Penultimate day... mostly about magical gardens

The second weekend of festival is when Frome's 'hidden gardens' are on view to the public, if they have the map identifying their locations. This 30-venue trail spans the whole town and is always popular, especially in sunshine. I toured six, less than I intended but linger in each tantalisingly beautiful location. Mosaics and ponds featured in several, including a lovely swimming-pool-lily-pond filled entirely by rain water from the winter storms, and a smaller pool with damselflies ~locations 15 & 14 respectively, if you're seeking recommendations. Then back to my own pocket-sized patch crammed with pots and a bombastic fuchsia, for a cheeky bellini with Emily before tapas at the Cantina Bar in Silk Mill (manchego membrillo and salpicon marisco, since you ask, both delicious). Too many good things to get to all ~ sorry not to make the Griffin for Bad Detectives ~ but I couldn't resist another visit to Al O'Kane's brilliant Secret Magical Folk Garden at Cornerhouse.
Here's Lara Mary, one of a superb lineup. My penultimate festival night ended dancing at Samantha West's Party of Paintings. 
And as  daily life goes on around the festival, I'll end with the current local outrage over Somerset County Council's intention to charge Frome £325,000 for a rate-payer funded building they took from the town for £1 in 1974. To quote comedy club compere Tighe O'Connor, we don't mind paying double that, but that rate of inflation isn't funny. You can read more at  Give Frome Back Its Building & watch short summary of the public protest.

Day 7: musical interlude

Last night's war zone is transformed tonight for a pop-up event in Cornerhouse upstairs room as Al O'Kane hosts the Secret Magical Folk Garden: an evening of mesmeric songs from a series of amazingly talented performers. This year's festival has been brilliant musically but David Waddington's loop-frenzy version of his poignant song Icarus learns to fly will be one of my total highlights of the week. Al's putting on another Magical Folk Garden on Saturday night, not in the brochure but hopefully a more open secret ~ this quality certainly deserves a big audience!

Then on to catch the final set from Seize the Day at the United Reform Church Hall with the Friends of Palestine, a total change of mood to boran and bopping. I first heard this band last century, and I'm thrilled they're still doing Bigger better brighter bullshit and other protest classics.  The line-up was nine tonight, with saxophone and didgeridoo among their instruments, and with new songs too ~ Frack the Frackers was written after a recent visit to Barton Moss. This venue is in the heartland of Frome's radical past and as a rousing rendition of No-one's Slave rang out I imagined the glee of the ghosts in Dissenters' Cemetery half a mile away... A fabulous evening, still mild at midnight, with a nearly-full moon lighting my walk home.  The bike is just bccause I couldn't photograph the vintage cycle ride this afternoon as it was cancelled so I thought I'd show you this one by the Catherine Hill mural, parked by some lavender. Multi-sensual Frome.