Malmesbury’s First Folk Festival hits the right note as bands play to capacity crowds at the folk and roots festival.
They came, they danced and they sang at Malmesbury’s first ever folk festival, with bands playing to a capacity audience. The Folk & Roots Festival was pulled together in a few weeks by a small team. It took place in the beautiful cloister gardens of Malmesbury Abbey. The festival sold out, with 500 attendees.
Malmesbury’s First Folk Festival – Festival-goers at Malmesbury Folk & Roots (pics by Richard Harris, RJH Studios)
Backed by Malmesbury Town Council, and timed to coincide with the inaugural European Folk Day, sideshows, stalls and Morris dancing sides complemented a stellar line-up on stage.
One of the organisers was Malmesbury resident Catherine Burke, who runs the renowned Purbeck Valley Folk Festival. Catherine was able to book top folk bands, including 3 Daft Monkeys, Martha Tilson, Old Baby Mackerel and Wiltshire band Fly Yeti Fly.
I’m delighted with how the festival went. There was a great atmosphere, the music was awesome, and everyone had a lot of fun,’ said Catherine. ‘It was a shame to have to turn people without tickets away. To have sold out on the first year of a festival is unheard of. It’s a lovely surprise and we’re all over the moon!’
Profits raised
Any profits raised will go to Mayor of Malmesbury Cllr Gavin Grant’s three Mayoral charities:
HEALS of Malmesbury
Malmesbury animal sanctuary
Malmesbury River Valleys Trust
It was a fantastic atmosphere, the Abbey made a beautiful backdrop and we showcased Malmesbury at its best,’ said Cllr Grant. ‘A big thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make it happen and we hope it can become an annual fixture of Malmesbury’s music calendar.’
Malmesbury Mayor Cllr Gavin Grant with Wiltshire band Fly Yeti Fly (pic by Liz Cook)
Paralympian ‘PATH TO PARIS’ Ambassador. CHRIS Hunt Skelley MBE, gold judo medalist at the Paralympics in Tokyo, is one of five paralympic ambassadors chosen for the ‘PATH TO PARIS’ initiative. Its aim to encourage children to get active by following in their sporting heroes’ footsteps.
Chris Hunt Skelley MBE who is one of five Paralympic ambassadors, alongside five Olympic ambassadors for the Path to Paris programme to get children active in the run up to the Game in Paris in August & September next year.
One of five
Chris will be one of five Paralympic ambassadors. And there will also be five Olympic ambassadors. They’ll be encouraging schools, community groups or families to set up teams for children to take part, for free, and also learn about the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
‘I’m humbled and thrilled to be part of this project,’ Chris said. ‘Sport has always been an important part of my life. And, when I realised that I was losing my sight and there was nothing I could do about it, the sport of judo saved my life.
‘When I started out in this sport, I didn’t dream I could become the best in the world or win a medal at the Paralympics, yet here I am. If I can inspire one young person to embrace sport, get active and feel great about themselves then I’ve done my job.’
It’s all Greek to me!
The virtual challenge ‘begins’ in Athens, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. From there, children will embark on a virtual journey around the world in a team bus. They’ll complete fun activities as they explore different places on their way to the Paris games.
Every physical activity logged will earn kilometres to power a virtual team bus to its final destination. Whether it’s jumping on the trampoline in the garden, playing wheelchair basketball, attending a weekly judo club, or dancing around the living room as a family, it all counts. So everyone can get involved and get their hearts racing doing something they enjoy.
It’s an education too
As well as getting active, children will learn about athletes and their sports. Also the history of the games, and can win prizes too. These range from sports equipment, posters and stickers to help them track their progress. There’s even exclusive school visits from Olympic and Paralympic athletes! Team members might also get shout outs on social media from athletes, or win awards for their outstanding achievements. Whether that’s as an individual or as a family. Jamie Piggins of Team GB said: ‘The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will inspire the nation. With the best British athletes providing incredible performances on the global stage.
The Path to Paris programme will allow young people from across Great Britain and Northern Ireland to feel closer to these unforgettable moments. All by taking part in physical activity, meeting inspirational athletes, and learning more about the Olympic and Paralympic movement.’
