Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 16 May 03 - 08:30 AM

Oh! There is a also photo on the May 15 letters page, with the caption.

SOUNDING GOOD: Performer Martin Simpson at the folk festival. Ian Sedwell pours scorn on the 'boycotters'

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 17 May 03 - 04:41 AM

It is interesting that many of the letters supporting the festival (or knocking me) feel that they have to try and excuse the council's policy.

This is probably the one thing that does really upset me. But I do well understand the anger of people who have their harmless interests threatened. Even if this anger is not directed in the direction where the responisility for the threat clearly belongs.

They overlook the fact that had the name of the pub I forwarded for inclusion in the official programme been the New Star(if the council had not already been responsible for this session), or indeed any pub on Portland or Weymouth, without a PEL - not only would it not appeared have in the programme, the officers would have had to insist on a PEL. If the pub had not complied, even for a temporary PEL, the festival event and the weekly folk event would have been prevented as a result.

Or if a session in say The Ship had spilled into nearby pubs without PELs, on more than a one-off basis over the 3 days, these would have had to be prevented by the council. This is a real danger as many folk prefer to choose their own pubs for informal pub sessions at festivals.

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 18 May 03 - 07:48 AM

I received the following email yesterday.

Thanks for your letter & email. I have forwarded them to the Folk Festival Committee Secretary. I am sure it will be discussed at the wash up meeting.

I understand that your events at the Cove went well. This maybe bodes well for next year.

yours in music

............

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 28 May 03 - 05:43 AM

Letter to Dorset Evening Echo 23 May 2003.

We should ease up on pub music.

It could be inferred from Nigel Canter's letter about Weymouth folk festival (May 10) that it was Roger Gall who brought the Star folk session on Portland to the attention of the borough council.

It wasn't – it was me!

Please be assured it was not done through malice. I merely asked the question why the sessions at the Cove now had to be licensed whereas other similar events did not.

The subsequent letter to the Star requiring them to get a licence has had a completely negative effect: i.e. the musical sessions enjoyed by so many for so long have ceased.

Is this what we really want?

Surely it is an absolute right for people to make music, provided, of course, that it does not contravene nuisance regulations.

Why should it require a public entertainment licence in a pub?

If the event attracts extra customers and the landlord increases his profit – so what? Heaven knows it is difficult enough to make a living in a pub as it is. You might as well say a public entertainment licence is required for a darts final or a crucial pool match. To use 'safety' as an excuse for requiring licenses is, in my opinion, bogus.

A pub with 100 people in it is no safer with a licence than it is without.

I believe that the council's interpretation of the current legislation is unfair, as it discourages musical events by unpaid performers when we should be promoting them.

I will endeavour to have the interpretation changed.

Jim Holt
Portland Borough councillor
Tophill East

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 30 Mar 04 - 04:15 AM

Dorset Echo March 29 2004.

Show of Hands to head the bill for weekend folk event.

Top line-up for festival

An appearance by one of Europe's top acoustic bands will be the icing on the cake for this year's Weymouth Folk Festival. This is the third year that the weekend-long round of concerts, dances and parades has taken place and organisers are expecting it to be the best yet.

Topping the bill will be the West Dorset-based duo Show of Hands, who Q magazine described as 'like listening to U2 play folk', as well as Jez Lowe and the bad pennies. Other big names from the world of folk include Bob Fox, Mike Silver, No Strings Attached and Footnote and the town will also be full of buskers while the pubs will be hosting music sessions throughout the festival.

But it's not just music, Traditional dance also plays a major part in the weekend's events, with Morris and Appalachian sides performing at the Pavilion and in the town centre. For many visitors the visual highlight of the festival will be the dance parade through Weymouth's streets, staring at 1pm on Saturday, May 6.

Festival organiser and spokesman Bob Kirkpatrick explained: " the line-up is extremely good this year and while that's great news for us and the people who come here, it makes it a hard act to follow next year!"

"The good thing about having big names like Show of Hands at the festival, is that they have the date on their website so when people log on, they get to know about the festival and Weymouth too".

"Tickets are already on sale and are selling well and the financial side of things is looking good, so hopefully we won't make a loss like last year. People come to the festival for different reasons. Some come for the whole weekend to enjoy the food and beer and soak up the atmosphere, while other people just come along for one of the concerts. It's such a mix so we have to provide a lot of entertainment and a varied programme."

