English Country Music Weekend 2008 marathon folk musician sessions rocked

The English Country Music Weekend 2008 (20 - 22 June 2008) was my first experience of these excellent weekends and it certainly got the Hopcott High Five for Fantastic English Folk Music Sessions Award.

The English Country Music Weekends are an annual event organised by volunteers at different locations around the country. Ali Standring, Jason Rice, Jim Causley and friends were in the hot-seat last weekend and it ran like clockwork with the marathon English Country Folk Music sessions flowing on through the day and night, just as any committed English Country Folk Musician would want. Even the traditional festival folk dance had been jettisoned to allow more time for musicians to do their favourite thing, which is play the tunes they love.

Of memories and stories, there were many. One of the nicest was a chap who, when I and Clare Penney (organiser of the excellent Bampton Folk Festival - After the fair - and the Pennymoor Song and Ale) commented on the very nice sonorous sound of the bones he was clicking, admitted that they really were bones and that they came from a California beach (picture top right). On close inspection, you could even see the marrow mark in the centre of the bones. He suspected they may have been dolphin bones but, whatever, those bones really sang!

Another real find was a lady called Ann but who would like to be known as 'Nursey', and is an inveterate story teller. She regaled me with a story about her nursing days as we walked into the small village of Whimple and was fascinating. I suggested that she get a blogger blog and tell her stories on-line. If you are reading this, Ann, get your free blog here and I look forward to linking to you from one of my story sites. I'm sure people will be fascinated!

Call me ignorant (many have :-)) but I didn't realise that Devon has its very own flag. Apparently yes and because the English Country Music Weekend 2008 was based on this occasion in Devon, it was soon flying high above the camper-vans and tents over the grassy field we called home for the weekend (below).

And here (below) is the camp site.


Hips and Haws English Country Dance Band (below) leading the Friday evening session.


Thirsty Farmer pub session in Whimple hosted by Simon Ritchie and friends (below)


Highlights of the weekend, apart from the great sessions, included listening to Martin Babb sing at the Concert, learning to play The Ladies Breast Knot and The Triumph (in G major) in a workshop ably led by Paul Wilson of the Wren Trust, and watching the excellent display of Jig Doll dancing (see pictures below). Man, I dig those jig dolls!


So, with thanks to the Dartmoor Pixie Band, Hips and Haws Country Dance Band and all the others who made such a great weekend, it was a Happy Hopcott who wended his way back to Somerset from Whimple near Exeter in Devon last Sunday evening.

Were you there? What did you like best? I'd love to hear in the comments below :-)

Bye for now

Rob
(Rob Hopcott - online author and English Country Music Weekend fan)