Bearwood's Cigar Box Blues!

Welovebearwood fell in love with Chicken Bone John’s cigar box blues when we saw him play at the first Bearwood Shuffle last July.

Not only can Chicken Bone John sing the blues but he makes his own blues guitars!  He makes them from old cigar boxes, petrol cans and bits of wood.  In fact anything that he can get his hands on that would make a suitable guitar.  He even owns one made from a wooden loo seat!

If you would like to learn how to play cigar box blues  or if Sick Sea Steve is one of your heroes, you should get yourself along to Chicken Bone John’s workshop next Saturday 28^th July.  The workshop is going to be from 1-4pm at St Gregory’s Church Hall on Wigorn Road in Bearwood. 

It’s only £10 per person and Chicken Bone John tells us that “cigar box guitars will be provided for those who don't have one already. All levels catered for, from absolute beginner upwards.” 

Yeah – that means we can have a go!  See you there!

P.S.  If you fancy a great 'honky tonk' night out get yourselves along to The Maverick, Stourbridge to see Chicken Bone John’s fellow blues artists Blackriver Bluesman & Bad Mood Hudson who have come all the way from Finland.

Well done Warley Woods!

Hooray!  Yeah!  Well done Warley Woods!

It's just been announced that Warley Woods has won the Green Flag Award for the FOURTH year running!  Welovebearwood are so pleased for them.

Viv Cole, Warley Woods Trust Manager, contacted welovebearwood to tell us their good news and said "thank you to everyone who helps at Warley Woods and who comes to activities and events.  The Judges are always impressed at the true community spirit and the way the Woods and Golf Course are valued by local people".  

You could tell that by all the happy smiley faces at the picnic on Sunday!

The Bears from the Wood!

Welovebearwood are 100% behind the Bears for Bearwood Campaign and we love Keith Bracey’s idea of a big wooden bear to stand guard at the entrance of Lightwoods Park.

Keith told us where he got his inspiration from...

“For 20 years we holidayed in the East Devon area and my kids grew up saying 'Hello Bears' to the original 3 carved wooden bears (presumably Mummy Bear, Daddy Bear and Baby Bear) who lived at the roadside in Newton Poppleford whenever we drove through the village to Sidmouth where we would spend our day on the beach.

 In the evening we would all shout; 'Goodbye Bears' as we drove back to our campsite. As I said originally there were 3 bears. Over the years the number of bears has grown to the family of bruins as you can see in the photo above.”  Aaah...they are so cute!

 The Bear would need to be cost-effective though so Keith has had a brilliant idea...

“As the cost of a statue of a 'Bronze Bear' (or bears) is likely to prove prohibitive, the idea of a group of carved wooden bears, possibly using fallen tree wood from Lightwoods Park or Warley Woods becomes even more attractive as it is kinder to the environment, recycling 'dead' wood into a piece of public art.”

As Keith explained “The Bearwood Bears would then 'do what it says on the tin': they are 'Bears from the Wood'

 Bear...wood, we love it!

P.S.  It's amazing what can be carved out of a piece of wood!