Tuesday 22nd December 2009

This will be the last news update for this year. 2009 has been quite a roller coaster. The launch event back in April kicked off the tour in grand style and did much to raise awareness of the project. The caravan had 15 outings from May through to October. My Brother and I were on the road almost every week meeting people and spreading the word. Everywhere we went we were greeted with a positive response and it did much to confirm the notion that a museum dedicated solely to celebrating and researching Britain's annual customs and traditions, with their connected folkloric heritage, is something that the people of the UK would welcome and embrace. Visitors from abroad were also curious to see the connections that could be drawn between their own customs and those of the UK. It became quite apparent during the tour that although many of the customs featured inside the caravan were quite unknown to some visitors, almost everyone had some tale to tell of a festival or tradition that was known to them locally and that they had either witnessed as a child or as an adult currently. Many told of the increased interest they had noticed, as visitor numbers had grown over the years. Others told of festivals which are no longer maintained or have recently been re-established.

In many ways this year has been a form of public consultation. It's made me think of the social effect and value that the museum should seek to have. After all, this museum will differ from many others in that instead of being purely historic, it will deal with something that is a living tradition, something that is growing and changing as time moves on, becoming relevant or not for each new generation. How Folklore manifests itself in cities as well as rural areas is of huge interest and should be explored. There is still a vast amount of work to be done and this year has thrown up far more questions than answers. My main concern now is where the museum should be sited. Until this is decided upon I can't start to apply for funding as so much will depend on the region. Therefore the main aim for 2010 will be to visit as many areas across the UK as possible while hopefully taking in many of the customs and festivals that I missed while touring. As well as this, plans are afoot to mount a series of mini exhibitions across Britain, highlighting regional customs. If anyone out there knows of suitable venues who would be interested to have an exhibition running throughout the summer, please get in touch. These can be anything from a room in a stately home, to an existing exhibition space.

To mark the end of the tour it seemed fitting to have some small celebration and I, along with Sam Lee were delighted to welcome people to the benefit concert held on Dec 11th in London. My thanks go to all the performers who gave their time and energy to the night, Bishi, Jim Causeley, Lisa Knapp and the Belles of London and of course Sam Lee for organising things.

With the closing of the year I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have helped throughout 2009. There are too many to mention all by name but a few would be Doc Rowe and Jill, Kate Cornish, Henry Bourne, Matt Carr, Jonny Hannah, Spencer Horne, Anthony Costin, everyone at Purple, all my friends who decorated the various events and manned the stations. Thanks also must go to the various fund raisers who have given invaluable advise and are continuing to help as the project moves along. Thanks to all those who bought a ticket at the various fundraisers or even placed some money in the donation hat in the caravan, to those who have signed up to become a friend of the museum and those people who bought a Jonny Hannah poster. Thanks too go to the people who have kindly donated books, objects and archives for the museums growing collection. A big thank you must go to my parents who made a very generous Christmas donation. My apologies if I have forgotten anyone but my thanks to you all the same. I very much hope that 2010 will see your ongoing support and that the year ahead will be as exciting and full of potential as this one has been.

Thursday 26th November 2009

Exclusive T Shirts available at MBF Benefit Concert

The museum is pleased to announce that it will be selling some specially commissioned T-shirts at the benefit concert. In keeping with the museum's policies their Green credentials are impeccable! They are being produced by EvolArt2Wear with the guidance of the following groups. They will come in Small-Medium-Large-Extra Large.

Organic Fair Trade Practices - EarthPositive® is a 100% organic product certified by Control
Union and The Soil Association. Under the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), farm workers
are protected by stringent social criteria and by the ban on the use of poisonous chemicals that
can severely damage the health of farmers and their families.

Low Carbon Products - EarthPositive® Apparel is made in manufacturing facilities powered
by green renewable energy, from low-impact organic cotton. The carbon footprint of the EP
products has been reduced by some 90% and the calculations certified by The Carbon Trust.
Furthermore, the Company’s UK facilities are certified as carbon neutral.

Ethical Manufacturing & Justice for Workers - Demand for cheap textiles has led the apparel
industry to allow some of the most unethical trade practices on the planet; worst examples include
child labour, excessive working hours, unsafe and unhygienic working conditions. EarthPositive® is manufactured under the strict Code of Labour Practices independently verified by The Fair
Wear Foundation, to promote fair labour conditions in the garment industry worldwide.

EarthPositive® takes direct action to combat climate change and to address environmental,
social and ethical issues. It demonstrates the highest possible standards in one of the world’s
most damaging and harmful industries.

