http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/INTERVIEW-Oysterband-s-John-Jones-invites-join/story-21121121-detail/story.html

Sitting in the Devil’s Pulpit overlooking Tintern Abbey…We’ve walked for four hours this morning, a very tough walk but it took us through beautiful beech woods with the sun coming through the leaves and the scent of wild garlic.

Yesterday was beautiful countryside and a good walk during which we saw a hare as well as the snake.

Now we have about five miles to go to Chepstow and then a couple of miles across the bridge where I will get picked up for the return to my other life. I’ll be back with Oysterband this afternoon and I promise the Bristol audience that I will be there this time: showered, changed and on stage tonight! JJ

Look closely…yes, that really IS a snake…

JJ demonstrates that walking to a gig really does produce experiences that you don’t get in a tour bus…

Just sorted out the food orders for the band, crew and core walkers (thanks to Fran for collecting numbers) for all the various pubs we are stopping at on the Devon walking tour….it came to 182 meals so far, with a  few things still to arrange…If others are joining us at any of the lunch stops or any of the evening venues which serve food, it might be a good idea to book in advance as they will be busy!

The difficult second day! We were joined for the long climb out of Hay up to Hay Bluff by Pete Roberts and his Akita dog, Nina. We are now at 703 metres, the highest point of the whole walk. heading along one of the vast ridges of the Black Mountains. Once you’re up here, the landscape changes dramatically. The path is shale and sometimes sand, very eroded, so you have to watch your feet. In some places we are walking on vast granite slabs, so that it feels like a granite corridor through the grass, with bulruishes coming up through the peat. Cotton grass, bilberries ansd heather are all emerging. This ridge is like walking along the back of a whale. Off to my right the five ridges of the Black Mountains like the fingers of a hand. To my left the ridge known as the Cat’s Back and further east and south the rolling landscape of Herefordshire. The path along this ridge is 12 miles long. I wonder if anyone will meet us in the Pandy Inn this evening? We’ll get there sometime between 5 and 6 o’clock. JJ

Leaving from the car park in Hay at 0930. Big climb up to hay Bluff first. Pack feeling heavier today. I wonder if anyone will meet us in Pandy this evening? JJ

Not content with walking tours with The Reluctant Ramblers, JJ is also walking to the rearranged Oysterband gig in Bristol this week.

He and Colin are setting out for the Offa’s Dyke Path down to Chepstow and on into Bristol for the re-scheduled Oysterband show (cancelled in March due to illness and now taking place this Wednesday 21st May) – JJ says: “Thanks for your understanding previously.. I am in good form now. Whether we meet you in Bristol or at Bollington Festival or Bearded Theory Festival (all Oysterband shows in the coming week) we are really up for it, and hope you are too.

After that: a week today I will be in Devon and The Reluctant Ramblers hit the road for their annual tour. With Rowan with us and Lindsey on double-bass, it’s a full sound and they add some gorgeous singing. Our relationship with our fans and with this incredible landscape is a strong one. In the next two weeks we will celebrate both. See you somewhere along the road. JJ ”

More information for those thinking of joining the Devon walk or gigs.

The first sample of the walking tour t-shirt has arrived from the printer! (Available for sale on tour ONLY)

More details for the walking tour now available, including start times and meeting places for each day: https://jj-rr.org/walks-on-the-two-moors-two-seas-tour-2014/.

If you are thinking of bringing an instrument to any of the sessions on the walking tour later this month, here are some of the tunes we hope to be playing:

Kentish Cricketers / Galopede
Bonny Breast Knot [Devon]
Shepherd’s Jigs
Jacky Daley’s /Salmon Tails
Jack Robinson’s / All A Sidin
Seneca Square Dance
Morpeth Rant / Stephen Baldwins
Roger De Coverley
Redowa Polka / Double Lead Through
3 Around 3
Scan Tester 1 And 2
Durham Rangers / Soldiers Joy
Blue-Eyed Stranger