Bob is not the only person expecting the festival to be huge success. Weymouth's entertainments manager,
Simon King, also has great hopes for the weekend. "The attendance of Show of Hands at the festival is tremendous news and is a strong indication of the growing reputation of the event", he said. "with such a strong headliner, one of the country's finest festival locations and with such a great programme we are sure to be on to a winner." He added.

Weymouth Folk Festival runs from Friday to Sunday, May 7 to 9. For full details and ticket prices call Weymouth Pavilion box office on 01305 783 225.

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: breezy
Date: 30 Mar 04 - 04:28 AM

and Vin Garbut is appearing at the Boscomb folk club at the Portland on 2nd May with trific support acts too.

Its all happening down there in Dorset ,its beautiful wherever you go and the rain in the summertime makes the wurzel bush grow.

Bob Fox claimed to invent the joke when he was travelling with Vin that they should take to the road as a duo wearing crutchless leotards and call themselves 'Show of

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: breezy
Date: 30 Mar 04 - 06:03 AM

?

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 30 Mar 04 - 06:31 PM

Bob Fox claimed to invent the joke when he was travelling with Vin that they should take to the road as a duo wearing crutchless leotards and call themselves 'Show of

Show of...Pubic Entertainment Licenses?

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 14 Apr 04 - 12:41 PM

7th - 9th May
3rd Weymouth Folk Festival, centred on the Weymouth Pavilion

A weekend of top national and local performers with sessions and workshops in a beautiful seaside location based in Weymouth Pavilion.

Friday night concert headlining Jon Harvison, Bob Kirkpatrick, Hoovering the Heavens, John Bullock.

Saturday afternoon concert with Paul Downes, Mike Silver, 3 Tuns o' Grass and a New to the Festival concert.

Saturday night features Show of Hands plus a ceilidh with No Strings
Attached.

Sunday afternoon sees Bob Fox and Jez Lowe perform. Many of these are hosting Meet the Artist events.

There will be 20 Morris teams including the phenomenal Outside Capering Crew and a Sunday Jig Event, 4 Appalachian teams, song/tune sessions, a Folk Club and Come All Ye's hosted by Pete Sibley, No Fixed Abode and Arish Mell, workshops and craft/music stalls.

Camping is available.

£30 weekend ticket, family/concessions available

Contact Penny James 01305 783225
[e-mail]
www.weymouth.gov.uk

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 07:59 AM

For the latest position re Weymouth and Portland Council's continuing action against regular folk sessions - click this link to a post on 'The New Star session RIP' thread.

http://www.mudcat.org/Detail.CFM?messages__Message_ID=1163227

The the loss of this latest session - is despite ongoing efforts by (some of) the elected members of the Council to change the interpretation used by the Council's officers.

The chairman of the Licensing Committee, in particular is trying to change the policy to stop the officers preventing sessions - as he is also in charge of promoting the Council organised folk festival and the sessions organised as part of this, by the Council as part of this festival.

He at least accepts that this current treatment of local folk sessions is unlikely to result in general support for the Council's annual folk festival - from the outside folk community.
Who may have reasonably expected that over the past 3 years, the Council would have addressed and solved this threat to the success of their 3rd folk festival.

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 08:49 PM

will be in Weymouth, and attending some of the concerts, any chance of a floorspot anywhere?

all the best

big al whittle - singer/songwriter/ guitarist

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: GUEST,Wee Little Drummer
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 12:00 PM

No idea who you are but the Festival is open to EVERYONE!!!!!! Let me know what you are looking for and I will try to help.
This years Festival will be Fantastic!!!!

Bob

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 05 May 04 - 05:38 AM

No idea who you are either Bob.

Could you possibly be the festival organiser Bob, who has also organised himself a Weymouth folk Festival gig for the third year running?


Dorset Echo May 4 2004-05-05

Weymouth's third Folk Festival is eagerly anticipated.

ALL KINDS OF FOLK HERE.

The final pieces of the jigsaw are slotting into place for Weymouth's third Folk Festival, and the organisers are hoping that the three-day event will be a massive success.

With a powerful line-up of talent, dance teams from across the country coming to the town and much more besides, there are plenty of events on offer to keep the whole family entertained.

Heading the bill is a performance by globally- renowned folk duo Show of Hands, who will be taking to the stage in the Pavilion theatre at 7pm on Saturday accompanied by singers Jenna Wicks and Debs Sandland. And the festival will be closed at 2pm on Sunday by a concert by equally popular performer Jez Lowe, who will be sharing the stage with Bob Fox and the Bad Pennies.

