A great photo of Toyah is included at The Tatler website in a gallery of images from last week’s Nicholas Coleridge book launch. Another of Toyah is also featured at The Media Eye as the lead photo in their coverage of the event, in the Around Town section.
Punk princess Toyah Willcox has named Croome Park, near Pershore, as her favourite place to take a walk. The actress and singer named the historic landscape park as her top spot as the National Trust launched a nationwide search to discover the country’s 10 Greatest British Walks.
• Continue reading at the Cotswold Journal.
Pop Star Toyah Willcox: How I stood up to BBC gropers in the Eighties
Toyah Willcox, the pop star, says she stood up to the men sexually assaulting girls at the BBC in the Eighties.
As the list of women who claim to have been subjected to unwelcome male attention at the BBC seems to lengthen daily, Toyah Willcox insists that she at least made it clear that she was having none of it.
“You either had to stand up to it or play into it,” the feisty 54-year-old pop star informs me at Annabel’s nightclub, where Nicholas Coleridge was launching his novel The Adventuress. “I’m feisty, I always have been, even then. I was deemed quite old at 20, among men, and that probably saved my bacon, in a way. You knew, in any case, that there were certain men that you shouldn’t be alone with.”
• Continue reading at The Telegraph.
It’s her fans’ favourite record – but it’s taken 30 years for Toyah Wilcox to face up to playing The Changeling album again.
The popular singer, actress and TV personality released the album in 1982, and it captured a dark, stressful time in her life. It’s only now that she feels she can perform it.
“The important thing about The Changeling and now is that I feel I can face it again,” she says ahead of her show at Classic Grand in Glasgow on Friday.
• Continue reading at the Evening Times (free registration required).
A new article on Toyah, from the Birmingham Mail.
Brummie punk singer Toyah Willcox fronts new walking campaign – after hip replacement surgery
Brummie chart star Toyah Willcox is stepping out to front a major walking festival – with her new hip. Fifty-four year-old Toyah, who shot to fame in the eighties with hits including It’s A Mystery, is the ‘face’ of the National Trust’s Great British Walk this autumn.
• Continue reading at the Birmingham Mail and/or The Sunday Mercury.
Toyah is another 80s performer who is celebrating an anniversary of another album. She continues a twelve date tour in the UK today celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Changeling and Warrior Rock. This is part two of a sold-out tour which she began last April. By all accounts she really looks the part and has even resurrected some of her old costumes from her performing days in the 80s.
Toyah and her husband Robert Fripp will feature in a new documentary series called Love and Marriage on BBC4 on a date still to be confirmed in late September.
• Continue reading at All 80s Radio.
Celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of The Changeling, Toyah and her full band perform a selection of songs from the album alongside classic material as heard on the Warrior Rock live album.
The Changeling Resurrection II is a treat for Toyah diehards, 1980s fans and goth/rock music lovers. With brand new images created especially for the tour and material not performed in thirty years, this is a true celebration and reinterpretation of one of Toyah’s finest albums, alongside hit singles.
Toyah’s special tour opens right here at Middlesbrough Theatre. Be the first to see it!
A couple of Toyah/’Echo Beach’ related press clippings, from yesterday’s ‘Evening Standard’ and today’s ‘Daily Mail’ newspapers. Even though it was included in the article I’ve blocked out Toyah’s address. (Thanks to Lärwi for both of these)
Punk princess Toyah Willcox has named Croome Park, near Pershore, as her favourite place to walk.
The actress and singer, who lives in Pershore, named the historic landscape park as her top spot as its owners the National Trust launched a nationwide search to discover the country’s Ten Greatest British Walks.
She said: “Croome Park is just absolutely stunning. It’s designed yet you think you’re in natural countryside. You look out across these gentle rolling hills and you see wonderful monuments, follies and statues and the lake in particular is really lovely.”
• Continue reading at Worcester News.
Toyah Willcox: The reason I became a make up artist.
In the studio today playing one of my favourite 80′s playlists from my iPod, a Toyah Willcox track came on. I was describing to my model (who hadn’t even been born in Toyah’s heyday) the very first time I saw Toyah perform on TV as a girl. I was blown away by her New Romantic/Punk image, her trademark flame red hair and her incredible make up. This was the first time I consciously thought, “I want to be a make up artist!”.
