Faversham Hop Festival

Subject: Faversham Hop Festival
From: woodsie
Date: 28 Aug 07 - 03:12 AM

Is anybody going to The Faversham Hop Festival?

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Surreysinger
Date: 28 Aug 07 - 05:38 AM

Looks as though they haven't updated their website. The programme details show acts to be confirmed, and don't actually give you any indication of what is happening each day. I _had_ been thinking of detouring that way on my way back from the East Anglian Music day at Stowmarket, but without any indication of what's actually happening on the Sunday probably won't now. :-(

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 28 Aug 07 - 09:28 AM

If yo go to the contact page it gives the email addy of the responsible civil servant, and in the past I have emailed her for a detailed prog and got same by return.

There will undoubtedly be stuff going on, Morris, drinking, singing.

Bishop Gundulf will be there and I believe Jumbo Gumbo are booked.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,Kampervan
Date: 28 Aug 07 - 10:06 AM

The line includes

Tanglefoot
Jumbo Gumbo
Happy Trails
Great Bonzo and doris
Chiens de Mer
The Tim Edey Band is on on Friday night
Hot Rats
Under the Wood
Buick Six
Crooked Style
The BLue Devils
Thousands of Morris sides and Mummers and CLoggers
Camine
Cell BLock nine

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,Kampervan
Date: 28 Aug 07 - 10:10 AM

Sorry, keep hitting the send button accidentally. That's cos I'm still on overload from Shrewsbury- brilliant festival!!!!

Davey Slater
Trommelfluit
Waterhorse.

I think that's most of the line up. Should be a good weekend and I'll be looking for sessions in the local pubs where I can sit, listen and perhaps join in with a bit of singing.

Got there in the end.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: melodeonboy
Date: 28 Aug 07 - 02:43 PM

Much as I dislike self-promotion of any kind (shurely shome mishtake - Ed.), Jumbo Gumbo (Kent's newest zydeco band!) are playing on Saturday on the main stage at 10.45 a.m. and at the Anchor at 2 p.m.

Surreysinger's right: the website should contain programme information. As helpful as the forementioned civil servant is, it's not the most efficient way to keep everyone informed.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: synbyn
Date: 28 Aug 07 - 04:14 PM

yup I'll be there, looking for sessions and Belgian beer...

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Abdul The Bul Bul
Date: 28 Aug 07 - 05:04 PM

Tim Edey is at Faversham Folk Club (http://www.favershamfolkclub.net/)
on Friday night and reserved seats have almost gone, we're expecting a full house so ring before turning up.

Al

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: growler
Date: 28 Aug 07 - 05:05 PM

Good God , Kevin, have you no shame. I realy wish I could be there, but events have taken over

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,The Barden of England sans cookie
Date: 28 Aug 07 - 07:14 PM

Break a leg Kevin. I'll be having fun with Alan Bell, Cloudstreet and Nacy Kerr and James Fagan and George Papavgeris at Fylde, but someone's got to do it I suppose. Hope the festival goes well.
John Barden

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,Gadaffi
Date: 29 Aug 07 - 06:56 AM

The Fabulous Fezheads will be holding court inside and outside The Sun in West Street as usual with a 3.30-ish Main Stage performance.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 29 Aug 07 - 07:13 AM

Have got a gig in Stowmarket on Saturday, but, hope to be back for the Festival Band Overture in the Market square Sun Morn.
Ralph

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,charlotte- oast ouse opper
Date: 29 Aug 07 - 08:12 AM

Faversham is normally a most excellent mini festival which rounds off the festival summer for me, and I've been to every single one so i shuld know!

this is my first year not dancing, none of my sides could make it, but i will be there having a little look around and enjoying the sessions....

lets hope for some nice weather, its lovely here at the moment (not far from Faversham as we speak!)

see you all there
Dillie x

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 29 Aug 07 - 08:18 AM

The vital question is where and when the good sessions are going to be. Last year it was mostly good in the pub nearest the A2, the name of which escapes me, and there was also fun to be had in the big one just the town side of the railway tracks.

