Whitby. Was it always in August?

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: r.padgett
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 10:39 AM

Not heard that expression, Goth about, but I think I understand the plot

Ray

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: The Sandman
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 01:07 PM

could it have been goeth about from pub to pub , but the assistant was not talking queens english, or yorkshire

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 02:08 PM

No, because if he'd said goeth it would have come out as goeth, when in fact it came out as goth.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: The Sandman
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 05:29 PM

good goth, as violet elisabeth of "william" books might say

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: Spectacled Warbler
Date: 01 Sep 14 - 05:35 PM

Has Ha!!

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: r.padgett
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 05:54 AM

What are Goths anyway and have they any similarities with folkies ~ o dear I see some already

Ray

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 07:56 PM

Come along children - let's get back to proper memories and stop being silly.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: Betsy
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 05:43 PM

I remember seeing a great concertina player anddecent singer - Lea Nicholson at Whitby in the early 70's. He was a booked guest ,and he finished a set with - "Urban Spaceman".
I feel (could be wrong) that he had blotted his copybook straying off the Traditional Path because I never heard of him again.
Strange what one remembers - n'est pas ?

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 08:07 AM

Google Lea Nicholson ... there were several albums and one of them is freely available on the net....
Derek

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST,Malcolm Storey
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 08:28 PM

You are, as ever, correct Derek.

It never ceases to amaze me just how little people who profess to be folk devotees actually know about the genre.

I am not trying to be derogatory or rude but it should be simple for quite a lot of stuff that takes up space on mudcat to be accessed on the web.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: Mo the caller
Date: 05 Sep 14 - 03:34 AM

'Looking things up' is not the same as talking about things on Mudcat.
Look at us now, Whitby is weeks over but we enjoy it so much that we can't resist opening threads about it to mull over the past and look forward to the next one.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST,Les B
Date: 05 Sep 14 - 04:09 AM

Ah Pete Rowley, I remember going for a weekend 'on spec' & kindly being offered floorspace in someones gaff for a couple of nights. Pete was one of the residents & upon arrival & inspecting the loo declared that it was not up to standard as it didn't have " a straining post or heaving strap". I soon realised I was in for a jolly weekend. Pete was, for a time, musician for the Southport Swords, & we still play his particular version of the 'Keel Row'
Cheers Les

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: Betsy
Date: 05 Sep 14 - 07:47 PM

Derek / Malcolm ,
The point of my message regarding Lea Nicholson (who I do not know personally) was not, where I can Google re:- personal information or his his C.D.'s. I hope you can understand that in addition to spelling his name correctly, I am perfectly au fait with search engines, and therefore Malcolm you ARE being derogatory and rude. The thrust of my enquiry was - did Lea Nicholson as a vituoso traditional concertina player, become personna non grata at Whitby Festival. He was seemingly never heard of again at Whitby but continued to be held in the highest regard by many top musicians.
My first post asks the question "Did he blot his copy book ?" - simple question - no need to go off on a tangent(s).

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: The Sandman
Date: 06 Sep 14 - 06:11 AM

I reckon its possible Malcolm was not even aware of lea nicholson during the time he was running the festival.
lea nicholson can be found on face book as i understand he plays electronic music these days, so sadly it is a bit unlikely he plays concertina any more.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST,Malcolm Storey
Date: 06 Sep 14 - 06:46 AM

Betsy - sorry if I offended you - it was meant as a general observation and I can now see that it might be taken personally - hindsight is a wonderful thing.

With regard to your original question about blotted copybooks, without knowing the exact year you are talking about it is hard to answer. I think it might have more to do with how the festival was run in those days when very few people were booked and they were worked really hard. (I had the devil's own job persuading John Kirkpatrick to return once I took over song and music bookings.)

There was a tendency to not see the same faces that often - at least as booked guests.

