This Year's Hot News
Sounds Street
Making their debut this year will be our funky new street band. Under the musical direction of young musician Meg Graham, local musicians will give some well known traditional tunes that brassed-up feeling, with some interesting swings and twists. Any musicians who would like to join in during the procession let us know and we'll send you a tune list and arrange a rehearsal early in the weekend.
Eton Horses
Last year's festival saw the arrival of four wonderful thespian horses, hot hoof from performing in an Eton College production of Parcifal. One of these is currently earning his keep performing in Dad's Army at the Talisman Theatre in Kenilworth. You can take the Beast out of the theatre, but you can't take the Theatre out of the Beast! We hope to welcome him back on Town Mayor's Sunday, complete with Captain Mannering et al..
May Day Madness
You will be delighted to know that that well known itinerant mountebank, Doc Rowe, has finally got a proper job as an author. With the success of his recent book on May Day, produced in conjunction with EFDSS and English Heritage, his future looks promising. During the festival he has agreed to share some of his May Day research with us, so get ready for the inside story.
Seduced by Traditions
Richard Lewis had a promising career in the city before being seduced into a life of depravity and folk music by the magic of the Beasts. The story of his descent is told in his book Magic Spring published last year. This book reveals the part played by Banbury Hobby Horse Festival in his fall from grace. Richard has kindly agreed to do a reading from his book during this year's festival, so you can see for yourself....
Stop Press: Richard's reading will take place in the Globe Room at the Reindeer Inn during the Saturday lunchtime music session.
We hope to have copies of Doc's and Richard's books on sale this year together with festival greeting's cards, prints.and copies of photographs and posters from past years.
Beasts for Peace
Those of you who were here last year will remember the Elephants for Peace, made during free community textile workshops organised by Banbury People for Peace and the Ethnic Minorities Business Service. Well they've been at it again,, and are currently making some spectacular flags and banners for us to carry in the processions
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Book Launch - May 2005
The hobby horse festival is a subject of an entertaining chapter in a new book, The Magic Spring (Atlantic Books), by Richard Lewis. He described it on BBC Radio 4 as "a fantastic gathering".and in the book itself we read, "Good times and burlap, you may think, can never go together. But that's where you would be wrong. The world is simply a better place when you're a horsey."
Elephantine Effort by Banbury Community Groups - May 2005
Banbury People for Peace and Banbury EMBS are creating an elephant to take part in this years festival. based at Ruscote Coimmunity Hall they are devoting every Tuesday morning to work on their beasts using a range of fabric techniques many of which a drawn from Asian traditions. deatils from Azmat 01295 269999 or Gill 01608 737411
Barbican Exhibition - May 2005
Harthill Tuppers, Whitstable Hoodeners and Steyning Tipteers are performing on Sunday 24 July 2005 at the Barbican Gallery in London on the closing day of its Folk Archive exhibition, celebrating UK folk art. The exhibition opened on May 12, and several animals are featured as a result of a visit to Banbury by the curators.
See <http://www.barbican.org.uk/gallery/folkarchive> and <http://www.folkarchive.co.uk> for further information about the exhibition.
Verna's bursary aids plans for the future - February 2003
Banbury Hobby Horse Festival has joined the Association of Festival Organisers (AFO), which provides advice and a forum for sharing expertise. Festival organiser Verna Wass also secured a bursary to attend an AFO conference at Buxton in February 2003, so she could develop ideas for extending the scope of the event in future years.
Mudlark raises cash for festival - January 2003
Festival co-organiser Simon Pipe has raised more than £250 for festival funds by completing the notorious Tour de Trigs, a 50-mile night hike around Banbury. The walk takes place in the wettest part of winter, in early December; conditions were described as "brutal". Simon and his team mate Will Fiennes finished in 23 hours and eight minutes - having covered slightly more than 50 miles, thanks to Simon's navigational blunders in the dark. A number of festival performers kindly contributed sponsorship, along with some members of Adderbury Morris Men; money was also raised for Katherine House Hospice in memory of Desma Turner, landlady of The Bell pub in Adderbury - the festival's home in the evenings
Plans for Statue of the Fine Lady Revealed - September 2nd. 2002
At a press lauch at the Whateley Hall Hotel a model of a proposed statue of the Fine Lady upon her white horse was unveiled. This life size representation is by three artists working together as Artcycle Ltd. and can be yours for only £150,000. Meanwhile your very own Fine Lady and her faithful horse Blanche were at hand to greet the visiting dignitaries including the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire and pose for photos in front of Banbury Cross. Unfortunately she was rather upstaged by an attractive young lady on a real white horse... talk about unfair advantage!
Fine Lady for EDS Cover - September 2002
Following Paul Davenport's visit to the festival in the summer and a certain amount of surreptitiouc clicking Banbury's own Fine Lady has made the cover of the autumh edition of EDS, which also features an article on the event. We have already beeen in country life so who knows what's next.... Time, Vogue. Cosmo, Hello ?
Horn Dancers Head for Festival - June 2002
The legendary Abbots Bromley Horn Dancers (and horse) say they are "almost 100% certain" to attend this year's Banbury Hobby Horse Festival
The dancers, world-renowned for their unique centuries-old ritual perambulations around the Staffordshire countryside, are seldom seen far from their home village. They would leave their oldest horns - carbon dated to the 11th century - and bring a spare set used for performances outside the village.
There is always a chance of a hitch preventing the team from attending, but George Jones, rider of the team's distinctive hobby horse, is keen to come either way. All traditional-style hobby horses - and other breeds from the UK and beyond - have a standing invitation to the festival.
Details still have to be negotiated. Festival performers co-ordinator Simon Pipe travelled to Abbots Bromley on Horn Dance day to invite them in person - and had to wait until they had counted the day's collection, well past his bedtime. Doc Rowe, celebrated folklorist and friend of the festival, was there to introduce them. He told them the festival was "wonderful" (thus earning a second beer). Doc will be invited to give a talk on the Abbots Bromley tradition at the festival
We have just heard that we can expect to be greeting everyone in Welsh this summer: two Mari Llwd skull horses are planning to travel up from Wales, with an entourage of singers. We have yet to mention this to the people organising a Welsh male voice choir concert in Banbury the same weekend.
Out of the blue, we had a call from a member of a unique club in Christchurch, Dorset. The recently-formed Dandy Chargers ride reproduction “pedestrian hobby horses” – as the first, pedal-free bicycles were known. They’re not exactly rooted in animal disguise rituals, but we couldn’t resist the idea of seeing the whole club ride round Banbury, in Georgian costume.
We also expect to welcome the excellent Coventry Mummers and their own guest team (Saturday only), plus Leominster, St Albans, Wickham and Bloxham morris sides, and The Outside Capering Crew. Both Adderbury morris sides are likely to join in during the weekend, probably hosting dance spots in the village itself, and the Fine Lady will be out on the Banbury town hobby horse, with her company of players. And of course, a number of old friends will be returning.
All details are likely to be much the same as at the second festival, except the lunch spot is likely to move to Banbury’s oldest pub, The Olde Reindeer, which will serve proper Hook Norton in a fine room with wood panelling that dates back to the Civil War. We’re also planning two processions on the Saturday, and the timing of the Sunday procession may well allow us to repeat the highly successful dancing/horsing spot we had outside Adderbury church on Sunday morning two years ago. Steve Rowley is offering a Saturday morning workshop on “working” an animal. Doc Rowe promises to return, and has foolishly confessed an ability to swallow swords.
For other news, read on….
Artist scratches festival beasts
FIVE performers at the second Banbury Hobby Horse Festival have been captured by in collage by local artist Margot Bell.
She is planning a series of works inspired by the festival, using a new technique that produces a result similar to etching, with a suitably traditional effect.
One large piece depicts the Bristol Morris horse and Eric, the Wyre Forest Morris stag. Two others feature one of The Outside Capering Crew’s tourney horses (several times) and one of the Fine Lady's attendants
We are hoping an exhibition can be organised in the festival run-up period.
