HISTORY OF THE MIDLAND FOLK GROUP
The History up to 2002 was compiled by Pete Mac with grateful thanks from the Midland Section.
History since 2002 has been added to by several others, notably Gaynor Butler.
History since 2002 has been added to by several others, notably Gaynor Butler.
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Meet reports from more recent years
2020 : 2019 : 2018 : 2017 : 2016 : 2015 : 2014 : 2013 : 2012
Now for the full story scroll down and read on .............
2020 : 2019 : 2018 : 2017 : 2016 : 2015 : 2014 : 2013 : 2012
Now for the full story scroll down and read on .............
The formation of the Midland Section of the Folk Dance and Song Group took place on 28th May 1966, during the weekend known in those days as Whitsuntide. The meeting was held at a meet at Chartley Castle, Stowe by Chartley, near Rugeley, Staffordshire, and was attended by Folk Group Chairman, Bob Whitlock. The following Officers and Committee were elected: Chairman, Eddie Cammack; Secretary, Mrs K. Dunsby; Treasurer, Tony Owen; Committee, Lawrie Chapman - Staffordshire, Len Dunsby- Birmingham, Jack Mee - Nottingham, Bill Walding - Northampton, Arthur Evans - music.
At their inaugural meeting, the new Midland Section embarked upon the creation of a display team. Just two weeks later the Midland Section display team gave their first public display at the Central Counties Regional Meet at Billing Aquadrome, Northamptonshire. Nearly all the 24 dancers were in festival dress, and they performed the Cottagers, La Russe and Blaydon Races, to an appreciative audience. The evening dance, led by Eddie Cammack, included a large number of dancers, and there were many spectators. When it started to pour with rain, the Section was forced to retire to the beer tent, where Ron Shuttleworth led non-stop folk singing until closing time.
The 1967 Easter Meet at Blockley was organised jointly by the two newly formed Sections of Home Counties and Midland. It was at this time that the Midland Section Band was formed. The band gave their first public performance under the leadership of Stan Bacon, at the Birmingham D.A.'s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations on 10th June 1967.
December 1967 was the time of the first Midland Section Christmas Meet. This was suggested by Eddie Cammack and was held at the Social Centre in Hayes Heath Village on Cannock Chase. There were six hardy families in tents, and ten families in caravans. The youngest camper was just two years old! Many active members were there, recalls Lawrie Chapman who was there with his wife June and their family. Eddie & Biddy Cammack of course were there, and Jack Heath who had found the site. Malcolm & Shirley Bird were there as were Jack & Connie Mee, John & Ethel Garwood from Nottinghamshire, Audrey & Norman Gibbs of Cheltenham, and Bill & Connie Walding from Northamptonshire.
The following year, 1968, the Christmas Meet was held at Avoncroft College, Bromsgrove. The Christmas Meets have been a very enjoyable fixture, and although the venue has changed several times, most of the meets have been held at Avoncroft. The organisation of the Christmas Meets changed when there were no longer any Midland Section members on the organising committee. For a short time the meet was run under the auspices of North Central Section, but the Christmas Meet eventually became independent of a Section and has its own accounts and organisation. June & Lawrie Chapman and Paul Mee remained involved for some years along with Ian Gustard.
In the beginning the Midland Section drew members from a wide area of the country. Then with the increasing cost of petrol, and probably influenced somewhat by the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak between the years 1968 and 1971, members were thinking twice before travelling long distances to weekend meets. In due course, some of these members broke away to form the North West, North Central and North East Sections of the Group, which left the Midland Section smaller in area than before. However the Midland Section continued to thrive, holding regular meets and participating in Folk Group events up and down the country. Midland Section established an annual Pancake Meet, and a Residential Weekend, which attracted members from other Sections. The Pancake Meet disappeared from the calendar for a while but this annual event was resurrected for the group by Mark Burton and family in February 2016.
The 1973 and 1974 Easter Meets were organised by Midland Section at Brailes, with tents and caravans on the recreation ground grouped around the village hall. I recall Jim Watson, who was site steward, putting little blue stickers on our windscreens for the first time!
In 1982 the Midland Section, together with the North West Section, organised the Group Easter Meet at Stafford Show Ground, with 159 units attending.
The Midland Section organised the 1990 Easter Meet at Wolverley, Worcestershire, with 287 units attending. One item of the programme that Easter was 'The Biggest Folk Band' which had 166 musicians playing a variety of instruments, under the baton (actually a tin whistle!) of Ron Stirrup.
The following year the 25th Birthday celebrations of the Section took place over the weekend of 17th - 19th May 1991 at Brailes. The programme consisted of dances, workshops, sports, and a birthday banquet. Eddie Cammack, the first Midland Section Chairman and Vice President of the Folk Group came over from Canada with his wife Biddy, to be at the meet.
