Folk Calendar

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Saturday 30 October

Sat 30 Oct 11:00 14:00
Session

Camberwell Green URC Scottish Session

Camberwell Green United Reformed Church Hall, London, Greater London
Sat 30 Oct 13:00 16:00
Session

Edinburgh Intermediate Trad Session

Leith Depot, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sat 30 Oct 13:00 15:00
Session

Traditional Celtic Session

Globe Inn, Looe, Cornwall

Maintained
Sat 30 Oct 14:00 16:00
Session

Sandy Bell’s Saturday Afternoon Session

Sandy Bell’s, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sat 30 Oct 14:00 18:00
Session

Fagan’s Saturday Afternoon Session

Fagan’s, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Mixed
- Beginners welcome
Sat 30 Oct 14:00 16:00
Session

Howl at the Moon Saturday Session

Howl at the Moon, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish

Sat 30 Oct 14:00 16:00

Session

Nags Head Sessions

The Nags Head, Scalby, North Yorkshire
Sat 30 Oct 15:00 18:00
Session

Dougal’s Saturday Session

Dougal’s Pub, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sat 30 Oct 15:00 18:00
Session

Seamus’s Saturday Session

Seamus’s, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sat 30 Oct 15:00 17:00
Session

Wandering Palate Irish Folk Jam

Wandering Palate, Eccles, Greater Manchester
Sat 30 Oct 16:00 18:00
Session

Fox Haggerston Saturday Session

The Fox, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sat 30 Oct 19:00 21:00
Session

White Hart Singaround

The White Hart, Mickleby, North Yorkshire
- Mixed
- Singaround
Sat 30 Oct 19:30 16:00
Custom

Newick Bonfire

Sets off from The Green, Newick, East Sussex
Sat 30 Oct 20:00 22:00
Session

Sesiwn Rowen

Tŷ Gwyn, Rowen, Conwy
Sat 30 Oct 20:00 22:00
Session

George and Dragon Acton Session

George and Dragon, London, Greater London
Sat 30 Oct 20:00 23:00
Session

Sir Colin Campbell Saturday Session

Sir Colin Campbell, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sat 30 Oct 20:30 23:30
Session

Fagan’s Saturday Evening Session

Fagan’s, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Mixed
Sat 30 Oct 21:00 23:00
Session

Sandy Bell’s Saturday Session

Sandy Bell’s, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sat 30 Oct 21:00 23:00
Session

Hanover Arms Irish Session

The Hanover Arms, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sat 30 Oct 21:30 23:30
Session

Royal Oak Saturday Folk Session

Royal Oak, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh

Sunday 31 October

Hallowe'en

Happy birthday to Tom Paxton (90 today)

Sun 31 Oct 11:00 13:00
Morris Practice

AnnieMation practice

Colchester Roman Circus, Colchester, Essex
Sun 31 Oct 11:00 13:00
Morris Practice

Wantsum Morris Men practice

Old Schools Hall, Minster, Kent
- Cotswold
- The Morris Ring
Sun 31 Oct 12:00 14:00
Session

Tap and Spile Sunday Session

Tap and Spile, Morpeth, Northumberland
- Mixed
- Traditional
Sun 31 Oct 12:00 14:00

Session

Puddington Sunday Session

Puddington Village Hall, Puddington, Devon
Sun 31 Oct 13:30 15:30
Morris Practice

Ledbury Morris practice

The Royal Oak, Much Marcle, Herefordshire
Sun 31 Oct 14:00 17:00
Session

Fintry Inn Sunday Session

Fintry Inn, Fintry, Stirling
Sun 31 Oct 14:00 16:30
Session

Carpenters Session

Carpenters Arms, Callington, Cornwall

Maintained
Sun 31 Oct 14:00 16:00
Session

Edinburgh Scandi Session

The Outhouse, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
- Tune
- Scandi
Sun 31 Oct 14:00 18:00
Session

Vinyl Bar Sunday Session

Vinyl Bar, Glasgow, City of Glasgow
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 14:00 16:00
Session

The Humber Sunday Acoustic Session

The Humber, Coventry, West Midlands
- Mixed
Sun 31 Oct 14:00 17:00
Session

Bia Sunday Irish Session

Bia Cafe Bar, Levenshulme, Greater Manchester
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 14:30 17:00
Session

