Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 19 May 09 - 01:06 PM

Doug has had his meeting with the council and some improvements are likely to be in train. He thanks us for our input.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 19 May 09 - 10:33 AM

Romanyman: "im off to slaughter a few anilmals for der eads"

Goody, got any Rams Skulls going spare?? ;-)

Must get me a nice crow mask sorted too.

Just love the metal Biker jingly bell piercings VTam.
Almost tempted...

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: romany man
Date: 19 May 09 - 09:26 AM

Crow sister , im wiv you , im off to slaughter a few anilmals for der eads, love the concept , but then im mad anyway.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 17 May 09 - 11:34 AM

Pierre was just smnitten wif da hats on de Fezz Heads.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Half of No Worries
Date: 17 May 09 - 11:23 AM

Ah yes Pierre, I should have said " SOME High St landlords. The Two Brewers has long been the cherished home of "The Fezz Heads". Well known in these parts for their moderate drinking and sensible behaviour!

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 17 May 09 - 10:51 AM

My first Sweeps I saw a mixed side from San Francisco, that looked very Biker metal. Black leather biker togs and metal studs. They had tattoos and had morris bells on wire pierced through a pinch of skin on upper arms. It was quite gruesome and cool.

The side had been formed by a British expat living in California.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 17 May 09 - 10:46 AM

Aren't there metal biker Morris? I've seen vids of them in the States or something.

You should import a few dozen and dress them up in ritual animal disguises and then send them cruising up and and down the high-street after dark carrying flaming torches, horses heads and rams skulls and such stuff to give the chavs the willies.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Pierre Le Chapeau
Date: 17 May 09 - 09:54 AM

My favorite town pub and it was my 1st ever Sweeps was The Two Brewers. The staff were cheerful polite and above said said thankyou. Whereby the pub across
where the Pigs Ear Stage was located where there were seats and tables outside I was not impressed with at all.
The bar staff did not appear old enough to work in a pub and even if they were they had no interest in what they doing work wise they were more interested in the hoards of mates who were just hanging about on the other side of the bar.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Half of No Worries
Date: 17 May 09 - 08:00 AM

Just a quick word of praise to The Man of Kent pub ( less than half a mile off the High Street and the GI) who also supported the festival and provide an excellent venue for Folk/live music throughout the year. Like the GI staff, they work tirelessly to ensure good order is maintained. They well deserve every penny made from our support. The High St landlords could learn a lot from their example.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 17 May 09 - 07:51 AM

I would love for there to be workshops on various instruments, - bring your own bodhran, whistle, fiddle, mandolin, jaw harp, harmonica, nose flute, etc. Leigh offers a workshop on harmony singing. It was standing room only last year. I think dance workshops would be popluar too.

The exhibition is a brilliant idea. Interactive would be better with morris dancers on hand to give demos. Shameless plug for my observer book of morris. Tatters, hats, blacking up workshops could be offered.

Please please please- I cannot be more emphatic - stagger the concerts, sessions, workshops and morris performances, so everyone can get a taste of everything they want.

Mummers plays! What fun. My brother in law still does mumming with what is left of Ramskyte at Christmas to raise money for charity. I imagine most most groups that do mumming are also muso and/or morris so may be a bit of conflict there. Would be good to see mumming during the Dickens fests.

Damn. I cannot wait to retire to Rochester. Gonna jump in both feet volunteering planning and working these events. I used to do conference management. Not that different from event managment. I bet I could suss the scheduling of acts and events to be more inclusive if the council will agree. I will happily chase and write up the descriptive blurbs. Advocate for lower charges on trade stalls etc. Get the extra camping and security in place. Schmooze the offending pub owners into disengaging the tellies and putting on live music in evenings, so schedule can be extended. Get the Casino owner to donate his buidling to Museum of Morris and make Rochester the Morris capital of the universe.

Pant pant gasp.

Deep sigh. Pipe dream over.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Pierre Le Chapeau
Date: 17 May 09 - 06:34 AM

This day and age I would not bother with large flower or dried flower arrangements, They are clearly too expensive a luxury.
I would go to a local flower wholesalers and buy two Kilos of simple potpourri three months before I was due to do the planned event I would buff up the potpourri from the wholesalers with dried lavender and rose buds from my own garden. You do not need fixatives or preservative for lavender and rose buds but you must know the secret for drying then or they will rot.
I would make up a thousand bags with 3 fragrances ie Peach, Rose and Jasmine and sell then at 99p. a a bag . They would sell.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: dilligafxx
Date: 17 May 09 - 06:19 AM

