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Inspiration For The Journey
Inspiration, spirituality, they come from the oddest little corners, and their reasons for coming into existence don't
always seem so obvious. This, we think certainly holds true for this particular page. It is not so much our inspiration nor
is it spirituality of the usual kind, it is, simply put, one man's journey in search of inspiration for a song, or in this
case, a story.
The inspiration comes from Steve Knightley and the blame for any mess is our responsibility, so now you know. This
all began when we viewed a three year old two part British television series that Steve Knightley, he of Show of Hands, made,
while seeking inspiration for a song or more accurately a tale, for Steve is a storyteller in the true sense of the word,
his songs have a time and place about them, and the characters that populate those times and places are very real, indeed,
we meet some of those characters in the persons of the folk Steve interviews during the course of his journey through Devon
and Cornwall.
Now, you may or may not know, that though Steve was born in Southampton, in Hampshire, of, we might add , a seafaring
background, he grew up in Devon, and the impressions one gets of him are that he is a Devon man through and through.
Having watched the programme a few times, which you can do, using the link, to the right there, we decided to take our
own journey down into the West and Southwest Country of England, we've coverd the south of England and The Midlands fairly
extensively on some of our other websites, and we decided it was time for a change, time to breathe in the sea air, for after
all, part Englands past is of a seafaring nation, and we'll be looking at that and some of the characters who were involved,
and the places they visited either as explorers or in the on going wars with various nations, most notably, Spain and
France, but in the main we'll be in Devon and Cornwall, with a side trip or two into Somerset......Well there's a wind coming
off The English Channel, and the weather, at least for now, is fair, it's time to hoist our packs to our backs and be on our
way following paths that travellers, wayfarers and minstrels, such as Steve Knightley, have travelled throughout the history
of these islands.
Steve, huge thanks to you are in order, for so much inspiration, through your tales and through a journey you called,
Stairway To Devon.
Let's be off.......
a note: this page, in a similar form, also acts the introduction to our
A Stairway To Devon website
STAIRWAY TO DEVON
was shown on Friday 27 October 2000 10.30 to 11.00pm
Carlton Television, West Country Region
Steve Knightley roamed the region on a musical quest in two-part series STAIRWAY TO DEVON. Folk singer Steve discovered,
we think, what makes West Country folk tick and uncovers their hopes and dreams in search of a regional melody.
On the way he encountered a variety of characters, from farmers and fishermen to potters and Australian internet entrepreneur
Gerard O' Farrell, who all share their thoughts about what the South West means to them.
His round trip began in Exmouth where he met shipmate David Curley on his trawler, has a jamming session with local Celtic
band Joyce Gang and goes busking on Exeter High Street. His journey then took him across the rugged landscape of Dartmoor
and Cornish band Sacred Turf make an appearance. He concludes the first programme with a sing-along at Port Isaac with the
town's sea shanty group, Fisherman's Friends.
The second leg of his whistle-stop tour began with Steve meeting millionaire publisher John Mappin at the Camelot Castle
Hotel in Tintagel then he heads back across Devon picking up more inspiration from the locals. The series ends on a high note
with him performing the finale at Topsham quay.
STAIRWAY TO DEVON was a Carlton production and was produced by Tod Grimwade.
For further information please contact:
Luan Butt Press Office 01752 333431
For more information on Steve Knightley visit the website at: www.showofhands.co.uk
For further information on the series contact: dutyoffice@carltontv.co.uk
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Related Links
says it all, doesn't it?
safety on the sea, saving lives
and very lovely they are too
a very talented Cornish band
we've met this lot
before, somewhere
Topsham is an attractive
Devon town,
now part of Exeter but
maintaining a
distinctive identity,
on the Exe estuary
in England's Westcountry.
Welcome to the Bridge Inn
at Topsham.
Here you will find information
of the building,
and brewing,
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