Some of the ensembles arriving at their Oxfordshire rehearsal studio are so young that they have to be chauffeured there by parents. With middle-aged, child-festooned Beaker everything has to be fitted into professional and domestic schedules.

Beaker consists of Clare (drums), Sam and Emma (vocals), TJ (guitar) and Hayley (bass). Their music has been described as “indie-grunge-pop-opera”, but as Beaty Rubens discovers at the start of her six-month stint with the group, they are unlike most all-female rock bands. Some of the ensembles arriving at their Oxfordshire rehearsal studio are so young that they have to be chauffeured there by parents. With middle-aged and child-festooned Beaker – three teachers, one seamstress and a university administrator – everything has to be fitted into professional and domestic schedules.

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