Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival

Subject: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Mr Red
Date: 23 Dec 08 - 04:23 AM

I am planning to be there, work permitting
Anyone else?

Apart from the ceilidh (Steamchicken & Pete Rees) any sessions and where?

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: My guru always said
Date: 23 Dec 08 - 04:49 AM

We'll be there! Just love this festival despite the normal cold weather!! Sessions aplenty, well the town is full of musicians of Morris, Molly & Sword sides. Main problem is getting into them as the places heaves. The Brickmakers is usually well attended & occasionally a song is sung there too. The only Sing that I know of is in the Boat on the Saturday night, anyone know of any others?

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: bubblyrat
Date: 23 Dec 08 - 05:02 AM

Been there a few times.....it's usually VERY cold,but a nice atmosphere, good dance-sides and displays,a great location (school hall) for the Saturday ceilidh & Sunday "session"......but the pub sessions can get very crowded indeed, unless you bag a seat early and stay there ! ( ie in the "Bricklayers Arms")---there are other pub sessions scattered about the town, but they too can get VERY busy (it's the weather what does it !). Worth going just to see Pig Dyke Molly (Yaxley Morris as was ),although the weather,if it's wet or icy,can play havoc ; I have seen quite a few dancers (especially Appalachian and cloggers) come to grief and take a tumble.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Mr Red
Date: 23 Dec 08 - 06:56 AM

Unless I am still sleeping I will be within a few strides of the Brickies inner sanctum. Booked a caravan slot and there should be no problem finding room for Rouge Towers.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 23 Dec 08 - 11:20 AM

Er... so when is it?

Sal

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 23 Dec 08 - 11:20 AM

and do we have to have this bloody advert at the top?

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: treewind
Date: 23 Dec 08 - 01:03 PM

Whittlesea Straw Bear 10th January mostly, with things happening on 9th and 11th too.

Anahata
(who will be playing for Pig Dyke Molly)

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Tradsinger
Date: 24 Dec 08 - 03:37 AM

I'll be there.

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 24 Dec 08 - 04:13 AM

Ummmmm, this might be a daft question but can anyone tell me why it's called Whittlesea Straw Bear? Doesn't it take place at Whittlesey?

It's bin puzzling me, sorry if I'm a bit fick!

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: GUEST,English Jon
Date: 24 Dec 08 - 10:24 AM

The town is marked on local area maps with one spelling and rail maps with another. It's just one of those odd bits of local inconsistency.

Happy Christmas all...

Jon

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 24 Dec 08 - 10:30 AM

Aaa-a-a-a-a-a-h-h-hh! Now I see!
Thanks for clearing that up (sorta, kinda)!!

Happy Christmas.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: treewind
Date: 24 Dec 08 - 11:38 AM

Whittlesea is, if anything, the older name or spelling.
Both are definitely in equal currency.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 24 Dec 08 - 01:00 PM

It's an effin' long way from the sea! :-) :-)

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Noreen
Date: 24 Dec 08 - 03:13 PM

'Twas the sea that moved, not the town!

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: treewind
Date: 24 Dec 08 - 05:19 PM

There are lots of place names in the fens that end in -ey or -ea and the suffix means "island". Before the fens were drained the bits of land that were a few feet higher than the other bits were the only inhabitable places. E.g. See Quanea, Nornea, Thorney, Eastrea, Coveney, Stonea, Ramsey, Yaxley, Gedney, Westry (almost certainly same derivation) Welney, Quy (Cow - ey = cow island I'm told), Tilney, Fulney. [that's enough fenland villages - Ed]

Anahata

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: GUEST,Once Frozen
Date: 25 Dec 08 - 07:03 AM

'Place names end in -ey'-Anahata.

Or sometimes they don't even bother with a prefix viz Eye,just up the road.

Incidentally,is there anywhere to put up (I really hesitate to say camp) overnight in Whittlewhatever?
It's a great event at just the right time of year-but as others observe,blinkin'nippy.

OF

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: treewind
Date: 25 Dec 08 - 11:49 AM

First time I ever went, stayed in a B&B, over 10 years ago. SB has got so popular now I'd guess the B&B's are long booked up. Once I made friends with White Rose Morris and camped on the youth club floor with them.

Our own guest facilities are already booked....

