Folk Music Festivals and Sessions in Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset & nearby counties

Thursday folk music entertainment traditional tune sessions at the Bell Inn, Ash, Martock near Yeovil Somerset

2011-12-23T01:52:00.000-08:00

The Bell Inn, Ash, Martock, Somerset traditional folk music session, run by the ever amicable Martin Hughes, is one of my favourite traditional folk music entertainment tune sessions. Recently there have been some management issues at the Bell Inn that needed to be resolved but happily now, possibly the Yeovil areas favourite landlady, Caroline Halfhide (Caz), is back and providing a wonderfully welcoming environment for eating, drinking, chatting or just playing a few traditional English, Irish, Welsh, Scottish, Swedish, Eastern-European or whatever tunes.

As I understand it, the Thursday traditional tune sessions at the Bell Inn, Ash, Martock, Somerset will now be monthly on the Fourth Thursday of the month and I look forward to going back often. (However, it is always well worth phoning to check before-hand with the management of the pub in case of changes to arrangements.)

So, if you are looking for some music entertainment in the Yeovil, Martock or South Somerset area and would like to join in monthly on the Fourth Thursday of the month with a folk music tune session as a musician, or just would like to listen to some traditional folk music tunes from a variety of traditions, why not check out the Bell Inn, Ash near Yeovil in Somerset. People tell me the food is great too :-)

Wednesday Xmas music entertainment in Exmoor and West Somerset rocked at Kildare Lodge Hotel with traditional English, Irish and French tunes plus some Christmas favourites

2011-12-01T01:03:00.001-08:00

As Xmas draws near and festive entertainment gets into full swing, Christmas favourites rocked alongside traditional English, Irish, French and Eastern European tunes at the Kildare Lodge Hotel and Bar in Townsend Road, Minehead, West Somerset on the borders of Exmoor National Park last night (Wednesday 30th November 2011).

Although the 5th Wednesday of the month traditional music tune session only consisted of a single violin, piano accordion, banjo, whistle, guitar, soprano saxophone and mandolin on this occasion, the evening rocked along nicely with great music and the followers of this group of musicians seem to be on the increase so the bar was buzzing which provided a marvelous atmosphere at the Kildare Lodge Hotel and Bar in Minehead.

If you are looking to find out what's on Wednesdays in West Somerset and Exmoor and fancy listening to some traditional Christmas favourites mixed in with lots of English, Irish, French and Eastern European (Klezmer) tunes, why not check out where this local session of musicians is hanging out currently.

Information can be found on the local website Somerset and Dorset Folk Diary which gives details of where this group of musicians can be found on other Wednesdays of the month. Just look down the page for 'Half-Pace' Sessions to see a list of other folk music pub venues and to get contact details for the organiser for this traditional folk music session or phone the venue direct to confirm in case of change of schedule.

Christmas is a great time for traditional music entertainment and for fellowship so what better way to spend an evening than listening to a variety of lively traditional tunes or, if you are an acoustic musician, joining in with this local group of musicians playing traditional English, Irish, French and Eastern European (Klezmer) tunes. All for the price of a drink at the bar! See you there, perhaps :-)

What's on Wednesday entertainment in Exmoor or West Somerset? Try a musicians folk music tune session at Esplanade Club, Watchet if it's the fourth Wednesday

2011-11-24T01:18:00.001-08:00

If you are wondering what's on in Exmoor or West Somerset and think you might enjoy some traditional folk music tunes, for the price of a drink at the bar, you might like to try the local traditional folk musician's acoustic session at the Esplanade Club, Watchet in West Somerset where I enjoyed a very pleasant evening last night (23rd November 2011).

On the fourth Wednesday of the month, from about 8.30 pm, a small group of amateur musicians usually turn up and play traditional folk music tunes all evening. The tunes vary depending on which musicians turn up but can include traditional Irish, English, Scottish or even tunes from Eastern Europe or Klezmer.

At the Esplanade Club, Watchet, West Somerset, the tunes are often supported by a few songs from local singers. Last night, fine local singer David (see photo below) sang a number of excellent sea shanties including local references to Watchet and Swain Street (Watchet's main street) and later a lady, whose name I didn't catch, led two great songs too.

Instruments depend on which musicians are out for the evening but frequently include guitars, mandolins, piano accordions, melodeons, violins, whistles, banjos and bodhrans but any acoustic musical instrument is welcome and, if you are a musician, whatever your level of experience, you will be welcomed and encouraged to join in.

Whilst this traditional folk music tune session has been going for many years, it is made up of an informal group of musicians who play for the fun of it and checking with the Esplanade Club, Watchet (01984 634518) is advisable to ensure there haven't been any changes to the local routine before travelling far.

If you are trying to find out what's on for entertainment in Exmoor or West Somerset and it is not the fourth Wednesday of the month and you would like to listen to a musicians folk music tune session or to join in, this group of musicians can often be found at other local pubs and bars on other Wednesdays. Checkout the local website Somerset and Dorset Folk Diary which gives details of where this group of musicians can be found on other Wednesdays of the month. Just look down the page for 'Half-Pace' Sessions to see a list of other folk music pub venues and to get contact details for the organiser of this traditional folk music session.

If you have never experienced a pub folk music tune session and you like traditional music, I'd recommend giving it a try and you might find you will never need to be looking for what's on on a Wednesday in Exmoor or West Somerset again :-)

What's on Wednesday entertainment in Exmoor or West Somerset? Try a musicians folk music tune session at Foresters Arms, Williton if it's the third Wednesday

2011-11-17T01:29:00.001-08:00

If you are looking for what's on in Exmoor or West Somerset and you enjoy the occasional traditional folk music tune, for the price of a drink at the bar, you might like to check out the local traditional folk musician's acoustic session at the Foresters Arms, Williton in West Somerset (55 Long Street Williton, Taunton TA4 4QY).

On the third Wednesday of the month, from about 8.30 pm, an intrepid group of amateur musicians usually turn up and play traditional folk music tunes all evening with the very occasional song. The tunes vary depending on which musicians turn up but can include traditional Irish, English, Scottish or even tunes from Eastern Europe or Klezmer.

Instruments depend on which musicians are out for the evening but frequently include guitars, mandolins, piano accordions, melodeons, violins, whistles, banjos and bodhrans but any acoustic musical instrument is welcome and, if you are a musician, whatever your level of experience, you will be welcomed and encouraged to join in.

Whilst this traditional folk music tune session has been going for many years, it is made up of an informal group of musicians who play for the fun of it and checking with the Foresters Arms, Williton TA4 4QY is advisable to ensure there haven't been any changes to the local routine before travelling far.

If you are wondering what's on for entertainment in Exmoor or West Somerset and it is not the third Wednesday of the month and you would like to listen to a musicians folk music tune session or to join in, this group of musicians can often be found at other local pubs and bars on other Wednesdays. Checkout the local website Somerset and Dorset Folk Diary which gives details of where this group of musicians can be found on other Wednesdays of the month. Just look down the page for Half-Pace Sessions to see a list of other folk music pub venues and to get contact details for the organiser of this traditional folk music session. If you have never experienced a pub folk music tune session and you like traditional music, I'd recommend giving it a try and you might find you will never need to be looking for what's on on a Wednesday in Exmoor or West Somerset again :-)

Weekly Friday Devon pub folk music session gave a friendly welcome to Jerry Tozer and his musician friends when they met up at the Crown and Sceptre, 2 Petitor Road, St Marychurch, Torquay to join in

2011-11-05T06:11:00.000-07:00

I was looking forward to playing some tunes again with Jerry Tozer, home for a week from the North East (as Jerry describes Oxfordshire where he lives at the moment – Sonning Common being NE of Exeter!) for a mini-break, and a few of his musician friends last night (4th November 2011) when we met up at the regular Friday evening pub folk music session at the Crown and Sceptre pub in Torquay, Devon and I wasn't disappointed.

The regular Friday session folk musicians were friendly, even if we did somewhat swamp them with our numbers, the ambiance of the pub was great and the tunes flowed fast and furious.

It is always good to share a few tunes with Jerry Tozer. Jerry seems to know lots of really good musicians, including of course the tutors that help him with his folk music workshops which I hear are becoming increasingly popular amongst amateur folk musicians wanting to improve their skills.

I certainly wasn't disappointed last night with some first class folk musicians providing a constant flow of English and Scottish jigs, reels, hornpipes and waltzes to encourage me to keep my fingers nimbly running up and down my soprano saxophone with hardly a break throughout the whole evening.

Becky and Jon who run several sessions around Exeter were there so we sneaked in a quick rendition of Papirosen to ensure Eastern tunes were given a chance. However, it seems that the pleasures of ragtime haven't yet travelled as far as the Torquay folk scene and, although I quite fancied a quick blast of Pig Ankle Rag, a quick check around indicated I'd be playing it alone so I passed on the opportunity.

The Crown and Sceptre is a busy pub musically. It has regular Jazz sessions and I hear that the Friday evening folk music session has been running for many years. Eddie, who was a friendly chap, said he'd been playing folk music at the Crown and Sceptre for many years, although he refused to describe himself as the host or organiser. 'If I can't turn up, others will make sure it keeps going'. However, somebody described him as a musical 'geru' and he certainly played tunes on his squeezebox beautifully. 'If you are ever back in Torquay, drop in and visit our regular session', he said. I certainly will and I suspect others would receive as friendly a welcome.

The ambiance of the Crown and Sceptre is worth a mention. It was one of candle-lit tables, old pictures on the walls and chamber pots hanging from the ceiling, I found there was always something to look when there was a lull in the traditional folk music tunes or conversation.

It was a two hour drive from West Somerset to Torquay but it was worth it. The session rocked with excellent traditional pub folk music tunes (although I understand this is normally a mixed folk music session) and I will be pleased to add this Torquay pub session venue at the Crown and Sceptre to the list of pub music sessions to which I look forward to returning in the future. Thanks should especially be extended to the regular musicians and the friendly welcome they gave to the sudden influx of all of Jerry's friends :-)

Enjoyable entertainment at a traditional musicians joining in pub folk music tune session at the Globe Hotel, Topsham, Exeter, Devon on the 1st Thursday of the month

2011-11-04T03:14:00.000-07:00

Invited by John Stephens, whom I met at the Bampton Folk Festival 2011 and is one of the organisers of the Sunday evening Folk Club at the Globe Hotel, Topsham, Exeter, Devon, I enjoyed a pleasant 1st Thursday of the month pub folk music tune session last night (3rd November 2011), also at the Globe Hotel. A particular bonus was to bump into folk dance musicians Pete and Nicole Mac and Sue Mentz of the Pete Mac Band whom I played alongside for the evening (see photo).

Tunes flowed fast and furiously and were mainly traditional English folk music with brief excursions into tunes from further afield. (One rather Irish sounding tune was actually Hebridean). There was a good mixture of instruments, including melodeons, violins, whistles and piano accordions, and the strong brass contingent, including trombones and a tuba, gave a rich depth to the traditional music that was very enjoyable.

Starting at 8pm, this session is obliged to finish at 10.30 pm promptly so I was able to get away early and head back to West Somerset with the expectation of getting back for midnight. Topsham, Exeter, is handily close to the M5 motorway.

The Globe Hotel, Topsham, Exeter, Devon is approached from a really narrow (and rather quaint) street. When I was there, it was lined on one side by cars leaving only just enough room for my car to get through on the other side of the road and the entrance from the street at the front of the hotel was extremely narrow. I managed to get in to the very crowded car park at the back but it was a squeeze. Thank goodness I was driving the Ford Focus and not my campervan which would never have made it. Access from the back of the hotel car park would have been somewhat easier but I would recommend anyone visiting the pub session to consider using the public car parks nearby instead. I needed two friendly and helpful guys to help me insert my vehicle in amongst the others and Pete and Nicole Mac kindly helped me extricate my car again at the end of the session, thankfully without accident.

All in all, the traditional pub folk music tune session at the Globe Hotel was a very pleasant evening playing traditional tunes in a friendly traditional hotel which I look forward to revisiting in the future. Currently this folk music session is the 1st Thursday of the month at the Globe Hotel, Topsham, Exeter, Devon but, as always, it is worth checking before travelling in case of changes to arrangements.

How to solve UK's economic problems and build communities! Bampton Folk Festival 2011 (After the Fair), North Devon and its visiting traditional folk music joining-in musicians, singers and dancers entertainment could have the answer!

2011-10-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

I'm just back from an excellent weekend at Bampton Folk Festival 2011 (After the Fair) and have been contemplating how events get started and how they grow to become a self sustaining tradition. All of which is prompted by Bampton Folk Festival which just seems to gain popularity each year, despite very little publicity. People seem to hear about it by word of mouth and then keep turning up to enjoy a fantastic weekend of traditional dance, traditional song, traditional tunes and traditional community get-togethers, with lots of audience participation, that turns the small and normally rather quiet North Devon Town of Bampton into a vibrant community of traditional folk music, dance and song.

Of course, at the heart of this free festival, there is a very hard-working committee of folk musician and dance enthusiasts (Pennymoor Singaround) who, over the years have formed relationships with musicians, singers and dancers who are also passionate about folk traditions, from as far afield as Ireland and Brittany, and who arrange each year for these people to come and visit, but the general ethos of the festival is relaxed which enables visiting musicians and dancers to find space to express their musical and dancing skills at the various informal pub sessions and workshops without any great degree of apparent organisation.

In addition to the great sessions and fantastic traditional English, Irish and French (Breton) folk tunes I played with other traditional musicians and singers at the Swan Hotel and Blackberries (restaurant, bar and B&B accommodation), many of my best memories of Bampton Folk Festival (After the Fair) were the hours of conversation I had with other musicians and singers, some well known to me and others newly discovered.

I read somewhere that musicians comprise only 3% of the population with that small percentage including all musical traditions (Rock, Jazz, Classical, Pop etc.). So folk music festivals are a very necessary opportunity for practicing musicians, amateur or professional, to get together and share experiences.

But it was not just the musicians, singers and dancers who were enjoying themselves. Judging from the applause that we got in the Swan Hotel many listeners and watchers were having a great time and that even included youngsters, who may have been more used to modern music but who also joined in with the appreciative and generous clapping.

In these days while there seems to be a constant stream of announcements of economic doom and gloom and every pundit is wondering aloud how to grow the Gross National Product and provide employment, the extra economic activity that has been brought to Bampton over this last festival weekend must stand as a beacon to practical and immediate achievement in improving a local economy.

Indeed, perhaps next year, if every town in the country had a folk festival where people got together in the pubs and halls to dance, sing and play music for a few days, perhaps we could turn our UK economy around at a single stroke.

Not to mention, of course, that lots of people would enjoy themselves, meet each other and generally have a happy, healthy and social time.

Of course there will be the naysayers who will find fault and point out the problems but why can't we in Britain be a can-do society and just get on with it as Pennymoor Singaround demonstrates is possible.

With happy musicians, dancers and singers from places far and wide, happy audiences and significant amounts of money being brought into the town of Bampton North Devon, a lot of people have an interest in Bampton Folk Festival (After the Fair) continuing. So many thanks to Clare Penney and her friends at Pennymoor Singaround for a great festival and I look forward to coming back next year :-) (More photos of Bampton Folk festival 2011)

Musicians attending traditional international folk music session at Crown Inn, Long Load, Somerset boosted by local band musicians from Picketty Witch pub, Yeovil session after visit to recording studio

2011-10-27T03:22:00.000-07:00

Last night, the numbers of musicians attending the traditional international folk music tune session at the Crown Inn, Long Load, Somerset received a late and very welcome visit from local band and members of the new tune session at the Picketty Witch pub, Yeovil, Somerset when Alex, Andy and Kat popped around to join in to play some traditional tunes after their visit to a recording studio.

Playing some of their music, which specialises in driving rhythms and tight harmonies, Kat on the violin, Andy on the double bass and Alex on guitar and fiddle demonstrated why they may well soon become a powerful force in the up and coming traditional folk music movement.

Whilst the Picketty Witch, Yeovil traditional pub session is only once a month currently on the third Friday, the Wednesday pub music session at the Crown Inn, Long Load, Somerset is fortnightly so the two sessions don't clash and, if more musicians start to attend both, the way could be clear for some really rocking sessions.

Beginner or experienced acoustic instrument musicians are always welcome at these pub sessions and all musical instruments are encouraged including guitar, melodeon, violin, viola, double bass, cello, piano accordion, jews harp, bodhran, clarinet, oboe, flute, piccolo, hammer dulcimer, banjo, mandolin, penny whistle or indeed any other musical instrument. Tuition can't be given but more experienced musicians can often give advice as to how to get started on the road to joining in with pub sessions and Martin Hughes is particularly helpful to beginners.

