Albion Fairs

Last updated

Albion Fairs was the general name for the second wave of East Anglian Fairs, running from 1978 until 1982. There were further fairs in the same tradition most years until the end of the 1980s.

Contents

The East Anglian Fairs began with the Barsham Medieval Faire in 1972, and developed into a significant feature of rural counterculture in Britain, drawing on aspects of pop festival culture, the reinvention of traditional rural or nomadic seasonal gatherings, and a back-to-the-land early green ethos. The voluntary organisers worked under the name of the East Anglian Arts Trust (EAAT). Barsham Faire ran annually on the August Bank Holiday until 1976. In 1976, EAAT revived the Bungay May Horse Fair, which was also held in 1977. An ad hoc group of fair organisers and crew participated in the Eye Show in August 1977. This led to the formation, in the winter of 1977/1978, of Albion Fairs.

Many London and East Anglian bands and theatre groups played at these fairs, among them The Papers, who released a live album (live at Thornham Magna) in 1981, capturing the atmosphere of the fairs. They played as the headline act at Barsham, Cromer and many other events, as well as being well known on the London clubs circuit. Three singles were released in the 1980s and in 2016 the band reformed, releasing a third album and five further singles.

Some events used the spelling Fayre or Faire.

In the 1990s and 2000s, a fairly vibrant if not quite as accessible successor to the Fairs in the region was organised as the mostly biennial gatherings of Dance Camp East.

Related Research Articles

East Anglia Region of England

East Anglia is a geographical area in the East of England. The area included has varied but the legally defined NUTS statistical unit comprises the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a tribe whose name originated in Anglia, in what is now northern Germany.

The Fatback Band is an American funk and disco band that was popular in the 1970s and 1980s. The Fatback Band is most known for their R&B hits, "(Do the) Spanish Hustle", "I Like Girls", "Gotta Get My Hands on Some (Money)", "Backstrokin'" and "I Found Lovin'". Their 1979 single "King Tim III " is generally considered the first commercially released hip hop single.

Renaissance (band)

Renaissance are an English progressive rock band, best known for their 1978 UK top 10 hit "Northern Lights" and progressive rock classics like "Carpet of the Sun", "Mother Russia", and "Ashes Are Burning". They developed a unique sound, combining a female lead vocal with a fusion of classical, folk, rock, and jazz influences. Characteristic elements of the Renaissance sound are Annie Haslam's wide vocal range, prominent piano accompaniment, orchestral arrangements, vocal harmonies, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, synthesiser, and versatile drum work. The band created a significant following in the northeast United States in the 1970s, and that region remains their strongest fan base.

54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division Military unit

The 54th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army. The division was raised in 1908 following the creation of the Territorial Force (TF) as the East Anglian Division. During the First World War the division fought at Gallipoli and in the Middle East. The division was disbanded after the war but reformed in the Territorial Army in 1920. During the Second World War it was a home service division and did not see any combat service abroad and was disbanded in late 1943 but many of its component units went to see service in the Normandy Campaign and North-western Europe from June 1944 to May 1945.

Shirley Elizabeth Collins MBE is an English folk singer who was a significant contributor to the English Folk Revival of the 1960s and 1970s. She often performed and recorded with her sister Dolly, whose accompaniment on piano and portative organ created unique settings for Shirley's plain, austere singing style.

Renaissance fair Outdoor weekend gathering that emulates a historical period

A Renaissance fair, Renaissance faire or Renaissance festival is an outdoor weekend gathering open to the public and typically commercial in nature, which purportedly recreates a historical setting for the amusement of its guests. Some are permanent theme parks, while others are short-term events in a fairground, winery, or other large public or private spaces. Renaissance fairs generally include an abundance of costumed entertainers or fair-goers, musical and theatrical acts, art and handicrafts for sale, and festival food. Some offer campgrounds for those who wish to stay more than one day.

John Kirkpatrick (musician) Musical artist

John Michael Kirkpatrick is an English player of free reed instruments.

999 (band) English punk rock band

999 are an English punk rock band, formed in London in December 1976. From the period of 1976 to 1985, the line-up of 999 consisted of Nick Cash, Guy Days, Jon Watson and Pablo LaBritain (drums). LaBritain was temporarily replaced in 1980 by drummer Paul Edward aka 'Ed Case' while he recovered from a motor accident. Bassist Jon Watson left the band in 1985 and was replaced by Danny Palmer, who was succeeded by Arturo Bassick in 1991.

James Lascelles

James Edward Lascelles is a British musician and the second son of the 7th Earl of Harewood and his first wife, Marion. Lascelles is a first cousin once removed to Queen Elizabeth II.

The Albion Band British folk rock band

The Albion Band, also known as The Albion Country Band, The Albion Dance Band, and The Albion Christmas Band, were a British folk rock band, originally brought together and led by musician Ashley Hutchings. Generally considered one of the most important groupings in the genre, it has contained or been associated with a large proportion of major English folk performers in its long and fluid history.

Barsham, Suffolk Human settlement in England

Barsham is a village and civil parish in the East Suffolk district of the English county of Suffolk. It is about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Beccles, south of the River Waveney on the edge of The Broads National Park. It is spread either side of the B1062 Beccles to Bungay road.

Gorleston F.C. Association football club in England

Gorleston Football Club is a football club based in Gorleston, Norfolk, England. They are currently members of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division and play at Emerald Park.

Fakenham Town F.C. Association football club in England

Fakenham Town Football Club is a football club based in Fakenham, Norfolk, England. Affiliated to the Norfolk County Football Association, they are currently members of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division and play at Clipbush Park.

BIT was an information service, publisher, travel guide and social centre founded, in 1968, by John "Hoppy" Hopkins. It pre-dated the Internet as a free service that would try to find any information asked for, but post-dated library reference desks, and derived its name from the smallest unit of computer information.

Simon Nicol Musical artist

Simon John Breckenridge Nicol is an English guitarist, singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He was a founding member of British folk rock group Fairport Convention and is the only founding member still in the band. He has also been involved with the Albion Band and a wide range of musical projects, both as a collaborator, producer and as a solo artist. He has received several awards for his work and career.

Kingdom of East Anglia Anglo-Saxon kingdom in southeast Britain (6th century – 918)

The Kingdom of the East Angles, today known as the Kingdom of East Anglia, was a small independent kingdom of the Angles comprising what are now the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk and perhaps the eastern part of the Fens. The kingdom formed in the 6th century in the wake of the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain. It was ruled by the Wuffingas dynasty in the 7th and 8th centuries, but fell to Mercia in 794, and was conquered by the Danes in 869, to form part of the Danelaw. It was conquered by Edward the Elder and incorporated into the Kingdom of England in 918.

The Ian Campbell Folk Group were one of the most popular and respected folk groups of the British folk revival of the 1960s. The group made many appearances on radio, television, and at national and international venues and festivals. They performed a mixture of British traditional folk music and new material, including compositions by Campbell. Much of their popularity flowed from the variety of their performance which included a mixture of solos, group vocals and instrumentals.

Bill 'Ubi' Dwyer or William Ubique Dwyer was an anarchist activist in New Zealand, Australia, England and his native Ireland and is best known as the originator and principal organiser of the Windsor Free Festival.

Sid Rawle

Sidney William "Sid" Rawle was a British campaigner for peace and land rights, free festival organiser, and a former leader of the London squatters movement. Rawle was known to British tabloid journalists as 'The King of the Hippies', not a title he ever claimed for himself, but one that he did eventually co-opt for his unpublished autobiography.

References

    Bibliography