Some Folk Festivals and other events
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There are literally hundreds of folk festivals, and some pretty good lists and guides, both in print and on the Internet. (For example Folk Roots does a massive one.) But there aren't that many in our end of the country. This selection picks out the more local ones for us in Harlow, including some small ones you might not find in some lists, together with some further afield ones that I've been to, or which I think I might get to some time.
NB: I kept in the list for 2002, and haven't got round to updating for 2003 yet - but in the meantime the contact details are probably still correct, and the dates don't change much. So for the time being I've left the year date at 2002 - apart from for January. It's probaby lerss confusing that way. As and when I've got the infoirmation, I'll update and emend.
And I'll also include here some local events for us in Harlow, such as concerts and one-off sessions and so forth.
Where events are relatively reachable from Harlow, I've put HR in front of them - (for "Harlow Riding", which has been significantly extended for this purpose. (For example to include London., and much of the Home Counties and East Anglia)
January 2003
25th January, Saturday (Burns Night): "Harlow Folk Club" presents Joe Locker and Tom Paley with Ben Paley; and as guests Cabbie Drennana and John Hammond. 7.30 pm at Harlow Council Club, Fishers Hatch, Broadfield. Tickets from Jonathan Chan, jchan@alphacrc.co.uk,01279 425271, 117 Parsonage Leys, Harlow. Tickets £6 - and since it's members only, and Harlow Council gets up tight about stuff like that, Jonathan says he needs the names by 11th January. (Harlow Folk Club has been in suspended animation for a long time now - so maybe this could be a way of getting things together to have it up an running again this year...)
February 2002
March 2002
April 2002 - 36th National Folk Music Festival, Sutton Bonington, nr Loughborough, Leicestershire.
(HR) 19th- 21st April 2002 - Woodworks music and dance day in Bishop's Stortford, with Katherine Tikkell and various local people; Charis Centre, Water Lane, Bishop's Stortford; contact: Jon & Elaine 01279 722326 , Karen 01279 658524. This website has more details.
(HR)3th - 6th May HASTINGS TRADITIONAL JACK IN
THE GREEN 2002, E Sussex
Details from: Keith Leech, 205 Priory Rd, Hastings, East Sussex,
TN34 3JB. Tel: (01424 716576. e-mail: jitg@talk21.com web: ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/david_lock
May 3-6 ROCHESTER SWEEPS FESTIVAL, Kent.
Gordon Newton, 24 Kings Acre, Otham, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 8UP.
Tel: 01622 721077. Fax: 01622 720066. Email: sweeps.festival@ukonline.co.uk
May 3-5 MOOR&COAST FESTIVAL 2001
Details from: Whitby, N Yorks. Tel: (01947) 820408. Fax: (01947)
820408/ 821873. e-mail: moorcoast@yahoo.com
website: www.moorandcoast.co.uk
(HR) Monday May 7th 2001: Standon Village Day, a few miles up the road from Harlow, with the main street of the village blocked off, and people dancing in the street, and Morris Men and a boot fair, and a flower festival, lots of stalls and probably the odd session in a pub. (On real May Day, May 1st, the Standon Morris Men will be doing their dawn dance at the Standon Puddingstone as they always do - though I've never been up early enough to see it, so far.) (And check that this year's Standon is not another Foot and Mouth cancellation.)
(HR)Saturday June 8th 2002: Strawberry Fair in Cambridge, on Misummer Common. Not a Folk Festival as
such, but definitely a festival for folkies, with all kinds of
folk and roots music, as well as stalls where you can get all
kinds of stuff to wear and eat and so forth. A cross between
Woodstock, North Weald, and a village fete. Visit the website.
June1-8 DRUGA GODBA 2001, Ljubljana, Slovenia "A
world music festival which has brought exotic cultures to
Slovenia, linking together different musical styles (Afro-beat,
Latino, roots, new jazz, folk, DJ-ing) and, for one week every
year, tears down all musical walls."