Margot still has to choose some of her subjects. She says she would be very willing to produce pieces to commission. A large portrait would probably cost £130, she says, “but it depends a bit on size. A little one with just a hobby horse head would be less.”
The finished works are called collographs, rather than etchings. Several prints can be made, with different colours each time“It’s what some people call the poor man’s etching,” says Margot. “One always used to etch on to metal plate, but metal is really expensive, so someone thought of the idea of scratching into card and using that as the plate.”
Items glued on to the plate can add to the effect.Margot can be contacted on 01295 710005
The festival has also commissioned an ink drawing from Karen Cater, whose Hedingham Fair stall is a familiar sight at folk festivals. It features a selection of animals from past events, including the Banbury town horse and the Ilmington horse – with rider Pete Shadbolt, of course. the art work will feature on cards on posters sold to publicise the festival.. here's a sneak preview of part of the image!
Verna takes the reins
BANBURY Hobby Horse Festival has a new lead organiser for 2002.
Verna Wass, a professional folk arts leader, has taken over from festival founder Simon Pipe.
Banbury Town Council is also taking over responsibility for festival events at Town Mayor’s Sunday, including the hobby horse races and the beer tent.
Simon has been working in Birmingham since May last year, away from home during the week, and it has not proved feasible to run the festival from a distance.
Verna was responsible for one of the highlights of the 2001 festival, when she brought together French and English children to create a traditional French bull. She and her husband, Steve, travelled to Montpelier to research the custom, before the French visitors arrived for a week’s work at Greatworth School in Northamptonshire.
She also organises the activities of Adderbury Morris Men, Bloxham Morris and Adderbury Mummers, performing with all three as fiddler, dancer or actor. She is also a member of Oxford Historical Dance Society.
In 2001 she set up her own business, Kickback, combining her folk expertise and professional teaching skills.
Simon will remain responsible visiting performers.
He said: “Verna’s educational expertise and contacts will enable her to make considerable advances on the community side.
“With the council taking over, the Sunday races are well on their way to being an ‘official’ Banbury tradition.”
Charity meets the uncommon herd
TWO staff from the rural arts charity Common Ground visited Banbury in January to find out about the hobby horse festival.
Common Ground has led a campaign to reverse the decline of England’s ancient orchards – partly by establishing the now-widespread Apple Day festivities.
It is now promoting celebrations of local distinctiveness, in various forms.
The charity has also been associated with the Golowan festival at Penzance, which grew out of a revival of an ancient Cornish custom into a full-blown arts festival - an inspiration for Banbury (and yes, it has its own hobby horse).
Sue Clifford and Angela King were highly impressed by pictures of the splendid animals that attended the first two Banbury festivals.
Simon and Verna took them to meet the two hobby animals (with their three heads) that at Wroxton village school, and then dropped in at Banbury community nursery, stable of the Banbury In Bloom wicker horse.
The new town clerk, Tom Thompson, told the visitors how he attended the second festival as an observer (we never knew!) and decided that it was “something pretty special”.
Sue and Angela said the festival had the appearance of having been established for several years.
At the time of their visit, they were in the process of writing an article about local distinctiveness for Country Living magazine – keep a watch for it.
Barbados comes to Banbury
We hope for a tropical flavour at Banbury this year, courtesy of a Caribbean beastie tradition.
Our artist friend Steve Rowley discovered the steel donkeys of Barbados while pursuing his other passion, sailing big yachts to exotic places.
The tourney-style animals, made with steel hoops and canvas, are associated with tuk music, a fore-runner of calypso that is now enjoying a resurgence.
There are other characters that would be familiar in England, including Mother Sally – a man-woman – and dancers in tattered jackets.
Steve has promised to bring at least one steel donkey to Banbury, along with Ramparts, his Derbyshire-style ram, and Coppin – “a hooden horse that looks like he is not quite all there,” said Steve. “I wouldn’t trust him an inch.”
We wait to see whether he finds some Barbadian musicians too, though we’re not sure the banks of the Oxford Canal has quite the right tropical atmosphere….
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