• Continue reading at The Truth About Beauty.
Pershore celebrity Toyah Willcox is urging people in the Vale to explore the sights of the countryside by taking part in the Great British Walk.
The actress, singer and writer wants as many people to join National Trust’s new campaign which aims to celebrate the British countryside in the autumn season. In order to celebrate this, more than 3,000 walking events, activities and trails at National Trust places across Britain including the Vale’s own Croome Court near Pershore.
And the former I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here star urged people to view the surroundings at Croome. “Croome Park is just absolutely stunning,” she said. “It’s designed yet you think you’re in natural countryside. You look out across these gentle rolling hills and you see wonderful monuments, follies and statues and the lake in particular is really lovely. You truly feel you own the whole park while you walk around it.”
• Continue reading at the Evesham Observer.
The darling of punk rock Toyah Willcox and her guitar virtuoso husband Robert Fripp are lending their support to a village fete.
Mr Fripp, of prog-rockers King Crimson fame and who plucked the solo on David Bowie’s Heroes, is opening the Wick fete at 1.30pm on Saturday.
There will be live music from Wyred Up, entertainment by Tyro the Magician, a fun dog show, and lots more at the village near Pershore. Admission is free for children and a £1 for adults, ad no charge for car parking. For details visit wickfete.org.uk
• Continue reading at the Worcester News.
An excellent new article on Quadrophenia, and the Blu-ray release, from The New York Times.
“Quadrophenia,” which the Criterion Collection is reissuing in a restored version on Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday, concerns little more than a skinny 18-year-old West Londoner trying to track down some blues (speed) for one of these seaside gatherings turned tabloid-covered riots. But the emotions that “Quadrophenia” elicits and its role in converting troubled souls to smartly dressed members of a movement (one with its own chant: “We are the Mods! We are the Mods!”) can be as forceful as the waves that open both the film and the Who’s 1973 double album.
• Continue reading at The New York Times.
Toyah Willcox has chosen Middlesbrough Theatre to launch the latest leg of her tour, celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of The Changeling. The Changeling Resurrection II sees Toyah and her full band perform a selection of songs from the album alongside classic material as heard on the Warrior Rock live album.
The performance takes place on Wednesday 19th September at 7.30pm. Tickets are £18, concessions £16.
• Continue reading at Darlington For Culture.
Pints and bottles have been replaced with cakes and chocolates at a new Stoke-on-Trent business.
John and Carl Wynne have spent £400,000 transforming the former Three Tuns pub on Bucknall New Road, Hanley into a specialist cake and chocolate shop and cafe. Wynne’s Cakes and Winnie Wonka Chocolate yesterday, hosted a VIP night to celebrate its opening, with guests including singer and actress Toyah Willcox, right with John and Carl.
John, aged 41, from Hanley, said: “I ran the pub for 15 years, and it was successful for most of that time, but with the decline of the market, I decided to do something different, and my friend suggested I open a cake shop.”
“Four years ago I’d never baked a cake, but I’ve been on lots of courses and it’s going really well. We’ve been open five weeks, and we’ve already got bookings for three weddings.”
With spandex, crimped hair, mullets, neon and leg warmers – the 80s were back with a bang at Lytham Proms.
A stellar line-up brought an impressive crowd of more than 8,000 to the Green, but this was a night for nostalgia, reliving one’s youth and revelling in the chance to wear infamous clothing from yesteryear,
DJ Pat Sharp, famous for his recent I’m a Celebrity exploits, kicked things off with a well worn set, spinning classic tunes of the era as a warm-up for the main event. Early acts on stage included Toyah and T’Pau.
• Continue reading at the Blackpool Gazette. (Photo © Blackpool Gazette)
Toyah plays the Lytham Proms 2012 Festival this evening. She has been soundchecking this afternoon at Lytham Green. This is a huge ‘Here and Now’ concert and there has been lots of recent press reports on it. Here are a few:
• ITV News: 80s pop stars to perform at Lytham Proms: 80s pop stars including Rick Astley and Bananarama will perform at this weekend’s Lytham Proms. Pegged as the region’s biggest seaside music festival of the summer, the event kicks off with performances from The Real Thing, Belinda Carlisle, Toyah, Curiosity Killed the Cat, and T’Pau.
