ALAN WILSON, now retired, having spent a lifetime in music writing, performing and academia was born and bred in Eastwood. In this audio recording he takes a ‘virtual’ journey of the town and the surrounding countryside from his home in Greater London, on the borders of Kent.

With the help of D.H. LAWRENCE, he interviews (by phone) a wonderful array of Lawrentian devotees made up of social historians, academics and loyal local people. It covers a wide array of subjects both sad and happy. As well as the immense importance of the Lawrence connection through those wonderful descriptive writings, Alan touches on other local landmarks in the area.

PEOPLE INTERVIEWED include Dr Andrew Harrison, Dr David Amos, Malcolm Gray, Jackie Greaves, Ruth Hall, Terry Yates, Ruth Templeton, Andrew Cooper, Dick Starr, Fred Kennington, Rolf Pentzlin, Fred Skillington, Cynthia Finking and Carolyn Melbourne.

PLACES VISITED include the Eastwood Cemetery, the iconic but now defunct Congregational Church, the sadly closed Durban House, The Birthplace Museum, the Breach House, Haggs Farm, Felley Mill, Beauvale Priory, Hill Top Roman Catholic Church and Eastwood Baptist Church. The virtual tour begins and ends at the Birthplace and includes a descriptive walk around the superb surrounding countryside.

READINGS are recited by Alison and Brian Seaman, Brian Fretwell and David Amos.
Poems and prose are by Lawrence, Ruth Templeton and Willie Hopkin.

MUSIC USED includes a well loved folk song ‘I sowed the seeds of love’ and hymns enjoyed by Jessie Chambers and D.H. Lawrence along with original instrumental compositions from Alan. He ends with a very personal tribute, written specially for the Eastwood Festival in 2017.  It is called ‘A Chorale Fantasia on Deep Harmony’ (subtitled ‘The Country of my heart’), where in musical language Alan expresses the sorrows and joys of this highly emotive association.