The Folk Directory is a user–maintained database of all the regular folk music events in the UK. The Folk Directory is FREE – it does not charge you for adding your event to the database (and never will), and encourages you to add as many events as you like. You don’t even have to sign up or make an account. You can edit or delete an event listing at any time by finding it in the directory and clicking the edit link in the listing toolbox.

The Folk Directory does not intend to, and never could, replace all those great local resources and web pages. In time we will be integrating links to more local and regularly updated web pages into the search function. If you know of a local folk listing website or you run one, let them know and they can link to you.

The site is meant to be simple and easy to use. If it is not, or you have some comments, feedback or ideas, please contact them.

When we hear of a re-opening date we’ll post that here too.

On a brighter note, following the session on 29th December, we have been offered “The Old Beams” in Stourport on Severn as our “2nd Friday” venue. The inaugural “Friday Session” will take place on 13th January 2012.

Directions (for those who haven’t been before):

From Worcester direction: A449 as far as “Mitre Oak” roundabout. Turn left onto A4025 to Stourport. When you reach Stourport, follow signs for Great Witley A451. Cross the river and take 1^st turn on the left (leisure centre and swimming pool) – Harold Davies Drive, “The Old Beams” is on your right.

From the “Rose and Crown” Shrawley/Holt Heath direction : Continue on the B4196 towards Stourport (approx 5mls/8 kms), and turn right to town centre at “T” junction with A451. Turn right by the pedestrian crossing into Harold Davies Drive (access road to leisure centre and swimming pool),approx 400 metres after joining A451. “The Old Beams” is on your right.

From Birmingham/ Kidderminster direction: Approaching Kidderminster on the A456, go straight over the traffic lights at “Land Oak”. Turn left onto ring road and follow A451 to Stourport and then signs to GreatWitley A451. Take the 1^st turn on the left (leisure centre and swimmingpool), as soon as you have crossed the bridge (by the pedestrian traffic lights), “The Old Beams” is on your right.

Pub address : Harold Davies Drive, Dunley Road, STOURPORT on SEVERN.: DY13 0AA Telephone : 01299 878 833

Sat 7^TH January 2012 Wassail in Much Marcle

Saturday 14^th January, 2012 – Wassail at The Fleece, Bretforton, nr. Evesham WR11 7JE. Starts at 6-30pm. Free entry. More Morris sides than ever before alongside Civil War Re-enactors, and of course the traditional singing and mulled cider. Follow the torch lit procession through the apple orchard and enjoy a really festive evening with a folk session to follow and lots of yummy warming food. No parking on site, so be prepared to park in Main Street and walk to the pub.

We were back in the swing of things on Sunday night at the Rosie and although we were only a select few there was some nice music and we had a good time. Francis was suffering from too much of too many things over too short a time so had to bow out half way through the proceedings but the rest of us filled in and a fair old racket ensued.

Tonight it’s the first 2012 session at the Falcon and I’ll be heading down there in an hour or so. Do come along if you can – I do enjoy the company.

I think Bromyard is lucky to have two such good weekly music sessions so please help keep live music alive by coming along, whether to play or listen, to the Rose and Lion every Sunday evening and/or the Falcon every Tuesday.

So it’s great to see them getting a really prestigious gig just before Christmas supporting the legendary John Kirkpatrick in Worcester. Details below (thanks to JT for these):

Wednesday 21^st. December at 8-00pm : John Kirkpatrick’s Carolling and Crumpets Show at The Huntingdon Hall WR1 3LD. Guest support act – Granny’s Attic.

Tickets – £12.00. Additional info at : www.worcesterlive.co.uk
Box office telephone : 01905 611 427

Granny’s Attic is a local folk trio from Worcester with band members Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne, George Sansome and Lewis Wood. Full details at : www.grannysattic.org.uk

On Wednesday 23 November, 5-8pm, Hartlebury Castle are holding a Christmas Fair, and The Night Watch are providing the music. Hartlebury Castle is approximately 5 miles south of Kidderminster, just off the A449 main road to Worcester in the direction of Stourport on Severn. From the A449, follow the brown and white signs for the County Museum into the village of Hartlebury. Sat Nav users should key in DY11 7XZ.

To all friends of Free Reed, and to concertina enthusiasts worldwide

Firstly, many thanks for your support and interest in Free Reed Records, and for your custom over the years in purchasing our CDs and Box-Sets of the best in folk and instrumental music.  (All of our special offers are still open to customers on our database via www.free-reed.co.uk/newsletter and new offers due in our pre-Xmas mailout!)

Many of you may remember that the Free Reed label started in the 1970s as a specialist label for instrumental folk music, especially the music of the Concertina:  while expanding the label, its founder Neil Wayne also formed a huge concertina collection, (now in the Horniman Museum, London), and has now created a second classic Concertina collection, which has its own huge web-database, with images, history and historic data on almost 400 early and historic instruments, and details of over 4,000 historic artefacts, instruments and rare devices associated with Charles Wheatstone, the inventor of the Concertina.

The website of the Concertina Museum Collection is to be launched to the public on 1st November, at www.concertinamuseum.com and we hope you just might be able to take a look at this amazing site!  If you have any comments or critical advice on what you see, please let us know, since the site is being constantly improved and added-to in the coming months!

Should you wish to keep abreast of all the forthcoming new additions, changes and improvements to the site, or to send us your comments and corrections, you can trace such updates at Twitter @ConcertinaMuse

If you are able to forward the information below to friends, local museums and collectors, musicians and chat groups, we would indeed be grateful!

Contact:  Neil Wayne neil.wayne@free-reed.co.uk | 01773 824157 | 07802 708389 | The Concertina Museum, The Cedars, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 1DD, UK