From a dancers point of view The bands clash with the dancing, if I,m dancing I can't be in a pub listening to a band, so when we finish no bands playing so its nice to go to a good sing around, the only one to be found is in one pub (like Broadstairs). Sunday I did the high street(no dancing) and mixed with the public Enjoyed what I heard Skinners Rats as always excellent.Then went to GI when music ran out. Back to why are all bands on at the same time. Rochester has the same problems as Broadstairs but to a lesser degree {now I begin to sound old} THE YOUTH OF TODAY who unlike us old binge drnkers don,t know how to behave,xx

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Pierre Le Chapeau
Date: 17 May 09 - 06:14 AM

If the Craft usual,s were not there this year that is a bad sign that they made no worth while profit re money or worse did not even take there stall price..

both myself and my ex wife are qualified florists we used to do craft fairs all over the country
and if one is paying the going price of £100 or £200 or more in advance for a pitch over a Bank Holiday we would expect to take £2000 or more and we often then not did. But we would work through the day and night to replace sold stock with new.

Clearly if we did not take our pitch price the first day we got concerned and if we did not take what I called profit over all other expenses then clearly we would not return next year.

I did craft fair for over 11 years and regarded it has a income that paid a mortgage and kept a family. I would not for instance do Rochester Sweeps festival at £200 a pitch over three days because I would know I would run at a loss.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 17 May 09 - 04:52 AM

No

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 17 May 09 - 04:38 AM

Open air theatrical productions of seasonal Mummers Plays?

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 17 May 09 - 04:17 AM

1. Good
2. No. Good idea.
3. No, alas. Tut stalls have been on a lot of people's lists this year but there are just a few stalls selling mostly music stuff in the Guild Hall, and indeed not all of the usuals were there this year.
4. Yes.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 17 May 09 - 04:11 AM

I've not been, but intend to next year.

Do you get anything like an exhibition with information and displays about the history and traditions of Morris and trad Folk in the town hall or somewhere? Or another central public building location. Church or library or something.

Ditto craft stalls, and workshops. It's the sort of stuff I like to see.

What about face painting for silly adults and kids, creative borrowing from 'blacking' traditions. And other similar stuff.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: GUEST,woodsie
Date: 17 May 09 - 03:54 AM

I go to the Good Intent 3 or 4 times a year for the Singarounds that JB hosts. I think these are the best singarounds in the country - and I've been to a few! At the Sweeps this year I didn't bother with the High Street at all! I didn't like any of the other pubs that I had tried on previous occasions and am not a morris dancing fan, so why go anywhere else? Perhaps if there were more diversity of arts, crafts, workshops and street musicians I would be more interested

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: GUEST,guest morris dancer
Date: 16 May 09 - 08:28 PM

Hi all,thanks for the post girl friday, its interesting to note that although it was made very difficult for people to get sweeps programmes this year, the Dickens festuval programmes were duly brought into the shop where i work by the tourist information centre, infact you cant move for them! any were in the high st! why the advance publicity for one and not for the other! three weeks in advance, what is goin on here? has anyone asked why there was lack of pre publicity for sweeps, and yes you are right Girl Friday it is difficult to negociate the councils web page to find the sweeps programme.One festival being favoured over the other perhaps!

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Rafflesbear
Date: 16 May 09 - 04:24 PM

I have sympathy with the view of Romany Man - as far as the mudcat community is concerned it appeared to be the GI festival with a separate festival for the public in another part of town

How could the enthusiasm and support for the GI be integrated with the rest of the festival - or are you all happy to be on the outskirts and not have to rub shoulders with the undesirables? (as suggested by Chatham Girl earlier)

With all the venues in Rochester it seems a shame that reading Mudcat you would get the impression that there was only one

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: growler
Date: 16 May 09 - 04:10 PM

I spoke to Karen and Del,them of the GI today and they are more than happy to keep their status as 'the singaround to be at' and leave the named acts to other venues. They sold over 40 barrels uf ale over the weekend, which Dal has said, is the capacity for the Pub. They have also said that they want to keep, The Barden, Gastove and Ruff n Reddy as the hosts

