The Oxford Fiddle Group Tour of the Algarve

I've just returned from a tour of the Algarve, Portugal with the Oxford Fiddle Group. A really wonderful five days of music, eating, drinking and good weather. We left the snow of the UK for the non stop sunshine of the Algarve. We had a busy programme of performing Saturday to Tuesday but there was plenty of time to enjoy the Algarve.

The tour was well advertised and every venue was sold out. Below is an advert in Portugal's English newspaper.

The text of this advert reads:

THE OXFORD FIDDLE GROUP ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Following a highly successful tour of the Algarve two years ago, The Oxford Fiddle Group will be in the Algarve again playing four concerts from 14th to 17th February. They will be playing music from their varied repertoire of English, Irish, Scottish and American music whose origins range from folk, country and classical genres. The group plays a range of tunes and songs from foot tapping jigs and reels to catchy hornpipes and beautiful airs and laments. They never fail to engage audiences with their muisc, their witty ad libs and their obvious enjoyment and since their last Algarve tour, The Oxford Fiddle Group have performed in West Cork, Bonn and Grenoble. Their first CD 'Bonny Kate' sold out within 10 months (luckily for those who haven't already bought it - it has been re-released) and they have just finished recording their second CD 'Beyond the Spires'. "The full band consists of about twenty fiddle players," said group leader Jed Mugford, " and we have nine players travelling out to the Algarve in February. We had such a great time last time we were in Portugal that we are all looking forward to this trip." The players on the this tour are pictured left to right: Adrian Broadway (bass, mandolin), Marilyn Mills (concertina), Chris Mills (guitar, banjo), Jed Mugford (fiddle), Christine Ellis (fiddle), Tom Bell-Richards (lead fiddle), Wendy Creber (fiddle), Peter Day (fiddle) and not in the picture Rita Blewitt (fiddle, concertina).

The four venues on this tour are: 14 February - Phoenix Nights Restaurant and Bar, Monte Carvoeiro; 15 February - Beira Rio Restaurant and Bar, Tavira; 16 February - Faja Lobi Restaurant, Alvar; 17 February - Silves Cine Theatre Club, Silves

Early booking is recommended - their concerts two years ago all sold out!

More information on the Oxford Fiddle Group can be found at www.oxfordfiddle.co.uk

We were even interviewed on the local Kiss FM station and two tracks from our latest CD 'Beyond the Spires' were played.

The Performance at the Silves Cine Theatre Club

We hired a minibus to transport us around and the PA equipment. We brought our instruments on the plane. Obviously I had to bring a bass guitar rather than the double bass!

Time to relax in Silves

A paddle in the sea at Lagos

The English celebrate Burns' Night

On the weekend when Australians have an extra day holiday to celebrate Australia Day, many English celebrate the birth of the Scottish poet, Robert Burns, who was born on 25 January 1759. The increasing popularity of celebrating this Scottish tradition in England is matched by the St Patrick's day celebrations in England. Against this, it seems a shame that many traditional English celebrations have all but died out and we don't seem to do much for St George's day or Shakespeare's birthday either.
However, The Mizen Ramblers, never slow to see an opportunity, dusted of their Scottish repertoire and played at two Burns' Nights events. One was for a village association and one for a school Parents Association.
Both events were very well organised and well attended with all really entering into everything, including some lively dancing to the Mizen Ramblers. We started off the evenings with Scottish music as the guests arrived. The band was then well fed while the traditional Burns' Night ceremonies took place. This was followed by dancing to The Mizen Ramblers and the evening was finished off with the singing of Rabbie Burns' Auld Lang Syne.

Piping in the haggis.

