FolkEast 2018 - Happy Anniversary to us!

Evening

Though we've been back from FolkEast for over a week now, this is the first time I've had  chance to sit down and blog!! This not working for 6 weeks is great but I am filling my time up fast!!

Anyhow back to the festival - now in its 7th year - the 6th on the Glemham Hall estate, this festival is probably our favourite for many reasons. S spent 5 days before the festival crewing and helping to build the site. It meant long days for him but it sounded great fun - where else can you drive around in a golf buggy with a giant rubber duck strapped to the roof?

By the time I went over with him on the Thursday morning the site was pretty much ready - a few last minute jobs needed doing - and once our camp was built, I went out in the torrential rain to help him.

We've camped in many things over the years - a borrowed tent, our late but much loved caravan and now this year we have a new toy - our bell tent - all 4m of brightly coloured canvas. We love it - it easy to pitch up, plenty of space for the 2 of us and oh so much more cozy than the nylon tents we've both camped in before.

Plenty of room for the two of us and all our stuff - we don't travel light these days!!

Our little camp - I love cooking outside - even if its just a simple breakfast of bacon butties and proper coffee.

This year the festival has added entertainment on the Thursday for those of us who were camping the whole weekend - a ceilidh with an amazing band called Stumpy Oak (who did our wedding ceilidh last year) and also music in the Moot Hall tent compared and collated by Mat Bayfield who is a bit of a local folkie legend in his own life time. Very proud to call him a friend - he is a man who has over come some pretty tough hurdles in his own life and is so full of positive energy & love.

Mat is the one next to the double bass on the right hand side. His gig was well attended and hopefully this means the festival will repeat both this and a ceilidh as a Thursday night offering every year.

The Friday morning dawned bright and sunny. Our first wedding anniversary - that year has whizzed by. We made coffee and exchanged pressies and opened cards. S had put together an album of photos from our first married year - he'd listened when I said I regret not printing photos out anymore instead they just get stored online or shared in Facebook albums. He'd been very sneaky and raided my google photos and printed out some for each of the past 12 months. Leaving me space to keep adding each month in the future.

I'd asked one of my talented sisters to paint one of our wedding photos for him;

For the first time we weren't dancing at the festival - we've hung up our sticks and boots for the year as we've needed to concentrate on other stuff this year - we might go back when the new practise season starts in the autumn. This meant we had time to explore the festival and all that it offers - many workshops, stalls, an amazing art arcade with many, many talented crafts men and women, 5 bars - from a tiny pub with one ale to a full sized one with a big range of beers & ciders all for just £3 a pint. This is as well as a full music line-up and several dance workshops and ceilidhs each day. Oh and a knitting/crochet tent run by the talented Social Knitworks ladies.

Two of my sisters had created big pieces for this tent - one a knitted deckchair;

and another a traditional seaside peep board (the knitworks tent had a seaside theme this year);

The Friday night headliners were Oysterband a favourite of S's who he introduced me to when we first met - in fact one of our first dates was to one of their gigs. They were as ever amazing and we bopped and sung along with a group of friends.

After they'd finished we went over to another venue to see the festival patrons The Young'uns - great fun and perfect harmonies. These 'lads' use real stories to create wonderful songs which are easy to sing along too.

Afterwards we called into the ImaGINe Gin Bar for anniversary cocktails!!

I love this picture that a friend took of us earlier in the day - its us to a tee!

Two happy hippies in their favourite field!!

Saturday was another sunny morning - more bacon & coffee required. We knew we were in for a busy day - my littlest sister, her husband and two little boys were coming for the day. We met them in the children's area - we nearly didn't leave!! It had so many fun things and the two boys and their Uncle were having lots of fun!!

Only the promise of dancing and food persuaded the boys away!!

A lunchtime family ceilidh with Stumpy Oak was the attraction - the tent was packed with adults and small children - our older nephew was in his element - dancing with me, S, our niece who was also there, his mum and S's Mum too!!

We went our separate ways for a while - the boys wanted pizza and we wanted to watch a pottery throw down - the 3 contestants, John (one of the festival organisers), John Spiers (melodeon player - exBellowhead) and a Viking!!

It was great fun - especially as the Viking is part of a trio of street entertainers who appear randomly at the festival all weekend - they have a love of Abba and The Bee Gees!!

Time afterwards for some silly jumping on Uncle S games followed by more time in the children's area!

We spent the Saturday evening in the woods - listening to smaller bands. The area is powered by a solar double decker bus and it is gorgeous. Lots of emphasis on eco friendly and recycling. In fact the whole festival encourages this too. This sculpture of the festival totem animal - A Jackalope - was created from plastic bottles - it highlighted just how much plastic families use that just gets thrown away.

