Holmfirth Folk Festival

Subject: No Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Nikki
Date: 26 Nov 05 - 02:29 AM

THERE WILL BE NO HOLMFIRTH FESTIVAL IN 2006.

For the first time in its 27 year history the Folk Festival in Holmfirth will take a year off in 2006. The directors of the festival have reluctantly taken this decision whilst they consider the best way forward. A shortage of overnight camping space and sufficient B & B accommodation means that the festival organisers may consider a move out of the town if they are to continue to provide a high quality event for the local community and visitors alike.

Festival director James McKinlay says the decision to cancel next year's festival was not taken lightly. In recent years there has been a big growth in community involvement with school workshops and a free children's festival weekend.

The organisers are already involved in talks with Holmfirth businesses and Kirklees Council to discuss the long term future of the festival.

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Sarah
Date: 26 Nov 05 - 07:38 AM

good luck with the new plans Nikki.

Cheers
Sarah

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: R. Padgett
Date: 26 Nov 05 - 02:41 PM

Sorry to hear of this as one who has supported the festival in many ways over very many years from its early beginnings with Dave and Eileen Keys, Geoff and Brian, Kath Ingham, Ken Hudson, Alan and Anne, Jim Brough, Kate Atkinson, Linda Rice, Elaine, etc

The festival has gone through very many changes and I have enjoyed some happy times there. Nothing though stays the same and H&S and venues seem to cause difficulties we never had in the past.

I do hope that the festival committee is able to find a suitable camp site, although last year seemed better to me.

Ray

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: R. Padgett
Date: 27 Nov 05 - 09:42 AM

Refresh this important notice
Ray

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 27 Nov 05 - 07:44 PM

It is a shame but I do understand how the expansion has made it hard to have a festival.

Sidmouth downsized itself. Could Holmfirth?

Dave

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Alio
Date: 28 Nov 05 - 05:07 AM

I'm really sorry to hear this news - especially for those whyo've given up so much time over the years.

Hopefully they'll be able to get support they need to put on a festival in 2007 - and maybe by then Holmfirth folk will realise just what they've lost!

Ali

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Willa
Date: 28 Nov 05 - 01:56 PM

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Nov 05 - 02:52 PM

Interesting - whats all this!
http://www.picturedrome.net/music_events.htm

May 2006

HOLMFIRTH FOLK FESTIVAL
*Real ale at The Picturedrome all weekend
Friday 5th

The Strawbs
+ Support

Saturday 6th

John Martyn
+ Daytime bands & support


Sunday 7th
The Peat Bog Fairies
+ Support

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: nutty
Date: 28 Nov 05 - 04:08 PM

As I understand the situation ....please correct me if I'm wrong, The owner of the Picturedrome puts on his own events to coincide with the Festival.

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 28 Nov 05 - 08:01 PM

I will correct you............

The owner of the Picturedrome is an entrepreneur - nothing more, nothing less. And that is not a criticism - simply a statement of fact.

He will use the name of Holmfirth Folk Festival to fill up the Picturedrome, nothing more, nothing less.

He will not - for example - provide camping, children's events, street dancing for dance sides, parades, ceilidhs, etc. There will be a series of concerts, nothing more, nothing less.

He once - repeat once - ran a "festival" in competition with the "proper" festival (same weekend for example) and came second. That answers your question BTW.

Good luck if that is what people want.

Dave

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: holmfirther
Date: 29 Nov 05 - 06:36 AM

Hello all..I am learning the ropes so to speak with this forum thingy...On uk.folk.music forum someone mentioned 'mudcat'..So I took the time to look it up etc..If Holmfirth Folk Festival LTD [namely Mac and Nicky],do not run a festival event centred' in Holmfirth [again]..whats the problem..They [hff ltd] have been quoted in the newspaper saying basicly that they will be taking the festival out of Holmfirth centre and 'putting' it on a green field site 'somewhere' around the Valley. Everybody that has contacted me and everyone that I have contacted to date,state clearly that they are not happy about this decision, also most poeple clearly state to me that they are not happy with the way the festival is being ran.We are currently organising, dance teams, childrens' entertainment, camping facilties,multiple venue entertainment..Pretty much the way the festival appeared..If no one organises it there will be no festival at all..In relation to 'nuttys' message..There was never any deep intention to run a competing event a few years ago, it was supposed to be an alternative event..I might add, some of the folkies were not happy about our event because they could not attend it...As time went by 'things' got sorted out and we toed' the line so to speak and allowed HFF LTD to use the venue for the folk festival..We changed our alternative music weekend to the May Day weekend..no problem..I am quite happy not to be involved with organising a festival as I married with 4 children under 16..So time is tight to say the least..If someone else wants to do the whole thing, fine by me, but for now Holmfirth will have a festival on May 5,6 &7 2006..The very idea that a company in this case [HFF LTD] can cancel it could well mean that there will never be another festival run by them as we know it..The risks are too great for me and the rest of the locals not to do something about it..I am sorry if some poeple dont like it..