Anahata

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Fidjit
Date: 25 Dec 08 - 01:09 PM

Won't be there this year either. (Errr, Next year 2009)

The New Crown usually has a nice lunch time squeeze box session on Saturday. Watch out for the young (he's getting older)fiddler. He plays in F and Bb.

Also some nice food outside too. Meat pies to die for!

Not to forget the Straw Bear Beer. Special brew. Get some while you can it sells out fast !

Enjoy

Chas

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: LesB
Date: 25 Dec 08 - 07:03 PM

If a number of you want to eat, it's a good idea to book at the Indian or Chinese in advance, because there is virtually nowhere to get a decent meal in the evening.
Cheers
Les

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 26 Dec 08 - 01:31 AM

You could always find somewhere to stay in Peterborough - it's not far. You just need to check your last train or bus.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 26 Dec 08 - 04:23 AM

"it's a good idea to book at the Indian or Chinese"

Or the Chineas, or the Chineys or.....!!

Just leg-pullin'! Thanks for the info, everyone. It's bin a puzzlement to me for years (and I never even thought about the sea moving, Noreen!).

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: treewind
Date: 26 Dec 08 - 04:56 AM

Hi Chas - sorry we won't be seeing you this time. The young fiddler is Tom Moore - he says he's been playing fiddle for 10 years - when I first saw him holding his own pretty well in a session he was only 8!

Anahata

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Fidjit
Date: 26 Dec 08 - 08:06 AM

Yes I saw him when he was about 8 too! PHEW!!

Just befriended him on myspace.

Good man.

Chas

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: My guru always said
Date: 02 Jan 09 - 07:25 AM

Now that the New Year celebrations are over I'm really looking forward to Straw Bear & hoping that it'll get a bit warmer!

Don't forget that Derek & Mary will be hosting their traditional Sing in the Boat on the Saturday evening, not sure what time it starts but seats are usually at a premium!

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: GUEST,Gadaffi
Date: 02 Jan 09 - 08:30 AM

Re- spelling. Best ask Strawman. He originally spelt it Whittlesey. More recently, the organisers changed it to Whittlesea - I would suppose to give it a greater air of antiquity.

Yes, and it's true that British Rail spell the town -sea not -sey. There are worse examples in the south-east!

Re- sessions. I've often mused the same. The Boat had the promise of an Irish-ish session last year when I passed through. In the past, there's been music in The New Crown, Old Crown (RIP), Morton's Fork (RIP), George Hotel, Falcon, Bee - but nothing sustained enough to be programmed.

I shall be out with the Mepal lads, but the prospect of falling asleep on the train is usually enough to prevent me from bringing my concertina with me.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 02 Jan 09 - 03:43 PM

Did you know that 'Ramsey' means 'Island of the Wild Garlic' (after 'Ramsons' = Allium ursinum)? Similarly 'Ramsbottom' (in Lancashire) means 'Valley of the Wild Garlic'.

Oh yes, I can confirm that Whittlesey/sea is spelled both ways. And 'Peterborough' means 'a place ruined by progress'.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Merek'n'Dary
Date: 04 Jan 09 - 05:34 AM

Just to let you singers know that we will be running our usual sing around in the Boat on Saturday from 8.00 pm. Hope to see you there!

Merek'n'Dary

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Carol
Date: 06 Jan 09 - 01:51 PM

Yesterday I've got the all clear from the quack so intending to get down on Friday, few years since we've been, the B was where things were happening then

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: GUEST,Whether 4 cast
Date: 07 Jan 09 - 07:58 AM

weather is set to be -4 to 2 on Fri (assume cold Fri morning) and 2 to 4 Saturday so cool but not freezing.

So no skating on the River Nene (is it still pronounced Nenn that far east?)

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: IanC
Date: 07 Jan 09 - 08:41 AM

pron. Nenn in Northants, Neen in Cambs as a rough guide.

:-)

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Mr Red
Date: 12 Jan 09 - 05:49 AM

Fantastic week-end.
Frost inside the caravan, fog, chill winds and the water tap frozen.

But Oh the atmosphere! More than made up for it. Didn't want to come back to work.............

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: treewind
Date: 12 Jan 09 - 11:54 AM

Fantastic weekend for us. The coldest straw bear ever, according to several people I know who have been for a good few years. And I didn't go to work this morning - such a bad sore throat I had to take the day off!

Anahata

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: My guru always said
Date: 12 Jan 09 - 03:21 PM

Definitely the coldest I remember & I've been to a few *grin*

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: GUEST,33 1/3
Date: 12 Jan 09 - 03:28 PM

Cold,it was cold enough to buy a pair of long johns!but the company was warm and very friendly,see you again next year?

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: IanC
Date: 13 Jan 09 - 11:55 AM

Nothing like the coldest, I'm afraid ... but it was pretty cold.

;-)

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: GUEST,Gadaffi
Date: 14 Jan 09 - 04:07 AM

... and, in case no-one else says it, thanks Brian for your vision back in 1980 in organising WSB and every year since then. See you in 2010, if not before.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: GUEST,Mr Red
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 10:37 AM

Long? How long?

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 06:36 PM

Have we missed it then?

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: GUEST,Mr Red
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 07:18 AM

Fraid so.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: 33 1/3
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 10:33 AM

Long john was a bit longer than he thought he was!!!

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: GUEST,brian
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 04:35 PM

Forget the Pseudonym I've come out of the wardrobe. Thank you to you all for making Straw Bear 2009 the best yet, but it was bloody cold. Mind you, we take the Bear to Bad Canstatt (Stuttgart) on Thursday for their European Mask Festival. Look us up on www.narrenfest2009.de www.narrenfest2009.de I recon it will be colder out there than in Whittlesey this year. Whittlesey (the contemporary spelling), means island ( all the eys and eas were islands in the fens) belonging to Mr Whittle. It was, before it was drained, next to the largest lake in southern England ( called Whittlesea Mere) and had access to the sea, some 70 miles away. The nobs could, with a little local help, sail from London to Peterborough. We use both names just to continue the confusion and fuel the debate. Thanks again and gan canny.Ps I don't think I got the blue clickey right.

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Noreen
Date: 18 Jan 09 - 01:46 PM

Try this link instead, brian

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: treewind
Date: 18 Jan 09 - 01:52 PM

What are the dates for Straw Bear 2010 ?
I assume Jan 8/9/10 but I need to know definitely and reliably... Brian - are you still reading?

Anahata

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: GUEST,Edthefolkie
Date: 18 Jan 09 - 04:54 PM

Blimey, if it's that cold over there in the fens I hope those naked morris dancers on the other thread didn't turn up!

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Fidjit
Date: 19 Jan 09 - 04:39 AM

Not Brian any more it's Robert Taylor.

Chas

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Wyrd Sister
Date: 19 Jan 09 - 06:10 AM

"The Straw Bear in 2010 is going to be a week later than usual.
It will be the 15th, 16th and 17th January 2010."

From this year's programme.

website

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Rasener
Date: 19 Jan 09 - 06:27 AM

Well I clicked that link, but couldn't see where it said anything about 2010

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: treewind
Date: 19 Jan 09 - 06:57 AM

Ah - confused me too.
I think WS means the printed programme.
The info is not on the web site, first place I looked.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Rasener
Date: 19 Jan 09 - 06:59 AM

Anahata
9th might be OK
Les

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Wyrd Sister
Date: 19 Jan 09 - 09:10 AM

The dates are indeed from the official printed programme. The link is to the Straw Bear website, which I presume will be updated nearer the time.

Give 'em a break!

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: Merek'n'Dary
Date: 19 Jan 09 - 01:43 PM

Thanks to all you singers that joined us for our annual singaround in the Boat on Saturday night. After a slow start it turned out to be a very pleasant evening. However, each year it is getting harder to claim our room as more and more people seem to be coming to Strawbear as an excuse for a drinking binge, rather than coming for the wonderful music, dance and of course the Bear! Next year we are considering having our official sing on Friday night and then only doing something on Saturday night if the room becomes free later. What do people think?

We also echo the thanks to Brian and all the Strawbearers for this wonderful event ..... Long may we follow the Bear!

Subject: RE: Whittlesea Strawbear (UK) Festival
From: GUEST,Brian
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 03:27 PM

Straw Bear 2010 is 15, 16 and 17 January. One week later than usual. Saturday the 16th is the only day a bear appears in public. Glad you all had a good time I will drink a wheat beer to you all in Stuttgart
tomorrow evening when we will be out and about hunting the cork so we can black our faces, I wonder where we'll find them?
Some good Straw Bear stuff on U tube at the moment. See you about, Dert, Shepley, Rothbury and Bromyard so far.
Gan canny
Brian