark” and it is nearing opening night.

Julian, the director is near to a coronary as the cast test his patience to the limit.

Forgotten lines, frustration, and general chaos reign as the show stumbles along. It appears that Julian has been giving some of the cast extra tuition and if his wife finds out there will be hell to pay.

With a pregnancy, a suspected murder and intrigue galore does the Outhouse Theatre Company really represent what amateur theatre is all about? In those immortal words of Noel Coward?

..... Don’t put your daughter on the stage Mrs Worthington.

Wednesday 17th to Saturday 20th June.
Doors open at 7.30, performance starts at 8.00.
Ticket: £5.00
Available from St Ives Tourist Information or on the door.
Box Office: 01736 796297

Bring your own wine / drinks.

I've enjoyed Mike's previous productions so I'll be there this week.

Sunday 14 June 2009

St Ives Museum


St Ives Cornwall - Museum

One of the hidden gems of St Ives - the museum is tucked away on Wheal Dream between The Harbour and Porthgwidden Beach.

Its packed with what I can only describe as "stuff" relating to the town, its history and residents. Its run by enthusiastic local volunteeers rather than "professionals" so its a proper old- fashioned museum not an "experience" or "educational enrichment opportunity".

There are hundreds of exhibits which include paintings, stuffed animals, archaeology, old photographs, clothing, textiles, bibles, houshold items, tools, model ships and loads more.

Themes include fishing, mining, The Hain Steamship Company, John Knill, railways, art, lighthouses, boat building, World War II and RNLI.

New exhibits for 2009 include a Pilchard Curing Cellar and a Video Room where you can watch films about St Ives and its history.

They have prints of many of the photographs for sale, but if you want a print thats not in stock they can arrange this and send it on to you.

Plans for next year include installation of a Bernard Leach section with pottery by the artist and other memorabilia.

School parties and other groups are welcome but asked to book in advance. The curator and staff can arrange a tailored visit for you. Childrens workbooks are available covering various themes.

Enquiries from students, researchers and others are welcome. Please write to Brian Stevens Hon. Curator, The St Ives Museum, Wheal Dream, St Ives, Cornwall, TR26 1PR. Enclose an SAE to ensure a reply.

Phone: 01736 796005.

They are keen to recruit new volunteers so if you'd like to help out get in touch.

The museum is open from Easter to the end of October.

Opening hours are:
10.00 - 5.00 Monday to Friday.
10.00 - 4.00 Saturday.
Closed on Sundays.

To find it simply walk along The Wharf or Back Road and keep going until you reach it.

Map:



View St Ives Museum in a larger map

Saturday 13 June 2009

St Ives Cornwall - What's On This Week


The Surgeons - Live at The Crow Rooms - St Ives Cornwall


Another varied week ahead in St Ives on the entertainment front.

Tonight (Saturday) it's punk night at The Crow Rooms with The Surgeons and Distortion UK.
Entry is £2.00 and doors open at 7.00.
After the gig you can move upstairs to IsoBar Is Dead (IBID) for local DJ Audio Pressure.

There appears to be very little going on on Sunday.
Suggested itinerary:
Go to the church of your choice (no shortage in St Ives).
Head down the Harbour.
Grab a quick deep fried Mars Bar for lunch from Moby's.
Get a table outside The Sloop and proceed to get slowly and pleasantly drunk (please enjoy your drink responsibly).
Doner kebab from Lulus on Tregenna.
Head home in time to catch Wife Swap then Big Brother on Channel 4.

On Monday morning you can take a guided tour - St Ives Now and Then.
Meet outside The Guildhall at 11.00, cost is £5.00 (bloggers who plug this go free).

On Tuesday night there is a talk by author DM Thomas at St Ives Library.
Starts at 7.30, entry is £4.00.
As an alternative you could try my wife Jo's knitting group - also at the library - free.

On Wednesday evening The Crow Rooms stages the regular Crow Folk session.
Acoustic music and spoken word, £2.00 entry, doors open at 7.00.

On Thursday you can shop at St Ives Farmers Market.
Great local produce - open 9.30 to 2.00 at St Ives Backpackers.

On Friday St Ives School of Painting have their weekly Personal Art Practice Workshop.
Morning session 10.00, afternoon session 1.45. Each costs £8.00
No need to book - just turn up 10 minutes before the start.

Finally a plug for this great DVD - Snotton TV An Alternative Guide To St Ives.
A satirical look at our little town and its various residents.
Running time 1 hour, great value at £9.99 and very funny. You can buy online:

You can find more stuff that's happening here:
As ever I'll be happy to shamelessly plug your event or gig.
Contact me with details plus incentives such as free tickets, cash, whatever.

Have a great week in St Ives.

Steve

Friday 12 June 2009

St Ives Cornwall - Webcams


St Ives Coastwatch - The Island

There are quite a few webcams around town - some are better than others. As this is one of the most popular sections of my OneStIves website I thought I'd place some links here to a selection of them.


Probably the best webcams in town are the ones on the Coastwatch station on The Island - three good quality cams with views across St Ives Bay:



The Sloop Inn has cameras with views of St Ives Harbour and Porthmeor Beach. These have a remote control so you can pan and zoom in / out. They work pretty well at night as well:



Chy-an-Albany Hotel has a view across the harbour towards Porthgwidden Beach:




Hope you enjoy using these to keep up with how St Ives is looking.

