Tenterden Folk Festival 2006

6th to 8th October

Events for children and Families

Firstly we regret to report that long time festival regulars The Amazing Zolas are unable to be at Tenterden Folk Festival this year as Keith is recovering from an emergency operation following an illness. However it was our intension to expand the events we organise at the festival for children and families so we had already added Ticklish Allsorts to this year’s guest list.

TICKLISH ALLSORTS have been described as “colourful, energetic, witty, eccentric, talented, exciting, musical, versatile and modest”. The front man is Gary Nunn who is Mr Tickles (picture) of whom it has been said “he’s crackers… most enjoyabubble…. brilliant… off his trolley… out of his box… clownabubble… really, really, really good …….”.

Based in Salisbury, Wiltshire, The Ticklish Allsorts is a professional comedy children’s entertainment company founded by multi-talented performer Gary Nunn, in 1981. He works solo as Mr Tickles but also with a selection of able support artists to make up the Ticklish Allsorts team, a versatile, colourful, exciting act, offering incredible energy and talents.

Ticklish Allsorts will be entertaining children at Tenterden Folk Festival on both Saturday and also on Sunday presenting the Ticklish Allsorts show and street entertainment. They will also be making a brief appearance during The Family Event in the Rainbow Room at Tenterden Leisure Centre on Saturday afternoon.

The Family Event will be presented by story teller and folksinger PETE CASTLE who is well known to school children through the Festival’s popular Educational Workshops in schools. Pete is one of the few professionals on the English scene whose repertoire consists mainly of traditional English songs and ballads played to his own guitar accompaniment. The bulk of his repertoire comes from the south of England and includes quite a number of songs from or about his native Kent; he was brought up in Ashford although he has spent most of his adult life in the Midlands. As a storyteller Pete tells a mixture of traditional stories, tall tales, urban myths and extended jokes. Many of them are about or include music and song. Pete has a specific repertoire of songs, stories, dances and games suitable for most age groups.

The dance side of the Family Event in the very safe hands (or is it feet) of THE DRIFT, an exciting four piece band from mid-Sussex, who play a mix of European dance music on a variety of unusual but traditional instruments. There will be chance for families to try both English and French folk dances. The Drift’s line up for Tenterden will be Mel Stevens on French bagpipes, hurdy gurdy, fiddle and clarinet; Peter Lyons on fiddle; Richard Smith on hurdy gurdy; and Keith Macdonald on accordion and French bagpipes. The band’s caller, who will teach you the dances, is Rachel Roberts.

For musicians, The Drift will also be leading an Anglo French music session in the newly refurbished Vine Inn later on Saturday. All musicians are welcome to come along and join in this unusual event.

TICKETS; for those who do not have a full weekend festival ticket, entry to Ticklish Allsorts Shows is £2.00 each on the door. A special Family Event ticket is also available for £10.00 which will cover up to two adults and two children and entry for additional children is £2.00 each. All advance tickets are now available from Tenterden Folk Day Trust or the Tourist Information Centres in Tenterden and Ashford.

The latest details of Tenterden Folk Festival 2006, the full guest list, details of the town centre camp site and a ticket booking form can be found on our web site at www.tenterdenfolkfestival.org.uk

To receive our regular email updates send an email to info@tenterdenfolkfestival.org.uk with "add to festival news list" in the subject box.

Join the postal mailing list by sending a s.a.e. to Tenterden Folk Festival 2006 (mailing list), 15 Repton Manor Road, Ashford, Kent, TN23 3HA.

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Last updated 27^th August 2006