Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 12 Aug 14 - 05:04 AM

Fizzled out midweek?
Not from where I was sitting.
The people who seem to be agreeing with this comment are referring to the fringe events ... an important aspect of the overall week of events, but actual festival-wise, the events and audiences midweek onwards were as lively as earlier in the week, given that there will inevitably be extra people around at the weekend.
Derek

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Aug 14 - 05:45 AM

Good point Derek my original comment was only based on the fringe events as I didnt attend any concerts. The only problem is you take the fringe away and its half a festival. Imagine no music coming out of the pubs or along the sea front. I did notice a couple times the week has become so popular in some pubs there was no room for muscians which was a bit strange. I still say a long weekend would have more punch though. People turned up to Dartmoor this year looking exhausted. There is a lot of moaning locally going on now about folkies being sick everywere etcetc. I try and point out they are getting folkies confused with the homeless who make there way from all round devon (who can blame them free entertainment) and their own kids and grandkids who I saw being sick all week.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Henry Piper of Ottery.
Date: 12 Aug 14 - 06:05 AM

As someone who has been present at most of the Sidmouth Festivals, under their various titles since the late 60's its true to say that the first weekend has always been far busier than the rest of the week, only to be expected I would have thought since more people have time available at weekends, and not everyone is able to devote a whole week of their Annual leave to festival going.
The number of people taking part in the various 'fringe' sessions will vary on an almost hourly basis, depending on many factors including, weather, time of day, and what else is on offer elsewhere at any given time, certainly at the sessions I visited this year there were more or less the same number of participants of all ages and genders as in other years, I didn't take an audit of instruments !! so cant comment on what are the currently fashionable ones, but I saw no shortage of any, and in the main all skilfully played.
I have to agree with Derek,(see above) that as far as the official festival programme went there was certainly no loss of momentum there, with plenty of exciting and entertaining acts throughout the week, And I do find it sad that some people seem to regard the fringe activities as the be all and end all of the Festival, important though they are, they are missing a lot not attending at least some of the concerts and other performances on offer.
I do have to agree with the comments about Traders on the sea front, but as Derek explained this is largely beyond the control of the festival.
Henry Piper, Sidmouth Traditional Mummers.

P.S, why shouldn't the Director treat himself to a game of Pitch and Putt if he wants to !!!..... He's earnt it.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Aug 14 - 06:10 AM

I think the pitch and put comment has gone a bit mental. You would think if you work all year towards something you wouldnt have an hour to muck around. There must just be piles of volunteers giving up free time to help out so the people that take money out of it can play some golf.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: treewind
Date: 12 Aug 14 - 06:50 AM

I don't know. A festival director that spends his time during the festival itself rushing around like a blue-assed fly sorting problems out is one who hasn't prepared and organised properly.

Compare with Brad McEwen at the Mill Race festival (Cambridge, ON) who I saw sitting at a table at the Golden Kiwi with a beer in one hand and a walkie-talkie in the other, responding to the occasional message but otherwise relaxing in the knowledge that the the well oiled machinery is running perfectly and the properly trained and briefed staff are dealing with everything they need to.

The hard work (and he does work hard) is done before the festival starts.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Henry Piper of Ottery
Date: 12 Aug 14 - 07:04 AM

To Guest above, I can assure you that on any Saturday Night in Sidmouth outside of folk week there is ample vomit generated by the younger (and not so young) Inhabitants of Sidmouth without blaming 'Folkies'
Anahata, I can assure you that in my limited experience of dealing with the organising body of Folkweek, There is a great deal of organising goes on throughout the year and I for one don't begrudge any of the organisers a bit of leisure time during the Actual Festival when it all comes together satisfactorily, (as it generally does !!)

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Aug 14 - 07:36 AM

To Guest above, I can assure you that on any Saturday Night in Sidmouth outside of folk week there is ample vomit generated by the younger (and not so young) Inhabitants of Sidmouth without blaming 'Folkies'



Urmm this is what I said

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Aug 14 - 10:25 AM

I think the pitch and put comment has gone a bit mental. You would think if you work all year towards something you wouldnt have an hour to muck around. There must just be piles of volunteers giving up free time to help out so the people that take money out of it can play some golf.

