October update

I know it's quiet on the blog, but September and October are our two quietest months of the year - it's here we take our holidays, head off to conferences and generally recharge our batteries.

We're looking at the line-up for 2011 now, and expect have everything signed and sealed by sometime in December. We'll let you know a few names in advance when things are falling into place...

As many of you know we are hosting 10 shows at the Hive in Shrewsbury, it's an intimate 100 seat arts centre and perfect for folk concerts.

We started in September with Jackie Oates, and the upcoming shows are

24 Oct Crooked Still (sold out)
21 Nov Kris Drever
12 Dec Bella Hardy
9 Jan Jez Lowe
13 Feb Jon Boden and the Remnant Kings
13 Mar Chris Wood
10 Apr Rua MacMillan Trio and Ewan Robertson
8 May Martyn Joseph
21 Jun Rachael McShane Band

Tickets for all are available from the venue on 01743 234970.

Crooked Still has already sold out and a few others are getting close - please don't leave it too late if you'd like to come to these shows!

BBC Radio Shropshire

As many of you will know we have close links with our local BBC Radio station over the festival weekend.

Jim Hawkins, the presenter of the weekday morning show was around and about at the festival over the weekend, and on Monday he recorded a 10 minute piece that captured the atmosphere of the festival perfectly.

It’s available to listen to here

Thanks to Jim and the BBC for this feature, and allowing us to host this on our blog.

Festival Videos

We've been working through the DVDs of the main stage performances and over the coming weeks and months will be adding more clips to our YouTube site

Videos already uploaded include

Dervish & Moya Brennan - Two Sisters
Richard Shindell - Arrowhead
Nancy Kerr & James Fagan - Queen of Waters
Bellowhead - New York Girls

If there are any particular clips of the main stage that you'd like to see then let us know and we'll see what we can do!

End of Festival Survey

Bellowhead finished their set just over 12 hours ago,and we'll soon be thinking about 2011.

But before we do that, we hope you had a fantastic festival and we'd like your comments and thoughts on the last four days.

This year there are two ways to leave your thoughts, we have an

Official Festival Survey

that has replaced the old paper feedback form - there's lots of space for extended comments should you wish to leave any!

And of course we'd love you to comment here on the blog. We'll read every single comment that is left on both the blog and the official survey.

Over to you....

Webcast schedule

SP Holding Main Stage Broadcast Schedule

Click here to watch

Friday Evening
19.30 - 19.35 Welcome song with Owen Lewis
19.35 - 20.35 Adrian Edmondson & the Bad Shepherds
20.45 - 21.45 Lucy Kaplansky
22.00 - 23.30 The Michael McGoldrick Big Band

Saturday Afternoon
13.00 - 13.30 Oleg Ponomarev’s Koshka
13.45 - 14.45 Drever McCusker Woomble with Heidi Talbot & Boo Hewerdine
14.55 - 15.50 Richard Shindell
16.00 - 17.00 Karen Matheson Band

Saturday Evening
19.30 - 20.30 Adrienne Young
20.40 - 21.45 Richard Shindell & Lucy Kaplansky
22.00 - 23.30 Dervish & guests

Sunday Afternoon
12.45 - 13.45 The Old Dance School
13.55 - 14.55 Nancy Kerr & James Fagan
15.05 - 15.50 Chuck Brodsky
16.00 - 17.00 Genticorum

Sunday Evening
19.30 - 20.30 Kristina Olsen & Peter Grayling
20.35 - 21.35 Billy Bragg
22.00 - 23.30 Afro Celt Sound System

Monday Afternoon
13.00 - 13.55 Mawkin:Causley
14.05 - 15.05 Hans Theessink
15.15 - 16.15 John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett
16.30 - 18.00 Bellowhead

Getting here.....

Nearly there!

The set up team have been working hard over the whole week, and lots weekend stewards will be arriving tomorrow in preparation for final briefings early on Friday morning.

