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Plymouth Inn good Saturday session at Baring Gould Festival 2009, Okehampton, Devon

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

On the spur of the moment, I decided to pop down to the Baring Gould Festival 2009 in Okehampton, Devon and join the other musicians at the lunchtime session in the Plymouth Inn hosted by Malcolm Woods and had a great time.

I arrived early and the friendly pub lady pointed out the area where the session was to take place but added that there was a Morris dancing display before the session started in front of the pub. Bearing in mind I have recently joined the Exmoor Border Morris side as a band member, I couldn’t miss this opportunity to broaden my knowledge of ’sticking’, ‘hanky waving’ and such like things.

The Cogs and Wheels Ladies Morris put on a fine display but I nipped off early to make sure I got a good seat for the session and found our host for the session had set up residence and lots of musicians were already arriving.

Amazingly, the session went on for seven hours under the gentle and friendly guidance of Malcolm Woods and his assorted helpers. It was a splendid example of what a good session should be. Malcolm was always ready to step in with another great traditional English tune when others had run out of steam but otherwise let the musicians get on with it. Ideal! There were even a few Irish traditional tunes and songs to provide a bit of variety.

I left at around seven pm just about when the hard-working Malcolm (photo right in the black T-shirt) was heading off for a bite to eat. I suspect he was likely to be back later to steer the continuing session through the rest of the evening but, unfortunately, I had to drive eighty miles to get home.

Will I go back to the Plymouth Inn session at Baring Gould Festival 2009, Okehampton, Devon in 2010? You bet I will and perhaps Malcolm Woods will be there doing another great job of running a mainly traditional English folk tunes session again.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott

Posted in Baring Gould Festival 2009, Cogs and Wheels Ladies Morris, Devon, Exmoor Border Morris, Irish tune, Musicians, News from Rob Hopcott, Okehampton, Plymouth Inn, good session, hanky waving, sticking, traditional English tune | 2 Comments »

Folk Camps Weekend for aspiring folk dance band musicians

Friday, February 27th, 2009

Pete Mac playing along at the Sidmouth Sailing Club session, Sidmouth Folk festival 2008I just heard from Pete Mac that he is running musician workshops at the next folk camp weekend at Beckford in Worcestershire with folk camp leader Mic Spenceley.

If you like playing folk music, folk dancing, camping and being with a great bunch of people with similar interests, Folk Camps are well worth checking out.

This event takes place in and around the Beckford Village Hall Friday 5th – Sunday 7th June 2009. Booking is through the Folk Camps Society and definitely must be done in advance.

According to Pete, who is a very well known musician around the folk festivals and also, with his wife Nicole, has a popular and well established dance band called Redwing:

Bring your own tent or caravan and self cater. Music sessions, workshops and Saturday evening dance with the opportunity to dance or play in the band. Bring your copy of ‘Band Swing’ if you have it. Workshops will use Pete’s new publication ‘Band Time’ – call Pete on 01395 266553.

He also adds:

There are attractive villages to see nearby. Bredon Hill has great views and Tewkesbury, Eversham, Cheltenham and Winchcombe are all within range.

Weekend price for adults £32, less for young people.

I had a great time at the musician’s folk camp I attended and felt there was a genuine effort by the organisers to cater for musicians of different ability and the Saturday evening folk dance was a lot of fun.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott – online writer and folk musician

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Posted in Beckford, Folk Camps Weekend, Musicians, News from Rob Hopcott, Worcestershire, band musicians, camping, dance, dance band, folk, folk dance, folk dance band, folk dancing, folk festivals, folk music, music sessions, music workshops | No Comments »

Passion for music is what makes a violin or fiddle musician

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

Not that I’m against beginner musicians. On the contrary, I’m very much in favour of the body of people who care about making music being expanded. Playing a musical instrument such as a violin or a fiddle is a wonderful way to make friends and be part of a community. The joy I feel when I’m amongst other instruments as the melodic threads drift in and out of each other is totally wonderful – and I know that Tom feels the same because I’ve heard him say so many times.

But there is a great difference between somebody who has a genuine passion for learning to play the violin and a person who is told that they must add it to the range of their other after-school activities.