I think GUEST needs to give up defending an offhand remark that clearly didn't play well with the locals. Call it a mental health break - even with lots of planning there are always things to keep event managers moving and supervising. More power to him if he had an hour for a game of putt-putt or a nap.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: Mr Red
Date: 12 Aug 14 - 10:54 AM

what some of us did Thursday evening. Despite the richness of choice at Sidmouth and doing a lot we rake time out to socialise. It is what Folk is all about - people.
Picnic on the beach, then a boat launch. This a modelboat (Erik's 16th) that he lunches at Sidmouth FF. On it is written contact details asking for contact on how far it gets and to relaunch it.
One got as far as Calais.

The launch and picnic

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Aug 14 - 11:12 AM

Does anyone even know who runs the festival or were the money goes? I know its set up as a charity which is pretty strange

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Aug 14 - 12:26 PM

No answers?

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: Mr Red
Date: 13 Aug 14 - 05:10 AM

I went to the wash-up session last year and chipped-in with my twopenneth, and thanked an organiser after personally. I meant to go this year but got sidetracked by some folk workshop or other - imagine that - at a Folk Festival!
They are brave enough to invite comment, and humble enough not to argue when things are said - usually constructively. Nothing is perfect and opinions are cheap. But having said that most comments started with the amazement what such a small and dedicated team can achieve. Bus troubles, and the like.

It has to be said that Sidmouth, as a town, do exceptionally well at keeping the bland, supra-national, aggressive (I didn't say Tesco) samenesses in keeping with the nature of the town. A living urban environ, with a beach & tourist and NO SLOT ARCADES!

How long would the Festival survive if they dominated?

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: Mr Red
Date: 13 Aug 14 - 05:26 AM

charitable status is itself a tough one to adhere to, there are constrictions on what you can trade, no profit, and the records you keep in addition to Companies House accounts. What charitable status brings is a wider range of grants that can be sought and granted. The grant organisations have rules and give according to their own peculiar remit, many won't give to non-charities. It may be tuition for the young, Shooting Roots or promoting Balkan music in the UK (eg), it may be a Folkie who won the lottery and wants to be anonymous (in my dreams). There is a legend that a Canadian left a Million (GBP maybe) to Sidmouth to ensure that the character of the town was preserved. If so he is achieving that well.

Having served on a Community Radio I saw a lot of these musing and we weren't a charity. The Station folded through lack of money. Charitable status was pursued but we ran out of money before that was enacted. It limited our range of grants achievable.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Aug 14 - 07:54 AM

The promotion of Folk music too the middle and upper middle class white people of Britain at £280 each.....a noble cause. Someone is making money from this. I used to work for a charity and it was the most corrupt place I have ever worked.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Aug 14 - 07:59 AM

to the pure all things are pure.
to the misogynist all things are a conspiricy.

AND ANOTHER THING...................

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: Mr Red
Date: 13 Aug 14 - 08:10 AM

I just noticed there are a lot of GUESTs. that last on was mine.
I think Max must have done some maintenance because a post I remember doing with a link disappeared. Worse, I e-mailed the Boat Builder and he may have looked and not found my post (re-instated now, maybe too late). Also, I just had to log-in again.
Max comes in for a bit of stick (by inference) sometimes and just like the Sidmouth organisers - we have little idea how much time goes into making these things work. My website give me clue but it is only a small clue.

Thanx Sidmouth FF & Thanx Max.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Aug 14 - 08:25 AM

I suppose really we should all be gratefull that the coutnry is running so perfectly and we have so much money that the govenment can hand out cash to the impoverished of Sidmouth for a folk festival. We have never had it so good...or the bloke from Basingstoke with a Jag that runs it...........................

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: The Barden of England
Date: 13 Aug 14 - 02:20 PM

If £280 is too much, then don't go. Pretty simple really. If it prices itself out of the market then it will die. All very obvious really. Knocking it just doesn't work.
John Barden

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 13 Aug 14 - 04:18 PM

Trolls are given a healthy diet by their keepers, please do not feed!

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Aug 14 - 04:25 PM

So anything negative at all is trollling....grow up

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Bignige
Date: 13 Aug 14 - 04:54 PM

The Festival is slowly changing as the next generation rolls around, and a good thing to, everything needs to be reinvented from time to time. However, some changes are not for the better;

a) Too many mini pa's with X Factor wanabes behind them.
b) The dancing on the promenade has more or less disappeared.
c) Pop music in many Pubs
d) Less fringe musicians, for example The Bedford now only seems to have a session in one bar, a few years ago it was min of two sometimes three.

