Grassington Festival

There probably isn’t a village in Yorkshire that doesn’t have some sort of annual gathering on the green or playing fields. They are all about bringing people together and showing off the best of local arts, produce and talents and jolly good fun to boot. One place in the Yorkshire Dales is a little bit different. Thirty-six years ago, the people of Grassington decided to host a festival. It has grown to be become an eclectic mix of music, comedy, cultural events that reflect the diversity of life not just in the Dales but from across the UK. It is no surprise that many people are telling me that it is one of Yorkshire’s premiere art and music festivals.

The programme this year includes concerts by several household names including Jools Holland, Snake Davis, Bananarama, well two thirds of Bananarama the full trio are not reforming completely until November, and my personal favourite Clare Teal. Over the 15 days there will be also be performances by acts that you won’t know unless you are in the know. Just like Edinburgh there is also a fringe festival that will feature acts that are at the start of their career.

Looking at the programme Grassington is much more than a collection of what Festival Chair Robert Fort describes as some seriously good performers it is also a celebration of Dales life. I am looking forward to the escorted walks and picnics and there are, it seems endless opportunities for visitor participation, I have added the Dry-Stone Walling course, to my list.

The Grassington Festival starts to sound like the sort of event that it would be worth taking time off work for so that you can be sure not to miss anything.

Grassington is such an idyllic little place, in the middle of the dales, I once passed through it very slowly by narrowboat on the Leeds Liverpool canal. I can understand how Edinburgh, a capital city can host a long-term festival, but how does this Dales village bring together such a diverse range of performers and opportunities and still maintain, what is evident from even the quickest glance at the programme, the local character of the event.

The secret of success is the large number of local people who are involved in making the festival happen. There are some people who have made the festival their full-time job, and others who are volunteers, festival friends or sponsors.

Hanneke Dye, started her involvement with her late husband Edward as a patron, they sponsored a classical music concert, I am quite tempted to find out more about that opportunity. Now Hanneke is Friends Champion and organises activities like the Friends annual dinner. She talks enthusiastically about the benefits of the festival to the local community and businesses, which far outweighs any of the disruption caused by the influx of visitors can create.

The increase in traffic and noise in what remains a Dales village is something that several people mention to me as a downside of the festival, but as Robert Fort who is festival chair and coordinates the Fringe points out the Festival adds, enormously to the cultural life of the area, providing people with the opportunity to see some seriously good performers without having to go into Leeds or Manchester. The influx of people coming to an event are along with their cars also bringing their spending power and that can only be a good thing for the local economy.

As Heather Williams, a volunteer in the box office says the vast majority of people locals and visitors really appreciate the festival and the team that makes it happen. As a relative newcomer to the area becoming a festival volunteer says Heather helped her to get involved in the community and meet new friends. Perhaps that friendliness and the focus on supporting the local community is one of the reasons that draws stars like Jools Holland back to Grassington.

That group of friends are having fun creating a festival which Festival Director Kate Beard explains is supporting the local community and schools. She talks with equal excitement about the value the Festival adds to school as she does when she recalls the goose bumps she felt when The Stranglers confirmed that they would play Grassington.

Everyone that talks to me is genuinely excited about all the performers and activities from the household names to the new acts. I am frequently told about how good a new performer is. It is evident that the organisers are just as star struck as I am when they recall past performers like Roland Gift (Fine Young Cannibals), Heaven 17, Billy Ocean, ELO, The Boomtown Rats, Julian Lloyd Webber, Hayley Westenra, Alfie Boe and Lesley Garrett; and from the world of comedy; Al Murray, Jo Brand, Jack Dee and Dara O Briain agreed to perform at past festivals. As Robert Fort says you’ll never guess who I’ve chauffeured to and from the railway station in my car, it’s likely to have been the likes of Robert Powell, Rich Hall or John Williams.

I wonder if I can cadge a lift? I’ll let you know when my train gets in…