Whitby 2015 - best places.

Subject: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 14 Oct 14 - 06:53 PM

I think that estimable daughter and fiends are getting a cottage for Whitby 2015 so my whole band (maybe not the drummer) will probably be there. We sing mostly but not all English 1954 definition folk, mostly fairly "arranged", probably more accompanied than unaccompanied. Some of the accompaniments are more "folk and roll" than "folk". We may go to be audience some of the time but will definitely want participative song stuff.

If G/F comes she may have some unaccompanied (unless I have learned guitar parts by then) songs, some Nigerian, some not.

Where should we go (other than "straight back down south")?

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,Malcolm Storey
Date: 14 Oct 14 - 07:47 PM

Have you never been to Whitby for the Festival Richard?

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Oct 14 - 09:45 PM

Are YOU ..Nigerian...Richard?

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 15 Oct 14 - 01:44 AM

Richard - there are sessions all over the place, but the pubs get crowded (no surprise there). I suggest you have a wander round to find one that suits. The good news is that the 2015 festival doesn't coincide with the Regatta, so the crowding should be bearable!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 15 Oct 14 - 05:40 AM

Firstly Richard how many of your daughters fiends are in the band. There are not many venues that can accommodate a fully set up band AND the influx of people that folk week brings. I.E If I were a landlord would I want X amount of floor space taken up with equipment or would I want drinkers in that space.
Secondly there are not many venue managers(landlords etc) that would accept that one group of people I.E your band could "hog" the music for an hour, session, day, week (delete as applicable)
Thirdly I have not heard your band and even if they are excellent I, as a punter, would feel disinclined to welcome them in the bar I tend to drink in if they thought they could hold court for an afternoon. The beauty of that bar, and most others, is the variety of performers and styles. Occasionally, over the years, small groups or bands have tried to monopolise certain venues. By and large they are very much frowned upon.
All that being said, Good Luck, I hope you have a great time next year.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Oct 14 - 05:47 AM

Richard you are having a laugh Its a folk festival not X factor

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 15 Oct 14 - 06:05 AM

I can't comment on places where bands could play. However, for the last two years, we have had a session of political songs in The Dolphin, midday, midweek.

And yes. The vast majority of the songs are left wing proletarian, with a fair few about the environment, women's rights, gay rights etc.

In other words, politically, it's all good stuff, and right up your street.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Jack Campin
Date: 15 Oct 14 - 06:14 AM

Have they already booked their cottage?

If not they will probably be too late.

If you do manage to find somewhere to stay, the most anything-goes spots are outside the Middle Earth and the front left room in the Station Hotel. But as Kitty says there's stuff going on everywhere, and it's a small place, just wander around till you find something that suits.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Dennis the Elder
Date: 15 Oct 14 - 06:37 AM

Richard, do you play a long wooden Australian thing or is that a different Richard Bridge?

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 15 Oct 14 - 06:37 AM

Jack, the singing outside the Middle Earth has been serious curtailed this year. Whereas at one time sessions outside would spill onto the pavement and go on until the early hours the council have vetoed such usage. Jill, the landlady, only has a comparatively small area outside the pub and much more stringent restrictions on what can and cannot happen outside.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: vectis
Date: 15 Oct 14 - 06:40 AM

Avoid the Plough. It used to really rock there and the beer was very cheap but Sam Smith stopped the music, a sad sight to walk past a silent pub during Folk Week.
As a group you will need to walk around and find a space early in the day, the pubs fill up quickly and stay full before lunchtime. Loads of fast Irish played everywhere. Good luck finding accommodation and a venue or two.

G/F may like to meet fellow unaccompanied in the side room of The Station Inn. Good evening session in The Endeavour every evening run by Maggie and Les very mixed bag there and your sort of stuff would be welcome, don't know about a whole band though.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 15 Oct 14 - 07:01 AM

Cheap Samuel Smith's and their barring of music.

Last year, on the night before the festival started, I wandered into a Sam Smith's and found the beer there incredibly cheap and incredibly agreeable.

I got talking to the landlord, who also turned out to be agreeable.

"Will you be calling in again?", he asked as I emptied my glass.

"Regrettably not", I replied. "I'll be that busy chasing pubs where they do allow music, that I just won't have the time."

Sam Smith's sure shot themselves in the foot over that one.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: tijuanatime
Date: 15 Oct 14 - 07:07 AM

I think you would find the Star to your taste: it's fairly similar in ambience to the Good Intent, as I recall it, and the landlord is an enthusiast (and participant).

