PECO Open Garden Day for Charity

Sunday 15th July 2012

Peco Open Garden Day For Charity

FREE ENTRY  to the Gardens and to the famous Model Railway Exhibition.  Charges apply only for rides on the railway and Crazy Golf.

Show time with 'Spangles the Clown' plus live music from Uplyme based band 'Black Velvet'

 Donations welcome to participating charities which this year are; Macmillan Cancer Support and Children's Hospice South West.

Current author of the children's 'Thomas the Tank Engine' series of books Christopher Awdry, will also be present for book signings and story reading.

Artist Michael Ahearne will also have a display of his work in The Station Gallery.

The 'Black Velvet' band started to play together in a pub in Uplyme in about 1986.

Over the years they have developed and changed their style from just folk to rag time, folk and an eclectic mix of Wurzelistic music affectionately known as 'Scrumpy and Western'.

The band decided that as they only play for enjoyment and never charge for their performances, all monies collected would be donated to charity.  Over the years they have supported Lyme Regis Lifeboat, Devon Air Ambulance and more recently  Children's Hospice South West.  To date they have donated in excess of £8000 to charity.

The band is an eclectic mix of musicians and vocalists made up of Adrian Pearson - piano accordian and vocals, Helen Case - Barom and vocals, John Wood - penny whistle, Dennis Bye - banjo, Dave Brown - vocals, mandolin and guitar, Charlotte Cloud and her sister Emma Honeybun - playing fiddles, Chris Bailey - (who joins the band occasionally) base guitar, John Wyon-Brown - guitar and vocals.

The band always encourages new and young musicians and vocalists to join them and now have a new member, Freya Lovett, a vocalist who will be making her debut appearance with the band at Pecorama on the 15th of July.