23rd June

From Cornwall... The Acoustic Club present:

The Wiyos, from Brooklyn, NY. - Original & Traditional Country Blues, Ragtime, Early Swing, Old Time & Beyond
Monday 11th July 2005, at The Western Hotel, Royal Square,St.Ives. Doors open 8pm. admission £8.

info & advance tickets : www.acousticart.co.uk. acousticart@tiscali.co.uk 01736 786655
for B&B contact The Western Hotel: 01736 795277

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Whilst not strictly playing old time music, Los Yobos play western swing, country and blues which could well appeal to members.

Sunday 3 July – Old White Swan, Goodramgate, York
Saturday 9 July – City Screen basement Bar, Coney St, York
Friday 15 July – Malton Beer Festival, Suddaby’s Crown Hotel, Malton
Thursday 28 July – Kennedy’s Little Stonegate, York
Sunday 7 August – Whitby Regatta

More details on www.losyobos.com

Also The Red River Wranglers, a very fine band playing honky tonk / hillbilly music are playing on Saturday 16 July at the Black Swan, Peasholme Green, York

More details on www.red-river-wranglers.com

And also from the York area...

The two weekly York sessions at the Maltings (Tuesday) and the Golden Ball (Sunday) are still running. Go and join them and play some tunes.

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Watch out for a long awaited new release from Trevor & Travis Stuart. Entitled 'Mountaineer' it will soon be available from Old 97 Wrecords. Also one by Frank Lee (ex-Freighthoppers) and Adam Tanner.
www.old97wrecords.com/index.html

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The Bath Banjo Festival is the successor to the highly successful Reading Banjo Festival which has run since the early 80s. The weekend includes practical workshops, demonstrations, mini-concerts, jam sessions and a Grand Concert on the evening of Saturday 2nd July featuring workshop leaders and others. This year the main Festival venue will be the Bath University Staff Club, where there'll be food and a bar. There will also be a market with trade stands selling avariety of new and vintage instruments and accessories.

Musical Director is American clawhammer banjoist Ken Perlman. This year the workshops are given by Bill Keith (Bluegrass); Ken Perlman (Clawhammer and Old Time 5-string), Éamonn Coyne (Irish Tenor), Tom Stuip (Jazz Tenor) and Douglas Back (Fingerstyle).

For futher details and to register for the festival and the concert, please either visit the Festival website at www.bathbanjofest.co.uk or contact the Festival Director, Julian Vincent, either by email: j.f.v.vincent@bath.ac.uk or by telephone: 01225 386596 (day), 01225 835076 (evening), 07941 933 901 (mobile).
Budget accommodation is available from the University - ring them direct to book a room on 01225 386622 or by email: beds@bath.ac.uk

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Ken Perlman Banjo Workshop, London, 25th June

Ken will be holding a one day banjo workshop in central London on Saturday 25th June 2005. Ken is a great and inspiring teacher with many years experience of teaching at all levels. Students at the workshop will learn repertoire, technique, and above all, have some fun! For further information, call Ros on 020 7237 1264 / 07973 860007 or send an email to kp@roswilson.com

Ken will give a concert at Cecil Sharp House, London NW1, after the workshop on the evening of Saturday 25th at 7.30pm (workshop attendees get in for free!). Further information about the concert also from Ros as above.

Ken's full summer schedule is as follows:

Fri June 24: Letchworth, Herts. Mad Nanny Folk Club www.madnanny.co.uk
Sat June 25: London W1. Banjo Workshop - kp@roswilson.com or 020 7237 1264
Sat June 25: London. Cecil Sharp House (concert) - kp@roswilson.com or 020 7237 1264
Tue June 28: Hinckley, Leicester. Banjo Workshop and Concert. Fiddler's Green Music Store 0116 277 6830
Wed June 29: Nettlebed American Acoustic Music Club, Oxon 0118 942 3535
Fri July 1 - Sun 3 July: Bath Banjo Festival. 2 day Banjo Workshop www.bathbanjofest.co.uk
Sun July 3: Sheffield. Call 0114 281 5324 for details.
Mon July 4: Bollington, Cheshire. Dog & Partridge Folk Club www.whitenancy.freeserve.co.uk/
Tue July 5: St. Neot's Folk Club, Cambs http://uk.geocities.com/stneotsfolkclub/
Wed July 6: Rainham, Kent. ROOTS (Rainham Oast Old Time Sessions) 01634 260281
Sat July 9: Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire Banjo Workshop 01568 750546

For more information about Ken, visit www.kenperlman.com

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The seventh ‘Hooves 'n' Grooves Festival’ takes place during July 6-10, 2005 in Wexford town, Ireland. Amongst a wide variety of music are Buffalo Gals led by Kate Lissauer, New Deal String Band and south Wales bluegrass band Roots 'n' Galoots who I saw do a very enjoyable set recently.

www.hoovesandgrooves.com

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Eve Morris's Old Time imports cd, video & dvd catalogue is now available to download in Acrobat pdf format. Just click on her advert at the bottom of the www.foaotmad.org home page.

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Upcoming picking opportunity dates in summary - details www.foaotmad.org.uk unless specified:

Killington Lake, Cumbria, July 8th - 10th

Rocombe (Torquay), Devon (Howard's Barn) , 15th - 17th July

Summer Camp, Sacrewell, 5th - 14th August (daily rates -members £3.50 adult, £2.50 child - non-members £4 & £3)

Sweet Sunny South, Hastings, 9th - 11th September www.sweetsunnysouth.co.uk

16th June

John Wirtz tells me that Riley Baugus (Old Time Banjo) and Rayna Gellert (Old Time Fiddle) have both confirmed they will be teaching at Sore Fingers Week. GET YOUR BOOKINGS MADE NOW!

Other courses tutors are as follows:
Karen Mueller - Autoharp
Leon Hunt - Bluegrass Banjo 2
John Dowling - Beginners/Lower intermediate banjo
Lucy Williams - Beginners/Lower intermediate Bass
Eleanor Cross - Beginners/Lower intermediate Fiddle
James Dewdney - Beginners/Lower intermediate guitar
Dan Norton - Beginners/Lower intermediate Mandolin
Brian Wicklund - Bluegrass fiddle
Jack Lawrence - Guitar
John Moore - Mandolin 1
Mike Compton - Mandolin 2

2006 is yet to be updated but check out www.sorefingers.co.uk

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DIDMARTON BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL

Didmarton Bluegrass Festival is happening again at Kemble Airfield near Cirencester on weekend 2 to 4th September 2005.

The programme is being finalised but it will include Old Time, Dance, some Folk and Bluegrass stuff. They're trying to offer a little bit of variety rather than wall to wall Bluegrass.

www.didmarton-bluegrass.co.uk
John or Moira Wirtz 01373 81390 or john.wirtz@hipposound.co.uk

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Colm Daly's Pickin 3rd Sunday approaches...

You are invited to come to the next one, 19th June from 1pm at The Retreat Pub in Reading, Berkshire.

This is an open session for pickers and dancers of early mountain and roots music from America. The Retreat Pub is the default venue unless otherwise stated. Kicking off time is around 1pm, going on till around 5pm or longer. Bernie and Jane who run this quiet backstreet pub (they call it Reading's best kept secret) specialise in real ales and are great patrons of local live music.

The Retreat address is: 8 St. Johns St, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 4EH (see map link below)

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=RG1+4EH&ll=51.450928,
-0.959788&spn=0.029053,0.051177&hl=
en"http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=RG1+4EH&ll=51.450928,-0.959788&spn=0.029053,0.051177&hl=en

It is near Queens Road car park , so if you come by train it is almost diagonally on the other side of the town centre, about a ten minute walk.

By car it's easy to over-shoot, so the simplest way and also for finding safe parking is to:
- Come into East Reading on the A329M from Junction 10 on the M4; or on theA4 via Maidenhead (both approaches merge at a large roundabout with traffic lights) and take the London Road exit.

- Go straight over at the next large junction (with Pub almost in the centre).
- take the right-hand lane and turn into Eldon Road at the first filter light.
- find parking on second right turning called Eldon Terrace
- use the commercial parking lot on the left just before the Eldon Pub.
- walk back crossing Eldon Road into St Johns Road and St. John's St is 2nd on the right.

Future Dates:

16th July Goring (near Reading ) - PICKIN' 3RD SUNDAY ; actually a Saturday in fact, at Goring Regatta.
31st July Reading - Colm's place - GOMAD 2005 - Social & Pickin' Party; from midday till late.
21st Aug Reading - 3rd Sunday Pickin' Lunch - The Retreat Pub.

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There is an Americana Music night at the Knox Arms, Harrogate on 25th June

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Appalachian Clogging Workshops with Kerry Fletcher
01732 849 163
kerryfletcher@bigfoot.com

Hertfordshire
Saturdays - 9.30am - 12noon
24th Sept plus a special beginners session 12.15 - 1.15pm
15th Oct
12th Nov (till 2pm)
10th Dec
At: Weston Village Hall, Maiden Street, Weston, Nr. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
For more details please contact Maggie on: 01908 582 757

Kent
Kerry Fletcher in association with Stepback.
Thursday evenings - dates and times to be confirmed but please let her know if you are interested! Concessions for young people 15 - 25!
At: The Alexander Centre Preston Street, Faversham, Kent ME13 8NY

South Norwood, London
Thursday evening, once a month. Dates and times to be confirmed but let her know if you're interested!
At: United Reformed Church Hall, Cobden Road (off Enmore Road), South Norwood, London SE25

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The 17th North Wales Bluegrass Festival will take place in the beautiful town of Conwy on 1st, 2nd and 3rd of July.

www.northwalesbluegrass.co.uk

Camping available. Any one requiring B&B should ring the Conwy Tourist Information 01492-592248.
Any other enquiries ring Gill Williams 01492 515921 or John Les 01492 580454.

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Folk at The Royal Oak, Lewes, East Sussex.
Thursdays at 8.00 pm
tinvic@globalnet.co.uk or 01273 478124
www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~tinvic

Programme for the remainder of this season:-
June 2nd * Jez Lowe
June 9th * Gina Le Faux
June 16th * Dan Milner & Bob Conroy
June 23rd * The Other Band
June 30th * Elizabeth Stewart
July 7th * Martin Carthy
July 14th * Trio Threlfall
July 21st * Les Chauffeurs a Pieds
July 28th * free admission * End of season open night

Closed during August but we will be back in the autumn with
SEPTEMBER - "ALL AMERICAN MONTH" with five weeks of top names:-
1st BRUCE MOLSKY
8th JEFF WARNER
15th RILEY BAUGUS
22nd NEW DEAL STRING BAND
29th KATE LISSAUER

After that: -
Michael Marra, Sheila Stewart, Rattle On The Stovepipe (Dave Arthur, Pete Cooper, Chris Moreton). Oliver Mulligan & Brendan McClinchey, Jon Boden & John Spiers, Sara Grey & Kieron Means

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There's a series of Saturday daytime instrumental & vocal workshops also in Lewes, some of which may be of interest.
Organised by Valmai Goodyear - valmaigoodyear@aol.com (01273) 476757

SHIRLEY COLLINS: Singing master classes, 4th. & 5th June
ALISTAIR ANDERSON: English concertina, 2nd. July
BEN PALEY: Fiddle, 9th. July
CRAIG MORGAN ROBSON: Vocal harmony, 8th. October &
CRAIG MORGAN ROBSON: Ballad forum, 9th. October
WILL DUKE: Tunes of Scan Tester, 19th. November
PETE COE: Northern dance music, all instruments, 3rd December
SUE COE: Appalachian clog dancing, 3rd December (2-5 pm)