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Alio
Date: 29 Nov 05 - 07:14 AM

Holmfirther - we have a very similar situation over the Saddleworth Folk festival weekend, with the Railway pub "doing their own thing". It's led to a lot of misunderstandings and bad feeling over the years.

I may be wrong - and often am!! - but you don't sound as if you're willing to work with the Folk Festival committee who have given up a great deal of time over the years to run a very large and very successful event.

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,raggytash
Date: 29 Nov 05 - 07:37 AM

It would seem that there are two ways of looking at this, one the alternative entertainment is a bonus to the festival as it adds an extra dimension, more variety etc, the other is that someone is trying to freeload on the back of all the work put in by the festival organisers. Take your pick.
As far as I am aware the camping problem has been growing for some time, with land formerly used for camping now developed, problems with flooding and no alternative close to the village. How the organisers overcome this I do not know but perhaps if there is no festival this year the shopkeepers, landlords etc will put pressure on Kirklees to add greater support to the organisers so a festival can go ahead next year. I do not Folkiedave's suggestion of downsizing will solve the problem as the main problem is camping facilities

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 29 Nov 05 - 07:39 AM

Incidentally on March 11 2005 there will be a fund raising song & tune session for the Runswick Bay Rescue Boat at Milnsbridge Socialist club, Huddersfield HD3 see thread for more details or PM me. Blatent Plug, but it is in a good cause.

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: holmfirther
Date: 29 Nov 05 - 07:41 AM

This years event is purely being safe guarded by 'us' the locals..If HFF LTD want to run a festival based in the centre of Holmfirth great..However,if it means that HFF is not based in the centre of Holmfirth then we will again safeguard the local event..As for not willing to work with HFF LTD, I am ,but have never been asked directly, Its slightly different for me as I operate a small concert venue so I have to be carefull with the running costs ellement..HFF LTD have had the use of the building at half price [cheaper than the civic]..As for missunderstandings..There is huge number of poeple who are not willing to work with HFF LTD, principle business' are and thats it.

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 29 Nov 05 - 09:17 AM

If Holmfirther is running a festival similar to the one that existed then fine and I take my hat off to him. Well done and I wish it all the success it wishes itself.

However there are some aspects of Holmfirther's letter that deserve closer examination.

Where will the camp site be and why is it not suitable for the previous organisers but suitable for the new organiser?

Which dance teams have been invited so far? Which ones have indicated they will accept?

Who are you asking to organise the children's events? Where will they take place?

And whilst it may have changed over the last couple of years, Holmfirth Folk Festival was a charity limited by guarantee - hardly the same as a Ltd - and thus profit-making - company, as Holmfirther implies. This structure is so that the organisers themselves do not lose their homes if the festival makes a thumping great loss. It is common to the business structure of folk festivals. As far as I know Mac and Nicky have never taken more than expenses and if they are like most festival organisers, it has probably cost them money. That probably applies to the rest of the organisers, Elaine and Claire for example.

The small concert venue - is a profit-making company unless it has changed. It is exists to make a profit and not for the philanthropic benefit of society. The profit-making company is the small concert venue. The fact that it hired itself at less than half the cost of the Civic Hall was because it was half the size and had half the facilities!

I am not sure how you toed the line. What line was that and why and how did you toe it?


It was hardly an alernative event - it was a competitive event offering different but related music, (folky,bluesy) which was held on the same weekend. I am glad Holmfirther had enough sense to change the date. I am not sure why folkies could not attend the event - it was hardly a sell-out!! Perhaps it was because their season ticket did not let them in? That was hardly surprising since it was nothing to do with the Festival - except it was held on the same weekend in a venue that up until then had been used by the Festival.

