The first of a new series of celebrity classical concerts with a difference is being held at The Flavel on 25 September. The four concerts, each containing a piece by an English composer, will be given by well known and top quality musicians with a variety of styles. This first concert, with a light hearted pre-concert talk, is the experienced Coull Quartet playing chamber music by Mozart, Schubert and John Ireland.

Roger Coull formed the Coull Quartet at the Royal Academy of Music in 1974 and the group, including Philip Gallaway, violin, Rose Redgrave, viola, and Nicholas Roberts, cello, have been the Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Warwick since 1977. Their rare combination of maturity and freshness is frequently singled out by reviewers: “Here the playing is so brimful with enthusiasm and commitment, and at the same time so infused with the accumulated wisdom of three decades, that the music simply reinvents itself as it should”. (The Strad)

Prior to the concert, at 6.15pm, violinist Roger Coull will give an illuminating account entitled “Travels with my Quartet” of the trials and tribulations of travelling round the world with the musicians’ priceless instruments. The Quartet has performed in the USA, Western Europe and also toured China, India, South America and Australia so there could be some interesting stories.

The programme on 25 September includes Mozart’s Quartet in E flat K428; English composer John Ireland’s string Quartet No 1 in D Minor and Schubert’s Quartet in D minor ‘Death and the Maiden’, one of the pillars of the chamber music repertoire. Composed in 1824, after the composer suffered through a serious illness and realized that he was dying, it is Schubert's testament to death. The quartet is named for the theme of the second movement, which Schubert took from a song he wrote in 1817 by the same title; but the theme of death is palpable in all four movements of the quartet.

The other classical concerts in the series include Passamezzo, an evening of English Elizabethan and Jacobean music in costume with authentic instruments on 11 December; accomplished French pianist Amandine Savary who returns to The Flavel on 27 January 2011; and the Citron Trio from the Westcountry with clarinet/saxophone, cello and piano on 5 March 2011. A season ticket for the four concerts is £55.  Tickets for the Coull Quartet on 25 September at £18 can be obtained from The Flavel Box office. The bar will open at 6pm and the concert starts at 7.30pm with the pre-concert talk by Roger Coull at 6.15pm Call the Flavel on 01803 839530

2.  A Red Letter day for Paignton Zoo

Two red panda cubs have been born at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park. They are the first to be born at the Devon Zoo since July 2004. The cubs were born in July. Julian Chapman, Paignton Zoo’s Senior Head Keeper of Mammals, explained: “Red panda cubs are slow to make an appearance as they continue their development in the nest after birth, like badgers and foxes.” Father Randy is 3 years old and came to Paignton from Dortmund Zoo in Germany in September 2008. Mother Mandy is 6 and came from Dublin Zoo in January 2008.

Animal staff have now sexed the pair; there is one male, one female; and fitted them with transponders. They hope visitors will be able to see them out and about in the next few weeks. The red or lesser panda comes from the mountains of Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar and Nepal. It lives in high altitude forest and eats bamboo shoots, grass, roots, fruit, acorns and occasionally mice and birds. It has fur on the pads of its paws to help keep heat in and to prevent it slipping on wet or snowy surfaces.  The female has one or two young after a gestation period of 90 to 150 days (the longer period is when the fertile egg lies dormant). The young stay with the mother until they are one year old.

The red panda is classed as Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which means it is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. It has legal protection in Nepal and China, and occurs in several national parks. Conservation breeding programmes in zoos are co-ordinated world-wide.  With its rusty red coat and a long bushy tail it resembles a racoon more than a panda. It is mainly nocturnal and spends most of its time curled on a branch with its tail over its head. It lives in pairs and forms small family groups.

Paignton Zoo Environmental Park is a registered charity. For more information click here or ring (01803) 697500.

3.   New Arrivals

Paul & Brenda Reach (and of course Billy the dog! ) report: We hold 3 major exhibitions every year and try to introduce new artists each time. In between though, we receive new work from our established gallery artists on a regular basis.

We have therefore decided to show you the work that has arrived during the last couple of weeks; 35 new pieces from 10 established gallery artists. We feel this collection illustrates our commitment to continually refresh our gallery with paintings that satisfy a wide taste in fine art.

We are confident that you will enjoy this collection and do call us if you see something too irresistible to miss.  Call in at the D'Art Gallery 4 Lower Street or click here to see the new work.   The Dartmouth dot TV crew were really, really impressed with this new interpretation of Bayard's Cove! Click on the photo on the right to see a bigger version?

4.   Small News

• Bargains to be had at home ….   Adam reports:  I think I may have gone a bit mad ordering lots of lovely things for Christmas ! So to make way for all the new stock we’re having an end-of-season sale. Loads of things have 25% off so pop along to home …. at 17 Foss Street and have a bargain hunt of your own.
   

• Torbay Council admitted in a Herald Express article that "Dartmouth Regatta is the top place in the country to watch the Red Arrows" Thanks guys we knew that all along!
   

• If you are a business in Dartmouth and you are reading this, then your customers are too!  A leading Art Gallery said that we provide more visits to his site than any other, a leading hotel has said we are in the top list of their referrals, and an leading accommodation provider said they got more bookings from us than anyone.  We have had to remove some big players from our website recently, see if you are still there by clicking here?  If not, call us on 01803  833366 urgently!
   

• Dartmouth’s popular Dart Drama Festival has just been awarded a generous Arts grant by South Hams and West Devon Borough Councils. This year eight participating groups will be performing a programme of one act plays at the Flavel Theatre, Dartmouth, in November.  For further information and synopsis, please go to the Dart Drama Festival website by clicking here or telephone on 01803 839530
   

• A bit of self indulgence here, can anyone find the original music or you-tube video of Kim Wilde's 'Kids in America' where the opening synthesiser intro, drops its pitch after a couple of seconds?  If you can click here.

Why not come and visit Dartmouth?

• Self catering accommodation click here
   
• Dartmouth B and B  click here
   
• Dartmouth Hotels click here
   
• A Tourist Guide to Dartmouth click here

Images copyright  Dave Cawley,  Andy Kyle  & others.