Sometime soon I intend getting together an attendance list compiled from programmes and newsletters and that will probably help to answer some of the queries.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST,Guest Betsy
Date: 06 Sep 14 - 07:25 AM

Best Wishes Malcolm,
I was also trawling my Whitby memory banks and was recalling meeting some wonderful people for the first time. Amongst them June Tabor and Clive Woolf - dear me !!! Tempus fugit.
Cheers

Betsy

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST,Clive Pownceby
Date: 06 Sep 14 - 07:40 AM

Malcolm, I'm sure you have a comprehensive library of programmes and newsletters but if you find yourself short of any particular years when you get around to that mammoth list, let me know. I don't have a full set but there's a heck of a lot of box files here! One always thinks one will have all the time in the world to revisit them but I'm still waiting for that free time to kick in! The 'Peter Bellamy years' of the newsletter are so memorable.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: The Sandman
Date: 06 Sep 14 - 07:43 AM

clive woolf was often in the singarounds in the drill hall in the seventies, does anyone remember chas lippeat and his sie kick prof, i believe chas blotted his copy book by going round whitby in his car announcing over a loud speaker how harrisons garages had messed his car up. is that so malcolm?

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: r.padgett
Date: 06 Sep 14 - 12:25 PM

Clive Woolf yes I do remember and Pat Woolf I have on fb ~ I think Clive is still singing and they have family

God knows where Chas Lippeat is now but his ex Liz Parkhurst I have her on fb too ~ she probably cares little I expect! he did the loudspeaker thing at Redcar ff too ~ lived in Sheffield and was summat to do with publicity with a bank

Ray

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST,Malcolm Storey
Date: 06 Sep 14 - 02:17 PM

I am trying not to keep coming in but almost every posting kicks another memory off.

Clive Woolf I remember well not only from Whitby but also his time in the library at Cecil Sharp House.

A very fine singer - I have some recordings of him somewhere - yet another mammoth task but I am on with it.

Clive P. thanks for the offer which I know you have made previously. I have most programmes but am short of quite a few newsletters.

Chas Lippeat I remember but although he may well have committed the act you mention Dick, I am fairly sure we did not kick him off the team. He just did not turn up one year as far as I remember.

His associate Prof was from the Leeds area and I recall seeing some filming / early videoing that he had done of dance teams at the festival. We all thought they were exceptionally good in capturing the essence of the dances and showing them to good effect. Would be interested to know what happened to that material. I believe Prof was self employed and pressure of making a living sadly stopped him from being at Whitby after the mid 1980s.

Think that covers the latest stuff - should I start on the photographs now ...... or perhaps next month?

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 06 Sep 14 - 02:35 PM

Malcolm,
I too have most of the newsletters and the programmes. I have offered them to Sally for the 50th next year but if you want to come to some arrangement with her you can both have them. I have a policy of passing things like this on to the next generation where possible for obvious reasons, but I'm well aware some of us coffin dodgers will also find them useful.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: r.padgett
Date: 07 Sep 14 - 02:46 AM

Prof mentioned from Leeds would have been Caroline's partner who went to live in Scarborough died a couple of years ago maybe able to contact her

Ray

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: The Sandman
Date: 07 Sep 14 - 05:08 AM

chas, also made a recodings of the 1981?festival which were supposed to be sold to raise funds, i remember Sue and I recorded nottingham ale and a set of tunes for the recordings, anybody have any copies?

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: The Sandman
Date: 07 Sep 14 - 05:37 AM

i have just found a cassette which has a music workshop at whitby by eric storey, and two songs, one is me and Sue singing and playing jock of hazeldene which was not a song that we ever recorded on to vinyl or cd.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: Mo the caller
Date: 07 Sep 14 - 07:04 AM

Eric's band was one of the backbones of the dance programmes in the 80s.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST,Malcolm Storey
Date: 07 Sep 14 - 07:31 AM

Mo - I think you will find that Eric was more involved in the 70s and not the 80s although Sue, his wife (widow), would probably be able to be more accurate with dates.

For a lot of years they spent a lot of the summer months in France in their mobile home and very rarely got to the whole festival.

Keep digging Dick, it's amazing what you find!

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: Mo the caller
Date: 07 Sep 14 - 05:49 PM

It was early 80s that we started coming, one year his band seemed to be on quite a lot. Also Yorkshire Garland a Beverley band that I very much enjoyed.
Elaine Beckenham as a caller (I still use her dance Yorkshire Rose when I want something gentle. Nibs Matthews, Madeline Hollis and John Lagden, taught us things about Playford dances that we'd never imagined. Ralph Meakin and the helpful members of his club introduced us to American (modern western) Squares. We learnt so much and tried to dance from the early morning workshop to the Late Night Extra. Not to mention dashing all round Whitby to get to clog workshops, harmony singing, etc. and collect daughter from kids events.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST,Malcolm Storey
Date: 07 Sep 14 - 07:41 PM

I'll let you off with an odd year Mo.