I'm uneasy.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 13 Aug 14 - 05:56 PM

Bignige ... you may be uneasy, but all 4 things you comment on are nothing to do with the festival (assuming the mini pa's are on the Esplanade). I've already commented on the Esplanade stalls (that prevent the dancing) .. though the traffic free Port Royal turnaround has absorbed dance displays. But yes, it was a good atmosphere when dancers and (unamplified) music were along the Esplanade.
The festival itself has no control over how many people choose to play in pubs...

Guest: (whatever happened to the rule that people couldn't post as simply "Guest"?)
Not so sure who the bloke in the jag from Basingstoke is.

To clarify a few things:
None of the directors of Sidmouth FolkWeek Productions Ltd take any fee, expenses or profit (ha!) from the business. they regularly visit Sidmouth at their own expense.
All those directors - if they drive jags or any other car - have earned their money from their other, non-folk professions.
Check the accounts on the Companies House website ... any suggestions that anyone from the festival board is making money from this is very wide of the mark.

Derek Schofield
writing in a personal capacity, but a board member of Sidmouth Folk Week Ltd (the charity board that is not the same as the production company).
ps anyone wishing to suggest that this particular charity is corrupt should stop posting as "Guest"....

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Aug 14 - 05:50 AM

profit (ha!)

So they've lost money again this year?

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 14 Aug 14 - 06:10 AM

Sorry Derek - I'll explain why one day if ever we meet.

There is a well known homily that the best way to finish up with a small fortune from folk music is to start with a large one!

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Bignige
Date: 14 Aug 14 - 09:44 AM

Derek, I understand where you are coming from, but to ignore the enormous contribution of the Festival Fringe is in my opinion a big mistake. If it were it not for the Festival Fringe, the only evidence of a festival would be the Ham Marquee, and the Blackmore Gardens, not exactly the whole town. It is the Fringe that first grabed me and many of my friends, its direction now may be doing the same to the next generation, I just worry about that direction.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 14 Aug 14 - 09:53 AM

Bignige ... I don't think I suggested that the Fringe was being ignored. Indeed, when we relaunched in 2005, the Fringe was an important part of the full Sidmouth experience (and continues so to be). At tha stage, the Fringe was included in the programme, and continues to be included. What I said was that the "official" festival ha no control over who plays (or not) in the pubs.

I think the evidence of the festival extends beyond the Ham and Blackmore ... the Bedford, the Manor, Carinas, Arts Centre, the church halls, Anchor Garden, Port Royal dancing....   

Truth is that the festival means different things to different people - for some the pub events, others the concerts, others the workshops .. the children's events, Shooting Roots, ceilidhs, country dace, contra, choirs, bands..... Celebrate and applaud that diversiy!

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 14 Aug 14 - 09:54 AM

Guest:
"I'll explain why one day if ever we meet"
That may be difficult as you are hiding behind anonymity!
Derek

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: Rumncoke
Date: 14 Aug 14 - 10:31 AM

I manage to fill my days at Sidmouth Festival without having a ticket for everything.

I bought one workshop, and put money in the tins, paid for parking on half the days.

I did cut it a bit fine though.

When returning the van I had to fill up the fuel tank. I had 55 pounds and the bill was 54.36.

I usually have 'emergency money' but put it into the last collections at the York and Faulkner.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Bignige
Date: 14 Aug 14 - 03:12 PM

Sorry if I misinterpreted your post Derek, but you did say all four things I mentioned had nothing to do with the Festival, which from your follow up post may not have been exactly what you meant.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 14 Aug 14 - 05:35 PM

Thanks to everyone who supported the morning fringe event in the Faulkner bar of the Royal York and put money in the collecting tin - I'm just glad that Rumncoke Anne had enough fuel to get home!

I think the symbiotic relationship between the festival and the fringe is demonstrated by the continuation of what used to be a programmed festival singaround as a fringe event, after the new management at the Manor Pavilion decided they didn't want singarounds in the cafe bar. Thanks also to the Royal York for accommodating the relocated singaround!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 14 Aug 14 - 07:17 PM

Bignige: I meant that the festival does not organise or arrange the fringe events. That's a statement of fact I think.
And when I said that the fringe was included in the programme ... I meant there is a listing in the printed programme of where fringe events are expected to take place, rather than including them in the actual schedule of events, with numbers by the side, stewards etc, and formally arranged by the festival!

