Stay Cool at the Festival

Stay Cool at the Festival

Just a few days until this year’s Mitcheldean Festival – but it’s going to be very hot!

Free parking behind the Mews off Mitcheldean High Street has been kindly arranged by Vantage Point Business Village (see map). From there it is a short walk to all the Festival venues, including the Fete on the playing fields where there will be a water station for people to refill water bottles – do bring your own bottles, and think about sun hats and sun cream as well! There will also be a First Aid post on the field.

Mitcheldean WI will be providing refreshments in the community centre during the day, starting early with bacon butties! There will also be a wide range of refreshments in the parish church on Saturday, and a bar at the parish church on the Friday evening. Pepper’s Perfect Pizzas will be outside the Brewery Tap on Friday evening, and Mitcheldean has a very wide range of great takeaways open over the weekend.

The Met Office has issued a “danger to life” warning for Sunday, as temperatures are expected to reach 29 degrees C, or 84 degrees F in old money. This is already affecting the planned Sunday Folk Walk, as while the chosen route is largely under trees, it is still going to be hot, not least for any walking dogs. A final decision may well be taken outside the White Horse at 12 noon not to risk it. Those of us who have prepared songs to sing on the way may have to settle for performing at a shadier place – for confirmation on the day.

Otherwise the Festival and Fete programmes are going ahead as planned, keep safe and hydrated and enjoy!

Extra attractions at the Festival

Extra attractions at the Festival

As well as the anticipated events (see timetable below), we are pleased to announce there will be a comedy show at the Jolter Press on the afternoon of Sunday 17th July from 3.30 pm. The line-up will include popular favourite Col Howarth, the session chaired by the incomparable Darren Hoskins!

The Brewery Tap are also hosting their own launch party on the Friday evening, 15th July, when you can enjoy music from The Drift while washing down Pepper’s Perfect Pizzas with the Bespoke Brewery’s great real ales. Something for everyone at Mitcheldean Festival – come on down!

FRIDAY 15th JULY
Acoustic concert in the parish church 7- 9.30 pm

7.00 Andy Scarf
7.10 Karl Jennings
7.25 Sid Harvey & Mansfield Smith
7.50 Eden Tanner
8.00 Tracey and The Swannacks
8.30 TBC
9.00 Dick Brice

Music and song session in the Lamb from 8 pm
The Drift at the Brewery Tap

SATURDAY 16th JULY
Young Poets and Storytellers in the parish church, noon
Busking and Morris dancing in the village during the day

Fete on the playing field from 12.30, entertainments 2-4 pm:
• Pillowell Silver Band
• Mitcheldean Primary School
• Morris Dancing
• Tug O’ War between the two village pubs

Poetry recital in the Jolter Press from 4 – 6 pm
• Maggie Clutterbuck
• Annie Cavill
• Dick Brice
• Carol Sheppard
• Val Ormrod
• Tess Biddington
• Anna Saunders
• Jonathan Edwards
• Ziggy Slug

Concert in the parish church 4 – 9pm

4.00 Jan Vaisey and Ian Harvey
4.30 Bygonz
5.00 AnnTeek
5.30 Keith Hyett
6.00 John Eyre
6.30 The Taylor Family
7.00 Clint Mann
7.30 Rebil
8.00 The Long View
8.30 Mice in a Matchbox

Dancing and song in the community centre 7-30 – late

SUNDAY 17th JULY
Folk walk from 12 noon to 6 pm, starting at the White Horse
Music and song session in the White Horse from 2 pm
Gloucestershire Comedy at the Jolter Press from 3.30 pm

Advance Timetable 15th – 17th July 2022

Advance Timetable 15th – 17th July 2022

We are proud to continue to offer a wide range of family fun and entertainment that is free for all to attend and join in – come on down!

