Latest news with #TheWurzels
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Watch legendary band play hit song at Jeremy Clarkson's Cotswolds pub
Legendary band, The Wurzels, played their number one hit song during a surprise gig at Jeremy Clarkson's Cotswolds pub this week. The former Top Gear and Grand Tour host bought the Windmill pub in Asthall for around £1,000,000 and renamed it to reflect his pets and agricultural pursuits. Situated on a former dogging hotspot, according to Mr Clarkson, the boozer will feature in the upcoming fourth season of Prime Video show Clarkson's Farm this week. READ MORE: Stunning Grade II listed riverside pub on market for £1.25m A brilliant performance of Combine Harvester by @TheWurzels earlier this week at The Farmer's Dog pub in the Cotswolds. 📹: @TheOxfordMail — Edward Burnett (@edwardburnettt) July 19, 2025 The watering hole has seen its fair share of famous names visit since it opened ahead of schedule back in August 2024. Former US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and her actress wife, Portia de Rossi, live nearby and were spotted enjoying a conversation with James Blunt. Status Quo drummer John Coghlan was also spotted enjoying a drink with his wife and a pal earlier this year. READ MORE: TV and radio regulators hit back at Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson The Wurzels on stage at the Cotswolds pub. (Image: Newsquest) Now, the legendary Scrumpy and Western band, The Wurzels, have played a gig at the pub. Hailing from Somerset, the group are best known for their number one hit 'The Combine Harvester', which was released in 1976. Later that year, they also had a number three hit, 'I Am a Cider Drinker', which was released by the band alongside Sea Power. Both songs were played along with a whole host of The Wurzels' music catalogue on Monday (July 14) at the Hawkstone Summer Party at the Cotswolds pub.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wurzels end gig abruptly as band members fall ill
The Wurzels had to end their gig abruptly because the band's singer was "in a bad way" as temperatures peaked at 31C. Pete Budd, who turns 85 on 18 July, had to leave Party at the Palace stage in Wells on Saturday before the end of the set. Accordionist Tommy Banner said he also felt sunstroke and experienced dizziness after going off stage. He said: "Security staff were concerned and had to lay me down on the floor as that was cold." Both Mr Banner and Mr Budd were supported by medical staff when they left the stage. More news stories for Somerset Listen to the latest news for Somerset Mr Banner said: "I was about to announce the last song and Pete wasn't besides me where he normally is. He was in a bad way." Temperatures reached 31C in Wells on Saturday, and it is thought that the heat affected Mr Budd, who took over as the band's lead singer in 1974. A nurse then arrived and checked both band members over, gave Mr Banner some exercises to do, and advised him not to drive. Mr Banner said the band, which formed in 1966 and have hits like "Combine Harvester" and "I Am A Cider Drinker", planned to have one day off to cover before resuming their tour schedule. The Wurzels write song using artificial intelligence Wurzels frontman Adge Cutler remembered 50 years on Wurzels' story featured on town's heritage trail Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.
BBC News
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
The Wurzels end gig abruptly as band members fall ill
The Wurzels had to end their gig abruptly because the band's singer was "in a bad way" as temperatures peaked at Budd, who turns 85 on 18 July, had to leave Party at the Palace stage in Wells on Saturday before the end of the Tommy Banner said he also felt sunstroke and experienced dizziness after going off stage. He said: "Security staff were concerned and had to lay me down on the floor as that was cold."Both Mr Banner and Mr Budd were supported by medical staff when they left the stage. Mr Banner said: "I was about to announce the last song and Pete wasn't besides me where he normally is. He was in a bad way."Temperatures reached 31C in Wells on Saturday, and it is thought that the heat affected Mr Budd, who took over as the band's lead singer in 1974.A nurse then arrived and checked both band members over, gave Mr Banner some exercises to do, and advised him not to Banner said the band, which formed in 1966 and have hits like "Combine Harvester" and "I Am A Cider Drinker", planned to have one day off to cover before resuming their tour schedule.