On the one hand, the beginner who has a musical passion cannot be dragged away from playing. They will spend hours getting the angle of the violin bow right against the violin strings and further hours testing different places to lay the bow closer to or further away from the bridge, savouring the alteration in sound each time.

The non-musical novice will do his or her ten minutes practice on the violin – but only because they have been reminded several times, increasingly with threats of retribution – then they will stop. For these beginners, learning the violin is a chore instead of an entry into paradise. They are best left to go outdoors and play cricket – preferably using a proper cricket bat and not the violin – or playing in their bedroom with their dolls.

Don’t get me wrong, though, dear blog reader, people who don’t play a musical instrument are in no way inferior in the opinion of this humble violin. I seek only to argue that people who play violins or other musical instruments are different and have a natural inbuilt passion or aptitude.

I remember in a pub one day a young lady coming up to Tom and congratulating him on his fiddle playing. When he complimented her back and thanked her profusely for listening she was puzzled until he explained:

“Playing my violin with other musical instruments is a joy but never so much as when we have an appreciative audience.”

It is true that, for there to be performers there must also be people to be performed to. An audience are the bow to the violin and the breath in a wooden flute. They are the musicians reason for existence. It would be better to teach these young people who have no interest in playing how to listen for that is a great and wonderful talent in itself.

Posted in Musicians, News from Rob Hopcott, audience, beginner musicians, fiddle, fiddle playing, melodic threads, musical instrument, musical passion, musician, passion for music, play the violin, violin, violin bow, violin strings | No Comments »

Community orientated folk music festival denied grant aid funding by Government

Thursday, May 29th, 2008

I have just heard that the Wessex Folk Festival held each year in Weymouth and which packs Hope Square in the Harbour area and local pubs with visitors each year has not been supported by grant aid from any Government organisation.

I find this decision incomprehensible.

In my article which described the dedication of the hard working group of people that have made such a success of the Wessex Folk Festival at Weymouth, I described the economic benefits and regeneration brought by this popular weekend music entertainment that is due to take place 6 – 8 June 2008.

The list of local small businesses in Weymouth that benefit from this popular folk festival is almost endless but includes pubs and cafes, bed and breakfast guest houses, hotels, campsites, fast food take-aways and gift shops.

But there are other non-monetary benefits. The organisers of the Wessex Folk Festival passionately believe in the benefits to the community arising out of the public being involved in performances.

As well as well known musicians and singers, talented but less well known performers are also given an opportunity to play on the main free performance stage in Hope Square and local pubs and bars are encouraged to host joining in music sessions or ‘bashes’ where the public can bring along their instruments and play a tune or sing a traditional song. The success of this music ‘rooted in the community’ is plain to see by anybody who has visited the Kings Arms or the Sailors Return during the festival weekend (see below).


In a year when huge sums of money are being spent in Liverpool to turn it into the Capital of Culture, it seems odd to deny this Weymouth folk festival a few thousand pounds of support.

In my view, supporting community activities is much more important for regeneration and has hugely more social value than millions pumped into posh buildings?

What do you think? Please comment, especially if you are one of the hard working organisers who have wasted a lot of time on making grant applications.

If you are a philanthropic organisation or person who believes in worthy projects that help communities achieve social cohesion, I’m sure the volunteer organisers of the Wessex Folk Festival would like to hear from you.

Bye for now

Rob

Posted in City of Culture, Government failure, Liverpool City of Culture, Local Government, Musicians, News from Rob Hopcott, Wessex Folk Festival, community regeneration, folk music festival, grant aid, grant funding, regeneration | No Comments »

One more step – a flash fiction very short story about an old stone seat, lost love, romance, death and reunion by Rob Hopcott

Saturday, April 26th, 2008

One more step and I will see the old stone seat at the top of the hill. The prickly green and gold gorse bushes crowd my path and their heady perfume my senses. In the distance, the sea is blue, lapping the shores of the Bristol Channel.

My walking stick, cut from my garden’s apple tree in the valley below is my comforter and relieves my arthritic legs as I pause to gaze back across the rolling Exmoor Hills and valleys I’ve loved all my life.

