AN APPRECIATION OF LANCASTER MARITIME FESTIVAL

This web page has been created to enable the many shanty festival goers to express their appreciation of the efforts of the Lancaster Maritime Festival team and perhaps tell us the odd funny story of the festival over the years.
If you have fond memories and would like to add them to this site, please email to alan@shanty.co.uk and I shall happily add them.

Alan Hardy
BITTER END

MESSAGE FROM ANDY KENNA LAMENT FOR LANCASTER
No more I’ll go to Lancaster to sing upon the Quay
To blast out another chorus of another old Shanty.
No more I’ll be imprisoned by the Press Gang and their Crew,
Nor be enticèd by the doxies and all the charms they had on view.
Ch. No more, no more, I’ll go to Lancaster no more,
Yet the memories linger on, of those days sadly gone,
When those shanties ‘round the taverns did roar.
The Three Mariners, the George and Dragon, no more will fill my glass,
No Royal King’s Arms, no Wagon and Horses for all that now has passed.
My hero David Wright, and his sidekick the lovely Val,
Betrayed by that feckless Council, God damn them all to hell.
Ch.
Yet still we have our memories and these we’ll ne’er forget,
Of Johnny Collins and the Stormies and that final Shanty Set
And knowing that, like true shellbacks, we didn’t go down without a fight
So goodbye to all,“we loved it”, and God bless you David Wright.
Ch.
Andy Kenna,
Merseyside
MESSAGE FROM CHRIS LOCK & IAN TUPLING (LocTup Together & Four ‘n’ Aft)
We were relative late comers to being booked at Lancaster both as a duo and with Four ‘n’ Aft. Looking back, we enjoyed five or six happy Easters, both at Lancaster and Glasson and as performers we were always well looked after. That is what stood out so much about the festival, the level of consideration for the artists whether in relation to accommodation or when asked to perform in what could sometimes be ‘lively’ venues.
The enthusiasm of the whole team was infectious and they always presented a well thought out and well supported programme. Even through the later years when the political undercurrent must have been stretching their patience to the limit, they were wholly professional and did not let it interfere with doing a grand job of running the festival.
The powers that be (just like those in Liverpool) do not seem to understand the relevance of the Maritime history to the early prosperity of the city. There is no accounting for the reasoning behind the trends in thinking that recent history shaped the community.
Any way no more drifting!
All we can hope is that in the future, whether that be 2 years or 20 years, someone will have the determination and belief to reinstate the lost British maritime festivals.
I just want to say on behalf of Chris and myself, thanks to all the team for their hard work in creating and maintaining something that was quite unique in the English folk world. Thanks for all your support and also for giving us the chance to work with, and get to know, some of the most genuine and likeable ‘folkies’ you could ever wish to meet. What a ‘family’.
May we wish all the team good health and enjoyment in whatever their next step in life is.
Chris & Ian
Merseyside & Lancashire
MESSAGE FROM DEREK GIFFORD
My first encounter with David Wright was in the Waggon & Horses pub at the second Lancaster Maritime Festival which, at that time, was a fairly modest affair. I was invited by Chris Roache of the Shanty Crew (who became the festival 'residents' in the years to follow) to lead a shanty. Afterwards David approached me in that delightfully slightly off-hand way of his and asked if I was to be around for the Sunday. Unfortunately I couldn't be there but I gave him my card and he booked me for every festival since. I said to him at the time how pleased I was that he had turned to the folk world for his performers and that the festival had the potential of becoming a major event. He stressed at the time that it wasn't a folk festival but a Maritime event of course! His remit as far as I know was to put the Lancaster Maritime Museum 'on the map'.
Over the years I watched it grow like Topsy and through David's dedication and hard work with, later on, the help of Val' Simpkin and the festival team, it became an award winning international event. The remit was successfully accomplished. So having done their job successfully we can all now see the thanks that they've received from some of their employers. I'll say no more on that one as Keith Kendrick has ranted on behalf of all of us I think.
Nowadays you can see unemployed maritime performers and loyal members of the public roaming around over the Easter holiday wondering what the hell to do with themselves! It is quite rightly sorely missed. Huzzah indeed!
Giff
Roby Mill
Lancashire
MESSAGE FROM INNER STATE THEATRE
Inner State has a lot to thank the Lancaster Events team for, including the many friends we have made throughout the shanty world which we hope will continue. David first hired us in 1993 to do “Treasure Island”, our first show together as Inner State. We were actually looking for a booking for the Georgian Legacy Festival so were surprised when we ended up at the Maritime Festival. The Georgian came later, as did many other events over the years, too numerous to mention.