Raggytash - as the festival grew the camp site became too small. Also it was a bit far out. Size problems would probably have happened to the other one too - but since it was partly built upon by the owners no-one ever got chance to find out (!!)

Good luck to the "new" festival.

Dave

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 29 Nov 05 - 09:44 AM

Dave

that's exactly what I was indicating, the campsite was developed, had a tendency to hold water and as the festival became more successful proved to be too small. However if Kirklees Council has any suitable land (and I do not know if they do) could it be made availbale to the festival organisers.

cheers

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 29 Nov 05 - 10:43 AM

We searched the Valley up and down for weeks when we lost the original campsite.

Which is why I am intrigued as to where they will camp next year.

Dave

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Nooki
Date: 29 Nov 05 - 05:55 PM

I'm scratching my head to think of where this camp site was that was developed and therefore not available for the festival.
The previous site was at Sands and the only development that has happened there in the last few years is that a skate board area and shelter have been built by the local youth but it is not even in the area that was used by the campers.
I never could understand that the site was moved because of development - for security and access yes but that is not the reason that was given.

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Nooki
Date: 29 Nov 05 - 06:08 PM

To inform Folkiedave - Holmfirth Folk Festival Ltd is a public limited company with a liability of £1 per director in case of going bust. It is not, and never has been, a charity.

'The small concert venue - is a profit-making company unless it has changed. It is exists to make a profit and not for the philanthropic benefit of society. The profit-making company is the small concert venue.'

Of course the Picturedrome exists to make a profit but in doing so it provides those of us in Holmfirth with an excellent music and cinema venue. We can hardly expect Holmfirther to do it for nothing can we?

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 29 Nov 05 - 06:18 PM

The original campsite - down by the Leisure Centre (Sands) was developed by Kirklees and precluded the festival from using it. Go and look. Security and access was impossible...a detail too far for this message board....sorry to mislead you.

When Holmfirther ran his festival in competition (or as an alternative whichever you prefer) there was no camping provided for his alternative festival. I know this, I spent a lot of time trying to explain that the site on the Sands was for season ticket holders to the "other" (not alternative) festival!!

Dave

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 29 Nov 05 - 06:37 PM

Of course the Picturedrome exists to make a profit but in doing so it provides those of us in Holmfirth with an excellent music and cinema venue. We can hardly expect Holmfirther to do it for nothing can we?

It was the way it was hinted in Holmfirther's original letter that {Quote} Holmfirth Folk Festival LTD [namely Mac and Nicky], Holmfirth Folk festival was owned by Mac and Nikki as a profit making organisation that I wished to correct.

And whilst the citizens of Holmfirth do not expect the Picturedrome to do it for nothing - they didn't mind that the organisers of the Holmfirth Folk Festival did it for nothing.

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: holmfirther
Date: 29 Nov 05 - 07:09 PM

Whilst these forums provide a good dialectic, argument, means of reasoning..Let me make one thing clear..I accept that the competing weekend was in principle wrong..But it was very well received by a lot of poeple that did attend..The bottom line here is, If there is no Festival in Holmfirth centre this year run by HFF LTD..I/we the locals will run it..Should HFF LTD wish to hold the annual Holmfirth Folk Festival let them get on with it..as we stand today they are not holding a festival..Should they decide to hold one the year after [2007] great..If these such forums, meetings, press reports etc get us to that goal..Then we have all succeeded...Whichever way you look at it Holmfirth will hold its annual festival in the town centre and not on some green field site. ..How HFF LTD go about that now I have'nt a clue..I am not on my own with this feeling I am speeking for a whole boat load of poeple that live here 50 weeks a year.

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Nooki
Date: 30 Nov 05 - 04:30 AM

FolkieDave I must put you right on this.

'The original campsite - down by the Leisure Centre (Sands) was developed by Kirklees and precluded the festival from using it. Go and look.'

The original campsite 'development' at Sands is a skate board area, shelter and I forgot earlier to mention the basketball/5-a-side court. It in no way affects what was the camping area. I know I go there every day. It is on the road side of the river and totally uncontrollable by stewards. I can see the sense of moving to get a more easily securable site but that is not the reason that it moved.

You suggest to Raggytash that it was a bit far out - not as far as the replacement but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. 'but since it was partly built upon by the owners' - the owners are Kirklees and as I've already said the building doesn't affect the camping ground.

