Shrewsbury Folk Festival

Well I enjoyed it, but then I wasn't camping, ha ha. The weekend started off with some heavy showers on Friday, which can't have been nice for the campers, and on top of that it seems the camping site had been oversold, as people with camping tickets were astonished to be turned away as the festival campsite was full. I heard a rumour that the campsite had only been inspected two days before, when the site manager was heard to say, "Oh dear, it looks like it might not be big enough". On top of that, the showers and most of the toilets provided weren't connected to a water supply. The festival itself also seemed somewhat oversubscribed, with people warned not to go to the loo during some of the more popular acts in the main tent, as they might not be allowed in again! We just sat through some dire acts in the afternoon in order to have seats for the better acts in the evening. Towards the end of the weekend the organisers opened up the back of the tent, but then people were too far away from the bands to see and hear them properly.
By contrast our guesthouse was comfortable and friendly, although the ensuite shower was very pokey. There was a 20 minute stroll through the Tudor streets of Shrewsbury to the festival site at the Quarry gardens, carefully averting my eyes from the shops on Wyle Cop.
Apparently there was some local opposition to the folk festival, with residents fearing it could ruin their lovely gardens, but I think we were pretty considerate, picking up litter and putting down bark where trampling created muddy bits. We shall see if the Festival is allowed next year! A few of the local pubs joined in the festivities - one of the highlights for me was watching the Morris dancing in front of the Wheatsheaf whilst eating Kiwi flavoured iceream from Benetti's cafe. There were also various folk sessions in other pubs, some advertised and some spontaneous.
We met up with quite a few friends there - Bev, Jane, Val and Matt (showing off his new top hat), Bill and Fiona, and even Peter Darby and his wife, who were at the festival dancing with Oyster Morris.
Seth Lakeman was very popular, with lots of teenage girls competing for front spots and shouting, "We love you Seth" (us married women had to pretend not to be so enthusiastic). Eliza Carthy and the Ratcatchers also packed the main tent, she started off with a bit of a strange song, about Susie and her trapeze flyer lover, but soon got going with some fabulous folk songs and tunes. Got a really good front spot as well! Oysterband were one of the highlights as well, playing a set of popular dancey songs, but sadly not singing "The Flood" one of my favourites of their new material. Nancy Kerr and James Fagan were my highlights of the second tent, they have bought a new narrowboat (getting rid of poor Violet Sarah?) and will be moored in Bath - we will have to tell Patrick of his new neighbours! The others liked Suntrap, but I don't like their own material, preferring their traditional songs.
Despite a few hiccups a very good festival - I'll be back next year if it's running. I just hope they find a bigger camp site, a larger main tent and maybe a couple more stages!