After the musical chairs of Broadstairs, will we have a reprise of the mayhem on the campite that there was at Favvers last year - and how many tents will this year decide that they are really kites instead??

Oh, and how many idiots will drive caravans under low tree branches?

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Kampervan
Date: 29 Aug 07 - 10:27 AM

The pub nearest the camp site is The Crown and Anchor, the big one near the Railway line is The Railway Hotel (O.K. so maybe not a lot of imagination but at lest it's accurate).

Hopefully a singaround will materialise, perhaps at the Railway during the day and the Crown ( which is away from the town and a little less susceptible to noise complaints) during the evening.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Kampervan
Date: 30 Aug 07 - 09:54 AM

Refresh

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: synbyn
Date: 30 Aug 07 - 10:59 AM

Just seen the programme but don't have it with me... looks like the Bear is running pretty well continuous sessions and there are others available by the look of it if you're after tunes & diddlies... see you there!

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 30 Aug 07 - 01:15 PM

Beware of a certain banjo-plucker!

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Kampervan
Date: 30 Aug 07 - 07:16 PM

May the gods steer us away from the manually dextrous and into the arms of honest-to-goodness (vocally dextrous) session singers.

Long life to both ;-)

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Girl Friday
Date: 30 Aug 07 - 09:52 PM

We emailed the civil servant who obligingly sent us a list of who's on where all weekend. The three Tuns is no-go as new owners wanted a booked guest... we are welcome to start anything in any of the pubs not on the list. Answer to my criticism of lack of info on website? They won't sell programmes which is the main source of revenue. Without sufficiant info where is the incentive?

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,charlotte the oast ouse opper
Date: 31 Aug 07 - 03:36 AM

The Crown and Anchor is always good for late nate sessions that only end when the music does...

and the beer is good (according to my CAMRA member of a Dad), and not to procey, and you don't get the usual clientele that you would normally get in 'Chaversham' on a saturday night....

And its staggering distance to the camp site...only down side is that it is a bit of a walk to the chip shop in town that sells the most awesome chips on earth.

Enjoy! thinking about coming down on Sunday!

Dillie x

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Kampervan
Date: 31 Aug 07 - 06:47 AM

Hi there

I also had an exchange of emails with the person at Swale.gov who looks after these things and they have now updated the official website so that it has a full programme of artists on it.

You'll still have to do a pub crawl to find the sessions (shame!) although most of the likely suspects have already been mentioned on the thread already.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 31 Aug 07 - 07:22 AM

Well, it has a list of artists, but no details....

Just down from the Crown and Onanist is a pub that last year was advertising a range of beers proudly proclaiming "I see no Sheps!". I find most of the Sheps beers while often pleasant going down give me the most rotten indigestion...

Starting to pack the caravan now!

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Kev The Clogs
Date: 31 Aug 07 - 07:39 AM

Richard, that's the AMOUNT that you have consumed not WHAT you have consumed!! See you there mate.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,Camgirl
Date: 31 Aug 07 - 10:52 AM

I haven't been to Fav Hop Fest before but got a list from Swale contact called What's on In the pubs 2007, which states that on Sat night there's a come-all-ye session (is that the same as a 'round the room'?) at the Elephant and an Irish session at the Bear. Then on Sunday an all day 'come-all-ye' at The Bear and session 'with Chris Taylor' at The Phoenix.

But often reality doesn't tally with such lists, I've found! It would be good to save walking miles looking for a session as I've done at Woodbridge in the past and Sidmouth this year. so if anyone knows where's been a good English music session me and my feet would be delighted to hear!

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,hackstrom
Date: 31 Aug 07 - 03:15 PM

when and where are waterhorse playing - anyone know?

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Kampervan
Date: 31 Aug 07 - 04:35 PM

Waterhorse are on at 15.10 in the Market Place on Sunday.
(According to the programme).

