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How did you find Whitby folk week
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Subject: How did you find Whitby folk week From: GUEST Date: 27 Aug 10 - 04:56 AM With the regatta the same week the town seemed to be crowded with people eating fish and chips from the ever increasing number of chip shops. Most of the concerts we wanted to see were full so came home felling we had spent a lot of money for very little. Doe's anyone else feel the same?
Thanks. -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: GUEST,Squeezeboxhp Date: 27 Aug 10 - 06:13 AM I enjoyed every minuit. Last day today be glad of a rest |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Noreen Date: 27 Aug 10 - 06:23 AM NO! Regatta was only the first weekend. The town became quieter (!) after that :) Excellent fish and chips are one of the many wonderful things about the whitby area. Some concerts do get full, so get there earlier- or find something else to go to, there is no end of choice. Perhaps though, negative Guest, Whitby folk week is not for you? |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: cooperman Date: 27 Aug 10 - 06:31 AM I too enjoyed every minute. It is an event we should cherish and support. It would be a crying shame if we ever lost it. The clash with the regatta is a pain however. Don't think it happens next year but it needs thinking about for future. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Commander Crabbe Date: 27 Aug 10 - 06:34 AM Nope We live here and rarely eat fish and chips! and as far as I know (Though I may be mistaken) we have the same number of F&C shops as we had last year. Depends what you come here for we have been in the FILO singaround all week and have had a great time meeting new people and some old friends. Still got two more sessions and a survivors night to go!!!! CC |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Dave Hanson Date: 27 Aug 10 - 07:31 AM Whitby is one of the few places I will eat fish & chips, the shops are so busy that everything is freshly cooked and delicious, Whitby Folk Week is unique, long may it continue. Dave H |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Abdul The Bul Bul Date: 27 Aug 10 - 08:34 AM I usually find Whitby Folk Week from here in Whitstable by driving up the A2 then the M25 via Dartford tunnel, M11, A1 then A64, driving through York, not round it as I'm from York and I like to see it now and again. Then to Malton, Pickering and across Gods chosen countryside to Whitby. Al |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: John J Date: 27 Aug 10 - 09:07 AM Good heavens Al, you're going a long way round - why go via Lancashire from Pickering? JJ |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Abdul The Bul Bul Date: 27 Aug 10 - 09:25 AM NO!!! Never the Dark Side.....by eck me Mam told me about you lot Al |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Charmion Date: 27 Aug 10 - 09:32 AM We found it on an Ordnance Survey map. Mudcat was also helpful. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: JHW Date: 27 Aug 10 - 09:50 AM Having beat a hasty retreat from a 'regatta' in 2009 I knew better than to go there at the weekend. On Tuesday it was fine and I heard some great songs in the Station. The songs were free (see Conrad elsewhere on Mudcat) but the beer, though good, was £3 a pint. No wonder we see boarded up pubs everywhere. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Noreen Date: 27 Aug 10 - 10:44 AM Black Sheep 2.50 a pint in the met :) |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Tootler Date: 27 Aug 10 - 12:37 PM Just went for two days but had a great time. Workshops in the morning, Sessions in the afternoon and early evening, Singarounds to end the day. Brilliant. Particularly enjoyed Dave Townsends West Gallery Workshops. Pity about the change of venue, St Ninians just creates the right atmosphere for the music, but the changed venue had its own advantages. Beer was a little more than we pay here in Middlesbrough, but not excessively so. I certainly didn't have to pay £3.00 pounds anywhere. The ling is just coming into bloom so the drive over the moors in the morning was lovely. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Arthur_itus Date: 27 Aug 10 - 01:37 PM Noreen What's this I hear about you dancing the night away with Mudcat Max? Is there something we should know? :-) |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: GUEST,johnp Date: 27 Aug 10 - 04:12 PM just got home. Spent the week mainly in the small room in the station.Playing and singing with friends. Had a great time. johnp |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: JHW Date: 28 Aug 10 - 04:56 AM Had a grand pie peas and mash in the 'post war' eatery for a fiver. Over the bridge, past the chips on the right and just round the corner. The heather indeed is blooming. