SouthseaScene

The Syd Lawrence Orchestra is 53 years old this year and they're celebrating this occasion with a new YouTube channel. Founded in 1967 by trumpeter and arranger Syd Lawrence, The fabulous Syd Lawrence Orchestra has been thrilling audiences in concert halls, theatres, television shows, and music festivals all over Great Britain and Continental Europe for over 50 years. Renowned for its exciting blend of high octane big band swing and classic dance music, the Orchestra’s repertoire ranges from the wartime million sellers of the legendary Glenn Miller through the era of the great Count Basie Orchestra to the hit songs of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.  Count Basie himself described the Syd Lawrence Orchestra as “So good it should be BANNED!”.  Hits from the Great American Songbooks of George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin and singers Frank Sinatra, Nat ‘King’ Cole, Sammy Davis Jr, Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett, Matt Monro, Ella Fitzgerald, Pe...

Fun-loving elves from the North Pole have sneaked into Fort Nelson and are causing mayhem around the site.  Twelve elves named Tinsel, Jingle, Pixie, Glitter, Frost, Twinkle, Merry, Sparkle, Buddy, Noel, Candy and Holly were discovered by staff when they arrived for work at the Victorian fort. Now staff are asking children to help find the elves and fill in a worksheet, so they know where the cheeky elves are hiding. But children are being warned not to touch the elves as they will lose their magic and not be able to perform their Christmas duties for Santa.  A 12 days of Christmas fun trail is also in place at Fort Nelson for families to explore during December.  Worksheets for the elves and the trail can be downloaded at https://royalarmouries.org/whats-on/?where=FortNelson  Fort Nelson is free to enter. Car parking £3.  Nigel Hosier, General Manager, said: “We would love children to come and help us find the elves hidden around the site so we can round them u...

We caught up with Enwezor Nzegwu who runs Be Locals , supplying meat and produce from local farms for people who live locally. Every Thursday morning Enwezor shared an update on what's available so if you order by 8 pm, he can deliver the products to you by Saturday. You can imagine how fresh everything is! Enwezor Nzegwu on  Thursday 19 November 2020 Sometimes I forget that my customers don't get to see what it's really like on the farms that I visit every week when I pick up produce for Be Locals. This is a picture of Tim's farm. It's been in his family for over 70 years. To me, the farm seems enormous but Tim says it's not that big. As for livestock, Tim has these lovely pigs and cattle also growing arable produce like wheat. Tim's cattle out in the fields You'll see Tim's cattle roaming in the fields all through the year. They always stick together in a herd in one part of the field and they'll nearly always come up to you if you come up to t...

Singer, songwriter, Louise Jordan is releasing two new videos on Remembrance Sunday, this Sunday 8th November 12pm and on Remembrance Day, Wednesday 11th November 11.10am . She was recently commissioned to create a special performance around resilience which led her to revisit her show ‘ No Petticoats Here ’ about extraordinary women from the First World War who lived through unprecedented times. Their stories continue to inspire and Louise thinks that Remembrance 2020 offers scope for reflection and connection with the past. The videos can be watched on Louise’s YouTube account. Do also give her a follow on Twitter @ljordanmusic and facebook.com/louisejordansings www.louisejordan.co.uk  

Frida Kahlo’s legendary style, lust for life, men, women, politics and her Mexican heritage has made her a ubiquitous feminist icon and style muse to generations. But what do we know of her as an artist?  Frida Kahlo was a prolific self-portraitist who used the canvas as a mirror through all stages of her vivid, turbulent and, at times, tragic life. Guided by the artist’s own words this personal and intimate film offers privileged and detailed access to her work, shining a light on the artistic talent so often over looked in accounts of her dramatic life. Frida in Blue Dress © Nickolas Muray Photo Archives “I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality” Frida Kahlo #EOSFridaKahlo Featuring interviews with world-renowned Kahlo curators, EXHIBITION ON SCREEN explores the extraordinary symbolism and themes in Frida Kahlo’s paintings. We examine her omnipresent self-portraits but also her less well-known works resulting in a feast of vibrancy and colour on-screen. Deeply m...

The Mary Rose, at Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard, has been awarded £655,304 as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) to help face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure they have a sustainable future, the Culture Secretary has announced today. The Mary Rose is one of 1,385 cultural and creative organisations across the country receiving urgently needed support. £257 million of investment has been announced today as part of the very first round of the Culture Recovery Fund grants programme being administered by Arts Council England. Further rounds of funding in the cultural and heritage sector are due to be announced over the coming weeks. 38 years ago (11 October) a dedicated team of divers and archaeologists raised the ship from the Solent, watched by an estimated worldwide audience of 60 million. Today, the award-winning Museum houses the remains of the ship and her collection of 19,000 Tudor artefacts which give an unparalleled insight ...

The Black History Month Film Festival in Portsmouth will be launched on 11th October with a screening of “Harriet”, a 2019 American biographical film about abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Black History Month (BHM) is held every October with the aim to promote knowledge of black history, culture and heritage, and positive contributions of black people to British society. It is an opportunity for everyone to give some time to exploring and expanding our own knowledge of black history. In support of BHM the University of Portsmouth has collaborated many times with the Portsmouth Film Society (PFS) to put on films which highlight the history of black people, therefore raising awareness and promoting community cohesion. The programme gives free admission to staff and students at the university and the screenings take place in the Guildhall. University’s Equality and Diversity manager, Dave Small, said “As a university, we’re not only leading in research and innovation, but also on the forefron...