Belly dancing at the George

For an evening with a difference, why not go to the George Hotel, corner of Duke Street and Cemetery Road this Sunday 1st August? Local belly dancer Maryem will be dancing three 20-minute spots from 9pm to about 10.45. Maryem's dancing is the real thing, as she was born and grew up in Egypt. 

If that's not your thing, then also on Sunday the Bothy has another of its free summer singarounds from around 8.00pm at the Park Golf Club, Park Road West, Southport. Thwaites real ale.

A Blanket Apology, by George!

Another music night with local band, Blanket Apology, in the George Hotel on the corner of Duke Street and Cemetery Road this Saturday the 29 May from around 8pm. The band will feature two lead singers, Derek and Jan, and there will also be an opportunity for you to perform during the open mike spot. As well as all that, there will be authentic belly dancing from Maryem, who is from Egypt. (You can see a small picture of her if you click on the "Events" link to the left.)

The music is always good from this experienced band with - on this occasion - two great singers, and I'd be there myself clutching my guitar if I wasn't away for my sister's birthday in Hampshire. The George is a friendly local, much improved from the old reputation it used to have; if only it had real ale, but the Guinness is well kept.

Valentine's Day at the George: rock ... and belly dancing

This coming Sunday there is a Valentine's Day special in the George Hotel on the corner of Duke Street and Cemetery Road.  There will be live music from Blanket Apology, a local rock band that performs both covers and original songs - they've played in the George before and have even lent me a guitar on occasion to bash out some old time rock & roll.  Good musicians and some fine material.

Also performing is Maryem from Egypt who will be doing some authentic belly dancing, so this will definitely be a night out with a difference.  It's on this Sunday 14th February (of course), runnning from 8.30pm to around 11.00pm.

Warwick Folk Festival

Last weekend I was at Warwick for the annual folk festival. This takes place in the grounds of Warwick School, apparently the oldest boys school in the country. A large marquee housed the main stage, while other events took place in the school or in the town itself, about a mile walk away. There is also a real ale tent which featured a lot of Church End brewery beers, unsurprising as they are one of the sponsors of the festival, as well as stalwarts like Old Hooky and Landlord. The beer was as well-kept as you could expect in a marquee in summer, and much better than many festivals.

Musical highlights included seeing Eric Bogle, writer of "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" and "No Man's Land", songs I have often heard massacred at folk sessions, on his extensive final tour of Britain, Ireland and Canada. Kate Rusby was less fey than usual, being 7 months pregnant, but her show was much as you'd expect ~ a range of songs sung in her trade mark plaintive style. Tom Lewis sings nautical songs with a conviction derived from 24 years in the navy, unlike many singers of sea songs. I also enjoyed the French Canadian group, Le Vent Du Nord, Australian Martin Pearson, the Wilsons, and Keith Donnelly who rose to the challenge of his set being doubled in length with no notice, and kept everyone in stitches nonetheless.

I saw quite a few young acts, and I think Rosie Doonan and the Snapdragons and Isambarde were possible among my favourites. The much-hyped Jim Moray was competent and had some interesting arrangements, but ultimately left me uninvolved. The Kel Elliot Band played in a bluesy jazz style that had little to do with folk; she sings, plays double bass and writes much of her own material, but also included jazzy interpretations of pop songs, such as the Acrtic Monkeys' "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor."

There were various folk dance sides - Cortswold, Border, North West - but the most unusual was Barefoot Bellydance, whom I saw them in the street outside the Zetland pub, which sold only Pedigree and Broadside, neither in any way local, and at £2.95 a pint, rather dear. I also liked the the Soft Option Appalachian dancers, who were high kicking and stepping to the sound of bluegrass fiddle, banjo, mandolin and guitar.

It was cracking the flags on Saturday but cool and drizzly all day Sunday ~ typical English summer. A great weekend, and I doubt I'll leave another 7 years until my next visit.