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Mrs.Duck Date: 28 Aug 10 - 06:04 AM Just driving back after a fantastic week. It was busy during the regatta but didn't spoil our fun. We had great sessions in the Endeavour with Les and Maggie and in the Station. Beer was at least £3 a pint wherever we went but we didn't let that stop us :) Can't wait for next year now. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Betsy Date: 28 Aug 10 - 06:22 AM Sounds like the main events were well supported and possibly oversubscribed at times - I know not. I only write to comment on the "fringe". My experience of visiting the Fleece on one afternoon, was to hear Fields of Athenry - in the conservatory part, in the adjoining room was a rendition of House of the Rising Sun , and in the small front room when I finally counted my blessings at getting a seat , the next singer sang Boy named Sue. Each one to their own I suppose, and the Fest is not responsible for the "fringe" and the music it attracts. I guess they all were enjoying themselves but .... Fortunately, before reaching the Fleece I had the last hour or so at Mick Haywood's singaround in the Friendship - which was more like the songs which I had hoped to hear. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Lowden Jameswright Date: 28 Aug 10 - 07:16 AM Notes from "the fringe": Another amazing week - though weekend Regatta drinks prices in the Fleece helped to re-direct a hundred or so down to the Bottom House, thus leaving the Fleece management to contemplate their Marketing strategy for the rest of the week and beyond. The Bottom House was packed all week with singers and musicians of all stripes and a goodly number of holidaymakers who were willing to make the hike. Music was (predictably) extremely varied; from traditional folk through to Lilley the Pink and Ernie the Fastest Milkman in the West. If you like your music tightly wrapped in a narrow band you would probably not have enjoyed it. However - if you love the collective spirit of music, and feel the energy that is generated from so many people singing and laughing together that the roof starts to lift, then give it a go next year. The landlord put up a sign saying "WHITBY FOLK WEEK IS HERE" - he may be right. Each to their own I suppose. PS Lilley The Pink and Ernie had to be seen and heard to be believed; now I'll await the shouts of derision.... |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Betsy Date: 28 Aug 10 - 07:25 AM Time and circumstances perhaps James - and I hope you don't believe that I like my "music tightly wrapped in a narrow band" - Mick's singaround was a great cross section of music and song - dare I use the words " very entertaining " ? |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Ann N Date: 28 Aug 10 - 08:00 AM There were great sessions every evening in the 'First Inn last Out' up on the 'Railway'. Really good singers with a varied selection of songs and sandwiches provided free at 'half time' :) |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Les from Hull Date: 28 Aug 10 - 12:36 PM Thanks to everyone who came to our evening singarounds in the Endeavour. We hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Nick Date: 28 Aug 10 - 01:13 PM Enjoyed myself as usual and bumped into lots of people I know. Only managed the Fleece, Middle Earth, Station and Bottom but it was fun. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: John MacKenzie Date: 28 Aug 10 - 01:29 PM Theakston's Dark £1.90 a pint. That's why I always steward at the Conservative Club, for the festival folk club? Had a great Whitby, weather was great apart from 1 day. Met loads of old mates, and wore me legs out climbing up the hills. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: GUEST,DaveMc Date: 28 Aug 10 - 02:38 PM I had a good time in Whitby but thought the programmed concerts were a bit tired. There seemed to be the same number of slots as at my 4 previous festivals - but it felt like the same acts were repeated more frequently. By Tuesday I'd got a bit bored, and it had become harder to dodge the turkeys, so we made the most of the weather and went off to do non-folky things most of the time. I doubt that I'll buy a season ticket again. I haven't felt like this about previous Whitby festivals. There were fewer discoveries than earlier festivals (though I did enjoy Ewan McLennan and Sam Sweeney & Hannah James). The best event of the week, for me, was the Moody and Sankey sing at St Ninian's. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Diva Date: 28 Aug 10 - 04:20 PM Had a brilliant time guid company guid craic...parts resememble episodes of father ted........lots of singing am knackerd |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: gnu Date: 28 Aug 10 - 04:22 PM Father Ted... sounds like some stories? |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Jack Campin Date: 28 Aug 10 - 04:24 PM I'm just back. Had a good time and will most likely be back next year. Couldn't do quite as much as we'd planned since Marion's recovering from a stroke - she gets tired very easily, so I had to get her back to the flat when that happened, and do more domestic stuff than intended. Still, we wouldn't have been anywhere else. Highlights: meeting up with Max (who is a wonderfully laid-back person to share a house with) and the two events I went to that Johnny Handle was involved in: - a session on mining songs, with what for me was the most moving song of the week, an unaccompanied song about what mining does to your body and spirit, written and sung by a man called Paddy in a purple shirt with an expressive bass voice - I don't know who Paddy was but I hope to hear from him again. - an English tunes session, which went well beyond simply leading tune sets to give ideas about musical stagecraft. Anahata's English tune session was also a great example in how to communicate to players without saying a word. He can make his instrument do the talking just by hitting accents in the right places. Nice hearing so much English music for a change. It gradually came through to me that one distinctive thing about it is that it scales up. Sessions of similar size doing Irish music are usually a mess (as exemplified by every pub doing it that I looked into that week), and for Scottish or Shetland music they can sound rather dogged with everybody trying to do exactly the same thing (think of strathspey and reel societies). But for English music, the very strong beat allows for a wider variety of instruments to contribute in a wider variety of ways. It can use an orchestral-sized group without sounding in the least like a classical orchestra. We figured that our season tickets just about broke even. The only real advantage was getting ahead of the on-the-spot buyers for sold-out events. Of which there were too many. Not sure what they can do about it. I hate queueing so we may just get on-the-spot tickets next year and accept that we may not get in to the most popular events. Some things I didn't expect: - lots of French music. (Would have helped if the people running the European music had said that that was what they were overwhelmingly interested in - I could have boned up on some). - lots of unusual instruments. I didn't expect to be in a lineup featuring my stuff (odd enough), phonofiddle, trombone, and contrabass concertina (like a large black hatbox enclosing an angry bonsaied hippo). - zillions of spoons (thanks to Jeff Warner's workshop, I think) and hardly any bodhrans (maybe they stayed in the Irish session pubs all week). - one of the chippies was crap. Looked great until you actually got the food (mushy cod and chips that tasted like they'd been reheated). On the other hand the Greedy Pig in Flowergate is wonderful. - Dracula tat everywhere. - the festival office is in a lousy location. Parking was all full up around there, and if you were coming by train it was a huge grunt up the hill. It would help if the Wailer was distributed to at least one point near sea level (the tourist information office?). - I don't think I have ever been anywhere where there have been so many disabled people - negotiating massed crutches in a pub session was a new experience. I can't imagine why all those people with mobility problems pick such a disabled-unfriendly place to visit, but if they have any ideas about how to make it easier (short of bulldozing the hills flat) maybe they should contribute them. - hardly any drunks. In a comparable Scottish event, there would be lubricated locals and stocious folkies littering the whole town. The only drunk folkies I saw were Scottish people I knew from back home or country & western types. - the cheapest beer in town is at a place I'd never have thought of. Is that how the Tories recruit new members? - it was all far friendlier than I'd thought it would be. With one exception. Some of the people at the two Mudgather events were unwilling to recognize the existence of anybody they didn't know already. Hey, when somebody walks into a gathering and obviously knows Dick, Susan and Max, it's rather likely they're a Mudcatter, isn't it? And maybe might want to be asked when the singaround turn comes round, or when you're compiling a list of who's there? |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Diva Date: 28 Aug 10 - 04:45 PM some crackin ballads it was great to meet up with Marion again, she was singig up a storm Gnu..could write a book about the stories....... |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Cats Date: 28 Aug 10 - 05:34 PM just got back after a 9 hour drive home and it was worth every minute. had afabulous time, loads of friends, brilliant to meet Max and take him for afternoon tea and fish and chips [not at the same time] Thanks to Jim and Graeme for lunchtime in the Endeavour and Les and Maggie in the evening. Highlights have to be the boat