Oxford Folk Festival

Subject: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 05:53 PM

Anyone else going?

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: melodeonboy
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 06:47 PM

I shall be there stewarding (and possibly singing and playing if I get the chance).

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 07:17 PM

The lineup looks great:

http://www.oxfordfolkfestival.com/html/artists.html

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Singleton Cloggers
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 07:46 PM

We're there dancing on the Saturday and Sunday and Band Members Pete & John (Penny Black) will be playing for as long as "The Fridge Door is Open"

Hopefully the weather will be kind - look out for the Singleton Cloggers "Hand Gliding" airborne display on the Sunday Morning with a parachute jump and mid air clogging - a site not to be missed.... a special date for this "One off" event!

Singleton Cloggers MySpace Site

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 02:36 AM

see, that sounds worth the ticket price right there...

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 02:52 AM

Hmm, hmm, an emphasis on world and celtique, camping a mile and a quarter away, hotels and arm and a leg, maybe not.

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 03:14 AM

World and Celtique? Presumably you're referring to Salsa Celtica, half of whom come from Scotland (and who are a very exciting live act). But other headliners include Eliza Carthy, Spiers and Boden, Luke Daniels, John Renbourn and Robin Williamson, Lisa Knapp, Climax and Woodpecker ceilidh bands...the list goes on. I don't see where you're getting a world/celtic emphasis at all.

Camping may be a bit distant, but there's also cheap accommodation available at Jesus College. You get breakfast in the college dining hall and everything. Great music, and you get to play at being Harry Potter all weekend. What could be better?

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Folkiedave
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 03:53 AM

Harry Potter? what does he play?

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Pete_Standing
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 06:36 AM

On the positive side, no mud or leaking marquees, there are plenty of B&Bs, the youth hostel, the backpackers hotel and even the camp site has plenty of buses (from the Park and Ride or normal services) for those who prefer not to walk too far. Great and CHEAP (by some festival standards) beer, some great sessions in pubs like the renowned Half Moon. This is a very friendly and happy festival and if you want to take some of the sting out of the total cost, why not steward? I believe there is still the opportunity to get a free weekend ticket for 8 hours total or a day for 4.

Ruth, will I recognise you by the herd of dairys following you around?

festival details

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Pete_Standing
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 09:10 AM

BTW a mention for some pre-events, both at the fantastic Holywell Music Room, Oxford

18th March, 8pm, tickets £10/9

Ric Sanders with Chris Leslie supported by flamenco act Rafael, jaws harp virtuoso Michael Wright and BBC YFA finalist Wilber. Tickets may be available from the door or Tickets Oxford 18th March

22nd March, 8pm, June Tabor with Mark Emerson and Andy Cutting - tickets £14/12 advance tickets

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Mitch the Bass
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 09:41 AM

I'll be there. Judging by the guest list, I'll be at events a lot of the time. But given the chance I'll spend some time in sessions. Does anyone know where the sessions are, particularly English tune sessions? Ta.

Howard Mitchell

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 01:53 PM

Petyer, i'm easily picked out thanks to my large Alderneys.

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Pete_Standing
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 06:05 PM

Will you be wearing a Guernsey jersey, if not, remember it is still March/April time and you could get fresian cold.

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 06:36 PM

I'll make sure the livestock is well covered up - I wouldn't want to give anyone the longhorn.

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: GUEST,Steve Francis
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 08:08 PM

I went to the Oxford Folk Festival, Cheltenham Folk Festival and the Fareham Easter Festival last year.

All are similar in that they are all indoors, in town centres, in the Spring, with similar line-ups plus the usual stalls, sessions etc.

Of the three I think Fareham has the strongest line-up this year with Kate Rusby, Seth Lakeman, Show of Hands (pre-Albert Hall show), John Tams etc.

Cheltenham was a bit of a disappointment this year.

Oxford I'll try again though it's very expensive for hotels etc.

Fareham I'll also try again. It's the week after Oxford.

These early Festivals are a nice lead-in to the main season especially as they're indoors with no mud, gale-force winds etc.

Hope to see others from this Board there.

Steve

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Folkie
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 08:13 AM

I can't find anything about a campsite on the Oxford Folk Festival website. I'm looking for somewhere to put a caravan as the caravan and camping site we usually stay at is full. Any ideas?

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Scrump
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 08:45 AM

I can't find anything about a campsite on the Oxford Folk Festival website. I'm looking for somewhere to put a caravan as the caravan and camping site we usually stay at is full. Any ideas?

Many of the colleges are very close to the town centre and have nice lawns in their quadrangles, which would be ideal for setting up caravans :-)

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Carol
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 09:58 AM

Yes we have s small campervan but can't find anything out about stopping anywhere in the centre of Oxford, I can't see the colleges being very pleased if they were 'invaded' by caravans etc.!

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Scrump
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 10:02 AM

Carol, just wear a gown and mortarboard and no-one will be any the wiser :-)

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Carol
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 12:01 PM

Scrump, where do I get hold of such things???

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 12:03 PM

http://www.myccc.co.uk/MA_MembersArea/SiteFinder/SiteDetails.aspx?SiteId=7240

Opposite the Park and Ride, where there are regular buses into the town centre.

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 02:58 PM

Thought I'd posted this earlier but it's either got lost in cyberspace or the "Spam" problem hit it - NB it might be too late now...

We managed to book in at the travel lodge - PearTrees, near the park and ride on a special offer - £15.00 per room (cost £45 for the three nights for three of us) and a friend is just a few miles up the road at another travel lodge - might be worth checking if there's any left within a reasonable travelling distance.

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: melodeonboy
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 04:09 PM

"Of the three I think Fareham has the strongest line-up this year with Kate Rusby, Seth Lakeman, Show of Hands..." says Steve Francis.

Mike Harding wasn't on the organising committee, was he?

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Scrump
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 09:36 AM

Scrump, where do I get hold of such things???

All you have to do is study for a degree at Oxford, then when you graduate, you can hire them for the graduation ceremony.

:-)

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 10:02 AM

You also get an automatic Master's degree 7 years after you graduate. Though I'm not sure that helps with camping.

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Scrump
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 10:14 AM

Assuming you have the cash, I think you can pay to convert an Oxbridge degree from a BA to an MA - is that still the case?

But a BA is enough to get the costume!

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 10:23 AM

7 years after you graduate, you're invited to the MA ceremony. You pay about £75, and there's a lunch where you can have up to 4 guests (can't remember whether you pay seperately for their nosh - I think you do). After a very tedious hour (in Latin) in the Sheldonian - hey presto! - you've got an MA.

At Cambridge you only have to wait 3 years.

Subject: RE: Oxford Folk Festival
From: Scrump
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 10:39 AM

This discussion reminds me of an excerpt from the Goons (from memory so may not be 100% right) - from the Greenslade Story (annotations for those who haven't heard the Goons):

Greenslade (posh BBC announcer who used to announce the Goon Show - he had a starring role in this episode): I say, is that an Oxford tie you're wearing?

Eccles (idiot played by Spike Milligan): Yup, dat's right.

Greenslade (incredulous): You were at Oxford?!

Eccles: Yup, dat's right, I was at Oxford, yer.

Greenslade: What were you doing there?

Eccles: (pause for effect) Buyin' a tie!

:-)