So, if you like listening to some free pub entertainment, or if you are an experienced musician looking for some fun playing tunes with other musicians, or a beginner musician looking for an opportunity to play your instrument in public, the traditional pub music session at the Crown Inn, Long Load, Somerset may well be worth checking out. (Or even if you like talking to a very friendly parrot - see photo right).

Finally, always phone ahead to the pub to ensure the traditional joining in pub session is happening as there have been a lot of changes to local venues recently. The Crown Inn, Long Load session has only just moved to its present location after previously being held at The Bell Inn, Ash and before that at various other local pubs. If you are on Facebook and are a musician, it could be helpful to check out Martin Hughes Twitter account ( http://twitter.com/#!/martinrchughes ) or his website ( http://www.mrch.freeserve.co.uk/sessions/ ) and he can give you up to date news. I look forward to seeing you at one of these pub sessions :-)

New traditional folk acoustic music entertainment session at the Picketty Witch, 147 Ilchester Road, Yeovil, Somerset for musicians learning their instrument or experienced playing Irish, English, Klezmer, French and more, singers welcome.

2011-10-23T04:49:00.000-07:00

Last Friday's entertainment (21st October 2011) at the Picketty Witch pub, 147 Ilchester Road, Yeovil, Somerset rocked with traditional folk music tunes and songs hosted by local Somerset sessionmeister Martin Hughes and his musician friends with a wide range of music. Driving Irish tunes, haunting Klezmer music and rollicking English barn dance or ceilidh tunes kept the early part of the evening pulsating and then, later on in the evening, there was some delicious Country Western from a new musician who said he had been taking singing lessons and had hardly ever played at this sort of musician get together before.

Which made me wonder how many other prospective musicians are out there in Yeovil or nearby who are learning an instrument or taking singing lessons who would like to get an opportunity to play their instruments with others in public or to have a friendly audience for a few traditional songs that they have just learned.

If you are one of these and you can get to the Picketty Witch for Martin Hughes's session which is planned for the third Friday of the month, musicians and singers will receive a friendly welcome. (But check with the Picketty Witch pub beforehand in case of any change to schedules, especially if you are travelling any distance).

Acoustic musicians are welcomed, learning or experienced, who play guitar, melodeon, violin, viola, double bass, cello, piano accordion, jews harp, bodhran, clarinet, oboe, flute, piccolo, hammer dulcimer, banjo, mandolin, penny whistle or indeed any other musical instrument. Tuition can't be given during the evening because the pub bar is a public stage and the need to entertain the audience always comes first but there is an informal and friendly atmosphere and Martin Hughes (who is an expert piano accordion player and can make a pretty good rhythm sound on the double bass) is always ready with an encouraging word and helpful suggestions for chord progressions or help with the tune's key for beginners.

So, if you are wondering what to do or where to go on the third Friday evening of the month and you like listening to a wide variety of traditional music, the Picketty Witch, 147 Ilchester Road, Yeovil, Somerset is definitely worth checking out.

If you are a musician or singer who likes joining in with traditional music (Irish, American, English, French, Klezmer, Welsh, Swedish, Scottish or whatever), experienced or just learning your instrument, you will receive a warm welcome from Martin Hughes and his friends in session at the Picketty Witch, 147 Ilchester Road, Yeovil, Somerset on the third Friday of the month (but always check with landlord beforehand in case of change to schedule). See you there :-)

Shoulder of Mutton, Wantage, Oxfordshire beer festival, folk music sessions and barn dance ceilidh musician workshops

2011-08-22T03:07:00.000-07:00

What a splendid last weekend I enjoyed (19th - 20th August 2011) in session with Monty's Maggot Barn Dance and Ceilidh Band at the beer festival hosted by the Shoulder of Mutton, Wantage, Oxfordshire. I think the landlord Peter Fowler must qualify for a 'good pub host of the year award' if there is one. The weekend went swimmingly with great music, great drinks and all with a friendly and smiling face from the landlord (who, it turns out, is also an artist - checkout his pictures on the pub wall!).

The Shoulder of Mutton, Wantage, Oxfordshire is certainly a pub that is now going places and I hear Peter (see photo left) has great plans. Already offering extremely tasty vegetarian food as a speciality of the pub and wonderful beer, rumour has it he is planning to host his own micro brewery on the premises to add to his wide range of beers and other drinks. If his own beer is as yummy as his vegetarian food, which I enjoyed Saturday evening, customers could be in for a treat indeed.

Local Wantage and Oxfordshire folk musicians have also discovered the pleasures of Shoulder of Mutton hospitality (photo right) and the pub now hosts regular Wantage folk music sessions with all welcome and musicians invited to join in.

The network of intimate pub rooms that comprise the Shoulder of Mutton real ale pub would seem an ideal venue for the workshops planned for 19 & 20 November 2011, at the Shoulder of Mutton, Wantage. These are being organised by Jerry Tozer (photo left) of Monty's Maggot Barn dance and Ceilidh Band and focus on the English music tradition for all levels of musician.

The tutor line up for the workshops is spectacular indeed. On Sat & Sun mornings there will be ‘Single Instrument’ tune and technique workshops' with melodeon (& free reed) tutored by Ian Dedic of The Committee Band & Panjandrum. The fiddle workshop will be led by Flos Headford of The Old Swan Band & Mellstock Band and, tutoring wind & other instruments, will be Jo Freya of Blowzabella, Old Swan & Token Women bands. On Sat & Sun afternoons, participants will be divided into 3 ‘bands’, playing for dance.

I had the opportunity to play with Flos Headford over the weekend (bearded Flos is seen seated next to well known local Oxfordshire folk musician Cat Kelly playing fiddle in photo on right) and it was an amazing experience. He transforms simple folk tunes into a wonderful musical experience and is immensely stimulating to play with. One member of the audience over the weekend just sat there and kept saying 'Wow!', another described the music as having 'amazing energy' and much of the energy was provided by Flos Headford's lead.

With such great musicians as tutors at the barndance and ceilidh workshops 19 & 20 November 2011 at the Shoulder of Mutton, Wantage, musicians on the courses should find the courses stimulating indeed.

Not only musicians but also singers and belly dancers entertained the public over the weekend at the Shoulder of Mutton, Wantage. There were some wonderful songs from Ellie Brown, the 15 year old (August 2011) modern singing phenomenon from Witney, and Lutece Constant, a 17 year old modern singer from Oxford. On the dance front, the Ashnah Performers belly dancers performed at first to their own music and then, showing music knows no barriers, belly danced to traditional English tunes played by Monty's Maggot Ceilidh and Barn Dance Band - a delight for the eyes as well as for the ears!

New fortnightly mainly traditional English folk music tune session at Duke of York, Shepton Beauchamp, Somerset great success last night 17th Aug 2011

2011-08-18T04:11:00.000-07:00

Following the demise of the fortnightly Bell Inn session in nearby village of Ash, musicians, singers and supporters of the outgoing landlady Caz (see centre of photo on right) turned out in force to play traditional English tunes and, later in the evening, traditional folk songs and, in a packed and very hot main bar, even medleys of old favourite pop songs with strong audience participation.

It is hard to imagine that the relocated session could have got off to a better start. There was enough space for the musicians and singers to play in the main bar which is always better than being relegated to a side room and the bar staff were friendly and welcoming.

It is always sad when a traditional folk music playing session has to leave a pub and there are many reasons for it to happen. However, session host Martin Hughes and Geoff Turnbull have found a great alternative at the Duke of York, Shepton Beauchamp, Somerset and it's even a bit closer for me to get to :-)

It's always worth checking with the pub beforehand, especially if you are travelling because venues do change, but if you are looking for a well hosted traditional English folk music session in the Taunton, Bridgwater, Yeovil area, you might consider checking out this excellent mainly traditional English folk music tune session. However, don't be surprised if there are also tunes from other traditions such as Klezmer, French and a bit of Irish (but not much) not to mention possibly an enthusiastic rendition of some favourite nostalgic pop songs from the pub locals.

Sidmouth Folk Festival week 2011, Nick Barber's tunebook launch, folk workshops, the Anchor Inn and Radway traditional English folk tune sessions

2011-08-07T05:23:00.000-07:00

My cunning plan for enjoying Sidmouth Folk Festival 2011 worked brilliantly! Out went the non-stop daily sessioning that left me exhausted by Tuesday and in came a much more leisurely pace where I often just wandered around Sidmouth, attended a folk music workshop, sat in the sun and talked to people for hours on end before finally hitting my favourite traditional English folk tune session in the evening. With this recipe, if only Sidmouth Folk Festival could carry on the whole year around, I think I'd be in paradise.

A particular highlight of the week was Nick Barber's fantastic 'English Selection' tune book launch which we played right the way through without stopping in the sunshine outside Sidmouth Cricket Club (photo top right). I've since played through the book again at home and they are a nice selection of tunes some of which are already popular on the traditional English tune session folk circuit and I'm sure this book will encourage others to be played more often too.

In addition to the book launch marathon tune session, Nick Barber ran free traditional English tune workshops each lunchtime during the Sidmouth Folk Festival (photo on left). Unlike most traditional English tune sessions, sight reading from tune books was encouraged with page references given out before the tune was started. I thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed and easy-going session atmosphere that Nick engendered and will certainly be going back next year to practice my sight reading skills and learn some new traditional English session tunes from him.

Favourite Sidmouth Folk Festival 2011 chilling out places included the sea front which looked wonderful in the sunshine, behind the Anchor Inn (photo right) where they were providing free entertainment comprising mummers, ceilidhs, barn dances, folk bands and, of course, the opportunity to sit in the sun, meet and chat with new friends and old whilst sipping a drink or having a bite to eat.

In the evening, the Radway Inn, Sidmouth traditional English tune sessions gave an ideal end to the day with an amazing variety of tunes being played by some incredibly expert musicians. If you like mainly English traditional tunes, this is a great festival session venue to check out.

So, will I be back to Sidmouth Folk Festival 2012? You bet I will! My only sadness is that I have to wait for so long before indulging in one of my best weeks of the year.

New traditional English folk music and dance style tunes composed by Anne Gregson enhance the pub folk music session repertoire

2011-07-11T04:49:00.000-07:00

Occasionally, at the beginning of a mainly traditional English music session in a pub somewhere in England, I ask whether today we are going to play a completely new set of traditional English tunes.

Of course this draws a wry smile from the gathered traditional English musicians because we all know that we are there to play tunes that have often been played not only by ourselves but also by other musicians over many hundreds of years.

Playing these tunes keeps the tradition of English dance tunes and music alive, they have stood the test of time and we enjoy playing them.

The general public in the pub too seem to enjoy listening to them (they even clap sometimes). English tunes have a straightforward cheerfulness that is endearing and listening to this sort of music seems to put a smile on their faces which cannot be all bad.

Well, at the Priddy Folk Festival 2011 last weekend, after playing with Chris Timson and Anne Gregson (seen in photo on left) in their mainly traditional English session at the Royal Oak Saturday lunchtime for about three hours, when I turned up to repeat the experience on Sunday lunchtime, I was passed a booklet of tunes entitled 'A little book of tunes by Anne Gregson'.

According to the introduction of the book, these are tunes that 'have 'come to me from time to time, a process that has been going on since 1965'.

I've often wondered where the many tunes that we play in folk music sessions come from. Somebody, somewhere must have composed them, even if they didn't write them down but instead passed them on by ear to be recorded for posterity by a passing folk tradition enthusiast perhaps many years later. Maybe this was a little bit of folk history in the making.

Indeed, I discovered very quickly, when I played the tunebook through on my flute this morning, that at least one of the tunes was one I had played before at previous mainly traditional English folk music sessions, without knowing it was written by Anne Gregson. So a start has already been made for the tunes to become a standard part of the traditional folk music repertoire.

The tunes are written in a variety of styles and further information will soon to be found, I'm told, on a new website called www.annegregson.co.uk. Some are waltzes, some are polkas, there is at least one with a distinct swing and some have a rather French flavour, others are perhaps reminiscent of the Playford style.

So if you want to try some new tunes that will fit in very well with the traditional English pub session playing repertoire, or if you are a beginner at playing traditional English tunes and would like a handy list or booklet of reasonably easy tunes for instrumental practice purposes, Anne Gregson's book of tunes could well be worth checking out and I look forward to playing some of them with you at a future traditional and perhaps not so traditional English pub music session :-)

10th Year for Second Wednesday International Folk Music pub session host Martin Hughes now at Bell Inn, Ash, Near Martock, Somerset, UK

2011-04-28T00:59:00.000-07:00

At a packed, popular and very successful pub folk music session last night, resident host Martin Hughes announced that he was now in his 10th year of running these sessions in the area and generously thanked the participants 'without whom the wonderful traditional pub folk music sessions over the years wouldn't have been possible'.

Originally largely a traditional English folk music session, this fortnightly gathering's success probably lies in its flexibility and the range of tunes these days which often includes almost anything that the participants want to play. Additionally, whenever the musicians at the session run out of ideas for tunes, or occasionally a song, Martin Hughes is always ready to step in with a quick flurry of well chosen tunes from his own amazing repertoire from the folk traditions of France, England and elsewhere.

Located close to the A303, the Bell Inn, Ash near Martock is a convenient place for people to get to from many directions and, based on my experience, those looking for a well run traditional English session which isn't afraid to experiment with other traditions such as French, Klezmer etc. and a welcoming host are unlikely to be disappointed.

Amazing Klezmer / Eastern European pub session and entertainment at The Fat Pig, 2 John Street, Exeter third Sunday of the month

2011-02-21T03:38:00.000-08:00

Although this Sunday afternoon Klezmer / Eastern European session at The Fat Pig, Exeter is still relatively new it seems to be achieving an amazing following with many excellent musicians attending from local Klezmer / Eastern European bands.

After spending the last month practicing my limited repertoire of Klezmer / Eastern European tunes, and although I was also attending the Sidmouth Folk Festival musicians Winter reunion at the Radway Inn, Sidmouth last weekend, I was determined to make it to this Exeter session as it had proved good entertainment for me in previous months.

I was not disappointed. The session absolutely rocked! Word of the quality of this pub session must be getting around because there were significantly more musicians this time, including an excellent double bass, all squeezed into the back room to the extent there was little space for non-musicians, although a few of the public managed to cram themselves in.

If you are interested in enjoying a Sunday afternoon listening to live music with a distinctly Klezmer or Eastern European theme, or checking out quality musicians who play in local Klezmer bands, based on my experience yesterday, the session on the third Sunday of the Month at around 3pm is worth a visit. (As always, check with the pub beforehand that the session is taking place as schedules sometimes change).

For my own part, I'm already hard at work learning new Klezmer and Eastern European tunes so I can participate more fully in the next session at The Fat Pig, 2 John Street, Exeter on the third Sunday of next month :-)

Wild Thyme Border Morris debut at Sidmouth Devon Folk Festival Winter Reunions with free Morris dancing tuition and welcome for beginner musicians

2011-02-21T01:46:00.000-08:00

Undeterred by a brisk sea breeze across Sidmouth bay and under a cloudy sky, I joined the band of Wild Thyme Border Morris as it made its debut in front of an intrigued and delighted public on the sea front at Sidmouth, Devon yesterday (20th February 2011).

Many Morris dancing sides have an open door policy to newcomers and welcome both new dancers and musicians but Wild Thyme Morris distinguishes itself by the degree to which it actively encourages participation from passers by and provides free Morris dancing tuition to the public at folk festivals and other events.

Since last weekend was the occasion of this years Sidmouth Folk Festival singers and musicians Winter reunions, it was an excellent opportunity for Wild Thyme Morris to take to the streets for its debut performance.

Sticks were clashed by Morris novices and the more experienced alike, traditional English tunes were played by the Wild Thyme Morris band (allegedly nicknamed The New Herbie-side Banned) and, despite decidedly chilly weather, a good time seemed to be had by all.

Determined to put Wild Thyme Morris on the map, Sue White (photo left), who is the organiser of Wild Thyme Morris, has a long list of folk festivals and other events that she is visiting in 2011.

So, if you are interested in dancing in public or the performing arts generally, enjoy playing an acoustic musical instrument (at any level of expertise), would like to learn Morris dancing, or would just like to get together with a group of publicly spirited individuals who are intent on dancing, playing traditional English folk tunes and generally having a good time in public, why not check out Wild Thyme Morris and, judging from my experience, you will be given a very friendly welcome. There is no minimum standard for musicians or dancers. All age groups are encouraged to join in and there is even a Wilde Thyme Morris Facebook page so you can find out where they are visiting next! Perhaps I'll see you there.

Friendly traditional English, Irish, Breton tune folk music session at Rule 7 Bar, Wellington, Somerset 1st Wednesday of Month

2011-02-03T07:34:00.001-08:00

Last night (2nd February 2011, 1st Wednesday of the month) I attended a very pleasant and friendly traditional English, Irish, Breton tune folk music session at Rule 7 Bar, Wellington Somerset.

Rule 7 is quite difficult to find unless you know where you are going but several of the session folk musicians spotted me wandering aimlessly around in the centre of Wellington, Somerset with my haversack on my back and folkie hat protecting by head from the elements, recognised me from a session at Bampton Folk Festival and kindly led me down the steps of 21 High Street into the basement bar that is called Rule 7. Such is the friendliness of this group that, when a trucker asked them directions, they immediately invited him to the session too. He listened to us all evening and finally borrowed a melodeon and proved a very proficient musician confessing he had a room full of squeezeboxes at home.

Present at the session were melodeons, a whistle, a recorder, a violin, a bodhran, a piano accordion, a concertina, a hurdy gurdy and, of course, my soprano sax. There was a friendly atmosphere and everybody was welcomed to jump in and start a tune as they wished. Tunes played included traditional English folk dance tunes, Irish folk music, some French or Breton folk tunes and they didn't even complain when I popped in a quick Klezmer tune in D minor.

So, if you are in the Wellington, Somerset area and are looking for a traditional folk music session where a wide variety of styles of music are welcomed, the session at Rule 7, 21 High Street, Wellington, TA21 8QT is worth checking out on the first Wednesday of the month. (As always, it is worth phoning ahead and checking with the proprietor of Rule 7 that it is taking place as arrangements can change from time to time.)

Excellent West Country pub music session at romantic hotel weekend getaway dinner destination Hunters Inn in beautiful Heddon Valley, North Devon

2011-01-24T02:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday (23rd January 2011), I attended this months Sunday evening folk music session at the Hunters Inn, Heddon Valley, North Devon, Exmoor and, as I sat next to the log fire playing tunes and thought about the magnificent new eating area at the back of the hotel with its enormous new window looking out over the hotel gardens and stream, it struck me that the Hunters Inn must now be one of the best romantic hotel weekend dinner getaway destinations in North Devon or possibly even the West Country.

This Hunters Inn fourth Sunday folk music session was hosted by the affable Ian Hudson, well known local artist and folk singer, on a turnaround basis where each performer has an equal opportunity to play a tune or sing a song and in the course of the evening there were a great range of tunes and songs from Klezmer through to West Country romances (ideal considering the romantic log fire setting).

So, if you are looking for a romantic evening or weekend seated gazing into the eyes of somebody who is important to you, it could be worth while checking out the Hunters Inn, North Devon. Nestling in the beautiful Heddon Valley, Exmoor, and close to the sea, it is in a beautiful location and the recent building developments have introduced some very fine features.

And, if you happen to be there on the fourth Sunday of the month, you might even get the opportunity of listening to some tunes and songs performed by some excellent local folk musicians too. (Always check with Hunters Inn friendly proprietor David Orton before booking or travelling far in case circumstances and schedules change).

Eastern European, Balkan, Mediterranean and Klezmer music rocked at Fat Pig, 2 John Street, Exeter session Sunday 16th January 2011

2011-01-17T06:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Sunday 16th January 2011 at 3pm, I attended a highly enjoyable Eastern European, Balkan, Mediterranean and Klezmer music session at The Fat Pig, 2 John Street, Exeter, Devon. It was the second session to be hosted by local violin makers and restorers Becky and John Springall and one they hope might become a regular feature this year in Exeter.

Sadly, my soprano saxophone developed a problem in a couple of the keys of the upper register so my contribution was limited but I still managed to join in with many of the tunes (albeit rather quietly) when several of the friendly and highly accomplished musicians there led tunes I had been preparing.

So today (Monday 17th January), inspired by some brilliant clarinet playing by one of the other musicians at the Fat Pig, once I had arranged to visit the excellent saxophone repair expert Gill Baker in Taunton, Somerset on Tuesday, I decided to try some Klezmer, Eastern European, Balkan and Mediterranean music on my clarinet which I haven't played for years. Magic! It was like welcoming an old friend and my sax had kept my lip in good order for the single reed.

So, if you enjoy playing Klezmer, Eastern European, Balkan and Mediterranean music and are local, keep your eyes open for advertisements for musician sessions at the Fat Pig at 2 John Street, Exeter, Devon which, based on my experience, are well worth checking out.

Friendly Wells Tavern, Exeter folk music session second and fourth Wednesday of the month

2011-01-13T04:47:00.000-08:00

At last I managed to get to the Wells Tavern session at 21 Well St, Exeter and was given a very friendly welcome by the other musicians and hosts Becky and Jon of Devon Strings Workshop in a pub where there was plenty of room for musicians to play with great acoustics.

Even better, Becky and Jon informed me that they were holding their Klezmer and Eastern European session at the Fat Pig, Exeter again on Sunday 16th January at 3pm.

Over the last few weeks since my initial exposure to Klezmer, I have been practicing the tunes Becky and Jon gave me very hard and I was pleased to get the opportunity of playing three of them in the company of these very good Klezmer musicians.

However, as it turned out, many of the tunes played were traditional English folk tunes which is very much my own home ground. I suspect the style of tunes played very much depends on who turns up.

So, based on my first visit, if you are looking for a friendly musicians session where there is a wide range of folk music styles available and welcomed, the Wells Tavern at Exeter session second and fourth Wednesday of the month is worth a visit (although always check with the pub beforehand in case of changes of schedule to avoid any potential disappointment).

Klezmer meets traditional English folk tunes at Bell Inn pub folk music session, Ash near Martock, Somerset

2011-01-07T02:28:00.000-08:00

At a recent one-off Klezmer and Eastern European music session at the Fat Pig, Exeter, I collected the scores for some new Klezmer tunes and, having practiced them at great length over several weeks (to the horror of my family who described them as depressing), I decided to try them out at the Bell Inn, Ash near Martock, mainly traditional English tunes session last Wednesday (January 5th 2011).

Of course, the tunes I had been learning had nothing in common with traditional English folk dancing tunes but Martin Hughes is a friendly and accommodating session host and I knew musicians on that night would include enterprising Alex Cumming, Helen Gentile, Zachary Richard Mooney and Charlotte Seabrook to mention just a few so I reckoned I was on safe ground.

I felt I had to choose the session carefully to try out these new tunes because they were in obscure keys. As fellow folkies around the pub session circuits know, the main keys folk musicians play tunes in are D major, G major and their relative minors B and E. The tunes I was thinking of playing included Varshaver Freylekhs (D minor), Sherele (G minor), Kandel's Hora (G minor) and possibly Papirossen (D minor). These are keys that would provoke looks of horror from many folk musicians and a laying down of instruments with steely glares until the tune is finished. Of course, there is some justification because many folk instruments are limited to particular keys (eg melodeons) and sticking to a restricted range of keys does enable musicians with a wider range of skills to more easily join in. But, occasionally, it is nice to be more adventurous and I know Martin Hughes subscribes to this view so it was time to give these new tunes a try!

Therefore, after a good number of traditional English tunes had been played, I announced that I was going to try something new and launched into the first of my Klezmer tunes. It began as a solo but by the end of the tune everybody was adding harmonies or joining in with parts of the tune. Then to cap it all, Helen Gentile who is an excellent clarinettist launched into a popular Klezmer tune of her own! Magic!

Soon after, I launched into the ragtime tune Pig Ankle Rag which went down brilliantly. I know it's a cliche but variety is the spice of life.

What tunes do you play and where? Do you restrict your session playing to a particular genre? Comments are welcome below. Just click on 'comment'. I look forward to hearing from you :-)

Friendly Wednesday English folk music pub session at Bell Inn, Ash, Near Martock, Somerset, UK and traditional warm welcome from proprietors and host

2010-12-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

A huge wood burning fire with a warm welcome from the proprietor and a fantastic pub folk music session playing mainly English folk music tunes, interspersed with a few songs and tunes from other countries provided me with an extraordinarily good pub music session experience last night (8th December 2010).

The traditional English folk music session was the fortnightly traditional English folk music pub session at the Bell Inn, Ash, Near Martock, Somerset, TA12 6NS. The welcoming proprietor is called Caz who, seeing I was alone, chatted with me for a whole ten minutes while I was waiting for the other musicians to arrive, in between serving other customers. The session host was Martin Hughes who never amazes me with the depth and breadth of his musical knowledge nor his willingness to encourage other musicians.

Present at the session were violins, my soprano saxophone, a base guitar, acoustic guitars and, of course, Martin's piano accordion. Tunes were mainly traditional English but a few Irish session tunes squeezed themselves in and even a couple of Scandinavian tunes. It's the sort of atmosphere which inspires one to produce something special and different to add to the wonderful sound landscape and I promised myself that I would make sure I could contribute a Klezmer tune for my next visit which I thought would go down well.

As Christmas approaches, it's hard to beat the thought of traditional English tunes in a traditional English pub with a blazing log fire and a warm welcome from the regulars so I have no doubt that I will be heading for their next traditional English session at the Bell Inn, Ash, Near Martock, Somerset on the 22nd December 2010.

Walking Land’s End to John O’Groats with folk singers and folk musicians on a ‘folk trail’ April 1st - June 30th 2011 visiting folk clubs and sessions

2010-11-09T05:30:00.000-08:00

Clare Penney, one of the key organisers of Bampton Folk Festival and Devon's Pennymoor Singaround folk club, has just contacted me with an exciting project which could almost be described as 'historic'. I'll leave it to Clare to explain it to you below in her own words.

'Dear folk enthusiast,

We are planning to walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats on a ‘folk trail’ from April 1st to June 30th next year.

On the way we want to meet up as many nights as we can with the local folk community for a session where we will be recording the evening using simple unobtrusive equipment in order to form an archive of CD’s/DVD’s, photographs, a journal and a blog. No commercial use will be made of the material. A copy will be offered to C. Sharp House and The Oral History Archive of the British Museum.

The aim is a ‘snapshot’ of folk activity en route through England and Scotland over the three month period in 2011.

We would welcome anyone who would like to walk with us whether it is for the whole route or just half a day.

We will have a crew van which will carry instruments and tents and would be grateful to any individual (25 and over) who would be prepared to drive the vehicle for however many days they feel able to offer.

We are also calling on anyone who, in principle, would be prepared to arrange a folk evening on or near our route. We are not looking for just ‘the best’ musicians and singers, but a typical gathering for your local area. We would also like to hear about what goes on folkwise in your area (say 20 to 25 miles either side of the route) at grass roots level. This may just be a list, but personal reflection is also invited and welcome.

A copy of the proposed route ... The stopping places are flexible, but have been worked out so that the walking distance between them is manageable. Any changes would need to take this into consideration if we are to make it to the end!

We need to find accommodation near to the sessions – campsite, Y.H., farmer’s field, Scout Hut or Village Hall. B&B is also a possibility but as those who are walking all the way need to pay for 89 nights we want to keep the cost as low as possible.

On our first night, April 1st, we will be at The Old Success Inn at Sennen Cove. A Cornish folk night will be great way to start, so please come if you can. (non Cornish welcome too!) We are camping at Trevedra Farm, but the pub does B&B if you like a bit of comfort.

We hope to help with the cost of producing the archive by making a collection on the evening session. Alternatively the organisers may prefer to run a raffle or other fund raising event, or provide sponsorship in some other way. (Wellington Rule Seven Session for example are buying us an OS Explorer map of their area and The Prince Albert, Rodborough has offered camping space, some food and a shower)

If the project has stirred your interest there is more information on our website www.users.waitrose.com/~pennymoor . There is a short cut to this by clicking on www.folktraillejog.com or just google Pennymoor Singaround.

I am also happy to answer any queries by email or post, and can add anyone who wishes to the folk trail participants email group for regular updating.

Thankyou for reading this to the end!

Clare Penney

Pennymoor Singaround'

So, if you are interested in folk, folk clubs, folk musicians, folk sessions, walking (perhaps a walking holiday), walking Land’s End to John O’Groats, are interested in the idea of a folk trail and have some time free during April 1st to June 30th 2011 to visit lots of folk clubs across the countries of England and Scotland, following this link to Clare Penney for more details of the proposed route looks like a great first step.

Royal Oak, Lower Bristol Road, Bath traditional English folk music instrument session going strong

2010-10-28T06:45:00.000-07:00

The Royal Oak traditional English folk music fortnightly instrument session in the Lower Bristol Road, Bath was proving popular when I visited last night (Wednesday 27th Oct. 2010) with a good turnout of musicians with instruments including concertinas, melodeons, violins, mandolins, a mouth organ, guitar, a whistle and the soprano sax of yours truly.

Chris Timson started the session and it finished nearly four hours later with never a repeated tune that I could spot and all tunes following each other in quick succession including a quick rendition of Happy Birthday for the sessions star guitarist Amanda whose rock solid rhythmic guitar playing is at the centre of this sessions great sound. Throughout the evening, everybody was welcomed to join in and many took the opportunity to start up their favourite tunes.

Organisers of this friendly session are Anne Gregson together with Bath fiddle maker Corrie Schrijver supported by well known traditional English musician Chris Timson who took the lead with many of the tunes.

If you are looking for a great traditional English folk music instrumental session in the Bath area, this fortnightly session is worth a visit. If you would like to confirm this acoustic pub jam session is taking place (recommended to avoid any possible disappointment as arrangements can change) contact Chris Timson or Anne Gregson on 01225 863762. Although parking could be challenging, the pub had a good range of beers when I was there to complement the range of tunes played and a wonderful students union atmosphere reflecting the proximity of University of Bath and Bath Spa University. Perhaps I'll see you there :-)

Baring-Gould traditional English sessions in Okehampton, Devon at Plymouth Inn with Wren Music last weekend run by some really nice people'

2010-10-25T03:07:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes, I attended the Wren Music's Baring-Gould traditional English sessions in Okehampton, Devon at the Plymouth Inn led by Malcom Woods who did a great job keeping the tunes flowing throughout these two sessions! Although these sessions were billed on the programme as lunchtime sessions, they actually finished much later in the afternoon with Malcolm Woods generously keeping going until everybody else had left.

If you are looking for a great traditional English folk music tune session and these sessions are run again at the next Baring-Gould folk festival organised by the Wren Music in Devon, I would definitely recommend them. The tunes were varied enough for the most expert player and all musicians, including relative beginners, were encouraged to play in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

I also went to the Saturday evening ceilidh with the Wren Band featuring David Faulkner, Nick Wyke, Becki Driscoll and caller Pam Hayes which was not heavily attended as people appeared to have gone to the Saturday evening Festival Feast to eat and be entertained. However, I'm beginning to get a liking for folk dancing / barn dancing and enjoyed the traditional folk dance nevertheless. It is good exercise and the company I was with was excellent. The band music was pleasant and the dances were quite varied within the constraints of the small number of people attending. (Kudos again for the caller Pam Hayes who was clearly cudgelling her brain at various times to find a dance that would work but always adapted and succeeded).

After the lunchtime traditional English session at the Plymouth Inn, I joined the scratch ceilidh band playing for the Family Ceilidh in the afternoon which seemed quite well attended. The tunes had a Celtic feeling to them that worked with a dash of French / Breton dancing to the tune Horses Bransle that I enjoyed.

I met Malcolm Woods in the street outside the Plymouth Inn in Okehampton before the Sunday session and discovered he had travelled all the way from Southend-on-Sea. I said 'That's a long way to come for a session' and he replied 'Well the people down here in Wren Music are really nice people so it's well worth it!'.

I think those words spoken by Martin nicely sum up my impressions of the Baring-Gould festival last weekend. If you are looking for an opportunity to dance and play traditional English tunes in Devon, this festival and Wren Music are worth checking out because, apart from the high quality of the events, it is run by some 'really nice people' :-)

Bampton Folk Festival 2010 'After the Fair' will rock Friday 29th to Sunday 31st October 2010 Bampton, Devon

2010-10-22T01:26:00.000-07:00

Bampton Folk Festival 2010 'After the Fair' will rock Friday 29th to Sunday 31st October 2010 Bampton, Devon and, for me, it will start on Friday evening at about 8pm when I will be joining Pete Mac and Nicole, John and Wendy of Hips and Haws Country Dance Band and all of the other Pennymoor people in a traditional English music session at Blackberries with Jason of the Dartmoor Pixie band hopefully attending the session later.

Pete Mac is a great traditional English musician who also runs Redwing ceilidh and barn dance duo, among many other contributions to the folk music scene in England. I often sit alongside him at Sidmouth Folk Festival at the Sailing Club sessions (see photo) where session hosts Loose Knit Band often have numbers approaching a hundred participating in the sessions so I'm sure that, with the input of so many great folk musicians, the Friday evening session at Blackberries will go with a swing.

In 2010 Bampton Folk Festival weekend will happen, as it always does. Devotees will arrive from Brittany in France with their infamous bombardes, Ireland, all over England and Scotland to attend this weekend that mainly revolves around pub sessions. Last year one of the main pubs had closed and I hear that this year the White Horse will be closed but another pub will be back open and refurbished. Since the weekend is about the people who have been coming to Bampton Folk Festival for years, I don't think this will matter. We will all be there and the tunes and songs will rock.

