The Nationals (UK)

Subject: The Nationals (UK)
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 02:44 PM

Anyone got a link to the Nationals? Probably early February, probably Sutton Bonington (near Nottingham)?

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: Scooby Doo
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 02:49 PM

8 th to the 10th of April try google under national folk festivals.

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 03:16 PM

Richard

As John Heydon is an accountant, the publicity material for the English National Folk Festival at Sutton Bonington, 8-10 April, won't go out until after the Inland Revenue deadline at the end of this month!

Hope to see you there.


Kitty

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: GUEST,Roger Hayes
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 03:45 PM

It's sometimes clashed with the Gosport & Fareham Easter Festival (see www.gosportfestival.co.uk) but as Easter is early this year (March 24-28) we can go to both the Gosport / Fareham Festival in Hampshire and the National at Sutton Bonnington.

Jez Lowe & The Bad Pennies, Harvey Andrews, Eliza Carthy, Ralph McTell and Show of Hands are all appearing at the Gosport & Fareham Festival but I'm not sure who is appearing at the National. Should be good though. Normally is.

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: MBSLynne
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 04:42 PM

S'pect I'll be there.

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 07:13 PM

OK I found it . Here it is.


Nats 2005

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: Adrianl
Date: 01 Feb 05 - 04:52 PM

I received this email today. A great line-up but not good news about the future of the festival.

Adrian

Quote

The National Folk Music Festival

Friday 8th April from 5pm to Sunday 10th April 2005


Final plans for the guest list are now being tidied up but I thought I would write to everyone who is on my e-mail list and let you know who has been booked and give you an early opportunity to book for the festival. I may not produce a full colour leaflet this year and if you receive this e-mail, you will not receive anything else through the post concerning National Folk Music Festival publicity.

Our accommodation capacity is the same as last year's but considerably less than some of the previous years, so it is important, if you want to come to the festival, that you book as soon as possible. I know many of you double up in a room. This is very helpful as it can mean I can double the numbers at the festival but even so, when you book and you do double up in a room, please let me know the names of the people sharing that room. This information is required by Sutton Bonington Campus for fire regulations.

The loss of hostels over the last couple of years means that our residential capacity has been reduced by 60 and if the loss of those rooms reflects a loss from those attending, then the Festival revenue is down by over £2,000. In these circumstances, if you are not on the official guest list but want to help with the Festival, I regret that I am not in a position to offer any complimentary tickets. I hope this will not stop you booking and enjoying, hopefully, what is one of the best, if not the best, Festival of the year! The guests booked include:-


Sarah Grey
Vic Legg
Vivienne Legg
Martin Carthy
John Cocking
Eliza Carthy
Will Noble
Brian Peters
George Withers
The Bismarcks
        Emily Portman & Lauren McCormick
Nancy Kerr
Doc Rowe
Sandra Kerr
Jill Pidd
Bob Walser
Jeff Warner
Finbar Wall
Brendan McGlinchey
John Spiers and Jon Boden
        Hearts of Coal
Words and music celebrating the history, courage and humour of mining communities, with:
Barry Coope
Jim Boyes
Fi Fraser
Ray Hearne
Rolling Stock Company         
The booking form details are an attachment to this e-mail. Please print off, complete and return to this office to secure your booking. You may wish to consider advertising in the Festival programme and details of this are enclosed as a second attachment. If for any reason, you are not able to open the attachments, please e-mail me your name and address and I will put a hard copy in the post to you.

Please feel free to forward this e-mail to anyone you feel would be interested and please also feel free to print out this e-mail and pass around to your friends and colleagues, but if for any reason you do not wish to be kept on this e-mail list, please let me know and I will arrange for your e-mail address to be deleted.

Shock – Horror!

This will be the last National Folk Music Festival held at Sutton Bonington in the spring. The University's term now runs through for a forty-four week period from the beginning of September, without a break for Christmas and Easter holidays. The campus is, therefore, not available to us as it has been for the last twenty-plus years. August might be a possibility, but otherwise if anyone can give me any assistance with other conference centres that you feel might be appropriate, please let me know.

Looking forward to hearing from you. Many thanks.