David Clarke OBE PLY, ParalympicsGB CEO, said: ‘We’re excited that, as part of this programme, there’ll be a focus on disabled children and their families. This focus will help to inspire and support them to take part in more physical activity. It’s our belief it will have significant social impact across the country. As children embrace the values of the paralympic games they’ll build active networks with their families and communities and form regular habits. That way they can continue an active lifestyle long after the 2024 Games are over.’
Path to Paris
Path to Paris is easy for schools to activate. It fits with the curriculum, with key links to PE, PSHE/health and wellbeing, geography, and history.
Malmesbury folk festival tickets flying. Indeed, tickets are selling like hot cakes for Malmesbury’s first ever folk festival. It’s happening this weekend in the Abbey’s beautiful Cloister Gardens on Saturday September 23.
Malmesbury town council are backing the Malmesbury folk & roots festival, timed to coincide with the inaugural European Folk Day.
Capacity crowd
Bands look set to be performing before a capacity crowd of 500. Organisers hope the festival will become an annual highlight of the folk music calendar.
Malmesbury Mayor Cllr Gavin Grant urged people to get their tickets soon, as there’s no guarantee there’ll be any left on the day. ‘We have such a thriving music and arts scene in Malmesbury that we were confident people would want to come along. Indeed this has proved to be the case.
Ticket sales are going well and we hope the event will be a sellout. It’s going to be a fantastic day, and we hope everyone enjoys themselves. A big thank you to the small team of volunteers who’ve pulled out all the stops to make this happen.’
Line-up
There’s a varied lineup, including 3 Daft Monkeys, Martha Tilston, The Carrivick Sisters and Wiltshire band Fly Yeti Fly. Rock legend and Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson has appeared in a video, giving his backing to the festival and encouraging people to come along.
Fly Yeti Fly – one of the acts taking part in the festival – and the Malmesbury folk festival tickets flying
During the day groups of Morris dancers will be performing in the town, and there will be food and drink stalls at the festival itself. Burton Hill campsite is offering a discount to festival-goers. Meanwhile local cafes, shops and restaurants are getting ready for a busy day’s trading.
Yep. Before anyone says it, this post about the Old Town Laundry bar is a bit of a cheat in this Swindon in 50 drinks series. Obvs this is more about the venue than one particular drink – as the posts in this series largely are. But – it had to go somewhere so here it is. And there’s a goodly selection of drinks to be had for sure.
the old town laundry bar on Vic hill in Swindon
So I’ve been wanting to go this place for a while – and at last got round to it last night. Was it worth the wait? Yes it was – we had a great night and def keen to go again.
The bar – sorry – launderette – is on Victoria Hill – next to Long’s Bar. Check out this aerial shot to place it.
Your booking is referred to as a ‘wash’ – and the laundry them looms large on their social media – and indeed in the establishment itself.
The drinks
I think there’s twenty-four cocktails on the menu. They’re quite the most imaginative drinks I’ve ever encountered – and that’s in all aspects. The naming, the ingredients and the presentation. It’s all tremendous fun.
The Swindon Advertiser reported thus: ‘Liam Larkin, deputy manager, explained that they’d invested a lot of time n coming up with the cocktail menu and how to make each drink unique and an ‘event’ in itself. One comes in a lamp that will be presented with an element of fire and another will be in an old-fashioned cereal bowl. … … We wanted to do something completely different,’ Liam said. There are places like this in Manchester or Bristol, so we thought why not do something like that here, but put our own spin on it ..’ (Not sure if that was an intentional pun!)
The staff we encountered were super friendly and happy to chat about the place, the drinks, the concept – anything.
What follows now is a selection of photographs to give you a flavour of the place. I can’t now remember the names of the two drinks that I had – they were both rum based and were delicious – and one of them had a flambé thing going on. Some of the pics are a bit blurry. I’m blaming the rum! First up – the false front to the speakeasy!
And now some of the drinks – you get the idea I’m sure.
Serial Killer Monk’s Secrets revealed by historian, Tony Mcaleavy.
MALMESBURY ABBEYhas a long, fascinating and, at times, grisly history. A history that historian Tony Mcaleavy has been researching for many years. One that he’ll be revealing in one of two talks he will give during this year’s Wessex Week taking place in the town in October. He will even talk about a once-unknown monk, John of Tintern, who was a serial killer and a 14th century ‘gangster’.
