Walking tour starts on Sunday!

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JJ writes “Join us on the Malvern Hills, through hidden Herefordshire hamlets with ancient Norman churches and inspiring border landscape as we cross 100 miles westward to finish in Kington below Hergest Ridge. Join us for a day, half a day, a pint at lunchtime or just a gig in the evening. Walk us through your local area or just meet us to say hello. See you on the road. JJ ”

Walk details here:jj-rr.org/hereford-100-the-homecoming-tour/

Gig details here: jj-rr.org/homecoming-tour-gigs/

The week will see 1,000 miles completed since the walking tours began in 2009. See here for John’s fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/John-Jones-Oysterband – now on £4,634 and aiming for at least £5,000 by the end of next week – please donate if you can!

Arrangements for Yarpole

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On the Thursday of the Homecoming Tour, John and the Reluctant Ramblers walk to Yarpole for a rather special gig in St Leonard’s Church. The villagers, ably led by Rose, are gearing up for an influx of walkers.

Will you please let Rose know by email to r.stimson@btinternet.com if:

— you would like to buy a packed lunch from The Gallery Café for the walk on the Friday. They will cost £5.50 each and comprise sandwiches, crisps, cake and fruit They can be collected on Friday morning from the start of the walk.
Sandwich choices are: Cheese and cucumber / Ham / Egg and cress on either brown or white bread. If you have already ordered sandwiches, please can you let Rose know which bread you would like?
For sandwiches please let Rose know by 5pm on Friday 9th September. This is earlier than was said previously.

— you want to join the buffet supper at the Bell on Thursday night at 6pm @ £7 per head — please let Rose know by 5pm on Tuesday 13th September

For both of the above, please have cash.

The village shop, located at one end of the church, will be open for walkers to re-stock. The shop (and café) will be open when the walkers arrive, staying open until 5.30 and then it will open again during the concert interval.

Parking on Thursday:
If you plan to park in Yarpole on Thursday then please  email info@jj-rr.org for details of the special parking that is being made available. We need to keep the spaces clear in the front of the church. We should co-ordinate lifts to the start of walk. The walk starts at 9am from the Barneby Arms which is a 20-25 min drive from Yarpole plus allow time for parking. See the walks page for more details.

Friday – walking Yarpole to Leintwardine

The walk on Friday morning will start from the Parish Hall (HR6 0BE) where car parking is available at the rear in return for a small contribution to Hall funds. Also Coffee/tea and croissants will be available there for anyone who can’t get breakfast or who needs extra fuel.

 

 

Gigs across Herefordshire on the Homecoming Tour!

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JJ writes:

Sat 10th September: Oysterband headline Bromyard festival to start the week.
Sun 11th: Get-together, Nag’s Head, Malvern. No music, just recovery after a long walk.
Mon 12th: first Reluctant Rambers gig of the tour at the 15th century Royal Oak, Ledbury – following a wonderful walk along the length of The Malverns. 
Tues 13th: The Barrels, Hereford. The great Wye Valley Brewery pub, Hereford’s local and a great live venue. We played here on our first ever Walking Tour 7 years ago.
Weds 14th: no gig.
Thurs 15th: A concert in the beautiful surroundings of Yarpole Church – a wonderful community space and building.
Fri 16th: Session at The Sun Inn, Leintwardine – one of the county’s great and iconic old pubs. Come prepared to sing and play .
Sat 17th: The Burton Hotel, Kington. Where we started 7 years ago and where we finish, 1,000 miles later and countless gigs. This will sell-out as will some of the others. Last gig of the year for JJ and The Ramblers.

As Oysterband celebrate their 40th anniversary next year, John will be incredibly busy so there will be no organised Walking Tour in 2017.

Keep Rambling.

Click here for gig details

Looking forward to the Homecoming Tour

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JJ writes:

“Summer Festivals run right through September these days – and on top of that we have our major Walking Tour of the year. It is a chance to ramble through some glorious Herefordshire / Welsh Border landscape, share the journey with like-minded people, visit some great pubs, see JJ and the Ramblers play some cracking gigs – and take part in music sessions yourself.

This is a Homecoming for me and a chance to re-trace the steps of our very first walk 7 years ago – completing 1,000 miles since the start of that original walk, as we finish our walk into Kington. 

This year it has the added significance of fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support – with added poignancy since one of the people who has shared every Rambling Tour with us, John Poultney, a lovely man, should have needed their support in his final days so recently. I am aiming to raise £5,000. All donations welcome, no matter how small – it all adds up www.justgiving.com/fundraising/John-Jones-Oysterband.

From the Malvern Hills to Hergest Ridge … one magical week. Meet You There. JJ ”

 Details of the walks and gigs available here: jj-rr.org/hereford-100-the-homecoming-tour/ (regularly updated).

The Homecoming Tour

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JJ writes:

“7 years ago I started out on the very first Rambling Tour from my home, here  on the Welsh Borders, not sure how it would be received , whether I would last the pace, not sure really where we were going  and not sure anyone would give a damn. As ever my good friend Colin was with me  and  musicians Al Scott , Tim Cotterell , Dil Davies and Boff joined us at different times. We crossed Herefordshire into Gloucestershire, calling at Wychwood Festival and out across England, ending up finally at the Big Session Festival in Leicester. Sometimes there were 12 of us, on occasions just 3. Fans and friends carried our instruments in their cars and we met many people on the way who have subsequently become regular Ramblers with us.

Boff expresses wonderfully  in his blogs the hardship and joys of this connection with the land in movement and music. For me, what was an escape from Road Touring and a personal challenge became an inspiring source of ideas for songs and a chance to meet people who had only ever seen me on stage. A collision of the public and private that has been so rewarding…

….and now, 7 years on, with close to 1,000 miles covered, the crazy cavalcade of sweat, songs and exhausted silences is coming home, back to where it started, following a 100 mile hike across Herefordshire from Bromyard, after Oysterband headline the Saturday night at the festival, and on to Malvern in the East then Kington in the West. 
Please join us for this last Walking Tour of 2016 … on the walks, at the gigs and sessions, in the pub or anywhere along the route you fancy meeting us. We’ve had riders on horseback, a wine merchant with a tray of drinks, an Alfred Wainwright-themed Stag-do but just you in your walking gear will do. 
During the final day’s walk, as part of the excellent Kington Walking Festival, we will reach 1,000 miles, so try and join us for that landmark and the final Ramblers gigs for 2016.
 Hope to Meet You There . JJ “
Further details to follow…

Rowan releases her first EP

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We have all been treated to the gorgeous singing of Rowan Godel on the walking tours. Rowan also features on both of John’s  albums: Rising Road and Never Stop Moving, as well as on several Oysterband tracks.

Now you can have the opportunity to buy Rowan’s own EP: just click on the picture below or use https://rowangodel.bandcamp.com/album/september-skies-ep.

And, for the rest of this year, £1 from every £6/CD sold will go to Maccmillan Cancer Support!

SeptemberSkies