Claire Lynch & the Front Porch String Band

This years “Nottingdale” festival represented a major change to an established institution and so merits some detailed objective comment. The new venue, Wollaton Hall in Nottingham, cannot be faulted. There was excellent level camping and (if you had time to take advantage of them!) lots of “value-added” attractions such as the magnificent Wollaton Hall, which is open to the public, a lake and deer. Also there was a vintage car rally being held as well as a steam rally, great attractions for enthusiasts! A downside to all this is the fact that there was only one narrow way out but if, like us, you left late on Sunday it was no problem. Because it is in a city better signposting is needed, especially for caravanners (who can do without making mistakes on dual carriageways and narrow roads!) but this is a problem common to other events.

The “Nottingdale” festival is now a commercial affair, being run on a profit basis by a promotion company and this might well be reflected in the 1998 prices. At £32 for a weekend ticket plus another £7.50 (+/-) for camping the price was comparable to Ironbridge’s £40 inclusive of camping. The pricing structure for camping mitigated against caravans or vehicles one could sleep in - for 2 nights camping it was £5 per person plus £5 for a caravan but nothing for a tent (£3.50 per item for 1 night). This seems odd in view of the fact that it is people who use the facilities and caravanners often have their own in any case. The only tap was in the vintage car camping site. Several campers felt that at 15 quid per weekend couple, a water tap could have been installed somewhere near where most campers set up.... luckily it was downhill with the full water bottle...

Editor (seated) and wife Jean jam with Mark Currie (left) and friends.
(Pesky on Beer Pour)

Also one might have expected at least a photocopied sheet showing the event running order and times. Happily each band could have one so they knew when they were on - pity the payers couldn’t have one to know when to watch... but there was one poster at the ticket office that anyone could refer to. There was no designated “Quiet area” but not a problem - the Rules Notice-board informed us “No picking after midnight!” The previous weekend’s Rock Festival was so noisy that the locals had managed to get the Council to impose the restriction. The practical outcome was that people did pick after midnight and the plentiful supply of security guards simply turned a blind eye and everyone was happy.

The heavily guarded main festival area was along the Ironbridge lines, with two steel, ring-fenced areas; one for concessions and one for the marquees. The posted rules stated “no alcohol or food” to be taken into these, though one could buy booze and some less-than-good food in there at inflated prices. “Dave Frets” had one of the few concessions stalls.

Geoff Bowers (foto left, of Gotham City String Band) commented “I was very impressed with the number of folks who turned up at the new venue, bearing in mind the very low first year response to the new Ironbridge site - and they only moved a mile! I hear on the grapevine that we’ll be put in a more picturesque and interesting part of the park next year so that’ll be even better. There was a nice atmosphere around the campsite with a good turnout from the Old Timey crowd too. People who I had encouraged to go, who had not seen a Bluegrass Festival before were extremely appreciative so that just can’t be bad. Even the ‘ghost of Edale past’ managed to cross his legs ’til the days after the event!”

Nonetheless, there were much fewer pickers than usual and many were on free tickets, playing or helping. The vast majority of the paying visitors were day trippers from Nottingham, Leicester and around. Everyone was happy that the ‘hooligan element’ has been eliminated at last!!!

All the paid UK acts were very good. The Down County Boys were the best I’ve seen them, with excellent presentation; the ACME excelled and Pete Stanley & Brian Golbey showed what experienced professionalism can do. But, as always, the unpaid UK bands varied from excellent to indifferent. The billed star attraction was Claire Lynch & The Front Porch String Band. They were very good, but too much on the country or swing side for many. They were beaten hands-down by the Czech band “Monogram”, which played real American bluegrass. (See article).

So there was good and bad. The good will continue and doubtless the less good will improve for next year! The event was filmed professionally - we’ll let you know when to watch!

Derek Brandon, Chester.

Updated 23rd Jan 1999