Devon’s Premier Public Speaker – Jim Causley
Jim Causley is a professional musician on the national folk scene and an experienced public speaker. He is a specialist in the traditional folk songs of Devon. He is a born & bred Devonian with a good Devonshire pedigree, he has deep ancestral Devon roots with 85% Devon and Cornish DNA and family names such has Tremlett, Beer, Lippett, Aggett, Brimblecombe and Cann and is also a relation of the celebrated Cornish poet Charles Causley. Jim has been performing on the national folk scene for over 25 years and has been giving presentations for WI’s and local history groups since the late 2000’s when he first spoke for his grandmother’s home WI in Pinhoe. He gives talks on a variety of subjects including the history of Devon Folk Songs, the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould, the Life and Poetry of Charles Causley, A West Country Christmas, The Folklore of Devon, The World of Wassailing, Allhallowtide, Songs of Dartmoor and The Songs & Yarns of Jan Stewer. As well as speaking Causley always includes examples of traditional Devon folk songs and poems in his public talks and speaking appearances. His presentations are always enjoyable, interesting, light-hearted and educational. Particularly on aspects of local history and culture which is not taught in mainstream education. Jim is an expert in the Devonshire Dialect having learnt it from family members and neighbours in rural East Devon. For sixteen years Jim has been donning the mantle of Jan Stewer at the annual ‘Jan Stewer Night’ which is held in the village of Puddington every summer. The Devon dialect author A.J. Coles was once the school teacher in Puddington and now the old school is now the village hall which makes the perfect venue to read aloud and celebrate his wonderful and hilarious Devonshire dialect stories, poems and songs.
Jim Causley holds two National Diplomas in both the Performing Arts and Jazz & Popular Music which he studied for at Exeter College before undertaking a four year conservatoire degree in Folk & Traditional Music at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Although Causley only achieved a 2:2 at university he was awarded the highest mark for performance in his year which he was incredibly proud of. He graduated in 2006 and then completed his academic career with an MA at Dartington College of Arts from 2006 – 2007. Causley has performed and recorded with some of the great names of the British, Irish and American folk scenes including Waterson:Carthy, John McCusker, Kate Rusby, Shirley Collins, Show of Hands, Seth Lakeman, Geoff Lakeman, Eddie Reader, Anais Mitchell, John Tams, Sarah Jarosz, Graham Coxson, David Rotheray, Eleanor McEvoy, Eimear Quinn and many more. He has been nominated six times for a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award. Causley was awarded the Mike Hartland Award for work which engages people in Cornish culture by the Gorsedh Kernow in 2017 for his project on the work of Cornish poet Jack Clemo. His album Cyprus Well was one of The Telegraph’s top ten albums of 2013 and his debut songwriting album ‘Forgotten Kingdom’ was one of Mojo Magazine’s top 10 folk albums of 2016.
Causley give talks all over the South West, Devon in particular but he is happy to travel to other counties for public speaking bookings. His fee including travel expenses as well as the provision of all sound and PA amplification equipment. Causley does not use slides nor a laptop and he does not require a screen nor a projector. All that is required for Jim Causley talk or presentation is a handy plug socket! Jim uses roller-banners to display photographs of the people and places which feature in his talks. While most of my upcoming bookings are displayed on his website, please bear in mind that he does not list private bookings on his website and also, just because he is not giving a talk or a concert on a certain date does not mean he is not working… there are emails to be answered and songs to be written and recorded!! If you are interested in booking Jim for a talk or a pulling speaker event then do not hesitate to get in touch with him via his website.
Over the last 20 years Causley has performed at many of Devon’s WI groups, most of the Devon U3A groups, History Societies, coffee mornings, over 60’s clubs, Probus Groups, Twinning Groups, Rotary Clubs, Mothers Unions, Young Farmers, Town’s Women’s Guild, Memory Cafes, NWR groups, Ladies Circle, Soroptimists, Women’s Link, Tangent Clubs, Gardening Clubs, touring coach parties, lunch clubs, libraries and many more!
Groups I have given talks for in the past include:
U3A Groups:
BARNSTAPLE U3A
BRAUNTON & DISTRICT U3A
CHARD U3A
CHUDLEIGH U3A
CREDITON U3A
CULM VALLEY U3A
DAWLISH U3A
EXE VALLEY U3A
EXMOUTH U3A
HONITON U3A
IVYBRIDGE U3A
KINGSBRIDGE U3A
LYME REGIS U3A
OKEHAMPTON U3A
PAIGNTON U3A
PLYMPTON U3A
PLYMSTOCK U3A
SEATON U3A
SOUTH MOLTON U3A
TAVY DISTRICT U3A
WELLINGTON U3A
West Buckland Friendship Group
Newton Abbot Monday Club
Chudleigh Coffee Morning
Seaton Musical Society
The Charles Causley Trust
Churchinford Gardening Club
The Baring-Gould Society
Minehead Conservation Society
Gorsedh Kernow
Exeter University
Exeter College
The University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Tavistock Wharf Talks
Local History Societies:
Exeter Local History Society
Woodbury History Society
Widecombe History Society
Crediton History & Museum Society
Thorverton History Group
Torquay History Society
Shillingford History Society
Whimple History Society
Colyton History Society
W.I. Groups:
Pinhoe WI
Broadhembury WI
Feniton WI
Moorland Ladies Group WI
Kenn WI
Cornworthy WI
Dawlish WI
Exeter WI
Newcourt WI
Kingsbridge WI
Offwell WI
Ivybridge WI
Filleigh WI
Shaldon WI
Dartington WI
Awliscombe Ladies Group
BRIMPLEY WI BOVEY
Uffculme Ladybirds
Okehampton Ladies Probus
Twinning Groups:
Bampton Twinners
Cullompton Twinners
Crediton Twinners
Newton Ferrers Twinners
Uplowman Twinners
Libraries:
Crediton Library
St Thomas Library
Exeter Library
Bridport Library
Barnstaple Library
Brixham Library
Paignton Library
Bideford Library
St Ives Library
Penzance Library
Holsworthy Library
Braunton Library
Princetown Library
Okehampton Library
Kingsbridge Library
Villages in Action Tours:
Newton St Cyres Village Hall
Whimple Village Hall
Peter Tavy Village Hall
Clayhidon Village Hall
Puddington Village Hall
Starcross Village Hall
Brentor Village Hall
Rattery Village Hall
Chagford Jubilee Hall
Buckfastleigh Hall
Cheriton Fitzpaine Village Hall
Credton Arts Centre
Plymtree Village Hall
Mamhead Village Hall