FESTIVAL HISTORY

Large crowd at an outdoor music festival on a sunny day.

The Cambridge Champagne Fringe was born in the Covid years of 2020 and 2021.

We were so grateful to Amanda and her team at the Red Lion, Cherry Hinton for allowing us to hold a small event to maintain the tradition of the Champagne Breakfast, which then stretched back more than thirty years.

In 2023, we were saddened by the fact that we were “asked” to move away from the spot at Cherry Hinton Hall that we had occupied for decades; away from the tree under which the ashes of three of our old friends are buried. This, coupled with the fact that the organisers of the festival seemed to object to a crowd of people enjoying what our Irish friends would call “the craic”, engendered a return to the Red Lion in 2024.

The “no music until Sunday” rule was consigned to the dustbin of history and an ever-growing crowd enjoyed three days of great music and great fun.

In 2025, due to the cancellation of our beloved festival and the fact that camping would not have been possible locally, we were not able to return to the Red Lion. Our friends at Letchworth Rugby Club came to the rescue and a wonderful weekend ensued. More than thirty excellent acts performed upon a very impressive stage over the three days. There were also some very moving tributes paid to absent friends. It was a great weekend!

As there will not be a recognisable Cambridge Folk Festival in 2026, plans are well-advanced and newly named Baldock & Letchworth Folk Festival will be at Letchworth Rugby Club again. (Friday, Saturday, & Sunday - 24th, 25th, & 26th July 2026)

In short, The Baldock & Letchworth Folk Festival has grown from its origins of a few friends at a table under the trees at Cherry Hinton Hall, through the gatherings in the covid years at the Red Lion, to what is now a full weekend of music, friendship, remembrance, and craic; the very elements that once made the Cambridge Folk Festival so special. There may also be the odd pint of Guinness and a couple of hundred of Robin and Lesley’s photographs to remind us all of the good old days!

Industry insiders are suggesting that there will also be an elegant sufficiency of Champagne for those in need of refreshment whilst waiting for the bar to open!

These words were written by my co organiser and inspiration behind the BLFF as well as great pal Chris Bennett . Chris was truly the founder and driving force behind the Legendary Champagne Breakfast which gave so many such fun and laughter over thirty years at Cherry Hinton during the great days of the Cambridge Folk Festival which he had attended for over half a century . Few were turned away at the convivial party and all returnees knew to bring Champagne NEVER Asti or Prosecco to the occasion. Young and Old , Rich and poor , celeb or Billy no mate , folkie or rocker , capitalist or hippie … all found a shared conviviality at the Bennett Caravan and awning from dawn to dark!

This year Chris was planning a special tribute for his great friend and sparring partner John Allen aka Robert Gascoyne Cecil , 3rd Marquess of Salisbury who sadly left us at the beginning of the year.

It was a mighty shock and blow when Chris was to join him this March … and in the middle of Cheltenham too … however following intense grief and sadness his family and friends have come together to ensure that this year his life and principles will be celebrated in true style throughout the weekend and especially on the Sunday.

I knew Chris from my first game at Letchworth Rugby club in 1974 and it is appropriate that the celebration takes place here where he spent many happy days ( and nights! ) and for those who never met him I can assure them he was a true and steadfast friend as well as a very proud husband to Kirsteen and father to Teah and Rai . The hole he has left can never be truly filled but by the heavens we are going to give it a good go!

Let laughter ring , folk all sing and we have the craic and raise loads for MND !

FESTIVAL HISTORY

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