Whittlesea Straw Bear

Subject: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: Wheatman
Date: 09 Nov 13 - 12:00 PM

The new web site has gone live. It still requires some work but next January is well covered.
web

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: Wheatman
Date: 10 Nov 13 - 04:22 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: Wheatman
Date: 05 Dec 13 - 09:34 AM

ticket sales are well down this year. The new web site has all the info on next January's festival.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: JP2
Date: 05 Dec 13 - 11:58 AM

Aye up Brian,have got a list of visiting teams?

JP2.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: My guru always said
Date: 06 Dec 13 - 05:17 AM

Am certain that ticket sales will pick up soon Brian, certainly they would make good Christmas presents! Straw Bear is always a great start to the New Year, I just wish it weren't so cold *brrrrr*

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: Wheatman
Date: 29 Dec 13 - 03:06 AM

Great news, the Bricklayers has reopened. They are offering caravan /motorhome space there and at their other pub, the Railway. Give Stuart a ring on 07540267769.Tickets for concerts and dances are still available go to the web site for details.
here

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jan 14 - 06:18 AM

bump

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: GUEST,Folky Dan
Date: 04 Jan 14 - 04:13 PM

What's happening with the Sunday?

Is it still the same format as last year?

Is the music going to be in the bar so we have of a chance to see more of the dancers?

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: GUEST,Amy Wright
Date: 04 Jan 14 - 06:18 PM

Are there any sessions going on over the weekend?

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: treewind
Date: 05 Jan 14 - 08:53 AM

There is always a session at the Bricklayers.
There are usually sessions in other places, but it's impossible to predict where and when. The New Crown at lunchtime is a definite possibility.

This year I'll be there with Old Glory Molly on the Saturday.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: GUEST,Festival Tramper
Date: 05 Jan 14 - 03:10 PM

Ah Straw Bear the best way to kick off the New Year.

Really looking forward to it and seeing some dancing bears.

I hear that Seven Champs are back this year?
It'll be really good to see them at the festival again.

What's happening with the Sunday?

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Jan 14 - 03:27 AM

http://strawbear.org.uk./whats-on-whittlesea-straw-bear-festival.html

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: Wheatman
Date: 06 Jan 14 - 02:03 PM

Hi the web site is as up to date as we can make it. We do not organise pub sessions, they happen as and when. Sunday will be dance displays in the main hall without the tiered seating and we hope there will be an ad-hoc music session next to the bar. As usual with both proposed Sunday events it all depends on who walks through the door. see you there, gan canny Brian

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Jan 14 - 09:21 AM

bump, the weather forecast is looking good, looking forward to it.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: Wheatman
Date: 10 Jan 14 - 10:11 AM

The festival is under way School stuff yesterday and to day. The wash road (to the north of the town) is still flooded, the A605 is still the best bet in to town. Tickets are still available for to nights concert and tomorrows Cajun Dance and Barn Dance. Wrap up warm and be safe. Brian

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: treewind
Date: 10 Jan 14 - 02:18 PM

I hope the Ramsey Road's OK, We'll be coming right over the Fens - Ely, Chatteris, Ramsey Forty Foot Drain...

Anahata and Mary (Old Glory Molly)

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: GUEST,Dan and Gemma
Date: 12 Jan 14 - 01:55 PM

We'd like to say a big well done to the organisers for this weekend.

We've had a fantastic weekend and we would like to say well done to the two guys driving the bear this year. They really did put on a good show and made the famous loveable Whittlesey beast come alive. Well done boys you made our weekend.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: Richard from Liverpool
Date: 12 Jan 14 - 05:40 PM

Fantastic Saturday, well done to all involved!

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: treewind
Date: 13 Jan 14 - 04:35 AM

Indeed, 'twere a good'un.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: GUEST,Festival Tramper
Date: 13 Jan 14 - 05:50 AM

Have to agree with Dan and Gemma. The Bear drivers this year were outstanding.

Our daughter who's disabled loved having a hug from the afternoon bear and asked if she could Marry him.

Great Festival, Great Bears, Great Times

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: GUEST,Amy Wright
Date: 13 Jan 14 - 06:45 AM

Yes the Bears this year really did have personality.

It's nice to see a figurehead of a festival come to life in its own character and cause a bit of mischief.

This is what I loved about this years Straw Bear. It diffinatly stands apart from the Jack in the Greens you see around May

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: GUEST,Richardson Family
Date: 13 Jan 14 - 01:06 PM

Hi there

This was our first time to the festival and we've never seen anything like this before.

We have one or two Morris style teams back home but nothing like what we saw on Saturday.

We came over from New York to see relatives for Christmas and New Year. We were told about Straw Bear and thought it would be like the Wicker Man. How wrong we were.

We had an amazing day and had our photo taken with the Straw Bear which we'll take back a tell all our friends about in the US.

We are going out to sample some Plough Monday dancing tonight and then we're flying home on Saturday.

Thank you Whittlesey and to Mr Straw Bear and the Baby Straw Bears.

We hope to come again.

Thank you for a wonderful time

Your new friends
The Richardson Family

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: My guru always said
Date: 13 Jan 14 - 02:17 PM

So glad you all had a Fab Straw Bear, wish we could have joined you this year but it was not to be! Well done Brian & All!
Roll on next year....

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Jan 14 - 03:28 PM

Loved it

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: GUEST,Folky
Date: 13 Jan 14 - 05:15 PM

Well done the 2014 Bear Drivers big and little.

Best Bears we've ever seen.

A job well done

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: GUEST,Jane Munn
Date: 14 Jan 14 - 05:44 PM

Straw Bear was Brilliant. Best Ever

It was nice to see dancing bears on Saturday rhythm lift and energy and a cheeky charm about them.

We liked the new Sunday layout with session in the bar area and dance area in the hall.

The only problem was that the weekend came and went in a flash.

Please pass on a thanks to the organisers for putting together the one of the best festivals in years.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: Wheatman
Date: 15 Jan 14 - 03:55 AM

Thank you one and all for the kind words, it was indeed a good bear this year and I will pass you comments on to the Strawbearers. It makes all the hard work worth while. Goathland Plough Stotts will be out this Saturday, Christine and I will be there. Also to
Carnival in Walldurn in February to party with German straw Bears. Isn't life grand. Lots of good stuff on the website and facebook as well. Gan canny Brian

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jan 14 - 12:17 AM

Excellent. German straw bears tell me more please.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: Noreen
Date: 16 Jan 14 - 01:30 PM

wiki/Straw_bear_(German_traditional_character)

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: Wheatman
Date: 17 Jan 14 - 03:40 AM

Quite a bit of stuff on the Straw Bear Fan face book page about German bears. If you want more links I will dig some out for you (just about to leave for Goathland) brian

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: Wheatman
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 09:51 AM

There is a Molly Team in New York -Handsome Molly
here

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: treewind
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 01:11 PM

"German straw bears tell me more please."
Noreen's link gives the background, but what's not been mentioned by way of explanation is that the Waldurn Straw Bear and entourage usually come over to visit for Whittlesea Straw Bear day. For some reason they didn't come this year, or at least I didn't see them.

Also as well as Handsome Molly in New York, (one of whose members is incidentally an honorary member of Pig Dyke Molly), there is Wolf At The Door Molly, the first molly team in Canada, in Cambridge, Ontario.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Straw Bear
From: Wheatman
Date: 23 Jan 14 - 10:52 AM

There were five representatives from Walldurn in Whittlesey this year. Unfortunately they did not have the time or the skills to build their own Bear on the day. The cloons were out though and we meet up with them again at the end of February. Gan Canny Brian