Bideford Folk Festival in the English County of Devon

Bideford didn't look as if there was a folk festival imminent when I made a reconnoitre on Sunday, the day before the Festival was due to begin. The fastest thing moving about the streets of the north Devon town of Bideford were discarded fish and chip wrappers and the odd newspaper.

True there were some impressive signs up at the roundabout advertising the festival, but somehow Bideford just didn't seem to have an air of anticipation.

Little seemed to have changed the next day when I turned up at the Joiners Arms in Bideford town centre. A few folkies were having a singaround but there was no sign of any instrumentalists looking for a session to 'make my day'!

However, there were a few organisers who were very welcoming. I told them that I really loved the idea on their web site of putting the open free joining in session at the centre of the festival. Paid for events are great but most folk musicians play something or sing and we just love to get 'down and dirty' and practice our art.

The organisers seem to have been working really hard to make this years Bideford Folk Festival the best and biggest yet. But Sidmouth International Folk Festival took place only the previous week, and most of the folk music world are probably still feeling fragile ... including yours truly. I think they might find they are on an uphill climb even steeper than the steep streets of Bideford (and boy are they steep)!

Tonight, I'm off to join in at the free Irish Session at the Blacksmith's Arms which is technically not in Bideford but at 'East the Water' which is on the other side of the water to Bideford and considered a separate town. Last year, the Irish Session was their best attended event with 50 plus packed into the bar area so I hope tonight's going to be a good one.

Check out this space for further reports.


Relate Topics:

Sidmouth
Sidmouth Folk
Sidmouth Folk Festival
Devon
traditional English folk music
Bideford
Bideford Folk
Bideford Folk Festival
East the Water
Blacksmiths Arms
Joiners Arms