Details from: Bogdan Benigar, Kersnikova 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana,
Slovenia. Tel: (+386) 61 13 81 580. Fax: (+386) 61 13 81 585. e-mail:
bogdan.benigar@kiss.uni-lj.si
web: www.ljudmila.org/drugagodba
(HR) Sunday June 23rd - MEGA FOLK SESSION at The Rose & Crown, Ashwell, Hertfordshire Sunday June 23rd 8:00 pm onwards - as part of the Rose & Crown Solstice Festival - ALSO *** MINI BEER FEST ***
Free camping at top of pub garden for small numbers (phone Ian - 01462 743091 for confirmation) All singers, musicians, dancers, morris teams, jugglers, vagabonds etc. welcome.
(HR) Friday June 28th to Sunday 30th 2002: Southend and Leigh Folk Festival, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. A mostly Free festival with lots of sessions in pubs and dancing in the street, and free concerts. And the best fish and chips as you can find in the South of England. (There are some events on Fruiday and Saturday with charges.) Details from: Sean Wyer, 235 Westborough Road, Westcliff on Sea, Essex, SS0 9PS. Tel: (01702) 390454. Fax: (01702) 390454. e-mail: tony@priority1.demon.co.uk web: http://www.folkfestival.org.uk/the_festival.htm
12th-14th July ELY FOLK WEEKEND 2002 - Details from: Ely Folk Weekend 38 Lynn Road, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB6 1DA tel 01353 664706 e-mail:boxoffice@elyfolk.co.uk web: www.elyfolk.co.uk
13th-14th July - Moreton Midsummer - Moreton, Essex. Sessions, singarounds, folk-club, concerts, Rose Queen crowning and procession, 25 Morris Sides, step-dancing competition, Brass Bands, belly-dancing...Everything free except the barn dance on Saturday, and the beer. And camping available. Contact: Rosie 01277 374378; Jyne 01277 890519. Or email - rosie@the briars13.freeserve.co.uk
July 26th - 28th 2002 TROWBRIDGE VILLAGE PUMP FESTIVAL 2001,
Wilts
Details from: Alan Briars, PO Box 984, Bath, Avon, BA1 6YH. Tel:
(01225) 769132. Fax: (01225) 769132. e-mail: alan.briars@virgin.net
web: http://www.trowbridgefestival.co.uk/
26th-28th July WOMAD FESTIVAL 2002, Rivermead, Reading,
Berks
Details from: WOMAD, Millside, Mill Lane, Box, nr Corsham, Wilts,
SN13 8PN. Tel: (01225) 744494 (info) / (0118) 939 0930 (box
office). e-mail: womad@realworld.on.net
/ the.hexagon@reading.gov.uk
(box office) web: www.womad.org/reading
(HR) August 1st to 4th CHARLES WELLS CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL 2002, CambridgeDetails from: Eddie Barcan. Tel: (01223) 457521 / 457245 / 457515. Fax: (01223) 457529. web: www.cam-folkfest.co.uk Enormous and noisy, good if you like that sort of thing. (Which I sometimes do - I hope to get there, since this year it won't clash with Sidmouth this year ) It would be better if there was a bit more folk music. But at least it's fairly local. Details from: Tim Holt, Leisure Services, The Guildhall, Cambridge, CB2 3QJ. Tel: (01223) 457521 (mailing list & info)/(01223) 357831 (box office) (NB Tickets sell out early - and so does camping for Cherry Hinton especially.)
Aug 2nd to 9th 2002 48th SIDMOUTH
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF FOLK ARTS, East Devon. A Seaside Holiday in Devon and a folk
Festival in one, with the sea and the cliffs and the shingle, and
all kinds of music and dancing. Really about three or four
different kinds of festivals happening alongside each other.