I know not why but in my other hand, I carry an old wooden flute – my wooden flute. It is a strange thing to carry to the top of a high hill but it is comforting. It has been with me for the happiest moments of my life.

Together, we have made music. Sometimes by ourselves and sometimes with our friends for hour after happy hour. Eyes smiling, bodies bent together, sharing the rhythms, violin bows rising and falling. Always my flute soaring like a lark through the sounds, texture and melodies in perfect time.

My love played the violin until she left me. For many years she was my only love and since then there has been no other. Of all the people with whom I have shared music, she reached me most deeply. Her sounds raised my spirits into the white clouds and held them aloft as they danced among the green hills and the gentle countryside. Together we enjoyed our long romance, spending our lives contentedly walking, living and loving. This was our favourite hill and I am determined to climb it again.

One more step and I am there. The wind is singing in the branches of our favourite tree and a narrow shaft of sunlight is breaking through the clouds illuminating brightly the old grey stone seat we have so often shared. Somewhere a violin is playing and the wind is like a softly spoken orchestra. One more step and I will hear it all more clearly. The air is like crystal this May day morning and someone is calling for me not to be afraid.

As I settle my old body against the cold, comforting stone, I feel calm. Once more I lift my flute to my lips. The orchestra has reached a crescendo and my love’s violin is rising and falling in arpeggios more brilliant than the brightest sun.

One more breath, one more melody and my love and I are, once more, reunited.

The End

Rob Hopcott, online author

Enjoyed this? You may also enjoy Loneliness, love, romance and the long distance railway

This short flash fiction very short story about an old stone seat, lost love, romance, death and reunion is copyright Rob Hopcott 2008, all rights reserved. All characters and places in this flash short fiction love story and other free on-line humor, short stories, flash fictions, science fictions, micro-fictions, sudden fictions, post card fictions or very short stories on this site, are fictitious and no reference is intended to any person or organization, living or otherwise.

Posted in Musicians, News from Rob Hopcott, death, flash fiction, flute, lost love, love, love story, music story, orchestra, reunion, reunion after death, romance story, sad stories, sad story, sad storys, very short story, violin | No Comments »

Bohemian creative life and people who love creativity in West Somerset, West Country, UK

Friday, April 4th, 2008

Perhaps bohemia and the bohemian life can be discovered wherever we are. I have an interesting story to tell about how a creative group of people can spring up from almost anywhere.

Originally, envisaged as a sort of cultural and arts drop in centre at Williton, the West Somerset Creative Project has just been established to bring together people who love creativity, the creative arts and all things creative in West Somerset, West Country, UK both online and in real world locations all over West Somerset and I attended their steering group meeting last Monday.

Art and artists, photography and photographers, authors, writers and writing, poets, dancers and dancing, music and musicians, craft and crafters, drama and theatre lovers and many more creative people are welcomed to join in and get involved with this community driven project.

If you are interested or involved in creative activities of any sort in any of the following towns, villages and hamlets, or in the coutryside nearby, the people over at West Somerset Creative Project want to hear from you.

  • Alcombe
  • Bicknoller
  • Brompton Ralph
  • Brompton Regis
  • Brushford
  • Carhampton
  • Clatworth
  • Crowcombe
  • Cutcombe
  • Dulverton
  • Dunster
  • East Quantoxhead
  • Elmworthy
  • Emmetts Grange
  • Exebridge
  • Exford
  • Exmoor
  • Exton
  • Hawkridge
  • Holford
  • Huish Champflower
  • Kilve
  • Luccombe
  • Luckwell Bridge
  • Luxborough
  • Middlecombe
  • Minehead
  • Monksilver
  • Nettlecombe
  • Oare
  • Old Cleeve
  • Porlock
  • Sampford Brett
  • Selworthy
  • Simonsbath
  • Skilgate
  • Stogumber
  • Stogursey
  • Stringston
  • Timberscombe
  • Treborough
  • Upton
  • Washford
  • Watchet
  • West Quantoxhead
  • Williton
  • Winsford
  • Withycombe
  • Withypool
  • Woodcombe
  • Wootton Courtenay

It’s a community led organisation that is looking for helpers so, if you live in or visit West Somerset, why not pop over to their blog and leave your details as a comment under your activity of interest to keep updated.