Derek

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: Rumncoke
Date: 15 Aug 14 - 05:35 AM

I always did sail close to the wind - literally as well as metaphorically. I'd have gone to 54.99 if the pump had not stopped automatically and then hoped that the gauge would show 'Full' when I got the van back to the hirer's office.

There have been several people who I recommended to go along to the Y & F sessions, who have said what a good atmosphere there is, and how fair the selection of singers too.

I hope that I can get to Sidmouth in future - my husband's business in electronics is now unable to pay him a salary, so finances are going to be difficult.

I do understatement quite well too.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Bignige
Date: 15 Aug 14 - 09:03 AM

OK Derek slight misunderstanding. However, for me the Fringe has always been heart of the festival. I have always thought that if there were no organised Festival, half the people would turn up anyway, I know I would.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 15 Aug 14 - 12:14 PM

And if there was no Fringe, people would still turn up for the organised festival as well ... hee hee :-)
Derek

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 15 Aug 14 - 12:39 PM

My mate Tony attended this year. He said he had a great time.
I just thought you might like to know!

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Bignige
Date: 15 Aug 14 - 06:18 PM

Derek, an organised festival, with no fringe, ermm I don't think so.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: Mr Red
Date: 16 Aug 14 - 04:06 AM

d) Less fringe musicians, for example The Bedford now only seems to have a session in one bar, a few years ago it was min of two sometimes three.
I saw a serious session in the back room of the Bedford. Not sure if it was totally open to all, but there was a second.

These fringe things are at the whim of folkies, there are episodic. They are fringe. They are folkie for heaven's sake.

The fringe and the festival are symbiotic. As a ticket holder I avail myself of the free sessions. It is all part of the craic. But it has to be said, that without the festival the fringe would roll on in diminishing intensity until it fizzled-out, whereas the festival would not. It would be impoverished and smaller but would continue IMNSHO.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 16 Aug 14 - 04:19 AM

In many cases, some of the people taking part in fringe events are members of booked bands or booked Morris teams - how many of them would be there if they hadn't been booked by the organisers?

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 16 Aug 14 - 04:22 AM

... and booked dance teams of other kinds, of course ...

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 16 Aug 14 - 06:01 AM

i was so uncomfortable in the tin chair and very overcrowded tent, that i didn't stop for the Ralph McTell concert - despite having paid as much as i would have to have seen him in a nice comfortable theatre.

Pity! i hear he was very good.

Sidmouth has changed. i think there was atime when you had to be a bit of a folklorist to enjoy it fully. in latter years - there seems a lot more of the open mic crowd -they've definitely invaded the bailliewick of the traddies.

i'm sort of strangely in sympathy with traddies.

Sidmouth was their thing originally. other folk festivals were always less conservative.

Ithink maybe Sidmouth has lost its way. perhaps it needs to regain some of its earnestness by booking drama groups at the theatre -giving it a more Edinburgh vibe. perhaps looking for for visual artists -painters, photographers -with folkie themes.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Bignige
Date: 16 Aug 14 - 06:30 AM

I tend to agree with you Big Al, losing its way is a good way to describe it. Only a few years back there were dance sides every 50m on the promenade, now its almost exclusively Traders. It follows from that, that if fewer dance sides are now coming to Sidmouth, (maybe Derek could tell us that), there will be fewer muscians in the sessions.

I know the Bedford had a second session in a back room, but the door was closed it was pre-agreed by the participants, and to some extent that always happened. However, in previous years there was always a Folk type session in the left hand bar, and a Old Time American session in the right hand bar, as far as I could see only the left hand bar has survived.

I have been going to Sidmouth for many years and have had some of the best times there, but I feel the Festival is moving away from people like me, towards to the next generation, which in some respects is ok, but the danger is it becomes stuck between the two, and is a bit of everything and not much of anything

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Festival 2014
From: GUEST,Cllr
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 05:20 AM

The sessions in the middle bar especially the afternoon were very well attended.
Middle bar singers won the Bill Rutter award for the fifteenth time in thirty five years ( and we didn't compete for about 15 of them!)
Festival Director was brilliant and deserves praise for getting involved in fringe by taking a day to sample different aspects and not just visiting but actively participating.
He allwod himself to be dragged in to the sea by the MBS and was not allowed out till he sung a shanty.
He also competed with his family in the Doom Gloom and Despondency competition   coming a very creditable second.

oh and the shanty night in the Anchor combined with Exmouth Shanty man run ashore raised £1226.61 for the Sidmouth Life Inshore Boat.
It was a great festival