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: romany man
Date: 16 May 09 - 03:27 PM

having finally got this devils spawn machine working again, i thought id put my ha'pth in for what its worth, i went to sweeps fully intending to go to the good intent to see and hear me cuz the bard, sadly events prevented me from going, so i thought id wander up once the side finished dancing, oh how sadly wrong i was, as the other half was summond to appear at a family council, so not knowing when the good lady would return i waited in the motor, by the time we were able to get moving again, all thoughts of walking up that bloody hill to get to the intent disapeared,so although i applaud the G.I. for all they do, as most of the activity on the weekend is down the high st why not spread around and some of the artistes come down ad hoc so that everyone gets a chance to see and hear what is mainly in the G.I, i agree about the plastic cops, more work needed as many witnessed a bag thief was followed around for ages before a real copper arrived to deal with the poor misunderstood yob,Oh and the cloned suits were from the international rotary club on a junket from brussels did you see the bloody great log some poor sod had to carry around, it appears this same log goes from country to country every year, whenever the local rotarys go on such binges it goes with them, and i thought the masons were potty!! still the gongscourers to the piss unmercifully even being photographed with the wierdos, cant think who were wierder them or the gongs, still a good time was had by all.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Girl Friday
Date: 16 May 09 - 12:28 PM

Sue. I get heaps sent to me by the Drages. I figure it's connected to having ad(s) in AKF, but you're welcome to my surplus next year.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Pierre Le Chapeau
Date: 16 May 09 - 05:52 AM

The Auditors.
I agree with John Barden thats a great name for a Band

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 16 May 09 - 05:36 AM

All you have to do is write to (email will do) the visitor centre and ask (and give your name and address of course). I've never even been asked for an SAE.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: GUEST,Pigstrings
Date: 16 May 09 - 03:58 AM

Sue,

I never have a Sweeps programme in advance! It's the best kept secret in Medway council! I usually end up without a programme at all, I nick my daughter's one because I never have time to go and get one. If you have spare in advance, please send them Pig-wards, we can find good homes for them.

Sue

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 14 May 09 - 12:50 PM

No, I had sufficient thanks Sue.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Girl Friday
Date: 14 May 09 - 07:17 AM

Richard, I always get more than I need, shall I divert them to you next year? (You'd have to remember to remind me.)

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: GUEST,Magrat
Date: 14 May 09 - 07:17 AM

I think it would be a very good idea to have a procession in the middle of the weekend - after all Broadstairs have a couple during their folk week and once the workshop performances have taken place people do start to make a move back home.

I also do not think the Gastove sessions would work as well away from the Good Intent - after all, it's the local resident youths who cause the trouble, and the Good Intent provide everything essential to the success of this festival - good beer, good company and a great atmosphere.

I strongly agree with the need for a larger police presence in the evening, but maybe a start should be made now, and unruly behaviour should be discouraged all year round, not just during festival time.

Let's keep the festival where it should be - in Rochester (and the PoW in Strood), with good live music, whether it's traditional or Americana, lots of Morris sides and good friendly people.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 13 May 09 - 06:46 PM

I have, by nagging the council every year, got onto some sort of distribution list and the programmes came by post to me in dribs and drabs fom first availability. I think I finished up with a dozen this year, but I had 6 people to spread them around...

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Girl Friday
Date: 13 May 09 - 11:05 AM

Sorry Morris Dancer... but that wasn't how I read it. I agree with you entirely now. The Medway council website was very hard to get around this year, and I eventually found a downloadable programme which took up more than one A4 sheet. It would have been simple to print some for early distribution in Rochester. I live in Orpington. Luckily I run a Folk Club, so Kathy Drage sent me a bundle.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: GUEST,guest morrs dancer
Date: 12 May 09 - 06:48 PM

If you actually read my post properly girl friday, you will notice that i said it was impossible to get any information leading up to the sweeps festival, not during it, therefore it made it difficult for people with other priorities to plan their weekend.infact the tourist information centre in rochester only handed out single programmes if you asked.Last year as i previously said these were freely available in all of the shops in the high st,tourist info center and other public places. its all very well if you dont have anything else to do all weekend, but some people have other priorities and like to know whats going on before hand,Also no leaflets could be handed out by any of the businesses in rochester to publicise the festival, as the tourist information centre didnt give us any.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 12 May 09 - 11:38 AM

Ay, no, I think that would be a disaster, being too close to the City Wall stage and creating sound penetration, removing a huge chunk of the very restricted parking, adding to the congestion in that area with a static audience - and being to hand for demolition by the users of Aaron' Stone's casino nightclub, as featured in this and every week's Death Street Cops TV programme, assuming it has not burned down completely (now there's an idea) in the meantime.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: GUEST
Date: 12 May 09 - 11:31 AM

Richard

I think (you'll have to excuse my poor geography and memory) that its the area between the High Street and Blue Boar Lane I was thinking of, it just struck walking along the high street that it might not be a bad location for a stage or to ease some of the pedestrian congestion on the high street iteself..

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: GUEST,Girl Friday
Date: 12 May 09 - 11:16 AM

No, please do not encourage Sweeps to go down the same road as Leigh. They are stupid enough to put a stage in every car park in Old Leigh, and still invoke parking restrictions

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 12 May 09 - 10:06 AM

You mean Almon Place?