Perhaps see you over there :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Posted in Musicians, News from Rob Hopcott, West Somerset, art, artists, authors, bohemian community, craft, crafters, creative, creativity, dancers, dancing, drama, music, photographers, photography, poet, theatre, writers, writing | No Comments »

Eccentric or bohemian – my ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ experience

Monday, January 7th, 2008


So there I was wondering where my true bohemia of artists, authors and musicians might be hidden away in some far off place when the doorbell rang.

It was an old guy (yep, even older than me) who lives nearby and has a very old motorbike. When I say very old, I mean really very old, as in early 1900s. It’s his hobby to tinker with things and make them work and old things need more tinkering than new things so buying old things keeps him pretty happy.

His latest acquisition is an old motorbike from the time before starter motors were invented. To start this motorbike means running along and then jumping on it at the right moment and engaging the thingummy to the whatsemecallit. (I’m not really technical on mechanical things, in case you hadn’t noticed). Which is all very well, if you are young, fit and athletic. Not perhaps ideal for old geezers in their 60s and pulling a pension.

Anyway, so I said “Hi how’s it going?” and he said could I press a button on a device in his back garden while he did something on this old motorbike.

It turned out that the device I had to press was mounted on an old converted electric mobility scooter which used two large batteries to turn two rollers. The idea was that the motorbike back wheel rested on the two rollers and when I pressed my special button, the rollers rolled around and the old motorbike would start without him having to push it along the road.

Well, it didn’t. He sat on the motorbike on top of this rolling road. I felt scared as to whether I might be electrocuted by all the bare wires that were waving around. Bravely, I pressed the button wondering what would happen if the motorbike kicked into action and the back motorbike wheels started to drive the rolling road. The rollers turned around. More scary thoughts from yours truly who normally thinks picking up a pen is an adventure. More wobbling from my friend balanced on this old motorbike on this lash up rolling road.

But the motorbike wouldn’t start.

Fifteen minutes later, he decided he needed a mark 2 version so, to get him started, I pushed him on this old motorbike down the road.

Fortunately, it started before I was too far in the direction of the next town and I retired back to the safety of my office and laptop while he roared happily off into the distance.

All of which brought to my mind the English sit com ‘Last of the Summer Wine‘.

So is eccentric the same thing as bohemian?

If it is then perhaps where I already live is actually quite bohemian. In addition to inventive old motorbike enthusiasts, there are artists (probably), musicians (I know quite a few because I play music with them) and a small writers circle (which I’ve never introduced myself to). So why am I looking further afield?

I dunno. To me, there is a difference. Quaffing coffee in a packed meeting place with friends who want to talk about metaphor and transliteration just grabs me as more interesting than risking life and limb around a rusty old motorbike on an improvised rolling road.

Am I wrong?

Bye for now

Rob

Posted in Last of the Summer Wine, Musicians, News from Rob Hopcott, artists, authors, bohemia, bohemian communities, eccentric, ethnic, metaphor, rolling road, transliteration, very old motorbikes | No Comments »

Whence Bohemia, bohemians and bohemianism?

Monday, December 31st, 2007


As an author and musician, I have often yearned for the close intellectual company of fellow authors and musicians on a day-to-day basis.

My working day is mostly spent writing, which is a solitary activity, interspersed with walks on the local moorlands close to where I live.

Recently, I have been investigating options for relocating my office and it occurred to me that there may be communities of artists, authors and musicians out there.

This blog is dedicated to the discovery and documentation of my researches into whether fellow artists, authors and musicians group together to live the bohemian life and where are their communities.

If you are an artist, author, musician or other creative person and are able to share information on Bohemia, bohemians or bohemianism, it would be most welcome.

