Folk Calendar – Find Folk and Traditional Music Events

Sunday 1 November

Folklore from the old calendars

The rough first day of winter Lore and belief WalesAn old Welsh triplet held that Calangauaf, the first day of winter, brought hard weather quite unlike the first day of summer, but that only God could foretell what was to come.
Hallow-fair at Fordyce No longer kept BanffshireFordyce's yearly market was called Hallow-fair, and its charter of 1592 set it at All Hallows, to run for eight days.
Slaughter time at Hallowtide No longer kept EnglandHallowtide began the season for killing stock, and with it the husbandman's feasting.
Pork, souse and sprats at All Saints No longer kept EnglandAll Saints was the season for pork and souse, the pickled parts of the pig, and for laying in sprats and spurlings.
Ringing for all Christian souls No longer kept EnglandBefore the Reformation the church bells were rung all night at Allhallowtide for all Christian souls.
The first three days of winter Lore and belief BanffshireThe minister of Kirkmichael in Banffshire reported a Gaelic weather saying about the first three days of winter, which began at Hallowtide.
The Cheshire souling song Still kept CheshireOn the eve of All Souls' Day parties of boys in Cheshire went souling from door to door, singing for apples, pears, plums, beer or money.
Souling in Staffordshire No longer kept StaffordshireTollett noted that on All Saints' Day the poor of Staffordshire went from parish to parish souling, begging and singing for soul cakes or anything else to make them merry.
Seed cake at Allhallows No longer kept WarwickshireBrand's servant, a Warwickshire man, told him that in that county a seed cake was had at Allhallows, marking the end of wheat sowing.
Dole bread in Monmouthshire No longer kept MonmouthshireBritton wrote in his Cathedral Antiquities that in Monmouthshire the poorer people, Catholic and Protestant alike, went begging bread for the souls of the dead on All Saints' Day.
The All Saints’ triplets Lore and belief WalesA correspondent signing himself Gwilym Sais sent Hone seven triplets for the first of November, the Welsh Calan Gaeaf, from William Owen Pughe's translations of the elegies of Llywarch Hen.
All-Hallowtide revels at the Middle Temple No longer kept LondonThe young lawyers of the Middle Temple counted All-Hallowtide as the start of Christmas, and in the reign of Charles I they chose a Master of the Revels for the season.

Sun 1 Nov 12:00 14:00
Session

Tap and Spile Sunday Session

Tap and Spile, Morpeth, Northumberland
- Mixed
- Traditional
Sun 1 Nov 13:00 17:00
Session

Sunday Session

The Dolphin, Plymouth, Devon
Sun 1 Nov 13:00 17:00
Session

Sunday Session

Cadgwith Cove Inn, Cadgwith, Cornwall
- Mixed
Sun 1 Nov 13:00 16:30
Session

Office Ale House Tunes Session

The Office Ale House, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
- Tune
Sun 1 Nov 13:00 16:00
Session

Puzzle Hall Sunday Singaround

Puzzle Hall Community Pub, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire
- Mixed
- Singaround
Sun 1 Nov 13:00 15:00
Session

Steam Machine Sessions

The Steam Machine Brewing Co., Newton Aycliffe, County Durham
- Mixed
- Traditional
Sun 1 Nov 13:30 15:30
Session

Red Shed Free Session

The Red Shed, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Sun 1 Nov 14:00 16:30
Session

Ely Folkie Funday

Ely Scout Hut, Ely, Cambridgeshire

Maintained
- Mixed
- Beginners welcome
Sun 1 Nov 14:00 16:00
Session

Afternoon Tune Session

Major Tom’s Social, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
- Tune
Sun 1 Nov 14:00 16:00
Session

Polka Hop Traditional Session

The Polka Hop, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
- Mixed
- Traditional
Sun 1 Nov 14:00 16:00
Session

Ballad Club

The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear
Sun 1 Nov 14:00 17:00
Session

Bia Sunday Irish Session

Bia Cafe Bar, Levenshulme, Greater Manchester
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 1 Nov 14:30 16:30
Session

Taunton Sunday Folktunes Session

The Lawns Social Club, Taunton, Somerset
Sun 1 Nov 15:00 17:30
Session

Southampton Traditional Music Session

Raven and Bine, Southampton, Hampshire
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 1 Nov 15:00 17:00
Session

Big Old Sing

The Bar, John Peel Centre, Stowmarket, Suffolk
Sun 1 Nov 15:00 18:00
Session

Caledonia Sunday Session

The Caledonia, Liverpool, Merseyside
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 1 Nov 15:30 18:00
Session