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,hackstrom
Date: 01 Sep 07 - 08:15 AM

Thanks for that Kampervan.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 02 Sep 07 - 03:22 PM

The session at the Elephant on Sunday evening wasn't. Wall to wall chavs and electric shit on the jukebox. Why do they lie?

The session at the Bear on Friday night nearly wasn't. I passed by at about 9 or 9.30 to discover Mark Lawson with no allies trying on his own to entertain a bar full of not-very-folkies.

My feeling was there were fewer sides this year too.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Girl Friday
Date: 02 Sep 07 - 03:31 PM

After reading Richard's report I'm glad we didn't go there. It's been going downhill for several years. The Bear not very full of Folkies.... must be the beginning of the end.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 02 Sep 07 - 03:56 PM

I was there three years ago when it was really jolly nice and not too chavvy.
Now the world is different.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 02 Sep 07 - 05:17 PM

There were mixed sessions in the Crown and Onanist on the Friday and Saturday evenings.

On the Friday I was there but then went for a long, long walk to get away.

On the Saturday I went for a short walk and then to talk to some friends in the smoking area - also to get away. A fiddler arrived looking for the Elephant but trying us in lieu. He didn't even get his fiddle out.

On Sunday I did hear one of the Rock and Roll bands do a mean version of "Reet Petite" - to give balance last Knockholt I suprised a bloke with a nice Martin OM size (maybe a 21) by identifying "20 Flight Rock" before he had played 3 bars - and this weekend I was vexing the folk police by playing the mandoplank (with a "hot rails" copy pickup in bridge position) for the side, and getting some VERY DIRRTY distortion on it through a little portable Yamaha amp...

Sunday early PM I sat in the non-singing bar of the Railway and idly dozed under my hat for lack of interest in the sing in the other bar. It's a shame there no longer seems to be anywhere to do anything other than diddle (I think there were some diddling sessions, I'll leave others to comment) or belt out the loudest chorus songs. I saw Davey Slater tune up - but then had to go to play for the side...

Substitute interest was provided by the Morris version of "Peyton Place" on Friday. In some ways it's a bit like a square dance - the music moves and all change partners... But as an observer in all that, it is a delight to watch the most skilful operators (of both genders) play the game and manipulate the other players.

My weekend was rounded out upon my return home, as I went to empty the vardo grottibotti, to discover that the Lower Stoke foul sewer had backed up AGAIN so that instead of a 6 foot hole under my manhole cover there was a 6 inch gap then sewage. Southern Water has now got the drain running again so I can start to run the washing machine...

All in all - at best a curate's egg.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Kampervan
Date: 02 Sep 07 - 07:55 PM

Well, the Saturday night session at the Crown and Anchor was pretty good.

Lot of singing, even if three non-believers were intent on pretending that it was a perfectly normal Saturday night and totally ignored the existence of a room full of singers.

The problem with Faversham hop festival is that it has never really decided what it wants to be from a folk perspective. It's organised by people who don't want a folk festival and who think that by putting on a broad spectrum of acts they can keep everyone happy

The local folk club puts on a concert on Friday night but take virtually no other part in the weekend. Hardly anyone from the club is in evidence at any of the singarounds.


The moral is - If you want it to happen then you have to make it happen yourself.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,Tone Deaf Leopard
Date: 02 Sep 07 - 08:09 PM

Our feelings exactly on the subject. When the bed was declared past it's best and the shop could deliver on Saturday we thought getting a new bed far more important than going there. Got best night's sleep for 2 years then went to Fab Club. Glad we did.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 02 Sep 07 - 10:59 PM

I have to beg to differ on that Sat nite in the Onanist.   As I said, I escaped it.

I thought Ernie was big in the organising. And I thought he was a folkie. Or am I missing something.

The "broad spectrum" is not really provided, IMHO, unless you mean "broad spectrum of MoR". Certainly there is no metal or goth music, and no MoBO. I'm glad of the latter, and would think the former out of place, but there they ain't.

