The Good Life Experience (Day 3) Jeb Loy Nichols

Sunday morning brought a suitably mellow atmosphere to the festival site and I spent the first part of the morning taking pictures of the rehearsals and performances of the 2 choirs that had been formed by festival-goers over the course of the weekend - The Good Life Chorale and The Alehouse Wailers. Big congratulations to choir leader/conductor Dominic Stichbury - both choirs sounded fantastic!

I also took time out from the music to attend a couple of food-related workshops. Pablo Spaull of Forever Cacao led a workshop on 'Mindfulness, Chocolate Tasting and Meditation' (I mean, what's not to love?!) and Mike Keen spoke about 'Fermented Foods' - complete with a less-than-fragrant demonstration! Fellow followers of The Archers will know that this topic is 'bang on trend’, as Tom Archer plots to take over the world with kefir! www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jul/26/does-kimchi-and-other-fermented-foods-give-you-more-fizz

I've included a shot of Pablo (on the right) and Mike in my Extras, along with some choir rehearsal scenes and a random picture of a flower arrangement!

My undoubted high point of the day was the last musical performance of the festival.

Jeb Loy Nichols was born in Wyoming, raised in Missouri, went to art school in New York, moved to London and lived in a squat with housemates including Ari Up from The Slits, a young Neneh Cherry and record producer Adrian Sherwood, of On-U Sound. He then spent a while living in Spain.

He now lives on a remote smallholding in Wales where he makes art and writes songs and novels. He has a gorgeous, honey-dipped southern soul voice, apparently effortless guitar picking style and an easy-going, slightly rumpled charm. He was the perfect end to my weekend and I drove home singing the final song he played, “the best Merle Haggard song ever written by Smokey Robinson”, as he put it… ‘The Tracks of My Tears’.

I haven't got a link to that but here's one of Jeb Loy’s own songs - ‘Long Live the Loser’ www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNDflfQNsK4

I'm now home and still spending all my spare time frantically editing photos, hoping to submit them to the festival folks before the weekend… it really has been an experience. In fact it's been a Good Life Experience!