If you like sessions in English traditional music, Irish traditional music, folk song and dance, you will probably like Bampton Folk Festival 2010. Perhaps the best way to give a flavour of the festival, for newcomers, is to visit the article I wrote last year after I returned from Bampton Folk Festival 2009 'After the Fair'. Of course, it is always up to the people who turn up to make the festival successful and with sessions nothing can ever be certain but in my experience Bampton Folk Festival has always been a rocking weekend. I hope to see you there :-)

Autumn dance classes? Morris dancing classes are a great alternative to salsa, line dancing, tap dance, ballet, hip hop, belly dance in North Devon

2010-10-08T04:21:00.000-07:00

If you are thinking about taking dance classes in North Devon, there are lots of possibilities that immediately spring to your mind. Salsa classes, line dancing, tap dance, ballet dance, hip hop dance, belly dance, samba dance, Spanish dance and country dancing but, often overlooked and perhaps the most exciting type of dancing you could consider is Morris dancing.

Morris dancing has much to offer and dance classes are starting all over England at this time of the year as Morris dancing sides look for new members to join them in their practice and preparation for next Summers outdoor performances at festivals, fetes, weddings and in the streets and villages all around England.

In addition to the obvious benefits of keeping fit and the enjoyment of moving to great music, Morris dancing has considerable other benefits. Morris dancing is very social and Morris dancing tuition classes are generally free as part of the overall membership of the side. If you also have musician skills, you will probably be welcome to play in the Morris dance band as well as in after dance practice sessions in the pub.

If you already have an interest in dance music, folk music, folk festivals, folk dancing, folkloric dance, folk dancers and English folk then the arguments for checking out the benefits of joining a Morris dance troupe practice and dancing class this Autumn and Winter becomes even more powerful.

I joined the Exmoor Border Morris dancing side just over a year ago and have been amazed at how much fun it has been. If you are local to North Devon towns or villages Exmoor Border Morris might be a great side also for you to join. Even better, it is currently looking for new members, male or female, to learn the dances for next years festivals, fetes and other public dance performances. As you can see from the photos of Exmoor Border Morris dance practice and teaching sessions with this article, the atmosphere is relaxed friendly and cheerful.

Midweek dance outs for Exmoor Border Morris during Spring and Summer take place in local villages and towns around Barnstaple, Braunton, Bideford, Ilfracombe, South Molton, Appledore, Combe Martin, Lynton & Lynmouth, Mortehoe, Brendon, Woolacombe, Instow, Croyde, Georgeham, Northam, Great Torrington, Dulverton, North Molton and Westward Ho! so you could be dancing and performing very close to where you live.

At other times, you could look forward to joining Exmoor Morris dance side when it travels further afield to folk festivals throughout the South of England or even abroad.

Camping in a tent, camper van or caravan are the most popular forms of accommodation at festivals and there is a real community atmosphere on the festival camp sites as members all group together.

So, if you are looking for dance classes this Autumn, be sure to check out your local Morris dancing side and, if you are in the North Devon area, Exmoor Border Morris will be happy to hear from you.

There is an Open Evening on 20th October 7.45 at West Down Parish Hall, West Down near Ilfracombe and Barnstaple (where the Winter practice and dance tuition classes take place) so you can see some of the dances and try them out. When I joined Exmoor Border Morris, I was amazed by how helpful everybody was so I'm sure you'll get a friendly welcome.

For more information and to book a place at the Open Evening, call Nigel Chivers on 01271 850897 or visit www.exmoorbordermorris.org.uk

Wanted talented sociable dancers and musicians local to Barnstaple, Braunton, Ilfracombe, Bideford and South Molton in North Devon, UK

2010-10-05T01:35:00.000-07:00

Following the most successful summer season yet for our North Devon based performing arts troupe, Exmoor Border Morris are looking for talented sociable adult dancers and musicians, experienced or otherwise, to join us for winter rehearsals to make next year even more sensational.

Interested and live locally to the Barnstaple, Braunton, Ilfracombe, Bideford, South Molton area? Then you are invited to an informal Open Evening, 7.45 pm, 20th October at West Down Parish Hall, Near Barnstaple and Ilfracombe in North Devon, for an introduction to our music and dances (and probably a visit to the pub after). Dancers should wear appropriate footwear and prospective musicians should bring acoustic instruments.

Exmoor Border Morris practice weekly through the winter to get ready for the spring and summer season when, from April onwards, we dance and play at fetes, festivals and other social gatherings during evenings and weekends. We reckon there is no better place on a warm summer's day than camping together at a festival after a successful day performing our dances in front of the public.

If you are keen to dance or play music to a high standard, enjoy travelling and camping throughout the West Country and meeting and socialising with many other kindred spirits at our after-performance parties and socials, this is your big opportunity so call Exmoor Border Morris now. Being a part of Exmoor Border Morris is great fun: we are an adult mixed side; our dancing is energetic and lively; our music is cheerful; and our ambition is to be the best.

I've been a band member of Exmoor Border Morris for just over a year now and the big surprise for me has been how social it is. Of course, being with people who share your passion for performing arts, dance and music is wonderful but in my experience, not only does membership of a Morris side bring you friends in the side you join but it also seems to provide an immediate introduction to all the members of all the other Morris sides that you meet at festivals and sessions around the country who also become your friends. Socially it's just great!

For more information and to book a place at the Open Evening, call Nigel Chivers on 01271 850897 or visit www.exmoorbordermorris.org.uk

Royal Oak, Lower Bristol Road English folk pub jam session welcomes all musicians and listeners including students from Bath University and Bath Spa

2010-09-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

Although the traditional English music jam session at the Royal Oak in Lower Bristol Road, Bath is a new session, from what I saw last night (Monday 29th September 2010), it has already attracted a considerable number of highly talented musicians to its fortnightly pub sessions. However, main organiser Anne Gregson together with Bath fiddle maker Corrie Schrijver are still keen to attract more traditional English folk musicians of all ages including possibly student musicians from nearby Bath University and Bath Spa University.

A special treat at this session was expert Anglo concertina performer, composer, educator, dance caller and instrument designer Jody Kruskal from Brooklyn, New York who is currently(September to early October) on a solo tour of folk venues in England. Jody led everybody in some great American tunes that rocked hugely.

Wherever, musicians or listeners come from, based on my visit to the Royal Oak pub session last night, if they enjoy traditional English folk tunes played with great gusto in a pub jam session and sometimes considerable speed and dexterity where the rants were concerned, musicians or listeners will be in for a treat for the price of a drink from the bar which is well stocked with micro brewery real ale.

This traditional English music pub jam session takes place currently every two weeks on a Wednesday at 8.30 pm at The Royal Oak, Lower Bristol Rd, Bath BA2 3BW.

If you would like to confirm this acoustic pub jam session is taking place (recommended to avoid any possible disappointment as arrangements can change) contact Chris Timson or Anne Gregson on 01225 863762 or visit their home page. As a devotee of great English traditional folk tune pub jam sessions, you may very well see me there :-)

Band or pub jamming session? Which provides the ultimate music experience for listeners and musicians.

2010-09-21T01:14:00.000-07:00

I have often wondered whether playing in a band or joining with other musicians in an ad hoc pub jamming session provided the ultimate musical experience for musicians or listeners.

Indeed, when I tell my neighbours or my friends down at the tennis club that I am off to a gig, they usually assume that I am off to play in a band but as often as not it is to a pub folk music jamming session that I go to play my soprano sax or flute for the evening.

Audience reaction can be as involved and enthusiastic at pub jamming sessions as it can be with formal paid for performance and often strangers have come up to me after a pub jamming session to say what a pleasant surprise it was to come across us playing in the pub and how it had made their day or even their whole holiday. It seems for some that the element of surprise and the novelty of the pub jamming session adds a definite frisson adding to listeners enjoyment above a scheduled or booked performance.

There is novelty and surprise for the musicians too which adds to their enjoyment because it is rarely certain who will turn up.

Finding people to play with in a band is a notoriously difficult process involving a complicated mutual selection process that can lead to bruised egos and often a feeling of frustration that there are compatible performers out there with which one could form the ultimate musical killing machine but finding them is worse than finding a needle in a haystack or that romantic soul mate for which many of us yearn.

Of course, just as all paid for performances don't necessarily hit the g-spot, I've been to many sessions that were less musical than I would have wished. Without doubt, I have shared pub space with brilliant and entertaining musicians as well as those who are either less experienced or less sympathetic to the needs of their fellow performing musicians.

However, after a session such as last night at The Admiral Hood, Mosterton, Dorset when I had a fantastic time joining in with Rainer Wittlin, Martin Hughes, Charlotte Seabrook, Alex Cumming, Helen Gentile, Zachary Richard Mooney and many other talented folk musicians, for the moment at least I am a convert back to the notion that pub jamming sessions are the ultimate musical sensation.

For hour after hour the pub absolutely rocked. Traditional English folk tune after traditional English folk tune followed in quick succession, some fast some slow but always executed with precision, verve and enthusiasm. When I left for the long drive home, they were still playing.

So, if you are looking for the ultimate live music experience, whether you are a musician or a listener, whatever flavour of music you prefer, I would suggest you check out the pub jamming sessions in your local area. For the price of a pint or a glass of wine you could find some memorable and often novel musical experiences. (Thanks to Geoff Turnbull for taking the excellent photos in this article).

And if it is a pub jamming session where they are playing traditional English folk music you are looking for and you are near The Admiral Hood, Mosterton, Dorset, perhaps you will find me happily playing there at one of Rainer Wittlin's traditional English music sessions :-)

Traditional English folk music sessions at The George, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire and The Royal Oak, Lower Bristol Rd, Bath

2010-08-24T04:36:00.000-07:00

What a great traditional English folk music tune session I had last night at The George, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. Regular host Chris Timson was away at a festival but Nick and all the others really made me feel welcome as together we played our way through a fantastic list of English traditional folk tunes and a few nice French tunes too :-)

Currently (and it is always worth checking with the pub before travelling) these English music sessions are taking place at The George, Woolley St, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1AQ on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Parking, I was told, is a bit tricky in Woolley Street but available in the streets nearby, however, I had no trouble parking in front of The George in my campervan but that might have been because I was rather early.

I also hear that there is another English folk tune session now every two weeks on a Wednesday at 8.30 pm at The Royal Oak, Lower Bristol Rd, Bath BA2 3BW. This is a new session and is run by Anne Gregson who is the main organiser together with Bath fiddle maker Corrie Schrijver with a little help from Chris and which started following some very successful English tune sessions at The Royal Oak during the Bath Folk Festival 2010. I am certainly looking forward to checking this one out too.

Chris tells me that he is happy for people to phone him or Anne on 01225 863762 to check for details on either session or visit their home page.

So, if you are looking for good traditional English folk music sessions with some excellent traditional English dance musicians, why not give these sessions a try? Judging from my experience, you will get a friendly welcome. Have you been to these sessions? You are welcome to comment below just click on comments :-)

ECMW 2010 - traditional English musicians sessions interspersed with step dancing, songs, performances on Jews Harps and a melodious Bass Saxophone

2010-06-21T01:14:00.000-07:00

I've just got back from Ampthill in Bedfordshire, where the English Country Music Weekend 2010 was hosted this year again by Redbornstoke Morris under the excellent leadership of Taz Tarry, feeling tired but content.

Wonderful sessions interspersed with step dancing, folk tradition discussions, performances on Jew's Harps, a close encounter with a bass saxophone (apparently called Emily Brontosaurus) were just a few of the great moments that combined to make this yet another fantastic weekend with some of the finest traditional English musicians in the UK as they let their hair down performing and talking about English traditional folk music.

Rubbing shoulders with some of the finest traditional English musicians in the country is a major perk of attending the ECMW and, as a saxophone player myself, I thoroughly enjoyed playing alongside Neil Gledhill of the Old Swan Band as he coaxed incredibly melodious sounds from his bass saxophone, Emily Brontosaurus.

Proving that traditional music is constantly evolving, developing and absorbing new influences, Michael Wright gave an interesting talk on the Jew's Harp and then joined in the session with singer and Jew's Harp player Lucy Wright giving jigs and reels a completely new dimension.

Interspersed between the traditional English tune playing were displays of step dancing and, for those who wanted to take their knowledge of the step dance further, Matt Norman, Jason Rice and Mark Bazeley gave a step dance talk workshop.

It is part of the tradition of the annual ECMW that this it travels around the country to visit different places and different folk traditions and it seems that its next venue will be in Essex. I'm looking forward to it.

Were you at the English Country Music Weekend 2010? What did you most enjoy about ECMW 2010? Check out the video of the English Country Music Weekend 2010. Your comments are welcome below :-)

Wonderful Morris sides and a good ceilidh at Wimborne Folk Festival weekend 2010 but a scarcity of musicians pub sessions

2010-06-14T03:30:00.000-07:00

I've just got back from a great weekend with Exmoor Border Morris at Wimborne Folk Festival 2010. The weather was perfect for camping. The Morris sides rocked and I rediscovered the pleasures of ceilidhs. However, there was a substantial dearth of musician's sessions again which is not unusual for Wimborne.

If you are a musician and like playing traditional English music or are a dancer, the Morris movement is well worth a try and the Wimborne Folk festival is a wonderful example of the great feeling of family that you get when you put a lot of Morris dancers passionate about their craft with a lot of musicians passionate about playing traditional English tunes and mix in substantial quantities of alcoholic refreshment to produce a heady hedonistic cocktail of enjoyment that I would thoroughly recommend.

As a folk musician, I have spent most of my time at festivals playing traditional English tunes in the pubs and there is no doubt that Wimborne Folk Festival offers little choice for the musicians session. I spoke to many musicians over the weekend and they were all talking about seeking and not finding a good pub session. The best I managed was 45 minutes lunch break away from my Morris side at lunchtime on Saturday when I played some traditional English tunes at the British Legion. However, when I went back later in the weekend, there was little in the way of pub sessions happening there.

However, the lack of musicians session opportunities led me to seek out other forms of enjoyment and there was a ceilidh at the school near the official campsite so I decided to go along and watch just for something to do. It was a strategy that didn't work because I'd been there only a couple of minutes before I got grabbed by a delightful lady who kindly and energetically swept me around the floor. Soon I was right hand starring, left hand starring and dosydoing with the best of them. Then there was another dance with another willing lady and then another. I discovered that there was a system where people on the floor put their hand up if they want another dancer for their set so newbies like me didn't have to seek out a willing female which certainly makes life easier for a dancer of limited experience.

So, for wonderful Morris sides and good ceilidhs, I would recommend the Wimborne Folk Festival based on my experience in 2010 but traditional folk musicians who like to spend their time at a festival playing in the pub sessions may find better opportunities elsewhere. Were you there? Your comments are welcome below just click on 'comments'.

Stockport Morris and Slubbing Billy clog side West Somerset tour with West Somerset Morris Men

2010-05-31T01:42:00.000-07:00

When my folkie friend Martin Hughes mentioned he was heading for a session at Theale near Wedmore that included those famous sides Stockport Morris and Slubbing Billys North West Morris clog side who were camping and touring Somerset that weekend, I decided it was an opportunity not to be missed so Saturday lunchtime last weekend, I headed for the Somerset levels and what turned out to be a great session at the Panborough Inn, Panborough.

Tunes played included all the usual standard traditional folk music and Morris tunes and there was poetry and song with a strong Northern accent but I was particularly delighted to spot another saxophone player who introduced to me the idea of using a melamine reed in his tenor sax which was more resilient in the often wet open air environment 'up North'.

At these sorts of gatherings, there are always lots of interesting people for example I discovered the mandolin musician was taking early retirement to start a small business to spend more time making and selling his instruments.

Best of all, I discovered that they were all visiting West Somerset the next day, joining up with the West Somerset Morris Men at Watchet and proceeding by steam train to Minehead along the West Somerset Railway Line to Morris dance on the sea front at Minehead which seemed to me to be a wonderful photo opportunity and meant that I could see them all again on the Sunday too... brilliant!

First stop was the Star Inn, Watchet, West Somerset where I took the advantage of chatting to a few of the West Somerset Morris men. My brother used to dance with them when he was a teenager over 40 years ago and they still remember him. Stockport Morris, Slubbing Billy and West Somerset Morris all danced and put on a great show enjoyed by packed crowds.

Later, back in Minehead, the old steam train was played in by a small band of West Somerset Morris players which included Brian Heaton and Derek Byron, long associated with local centre of traditional dancing Halsway Manor, Crowcombe.

The steam train looked splendid as it arrived and the combined Morris sides were soon disembarking and heading to the local pubs along the sea front to dance and play their tunes ending up in front of the Olde Ship Aground above Minehead Harbour.

