Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester

Subject: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: BB
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 04:37 PM

I've just had the following message from a friend, and I wonder if anyone out there can help?

"Do you know of somewhere child friendly in or around Manchester that has sessions? One of my colleagues at work has a 6yr old who really likes folk music and his dad wants to take him somewhere to hear it live."

Now whether 'sessions' is what we mean by sessions, I'm not sure, as the friend isn't particularly a folkie herself, and I don't know how far around Manchester they'd be prepared to travel, but if anyone has any ideas, I'd be very grateful.

Thanks.

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 05:15 PM

Our club is in a back room and people have brought children in before now. Seeing as we don't start till 9 and it is a club rather than session it may not suit a 6 year old. Still, if interested, get in touch and I will check with the landlord.

Dave
Swinton Folk Club.

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: GUEST,mike musgrave
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 06:32 PM

The Godley hall inn. Godley hill, Hyde Cheshire SK14 3BL - 0161 368 4415.
Our sing around is every Monday night including Bank Holidays and starts about 8.45 till 12 ish.
its a small and very informal gathering any sort of acoustic music is welcome. its a cosy trad pub , i have put the phone number above
just ask Alan or Sue how long a six year old can stay for.

thanks mike

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: Spleen Cringe
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 07:17 PM

Trouble is, most folk events in or around Manchester take place at times when your average six year old should be tucked up in bed, as they tend to be evening events in pubs. I'd suggest either waiting till festival season and checking out some of the daytime festival events or going to watch a local morris side. Dunham Massey Park on New Years Day should come up trumps!

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: GUEST,David Grocking
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 04:43 AM

Child-friendly Folk Clubs in the North West? Well I can think of a few but the REAL Folk Police (i.e. those nostalgia-bound easy-listening MOR baby-boomers who think folk is all about acoustic guitars, Bob Dylan, and some rancid fatty stew which abbreviates as LHP) have been so succesful in discouraging Traditional Song (in general) and Balladry (in particular) that you'd be hard pushed to hear anything Traditional in a folk club at all these days, even in singer's nights (one such was advertised itself as being devoted exclusively Martin Taylor songs). So - truly Child-friendly folk clubs in the MCR area are something of a rarity, but cherished - and both* of them (incidently) happen in filthy back rooms...

* I jest of course - there are at least three I can think of (maybe you can think of more?) but even then you get the Folk Police in - glowering at anything heading in the direction of the Unaccompanied and the Traditional, much less the Balladic, and only too happy to show us how it should be done when it comes to their turn. You know, I can't help but wonder where they're bound either...

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: BB
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 04:56 AM

Guest David, that's singularly unhelpful, I have to say. Perhaps you can tell me which three those might be?

Thanks to those who have contributed positively - any more suggestions will be welcome.

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 04:58 AM

Sorry I can't think of any specifically "child friendly" events for the reasons that Mr Cringe gives above.

But now Mr Grocking has got all that bile off what ever he keeps it on, he will be most welcome to sing songs "mostly, though not exclusively traditional" down The Beech, (M21 9EG) 1st & 3rd Wednesdays or play some old tunes, 2nd & 4th.

Cheers

L in C#

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: GUEST,David Grocking
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 05:09 AM

Hey, don't shoot the messenger chaps - just telling it like it is...

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 05:23 AM

I guess their is something in the nature of short written, faceless communication which generates confrontation. It certainly happens here abouts

L in C#

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: JohnnyP
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 05:28 AM

This Sunday (18th December) is the annual dance-out organised by Ringheye Morris of Mobberley at the Bird in Hand, Mobberley from 12:00 noon until about 2:00pm. There will be plenty of music with the dancing, and this is usually followed by a session in the pub.

Ideal for a 6 yesr old!

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: GUEST,Spleen Cringe
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 05:39 AM

Oi! Leave Manchester's top independent folk record label out of it, Mr Grocking. The real Folk Police may well like their trad a bit skewed, but they do like it trad...

Clever play on the term Child-friendly though.

BB - More about that Dunham Massey suggestion. I can't remember what time it kicks off, but I think it's Bollington Morris, with some fine musicians involved, including a few who frequent the Beech. Maybe if any of them read this they could fill in a few more details? It's also worth checking out the 'Songs and Tunes at the Beech' Facebook page, too. The Beech Band sometimes take their monster folk behemoth out and about to daytime events around South Manchester.

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: tijuanatime
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 05:48 AM

I can't promise glowering, but there will be a session of songs and tunes on the afternoon of New Year's Day in the Saracen's Head, Warburton (WA13 9TH), starting 1:00ish. Children are welcome in the pub.

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: GUEST,David Grocking
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 05:59 AM

Whilst I applaud the label, Mr Cringe, I can't help but feel that the term Folk Police has become somewhat misused here on Mudcat by certain types who have us believe that Traditional Folk has oppressed the more contemporary genres when the opposite is in fact the case. One may think of Grey & Red Squirrels - the latter driven to brink of extinction by its more assertive import. Thus the term The Real Folk Police is a somewhat ironic one, given the facts of the case as outlined in my first post above which seems to have caused so much upset - simply because, as you say, the term Child-Friendly Folk Club was really too good an opportunity to pass on.

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: GUEST,AlanG at work
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 06:52 AM

There's a session at The Saracen's Head Warburton near Lymm Cheshire on New Year's Day. It starts around 12:30 and goes on until late afternoon/early evening depending on who turns up and who stays. It's usually a good balance of songs and tunes - mainly, but not exclusivly traditional. In previous years we've had some children join us both listeners and players.

