Last weekend the sun shined wonderfully on the Wessex Folk Festival at the South of England seaside harbour town of Weymouth.
Without any doubt, it earns the Hopcott High Five Friendly Festival award.
From the moment I parked up in Weymouth Sea Cadet Centre in my ancient camper-van to the moment when I headed back on the open road to Somerset, I felt welcomed into the heart of a talented and close knit family.
Brilliantly organised by a committee of dedicated workers chaired by the amazingly serene in a crisis Pauline Clenshaw, the Wessex Folk Festival quite simply rocks. To me it was all a great folk festival should be.
Hope Square, in the old harbour area, was the main centre of activities with it’s continental cafe ambiance and almost continuous stream of free (to the public) bands and Morris displays. Sea going craft, commercial fishing boats and the Channel Ferry all added to the vibrant and happy atmosphere.
Pub sessions seemed to run generally from midday right the way through to closing time at the Sailors Return and Kings Arms and included many main event performing artistes as well as regular folkies.
The Kings Arms was full of atmosphere with mainly Irish folk music tunes and a good sea shanty session one lunchtime.
The Sailors Return, for long a regular favorite for Weymouth folk musicians and singers was organised on a ‘going around the room basis’ with lots of opportunity to play or sing traditional English or Irish folk together or solo. It was also the venue for the packed ’survivors’ session full of emotion and excitement. Well done to the hosts who kept us all in order (just).
Busking was mainly at the ‘Loading Bay’ where steam trains used to draw up to exchange cargo with the quayside ships and the rails can still be seen. (Silly me thought they were tram rails). Finnian McGurk sang some really great songs and Stampede danced their very own special brand of Appalachian along with many other great performances.
I dropped in to the Breton and French dance at the Sea Cadet Centre hall with that great band d’Accord. It was my first exposure to Breton and French dancing. The line dancing looked easy and the hoppy jiggy wrap your arms around a woman waltzy stuff looked fun too.
Without any doubt, Weymouth Folk Festival ranks right at the top of my list of great folk festivals. There was just too much good stuff on to mention all the great performers and events.
If you’re looking for the best folk festivals in the UK and want to get away from some of the more commercial offerings elsewhere and find a festival with soul, Wessex Folk Festival seems well worth checking out.
Hope to see you there in 2008.
Bye for now
Rob
