Sidmouth Folk Week 2006 - Round Up
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• SMILES from a performer at Sidmouth Folk Week.
Ref: P4730-32-06JR |
Pictures by Jon Ryan and Terry Ife
Report by Andrew Coley
SIDMOUTH has again proved itself to be a magnet for all those
people who enjoy the entertainment of Folk Week.
With the backdrop of Regency architecture, Folk Week devotees mixed
with those who wanted to spend time by the sea.
Street traders’ stands stretched out along the Esplanade, as
they showed off their wares, while other visitors hired deckchairs
to look out to sea, or went to the beach to take in the sun.
Among the products on offer were jewellery, tarot readings, hair
braiding, henna tattoos, face painting and kites.
Those who thought they could take up playing a musical instrument
had a good selection to choose from.
A didgeridoo seller demonstrated how to play the Aboriginal instrument,
while elsewhere, on the Ham, violins, guitars, bodhrans and a wide
range of other traditional instruments were on sale.
Some of those, who have already learned to play, took the opportunity
to perform for themselves and the wandering public, with a number
of buskers along the sea front.
A saxophonist played George Gershwin’s Summertime, perfectly
in keeping with the bright sunshine that beat down on the festival.
A banjo player brought a taste of years gone by, with George Formby’s
When I’m Cleaning Windows and small groups with squeezeboxes,
bagpipes and guitars all entertained the passers by.
It was not just visitors who took advantage of the large number
of people at the festival, with many Sidmouth food-providers having
long queues and other Sidmouth organisations running refreshment
stands.
Blackmore Gardens was a popular spot with many people, with its
craft marquee and the family entertainment going on all around.
One of the lawns became an impromptu arena at times with folk dancers
going through their routines.
All of the venues seem to have been busy this year and the event
has been helped by the good weather.
There were many who feared the festival would close after its 50th
year in 2004, but organisers of Sidmouth Folk Week have pulled the
event back into the town centre, giving the whole town a buzz.
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