It’s only 8 ¼ Miles to Dreamland

This fifteen track CD was recorded in Whitstable and Faversham, Kent during 2010. The songs consist of ten from the Hobbins stable and five traditional. A jamboree bag of songs focusing on Kent, signs, food, wishes, landscape, work and wages and other things.

Many thanks to the following musicians and singers who have felt the need to pluck, scrape, blow, hit and holler:

Doug Brown. Martin Elliott. Johnny Fewings. Martin Kember-Smith. Rob Jarvis. Will Glanfield. Justin Mitchell. Neil Sloman. Phil Moss. Sean Scully. Mavernie Cunningham. Gordon Brenchly. Malcolm Watson. And words from Andrew Ling on track 15.

"It’s Only 8 ¼ Miles To Dreamland is the latest CD from the inimitable Nigel Hobbins. It’s a varied collection of songs, from reggae, to English Folk music, to sea shanties, to Scottish laments, to country howls, some of them written by Nigel himself, many of them traditional, but all inhabited by Nigel’s character and sensibility in a way that makes them uniquely his own."

- Chris Stone

You can read Chris Stone's full review of It’s only 8 ¼ Miles to Dreamland here.

"A delightful and quirky array of material, from trad to original songs, from Kentish Hobbins. Infused with the spirit of Rory McLeod, plus a firm rooting and understanding of an array of musical styles - ska to old-timey. Warm bras, nice twiddly mandolin, winning vocal delivery and storytelling."

- Folk Roots Review