Details from: The Box Office, PO Box 296, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP19
3TL. Tel: (01629) 760123 (24 hrs). Fax: (01296) 392300. e-mail: info@sidmouthfestival.com web: http://www.sidmouthfestival.com/ 
Aug 9th-11th CROPREDY FESTIVAL, Cropredy, Nr. Banbury, Oxon
Details from: Chris Pegg, Woodworm Records, PO Box 37, Banbury,
Oxon, OX16 8YN Fax: (01869) 337142. web: http://www.folkcorp.co.uk/woodworm/crop2000.htm
Aug 11-13 DARTMOOR FOLK FESTIVAL 2001, South Zeal,
Okehampton, Devon
Details from: Mrs Jane White, Sunnyhill, South Zeal, Okehampton,
Devon, EX20 2JL. Tel: (01837) 840162. Fax: (01363) 773545. (NB
check date)
Aug 9-16 BROADSTAIRS
FOLK WEEK, Kent.
Jane de Rose, Pierremont Hall, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 1JX. Tel:
01843 604080. Fax: 01843 866048.
Details from: Jane de Rose, Pierremont Hall, Pierremont Park,
Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 1JX. Tel: (01843) 604080. Fax: (01843)
866048. e-mail: info@folk-week.demon.co.uk
web: http://www.broadstairsfolkweek.com/
Aug 17-23rd WHITBY
FOLK WEEK 2002, Whitby, North Yorkshire
Details from: Malcolm Storey, PO Box 44, Selby, N Yorkshire, YO8
9YP. Tel: (01757) 708424. Fax: (01757) 708424. e-mail: wfw@box44selby.freeserve.co.uk Whitby
Folk Week. A bit challenging
vertically perhaps, but worth the climb. It's always a great
festival. A season ticket for the week is £92 up till 1st May. A Mudcat Cafe Workshop is promised. Contact: 01757 708424. Fax: (01757) 708424
(Only a few miles from Hogwarts)
Aug 22-26 TOWERSEY VILLAGE FESTIVAL 2002,
Towersey, Nr. Thame, Oxon
Details from: Festival Office, PO Box 296, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP19
3TL. Tel: (01296) 394411 (info line). Fax: (01296) 392300. e-mail:
towersey@mrscasey.co.uk
web: www.mrscasey.co.uk/towersey
Thursday 29th August to Sunday 1st September : Fylde Folk Festival 2002. This takes place in Fleetwood, a little town just North of Blackpool. Alan Bell is the organising genius behind it, and it's a great festival. A bit like Whitby ironed out (which is why Fleetwood has real trams (escaped from Blackpool) running through the streets). Contact: Alan Bell 55 The Strand, Rossall, Fleetwood FY7 8NP. 01253 872317, Fax 01253 878382; email:alanbell@fylde-folk-fest.demon.co.uk And it now has an excellent website.
(HR) Sept 6-8 WALTON ON THE NAZE FOLK FESTIVAL 2002, Essex. Details from: Jon&Pam Fitzgerald, 9 Marine Parade, Dovercourt, Harwich, Essex, CO12 3JX e-mail: festinfo@thrift-music.com 01255 6579232/670087 website: http://www.thrift-music.com/
Oct 4-6 TENTERDEN FOLK FESTIVAL 2001, Kent
Details from: T.I.C., Town Hall, High St, Tenterden, Kent, TN30 6AN.
Tel: (01580) 763572. e-mail: folkspots@btinternet.com
web: http://www.folkspots.btinternet.co.uk/trust/tfdt.htm#top
(HR) Buntingford Winter Sing, at the Crown, Buntingford, Details later.
Carols in Harlowbury Chapel Old Road, Old Harlow at 2.30 - Carols. Plus mince pies and a bit of jumble. Harlowbury is the oldest building in Harlow pre or immediately post Norman Conquest. Desecrated at the Reformation, and turned into a barn, restored more or less a few years ago. Great place to sing - pity the carols aren't Sheffield style, but maybe we could work on that. (The Chapel is open 10 to 4pm December 15th and 16th) (NB Check dates
Beerfordbury Christmas 2001 Wassail tours - various evenings. For more details visit their website and enquire, nearer to the date.
Plough Monday WHITTLESEA STRAW BEAR FESTIVAL, Whittlesey,
Cambs
Details from: Brian Kell, 119 Eastrea Rd, Whittlesey, Cambe, PE7
2AJ. Tel: (01733) 208245. e-mail: kells@u.genie.co.uk web: http://www.strawbear.org.uk/Festival%202002.htm
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