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Hundreds descend on Langport for Nudefest 2025
Hundreds of people have descended on a campsite for what has been billed as a "normal festival" - just one where everyone is naked. Thorney Lakes in Langport, Somerset, has once again become home to Nudefest - a week-long event that sits at the centre of the British Naturism calendar. From a performance by The Wurzels to a volleyball tournament and a cider farm tour, the event attracts hundreds of people from across the UK each year."In the evening we've got a silent disco, bands playing and karaoke - it's a normal festival but we're not wearing clothes," said Sue May, 50, from Hampshire who has been attending the festival since 2018. "It doesn't matter who you are or what you look like, everybody gets on - you don't find an angry naturist," she said," Ms May added. "It's a place you can be yourself." Speaking from the festival site she told the BBC: "If people saw what I'm looking at here, there's just people wandering around, they're chatting, there's nothing seedy about it."As a volunteer with Women in Naturism, helping women find the confidence to explore the community, she said she believed interest in the lifestyle had "definitely grown" since Covid. University of Sheffield student Saoirse Newhouse, 21, told the BBC she was attending the festival for the first time as part of the organising team, carrying out duties from setting up sports games to filming social media content. Describing the "friendly" atmosphere at the festival, she said: "Obviously when you do something that isn't societally considered the norm you generally have to be quite open minded.""There's always something going on, some sort of activity, so you can always get involved with that and talk to more people," she added. She also encouraged other women like her to get involved with naturism, despite persistent stereotypes about the community mostly consisting of older men. "There is a bit of a gender skew," she said - but added: "I, and a lot of other women I've spoken to, [say] you feel more respected as a human here."I've never at any of these festivals had someone staring at my breasts or anything inappropriate like that - I've had it more commonly in the outside world," she said - adding that she felt more protected at a naturist event than she did at a pub or club. She described the "strict stance" taken by British Naturism on harassment, which she felt encourages more people to attend "because they know their security is really respected". "People do assume that if you're wearing no clothes you must get unwanted attention but obviously when we look at statistics we realise that what a woman is wearing doesn't determine if she's going to be harassed or assaulted," she added. "It's completely on the perpetrator." Another attendee, 64-year-old Dave Bygrave from North Yorkshire, told the BBC there was "just a really nice and friendly atmosphere" at the festival. "It's fantastic to be in this place where you can just wander around, get food, hear the music, have a drink and talk to people without ever having to get dressed," he many in the community, he said, he and his wife had long been interested in the lifestyle but had been able to go to far more events following their retirement. "The difference between packing to come to Nudefest versus packing for any other holiday is comical really - a couple of t-shirts and some spare underwear for the journey home and that's about it," he joked.
National Geographic
15-06-2025
- National Geographic
How to experience northern Somerset without a Glastonbury ticket
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). For decades, Somerset was chiefly famous for three things — cider, cheddar cheese and 'scrumpy and western' band The Wurzels, whose musical homage to the combine harvester landed them a 1976 number one. Glastonbury Festival's rise to prominence gradually shifted the dial on the county's profile — taking it from agricultural to alternative and, latterly, decidedly cool. Those who visit today will find it a delightful mix of all three. The northern half of the county borders the city of Bristol but offers dramatic rural landscapes in abundance. Cheddar Gorge in the Mendip Hills is the closest thing the UK's got to the Grand Canyon, while the Somerset Wetlands National Nature Reserve — England's third largest — extends from the windswept coast at Bridgwater Bay to the atmospheric Avalon Marshes. One theory about the origin of Somerset's name is that it has roots in the Old English word Somersæte, meaning 'summerlands' — historically, winter flooding would likely have rendered it mostly uninhabitable over winter. In the intervening centuries, thriving market towns like Frome and villages constructed from honey-hued