Festival organiser Bob Fitzpatrick says,: "We are lucky to have such great musicians coming to town to take part in the festival. Jez Lowe always puts on a superb concert and Show of Hands are so popular that they are selling as a stand-alone events and not part of the festival."

He adds:" Ticket sales are going well and I think we have done everything we can do, so all we can do now is hope that the weather is kind to us." One of the reasons that the organisers are banking on the weather is the dance parade that will wind its way through the streets on Saturday afternoon. Starting at the Jubilee Clock at 1pm, hundreds of dancers including Appalachian sides will make their way along the seafront to the Pavilion, dancing all the way.

"It is one of the most popular events of the festival, a real carnival procession of dancers," Bob explains. " Not only is it a fantastic site, but hopefully the dancers will also come and take part in the ceilidh in the Pavilion Ocean Room on Saturday night (7.30pm start) and really get it going."

He adds "We have been overwhelmed by the support we have been given and I think people will enjoy this highly entertaining and colourful spectacle."

Weymouth Folk festival runs from Friday to Sunday, May 7 to 9 in and around the Pavilion complex and tickets can be bought for the individual shows and for the whole weekend. For full details and tickets, call the box office on 01305 783 225.

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 10 May 04 - 11:26 AM

Dorset Echo 10 May 2004

Annual festival weaves it way into national folk calander
By Peter Hawkins.

Weymouth's 'tremendous' folk festival is becoming cemented into the folk calender. Organiser Bob Kirkpatrick said: "We are still only in our third year but this year has really established us well"

A procession of dancers wound their way along the beach from the Jubilee Clock to the Pavilion, weaving in and out of the town centre. Folk music act Show of Hands, dubbed the U2 of folk music, headlined at the Pavilion on Saturday night while a celidh was held in the Ocean Rooms.

Musicians Jez Lowe, Bob Fox and the Bad Pennies performed at the close of the weekend on Sunday afternoon.

Bob Kirkpatrick added: "It went tremendously well. We got lots of positive comments from members of the public, the dance teams were well received and the Ocean Rooms were full - it was fantastic. "The weather helped in way - we moved the Appalachian dancers inside because of the wind and we were overwhelmed with the number of onlookers."

The festival also included dance displays, music and dance workshops and craft stalls, as well as various free musical performances in pubs around Weymouth including Paul Downes, mike Silver and Three Tons o' grass.

ENDS

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 23 Feb 05 - 03:04 AM

6th - 8th May 2005

WEYMOUTH FOLK FESTIVAL

£30 weekend ticket

A weekend of folk events including concerts, ceilidhs, workshops, meet the artists, indoor and outdoor dance displays, song and tune sessions, a folk club and a craft fair.

This 4th Festival promises to be the best yet confirmed artists include Ashley Hutchings with a Morris On programme, Mundy-Turner, Colvin-Quarmy, Derek Brimstone, Dr Stomp, Paul Downes, No Fixed Abode, Roy Mette, a New to the Festival Concert, The Harvesters, Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer, Nick Wyke and Beky Driscoll, Red Shed Ceilidh Band, a Late Night Extra, Morris (all kinds), Clog, Appalachian, Stepdance teams.

A weekend ticket for all events costs £30 with family, child and senior and day tickets available. All events are also individually priced. Discount camping is available, as is discount parking. We keep the website updated at www.weymouthfolkfestival.co.uk so check for details or contact the Box Office on 01305 783225.

Please support a local festival organised by enthusiasts with Local Authority support which is trying to get more folk based acts in the area and raise the profile of our own arts. Let us know any suggestions you have or if you would like to help by stewarding.

Box Office (01305 783225)

[e-mail]

www.weymouthfolkfestival.co.uk

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 04 May 05 - 11:56 AM

Refresh.

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 05 May 05 - 02:53 AM

Great festival - one I would recommend to anybody - very friendly sessions.

two things never add up to me about it.

1) Why can't Weymouth Pavilion install lifts for disabled people. This is a major public facility. Not just for the folk festival but why do Weymouth people put up with that. Three Stannahs and the whole place would be open to a whole new section of the community. Mind blowing.

2) Where are the Yetties? I've seen their show at The pavilion at least half a dozen times. they are surely the jewel in the crown of the Dorset folk scene.    Pete the accordionist/keyboard is a terrific musician, Bonny Sartin is one of the greatest interpreters of folk music going - somebody who can sing a traditional song without sounding like the village idiot, from a folk music family that sourced the Hammond collection - and where the bloody hell are they? Oh yeh and the other bloke on guitar's not bad. Don't tell they've got a gig and can't make it.....

best wishes, I will try to make it this year. i had actually booked a caravan for the weekend , but a close relation has been rushed into hospital - anyway No Fixed Abode will be able to use the caravan - they are neighbours and they are doing the festival AND have a gig at Piddletrentide or something or other that sounds similar.

all the best

Big al whittle

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 05 May 05 - 05:25 AM

Where is Grahame Moore?

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: GUEST,rebel folkie
Date: 05 May 05 - 02:53 PM

Suggest all talk and no action leads to the same end. Negative feelings. Music of the folk is just that, an expression of who we are if farmer, publican singer or traveller. So action. Sing in a pub as an individualand as a group of individuals. play in a pub as an individual and as a group of individuals. Who will eject? who will sue? The police can not respond. The french would do such why dont you?

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: Folkiedave
Date: 05 May 05 - 04:33 PM

Slight problem with that rebel folkie, it isn't you that gets arrested, sued and loses his/her licence for breaking the law.

It's the landlord.

And the law has changed anyway - thogh whether for the better is a moot point.

Best regards,

Dave Eyre

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 16 Oct 05 - 06:56 PM

http://www.weymouthfolkfestival.co.uk/

The following from the above site.

Weymouth & Portland Borough Council have decided to significantly reduce funding for future Festivals.

It is not clear what the outcome of this decision will mean.

In the meantime go here and see what is FolkActive in Dorset.

Please take the time to let me know what you think .......MAIL US

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 07 Dec 05 - 01:39 AM

2nd, 3rd & 4th June
* ==============
*
* Wessex Folk Festival, Weymouth
*
* Confirmed so far: Richard Digance
*
* A new name and new focus for the former Weymouth Folk Festival. The festival
* will run from Fiday 2nd June to Sunday 4th June. Our aim is to celebrate and
* promote live performance of music, song and dance rooted in the traditions of
* our area. We want to make the best use of the existing wealth of talent
* Wessex has to offer and to encourage new talent. Our website is regularly
* updated so please visit us to find out the latest on who's booked, where and
* when.
*
* Information from Pauline Clenshaw 01305 860277
*[e-mail]
*

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 07 Dec 05 - 04:41 AM

beautiful festival - have visited two years now.

they should sort out the Pavilion and put a lift in for disabled people.

otherwise best of luck!

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 07 Dec 05 - 04:50 AM

Part of the problem is that the council have sorted The Pavlion out. They are making it available for the festival in 2006 but the site is to be re-developed and the future is a little uncertain.

It would have been easier just to put some lifts in - levelling the entire building does seem a little drastic...........

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: vindelis
Date: 08 Jan 06 - 02:50 PM

The festival is, for the most part,self financing this year. The first fund raising event will be a Ceilidh in the Ocean room at the back of Weymouth Pavilion. £5 in advance £6 on the door. The band is the Tree Fellas. From what I hear it should be a right good craic. Again the informaation is on the festival website.

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 09 Jan 06 - 04:49 AM

and the website for this year is.......?

Subject: RE: Weymouth Folk Festival (UK)
From: The Shambles
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 09:23 AM

Ceilidh, Barn Dance, Knees Up!

Call it what you will, a good time will be had by all!

In the Ocean Room at Weymouth Pavilion on
Friday 27th January 2006
7.30 pm to 11 pm
Music by super-group The Tree Fellahs
With a special get-your-breath-back-and-eat-your-supper spot from Triskele and a traditional Hoodening Play.
Also, musical bric-a-brac stalls open from 7.15 pm

All this and a Ploughman's Supper for just £5 each in advance (£6 on the door) Children aged 7 to 14 £2.50 each in advance (£3 on the door) Children up to 7 free.

To reserve advance tickets call
Pauline: 01305 860277 Karen: 01305 812876 Dave: 01305 852773
Jo and Roger: 01305 780457

A fundraising event for Wessex Folk Festival Fri 2nd- Sun 4th June 2006
www.wessexfolkfestival.co.uk
ENDS

[The above link does not seem to work - but that is the that is given. Perhaps it is just temporarily off-line?]