Tuesday 24th November 2009

The Museum of British Folklore benefit concert is now confirmed for the 11th Dec in Hackney at the Old Boys Hall. Tickets are limited so please place your order as soon as possible. The line up so far spans the Traditional to the Contemporary. We are awaiting confirmation on the Ceilidh band and two other performers. News will be posted here as soon as possible. Tickets are £15 and available from -
http://www.themagpiesnest.co.uk 

Bob Davenport
http://www.folkmusic.net/htmfiles/webrevs/tscd552.htm
Lisa Knapp
http://www.myspace.com/lisaknappmusic
Jim Causley
http://www.jimcausley.co.uk/

Sunday 4th October 2009

The last festival of the 2009 tour was the Rye Arts Festival. I was invited by Jack Ash to come and give a talk about the museum project and to then show the caravan and contents over the weekend of the 26th & 27th September. The weather was glorious thankfully and we were in a delightful spot next to the Ypres Tower and museum. Priscilla Ryans very kindly allowed us to park on the area of lawn in front of her house and was the perfect hostess bringing out cakes and tea and asking all about the project. The tour ended as it began, surrounded by friends, family and well wishers. The tour has been amazing in many ways, I've met a fantastic range of people with well over 5000 people coming to see the caravan on her travels. It has been heartening to see how many people in the folk community have offered their support and I think seeing my brother and I at so many events has cemented in their minds my commitment to the project.



One of the main things to have come out of the last six months has been the fact that this is just the start and I could be looking at two or three years before the museum can open it's doors to the public. An enormous amount of work lies ahead and I'm determined to put just as much effort into that as I have done the past year.

There are some very interesting developments for 2010. While the 5 year business plan and feasibility documents are being drawn up, a series of mini exhibitions will be mounted in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. Each will deal with various aspects of regional folk practise pertaining to the area. I am being assisted by the multi-talanted, Kate Cornish, whom I first met at the Port Eliott Festival back in August. Kate has very kindly offered some time to help on several aspects of the museums development. I have been asked to curate a Folk Art exhibition for the Hexham Gathering Festival next year and news about that will be posted here when I know more details. The Henry Bourne portrait project will continue into the New Year and we are currently in conversation with various publishers regarding the production of the book.

Due to the huge success of Jonny Hannah's limited edition poster this year, we are having a series of museum T-shirts printed that will be for sale using Jonny's artwork. On Dec 11th this year, we are mounting a benefit concert in London to raise funds for the pop-up exhibitions. Details of who will be performing will be posted as soon as everyone has confirmed. Watch this space......

September 9th 2009

The 5th 6th and 7th September were three remarkable days. We had kindly been invited by Katie Howson to attend the East Anglican Traditional Music Day on Saturday the 5th September. The Museum of East Anglian Life site covers quite an area and has some wonderful exhibits including a selection of painted gypsy caravans as well as immaculate examples of steam engines, buildings and barns from various periods which have been carefully moved and reconstructed, piece by piece. The weather was perfect and a steady stream of visitors came to call. In the evening there was a concert in the stunning 14th c Tithe Barn including Jig Jaw, Michael Wright, Jim Ward & Will Duke and of course Sam Lee. All this was presided over by a huge and rather splendid metal Green Man at the far end of the barn.





The next day we set off for Abbots Bromley. As part of the Henry Bourne portrait project, we had been in contact with the dancers who perform the Abbots Bromley Horn dance which is always on a Monday, the day following Wakes Sunday, which is the first Sunday after the 4th of September. Armed with an introduction from Doc Rowe we contacted Terry Bailey and were able to set up Henry's little white tent, in which he takes the portraits, in the grounds of Blithfield Hall, for which Lady Bagot kindly gave her permission. Abbots is a pretty village in Staffordshire and the first written mention of it dates back to 942.

On the Monday morning, I set off with my brother to witness this age old rite. Early on there were just a few people on the village green, busy setting up stalls for the days visitors. I found a map and we walked off along Goose Lane. Eventually we rounded a corner and could hear the sound of an accordion and voices. There above a tall red brick wall were the tips of the famous antlers weaving back and forth. In the courtyard of Rose Bank farm were the twelve characters who make up the troupe. There are 6 Horn dancers, a Maid Marian character, a Jester or Fool played by Terry Bailey, the Hobby Horse, a young boy keeping time on a Triangle, another young boy with a bow and arrow and finally a musician playing an accordion.



We were kindly offered the first drink of the day and trays of home made cakes were also passed around. The dancers had already started off at the church where the antlers are kept throughout the rest of the year. The carved wooden heads and sets of antlers form two teams, the 'whites' and the 'blues', although these are now brown and must have been repainted many times over the years. In 1976, a small splinter of bone from a broken horn was carbon dated to around 1065. Of course it's not known if the horns were being used for their present purpose then or if they were perhaps a replacement set for some that were even older. Since it's not thought that there were any reindeer in the UK at this period, the horns must have been imported from Scandinavia. This brings up all sorts of supposition as to the origins of the dance itself. All of this is of course the perfect kind of material for the museum to delve into.



By late afternoon, with Henry's excellent portraits completed at Blithfield Hall, my brother and I set off on the long drive with Roberta, up to West Yorkshire.