In the course of checking the web sites of Stockport Morris and Slubbing Billy, I noticed that Stockport Morris were looking for musicians and dancers. One of the most endearing aspects of the Morris movement is that it is so open and welcoming to newcomers.

So if you are healthy and reasonably fit, or would like to be, then I'm sure they or many of the other Morris sides in England and Wales would like to hear from you and, if you are a musician interested in playing traditional English folk tunes, you would probably be welcomed with open arms too.

If you have recently joined a Morris side or would like to invite new members or have any comments or additions to add, please click on 'comments' below. I look forward to hearing from you :-)

Upton Folk Festival pub folk music sessions and dancing out with Exmoor Border Morris

2010-05-30T03:46:00.000-07:00

If asked the whereabouts of my favourite traditional English folk music sessions, I would usually talk about the pub music sessions at the Radway Inn and Sidmouth Sea Angling & Sailing Club during the Sidmouth Folk Festivals. However, following my visit to the Upton Upon Severn Folk Festival with Exmoor Border Morris, I would now have to add the Kings Head and Swan Hotel at the Upton Folk Festival to my list. Without any doubt, the sessions this year (2010) at these places absolutely rocked!

As a newbie into the Morris dancing world, it was one of my first visits to a folk festival with a Morris side and I must say that the camaraderie and conviviality of having so many instant friends is one I would recommend to anybody who enjoys dancing, camping, holidaying with groups of easy-going people and playing traditional tunes in a relaxed atmosphere. Most Morris sides welcome new members either for dancing or for playing in the band so you are almost always assured of a friendly welcome.

Of course, nothing is ever guaranteed where traditional folk music pub sessions are concerned. It depends on who turns up on the day. Perhaps I was fortunate to be playing tunes in the company of some of the best traditional English musicians in the country. Martin Hughes was there with his piano accordion and I actually had the honour of sitting next to M-J Searle, who for many years played with the Committee Band, with her virtuoso ability on recorders, fiddle, pipe & tabor. There were also many others whom I could not even begin to name. Perhaps they go there every year. I do not know. However, about one thing I am certain, I will definitely be at the Upton Upon Severn Folk festival next year to find out :-)

Were you at the Upton Upon Severn Folk Festival 2010? How was it for you? I'd love to hear; just click on the comments section below to have your say :-)

Traditional English pub folk music sessions, Herbaceous Border and Borderline Morris in the sun at Crediton Folk Festival, Cheriton Fitzpaine, Devon

2010-04-19T00:57:00.000-07:00

In bright sunshine and under a clear sky in the idyllic rural Devon village setting of Cheriton Fitzpaine, pub folk music sessions rocked and Morris dancing sides pirouetted and pranced creating a wonderful community ambiance at the Crediton Folk Festival last weekend (16th - 18th April 2010).

Following my recent admission into the Exmoor Border Morris band, I had also agreed to support the 'open to all' Herbaceous Border Morris dancing side but was a little concerned it might impinge on my passion for playing traditional English folk tunes in the Ring o' Bells pub music sessions that have always been the mainstay of the Crediton folk music festival's attraction for me.

I shouldn't have worried because the community experience of watching the Morris dancers at the Half Moon pub and then standing in the square besides the Ring o' Bells pub in Cheriton Fitzpaine with the experienced band performers and dancers of Bordeline Morris swelling the ranks of Herbaceous Border Morris watching members of the public joining in the Morris dancing, with the bright colours of the Morris 'tatters' all around, created a community ambiance, unique to English village life, that I wouldn't have missed for the world.

Of course, my first love is the traditional English pub folk tune sessions and they lived up to my best expectations with fine leading performances from, amongst others, virtuoso folk musician and teacher Bill McKinnon and John and Wendy from Hips & Haws English Country Dance Band.

Needless to say, there was much chatting and catching up with the gossip and I was delighted to see Roger and Jo Quigley, mainstays of the excellent Wessex Folk Festival, enjoying the village and musical ambiance.

Were you at the Crediton Folk Festival 2010? Much more was going on than the Morris dancing and traditional English folk musician sessions that I have mentioned and your experiences of any activities you attended are welcomed. Just click on 'post a comment' below and share :-)

Teens to pensioners welcome at 2010 Winter musicians folk music weekend reunion, as Sidmouth Sailing and Angling Club music sessions exceed ten years

2010-03-29T04:00:00.000-07:00

Sidmouth Sea Angling and Sailing Club rocked last weekend (26th - 27th March 2010) to the sounds of the Sidmouth folk festival Sea Angling and Sailing Club musicians Winter's reunion with its impromptu session band, gently and expertly hosted by the Loose Knit Band and well attended by members whose ages varied from teens to those who were not afraid to admit to having more than a few grey hairs.

I have no idea how many tunes we played throughout Friday evening, Saturday lunchtime and Saturday evening but the sound of one traditional English tune had hardly died away before somebody else jumped in with another tune so we must have played hundreds with hardly any repeats. It was great fun!

Sidmouth Steppers put on a fine dance display Saturday lunchtime for those who needed a bit of time out from playing their instruments.

Since this excellent Winter folk music musicians reunion session has been going for more than ten years, it is inevitable that there were more than a few admitting to collecting their pensions but it was wonderful to see younger new members joining in for the first time as well. Although the venue is private and attendance for the Winter reunion is by invitation the organisers are always happy to welcome new musicians who have a passion for traditional English folk tunes and they try hard to make the tunes played appropriate for all standards throughout the weekend. So, if you are in Sidmouth during the August folk week and would like to play some traditional English tunes, the Sidmouth Sea Angling and Sailing Club session is worth checking out.

Of course, being part of a friendly community with many types of expertise, as well as musical, is one of the big benefits and there always seems to be somebody who can give good advice to deal with a problem. My camper van had developed a transmission whine which had been worrying me so I sought the advice of resident mechanical expert John (featured with his violin and who also kindly took session photos) who was able to reassure me the camper van would probably last for a few more reunions at least, although I might not be able to hear the radio as I drive. This was not too much of a problem, I assured him, as the radio doesn't work either. Sadly, my poor camper van doesn't get anywhere near as much attention as my doted over soprano saxophone which has now replaced my flute as my main instrument :-)

Winter musicians reunions are always a good opportunity for bands seeking new members to network and I took the opportunity of mentioning that the new Streetband in Pilton, Barnstaple, Devon is looking for new instrumental members to counterbalance its excellent drum section. (Just a few of the members photo right). As a result, superb cello musician Matthew Benjamin may now be joining in our next practice session Thursday from 8pm in the skittle alley of the Reform Inn, Pilton, Barnstaple, North Devon. This new streetband which plays in public and collects for the North Devon Children's Hospice has recently been reformed and reorganised so is welcoming new instrumental members willing to play free for charity (call Reform Inn, Pilton to confirm if coming to join in rehearsals as venue not available every Thursday).

As everybody left the Sidmouth Sea Angling and Sailing Club at the end of the session late Saturday evening, everybody agreed that they were now looking forward to August 2010 when we could do it all again during the Sidmouth folk festival week.

Were you there? Comments are welcome about the Sidmouth Sea Angling and Sailing Club folk musicians Winter reunion below; just click on 'post a comment' :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Reconciliation or divorce - my new life with bells on as a Morris Dancing band musician meets my old life of traditional music pub sessions

2010-02-22T04:09:00.000-08:00

I've always known that combining my already busy old life of travelling around playing in traditional music pub sessions in the West Country of England with my new pastime of playing in the Exmoor Border Morris band (a life with bells on) would be challenging.

Last weekend was the first big test of their mutual co-existence. Events proved, like in marriage, you can't plan everything.

With great determination, I had organised every element of the weekend with plan Bs, Cs and extra fail-safes cunningly built in.

My main weekend's entertainment was to be the annual traditional English musicians Winter reunion at the Radway Inn, Sidmouth, Devon 2010 (see photo top right) which was to start, as usual, on Friday evening in the pleasant Regency town of Sidmouth in the South of England and then continue during pub opening times until Sunday lunchtime with a brief bit of busking on the sea front in 'the old bus shelter' with the other traditional musicians.

However, for me, this reunion was to be different as it was to be broken by yours truly making a quick dash to savour the beauties of the City of Bath, England and play with the Exmoor Border Morris band in a combined meet-up with their good friends Foxs Border Morris on Saturday lunchtime and afternoon.

After much thought, my logistics had became somewhat complicated and involved parking overnight in my camper van in a drive at Sampford Peverell, a walking trip down a canal, climbing up an embankment and some perilous hitch-hiking in the lay by on the A361 link road approach to the M5 to get me to Bath ... possibly dressed as a Morris man! I thought I had planned everything.

But the one thing my plans hadn't predicted was around four inches of snow falling on the Barnstaple area Saturday morning just when many of Exmoor Border Morris were planning to leave which meant the visit to Bath to meet up and dance with Foxs Border Morris in Bath City Centre had to be cancelled.

On the bright side, I didn't have to miss the Saturday lunchtime session at the Radway Inn, Sidmouth after all and what a good session it was. In fact, all the sessions were a joy with the usual high standard of playing of the traditional English tunes which form the main diet of this particular group of musicians.

It was a shame not getting to play in Bath but perhaps it will be rearranged and I satisfied my craving to help out with a bit of Morris dancing and 'sticking' on Sunday morning by joining in the Herbaceous Border Morris (link shows 2009 meeting) side band on the sea front before going off to play at the Radway Inn.

So, next year I will definitely be back for the Radway Winter reunion 2011 and it remains yet to be seen if I can reconcile my old life as an itinerant traditional folk musician with my new life with bells on.

Bye for now

Rob
(Rob Hopcott - online author, folk musician and newbie Morris Man with bells on)

Live music entertainment at Ring o' Bells, Prixford, Barnstaple, Devon 1st Tuesday of the month

2010-02-03T00:20:00.000-08:00

The Ring o' Bells at Prixford, Barnstaple, North Devon rocked last night to a great evenings live music entertainment provided by local musicians playing traditional English, Irish and other popular tunes from around the world.

Located in the sleepy Devon countryside village of Prixford (about three and a half miles from Barnstaple), Rob Jenkins does a great job of attracting musicians to this once a month pub music session with his easy-going and welcoming approach to visiting musicians.

There were three members of Bloatertown there last night Al (melodeon and concertina), Pam who plays hammer dulcimer and Rob.

If you enjoy a dance, Bloatertown have also organised a benefit gig for the Haiti appeal on the 19th Febrary 2010 at Alverdiscott village hall. Its an evening of dance and song, with Bloatertown (caller John Blackburn), Roger Cockram,Tom and Barbara Brown, Shake a Leg and others. All are most welcome tickets £8 bring your own food and drink but soft drinks and nibbles are provided. There's a raffle etc all to raise as much as possible.

If you would like to listen to some free live music pub entertainment on the first Tuesday evening of the month, the Ring o' Bells is a pub music session worth checking out. (Always telephone the Ring o' Bells before travelling to ensure the session is taking place as arrangements might change).

If you are a local traditional English or Irish musician or any other sort of musician and enjoy getting together for a musical bash, I'm sure Rob will make you most welcome.

Bye for now

Rob
(Rob Hopcott - folk musician and lover of a good folk music session)

P.S. Excitement is building as the Crediton Folk Weekend is rapidly approaching on April 16th - 18th 2010. I've enjoyed this festival in the past because it features some really great sessions the local pubs of Cheriton Fitzpaine, mid Devon but lots of other musical entertainment is also available and worth checking out :-)

Bell Inn, Chittlehampton, South Molton, Devon mainly traditional English tunes session second Monday of month rocked!

2009-12-16T08:12:00.000-08:00

Rarely have I been to a traditional English tune session that had so many excellent traditional English musicians as when I visited the second Monday of the month traditional English session at the Bell Inn, Chittlehampton, Devon this week (14th December 2009).

The great news is, with the kind support of Bell Inn publicans Mark and Lynne Jones, they are doing it all over again on the 21st December 2009, as a special Christmas treat (with added carols).

In addition to the session at The Bell Chittlehampton on 21st December 2009, there is also the one on the 29th December (Tues after Christmas) at Ring o Bells Prixford.

After a really busy day (being retired), I thought I'd arrived in good time at 8pm but I was one of the late comers and the session, led by excellent session host Rob Jenkins, was already in full swing.

There was a splendid mixture of instruments including violins, guitars, banjos, melodeons and of course, when I had found a space to settle myself down, my soprano sax.

Hardly had one traditional English tune finished before another one was immediately started and the session flowed beautifully, mainly due, I believe, to the high quality of the musicians present.

Although I understand this is mainly a tunes session, Carol Henderson Begg, who lives in the village and is very active promoting folk events there throughout the year, joined in and sung a wonderful traditional carol which went down very well.

This was followed, at special request, by that fine local folk musician and singer Martyn Babb who led the singing of one of the popular greats accompanied by a great deal of fun improvisation from the instrumentalists.

Were you at the session? Your comments are welcome below. Just click on 'comments' and I look forward to hearing from you :-)

So, if you like listening to or playing in traditional English folk music sessions and you can get to the Bell Inn at Chittlehampton, near South Molton, in North Devon, for one of Rob Jenkin's mainly traditional English tune sessions, judging by my experience, you are in for a treat.

Bye for now

Rob

(Rob Hopcott - online author and folk musician)

P.S. If you are travelling far, please call the Bell Inn, Chittlehampton, South Molton, North Devon to confirm the session is taking place just in case of changes to arrangements.

Opportunities in Morris dance sides for beginner pub session folk music musicians and traditional dancers in Devon, the West Country and England

2009-12-02T01:57:00.000-08:00

When I suggest to beginner musicians that folk music sessions are a great way to start playing in public, inexperienced acoustic musicians often reply that they are afraid that the standard is too high for them and they would be too nervous to play before strangers in a pub folk music session, especially if they had to 'take a turn' in a sing-around or open mike session.

Joining a Morris side and playing in the Morris dance band may be a great way for these beginner musicians to gently start playing in public whilst at the same time meeting new people and making new friends in the welcoming and community orientated world of Morris dancing.

And now is the ideal time to start. As the Winter evenings draw in, Morris sides all over Devon, West Somerset, the West Country and indeed England are settling in to their weekly Winter practice sessions with their musicians. At these weekly Morris dancing practice sessions the dancers learn the new traditional English Morris dances and the musicians learn the traditional English folk tunes with which they will excite and entertain the public at the next years village fetes, weddings and folk music festivals.

These weekly Morris dancing practice sessions are an ideal opportunity for beginner musicians to learn the tunes that go with the Morris dances and for dancers to learn the intricate and fascinating steps of the traditional Morris dance repertoire. At each Morris dance practice session, the folk music tunes are played many times as the dancers practice the dance formations and steps and so it is easy for beginner musicians to learn the tunes.

So, if you are a beginner folk musician who is a little nervous about playing in public at a folk music session, why not approach your local Morris dance side and ask them if they are looking for extra musicians for their Morris band. In my experience, most Morris dance sides have an open door policy and welcome newcomers who want to try out the Morris tradition and see if they like it.

I was at a Christmas folk music session last year run by my local West Somerset Morris Men side and I recollect that several on the committee mentioned they welcomed new members in their Morris team. They practice through the Winter at Halsway Manor near Crowcombe in West Somerset which is a delightfully ancient country house worth a visit in itself.

My own side is the Exmoor Border Morris dance side and on our 'Home turf' page is says 'Newcomers are welcome to join'. Certainly they have made me welcome :-)

Of course, if you are an experienced traditional English folk musician, you may also find joining a Morris side wonderful fun. It is a great opportunity to meet lots of friendly new people who often have a well developed social circle that is very welcoming to newcomers as well as the opportunity to play traditional English folk tunes for appreciative dancers and the public at fetes, festivals and other locations.

If you are a folk musician or acoustic musician or aspiring traditional dancer hoping to keep fit, finding a local Morris dancing side in your area, is easy. A good place to start is the Morris Ring side finder service. Just click on the map where you want to find a Morris dance side and follow the instructions. Alternatively, why not try your favourite search engine typing in Morris dance sides and your location. You will probably be surprised at the choice and the great welcome you will receive :-)

Are you a member of a Morris dance side and would you like to hear from new acoustic musicians or aspiring Morris dancers? Click on 'comments' below and I look forward to hearing from you :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author (retired) and Morris dance side musician

Bampton Free Folk Festival 2009, North Devon sessions rock with an English, Irish, Breton traditional music flavour

2009-11-02T03:18:00.000-08:00

It's Monday and the sun is shining through the window of my writing room as I reflect happily on one of the best weekends I have ever spent at the Bampton Free Folk Festival 2009 ("After the Fair") in North Devon.

