Feltonbury 2019 - It’s getting close and we are ready for another great event!
Each year people ask, “What is Feltonbury about”? And where do the donations go?
They go to ‘The Plot’, the ‘Community Allotment and Shed in Felton and Thirston’ located on Recreation Lane, which was established 5 years ago to create a local space where residents – young and old, regardless of health, impairments or disability – could contribute to community cohesion through inter-generational gardening activity. Essential costs such as liability insurance and site purchases are required – so we created ‘Feltonbury’ as a fund-raising initiative.
Examples of what ‘The Plot’ is doing include using last year’s donations to add easy-access footpaths, provide secure tool storage and a composting toilet – essential in encouraging Felton and Thirston’s youngest (and not so!) residents to join in the delights of planting their own seeds and watching them grow.
This year’s event, in addition to the known artists and musicians, we are introducing new features to keep the annual Music and Arts ‘Festival-In-A-Day’ up to date.
Established acts and performers, such as KEVI's Youth Jazz Band, rock group ‘Parker’s Band’ and ‘Swap the Dog’, who play a range of folk tunes and Americana, all return alongside other ‘Feltonbury’ regulars of ‘Sing-A-Long-A-Sound-Of-Music’, Mad Hattie and the Eclectic Guitarist, a jazz duo opening the ‘Great American Song Book’, Andy Craig, ‘All Blown Out’, Tom O'Donnell, a valued folk singer/composer/guitarist and Lydia (together with Alastair), …..and others more make their welcome return to Feltonbury.
Newcomers, including ‘Cows Lying Down’, a Newcastle-based five piece band playing original pop-rocky-folky tunes, ‘Here2Day’ and ‘Traced’, Blyth-based groups playing contemporary acoustic-style ‘standards’,all of whom have heard and want to perform, mean that the event is growing and maturing.
The hugely successful ‘Arts Trail’ directly complements the music with local artists opening their homes for viewings throughout the village, in St Michael’s Church and in Gallery 45 (which will host both musicians and artists). The ‘Art Trail’ venues run 'side-by-side' with the music and the dedicated 'trail map' provides excellent directions to the various arts and music venues.