I would like to suggest that as Holmfirth is set in a valley there is a serious lack of flat and therefore suitable spaces for camping so any festival has to work within those limitations.

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 30 Nov 05 - 04:43 AM

Hi Nooki

I'm sure the festival at one time used all the site and lost some of it due to development, Ray Pagett is probably a person who can clarify this. I've never camped at Holmfirth due to living so close by.

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 30 Nov 05 - 05:15 AM

You are not "putting me right" - as you say - I agree that it was the lack of security - the way I put it earlier was The original campsite - down by the Leisure Centre (Sands) was developed by Kirklees and precluded the festival from using it. I agree it was impossible to secure the site. And I agree that most of the site is still there. Never said anything different. But it is not suitable as a campsite for a folk festival. Let's agree on that

"I would like to suggest that as Holmfirth is set in a valley there is a serious lack of flat and therefore suitable spaces for camping so any festival has to work within those limitations"

Precisely what I suggested earlier. Maybe I spelt it out too imprecisely.

As far as the people of Holmfirth running their own festival that is great, I wish you everything you wish yourself and you have my wholehearted verbal support. I have already written that and am happy to repeat it so there is no misunderstanding. Whatever form that festival takes is up to the organisers. If it is a series of concerts in the Picturedrome - fine, I hope they take off. Perhaps you will be able to build on this success and there are more folk events at other times in the year and the Picturedrome makes shed loads of money and brings in loads of visitors to the town.

If instead the people of Holmfirth ("boat loads of them") decide that they would like Holmfirther to run a festival similar to the one currently held with camping, children's events, dancing in the streets etc....that is brilliant.

What worries me is that this style of festival takes a certain knowledge of this type of music; expertise in applying for grants; contacts so there are volunteers who are an important part of the festival; contacts to make sure the sessions in the pubs exist, knowledge of insurance; Health and Safety; Children's Protection Act; temporay event notices; etc etc. It is not a simple job. But if you are taking it on.......great. I am sure the people of Holmfirth will give you all the support they have given the current organisers.

AND......you must already know where the new campsite is to be? Why is it not suitable for the present organisation?

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Alio
Date: 30 Nov 05 - 08:20 AM

Holmfirther - I just wish that the Railway in Greenfield would also accept that "competing over the weekend is wrong"!!

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Nov 05 - 11:03 AM

Whats the reference to May 5,6 & 7 in Holmfirth..?..Everybody has got to eat..

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Nooki
Date: 30 Nov 05 - 11:06 AM

It occurred to me this morning that there are precedents to this - Beverley took a year off but the locals didn't and Sidmouth was pulled but a group decided otherwise,

The bottom line is that Holmfirth Folk Festival has announced on the web and in the local newspaper that they are not to run a festival this year because of 'the valleys' chronic shortage of overnight camping and B and B spaces' Also ' . day visitors parking spaces are few and far between' and ' . Director James McKinlay admitted that a move out of town to a greenfield site is looking likely for 2007'. - courtesy of Holme Valley Express 25.11.05.

So it all looks quite straightforward to me. There are no local politics involved - the Festival Directors say they aren't doing it in 2006, the locals say otherwise. It won't be the same but don't assume that those involved don't know what they are doing!

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: R. Padgett
Date: 30 Nov 05 - 03:11 PM

There will be no Holmfirth FF as we know it centered on the Civic
with singarounds, dancers and an offical camp site this has been
announced above (HFF Ltd)in 2006

The Picturedrome management has however decided to book 'folk style'
acts, which it expects will attract folk fans who are within
travelling distance of Holmfirth around the time when Holmfirth FF
would have been

The camp site issue I feel came to a head when a so called (alleged drunk) FF goer fell off a wall into the stream which runs through Holmfirth and sadly drown.

The FF cannot be blamed for such accidents which happen when people come together and had a good following of unpaid volunteer stewards ~ this seems to have changed over the last two years slightly.

The last camp site we used is still there I believe; it is near the swimming pool and is on a slight rise. The other area is normally a football pitch next to the cricket ground and bowling green and camping was restricted to the perimeter and extremes of unused land nearby.

I feel that Holmfirth businesses (I make no reference to the Picturedrome people) are taking a strange stance in what can only be a money making time for this now tourist area, in not supporting the festival ~ has the festival approached the local paper?