I arrived on Friday lunchtime just before twelve o'clock and there were already musicians waiting at the White Horse which is usually a good bet for a mainly traditional English folk music based instrumental session with the added flavour of bombardes and songs from the festival's Irish and Breton friends.

Amazingly, the Friday session at the White Horse carried on for at least 12 hours, through to closing time which was well after I had already returned to my camper van in the car park to sleep.

It is hard to believe that there are so many tunes available to be played but the playing and singing standard was, as always, extremely high providing a huge store of folk music knowledge to choose from and the tunes and songs just kept flowing.

The Breton contingent arrived early evening and were welcomed with the usual riotous applause so they immediately gave a virtuoso performance of Bretonese songs and tunes despite their long journey reminding everybody why they are so popular.

Then on Saturday, starting at 12 o'clock midday, we did it all again, which was another twelve hours mainly playing and some singing. Wonderful!

Sunday was a short day and the session wound down just before tea time after another four hours of tunes and songs and then, with a total of more than twenty-eight hours playing mainly traditional English tunes under my belt, I decided to take my flute and soprano saxophone and head for home.

Highlights of the weekend, apart from the excellent Bretonese performances, included welcoming members of Exmoor Border Morris to the Saturday and Sunday sessions (including, of course, Delilah, the dog). The 'barfing song' (or is the right word 'chunder'?) performed by the esteemed Squire to Exmoor Border Morris Nigel (photo above, left, under the antlers) which was appreciated by all and the energetic and accomplished stepdancing in front of the open fire by, among others, session hosts Martyn Babb and Dartmoor Pixies Jason Rice.

Of course, there is a lot more to the Bampton Folk Festival than the events at the White Horse and I heard that the Bridge Hotel, Blackberries and the Quarryman's Rest were also busy with lots of singers and floor performers having a great time. The Variety Concert I heard was well attended and the workshops popular.

As always, I warmly extend my thanks for a great weekend to the intrepid Clare Penney and her hardworking supporters who have done a great job of making the Bampton Folk Festival 2009 such a wonderful event over the years.

Without doubt, I shall wear my Bampton Folk Festival badge with pride on my folkies hat ... until I buy another one next year with another ten pounds donation to go towards the administrative costs of this excellent free festival.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online writer (retired) and folk musician

Were you there? What are your memories? I'd love to hear in the comments below :-)

Plymouth Inn good Saturday session at Baring Gould Festival 2009, Okehampton, Devon

2009-10-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

On the spur of the moment, I decided to pop down to the Baring Gould Festival 2009 in Okehampton, Devon and join the other musicians at the lunchtime session in the Plymouth Inn hosted by Malcolm Woods and had a great time.

I arrived early and the friendly pub lady pointed out the area where the session was to take place but added that there was a Morris dancing display before the session started in front of the pub. Bearing in mind I have recently joined the Exmoor Border Morris side as a band member, I couldn't miss this opportunity to broaden my knowledge of 'sticking', 'hanky waving' and such like things.

The Cogs and Wheels Ladies Morris put on a fine display but I nipped off early to make sure I got a good seat for the session and found our host for the session had set up residence and lots of musicians were already arriving.

Amazingly, the session went on for seven hours under the gentle and friendly guidance of Malcolm Woods and his assorted helpers. It was a splendid example of what a good session should be. Malcolm was always ready to step in with another great traditional English tune when others had run out of steam but otherwise let the musicians get on with it. Ideal! There were even a few Irish traditional tunes and songs to provide a bit of variety.

I left at around seven pm just about when the hard-working Malcolm (photo right in the black T-shirt) was heading off for a bite to eat. I suspect he was likely to be back later to steer the continuing session through the rest of the evening but, unfortunately, I had to drive eighty miles to get home.

Will I go back to the Plymouth Inn session at Baring Gould Festival 2009, Okehampton, Devon in 2010? You bet I will and perhaps Malcolm Woods will be there doing another great job of running a mainly traditional English folk tunes session again.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott

Superb traditional English folk music session at Bell Inn, Ash, Martock, Somerset

2009-09-30T23:52:00.000-07:00

With a strong desire to revisit old haunts, I spent yesterday evening at the folk music session in the Bell Inn at Ash near Martock, Somerset which replaced the Wheatsheaf in South Petherton and now hosts a fortnightly traditional English folk music session on Wednesday evenings starting around 8.30pm led by Martin Hughes. It was one of the most enjoyable evenings I have spent for months.

I have to confess that Martin is one of my favourite folk music session organisers. He is very welcoming to newcomers and is an outstanding folk musician himself, always willing to leap in and start a tune when others are flagging. He also has a particular skill (and perhaps tenacity) for collecting around him an extremely wide range of talented musicians who also enjoy his sessions.

Highlights of the evening included sonorous cello playing by Matt Benjamin, a virtuoso display of Appalachian dancing and humorous songs by Tony.

Would I recommend this traditional English folk music session at the Bell Inn, Ash, Martock? You bet I would and I am looking forward to checking out their other local session which takes place on alternate weeks.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - folk music festivals and sessions
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Sun, sand, sea and sociability at Swanage Folk Festival 2009 in Dorset

2009-09-14T02:51:00.000-07:00

When I was invited by Exmoor Border Morris to join them at the Swanage Folk Festival 2009, I was flattered but not prepared for the fantastic Dorset weekend of sun, sand, sea and especially sociability that I found.

Joining Exmoor Border Morris at the camp site on Friday evening felt like a warm blanket of friendship being placed around my shoulders and, as I struggled to remember the names of all the people to whom I was introduced and their positions within the Morris side, I was impressed by the friendly laid back organisation that enabled such a large group of people to co-exist together and cheerfully enjoy celebrating English dance traditions and traditional English music in the sunshine.

Saturday morning, bright and early, we left the camp site and headed for Swanage in shared cars to meet other members of Exmoor Border Morris at our first dance venue and there were yet more friendly people for me to get to know. I also discovered the amazing sociability that wearing tatters (the official name of the raggedy costumes Morris sides wear) and flowers introduces into the public situation.

Quite simply, wearing tatters, blacking one's face and putting flowers in one's hat seems to be an open invitation for the general public to smile and chat at every turn. Wonderful! I had so many pleasant conversations with strangers from all sorts of backgrounds all over Swanage during the weekend.

Nevertheless, the experience was not without some pain. Blacking one's face means that noses can't be blown and eyes can't be rubbed, however much they itch, and the feeling of black paint being put up one's nose (to prevent a piggy face) is not an experience I would recommend, however gently it is applied.

Thanks, however, go to ace Morris melodeon musician Anne (pictured above to the right with maestro piano accordion player Martin Hughes) for ministering to my face-painting needs in such a sensitive and understanding way and for helping me, as a new band member, to get the tunes right. I have been playing traditional English folk tunes for many years and know most of the tunes Morris teams play but they change tunes to fit the different dances, altering the A and B parts accordingly, so I was definitely in need of the help I received.

Thanks also to Rosemary, the band leader, who energetically banged on her big drum and generally kept the band in order with carefully directed glances and a kind smile.

I have to mention also, whilst on the subject of pain, that the Morris side procession was incredibly strenuous and seemed to go on for ever. Those who have played a soprano saxophone will know that it takes lots of puff and lips of steel. By the time we had promenaded along the sea front constantly playing Nelly the Elephant for what seemed like at least half-an-hour my lips were on fire and, according to the people around me, my face was glowing puce under the black paint.

However, and back to the subject of sociability, the experience of passing under the arches of sticks and ribbons at the end of the course, provided by other Morris sides, was an experience I will always remember and which would have brought a tear to this old man's eye if I had not already become so dehydrated with the effort of blowing my sax and processing so far along the sea front.

Kind words too also eased the pain from lead Morris dancer Barrie (photo right with Jane and Sue) who said that my soprano saxophone playing worked well, cutting through the general hubbub of the procession and significantly helping them to dance in time.

So on to the Saturday evening. Some Morris dancers headed out for a meal. others to a concert but most of the members of the band headed for the Red Lion pub where I enjoyed one of the best sessions I have been to recently.

The marquee that had been set up in the courtyard at the back really worked well and attracted a lot of excellent musicians who contributed a steady flow of traditional English folk tunes throughout the evening at a speed most musicians present could enjoy playing.

Sunday morning was sunny again and the first stop of the day was St Mary's Church in Swanage where Exmoor Border Morris joined with good friends Foxs Morris, OBJ Border Morris and lots of other folkies in a special Folk Service which was very welcoming and friendly.

As a devout atheist, there were many points in the sermon which I would have liked to debate but, bearing in mind their hospitality, my sore saxophone lips stayed uncharacteristically silent except when I joined in playing my instrument with the other Morris band musicians to support the excellent combined dance sides in their dance performances.

Then on again, with hardly time to catch breath, we were off to play and dance in the sun at the Red Lion and on the promenade until it came time for the mass Morris dance in the sea which proved ideal for cooling one's sore feet.

So came to an end my weekend with the friendly Exmoor Border Morris side. It was a remarkable experience and has left me with many happy memories of sun, sand, sea and sociability.

Would I (featured in the middle to the right) recommend others to join Morris dance sides. I certainly would! Based on my experience to date, I think it could suit anyone who enjoys traditional English music and dance and also enjoys having instant access to a wide variety of new sociable friends and acquaintances.

By for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - traditional folk and novice Morris musician :-)

Best ever folk music session at Hunters Inn, North Devon with Ian Hudson & Captain Banjo's Street Band members

2009-08-24T01:03:00.000-07:00

With juggled firesticks flaming in the night, many folkies at the 4th Sunday of the month folk music session at Dave Orton's friendly and welcoming Hunters Inn voted it the best session ever with Martin Hughes, Ian Hudson and members of Captain Banjo's Street Band playing through an epic evening of tunes and songs.

Romance seemed in the air as Captain Banjo's very own fire stick juggler Tim had found a new friend who proved just as adept at twirling the flaming stick in the darkness of Exmoor's beautiful North Devon Heddon Valley.

Close to Lynmouth, Lynton, Barnstaple, Martinhoe and Trentishoe, the Hunters Inn, North Devon is set in spectacular countryside on the borders of Exmoor. It is hard to imagine a more ideal rural retreat for a country folk music session and the welcoming atmosphere created by proprietor David Orton and wife Deb must make this an ideal destination for South West Coast Path walkers and folkies in search of a unique location and a friendly folk music and song session.

Perhaps I'll see you there :-)

By for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - folk musician and folk music session devotee

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Pilton Green Man Festival 2009 rocking at the heart of a strong community

2009-07-21T03:23:00.000-07:00

I just got back from playing my soprano sax with Captain Banjo's Street Band at the Pilton Green Man Festival 2009. It was a fantastic community experience and got me to thinking about what it takes to make a successful community and how some towns and villages achieve success whilst others always seem to miss the mark.

Pilton, Barnstaple in North Devon perhaps will never be chosen to adorn the cover of a chocolate box, although Pilton Street certainly has its own character and some strong historical architecture.

Certainly, Pilton has none of the prettiness of thatched cottages and gently flowing streams found elsewhere. There are no gentle green pastures or woodland walks - that I have discovered - although Pilton Park is very pleasant.

Yet what Pilton lacks in picaresque qualities, it makes up for in the wonderful characters and personalities that take part in the many cultural and social activities around Pilton Street, most of whom seemed heavily involved in Pilton Festival 2009.

At the heart of successful community activity so often is a good pub. The Reform Inn, Pilton, Barnstaple is old fashioned, traditional and pre-eminently a 'local'. It serves good Barum Beer (produced by Barum Brewery only yards away behind the pub), has its own cricket team and is used, among other things, as a practice venue for Captain Banjo's Street Band every Thursday evening. (However, it doesn't have any folk music sessions at the moment, as far as I know).

Whilst in this pub I have met an enormous number of interesting people.

The landlady plays the violin (shown in the photo with her sister), Captain Banjo (photo of Dave with banjo above) is legendary for his work pulling his street band together from largely inexperienced musicians.

It was the original owner of the Barum Brewery behind the Reform Inn that founded Lord Basil’s Invitation XI cricket team (team shown photo right).

The stilts walker (photo left by the Reform Inn bar), who did such a great job collecting for the North Devon children's hospice, learned his stilts skills reaching up to high places in the building trades.

Nayomie Karen (photo on the right) , who I watched improvise a fantastic dance routine to some of Captain Banjo's tunes on the Sunday after the Pilton Festival is an immensely talented actor and dancer.

Tim, the fire stick juggler (photo below) is a young architect with a great future ahead of him.

Which all brings me to thinking that perhaps it is people not places that make a great community and if I was choosing somewhere to live, perhaps the local pub and not the estate agents is the best place to make a decision and perhaps the Reform Inn, Pilton Street, Barnstaple is not a bad place to start.

What do you think? Are you part of a great community? Were you at Pilton Festival? I'd love to hear your views and opinions, just click on comments below :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - who may have found his bohemia!

Traditional English and Cornish folk music sessions at Priddy Folk Festival 2009

2009-07-13T00:15:00.000-07:00

The Mendip Hills of Somerset rocked and reeled to the sound of Priddy Folk Festival 2009 last weekend with its reassuringly English blend of village green, Somerset countryside and musical talent.

Of particular note for me was the traditional English session run by Chris Timpson and Anne Gregson. I always enjoy this session. Chris keeps the tunes going nicely with his immense knowledge of English traditional folk tunes at a speed most people can achieve whilst always encouraging others to start a tune if they feel inspired.

After the formal session, I stayed on and played a few more tunes with an awesome pair of lady fiddlers from the Milborne St Andrew area who were seated in front of an old traditional fire at the Queen Victoria pub - most appropriate since their playing was red hot :-)

The rain started falling heavily later on Saturday afternoon and I popped back home to Exmoor to the comfort of a warm bed with more than a passing thought for those sleeping the night under rain lashed canvas.

The next morning bloomed bright and sunny so I returned to Priddy Folk Festival for another day of looking for kindred spirits with whom to play a tune.

Most of the tunes that were played seemed to be Irish with the exception of the Cornish band Dalla who had set up an informal session in a corner of the New Inn garden and were rocking out their intriguing blend of modern traditional Cornish tunes and songs.

To me Dalla's music had a strangely Eastern flavour and I noticed when I visited the Dalla web site that Folk & Roots had described their music as having a 'Dervish' quality. I was left wondering whether Dalla's music was truly a reflection of Cornish music or was Dalla through its success creating a Cornish tradition that was essentially Dalla.

However, one thing was certain, Cornish music and Dalla are definitely worth more exploration and, of course, exploration is one of the greatest joys of musical experience.

Were you there? What are your memories? I'd love to hear your comments below :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott

English Country Music Weekend 2009 (ECMW 2009) a great success at Ampthill, Beds organised by Taz Tarry and friends from Redbornstoke Morris

2009-06-22T00:53:00.000-07:00

Last weekend (19th - 21st June 2009) the Rugby Club and pubs at Ampthill, Bedfordshire rocked to the sounds of some of the best traditional English folk musicians who were gathered for the annual English Country Music Weekend 2009 (ECMW 2009) this year brilliantly organised by Taz Tarry and friends from Redbornstoke Morris.

I always enjoy the English Country Music Weekend which mainly consists of playing one traditional English tune after another with a room full of people who are experts in playing traditional English music. In between playing tunes there is the opportunity to make new friends, catch up with old ones and listen to some very knowledgeable discussion about where traditional English folk music is today and how it might develop tomorrow.

Particularly rewarding last weekend was seeing so many young musicians who played their violins, melodeons and other instruments with such verve and energy and who brilliantly led the Saturday evening session at the Rugby Club. (Photo above).

Traditionally, the ECM Weekend is hosted at a different venue each year and there was some discussion about where it should take place next year. I believe that the organisers are open to suggestions. However, many people seemed more than pleased with the efforts of Taz Tarry and friends from Redbornstoke Morris so currently it looks as if we are all likely to return to the Rugby Club at Ampthill, Bedfordshire again next year.

Personally, I always feel saddened when I return home after an ECM Weekend because it will be another year before I will be able to play along with such wonderful English Country musicians therefore, wherever it is located next year, it is an event I will certainly look forward to.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - sometime English Country Musician

Captain Banjo's Streetband successfully rocks Barnstaple Town Centre

2009-05-24T03:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Captain Banjo's Street Band exceeded all expectations for a new and largely inexperienced band and rocked Barnstaple town centre to its core. Enthusiastic onlookers were seen dancing in the streets and collections for the North Devon children's hospice exceeded all expectations with the band returning to its base in Pilton with collecting boxes packed full of small change adding up to an amazing £350.

OK, I must admit that I am a bit biased because I was part of the band but there is no doubt in my mind from the smiling faces that greeted the motley group of performers that invaded Barnstaple Town Centre hugely appreciated the outlandish fancy dress of the performers, their cheerful smiles and the pulsating beat of their music.

