So folks … as it’s now four weeks since we struck up on the Thursday night in the rugby club clubhouse and then enjoyed three days of great folk and roots music I thought it time to give you a few thoughts and also thanks for the success of this years second BALDOCK & Letchworth Folk Fest……
Well to start with this year we raised around £2500 for MND HERTS for which the charity have asked me to pass on their thanks to the generosity of Sponsors, Artists and Audience alike which given numbers was most generous especially it would seem on the Saturday night when also most drink was consumed!!
The Standard of the Acts was phenomenal throughout and my thanks to all of you who performed this year and without exception we would be happy to ask you back again if your diaries allow it … we may shake up the timetable a bit . Unlike a lot of other festivals there were no stroppy musicians or Prima Donna’s amongst you so please take a bow. Next year’s festival is scheduled for JULY 22/25 2027. If you know you are available and would like to do it please let me know NOW…. as planning begins here. I appreciate we cannot pay the highest of fees and am most grateful for your understanding and the fact that some of you donated part or even all your fee to the Charity.
I think the artists would agree that the PA Staging and James the Sound Engineer were real quality and provided a great sound even when we had to take down the Dome on the Sunday. Also the clubhouse stage worked well and I d like to thank Ciaran P for all his efforts on the Saturday.
Teresa, Ace and their bar and kitchen team did a phenomenal job over the weekend and as promised there was no rip off in terms of food and drink. Also all the food vendors who came and provided great food. Val S must be mentioned in hunting down two extra kegs of Guinness on the Sunday. Many thanks to Rob at the Tree for providing these.
Which leads me on to the large army of our Belgian Friends who consumed a vast amount of the stuff and who with their great band Snakes in Exile made the event so special and hopefully you will all be back with additional friends next year!
To all our SPONSORS who made sure we could cover costs and generate funds for this great charity…namely Ashe Roofing, Mc Cole’s Accountants, New Holland Sheet Metal , Munford Print and Design, Norman Fleet, the members of Sandbach Rugby Club and several others who all helped. It is much appreciated.
To my gang of fellow helpers in our wats app group…. Gary and Paula, Shakey, Teah and Kirsteen , Carole, Josh M Shelagh and Tony from the Folk Club, Viv from MnD and Teresa from the Club .
To all members of the Cambridge Champagne Breakfast Club who again provided such a great start to the day and make it such a memorable event … special mention for Alfie who invented a new dance for Beans and Biscuits…. The drunken crab… Hope all goes well with the op! Also all of you who helped sell festival shirts, programmes etc … Kirsteen, Madame Fifi and all the others and for making Sunday so special for the memory of Chris and John and the others who have passed to the celestial champagne breakfast.
To all who came and enjoyed themselves and the relaxed atmosphere…. Numbers were up but there is always room for more! So please pass it on by word of mouth and tell all your friends. We would love more Campers and Audience for what is phenomenal value for money in this day and age so let’s sing it from the rooftops from the beginning of next year … don’t worry I'll remind you all!!
The most common question asked is “ Why Don’t you Charge for this?” …. The Simple answer is that it then becomes a completely different ball game in terms of Security, fencing dealing with all sorts of bureaucratic bodies ….. Plus we would need a large organisational structure! Let Cambridge and the rest do it and charge three figure sums!! We do this for Community Craic and Charity!
let’s grow it organically and stick to the original principles of the Woollards and Chris B, Robin, John Ade and Dave K, Wilfrid and all the others that this has been built on.
Please please…. If you have feedback positive or negative, suggestions do email them to me
Photos or Videos of the weekend gratefully received and will be put up on the website over the year… we shall be keeping it active.
FINALLY…. We are running another FREE event on BANK HOLIDAY SUNDAY AUGUST 30th at THE ORANGE TREE …. again for MND … see attached poster . Music is between 2 and 9 pm
If you are in the area please come down!
All the best
Brian B