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Ken Perlman's Summer UK tour includes the following concert and banjo workshop dates:

Fri June 24: Letchworth, Herts. Mad Nanny Folk Club www.madnanny.co.uk
Sat June 25: London W1. Banjo Workshop - kp@roswilson.com or 020 7237 1264
Sat June 25: London. Cecil Sharp House (concert) - kp@roswilson.com or 020 7237 1264
Tue June 28: Hinckley, Leicester. Banjo Workshop and Concert. Fiddler's Green Music Store 0116 277 6830
Wed June 29: Nettlebed American Acoustic Music Club, Oxon 0118 942 3535
Fri July 1 - Sun 3 July: Bath Banjo Festival. 2 day Banjo Workshop www.bathbanjofest.co.uk
Sun June 3: Sheffield, venue to be confirmed 0114 281 5324
Mon June 4: Bollington, Cheshire. Dog & Partridge Folk Club www.whitenancy.freeserve.co.uk/
Tue July 5: St. Neot's Folk Club, Cambs http://uk.geocities.com/stneotsfolkclub/
Wed July 6: Rainham, Kent. ROOTS (Rainham Oast Old Time Sessions) 01634 260281
Sat July 9: Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire Banjo Workshop 01568 750546

For more information about Ken, go to www.kenperlman.com

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The A1 Festival - www.a1festival.com - is coming up this weekend

There's some cracking bands that will provide you all with something to enjoy to suit your tastes. A particular treat for dancers is former Green Grass Clogger and a founder member of Fiddle Puppets/Footworks, Eileen Carson (with Mark Schatz and band). Eileen hasn't taught in this country for several years - so don't miss it!!

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Bakewell Day of Dance - www.bakewelldayofdance.co.uk
Features various dance styles including Appalachian!

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Eve Morris's Old Time imports cd, video & dvd catalogue is now available to download in Acrobat pdf format. Just click on her advert at the bottom of the www.foaotmad.org home page.

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Upcoming picking opportunity dates in summary - details www.foaotmad.org.uk unless specified:

A1 Festival, 17th - 19th June www.a1festival.com

Killington Lake, Cumbria, July 8th - 10th

Rocombe (Torquay), Devon (Howard's Barn) , 15th - 17th July

Summer Camp, Sacrewell, 5th - 14th August (daily rates -members £3.50 adult, £2.50 child - non-members £4 & £3)

Sweet Sunny South, Hastings, 9th - 11th September www.sweetsunnysouth.co.uk

9th June

"Music and Dance Weekend in Bristol and Bath"
Buffalo Gals and Cis Hinkle invite you to a Square and Contra Dance on Friday 10th June at St Bonaventure's Church, Egerton Road, Bishopston, Bristol 7.
Tickets are £7 on the door, £6 in advance, £5 with concessions. To reserve tickets, ring Kate on 01373 474110, or email her at the address below.

Why not stay over for an informal Flatfooting and Old Time Music Session on Saturday, 11th June at the Green Park Tavern, 45 Lower Bristol Road, Bath. There will be a

Flatfooting Workshop to get you in gear for a freestyling dance party accompanied by wonderful old time musicians. The Tavern serves good food and has dedicated space

for music and dance.
Further information on either event,can be obtained from Kate or Sibs -sibs@sibylle2.freeserve.co.uk, klissauer@aol.com"

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As mentioned last week, BBC radio featured extracts from Peggy Seeger's 70th birthday party concert on the Mike Harding show.

It's available to listen online for a week and can be found at

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio2_aod.shtml?radio2/mikeh

or hunt through the BBC radio web pages.