stone have emerged among the wilds. Hop off the train at Castle Cary and you'll find The Creamery, the track-side restaurant with elevated pub grub. Photograph by Newt in Somerset The Creamery is run by the Newt hotel, housed in a restored dairy which still makes its own cheese. Photograph by Newt in Somerset The summer music festival to which Glastonbury gave its name actually takes place on farmland six miles east, with the town itself embracing a quieter, more spiritual way of life. Its abbey is said to be the burial place of King Arthur himself, while its high street is a centre of New Age mysticism, featuring its own witchcraft emporium and countless incense-scented shops offering tarot readings and healing crystals. By contrast Bruton, with its clutch of farm-to-table restaurants and cutting-edge arts spaces, has become a byword for Somerset's new era. In between, endless one-pub settlements provide a reliably warm West Country welcome. Where's the best place for food? Railway stations aren't ordinarily associated with culinary excellence — but Castle Cary bucks the trend. Opened last summer, track-side restaurant The Creamery is run by the nearby Newt hotel — generally considered one of the best in the country — and housed in a restored dairy which still makes its own cheese. The halloumi-style Sutton Brue is just one highlight from its menu of elevated pub grub, served at booth-style tables in an exquisite, green-tiled interior. While you're here, it would be remiss not to sample Somerset's finest exports direct from their source. Westcombe Dairy supplies Neal's Yard and offers tours — be sure to request a demo of its cheese wheel-flipping robot, 'Tina the Turner' — and tastings of its clothbound cheddar or creamy ricotta, both made from raw milk produced by its own cows. Add a sourdough loaf from Landrace Bakery next door, and you've got the makings of a picnic. Next, drive 40 minutes west to Wilkins Cider in Mudgley, where you'll likely find Roger Wilkins in the farmyard, ever ready to serve up a jar and a yarn. The hill of Glastonbury Tor is considered an important pagan site, making it a popular place to see in sunrise on the morning of the summer solstice: 21 June. Photograph by Getty Images, Barbara Neal Tell me where to head for mind-expanding, festival-like fun. Get your bearings at Glastonbury Tor, which has views over the Somerset Levels and into the neighbouring counties of Wiltshire and Dorset. It's a steep half-hour hike to the top, so pause awhile among the ruins of the 15th-century chapel of St Michael. The hill is also considered an important pagan site, making it a popular place to see in sunrise on the morning of the summer solstice: 21 June. After descending, stop for a hydrating sip of the iron-rich waters at Chalice Well, set within peaceful gardens. It's a half-hour drive east to Bruton — after exploring the town's slender high street, filled with gabled houses and independent shops, head to the outskirts to visit Hauser & Wirth at Durslade Farm, a contemporary art gallery set among the restored stone buildings of a working farm. After taking in the exhibits and sculpture-filled perennial garden, head to the Roth Bar: part site-specific work, part purveyor of coffee and cocktails. The Swan combines a neutral palette with countryside charm and wallpaper etched with birds that evoke Somerset's famous starling murmurations. Photograph by James Eastham Where's a good place to stay? At striking distance from both Wilkins Cider and Cheddar Gorge, The Swan at Wedmore is a restored 18th-century coaching inn with exceptionally friendly staff (from £98, B&B). Its spacious garden, edged by tall trees, is a delightful place to while away a sunny afternoon sampling local ales and wood-fired sourdough pizzas topped with Glastonbury mozzarella. When night draws in, retreat to one of the seven rooms upstairs, which combine a neutral palette with countryside texture — quilted coverlets, traditional florals and wallpaper etched with birds that evoke Somerset's famous starling murmurations. The pub downstairs comprises a cosy bar and separate dining room, where menus make abundant use of the area's culinary calling cards — there's also a pop-up weekend bakery, which sells stellar sausage rolls and artisanal bread made over at sister property At the Chapel in Bruton. If you're keen to replicate the festival experience and sleep under canvas, consider booking one of the three safari-style tents at Hadspen Glamping, just south of Bruton (from £200, two-night minimum stay). There are direct trains from London, Plymouth and Bristol to Castle Cary, the closest mainline train station to Glastonbury, but as the region is mostly rural, you'll have more freedom to explore with a car. To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
