Gary Numan - Northampton Roadmender (Night 2)

Tour Bus parked up

Popped into town at lunchtime and called past the Roadmender just to see who was about. Two people (Ellie and Graham) were already in the queue at 1 O'clock! They may well have been there earlier? Veterans of many a Gary Numan concert, determined to get a got pitch centre stage. They had travelled up from London and seemed more than happy in the sunshine. Told them that I would be back later, but not before 6pm as the doors not scheduled to open until 7:30 pm. I had a little wander around the back of the venue. The tour bus and container wagon were parked up at the side. One or two people getting on and off, no sign of Mr Numan though.

Divine Shade

This will be my first time seeing Gary Numan.At the start of my teenage years along with the likes of Blondie, The Police and the The Boomtown Rats, he was a firm favourite of mine. He has played the Roadmender before, back in  2019. Four years ago he also played The Derngate in Northampton. So no stranger to the county. This being the second of two nights he is playing at the Roadmender.Arriving around 6:15 it was good to see that the queue was minimal. I managed to get on the barrier stage right once the doors opened an hour or so later. A good thing too as my recent knee operation was a major concern. First up though we have the French band 'Divine Shade'. Described as 'Industrial Rock' with a combination of styles and influences. The set went quickly, always a good sign. The three piece band were impressive and made a good sound.

The stage undergoes something of a metamorphosis into a futuristic setting with the aid of LED and RGB rope lights.  The crowd has swelled to capacity expectations are high  as we await the arrival of something very special. I have to admit to being very unfamiliar with much of what will be played tonight. I have dipped in and out you might say over the forty or so years. First song of the night is 'Halo' from the 2006 'Jagged' album. We then drop back to the classic, and possibly best known album 'The Pleasure Principle' from 1979 with 'Metal'.  Quite an opening! 

Tim Slade (Bass)

The sound quality is a bit mixed at times but does settle down. I don't think the mix for 'Divine Shade' was ideal. Book-ending each side of the stage are the imposing figures of the band guitarists. Decked in flowing black robes and painted faces they give off a Gothic Ghoulish vibe. They provide the perfect foil for Mr Numan as he does his own thing, disappearing to the back at times to play his synth. Steve Harris (Lead Guitar) has been in the band for around 30 years. Pouting, gesturing and engaging with the crowd. You can't take your eyes off him. Equally striking and only slightly less scary is Tim Slade on Bass. Another long term band member. With all that is going on it can't fail to be a dramatic and highly charged evening. The 'Numanoids'(fans of Gary Numan) are loving every minute, but don't expect any verbal interaction. Tonight , as with all of the tour I imagine, it is just about the music. It is relentless too, pulsating , never letting up!

Steve Harris

He may be quiet, but he is certainly animated putting heart and soul into the emotions of the songs. By his own admission he is not a natural dancer, in the early days he didn't actually move very much at all. There is an energy about the performance, he looks fit and healthy, not bad at all for a 68 year old. Definitely a man who has fine-tuned his talent over the years, knowing exactly what his audience wants. The voice sounds great too, just like Gary Numan as he did all those years ago. I'm looking forward to the big hits of course. Before all that though there is the dystopian 'Down in the Park'. A song that was very much the theme around 1979 post Punk era. The song is definitely a 'live' favourite. I understand that the set list does vary from venue to venue. There are some changes from last night at the Roadmender too. No gig would be complete without 'Cars', or indeed 'Are Friends Electric' though. The latter originally with 'Tubeway Army'. A fantastic night it has been, everyone going home with a smile on their face, including Mr Numan.   

Setlist

Oxford Canal Walk - Fenny Compton

 Fenny Compton Wharf  is a major waterways place on the Oxford Canal (southern section, main-line). We are 8 miles north of Banbury and 7 miles south of Southam.Only about a third (at the most)  of the walk today will be on the canal. A fairly shortish walk of about 7.5 miles which will be in a clockwise direction and take us down to Farnborough. Then back to Fenny Compton and back up to the Wharf. 

Fenny Compton Marina

Fenny Marina has been a treasured boating haven since the 1970s.The village hall gas gained fame from being where the Post Office scandal battle began. It is here where between 30 and 40 ex sub-postmasters and mistresses met for the first time one Sunday in 2009 - a gathering that led to the creation of the Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance (JFSA) campaign group.  

Wormleighton Reservoir

It is another very hot day. I'm struggling to remember when we last saw any rain. We pass 'Wormleighton Reservoir' which does look very tempting for a cool off. A canal reservoir, dating from the Imperial period, and used to maintain the water level of the Oxford Canal. It was marked on the Ordnance Survey map of 1886, and is located 2km south of Wormleighton. Farnborough is a small but very pretty village on the edge of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is right on the border of Warwickshire. It has it's own village hall too of course. As well as a few interesting signs and landmarks. 

 

Bridge 135

Owl carving in Farnborough

We have also picked up the D'Arcy Dalton Way.named after the late Col. W. P. D'Arcy Dalton who worked for over half a century to preserve rights of way in Oxfordshire.It links four major paths that cross Oxfordshire: Oxford Canal Walk, Oxfordshire Way, Thames Path and Ridgeway, following roughly the western boundary of Oxfordshire in unspoilt countryside. 

Looking back towards Farnborough

So much for Englands green and pleasant land. It is a parched landscape we see before us. The warming planet (global warming) is a real problem and not something that can be readily solved. Things are only going to get worse unfortunately. A little oasis under an Oak tree does provide some relief for the local sheep population. Amazingly much of the wheat has already been harvested and it is only mid July. I can't imagine the yield will be great though? We do come across one poor Sheep struggling against the fence in the heat. Breathing very heavy and clearly in discomfort.

St Peter & St Clare Church Fenny Compton

As we head cross country back to Fenny Compton we pass the local Church. Built in the 13th century and is Grade II listed. There is a lovely surrounding Butterfly meadow which is very active.  

Ducklings

A couple of photos from the canal path to finish off. Walking on the canal is always interesting, always something to see. Plenty of wildlife, just like the Mother Duck protecting her large brood of Ducklings. Canal folk and communities seem to have life sorted at their pacen and seem pretty chilled out. 

A very enjoyable walk despite the heat. I t a Beer stop will be required on the journey home!.

Oxford Canal Walk - Somerton, North Aston & Clifton

Something a little different today. Our walk starts (and ends) in the Cherwell Valley, Somerton, Oxfordshire is surrounded by beautiful countryside including farm land, water meadows running along the Cherwell River and Oxford Canal.The canal itself is a wonder of 18th-century engineering, originally constructed to transport coal from the Midlands to Oxford. We are walking in a clockwise direction, It is another glorious day so keeping hydrated is key today. 

It's fairly easy and flat walking as you might expect by the canalside. Lots of Butterflies and Dragonflies too, which is good to see. We are walking in the direction of North Aston.

North Aston, on the western slopes of the Cherwell Valley is midway between Oxford and Banbury. The village is on a ridge about 460 feet (140 m) above sea level. It is beautifully maintained with a picturesque lake as the path winds towards the country estate of North Aston Hall. The gardens, farmland and woodland total about 194 acres in total. It is a stunning building in 2018 a guide price of £28 million was set when it went up for sale. A bit of research shows that the Jacobean mansion was on the market for a mere 2.5 million. That would represent a tidy profit in my book.

Parish Church St Mary the Virgin

Right next to the Hall is the Church of St Mary the Virgin (1151).The Grade II listed building is mostly decorated Gothic, Around 1485 the lord of the manor, John Anne, took stone from other buildings owned by the Priory to create the striking tower. Since the church stands so close to the nearby Hall, the only way to make the tower fit the site was to insert it partially into the nave.I particularly like the 15th century alabaster monument to a Knight and his Lady. Reported to be   'John and Alicia Anne'.    

Lovely views

We are now on the Deddington circular walk heading towards Clifton. Where we stop for a refreshing non-alcoholic drink. In the distance there are not one but two Viaducts looming large. As we drop down to the Oxford Canal a rural scene is playing out. The elderly Farmer is giving the benefit of his experience to his son (or even Grandson) as they repair an aged Hay Wagon that has seen better days. We head towards Somerton and it is Canal all the way. I perhaps should gave mentioned earlier that the Oxford Canal is some 78 miles long. From the heart of Oxford to Hawkesbury village close to Coventry.  All is very quiet, not many people out walking. Maybe the heat has put them off? The sight of a 'Swing Bridge'  is not easy to resist. Actually it isn't a Swing Bridge I now find out. The Chisnell Lift Bridge uses a counterbalance weight system to pivot up. It allows boats to pass. We managed to get the bridge fully extended! Unfortunately getting it back down was something of a problem.Not least as I was stuck on the other side of the water.....

The Chisnell Lift Bridge

There was nothing for it but to use my own weight to try and lower the bridge. I had some success and managed to make enough progress to be able to jump the last four or five feet. All quite hair raising at least I avoided having to swim back. Which really was a strong possibility at one stage. Safely back on the right side the walk continues with some relief. 

 

Calmness restored, I start to enjoy the beauty of being canalside once again. The giant leafed Gunnera are prominent along the banks. A bit like Rhubarb on steroids for those who don't know it. Lock 34 on the Oxford canal is the Somerton Deep Lock and is an impressive 12-foot deep. As a single-width lock, it feels deep and narrow when descending. It’s not the deepest lock in the UK canal system, with Tuel Lane Lock on the Rochelle Canal at 19 feet and 8 inches foot deep, closely followed by the Bath Deep Lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal. 

This Grade II listed, 19th-century home is famous for being off-grid and having no car access, reachable only on foot via the towpath or by boat.

We are on the last part of the walk now and the heat hasn't relented. if anything it seems to have got hotter. The bridge at Somerton comes into sight. I hadn't noticed the WW2 Pill Box on the northern side of the road previously. Now sitting idly in the field it would once have served to protect the bridge and the road. The total length of the walk has been 7.5 miles.

WW2 Pill box