'Address to a haggis'

The Mizen Ramblers in action

Dancing to the Mizen Ramblers

The Boodlum Band at The Players Theatre, Thame

The Ian English Boodlum Band are appearing at

The Players’ Theatre, Nelson Street, Thame

Sat 7th February 7.45pm

The Ian English Boodlum Band (Ian English, Adrian Broadway, Dave Reece and Trevor Toms) return with their fast-moving show of offbeat comedy and zany songs. In their opening set they use a backline of ukulele, keyboard, phono fiddle, double-bass and washboard to accompany their songs and humour that will lift your spirits and dispel any January blues that have rolled-over into February!
In the second set they return as rock legends BAM! with their own brand of pulsating, thrusting, hunky, gutsy, ironic R&B - somewhere between rock and a hard bass. Fans travel a long way when BAM! are gigging, although not always in the direction of the gig.
With a show crammed full of comedy, music, magic and wit, you can be sure you won’t leave wanting more!

Tickets £8 (£7) available from: 'Tickets Anywhere' 5 Greyhound Walk, Thame.

01844 217228

Straw Bear Festival at Whittlesey

A very cold Saturday morning saw the Haddenham Hoofers travelling over 80 miles to Whittlesey near Peterborough to take part in the annual Straw Bear feastival.

This festival, following Plough Monday (the 1st Monday after Twelfth Night) dates from when no one quite knows and died out at the end of the 19th century but was revived in 1980. The Straw Bear - a man dressed in a straw costume and his attendant keeper lead a procession of over 250 dancers, musicians and performers from various parts of the British Isles performing traditional 'Molly', 'Morris', 'Clog' and 'Sword'. There is also American style 'Appalachian' dancing, street performances and Mummers plays. A decorated plough pulled by a local Morris side is now a established part of the procession.

Following the procession, street dancing and entertainments take place. Some of the dancers, musicians and entertainers perform in the local halls and pubs.

At the end of the day, the Straw Bear is ceremoniously burned (minus the man inside of course.)

For more information visit http://www.strawbear.org.uk/

https://sites.google.com/site/haddenhamhoofers/

The Straw Bear Procession

The Hoofers danced in the street in the morning with other Appalachian groups. The temperature was -3!

Junior Hoofers braving the weather

How to play the banjo in -3 temperatures, accompanied on guitar by Matt Morton.

After visiting the soup kitchen laid on by the parish church for lunch, The Hoofers spent the afternoon performing in the 'Childers Hall' - slightly warmer!

It was an enjoyable day, particularly when we joined forces with other Appalachian side musicians to play for the dancers.

New Year's Day at the Killy

New Year's Day was busy as usual at The Killingworth Castle Inn at Wootten near Woodstock, Oxfordshire for traditional music and dance. It all started at midday and went on until late afternoon.

Outside were a number of dance sides performing

In the warm bar, a session carried on throughout the afternoon with many musicians taking part.

The session took a brief pause in the early afternoon for the traditional Mummers Play.

The Inn was packed with musicians and others enjoying the traditional new year entertainment.

Anywhere for a Barn Dance

Kinderhook has played at some unusual venues during its 26 year existence, like school playgrounds, Beaconsfield cricket pitch and even the main car park in Tring High Street. Recently we did a barn dance in a Railway Station! The Oxford Rewley Road station building was dismantled at its original site in Oxford city centre and re-erected at The Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, Quainton. It was here that we did a 60th birthday barn dance. It was actually the second time we'd done a barn dance at this venue. I also performed as a Victorian Entertainer for two days as part of the centre's Victorian Christmas days this month.

The dancers with a coach from the Royal Train of 1901 in the background

Kinderhook playing by the booking office

Me (2nd left) with the other ' Victorian Staff ' in front of the 1901 Royal Train coach

Haddenham Shamrocks

The Irish session at The Rose and Thistle, Haddenham, Buckinghamshire (every second and fourth Tuesday of the month) continues to develop.

We now meet in the main bar so there's always an audience for the session. It's a cosy atmosphere with log fire in the Winter months and a very supportive landlord.

There's a core group who are regular attenders and so the repertoire, social atmosphere and hopefully the overall sound have developed positively since the sessions started last January.

Songs are now included in the Irish repertoire but everyone joins in every tune and song unless they need a rest!

A third of the 15 regulars live in Haddenham itself and just over a third come from Thame and local villages. 3 travel all the way from Oxford to be with us.

This is the last session before Christmas. In the background you may be able to see Bodhran Bev - unable to play because of a broken arm!