The previous week had brought some sad news, Trevor Stone, the Father of a friend of mine had passed away. Trevor was a well known and respected Long Sword dancer and archivist amongst other things. Trevor, knowing that he was ill, had been keen to insure that his archive would be looked after and made available to the public. It was decided, along with his Widow Elaine, that the archive should be donated to the Museum to become an important part of the Museum's collection and that once we were open and established, the video footage would all be digitised and made available. This will become the Trevor Stone Memorial Archive. Elaine and her daughter Georgia had asked if I would bring the caravan to the reception after the service so that Trevor's friends could see where the archive was going to and to meet me and ask any questions about the project. There were several people I knew at the service, Doc and Jill being among them, who had known Trevor for many years. The service was attended by many of Trevor's friends and there were several Long Sword teams who performed later. The day was both moving and celebratory and I hope that the archive will be cherished and put to good use once made available.

August 25th 2009

On Friday 21st August, I boarded a train for Whitby. We were unable to take the caravan sadly as the festival organisers decided that, 'many
aspects of British folklore are already being covered'. It was certainly a shame that the visitors to the festival didn't get to see the project but luckily for me, Doc Rowe invited me to give a talk, along with himself, at the Whitby Museum to explain the aims of the project and to show the Britannica film. In the evenings it was great to see and hear so many familiar bands and performers. Sunday afternoon was spent having tea at the marvellous La Rosa Hotel with Doc & Jill, Sam Lee and Joan Crump.
http://www.larosa.co.uk/hotel/index.html

In the early evening before I left, I was whisked off by Joan Crump to sample some Chocolate Martini's she had discovered. The journey home was a blur.....

August 19th 2009

The latest outing was a double festival visit, first to Sidmouth Folk Week and then onto Broadstairs Folk Week. The clouds were gathering when we left a sunny Lyme Regis and by the time we reached Sidmouth it was cold, windy and raining unfortunately. The caravan was to be sited in an area called the Hub. The well organised ground staff kindly gave us a hand to manoeuvre her into position onto the grass next to the main concert tent. We were only there for three days but a fair amount of visitors came by including Steve Knightley of Show of Hands fame and several of the Spooky Men's Chorale group, all of whom were performing at the festival. As usual I met up with Sam Lee, who I have been meeting at most of the festivals I've visited. It was a delight to have so many Morris sides offer to decorate one of the figures for the Museum's collection.



One the evening of the 4th Aug, I took part in a talk along with Doc Rowe and we were able to show the Britannica film. There was a lively question and answer session afterwards and many interesting points were raised. The level of support was great though and many people came to visit the caravan the next day to understand more about the project.



The next morning my brother Anthony and I set off for Broadstairs via Arundel. I had wanted to visit Arundel having heard so much about it from friends and it sounded as if it might be a possible venue for the museum. I was totally charmed by the town and noticed that the old Arundel Museum building was up for sale....

I have since been to visit the building and have been in touch with the council who were as supportive as they could be at this early stage. At a little over 5000sq ft it is probably too small for my project but there's no reason that there couldn't be an annexe somewhere nearby. Watch this space.....

The next day we arrived in a very sunny Broadstairs. We were parked up in a secure part of the festival next to all the craft stalls so there were a lot of visitors from the moment we opened. There being more children, the wonderful dead cat, on loan from the Museum of Witchcraft, came in for a lot of attention.



It was great to see many friends from Hastings there and Mad Jacks Morris came and performed outside Roberta at one point. In the evening we were invited to join in the torch-lit procession which I did with my brother and friend Graham Ward.

Wednesday 12th August 2009

It was decided while in Sidmouth that the museum project will be signing up to the recently formed Folk Against Fascism movement.
We will be happy to supply visitors to the caravan with leaflets detailing the aims of this worthy group.
For more information please visit -
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=114616997574

Saturday 1st August

Some time ago I was invited by Catherine St Germans to attend the Port Eliot Literary Festival. My friend Michael Howells had kindly sent her some images from the launch event back in April. The festival fell on the 24th - 26th July and is described as 'the summer's most original, inspirational and downright decadent garden party'. It was all of that and much more. We decided to drive to Cornwall in one day and arrived in the late afternoon of the 24th. Roberta was pitched in a very nice spot right outside the house. I had given a sign design to Luca Crest, who had overseen the painting of the caravan, and this stopped people always asking if it was free to visit. Drinks were being served in the stunning Round Room, adorned as it is with the wildly fantastical wall paintings of Robert Lenkiewicz. It was so nice to see so many friends there and also catch up with many people over the weekend who I hadn't seen for years. Roberta was pleased to welcome a wide range of visitors and entertained many esteemed guests during the festival. Writers, journalists, editors, musicians and comedians all paid a visit. Michael Eavis, the founder of the Glastonbury festival came by too.

I was given the chance to try my hand as a radio presenter on the Sunday, even though it was to a practically empty field in the pouring rain! In between playing some of my favourite folk music I had the pleasure of interviewing the author Kit Berry, who I had met in Weymouth. She had spent the weekend in a golden haze as the Corn Mother, adorned with wonderful corn dollies especially made by Gillian Nott of the Guild of Straw Craftsmen. I finally got to meet Gillian too and was able to thank her in person for all the help she has given since starting the project. It was a fantastic weekend and many offers of support were given which was very encouraging. There was talk at the end of it, of the possibility of a temporary exhibition in one of the Gate Houses so I will write an update once I know more.