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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: This list is for 2001. That means that doesn't have details yet of a lot of festivals which I'll be including later. In the meantime here is a link to the 2000 list - most festivals are more or less the same date each year.
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)
February 2000
March 2000
6th to 8th April 2001 - 35th National Folk Music Festival, Sutton Bonington, nr Loughborough, Leicestershire. Cancelled because of foot and mouth. (Well, it is an agricultural college, so it seems fair enough. There's a special event going on at Cecil Sharp House in London as a kind of compensation, since there are lots of good people with time to spare that weekend as a result.)
Easter Sunday 15th April
2001 'unplugged'
benefit night for Carnival
Against Capitalism starting at 8 p.m. on at The
Square, Town Centre, Harlow, Essex. Box Office: (01279)
305000. "Come and hear top local 'roots' music talent and
help to benefit the 2001 carnival!" Entrance is £4.00 with
£2.00 concessions. For info on this click here: http://www.fortunecity.co.uk/meltingpot/seymour/392/page4.html
(HR) Saturday 21st April 2001 - Woodworks music and dance day in Bishop's Stortford, with Jez Lowe, the Wrigley Sisters from the far North, and various local people; Charis Centre, Water Lane, Bishop's Stortford; contact: Jon & Elaine 01279 722326 , Karen 01279 658524. This website might have more details.
(HR)4th - 7th May HASTINGS TRADITIONAL JACK IN
THE GREEN 2000, 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 4-7 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 4-6 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
In May there are various events as a May Festival under the banner of "Carnival against Capitalism".
The Band Stand concert on Sunday 6th May has been cancelled, because of Foot and Mouth - but there will be an indoors concert all afternoon in thh Square from noon on. Free.
Then there's an evening show in The Square to follow with "US Rabble-Rouser David Rovics". For more details, see organiser Cliff Moore's post in my Message Board. Or click here: http://www.fortunecity.co.uk/meltingpot/seymour/392/page4.html .
(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 2nd 2001: 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.
June1-9 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) Friday June 22nd to Sunday 24th 2001: Southend and Leigh Folk Festival, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. A mostly Free festival with lots of sessions in pubs and dancing in the streets, 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
No ELY FOLK WEEKEND 2001 - but should be back next year. Details from: 78 West End, Haddenham, Cambs, CB6 3TE. Tel: (01353) 741032. e-mail: ruthie@cellar.free-online.co.uk web: www.ely.org.uk/folk2.htm
Sunday 1st - Now today there should have taken place, in Harlow Town Park, at our Band stand, the outdoor mini-festival that was to be in May, but was cancelled because of Foot and Mouth. However with a few days to go,. Harlow Council pulled the plug on it. This time presumably nothing to do with cows and sheep, everything to do with the fact that it was billed as a Carnival Against Capitalism. Not the right image for New Labour.
July 19th in London Music in Pubs to try to get laws changed to make it easier for us to have sessions - click here for press release details.
July 20-22 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/flash.htm
July 27-29th WOMAD FESTIVAL 2001, 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) July 26th-29th CHARLES WELLS CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL 2001, 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 fior Cherry Hinton especially.)
Aug 3rd to 10th 47th 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: (01296) 433669 (24 hrs). Fax: (01296) 392300. e-mail: sidmouth@mrscasey.co.uk
web: www.mrscasey.co.uk/sidmouth 
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 10-17 BROADSTAIRS FOLK WEEK 2001, Kent
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.btinternet.com/~pete.shaw/index.html
Aug 18th-24th (I think) WHITBY
FOLK WEEK 2001, 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. This year could be dfrowded,
since it'as due to clash with the Whitby Regatta. A season ticket
for the week is £80 up till 1st May. A Mudcat Cafe Workshop is promised. Contact: 01757 708424. Fax: (01757) 708424
(Only a few miles from Hogwarts)
Aug 23-27 TOWERSEY VILLAGE FESTIVAL 2001,
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 30th August to Sunday 2rd September : Fylde Folk Festival. 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 7-9 (Check dates)WALTON ON THE NAZE FOLK FESTIVAL 2001, Essex. Details from: Jon&Pam Fitzgerald, 9 Marine Parade, Dovercourt, Harwich, Essex, CO12 3JX e-mail: festinfo@thrift-music.com 01255 6579232/670087
Oct 5-7 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.btinternet.com/~folkspots/trust/fest01/index01.htm#top
(HR) Buntingford Winter Sing, at the Crown, Buntingford, Friday 16th until Sunday 18th November, as usual at. Contact: Carol Southwell 01279 726761, or C.A.Southwell@tesco.net
Sunday 16th December 2001 ?3pm 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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