Brickfolk

The Cross Keys, London, Greater London
Sun 31 Oct 15:00 17:00
Session

MacGregor’s Oban Sunday Session

MacGregor’s at The Whisky Vaults, Oban, Argyll and Bute
Sun 31 Oct 15:00 17:00
Session

The Ship Sunday Session

The Ship, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 15:00 18:00
Session

Hourglass Acoustic Singaround

The Hourglass Micropub, New Milton, Hampshire
- Song
- Singaround
Sun 31 Oct 15:00 17:30
Session

Southampton Traditional Music Session

Raven and Bine, Southampton, Hampshire
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 15:30 19:00
Session

Ericht Alehouse Sunday Session

Ericht Alehouse, Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross
Sun 31 Oct 16:00 18:00
Session

Oxford Slow Celtic Session

The Slow and Steady, Oxford, Oxfordshire
Sun 31 Oct 16:00 19:00
Session

Black Cat Sunday Session

The Black Cat, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 16:00 18:00
Session

Sandy Bell’s Sunday Afternoon Session

Sandy Bell’s, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sun 31 Oct 16:00 18:00
Session

Fibber McGee’s Sunday Irish Session

Fibber McGee’s, Sale Moor, Greater Manchester
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 16:00 18:00
Session

Myddleton Arms Sunday Session

The Myddleton Arms, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 16:00 18:00
Session

Howl at the Moon Sunday Session

Howl at the Moon, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 16:30 19:30
Session

Penny Black Sunday Session

Penny Black, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sun 31 Oct 17:00 20:00
Session

Sociograss Sunday Jam

The Bowlers Rest, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sun 31 Oct 17:00 19:00
Session

Minerva Sessions

The Minerva, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
Sun 31 Oct 17:30 20:30
Session

Dougal’s Sunday Session

Dougal’s Pub, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sun 31 Oct 17:30 20:30
Session

Seamus’s Sunday Session

Seamus’s, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sun 31 Oct 17:30 19:30
Session

Whiskey Tumbler Sunday Session

The Whiskey Tumbler, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct from 17:30
Custom

Samhain Fire at Athboy

Sets off from Fair Green, Athboy, County Meath
Sun 31 Oct 18:00 20:00
Session

Hootananny Sunday Session

Hootananny, Inverness, Highland
Sun 31 Oct 18:30 20:30
Session

McCafferty’s Ilford Irish Session

McCafferty’s, Ilford, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 18:30 20:30
Session

Three Wishes Irish Session

The Three Wishes, London, Greater London
- Mixed
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 18:30 20:30
Session

Mary Madden’s Irish Session

Mary Madden’s, Enfield, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 18:30 20:30
Session

Fox Haggerston Sunday Session

The Fox, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 18:30 22:30
Custom

Samhuinn Fire Festival

Sets off from Calton Hill, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sun 31 Oct 18:45 21:15
Morris Practice

Mortimer’s Morris practice

St John’s Church Community Centre, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Sun 31 Oct 19:00 22:00
Session

The FolkScore session

The Muddled Man, West Chinnock, Somerset

Maintained
Sun 31 Oct 19:00 22:00
Session

How Serene Singing Circle

The Ivory Hotel, Glasgow, City of Glasgow
Sun 31 Oct 19:00 23:00
Session

Dog & Partridge Sunday Acoustic Session

Dog & Partridge, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Mixed
Sun 31 Oct 19:00 21:00
Session

Folk of the Round Table Sunday Open Session

SET Social, London, Greater London
Sun 31 Oct 19:00 21:00
Session

WB Yeats Sunday Session

The WB Yeats, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 19:00 22:30
Session

Sir Colin Campbell Sunday Session

Sir Colin Campbell, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 19:00 21:00
Session

Bowling Green Irish Session

Bowling Green Hotel, Chorlton, Greater Manchester
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 19:00 22:00
Session

Scottish Open Session

The Chemic Tavern, Leeds, West Yorkshire
- Tune
- Scottish
Sun 31 Oct 19:00 21:00
Session

Exmouth Sunday Acoustic Session

GWRSA Railway Club, Exmouth, Devon
- Mixed
Sun 31 Oct 19:00 21:00
Morris Practice

Way of the Wyrd practice

Thorpe Acre Church Hall, Loughborough, Leicestershire
- Border
- The Morris Federation
Sun 31 Oct 19:00 21:00
Morris Practice

