Yer Tis

If you live in, work in, come from, visit, know or have any thoughts about the county of Somersetshire, then read on. (Please read on if these descriptors are true either in the past, present or maybe even future).

Between 2002 - 2005, three close friends and I ran Peter Quince Theatre Company, romping around Somerset and Dorset making plays and films and teaching young people how to make plays and films.

Once the Quince stopped making work and I left Somerset as a theatre maker, I vowed I would return one day to get back on the wagon. Herein lies the beginning of that journey.

The first stage is this little project. In a nutshell, I am the actor, and my friend/colleague/fellow Somersetian Emma Earle is the director. Together we are making YER TIS, a new play designed to inspire young people into loving Somerset.

We are in pre-Research and Development stage at the moment. Thanks to the generosity of Take Art we are spending two days in May thinking about the play properly, and then in August we'll be making it. Come September and I will be performing it to small audiences of young people and anyone interested in Somerset for the beginnings of what I hope will be a long and fruitful return to creating and producing theatre in Somerset.

To start, you can help, dear reader. If you have any connection to Somerset, please answer these questions for me. Send your replies to my email address: chalkythenick@hotmail.co.uk or leave a comment below.

Thank you. Simply, thank you.

1. What is your connection with Somerset? Where do you live, where did you grow up, how did your work take you around the county?
2. Where is your favourite place in Somerset? This might be a town or village, specific building or feature of the natural environment. But just one place!
3. How do you feel about Somerset? Do you love it, like it, dislike it, despise it? Why?
4. What do you think of when you think about Somerset? What is the first thing that comes to mind?
5. What does Somerset mean to you?
6. If you could save one thing about, or from Somerset, what would it be and why?
7. If you could describe Somerset in one word, what would it be?
8. Do you have anything else you’d like to say about Somerset?

30 Years Old - Here is the Update

So, for anyone wondering how far I have got in achieving my aims for 2012 here is a quick update 

2.Go to see Beth Hart play in London (see more live music)

This was one of my favourite things so far, my sisters, brother and friends went to London for the weekend. We stopped in at  Madame Tussauds  and basked in some fine London weather before seeing Bath Hart play an awesome gig in the Sheppard Bush Empire. Check out her stuff at http://www.bethhart.com/ 

3.Play Frolly at least twice (June and August)

The dates are set and invites sent. I have even been practising and have made a net out of garden string following some on-line tutorials about making nets to catch animals in... mine is not for catching animals it just looks like a child has fashioned a tennis net with two left hands, but it will do the job. There are pictures on the Frolly Face page if people are interested https://www.facebook.com/Frollying 

5.Improve my guitar playing (play 3 songs well)

I have started lessons and I am practising every day. Check out Bath Guitar School is you are interested in learning http://www.bathguitarschool.com/

6.Make an animation and submit it for a film festival

I have completed a puppet making for stop motion course and have a story board worked out for the animation. Although we are not going to use puppets the course was a great introduction to animation, and a huge amount of fun. I went to Puppet Place in Bristol who ran the evening class over six weeks. They run other courses and workshops and are a great company to check out for all things puppetry in the South West http://www.puppetplace.org/ 

7.Draw up my family tree

I have an Ancestry account (http://www.ancestry.co.uk/) and I have started pulling together all of the details to complete my family tree. 

13.Laugh until I cry

The 'Fenton' You Tube video made me laugh until I cried. This is just the one I can recall, but I think this aim goes on throughout the year.

18.Go to a Whiskey Tasting and learn more about the drink

Tick, done! and I loved it, we now have a small collection of whiskies to suit the mood of the evening. We went to a tasting in Bath with the Tasting Rooms, they also do wine tasting and offer lovely food http://www.tastingroom.co.uk/

Sunrise from the Train between Bath and Swindon 2012

25.Watch a sunrise

There was a period over a month where I watched the sunrise everyday from the train window. It was spectacular. The photo does not to it justice by any means, but you get the idea. 

26.Write letters to my friend's new born baby Elly throughout the year

This is ongoing, but I send something every couple of months.

29.Write letters to my Niece and family

This is also ongoing and it is my turn to write to Sophie. Humm, this is a good point, I should get cracking with that now... Dearest Sophie, 

Come on Mr White-White, it's time you joined in!

Hello there.

You may be surprised to read a blog entry from me. Up until now, I have been conspicuous in my absence. Mrs White-White has been by and large the main blog contributor to How To Play Like a Grown Up. After twice saying to her I needed to write more, she calmly pointed out my complete lack of presence here.

Well its time for me to put my money where my mouth is.

Inspired by Mrs White-White's recent post "2012 and I will be 30" I am sharing my commitments for the year. Some are similar to hers and some are unique to me. And because I am going to be 32 this year, I have a slightly longer list.




1.Share a picture of my life every month (see above - this is a picture of Ed taken at my wedding, by Will Bayliss)

2.See more live music

3.Play Frolly at least twice (June and August)

4.Visit family and friends more

5.Join a band that will accommodate my very rookie clarinet skills

6.Read more books more regularly

7.Go to the theatre more

8.Start my brand new Somerset-based theatre company

9.Commit to playing for Old Sulians RFC more regularly

10.Score five tries before the end of the calendar year

11.Tell my mum I am playing rugby

12.Ride my bike around Bristol, around Bath and to new, interesting places

13.Laugh until I cry

14.Make better bread

15.Write a blog every month either here, or for Arts Professional (my other blog home)

16.Keep a daily short film diary and post it here each week

17.Build a sand castle (a good one)

18.Go to a Whiskey Tasting and learn more about the drink

19.Paint with oils

20.Go to the Somerset Museum in Taunton

21.Visit other museums in Somerset

22.Do the Bath Skyline Walk (again, but with more family and friends)

23.Swim in the sea

24.Write letters to my nephews and neice

25.Write letters to my friends around the world

26.Go to watch Somerset play cricket with my dad and brother

27.Go on a steam train

28.Win something

29.Contribute more to the company I am a trustee of, and their sister company

30.Get to know the neighbours more

31. Eat more fruit

32. Save at least £2,500

2012 and I will be 30

So we are on the second day of 2012 and this is the year of my (Mrs White-White) 30th Birthday so here is my year's to do list, which just so happens to be made up of 30 things.

Happy to take suggestions for other things to try as part of bonus activities:

1.Go camping and have a camp fire to tell stories around

2.Go to see Beth Hart play in London (see more live music)

3.Play Frolly at least twice (June and August)

4.Visit family and friends more (including going over to France and Italy)

5.Improve my guitar playing (play 3 songs well)

6.Make an animation and submit it for a film festival

7.Draw up my family tree

8.Buy some art

9.Learn to ride a motorbike

10.Stop paying for a gold bank account and donate the £12 a month to charities

11.Write a story about the Norton Dragon

12.Read more (including Great Expectations, Hons and Rebels)

13.Laugh until I cry

14.Learn a new word once a month

15.See more theatre (including Belle Ville Rendezous and The Cheery Orchard)

16.Go to the Preddy Folk Festival

17.Build a sand castle (a good one)

18.Go to a Whiskey Tasting and learn more about the drink

19.Plant a tree in my Dad's memory

20.Go to the Somerset Museum in Taunton

21.Visit other museums in Somerset

22.Do the Bath Skyline Walk (again, but with more family and Friends)

23.Swim in the sea

24.Improve my Italian so I can write letters to my Italian friends

25.Watch a sunrise

26.Write letters to my friend's new born baby Elly throughout the year

27.Go on a steam train

28.Win something

29.Write letters to my Niece and family

30.Do something meaningful to help people throughout the year


I will let you know how I get on.

Lots of love for 2012