Let me know of any other good webcams that I might feature.

Thursday 11 June 2009

St Ives Cornwall - Movies Next Week


Royal Cinema - St Ives

As we're lucky enough to have a three screen cinema in town and I love going to the movies, I thought I'd preview the films on next week.

The Royal Cinema programme runs from Friday - Thursday, so this applies for Friday 12th - Thursday 18th June.

Star Trek (12A) (127 minutes).
Nanny State Warning: Contains moderate violence and threat.
Just got back from seeing this tonight - it was great!

Terminator - Salvation (12A) (115 minutes).
Nanny State Warning: Contains moderate violence and intense action.
I prefer extreme violence so I'll probably give this a miss.

Hannah Montana The Movie (U) (102 minutes).
Nanny State Warning: None - but it is a Disney release so may make you feel slightly queasy.
Likely to have a happy ending but with a moral lesson for you to take away and learn from.

Night At The Museum 2 (PG) (105 minutes).
Nanny State Warning: Contains mild comic violence and scary moments.
Interesting fact - the first major film shot inside the Smithsonian Institution.

Drag Me To Hell (15) (99 minutes)
Nanny State Warning: Contains strong horror and violence.
Recommended tonight by the cinema manager.

La Vie Moderne (PG) (87 minutes).
Nanny State Warning: Contains mild language.
Penwith Film Society presentation - in French, about farmers.

Bolt (PG) (103 minutes).
Nanny State Warning: Contains mild threat and scary moments.
Bargain show - so reduced price tickets, free popcorn and drink.

Angels and Demons (12A) (138 minutes).
Nanny State Warning: Contains moderate violence and horror.
Loved The Da Vinci Code so my choice for next week.

So take your choice - plenty of options for next week.

I won't repeat all the timings here as you can see them on the website:

More info:
01736 796843


Tuesday 9 June 2009

September Festival Preview - Art Classes



St Ives September Festival Preview -
Art Classes - St Ives School of Painting.

The school will be running classes every day during the festival.

These are suitable for all levels of ability and beginners are especially welcome.

As an added bonus these are held in the historic Porthmeor Studios - so you can enjoy the atmosphere of an authentic St Ives studio and follow in the footsteps of Ben Nicholson, Patrick Heron and others.

Tuition is from experienced professional artists.

Subjects include life drawing & painting, watercolour, collage and printmaking.

There is no need to book - just turn up ten minutes before the scheduled start time.

You can call them or visit their website for more information.

In addition to the festival programme, they run classes and courses throughout the year.

They are really friendly and helpful - they'd be delighted to hear from you.

Call James or Sarah: 01736 797180.


There is a full schedule on my:
St Ives September Festival Calendar.

Monday 8 June 2009

St Ives Cornwall - OneStIves Website

OneStIves Website - New Design
I've been working on a completely new design for my St Ives web site OneStIves.
Its designed to be easier to navigate, more visually pleasing and to have more useful content.
I also plan to make more use of multimedia content such as Alban Roinard's excellent videos.
Its not finished yet, and not all of the links work on the menus.
But I'd be very interested in any feedback, comments, ideas.
Please also let me know if you have any content that I might use -
articles, reviews, photos, videos or anything else.

Sunday 7 June 2009

St Ives Cornwall - Deep Fried Mars Bars



It may please our Scottish visitors that deep fried Mars Bars are now available in town.

You can get yours from Moby's on the harbour - just £1.20.
And you can wash it down with a Coke Float - a veritable chav's banquet.

Am I becoming a snob ..... or is this just lowering the tone a bit.
This is St Ives after all - not f***ing Hayle!

Middle Class Mummy will be equally horrified, lets hope she can head off little Toby and Jemima before they spot this ..... there's a nice healthy juice bar just down the road.

St Ives Cornwall - What's On This Week


Trevor Warren's Dissassembler - St Ives Jazz Club

A relatively quiet week ahead, but a fair variety of stuff on.

St Ives Society Of Artists - Members Summer Show - is on all week at The Mariners Gallery in Norway Square.

On Monday evening there will be the usual acoustic session at The Western or you could enter the pub quiz at The Castle Inn on Fore Street. Both starting at 8.30.

As ever St Ives Jazz Club are staging live music at The Western on Tuesday night - this week its Trevor Warren's Disassembler - "Exploring the electric guitar, Trevor is attempting to bring together all his many influences, from jazz to rock, drum n bass to hip hop, ambient to thrash". Doors open at 8.00 and the music starts at 9.00. Could be the first and only time you get to hear thrash at SIJC.

On Wednesday evening you could try the Ghost Walk, meet at St Ives Guildhall at 8.30.

On Thursday St Ives Library are holding a series of readings from various diaries to commemorate Anne Frank Day. These include Adrian Mole and of course Anne's own. This starts at 10.00 and runs until until 1.00.

On Friday night you can see the latest in the series of world music concerts at St Ives Arts Club. Music of Vietnam - Vietnamese singer Huong Thanh plus ensemble.

You can see full listings of What's On by viewing my St Ives Diary:


I've also added some more events to my September Festival Listings and I'll be continuing the series of festival previews on this blog: