For anyone who has not been to the Hull Maritime Festival before, it is worth stressing that this is a more or less FREE festival. The Hull City Council, who are responsible for funding and publicity, do not make this very clear either in their printed or their web site publicity despite the fact that this must be one of the festival's outstandingly attractive features. I presume that the format is roughly the same as in recent past years which is as follows,

There is a large stage, with seating facing, on the town centre dockside where the booked guests perform throughout the day for free.

There are performance sessions on board some of the vessles such as the Syntan with a rota of the booked guests. This is free.

During the day in various pubs around the dockside and down towards the river there are singarounds where every hour booked guests also appear to perform for about 15 minute on a rota system. This is free.

On the Saturday there is a concert that you have to pay to get in to and on the Sunday there is a Survivors' Session where you have to pay. However, there have in the past been free 'fringe' singarounds in The Minerva ( I don't know about the other pubs). Also on the Friday night there has been a fringe singaround in The White Hart.

All of this adds up to a potentially cracking free festival if you want to make it so.

Perhaps Les , Ossenflags or anyone else with more precise times and venues for this year can fill in the details so those wanting to come can know exactly where and when to congregate. I note that several people have asked about the Friday but there has been nothing definite stated about a venue or time.

Now read the Hull City web site publicity reproduced below and you will see what a grand time could be had by all for free (or in exchange for a few jars of ale)


Hull Marina is the daytime setting for open-air performances of sea songs and shanties against a magnificent backdrop of traditional, classic and working vessels.

The quaysides will be alive with demonstrations of traditional crafts including woodcarving, ship bottling, net mending, lobster and crab pot braiding and a coopering demonstration. There will be stalls where visitors can buy maritime paintings, books, smocks, novelties and food and drink. Children will be able to make maritime items at the salt dough workshop or try making a mask. A variety of vessels will also be on display.


Artists already confirmed for this year include -

Bitter End
Cathead
Chris Roche
Dave and Julie Evardson
Hans Weehuizen (Netherlands)
Hissyfit
La Bouline (France)
Lord Nelson
John and Zeke
Jim Radford
Risor Shantykoor (Norway)

Monkey's Orphan
Naze Shanty Crew
Scolds Bridle
Shanty Jack
Shellback Chorus
Shep Woolley
Stormalong John
Three Sheets To The Wind
A-Drift
John Conolly
Hull Community Theatre



- with more acts to follow.


Evening concerts
Saturday 6 September 2008
An evening of maritime entertainment taking place in the Mortimer Suite within the prestigious Hull City Hall, 8pm - 11pm. Tickets are £7.50.

Sunday 7 September 2008
The festival will be brought to a close with an informal sing-a-round "Survivors' Session" in the friendly surroundings of The Portland Hotel, Kingston Suite, 8pm - 11pm. Tickets are £4.50.