Folklife Quarterly FQ 40: Jan 2014 Folklife Quarterly, web version | Page 25

v FQ 40,

Jan 2014 p23

v Clubs & Venues, England Ü West Country Ü West Midlands Ü Other Areas

Our main area is England West Country & West Midlands … below, news from some other English areas.
here are nearby areas that some readers regularly visit, such as Oxfordshire and Leicestershire.
• Also, others, not nearby, eg Norfolk; but readers from our area go on holiday, & like to know where to go for folk
events! (see also our Venue listings), so if you welcome visitors, it might be worth joining. 200 words per club ...
We welcome enthusiasm — from anywhere!

England Ü OTHER AREAS

,

OXFORDSHIRE

by our Correspondents

Derek and Mary Droscher

Derek and Mary are involved in
Banbury Folk Festival, Banbury Song & Ale, and Banbury Folk Club
Drive Cold Winter Away .... Make merry in Oxfordshire!

FQ is now available at Banbury Folk Club.

Festival News…..
The year comes round so fast … it seems no time at all since writing
this piece after last year’s ® Banbury Folk Festival!
We felt this year’s festival went very smoothly and have had very
positive feedback about the quality of the music and the variety of acts.
High-spots were the Vocal and Vibrant Concert at the Town Hall on
Friday with Kimber’s Men, The Young’Uns and Lynne Heraud & Pat
Turner, plus some great concerts in the Mill Theatre. On Saturday,
everyone was blown away by The Hut People, plus headliners
Jamie Smith’s Mabon ® delighted everyone by jamming in the bar
beforehand; On Friday we rocked with Meet on the Ledge and the
weekend finished with the dynamic Colvin Quarmby.
Granny’s Attic, who featured in our Emerging Young Performers
Concert, have been nominated for the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards
2014 and we wish them every success. The Town Hall on Saturday held
the Humour Notes Concert with the Bolton Bullfrog, Bernard Wrigley
and his amazing bass concertina, the Spoons Orchestra led by Patti
Smith and the hilarious London Philharmonic Skiffle Orchestra. The
Town Hall Concert on Sunday brought back the acclaimed duo Mike
Silver and Johnny Coppin. A popular Musical Saw Workshop was led
by international Musical Saw Player Charles Hindmarsh.
We like to showcase local performers at Banbury and this year saw
the launch of Gawkey’s new album. Other local artists included The
Linda Watkins Band, Scarecrow, Pete Watkins, Pete Joshua, Kevin
O’ Regan and Kevin Ward. Another local event was the ‘Banburyshire
Tea Party’ hosted by storyteller Jules Procter.
There were some great song and music sessions, folk club and
acoustic café sessions, so plenty of opportunity to participate. The
campsite at Drayton Leisure Golf Centre was packed and the clubhouse was the venue for some great sessions. We were honoured
to have the festival opened by the Town Mayor of Banbury and his
entourage, more familiar to Banbury festival-goers as Nicholas Turner,
our host at the Golf Centre!

Drayton Leisure Golf Centre will again be the venue for our popular
® Song & Ale weekend from 4-6 April. The fundraiser weekend starts
at 7pm on Friday and runs until 5pm on Sunday. The weekend is in
sing-around format dispersed with surprise guests and fun & games.
Camping is available with facilities. A booking form is available via the
Festival website. www.banburyfolkfestival.co.uk
Oxford Folk Weekend is on the weekend of 25th -27th April. The lineup includes Lester Simpson, and duo Paul and Liz Davenport. Patron
Jackie Oates supports Chris Sarjeant in a rare solo performance
- definitely one to watch out for - and Sunday headliners are the
stunning O’Hooley and Tidow. Ceilidhs with Blackbeard’s Tea Party,
The Gloworms and Police Dog Hogan. Plus some of Oxfordshire’s
own best talent in the form of Young Folk Award winner Megan
Henwood, and the ever-popular Telling the Bees. Details from www.
folkweekendoxford.co.uk
Around the clubs …..
® Banbury Folk Club will be changing venues in 2014, so will be
taking a break at the beginning of January. Details of the new venue
and forthcoming events will be published on our website www.
banburyfolkclub.co.uk in the New Year.

However, one event firmly in the calendar is our Burn’s Supper on
Wednesday 22nd January at 8pm. This evening will be in true Scottish
style with a Haggis, Tatties and Neeps Supper; the songs and poems
of Robert Burns being ably performed by the duo Selkie (Hector
Gilchrist and Liz Thomson) and Hector will deliver the address to
the Haggis. This will be piped in by Pipe Major Steven Duffy who
will also play for members of the Acushla Highland Dancers to
demonstrate traditional Scottish dances. We will be holding this at
Drayton Leisure Golf Centre.
News of a new Folk Club in Oxfordshire! The Wychwood Folk
Club will be held at The Swan in Ascott-under-Wychwood on the
first and third Saturday in the month, starting from February, with
occasional larger concerts at Tiddy Hall in the same village. As well as
local artists, forthcoming events feature Peter Knight’s Gigspanner
and Richard Digance. Details on www.wychwoodfolkclub.com
Chipping Norton Folk Club meets in the Blue Boar, on the second
Monday of every month at 8 pm. They have alternate theme and
‘anything goes’ nights, and the occasional professional guest concert.
13th January is “Follow that song!” and on 10th February, “This song
means a lot to me because …” On 10th March, they will be supporting
performers at the Folk Class of the Chipping Norton Music Festival,
“promoting confidence through performance”. If you would like to get
a few words of advice from John Kirkpatrick, why not enter? Further
details www.cnmf.org.uk.  Club website www.chippingnortonfolk.org.
uk  
Oxford Folk Club meets every Friday upstairs in the White House,
formerly the F