Golden Star Morris practice

St Catherine’s Church Hall, Norwich, Norfolk
Sun 31 Oct from 19:00
Custom

Derry Halloween Carnival Parade

Sets off from Guildhall Square, Derry, County Londonderry
- Procession
- Hallowe'en
Sun 31 Oct 19:30 22:00
Session

Dunblane Folk Club

Victoria Halls (Lesser Hall), Dunblane, Stirling
Sun 31 Oct 19:30 22:30
Session

Cask and Barrel Southside Sunday Session

Cask and Barrel Southside, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
- Tune
Sun 31 Oct 19:30 21:30
Session

Dram Sunday Folk Session

Dram!, Glasgow, City of Glasgow
Sun 31 Oct 19:30 21:30
Session

Luddite Folk Session

King William IV, Sneinton, Nottinghamshire
- Mixed
- Traditional
Sun 31 Oct 19:30 21:30
Session

South Shields Folk Club

South Tyneside Indoor Bowls and Social Club, South Shields, Tyne and Wear
Sun 31 Oct 19:30 21:30
Session

Hole in the Wall Irish Session

The Hole in the Wall, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 19:30 21:30
Session

Wolverton Acoustic Club

The MADCAP Theatre, Wolverton, Buckinghamshire
- Mixed
- Beginners welcome
Sun 31 Oct 19:30 21:30
Session

Green Man Sunday Session

The Green Man, Liverpool, Merseyside
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 19:30 22:30
Session

Harbour Room Evening Session

The Harbour Room, Blakeney, Norfolk
- Mixed
Sun 31 Oct 19:30 22:30
Session

Marnhull Tunes Session

Blackmore Vale Inn, Marnhull, Dorset
- Tune
- Traditional
Sun 31 Oct 19:30 22:30
Session

Convivial Rabbit Folk Session

Convivial Rabbit, Dorchester, Dorset
- Mixed
- Contemporary
Sun 31 Oct 20:00 22:00
Session

Llanidloes Sunday Session

The Stag Inn, Llanidloes, Powys
Sun 31 Oct 20:00 22:30
Session

Horsham Folk Club Open Floor

The Normandy Centre, Horsham, West Sussex
- Mixed
- English
Sun 31 Oct 20:00 22:30
Session

Readifolk Singers’ Night

Community Hall, Watlington House, Reading, Berkshire
- Song
- English
Sun 31 Oct 20:00 23:00
Session

Ben Nevis Sunday Session

The Ben Nevis, Glasgow, City of Glasgow
Sun 31 Oct 20:00 22:00
Session

Wimbledon Acoustic Music Session

The Sultan, London, Greater London
- Mixed
- Listeners Welcome
Sun 31 Oct 20:00 22:00
Session

Old Dispensary Irish Session

The Old Dispensary, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 20:00 22:00
Session

Half Moon Irish Session

The Half Moon, Oxford, Oxfordshire
- Mixed
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 20:00 22:00
Session

The Monkey Folk Club

Monkseaton Arms, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear
- Song
- Singaround
Sun 31 Oct 20:00 21:30
Morris Practice

Flag and Bone Gang practice

St John’s Church Hall, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
- The Morris Federation
- Mixed
Sun 31 Oct 20:30 22:30
Session

The Lamb Sunday Session

The Lamb, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sun 31 Oct 21:00 22:45
Session

Clachaig Inn Sunday Session

Clachaig Inn, Glencoe, Highland
Sun 31 Oct 21:00 23:00
Session

Sandy Bell’s Sunday Session

Sandy Bell’s, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sun 31 Oct 21:00 23:00
Session

West Malvern Session

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

Monday 1 November

Folklore from the old calendars

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ringing for all Christian souls No longer kept EnglandBefore the Reformation the church bells were rung all night at Allhallowtide for all Christian souls.
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.
Slaughter time at Hallowtide No longer kept EnglandHallowtide began the season for killing stock, and with it the husbandman's feasting.
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.
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.

Tuesday 2 November

Happy birthday to Dave Pegg (80 today)

Folklore from the old calendars

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.
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.
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.
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.
Stot Tuesday at Settle No longer kept YorkshireOn the first Tuesday after 27 October, Settle held a fair for selling stots, or bullocks, known as Stot or Great Tuesday.
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.

Wednesday 3 November

Born on this day: Bert Jansch (1943)

Thursday 4 November

Born on this day: Tommy Makem (1932)

Friday 5 November

Bonfire Night

Born on this day: Rolf Gardiner (1902)

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