THERE IS just over four weeks remaining until the weekend of 24th to 26th July and the Village Pump Folk Festival.
The organisers of the Festival, to be held in the spectacular setting of the White Horse Country Park, are putting the finishing touches to what promises to be the best festival yet!
The main stages, club stage and children’s programmes are now complete with hundreds of performers booked to appear from early on the Friday afternoon to the very last thing Sunday night.
Geoff Cripps, Festival marketing director reported, “This year, festival patrons Show of Hands will be making an exclusive live album of their Saturday night concert – this will only be available to those in the audience that night!
“This marks a unique first for the Festival (credited as the first festival Show of Hands ‘cracked’) – and a nice payback for our Pumpers who create such a fantastic atmosphere that our performers revel in!
“In a festival of firsts there will be premiere performances by the pride of Scotland – 12 piece band Treacherous Orchestra; Welsh ambassadors Calan; Jim Moray&Sam Carter’s loud folk rock band False Lights and good time party bands such as CoCo & the Butterfields and Mad Dog Mcrea.
“But it isn’t just newcomers to the festival who will be creating a stir! The Village Pump is delighted to be welcoming back folk royalty in Barbara Dickson OBE & Nick Holland; Oysterband, the Strawbs, the reformed English Folk/Reggae fusion band Edward II plus Martin Carthy MBE and Dave Swarbrick – celebrating 50 years of creating brilliant music together.
“This year multi-award winning duo Megson will not only be performing their ‘Out of the Box’ set but also featuring their ‘Family Folk Show’ – designed and road tested with that most discerning of audiences – 4-5 year old children!
“Apart from Megson, entertainment and activities for these ‘apprentices to the Pump’ will come from Noisy Oyster, Wolly, Professor Eek, Francis Maxey, Kooky and Mr.Brown’s Pig. As is usual at the Village Pump, children and their minders can also participate in Kate’s Crafts and Gill’s Parachute Games and have great fun in so doing.
“It wouldn’t be the Village Pump Folk Festival without the appearances of Morris sides local to the festival so it will be great to welcome back both Holt and White Horse Morris.
“Away from the music programme, this year the entire traders’ offer has been totally revamped in response to many helpful suggestions and comments from our Pumpers. The food stalls will be offering the widest possible range of great eats – and they are proudly flying the flag for low food miles and terrific West Country produce.
“There also seems to be a theme of the adaptation of perhaps familiar looking vehicles from which to serve great food. Look out for Top Deck Tatties splendidly restored open topped double decker bus, whilst All Terrain Caffeine serve barista coffee from a restored Land Rover Defender and you can stop a Garbanzo Ice Cream Tricycle for that all important summer-time treat.
“Amongst the local crafts-workers with us for the first time this year will be Trevor Pictor of the White Horse Pottery leaving his established pottery, a Victorian School House on the Bratton Road, for a marquee on site. Trevor will be offering Pumpers a unique souvenir mug to take home with them.
“Other crafts on site include Wiltshire Guild of Spinners, Hannuman Kites of Bath, who sell the world’s smallest kite, and Buzzards Field Basses of Trowbridge with the essential but not often seen bass ukulele.
“A special addition to our services on site for our campers this year will be our very own Village Pump Shop. Who better to offer that service than the volunteers who successfully operate the Steeple Ashton Village community shop. They will be on site throughout the weekend supplying everything from Wiltshire ham to a tube of toothpaste!”
Festival director John Alderslade commented, “The Village Pump Folk Festival, like the Steeple Ashton village shop, represents the best of what people can do when they are minded to work together voluntarily for the benefit of their communities. This festival is entirely powered by voluntary effort. It succeeds through its Box Office takings as it receives not a pound of public investment or subsidy.
“We have listened to, and taken on board many excellent comments from last year’s Pumpers, and we really hope they like what they see, hear, taste, wear or use! This year’s festival will deliver on our usual promise of good times, good company and good music.
“Ticket sales are buoyant so we encourage those who have yet to purchase theirs to do so now! It wouldn’t be the same without you!”
www.villagepumpfolkfestival.co.uk