David and Val, later joined by Keith, built up a great team of volunteer workers and Lancaster and Morecambe events were certainly the best organised we ever attended and performers were always well looked after.
Sadly, with the demise of the events team, and indeed the programme of events and festivals, it seems likely that we will do little or no work in our home town again. So ... our thanks to David, Val, Keith and the team for looking after us over the years and for providing an important part of our annual income !! We’ll certainly miss meeting all our fans, friends and colleagues ... and if anyone knows where we can get a job at Easter please get in touch !!
Christine Bissell & Andy Andrews
Lancaster
Lancashire
MESSAGE FROM ALICE MARSH
Hailing from the U.S.A., I made three transatlantic journeys especially to attend the Lancaster Maritime Festival, in 2000, 2001 and 2005. I first heard about the Lancaster Maritime Festival from Alan Hardy, who recommended it while I was attending the Hull Sea Fever Festival in 1999.
The beauty and historical resonance of the city of Lancaster and its surroundings were an awe inspiring discovery for me. Lancaster was the perfect setting for bringing British history to life through the inspiration of traditional sea songs and shanties and through the consummately well-acted role-playing of David Wright, Valerie Simpkin and The Press Gang, along with the Georgian reenactors. Their witty, eloquent repartee, all improvised on the spot in fluent eighteenth century English, made me feel like a time traveler.
I have wonderful memories of the Lancaster Maritime Festival, not only of hearing the spell-binding songs of brilliant stylists and collectors performing at the Royal Kings Arms, but of joining in on many a lusty chorus with friends in ancient taverns where I took pleasant lessons in the lore of guest ales and house ales.
One memory I treasure is that of hearing Cyril Tawney sing in person. I also enjoyed the company of the American traditional singers I had seen in New England, who were as excited to be in Old England as I was. I heard fine English and Scottish singers whose music would not now be enriching my life had I not heard them at the Lancaster Maritime Festival.
I took the fascinating guided tour of Lancaster Castle.
I remember riding my bicycle (which I'd brought with me from Connecticut) out on the narrow road across the tidal marshes to Sunderland Point and being struck by the stark beauty of the landscape at low tide and again feeling that I was traveling through and toward the past.
I remember gatherings at the Royal King's Arms, evenings of ballads, shanties, stories, conversations by turns intense or lighthearted, culminating in the excitement of the Last Night Do. The Press Gang and Georgian re-enactors created a vivid atmosphere for the singing of traditional sea songs.
On one of my visits, I think in 2001, I had arrived in Lancaster from Paris, via the Calais Dover ferry and train. The Press Gang got wind of a mysterious traveler having recently arrived in England, not only from the colonies, but by way of France -- and I was promptly surrounded and publicly arrested as a suspected colonial spy! I remember, while in the Maritime Museum, being good-naturedly ribbed as "a bloody colonial" and, in the same setting, having my face publicly examined and pronounced "a sweet face, despite her age," the atavistic frankness of which I found irresistibly charming.
I remember soldiers in 18th century uniforms lounging on the dockside playing chess and trading quips in colorfully archaic argot, the lively fair with tradesmen and women hawking their wares to the sound of the fife and drum, the pig faced woman, the traveling doctor with his medicinal herbs, the jugglers, the Punch and Judy show, the wonderful Pace Eggers. I remember discussing the merits of the novels of Miss Austen with red-coated officers and their elegant ladies.
I can still hear the voice of one Press Gang member at the Sedan Chair Championships rowdily calling out about one of the lady participants, "See how she doth feign indisposition, that she might fall into his arms, ha ha!" I remember an officer apoplectically "rebuking" a visitor at length, because "You did not say, 'Huzzah!' sir!" The beautifully costumed role-players, with their zestful and historically informed interactions with the visitors, made the Lancaster Maritime Festival unique as a venue for the retelling of history and for the singing of the beautiful old songs that make that history a living presence in an international community. It is sad to see this extraordinary event disappear due to the loss of its peerlessly fitting meeting place.
David Wright and Valerie Simpkin are two of the brightest, best informed, most energetic and creative people I've ever met, with a special talent for bringing people together and making things happen. If I ever have the good fortune to see them and enjoy their company and accomplishments again, I hope it will be at a reinstated Lancaster Maritime Festival.
