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| Soggy summer spurned by Ramsbottom music fans | Soggy summer spurned by Ramsbottom music fans |
| (4 months later) | |
| It is testament to the appeal of the Ramsbottom Festival that, after the soggiest summer in a century, this boutique Lancashire event attracted thousands of people who couldn't give a fig for the rain. Now in its second year, a celebration of music, poetry, comedy and food took over a little Northern town nestled in the shadow of the West Pennines. Steam trains on the East Lancashire heritage railway ferried festival-goers to the site at Ramsbottom Cricket Club for three days of indie, ska and folk beats. The weekend got off to an auspicious start. Inspiral Carpets, a key part of the Madchester scene in the late 1980s, threw themselves into their set with gusto. More than twenty years have passed since the classic This is How It Feels debuted in the UK; on Friday night, it seemed like yesterday. A merciful god kept the rain away on Saturday, allowing families and people of all ages to dance their cares away to the likes of the harmonious Roddy Woomble and the rousing Session A9. Curiously, Miles Hunt and Erica Nockalls of The Wonder Stuff were on stage early doors at 5.50pm. Judging by the audience's rapturous reception to their repertoire, including the timeless Size of a Cow, the pair would have benefited from a more high-profile slot. But later performers did not disappoint. Both The Leisure Society and Admiral Fallow are surely destined for wider fame. The only let-down of the day was headliner I am Kloot. While the band clearly had its supporters in the crowd, some ticketholders were seen to leave early, most probably for the warm embrace of a local hostelry. Although the weather was not so kind to semi-rural Ramsbottom on Sunday, and the line-up not so obviously recognisable, there were few complaints. Food stalls offered Tibetan, Thai, Spanish and traditional Lancashire food while the beer tents could hardly keep up with demand for ale from the local Irwell Works Brewery. The chill in the air didn't deter some hardy punters from sampling Holden's Ice Cream of Bolton although others preferred hearty British grub cooked up by the Eagle and Child pub. | It is testament to the appeal of the Ramsbottom Festival that, after the soggiest summer in a century, this boutique Lancashire event attracted thousands of people who couldn't give a fig for the rain. Now in its second year, a celebration of music, poetry, comedy and food took over a little Northern town nestled in the shadow of the West Pennines. Steam trains on the East Lancashire heritage railway ferried festival-goers to the site at Ramsbottom Cricket Club for three days of indie, ska and folk beats. The weekend got off to an auspicious start. Inspiral Carpets, a key part of the Madchester scene in the late 1980s, threw themselves into their set with gusto. More than twenty years have passed since the classic This is How It Feels debuted in the UK; on Friday night, it seemed like yesterday. A merciful god kept the rain away on Saturday, allowing families and people of all ages to dance their cares away to the likes of the harmonious Roddy Woomble and the rousing Session A9. Curiously, Miles Hunt and Erica Nockalls of The Wonder Stuff were on stage early doors at 5.50pm. Judging by the audience's rapturous reception to their repertoire, including the timeless Size of a Cow, the pair would have benefited from a more high-profile slot. But later performers did not disappoint. Both The Leisure Society and Admiral Fallow are surely destined for wider fame. The only let-down of the day was headliner I am Kloot. While the band clearly had its supporters in the crowd, some ticketholders were seen to leave early, most probably for the warm embrace of a local hostelry. Although the weather was not so kind to semi-rural Ramsbottom on Sunday, and the line-up not so obviously recognisable, there were few complaints. Food stalls offered Tibetan, Thai, Spanish and traditional Lancashire food while the beer tents could hardly keep up with demand for ale from the local Irwell Works Brewery. The chill in the air didn't deter some hardy punters from sampling Holden's Ice Cream of Bolton although others preferred hearty British grub cooked up by the Eagle and Child pub. |
With three stages this year (one more than 2011), there were places to shelter from the showers. Helen Clements, performing on the A&L Stage clearly has a bright future ahead of her while Rachel Sermanni over on the main stage was utterly charming. By the evening, the storm clouds had passed allowing unalloyed joy while watching Thea Gilmore followed by the darling of the folk scene, Seth Lakeman. A review of the Ramsbottom Music Festival wouldn't be complete without mentioning Silent Disco. Surely this is the most fun you can have in a tent, particularly when the DJs include Clint Boon and Mike Joyce (yes, THAT Mike Joyce). But next year, please can we have bigger tents, both for the silent disco and the beer. This is the North West, we need somewhere to shelter from inclement weather. For those people whose idea of a music festival is anathema, Ramsbottom has something else to tempt tourists. A new exhibition at the Heritage Gallery offers a revealing peek into the past. Using objects and images from the Ramsbottom Heritage Society's collections and Bury Art Museum's permanent displays, Shop Local, Shop Ramsbottom – a 200 Year History' builds a picture of ordinary people working in and buying from the local shops over two centuries. | With three stages this year (one more than 2011), there were places to shelter from the showers. Helen Clements, performing on the A&L Stage clearly has a bright future ahead of her while Rachel Sermanni over on the main stage was utterly charming. By the evening, the storm clouds had passed allowing unalloyed joy while watching Thea Gilmore followed by the darling of the folk scene, Seth Lakeman. A review of the Ramsbottom Music Festival wouldn't be complete without mentioning Silent Disco. Surely this is the most fun you can have in a tent, particularly when the DJs include Clint Boon and Mike Joyce (yes, THAT Mike Joyce). But next year, please can we have bigger tents, both for the silent disco and the beer. This is the North West, we need somewhere to shelter from inclement weather. For those people whose idea of a music festival is anathema, Ramsbottom has something else to tempt tourists. A new exhibition at the Heritage Gallery offers a revealing peek into the past. Using objects and images from the Ramsbottom Heritage Society's collections and Bury Art Museum's permanent displays, Shop Local, Shop Ramsbottom – a 200 Year History' builds a picture of ordinary people working in and buying from the local shops over two centuries. |
Ramsbottom is proud of the fact that even today, in a world where high streets are dominated by chain stores and brand names, it provides an individual shopping experience. Independent retailers dominate the market town, from butchers and bakers to antique emporiums and artisan coffee shops. According to the exhibition, daily shopping for fresh food, writing a weekly order to be delivered to their homes and collecting the 'dividend' twice a year used to be important parts of peoples' lives: | Ramsbottom is proud of the fact that even today, in a world where high streets are dominated by chain stores and brand names, it provides an individual shopping experience. Independent retailers dominate the market town, from butchers and bakers to antique emporiums and artisan coffee shops. According to the exhibition, daily shopping for fresh food, writing a weekly order to be delivered to their homes and collecting the 'dividend' twice a year used to be important parts of peoples' lives: |
| From the 1820s, shops spread from the Market Place selling everything that townspeople needed including many goods which were made in the town. Small shops lined the main streets as today, but only hints of those in the side streets still remain. | From the 1820s, shops spread from the Market Place selling everything that townspeople needed including many goods which were made in the town. Small shops lined the main streets as today, but only hints of those in the side streets still remain. |
A meticulous trawl through the census and the picture archives has thrown up the most fascinating element of the exhibition: a 'through the ages' depiction of a former industrial town transformed into a thriving and popular modern destination. | A meticulous trawl through the census and the picture archives has thrown up the most fascinating element of the exhibition: a 'through the ages' depiction of a former industrial town transformed into a thriving and popular modern destination. |
| Here's festival director David Agnew of The Met in Bury talking on YouTube about this year's events. | Here's festival director David Agnew of The Met in Bury talking on YouTube about this year's events. |
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