Well today is Monday and I have had a fantastic weekend with a quick dash visit to Baring Gould Festival 2009 in Okehampton, Devon on Saturday, where I joined in a fantastic mainly traditional English folk music tunes session, and then the wonderful ambience of Hunters Inn, set in Exmoor’s beautiful Heddon Valley with its always friendly and welcoming proprietor David Orton.

Just a few days now before the free Bampton Folk Festival “After the Fair” which takes place October 30th to November 1st 2009. This folk festival is strongly based on traditional folk music sessions with as many as four folk music sessions going on at any one time from Friday evening right the way through to the survivors session on Sunday evening. In the past, it has featured visitors from as far away as France, with its Breton performers, and great singers and performers from Ireland and elsewhere in the UK.

If you like playing folk music, folk dancing, camping and being with a great bunch of people with similar interests, Folk Camps are well worth checking out.

This event takes place in and around the Beckford Village Hall Friday 5th – Sunday 7th June 2009. Booking is through the Folk Camps Society and definitely must be done in advance.

According to Pete, who is a very well known musician around the folk festivals and also, with his wife Nicole, has a popular and well established dance band called Redwing:

Bring your own tent or caravan and self cater. Music sessions, workshops and Saturday evening dance with the opportunity to dance or play in the band. Bring your copy of ‘Band Swing’ if you have it. Workshops will use Pete’s new publication ‘Band Time’ – call Pete on 01395 266553.

He also adds:

There are attractive villages to see nearby. Bredon Hill has great views and Tewkesbury, Eversham, Cheltenham and Winchcombe are all within range.

Weekend price for adults £32, less for young people.

I had a great time at the musician’s folk camp I attended and felt there was a genuine effort by the organisers to cater for musicians of different ability and the Saturday evening folk dance was a lot of fun.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott – online writer and folk musician

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Folk Camps are for people who like getting together to dance, sing and play folk music in a family friendly, community and camping environment.

If you like folk music, folk dance and folk songs, you might just love Folk Camps which is a registered charity and exists to bring people who like making their own entertainment playing folk music, folk singing or folk dancing together in beautiful and relaxed community camping locations.

I first heard about Folk Camps from Nicole and Pete Mac when I was visiting a folk festival on Exmoor. Subsequently I attended a musicians camp at Beckford and was very impressed by the ethos of this essentially voluntary organisation.

One of the really great things about Folk Camps is that it enables people who enjoy folk music activities to do them in a family friendly environment. This contrasts with the usual pub folk music sessions and pub folk club sing-a-rounds which parents might feel are places that are inappropriate to take their children.

The Folk Camps Society has been quietly organising folk activity holidays now for over 40 years. The staff all give their time for free and campers help to organise workshops, daytime events and entertainment each evening.

I enjoyed my weekend folk camping and reckon, especially for families, it could be a great way to help the up and coming generations develop an interest in playing folk music, singing folk songs and dancing folk dances which could provide them with pleasure for the rest of their lives.

For more information about this excellent organisation, visit their Folk Camps website.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott – online writer and folk musician

Folk musicians and carol singers at Dunster by Candlelight, West Somerset

lk musicians and carol singers were playing and singing Christmas tunes and carols at Dunster by Candlelight which takes place the first Friday and Saturday in December each year and is a marvellous Christmas event and opportunity to late night shop.

Unfortunately, because I was with my family, I didn’t have my instruments with me, otherwise I would have joined in.

However, it was nice to be with all the other people just wandering around in the Dunster High Street, soaking up the Olde Worlde atmosphere in this old fashioned village with all its quaint shops and houses.

Stilt walkers at Dunster by Candlelight, West Somerset

There were stilt walkers, the West Somerset Morris men, wood sculpting demonstrations, chestnut vendors and many street entertainments to enjoy.

I went for a drink at the Stags Head Inn, West Street, Dunster where there was a lovely open fire burning logs and got chatting to a couple who had been coming to Dunster by Candlelight for years and who had now moved down into West Somerset because they liked the area so much.

West Somerset Morris men at Dunster by Candlelight in West Somerset

Perhaps next year I’ll take my flute along and join in.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott – online author and blogger

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Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy has been confirmed as the official venue for the Olympic Sailing events in 2012.

To mark the part that Weymouth & Portland are going to play in hosting the sailing events, Wessex Folk Festival are running a song writing contest. Songs must have a maritime theme (however tenuous!)

There is a £100 cash prize ……… Entry deadline 10 May 2008

Rules and information for the song writing competition.

Even if you don’t fancy writing a song but are able to get to Weymouth 6th – 8th June 2008, there is lots going on at this UK West Country folk festival … Well worth checking out.

Bye for now

Rob

There is a secret door in the corner of the wood panelling to the library which contains a fascinating multimedia collection of folklore, customs, traditional music, dance and song from around the world.

On the other side of the room is a door leading to the huge entrance hall where, in winter months, a great wood fire rages and warms the core of the building.

Find out where I am after some more tantalising clues.

Bye for now

Rob

(Rob Hopcott – online author – fiction – news)

See you there or more info (with podcast) from Wassailing in West Somerset

We played lots of tunes and sung a few songs to an appreciative audience. Read all about it at Dunster Lodge Residential Home in Minehead, Somerset, UK

On New Year’s Eve, I decided to visit the Pennymoor Singaround and play some traditional English and Irish folk music with some old friends which was great but I also discovered a local Bluegrass Music session and a fascinating local Somerset / Celtic craftsman who specialises in making traditional Sugan furniture.

Read all about it at traditional Sugan Celtic furniture, folk music and a happy new year.

Bye for now and a Happy New Year
Rob

Fantastic tunes with my old musician friends in an environment where so much is achieved.

Read about Christmas really got under way with a crash and a bang.