Does anyone know why the Elephant advertised an all-day come-all-ye and then didn't have one? A free pint for each singer/player would have had the place heaving!

Oh, and why do Gundulf always get their limited number of beer vouchers valid only for a pub that is miles from anywhere? Is there a rebate to the festival organisers if the beer vouchers are not used?

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 12:13 AM

Speaking as a resident of Faversham, I'd like to point out that the Hop Festival has never set itself out to be a Folk Festival. It's a Town Festival, and the folk input is merely one of the ingredients.
For myself, having driven down from the excellent English Country Music day in Stowmarket on Saturday, to help out with the Festival band overture in the market square on Sun morning, It was as delightful as always, Yes, a bit of a curates egg of an event, and suffered (in common with most towns in the UK) with the Chav problem,
But IMHO, an interesting mix of musical styles was on display.
To actually play the music that I love, to people who would otherwise have no knowledge of it, is surely part of being in the community?
Whilst playing in the Bear (unusually quiet at the time) I struck up a conversation with a lady of a certain age (!) reminiscing about times past, and concertina players that she had known. Pure gold to me.

No, Fav is not a Folk Fest, So, if you are only interested in singing (whatever), it's not the place for you.


As for me, it was bloody great, (and I got to see Trommelflot again!)

Cheers for now

Ralphie

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Kampervan
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 02:48 AM

No arguments with you at all Ralphie, I accept that the organisers don't want a folk festival and prefer a broader based approach to appeal to more people.

But by it's very nature it attracts a lot of people who, like me, would like to spend some time listening/joining in at a singaround. However, at the moment, the only way to find one is to trawl round the pubs until you find something going on;frequently that coincides with the presence of Dead Horse or Gundulph Morris, and thanks to them for getting something going.

Also the Crown and Anchor seems to be becoming the preferred evening venue ( closest to the camp site) Great, but then let people know that it's going to happen then there'd be a lot more people there.

As for the rest of the festival, I think that it was great and, according to one policeman I spoke to, Faversham was packed full of more very merry people than he'd ever seen but there were fewer problems than on a normal Sat night.



But there are enough people surely to warrant getting somet

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 03:01 AM

Kampervan.
Respect!
As a musician (you don't want to hear me sing, I assure you!)
In Fav I would always gravitate to the Bear, Yes, it would be nice for singers to have their own venue. (Similar to the Anchor/Radway axis at Sidmouth. One for songs, one for tunes)
Not sure how that could be arranged.
The Bear after all, has been a session pub for many a long year, and so has a tradition attached.
As far as I know, apart from the Folk Club on a weds night, there hasn't been that singing tradition in the town.
For those that started something going, well done, and it was nice to hear the comments from the policeman!!
The Hop fest is what it is, a pleasant way to spend a late summers weekend.
Yes, it changes slightly from year to year, but, still the people come along. Long may it continue.
I feel proud to be part of it.
Even the weather smiled on us!!!

Bon Chance

Ralphie

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: KeithofChester
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 05:31 AM

I was there three years ago when it was really jolly nice and not too chavvy.
Now the world is different.

Chav Towns Faversham Entry

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 09:54 AM

Hey Keith...LOL!!!
Indeed "The Hole in the Wall" is exactly that, and the mention of the Kebab House too!
Luckily, where I live is relatively Chav Free.
Thanks for the link though
Regards Ralphie.
(Try googling "Chavhemian Rhapsody" sometime....
"I see a little silhouetto of a Goth..."etc)

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 05:51 PM

Can somebody please tell me who was playing last thing on Sunday night at The Anchor?

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Kampervan
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 06:23 PM

Last booked band on Sunday was 'The Blue Devils', from 6pm onwards.

