Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (2011)

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: OlgaJ
Date: 01 Mar 11 - 09:00 AM

As someone who plays in a ceilidh band making inroads into the smaller festival circuit, a festival goer, and a member of the organising committee of a relatively new festival I would like to say good luck to the new organisers at Middlewhich.

Our own festival relies heavily on bands who either don't want paying at all, or who will take a fee which just about covers their expenses, and we have more than enough good bands/artists to choose from so the quality of the acts is generally very good. Ticket sales so far i

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 01 Mar 11 - 06:32 AM

Yes indeed, Greg.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: greg stephens
Date: 01 Mar 11 - 06:28 AM

Couldn't agree more Dave. I suspect it may be a bit minimal this year, but I don't know anything. I am just back from a few days away freom a computer, and found an email from the new organisers saying basically "old committee resigned, something will happen nonetheless, can the Boat Band come?"
To which my answer is of course yes. Things were kept ticking over in 2001 by wellwishers, boaties and pub sessions, and it may well be there will be no big marquees and stuff this year either. But things can rise again. A lot of cultural activities are going to collapse this year with the cuts everywhere.If we all make maximum effort, coninuity can be maintained as best we can.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 01 Mar 11 - 05:04 AM

Interesting point, AmandaLynne Music. I'm also intrigued by this. Aa an ex MFAB organiser my experience was that many members of the organising committee, myself included, far from making any personal gain, were permanently out of pocket. To the extent that we were once told off by the auditors for not even claiming expenses - something we did to 'help' the festival run.
At the same time we were always accused by many of 'coining it in', which is bound to raise a hollow laugh from anyone who's ever organised such a festival.
So yes, I'd love to know from Mr/Mrs Micawber just who he/she has in mind.
And I'm glad the Boat Band will be there as always, but please spare a thought for those organising the actual festival and putting all that work.
Enjoyable as they may be, a few sessions in pubs do not a festival make.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: AmandaLynne Music
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 03:42 PM

Well if the Boat Band will be there Middlewich FOLK and Boat Festival will not be sunk ! Thank goodness for that....been there done that Nantwich...

Meanwhile I am intrigued by MiCawbers remark ''Personal, outside business issues should not be brought into this (Bizzy Lizzy). The festival is for the benefit of the area and not for any individual personal gain.''

Perhaps Mr or Mrs MiCawber could enlighten me as to which business issues she is referring, who has made financial gain or loss, and how?...and why have all the festival committee resigned? Spill the gossip please....
I assume MiCawbers principle is at issue "Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery."

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: GUEST,Ian Hendrie
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 11:43 AM

The demise of the MFAB has coincided with preliminary discussions to hold a Folk and Boat Event on the Macclesfield Canal in July 2012. It's too early to release any details at the moment but I hope we can count on the support of some of those who attend MFAB.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: greg stephens
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 11:29 AM

What I would like to asure everyone is: the Boat Band will be there! Managements come and go at MFAB, but the music and boats remain. I remember 2001, after the foot and mouth: the festival was cancelled, but it just happened anyway. Because people wanted it to.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 04:32 AM

Yes indeed. Good luck to the new festival, whatever they decide to call it. It's clear which way the wind is blowing these days, so there's little more to be said.
Well done to those who kept the MFAB flag flying for TWENTY YEARS - a great achievement.
RIP Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Busy Lizzie
Date: 27 Feb 11 - 04:43 AM

The info I gave is based on what I was told on 2 recent visits to the Council, and yes you are quite right Micawber - asking the council is far the best way to find out what is going on.
There are no personal issues in any of my postings unless you take them that way, however I am frequently asked what is happening on both the festival front and about the events I organise - probably as I was director for 5 years and on the committee for 8, and also as I meet up with and see people in the folk world on a regular basis.
I have made it clear that I and my team at Cheshire Folk wish the new festival well and I am sure it will be a success.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: GUEST,Micawber
Date: 26 Feb 11 - 05:38 PM

Incidentally - You should not neccessarily take the post by Busy Lizzie, 25th Feb, 01.15pm as read. You would be better informed by contacting Middlewich Town Council website if you want to know what the actual format will be.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: GUEST,Micawber
Date: 26 Feb 11 - 05:28 PM

Sorry...I should have typed Busy Lizzie, not Bizzy Lizzy in my last post. Apologies!

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: GUEST,Micawber
Date: 26 Feb 11 - 05:21 PM

It is very sad, and such a shame, that Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival finds itself in a similar position to so many other festivals due to these economic austere times. But it is so good to see that the local Council is trying to continue the festival even though they are attempting to cope with massive budget cuts.
I applaud the effort by the Council and volunteers, to 'rescue' the festival and truly hope that they can pull it out of the bag for the benefit of everyone, whether local residents or visitors to the town. Personal, outside business issues should not be brought into this (Bizzy Lizzy). The festival is for the benefit of the area and not for any individual personal gain.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: GUEST,Aeola
Date: 26 Feb 11 - 04:47 PM

Hopefully all aspects of music will eventually be drawn in!!

