MFFF

MFFF = Moira Furnace Folk Festival, click HERE for their website. At Christmas H and the neighbours got all excited about the MFFF. It was the first one last year and the neighbours hadsuch a nice time they thought they would like to do it again. The time has come round. The weather was wet on and off all week. I did the trailer run on Saturday and found the soil a bit wet for digging. I checked the lottie over, collected produce and whipped the heads off any weeds in flower.

H wanted to go to the MFFF which is held at Moira Furnace, surprise surprise, which is just down road from us. Miss L was at work so I got changed from the smeggy lottie clothes to something a bit smarter. We wandered down and having got there wandered about. It was a bit quiet meaning there were not many people about are was it that there were lots of stalls and refreshment vans. The weather must have been a factor nevertheless the two marquees had people performing with an audience in attendance. There were also events on at the local pubs, the Railway, the Woodman and the Miner's Welfare. Moira was wash with Morris men, clog dancers and folks with instrument cases wandering between venues or camped outside a watering hole.

The weather was showery with bright sunny intervals. This meant that folks went inside the pubs when it tipped down and came out with the sunshine. It was like a bizarre cuckoo clock. I traditional festival lore the grass was cutting up muddy at the furnace with the kids loved. We got ourselves a couple of drinks, had a look round a had a listen to a band or two. It was quite mellow. I had to drop Miss L over to a local village hall for an 18th party and on my return we went over to the neighbours, had a few drinks and got a taxi down to the Furnace. Our neighbours negotiated a price for the wristbands which acted as entrance tickets for the various on site venues. A few more beers and a wall to sit on we listened to the acts. They were all good performers it was just a case of whether their music was to your taste. Some were, some where not to my taste bu they were not offensive ans since the sets were only 45 minutes long so it was easy to listen to for bit and if you did not like them go for a wander over to the beer tent and back by which time they were nearing the end. We had a good night. The festival packed up at 11.30 so as to be good neighbours. I behaved as I had to pick Miss L up. We all went back to the neighbours house to catch up with Clarkie and Clare. C&C had meet us at the Furnace. They had come back to the UK for a wedding following nine months travelling in Asia and down under. It was great to see them happy, safe and well. Lucy was picked up a little after 1am which was quite a nice excuse to get away as the neighbours and their friends were getting comfy and the old whiskey was being brought out.

Sunday morning was a washout, H and Miss L were a little worse for wear. I made breakfast for them and pottered about. We had arranged to meet the neighbours and their friends at the Furnace when the events opened at 2pm. H just about made it. Miss L was left to slumber. We walked down but did not see our friends straight away. We had a look round all the stalls, bought a drink then went up to a venue, the loft. This is the top on the Furnace building. In there was gathered a bunch a people mostly performer by a few spectators like ourselves. This was a "singaround". Essentially a self ordered open mike session without a mike. This was the sort of folk music I like. Songs of soldiery and sea faring, of the land and played on traditional instruments. We stayed for an hour or more. Folks just came and went. There was some beautiful harp music, a chap singing a soulful tune for lost love and a ribald tune for 69th Foot Regiment to name the highlights.

We found our buddies on the grass outside the main tent. We found a couple of chair and another drink and settled in the listen to the main stage. The bulk of the acts did a sort of folk rock thing but here are there was a traditional tune rendered in, more of less, a traditional way. The rain stayed away and the sun beat down. More than once I woke up to find I had been asleep. I was not the only one snoozing in the sun. The event wrapped up about 5.30. There was the usual thanks to the various folks involved in the weekend. By all accounts the performers and organisers enjoyed themselves. I am not so sure about the traders. We all strolled home. H made tea. I made the must for Strawberry wine, racked off the Rhubarb wine and checked in on the mead. Everything is looking fine.