The woods area was just gorgeous at night - lots of fairy and laser lights which people old and younger were just entranced by;

Sunday seemed to pass so quickly, we spent time in the Art Arcade and bought some lovely things for us and the house. All handmade and very much one off creations. I love my new dress upcycled from a vintage tablecloth!!

All too soon it was bedtime again - the weekend was almost over :(

Time for one last campsite breakfast before tidying up and packing the car;

That coffee pot and mugs have got about a bit this summer - they are packed again for another adventure later this week!!

Car packed, it was time to say goodbye to FolkEast for another 12 months. By now even our flattened patch of grass will have cattle grazing on it again and the whole site packed away as if nothing had happened.

FolkEast is certainly a festival I would recommend to everyone - its relatively small, a friendly crowd of people, with things for everyone to enjoy. The food stalls are good and prices reasonable and of course who can say no to beer at £3 a pint. Early bird tickets for 2019 are already on sale and selling well.

We shall be there either as punters or dancers but we will be there. Celebrating the weird and wonderful in a field in EastFolk!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

One year of utter craziness & happiness

Hi :)

If I have done this right, this post should appear on Friday 17th August 2018 - one year after I married the most amazing man. We will be back in a field at the festival which we had most of our wedding at - we married in the gardens of the Hall next door.

I met S only a few months after I'd split with my ex. We hit it off straight away and and he soon was my morris dancing partner of choice. He was silly and made me smile. For many months we were just friends though the others in the side were already thinking it might be more.

It nearly wasn't - a proper date was arrange for the autumn - on a cold and wet Saturday - and we'd planned to head to Southwold!! Both of us were under the weather - he'd hurt his back and I was coming down with a chest infection!! Anyhow it wasn't a complete disaster and we still kept messaging. Another more successful few dates happened and it seemed to work. 

Fast forward to June 2016 and at the Medieval Fayre in Colchester Castle Park, S suggested a walk by the river and then handed me over a parcel. Inside was a box he'd decorated and inside that was a proposal and ring! I didn't see it easily as my eyes had clouded up with tears of joy.

Once I'd calmed down and said yes - we called both boys. Both were thrilled and very happy for us.

Fast forward through a year of planning and it was our wedding day. In the rose garden at Glemham Hall with a ceilidh reception on the FolkEast festival site. You really didn't think we'd be in traditional stuff did you ??



After all the nerves it was a perfect day - I was walked down the aisle by both boys and they handed me over to S with the words - 'she's all yours'!!

Here's us with the giants;


and then midway through the ceilidh - the giants changed completely - I'd just swapped my glittery shoes for my flowery Doc Marten boots!!



The boys camped the whole weekend - we had our own section of the field which was saved for family and friends. It meant everyone cooked for the boys - they never turn a meal down!!

I just need to show you one more thing - this hanging was made by friends & family and put together by a dear friend who co-ordinated the whole thing - its amazingly  gorgeous and we shall treasure it forever. It was the first thing that got put up when we moved to our little house;



Anyhow if this works - by the time you read this it will be midway through our anniversary day.

Both of us have been sneaking about sorting pressies and the festival have booked us a special treat - our fave band are headlining the main stage that night. So we shall be down the front - singing and dancing. Pretty sure there will be plenty of pictures of that weekend to follow too!!

See you soon - thanks for reading

xxx Vicki xxx

I've not really vanished!

Good morning

As the title I've not really vanished completely - however life is rather busy and my pc which is my main blogging space is rather creaky and temperamental. Sometime soon it will get sorted - a newer tower is sitting here waiting to be swapped with my current old tired one - its just a matter of copying all the important stuff across - and it takes time and there's not been much spare!

I just looked and its 3 months since my last post - so much has happened and so many photos taken of places visited, days out, days at home and family life in general. Here's 3 mosaic pictures which condense it rather a lot;

 August - a long weekend in Wales - mainly to take the boys to the Doctor Who Experience - very much loved by us all, 2 wonderful festivals - Folk East and Shrewsbury Folk Festival - dancing at one and just paying punters at the other.

 September - so much foraging and jam making happened - enough to last us through to next year. Little Son started 6th form having passed his GCSE's with flying colours. Big Son also passed his A levels and we said a tearful goodbye mid September as he started his new undergraduate life at Uni.

October - Little Son passed his CBT test and bought his first moped - meaning he can get to work easier and not rely on lifts and public transport. As the days shorten its been time for fairy lights and candles and also the dreaded raking of the leaves in the garden. S & I had a short holiday in Dorset - we spent one day on the steam trains which run down to Swanage. Hard to believe that on Halloween, we sat on the beach in t-shirts, eating icecream and watching little witches paddling in the sea!!

We had a busy start to November - last weekend we made the trip north to visit Big Son - oh what a happy Mummy I was - first cuddle from my giant boy in 6 weeks :) and the best bit - its only 4 weeks till we head up there again to collect him for Christmas!!

