But just a short couple of weeks later, a large BB contingent was off to the seaside again but a lot further north – our first appearance at the Whitby Folk Week, despite being asked many times in the past. And what an exceptional week it turned out to be, with great weather throughout! Events started on Saturday 20th August, with spots at Captain Cooks’s monument, Pannett Park, and Dock End, followed by the first of the 2 processions from Crescent Gardens to the Bandstand, with fortunately much of it being downhill. Sunday brought our first workshop at the Metropole Hotel, where Cheesy Bob was the flavour of the day, followed by 2 spots up at Whitby Abbey with the excellent North British sword team, (and with an interval at the nearby Whitby Microbrewery), and a final single Goblins in the Dance Extravaganza in the Spa Pavilion.
Monday started with our second workshop, with the participants being introduced to the Dance of Chance followed by the Dance of Stance, after which came a session at the Yoof Club at the Whitby Mission, teaching a group of 10-18 year old youths the Mazurka (a dance which they then successfully reproduced later in the week in a youth showcase). Next, a more unusual event – Dance Adversity Challenge in the small theatre in the Coliseum, a 2 team fun quiz featuring ourselves and Camden Clog. This was set up like University Challenge, with teams of 4 answering a variety of questions on a wide range of subjects, put to the teams by quizmaster Stanley Accrington. The BB team was Jameson, Jerry, Malcolm, and Roy with his rug covered hump – the hump actually containing Alun and Mark, who occasionally popped out to answer a question. We thought having 6 was fair enough though as Camden Clog’s 4 included a flatulent guide dog. The questions, set by Sally Atkinson, were all great fun, with a mix of morris questions, questions about the other team and ourselves, and very non-morris questions, where a good knowledge of chemical symbols proved invaluable. We also had an ‘ask the audience’ and a ‘phone a friend’ card. We tried asking the audience a Whitby related question we didn’t know but neither did they – our phone a friend was more successful though, the friend being Emma sitting just a few rows away. In the end we appeared to have won handsomely, but realised our mistake too late – we had of course bribed the scorers beforehand with wine, as had our opponents, but unlike them we had failed to bribe the quizmaster, who declared the scores level, necessitating a final clog related question from a planted Camden Clog in the audience. Robbery, even if we did have 6 people on our team – but a fun event nonetheless.
Tuesday was a day off, with everyone undertaking a variety of different activities, before some of the team reconvened later in the day for a spot of cardboard pirate boat building (of which more later), accompanied by gin and nibbles. Then on Wednesday morning, with dance spots not starting until 12.00 noon, there was time for some of the team to have a round of Pirate Golf in one of the arcades along the seafront (joint winners Rhys and Paul), followed by a short boat ride out to sea. The dancing consisted of dance spots at Captain Cook’s, the Bandstand, and Dock End, after which many of the team repaired to the Rusty Shears, a cake and gin shop in town, where the gin samplers assortments went down particularly well. Thursday daytime brought more spots at Dock End and the Bandstand, before the evening themed ceilidh ‘Under the Sea’ and our spot at 10.00 pm. Given the theme, we had chosen to dress as Skeletal Pirates, and most of the team certainly went to town with white face paint, and black around the eyes, with the lower face being covered by a skeletal snood, all combined with various individual choices of pirate-y attire. At the start of the spots, all the team emerged and prowled, accompanied by the theme music for Pirates of the Caribbean (which Charles had got hold of), and featuring the aforementioned cardboard ship, worn by Alun, and named for the evening the Black Pudding. A fine start, and then into Wheel of Fortune. The dance went well, though Jameson in the middle lost the hanky attached to his hook quite early on – this was nothing compared to Paul though, who slowly lost various items of clothing he started with, culminating in his own hook flying off and into the middle of the dance. Next dance was (stage) Coconuts, before a highly energetic Sword Dance to finish. Overall the spot was very well received, with many favourable comments afterwards.
And then on to the last day – more spots at the Bandstand and Dock End, including an ambitious 1-6 with Capering Crew at Dock End and a chaotic Knees Up with them at the Bandstand. Finally, another procession from Crescent Gardens to the Bandstand, and a last Fairies to finish the day and our week. Overall a big success for the team, and we’ll look forward to a possible return one year. Could someone flatten out the hills first though?