JOHN HEYDON –
ORGANISER

National Folk Music Festival, 3 Church Street, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP20 2QP.
Tel: [phone]    Website: www.thenationalfolkfestival.co.uk

End quote

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: Grampus
Date: 01 Feb 05 - 05:13 PM

I also received the email today, but the promised attachments i.e. booking form and advertising details were not included. Did anyone receive this info?

The website is not very forthcoming, as most of the information it contains refers to last years festival, including prices.

Wherever the National ends up, I for one hope that it stays at the same time of year, as moving it (to August?) would clash with many established festivals. Sidmouth, Whitby, Broadstairs, Bridgenorth etc.

G.

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 01 Feb 05 - 06:48 PM

Definitely no booking form.

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 01 Feb 05 - 07:26 PM

Locally I suggest you try Nottingham University. Nice campus. Many residential halls. Of course it may have changed since I was there in the 60s!

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Feb 05 - 05:40 AM

Booking form etc. now received in another email.

See you all there

G.

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 03 Feb 05 - 06:43 AM

Although the Sutton Bonnington venue is a separate campus to Nottingham it is part of Nottingham University so I guess the term problems may also apply at the main campus.

Hope John sorts somewhere soon. It would be nice to stay in the same area as much of the help in stewarding etc comes from the local clubs. Also a big change of area can change the dynamics in terms of regular attenders.

Wonder if a return to the main Loughborough University campus is a goer, I can't recall the reasons for the change to SB way back in the dim past. It may have been fonance or possibly date availability. I'm sure Hrega Kitty can recall!

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 03 Feb 05 - 05:37 PM

Kevin

The last time the National was held at Loughborough was in July 1980. I think cost was a factor in the move, although of course there was a break before John Heydon took over the organisation.

Sutton Bonington has been a brilliant venue, for 20 years, because of the proximity of dance/ concert hall, rooms suitable for intimate sessions with booked guests and floor singers, musicians' sessions next to the bar, anything goes in the bar, "Meet the artist" events,lecture rooms, and (for the last 3 years) the great acoustics of the Octagon Room for DIY singarounds.

For the last 20 years, the National has had the advantage of being near, but not during, Easter, so hasn't clashed with much except Bournemouth Voice Tours (though this year, the Voice Tour is a week before Easter, and the National is after Easter, so I'm planning to go to both).

Moving the date to August isn't really a starter because there are August festivals every weekend, and weeks in between, including, of course, the Scottish National.

If anybody knows of any venue that can offer similar facilities on weekends around Easter next year, please tell!

Kitty

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: John Routledge
Date: 04 Feb 05 - 06:14 AM

Tickets for 2005 are £42 for full W/E and the rooms £51 also for W/E.

Rooms are single but two can share

Also outdoor and indoor camping.

Looking forward to a wonderful weekend.

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: Crystal
Date: 04 Feb 05 - 06:27 AM

Most universities in the UK are moving or have moved from a three term system to a two term one and many no-longer have any sort of holiday at Easter (they may have the Good Friday and Easter Monday off though), while others have dramatically shortened their holidays.

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Feb 05 - 08:23 PM

I think you'll find Canterbury Christchurch University College - for obvious reasons - tends not to work through Easter....

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: John Routledge
Date: 24 Feb 05 - 01:54 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: GUEST,MC Fat
Date: 24 Feb 05 - 02:15 PM

Is the national an AFO fest ?

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 24 Feb 05 - 03:27 PM

MC Fat

Assuming you're talking about the English National, I'm pretty sure its an AFO fest - in fact, IIRC, one year there was an AFO conference at Sutton Bonington immediately before the National. Worth checking with Mr Heydon.

Kitty

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 25 Feb 05 - 04:26 AM

It would be nice if there were a permanent folk place where we could all have festivals, concerts and it was a place of study and archive as well. I was just thinking this as I wrote it so forgive the rambling nature of the sentence.

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: John Routledge
Date: 25 Feb 05 - 06:13 AM

The use of the word "Nationals" reflects the fact that there ia also a Scottish National in Ayrshire first w/e in August I think.

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 02 Mar 05 - 04:57 PM

Refresh. You have 12 days before the ticket price goes up!

Kitty

Subject: RE: The Nationals (UK)
From: Noreen
Date: 05 Mar 05 - 11:30 AM

additional thread