Stourport Afternoon Session

Swan Hotel, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire
- Mixed
Sun 1 Nov 16:00 21:00
Session

Tinners Session

Tinners Arms, Zennor, Cornwall
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 1 Nov 16:00 18:00
Session

Oxford Slow Session

The Slow and Steady, Oxford, Oxfordshire
Sun 1 Nov 17:00 19:00
Session

Minerva Sessions

The Minerva, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
Sun 1 Nov 18:00 20:00
Session

Fox and Goose Acoustic Sundays

The Fox and Goose, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire
- Mixed
Sun 1 Nov 19:00 22:00
Session

Antelope Inn Session

Antelope Inn, Hazelbury Bryan, Dorset
Sun 1 Nov 19:00 21:00
Session

Foresters’ Arms Session

The Foresters’ Arms, Colchester, Essex
Sun 1 Nov 19:00 21:00
Session

The Woodlands Singaround

The Woodlands, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
- Song
- Singaround
Sun 1 Nov 19:00 21:00
Session

Scottish Open Session

The Chemic Tavern, Leeds, West Yorkshire
- Tune
- Scottish
Sun 1 Nov 19:00 21:00
Session

Ye Olde Cross Sunday Session

Ye Olde Cross Inn, Ryton, Tyne and Wear
- Mixed
- Traditional
Sun 1 Nov 19:00 21:00
Session

Bowling Green Irish Session

Bowling Green Hotel, Chorlton, Greater Manchester
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 1 Nov 19:00 21:00
Session

First Sunday Folk

Anglers Rest, Bamford, Derbyshire
- Mixed
- Beginners welcome
Sun 1 Nov 19:30 22:30
Session

Convivial Rabbit Folk Session

Convivial Rabbit, Dorchester, Dorset
- Mixed
- Contemporary
Sun 1 Nov 19:30 21:30
Session

Green Man Sunday Session

The Green Man, Liverpool, Merseyside
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 1 Nov 19:30 21:30
Session

Wolverton Acoustic Club

The MADCAP Theatre, Wolverton, Buckinghamshire
- Mixed
- Beginners welcome
Sun 1 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Devvy Folk Session

Devonshire Inn, Sticklepath, Devon
- Mixed
Sun 1 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Woolpack Session

The Woolpack, Ipswich, Suffolk
- Mixed
- Traditional
Sun 1 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

The Monkey Folk Club

Monkseaton Arms, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear
- Song
- Singaround
Sun 1 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Cheshire Folk

Boars Head Hotel, Middlewich, Cheshire
- Mixed
Sun 1 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Half Moon Irish Session

The Half Moon, Oxford, Oxfordshire
- Mixed
- Irish
Sun 1 Nov 20:30 22:30
Session

Folk at the Elsted

The Elsted Inn, Elsted, West Sussex
Sun 1 Nov 20:30 22:30
Session

White Hart Shanty Session

The White Hart, Wolvercote, Oxfordshire
- Song
- Shanties
Sun 1 Nov 21:00 23:00
Session

West Malvern Session

West Malvern Social Club, Malvern, Worcestershire
- Tune
- Beginners welcome

Monday 2 November

Folklore from the old calendars

The Gill-Bushes dole on All Souls’ Day No longer kept CumberlandEvery year on 2 November the rent of a field called Gill-Bushes was given out to the poor of Blennerhasset in Torpenhow church.
Tindles at Findern No longer kept DerbyshireAt Findern in Derbyshire the boys and girls went every year on the evening of All Souls' Day to the common and lit a number of small fires among the furze, which they called Tindles.
The Shropshire soul-cake heap No longer kept ShropshireAubrey wrote that in his time, in Shropshire and elsewhere, a high heap of soul cakes was set on the board on All Souls' Day, lying one upon another like the shewbread in the pictures of old Bibles.
Old Hob No longer kept CheshireA correspondent told Hone of a Cheshire frolic called Old Hob, in which a man carried a dead horse's head covered with a sheet to frighten people.
Soul-mass cakes No longer kept Herefordshire, LancashireOn All Souls' Day in Lancashire and Herefordshire the well-off used to hand out oaten cakes, called soul-mass cakes, to the poor.