• Blackpool Gazette: What’s On Friday 3rd August: Here and Now. The launch of the latest Lytham Proms with a retro night featuring Bananarama, Rick Astley, The Real Thing, Belinda Carlisle, Toyah, Curiosity Killed the Cat and T’Pau. Lytham Green, Lytham. Gates open 5pm.
• Lancashire One: Lytham Proms 2012: A selection of iconic 80’s popstars will headline the opening night of Lytham Proms Festival Weekend 2012 on Friday 3rd August 2012. “Here and Now, The Very Best of the 80’s” will feature stars: Bananarama, Rick Astley, The Real Thing, Belinda Carlisle, Toyah, Curiosity Killed the Cat and T’Pau in what is dubbed as being the Fylde Coast’s biggest party EVER!
• View all of our Lytham Proms Festival Weekend 2012 news.
… To Illuminate The Fylde Coast’s Party Of The Year
A fantastic state-of-the-art system will light up this year’s Lytham Proms Festival like never before – as organisers set the stage for the Fylde Coast’s party of the year.
The stars of this year’s three-day musical extravaganza will create their magic on the festival’s biggest-ever stage. The fantastic festival line-up includes Eighties stars Rick Astley, The Real Thing, Belinda Carlisle, Toyah, Curiosity Killed the Cat, Bananarama and T’Pau wowing the crowds on the opening Friday night.
• Continue reading, at the ‘Lythams Proms Festival Weekend 2012’ website, here.
Music lovers flocking to this year’s Lytham Proms Festival are doing it in style, with record numbers snapping up its VIP packages – after a surge of sales during the Open. In a recession-busting revelation, all the VIP tickets for Friday’s ‘Here and Now, The Very Best of the 80s’ show – featuring a host of Eighties music legends – have already sold out.
And similarly for Saturday’s hugely-popular ‘Last Night of the Proms’, featuring local hero Alfie Boe has just a few VIP tickets remaining, with all his General Admission tickets now sold out. There are now only a last few VIP places remaining for Sunday’s highly-anticipated appearance of Olly Murs for his only show in the North West this summer.
Those lucky enough to have already grabbed VIP packages for the ‘Last Night of the Proms’ will also enjoy a three-course meal, as well as a champagne and canapé reception, plus a private bar area. This year’s event will take place at Lytham Green on August 3, 4, and 5 – just two weeks after the eyes of the world were on the resort for the Open.
All the VIP tickets for ‘Here & Now’ and the ‘Last Night of the Proms’ have already sold out and packages for the Sunday night are selling very quickly, with less than a handful left. People are really looking forward to the Fylde Coast’s biggest ever party and they want to do it in style!
The ‘Here and Now’ line-up includes Rick Astley, The Real Thing, Belinda Carlisle, Toyah, Curiosity Killed the Cat, Bananarama and T’Pau wowing the crowds on the opening Friday night. Legendary DJ Pat Sharp will get the party started, with a two-hour set of 80s classics. English soprano Laura Wright will be special guest at Alfie Boe’s ‘Last Night of The Proms’ show on Saturday night.
…and Walks the King’s Heath Walk Of Fame @ The Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, UK – 16th July 2012
There’s s good selection of photos, from Monday’s ‘King’s Heath Walk Of Fame’ event at Gig Junkies, including Toyah, Robert Fripp and Melissa Mailer-Yates (with the fantastic ‘Changeling’ painting – more on that here).
Neon Womb, It’s A Mystery , Thunder In The Mountains, Brave New World? Are bells ringing down memory lane?
• Continue reading at Gig Junkies. (Photo © Ian Dunn/Principle Photography)
… on King’s Heath Walk of Fame
A new article by the Birmingham Mail on Toyah’s big day in King’s Heath yesterday. Includes a video news report and brief interview with Toyah.
• Continue reading/watching at the Birmingham Mail. (Photo © Birmingham Mail)