Before that it was Crooked Style from 4pm. (According to the listings), wasn't there so couldn't be certain!.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Kev The Clogs
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 06:43 AM

Hoffmeister!!! You naughty man - so you liked the Peyton Place square dance - tut tut :-)

Well, we, as Bishop GUNDULF (sorry Ralphie, no dig intended, but we have had a spate of events and organisers getting our name wrong this year) had a great time. Glad you enjoyed our singing. Two ays of hard dancing/singing and drinking. I like the overal mix. As someone said earlier - if you want something to happen, then you have to do it yourselves. We always manage to start up a session wherever we have been dancing, as do Dead Horse.

I agree with Hoffmeister, the beer vouchers are a pain - could we please have them allocated so that they coincide with the NEAREST pub that we are dancing at/near? Let's face it, we spent Friay and Saturday night in The Crown and Anchor and had vouchers for The Crown which is miles (well, a long way) in the opposite direction - during the days, unable to get there as dancing nine stands and a procession!!!!

Good range of stalls, events, beers, bands etc. I always find that the people of Faversham are always friendly and pleased to have us there (mostly - I did bump into two who had had some sort of bypass performed on them!).

Big well done to the stewards as well!!

See you at Knockholt, Deal or Tentereden.

Kev

ps look out for details of the Aylesford Village Festival 2008. Tentatively got a great range of folk bands lined up including two biggies!!!!!

Kev

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 11:17 AM

I'm thinking that there is (insert side name) first mixed border sword garland dance in this... Possibly to the tune of Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll" or maybe "Do you want to touch".

Men and women line up facing each other, men with the usual sticks and women with small one-handed hoop in left hand, and machetes in right.

All caper, men brandish their sticks and women coyly raise their hoops and look from side to side (hiding machete behind apron).

Genders approach, women thread stick in hoop, hold end and gentle fling.

Stand facing, women flirt with hoop, centre, right, and left. Men bang stick on ground, centre, left and right. Woman to right of man holds stick briefly, man returns to present stick to woman opposite, (ie partner at beginning of this tourney) who flays into it with machete - like the usual border bang bang.

Men and women caper forward past each other then back, turn backs on each other, which changes to a hay up and down each line (men up and down men's line, women down and up women's line). At the end of the hay each man is now opposite the woman formerly to his right and who last held his stick. Lead man capers to end of line.

Repeat until every woman had machete'd every man's stick.

Who said I had no interest in dance...

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Dead Horse
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 11:37 AM

You are not suggesting that anyone of Gundulfs men is capable of capering, are you?
Tottering more like!
;-)

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 11:56 AM

Relative to what, exactly? Glass houses, stow thrones, etc...

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: synbyn
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 04:06 PM

Well, I had a good time, and agree that it's not a folk festival really, it's a town festival- and in fact most of the folk club committee are heavily involved in organising & stewarding & ferrying & all the nutsnbolts bits of the festival and so unsurprisingly can't be seen at the sessions. They're too busy! The Festival band slots are admittedly early, but provide some mainstage tunes. Rather like other venues in Kent, the pubs call the tune as regards the acts they think will attract people in to spend money, I think. On a thirsty Hop Festival day with thousands of people you can't really expect them to shut up! The morris festivities in Tunbridge Wells & Tonbridge over the weekend may have attracted some sides, I guess. Not that you'd have known they were on from local publicity! It's perhaps better for folkies to gather in camper vans in fields where they can hear & be heard- the Travelling Folk weekend wassold out well before, and had about 80 singers. See y'all at Deal for a pinch of salt...

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 04:46 PM

Yes, yes, maximum respect for the committee etc, etc.

But why advertise an all-day come-all-ye - and then not put a person in there to run it and a couple of singers/players to seed the event?

Why leave Mark Lawson solo to sing at the Bear and not book a couple of other singers/players to go in with him?

Only a couple of years ago there was an open mic run by the poetry society at a pub that was a long walk out of town - and it was rammed.

How about turning the main stage down a bit so that dancers outside the HSBC can actually hear their own side's music?

How about rotating the dance sides progressively, rather than apparently at random? How about putting which side is at which stand when in the programme? Why have the stands coinciding rather than being staggered?

