Anjelica Falterfoot makes an enquiry about the (in)famous Sparty Lea Poetry Festival, held over the Easter holiday in 1967: “For many years the story piqued my imagination; my partner introduced me to Barry MacSweeney’s poetry and by chance I got…
Category: Cultural Life
The film club . . .
Liz Sandison sends me a few notes about the Allendale Village Hall Film Club, to which I’ve added some reminiscences of my own . . . The film club has been in existence for nearly fifteen years. It was started…
Colin Potsig, photographer
Photographs, rendered in monochrome, from portraits by Colin Potsig, used by kind permission of the artist I had a lovely chat with Colin yesterday afternoon, after he got back from retrieving a form at the Post Office. Colin used to…
2nd Thursday: Session at The Crown
Jos Mahon writes from both phone and computer, to chat, off the cuff, about the 2nd Thursday Session at The Crown in Catton: “First, what’s a session!? We’re talking of a traditional music session, when people get together with their…
Dulcimer Workshop Weekend
Liz Conway writes to chat about the Dulcimer Workshop Weekend she invented quite a few years ago now, that took place this year at Deneholme over this past weekend, the 22nd – 24th of March. “This is an annual event…
Triplets of renown
Got a PM the other day, oh, yesterday I guess, from Pierre Schryer, and that felt like quite a blast from the past! When ‘Northumbrian Music Nights’ was in full promotions mode (between ’95 and ’05 I guess), we were…
The Drama Group AGM
I promised I’d get back to chat about the Drama Group in time for their AGM, and I’ve kept the lovely Sleeping Beauty programme from this year’s show close to hand for this past month and a half, all ready…
Keenley Methodist Chapel, the oldest of them all
Today at 2:30pm, a faithful congregation of some five souls will gather at Keenley Methodist Chapel, keeping the tradition and the faith alive in the deep countryside. Services are every fortnight — today Rev’d Alex Dunstan leads the service of…
Handbells make a cheerful sound
I’m not quite sure where or how Elizabeth Beardsley found the old bronze handbells, still in immaculate ringing condition, but she brought the seventeen in her collection north to form a distinctive organisation and to contribute a joyful sound to…
‘My life as a farmer’
I was so hoping to be there, at last night’s crowded event in the Sinderhope Community Centre where Robert Philipson chatted about his life as a farmer in this valley, for the Allen Valleys Wildlife Group’s regular meeting. Unfortunately for…