Stroud's First Folk Festival

Featuring, on fiddle, Becky Dellow. The man with the beautiful golden hair is Jeff Gillett. The venue is the George Rooms, the downstairs 'sessions' space at the Subscription rooms. Jeff and Becky used to play often at the Golden Fleece on a Thursday night, back in the day. Before that, even, Becky and I were both in !No Pasaran!, a musical play put on by the Stroud Football poets about the Spanish Civil War. The little boy was in the front row of the audience.

Upstairs were the well-known acts. I took lots of shots of Martha Tilston and the scientists, but on a slow shutter speed. They turned out pretty poor, but Martha and the band were on top form, as were the headliners, Spiers and Boden, founder members of Bellowhead. I bought one of Martha's CDs and hung out between one performance space and the other, and the downstairs bar. I was having an alcohol-free day, which is odd because folk festivals and cider go together, along with p*ssing rain or blazing sun, and Morris dancers! I missed the Morris sides, which I regret, but there were only three. Stroud FF is in its infancy, so there is room for more Morris, and workshops, and even a folkie creche for me to work in! I had better suggest it. Though to be fair, the average punter did seem to be well past the need for a creche: maybe next year they could bring the grandchildren!

I've only ever been to one ceilidh at the Subs, but I do like a dance. Finally got up at the end of the Spiers and Boden gig. English folkies are a bit reserved, compared to their Celtic neighbours. I do prefer freestyle though, because me and organised sports don't really go hand in hand. Not for want of trying, but my partners do tend to find me exceedingly trying!

Not a square crop: it would not fit! I'm allowing myself off the square peg once a week.