"How many times have we been here," my husband asked, as we looked at the posters from the previous years on our way out. "I think it's 12" I said, "I can look at my photo timeline to clarify". And it is 12 years, we missed a couple during the Covid,. Our first year was 2010, the headliners were Donovan, The Divine Comedy, Low Anthem, Turin Breaks and the Unthanks, amongst other bands and singers. Then it was just "Moseley Folk Festival", presented by long-time supporter and sadly missed Janice Long. I remember her emotional closure of the 10th-anniversary festival in 2015, after Polphonic Spree joined the Monkees on stage, for their encore, on the Sunday night. Now it is Moseley Folk and Art Festival, extending its reach to include talks and standup comedians. Personally, I miss the Bohemian Jukebox Phase, but I know things must change to sustain festivals and keep them relevant.
On the day...
We sat on the grassy slope friends together the sun in our eyes,
Hemmed in by chairs, drink in hand we settled in.
Watching tuneful groups and singular song fellows
Harmoniously recounting life's events and the journey to this place,
Hidden away from the urban sprawl peacefully situated.
Babys stumbled and twisted their way through crowd branches, and elders watched with protective eyes.
The festival procession, celebratory paraded, drumming its way, wafting environmental slogans "save the hedgehogs", a straw creature at the head.
As evening fell, autumnal coolness enveloped us, we searched for jumpers and hats to wear, and adapted to the dropping degree.
Light fairies enchanted the landscape and framed the stage now cocooned by eager fans.
Rousing music wrapped around the unassuming park, as it transformed into a natural stadium.
We left musically bloated, wondering whether we could sacrifice the last toilet stop, to join the bus charge.