Serial Killer Monk’s Secrets Revealed – Tony Mcaleavy, one of the two founder volunteers of Wessex Week. Tony has discovered that one of the Abbey’s monks was a serial killer.
Historian and author
Tony is a professional historian and author. And, since 2016, has been one of the group of people who, along with Julia Bowen and Barbara Pollard and others, who’ve helped to organise and run Wessex Week in the town.
This year will be a little different though, as Tony stepped back from the organisational side of things to concentrate on his latest book, Malmesbury Abbey 670-1539: Patronage, Scholarship and Scandal. It’s the first full-length medieval history of the Abbey, which is due to for publication this month – September 2023.
I’ve lived in Malmesbury for over forty years. Over the last few decades I’ve become completely obsessed with the history of the town. It’s got lots of history and there are lots of sources that I’ve yet to explore.’
Boydell Press commissioned the book three years ago. But, off and on, it’s been almost ten years of research.’
What’s happening in Wessex week
During Wessex Week, Tony will be giving two talks both based on the research that went into his latest book. The first will be a broad-sweep history of the Abbey from the 7th to the 16th centuries, charting the rise and fall of the monks of Malmesbury.
‘I’m delighted to be giving this talk in the Abbey, which will be very special, to be talking about the history of the place, in the place itself.
‘The stories are brilliant and the people associated with medieval Malmesbury are so interesting. It’s full of saints and sinners and this extraordinary gamut of characters with associations with the Abbey. So I’m particularly interested in that human dimension.
I’ve uncovered some quite extraordinary stories that are not in previous history books. The most startling discovery I’ve come across is that of a monk, John of Tintern. He became an abbot in the 14th century but was a serial killer.’
Tony came across the criminal file while researching in the National Archives in Kew: ‘He was a bit of a gangster who terrorised the people of Wiltshire for years. He travelled with a hitman. And local people accused him of ‘bumping off’ anyone who crossed him. Legend has it,he was responsible for four murders and got away with each of them. So, this Abbot was a serial killer who evaded justice. But at length succumbed to the Black Death’
Another grisly event uncovered by Tony involved a massacre in the abbey church in 1153, perpetrated by soldiers loyal to Henry Plantagenet. He was on the brink of becoming King Henry II, and the soldiers chased the locals onto holy ground and killed them all.
Tony’s second talk
Tony’s second talk will reveal the links between medieval Malmesbury and the queens of England.
There existed a strong set of connections between the women of the Royal family from Anglo-Saxon times through to the Tudor period,’ Tony says.
The talk will take place in The Old Bell Hotel, close to the abbey – a place full of history in and of itself.
‘The hotel was the former guest house of the abbey. As a part of the abbey precinct, it provides an amazing sense of continuity – thus it’s often called the oldest hotel in England. You can still see several 13th century features in the hotel, including a beautiful early 13th century fireplace, so it’s another great venue.’
And history has always been a big part of Tony’s life. ‘I studied history at Oxford University and for many years acted as the schools’ history adviser for Gloucestershire County Council.’
He’s also written several history books. His works include volumes for English Heritage, secondary subject texts for Cambridge University Press and about education reform for the education charity for which he currently works as a research director.
Wessex week 2023
This year’s Wessex Week features a series of events that will celebrate the region’s history, culture and art through the centuries with a particular emphasis on Malmesbury and the Anglo-Saxon period. The events take place in the town between Saturday, October 14 and Saturday, October 21.
It’s a community event and an opportunity for Malmesbury folk to celebrate the town’s very rich, medieval heritage,” explains Tony. ‘It’s got different dimensions to it, with a mic of music and drama, as well as traditional academic history. So it’s got a festival feel to it and helps to put our beautiful town on the map.’
Tony’s talks at this year’s festival:
The Story of Malmesbury Abbey: 670 – 1539. October 14, 7 pm to 9 pm. £15.00.
Happening in the abbey: Malmesbury and the Queens of Medieval England. October 18, 7:30 pm to 9 pm. £10.00
Garden Room: Old Bell Hotel, Abbey Row, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
Tickets for any of these events are available online via the Wessex Week website https://wessex-week.org – and there are some also available to buy at the tourist information centre based at Malmesbury town hall.