{Local Tykes' News reports the axing of the Folk and JaZZ column ~ once a fortnight]

Or is it simply that Kirklees council have unimaginative non Tourist members on their council who are blocking the necessary permission for use of the traditional camping facility ~ or have these facilities (I refer to outside toilets) now been removed as part of the usual budgets cuts expected by Local Authorities. Such facilties are still there surely within the swimming pool.

or Perhaps is it that somebody within the LA couldnt be bothered with the hassle!

Or do you know better!

Ray

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: JohnB
Date: 30 Nov 05 - 03:15 PM

The closer we are, the further appart we get.
JohnB

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 30 Nov 05 - 04:08 PM

The old festival campsite by the Leisure Centre/Swimming Pool was built on in part and could not be used because it was impossible to secure. Nothing more, nothing less. There was no other agenda - honest.

If someone wishes to run a Holmfirth Folk Festival because they want to have something local I have no argument with that. And as I said earlier I have no doubt the local people, especially local businesses will give it as much support as they have in the past.

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 13 Dec 05 - 06:06 PM

SO things have calmed down a bit and where are we up to?
Is your own festival still planned? (or being planned)
Have you got your own website?
How do we keep in touch?

P

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Alexis
Date: 05 Jan 06 - 01:05 PM

Word on the street is that festival type entertainment of the Folk variety is still planned to take place in Holmfirth. It seems (to me)that there was an assumption that because the previous management committee didn't want to do it that it wouldn't go ahead.
Far better that someone does something (allbeit differently)to keep the spirit of music and dance in Holmfirth rather than do nothing and then whinge to the Holme Valley Express about business not supporting it "and they can't call it Holmfirth Folk Festival coz I've got the copyright".
A very sad affair.

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 05 Jan 06 - 04:29 PM

SO things have calmed down a bit and where are we up to?
Is your own festival still planned? (or being planned)
Have you got your own website?
How do we keep in touch?"

I am not so sure to whom you are talking Pete.

I am in favour of a festival going ahead - whoever runs it - if that is what the people of Holmfirth want. And I wish it every success.

And I certainly would not get involved in letters to the Holme Valley Express about who owns names.I would like to know where the campsite is to be though.

Dave

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Ned at work
Date: 06 Jan 06 - 11:07 AM

Must correct Ray Padgett. The Tykes News was mis-informed in error about the local folk column in Huddersfield. It is still going, as is the Jazz column- Just no longer being written by a freelance Journalist. Due to the delay in getting letters into tykes news the writer would not have known this.

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: R. Padgett
Date: 06 Jan 06 - 12:44 PM

Thank you Ned for the update!

Ray

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Cath
Date: 06 Jan 06 - 01:28 PM

As the freelance writer of the Folk column in the Examiner I can confirm that Tykes News was not misinformed - Laurie and I were told that our services were no longer needed by the Examiner and that folk and jazz would be covered within features by staff journalists which is what has happened. There was no indication as to whether this would be a regular thing or just as and when they were given information.
The main problem that we foresee is that the staff journalists are already under huge pressure to cover their existing specialist areas and do not have the time or knowledge to do the research through local and national publications that we used to do. On the whole they do not have the expertise to know whether a press release they receive is telling them the truth or not (I'm sure we have all read material that is very questionable!) and could therefore, unintentionally give a false impression of what to expect of a gig. Also they are unlikely to be able to give the wider picture that we were able to provide.
Cath

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Nooki
Date: 06 Jan 06 - 01:41 PM

Just to confirm what Alexis has posted - there WILL be a festival in Holmfirth in May 2006 and details of this will be following shortly - even campsite details with a bit of luck!
And if it can't be called Holmfirth Folk Festival it can be something similar because I don't think the word Holmfirth or Festival have a copyright on them.
I'm looking forward to next week's edition of the Holme Valley Express for the second episode of the ongoing saga - if I were Mac I think I would stop digging because accusing the local businesses of not supporting the festival doesn't encourage future co-operation, should that ever be needed!

