Beginnings…

Drum Trek was a initially a crazy idea that became a wonderful reality and then morphed into something much larger.

I often dreamed about taking the van and the drums on the road and doing some kind of tour…running a business and managing and delivering training programmes for UK Playshop meant time was always against me… I just needed something else to push me.

Stainsby Festival was the initial nudge and then I saw possibilities for Wiston Lodge

Stainsby was and is a Festival very close to my heart and a place I have been facilitating drum circles at since 2000…in 2013 the festival site came up for sale and I knew that I could do something to make a contribution…around the same time I moved to Wiston Lodge, a venue I have known and loved for many years, to begin a volunteer post to develop Music and Arts for the charity.

Here I was then, with two organisations that required fundraising…both are models of how I believe we can work positively in community….both inspiring in their own ways…both have touched me deeply…moved my spirit if you like….So what to do then…well of course I could fill out an application to The Arts Council’s of England and Scotland or I could follow my bliss and do something I love….Facilitate Drum Circles….All across the UK….A marathon journey with the drum…26 locations ( possibly rising to 28 as of June 14/2015!!!!) from North to South, beginning at John O’Groats in Scotland and ending at Lands End in Cornwall through the summer month of July 2015.

This became a REALITY….over 26 consecutive days I followed the route described below.

You can re-visit the story of this amazing journey, the day to day blog and video clips of the drum circles beginning HERE

(Footnote: Drumtrek raised £7500 for the two charities to share. Thank You everyone who contributed. It was indeed an Odyssey. One day there will be a book.)

Since the end of the DrumTrek my world has literally opened up and I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel and share my passion for all things Rhythmical…The Blog therefore morphed to keep pace with my life.

Please enjoy the writing and Photogrpahy and feel free to share and comment.

Paul John Dear

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The DrumTrek Schedule July 2015

July 3rd Findhorn 7pm-9pm @ The Hinterland Shelter, (www.findhornhinterland.org)

July 4th The Isle of Skye 6pm -8pm @ Dunvegan Primary School, Dunvegan,Skye.

July 5th Edinburgh 7pm-10pm @ The Pavillion Cafe, The Meadows, Edinburgh.

July 6th Glasgow 1pm-3pm @ Kinning Park Complex, 43 Cornwall Street, Glasgow.

July 6th Moffat 8pm-9.30pm Moffat Town Hall, High St, Moffat.

July 7th Wiston Lodge 5.30pm-6.30pm @ Millrigg Road, Wiston.

July 8th  Carlisle 7pm-9pm @ Morton Manor, Carlisle

July 9th Newcastle 7pm-9pm @ Fifth Floor Broadacre House, Market Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne

July 10th Wakefield 7pm-9pm @ Cathedral Centre, Westmorland Street, Wakefield

July 11th Liverpool Time TBC @ St Lukes Church (also known as the Bombed Out Church)

July 12th Hebden Bridge 11am-1pm @ Salem Community Centre, Central Steet, Hebden Bridge

July 13th Brighouse  6.30pm – 7.30pm @ Field Lane primary school, Brighouse

July 14th Lancaster, 6pm-8pm @ Swains Head Hall farm,Over Wyresdale, Nr Lancaster

July 15th Hull 7pm-9pm @ Spring Bank Community Centre, West Parade, Spring Bank, Hull

July 16th Manchester 7.30pm – 9.30pm  St Wilfrids Enterprise Centre, Birchvale Close, Manchester

July 17th Sheffield,7.30pm-9.00pm, The Large Hall, The Old Junior School, South View Road, Sheffield

July 18th-19th Stainsby (Sat and Sun) 12pm -1pm @ Stainsby Festival

July 20th Nottingham 7.15pm-9.00pm @ Mencap, harpendon house, Nottingham.

July 21st Birmingham 6pm-7pm @ Cheswick Green `Village Green` Solihull.

July 22nd Newtown 8pm-9.30pm@ Wesley Newtown Church Hall, Back Lane, Newtown.

July 23rd Swansea 7pm-9pm @ St Phillip’s community centre, Swansea

July 24th Pewsey 6pm – 8pm,The outdoor Amphitheatre at Pewsey Vale School

July 25th London 7.30pm – 9.30pm @ Bold Tendencies, London

July 26th Epsom 2.30pm-4.00pm, @ St Barnabas Church,Temple Rd, Epsom, Surrey.

July 27th 5pm-6pm Cross Way, Clinton Centre,Steyne Road,Seaford.

July 28th Time TBC  Plain-an-gwarry, St Just, Cornwall.