Perhaps Captain Banjo's Streetband could even show the way for a new community led street culture that might cheer up recession hit high streets in Britain and bring back the crowds to our town centres.

Not bad for about 30 enthusiastic musicians, many relatively inexperienced, and one banjo player with a vision.

Rapidly moving from strength to strength, Captain Banjo's Streetband is to have its own web site or blog to tell the public what's on with their many already scheduled future appearances and more about the people involved in their amazing evolution. To find out more, checkout my previous article on Captain Banjo's Street Band or watch this space :-)

Bye for now

Rob - online author and enthusiastic sax performer in Captain Banjo's Street Band

Captain Banjo's Streetband entertainment to rock Barnstaple Town Centre 23rd May 2009

2009-05-22T00:54:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been spending less time in traditional folk music sessions and have instead been playing my saxophone with an exciting new community entertainment street band based in Pilton, Barnstaple who are playing their first gig on Saturday.

Captain Banjo's Streetband leaps into dynamic (and very loud) action on Saturday 23rd May lunchtime in Barnstaple Town Centre. If you are around the Barnstaple or North Devon area and are wondering what's on or are looking for entertainment or something to do, why not pop along and check us out. We are the one's making lots of noise playing folky / rocky tunes wearing fancy dress with big friendly smiles on our faces.

In addition to the banjo of it's charismatic band leader Dave, Captain Banjos Streetband has a lots of bongo drums, a couple of squeeze boxes, a saxophone (moi!), a whistle, an Australian Aboriginal didjeridu, lots of guitars and things that make sound when you squeeze or rattle them. The noise generated is huge and the energy is even bigger so it is guaranteed to make you smile even on your glummest day.

In the tradition of so many good community enterprises, Captain Banjo's Streetband meets to practice its cheerful art in the skittle alley (see photo) of the local pub at the Reform Inn, Pilton, Barnstaple which also boasts its own Barum brewery and serves up pints of excellent Barum Original and several other Barum beers.

If you do get to come along to Barnstaple in North Devon's town centre on 23rd May 2009, be sure to bring along a few pennies for the collection box for the North Devon children's hospice which is the good cause that the band supports.

With over thirty instrumentalists already, Captain Banjo's Streetband is probably not looking for additional performers just for the moment but, if you are a musician, why not check out your local community streetband. They are lots of fun, very noisy and their entertainment is guaranteed to raise a smile and often raise money in support of worthy local causes. What could be more worthwhile?

See Captain Banjo's Streetband rocks Barnstaple for how we got on!

By for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - Online author and newly converted streetband musician

Crediton Folk Festival 2009 at Cheriton Fitzpaine

2009-04-27T03:37:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a great weekend playing in the sessions at Crediton Folk Festival at Cheriton Fitzpaine with lots of other great folk musicians including the renowned Bill McKinnon and John and Wendy from the Hips & Haws English Country Dance Band.

Several interesting looking folk festivals came to my notice, particularly West Somerset Folk Festival, Roger's Rant , Dulverton Folk Festival and for a great session (recommended by Bill McKinnon) the Wittfest - according to its web site 'the best FREE festival in Oxfordshire (or anywhere else for that matter!)'.

Best laugh of the weekend was seeing Stanley Accrington who was absolutely brilliant and extremely talented.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author and folk musician
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Winter Sidmouth folk festival musician's reunion at Sea Angling and Sailing Club, Sidmouth

2009-04-06T01:19:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I nipped down to Sidmouth to join in this Winter's Sidmouth folk festival reunion at the Sidmouth Sea Angling and Sailing Club and had a fantastic time.

Hosted by those friendly and sociable musicians, the Loose Knit Band and the ever welcoming Sidmouth Sea Angling and Sailing Club, we played a wonderful variety of traditional English folk music tunes and tunes from other countries throughout Friday evening, Saturday lunchtime and Saturday evening and watched some fine Morris dancing on the sea front too Saturday lunchtime.

Good music and a relaxed atmosphere with welcoming hosts and feeling part of a friendly group of people, many of whom have enjoyed playing together for a considerable number of years, is a recipe that is hard to beat for a great weekend.

Previously in this blog, I've mentioned that I wondered whether it was wise to give this fine traditional folk music session more publicity because it has grown so much in size. Last weekend (3rd - 4th April 2009), Terry Pearson was telling me how there were some worries about it becoming unmanageable in the Summer sessions and it may be necessary to limit numbers at sessions towards the end of the August evenings to prevent overcrowding.

However, I'm sure newcomers will always be made to feel welcome at this sociable music session and I'm really looking forward to the Summer sessions at the Sidmouth Sea Angling and Sailing Club during the Sidmouth folk festival in August .

Perhaps I'll see you there to play some great traditional tunes at the Sidmouth Sea Angling and Sailing Club in August but ... pssst ... don't tell too many people what a great session it is ... and be sure to come early to get a seat :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author and folk musician

French traditional English and Irish folk music sessions at l'Homme Vert, St Pierre Sur Orthe, Mayenne, Pays De La Loire, France

2009-03-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

If you like playing in traditional English and Irish folk music sessions and would like to do it in the traditional French countryside village setting of St Pierre Sur Orthe, Mayenne, Pays De La Loire, France, the French bar / English pub l'Homme Vert might just be the place for you to be Tuesday evenings.

Like many, I have occasionally wondered whether the French joie de vivre would be a great backdrop for a somnambulant retirement amongst leafy French glades but have been somewhat put off by the thought of being separated from my sources of traditional English and Irish pub folk music joining in sessions en Angleterre!

So, when I spotted l'Homme Vert bar / pub website, I immediately sent off an email to the proprietor asking for more information. Within less than the space of a few good traditional folk music session tunes, I had my reply and couldn't resist sharing it with all you globe trotting instrumental folk music session players out there.

Landlady Jen said:

St Pierre sur Orthe is a very pretty village ...The Tuesday night sessions would suit you, I think. It is nearly always instrumental, although, occasionally someone will burst into song if they know the words. Hearing Frenchmen sing to 'Leaving of Liverpool' or 'Whisky in the Jar' is a real treat!

I have played piano accordion for years, mainly Irish/Scottish/English folk, but also go off into Eastern European stuff. I have just bought me a diatonic accordion (melodeon) which I am determined to master... just can't get the hang of the push/pull bit yet.

One of our regulars has a Mongolian viola which adds hilarity to the sessions. We are not sure what he does with it or what he is playing but, somehow he manages to end on the same note as the rest of us.

If you or any of your friends fancy coming over, be sure of a very warm welcome. We have a gite next to our house which sleeps 4 in a large family room, and the house is only 20 metres from the bar!! (Which also has a great English pint on tap) ...

If you are about on 1st May we are having a 'Green Man' festival ... One of the finest examples is only 40Kms away at Le Mans Cathedral.

So, if you are passing St Pierre Sur Orthe, Mayenne, Pays De La Loire, France or are looking for a French gite to pass a musical week away from home, it may well be worth checking out Jen's warm welcome, traditional English and Irish folk music sessions and other musical events at l'Homme Vert.

Au revoir mes amis!

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author yearning for le joie de vivre under English leaden skies

Traditional English folk tunes rocked at Sidmouth Folk Festival February 2009 Radway Inn Reunion, Sidmouth, Dorset

2009-02-23T01:37:00.000-08:00

Traditional English folk tunes rocked at the Sidmouth Festival February 2009 Radway Inn Reunion, Dorset last weekend with the wide variety of instruments played proving traditional English folk music remains a truly vibrant musical art form.

However, there were also moments of sadness as some beautiful tunes were played in memory of Rosie Turner-Bisset, a stalwart of the Radway, who unexpectedly died on 31 Jan 2009.

As one traditional English tune led smoothly and expertly into another, there was the usual variety of melodeons, violins, recorders, concertinas and flutes normally found in an English folk session.

But the Radway has its own special way of evolving and building on tradition springing, I believe, from the talents and artistry of the many excellent folk musicians who come together there to play during the August Sidmouth Festival and then subsequently at the February Radway Reunion.

To hear and join in with the many varied and beautiful English tunes played last weekend at the Radway Reunion was a great pleasure but when the trombones, saxophone and cello were in full flow, it really made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck - a true 'Sidmouth moment'!

We played from about seven o'clock on Friday evening until closing time, Saturday lunchtime until closing time, Sunday morning for the Herbaceous Border Morris with a bit of busking at the bus stop near The Ham and had a fantastic time.

After two o'clock on Sunday, as the tunes were beginning to slow and many musicians were beginning to drift away, I noticed the late arrival of a couple of members of the Dartmoor Pixie Band who brought with them a young toddler who was playing with a small piece of paper on which I could see were printed some tunes. I remember him as a baby in his mother's arms last year at the Bampton Folk Festival and, already, he is a toddler.

Perhaps in years from now, that young man will take his place amongst the excellent musicians of the Radway Inn ensuring the tradition of playing English tunes at the Radway Inn remains not only vibrant but also one that continues to renew.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author and folk musician

Butcher's Arms Carhampton Wassailing 2009 a success despite bad weather

2009-01-26T13:48:00.000-08:00

The Wassail celebrations in Carhampton were going with a swing at the The Butcher's Arms when I finally got to this popular West Somerset pub on 17th January 2009, after a desperate dash from a gig I was playing with some other folkies earlier in the evening.

As a consequence of all this rushing about, I managed to forget my little digital camera to record some of the festivities.

Thanks, therefore, to expert and professional local photographer George Ody for stepping in and giving me permission to publish these Wassail photographs he took.

I had wondered whether the Wassail would take place because the weather was seriously rainy for the rest of the evening. However, at one point, apparently, the weather suddenly went calm for a few minutes allowing the Wassail ceremonies to take place.

Strange, you might say, but then the Wassailing tradition has continued for many years unbroken and perhaps that hasn't been by accident :-)

Wassail means 'good health' - it's an old tradition, designed to ensure the local apple trees would serve up a good harvest in the coming year. Guns are shot into the branches of the apple trees to scare away evil spirits and toast dipped in cider are placed about the tree while the Wassailing song is sung.

For me, it's a great opportunity to get together with all the local West Somerset and Exmoor folk musicians and play a few traditional folk tunes.

Perhaps I'll see you there next year - if the Wassail be willing :-)

By for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author, folk musician and avid wassailer

Transfer of Wheatsheaf, South Petherton English folk music pub session to The Bell Inn, Ash, Martock Somerset

2009-01-12T01:32:00.000-08:00

Martin Hughes has just emailed me to say that his excellent fortnightly English folk music pub sessions are no longer to be held at the Wheatsheaf in South Petherton, Somerset.

The new venue is to be at The Bell Inn in Ash, Martock, Somerset. As Martin says:

Hello Everyone,

Just a quick email to let you know that, despite the closure of the Wheatsheaf, we now have a new home at The Bell Inn in Ash. Sessions continue there fortnightly from Wednesday 21st January in the main bar (first bar you come to on entering the pub) starting at 8:30pm.

Please try to make it a good turnout so that we can give a good impression and demonstrate the versatility of our music and songs.

Also a big THANK YOU to Geoff Turnbull for successfully negotiating with the staff at The Bell to allow us to play.

See you on the 21st

The cost of using my camper-van has come down recently somewhat with the lower fuel prices so perhaps I'll be able to pay this nice session a visit.

As always, in case of last minute hitches or changes of plan, it is always advisable to check with venues before travelling.

The photo showing Martin above was taken during the Sidmouth Folk Week at one of the popular sessions he is involved in hosting at the Sidmouth Sailing and Sea Angling Club.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author

Mama Stone's, new live performance venue in Wellington, Somerset could easily become addictive

2008-12-19T03:19:00.000-08:00

Last night, 18th December 2008, Mama Stone's, the new live performance venue at Wellington, Somerset, rocked to the sound of some fine local bands as Mama Stone's new folk and roots evening 'Acoustic Roots' got under way - an evening of live music that is hoped to become a regular event on the second Thursday of each month.

One of the great things about the folk music scene is meeting people you haven't seen for long time and I was pleased to see Richard Wood, a fine fiddler, playing with Tony Woollard and Chas Jacob as the Iron Dukes, setting the evening off to a cracking pace with some great traditional tunes and a few songs.

Jamie of Under One Sun was there and I took the opportunity of catching up with the exciting work he is doing with the local Wiveliscombe radio project, 10Radio 105.3fm on www.10radio.org on Sundays 10am to Noon, repeated on Thursdays 6 to 8pm.

Another interesting aspect of the night was Mama Stone's itself and I have to confess that I suspect that one visit was not enough to do it justice.

I liked Mama Stone's and I liked it a lot. It is just the sort of place that I would like to have in my local town and I think, if it was, it could easily become very addictive. To me, it's the sort of place where one could go and chat, take a coffee or a beer and listen to some great live music with friends - or even make some great music. They also have recording studio facilities in the building and provide artist development courses so there's a lot of musical know-how on tap.

If a room full of folk music fans and performers were to be asked to describe their ideal folk club meeting place, I suspect they would describe a place like Mama Stone's. Its free and easy atmosphere, the low lighting and the colourful wall paintings that really give the venue its flavour.

So, if you like a good open mike folk music evening (any artists interested in playing are invited to call on 01984 656526) and if you live in Wellington, Taunton, Wiveliscombe or surrounding areas or even further afield, why not check out their gig guide and what's on at Mama Stones in Wellington, Somerset. The plan seems to be for a mixture of free nights and paid for events with bigger bands being booked as demand grows.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author and folk musician

Wellington, Somerset new folk and roots night 'Acoustic Roots' at Mama Stone's music venue

2008-12-18T00:19:00.000-08:00

I just heard from Jamie of Under One Sun that a new folk and roots night 'Acoustic Roots' is starting at the dedicated music venue Mama Stone's at 14-18 North Street Wellington TA21 8LT.

Details of dates in early 2009 will be out soon but on Thursday 18 December 2008 there's a chance to drop in and see the venue. Doors open at 8pm for an 8.30pm start with local artists The Iron Dukes, JW3, Kim McGavin and others.

Admission is free! Phone the venue on 01823 66 66 26 if you need directions or to confirm if you are travelling or incurring expense (there's a public car park in North Street about 50 yards away). Any artists interested in playing are welcome to give a call on 01984 656526.

Jamie also mentions that Folk, Roots & Branches goes out on 10Radio 105.3fm on www.10radio.org on Sundays 10am to Noon, repeated on Thursdays 6 to 8pm, and as far as he is aware that will include Christmas Day!

It's short notice but, if you are looking at gig guides, what's on or things to do this Thursday 18th December 2008, this new folk and roots night at Mama Stone's could be an interesting one to check out - and folk on Christmas Day sounds great!

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online writer and folk musician

Friendly Christmas Eve folk music session of English traditional tunes at South Petherton

2008-12-12T02:44:00.000-08:00

Update: Wheatsheaf session now closed see new English folk music session venue

Martin Hughes has kindly emailed me to say that there will be a folk music session at the Wheatsheaf Inn at South Petherton on Wednesday 24th December 2008 starting about 8.30 pm which, of course, is Christmas Eve.

The Wheatsheaf folk music session run by Martin Hughes and is one of my favourite sessions where all are made very welcome and the focus is mainly on playing English traditional music tunes.

Sadly, I have got out of the habit of the Wheatsheaf session because the cost of fuel has rocketed in recent months. However, now it has gone down again, perhaps I will again make the effort. It's over an hour's drive for me but the welcome that Martin's friendly English session has offered me in the past has always made the journey worth while.

Martin Hughes is a lead player in the Loose Knit Band which gives everybody such a friendly welcome at the Sidmouth Sailing and Sea Angling Club during the Sidmouth folk festival week. Next year's Sidmouth Festival dates, I see from the festival site, are 31 July - 7 August 2009 and I'm looking forward to it already.

Perhaps I'll see you there but, if you are going to travel or incur expense, always check with the venue to ensure there are no last minute changes of plans :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author

Christmas Folk Music Session at Milborne St Andrew Sports Club, Dorset on Friday 19th December 2008 at 8pm

2008-12-01T01:03:00.000-08:00

The date for the Ranters next folk club meeting over at Milborne St Andrew, Dorset is in following their successful meet-up last month and I am happy to pass it on for those in Dorset who like a good sing around and folk tune.

Roger Harrall says it all perfectly:

RANTER's FOLK SESSION

The Christmas Session will be held at Milborne St Andrew Sports Club

On Friday 19th December at 8pm. (3rd Friday)

There will be mulled wine, mince pies and Seasonal Songs & Music

so come along and play a tune, sing a song, tell a story, recite a poem or just sit

and enjoy the company.

For more details contact Roger on 01258 837371 or email rogers.rant (at) googlemail.com
(please remove the spaces and brackets and put in the @symbol.)