We missed most of the rain today, and only had an hour or so of showers from 4pm onwards. The site is in great condition and the weather for the festival looks fine - it always gets a little chilly in the evenings though, so don't forget something warm!

Our main website has full directions to the festival site, and the AA signs will be in place tomorrow, but for those travelling under the guidance of SatNav, the GPS co-ords are

N 52° 43.020
W 002° 45.742

(if you copy these into Google Earth, they take you to within a few feet of one of entrances)

and the 'real' address is

West Mid Showground
Berwick Road
Shrewsbury
SY1 2PF

Hope you all have a safe journey, and we'll see you over the weekend!

Site set up

The site set up has been in full swing, and we're well on track to be ready ahead of Friday.

All the main marquees are built and the stages in place - lighting will be in place soon and the sound guys were arriving on site as I left. Over the next 36hours everyone will be working hard to finish the build.

If you pre-booked a yurt, then the above picture shows them in the process of being built, I had a peek inside one that was finished and it looked great!

A message from Cara

Hi Everyone.

I am so very sorry for not being able to perform at the Festival this weekend. I'm currently seven and a half months pregnant and have been advised by my doctors that I shouldn't attend.

Some of you may already be aware of what happened last time I performed when I was this pregnant... I went into labour onstage and gave birth not long after the concert...so for all our sakes I wouldn't want anything like that happening again.

I thought I might be up to it, hence the lateness of the announcement, however, the decision has been sensibly forced upon me by my consultants.

I am very disappointed that I won't be there, but I understand that I may be appearing next year.

Here's wishing you all have great craic and enjoy the music. I'll be thinking of you and watching online with my swollen feet up.

Much love
Cara x

Cara Dillon / Karen Matheson Band

Cara Dillon

We're disappointed to inform you that due to illness, Cara will not be able to appear at the festival this year.

Cara is 8 months pregnant and unwell, and has been advised to rest by her doctor, making her trip to Shrewsbury not possible.

While this is disappointing, the safety of Cara and baby are more imporatant than a single show, and we understand the situation and wish Cara and Sam well for the coming months. We'll do everything we can to bring Cara to Shrewsbury in 2011.

Karen Matheson Band

We're pleased to announce that Cara's Saturday afternoon slot on the main stage (4pm - 5pm) will be filled by Karen Matheson and her fantastic band.
The lead singer of Capercaillie is a natural fit for Cara's slot, as she occupies similar musical ground covering both traditional and contemporary song.

This will be Karen's first English festival appearance this year with her full band, and a coup for Shrewsbury - while we're understandably disappointed that Cara can't make her show, we're excited to have such a high profile act playing at the festival.

Weather Weather Weather Weather - what's it going to do?

Watching the forecast on Metcheck is always fun - the festival week has been changeable for the 7 days or so but it's beginning to settle down, so here's the forecast as of 1pm Friday 20 August.

You can click the forecast to take you to an up-to -date 14 forecast for the site at any time.

Looking good though, and if anything the nights are looking a little warmer than usual.

Free Wi-Fi on the festival site

Last year we had a small pocket of free wi-fi on the festival site, it worked perfectly but had limited range.

This year the technical team of Charles & Heather, have set up a system that covers the whole site.

So wherever you are on the site, you will be able to pick up emails and browse the internet for FREE!

The SFF Pork Pie!

Once again, we're proud to team up with Boxfresh Organics again this year - we believe we have the best festival shop anywhere with a unique range of fresh food and provisions, and this year they’ve extended their product range.

So in addition to freshly baked breads delivered fresh every morning, a full range of organic meats (including everything for breakfast) and more; this year they’ve added a range of pork pies from Simply Pies in Whitchurch, and there’s an exclusive Shrewsbury Folk Festival Pie (pork and Shropshire Blue cheese) you’ll be able to try!

See you in the queue!

Programmes

The festival programmes have been printed and delivered, and if you pre-ordered one then it should be delivered in the next couple of days.