Where has 2014 gone?

I can't make any promises about regular blogging - I do miss it and the reading of everyone elses - but I will try to by a less slack blogger!!

xxx Vicki xxx

Marching, Morris and A Lion!

Good evening

This posts title sums up my weekend rather well!

Firstly marching - our little town commemorated its involvement in WW1 this weekend. The main employer at the time of the war was the Garretts factory which amongst other things made steam engines. They were also the sponsors of the town band - the company headed the donors for the first set of instruments - these were purchased in 1886 and the band mastered these in time for the celebrations of Queen Victoria's Jubilee later that year. 

Anyhow I've wandered off already. The band were at the time all Garretts employees and when war broke out many signed up to fight for King and country. They marched up to the station in the town and caught their train - many never to return. Their instruments were taken back to the band room on a horse and cart.

This weekend their march was remembered by many groups in the town and headed by the town band - now a British Legion Band.

Little son has played in this band for about 6 years now with his Dad and this weekend, he was marching just behind him - now only a few inches shorter than him!

In recent years when we've had events in town one of the biggest problems has been stopping traffic from coming face to face with a marching band. It seems no longer a job for special constables or community support officers and its often left to the parade to sort something out. Its seems for this one the perfect solution was found - British Legion motorcycle outriders who soon stopped traffic.

 

It is always a lovely sight and sound to hear the band marching through the town and this weekend there was a wonderful turn out of townsfolk and visitors to watch and listen;

They made their way on a long route on a hot muggy day - through the town - up the hill to the old station where some of the band left the parade and put their instruments on a horse and cart as happened a century ago. Little son was one of these and when I realised he'd have been the right age to sign up and go to war, it might have made my eyes leak a little bit.

Afterwards marching to only the beat of the drum the parade made its way to the school field for an afternoon of music and community events. Sadly I'd already agreed to be at another event in the next town so had to miss this.

Yep - we were dancing again - a very hot afternoon to be dressed up in our finery and face paint. Luckily not to long a dance spot and we were sharing it with another side. They did an audience participation dance and several of our dancers joined them;

Yesterday was another hot one - so all sensible people headed to the coast - many of them visiting Little Son now nicknamed Ice-Cream boy due to his holiday job at a lovely ice-cream parlour in Aldeburgh!

However I am not sensible and certainly S isn't. We were inland at an event in his home town and he was dressed as the mascot for the sport centre he works for! Yep temperatures hitting the high 20's and he's dressed as a lion!

 My role? Make sure he didn't stand on any small children or fall over any picnics. Also stop tweenagers trying to knock his head off - good job I've perfect that 'don't you dare look' over the years!!

Right - that's all for today. Time for a wander and to see what others got up to at the weekend.

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Festival fun - in the mud!!

Good morning

It was festival time at the weekend - Ely Folk Festival - not as dancers but as paying public!  We were lucky and sent our tent ahead with friends who were arriving early in the afternoon - they secured us a good spot which was easy to find late at night after a pint or several ;)

All tents need bunting and windmills don't they! And purple fairy lights inside too - and a later addition of a colourful flag as well! We've quickly adapted to camping together and can get everything set up quickly so the beer can be opened and the fun times begin.

I'd never been to Ely FF before but friends and S had and they were right - it was lovely. Quite a small festival - very friendly. There are shuttle buses running all day and evening into town and back. We headed out on the Saturday to watch the Morris parade and dancing;

 The end of the parade - dancers gathered beside Ely Cathedral.

 Love the rainbow outfits of this side - Gog Magog - they always make me smile.

 Green Dragon - lots of friends of ours in this side.

 One of my favourite border sides - Witchmen - they are brilliant and it was lovely to be able to watch several of their dances without having to rush off and dance ourselves.

Thai street food for lunch whilst watching this lot dance in brilliant sunshine - blissful.

Sunday morning the Witchmen ran a dance workshop - we went over - and whilst S danced, I took photos and video and spent time chatting to a couple of the Witchmen dancers about all things Morris and teenagers leaving home to go to Uni!!

When we were watching a set on Saturday night - they announced the winners of the Club Tent competition - the prize is to open the Main Stage on Sunday night - it was fab to hear that friends of ours had won!

They got a 15 minute set this time - here's hoping after playing a blinder they get a longer set or two next year.

Despite mixed weather - brilliant sunshine and then torrential downpours of almost biblical proportions, we had a fab weekend. Each day started the same - I make coffee and S cooked a proper breakfast for us both;

We tried over the weekend several times to get pics of us together with no Morris kit on - now it seems the art of the selfie is more tricky than teenagers make out - we gave up in the end and a random stranger did the job for us!

Felt weird yesterday - getting dressed and not adding the flowers to my hair - luckily its only a few weeks till back to back festivals - might just have cleaned the mud off my boots by then!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx