Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (2011)

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 03 Mar 11 - 02:06 AM

The 'new festival' will take place on the date on which the 'old' festival would have taken place, the 17th - 19th June, and will retain the name 'Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival'for this year at least, although a name change looks likely for future events.
The website has now been updated with a rather fetching Middlewich Town Council logo to reflect the new situation.
Thanks, Diane, for pointing out the fact that Middlewich does have the advantage of the Boat Rally running alongside its festival to create additional interest.
I own up to the fact that I very often overlook this aspect of the event, an attitude which can be traced back to the early years of the festival when the Boat Rally was almost a separate entity run, in those days, by the Trent & Mersey Canal Society, many of whose members made a point of staying well away from our folkie activities.
But that's another story and a different class of business altogether.
As Lizzie will tell you, once you've been involved in running a festival like MFAB it's very hard to break away and let others 'get on with it', but now seems like a good time for me to do so.
So good luck to the new Middlewich Festival, and all who sail in her...

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 03 Mar 11 - 05:46 AM

The dates for the proposed folk festival and boat gathering on the Macclesfield Canal (upper level) are Fri 20 to Sun 22 July 2012. As this is still over a year away, though some artists have been booked, I am not in a position to say much more at this stage.

The venue is small and there are many logistical problems to be addressed. A web-site for folk events on the Macc will be up and running soon.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Mr Happy
Date: 03 Mar 11 - 06:52 AM

AmandaLynne Music - PM
Date: 02 Mar 11 - 06:35 PM



'I can take festival fliers to loads of sessions in advance and barely pick up a ticket sale...they all turn up for the free sessions though....maybe I just move in tight fisted circles !'

*********

Could it be democracy in action, I wonder?

I suppose it depends on one's definitive perspective of the format of a 'Folk' Festival, aims, objectives etc

If you've found that everyday 'folk' in the pubs prefer sessions to concerts - doesn't it ring a bell that maybe your focus is flawed?

Discuss

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 03 Mar 11 - 10:06 AM

A basic web-site advertising two autumnal fund-raising concerts for previously mentioned 2012 folk and boat event on the Macclesfield canal can be found at www.northcheshirefolk.co.uk/index.htm


The blue clicky maker was creating a link to www.mudcat.org/www.northcheshirefolk.co.uk! Was it me or has something gone wrong?

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 03 Mar 11 - 11:07 AM

Ian,

I think you have to include the http:// bit before the www

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 03 Mar 11 - 11:15 AM

Link?

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 03 Mar 11 - 11:16 AM

Just tried that to see if I could remember how to do it. It sort of worked, but goes to a 'multiple choice' page I haven't seen before.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 03 Mar 11 - 11:34 AM

Thanks for trying Dave. That's what happened when I did it.

I don't know if it's something to do with the fact that I've placed the web-site in a sub-directory of my main site www.waterwaysongs.co.uk and then used re-direction from www.northcheshirefolk.co.uk. I'll probably have to change this later as, apparently, this re-direction doesn't allow search engines to pick up the site.

Anyway Dave, I've followed your advice and tried again and it seems to work.

http://www.northcheshirefolk.co.uk

Cheers
Ian

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Mo the caller
Date: 03 Mar 11 - 11:36 AM

On the Fringe v Concerts debate.
A concert has to have something special to make me part with my time (and money but that to a lesser extent).
An evening dancing, playing or calling will nearly always win.
And the 'big names' who have been booked for the Middlewich festival are not as special for me as the more traditional artists.

I tend to pick a few festivals which have dancing and workshops to buy season tickets and accomodation. A local festival like Middlewich, I'll add to / benifit from the session fringe.

It's not that we're mean - look at the people who paid their money and spent most of their time in the session room at Chester folk day, last week. The gathering of good musicians and a chance to participate was too good to miss. And the acts in that concert were my kind of special.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: AmandaLynne Music
Date: 03 Mar 11 - 12:58 PM

That's good feedback Mo....

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: banj
Date: 03 Mar 11 - 02:28 PM

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: GUEST,Sandbach Folkie
Date: 08 Mar 11 - 05:53 PM

I am sure Middlewich Town Council will make a success of this event as several of their staff and members have many many years of experience on the FAB Committee, including two founder members, a former chairman and a former Festival Director. Many of the volunteers who have helped over the years (including me) will be there to help again.

Quite simply the event in its previous form was unsustainable because not enough people were buying tickets. It is as simple as that. This year will be not much different to previous years for visitors unless you were the minority who paid for tickets. I understand this year it is called the Middlewich FAB Festival and is likely to change its name next year.

Many thanks to forward-looking Middlewich Town Council for keeping this event alive and moving with the times.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 05:46 AM

Guest 'Sandbach Folkie' - Hear hear. That's the situation in a nutshell.

I was approached by a Middlewich Town Councillor last night and put right on the matter of the 'Dog Show'.

Seemingly, it's not a 'Dog Show' but a 'Dog Display'.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 11 Mar 11 - 09:50 AM

...and now that we've established that it is actually OK for people in the music business to try to obtain work and get paid for it, I'll throw this link in.

Lost In The Mist are ideal for canalside gigs. We're doing two this year at The Shroppie Fly in Audlem, for the May and August Bank Holidays.

Lost In The Mist

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 17 Mar 11 - 11:51 AM

Hope to be at the Middlewich (Folk) and Boat Festival this year to see for myself what's going on. Hope to see some mudcatters there.

With regard to the event I mentioned previously which is to take place in July 2012, preparations continue apace. After considering potential names, the Middlewood Folk and Boat Festival being discounted early on, I can now announce that the 1st High Lane Gathering is taking shape. It's very early days and the web-site is very much in its infancy but why not bookmark it and call back occasionally in the next year to see how we progress?