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: GUEST,Guest: folkandroots
Date: 12 May 09 - 10:01 AM

Probably wouldnt be too appreciated by some of the car driving fraternity but I did wonder whether an extra outdoor stage could be located on the car park (they can park elsewhere for a day or two) at the top end of the high street, perhaps it was just me but I didnt think the stage at Boley Hill seemed to be very highly utilised over the weekend?

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 12 May 09 - 08:50 AM

Oh, I'm not sure I mind the women flashing at me...

It did happen in Maidstone once, outside the last embodiment of the Hazitt folk club there, as a hen party went by

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: fisheye
Date: 12 May 09 - 07:19 AM

As a cameraman I have been to many festivals and marches and where they sell alcohol
you will attract the modern youth. Hell I think we have all been brought up on beer and perhaps something higher. Today it seems the culture is to be vandalistic and create a gross indecent exposure of one-self.

As for Sweeps unless you move it to Broadmarsh I believe you will always attract trouble from the few.

fisheye

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: The Barden of England
Date: 12 May 09 - 06:07 AM

Now that's a great name for a new group Richard :-)

Move over 'The Shiney Bum Singers' as 'The Auditors' are coming!!!

John Barden

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 12 May 09 - 03:28 AM

The Auditors...

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 12 May 09 - 02:41 AM

Oh Gawd! I hope it wasn't the PDP Property Developement Posse and attendant gaggle of City Engineers. I've seen them in Stratford u Avon (now unrecognizable) and Chelmsford soon to be tainted by CIL development.


If it was them.....
Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: GUEST
Date: 12 May 09 - 12:53 AM

Yeah there must have been about twenty or mor of them.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Pierre Le Chapeau
Date: 12 May 09 - 12:47 AM

Oh by the by on the Saturday betwen I guess 11.30 and 1200 oclock who were The gaggle of cloned suits all dressed in gray that paraded up the High Street?

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Pierre Le Chapeau
Date: 12 May 09 - 12:26 AM

Karen & Dale worked tirelessly this year to create a wonderful place to get away from the high street and the music was great and the behavior among the people that were there was very good. I spent equaL amounts of time both in the GI and the High street

I certainly used the Good Intent has a bolt hole to excape the Drunken mob that assembled on the High street The Sunday evening.
What I can not get my head round is why do people plan change and
Why mess around with something that works and runs and is tested every year to be a sucess. I know why because some dont like to see others make a year after year sucess.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Chatham_Girl
Date: 11 May 09 - 05:20 PM

I agree – Gastove session and the other stuff at the GI is a great success and shouldn't be messed with. People have voted with their feet and have made it the place to be to escape the high street. Karen & Dal deserve credit for creating the environment for this to happen, not snubbed by suggesting it is moved.

Clearly the high street is not a popular place for to play for many performers – and because of the audience it becomes necessary/sensible to 'dumb down' the set in order to cope with the 'lowest common denominator' audience. So you end up doing 'American Pie' and are considered a success.

The venues get the audience/customers they deserve – if they are selling beer at £1 a pint, have blaring electronic music, give priority to the football rather than the festival events, then they will attract people who want this sort of thing. A business decision I am sure – times are hard.

I think that more could be made of the castle gardens – a separate marquee instead of funfair? This would give extra quality performance space - Put the funfair on the esplanade. It has been suggested to me that the castle could become a ticket only festival area, which would keep all of the plebs out and the folkies in … sort of what the castle was intended for – pull up the drawbridge, so to speak. Craft and other stalls in the corn exchange are quite limited – is this because of the limitations of space or because of a lack of demand from potential stallholders?

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: growler
Date: 11 May 09 - 04:12 PM

Gastove, having taken part in your sessions the previous two years and if things had been different, I would have been here this year,all I can say is A big thanks and keep going

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: GUEST,Gastove
Date: 11 May 09 - 04:02 PM

Thanks Richard, but in this case Bigger would not be Better. I know that if I was contemplating a possible career in performing Folk Music I would rather "break my duck" in a friendly pub full of supportive Folkies than in a big venue where nobody knows me and many don't want to listen."Better" is certainly achievable with help in finding deserving club singers. Come on, you all know one!

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 11 May 09 - 02:25 PM

Is the idea of 2 Gastove concerts over 2 days at different venues too much to wish for?

Damn that would just make it doubly difficult to decide where to be.

Subject: RE: Improvements to Rochester Sweeps Fest?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 11 May 09 - 01:42 PM

Let me be clear, I recognise the excellence of the Gastove band session. I thought it could be bigger and better with more room and a budget provided by the festival.