Alice Marsh
New Haven
Connecticut
U.S.A.
MESSAGE FROM TAKE LANDMAN
Along this way we like to express our gratitude to the festival team, lead by Val, David and Keith, for all the great things they did with the wonderful Lancaster Maritime Festival over the years.
We, Armstrong's Patent from Appingedam, have had lovely Easter weekends over the last past years, at first as normal visitors, later on as performers on your festival. We had a wonderful time in Lancaster, meeting very interesting people. I think we were the only Dutch group ever, performed at the Lancaster Maritime Festival.
Wishing you all the best for the future and thank you again for the great times. Also on behave of my colleges from Armstrong's Patent,
Greetings,
Take Landman
Appingedam
Netherlands
MESSAGE FROM DOREEN HARTLEY & JIM RUTHERFORD
We would like express our appreciation to David, Val and Keith and their team for the many years of pleasure they have given us at the Lancaster Maritime Festivals. They opened up the world of Maritime music and enabled us to make many new lasting friendships.
It seems fitting that on the last Last Night Do held at the Kings Arms, one of the raffle prizes was a replica Napoleon Chamber Pot, which I was lucky enough to win. It sort of sums up our opinion of the Lancaster City Councils decisions.
Doreen Hartley and Jim Rutherford
Lawkland
North Yorkshire
MESSAGE FROM DAVE WEBBER & ANNI FENTIMAN
We would like to say thank you to everyone who was involved with running the festival and in particular David & Val. We know that organising an event like that is a mammoth task. So many things to consider from both the public and artist's perspectives. Lancaster was the ONE maritime event where you had the full maritime experience from the raucous macho shanties to the maiden's laments for their lost true loves, from the silly sailor's ditties to the serious lectures on maritime lore. Nowhere else in this country has such things received such respect.
Although this is a sad loss, the world is a better place for it having existed all those years, HUZZAH!!
Anni Fentiman & Dave Webber
Tow Law
County Durham
MESSAGE FROM VALERIE HAWORTH
What a grand voyage Captain Gardner and his crew gave us all. In response to a directive to liven up the quayside, David and Val created an event which grew quickly in stature and repute. 'Lancaster at Easter' will live long in the hearts and memories of all of us and shantyfolk will talk of it with affection wherever they come together.
The Festivals and Events team have enriched all our lives with their organizational skills, their determination in the face of opposition and frustration, their presence and their personalities. They deserve better than what has happened and I wish them all the very best in whatever they do in future.
By late 1998 is was obvious that, as Council funding was limited, 'something would have to go', but it seemed incomprehensible that, having spent vast sums over the years in promoting tourism, the City Council would kill the one event which was the City's main tourism attraction. In an exchange of emails before the fateful meeting of the Festivals and Events Group, one (very supportive) Councillor told me "I am afraid the Maritime Festival has become too much of a political hot potato at the moment" and that (for various reasons which there is no point in repeating here) there was "little or no support" for reinventing the Festival. In expressing personal disappointment he agreed that, "... it has a national profile which I don't think others on the Council realise." So our Festival received its Death Shot.
I am a relatively 'new girl'. Not knowing what maritime festivals were like, but intrigued by one of David's leaflets on which I saw two familiar 'names from the past', I tiptoed up the gangplank in 1999 and remained on board thereafter. How the Festival changed my life! Previously unaccustomed to much company, I fell into a world of music and knowledge, artistry and fun - and I discovered all of you people. I was made welcome from the start and among both artistes and shipmates, I have made countless acquaintanceships and many real friendships which have deepened over the years and which I value. Easter at Lancaster became the high point of my year and, through it, I discovered other maritime events, though none so dear to me.
Alan Hardy asked for special memories. Mine would fill several exercise books - so I'll just pick the 'last nights' at the Kings Arms when we sang out the Festival in the Tower Room - with gusto and joy and looking forward to next Easter, and then, for the last few years, with increasing frustration and rage that each one might be the last. (Oh, and should I mention the day when I first walked into David and Val's ofice, expecting to see two 'typical' council employees, conservatively dressed in business attire....??)
To David and Val and the Team - and to all of you - Thanks - it's been great and I'll see you again, sometime, somewhere. And to Cyril and all the others we have lost along the way - here's to absent friends who will never be forgotten.
Huzzah.
Valerie Haworth
Wilmslow,
Cheshire
MESSAGE FROM DICK MILES
I would like to thank David and Val and their respective families, for all their hard work.
