http://folk.hopcott.net Folk stories, articles, fiction and opinion from Rob Hopcott Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:59:20 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en 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 ... http://folk.hopcott.net/2008/04/wessex-folk-festival-song-writing-competition-with-a-nautical-theme/ I'm sitting in a brown panelled room enjoying a monthly Sunday evening folk music sing around somewhere in the West Country UK. 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 ... http://folk.hopcott.net/2007/12/guess-where-i-am/ On the 17th January 2007, there will be a traditional wassailing folk music playing session at Butchers Arms, Carhampton, West Somerset with cider soaked toast (but that's for the apple trees), shooting (that's at the apple trees) and singing the Wassailing song. See you there or more info (with podcast) from ... http://folk.hopcott.net/2007/01/apple-tree-to-be-shot-in-west-somerset-at-the-butchers-arms-wassailing/ I always very much enjoy playing music for the elderly at rest homes or nursing homes so when I got the invitation from a local West Country folk musician friend, whose mother had just moved into the Dunster Lodge Residential Home, Minehead, to play some music to welcome in the ... http://folk.hopcott.net/2007/01/new-year-folk-music-entertainment-for-elderly-residents-at-dunster-lodge-residential-home-in-minehead-west-country-great-britain/ It's wonderful the different folk you meet at traditional folk music sessions. 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 ... http://folk.hopcott.net/2007/01/bluegrass-english-and-irish-folk-and-sugan-traditional-celtic-furniture-on-new-years-eve/ Christmas really got under way with a crash and a bang when I attended to play some Christmas and traditional folk tunes at Minehead day care centre. 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 ... http://folk.hopcott.net/2006/12/christmas-really-got-under-way-with-a-crash-and-a-bang/ Desperate for a bit of traditional folk music playing, yesterday (Sunday), I visited The Dolphin in the Barbican at Plymouth, UK. I really had a great time. For 1st Sunday of the month afternoon pub entertainment in a down to earth traditional water front inn, it's a place I will definitely ... http://folk.hopcott.net/2006/12/traditional-folk-music-session-at-the-dolphin-pub-barbican-plymouth-uk/ There is a new folk music short story by Rob Hopcott with a strong romantic theme. Folk music clubs can often not be the most romantic of places. Very often the musicians play their music and the audience .... talks amongst themselves, often quite loudly. This new short story by Rob Hopcott, ... http://folk.hopcott.net/2006/11/new-folk-music-short-story-by-rob-hopcott/ Last night I was at the folk music jam session at the Coach and Horses, Appledore, North Devon, UK and had a great night out. Looking around for a great country and folk music acoustic singer venue, the Coach and Horses night life at Appledore which is near Bideford, Torrington, Barnstaple, ... http://folk.hopcott.net/2006/11/wednesday-pub-session-at-coach-and-horses-appledore-north-devon-uk/ Welcome to my folk blog :-) Here I will post stories, articles, fiction and opinion about my folk music interests. As an active on-line author, I often use folk music venues as the background to my short fiction stories and online novels / novellas. When I travel to different folk music festivals or ... http://folk.hopcott.net/2006/10/welcome-to-my-folk-blog/