Yorkshire Garland were the club band at the Folk Union One and were in fact from Hull. They worked a lot with the late Rita Jewitt / Blood who was responsible for introducing lots of us to traditional dance as well as being the main organiser of FU1 when the Watersons moved on.

Madeleine Hollis is now Madeleine Smith and still teaching at all levels everything from CDM, American and Stepping to Playford.

Exciting times.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: r.padgett
Date: 08 Sep 14 - 02:34 AM

From my fb page Doc Rowe says why not involve Tony Foxworthy and Graham Binless and ask for their memories also being early participants

We have lost many of the early people of course ~ the Sheffielders and Leeds/Wakefield mob who were folk club goers and somewhat younger and the who took part in eating contests and three legged races and tiddly winks down the Abbey steps

Barnsley lads such as John Langley and Gordon Riley were the worlds worst three legged races (fit lads but legs not same length!) and John's tiddly winking summat to behold!

Ray

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST,Malcolm Storey
Date: 08 Sep 14 - 07:49 PM

It might be possible to involve Foxy but I would be surprised if Grahame (correct spelling) would be interested.

I recall Bob Spray (he of in for me) looking to recruit members for the Yorkshire "team". He spotted a young bloke on the campsite who caught a butterfly and promptly ate it. Yorkshire won the eating competition that year.

In later years Roy Atkinson's aquatic cycle races and bum shaving competitions are well remembered by some - for a variety of reasons!

Keep 'em coming although I am out of circulation for the next few days, I will keep in touch.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: r.padgett
Date: 09 Sep 14 - 03:54 AM

Harry Boardman, Bill Price, Rennie Pickles, Jim Potter (still singing even) Nic Jones, Tony Rose

The Cutty Sark, Jim Mageean, and Wilsons ~ the year the Cutty changed hands and Jim Mageean who had put down a deposit on his accommodation which new landlord knew nothing about and was not honoured was somewhat annoyed

Story is that he pursued old landlord for his deposit money (well done Jim!)

Cutty became years later The Tap and Spile (after the Mageean saga) and Peter and Sheree Fleming took over and were more than genial hosts ~ they should have some input and memories and I seem to recollect song sessions afternoon and evening those days run by me Booker and Jude Knight for very many years ~ Jude will have some memories as will Dorothy and Nadine [Elliott] and Parky and Robin Garside

Ray

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: nutty
Date: 09 Sep 14 - 05:45 AM

Jim's sessions at the Cutty Sark and later at the Yacht Club? were co-hosted by Ken Hughes who until very late in life cycled across the country from festival to festival camping in friends back gardens.
Great singarounds with people such as Rod Shearman, The Wilsons, The Keelers and with festival guests dropping in when they had time.
These were always a highlight of my festival as you didn't need a ticket to participate in the best Whitby could provide (although now totally maritime - the last comment still holds true)

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 09 Sep 14 - 05:50 AM

Lesley Boardman, Harry's widow spent an afternoon in the Black Horse this year and she seemed to be enjoying the rich variety of material that happens in there.






I'm not sure Harry would have!

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Sep 14 - 07:41 PM

Good to hear that Lesley Boardman is still around.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: Spectacled Warbler
Date: 10 Sep 14 - 05:35 PM

Early 80s when the pubs shut in the afternoon.   A bunch of Barnsley / South Yorkshire singaround crowd, Brian the Potty Poet, possibly a certain Mr P of this parish, plus plenty more, decided to go to the Metropole after the pub shut at 3, and sat on the floor in one of the lobbies to keep on singing.   Drunk as skunks many of us.   Me anyhow.   After several raucous songs it was decided that we would sing Eidelweiss, but none of us were allowed to sing any of the right notes.    That was, until one of the hotel staff came down to throw us out 'cos the guests were complaining.    Happy days!

I did have a photo but think it's been recycled.