Mon 2 Nov 12:30 14:30
Session

Hartlepool Folk Club

The Causeway, Hartlepool, County Durham
- Song
- Singaround
Mon 2 Nov 13:00 15:00
Session

Blake Arms Singaround

The Blake Arms, Seghill, Northumberland
- Song
- Singaround
Mon 2 Nov 14:30 16:30
Session

The Company of the Blaxhall Ship

The Ship Inn, Blaxhall, Suffolk
Mon 2 Nov 14:30 16:30
Session

St Werburgh’s Informal Session

St Werburgh’s Parish Centre, Chester, Cheshire
- Mixed
Mon 2 Nov 19:00 23:00
Session

Folk Klub

The Cornish Bank, Falmouth, Cornwall
- Mixed
Mon 2 Nov 19:00 21:00
Session

Albert Inn Acoustic Session

The Albert Inn, Totnes, Devon
- Song
Mon 2 Nov 19:00 22:00
Session

Bere Regis Jam

Royal Oak, Bere Regis, Dorset
Mon 2 Nov 19:00 21:00
Session

Merchant Folk Session

The Merchant, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
- Mixed
Mon 2 Nov 19:00 21:00
Session

Hudswell First Monday Singaround

The George & Dragon, Hudswell, North Yorkshire
- Song
- Singaround
Mon 2 Nov 19:00 21:00
Session

The Auckland Shanty Singers

Elm Road Social Club, Shildon, County Durham
- Song
- Shanties
Mon 2 Nov 19:00 21:00
Session

Bay Horse Session

Bay Horse Inn, West Woodburn, Northumberland
- Mixed
Mon 2 Nov 19:30 21:30
Session

Bridge Inn Instrumental Session

The Bridge Inn, Topsham, Devon
- Tune
- English
Mon 2 Nov 19:30 21:30
Session

Rumsey Wells Session

The Rumsey Wells, Norwich, Norfolk
- Tune
- Advanced Session
Mon 2 Nov 19:30 21:30
Session

Stockton Folk Club

The Moline Cross, Norton Cricket Club, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham
Mon 2 Nov 19:30 21:30
Session

Blue Bell Session

Blue Bell Hotel, Belford, Northumberland
- Mixed
Mon 2 Nov 19:30 21:30
Session

Guesthouse Singers Session

The Guesthouse, Southport, Merseyside
- Song
Mon 2 Nov 19:30 21:30
Session

Warwick Folk Club Performers Night

The Old Fourpenny Shop Hotel, Warwick, Warwickshire
- Mixed
Mon 2 Nov 19:45 22:45

Session

General Townsend Monday Session

General Townsend British Legion Club, Fakenham, Norfolk
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Breton Music and Dance

The Front, Falmouth, Cornwall
- Mixed
- Breton
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

New Wheel Acoustic Singaround

The New Wheel Inn, Pennington, Hampshire
- Song
- Singaround
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 23:00
Session

Godalming Session

The Star Inn, Godalming, Surrey
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

New Clarence Monday Tunes Session

The New Clarence, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
- Tune
- Traditional
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Red Dog Acoustic and Folk Night

The Red Dog, Cloughton, North Yorkshire
- Song
- Singaround
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Folk at the Grove

The Grove Inn, Leeds, West Yorkshire
- Mixed
- Beginners welcome
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Elm Tree Monday Session

Ye Olde Elm Tree, Durham, County Durham
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Fisherfolk

The Fisherman’s Arms, Hartlepool, County Durham
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Bridge Folk Club

The Bridge Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear
- Song
- Singaround
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Mariners & Marras

Enigma Tap, North Shields, Tyne and Wear
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Acoustic Mondays

The Ring O’ Bells, Kendal, Cumbria
- Mixed
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

The Edinburgh Monday Session

The Edinburgh, Liverpool, Merseyside
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Fox Acoustic Nights

The Fox Inn, Nuneaton, Warwickshire
- Mixed
- Singaround
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Folk at The Club

Churchdown Club, Churchdown, Gloucestershire
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Come All Ye Session, Woodcote

The Black Lion, Woodcote, Oxfordshire
- Mixed
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Boat Inn Music Session

The Boat Inn, Thrupp, Oxfordshire
- Mixed
Mon 2 Nov 20:00 22:00
Session

Aunty Shanty

Jolly Farmers, Oxford, Oxfordshire
- Song
- Shanties
Mon 2 Nov 20:30 23:00
Session

Cornish Traditional Music Session

The Countryman Inn, Redruth, Cornwall
- Tune
- Cornish
Mon 2 Nov 20:30 22:30
Session

Bell Folk Circle Session

The Bell Inn, Adderbury, Oxfordshire
- Mixed
Mon 2 Nov 21:00 23:30
Session

Barley Mow Acoustic Session

The Barley Mow, Wolverhampton, West Midlands
- Mixed

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What’s on: folk sessions, customs and folklore

Sunday 1 November

Monday 2 November

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