If you haven't pre-ordered one, then from early next week, you will be able to pick a copy up from the tourist information centre in Shrewsbury (next to Rowley's House). UPDATE - have dropped the programmes off should you wish to call in and buy one.

Time to start planning your festival weekend.......

Dervish and special guests

On Saturday night, Irish legends Dervish are playing the mainstage - but you may have noticed they're billed as Dervish and special guests.

We can confirm that they will have 4 fantastic guests with them, and they are...

It should be quite a night, we're looking forward to hearing what the band and all-star guest list come up with!

2010 Map

The programme has now been signed off and will be printed soon - as ever there's a map in the back, but here's a copy for you to have a look at now and to see how we've laid the site out this year.

Tuneworks at SFF

We're really proud of the variety of sessions that happen at Shrewsbury, Izzy and his team do a fantastic job at organising these and they always end up being a highlight for anyone who takes part or even just wanders in and listens!

Here are the details of the Tuneworks sessions that will be held at the festival this year....


Tuneworks Beginners Session

This session uses the beginners tunebook available on the festival

website - from the homepage follow the link to Tune Workshops. The

tunes are all tried and tested session standards and are backed up

with some audio files that will give you an idea of the speed. The

idea is that you learn them at home ready for the session. We will

play plenty of repetitions of each tune allowing you to get them

firmly under your fingers in a session environment. Bring your own

tunebook!


Tuneworks Improvers Session

This session uses the improvers tunebook available on the festival

website - from the homepage follow the link to Tune Workshops. With a

wider range of tunes that incorporates those learned in the beginners

sessions, the pace will be slower than at a normal tune session,

giving learning musicians the chance to practice in a larger session

environment. These sessions have been great fun in the past and we

look forward to sharing a tune with friends old and new! Bring your

own tunebook!


Tuneworks Follow On Beginners/Improvers

Last year, many musicians wanted to keep playing after the beginners

and improvers sessions so if you make your way to the Tuneworks

noticeboard in the food tent you'll probably find a gang of fellow

tune addicts ready to kick off again!


Tuneworks Full Speed Session

A chance for everyone to have a blast before the end of the session -

using the tunebooks means you'll know at least some of the tunes, and

get to hear and play them at full speed!


Tuneworks Turn Up and Play Sessions

A few of the Tuneworks staff will meet you at the Tuneworks

noticeboard in the Food Tent and help you get some tunes from our

tunebooks on the go - a good chance to unwind after or before seeing

some of the other great music available at the festival!


Tuneworks Beginners Coaching Fiddle

Kitty Greenwood is an experienced fiddle teacher who can help you get

to beginners session standard. Concentrating on a tune or two from the

beginners tunebook, she will help you to get those all-important

techniques right from the word go! You'll need to bring a fiddle along

to this workshop.


Tuneworks Beginners Coaching Whistle

Rob Pierce is a great flute and whistle player - just the person to

get you going on a tune or two from our beginners session book. You

will need a D whistle or a flute to participate in this workshop.


Tuneworks Uilleann Pipes Course

Jim Carroll is fast becoming one of the country's most respected

Uilleann Pipemakers and has a vast wealth of knowledge of playing

Irish music on a range of instruments. Turn up at the first session

and he will arrange how best to teach attendees over the weekend.


Storytelling

Tim O'the Oak will entertain everyone in the family with his

fascinating stories. A real festival find last year, Tim is one of the

country's best loved storytellers and brings an animated and energetic

style to each night's bedtime story.


Irish Session

After a number of very popular sessions last year, our friends from

Nottingham are back for a session each evening. A great chance for you

to get involved or sit back and listen!

Ratlingfolk Folk Against Fascism Day

Our friends at Ratlingfolk are organising a local folk day on Sunday 25th July where some of
Shropshire's best known folk artists gather in support of Folk Against
Fascism.

Organized by SFF committee members Izzy MacLachlan and Des Walker,
Rattlingfolk takes place at the Horseshoes pub, Bridges, Ratlinghope between
12.30 and 8pm.

