It's not going to come as a surprise to anyone that we loved Sidmouth Folk Week - it's one of our family favourites every year and there's always something new to discover.
It's always intense doing a festival with children, and this time, Hannah and I ended up taking it in turns to go in to the festival or stay in the park outside!
Our festival highlights included:
Martin Simpson - an absolute masterclass in everything, as usual. Fantastic bottleneck playing, beautiful songs. A treat.
I was delighted to discover Adriano Adewale's show Rooted and Rising. This was a beautiful exploration of trees and our relationship to them through music, and it features some of my favourite folk musicians, including Nancy Kerr. I hope this tours at some point!
We loved the Museum of Roadside Magic, curated by Libby Bove, and we particularly enjoyed their Teatime Pageant. This is a witty take on the idea of tradition and what it might mean to create new ones - all wrapped up in some excellent music and theatre with a very Wicker Man vibe. Highly recommended!
The Punch and Judy Show was a great hit with the whole family, too.
Thanks, Sidmouth, for another fantastic folk week!
Happy days!