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 25 Feb 11 - 11:07 PM

My purpose in raising this was to find out whether anyone on Mudcat had had experience of this kind of thing happening. Have similar festivals been 'rescued' in this way and, if so, what was the outcome?
It may reassure some people that a few members of the former organising committee are now involved with the Town Council in various ways and will thus be involved in organising this new festival.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Busy Lizzie
Date: 25 Feb 11 - 01:15 PM

There won't be a folk festival this year as we used to know it - that website is out of date and put up by the old committee who have all resigned. It's complicated! There will be a fringe of sorts and maybe a band or two! There is Ceilidh and Morris planned.
To be fair they haven't had very long to put something together as the committee only threw in the towel a few weeks ago.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 25 Feb 11 - 01:11 PM

Several festivals have disappeared owing to lack of council support, so it's good to hear that a council has stepped in to save one. Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival had a distinctive character and more interaction with residents than most festivals can manage. Let's hope for the best.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Mo the caller
Date: 25 Feb 11 - 11:36 AM

Well, Mr Happy's link tells us that "This year, we are also catering for our wider audience with bands that even true Folk lovers will enjoy too"
Then they list last year's line up, and 2009.

Since the True Folk Lovers on this site can't even agree among themselves which bands they enjoy, I wonder how the town council thinks it knows.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Busy Lizzie
Date: 25 Feb 11 - 04:36 AM

Without wishing to stir up any issues. I was suprised and pleased to have been invited to a meeting with the town council a few weeks ago to discuss a possible way forward for MFAB and am pleased that they do see it had a great reputation on the Folk Festival cicuit, and in principle think the way forward and the vision they have is a good one under the circumstances. I was invited to suggest ways of keeping the 'folk music' aspect in. After some very positive disucssions the council chose to do their 'own thing.' For one thing that I do agree with, spending the 'tax payers money on folk bands' would not be the way forward. However 'Cheshire Folk' proposal was to insert that aspect of the festival into their event at no risk to the Council.
After some very positive and genuine discussions they chose to continue their own with their own plans. Lynne and I as Cheshire Folk are disapointed as we did have some bands who would have really been delighted to take part - but they'll do concerts for our events over the year instead! We wish MFAB in it's new form every success.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 24 Feb 11 - 06:38 PM

I'm interested to hear what people think about this development. A previously independent festival, run by a volunteer committee, going under and being 'rescued' by the local authority and, in the process, being transmogrified into a 'local community event'.

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 24 Feb 11 - 06:35 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Mr Happy
Date: 23 Feb 11 - 11:19 AM

http://www.midfest.org/

Subject: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival (England
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 23 Feb 11 - 10:48 AM

From the 'Winsford & Middlewich Guardian:

MIDDLEWICH Folk and Boat Festival has been saved.

It has been revealed that the town's flagship event, which attracts 20,000 people, was in jeopardy.

The 20-year-old festival was previously run as a charity but due to diminishing volunteers and financial difficulties, the town council has come to the rescue.

But visitors will notice some major changes as Middlewich Rose Fete and the dog show is being merged with the festival in June and there will be no marquee.

Stephen Dent, former festival chairman, said: "We want to get the message to the town that the Folk and Boat Festival is happening. There were rumours that it was finishing.

"The organisers decided to call it a day and we've picked it up. The committee went down to just a few people and it's a lot of work to run it independently."

In the past, the event has attracted renowned artists like Bob Geldof but the team of council workers, councillors and volunteers will now shift the focus on the community.

Stephen added: "The charity had difficulty running it the way it had in the past.

"The marquee is extremely expensive - the stage, the lighting, the top class sound system, the stewards, health and safety issues.

"For 200 people at the most, it just won't make a profit on that basis at the moment.

"This year will be more about Middlewich, it was an international event at the time.

"We may need to consider changing the name in the future as the majority of people in Middlewich like a variety of music, not just folk."

Jonathan Williams, town clerk, added: "It's so important to the economic life of the town but we don't need to take the commercial risk.

"This will ensure that in these harsh economic times the festival can be run within tight budget constraints and the new organising committee can focus on delivering a revamped event."

As part of the changes, organisers have promised that the traditional festival parade will be making a return.

Middlewich Town Council has allocated £4,500 toward the Folk and Boat Festival in its budget.

There will be concerts, heritage events, traditional boats on display, a funfair, a flower festival and other community events, almost all of which is free.

Organisers argue that most people won't notice a difference.

Another reason the charity has called it a day is that marketing director Tim Turner suffered a massive heart attack in September while on holiday with his wife Diane in Caernarfon.

He was saved by two passers by who performed CPR for around 15 minutes before an emergency first responder arrived with a defibrillator.