I miss the festival and would love to see it happen again, as it used to be when David and Val were running it.
Dick Miles
Ballydehob,
County Cork, Eire
MESSAGE FROM RON BAXTER
If only we could 'Shanghai' all them councillors! Lancaster was without a doubt my favourite Maritime Festival, from 1995 when I first attended, I never missed one, as either 'audience', running singarounds or as a 'booked act'. Dave & Val ran the best organised festival I've ever been to, their hard work, not only with the Maritime Festival, but, all the other events they ran, ['Clocks Back', 'Georgian'.' Fish & Ships' etc] was the blueprint for what other festivals should copy.
I still miss Easter at Lancaster & all the friends that I have made there.
Dave & Val, in whatever your future plans are, I wish you all the best. You two, and your 'gang' were the best.
Ron Baxter [Half of 'Red Duster']
Barrow
MESSAGE FROM KEITH KENDRICK
Long have I wanted to publicly and officially say my piece about Lancaster Council’s disgraceful and ‘loser’ oriented attitude to such a mammoth and amazingly repetitively successful event – likely the most consistently successful event ever to happen in Lancaster in all its MARITIME and other history!
Lancaster Council (a phrase that sticks in my throat these days although it must be said it did have some festival supportive members within and good for them), more so than any other (and there are others), in taking the action they have, does tend to remind me of a school for the deaf, dumb and blind or perhaps a respite centre for vulnerable adults (and of course I don’t mean the staff!). Never in my life have I witnessed such hideously childish, vindictive, jealous infighting and pathetic behaviour by a City’s administration in regard of something SO successful and profile raising and in the face of massive and undeniable opposing public opinion than in this case!
It just looks like the thin end of the wedge of a return to ‘property, position and power verses the down-trodden ordinary common folk’ such as was officially abolished in the late 1800’s along with slavery long before it. Legally they may have the high ground but morally and in the intelligence stakes, they are clearly bankrupt. I have to admit, I don’t know the finite details of the rot years but I cannot possibly imagine where the hell these clowns were coming from in letting The Lancaster Easter Maritime Festival go from their events calendar – but I do know that they’ll struggle to ever replace it with any single event of any kind in the future that enjoys the same level of success and maintains it for 22 years…. and it serves them right!
David and Val and the team, on the other hand, had it right from the outset in having the vision and the nouse to organize and popularize such a successful and historically appropriate event to celebrate Lancaster’s place in World commerce and to create and maintain international recognition for such a great, great city! Not to mention creating regular annual employment of many of the biggest and best maritime performers worldwide!
The Festival brought a lot of pleasure to thousands of people each year and was a boon to most of the local businesses – what did they do to deserve the Council’s indifference I wonder? A very sad loss for many, many people.
An absolute and utter disgrace and an unforgivable act on the part of Lancaster City and Morecambe Councils that they should reward David and Val and Keith with untimely redundancy – but more power to their elbow for hanging in for so long right up to the ‘Bitter End’ (pardon the pun guys). My personal and sincere thanks go to the whole gang for their effort, dedication, generosity and friendship over the years and my good luck wishes for any endeavours they may undertake in the future.
WHAT A WAY THAT WAS TO SPEND EASTER!
Keith Kendrick
Derby
MESSAGE FROM KEN HUNNYBUN
David Wright and Val Simpkin are two of the most creative and hard working event organisers I have met. Add to this an equally creative and hard working part time volunteer production team and the outcome was a string of well attended events showing the history of Lancaster to people like myself who may never have visited the city before. Also worth noting is that some of the events won prestigious awards.
Best wishes to David and Val in their enforced retirement. I'm sure after a suitable time for reflection their creative juices will be harnessed in some way.
Ken Hunnybun
Ratby, Leics
MESSAGE FROM ALAN HARDY
I should like to thank Dave, Val & company for all of their efforts, even though I had to spend much time avoiding Captain Gardner & the Press Gang! I was not always succesful and usually spent part of my Easter 'in custody.'
Also, as a visitor from East Anglia, it was always galling to find some of the pubs on the Quay were selling Greene King IPA cheaper than I could get living within 20 miles of the brewery! Nevertheless, the highlight of the weekend was a pint of Lancaster Bomber.
Let's hope that another such festival may rise like a phoenix from the ashes.
Alan Hardy.
Castle Camps, CAMBS

This List was last updated on 20th April 2010

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