What does it smell like when you're sitting up on Kinder Scout Plateau? ‘Patron of the Bog’ Bella Hardy describes it as sweet and earthy. During this episode she shares memories of growing up in Edale, ‘beating the bounds’ with the local community, stories about sleeping dragons and giants from her childhood, and reflects on what makes her wild about Kinder. It’s a place that both inspires her music and gives her brain a break. You’ll hear Bella play the fiddle - ‘Broadlee Bank’ and ‘Crowden jig’ at the beginning and the end of this interview.
Bella is a folk musician, with many of her songs inspired by the landscape and folk tales of the Peak District. The ‘Dark Peak and The White’ album is her first collection of music specifically from the area, with adaptations and new tunes to works from ‘The Ballads and Songs of Derbyshire’ published 1867, and original songs written for the history, folklore and legends of the area. Bella attended Edale CE Primary School and Hope Valley College and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from York St John University in 2005 and a Master of Music degree from the University of Newcastle in 2007. You can read more about Bella on her website.
Listen now to find out why Bella thinks Kinder Scout is a unique place.
Links
Bella’s website
Follow Bella on Instagram
Listen to Bella’s songs on Spotify
Follow Bella on Bandcamp
References
The Dark Peak and The White
With the dawn
First light of the morning
Hares on the Mountain
Loving Hannah
Africa’s Mountains of the moon by Guy Yeoman
Moors For The Future
Recording date
This interview was recorded at Bella’s home in Edale on 15th January 2024.
Host & Production
By Sarah Lister, About The Adventure
Contact the host
You can email sarah@sarahventurer.com to send in your comments and suggestions.
Get involved with the conversation
Send in your own Kinder Scout stories on the Wild About Kinder website and contact the show host to send in your comments, questions and suggestions.
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