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Soldierboy
Date: 12 Jan 06 - 01:24 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 12 Jan 06 - 03:10 PM

Good news from Nooki despite the unfortunate choice of pseudonym IMHO :-)>

Dave

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: fi_in_nz
Date: 12 Jan 06 - 03:27 PM

We went to HFF last year and had a great time. Given the high pop density of the area I suspect there were many people there for the day/s as we were who thus were not using a camp site at all. It's a shame the picturedrome and the FF don't seem to get on (or whatever), but as a punter, I don't really care. I would love to see something folky happening in Holmfirth this year, and I don't really care who puts it on. I suspect there are many more punters like me than there are punters with a close connection to the organisers..... I can see that the HFF wouldn't want something to be organised with the same name but by different people and for it to be cr@p, but the best way to stop this happening surely would be to offer to help with some of the folky events rather than to sling mud. Even doing this I'm sure they would have way less work to do than organising the whole festival. F

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: R. Padgett
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 05:20 AM

Best of luck in all your endeavours!

A peoples' festival not unlike Beverley?

I feel the festival may be suffering from its own success ~ the early days had novelty value and the town was suffering from decline until it found a new lease of life from Summer Wine and a tourist area was born.

I still say that the town and its publicans (as is normal) take such events for granted.

Redcar suffered similarly for many years and needed person to lead the move to Saltburn where it was welcomed with open arms

Whatever, I do hope that the spirit returns and that a refocus is put in place as to the 'Aims and Objectives'of staging such an event
bearing in mind the multifacets which go towards making the event successful.

Ray

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: Ned Ludd
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 06:22 AM

Sorry Cath, 'The columns are axed' seems different to me to; 'they are being run in house' Whilst I agree that the columnist who now writes the folk column may not have sufficient Knowledge to spot duff info' it can still easily get past people who have experience...
No one is infallible.

Ned.

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Old Lad
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 07:15 AM

I for one being a reader of the Huddersfield examiner was never particular enamoured of the folk column as it tended to devote itself to one major concert, frequently outside the immediate area (understandably as there are few within the area) but did not devote much time to the week to week concerts at places such as The Cross Keys (Uppermill) or The Grove(leeds)again outside the area, but relatively easy to access

Info on these and other venues in freely available should the columnist wish to search for it to inclde in their fortnightly offerings.

I do not seek to offend Cath, sorry if you take this the wrong way, but the column did tend to follow "major" acts at the expense of "jobbing" folkies

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Cath
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 11:14 AM

I would agree with you Ned that one cannot always spot duff information and having made that mistake once I used to try to be a bit circumspect about what I wrote. But at least someone who has at least a passing acquaintance with the folk scene has more chance of spotting it.

And Old Lad, I am not offended. I'm just pleased to know that someone read what I wrote - I just wish you had given some feed back at the time! I'm not sure that I agree with your view though - I tended to devote the first paragraph to what I thought was the 'big' event of the fortnight but then I would try to include everything else I knew was happening over the weeks.

When little is happening in Huddersfield I had to make the judgement of where people would go and I knew they went to Hebden Bridge and the Rockingham Arms but wasn't sure about the Grove or Cross Keys.

I have to admit that folk is getting good coverage with Val Javin but I still contend that the broadness that I tried to provide is not going to be happening any more.

Anyway it's all water under the bridge now.

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,pooki
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 03:09 PM

refish

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: GUEST,soldier boy
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 08:54 PM

who cares about all the ffffing politics so long as the show goes on !!
I applaud the fact that some individuals, no matter what their artstic,cultural, traditional OR commercial interests are willing to step in and rescue a very sad and I'm sure a very avoidable situation. If you cancell a very well established festival (something like 27 years old) for whatever supposedly practical reason it is going to die and will take years to bring back to its former glory. What is being proposed this year is to keep the festival going with a far more limited ( but by no means insubstantial ) line up of artists. Lots of morris dance teams and Ceilidhs will also bless this weekend and even more importantly the so called fringe folk element (the ever glorious wandering musicians and singers ) will have all the more reason to happily invade the village between 5 and 7 of may 2006. Afterall, we all know that it is this happy army of true folk amigos that bring income, prosperity, colour and happy memories to an event of this kind and not the rather boring, non-drinking,stuffy, sheep-herd of concert going anoracks that contribute little to mankind or the local economy. Need I say more ? Let the festival live on and prosper.

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: cushty
Date: 14 Jan 06 - 01:34 AM

Hear Hear, Soldierboy.And may I take this opportunity to say that I shall be there.And I shall sing all the louder for your wise words.
By the way, do I get a pint,o verbally challenging one?

Subject: RE: Holmfirth Folk Festival
From: cushty
Date: 14 Jan 06 - 01:52 AM

I must add that you were an anorack at whitby.Well, just for a short while, untill you saw the error of your ways.