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 15 Oct 14 - 11:08 PM

No, I have not been to Whitby at all before.

No I am not Nigerian.

No we are not looking to fly-pitch as "performers", we much prefer song sessions, where we do some listening, some joining in (I quite like to add some mandolin accompaniment) and we play only the acoustic and unamplified instruments we can carry around for the whole day - Royston's guitar, Sam's dumbec if he cba, daughter's bodhran, and my guitar and mandolin. Sometimes one of us may do a solo turn (but never a drum solo) and sometimes one or more of us may join in with the other(s) of us. Or we may do a band set-piece. As I said "We may go to be audience some of the time but will definitely want participative song stuff".

No, I am not the famous didge player.

Yes, my home session pub is the Good Intent (Rochester, the big sing at Sweeps' Festival). Exactly the sort of thing we enjoy. No I am not running the Lower Stoke Winter Sings this year. Others may enjoy diddly and humpty but I don't. Daughter may well carry her bodhran and want to play it to some of that stuff, but is well behaved with it.

Thanks to the select few who have suggested places without curious assumptions.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Nick
Date: 15 Oct 14 - 11:34 PM

I'd try outside The Fleece overlooking the river. I think you'd fit in fine. Usually a bunch of people there who join in together and sing and play. The Fleece usually has stuff going on in the front bar (small and busy), main bar and the outside terrace so lots of options.

You might also try starting something off in a less used pub and you might attract people to join. My wife and I had a really enjoyable evening some years back in the back bar of the Golden Lion. There were some members of Jacks Rake (band from Sheffield) who had 'commandeered' the place for the evening to enjoy some tunes together much to the enjoyment of a bunch of listeners but were happy to have other people join in so we did. Great fun. I looked in this year but nothing was going on there. So a 'band' or group of people can work well to set things off.

Station Inn is also welcoming and people join in together. Front bar is pretty small but had a fluid collection of upwards of 10+ musicians but with a basic nucleus of a group of people.

Even the Black Horse could accommodate 4 people easily. It can go through quiet periods and would work with a group of people. I shared a pleasant hour sharing some songs with a duo there this year.

Think you'll find it easy to find plenty of spots to fit in.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Nick
Date: 15 Oct 14 - 11:43 PM

The other thing is that there tend to be quiet times in even the busy pubs when there is a lull - or people disappear off for food or a break.

eg The Ship is generally pretty busy (tunes rather than songs) but can go through times (teatime to early evening) when it can go quite quiet before the evening session gets into full swing. A bunch of people coming in can give it a shot in the arm

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 16 Oct 14 - 03:24 AM

Thank you Nick

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,FloraG
Date: 16 Oct 14 - 03:57 AM

Take your lightest instruments to carry as parking can be a problem. Also try to book accomodation with parking if you are in the central area.
The pub opposite the ship does good lunchtime shanty sessions. We usually buy a season ticket as they are relatively inexpensive and it supports the festival, as well as giving the option of the odd workshop/ concert.
Don't forget the fish and chips Whitby is famous for.
FloraG

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: r.padgett
Date: 16 Oct 14 - 04:07 AM

Tha Ship front day time, The Middle Earth late pm and evening, Black Swan, Friendship club upstairs

Where you can get!!

Ray

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: banjoman
Date: 16 Oct 14 - 05:21 AM

Daily lunch time session at the Last in First out if you can find it. Its somewhere in the housing complex near the station. Welcomed all & sundry last year although its a pretty small place. Might see you there

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Jack Campin
Date: 16 Oct 14 - 06:14 AM

We've had a thread about that one. It's now a Rupert Murdoch theme pub.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 16 Oct 14 - 08:58 AM

Thanks all.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Jack's Rake
Date: 07 Nov 14 - 08:13 AM

Hiya Richard.

Only just spotted this so the places I'd recommend have already been mentioned but I thought I'd share our perspective with you since we go up as a band and, like yours, we have a lot of arranged stuff.

Having been to the festival for the last eleven years our typical day has become:

Morning - recover (see evening, below), take the kids to the festival play group thing and get along to whatever workshops seem interesting. There are eight of us when we're all there but the wide range of workshops on the programme meens that there is, pretty much, always something for each of us.

Afternoon - assuming there isn't a concert we fancy, more workshops or go along to one or other of the programmed sessions. We're a varied bunch - some of us are fully fledged tune session types who would generally go to the sessions in the Ship or the Board, others are more takey-turny singer types who would tend to go to the Fleece where there are often 4 sessions on at once, some more raucous and anarchic than others. There's usually, even this year, something outside the Middle Earth if the weather's ok. There are also some programmed slow sessions - in the middle Earth this year - which those of us who don't have a head full of tunes go to fairly often.