Bye for now

Rob

(Rob Hopcott – online author – fiction – news)

Posted in Musicians, News from Rob Hopcott, artist, artists, author, authors, bohemia, bohemian, bohemian communities, bohemian community, bohemian life, bohemian lifestyle, bohemian location, bohemianism, bohemians, musician | No Comments »

Random humorous thoughts about artists, musicians, authors and dating by Rob Hopcott

Thursday, November 22nd, 2007

It’s a funny world but sometimes it’s best to see humour in everything and, as a creative person, slightly mad (often more than slightly), I usually do.

Here are some very random thoughts, loosely based on news stories and current affairs.

An artist, when asked why he looked so depressed after his painting had made one million at a contemporary art auction, despite being previously stolen then dumped on a pile of rubble, explained “Because the pile of rubble made two million.”

I often hear how difficult it is for people to find the perfect partner. How much more difficult is it if you are looking for a partner with highly specific compatible interests.

Author single, good looking, wealthy with large house (no mortgage), athletic (gsoh), kind, considerate and caring would like to meet (wltm) attractive female author or writer looking for a man who likes to write fiction.

Or

Folk musician, male, likes to play folk music … Well that’s about it really … Would like to meet (wltm) similar folk musician, female, … Someone really interesting…

Well, these random thoughts made me chuckle :-)

Have a good day

Rob

(On-line author – fiction – news)

Copyright Rob Hopcott 2007. All characters in these very short humorous stories or jokes about art and artists, authors or writers and folk musicians and other free on-line humor, short stories, flash fictions, micro-fictions, sudden fictions, post card fictions or very short stories on this site are fictitious and no reference is intended to any person living or otherwise.

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Posted in Musicians, News from Rob Hopcott, art, artists, author, authors, dating, folk musicians, humor, humour, joke, musician, writer, writers, writing | Comments Off

Minehead Tennis Club, West Somerset, England autumn Open Mixed tournament

Monday, September 25th, 2006

Sandwiched between thunder storms on Saturday night and the aches I feel this Monday morning was the autumn mixed doubles Minehead Lawn Tennis Club, West Somerset, England open tennis tournament :-)

I had been missing out on club night tennis play in recent weeks due to being out and about throughout the West of England in West Country counties of Devon and Cornwall ( UK and West Country Musicians ) and my Prince Warrior (TM) tennis rackets were really itching to play some tennis.

So when one of the finer female players in Minehead Tennis Club had asked me to be her partner, I said ‘yes’ immediately and enthusiastically!

The quality of play from visitors from other clubs and from Minehead tennis Club members was absolutely outstanding and the organisation of the tournament was superb.

There were four boxes of players in the morning and a further four in the afternoon. Each couple in a box played the other pairs in their box. Finals were played between the winners of the two higher boxes and also of the two lower boxes so players of all levels got a chance at the limelight. One set of six games was played for each rubber with a sudden death tie break at deuce. People brought their own lunches but tea was provided by the Minehead Tennis Club members.

One particularly nice aspect was that it provided an opportunity to see the spouses of some little seen Minehead Tennis Club members. Although there are always the constraints of babysitting, with one partner often staying home, it will be great hopefully to see more of these players in coming months.

It was also wonderful to see many returning faces from other clubs from far and wide giving Minehead Club players a chance to compete with players of close to or County standard.

Despite the thunder storms of the preceding night, the tennis all weather courts performed well with the exception of one which was taken out of use because of a degree of slipperiness in the shadier parts of it’s outer edges.

The weather was wonderfully warm with large periods of sunshine which meant we could largely sit out on the grass in front of the club house while we waited for our next rubber and the few showers didn’t stop play.

Although play was always competitive, the day passed with much friendly social and tennis related chat between the participants.

Kudos to Minehead Tennis Club and it’s organisers for a great tournament. As a Minehead Tennis club member, I will look forward to it and be back next year.

How did I and my partner do? We thought we did well and were one rubber short of getting into the lower boxes final. But over the day we lost to many really good players and almost every rubber was a pleasure which is what it is all about.

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Posted in Club, Cornwall, Devon, England, Minehead, Musicians, News from Rob Hopcott, North Somerset, Open Mixed tournament, Tennis, UK, West Country, West Somerset, West of England, all weather courts, club night tennis | No Comments »

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