The 1996 Easter Meet at Stratford-upon-Avon High School organised by the Midland Section was very successful, and partly because of its good location near the centre of the country attracted record numbers - 493 units and 1006 people. Midland Section Chairman John Jackson was Meet Co-ordinator.
In July 2006 Midland Area held its 40th Birthday celebrations at Wolverley over Easter. Folk members came from all over the country and there were 120 members camping over the weekend. The cake was cut by our oldest member Laurie Chapman and our newest member, John Mitchell.
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Pam Watson (left) with Lawrie and June Chapman of the Midland Folk Section. Celebrating 45 years of their membership in October 2011 |
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Evesham 2014 was the location for the Folk Group annual Easter Meet, organised by the Midland Section. Co-ordinator was Gaynor Butler with John Jackson as her Deputy Co-ordinator. Many other members from the Midland Group worked together to make the meet a huge success.
In April 2016, Midland celebrated their 50th Anniversary and everyone was asked to wear Gold. Once again it was a grand occasion with past and present members attending. This time the cake was cut by one of our founder members, Pam Watson and our youngest member, Molly Burton.
Also in 2016 Malcolm and Shirley Bird, at the time the Midland's longest serving members, celebrated 50 years of camping with the Folk Group. Shirley recalls their first camp with the Folk Group was at Ford in the Cotswolds in the summer of 1966. They joined the Midland Folk Section when they next paid their subscriptions, and camped for the first time with Midland at Hoo Mill near Alcester in the spring of 1967.
Sadly Shirley passed away in 2018
and Malcolm in June 2020 |
ne of Shirley's memories was being pulled into their first dance at their first Christmas meet, by Jack and Connie Mee and Ethel and John Garwood. It was Fandango followed by Ninepins and she says they did not have a clue. They carried on to do the catering for the Christmas meet for the next 20 years, Malcolm was secretary for about 15 years.
Shirley remembers that they also ran rapper workshops at Easter for many years, also some Playford type workshops. "Margaret Thompson and I were the first members to start craft workshops and for many years I did card workshops at Easter and some of our own meets." Thanks to Shirley for the information. |
Malcolm Bird 1935 - 2020 Taken from the Eulogy written by David Bird (June 2020).
Malcolm and his wife Shirley joined the Camping and Caravanning Club in 1959, the year they got married. It gave them a life long adventure together, travelling, learning new hobbies, meeting new people and making lifelong friends. Malcolm and Shirley joined the Midland Folk Dance Section of the Club and Malcolm became treasurer for over fifteen years. He loved dancing, English and American, Country, Rapper and Longsword and his favourite was Morris. He would often be seen in traditional dress at a folk festival. He became an accomplished barn dance caller too with meticulous notes and cases of music discs. Sadly in 2010 Malcolm was diagnosed with dementia. Shirley looked after him until her death in 2018 but she had made sure he was in a good home. She even organised the details of his funeral knowing it would be after hers. Malcolm's exit music was Shepherds Hey a fitting tribute to a Morris man.
Malcolm and his wife Shirley joined the Camping and Caravanning Club in 1959, the year they got married. It gave them a life long adventure together, travelling, learning new hobbies, meeting new people and making lifelong friends. Malcolm and Shirley joined the Midland Folk Dance Section of the Club and Malcolm became treasurer for over fifteen years. He loved dancing, English and American, Country, Rapper and Longsword and his favourite was Morris. He would often be seen in traditional dress at a folk festival. He became an accomplished barn dance caller too with meticulous notes and cases of music discs. Sadly in 2010 Malcolm was diagnosed with dementia. Shirley looked after him until her death in 2018 but she had made sure he was in a good home. She even organised the details of his funeral knowing it would be after hers. Malcolm's exit music was Shepherds Hey a fitting tribute to a Morris man.
The Annual Pancake Meet from the 1970's was recreated in 2016 and it is hoped this will continue to be a regular event. Many of the Midland meets started to have themes attached to them. These included an annual Boules Tournament, Irish nights, Pick Your Own (blackberries, damsons and pears) at Sinton Green, A Night at the Movies plus Country and Western theme complete with a display of items and memorabilia provided by Chris and Jenny Bridgewater.
In early March 2020 Midland managed to hold their annual Pancake Meet, thanks to Mark Burton (again), just before the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic put a stop to all camping activities. The Midland AGM was cancelled and the committee was asked to stay in post and carry on until the next AGM could be arranged. The Folk Group Easter Meet at Evesham, which Midland Group were Co-ordinating, had to be cancelled. Committee meetings were held using the video conferencing application Zoom. Gaynor Butler, the Midland Vice-Chairman and Sites Officer, kept the social side of the Midland Group intact by organising weekly Zoom sessions involving members in general chit-chat and spot turns.
An album covering the years 2000 to 2017 from Mick Jones. Many thanks for these memories Mick.
An album covering the years 2000 to 2017 from Mick Jones. Many thanks for these memories Mick.
