By John Baldry

THIS WAS THE DIY Didmarton. With the official festival committee taking a well-earned break after ten years, Terry and Aly Heatly at the Holford Arms stepped in, to invite everyone to their “bluegrass madness” weekend of 3rd-5th September 1999.

The date couldn’t have been a better choice in terms of weather. It was more like the glorious June that we didn’t have. Add to that the usual relaxed mood of this West Country event and you had the makings of a fine festival. “Like the early Edales” was a frequently heard comment. The campsite wasn’t packed - think of the two fields at Didmarton with most of the tents round the edges and a lot of open space in the middle, and you have the picture. And like the early Edales, there were do-it-yourself concerts, here on a mobile stage - no, not like the old roundabout at the London Palladium, but a stage (with an excellent p. a.) on the back of a truck, hired for the event. Bands volunteered to perform, and comprised whoever had turned up, for example three members of Jane On Thunder, three quarters of Monroe’s Revenge with Leo Shaw, you get the picture. Other Didmarton regulars to show up this year included Chris Moreton, Joff Lowson, John and Moira Wirtz, Spike Woods, John Boston... and the list goes on. Eve Morris appeared with her bass and a car load of records. (Eve’s sales list of old-time recordings is quite comprehensive and includes a lot of hard-to-obtain items. Recommended!) BTW, Spike Woods’ son Vincent is definitely a performer to watch for the future - for a teenager, his ability in both the singing and picking departments is remarkable. You read it here first!

String Fever play on the ‘Trailer Stage’. Photo: Terry Heatley.

The question everyone was asking was, “Will it break even?” On the Sunday morning, Terry seemed very encouraged by the response to the weekend. He had taken a lot of trouble to prepare the site, including the traditional separation into noisy (i.e. pick all night) and quiet sections, and had hired some extra loos. The mobile stage was quite a luxury - though had it rained the audience would have been small. There were the usual sessions in the (very crowded) pub and in and around the bowling alley, which had an extra bar open. All this was for a flat £5 per person entry fee, including camping in near perfect conditions. What a bargain! Thanks very much, Terry and Aly - and we all hope that you and the weather will be able give us a repeat next year!

John Baldry, Crawley, Essex. | Write to  | Web site | The "Last Didmarton" |

1st Jan 2000