Evening - depending on what time we get out and, again, assuming there's no concert we like the sound of, we'll often go somewhere to listen to others for a bit, the Endeavour being a favourite, and then maybe go and join a session or start one somewhere. As Nick said, above, the Golden Lion is often good at this stage. There is usually a polite session, mostly songs with guitars & so on but some tunes, in the front room with people taking turns and quietly listening to each other which is nice but not really our bag though we do go in for an hour or so on occasion. The back room is generally full of non-musicians but they tend to welcome and encourage people to play if they see instruments and this regularly develops into a boisterous song & tune session.

Later evening - inevitably, somewhere between 9 ish and 10 ish we repair to the back room of the Station. This has become our nightly destination for the past 7 or 8 years. It's generally very noisy and very crowded, sometimes meaning a seat doesn't become available for quite a while but, if that's the case, it means there'll be music to listen to!

The nature of the Station - large-ish room, lots of non-folky types in there drinking, the fact a lot of the programmed acts often go down there after fulfilling their duties, the 2 pm last orders and the fact it's pretty rowdy - leads to a varied experience with no two nights in there being the same, unlike a few of the other places. Depending on who's there it will sometimes be mostly tunes, other times mostly songs, other times anywhere between the two. People are generally happy to join in and be joined in with and there is pretty much always a substantial "audience" of non-musicians who have come in to hear the music. There are at least two groups of people I'm aware of and have become friends with who go to Whitby that week each year largely because of what's on in the Station.

So, if you want to play your stuff to for some people to hear and enjoy and for others to join in with, the Station's where it's at. Don't be expecting pin-drop silence, though. The people around the musicians will generally quieten down when a gentle tune is played or an unnacompanied song is sung but there will still be noise from closer to the bar and the other rooms so those precious about people hearing each subtle nuance of their 18 verse unnacompanied anti-foxhunting song will probably enjoy themselves more elsewhere, possibly the front room on the right which has unnacompanied singing all week long.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 07 Nov 14 - 08:50 AM

Thank you very much Jack's Rake.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Jack Campin
Date: 25 May 15 - 07:37 PM

This seems to be the only Whitby Folk Week 2015 thread, so here goes.

Any couple need accommodation? We've booked a cottage that takes 4:

Candyfloss Cottage

but so far there's just the two of us. (There are two double rooms and a small bunk room we're intending to use for storage).

Nothing less than the full week, please. Too complicated to organize odd days.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Jack Campin
Date: 12 Jun 15 - 08:03 AM

Are any F-off Northumbrian pipers going to be at Whitby?

I'm curious because I have acquired a couple of Georgian salamuris (traditional whistle/recorder hybrid shepherd's whistle). Having tried and failed until recently to fit them into any known scale, I have just realized they're best thought of as being at at A=405 pitch, which makes them pretty logical. And also compatible with old Northumbrian pipe pitch.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 19 Jul 15 - 02:30 PM

Bump. Really looking forward to this! We will have G/F and her fiend Fola with us - both excellent singers and I have tempted them to add additional harmony lines to some songs we more or less know.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 19 Jul 15 - 02:39 PM

Fola the fiend might be more at home at the Goth weekend!!

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 19 Jul 15 - 03:14 PM

It'll be my first Whitby: relying on my fiend to point me in the right direction! Isn't there a Dracula connection?

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 19 Jul 15 - 03:44 PM

I always spell it "Fiend". Mr Happy started it, long ago.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Noreen
Date: 19 Jul 15 - 07:12 PM

Jack Campin, have you still got spare accommodation?

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,Malcolm Storey
Date: 20 Jul 15 - 06:57 AM

There's a barber in Whitby who reckons that the best place to be during folk week is the Costa del Plenty and off he goes!

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,John Golightly
Date: 22 Jul 15 - 08:23 PM

Help please.

I am pretty much a newcomer to Whitby (this will be my 2nd visit and the first was a long while ago). For my wife Susie - the first time.

I've read this thread with great interest - although it has wandered a lot!

I only have a few days there; I don't know the pubs. or indeed the types of session one would expect to find in them. I play melodeon.

I'm looking for English Sessions but don't mind at all if mixed with song - but most of all:

The kind of session where musicians listen to each other. I want to hear and learn from others. If someone has found a different way of playing an old and well-known tune it would be great If I could hear it through before it's drowned out by others who hear the tune, and ignore the interpretation.

Where's the best chance of finding a polite/sensitive session in Whitby?

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Jack Campin
Date: 23 Jul 15 - 12:20 PM

Early or late are your best bet - early evening in the Dolphin or near closing time in the Elsinore. The snug at the Station might also be worth a try. And the very small pub at the foot of the Flowergate most evenings (often Northumbrian).

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 23 Jul 15 - 02:13 PM

polite/sensitive session. (JG)

What you are looking for we call 'a workshop'.

Most people interpret 'session' as come-all-ye.

There are often specialised sessions especially at the bigger festivals like Whitby, and may be described loosely as 'beginners', 'intermediate', 'experienced'. However they are not always advertised as this, but looking at who is down to run the session is often a good indicator. More open sessions in the pubs are usually free for all, so you take pot luck!

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,richie
Date: 23 Jul 15 - 03:13 PM

The sessions in The Board Inn tend to favour english with the occasional american old timey tune thrown in. The Ship if its back in favour will be wall to wall irish.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 23 Jul 15 - 05:31 PM

Keep telling me about accompanied song (often English, sometimes unaccompanied)...

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,Ebor Fiddler
Date: 23 Jul 15 - 06:16 PM

The Station is probably your best bet Richard.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 24 Jul 15 - 05:33 AM

Ta

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 24 Jul 15 - 06:28 AM

The Board Inn. Is that the one at the bottom of the 199 steps? There was a time when the then landlord used to hang a notice up during festival week. It read "NO HIPPIES OR FOLKSINGERS"!

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Mo the caller
Date: 24 Jul 15 - 09:29 AM

"
.....often specialised sessions especially at the bigger festivals like Whitby, and may be described loosely as 'beginners', 'intermediate', 'experienced'. However they are not always advertised as this, but looking at who is down to run the session is often a good indicator. "

Well, that is all very well. But people who don't know the person running the session won't know what to expect.
Same applies to other things on the programme
e.g. At an Irish Ceili with Jerry O'Reilly the dancing will be Set Dance for those who know the dances - no walk through, probably not even a call. And lots of song in-between.(not sure if there is one this year)
So you can waste a lot of time going to the wrong thing. And leaving the person running the workshop with the difficulty of whether to please those who did know or see who turns up.

Yes you can sometimes get a clue by cross-referencing the item in the programme with the biog in the 'other half', but not always.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,John from"Elsie`s Band"
Date: 24 Jul 15 - 09:57 AM

Last year I enjoyed a grand afternoon concert by a select group of performers( no floor singers involved) at a pub in Robin Hood`s Bay. The name deserts me.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Nick
Date: 24 Jul 15 - 10:28 AM

Still reckon the Fleece, Station, Endeavour, Black Horse, Golden Lion and Middle Earth will suit a lot of your needs

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 24 Jul 15 - 11:50 AM

Re John's post of 9.57 - that sounds like the Half a Day at the Bay session at the Dolphin in Robin Hood's Bay; the programme tells you which of the festival's booked performers will be there each afternoon. But there are usually floor singers too....

Kitty

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,Liberty Boy (sans cookie)
Date: 26 Jul 15 - 10:04 AM

The Irish Hooley (Céilí)will be in the Metropole on Wednesday night. The dances, both céilí and set will be called, as they always have! Difficult figures in the sets are usually walked through.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 26 Jul 15 - 11:51 AM

On the subject of workshops the one person who won't have seen the programme given to the customers will be the person running it. What s/he thought was to be the topic may not be what ended up in print.

I remember once a "Playford" workshop at Whitby which was devoted entirely to dances composed by Pat Shaw.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 26 Jul 15 - 12:42 PM

Just a thought, could the person running a workshop not look in the programme themselves?

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 26 Jul 15 - 12:43 PM

Or.. could it be that the person running the workshop knew sod all about the given subject and ran a workshop on things they did know?

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: JP2
Date: 27 Jul 15 - 11:51 AM

John G,if you're looking for a polite/sensitive session try the Melodeon Forum session,Thursday pm at the Elsinore I believe.

And before anyone starts on about Melodeons,they can be played sensitively I believe............I obviously can't and neither can most of my friends but somewhere.........somewhere!!!!!!!

You could confirm exact timings by visiting the Melodeon Forun site.

Subject: RE: Whitby 2015 - best places.
From: GUEST,cujimmy
Date: 27 Jul 15 - 01:35 PM

Last year The Ship was excellent, the new landlord enjoys folk music himself, there were some very good sessions in there.