Advice is always welcome and I'm grateful for that which we've had already.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 17 Mar 11 - 01:57 PM

Good luck with it, Ian. I'll make a point of keeping in touch.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 30 Mar 11 - 04:57 AM

Contact details for the festival might be useful:

Dave Thompson
Middlewich Town Council Events Manager
Room 1
Victoria Building
Lewin Street
Middlewich
CW10 9AS
Tel: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Festival website

Middlewich site

Hope this is useful.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 31 Mar 11 - 08:43 AM

It's now been confirmed that camping will be available at Sutton Lane for the festival weekend.

Details from the contact nos. and websites in previous postings.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 28 Apr 11 - 04:12 AM

Well, it seems to have been decided to stick with the name 'Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival' which I think, on balance, is the right thing to do.
Details of the festival are filling out nicely at the festival's website:

MFAB site

Can I just say hello to all my readers, especially those at the Middlewich Town Council?

Hiya!

Subject: Information on the new Middlewich Festival
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 15 Jun 11 - 05:00 PM

This information is supplied in good faith. I have no connection with this new festival.

From the 'Middlewich Guardian':The full line-up for the Folk and Boat Festival's fringe venues has been unveiled.

Artists and bands will be flocking to Middlewich to fill nine of the town's pubs with music - and it's all free.

The venues taking part in the 'FAB Fringe' are the Big Lock, Boar's Head, Cheshire Cheese, Choklat Bar, Kinderton Hotel, Kings Lock, the Narrowboat, the Turnpike and the White Horse.

For the first year in the flagship festival's 21-year history, the town council is running the event.

As reported in the Guardian, the council came to the rescue when it was revealed that the charity that previously managed it was having financial difficulties.

Although there will no longer be a marquee, Middlewich chiefs argue that most people won't notice a difference.

The council has allocated £4,500 toward the Folk and Boat Festival in its budget and has been awarded a £1,000 grant from Cheshire East.

Dave Thompson, town centre events manager, said: "All thanks goes to the venues - they've really taken up the baton.

"We've had to do things differently and they've made the most of it.

"There's some excellent artists performing from all over the UK and many from our area.

"The thing we must stress is that all this entertainment is free."

The FAB Fringe comes to Middlewich for three days on June 17 to 19.

One of the acts Dave is most looking forward to is Irish fiddlers, the Kane Sisters and Edel Fox.

He added: "I'm keen for the festival to develop the strong Irish connection we have in Middlewich."


Big Lock, Webb's Lane

Friday 8pm
Twisted Knee Soul Club and Cheshire Folk presents Phil Maddocks and friends Saturday
2pm Live&Local presents Pilgrim's Way, Andrew Buckley, Salty Dog and the Tow Path Tipplers
6.30pm The Crazy Folk Band 9pm Sniggleheap Sunday 1pm Big Lock sunday singaround 5pm Acoustak 8pm David Gibb and the Pony Club

Boar's Head, Kinderton Street

Friday 8pm
Boaters welcome (upstairs), Morris Welcome (lounge), musicians' session (dining room) Saturday 1pm Meet Pete Morton followed by singaround (upstairs) Musicians' session (lounge and dining room) 8pm Musicians' session (lounge and dining room) Pete Morton's singaround (upstairs) Sunday 1pm Thom Kirkpatrick (lounge) Musicians' session (dining room) Pete Morton's Sunday sing (upstairs) 7pm FAB farewell session and singaround
Cheshire Cheese, Lewin Street
(musicians always welcome to play in the lounge bar)
Friday 8pm
Acoustak Saturday 1pm to 5pm Steamhead and the Weavils 5pm Acoustak 9pm Calico Jack Sunday 1pm Last Ones Out 3pm The Boat Band Sunday 8pm Wearside Jack
Choklat Bar, Wheelock Street

Friday 9pm
Maxine Adelle Saturday 8pm Karaoke with DJ Miss Paris Sunday 2pm Jazz on the terrace with Louisa James
Kinderton Hotel, Kinderton Street
Friday 8pm
The Kane Sisters and Edel Fox Saturday 1pm Musicians' session - all welcome 8pm Hayley Strangelove Sunday 2pm Sunday Blues with Dai Thomas and the Salty Dog Blues Band Kings Lock, Booth Lane
Friday 9pm
The Middlewich Paddies Saturday 2pm Last Ones Out 8pm With Bob On Our Side Sunday 2pm The Generation
Narrowboat, Lewin Street
Friday 9pm
No Dinosaurs Saturday 1pm Blackfingers 3.30pm Hayley Strangelove 6pm Providence Jug Band 9pm Acoustak Sunday 12pm Musicians' session - all welcome 2.30pm Calico Jack and friends 7.30pm Stan's Magic Foot Turnpike, Warmingham Lane
Friday 9pm
Friday Night Live Saturday 8pm Junction 18 Sunday 8pm Hayley Strangelove
White Horse, Lewin Street
Friday 8pm
Musicians' session - all welcome Saturday 1pm Musicians' session - all welcome 9pm The Middlewich Paddies and friends Sunday 1pm Musicians' session - all welcome 8pm Steven Doyle

- To buy a £1 guide to the festival, call Dave on 01606 833434

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Feb 12 - 08:12 AM

I've been regularly checking the website for the 2012 festival but it hasn't been updated for ages. Does anyone know if it's really going ahead?

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 14 Feb 12 - 11:15 AM

Sad to say, but the current economic climate and possibility of financial ruin for the organisers has resulted in the cancellation of the High Lane Gathering mentioned previously in this thread.

Let's hope the MFAB takes place and can regain some of its former glory and folk content.