Joy

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: selby
Date: 10 Sep 14 - 06:17 PM

Who remembers The Hiring Fair where many good artists showcase their talents.
Keith

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: r.padgett
Date: 11 Sep 14 - 03:28 AM

O yes the hiring fair presided over by Derek Elliott and Mike Soar at different times

This was really a free concertish do held in the Metropol Hotel I think


I do not think many if any "winners" were booked or if there was

any prize?


Ray

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 11 Sep 14 - 04:02 PM

Didn't they get the Booker Prize presented by your old mate, Johnny Booker. Nope! Must have dreamt it.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: r.padgett
Date: 12 Sep 14 - 12:54 AM

You were busy in the Yacht club at the bottom of the Khyber weren't you Steve? When not taking on the Wilsons and others in folk trivia

Ray

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: The Sandman
Date: 12 Sep 14 - 03:45 AM

I remember Ray, when he was a callow youth who only drank orange juice.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: r.padgett
Date: 12 Sep 14 - 12:11 PM

What goes round comes round I reckon I am supposed to sup non sugar stuff ~ The beer was the root of all ills really

Ray

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 12 Sep 14 - 02:34 PM

Was that root beer then Ray?

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST,Malcolm Storey
Date: 13 Sep 14 - 04:14 AM

Back for a couple of days.

Sorry Ray, the Hiring Fair was never in the Metropole.

It started life in the Football Club on Sunday afternoon under the stewardship of Mike Soar.

We moved it elsewhere one year (due to a misunderstanding to do with football fixtures) but quickly moved it back again when the Football club said how disappointed they were and that they really enjoyed having it there. I believe Derek did step in one year when Mike was unavailable and in latter years John Prentice took on the mantle.

By the way it did not just happen but was properly administered by Mike and John.

As regards prizes, what prizes? It was not a competition but a chance for up and coming acts to display their talent to organisers and folk club movers and shakers. It largely succeeded in doing that and just for the record some of the performers did subsequently get bookings at WFW.

Regarding the so called Folk Trivia quizzes - they were a lot more serious than that.

That said one of Peter Bellamy's ones started with the question "Identify Child ballad number 197 OR write your name in block capitals at the top of your quiz paper". Dave Burland failed on both counts - honest!   

One of Roy Atkinson's consisted of a list of questions to which the correct answer was "Pass".

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: r.padgett
Date: 13 Sep 14 - 04:38 AM

Well I never ~

Mike Soar I saw with his dickybow but mm, football club yea seem to recall seeing Cloudstreet there and Lucky bags was it I know Ray Black and Roy Hardacre used to look for guests when they had a club

Memory is clouding and but not the root beer! Steve

Ray

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: The Sandman
Date: 13 Sep 14 - 04:40 AM

"It largely succeeded in doing that and just for the record some of the performers did subsequently get bookings at WFW."
I trust being a good yorkshireman you paid them handsomely and they all lived happily ever after, whats the yorkshire saying say nowt, take nowt and give nowt and when you see a namby pamby southerner playing cricket bowl them out and call them a wanker, we must play creeket again sometime malcolm before we need zimmer frames.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: selby
Date: 13 Sep 14 - 09:32 AM

I have it in mt head that the Hiring Fair did have a spell at the Metropole. I have a memory of a hot day sat under a open window listening to acts to give bookings to. Age certainly dims the brain cell.
Keith

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: Michael
Date: 13 Sep 14 - 05:31 PM

But The Metropole don't have no windows, Keith.

Mike

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: selby
Date: 13 Sep 14 - 05:50 PM

It used to have a bar at the front that had opening windows c1982
Keith

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST,Malcolm Storey
Date: 13 Sep 14 - 06:25 PM

The room in the Metropole that was originally used for song events was called the American Bar. Fancy me forgetting that when I think of all the great and good that performed there including the Holme Valley lads.

It was where the Chinese Restaurant main area is now and there was a long narrow bar along most of the wall away from the cliff.

It is perfectly feasible that the Hiring Fair did move there for one year. Well spotted Keith. I had been thinking of the Ballroom, which at that time was not really equipped for the sort of event the Hiring Fair was.

Not that it is much better now, in my opinion.

Subject: RE: Whitby. Was it always in August?
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 14 Sep 14 - 04:38 AM

Go on then .................. 100