Alan

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 10:25 AM

You might want to check out the esteemed Ryburn 3 Step organisation (based in West Yorkshire): http://www.ryburn3step.org.uk/. They might be able to help. As their website says:

"We are also active in promoting folk arts in the schools, both in and beyond the region."

Hence they are used to working with children and may be able to recommend folky events especially for children.

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 10:33 AM

Check with Folkus and Comhaltas too.

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: Mr Happy
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 12:20 PM

We've a sesh in Chester every Monday afternoon starting 2pm ish.

But s'pose a daytime bash'd be no good either 'cos he'd have to be at school!

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: BB
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 03:47 PM

And Dad would be at work!

Thanks anyway to all of you. My friend is very pleased with all the info. which she'll duly pass on.

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 03:58 PM

Ote ta moustache, M Grocking, on t'a reconnu.

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: Paul Davenport
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 05:40 PM

Just goes to show. I thought you were looking for a club where you could sing very long ballads. In which case Sheffield would be a good starting point.

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 17 Dec 11 - 04:18 AM

Well, what sort of disguise is a moustache anyway? Though I am wearing mine a lad longer these days but just to cover my gap until January when I get my new front tooth... Even so there are some truths one dare not mutter, not even into one's cups of a blasted winter evening when the icy winds and icy police sirens are howling around your favourite filthy back room of your filthy old pub in which your favourite filthy folk-faithful gather to give voice to... Well last night the nearest I got to a ballad was Anne Boleyn (a new arrangement with fiddle) but I touched the trad with Collier's Rant and Robert Burn's Winter : A Dirge (To be Sung to the Tune of MacPherson's Rant) (both of which you can hear me singing on YouTube). R & I got into some nice grooves based around a sequence of Gillian Welch covers - what is it about Gillian Welch songs that inspire my best harmonies I wonder? But Rock Of Ages is just transcendent anyway. So - true old nu-folk soul & lots of old country swing & isn't Dave Peters just the greatest singer in the universe bar none? His Little Pot Stove and Gallant Poacher were definate highpoints of the evening, as was Ross's Rattlin' Roarin' Wullie and Roving on a Winter's Night on with we hit some spot on 4-part harmonies. And Suzie sang beautifully, and Vicky sang beautifully too (even if I don't remember what) but Colin sang a picturesque winter scene from a train window that had us all enchanted even as we passed a huge tin of Cadbury's Roses and exchanged Christmas cards with much mirth and typical goodwill... But even so I wouldn't take a child in there, although I did take mine in once though at 29 and 22 I reckoned they were just about old enough. No big ballads (though I was pondering Child Owlet at one point but in my fiddle intro found myself playing MacPherson's Rant instead, hence the Burns' song; always nice to start one song & end up singing another) but if someone had sang one, it would have been welcomed and cherished and nurtured as part of our perfect evening in a very Child Friendly Folk Club...

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 17 Dec 11 - 11:28 AM

also suggest investigating activities of Fosbrooks down in Stockport, especially if the child wants to have a go at playing, singing or dancing.
Derek

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 17 Dec 11 - 05:42 PM

I had a Child ready to go the other night for the Beech singaround birthday bash - True Thomas, which I've never yet sung out anywhere. Maybe next Wednesday (although thanks to Christmas we've got a clash with Ryburn, which may draw away some of the real traddies). It was more of a chorus-ish sort of night, so I did Jones's Ale & the Holly and the Ivy - Jones's Ale being particularly appropriate to the night, as I've never heard it anywhere else but at the Beech.

I believe Child-friendly designated folk venues are there for the making; it just takes a few shoulders at the wheel.

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: Mikey D
Date: 18 Dec 11 - 08:54 AM

The Plough on Heaton Moor 1pm till 4pm, on the 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month
Folk Country, Blues, are all played

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 19 Dec 11 - 07:27 AM

Yes Folkus does some remarkable work with children in the North west region. Most or at least many of the festivals have people who are interested in children and getting them aboard the folk revival. They will have certainly some ideas for a big city like Manchester, if you ask around intelligently. The Irish community traditionally are welcoming to children interested in folk music - perhaps the Irish centres will have something your friend might like.

Brian Peters works in schools and he lives just the Derbyshire side of the great city. he might know a thing or two. Brian is a wonderful artist and the soul of friendliness - I'm sure he will help if he can. You can PM him.

I suppose it all depends what you want.

Sounds like Dave Grocking is in desperate need of a friendly audience - perhaps he will give a concert for your friend's child in the fromt room - show him what folk music is really about! Get the little fellow off on the right foot, as it were.

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 19 Dec 11 - 09:06 PM

PS Mr Grocking! You're nicked! Present your Leonard Cohen album and Afghan coat at the station in fourteen days time, or the matters out of our hands.

Subject: RE: Child-friendly folk in/near Manchester
From: GUEST,David Grocking
Date: 20 Dec 11 - 08:59 AM

Cor lumme, guv! It's the folk-fuzz! (enter Gene Hunt type DCI weilding acoustic guitar & harmonica harness; on the guitar is gouged the legend: This Machine Kills Traddies). But what is a boy to do? Too young to own an Afghan, and too young to know what all the fuss about Leonard Cohen is all about, his ideal of sixties songwriting in confined to Scott Walker... He therefore enters a plea of Mawkish Optimism. It is Xmas after all, so how about a Folk Amnesty where Traddies & SSWs can meet in the no-man's land of the revival battlefield for a good old game of Folk Football? Just two rules: 1) No-one writes a song about it - & 2) No one takes it as a precedence for (or continuance of) a tradition: any cries of House against house, town against town will be met with summary execution...

Let the games commence!