Show of Hands

On the island of St Mary’s Robin Page had a chance encounter with Show of Hands, a folk duo (sometimes trio) who were playing in the town hall. In front of an audience of 60 people, the legendary Steve Knightley and remarkable violinist Phil Beer, who have filled the Royal Albert Hall to capacity, were performing for peanuts.

Robin Page says: "Their songs are perfect antidotes for the state of rural Britain: Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed pays tribute to our bankers and MPs, and Country Life is a song of five verses that ought to become the anthem of the Countryside Restoration Trust. Verse five sums it up:

If you want cheap food, well here’s the deal:
Family farms are brought to heel;
Hammer blows of size and scale;
Foot and mouth the final nail.
The coffin of our English dream
Lies out on the village green,
While agri-barons CAP in hand
Strip this green and pleasant land
Of meadow, woodland, hedgerow, pond.
What remains gets built upon.
No trains, no jobs, no shops, no pubs.
What went wrong?"

On April 7 next year they’ll be filling the Royal Albert Hall again for their 20th anniversary celebrations.

For more information about the band, vist their website at www.showofhands.co.uk