Local favourites include Bill Caddick, Harriet Bartlett, Star of the Sea,
Flaxenby, Jonathan Day and Almost Bluegrass with other artists still to be
announced. There will be plenty of sessions including a slower paced tunes
making use of the SFF improvers Tunebook.

The event is outdoors under cover and costs £5 with under 12s being free.
Barbecued food is available all day.

For info on this and other Rattlingfolk events, check
www.MySpace.com/Rattlingfolk or join the Rattlingfolk Facebook group.

Car Sharing to SFF

Car Sharing

For those of you who can't make it by bus, train or car and who are coming from further afield http://www.gocarshare.com/ are offering a solution.

Car sharing will allow you to find fun people to share the journey with whilst sharing the cost of travel and hopefully making a difference to the environment.

Simply go onto www.gocarshare.com and log on via facebook; if you are planning on driving, just post a car share request to Shrewsbury home of the Shrewsbury Folk Festival.

Hope this helps a few of you out!

Calan - pics and radio piece

(click for larger pic)

Last weeks' schools project with Calan was a real joy - the group were fantastic in school and the whole school loved having them there.

The band will be at the festival this year, they'll perform with the kids again, but also have their own slot on stage - make sure you catch them if you get chance!

Whilst in school, Genevieve Tudor from BBC Radio Shropshire came and recorded a short piece about the schools project, you can listen to it here (MP3, 3.5mb)

(click for larger pic)

Beer & Cider list for the festival

We have the cider & beer list for the festival, here you go.....

Ciders
Riches Cider Co.
Sweet ,Medium and Dry
Brook Farm Cider
Medium Dry and extra dry cider, Medium Perry

Dunkertons Organic Cider
medium sweet and dry ciders
organic perry and Browns single variety cider

Gwatkins Cider Co
Foxwhelp, Norman , Stoke Red and Yarlington Mill ciders plus Blakeney Red Perry
Hecks cider and perry
Hecks perry and Kingston black cider

Westcroft Cider Co
Janets Jungle Juice and Morgans sweet

Burrow Hill Cider Co
Medium and dry cider plus pear cider
Someset cider brandy

Broad Oak
Kingston black and medium sweet ciders plus Moonshine and perry

Newton Court Cider
Newtons Dry and Perry

Gwynt y DDraig The Welsh Cider Company
Black Dragon, Dog dancer, Fiery Fox, Two Trees Perry, Farmhouse Sweet, Happy Daze, Malvern Hills Perry, Farmhouse cyder and Barnstormer

Cider House special cider
Magners
Stowford press

We shall also be selling farm pressed apple juice from Ju's farm in hereford.

The Beers
Salopian Brewery
Hop twister
Lemon dream
Shropshire Gold
Oracle
Darwins Origin

The Ludlow Brewing Co
Ludlow Gold
The Boiling Well
Ludlow Best

Timothy Taylors
Timothy Taylors Landlord
Best Bitter

Enville Ales
Enville Ale
Enville White
Gothic Ale
Ginger Beer
Old Porter
Nailmaker Mild

Hook Norton
Old Hooky
Hooky Bitter
Hooky Dark
Hooky Gold

Ma Pardoes
Entire
Dark Swan
Broughs Pale Ale

Three Tuns
XXX
1642 Bitter
Solstice
Old Scrooge
Clerics Cure

Hobsons
Best Bitter
Town Crier
Hobsons Mild
Twisted Spire

Woods Brewery
Shropshire Lad and Lass
Wonderful
Quaff
Pot 'o' Gold

Bathams Bitter (if i can get hold of some) !

Plus some Gluten free bottled ales from greens
these are:
Pathfinder
Mission
Quest
Pioneer

Also on tap:
Grolsch
Carling
Worthingtons
Guinness
Butty Bach
Dorothy Goodbodys
Hereford Pale Ale

Hope this is enough for you all!