The Brewery Tap, Jolter Press, Lamb Inn and the White Horse will all be open, as well as the village’s many takeaways

Events over the July weekend are beginning to look like this:

FRIDAY 15th JULY

Acoustic concert in the parish church 7- 9.30pm
Music and song session in the Lamb from 8pm

SATURDAY 16th JULY

Young Poets and Storytellers in the parish church, noon
Busking and Morris dancing in the village during the day
Fete on the playing field 1 – 4pm, with entertainments:
• Pillowell Silver Band
• Mitcheldean Primary School
• Morris Dancing
• Harmony All Stars majorettes
• Tug O’ War between the two village pubs
Poetry recital in the Jolter Press from 4 – 6 pm
Concert in the parish church 4 – 9pm
Dancing and song in the community centre 7-30 – late

SUNDAY 17th JULY

Folk walk from 12 noon to 6 pm, starting at the White Horse
Music and song session in the White Horse from 2pm

And there’s more…

And there’s more…

We’ve had a great response to our last post – watch this space!

As well as the parish church concert on Saturday 16th July from 4 – 9pm, we have a great line-up for the acoustic concert the previous night, headlined by our good friend Dick Brice. With informal music sessions every day, Morris and ceilidh dancing on the Saturday as well as the Fete, the Poetry Festival and the Young Poets and Storytellers Competition, we’re looking forward to another great weekend – come on down!

Festival Concert Saturday 16th July

Festival Concert Saturday 16th July

We will be having a live concert in the parish church on Saturday 16th July as part of this year’s Mitcheldean Festival.

We have a great emerging line up, including our good friends Mice in a Matchbox, but there are four slots still unfilled.

If you or anyone you know would like to put together a 25-minute performance spot, please get in touch via talktous@mitcheldeanfestival.fod.uk – Many thanks!

WE’RE BACK!

WE’RE BACK!

After two years of only meeting online, we will be live in Mitcheldean from 15th – 17th July 2022.

More details of the programme available shortly, but there will be singing, dancing, poetry and storytelling – plus the new tug-of-war contest at the village fete between the White Horse and the Lamb Inn.

We look forward to seeing you in July, put the dates in your diary – Cheers!

Poetry Festival 2021

Poetry Festival 2021

The spectacular success in adverse circumstance of this year’s Young Poets & Story-tellers Competitions will be celebrated at the online Poetry Festival from 2pm on Saturday 17th July, with the full awards ceremony and presentation of prizes held later in the year.

The advance programme looks like this:

2pm Introduction to the Poetry Festival including news of the competitions (but not yet the winners)

2.10 – 2.50 – Readings by Forest poets Annie Caville, Roger Drury, Val Ormorod and Carol Shepherd.

2.50 – 3.00 Paul Manning to introduce Maggie Clutterbuck and Dick Brice who will read from their new books due in September.

3.00 – 3.20 – Maggie Clutterbuck then Dick Brice.

3.20 – 4.20 – Readings by modern poets Tess Biddington, Ziggy Dicks, Jonathan Edwards, Ben Ray, Anna Saunders.

See the Mitcheldean Festival Facebook page for more details on how to log in.

Plans for 2022

Plans for 2022

There will be some evening singing performances online on Saturday 17th July 2021, but no concerts in the church due to the pandemic as already announced. Looking ahead to 2022, we would like to have your views on what kind of music you would like to come and hear in the future. There is a short questionnaire attached, please let us know your thoughts and preferences and email your reply to talktous@mitcheldeanfestival.fod.uk – we look forward to hearing from you.

Mitcheldean Festival flier and questionnaire June 2021.

Sorry, no concerts in 2021

Sorry, no concerts in 2021

We’re sorry to announce that, in view of the continued uncertainty around the ending of lockdown we have decided to abandon plans for our two showcase concerts this year. Although we had a number of artists who were interested in performing live the availability of the venue and terms of its use are still unclear.

We did consider a virtual concert like last year but several of our artists were unable to perform virtually this year so we have decided to skip the concerts.

Other elements of the festival will go ahead in a reduced or virtual format and we will tell you more about that in the weeks to come.