Regards

Roger

(The photo is of the band practice at Roger's Rant mini folk festival.)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author

Ranters Folk Session at Milborne St Andrew, Dorset

2008-11-18T00:14:00.000-08:00

I've just heard from Roger Harrall that their next Rant Folk Session will be at Milborne St Andrew Sports Club on Friday 21st November at 8pm. (3rd Friday)

Roger says

'Come along and play a tune, sing a song, tell a story, recite a poem or just sit and enjoy the company.'

Roger runs the Rogers Rant Mini Folk Festival at Milborne St Andrew, Dorset which featured a scratch dance band led by Martin Jardine in which musicians wanting to get dance band experience can participate. (Picture on right is of last festival folk dance).

For more details contact Roger on (01258) 837371 or email rogers.rant at googlemail.com (replace the spaces and the at with the appropriate symbol). (Conformation of event with Roger is recommended before travelling any distance or incurring any expense in case of event changes.)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author

Bampton Folk Festival 'After the Fair' with lots of old faces and some welcome new ones

2008-11-03T03:15:00.000-08:00

Well that's Bampton Folk Festival over for another year and I had a fantastic time playing mostly English traditional tunes for hours on end at the White Horse and Quarryman's Rest pubs. A big thanks to Clare Penney and all the other organisers on the festival committee for all their hard work.

It was great to see all the old faces but there were some new ones too, which is just as important. I was very pleased to get the opportunity of meeting Adrian who is a professional musician and puppeteer from Oxfordshire. He also has a blog about his music travels which is worth a visit.

A particularly nice feature of the Bampton Folk Festival is that there are visitors from so far afield including some great players from the Isle of Wight, Ireland and Brittany. The Bretons played on their bombardes with verve and energy and, as always, were very popular. Jason Rice showed enormous skill demonstrating step dancing on a table held firmly in place be several volunteers.

After a few weeks when I've hardly played my instruments, Bampton Folk Music Festival was a wonderful opportunity and I look forward to being back there again next year.

Were you there? What did you think? Comments welcomed below.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author and folk musician

Bampton Horse Fair and After the Fair Folk Festival 2008 gets off to a good start

2008-10-31T00:38:00.000-07:00

It's Bampton, Devon 2008 and suddenly all seems right with the world, despite the cold weather over Southern England and the seemingly even colder economic climate.

Yesterday's Bampton Horse Fair swung into action with huge crowds keeping the traders in their stalls busy in the town centre and jigs, reels and all sorts of folk music tunes once more echoing around the beams of the White Horse Inn.

Stripey, the street musician who seems to get absolutely everywhere (including I hear Poland) was playing in the street on his guitar and the air was full of the sound of old friends renewing acquaintances.

Sadly, the Swan pub was out of action with a For Sale sign outside and was very much missed by many folkies I spoke to yesterday.

Today on BBC radio there was an item about loneliness and people of retirement age. It was sad to hear about people who don't speak to others for weeks on end. Apparently 50% of women over 65 are living alone these days.

All of which makes me very grateful that I discovered the folk music community so many years ago.

We may all be getting a bit long in the tooth. We may fluff the odd note on our accordions and tin whistles. Our voices may quaver a little as we try to sing in a key we used to easily find. We may shiver a little more as we snuggle down at the end of a long day singing and playing tunes parked up by the side of a dusty road in our old and often rusty camper vans.

But - and it is a big but - the strength of the folk music community is absolutely enormous. The joy in people's faces as they meet again after travelling to Bampton from Ireland, Brittany or wherever they live is a pleasure to see and be part of.

So I say to all those lonely people out there wherever you are, check out your local folk music community. The best place by far to start is at a session in a local pub where ordinary people turn up to play a tune, sing a song or just listen.

Almost all pub sessions have a main organiser or somebody hosting the group. Naturally, some are more friendly than others but experiment a bit with different places and formats and you will find a place that is welcoming and is right for you. Soon you will be absorbed into the community too and be wondering why you left it so long. All for the price of a single fizzy or alcoholic drink - whatever you prefer - or even a few!

And, if you are reading this while Bampton Free Folk Festival After the Fair is still in action this weekend, why not pop along, join in and give it a try.

I look forward to seeing you there :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author and folk musician

Roger's Rant Folk Music Festival ceilidh fundraising folk dance

2008-10-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

I just heard from Roger Harrall that he is running a fundraiser ceilidh or folk dance for his excellent mini-festival, Roger's Rant at Milborne St Andrew, which I visited and enjoyed last year. The fundraiser is being run in association with The Sunray Folk Club.

One of the nice features of Roger's mini folk festival was his use of a scratch band at his festival ceilidh folk dance and Roger is again looking for musicians who would like to join the scratch band and play at the ceilidh under the eminent leadership of band workshop organiser Martin Jardine. The fundraiser band has been given the name 'Roger’s Rant Big Band'. (If you would like to play in the band ask Roger Harrall for details.) Caller for the ceilidh is Dave Milner.

The ceilidh is taking place on Saturday, 8th November 2008, 8.00 pm to 11.00 pm at Broadmayne Village Hall, Dorset. Tickets £7.00 (includes membership) or £6.00 (existing members).

Tickets from Roger Harrall. Email rogers dot rant at gmail dot com or phone (01258) 837371. (replace the dot and at with appropriate symbols).

Bye for now

Rob

Bampton Free Folk Festival 'After the fair' in Devon October 31st to November 2nd 2008 Anglo, Irish, Breton

2008-09-09T02:56:00.000-07:00

The Bampton Free Folk Festival 'After the fair' in Bampton, North Devon from October 31st to November 2nd 2008 is one of my favourite folk festivals with its unique flavour of Anglo, Irish and Breton.

I've just received a leaflet from the organisers Pennymoor Singaround on which the information in this article is based.

If you have been to the Bampton Free Folk Festival, you will only need to know the dates because you will know you will want to go again. If you haven't, I hope the information below helps. For any last minute changes see Bampton Free Folk Festival Web Site.

The Bampton Folk Festival is one of my favourite folk festivals because it is organised around pub sessions and it gathers so many interesting musicians, singers and dancers together in one place, including from Ireland and Brittany. The sessions are particularly welcoming and various singers and musicians will be leading them throughout the weekend to ensure everybody feels included. Roger and Jo Quigley (see photo) will be hosting the Saturday 12 noon session at the Bridge House Hotel, for example.

This year I see there are four pubs that will be hosting sessions from Friday 31st October to Sunday 2nd November 2008, The Bridge House Hotel, the White Horse, The Swan and The Quarrymans Rest.

For those of you who like a good concert (tickets five pounds to festival expenses), there will be one on Saturday afternoon in The Public Hall with Martyn Babb, Breezy Willow, Nicola Clarke, Patook, Trio Threlfall, Travellers Bag and 'the festival's Irish and Breton guests'.

Originally funded with a grant, Bampton Free Folk Festival continues to thrive on the immense goodwill it has generated over the years.

I look forward to seeing you there :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author

Swanage Folk Festival in Dorset was a pleasant day out despite the sogginess

2008-09-08T05:29:00.000-07:00

We decided to have a day out at Swanage Folk Festival in Dorset away from Hopcott Mansions in soggy Somerset although it involved traveling something like 97 miles (and back) with a weather forecast suggesting it would be soggy in Swanage too.

So, enclosed in Madame Hopcott's rather snazzy and waterproof Ford Focus Zetek, instead of my usual rather beat up and leaky old transit camper, we headed for the Purbeck Hills and Hardy country.

I don't recollect ever having been to Swanage before - which probably means that I haven't been there for at least a couple of weeks given my recent tendencies to senility - but I was pleased to find it a very pleasant place which had all the best and gentlest folkie vibes.

There were lots of Morris dance sides skipping up and down and the afternoon parade of dancers was spectacular including Exmoor Border Morris and some dancers from Bradford on Avon who gave me a nice wave and a number of friendly faces from the Weymouth and Portland area that I met during Wessex Folk Festival.

We dropped into the tented area which was a bit soggy underfoot but quite negotiable and chatted with Roger of Rogers Rant in the main performance tent. Roger runs a very nice small festival I visited recently (see photo below).

The music in the tent was free and Madame Hopcott, in particular, gave it the thumbs up (I almost fell into the mud in deep shock as Mm Hopcott normally hates folk music!)

Then onward to see if there was an English session at the Crows Nest, although to be fair the programme only advertised a session to be on in the evening. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything impromptu happening but we did enjoy the walk along the sea front.

So back to the high street we went in search of the White Horse hoping for an impromptu Irish session where we found violinist Fred whom I know from Christchurch Folk Club and various other folk festivals bravely entertaining the lunchtime pub drinkers and eaters with the help of a rather good banjo / mandolin player. So, after a cup of coffee during which I watched them manfully struggling on, I submitted to the urge and joined them.

As lunchtime moved into afternoon, quite a few musicians came and joined us, including a rather good squeezebox player and his daughter so it developed into quite a good session with appreciative support from the audience.

When 3.30pm arrived we had to make a dash for the car park because I'd only bought four hours although it still still cost me five pounds sterling! I sometimes wonder whether District Councils have any comprehension about how difficult it is to earn any money these days? A fiver for parking only four hours. We was robbed!

I liked Swanage Folk Festival - although it was a long drive home :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author and pub folk session enthusiast

Wadebridge Folk Festival sessions in Cornwall

2008-08-27T05:24:00.000-07:00

It had been a while since I popped down to Cornwall so I thought I'd nip down to the Wadebridge Folk Festival on a quick day-visit and play some traditional tunes in the local pub sessions.

My first impression on Saturday afternoon was that things were a little quiet. This was confirmed by a friendly old chap who was tap dancing on a wooden board at the Bridge on Wool who suggested it 'lacked the buzz' of previous years.

However, when I turned up at the Bridge on Wool, it was quite packed with an appreciative audience.

Wadebridge is a pleasant place to wander around, even on a day that was rather grey, and I did spot one Morris side dancing next to the pizza take-away doing a great job. I wonder where the others were?

I popped across the bridge and checked out The Ship Inn late in the afternoon where some acoustic guitar players and singers were performing with an unaccompanied singer. There I bumped into that great singer Nicola Clark who I last saw at Crediton Folk Festival. She transfixed me with one of her great smiles and said hello, which was nice.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author

Relocated English Music Session second and fourth Mondays of each month previously at The Beehive Pub, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire

2008-08-12T04:56:00.000-07:00

Sadly, I've just heard from Chris Timson to say that the folk music session at the Beehive pub in Trowbridge Road has had to be discontinued due to the closure of the pub.

I can think of no better way to report this news than to quote Chris:

Well it's a classic case of good news bad news ...

The English music session in Bradford on Avon convened in what we hoped would be its new home, the Beehive, 2 weeks ago, only to be told by the landlord that he was being forced into bankrupcy... That's a shame for the session but a body blow for Mark and his wife, who had worked hard to keep that pub as the best in Bradford.

That fine pub is now closed. We don't know its future or if it will even remain a pub.

The upside of the poor trading conditions for pubs is that it seems to be much easier than it used to be to find landlords who appreciate the value of a bunch of musicians turning up every 2 weeks or so, drinking beer and wine and extortionately priced soft drinks and otherwise not making nuisances of themselves. So finding a new home was pretty straightforward.

From Monday October 13th the session will be at the Barge Inn, 17 Frome Rd, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, BA15 2EA. It will be following its usual 2nd and 4th Mondays cycle thereafter.

My original post follows:

Yesterday, I wrote here about an excellent folk music session at the Sidmouth Sailing Club during Sidmouth folk week.

Today, Chris Timson, who is closely involved in that other Sidmouth English folk music session phenomenon at Sidmouth's Radway Inn, has sent me details of a relocated Bradford on Avon English music session which will be held at The Beehive second and fourth Mondays of each month from September 2008.

I have to say that the pub Chris and his friends have chosen looks a real cracker. It has real ale, a big car park (narrow entrance) and is located close to the Kennet & Avon Canal and Bradford-on-Avon Marina.

Mark and Bel, the landlords, sound really nice too and very folk-friendly, based on information I have taken from their web site:

Inside we have an inviting real wood burning fire place; a welcome sight on those cold, wet and windy winter afternoons! The Beehive is a traditional real ale pub with no piped music, football, juke boxes or gaming machines to interfere with your meal, drinking or conversation. Outside we have one of Bradford-on-Avon's best kept secrets - a huge beer garden which includes a boules, (or petanque), pitch and even a children's play area.

It sounds like bliss and I shall be aiming to get up in my camper van to sample the session's English music and the pub's traditional beers as soon as I can. (I wonder if the camper van will fit through the narrow entrance to their car park?)

Finding pub venues that are happy to host folk musicians can be a difficult task but the guys and gals of Bradford and Avon seem to have found a corker here.

The English folk music should be good too with Chris Timson involved.

So, if you are in the vicinity of Bradford on Avon on one of their session evenings, I hope to see you there for some great traditional English tunes :-)

From Chris Timson's email to me, the English Music Session is 8.30 pm, on the following dates in 2008

Sep 8th Sep 22nd
Oct 13th Oct 27th
Nov 10th Nov 24th
Dec 8th Dec 22nd

or second and fourth Mondays of each month. All musicians welcome.

The photo shown above was taken at the last Sidmouth Radway reunion weekend and shows Sidmouth seafront in the early morning before most people have got up, when everything is so wonderfully atmospheric.

Remember, before travelling, to avoid disappointment, confirm details with venue, in case of changes.

Especially in these credit crunch times, sadly no pub can be guaranteed to stay open in perpetuity as the above closure amply demonstrates.

Bye for now

Rob Hopcott
(Online author and folk music session groupie)

Sidmouth folk festival 2008 success story I hardly dare to tell

2008-08-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

Well, Sidmouth folk festival 2008 is over today and, as I look back over the week, there is a success story I hardly dare to tell.

Sidmouth folk festival is many things to many people; for me, it is the instrumental sessions that make it special. There are the Irish and English tunes at the Bedford Hotel, English tunes at the Radway Inn and Irish tunes at the Anchor and many more elsewhere.

But, for me and for a growing number of other people, the sessions at the Sidmouth Sailing Club have come to hold a very special place in our hearts. Somebody said to me that the Sailing Club Sessions are like a cuddly woolly blanket that just wraps around everybody and makes them feel welcome. I couldn't agree more and obviously many others feel that way because the numbers of devotees to the Sailing Club sessions just keep growing.

On one evening this week at the Sailing Club, I looked to the left of me and saw musicians in ranks, shoulder to shoulder, for twenty paces and then looked to the right to see musicians, in ranks, for a further twenty paces. In front of me there were further rows of them too. The photos in this post tell some of the story but cannot replicate the enormous feeling of being with so many friendly, happy and kindred spirits.

One person estimated there were at least 200 musicians, all somehow playing in time ... It was wonderful!

To discover why this particular session has become so popular one has to look to the people who are running it who are called the Loose Knit Band. Quite simply, they have a policy of meeting and welcoming everybody who comes to their sessions at the Sailing Club. People love it. It's like a big family and people just keep coming back and, whats more, they tell their friends so it is easy to see why growth of this popular session has been so explosive.

To find out more about the Loose Knit Band, I recommend you visit their web site run by Martin Hughes, himself a leading member. It's an interesting story and one rooted in the true ethics and ethos of the folk movement.

Backing up the Loose Knit Band, Martin Hughes tells me

"are the members of Sidmouth Sea Angling and Sailing Club who do all the hard work behind the scenes and who are responsible for making us welcome at the Sidmouth Sailing and Sea Angling Club. Without them it just wouldn't happen."

Finally, I did speak to Octogenarian Terry Pearson before writing this article and asked him if it was advisable to give this excellent session more publicity when it was already bulging at the seams.

In true Loose Knit Band style, Terry waved his hand in dismissal, laughed and said 'The more the merrier!'

The Loose Knit Band, is very much as their name suggests, but with the help of Martin Hughes, I finally managed to track the names down of those present at Sidmouth 2008. They were Jacqui Chiplin (Shetland Isles), Will Chiplin (Shetland Isles), Bob Ellis (Cumbria), Bill Francis (Kent), Martin Hughes (Somerset), Chris Malkin (Cumbria), Gordon Newton (Kent), Terry Pearson (Kent) and Geoff Maskell (Cumbria).

What a fine job they all did :-)

So pssst - there's a great session on during the evenings of the Sidmouth folk music week where you will be made really welcome by a group of talented musicians. Yes, it's a lot of squeeze boxes in one big room plus a few other instruments. Yes, it might feel more like a squeeze box orchestra and the sound may hurt your ears. But there is no other place in Sidmouth, in my opinion, where you will get a better welcome or to the same extent be made to feel you are part of a wonderful family and for me that counts for more than I can possibly describe.

But, if you want to get in next year... Psssst ... Just ... Don't ... Tell ... anybody :-)

Bye for now

Rob
(Rob Hopcott - online author and folk musician)