THE ancient white horses of Wiltshire and Oxfordshire are about to be celebrated in music, dance and poetry at a Swindon pub.

Veteran local street performer Robert Stredder and other artists from Theatre Des Bicyclettes will assemble on Sunday at The Beehive, in Prospect Hill.

Their show is called The Nine White Horses and is billed as “an animated mixed media production with dance, poetry and live music, featuring the horses from Devizes, Pewsey, Cherhill, Hackpen Hill, Alton Barnes, Marlborough, Broad Town, Westbury/Bratton.

“And of course, last but not least, the Uffington White Horse.”

According to Robert, many Wiltshire people are familiar with some of the county’s ancient hillside chalk horses, but few realise there are so many.

The genesis of the show was a series of walks Robert took about a year ago, climbing hills in all weathers, notebook in hand.

“A lot of people realise there is beautiful countryside but don’t get out and into it often,” he said.

“Everyone goes to Uffington but there are all these other ones like Alton Barnes which are really beautiful, in a beautiful setting and worth a visit.

“It’s the sort of thing a child of seven or eight with their parents and grandparents could manage.

“Part of The Nine White Horses is to say to people, why don’t you try to find the nine white horses?”

Robert’s own walks inspired him to write the poems and songs that he and his fellow performers plan to deliver on Sunday, with the cabaret-style show set to run from 3pm to 5pm.

Almost a week later, on Saturday, October 25, the team will take the show to the Herongate Leisure Centre, in Hungerford’s Charnham Park, starting at 7pm.

Further information about The Nine White Horses and Theatre Des Bicyclettes can be obtained by calling 01793 725206 or 07940 727409, or by emailing jackie bardwell@yahoo.co.uk. The Beehive’s website is bee-hive.co.uk.