How about controlling the street trader pitches so that pedestrians can pass between the pitch and the wall, to permit peripatation without obstruction?

How about keeping trade pitches off the exact street corners (you know, like not parking cars on jusnctions) - again so that people can pass?

What genius designed the layout by the post office so that there was nowhere for the sides to dance, between the roundabout, the ice-cream van, and the big tut stall outside the shoeshop? All it needed was the van and the tut stall moved down nearer to the main road, so bringing extra people into grabbing range of the art display and making a bit of a barrier to the traffic noise. Maybe the roundabout could have gone on the pavement by the post office hard to the passing road, too, leaving a nice big area for dancing, playing, and buying beer from the CAMRA stand and soaking up sunshine - in effect a tertiary square.

What about marking the location of the beer stalls on the festival map? Have any of the pubs got bat and trap greens? How about a village-by-village competition? What really celebrates the hop? Why not a yard of ale competition?

What about a central-ish "left luggage" maybe under the cloisters so that people who play more than one instrument don't need a golf trolley to drag them all around all day.

How about a break between stands for sides (eg 2 stands, hour or so off, repeat, repeat 2 stands) so that the players and singers from the sides can get into the daytime sessions and come-all-ye-s?

How about signposted "bypass" walking routes for people to dodge the thrilling mong when trying to get from stand to stand or session to session?

How about "electric jams" in some pubs for the plank players? A "club stage" for performers? A snigger snogwriter competition?

Is there anywhere to put a little 5-a-side soccer competition?

Kids' rides round the outside of the town on the White Steamer?


What about a "festivalbeer" competition, with votes awarded by the consumers for the best beer, and maybe a microbrewer (take it in tturns, barred from entering the year in the role) as the Simon Cowell?

I'm sure I could go on. It's a great concept, a whole town hop festival, but there is so much more that could be done.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 04:50 PM

Those of you who missed singarounds could try the Wareham Wail next year?

Kitty

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 11:00 PM

Well it must have been good - even Limpit said so!

LTS

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 07:25 AM

I assume Richard, that you are being ironic...No?
If you are serious, then why don't you organise the whole thing?
It's not that simple.
Ralph

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 08:13 AM

Ah - NIH syndrome. Sorry to bother you I'm sure.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,Charlotte the oast ouse opper
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 09:05 AM

Actually, Richard has some very honest and effective suggestions that were they put into place might encourage more sides and indeed musicians to turn out. the crowded/clogged up streets and lack of breaks and any real logic behind the stand organisation meant that BOTH of the sides I currently dance for and another i dance for occasionally were not willing to attend the festival.

so.....while the sessions when they do get going, or anyone knows about them are great, there is work to be done here, to make what could be a great festival.

Dillie x

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: GUEST,synbyn
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 11:58 AM

We used to have come-all-ye sessions a few years ago, I used to run some of them with Larry, and they were popular...butthe sad fact is that most singers and listeners in our sphere tend to make a couple of pints last all afternoon, not to mention the mineral water imbibers, and the landlords have to make the most of what for them is the biggest intake of the year. For them it's not enough to fill the pub, they need income. But you know this....
As for seeding sessions, Richard, what you do with your mandolin is your business...

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 04:23 PM

"A couple of pints last all afternoon"

Most of BG can't make a couple of pints last 10 minutes and are ratarsed from arrival until Sunday...

I think Mark Lawson and I probably put the Bear in profit on one evening.....

I know my head felt like it next morning...

And thank you Dillie.

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: growler
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 04:44 PM

You could invite 'Ruff and Reddy' next year. We have been described, by Dave Bloss, as ' The best pair of piss heads had ever heard', although, this could be described as the pot calling the kettle black,

Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 06:15 PM

The word you want is not "best" but maybe "loudest". Or possibly "lowest and growliest". I think the Aussies put it best "the biggest sheds of voices". In case you didn't get it, a "shed" is sometimes a "dunnie".