Milkmaid Molly at Thornage Hall Camp Community

MM4

From Jill Parson

MM2Towards the end of September Milkmaid Molly were invited to bring a team to Thornage Hall Camp Community - a specialist school near Holt in Norfolk. Seven of the Milkmaid team made the trip plus three musicians. Milkmaid Molly is an inclusive Molly side based in Bury-St-Edmunds in Suffolk. It comprises a good core membership of 'Mollies' (those who live with disabilities) and their 'Buddies' (volunteers who provide experise and support) with everyone linked by a common love and enjoyment of folk dance and music. On this occasion only the Buddies attended as it was our privilige to introduce members of the Camp Community to an afternoon of country dancing.

MM3The workshop was led by Gill Bosley who is a founding member of Milkmaid and general head honcho. It was great! We were given a very warm welcome at the school and were joined by about a dozen students all raring to go. There were no problems getting people onto the floor and they were brilliant, quickly getting the hang of the dances whilst enjoying a good laugh. Dancing with a partner, proved to be so much fun for these young people and it was a pleasure to introduce them to a world of folk dance and music which they had never experienced before.

This event was kindly sponsored by Mardles with the money helping towards travel costs and MM club funds.

For those that may not know, the Mardles team is happy to consider any requests for any sort of help and support we can offer towards folk related projects in and around East Anglia. Visit the website at mardles.org and contact any member of the team if you have got something in mind you think we might help with.

 

Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival 2025

StrawOur event starts with school presentations by Storytellers MARION LEEPER, primary junior schools, Thursday and Friday and SUE SQUIRE Sir Harry Smith Community College Friday. These are not public presentations however you can catch SUE in Queen Street Methodist United Reformed Church on Saturday afternoon. The sessions are at 12-00, 13-00 and 14-00.

The public part of our event kicks off with a CEILIDH in the Indoor Bowles Club, Station Road,     8 till 11 pm tickets £12. WHITE BRYONY will provide the music, OLLIE SIMONS will call the figures, and a smattering of local singers will complement the evening, sealing this come dance and sing event.

SATURDAY 11th starts at around 10-30 when The Bear with entourage of musicians, banner and dance teams will tour the town until around 15-30 when there will be a grand finale on the marketplace. It has always been part of the objective of the event, since 1980, to illustrate the various diverse dance traditions from the UK. This year will be no exceptions with old and new friends displaying their traditional dance styles in our town. The memorabilia stall will be on the marketplace to allow you to purchase your own little memento of 2025.

The straw will be burnt at DECOY LAKES, Drybread Road around mid-day on SUNDAY 12th        This ends our organised events for ’25  but  there will be a Plough Service at 15-00 in St Marys Church.

There are other events happening around town this weekend both organised (not by the Strawbearers) and ad hoc music/sing arounds. We wish you a safe, enjoyable, Straw Bear in 2025 and good luck for the rest of the year.

                      For further information go to https://Strawbear.org.uk.

Winter Folk at The Canopy Theatre

“WINTER FOLK” Canopy Theatre, Hungate Church Beccles  Saturday 14th December 7.30 p.m.          

 Winter FolkA special seasonal show to raise funds for the Hungate Church weekly foodbank. Experienced local artists will feature original, contemporary and traditional songs for Christmas and the winter season, set against the backdrop of a full size Nativity scene and lit, decorated, Christmas trees!

Peter and Jane are a folk duo from Suffolk, who love making music. Their original songs and tunes are influenced by the broad spectrum that is the folk genre and their performances always include a joyful selection of traditional material, arranged to suit the duo’s voices and instruments. These instruments include flute, whistles, guitar, banjo and small pipes.

Whether playing Scottish airs, Irish jigs & reels, or singing bluegrass favourites, traditional ballads or one of their own songs Peter and Jane have an accomplished and thoughtful style centred around close harmony between instruments and voices.

They recently performed at the inaugural Bungay Folk Festival and supported Canadian singer/songwriter Dan McKinnon when he came to the Canopy Theatre in Beccles in October. Their set for “Winter Folk” will obviously contain different material to that performance. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClj0s2I7uFWT4pTiDnIWz7A  

Read more: Winter Folk at The Canopy Theatre

Wickham Skeith Country Dance Club

A new Country Dance Club in Wickham Skeith, near Diss, Suffolk


I have danced all my life, various forms of dance including ballet, jazz, stage, tap, clog dancing, Argentinian tango and of course country dancing. I started calling for our own band about 35 years ago while our children were young and also called at times for various other bands. I formed my own ladies north west clog team, Black Bull Clog and my husband Stephen played melodeon for Blackmore Morris for many years. I wrote some dances for the clog team and taught the dances. I enjoy teaching the dances and very much enjoy calling as I love to see people enjoying dancing and having fun.
WS1WS2WS3

 We moved to Suffolk about 3 years ago now and I have missed dancing and calling. So when I got asked to call for a barn dance in the village I was very keen to do it. Those who attended absolutely loved it and asked when I would do it again. So that’s when I had the thought of running a country dance club myself. I have helped call at Theydon Bois Country dance club and Thaxted in the past so I knew what I was letting myself in for!  I would like this club to be open to everyone of any ability and age. This is going to be informal, friendly and great fun.

Read more: Wickham Skeith Country Dance Club

The Chorus Cup

The Chorus Cup is back

Sunday 27th October, clocks back day, it’s the ‘Blaxhall Chorus Cup’ from 2pm to late.

Any group of singers, at least three but no more than six.

Music and song beforehand and afterwards makes a great party.

Chorus Cup1