Performances and interviews with a track list of:

Hangman - Peggy Seeger
Different Therefore Equal - Peggy Seeger with James McNally and Irene Pyper-Scott
Logan County Jail - Peggy Seeger with Eliza Carthy
Lowlands Of Holland - Martin Carthy, Norma Waterson and Eliza Carthy
Home Sweet Home - Peggy Seeger with Calum MacColl, Neill MacColl and Graham Henderson
Cindy - Peggy, Mike and Pete Seeger
English Is Crazy - Pete Seeger
Where Have All The Flowers Gone? - Peggy and Pete Seeger
I'm Gonna Be An Engineer - Peggy Seeger
Sing About These Hard Times - Peggy Seeger and Friends

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Upcoming picking opportunity dates in summary - details www.foaotmad.org.uk unless specified:

A1 Festival, 17th - 19th June www.a1festival.com

Killington Lake, Cumbria, July 8th - 10th

Rocombe (Torquay), Devon (Howard's Barn) , 15th - 17th July

Summer Camp, Sacrewell, 5th - 14th August (daily rates -members £3.50 adult, £2.50 child - non-members £4 & £3)

Sweet Sunny South, Hastings, 9th - 11th September www.sweetsunnysouth.co.uk

2nd June

"Music and Dance Weekend in Bristol and Bath"
Buffalo Gals and Cis Hinkle invite you to a Square and Contra Dance on Friday 10th June at St Bonaventure's Church, Egerton Road, Bishopston, Bristol 7.
Don't miss this opportunity to join in an authentic American social dance with Kate Lissauer's Buffalo Gals, and the outstanding American dance caller, Cis Hinkle, who wowed them at her sell-out dances at the Sidmouth Festival in 2004 and 2003.

Tickets are £7 on the door, £6 in advance, £5 with concessions. To reserve tickets, ring Kate on 01373 474110, or email her at the address below.

Why not stay over for an informal Flatfooting and Old Time Music Session on Saturday, 11th June at the Green Park Tavern, 45 Lower Bristol Road, Bath. There will be a Flatfooting Workshop to get you in gear for a freestyling dance party accompanied by wonderful old time musicians. The Tavern serves good food and has dedicated space for music and dance.

Further information on either event,can be obtained from Kate or Sibs -sibs@sibylle2.freeserve.co.uk, klissauer@aol.com"

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Black string bands - a nearly forgotten legacy - played for frolics, parades, square dances and were vital parts of their people’s lives into the 1950s.

In the spirit of independent, community-based music comes Sankofa Strings, a trio of African American artists in love with self-made music. Armed with fiddles and banjos, bones and drums, Sankofa Strings is taking that “Old Time” sound and using it to bring the people together again. They draw upon the string and vocal traditions of the Americas, Africa and Europe: string band standards, blues, hokum tunes and anonymous folk songs slide next to new interpretations of Afro-Pop, sea shanties and Celtic ballads.

Sounds fun and I'm looking forward to there being some sound clips on the web site.

www.SankofaStrings.com

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Gary is a banjo picker from Michigan USA and will be in Cambridge the first week of July. Can anyone give him any suggestions for music connections in the University area? From the context of his request he's into bluegrass but who knows...

Reach Gary at gngmeadors@earthlink.net

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Peggy Seeger celebrated her 70th birthday with a London concert last weekend, with both Mike and Pete Seeger and Martin Carthy & Norma Waterson plus a host of family and friends. There'll be a review in the next Old Time News. The concert was recorded by the BBC and some of it will feature on Mike Harding's folk programme on Wednesday June 8th at 8pm on BBC Radio 2 - and will be available to listen from the BBC web site after the show.

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Upcoming picking opportunity dates in summary - details www.foaotmad.org.uk unless specified:

Stoke St. Mary, Taunton area (Derek Parson's 'Not Stanchester' weekend), June 3rd-5th

A1 Festival, 17th - 19th June www.a1festival.com

Killington Lake, Cumbria, July 8th - 10th

Rocombe (Torquay), Devon (Howard's Barn) , 15th - 17th July

Summer Camp, Sacrewell, 5th - 14th August (daily rates -members £3.50 adult, £2.50 child - non-members £4 & £3)

Sweet Sunny South, Hastings, 9th - 11th September www.sweetsunnysouth.co.uk

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Hobgoblin Music would like you to know that their 14th Catalogue is now available. It includes photos of hundreds of musical instruments, spares and books, with descriptions, prices, and a wealth of advice on choosing an instrument, and lots of helpful information. Now a handy A5 size, it is currently being mailed out to thousands of folk music lovers across the country. The catalogue is available from all Hobgoblin shops, from the Hobgoblin festival stand throughout the summer and by post (call 0845 130 9500 or email catalogues@hobgoblin.co.uk

www.hobgoblin.com

Hobgoblin are also sponsors of the revamped Sidmouth Festival, now entitled Sidmouth Folkweek and with an ever-growing line-up (although I'm not aware of any oldtime - there's a couple of clogging teams there though) and I summarise their press release here:

Tickets will be available for each individual event, and most can be booked in advance. All events at the Ham Arena Marquee, and most events elsewhere will have tickets on the door as well, so less organised people can easily enjoy the music without pre-booking! Tickets for afternoon events range between £7.00 and £12.00. You can also buy a season ticket for the Ham Arena Marquee, which replaces the old Knowle Arena as the main festival stage, for £135. This ticket covers all afternoon and evening events at the Ham, including workshops and the Hobgoblin Stage.

All advance tickets are available by calling Sidmouth Tourist Information Centre on 01395 578627 and in addition for Hobgoblin Stage tickets you can also call Hobgoblin Music on 0845 130 9500. Concessions: Youth tickets (for under 18s) are all half price. Members of the Sidmouth Folkweek 2005 Supporters Club will get priority
bookings, and concessions on ticket prices. It costs £20 to join, see www.sidmouthfolkweek.co.uk/supporters.html for more information.

A completely free colour programme of events, with a booking form, is available. You will find the programme being distributed at festivals and in shops, and if you send a stamped, addressed A5 envelope to Tourist Information, Ham Lane, Sidmouth, EX10 8XR, you can have one sent to you! You can also call the Tourist Information Office to book tickets on 01395 578627. The official website for the Sidmouth Folk Week is www.sidmouthfolkweek.co.uk

Now, for my own 'bit' - some of the south west oldtime crowd may be there all week but more likely will be just down to session on the first weekend. There's a chance we may be able to takeover the Bedford Hotel bar as we have done before but if the weather is good we may just be on the seafront. I'll try and get more info as we get nearer.

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Just a reminder from the Footloose Festival team that they still have tickets for:-
A Cajun Dance @ The Fishpond - Matlock Bath with the Flatville Aces BIG Band on 3rd June (Beginners dance workshop @ 8.15pm)

and they have a traditional music concert with Harem Scarem and Dyná on the 4th June with afternoon workshops -
12.30 Reed Ingram Weir (Dyná) Bodhran Beginners welcome (some instruments available)
14.30 Eilidh Shaw & Sarah McFadyen Fiddle
14.30 Nuala Kennedy & Inge Thomson Whistle / Flute
All part of Matlock Live Festivities 3rd - 19th June 2005

Full details on the website http://www.matlocklive.co.uk

Also - Sunday 5th June Steam - Story - Song : with Lester Simpson & Katuisha : live entertainment as you travel on a Peak Rail steam train. Trains at 11.55am, 1.05pm, 2.15pm & 3.25pm from Matlock Riverside Station to Rowsley South, Peak Rail Park & return. Performers on trains will vary. Ticket prices as per Peak Rail fares.

and if you miss those why not try to Swing, Jive and Jitterbug @ a dance / workshop on the 8th June 8 - 10.30pm FREE
(Special events run by Footloose Festival as part of Matlock Live)

You can ring 01629 734517 to book tickets or request further details of all events.