Poldark musician to appear at our Heritage & Spring Garden Open Day
You’ll get a Poldark preview if you come to our Heritage & Spring Garden Open Day on Sunday April 9.
Musician Jon Dyer is due to appear in the next series of the BBC One drama, alongside screen heart-throb Aidan Turner (above).
Jon will be performing music from the 18th century when he appears at our open day – just like he’ll be doing in the hit TV series about Captain Ross Poldark – a redcoat returning to Cornwall after the American Revolutionary War.
Said Jon: “We’ve done the filming and I’ll be appearing in 3 episodes: in two as a peasant playing a whistle and in another one a lot more dressed up with a wig, playing a flute.” He even got a chance to speak to Aidan Turner. “I’m only an extra as such but Aidan came over and had a chat. He’s a nice guy.”
Jon will be performing on the open day with his regular musical colleague Alfie Gidley, playing Celtic music, English tunes and the odd Klezmer or Balkan melody.
They will join in with The Penguin Band on the day, playing 18th century dance tunes including quadrilles, bourrées, jigs and hornpipes. They’ll do a number called Quick and Merry, which will feature in Poldark.
Said Jon: “It’s an old Cornish tune which was collected in 1780 – it’s a proper tune from the Poldark period.”
A full day of history and culture
The music is just one part of the busy programme at Sharpham’s Heritage & Spring Garden Open Day.
The annual event has been given more of a historical feel and will feature stories, imagery and artefacts drawn from the Sharpham Archive.
“Thanks to our team of volunteers, we’ve begun collecting and organising Sharpham’s history in our archive,” said Maya Herbolzheimer, Volunteer & Engagement Officer for the Trust. “Now we can begin to share some of the fascinating material – from maps and old pictures to anecdotes and memories.” There will be a display of archive material, talks, tours of Sharpham House, gardens and grounds.
The event runs from 10.30am to 4pm and is free entry, although there is a £4 charge for parking. If you’re travelling from Totnes, consider walking or cycling along the Carriage Drive foot and bike path, or take the free shuttle between Sharpham and Totnes run by Bob The Bus. A timetable is on the event’s web page right here.
The day is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Sharpham’s rich history
The Heritage & Spring Garden Open Day is a great way to celebrate and share the history surrounding Grade 1-listed Sharpham House – an 18th Palladian villa overlooking the River Dart. Click here to read more about our heritage
Can you help?
If you’ve got Sharpham memories or artefacts to share, The Sharpham Trust would love to hear about them.
We’ll be collecting Sharpham memories on the day and archive volunteers will be on hand if you’ve got something interesting about Sharpham to share.
We’re also looking for volunteers to help on the day – contact Maya on [email protected] if you’re interested.