trip to staithes, the Yorkshire carols, the Baring Gould workshops, Taffy's tale coat and all the money raised for whitby lifeboat |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Ann N Date: 28 Aug 10 - 05:42 PM Survivors sessions still going at the FILO :) |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Herga Kitty Date: 28 Aug 10 - 05:44 PM Great singarounds in the Endeavour and Station, and we had a wonderful afternoon in the Dolphin at Robin Hood's Bay with Jim Causley, Tony Hall, Les Dawson and Briony. Next year the regatta is the weekend before Folk Week starts. Kitty |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Herga Kitty Date: 28 Aug 10 - 05:46 PM That should of course have been Brian Dawson... but it's getting late and we've been travelling back home today... Kitty |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Surreysinger Date: 28 Aug 10 - 06:06 PM Wotcha Diva ... I left Marian in one piece at Kings Cross en route to St Pancras for her journey home a few hours ago. I had a good Whitby, though curtailed by mobility problems a bit. I sadly missed my favourite venue - the Museum Lecture room (and the Museum Cafe, purveyor of superb home made cakes, scones, quiche etc) ... the Coliseum is no subsititute (and the bleacher seating legroom there is very very poor). It was good to see old friends again, spend too much time nattering too!! And to find out that certain people you've been singing with for the last couple of years in the wee small hours of the morning, and in ballad sessions were unexpectedly on here as well ... LOL!! And I recall a certain rather interesting ballad about blackbirds!! |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Mo the caller Date: 28 Aug 10 - 06:52 PM I agree with Jack about the Wailer. Since the office doesn't open till the workshops have started there just isn't time to get one without missing more than you already miss by running between venues. Please send them round to all the stewards, someone. For me, every year has some constant threads and old favourites, and a 'try something new' which flavours the week. The dances and dance workshops have always been the backbone of the festival. One year was Peter Mayes playing for dancing (learning tunes slowly from 'Join the Band'), and the year after we did it with real live Hobby Horse Club dancers. Once it was Jane Ball's folk Orchestra. Once a series of harmony workshops. Then after a break of 20 years we came back and found George Garside's slow sessions. Now after a couple more years of trying to fit in the varied sessions as well as the dancing I was back to May Cheadle's REALLY SLOW session, with a new instrument, and found I was coping better by the end of the week than at the start. And this year we got to the Saturday singing in the Endeavour, we've never tried to go to one before as we thought we wouldn't get in if we'd run over after an 11.30-12.50 workshop in the Spa, but on Sat it kicked our festival off nicely. And we always manage to fit in one or two concerts. We'll be back, already booked the flat and the tickets. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Barb'ry Date: 28 Aug 10 - 07:26 PM Had a brilliant time as usual. Did more fringe things this year and had some excellent sings at the Endeavour with Les and Maggie (thank you both) and at the Board for the Mudgather. Did go to quite a lot of programmed events though, most of which were really good... It was great to meet Max - an added bonus for the festival and I feel one that should be repeated as often as possible! Lovely to meet up with old friends and new as well. Can't wait to go back next year. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: r.padgett Date: 29 Aug 10 - 02:46 AM Not like Kitty to call Brian, Les Dawson ~ lol!! [sorry Kitty!] I spent hours in the Con club 4 nights compering there Floor singers, 'undreds of 'em ~ lots from Bonny Scotland, 'Ull and some Greeeat, festival guests Thanks to the stewards, John Mckenzie (above) and Karina Knight and for singing too! What about next years festival guests? and how should they be paid? On or two things needs sorting yet but I think that by and large 'tis the nature of Whitby ff is all about I am enlghtened about the Reggatta date and non clash, thanks!! Ray |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: John MacKenzie Date: 29 Aug 10 - 04:41 AM Ray you did a grand job mate. Not easy squeezing 12 floor singers and 4 booked acts, into such a small time, but you managed it. Only problem was, we heard less of your singing. See you there next year? JM |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Jack Campin Date: 29 Aug 10 - 05:54 AM I saw one of the concerts Ray compered - brilliant job. Karina is a wonderful singer. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: GUEST Date: 29 Aug 10 - 06:33 AM I couldn't get out to much - too busy selling books. But it was great to meet some old friends including Jack (above) whose comments seem very fair too me. And I wholeheartedly agree what he says about bodhrans and people with mobility problems. Amazing that so many choose such an unfriendly place as far as mobility is concerned. God to meet Max - lovely bloke. As far as drunks were concerned, some venues seemed to run out of alcohol very quickly (Metropole on Irish Night for example and the Resolution seemed to be out of beer by Friday evening). |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Arthur_itus Date: 29 Aug 10 - 06:36 AM Quote God to meet Max Unquote Blimey was he that popular. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: GUEST,Mary Date: 29 Aug 10 - 08:59 AM Another enjoyable week - good to see May Cheadle's lunchtime session in the spa hall rather than foyer as it made the event more comfortable. Pity the Tai Chi sessions were not in the school or somewhere more central than Stakesby school. Maybe a bit of a spin off from folk but many people might have like d to try it, |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Mo the caller Date: 29 Aug 10 - 09:40 AM Yes, when we moved from the foyer to the hall I found I could sit a bit further away from other people and (a) not annoy them so much with my wrong notes, (b) hear which wrong notes I was playing |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: GUEST,Guest Date: 29 Aug 10 - 10:16 AM Had a great time at Whitby. Loved everything thought the orchestra was ace and also the Workshy Profits! |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: GUEST,Willa Date: 29 Aug 10 - 10:24 AM I enjoyed all the events I attended. Ray, you did a great job. Agree with the comments about the singing of Jock and Karina. It was good to see and hear Marian again. Please pass on comments(good or bad, as long as they are constructive) to the committee for consideration, as I've no doubt they're working on next year's FF already. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Bodbum Date: 29 Aug 10 - 10:53 AM This was my first Whitby Festival. Had a fantastic time. Didn't go to any concerts, had such a great time at the singarounds and sessions. It's also the first time I've really explored Whitby. Think I've seen all the nooks and crannies now. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: vectis Date: 29 Aug 10 - 11:21 AM Bodbum I have been going to Whitby for quite a few years now and am still discovering new nooks and crannies galore every year. Lovely to see all my northern mates and quite a few fellow softy southerners came up too. A smashing festival with oodles to do with or without a ticket. |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: bfdk Date: 29 Aug 10 - 12:44 PM Had a great time hoofing at all the ceilidhs in the Spa and this year managed to get a full set of 'notches' in my season ticket for attendance. I did Molly and Welsh dance workshops, managed to see Martyn Wyndham-Read a few times and saw Stan Graham for the first time. Got new CDs from both, but haven't been near a cd player yet, so haven't been able to listen to them yet. I watched loads of morris displays around town. I was terribly disappointed that there wasn't any border morris workshops this year, though. Sadly, I didn't have time to attend the mudgather, so the only catters I met or bumped into were Giok, Bill Sables and Noreen. Would have liked to meet Hils again and say hi to Max, but it weren't to be. Weatherwise, it's the best Whitby festival I've been to, just the one day of rotten weather. I have quite a lot of video recorded which will go online once I get it sorted, but it'll be a while as I'll be going away again next weekend for a dance weekend in Denmark. Best wishes, Bente |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: treewind Date: 29 Aug 10 - 01:27 PM We enjoyed it, but behind the scenes there were a few organisational disconnections. E.g. many changes of programme, some of which weren't reported in the Wailer. We were put into the late night concert on Tuesday at short notice, but immediately before the concert, the MC didn't even know about this change - fortunately we know him and he was able to give us an informed introduction. We found a workshop had been cancelled but the stewards hadn't been told, so the punters waited an hour for the leader to turn up... Also none of the booked guests seem to have been sent any kind of working timetable in advance - this would have enabled some of the problems to have been sorted out so the printed programme would have been more accurate. From the audience's point of view, all this doesn't seem to have mattered too much. Anahata |
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Subject: RE: How did you find Whitby folk week From: Arthur_itus Date: 29 Aug 10 - 01:44 PM Surely that wouldn't have happened in Malcolm Storey's days would it Anahata? |
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